And so, without giving them a chance to object, the two of them were taken to a building in the zoo.
The caretaker ignored a sign that read ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ and strode determinedly deeper inside. As they followed after her... they eventually arrived at a spacious room.
"We’ve brought the guests from the magicians guest!"
"Oh, well done!"
The zookeeper raised his voice, and cheers rang out from all around.
It seemed to be some sort of research facility. Tools for mixing potion and bundles of hay were lined up, and numerous zookeepers dressed similarly to the woman who had brought Allen and the others bustled about.
Amidst them, an elderly man in a white lab coat timidly approached Allen.
"But... you still look quite young. Are you really...hmm?"
He furrowed his brow and stared intently at Allen’s face.
"Could it be... you’re the young master of the Crawford family?"
"...Well, yes, I am. Have we met somewhere before?"
"I caught a glimpse of you once during a public lecture at Athena Magic Academy. I see now. If someone from the Crawford family has come, that’s incredibly reassuring!"
The man’s previously tense expression relaxed into a smile as he extended his hand for a shake.
"I’m the director of this magic beast zoo. I'd like to ask for your help."
"I don't mind, but... what on earth happened?"
"... it'd be quicker if you just took a look."
With a grave expression, the director led Allen and the others further into the research facility.
Past the clusters of people and cluttered items, there stood a massive cage.
"Wha...!"
Allen was at a loss for words.
Inside the cage was a giant wolf. Its silvery-white fur glistened, and its crimson eyes radiated a strong will.
A super rare monster species... Fenrir.
An adult Fenrir could grow to the size of a house, but this one was not much larger than a human. What’s more, its fur was stained with red-black grime, and the low growl it gave lacked any real strength.
Charlotte gasped and asked in a trembling voice.
"Yes... It seems to have been separated from its parent and was attacked by poachers."
The director shook his head with a pained expression.
Fenrirs were an endangered species, and unless under exceptional circumstances, it was forbidden to hunt them. However, their fur and bones make for high-quality magical tools, and so poaching remains a serious issue.
Magic Beast Zoos like this one often aim to protect such rare beasts, attempting to breed them and eventually return them to the wild.
"This is our first time caring for a Fenrir, and none of our staff have been able to communicate with it. As a result, we haven’t even been able to treat its wounds."
"Yeah... that’s definitely a problem."
Allen furrowed his brows and slowly approached the cage.
Just as he had spoken to the Vorpal Bunnies earlier, he tried using the magical beast language.
『Hey, listen to me. We’re not your ene—』
"Grrrrowwrrr!!"
The Fenrir had no intention of listening. It glared at Allen with pure hostility and let out a fierce growl.
In general, high-ranking magical beasts rarely pay any attention to human speech.
From their perspective, humans are little more than slimes, insignificant. To communicate properly, you’d either need a skilled Beastmaster or build a deep bond of trust over time.
As things stood, it would be difficult even to get close enough to use healing magic. And if they provoked it, the wounds could reopen.
"Tch... I guess it’s impossible for now."
Allen clicked his tongue in frustration and slowly backed away.
Seeing this, the director sighed.
"That child won’t even eat. Even if we wait for it to get used to us, I’m not sure it’ll survive that long..."
"Hmm... you don’t have a beastmaster on staff?"
"Unfortunately, none of our staff have a high enough level to handle a Fenrir... We’ve tried reaching out to other facilities, but—"
As the director and Allen discussed the situation...
Charlotte stood with her hands clasped at her chest, gazing intently at the cage from a distance.
“Fenrir-san...”
Seeing the magic beast like that only made her want to help even more. This must be fate. Allen turned back toward the director and began to speak.
"Well, we'll help as much as we can――"
"Emergency!"
Suddenly, frantic footsteps echoed loudly.
A zookeeper came running in, out of breath, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"A Fenrir...thought to the mother is headed toward this facility!!"
"What...!?"
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