“Woooooah!?”

“Waaaaaah!?”

“Ooooh!?”

Red’s tastebuds exploded with delight underneath the starts of Hearth Village. A small feast was prepared tonight thanks to Red’s catch. The scent of roasted roast meat had Red drooling like a wolf throughout the day.

And finally, as she sat on a long across a firepit, she dug into a bowl of stewed meat. She huffed down the bowl, her fingers dipping into the soup as she held her spoon like a toddler would.

“Dewishwus~! (delicious!). I never knew wolf could taste so goooooood~!” She squealed, causing the women who had prepared the meals to laugh fondly from their outdoor stone kitchens. “The potatoes! The leaks! The soup! The wood! And the leaf too!”

“No, Red – That fell from the tree.” Snow tried to stop her, but Red had already swallowed it. “Are you sure you weren’t raised by wolves?”

“Pawsitwive! (Positive!).”

Red’s reactions never failed to amuse them, and it broke down the ice between her and the village. The most mundane of things, such as a saltshaker, had caused her eyes to sparkle with awe much to their amusement.

Many women of the village did not yet have children or were in the process of raising one. Seeing Red caused them to imagine the joys that their child would bring one day. Visitors and Adventurers of Emvita were always preoccupied with the happenings of the world, often bearing bad news.

Red, however, was a joyous spark of light that they could not help but welcome. Several women joined them around the fire, the youngest being 28. After Snow of course, who was only 23 years old.

They wore handmade dresses tanned from leather and cloth. The colors were dull in comparison to Red and Snow’s, mostly being a shade of brown or green. Embroidery of various animals or fruits decorated the sleeves of their dresses, some with even the initials of their names to help them keep track of who owned the attire.

Not that it mattered, the villagers rarely washed their clothes. Instead, Hearth Village relied on Snow’s [Cleanse] to remove all filth with the touch of her hand.

Red didn’t notice Snow’s stare as she devoured bowl after bowl. Even the wooden spoon was not spared, coming out mangled as if she could not control her strength. Snow was the only one who knew just how powerful she was.

She couldn’t help but wonder just what Red’s circumstances were. Why she was alone in that cave. Why did she have to fight to survive for so long. It caused her to instinctively reach out to pat her head, however, a barrage of food suddenly appeared in front of Red’s face just before she could touch her.

“Hey, wanna take a bite from this?”

“Nah, wait – I was going to feed her! Red, open up!”

“Try this! It’s wolf-toasted nuts!”

A look of bewilderment overcame Red.

“A wolf toasted those nuts? Nuh uh. No thank you.” She shook her head, not wanting to eat something that was possibly cooked by a wolf.

“Please. You’ve had enough stew! This is a sandwich! Wolf meat slathered with mayonnaise, topped with our village-grown vegetables, squished by two loafs of fluffy bread!”

“Gimmie the sandwich!” Red’s eyes dazzled, instantly taking a bite like she was some kind of cute animal. “Mmmmm~! Why is this place’s food so good!?”

The woman puffed out her chest victoriously. Bread wasn’t even remotely close to meat, and yet its subtle, fluffy texture danced on her tastebuds, pairing perfectly with the vegetable medley and the meat.

“So good? It’s not that unique. This is the bare minimum of cooking.” A young woman said. “Head into a town or a big city and you’ll never want to come back.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“They have better food in the bigger cities?” Red asked, licking her fingers clean.

“Like you wouldn’t believe. Or so I’ve heard. Tonight’s just a special event to celebrate your catch. You really like food, huh?”

“Because it’s a new experience. I’ve never had anything that tasted good. It was all bug meat and innards.” Red complained, causing them to laugh. They thought of it as a joke, but Red was being completely honest. “I only ate because I had to survive. So being able to eat because it tastes good is… a nice feeling.”

Snow inched closer to Red. She plopped a hand onto her head and [Cleansed] her, as well as the others.

“We just eat to keep ourselves full. But you’re right.” Snow hummed. “A good meal does make you feel better no matter the weather.”

“Snow!? Can we pet her too!?”

The women rose from their logs, jealous that Snow got to keep Red all to herself.

“Why are you asking me?”

“Isn’t she like, yours or something? You found her, so you’re practically her owner!”

“Like a pet?” Red, of all people, was the one who asked.

“Yeah, like that!” Another cried.

Red tilted her head.

“Snow, is that how you think of me? Sorry, but I’m the master here.” She then pointed at a Rockie that was swarmed by children. “Heh. You wish. No way I’m going to be owned again.”

If Snow wasn’t a Healer, then she would have smacked them all. She could only smile and remove her hand from Red’s head.

Again?

Snow wondered what she meant by that, but figured it was better to let Red enjoy her stay than to bring up painful memories. Suddenly, Red pointed at a bowl on the ground. It was the only bowl around the campfire that hadn’t been assaulted by Red.

“Who’s that for?”

“It’s for Three Paw.” Snow said, patting her thighs. “Come here~!”

A swift, adorable set of pattering filled the air. A three-legged wolf cub leapt past Red and landed onto Snow’s cozy lap.

“Huh!? You – What’s a wolf doing here!?” Red’s eyes widened as she reached for her waist, only to smack her hand against the log. “Ngh – Oh no –!”

Three Paw was one part the Village’s pet and the other their warning system. The wolf was barely big enough to fit on Snow’s lap, and it jumped to lap her face, its fluffy tail wagging energetically.

“It’s tasting Snow!”

“Red, relax. Three Paw is our pet. Here. C’mere, Three Paw! C’mere!” Another woman clapped as Three Paw ran across the firepit and straight into her lap. It nuzzled against her palms, allowing her to touch even its ears which Red knew was a death sentence.

… So why didn’t the wolf attack her?

“See? Isn’t he cute? He was abandoned for being too fluffy~”

“False. Wolves would’ve eaten it.” Red corrected. “They’re not wasteful. I bet they just left it to die alone. A wolf with three legs isn’t going to survive for long. No point in wasting energy for a lost cause.”

“That’s the same as being abandoned.” One said, moving to pat the wolf. “Poor thing hadn’t eaten in days when we found him. He was smaller than the palm of my hand. Can you believe that!? Look how big he is now!”

“Any bigger and it might start eating outside of just this bowl.” Red shook her head, unable to believe that these humans were living with such a despicable thing. “Tch. Damn wolf. It’s probably plotting revenge for all the wolves we’ve eaten today.”

As if sensing Red’s concern, Three Paw turned towards her, tilting its head innocently.

“Look at it! It’s trying to swoon me too! Grr… Trying to act all cute. You’re nothing like Rockie!”

“Red. How about you pet him? Maybe that will change your mind?” Snow politely suggested.

Seeing that Snow was her first human friend, Red considered it, although with a hideous grimace like she was looking at a spawn of hell.

“… Snow. You gotta heal me if anything happens. [Cleanse] me twenty times after as well.” Red, after much deliberation, drummed on her thighs, bruising herself accidentally. “… Come wolf. A superior human calls for you.”

Three Paw curiously wandered towards her, his nose bouncing left and right with an adorable swagger. He eventually made it to Red’s legs, where he looked straight up at her with his black eyes, its tongue lolling out innocently.

“Don’t touch me unless you want to be called Two Paw… You’re the one that got abandoned. Must be nice living like it doesn’t matter to you.”

Her tone became somber all of a sudden.

“I wonder how it feels to be abandoned. I bet you feel resentful. Heh. Of course you would. That’s why you’re able to eat wolf meat.” Red praised him as he munched from his bowl. “It’s not sheared off. I don’t know how a wolf gets born with only three legs, but if that’s enough for them to not want you anymore, then aren’t I glad I’m not a wolf. Humans would never abandon one of their own, right!?”

Snow looked like she wanted to respond, but she refrained and simply sipped from her bowl in silence.

“O-Oh. Hey, Red. Wanna go see where you’ll be sleeping?” One of the women immediately suggested.

“Beds!? Designated sleeping spots!?” Red practically burst with excitement. “Are they soft!?”

“Nothing like the rocks you’ve been sleeping on. It’ll be like sleeping on air! Let’s show you! Snow, is it ok if we take her?”

“We? What you really mean is you.”

“I’ve got the softer bed, so come with me Red!”

“I’ll take her.”

Snow stood up to assert herself.

“I’m sorry, but Red needs a Healer close to her, just in case. She still has some wounds I need to look after. Lethal wounds take time to heal.”

She didn’t know what Red’s secrets were, but she was certain that Red might inadvertently reveal something to these girls. Red was someone that needed proper guidance, and there was no one better than a Healer to teach Red her right and wrongs.

Also, it would be problematic if they knew that Red had a voice in her head.