The Tough-Faced Owner of A Fluffy Cafe ~ The Strongest Mercenary Feared as the Headhunter, Living Leisurely Surrounded by Little Girls and Cute Monsters ~ - Chapter 42
Episode 042: Headhunter, Returning to the Town
“Sure. How about Rim for a name?” Fenrir’s name was inspired by cream. When I first saw Fenrir, he looked as fluffy as whipped cream.
“Hmph. I guess I’ll have to tolerate it. Fine, I’ll accept it.” Fenrir responded with a cold shoulder.
However, his tail was wagging vigorously. Wagging their tails when happy is a common trait among wolf-type monsters.
In other words, despite his attitude, Fenrir seemed to like it. Rim was a very straightforward tsundere wolf.
Watching this, Ack couldn’t help but feel amused.
—Gooooooosh!
However, despite the forceful snowstorm, which seemed to be coming from above the clouds, it took some time to calm down.
“I’m Ack. Nice to meet you.”
“Hmm.”
When Ack extended his hand, Rim lifted his large foreleg, touching each other’s hands. Their handshake couldn’t be completed due to the difference in hand size, but it was a gesture of affection.
“Well then, shall we go gather the perennial ice?”
“There’s no need.”
As Ack moved towards the cave, Rim stopped him.
“Why not?”
“With me around, lowering the surrounding temperature is easy. If you need ice, I can produce it for you.”
“I see.”
Originally, their goal was to bring back ice for shaved ice to sell at the shop. And if possible, they wanted to collect some perennial ice to lower the temperature indoors. However, if Rim could provide for both of their purposes, there was no need for Ack to gather them separately.
Still, Ack wanted to bring back some perennial ice.
“I’ll take some back. I want to show it to Tina and the others.”
Perennial ice, which takes a long time to melt, is not something you would normally see in your lifetime if you live normally. Since they had come all the way to the Great Blizzard Mountain, it would be a good memento.
“Is Tina one of your herd members?”
Rim was curious about the name he heard for the first time.
“Yeah. Although not by blood, she’s my daughter.”
“I see. As Ack says, it may indeed be unusual for a human’s daughter.”
“Right? Treat her kindly.”
“Hmph. It depends on that girl.”
Rim modestly wagged his tail at Ack’s words, seeming pleased. He was also happy to be part of the herd.
Leaving Rim to his own devices, Ack entered the cave. After a while, Rim, who had regained his senses, followed.
The inside of the cave was covered with ice, giving it a bluish-white appearance. Ice crystals, resembling gemstones, adorned the cave, adding color to the interior.
Ack exclaimed in admiration at the artistic interior.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It is indeed. That’s why I settled here. Those are the treasures I’ve gathered. Those were gifts that I reluctantly accepted from a human king. And then…”
Rim boasted about the various items in the cave with a proud look on his face.
He probably hadn’t had anyone to boast to before. Once Rim started talking, he couldn’t stop. Since Ack didn’t mind writing someone else’s story, he let him talk as much as he wanted.
“There’s where the perennial ice is.”
“I see.”
The back of the cave resembled a plaza, with the entire wall covered in ice.
Magical energy emanated from the ice, which felt different from ordinary ice. Due to the magical water freezing over a long period, it had transformed into what could be called magical ice, which took a considerable amount of time to melt.
“Take as much as you want.”
“Got it. Hmph.”
With Ack’s permission, he slashed the perennial ice with his hand.
“I can’t believe my attacks don’t work. What’s really going on with your body…”
“I don’t know.”
Ack easily sliced through the perennial ice, leaving Rim dumbfounded, and tossed the pieces into his magic bag.
“Let’s go back.”
“Hmm.”
After finishing their business, Ack and Rim left the cave and arrived at the edge of the mountain.
“How do you plan to descend from here?”
“Like this?”
He had ascended the cliff. Descending the same way would take time.
However, Ack jumped down as if it were nothing.
“Huh!?”
Rim was shocked, his jaw dropping in disbelief, causing him to freeze stiff.
Ack fell towards the foothills, gliding down like a hang glider.
—Dooooon!
As Ack landed skillfully on his feet, the snow, which had hardened into a crater, was deeply indented.
“Perhaps I’ve joined an extraordinary herd.”
After a while, Rim caught up and muttered in amazement.
“Follow me.”
Ack started running south.
“I never thought someone could be faster than me…”
Rim, watching Ack’s running speed, lost some confidence as he realized he couldn’t keep up.
As they emerged from the blizzard zone, Ack asked Rim.
“At this size, ordinary people would be scared, and we wouldn’t be allowed into houses or towns. Is there any way to change that?”
“Hmm. How about this?”
Rim responded to Ack’s question while gradually shrinking. Eventually, he became a slightly larger wolf.
“That should be fine.”
Ack thought this size wouldn’t cause any trouble, so he continued running with Rim.
“Don’t you have anything to say!?”
Unable to say anything about Rim’s ability to being able to change his size, he shouted discontentedly.
They ran without stopping, and they returned to Farmrest around midnight.
It wasn’t feasible to visit Maria’s house at this hour. Thinking so, Ack decided to just register Rim as his familiar at the guild and head home. While walking, he spotted a familiar figure, looking extremely frantic.
“What’s wrong?”
When Ack spoke from behind, the person—Maria—turned around and said with a pale face
“I’m sorry. Tina and the others are missing.”
Ack was momentarily unable to comprehend what Maria was saying.
