It had been ten days since Tia started living with us.
After going through everything Lu had already experienced, she’d finally settled in quite a bit.
I wondered if it was a universal trait for women to faint the moment they saw Zabuton. I didn't think she was that scary myself, though.
"My body certainly won't hold up at this rate," Tia remarked.
"Exactly. I'm so glad you're here to help," Lu replied.
The two of them had become close surprisingly fast, and they were currently enjoying a snack of cucumbers and tomatoes. Tia seemed to have taken a real liking to the cucumbers, crunching away at them with gusto. Given her cute appearance, however, the sight of her gnawing on a cucumber felt a bit out of place.
"You can turn small and escape when you need to, but I can't do that... We have to think of a countermeasure. The first priority is increasing our numbers," Tia said.
"You understand Husband's personality by now, don't you? I want to increase our numbers too, but if we did something like kidnap humans, I think he’d get so angry it wouldn't even be funny."
"I suppose so. But it's fine. We just won't kidnap them."
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"Yes. I saw some on my way here. I'll be away for a little while."
"...If you try to run away, I'll chase you down," Lu warned.
"I won't run. Husband is here, after all."
After trying out various ways to address me, Tia had eventually settled on "Husband," just like Lu.
A few days after Tia left on her errand, Kuroichi and the others' children began to return. Some of them were looking pretty beat up. Yeah, you guys worked hard.
The dogs arriving here for the first time were wary of Lu and me, but they soon warmed up once Kuro and the others stepped in to mediate. It didn't look like there would be any major trouble.
Among the returning pups, one was a bit of a special case. To my surprise, he had brought back three partners with him.
Three, huh?
He was Iris's son, a male. The three partners he brought back were all females. He had a somewhat timid air about him, but he wasn't particularly injured. He seemed to get along perfectly well with all three of them. I’d assumed they were monogamous, but I guess I was wrong. Well, as long as they aren't fighting, I have no complaints.
And so, following Fubuki’s lead, I gave him a name: Masayuki.
He was named after the protagonist of a rom-com battle manga from my previous world that featured a massive cast of heroines. The final chapter—where he didn't choose a specific girl but instead ended the series having impregnated every single female character—had caused a massive firestorm on the internet.
The legendary harem king, Masayuki.
I didn't exactly admire the guy, but I hoped this wolf could live a similarly successful life.
...Wait.
Come to think of it, since I’d laid hands on both Lu and Tia...
...I decided not to think about it.
Once all of Kuroichi and the others' children had safely returned, the population density of the area seemed to spike all at once. The longhouse-style huts I’d prepared seemed to be well-received. I suppose they were a significant step up from sleeping outdoors.
And so, the breeding season would soon begin.
The pack went out into the surrounding Forest to hunt together, returning with prey clamped in their jaws. I became incredibly busy with the tasks of bleeding the carcasses and processing the entrails. Occasionally, they would take down a particularly large boar and call for me to come help carry it back.
I was spending my days in a grueling cycle of butchery and field maintenance when Tia finally returned.
She brought seven women dressed in battle gear with her.