Luke and Yerna were walking through the streets, chatting about various topics.
How the Academy has been lately, whether Yerna is dissatisfied with the new house, and what plans she has after graduating early.
Walking slowly and exchanging stories they hadn’t shared before was quite an enjoyable experience.
“Luke, the weather is really nice today, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.”
Indeed, the weather was truly wonderful.
It was a clear and sunny day, so bright that the world appeared dazzlingly beautiful.
Perhaps because of that, there was no time to feel bored while simply walking down the street. However, Yerna was not satisfied with just that.
“Since the weather is nice, why don’t we go to the park instead of just walking around the streets? It’s been a while, just the two of us.”
If walking the city streets was this enjoyable, walking the park trails would surely be even more delightful. Plus, a walk with someone so close would be even more enjoyable.
Moreover, as she said, it had been a long time since they had walked out together alone. Ever since Py had come to them, they had always been together as a trio.
Perhaps that’s why there was a somewhat nostalgic feeling.
Luke quickly became curious and smiled as he replied.
“Sure, that sounds like a great idea.”
The moment Luke and Yerna turned their steps toward the park.
Suddenly, something small and soft touched Luke’s calf.
Did something fly in the wind and stick to his leg? The wind was strong enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if some litter had blown into him.
“…Huh?”
However, when Luke looked down to check, what he saw was not a plastic bag or a flyer, but a small puppy.
“Oh my, what’s a puppy doing here?”
Yerna questioned, gazing at the pup clinging to Luke’s leg. Luke felt just as puzzled.
It was indeed very unusual for a puppy to cling to him.
Because unless he was unconscious of it, dragon essence naturally flowed from him, which discouraged animals, including insects, from approaching him.
This was an instinctual response, so it was rare for animals to overcome that and approach Luke first.
But what was this puppy?
“First of all, it doesn’t look like a stray dog. It seems like someone was raising it? Where could its owner have gone?”
Yerna pointed out that the puppy was wearing a harness and a leash, tilting her head in confusion. The pup was small enough that it seemed unlikely to have just slipped away while out for a walk.
Could it have been intentionally let loose then?
– Yip, yip. Huff, huff, huff.
The puppy clung to Luke’s calf with its front paws, whimpering and panting. It seemed as though it earnestly wanted Luke to recognize it.
“Wait, this puppy is…”
Something about this little dog felt oddly familiar.
The shape of its face, the color of its fur, the build of its body, its scent, its behavior.
As he inspected each detail, it felt increasingly familiar.
Yes, this little one.
Luke was sure he had seen this dog before.
Hadn’t they played catch together in the past?
Soon Luke confidently opened his mouth.
“Danny!”
-Bark!
When Luke called out its name, the small puppy, Danny, barked joyfully as if it were glad to be recognized.
Indeed, it seemed to be the puppy raised by Ru’a Eraast, the dog-human who had once consulted with him.
Upon hearing the name Danny, Yerna also chimed in, as if she had just recalled it.
“Oh my, that’s true. This puppy looks just like the tiny dog Ru’a was raising.”
“Yeah, it seems like Danny. Does that mean Ru’a is around here somewhere?”
“Maybe so? It seems like it might have gotten lost during a walk. Let’s see if we can find her.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
But Danny seemed to appreciate the texture of Luke’s white stockings and was unwilling to let go of his calf.
In the end, Luke had no choice but to bend down and lift Danny up to separate him.
“Haha, Danny, you really haven’t grown at all while I’ve grown like this.”
The fact that this little creature looked just like a puppy and was considered an adult was no lie.
Just then, a familiar figure of a dog-human woman with light blue hair came rushing out from the alley.
– Pat pat!
“Danny! What do you think you’re doing running off while I’m cleaning up after you—!”
Ru’a Eraast, one hand gripping a small waste bag, rushed over, quickly lowering her head deeply.
“Ah! I’m so sorry, he’s normally not the type to run up to strangers like this—!”
Yerna smiled and replied to her.
“It’s okay, Ru’a. That can happen. Danny must be really happy to see Luke after such a long time.”
At Yerna’s words, Ru’a sighed and continued talking.
“Phew—, thank you—. Huh? Wait a second!”
Only then did Ru’a suddenly realize that the elf’s face looked familiar.
And that the girl holding Danny seemed strangely familiar as well.
Soon, Ru’a’s tone, which usually had a drawn-out quality, began to mix with urgency.
“Is it possible, Yerna? If so, does that mean this girl next to you is—”
Ru’a’s expression gradually turned to one of shock.
“You’re saying this girl is really Luke?”
Is she surprised too? Well, this was a situation Luke was getting accustomed to.
Luke turned his body and handed Danny over to Ru’a while smiling.
“It’s been a while, Ru’a.”
In response, Ru’a felt her head spinning as she muttered.
“No way.”
Has that little lady really grown this much already? What on earth has happened in the meantime?
—
Thus, Luke and Yerna, while walking Danny, unexpectedly arrived at the park with Ru’a.
Danny was circling around Luke, and whenever Luke threw a stick, he would dash off to fetch it, happily playing.
It seemed that Danny was quite enjoying the reunion with Luke after such a long time.
While Luke was playing with Danny, Ru’a and Yerna were sitting on a bench, chatting.
“It’s been a while, sister. How’s Siena doing lately? The news has been scary—.”
Ru’a had been the one to introduce them to each other in the past.
“Hmm, it seems she recently resolved an important case, so she’s a bit more at ease now.”
“That’s a relief—!”
Yerna thought of Siena when she saw Ru’a’s cheerful expression.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since she had spoken face-to-face with Siena.
After finishing her duties as the Forest Keeper, she had been too busy taking care of Luke to meet with other friends.
In the past, they used to meet almost every week and converse.
Well, now that Luke isn’t getting into as much trouble as before and their household had somewhat stabilized, perhaps it was time to catch up with Siena soon.
“By the way, I was really surprised to see Luke—! No matter how much of a hybrid he is, it’s incredibly rare for a 10-year-old to grow this fast—.”
“Is that so?”
Luke’s growth was indeed unusual.
From a tiny girl who seemed barely 10 a year ago, now she appeared like a proper young lady.
Ru’a suddenly felt as though she had aged significantly.
Well, the world is vast; if one searched the entire continent, there might not be a child who doesn’t exist. But still, it’s true that Luke’s case is rare.
“If I recall correctly, I think I was like that at 13 too—. How on earth did he grow so fast?”
“Haha, who knows? Everyone is different, right?”
Yerna replied with a carefree laugh.
“Though, Luke might be a bit special—. Being a hybrid—.”
Ru’a nodded in astonishment.
Well, she didn’t delve into details, but Ru’a was roughly aware of Luke’s circumstances, so she seemed to understand even with a vague response.
After a moment, Ru’a continued.
“So, how’s life at home for Luke? Has growing up suddenly caused any trouble?”
Although Ru’a was not an expert, she was an emotional counselor for children.
Thus, it was natural for her to feel curiosity about the child’s psychology.
“Well, not particularly, but…”
As Yerna was about to answer like that, she suddenly became curious about the strange sense of discomfort she had been feeling from Luke.
He didn’t seem like he was hiding anything, but he oddly seemed to carry some kind of concern.
His recently fluctuating appetite was also troubling.
Perhaps, from the perspective of a child psychology expert, there could be some insights to uncover?
Yerna opened her mouth, carrying those hopes.
“Oh, speaking of which.”
“What is it?”
“Recently, Luke’s eating habits have drastically changed. But I don’t know the reason. Do you think it could be something?”
Upon hearing Yerna’s words, Ru’a nodded, thinking it might be time to let her expertise shine.
“You said his eating habits have changed? The reasons can be quite varied—. But how much has it changed?”
“Roughly, it has jumped from eating 13 portions per meal to dropping back to about 1 portion. I just don’t know the reason behind it. It’s not binge eating, is it?”
Ru’a momentarily perked up, trying to comprehend if she had heard wrong.
“Really? 3 portions, you mean?”
“No, 13 portions.”
“……That’s physically possible for that waist, right?”
As Ru’a pointed at Luke’s waist, looking incredulous, Yerna shrugged, wearing a troubled expression.
“But it’s true; I was surprised too.”
“Wow, that’s impressive—.”
To eat that much and still have that waist…
Ru’a felt a strange sense of jealousy toward Luke, but then reminded herself that he was merely a 10-year-old girl and shook her head.
What would an adult be compared to a child?
“Definitely, that would be concerning.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Hmm, and you said Luke is 10, right…?”
Child psychology isn’t achieved through short consultations.
This is because children often don’t know how to express their feelings accurately.
However, given that Luke had a high language ability and was quite intelligent, his case was somewhat simpler in that regard.
Moreover, the memories of their previous counseling were still fresh.
After pausing to think, Ru’a suddenly came up with one question.
“Wait a moment. So, is Luke experiencing menstruation lately?”
“Menstruation? Uh, yes, I did just have it for the first time recently.”
“Just as I thought.”
If there was anything dramatically different from when Luke had met her, it was probably that.
Physical change.
Though she had hesitated at the mention of 10, he would be at the age for such a change with a body that had grown so much.
Menstruation in child psychology is never simple.
For a hybrid like Luke, it also involved the most significant changes in both body and mind.
“It might be the onset of heat—.”
Yerna’s face reddened, her eyes wide open at Ru’a’s unexpected reply.
“…Huh?”
Heat?
Luke?
While she was feeling confused, Ru’a explained.
“Haha! Since you’re an elf, you might not know this—but it’s natural for hybrids at that time! Children often resolve their sexual feelings as hunger—. Psychologically, those two are quite similar… But this applies to adults too—? So, there’s really no need to worry—. It’s a little early, but Luke is precocious—.”
“Uh? Uh…”
Is that so, it’s natural…?
Well, heat isn’t something particularly special.
They learned it during sex education, after all.
So, it’s not especially unusual.
On the contrary, knowing something she hadn’t before felt refreshing.
It’s just a natural thing.
“I see, understood.”
“Still, 13 portions are too much, so it might be a good idea to regulate it. It could lead to childhood obesity—!”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
