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#3
I hurriedly picked up the pumpkin and stepped out. The puppy also followed obediently, wagging its tail.
Heading straight to the kitchen, I gently placed a large cast-iron pot over the hearth. It might be analog equipment, but that’s fine. For a master, the tools don’t matter.
Now, behold the cooking skills of a seasoned single person!
“First, just throw everything in and boil it.”
[<System> Title, ‘Peep Peep! Chick Chef’ acquired.]
– Effect: Cooking skill increases.
– Stamina, Strength, Magic, Luck +5
“Woof woof!”
“Oh my, were you very hungry? You cleaned it right up.”
I smiled contentedly, looking at the plate so clean it might as well be new. It seemed I had already succeeded in taming it. Plus, I even got a chef title!
‘Phew… I was worried I’d just have to chew it raw, thank goodness.’
Luckily, even though I just threw it in and boiled it, it turned out quite tasty. It seemed the ingredients really carried the dish. But…
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again at the sight of the kitchen, which had become a disaster zone in no time.
“Phew… I’m going to max out my cleaning master level today.”
Barely holding onto my sanity, I ignited my willpower and immediately dove into cleaning up.
Wait for me, my happy animal life!
‘Alright, now’s the time.’
This body is Cerberus, the guardian of the demon realm, the hell hound. Even though I’m currently wandering around after being chased away by my master.
When I grow into a magnificent magical beast, Master will look at me again. Then, Master would pet me once more.
Master, I will definitely prove my usefulness, woof woof! To do that… Woman, I’m going to eat you!
“Kwaaang!”
“Phew, dishes are done!”
Just as I was about to open my mouth like a Venus flytrap to devour the woman, she turned around at a ridiculously perfect timing.
Hah, damn it. When I first saw her in the warehouse, her aura was no joke, so I was planning to ambush her from behind!
“Puppy, shall we go for a walk?”
…Hmm, should I just eat her after we get back from a walk?
‘Phew, seeing its perked-up ears, it must be happy about the walk idea. So cute~’
By the way, there probably wouldn’t be a walking leash here, right?
Even though it’s late at night and likely empty, I couldn’t be careless as an owner in case it gets startled by a sudden situation and runs away.
Wondering if a night walk might be too much, I looked at the puppy…
“Kyuu!”
The puppy’s red eyes, full of anticipation, sparkled.
…I have a feeling it’ll be a big problem if we don’t go.
Determined to go for a walk even if I had to carry it, I rummaged through the warehouse, preparing for any dangerous situations.
There, inside the warehouse, I found a small hatchet and a rope.
“Oh, should I take both just in case…? It’s night, so suspicious people might be around.”
Lost in thought with the hatchet in hand, the puppy flinched, seemingly startled by my appearance.
“Oh dear, did I scare you? It’s okay~”
“If any bad people show up, I’ll protect you with this! Don’t worry.”
“Ooh, it fits in the hand nicely, good grip. Perfect for chopping. Hehehe.”
“Or maybe, strangling them outright with the rope…”
Seemingly reassured by my bold spirit, the puppy finally started scratching the wooden door with its claws.
“Scree, screech…!!”
“Hey, you want to go out quickly? Alright, let’s go!”
This is my first time going outside since coming here… will it be okay?
Hurried by the puppy’s whining, I hastily shoved the rope into my pocket, and with a hatchet in one hand and the puppy cradled in the other, I stepped out of the cottage into the world outside.
‘But, I think my stamina really did increase! I feel incredibly light!’
Even the small hatchet had a noticeable weight, so I thought carrying it along with the puppy would be tough, but contrary to my worries, my body felt light enough to fly. Was it thanks to the Strength stat, after all?
I was worried because the limbs of the body I possessed seemed so frail… Good, I’m becoming a reliably strong physique.
“…Huh, there’s really nothing here.”
Stepping outside and looking around, I let out a small sigh. This place was lonely and quiet, as if just me and this idyllic cottage were plopped down in the middle of nowhere.
Traces of people? Of course, none.
Wheeeeeeing-
With this utterly desolate scenery and a chilly wind blowing, a cold shiver ran down my spine.
…To trade a house located in this wasteland.
Baron Blanche, you were a first-class sucker…
This is downright fraud-level…
The endless fields stretching in all directions and the vast backdrop even inspired a sense of awe.
Hahaha, this is totally…
It feels like I’ve become an old lady who retired, moved to the countryside in a deserted place, and is living out the rest of her days.
“Wow, look at the stars…!”
But one good thing was the stars, unseen in the city, densely embroidering the sky. My mood quickly lifted, and I walked along, holding the puppy.
“Uh, over there… is that a forest?”
With no streetlights to illuminate this place entirely shrouded in darkness, it was hard to see clearly, but in the distance beyond the horizon, a dense forest was visible.
“Ah, ah! Puppy!”
While focused on observing that forest, my grip loosened, and the puppy slipped out of my hands.
Without a moment to stop it, the puppy started running toward that forest.
Pat pat, thud-
“No, it’s dangerous to go that way!”
I immediately started running at full speed toward the forest where the puppy had run.
‘Huff, huff… I, I think I picked the wrong opponent!’
That woman, I underestimated her because she’s small! But that smiling face while holding that sharp, bladed weapon is truly chilling to think about again!
Cerberus, horrified by the woman’s actions, quickly headed toward the forest’s entrance. It was a face so evil even the Demon King would click his tongue.
First, she tempted me with food and a walk, and then when I let my guard down, she planned to chop me with that! In times like this, the best plan is to run away fast! Woof!
While running frantically, I looked back to see the woman sprinting toward me at full speed.
‘Sh-she is! She really intends to kill me. Woman!!’
I have to hide quickly… I can’t die here! I haven’t earned Master’s acknowledgment yet!
As Cerberus entered the forest’s entrance, a fork in the road appeared.
Uh, uh, which way should I go? More importantly, this forest is dangerous, with many high-level magical beasts appearing…!
Glancing back, Cerberus saw the woman still closing the distance rapidly with that terrifying face.
“Woof!”
Sc-scared! L-let’s go left!
Running desperately to the left, Cerberus saw a sheer cliff looming ahead.
‘Th-that’s a cliff, woof!’
U-uh, I have to stop!
But Cerberus’s legs, having gained momentum, wouldn’t stop.
At this rate, it was clear we would fall down the sheer cliff.
“Kkiiing!”
F-falling. Eww!
A montage flashed through Cerberus’s mind.
I, Cerberus, am meeting such a vain death, falling from a cliff.
I wanted to become an excellent magical beast, guard my Master with pride, and then die…
I knew it all along… that Master abandoned me.
Cerberus had waited for Master since the day it was abandoned, but in the end, Master never came to find it.
‘You, still can’t evolve? Ha, useless.’
Cerberus recalled Master’s voice, clearly laced with disappointment.
In truth, I was an ‘Inferno Puppy,’ a subspecies of the great magical beast ‘Cerberus.’
So, as a low-level magical beast that couldn’t even evolve into an upper species, there was no way Master would favor me.
Soon, the dirt beneath Cerberus’s feet crumbled, and its body began to tilt downward.
The bottom of the cliff was pure darkness.
Just as Cerberus foresaw its death and closed its eyes…
“Puppy!”
Along with a desperate voice, Cerberus felt the firm touch of the woman’s hands pulling it into an embrace.
‘You foolish woman! Why are you protecting me? Woof!’
Cerberus couldn’t understand the woman’s actions at all.
The woman and I only met for the first time today.
Falling into this pitch-black, bottomless place would undoubtedly mean a direct ticket to hell.
But as if indifferent to that, she held on tightly, as if her sole purpose was protecting me.
And so, we began to fall.
