It was warm.
Perhaps because my last memory of my previous life was on a cold office desk, this warmth wrapping around my body felt incredibly cozy, almost unfamiliar.
"Mmm..."
Han-ul lifted his heavy eyelids. The first thing that came into view was a dark green cloak draped over rough leather armor. The rhythmic thump, thump of a heartbeat. And the faint scent of grass tickling his nose.
It didn't take long to grasp the situation.
'Ah, I'm being held.'
And very preciously, at that.
The woman holding him was walking carefully along the forest path. Her gait suggested she was worried the creature in her arms might break if she jostled him too much.
Han-ul slightly lifted his head to check the woman's face. She had a kind impression, with brown hair tied back with a beige ribbon. It was the adventurer he had just saved with a single 'Kyuung'.
"Oh? Are you awake?"
As Han-ul wiggled, the woman stopped walking and looked down. Relief washed over her eyes.
"Thank goodness... I was so worried because you fainted. Are you hurt anywhere?"
Her hand gently stroked Han-ul's silver-white fur. Han-ul quietly accepted her touch while clicking his tongue inwardly.
'I'm not hurt, my battery is just dead. I drained all my energy controlling my mana just to blow away three measly goblins.'
The system had warned me. It said there was a Magic Output Limiter. But using it felt less like a safety device and more like trying to block a fire hose with a single finger while only letting water droplets drip out.
'One wrong move, and this woman—no, this entire forest—would have been wiped off the map along with the goblins.'
But there was no way the woman could know the internal circumstances. In her eyes, Han-ul was just a poor, cute silver puppy shivering and fainting after getting lost in the woods.
"You must be hungry, right? Just wait a little bit. I'll give you something to eat once we get to a safe place."
The woman smiled brightly and adjusted her hold on Han-ul. As his face was buried in her soft chest, Han-ul thought:
'Well, not bad.'
In his previous life, he lived off convenience store triangular kimbap (onigiri), chased by overtime and deadlines. But now, the moment he opened his eyes, he had a dedicated butler(?) who carried him around without him needing to walk and even took care of his meals.
Is this the life of a Divine Beast? Han-ul yawned with satisfaction.
"Yaaawn—"
"Oh my, goodness. You even look like an angel when you yawn!"
The woman made a fuss and rubbed her cheek against his. Han-ul turned his head as if annoyed, but he didn't struggle to get out of her arms. It definitely wasn't because he was lazy. It was just that his mana hadn't fully recovered yet.
How long had they walked? The gap between the dense trees gradually widened, and an open clearing appeared. The sun was already setting, dyeing the entire forest in a red hue.
The woman settled down under a large old tree and skillfully started a fire. Crackle, crackle. The sound of burning firewood filled the silence of the quiet forest.
"Here, want to try this? It's jerky soaked in water, so it should be soft."
What she held out was a piece of wet jerky. Han-ul sniffed it. Sniff, sniff. It wasn't exactly a gourmet meal, but hearing his stomach rumble, he wasn't in a position to be picky.
'Let's eat first. Calamity-rank or whatever, I need to eat to use my strength.'
Han-ul pressed down on the jerky with his tiny front paws and began to tear into it vigorously. Perhaps the way his mouth moved nom nom was adorable, because the woman rested her chin on her hand and stared at him intently.
"You really look unique. Your fur glows softly like moonlight... and your eyes are like jewels. Do you happen to have an owner?"
'Owner? Don't make me laugh. I'm the boss of this area.'
Han-ul tried to snort as if the question wasn't even worth answering, but because his mouth was full of jerky, only a strange sound leaked out.
"Kyuuuung—"
"Pfft, so cute. Since we can't communicate, I can't exactly ask you."
The woman thought for a moment, then held up a finger.
"Then let's do this. I'll take you to the village. This forest has a lot of monsters, so it's too dangerous for you to travel alone. You saw those goblins earlier, right? Big guys wielding weapons... a tiny thing like you would be a bite-sized snack."
'...'
Han-ul swallowed the jerky he was chewing. Gulp.
Dangerous? Who was dangerous to whom? She seemed clueless about who had taken care of those goblins earlier. Well, thinking from her perspective, it didn't make sense logically. A fist-sized puppy barked and monsters flew away? It would be more rational to believe a passing high-level mage used invisibility magic to help.
'It's better... to let the misunderstanding stay for now.'
If it became known that he was the 'Calamity-rank Divine Beast Fenrir', it would only bring headaches. Humans might annoy him by worshiping him, or conversely, try to subjugate him. Either way, it was far from a peaceful life of 'living on easy mode'.
For now, the best strategy was to cosplay as a weak and cute pet while gathering information.
"Okay, it's decided! I'll protect you until we get to the village."
The woman clenched her fist with a determined expression. She looked ridiculous yet strangely reliable(?), so Han-ul wagged his short silver tail gently. It was a sign that the contract was sealed.
"By the way, I need to call you something... Hmm..."
She stared piercingly at Han-ul's face, lost in thought. An ominous feeling washed over him.
"Since you're silver, how about 'Silvery' (Eundol-i)? Or since you sparkle, 'Twinkle' (Bbanjjaki)?"
'Refused. I decline such tacky names.'
When Han-ul turned his head away in disgust, the woman laughed awkwardly.
"Ahaha... You don't like it? You have high standards."
She rested her chin on her hand and observed Han-ul for a long time. Silver-white fur shining in the moonlight, and small but somehow firm and noble-looking blue eyes.
"Hmm... You're small, but you feel somewhat solid. You look strong, too."
She snapped her fingers. Snap!
"Then how about 'Pero'? It means 'Iron' (Ferro) in the ancient language. It means grow up sturdy and strong! The sound is cute, too."
'Pero...?'
Han-ul mulled over the name. It was a hundred times better than Silvery or Twinkle. Plus, Iron... it somewhat suited the dignity of Fenrir.
"Bark!" (Approved!)
When Han-ul wagged his tail as if he liked it, the woman's face brightened.
"Great! Then from now on, your name is Pero. Nice to meet you, Pero!"
Touched, the woman hugged Pero tightly once more. Then she smiled and tapped her chest.
"Oh, right! I'm late introducing myself. I'm 'Rina'. A 3rd-year adventurer."
'Rina... Yeah, that's a good name.'
Pero looked up at her—no, Rina.
"Although... I'm still D-Rank, I'll definitely become a Great Mage someday."
There was a hint of loneliness in Rina's voice. 3rd year and still D-Rank. Either she lacked talent or luck. But Pero looked at the worn staff placed beside her. The crystal at the end of the staff, polished smooth by hand, was emitting a small but clear light.
'Well, it doesn't matter. Whether you become a Great Mage or not, just feed me on time.'
The night deepened. As the temperature in the forest dropped, Rina wrapped Pero in her cloak, leaned against the tree, and tried to sleep.
Hearing her rhythmic breathing, Pero slowly opened his eyes.
His blue eyes glowed softly in the darkness.
[System: Mana has recovered by 15%.]
[Notification: No hostile lifeforms detected within a 1km radius.]
A convenient feature. Pero closed his eyes again and entrusted his body to the warmth. It was a peaceful and drowsy night, something Han-ul, who died from overwork in his previous life, never had.
He started to look forward to this isekai life starting tomorrow. Of course, who knows how long his 'acting' to hide his power would last.
"Sleep well, butler."
Pero muttered quietly, burrowing deeper into Rina's embrace. Of course, the sound that actually came out was just a sleep-talking "Kuuu..."