In the end, I beat a hasty retreat.
With Helga on my back, I sprinted for the exit as if my life depended on it. It wasn't exactly like the ruins were collapsing around us, but the threat of a triggered avalanche terrified me.
Once we were clear of the structure, I came face-to-face with a giant kaiju. I had expected some kind of Reptile-type creature, but instead, I found a massive ball of fluff. I suppose that made sense for a winter mountain—it was only logical for a creature here to have a thick coat of fur.
In fact, it bore an uncanny resemblance to a Pomeranian.
"Gyaooooooooooooooooooooon!"
The creature was busily digging a hole.
"Hmm..." I tilted my head in confusion, then used a belt to secure Helga more firmly to my back. "I’m about to pick up some serious speed, so make sure you don't bite your tongue."
"O-Okay."
I broke into a dead sprint.
Strictly speaking, the larger a creature becomes—much like the Battleship-type Zork—the harder it is for it to perceive tiny opponents. It was the same way humans couldn't track microorganisms with the naked eye. I highly doubted a Pomeranian the size of a mountain even realized we were there. Its "rampage" was really nothing more than a focused attempt at digging.
I tore down the mountain path and navigated the cliff face from earlier with the agility of a veteran rock climber. In no time at all, the snowmobile came into view.
Man, the others were slow!
Melissa and Eddy were the next to arrive.
"You guys are late!" I called out.
"Captain... you were moving like some kind of Great Ape..." Eddy wheezed.
"Where’s Rikochi?"
"I'm not great at climbing up, but I'm fine coming down! Falling doesn't bother me!"
Just then, a snowball with legs came barreling toward us.
"Hmph!"
Striking a muscle pose, she sent the snow flying in every direction. It was Rikochi.
"I thought I was a goner..." she muttered.
"Rikochi doesn't die," I reminded her. She was the kind of person who specialized in high-density comedy, after all.
Once I set Helga down, she slumped to her knees, gasping for air. "That... those weren't the movements of a human..."
"I know, right?" Melissa said, offering her own peculiar brand of comfort. "Don't worry, Helga-san. We have an executive back home who's a cat-type Beast Race, and even she says, 'I always thought he was one of us.'"
"Movements like... a cat?" Helga whispered.
I couldn't really do that, though. I only ended up this way because of the Ninja education I’d received in Lepsitol. Nin-nin!
"So, Kawagon," Eddy said, looking back at the mountain. "What are we going to do about that thing?"
"Good question..." I mused.
The creature didn't seem to be enjoying the destruction for its own sake; it was just obsessed with digging that hole.
"Think about it," I said. "The Parcion Religion—the Zen God Race's puppets—were the ones who sealed it. That means it’s probably not our enemy, right?"
"But we can't just leave it here," Melissa pointed out. "It's a danger to the villagers."
"True."
Well, I had to do something. I climbed into the Massacre Night, which had been standing by. I’d feel bad just bullying the creature, so I decided to try talking to it first. I wondered what language it might understand. Latarnia? It seemed like the Parcion people could understand that to an extent.
I piloted the mech toward the Pomeranian. It was still working hard, excavating the mountain side.
"What are you looking for?" I asked through the external PA system. I didn't sense even a hint of bloodlust from it.
"Wafun!"
In that instant, the Pomeranian pounced.
And just like that, I found myself giving it a hug. I caught the massive creature in mid-air. It was enormous. It began sniffing the mech—kunka-kunka—and then, as if it had something urgent to communicate, it started repeatedly "chopping" the Massacre Night's hull. Eventually, it just started licking the metal.
"Ah, okay, okay. Is there something over there?"
"Waoon!"
It was pointing to a spot on the back side of the mountain. The bodies of the Parcion Religion priests were already buried under tons of snow and debris, lost to the earth. I suppose that was a fitting end for those apostate monks who didn't care about proper burials.
"Wafu-wafu-wafu!"
"Alright, alright. I'll dig here."
While trying not to think about touching any corpses, I began to excavate.
"Huh?"
I hit something solid. It was a mountain, so I expected rock, but this was different. Tucked away on the back side of the peak was a Hidden Factory.
"Wafun!" The creature licked the mech's faceplate.
"Yes, yes. Good girl." I felt like giving her a reward, though I didn't happen to have any jerky the size of a house on me.
I scooped up the Pomeranian and set her down on level ground. The underground factory and the buried priests would be a job for the recovery teams now. We’d also have to manage the wild animals that were likely fleeing the area in droves. Whatever, I’d just let it be.
As I prepared to disembark, the Pomeranian began to shrink. By the time I hopped down to the snow, she had transformed into the size of a small house pet, weighing maybe three kilograms. She immediately tried to scramble up my leg, so I picked her up.
"Yes, yes, I've got you."
"Wafun!"
While I stood there, Melissa and the others caught up.
"Things are escalating so fast I don't even know what's going on anymore!" Melissa cried.
To be honest, neither did I.
The moment the Pomeranian saw Helga, she started paddling her legs frantically. She clearly wanted to go to her, letting out little huffs of excitement.
"Helga-san, would you mind holding her?"
"A-Ah. I don't mind, but..."
"Pikyu—pikyu—"
The little creature began whimpering, so I handed her over. Ah, so she was a female. As soon as she was in Helga's arms, she quieted down.
"Is she some kind of Guardian Deity?" Melissa asked.
I didn't have an answer for that. My thoughts were focused on a much more practical problem. What was I supposed to do with her? If she turned back into a kaiju inside the Palace, it would be a disaster. Plus, she had clearly taken a shine to Helga. She was already drifting off, letting out soft, rhythmic sleeping breaths.
"For now, can I leave her in your care, Helga-san?"
"Oh... uh, yes. I understand."
Regardless of her behavior, she was a precious, unique creature. We couldn't just leave her on this planet.
"I really do feel bad about this, but... Helga-san, would you be willing to come to Chronos? I'd like you to continue looking after her."
"I... I accept."
"Are you sure?"
"Well... just look at the mountain I was supposed to be watching..." Helga looked toward the peak, which had been completely reshaped by the digging.
Yeah... sorry about that.
"I'll station some hunters here who can take over your old duties, and I'll make sure you're paid a proper salary."
"I appreciate it..."
I’m the one who should be thanking you. As for the Pomeranian... well, the Parcion Religion were the real villains here. Regardless, the little creature was now sleeping soundly in Helga's arms.
Meanwhile, Melissa was staring at the dog with a strange intensity.
"Melissa... do you like dogs?"
"I hate them because they die," she snapped.
When Melissa says "I hate them because they die," it’s her way of saying she loves them more than anything. She really was the least honest person I knew.
"Did you have them at your family home?"
"Yeah. A Shepherd and a Golden Retriever."
"Large dogs are the best."
"They have such short lifespans, though..."
Ah... that was a depressing turn of conversation.
Rikochi looked over at the sleeping Pomeranian and gave me a silent thumbs-up. She was clearly in favor of keeping her.
Good grief... what am I going to do about all this?