Chapter 693 - Divine Beast Lupi’s Fluffiness Meeting
El-san went back to the mansion ahead of us. She said she was going to tell the White Dragon Princess about everything that had happened, but I wondered if she could communicate even if the Princess wasn't awake. Emeraldia-san went with Kuro and the others to check on the backyard. I had Leda and Roy go with them just in case.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Ah, thanks."
Sera-san, who arrived just as the others left, brewed some tea for us. When she had first brought tea she'd made at the mansion over here, I wondered if that was allowed, but she could apparently bring things as long as they were related to housework. And...
"Sweee!"
"Nyafu."
I had Shal bring Sweee over. Since she was the first resident of the island after Lupi and the leader of the fairies, I wanted to hear her opinion.
"Woof..."
Of course, Lupi was there too. Seeing him sit on my lap and act spoiled made me think, What exactly is a Divine Beast?
"Um, by defeating the Necrophager, I apparently occupied the northern area and the entire island."
"Congratulations."
"Sweee!"
I also shared the part about receiving a bonus for founding a nation, while making it clear I had no intention of doing so at the moment.
"Nya-nya?"
"Hmm, if everyone thinks it would be more fun to found a nation, I might? If that happens, you'll be the Knight Commander, Shal."
"Nya!"
Shal signaled that I could count on him. In that case, maybe Sweee would be the court mage? Setting that aside...
"And Lupi became a Divine Beast."
"Eh?"
I explained that the timing wasn't when we defeated the Necrophager, but after Mion finished purifying the Magic Stone. I suggested that mourning his father might have been the trigger.
"I see."
"However, since it's an Art, maybe it only lasts for a certain amount of time."
"What does the description say?"
"Ah, right. I was going to check that."
Um, first, let's check Lupi with Appraisal again.
[Managarm: Lupi: Affection: Free Action]: A phantom beast, Managarm. Also known as Maarnagarm. It has golden fur on a black coat, and adults exceed one meter in length. A wolf that has served as a follower of the Blue Sky Goddess since ancient times. The Wolf King who leads all wolves. Arts: [Divine Beastification], [Garm Lightning], [Mana Aid], [Howling], [Crush Claw], [Vitals Attack].
Yeah, the part about being a follower of the Blue Sky Goddess hadn't changed. And...
[Divine Beastification]: An Art that turns the user into a Divine Beast using the mana of the master, who is an Apostle of the Goddess. The duration of Divine Beastification depends on the master's MP.
"Ah, so it's because I have the title 'Apostle of the Goddess'..."
"I see."
That title was also a mystery. I thought it just made it easier to communicate with Sweee and the others. Anyway, let's give it a try...
"Lupi. Can you try Divine Beastification?"
"Woof!"
He hopped down from my lap and moved a short distance away.
"AWOOO!"
As he howled, he was enveloped in a faint green light, and a massive, sharp-featured wolf appeared.
"Lupi?"
"Woof!"
"Whoa!"
Lupi jumped at me with his usual energy, but I couldn't catch him and ended up falling on my backside. He started licking my face, but he was now about the size of Rigel. This was definitely more than just a growth spurt.
"He's incredible!"
"Mion, you come here too."
"O-Okay."
I somehow got Lupi to hold back, got up, and had him sit down. Mion slowly approached and gave him a big hug...
"He's so fluffy..."
"Woof!"
He really was fluffy. Unlike the usual Lupi, he now looked a bit more like a long-haired breed, which made him feel extra soft. Before I knew it, Sweee had come over and hugged him too, practically burying herself in his fur...
"Wait, this consumes my MP, doesn't it?"
I checked my status... and yeah, it was draining rapidly. But since my MP recovery was fast, it would recover a bit and then drain again. Overall... it looked like it could last about thirty minutes?
"Paw."
"Woof."
His paw was huge, and his claws were impressive. With this size, a Crush Claw would probably take out a Ranziboa in one hit. While everyone was enjoying Lupi's fluffiness...
"Wow!"
"Altena-chan?"
The White Dragon Princess appeared and lunged at Lupi. I'll leave El-san, who looked apologetic for following her, alone, but Emeraldia-san's eyes were sparkling... which was a bit scary.
"Shou. Could you report this to Argenta-sama?"
"Ah, got it."
The Lupi fluffing session looked like it would continue for a while, so I decided to finish my report in the meantime.
"Argenta-san. The northern side of the island is cleared. Can I give you a full report?"
"Lord Shou. Yes, of course."
I reported that we had defeated the Necrophager, which had likely been raised for research and escaped during the calamity. I also told her that by defeating it, we obtained a massive Magic Crystal Stone, large enough to restart the secondary Control Room of the Necropolis. And finally...
"I think the investigation of this entire island is finished."
"Thank you."
"Shou-kun. There is that small island to the northwest."
"Ah, that place..."
I don't think I'd told Argenta-san about it yet. Come to think of it, the Necrophager had come from the direction of that small island, so there might be something left there?
"If it is only that far, El could fly there, couldn't she?"
"Yes. It should be no problem."
I felt like it would be safer for Emeraldia-san to go... but I suppose her trust in El-san was higher. Well, since I now knew how strong El-san was, maybe I could leave it to her, but...
"Since we're at it, let's all go. I think we can make it by magic boat, and you can scout from above when we do."
"Understood."
Since I was now listed as the occupier of the island, there shouldn't be any monsters stronger than the Necrophager on that little island. Once things settle down, I'd like to try sailing all the way around the island too...