Chapter 9 - Familiar Contract
"...This is the first time I've tasted such delicious meat."
The White Fenrir, having devoured over ten kilograms of Wagyu beef on his own, murmured with a satisfied expression.
"You don't usually cook your food yourself, do you?"
"I don't. Most of the time, I eat meat raw as it is."
"Don't you at least try grilling it lightly?"
"I've tried it before, but it ended up burnt and didn't turn out well. If burning it makes it taste bad, then eating it raw is better."
Well, he was a wolf, after all. Unlike humans, he probably didn't have the kind of body suited for cooking. Even if he could manage, it would only be something very basic.
"...Or so I thought. But thanks to you, my entire perspective has changed. Take responsibility for it."
Huh? The sudden declaration from the White Fenrir left me dumbfounded.
"What do you mean by 'take responsibility'?"
If it had been a cute girl saying that to me, I might have understood, but in this case, the one speaking was a massive wolf with a silvery coat. I had no idea how to interpret those words.
"I shall become your familiar."
Shall become? Why did he sound so high and mighty about this? Well, this wasn't the first time he had acted all superior, so I let it slide.
"A familiar? You mean like in those games where monsters form contracts with humans?"
"I do not fully comprehend this 'gayme' you speak of, but your understanding is correct."
...Level 1 me, taming a Level 456 White Fenrir? How did that even make sense?
If I had this guy, I could probably even take down the demon lord that had been opposing the Kingdom of Othelonia.
No, wait. I'd heard that the current demon lord was part of a moderate faction, and it was actually the kingdom that had been initiating conflicts. Besides, I had no connection to the kingdom or the heroes, nor did I intend to get involved. It was a pointless thought.
"Is there any benefit for a strong monster like you to become my familiar?"
"I get to eat delicious meals. That’s all."
"......I see."
Apparently, this White Fenrir had taken a liking to my cooking.
"I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline."
"What?! You dare refuse when I, of all beings, offer to become your familiar? Where is the logic in that?!"
"What logic? If I brought along a glutton like you, I'd run out of CP in no time!"
"If this 'CP' of yours runs out, I shall hunt monsters and gather magic stones for you."
"Huh? You'd actually take on requests like that?"
"If there's no CP, there will be no Wagyu beef, correct? Then I shall handle such matters."
Given his prideful nature, I thought he wouldn’t listen to me at all, but if he was willing to do such favors, this arrangement might not be so bad.
At present, I had almost no strength to fight monsters.
Since I couldn’t defeat monsters, I had no way of gathering magic stones, which were the source of CP. But if the White Fenrir could handle that role, it would solve my problem.
"No, but it’s still impossible."
"Why?!"
"I travel in this camper van. There's no way I can bring along a familiar bigger than this vehicle."
The White Fenrir was clearly larger than my camper van.
No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't fit inside.
"I don’t know how fast your camper van can move, but surely I am faster."
"I've decided to travel in this camper van."
No matter how powerful the White Fenrir was or how useful he might be in gathering magic stones to sustain the camper van, I couldn’t take along a familiar that couldn’t physically travel with me.
"Besides, without the camper van, I can’t buy meat in the first place."
"What?!"
He seemed to think I was buying ingredients using my own skill, but unfortunately for him, I needed the camper van to make purchases.
In other words, separating me from the camper van would leave only a weak and powerless human and a giant piece of junk.
"Hmm... If that’s the case, then it can’t be helped."
"You understand now?"
"Indeed. I shall make myself smaller."
As the White Fenrir spoke, his massive body began to shrink rapidly, transforming into the size of a regular wolf—just as I had imagined.
"Huh? White Fenrir, you can change your size?"
"If you’re as great as I am, such things are trivial."
The White Fenrir replied, snorting proudly with a smug expression.
His form and features didn’t change, but his body had shrunk entirely.
He had been over ten meters long earlier, but now he was about 150 centimeters in length.
The ability to freely change his size—monsters truly were mysterious beings.
"If I can fit into your camper van, there should be no problem, correct?"
With a graceful leap, the White Fenrir slipped through an open window and into the driver’s seat.
"...Yeah, I guess that works."
Now that the White Fenrir could enter the camper van, the biggest obstacle had been resolved.
With the White Fenrir by my side, he could protect me from monsters, defeat them, and even gather magic stones. What I thought would be my greatest hurdle—collecting CP—was practically solved if the White Fenrir became my familiar.
"It’s settled, then. Now, let’s perform the familiar contract. I’ll teach you the incantation, so you must recite it."
"Got it."
The White Fenrir whispered the incantation in front of me.
I repeated it several times until I had memorized the chant required for the contract.
"Did you get it?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Very well, let’s proceed."
A magic circle began to glow beneath the White Fenrir’s paws.
While I was awestruck by the fantastical scene, the White Fenrir shot me an impatient look as if telling me to hurry up. Flustered, I recited the incantation from memory:
"'My name is Kirishima Tooru. I bind your being to mine, as my fate shall entwine with yours. If you bear this eternal vow in your heart, answer my call!'"
"Very well. I, this great White Fenrir, shall become your familiar."
At that moment, I felt something like a bond form between us, linking me and the White Fenrir.
"The ritual is complete."
Through the bond, I could distinctly sense his presence.
This must have been the effect of forming a familiar contract.
"Now, I am your familiar. As proof of the contract, it is your duty as my master to name me."
"Huh? Then how about Pochi?"
I offered the name, but the White Fenrir immediately furrowed his brow in displeasure.
"Absolutely not. I don’t fully understand, but that name feels horribly insulting. Be serious about it."
His reaction was sharp, and the glare he gave me was intense.
I’d simply thought it would be easy to remember and say since it was the same name as the large dog I had back home.
"Okay, then what about Shiro—"
"Excuse me?"
"Alright, how about Haku, since you’re a White Fenrir?"
"...Hmm, Haku... Not bad. Very well, from this day forth, I shall be known as Haku."
It seemed that my desperate attempt to come up with a suggestion had satisfied the White Fenrir.
He murmured the name "Haku" as if savoring it, in a cheerful mood.
Afterward, Haku tilted his head slightly and looked at me.
"By the way, what’s your name?"
Really? After all the steaks I cooked and even forming a familiar contract, he was only now asking that.
"Kirishima Tooru. Just call me Tooru."
"Got it. Tohru, then."
"It’s To-o-ru."
I emphasized, repeating my name several times. But it seemed my name was difficult for him to pronounce, and he kept defaulting to "Tohru." Maybe it was due to the structure of his mouth.
"It’s hard to say."
"Fine, Tohru works."
Tooru or Tohru—it sounded almost the same anyway. It felt a bit off, but it was easier for me to get used to it than to force him.
"Then I’ll be counting on you, my master, Tohru."
"Yeah, likewise."
And so, I made Haku my familiar.
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