Finally, we headed to the training areas, and Crin seemed very excited to see the knights training.
"Can I join the training they're doing?!" Crin seemed very enthusiastic.
"I don't think that's possible," I said dryly, crushing his hopes.
He looked very sad and downcast, so I tried to lift his spirits. "But you can ask our parents for permission to join the knights' training." His change in expression from downcast to very happy in a few seconds was very amusing.
"Really?!"
"Yes."
"That's awesome!"
While Crin seemed very happy, Marcy suddenly appeared with some servants. "Young Lord, we finally caught up with you. We brought some snacks for you to have breakfast with your cousins. The Lord said it's not necessary for you to join the family for lunch today, so you can keep having fun."
"Well, who's hungry?" I asked my cousins.
"Me!" they all answered at the same time, though Crin's voice was louder than the other three combined.
After we had breakfast, along with the servants who looked a bit hungry, we continued with the tour.
Cerlia was visibly excited. "Can we see the garden and the wolves now?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Sure, let's go," I replied.
When we reached the garden entrance, they all seemed confused to see literally a forest. Despite me telling them, they really didn't expect it to be an actual forest extending from the castle walls.
But when we saw all the family wolves together, it was quite surprising. They were almost as big as horses, except for Artic Sky and my brothers' wolves. Cerlia and Alian ran towards them but stopped at a safe distance, respecting their space. "Do you think they'll let us pet them? I know Mom's wolf would let me, but I'm not sure about the others," Alian asked.
"Of course, they're very intelligent and friendly with all family members," I replied.
"Actually," I approached the wolves who were lying down relaxing, watching us with their red eyes, and asked, "can you take us for a walk in the garden?"
"Howlll," they started howling, and I thought I had annoyed them, but my father's and Uncle Brian's wolves approached us and lay down in front of us, indicating for us to get on. We climbed up using their fur to hold on.
In the end, we divided into two groups because we couldn't all fit on one wolf. In the first group were Crin, Cerlia, and me. in the other, Melody and Alian.
"Young Lord, the Lord and Lady, along with all your brothers, will be very angry when they find out you went alone," Marcy commented worriedly, and the other servants seemed to feel the same.
"Then it won't be a problem if you come with us." When I said that, Aunt Soria's wolf stood in front of her, indicating for her to get on, which she did, while the servants seemed about to have a panic attack at any moment.
After that, we had a long ride through the forest on the wolves, and we were all very happy with the abundance of animals, rivers, and beautiful dreamlike scenery we saw. I found it curious not to feel any discomfort after spending so much time on the wolves. it was like being in a very comfortable chair.
All the wolves accompanied us during the ride, and when we had gone so far that the castle was no longer visible due to the dense trees, the strangest thing was that there were almost no animals around, except for a few birds flying overhead.
"Young Lord, I think we should head back," Marcy said, observing the eerily silent surroundings.
Suddenly, my father's and uncles' wolves stopped.
"What's going on?" Artic Sky and my brothers' wolves looked alert, but my father's and uncles' wolves didn't.
"Ziom, do you know what that is?" I looked in the direction Melody pointed and saw a creature about three meters tall, making the ground tremble slightly as it walked.
That monster had a robust body covered in short, rough dark gray fur with black spots on its head. It seemed to have three legs similar to wolves, but the fourth leg at the front was like a monkey's, but with sharp claws like its other legs. Its head was hyena-shaped, with a wide mouth full of sharp teeth.
"GRRRROOOAAARRRGGHH!" The monster's roar echoed throughout the forest.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Young Lord, it's a Thurgrak, a monster that roams in packs. They're extremely territorial and aggressive. They attack without provocation any creature that enters their territory. Their presence is characterized by an unnatural silence, as all animals flee or hide in their proximity. Their sharp teeth can rip off the limb of first and second-rank aura users. Its front left paw has the strength to easily break or tear iron shields."
I was quite surprised she knew so much about this monster and took the time to explain it. But what surprised me most was Aunt Soria's wolf throwing Marcy to the ground before walking towards the monster as if it were nothing.
"It looks horrible. But very cool at the same time," Crin commented excitedly.
"Really? To me, it just looks disgusting. We should get rid of it. Mom said they reproduce very quickly and damage the surroundings like a plague," Melody commented with disdain for the creature.
"Why are you all talking so calmly? I think we should try to run away, they're very dangerous for us," Alian said. Finally, someone with common sense. For a moment, I thought my family was full of crazies.
I turned my head back, wondering why Cerlia hadn't said anything and worried she might have fainted or been scared to death. But when I saw Cerlia, she seemed very interested in the creature. Maybe the only normal ones are Alian and me.
"If it's so dangerous, why do you look so calm?" I asked Marcy, who was getting up from the ground. I could sense that this monster was very dangerous, but for some reason, I felt very calm and didn't feel the need to alarm or run away.
"Because we are with the Lord's wolves and his brothers', so we are practically under the protection of some of the strongest beings in the kingdom. Being with them is equivalent to having the Lord as protection, something many nobles cannot afford," Marcy explained calmly.
I looked in the direction where my aunt's wolf was, completely still, while the Thurgrak was running at full speed. In the next second, its body was split in two, leaving a very bloody and grotesque scene with the Thurgrak's corpse at the center. I couldn't even see what had happened, it was all over in less than a second.
"That was so cool, it reminds me of when Dad split a troll as if he was chopping wood for cooking with his axe." I was surprised by what Crin said. Supposedly, his father instilled a love for humans and animals, and his mother taught him kindness, and I saw no trace that would make him happy about the death of a monster.
"Doesn't it bother you that it was killed?" I asked Crin about this, and he seemed a bit confused but still responded.
"No, actually, Dad told me that many monsters are very aggressive and enjoy taking the lives of many living beings for fun. So, the best thing to do is to quickly deal with them or they'll become a danger. And he said the same applied to bandits and criminals who had committed murders without justification, though I've never seen one." What kind of education are they giving a six-year-old? Even Father didn't go as far as Brian.
The beastly roar tore through the air, making the ground tremble beneath our feet. In the distance, a horde of Thurgrak emerged from the trees, their massive bodies covered in dark fur and their eyes glowing with savage fury.
Suddenly, Soria's wolf leapt forward. Its speed was astonishing, like a silver streak cutting through the wind. In seconds, it covered the distance between us and the Thurgrak, leaving behind only a blur and the echo of its paws hitting the ground.
As it reached the pack, the wolf became a whirlwind of fangs and claws. It moved among the Thurgrak with lethal grace, dodging their attacks as if it could predict every move. Its jaws closed on throats and limbs, tearing flesh and bone with terrifying ease.
The Thurgrak, despite their ferocity and numbers, seemed helpless against Soria's wolf's fury. They fell one after another, like puppets with their strings cut, not even having time to react. It was a one-sided massacre, the wolf moving among them like a vengeful spirit, unstoppable and relentless.
"What's happening?" I murmured, unable to look away from the scene before me. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, seeing how a single creature could take on a horde of monsters so easily. But what happened next shocked me even more.
Father's wolf, which had remained motionless until then, began to slowly open its jaws. An ethereal, pulsing gray light started to manifest in its throat, forming a sphere that grew by the moment. The air around it seemed to vibrate with a majestic and powerful energy.
With a fluid motion, Father's wolf launched the aura sphere toward the remaining Thurgrak. Soria's wolf leapt away with feline agility despite being a wolf.
The sphere crossed the air like a gray comet, leaving behind a trail of crackling energy. It struck the group of Thurgrak with devastating force, triggering an explosion that generated a powerful gust of wind, almost completely knocking down the nearby trees and lighting up the forest as if a stun grenade had been thrown.
When the light dissipated and the dust settled, a huge smoking crater remained where the Thurgrak pack had been. There was no trace of the monsters, not even a fragment of bone or fur. The nearby trees had been disintegrated, leaving a perfect clearing in the forest.
I was breathless, overwhelmed by the display of power. Father's and Soria's wolves stood majestic and imposing, immortal guardians in a world of unimaginable dangers. At that moment, I realized I was witnessing something beyond my understanding, a battle between forces that surpassed the comprehension I had of my former world and something I had only read about in the books of this world.
"That was amazing!!! If we continue, can we see more scenes like this?" Crin shouted enthusiastically.
"Hahaha." I couldn't help but laugh at how crazy this situation was.
He's right, this is amazing and seems very fun. I used to think that becoming strong was a duty because I was reincarnated and that I must become strong if I don't want canonical events to happen to me like with many isekai manga protagonists who didn't receive instant cheats.
But I guess this experience will be very fun.
"What's so funny?" Marcy asked, looking at me confused.
"Nothing, I just thought of something amusing. I think it's better if we head back, it's getting late and I think we missed lunch time."
We finished our exploration, which was much more rewarding than I initially thought it would be. Also, I think my mind has expanded a bit on what I should do.
"It's a shame," Crin commented a bit sadly.
"We've been out too long already. it's time to go back, or our parents will start worrying, and I don't want to see Mom angry after what happened last time." I saw Alian start to tremble a bit when he heard what Melody said but calmed down after several seconds.
"Yes, it's time to return, but let's come back again. It was very fun," Alian said with a smile.
"Can we come again?" Cerlia asked with puppy-dog eyes.
"Of course." I saw how happy she was.