Chapter 35: Puppy

To become a Hound’s apprentice—what they call a Puppy—you have to pass an exam.

I don’t recall ever taking one myself, but apparently that’s how it’s usually done.

If a rookie seems promising enough, they sometimes get evaluated during their registration test for Doggie House.

By the way, the benchmark for being “promising” is having a Rank 3.

And so, several Dogs were assigned to oversee Shinzo’s registration exam. If they saw potential in his movements and deemed him fit to be their successor, they’d register him as a Puppy.

There’s a difference in the kinds of jobs a Puppy can take on compared to a regular merc, and the services they receive from the company differ too, so I really hope Shinzo gives it his all.

This time, five Dogs have their eyes on him:

The Search Dog, the Shepherd Dog, the Mad Dog, the Ninja Dog, and lastly, myself—the Hound.

That’s right. Just in case, I decided to accompany the exam as one of the proctors.

If none of the others pick him, I’ll take him under my wing myself.

And so, Shinzo’s test began.

His task: dismantle a bandit gang in Tooth—a job that was anything but simple.

I had been told by Potato Man to take over the mission if things went south, so just in case, I’d brought Type 5, Rat Unit, Dog Unit, and Eevee with me.

I peered through my binoculars. The enemy consisted of a heavily armed truck and an escort of six motorcycles and three buggies—a fairly sizable group. Probably on their way back from a raid?

The truck looked unusually heavy.

Shinzo seemed to have decided to start by picking off the escort. Armed with a shotgun and a zanbatou (horse-slaying sword), he focused on hit-and-run tactics that made full use of his mobility. In high-speed close-quarters combat, Shinzo completely dominated. With two swings of his massive blade, he toppled three vehicles and got them run over by the truck, then leapt over on his bike to crush a buggy’s driver’s seat with his rear wheel. He was doing whatever he pleased.

The real problem, however, was the truck. That heavily armed monster unleashed its gatling guns like it was trying to chew Shinzo up, using its sheer mass to try and flatten him. On top of that, one of the trucks was pulsing. Like it was alive.

…No, not like. That thing was alive.

It was probably the same parasitic type of Tooth that Eevee had given birth to the other day. Those things were incredibly hard to kill. Even when you shot them, the flesh would quickly seal up the hole.

“…Isn’t there some good way to deal with it?”

“A parasite type? They’re more vulnerable to organic rounds than regular bullets. Mix in some blood when you fire, works surprisingly well.”

“…Preferably something a human can do.”

“Nope. That’s why, when you’re in trouble, you should just rely on me,” Eevee said smugly, puffing up with pride.

I’d really rather avoid that. Which is why I decided to observe while we still had some breathing room.

While we were doing that, Shinzo had taken care of the escorts and two of the trucks. Now he was going after the main target.

“Yeah, I don’t want that thing. Not suited for our kids. I’m gonna go pick up the ones I took down. As for the Hound—I know even if I called, he wouldn’t come. Mad Dog, you too, right?”

“Yeah.”

The Search Dog and the Mad Dog said that, then led their Monoz units down from the ridge.

I glanced over at the remaining Dogs. One of them was blatantly dressed in a ninja outfit. That had to be the Ninja Dog. No doubt about it.

Compared to that, the Shepherd Dog left less of an impression. His powered exosuit was painted like a Welsh Corgi—just like Rudo’s. Probably a decent guy.

“Hey, Touji.”

“What is it?”

“Figure out any weak points on that parasite type yet? If you’re done with it, mind lending me the binoculars? I think I recognize their leader. I’d like a closer look at their face.”

“Sure, I don’t mind… But what if they really are someone you know?”

I asked, my meaning clear: Will you betray us? If so, I’ll kill you.

“At the very least, I can make sure their head rests back home,” Eevee replied.

A warrior’s courtesy, she said.

Well, if that’s the case, I handed her the binoculars. Eevee took them and began tracking the truck through the lens.

“Hmm… nah, probably not them. So, Touji, what weak point did you find? I’ll check your answer for you.”

“I found something that looks like a heart. Uh, let’s see… there it is. Look, right there.”

I pulled a stupidly high-spec laser pointer out of my pocket—something I bought but never had a reason to use—and aimed it at the part that had just started pulsating.

That’s probably the core.

“Ah!”

The very next moment, my voice and Eevee’s overlapped.

Shinzo, who’d been struggling just a second ago, blasted that precise spot. A surge of green blood sprayed out, soaking into the barren earth. The truck lost its mobility in an instant, its movements turning sluggish and erratic.

Shinzo took that as his cue—like shouting Now’s my chance!—and unloaded his shotgun into the driver’s seat, completely shutting it down.

Landing a direct hit on the spot I’d pointed out—that’s what turned the tide of the battle.

“…”

Anyway, I’d really appreciate it if the Ninja Dog and the Shepherd Dog would stop looking over here.

…Well, regardless, Shinzo’s final push earned him some respect, and he ended up getting chosen by the Shepherd Dog.

He’s now a Shepherd Puppy.