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Chapter 09
Something gave Pianni’s head a lick.
‘Eeurgh! That’s creepy!’
As if considerate of Pianni, who couldn’t turn around, the creature that had been licking from behind laid Pianni down. Pianni could see another pair of eyes identical to the beast’s eyes she had seen earlier.
‘There wasn’t one, but two?!’
No, it wasn’t two.
“Whimper!”
A small warmth, about Pianni’s size, pressed against her body.
Pianni lowered her eyes as much as she could to see what was clinging to her. The faintly visible shape looked like a puppy.
‘Is this the cub of those beasts…?’
Just then, the beast that had laid Pianni down began licking her enthusiastically.
[Eek! Don’t size me up for eating! I taste awful, I tell you!]
If Pianni had been human, she might have been tasty. After all, she maintained her plump cheeks with sweet and delicious dishes made from the finest ingredients daily.
But since Pianni was currently a stuffed doll, she probably tasted terrible.
However, these beasts were also diligently licking their own cub.
‘Huh?’
Surely they weren’t sizing up their own cub…
‘Were they just grooming me too?’
Pianni let go of a little of her fear of being eaten.
‘By the way, why did they bring me here…?’
Until that morning, Pianni couldn’t understand why these beasts had carried her off, but by evening, she could roughly grasp their thoughts.
‘I think they mistook me for an abandoned cub.’
Otherwise, the female wouldn’t be licking Pianni as if to nurse her, and the male wouldn’t be prowling around, whimpering.
[You’re taking such tender care of me even though I’m not your own cub. You guys are such good kids, aren’t you?]
They were such kind beasts, incomparable to that despicable man and woman she wanted to peck to death.
‘But I feel sorry for making you anxious all the time. I’d like to at least pretend to eat, but I can’t move at all.’
Pianni hated this doll body. If only she had turned into an animal, she could have at least moved!
‘Who made me like this?’
Someone who can turn a human body into a doll can’t be an ordinary person.
‘It must be magic, right? Then did someone use a magical artifact to…?’
But does a magical artifact that turns people into dolls even exist?
‘I don’t know… Ah! Maybe it’s Akxian’s doing?!’
Pianni got goosebumps. Those terrible cultists who worship an evil god seemed like they could turn Pianni into a doll.
‘By the way, why would Akxian do this to me?’
Pianni only charmed people with her unique cuteness and never earned anyone’s resentment.
‘But was there really an Akxian member around me? It’s hard to imagine. Oh, right. They said those guys hide their identities well, didn’t they?’
Ugh, frowning, Pianni thought about whether there was anyone around her who fit that description. But aside from Delis, they were all soft, good people.
‘Honestly, even Sir Delis doesn’t seem like Akxian.’
Delis had looked at the dollified Pianni as if she were a trivial doll. And wasn’t it obvious that Delis was troubled by Pianni’s disappearance?
‘Hmm, then who… Huh! Could it be?!’
Pianni recalled Rea, with her red hair flowing and a wicked smile.
‘Come to think of it, that woman assessed my family’s situation by the lakeside!’
And on top of that, there was that strange look in her eyes as she examined the dollified Pianni!
‘She even has a motive.’
Didn’t Rea openly dislike Pianni?
Even though she knows Delis approached Pianni to use her, could Rea, jealous of Pianni being by Delis’s side, have done this?
Pianni got goosebumps for a different reason.
‘I must be a genius! Oh dear, to be this cute and smart too!’
Laughing happily, Pianni soon clenched her teeth tightly.
‘Now’s not the time to laugh!’
She wanted to regain her body quickly and get revenge. But now, Pianni couldn’t even turn her head.
‘Sob. This is so frustrating. What should I do from now on?’
Just then, the beasts and their cub diligently licked Pianni. The sound of licking echoed loudly enough to fill the cave.
[You guys… Are you comforting me?]
Pianni was touched. But she never imagined these guys would lick for hours.
[Oh my, kids, stop! You’re going to tear the fabric!]
Unaware of Pianni’s inner thoughts, the beasts and the cub licked and licked the poor Pianni, who wouldn’t even nurse.
[Waaah! Help me!]
One week into the cave life, damp in more ways than one.
‘So bored.’
That’s when Pianni was letting out a soundless sigh. A presence was felt from outside.
‘What’s that?!’
Pianni pricked up her ears, and the beasts bared their fangs, growling.
The presence gradually approached, and soon human voices were heard.
“Are you sure a Silver Wolf was sighted around here?”
‘Silver Wolf?!’
Pianni was startled.
A Silver Wolf was a beast—no, a monster—that Pianni also knew.
It was an extremely rare monster, said to be nearly extinct because many were captured for their beautiful silver fur with purification abilities.
‘Were you guys Silver Wolves?!’
Pianni had thought they weren’t ordinary beasts from seeing only their eyes shining brightly in the dark, but she never imagined they could be “Silver Wolves” since she hadn’t actually seen their fur color.
“That’s what I heard.”
“But even if there really is a Silver Wolf, how are we supposed to catch it?”
“Hey. You think I came empty-handed? I borrowed a magical artifact!”
“Gasp! Where did you get the money?!”
“I borrowed it from a central noble under the condition that if we catch a Silver Wolf, I get half the pelt. Even half would let me live comfortably for life!”
With a creepy chuckle, the men’s presence drew closer and closer.
Pianni tensed up. Those men were targeting the Silver Wolves, not her. Surely they wouldn’t slice up a doll with a sword or erase it with a magical artifact? They’d probably just ignore it.
Yet, the reason Pianni was so tense was extremely simple.
‘I’ve grown attached!’
The time they spent huddled together wasn’t that long. But in this short time, the Silver Wolves had shared enough warmth and shown deep affection to Pianni.
‘Thanks to them, I wasn’t lonely. These kids are my benefactors!’
As the footsteps drew closer, the Silver Wolves bared their fangs. The baby Silver Wolf clung tightly to Pianni, trembling.
“Whimper…”
If only Pianni could move her body, she would have hugged the baby Silver Wolf tightly.
[Don’t come…! Don’t come, please!]
Pianni hated her powerless self, who could only wish for them not to come.
But just then.
Rumble-BOOM! With a tremendous thunderclap, a downpour began.
‘That scared me!’
Lightning must have struck right in front of the cave, as a blinding light reached the back, illuminating Pianni and the Silver Wolves.
“Kyaaah-!”
“What the, all of a sudden?! Hey, let’s take shelter in the cave!”
“Y-yeah!”
As the men tried to move, lightning struck in front of the cave again.
“Waaah!”
With that scream, the men’s voices were heard no more.
The torrential rain, as if to swallow the world, only subsided half a day later, and naturally, no trace of the men appeared.
Throughout the rain, the Silver Wolves, who had been tense, ready to attack at any moment, relaxed. Pianni did the same.
‘We’re saved!’
What a miracle! Relieved, the baby Silver Wolf rubbed its body vigorously against Pianni’s.
Feeling a ticklish sensation, Pianni giggled.
However, the parent Silver Wolves weren’t entirely satisfied with this sudden fortune.
After exchanging serious looks, the Silver Wolves seemed to reach a decision and bit the napes of the baby Silver Wolf and Pianni.
“Eep!”
[Huh! Why are you doing this?!]
With that, the Silver Wolves ran. It seemed they intended to abandon their den, which had been discovered by humans.
‘Aaah! Why are they so fast?! So scary!’
Having flown once became a trauma for Pianni, who desperately wished the Silver Wolf would put her down.
But she didn’t know she’d be dropped so abruptly onto the dirt ground.
[Oh my goodness!]
Pianni fell to the ground not because the Silver Wolf intentionally let her go, but because something from the sky attacked the Silver Wolf.
“Grrr!”
Lying sprawled on the ground, looking at the sky, Pianni screamed at the sight of a bird with wings so large they seemed to cover the sky.
‘What’s that now?! It doesn’t look like an ordinary bird… Huh, could it be?!’
What hovered in the sky was a Giant Poison Eagle, a monster famous for its enormous size and dangerous poisonous talons and beak.
‘This is insane! In just one week, I’ve seen more monsters than in 18 years!’
Seeing monsters in the relatively safe and peaceful east wasn’t easy. And to encounter such a ferocious monster among them!
“Grrr!”
The injured Silver Wolf, dripping blood, bared its fangs. When the male who had run ahead tried to turn back, the female Silver Wolf let out a loud howl.
“Aooo!”
[That scared me!]
As surprised as Pianni was by the loud howl, the male turned and ran again. It seemed the male was to ensure the safety of the cub it was carrying.
Pianni knew it was inevitable but was terrified. Could the female really defeat that thing alone?!
