One day, once the chill had fully receded and a pleasant warmth had taken its place, Kuroichi, Kuroni, Kurosan, and Kuroyon stood before me in a line, their expressions uncharacteristically solemn.
What was this all about?
The horns on their foreheads had finished molting, and their new ones were even more impressive than the last. Kuroichi let out a single bark as their representative, and then the four of them bolted in different directions.
Wait, what? What just happened?
As I stood there, bewildered by their sudden exit, Kuro and Yuki trotted over and began nuzzling against me.
"Um..."
When I looked at them, Kuro and Yuki pressed their bodies together as if trying to show me something.
Then it clicked. They were heading out to find mates.
I see. It made sense, but that didn't stop me from feeling a pang of loneliness. I let out a long sigh.
From the day after Kuroichi and his brothers left, Kuro and Yuki began to... exert themselves. I won't go into specifics, but while I appreciated how they were trying to be considerate of me, it only made my heart ache more.
I wanted a wife too.
With Kuroichi and the others gone, the habit of having one of the dogs constantly by my side was broken. Either Kuro or Yuki tried to stay with me, but I insisted they go out and hunt, so I spent more time alone.
As for guarding the fields, Zabuton’s young ones were working hard. They used their silk like lassos to snag or drive away any birds that approached the crops. They also ate any insects that infested the plants right on the spot, which was a massive help.
The only downside was that I had to be extremely careful where I stepped when I entered the fields. Even though they were only fist-sized, I was terrified I might crush one if I wasn't paying attention. I wished they would stay off the ground as much as possible, and as if sensing my thoughts, they began to string silk threads about five meters above the fields. They moved across these webs with incredible skill, and when they had business on the ground, they would drop down like bungee jumpers.
It was impressive. I was also a bit taken aback by just how many children Zabuton had—there were well over a hundred of them. I’d long since given up on the idea of trying to name them all.
My daily routine consisted of tending and harvesting the fields, processing the prey the dogs brought back, and continuing work on the waterway. I still wanted to go looking for rock salt, but with Kuroichi and the others away, I decided not to push my luck.
For now, the waterway was the priority. Aside from the water paddy, I desperately wanted to take a bath. Now that Zabuton was producing a fabric that felt remarkably like terrycloth, the urge was stronger than ever. Before she arrived, I didn't even have proper cloth, so I’d been wiping myself down with leaves. But now that I could use real fabric, my desire for a proper soak had reached its limit.
I was going to give this waterway my all.
And I did. About sixty days had passed since Kuroichi and the others had left, and the waterway was now about half-finished. During that time, Zabuton’s children had molted, growing from the size of a fist to roughly the size of a magazine, and they had started helping me with the construction.
Their primary job was moving soil. They would wrap the dirt I loosened with my scoop or shovel in large leaves and carry it away. The amount transported in a single trip was small, but with so many of them working, the total volume became quite significant. Furthermore, up until then, I had been doing everything—loosening, carrying, piling, and packing—all by myself. Having them handle the transport allowed me to focus entirely on one task at a time, which was a huge relief.
I was so grateful to them that I felt guilty for not being able to give them names.
Interestingly, these children didn't look much like Zabuton. They had the same short legs and hair all over their bodies, but their markings were different enough that they looked like a completely different species. Perhaps it was because they were still growing? Or maybe they just took after their father, whoever he was.
Regardless, I resolved to work hard on the fields so I could feed these helpful little spiders plenty of potatoes.
The waterway and the fields—keeping up with both was exhausting. But just as I was feeling the strain, Kuroni returned from the south. He wasn't alone; he brought back a Black Dog that was slightly larger than himself.
He’d found a partner. And he’d chosen to bring her back here. I’ll admit, I teared up a little.
Kuroni's partner tried to intimidate me at first, but she calmed down after Kuroni, Kuro, Yuki, and even Zabuton intervened. I assume they talked her around. I was just glad Kuroni was back safe and sound. He didn't seem to have a scratch on him, and he looked quite happy with his new mate.
Now I just had to hope she would settle in. Also, I had to figure out what to call her. Since she was Kuroni's wife, maybe Kuroniyome? No, that was a bit too lazy. How about Yukini, since she was a girl? But then I remembered Kurosan was a girl too. What would I do if she brought back a partner?
On top of that, Yuki was pregnant. Her belly wasn't showing yet, but considering how much Kuro had been "exerting" himself, I was certain there were pups on the way.
I was still mulling over the name problem when Kurosan returned from the west a few days later. Her partner was a Black Dog about her size with a single horn on his forehead. While I was relieved she was back, I was shocked to see her mate was covered in wounds. He was walking fine, so he wasn't in mortal danger, but...
When I looked at him with concern, wondering what on earth had happened, he gave me a look that seemed to say, "It’s nothing, boss."
...Surely Kurosan hadn't been the one to rough him up? "I like you. You're going to be my husband," she might have said, before pouncing on him.
No, no. Let's just assume she had many suitors and he’d been injured fighting them off. Yes, let's go with that. Kurosan's partner nodded as if he were reading my thoughts. Hang in there, buddy.
A few days after that, Kuroichi returned with his partner, and that very afternoon, Kuroyon arrived, being led back by his own mate.
Everyone was finally home.
Kuroichi looked as dignified as ever, and it was clear his partner was absolutely smitten with him. He seemed to be showing her off to me, so I gave him a good pat on the head. Kuroyon, meanwhile, was covered in scratches and bruises, radiating the same weary energy as Kurosan's partner. Had his mate beaten him up too? No, he’d likely fought a hard-won battle against other males to earn her affection. I hoped they would build a happy home together.
While I was overjoyed to have them all back, the naming issue remained a headache. I wondered if I should just give up on it, just like I had with Zabuton's children. After all, each of these couples was going to have pups soon. If every pair had three to five offspring, the population was going to explode.
Thinking about the food situation, I realized I would definitely need to expand the fields.
I had my work cut out for me. With a deep breath, I felt a renewed sense of purpose.