****(POV)

For once I've been drinking.

After that encounter with that Ice guy, I needed it.

Sometimes I worry about the future.

My future.

The future of the guild.

What will happen to the continent too.

How war will affect us.

I seriously want the kill the guy.

But we'll need his power.

I don't think he'll completely go against the guild either.

He seems to be wanting to climb rankings and obtain a position of power.

I'll just keep working hard.

I'll kick the useless tamers out.

I'll slowly solidify our power as an organization.

I'll make sure to use his abilities to their fullest somehow.

All of this is gonna be a huge fucking pain.

Can't be helped.

I drink and I forget all my problems.

Until it's time to go.

I have lots of things to take care of.

I need to ….

*Bump*

"Who the hell is the dumb bastard bumping into me!"

I didn't react as there was no killing intent.

That and I may have drunk a bit too much.

A dog? No, a small white wolf.

I feel like I've seen that one before.

It's that weakling's pet!

The one that is Ice's student.

Right he had a donkey and a wolf.

If anything this one must be the stronger one.

Well, I guess it is still a cub.

This is great.

I wanted to kick him out of the guild.

Now there is an easy way to do that.

"Come here little dog."

It starts running away.

It's already too late.

I go after it without caring about the looks of the passerby.

Somehow it is really fast.

Guess I'm drunker than I thought.

To have difficulty following such a dumb animal.

I would call my creature out, but better not.

We are still in the city.

It would cause too much destruction.

Not worth it for such a useless creature.

Wait…

It seems to be heading outside.

What a dumb thing.

Oh well, it can't be helped.

Soon after we are outside.

I summon my flaming companion.

It appears and seems displeased.

It knows what I called it here for.

It is disgusted in killing such a weakling itself.

Except I'm too drunk right now.

No way will I keep running around endlessly.

"Alright, time to kill the wolf, then let's see if its master will give up being a tamer. This way the guild will get rid of a useless piece."

It sits and looks over with clear big eyes.

As if I would show pity.

"If you must blame anything blame your worthless master. Today you die because of him!"

"Die?"

What the hell is that?

Who talked?!

It seemed to come from the ...wolf?

I'm clearly imagining things.

Guess I'm more fucked up than I thought.

What was in that booze anyway?

Pretty sure I mixed many things.

"Hehe, that's funny I thought I heard the wolf talk."

Only beast kings are able to speak.

Well except for special circumstances.

Or particular species.

But a wolf isn't one.

It's impossible.

Even my own contracted creature cannot speak yet.

It would have to be stronger than I am.

But there is no way someone with a beast king….

Would ask to be taught beast taming.

A master wouldn't ask an apprentice for help.

It would be pointless.

Plus he was confirmed to have no talent.

"*Sigh* You truly are dumb aren't you."

This time it talked!! For real!

"What?! How?!!

Did I fall asleep at the bar?

That would be possible.

Maybe this is a lucid dream.

"This is real."

"How?! This is impossible! You would have to be a beast king to…"

"Please, don't compare me to such a weakling."

Beast king, a weakling. That doesn't make any sense.

What is …

I'm imagining all of this!

All of it!

That's it!

"KILL IT!!!"

I'm imagining the talking wolf.

I'm imagining my summon charge at it.

I'm imagining my creature getting reduced to shreds.

I'm imagining the fountain of blood that drenches me.

I'm imagining the soul link we had disappearing.

No.

The pain and the despair I am feeling both are real.

This is real.

My prized companion is dead.

Gone in but an instant.

A rank 4 annihilated.

Not even a chance to fight back.

A wolf looking calmly over.

Acting as if this was all normal.

Looking at a fool.

Looking at a waste.

Looking at trash.

Looking at me.

How did this happen?!

I went for a drink.

I chased a worthless creature.

It defeated me with a swipe.

How?!

For the first time in forever.

I am weak.

I am powerless.

I am tiny.

I am back to being filth.

Alone.

I am nothing.

I don't even have any other tamed beast.

It took all I had to tame that one.

Now it's gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

The wolf comes closer.

I will die.

It will bite my head off.

End my pitiful existence.

It doesn't matter.

I have no reason to live.

None whatsoever.

I am but a shadow of what I was minutes ago.

Let it end.

"Whose master did you say was useless again? I think I misheard."

Did this all happen because I trash-talked her master?

I can tell it's she from the voice.

I am ready to leave this world.

"Kill me already."

"I will, and then I will do the same to every other tamer in that guild of yours. Until they finally agree to give him the tamer license he's been trying to get."

Destroy the guild?!

She has the power to.

I may be nothing but a weakling now.

But I still remember the oath I made.

Back when I still had my pride.

How I swore to protect the guild.

It may be pointless.

But I have to try, nonetheless.

"I can get him that license easily."

"Oh? Begging for your life are you?"

"No…my life is already over. I just want to save the guild."

"Aren't you simply scared of death?"

"At this point I welcome it."

"Alright, go on. I will be waiting."

I get up.

Make my way back.

This will be the last thing I will do in this life.