Chapter 06 : Stray Dogs Issue

"Because I haven't seen you in a long time, I can give you a discount. One gold and fifty silver-"

Lloyd noticed Adam's face contorting when he started to enounce the price.

'I forgot he's just the son of a butcher, it may be too expensive for him... Alright, let's drop down the price a little.'

Lloyd coughed with an embarrassed expression, before going back on his words.

"...I meant, one gold and twenty-five silvers per leash. How about it ?"

"T-That's perfect, I will buy it ! Thanks, Mr. Lloyd !"

Adam was shocked by the price, but contrary to what Lloyd thought, it wasn't because the price was too high.

'Even a dull knife made of Cold Steel would cost more than ten golds in the Capital, yet Boss Lloyd is ready to sell such a long chain for so cheap...'

Adam couldn't figure out how the pet store could make any money with such low pricing.

"I know you guys have dogs since I heard them bark the last time I visited your dad's shop, but I've no idea how many of them you got."

"??!"

Adam was momentarily stunned by what he just heard. He looked at the smiling store owner with suspicious eyes.

"So tell me, how many leashes do you need ?"

"...Four would be perfect, Mr. Lloyd."

"Alright, give me a second."

While Lloyd was rummaging through the shelves, Adam tried to understand the store owner's words.

'What does he mean by 'dogs'... Did he perhaps find out...?'

A drop of sweat ran down Adam's temple.

He couldn't help but feel anxious when he recalled who were the three people he met on his way to the pet store.

'First, let's calm down... It may just be a coincidence. Even if Mr. Loyd found out about us, I doubt he would be the kind of guy to sell us to the authorities...'

Adam knew the mysterious store owner was most likely a powerhouse in disguise. Even his father, who was a mighty 3-circles mage at his peak, warned Adam about not offending the pet store owner under any circumstances.

Adam didn't know Lloyd's origin nor his affiliation, but he had the feeling that he would stay neutral and wouldn't take a side even if a conflict arose between two of his customers.

'Reffering them as 'dogs' may be Mr. Lloyd's way of hinting at me that he knows about the Lycanthropes...'

If the pet store owner was aware of the underground basement beneath the butcher shop and still wanted to sell the leashes, it only means one thing : he either supported Adam and his father, or he just didn't care about it.

Even if he guessed Adam and his father's real identity, Lloyd acted as usual, as if he didn't know anything about it.

It didn't imply that he would help them if they got caught, but at least, he was keen to continue selling them his odd items for the time being.

The more Adam thought about it, the more he was convinced that the store owner knew about his real identity.

'Maybe, if it's Mr. Lloyd... He may have a way to solve our issue.'

Since it was no longer necessary for Adam to hide his identity, it was better to be straightforward and directly ask for help from the store owner.

"Mr. Lloyd... May I ask you a question ?"

"Hm ? Yes, tell me." Lloyd answered while arranging the four leashes made of steel and the box of gochujang inside a large leather bag.

"Do you perhaps know of a way to temper those... 'dogs' ? They have really bad behavior, and my father is starting to loose patience with them..."

At the young man's question, Lloyd thought for a while, before asking.

"If you have a problem taming them, I guess they are a 'special' kind of dogs, right ?"

Lloyd recalled the first time he met Blackie ; he couldn't believe canines with two heads existed in this world. According to Balgor, if Blackie was properly nurtured, he could even grow a third head.

'Maybe the pets little Adam is talking about are somewhat similar to Blackie...?'

Lloyd realized that he couldn't give the same advice here as he did when he was working part-time on Earth.

Whether it was the two-headed Blackie, the giant emerald snake of Sir Albert, or the mysterious bird of prey that killed it... Lloyd knew that the species of this world were quite different from their counterpart on Earth.

Nevertheless, after living with Blackie for so long and listening to the stories of his customers, he also understood that the animals of Lunaris shared a lot of similarities in their behavior with those from Earth.

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For example, Blackie often acted like a normal dog when he was alone with Lloyd. If not for his grotesque appearance, it would be almost impossible to differentiate him from a normal dog.

'Thinking about it... Isn't Sir Albert quite knowledgeable in this domain ? He is a professor at the prestigious Royal Academy, after all.'

When Lloyd met the Viscount for the first time, he remembered him saying that he was an expert in what the people here call 'beastmancy'.

Lloyd didn't give it much thought at that time, but doesn't 'beastmancy' sound like this world's equivalent of zoology ?

As Lloyd was lost in thought, Adam answered his last question.

"Y-Yes, they are indeed 'special'... We rescued these stray 'dogs' in the countryside about a month ago. They were being hunted by a band of mercenaries hired by the baron in charge of the territory where we found them. It was a tight call, but we managed to save them before they got captured by their pursuers..."

"Un, un, I see..."

Lloyd nodded with a solemn expression.

"I admire your resolution to rescue those poor dogs, but..."

His pitch-black eyes fixing Adam without blinking made him shudder.

"...you shouldn't have taken so much risk."

Adam was surprised by the store owner's words.

Lloyd's gentle smile vanished, and instead, he harbored a very serious expression.

"What if those feral dogs were hunted down for a reason ? Maybe they were a risk for common people. What if they were infected with a dangerous disease transmissible to humans, hm ?"

"..."

When Adam thought about the danger wild Lycanthropes posed to ordinary people, he couldn't disagree with Lloyd.

It was hard for him to bear the heaviness behind Lloyd's words and gaze.

"Not only did you bring them back from the countryside to the capital, but you are also keeping them hidden inside a butcher shop. The same place where you're selling red meat to your clients..." Lloyd sighed, with a disappointed expression.

He pinched his nose, and tried to calm himself.

Lloyd knew the cultures of Earth and Lunaris were different, and he was used to hearing his clients doing some mistakes when dealing with pets.

Whenever it happened, instead of getting angry, Lloyd tried to always adopt a pedagogical approach first. He had to explain why it was a mistake, so his clients can realize their blunder by themselves.

'I know the hygiene rules in this world are far behind Earth's standards, but still...'

On Earth, it wasn't uncommon for stray dogs to be infected with dangerous diseases, such as canine distemper, leptospirosis, or even rage for the worst cases.

Lloyd had no clue if those diseases existed in this world, but even if they did not, Adam and his father keeping stray dogs inside a butcher shop was a stupid decision.

The people living there truly lacked common sense, sometimes.

As he was enduring the serious gaze of the store owner, Adam started to feel guilty.

'Mr. Lloyd isn't wrong, it's true that we never thought about the ordinary people living in the district when we brought the Lycanthropes here... Even if it's very unlikely, if one of them escapes from Dad's spell formation, who knows how many people he would injure, kill, or infect with Lycanthropy...'

Adam lowered his head in shame, like a child being scolded by his parents.

After a short moment of silence, he asked with a small voice.

"Mr. Lloyd, are you saying that... we should have just let them die ?"

Loyd frowned and replied with a grave voice.

"Not necessarily, but you could have been more cautious. You need to understand that rescuing stray dogs on a whim and bringing them inside your shop is hazardous for both you and your clients, Adam."

Lloyd's black eyes narrowed as he tapped on his counter with his fingers, before adding.

"If you want to save a feral animal, you should first ensure that it poses no risks to human beings. You and your father will be held responsible if anything happens as a result of your reckless decision."

He felt bad for scolding his young customer, but he wanted him to realize his mistake.

"I... I understand..."

When Lloyd noticed the uneasiness of his young customer, he sighed and his expression relaxed.

"Don't get me wrong ; I do not blame you guys for wanting to save defenseless animals, but I can't praise you either for putting the lives of your neighbors and clients at risk. Do you understand ?"

"...Yes."

"Good. Now, back to your first question ; I can not help you personally with those dogs, but I know someone who could."

Lloyd took out a small business card from behind his counter and handed it over to Adam.

"Go to the Ashen Tower in the Royal Academy, and request an audience with Viscount Albert Lupus Achalinus. Give him this card, and tell him that Lloyd sent you there. Even if he is busy, I'm sure he would find time to help you."

"V-Viscount Achalinus ?!"

Adam's mouth was wide open.

He couldn't believe the store owner casually recommended him to visit one of the most cruel and infamous nobles of the kingdom.

"Yes, he is also a customer of mine. Don't worry, despite his high status and severe appearance, he is a very kind old man. People just don't understand him very well, haha..."

Lloyd felt a tinge of sadness when he recalled the Viscount explaining how everyone was afraid of him. Maybe Sir Albert's poor social skills were the reason why he was so attached to his snakes.

'Who in the world would call Serpentdoom a 'kind old man' ?!'

...was what Adam wanted to respond to the store owner, but he couldn't find the courage to say it out loud.

"Alright, four leashes would be 5 gold in total. Also, just so you know : the box of gochujang is a gift this time, but if your father wants more later, it won't be free."

"Ah, yes... Thanks for informing me."

Adam pulled out five shiny coins from his pocket and put them on the counter. He then grabbed the large bag and headed toward the exit.

"Thanks for your patronage, and don't forget to greet your father for me !"

Lloyd said from behind his counter, his usual smile back on his face.

"Yes, I will tell him. Thank you for your precious advices as well, Mr. Lloyd."

As Adam opened the wooden door and was about to walk outside, he suddenly stopped on his track and turned his head.

"Mr. Lloyd, if you don't mind one last question before I leave, why did you decide to open up a store here ? If all those amazing products come from your hometown... It seems to be a much better place to live in than the Kingdom of Valor."

Lloyd was surprised by this sudden question.

To tell the truth, even he had no idea why Igor moved his pet store to this country specifically.

He never thought too much about it since he quickly accepted his new life, but he would be lying if he said that he didn't miss South Korea.

"Hm... You could say that I've received an opportunity that I couldn't decline, and it led me there. Unfortunately, I can't tell you more about it. I hope you understand."

Adam noticed thin silvery blue tendrils appearing out of nowhere in the store owner's eyes, when suddenly...

"Urgh!..."

For a split second, he felt an otherworldly aura passing through his body, freezing him on the spot.

It didn't hurt him, but thanks to his heightened bestial senses, he was able to feel a fraction of the intense pressure coming from the store owner's eyes, still fixed on him from behind his counter.

"A-Ah...! Y-Yes, thank you for your time Mr. Lloyd !! See you soon !!"

Adam rushed out of the shop with a pale face, mistaking the store owner's sudden display of strength as a sign for him to stop the questions and leave.

Even though his mind was still processing the extreme dread he felt from Lloyd's aura, Adam's legs ran on their own and as fast as they could to the direction of his house.

"Why are these youngsters always leaving the shop in such a hurry...?"

Lloyd sighed as he looked at Adam running away, as if a monster was chasing him.

For some reason, his silhouette fading away in the morning fog reminded him of the clumsy young lady, who sprinted through a torrent of rain with a dog muzzle in each hand.