CH 107

This happened in the middle of the night. Around the time Desmond was making love to his mistress.

Randolph, the grandfather figure in Desmond's life who never performs his chores (butler) properly, woke up. He was wearing a nightcap that looked like Santa's hat.　

"Something is happening."

He abruptly sat up in bed. Randolph's voice was deep and serious, like aged scotch. His bushy gray eyebrows and mustache made him look like a friendly old man.

In an instant, he switched to his usual tailcoat-style butler's uniform. If he was a beautiful girl, this would be some sort of service scene involving some cloth disappearing. Instead of that, he has a body of steel underneath, a body of a naked old man is not a service. --But not really?　There are some kinds of people who like those too.

"Hmmm....." and with a single hum.

He leaps soundlessly into the dark night.

No, not a dark night -  but a bright one with the moon shining in the sky. The treetops sparkled in the moonlight. The old butler, Randolph, moved quickly and quietly like a shadow, as he left the sleeping houses of Aldora behind even faster than a shadow.

--【Gray Hound】.

This was his unique magic that single-handedly handled the counterintelligence tasks in Aldora. He creates the dog manifestations with his magic. These dogs could sense foreign entities and would bare their fangs, even while he slept. The constant deployment of this magic alerted him to the intrusion of a certain foreign entity.

A beast, or a monster? Grandpa looked thoughtful and excited.

Several of the hounds had already been killed. However, he had not given permission to kill this time. Because he had a peculiar intuition.

--I shouldn't kill it off.

If someone asked Randolph why he felt this way, he would not be able to give a specific reason. He would say that it was just a hunch. But Randolph, also known as 《Gray Hound》 is a man who has fought countless battles. His instincts, which are backed by his accumulated experience, have saved his life many times and brought death to his opponents. He trusts his instincts. Normally he would have killed the opponent without hesitation, but this time, he held back.

--Well, now, what kind of person is this, I wonder. Hohoho - interesting. Randolph thought to himself,

It is midnight, a full moon night when its power is at its strongest. Monsters gain strength from the energy of the moon. An old man walks around on such a night, searching for an interesting encounter.

Knowing who the opponent is. Able to rush excitedly with an aged body of steel, and also able to hold back the opponent at the same time. It was due to his 【Gray Hound】 that make such tasks possible -.

It's not merely a normal skill or technique. More like his saga.

"--Oh"

In the ears of that excited old man of steel, he heard.

Why did he know that? Why could he be sure just from the beast's roar that it was her? In fact, he had heard that Monica was able to use "beast transformation" because of Desmond. But that was supposed to be just that she was able to grow dog ears and tail. 

It's all because he was "The one that transcend the wall"

--- One should not doubt that.

Because once you cross the "wall", you are standing on a different ground from ordinary people.

*slash*

The sound of cutting and slicing echoed in the moonlit night, the sound of crushing meat and bones. The gray dogs that jumped to attack were overwhelmed by the violent force.

Even so, "she" could not move forward because the dogs that surrounded her were used and discarded as a decoy by their commander, and the pack was precisely coordinated to keep her at bay and push her back with no gap to escape through. Like she was a star in 【Dog circus】.

On the road between the Moiré village and the hill just before entering Aldora village....*cough* Aldora Town where the lord's mansion is located. The moon was blessing the scourge with interest from its throne in the sky.

The moonlit mountain filled with the stench of blood. Gruesome remains of【Gray Hound】 of various sizes lying scattered about. However, these dogs are nothing more than a manifestation of Randolph's magic. If they had been defeated, they would have naturally disappeared. The reason why they have not disappeared and have become the site of a gruesome banquet is that it is more useful in this situation.

The moonlight shines on their bones, and the stench of their blood stifles the air.

The feast of carnage alone is enough to terrify the onlooker,  and at the same time, it would exhilarate the participants, robbing them of their rational minds. The one that causes it may be a force to be reckoned with. However, the lack of appropriate judgment is unquestionably an opportunity to be exploited.

The dark, mystical feast beneath the radiant full moon.

Surrounded by Randolph's 【Gray Hound】 was a dog. No, she is a monster in the shape of a dog. Under her flaxen fur, she has muscular flesh that...

*creak!*

ready to spring into action at any moment.

The flaxen fur glistened in the moonlight, the fierce claws sharpened on five fingers, standing on two legs and glaring at the surrounding hounds. Even in its beastly form, its height is no more than that of a grown man, as it originally was a petite 15-year-old girl.

The physical strength buried in its body was as fierce as it appeared. and the flaxen-colored bipedal monster was directing her auburn eyes at Randolph.

Her vertical pupils narrowed.

"Oh my, what a monster."

The sight of his adorable apprentice (it's no surprise she's adorable to Grandpa's eye) makes him squint with delight.

That is, of course, a compliment. --

A low, resonating growl emitted from the depths of the beast's throat. But grandpa's expression remained nonchalant. The other party would be terrified if it was not a monster that had lost its reason. A normal person would feel as if they were being stabbed by countless steel needles. But now, she was protected by her fur.

"GAAAAAA! Des-sama!"

Calling out the name of her beloved mate, the monster leaped. The bright moonlight scattered on its fur.

"Then, shall I just put you in the young master's bedroom?"

--*tremble*!

It is uncertain whether her beloved mate felt a chill.

"Ho ho, no no, this night that might bring a new 'D-Children', so...I can't let him be sidetracked by a trivial matter like this."

--No, it's not! <D-Children> is not something like that!

One can almost hear Desmond's indignant voice from somewhere far away.

"But - then, Ms. Monica is now a precious mother that carries the <D-children>."

---As I said. <D-Children> is not....! Desmond would have said, but since he's not here, it's best just leave it at that.

"I can't be too rough with you now can I?....."

Grandpa looks a little disappointed.

The flesh of the canine humanoid creature creaked and twitched.

The Hounds that leaped at her were smashed one after another, and she seemed to handle them with ease. 

With a fierce expression, he said.

"All right, then, let me give you some practice so that won't get rusty."

Grandpa Randolph Steiner, the Gray Hound gets his magical power ready. --He raised his right arm and held up his palm.

"Bite"

Suddenly, a medium-sized gray dog that leaped to Monica's left side exploded. Like mud, Its head swelled and Monica's arm was easily engulfed by its size.

The moonlight shines on a giant dog's head.

The monster was surprised and swung its claws at the dog's head that attempting to bite her left arm. It can do this without its body because 【Gray Hound】 was just a magical being created by the caster. Revealing the remains is just a bluff all along.

All Randolph does is sweep his right hand from left to right.

Only one swing.

That alone makes it known that he was the one that commands it.

"GUU!"

Two dogs attacked from Monica's right, while the one on the left swallowed her left arm up to the elbow. The eyes of the dogs which showed neither the violence nor the excitement of the hunt was rather frightening.

However, whether or not it reached her, who was dazzled by the madness is not clear.

"--Ho!"

Instead, it was Grandpa that feel thrilled.

With a roar of a monster. Monica's flesh swelled.

Swings from left to right.  Was that a payback?

With her left arm still bitten, she intercepted the dogs on the right.

Dog's carcass exploded and turned into gray tar. He activated【Restrain】on the dog that was still biting her left arm which had now swallowed her arm up to her elbow. But she use it to destroy the wave that followed instead.

"Hm, so you used against me?"

While Randolph certainly can bite Monica's arm off. But In order not to hurt her, he merely 【Restrain】 her.  The thing is not a real dog but a magical creation of Randolph's. Although the shape may be a fang he can easily modify it to not hurt her. It cannot physically puncture flesh, but it can be used as a good blunt weapon.

Monica glared at Rudolph with her piercing eyes that tinge with the moon's power. A growl of a beast came from the depths of her throat.

A bitter chuckle leaks from the old man's throat.

*Thump!*

Monica jumped. Breaking through the dog's encirclement all at once and trying to slice through him. Using the giant dog head he gave her as a shield, she kicked away the dogs trying to hold her back.

*thud*.

Gray splinters scattered. She collided with a dog as big as a cow.

"Ho-ho. It's nice to see your apprentice grow."

The giant gray dog pressed Monica back with its forehead, and both of their feet sank into the earth. Monica used her left arm, which was still bitten by the enormous dog, to push it. It was no longer shaped like a dog head, but rather a gray glob, like a cocoon.

"Indeed, Ms. Monica has grown." The old man hummed as if he was lying. Then, nonchalantly, he swung his right hand as if it were a conductor's baton.

The gray dogs transformed into spheres and floated up into the air as if mocking the moon. The clear moonlight shone on the gray spheres, making it look like a scene from a dream.

"But unfortunately, that's only physical strength. Being able to push me back is something to be praised for - However, you're nothing more than a beast that has lost its reason right now." 

the old man said with a dismissive tone.

"There's nothing wrong with crushing your opponent with overwhelming "strength" ――But."

He said in a tone that seemed to be scolding her. When he swung his arm, the gray spheres that floated up stopped still in the air. Even though they had become spheres, they still seemed like loyal dogs to their master.

"You lack power. You are not enough to fight me with just physical abilities alone. Even without using 【Gray Hound】, I don't think I can be defeated by your level."

This old man, how much of a monster is he?

That's why he is a 【Transcend】

"--Now then. Isn't it time for the child to go to bed?　Even if you are carrying young master's child, you are still a child yourself. Besides, in order for you to give birth to a healthy child, you should get a good night's sleep."

Saying this, he swung his right hand--

The gray sphere that had been stationary in midair descends.

They land on Monica and cling to her as a gray mass of mud.

She struggles. The more she struggles, the more the gray mass of mud entangles her, covers her, and 【Restraint】 her.

"Tonight is the full moon, sleep in peace. Tomorrow when you wake up, I'll have you meet  Desmond-sama."

Finally, she fell silent as she was swallowed by the gray mud. The moonlight shine on the gray mass and fell to the ground with a tinge of regret.

Then."

Hm."

Rudolph raised his gray eyebrows. He then began to unravel the gray mud. 

"Fuuu, Fuuu..."

There was a young, sun-tanned cute girl, breathing peacefully in her sleep. Only her face was visible as the rest of her body was still buried in the gray mud.

"Good. It seems that the "beast transformation" has been lifted. I can simply carry her like this..."

"Please wait, Randolph-sama."

When he turned to the person who had spoken to him, he saw Katherine. She was standing there in her maid's uniform, sporting tied-up red hair, and thin brown eyes. The white brim on her head was all shining in the moonlight.

She pulled out a blanket.

"She is already a young lady. It would not be proper to carry her naked."

Randolph was grateful and not surprised at all that she showed up, as he was well aware of her.

The monster of an old man had sensed her presence. In the middle of the night, Katherine noticed that Rudolph was engaged in battle here and that she had just made it in time to intervene and save Monica. It seems that Katherine has finally lived up to the reputation of being a top-notch maid.

She had been granted access to some of Rudolph's counterintelligence network, as she had wanted to be of service to her lord, and that's why she had trained under Randolph.

She couldn't be called a useless maid anymore. Or rather, she never was in the first place.

"Let me carry her."

"Hm, I'll leave it to you then."

"Please."

Katherine covered Monica with a blanket, and the gray mass of mud melted away. She cradles Monica in a princess's carry, her movements fluid. Her appearance in her maid outfit and with her elegant beauty was now like a knight protecting a young girl. Her experience of role-playing the prince in her childhood with Charlotte was not for nothing.

However, Grandpa Randolph had a few words to say when he saw her like that.

Those gray eyes of his are pleasant like a good-natured old man.

"You may do better than Monica right now, but you should take care of yourself too, Katherine. After all, you also carry Desmond-sama's child in your womb."

"--Yes."

With Monica in her arms, Katherine bowed her head lightly. The white brim reflected the moonlight and her cheeks were faintly red under the pale light.