In the garden, under the blazing summer sun.
Charlotte let out a serious-sounding breath. She wore a short-sleeved blouse and a slightly short skirt, dressed for the warm weather, yet the air around her was tense.
“Alright then… here we go, Luu-chan.”
“Gauw!”
The one responding to her firm voice was the young Fenrir.
Its crimson eyes sparkled brightly, and its silver fur shimmered beautifully under the sunlight.
This rare magic beast, who had recently and unexpectedly become friends with Charlotte, now sat politely before her, awaiting commands.
Charlotte took a deep breath, and gave her first order.
“Let’s start with… shake!”
“Wau!”
The cub gently placed its front paw on Charlotte’s outstretched hand.
“Now the other paw!”
“Wafu.”
“Sit!”
“Gauu.”
“Lie down!”
"Woof!"
The Fenrir faithfully carried out each and every command.
Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with joy as she enthusiastically ruffled its head.
“Amazing! You did so well, Luu-chan!”
“Woof woof! Wafu!”
“That was impressively fast…”
Allen, who had been watching over them, could only be stunned.
He flipped through the "Magic Beast Tamer Introduction" he was holding in one hand.
It was a book he had bought in town the day after returning from their trip. The final chapter was about "Telling monsters you've befriended to listen to your commands." In other words, Charlotte had finished her introduction in no time.
Closing the book, Allen let out a wry smile.
“Well, she did manage to bond with a Fenrir… I guess this much is nothing for her.”
“I’m not the amazing one, Luu-chan is. Here you go, Luu-chan—your reward.”
"Woof♪"
Charlotte said, giving the Fenrir's child, Luu, a bone for a snack.
She’d given him a name, and built a solid bond of trust. As a starting point for a beast tamer, it couldn’t have gone better.
Luu contentedly chewed on the bone and rolled around on the grass.
At first, he had looked a little lonely being separated from his family, but now it seemed he had fully adjusted to life in this house.
“There, there. Take good care of Charlotte, alright?”
“Wafu~”
When Allen patted his head, Luu narrowed his eyes and let out a quiet bark.
Although Luu was letting its guard down, the reaction was a little more casual than the reaction to Charlotte. She was clearly making a distinction. Allen felt even better, thinking that she had an eye for people.
Charlotte bowed her head slightly and smiled.
“Thank you so much, Alle-san. For teaching me so much.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s a topic I find interesting.”
Allen responded with a calm smile.
It had happened on the way back from their recent trip.
Riding in the carriage with Luu, Charlotte had spoken up with determination:
‘What should I do to study to become a monster tamer?’
She wanted to properly understand the power she had.
Wanting to support her wish, Allen began teaching her everything he knew about beast taming.
Skills unique to magic beast tamer, the types of monsters that exist in this world, and so on.
They agreed it wouldn’t be good to overdo it from the start, so for now, they kept it to modest one-hour lessons each day. Even so, Charlotte never missed a chance to review and prepare, and her growth had been nothing short of remarkable.
(Finding something she’s passionate about… it’s really a good thing.)
It's a far cry from the time she was so bored that she counted the grain of the wood on the floor.