The next day is the nineteenth day of the blue month.

When I was preparing for business in the Kamado hut, Ei = Fa returned to Lu's settlement.

And there was a new dog at the foot of Ei = Fa.

"In the meantime, ten bitches were to be kept by the forest. Moreover, I was told to take one back at Fa's house, so I decided to take it home."

At the foot of Ei = Fa, who declares himself to be a strict face, the dog snorted his nose. You will be distracted by the aroma of meat coming from the kamado hut.

Smaller than Brave and Durmua, but of course the dog breeds are the same. She had a western horny face and her hair was bright brown all over.

"I see. You're going to keep it by the forest after all." Well, I knew that would happen. "

This is just a trial deposit. If it is unnecessary, it is said that it can be taken back, and there is no need to pay for it at that time. In addition, it was said that even if an accident occurred in the period up to that time, the people around the forest would not be held responsible.

(In other words, you trust the people around the forest. I'm sure Schmiral-Lillin, who plays the role of negotiator, is the kind of person he is, so he must have trusted me.)

When I thought like that, Ei = Fa added, "But."

"I will not give back to the pedestrians the person I took away at Pharaoh's house unless there is much to do," the chiefs say. I hope that's what you're going to do. "

"What? How did that happen?"

When I countered like that, Ei = Fa caught a more and more rigorous face.

“It was a story of having to give a name to a dog that I picked up at home. And it was about taking about a month to determine whether or not to officially take it back...... If we spent a month together giving it a name, we would need to be prepared to welcome it as a family. As long as this guy doesn't hurt Brave, we're gonna treat him like a family from today. That's my decision."

"I see. If that's the case, then I have no objection." It's enough to spend a few days together to determine if it's suitable for your family. "

“Hmm. That's how Jilbe and Sachi ended up at Fa's house.”

Having said that, Ai Fa lightly stroked the dog's head.

"And this time it was my turn to give my family a name, so I consulted with Granny Ziva."... what about the rum? "

"Oh, that's good." What do you mean by that? "

"It's an old word passed down around the forest, and it seems to have the meaning of 'charity'." If you are a hunter and it is your best job to raise and raise a child, then you deserve that name. "

Saying so, Ei = Fa looked back at her side. There, Brave and the others were staring at Ei = Fa and the new family.

"Alright, we're done greeting Asta." You should also welcome your new family. "

Brave, Duruma, and Jilbe are closing in on us.

The new family rum watched it with a very calm look. She is also a rancher, so she must be used to group life.

Ei = Fa was watching them with very tight eyes - but as the rams greeted each other with their noses clasped together, they finally burst out in satisfaction.

Brave and Durmua are silent because the hounds are persuaded not to raise their voices unnecessarily. It's just that Jilbe said cheerfully, "Wow!” he said, returning the greeting. When Durmua was invited, it was Jilbe who showed some vigilance, but as expected, she was already accustomed to being a new family.

After that, I started to chase even four heads together. After seeing that, Ai-Fa finally loosened her expression.

“Twice a year, female dogs breed around the black and vermilion moons. And this time I was brought to the edge of the forest because I was a young bitch who was about to begin her first breeding season."

"I see. I'm looking forward to seeing who Rum will be associated with."... it doesn't really matter, does it, Jilbe? "

“Hmm. All that matters is how we feel.”

Ai = Fa, who spoke like that, had a gentle look like a mother watching over her child. Just looking at the side of Ei = Fa, I felt an unexpected sense of happiness.

"By the way, which house did the other bitches pick up?" Besides, if there were 50 hounds, it would be difficult to allocate them. "

"First of all, the hounds were to be given to the three clans, Sudra, Lilin and Tamur, which had not been distributed before. The remaining 47 were divided according to the number of hunters in each clan."

"Yeah. Isn't it hard to decide on that allocation?" Somehow, I heard rumors that Zwei = Rutim had been summoned. "

"Hmm. It seems that Zwei-Lutim's advice has given all the hounds to the family of the parent." It was up to each clan to decide how to divide it among their bloodline. "

There are 37 clans on the edge of the forest. It would be too much trouble to distribute the hounds according to the number of hunters in those clans. It seemed that Zwei-Rutim had twisted such a plan to alleviate the burden.

Except for the house of Fa, the number of clans that become the parent muscles is 10. Lou, Zaza, Sautti, Fow, Gaz, Ratz, Baim, Ravitz, Dai, and Sung-it seemed to have taken the form of having the total number of hunters, including their families, reported, and distributing the corresponding number of hounds.

"It seems that the female dogs were also divided into nine clans of the parent muscles, excluding Sun." Soong will have no family and probably fewer hounds, so it will be a fair decision. "

I see. I hope the rest of the clan will be fine.

“Hmm. Whether you're a human or a dog, it would be a great pleasure to have more family.”

Having said that, Ei = Fa shook herself nervously.

“What's the matter?" When asked, Ai = Fa stroked her cheek with a vague expression, "No..."

"I tried to make my head work on what a dog's baby looks like... but I couldn't imagine it."

"You're a dog baby. I've seen it in my hometown, but it was so cute. I don't think I can beat a human baby."

"I see," Ei = Fa twisted herself.

"I wonder what it is." Even though I can't imagine it well, it feels like I'm being tickled inside. "

"Ahahah. Even Ai = Fa is very affectionate, so it would be a lot of fuss if she gave birth to a baby."

Ei = Fa approached me with one step, and instead of kicking my legs, he touched my arm with his elbow.

And as I blush my cheeks a little, my eyes flare up with the look of shaking my face.

“Brave and the others are all important family members. It makes sense to think that it will give birth to a child and become a father."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to teach you. I'm glad to have more family. So... what will happen after you officially pick up the female dog?"

"Hmm? What do you think will happen?"

"No, it doesn't matter if it's just ten heads this time." If we talked about giving all of the hounds a partner, we'd have a lot more kids. In that case, it would be difficult just to take care of the meal. "

Ei = Fa tilted her head slightly, clinging to my arm.

"Of course, it's not fair to only give a limited number of hounds a partner." We are still returning much of the meat that failed to drain blood to the forest, so we can't afford to take care of our meals. "

"Still, there's a limit, right?" It was common for me to give birth to three or four dogs all the way to my hometown, and it would be a lot if it only lasted for a few years. "

Ei = Fa grabbed her mouth like she was being poked into a void and stared me in the face.

"It is true that Gibba has heard that she will give birth to many children at once... and Karon who saw them in the dabbag also gave milk to many children."

"Yeah, that's right. At the moment, the number of hounds is over a hundred. If you give them all a partner, 200 of them, and if you give birth to three babies, you'll get 500 babies altogether. If you put that into a number, you'll be extra scared."

"... that should be communicated to Donda = Luu and the others, and the pedestrians should be asked to confirm it."

Having said that, Ei = Fa turned her back in a flirtatious manner.

“It was said that the hound peddler would stay in Genos until tomorrow. I will advise you to send someone to the castle town....... Brave, I'm going out again a little bit, so I'm going to ask you to take care of the rum."

Brave responded to Ai-Fa's words by blinking his sharp eyes.

So I finally got back to my job.

◇

“I see. So the Riada-Ruu family headed for the castle town.”

It was Yun-Sudra who spoke up like that.

Now that I've already started doing business at the stall, Yun-Sudra is my partner. In order to master the use of the octopus grill, we have recently changed personnel on a daily basis, mainly the skilled Kamado number.

"It's true that even the flesh of Giba, who failed to draw blood, will be enough to raise a large number of dogs. Whatever it is, it may not be difficult for 500 heads.... but that's how many babies you get once you have them, right?"

"Yeah, so hounds also seem to live about 10 years, so I think the first generation will have grandchildren while they're still alive. If the second generation of 300 had three children each, it would be 900 -- the total for the third generation would be 1,400. Even if all dogs only give birth one at a time, that's the number."

"And even after that, the number increases with each generation." It certainly sounds like a big story. ”

Yun-Sudra flipped the ingredients of the octopus cooker with an iron skewer as she sighed. While we're having a conversation, it doesn't seem to be an inconvenience.

“I think I finally understand why the number of gibbs doesn't go down.... but if all the beasts gave birth to so many children, they'd fill the earth in no time. Why isn't that the case?”

"I don't know for sure, but I've heard that wild beasts often return their souls to their children because they live in harsh nature." On the other hand, it's probably because of its low survival rate that it evolved to have a lot of children. ”

"I see... by the way, Huey the lion and Sarah the leopard had only Druids."

"Oh, I've heard that large beasts don't have many children." Dogs are more likely to have a lot of children if they have a bigger body. "

"Is that so?" But I've heard from Rimi-Ruu that Karon is a very large beast, but he has a lot of children. "

"Yes, I was surprised when I was given a tour of the dabbag ranch." Well, not all of my hometown common sense works. I don't know how many children a dog will have, so I need to talk to a pedestrian to make sure that's true. "

As I wrapped up like that, the person waiting for the food to be finished in front of the stall laughed happily.

"Somehow, I've been talking about something difficult. Don't the people around the forest have to worry about such a complicated story?"

It was a young man, Dunro, who dwelt in the camp city. He was once on the edge of the Easter Festival and was later awarded the prize at Totos' early-running tournament. Behind him, his fellow youngsters were making a noise.

"Somehow, I remember when I was a hungry ghost learning to read and write in the cathedral." In that sense, why did Gibba make such a big face? "

"Gibba seems to have grown abnormally even before the people from the forests moved to Morga." That's why there's a theory that during that time, we changed territory from Morga Mountain to the forest at the foot of the mountain. It's said that the survival rate of natural enemies like Madarama and Valve has improved, which may have caused abnormal reproduction. "

"I see! I can reason with any story." Somehow, I'm impressed. "

Dunlo makes a cheerful laugh. I didn't think I'd be seeing anything lately, but until the middle of the blue moon, I was working at the southern end of Dalaym alongside the architects. He was doing his day job and getting daily bread.

"Then I think we should increase the number of beasts like that dog so that we can't beat Giba... but then we won't be able to take care of our meals."

“That's true, but it's kind of hard to say that as many as 100 hounds don't have a partner or a child. I wish I could summarize my story....."

"The people around the forest are struggling." Well, I'm sure we'll manage. I've done well so far. "

Dunlo had no choice but to rate his words as weather proof, but his cheerfulness nonetheless strengthened me. I think he's saying that because he trusts the people around the forest.

Soon after completing the work, Ryada-Ru returned from the castle town after completing the Midheaven Rush.

"For now, Asta, I've heard more from the pedestrian." Since this is a very confusing story, could you stop by Luu's house on the way back? "

“Yes, I was originally scheduled for a study group at the Luu's house today, so I have no problem with that.”

"Well then," said Ryada-Lou, quickly leaving.

"I wonder what the introvert is. I wonder if there is something that the chiefs are having trouble judging."

"I don't know. I want you to settle down somehow." I'd like to mate with the hounds, if I can. "

When I answered like that, Yun-Sudra said something and then clenched her mouth and made a mistake. I'm going to get pinned down in that shape.

"Maybe you want to tell me to think of myself before you burn the hounds?"

"And, that's ridiculous!" I also want to postpone my mate's marriage... so I just feel the depth of Asta's feelings. "

Yun-Sudra said that while slightly dyeing her cheeks.

Well, I follow the family style of Fa's house, where there is no up or down in the family, whether it's dogs, cats, or tots. Ai-Fa seemed to be very happy to be given a mate by the Braves, so she just wanted to take that mood into consideration.

Then I sold out all my food and turned to Luu's village, and Ryada-Ruu waited for me in front of the main house's kamadoko hut.

"I'm sorry to take care of you." After all, Asta originally knew the beast as a dog, so I think she can bring you useful opinions. ”

“Yes, I wish the hounds a safe journey, so please don't worry.”

Therefore, I asked the other people to start the study group first, and I wanted to talk to them carefully in the main house. The people present were the people who had free time in the main house - Granny Ziba, Mother Meir Ray, Saty Ray = Ru, who held the baby Rudy = Ru, and Kota = Ru, a toddler.

Jilbe and Lamb are relaxing in the dirt, deepening their rapport with the bitch they picked up at the Ruu's house. Sachi turned round at my feet, letting Kota-Lou stroke his back.

"When I told them my concern, the people of the south who were pedestrians laughed happily, wondering how far ahead they were worried. And you said," Thank you for taking the end of the hound seriously. "

"I see. That person is also caring about the end of the hound, isn't he?"

"Hmm. The people in the south are known as wholesalers, but they were originally born to raise hounds." My brother inherited the ranch, so I decided to sell it right. ”

Anyone who comes from such a place would be worthy of trust.

So, what was he expecting to do?

"That person had already anticipated Asta's concerns. It is true that dogs have three or four children at a time, and it is normal to repeat them twice, so if you give all 100 hounds a partner, it will quickly become a huge number."

“I see. Is that a breakthrough?”

He said, "If the people around the forest seem to have left their dogs' children, they will take them away."

In response to Ryada-Lou's words, Mother Meer Ray rolled her eyes.

"It's a lot easier said than done." Does that pedestrian mean you can take in hundreds of kids? "

“Hmm. He said he had nothing to do with a lot of ranches. Besides... you also said that if you were a hound child who had done his job hunting gibbons around the forest and ate the meat of gibbons, you might be born with more strength than ever. With that in mind, he was able to give us the bitch dog."

"I see. I mean, from the beginning, you had a plan to pick up the child's dog." After all, people who make a living in business are tough. "

“Hmm. So the question is, how should we take that word?”

Ryada = Luu stared at me with a serious light in her cut-eye.

"I don't think there were any people around the forest who disagreed with the idea that hounds should be given company. It shall be because it sees the hound as a precious family member. If that's the case... I wonder if it would be inappropriate to pull the child away and hand it over to someone far away from Jagal?"

"That might be... that's right." I don't think Ei = Fa would be so easily convinced. ”

Is Asta convinced?

That was a difficult question.

"Hmm. I've never picked up a dog in my hometown, either... but in my hometown, handing over the puppies to the rest of the house seems to have been a normal thing to do." Growing many dogs in one house is still tough. ”

Yea, so said the people of the south, which were merchants. The important thing is not where you were born, but where you grew up. ”

“Oh, I see, that might be it.”

When I answered like that, Ryada = Luu stepped forward.

"Did Asta convince you?" I want you to tell me why. "

"Ah, yes. I was thinking about the hounds taken by the forest." Those hounds also came out of their homes and into the woods, didn't they? I want to believe that you're still happy. ”

"I see. It's like having a daughter-in-law or a son-in-law in another house." Even so, since we've lived only in the village, it may seem very faint to us to hand over the children of the dogs to the unreachable land of Jagal. "

Mother Meer Ray said that with a relaxed face.

Then Grandmother Ziva shouted, "That's right..."

"No matter how cute a child is, they will eventually leave their own hands... and how much time they spend with their family is different between humans and beasts... Giba, Black Monkeys, Mundt and Geese will live separately once the children can feed themselves..."

“Well, I don't think we can get the dog's feelings out of human values alone. Shouldn't we think about whether it's good for the dog to end our lives without a partner or a child, or whether it's good for the dog to give birth to many children and give them to the rest of the world?"

Ryada = Luu looked around at the people with a tight face and finally looked at me.

“I'd like to hear Asta's opinion here, as the people of the Ruu family are now going to summarize their story with Chief Donda.”

"Personally, I want to give the hound a partner. Even if we can't raise the children we have, and we end up handing them over to the hound ranch... if Brave and the Durmua children are going to be active in the hunting grounds around here and there, isn't that a blessing?"

"I see," said Ryada-Lou, nodding heavily.

“Whatever it is, it is said that dogs will be in their breeding season after the Black Moon. By then, there are still more than two moons left, so we probably won't be talking about returning the dogs we deposited this time. This is a story that every human on the edge of the forest should be bothered and find the right path."

"Yeah. Fortunately, or rather, the parents' council was put off because of the last commotion." Until then, let's take our time to bother our heads. "

Having said that, Mother Meir Ray looked towards Ryada-Lou.

"But then, why did you call Asta like this?" It wasn't even a rush, was it? "

"Oh, that's... I personally wanted to hear Asta's opinion." After I finished talking in the castle town, I felt very uneasy. "

Having said that, Ryada-Ru let her peek at the smile she rarely showed.

"I'm sorry I took up your time, Asta. I thought Asta would clear up the suspicions that came into my mind.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I think

"I hope you can say that." After that, I want you to fully discuss with Ai = Fa and summarize the common understanding of Fa's family. "

As far as I'm concerned, that didn't seem like a problem. In any case, Ei = Fa is extremely sympathetic to his family.

(I wonder if Ai = Fa would approve of giving birth to a puppy somewhere else)

With such suspicion in mind, I decided to aim for the rain hut where Reina = Lou and the others were waiting.

◇

And it shall be the night of that day.

In the middle of the dinner, when I tried to convey the daytime exchange, Ai = Fa was sure of the plan, and she had a very difficult face.

"You can hand over your children to Jagal's ranch... it certainly doesn't seem to be in line with human customs at all."

"Yeah. Of course, I have to hand over all the children I've given birth to." But I think it's true that one day there will be too many of them to grow. I think we need to think about that, and then we need to think about whether or not we're going to accept the bitch. "

"So... you think you should accept the bitch dog, even if you're going to let the kids go anyway?"

"Yeah. It's just my personal opinion." Until I'm satisfied, I'd like to discuss it with Ei = Fa. "

Ai Fa said, "I understand" with a swordsman-like look at the showdown.

“Often, I think. You have to wait until my thoughts are together.”

"Yeah, I got it."

Then Ai = Fa was completely silent. Never before has the supper of the house of Fa been so silent.

But that's all, this case is going to be a serious one for Eifa. It is the role of the head of the family to blame the happy endings of the family, and even if not, Ai-Fa loves Brave and the others.

So before Ei = Fa's thoughts could be put together, the dinner was over.

After cleaning up the dishes, Ei = Fa sat right next to the dirt floor and watched the dogs. By that time, the four dogs were leaning together and falling asleep.

Unlike the breeding season, the rum now sleeps with an innocent face. The little ram around his body is so frowned on by his youngest son that he seems to trust the braves he just met today.

After watching the sleeping face for only ten minutes, Ei = Fa stood up and silently aimed at the bedroom.

Unfold the laundry, remove the hair, and lie down. His face remains unchanged in severity from the time of the Supper.

Still, I lay silently on the bedding, trying not to ignore Ei = Fa's thoughts.

Then another ten minutes or so passed, and when I made a fool out of him, Ai = Fa said to him, "I've decided."

"I agree with you, too." If the parents' meeting is held, I will propose that the hounds should be accompanied. ”

"I see. You don't have to make such a quick decision, do you?" The parents' council hasn't set a date yet. "

"I can't help but feel uneasy with this kind of mood." That's why Ryada-Lew wanted to have a conversation with you. "

Having said that, Ei = Fa turned towards me.

I also turned my body towards you and stared straight at Ei = Fa while lying down.

"But are you sure?" Isn't it frustrating for Ai = Fa to pull the child away from his parents? "

"If you replaced it with a human, you won't be dissatisfied. But you're right, there is a dog principle in dogs....... I certainly don't see Brave and the others sadly being separated from their parents."

While saying so, Ei = Fa finally softened her expression.

"Anyway, I thought I shouldn't give up from the inside. No matter how many children you have, we can raise them in Fa's house as much as we can."

Yeah. I have no objection to that either.

When I answered like that, Ei = Fa reached out and touched my cheek.

"By the way, Asta, is it more important to grow up in a place... than where you were born?"

"Huh? No, I didn't think about it that much." I wasn't taken over by the forest from the side where I was born. "

While answering like that, I lay my hands on Ei = Fa's hands.

"But, if you ask me, there are some parts that overlap a little."... I'm so happy to be living in the woods. "

"I know that."

Ai = Fa smiled softly and stroked my nose with her thumb.

As a result, Fa's house was united, and Rum was officially welcomed as a family.