The next day, when the sun had just risen, Nero and his two companions were ready to go down to Siedsy Town Hall. They had packed everything that had remained—the furniture, the tents, and some other miscellaneous items—and prepared them for donation. Lion couldn’t carry all of those, as they were huge (especially the furniture).

“I think I should carry some, too,” he pondered.

Rius, tilting its head, slowly transformed to its fantastic form—that wolf-like form, then glowed, the bluish tint on its white fur brightened. And, as if it was natural, its body increase in size manyfold, until his withers almost reached Nero’s chest. Then its fur’s luminescence dimmed until it returned to its normal brightness; the size, however, remained that big.

The young healer was taken aback, almost falling on the ground, afraid of the dog. Of course, he saw that figure a couple of days ago…but, his dog could change into such fantastic form? Wasn’t its transformation just an incident of its revival?

—Bark!

As if telling him it’s okay Rius barked in a rather high pitch tone, in direct contrast to its enlarged size.

“Do you know what happened, Lion?” he asked the flocom, which was just observing what’s happening.

“Well,” the floating machine answered, “it’s a rather surprising way to learn your pet isn’t just a normal dog, sir. No, not a dog anymore—an arcane beast. He’s a canane.”

“A canane…?”

Nero got confused. Was it due to its revival? Had it gained some skills when he poured a massive amount of mana into it? Arcane beasts are animals which have souls and mana cores—in retrospect, it’s something he had observed during the dog’s revival. They are monstrous, too, and can use mana they had as if it’s innate. He only read about them, though. Never saw one. Until today. If Rius really did become one.

Nero slowly approached the wolf, and tried patting its head. It closed its eyes and brought its ears down, even wagging its tail. A mark of submission and familiarity. It was still his dog, obviously. But he just couldn’t believe he had a canane as a companion. Would people then call him a beastmaster? Or a summoner? But he’s a healer…

“Did you increase your size so you can carry more of these things?” he asked Rius.

—Bark!

So, it was to help him. He smiled at it and rubbed its head, further exciting the dog.

But ultimately, he decided not to let Rius go down the town-proper flaunting its identity as a canane. So, he asked the dog to return to its original form, explaining that it is dangerous for an arcane beast to just show itself in public. Rius understood and shrank back, returning also to its form as a black dog.

In the end he carried the other things, and surprising himself he could actually carry such heavy items without any difficulty. Maybe it wasn’t only his dog that gained several new capabilities…

After that, they went straight for the town hall.

They went through the market and a village; people gave them a wider path, as consideration to the burden they were carrying. Nero was touched; the people of Siedsy really were all courteous. Still, he thought maybe he would need to buy a horse to travel more efficiently.

After a thirty-minute walk, they reached the town hall.

The transaction was quick; he just signed some papers, and the town officer received his donations, thanking him warmly.

With that, Lion relaxed and retracted his barrier carts (three of them, in fact) and Nero now could say his farewell finally to this town, to leave for the Breeston City.

However, he remembered one last person he needed to visit. The oldest friend he had (and frankly, the closest) during these past several years he and his uncle settled in this town.

So, he went back to the market again, walked the familiar streets that led to an apothecary shop. He stopped by the Gueré Pharmacy.