The dogs had now been let out of their cages and were lounging and playing as they pleased in a small area that looked like a playground, but when they noticed the two of us, they all turned to face us at once.
–They all turned their heads at once when they noticed the two of them.
More than a dozen huge balls of fur were huffing and puffing as they looked at us.
They didn’t look like hounds at all, but wolves with saber-toothed tiger fangs! I don’t remember wolves having such a fluffy mane. Perhaps it is a cross between a lion and a wolf!?
“It is a demon dog born from the crossbreeding of a certain type of magical beast with a dog indigenous to this region. These are the Yurinova hounds. They are not only used for regular hunting, but also for clearing demonic beasts. They are the best hounds in the imperial kingdom, and they will not flinch when confronted with any kind of demonic beast. ”
“They are so big!”
“It could stand up on its hind legs and look down on me.”
Big Brother was probably close to one hundred and ninety centimeters tall. These dogs must be about two meters when they stand up.
Amazing power! And cool! And mofu-mofu!
“May I touch these dogs?”
“They are wary of people they don’t know, but …Igor.”
“Heh, Young Master…no, Your Excellency.”
A man of unknown age appeared quietly. He was short but broad-shouldered, with a strong, muscular build. He had a bald head and a single eye, with an eye patch over the other. He looked menacing.
He looks like…some character from my previous life.
Ekaterina had this thought as soon as she saw him.
She didn’t even know his name, but he was a character from a boxing manga that was a milestone in the history of boxing, saying something like, “You have to hit!”.
…I’m sorry Igor-san, I’m sorry for comparing you to a boxing uncle.
“Ekaterina, Igor is the keeper of the dogs, the only one who can handle Yurinova’s hounds.”
“My, you must be very talented to be able to handle such big dogs. Igor, my name is Ekaterina. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Heh, heh. Hello, I mean, I’m happy to be of service…”
Ekaterina said with a smile, and for some reason Igor looked terribly surprised and bowed his head several times.
Sorry for overlapping you with a famous character, and I apologize for laughing louder in my brain than I should have.
“Igor, call the dogs. Let them approach slowly.”
“Alright”
Igor gave a small whistle, nodding to Alexei’s command. He soon repeated it.
The hounds suddenly roused themselves.
A group of five or six of them approached us at a leisurely pace.
They were huge!
Even golden retrievers could not compare to them. They were bigger than the Great Pyrenees, which I thought was a polar bear when I saw it walking around. And the sparkle in their eyes! They looked strong and smart.
“Young Lady…aren’t you afraid?”
Igor asked worriedly, and Ekaterina shook her head.
“It’s so magnificent, I’m just thrilled. But if it were dangerous, Big Brother would never have let me near it.”
“Exactly, you are always clever about this. –Igor, Ekaterina will be fine. She is so strong that she once stood up to a demon beast all by herself. She’s not like those other young ladies.”
At Alexei’s uncontrollably boastful words, Igor’s one-eyed gaze widened.
“This Young Lady? But she is certainly not afraid of me or my dog. As expected of His Excellency’s younger sister.”
No, that demon beast was scary.
But, in hindsight, I suppose that, in comparison to that demon beast, these dogs appear to be able to communicate with one another, so it’s all right.
