Chapter 2 - Fangs of the Black Wolf

— Leon —

"Ah! I think he's waking up!"

Hearing a familiar voice, I opened my eyes, revealing the image of a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and kind blue eyes looking down at me.

She… she was the one with glowing hands, right?

The one who tried to save my mother…

"Shh~ It's okay, sweetie. You're safe now," she said, gently running her hands through my hair.

Where was I? What happened? Who are you?

All those questions that needed answers ran through my mind.

And it wasn't only the glowing hands girl.

Looking around, while I remembered the woman with animal ears, the rest were… complete strangers.

Completely unfamiliar faces.

A young man, or rather, a teenager, with a rugged yet handsome face. 

Another shorter, middle-aged man, with a large orange beard and a war axe strapped to his back. 

A man with a face like a monkey, with a large nose and a large pair of ears. 

And then a beautiful young woman with long golden hair, as well as… pointed ears?

What… what was going on?

"Ung! Ang!" I babbled.

"Jeez… I can't believe you actually kept him. Can't we drop him off at an orphanage in the next city or something? I don't wanna take care of a brat," the handsome man said with a troubled expression.

"Paul! Don't be like that! T-That woman… I promised to take care of him!" the girl who was holding me said, gently rocking me side to side. 

"Besides," she said, looked down into my eyes as her smile widened. "He's cute, don't you think?"

A finger made its way toward me, and I reached my hand up to meet it, quickly grasping her digit with as much strength as my little hand could muster, which was not a lot.

It wasn't something done with any meaning, but rather a more instinctual reaction.

Stupid baby body.

B-But… my mother… 

So that… actually happened. 

It wasn't a nightmare.

S-She… Mom… she was gone.

Feeling wetness begin to drip down my cheeks, the girl's smile twisted into an apologetic frown as she gently wiped away my tears.

"Leon… right? I'm… I'm sorry I couldn't save her. But I'll take care of you from now on, okay? I can be your 'Mama'," the girl said.

She would be my mother?

But… she was so young… 

Why would she want this responsibility? 

Was it out of some twisted sense of duty?

I… wanted her to be my Mama.

She felt… warm.

And I didn't want to be alone.

But my mother… Alice… she was actually gone.

Even if… even if this girl, or this group, became my caregiver, I… I would never forget my Mom.

For all the love and care she gave me… I couldn't ever forget her.

"Tch. We still shouldn't take him with us, Zenith. We're adventurers, you know? It's a dangerous job," the handsome man, Paul, said before turning to the pointed-ear lady. "Come on, can't you back me up here, Lina?"

"Well… I somewhat agree, but as long as he's with Zenith, who should be out of danger anyway, it doesn't really change much, does it? Besides… I am quite skilled at childcare," she said with a smile.

So that was Lina… I was curious about her ears.

"Whatever. Just don't get on my ass if I find the little shit annoying," Paul grumbled before walking up to me.

He then looked down at me with a frown.

For some reason… I didn't like this guy. 

He was mean and scary.

Plus, I felt a little hungry, so…

"Ung! Waaa!"

I cried out.

"Oh? It has been an entire night… I guess you're thirsty, aren't you, Leon?" Zenith said softly.

"I see… here, there's some water left, so drink up, kid," Paul said, pulling out a canteen.

Was… was this guy an idiot?

"NO!" everyone said in response, even the bearded man, who had been silent since I woke up.

"Paul… even I know not to give infants water. Are you stupid?" said the animal-eared woman, who I noticed also had a tail.

She was… Ghislaine, right?

The one who saved me from the bandit.

"I don't wanna hear that from you, muscle-brain!" Paul shouted back.

"What'd you say?" she growled.

As Ghislaine and Paul began to have a squabble, Zenith carried me over to the other three in the group.

"What do we do? I know that some places have mashes for infants, but we don't have anything like that," Zenith said worriedly.

Lina then walked up and took me into her arms.

She was warm too…

"Don't worry about that, Zenny. Fortunately, I've been a mother several times before, so it's quite easy for me to get back into things," she said.

Her words seemed to interest Paul, as the man then looked over with a curious expression on his face.

"'Get back into things'? What's that mean?" he asked.

"It means I can produce milk, even if it's been a while," Line answered as she pulled down her shirt.

"Hee~? Maybe I could get a drink myself later tonight then?" he said with a suggestive tone.

…So he was that kind of character, then.

I then heard the sound of a short smack.

"Ouch! Zenith! Why?"

"Because you need punishment!"

Well, at least Zenith has a head on her shoulders.

That must be the name of the glowing hands girl that had been holding me.

I was too hungry to feel embarrassed, so I quickly latched onto the waiting breast as I began to ponder over my recent discoveries.

It seemed that this world was a bit different from what I had thought.

Glowing hands… adventurers… long ears… animal women…

It was all… new and… exciting, even if the reason for expanding my worldview had left me heartbroken.

While it was a little bit scary to think that what I knew was all wrong, at the same time, it filled me with a sense of… relief.

Feeling relief at unfamiliar things was surely an odd thing to feel, but I couldn't help it. 

Because while it may make me seem a bit more helpless, it also made me feel… normal.

But it wasn't only relief and slight fear that I felt, as I also held a sense of anticipation.

Just what did this world, different from what I thought possible, have in store for me?

There was tragedy, as I had already experienced, but there must also be good too… like these people, and like Mom was…

I suppose only the future would hold any answers.

— Information on the Six-Faced World —

Races of the World

Human Race: The most dominant race in the world, they have a relatively weak physique, short lifespan, and high intelligence.

Elf Race: Have low fertility, very long lifespans, and a very good sense of direction.

Dwarf Race: Short in height, love alcohol, have lifespans longer than humans, and high dexterity, leading to them being a race of craftsmen and blacksmiths.

Dragon Race: Strongest of all races in terms of physical abilities, they live for hundreds of thousands of years and have the least amount of living members of any race.

Demon Race: The various races and species that sided with Kishirika during the Human-Demon Wars and inhabit the Demon Continent. While diverse, most are bipedal humanoids with many unique traits and abilities.

Beast Race: Similar to humans in appearance save for the traits of mammals on their body, their lifespans are similar to humans while their physical abilities are slightly superior. They also have an enhanced sense of smell that can identify the faint scents of different people.

Heaven Race: Have the appearance of humans with wings, enabling them with the ability of flight, and have a lifespan of at least a few hundred years. They reside in the Heaven Continent.

Ocean Race: Rarely seen, they inhabit the ocean, making the Ringus Sea, the waters around the continents, unnavigable. They rarely interact with other races.

— Leon —

It had been about a year since I joined this group of adventurers, which, as I had discovered, was a party called the 'Fangs of the Black Wolf'.

They had reached a party rank of S, the pinnacle of the Adventure Guild, and as such, they were regarded quite highly for their abilities and experience.

But… I couldn't see them as anything other than the goofy people I had come to know.

"Ah, shit! Oi, you guys! Did anyone see my belt?" 

"Nope~ Maybe you should ask Zenny. She's the one always taking it off of you lately."

"L-Lina! Don't say such embarrassing things!"

First, there was Paul. Paul Greyrat. The leader of this merry little band, while also being a frontline swordsman in a fight.

Confident, brash, playful, and bold, he was everything you would expect a skilled, overconfident swordsman to be. 

Though sometimes he acted more like a thug than a swordsman, he was a good man at heart, despite his faults.

What I didn't expect, however, was that he was originally a noble of the Kingdom of Asura. 

And quite a high-ranking one at that.

He… definitely take after his heritage, that was for sure.

"Hehe… well, I won't deny it. It was a nice night, don't you think, Zenny?" he said with a wink.

…And he was an extremely lustful man.

I was surprised when I first joined, as I saw him take Lina to his tent the very first night… and then Ghislaine the next day… and that village girl a week after that… and then a different one the day after…

Yeah… all in all, he was quite the womanizer. 

But surprisingly, this past week, he had calmed down, and only been spending nights with Zenith.

It seemed that the two entered a relationship while I wasn't looking.

"Hah. You kids surely love your nightly romps, eh? Haa… too bad there are no good men around these parts," Talhand said.

Talhand was… an interesting character.

He was a dwarf and an outcast in his village due to being a magician rather than a craftsman. 

It was because of this that he decided to become an adventurer, and after some time wandering the world, he eventually found his place with this party. 

As one might assume from his words, he was also gay. A tough thing to be in this backwards, medieval world, but at least he had the strength to prevent any discriminatory people from making their dissatisfaction known.

"Mmm. I do hope we get to the next city soon. I've missed the fresh taste of a young man," Lina said, licking her lips.

While everyone in the party called her 'Lina', her real name was Elinalise, and due to a curse, she needed to engage in sexual intercourse at regular intervals, leading to a very… promiscuous lifestyle.

As an elf, even after living for over 200 years, she still looked to be in the prime of her life, but unbefitting her fragile and womanly appearance, she was the main tank for the group in battle. 

A tough and resilient fighter, completely backwards from what one would expect from her looks.

Anyway, due to her curse, and her constant need to sate it, she had had her fair share of children over the years, which made her very skilled in childcare, a big bonus for me.

Really… I wondered how any infants survived in this world, with idiots like Paul around.

"Mhmm! Let's just hope they have a good gambling den there. Then I can finally refill our coffers. Hehe!" Geese said, leaning back against the trunk he was resting on.

As for Geese, well… I didn't know much about the guy.

He didn't talk about his past that much, and his personality was always a little… off. 

Hidden.

It made me a bit uncomfortable with how veiled and sneaky he was, but since everyone else seemed to trust him, I did too. 

What I did know, though, was that he was the party's thief, doing odd jobs here and there, while being the manager of the party. 

Oh, and he didn't fight. At all.

But he was an excellent cook, so there was that.

"Oi. Don't go making us broke, damn monkey," Ghislaine said before she turned to me. "Here. Eat up, Leon."

Handing me a cut-up fruit, she then gently patted my head with a smile.

Ghislaine was… quiet.

While she showed signs of brashness at times, that was usually only seen in combat, where she also showed her prowess as a powerful swordswoman.

Though… from how she told me of her past, she used to be quite the problem child, which led to her leaving her homeland and pursuing the path of the sword.

But seemed to have matured, and with me, she also showed a certain kindness that was rare for her, like she was now.

Overall, I was proud to call her-

"Thanks, Big Sis!"

"Mmm," she nodded.

Just as I'm about to bite down on the apple-like fruit, I felt my head get pulled back.

"Not yet, mister! I'm almost done, so just hold on a second!"

And lastly… there was Zenith.

Or as I called her…

"Okay, Mama," I said.

I was… hesitant, at first… to call her Mama… or anything similar, for that matter. 

I mean, not only was she only a teenager, but I already had a mother in Alice.

But with her constant loving care and attention… it just became natural to view Zenith as my mother, and she seemed happy that I did so.

That didn't mean I was replacing my birth mother by any means, and while I didn't know Alice that well… I had a feeling this was what she wanted.

She was a good person like that.

Anyway, Mama, or rather, Zenith, was the healer of the party, and befitting her specialty, her personality was warm and loving. 

But she was strict at times too.

Especially with Paul.

I don't know if it was because he was a womanizer, or because she liked him, or both, but she really had it out for the guy.

Not that I cared, though.

In fact, I enjoyed watching it.

She was originally born as a noble in the Holy Country of Millis, which was the home of the world's largest faith, the Millis Religion, and also the second most powerful country in the world after the Asura Kingdom.

Like the others, she was also an outcast, as she opposed her arranged noble marriage at 15 and ran away from home, becoming an adventurer.

Due to being quite naive to the world, she was often exploited by other adventurers she partied with before eventually being saved by Paul and joining the Fangs of the Black Wolf.

I guess the man had his good points too…

Anyway, that was all the people I was happy to call my current family, though I did have a closer relationship with the women.

Ghislaine for her sister-like energy and quiet demeanour, Elinalise for her experience in childcare and loving enthusiasm, and Mama for her kindness and motherliness.

"And… done! Aww~ You look so cute, Leon!" Mama said, clapping her hands together. "Here, take a look!"

Handing me a mirror, Mama brushed off the final strands of cut hair as I took a look at my new appearance.

While I didn't want to sound vain, my face was indeed cute, fit with a button nose, a round chin, and large, chubby cheeks. 

My hair was a golden yellow, and naturally choppy, much to Mama's chagrin, and my eyes were a deep brown, exactly like my late mother's.

"Jeez… you're going to grow up to be a ladykiller, aren't you? Better not be like Paul, alright?" Mama said, tickling under my chin and causing me to giggle. "Stay nice and cute, just like you are now, okay?"

"He better not become like that. I'm blaming the dunce over there if he does," Lina said, nodding to the same man.

"Why am I getting bullied? Plus, aren't you an even worse influence on the kid?" he said in response.

"Mmm. But at least she didn't try to give the infant Leon water," Ghislaine added with a smirk.

"You're still going on about that?"

Smiling at the atmosphere, I then turned my head back, meeting Mama's eyes.

"Mama… can I learn magic now?" I asked.

Ever since I first learned of the concept of magic, I had wanted to try it, but I was always refused, with them laughing off my requests as the ramblings of a child.

"Haa… are you sure, Leon? Kids aren't able to start learning magic until their first birthday, you know?" Mama said worriedly.

My eyebrow twitched.

Just let me!

"If I can't do it, then I'll drop it. Promise," I said in response.

"I don't know…" she mumbled with a skeptical expression.

Haa… I didn't want to use this, but it seems I've been left with no other choice. 

I didn't want to wait until I was five, after all.

That was much too long, and I was getting bored now that I could stay awake longer.

Thus, I pushed out my lower lip, making it quiver slightly as I opened my eyes and tilted my head to enhance my cuteness and overall endearing demeanour.

Perfection.

The pure, innocent, and vulnerable face of a child's pleading expression would break even the strongest of wills, especially when it was mine.

"Please~?" I begged.

And Mama was no different.

"O-Oh, fine! But no elemental magic, alright? I don't want you making a mess!" she huffed.

"Okay!"

Yes! Success!

"Tch. Damn bastard. And when I do it, it's 'gross' and 'childish'," Paul complained with a pout.

"Because it is gross and childish when you do it. But when a child, especially one as cute as Leon, does it, it makes you want to protect and serve them," Ghislaine said, beginning maintenance on her blade. "Besides, if it's a kid as smart as Leon, then he'll probably be able to do magic eventually, right? We could use another healer."

Right. 

As I had learned, my maturity and general intelligence were not normal for a child, especially not an infant. 

But luckily, there was an explanation for this, so I didn't feel like a complete monster.

Apparently, I was what was known as a 'Miko'.

It was an odd phenomenon that I still didn't quite understand, but it was basically an abnormal power or status that was beneficial to a person.

Lina's curse of the constant need for sex was the same, but since it was not beneficial, she was technically a 'Cursed One', and not a 'Miko'.

But other than explaining my… oddness, it didn't really change anything.

"Fine. But we're learning from the start, okay? And I won't be teaching you just healing magic. You'll have to learn to read, write, and do basic calculations too!" Mama said, crossing her arms.

Ah. There was her strict side.

But with me, it's always filled with love, so I didn't mind.

"Okay!" I said, pumping my fists.

Besides, I've wanted to be literate for a while, and as for the calculations? 

Well, I'm probably better than her already, judging by how easily I could calculate some of the things I had overheard. 

But for her pride's sake, I'll just pretend to be a quick learner.

"Uuu~ Leon's just too cute! But it isn't fair for only Zenny to teach him, right? How about I teach little Leon how to seduce any girl-"

"Absolutely not, Lina! You are not corrupting my boy!" Mama said, cutting Lina off.

…Was it just this party of outcasts, or was it this world as a whole that was messed up?

"Hmm… while seduction is not necessary, it's always a good idea to know how to use a sword, don't you think?" Ghislaine added.

There. That's a bit more reasonable.

Plus, having seen Ghislaine and Paul tear monsters to shreds with their swords, I also wanted to do the same.

It looked really cool!

"Well, maybe when the brat's a bit bigger. He's kinda small right now, eh?" Paul said, pinching his fingers together to accentuate his point.

My expression twisted into a frown.

…I was not that small.

"Hahaha! Made you angry, didn't I? Well… maybe in a couple of years, I'll teach you. But for now, I can show you some good workouts. How does that sound? Then you can get a body as great as mine in no time and take any village girl out for a-"

"Paul," Mama interjected coldly.

"A-Ah. Well… you get my point. I'll show you some good exercises, okay?"

Well… despite all his flaws, Paul did have a damn good body, one that any man would be envious of.

So, if he was offering, I would gladly accept.

"Un," I said, nodding my head.

"That's the spirit!"

I just hope he actually knows how to teach.