My Joker System: From Low Mana Trash to the Mightiest Wizard!
Chapter 49: Loki

Chapter 49: Loki

"Phew...this should do..." Hal muttered as he wiped the sweat off his forehead after tying one last vine.

He and Liora had been creating a makeshift cage for the rest of the Dharmwolf pups for the past three hours, though it was mostly Hal who was making the cage while his comrade watched over him, defending him from beasts and goblins that came to attack during that time.

She was quite the capable novice wizard, and her [Luminous Laser] was quite the menace in battle.

...They soon finished placing the trembling cubs into the makeshift stick cage, which they planned to drag along using thick vines.

It wasn’t the most comfortable transport for the little ones, but it would have to do.

Next, the duo began harvesting the Alpha’s paws and fangs, along with its damaged pelt, doing the same for the other Dharmwolves.

It took them an hour and a half to finish, as they had to fend off an increasing number of attacks.

The stench of blood had drawn in far more beasts and monsters than they wanted to deal with.

With their large sack bags filled with pelt, claws, and other sellable parts, the two left the scene as soon as possible.

Hal carried his black-furred pup, which lay obediently slung over his shoulder.

Liora, on the other hand, was quite pleased that her alpha cub had snuggled into her uniform on its own, securing it in place with a vine.

The journey back was slightly more difficult than the way in.

Annoying green goblins ambushed them now and then, but none of the attacks were anything they couldn’t handle.

Soon enough, they made it out of Blightwood Forest, the stick cage full of poor, traumatized pups trailing a few meters behind them.

It certainly helped that the two cubs they’d chosen to adopt were well-behaved.

After resting for a while by the roadside to eat and rehydrate, the duo made their way to the Blightwood Donkey Exchange Terminal.

They decided to rent an entire cart for themselves, paying three full silver coins for a one-way trip.

This decision was made with the pups’ comfort in mind, as well as the monetary compensation they would receive from entrusting the little ones to the city hall.

While they could have earned significantly more by selling them to a Taming Shop, they chose not to, unwilling to risk the poor cubs being mistreated by wealthy yet unreasonable young masters in private households.

The pups would probably be better off serving as military beasts of the Arcanum Imperium.

Around six hours later, as evening approached, the tall, impenetrable walls of Aeloria City were well within sight.

A few more minutes later, their donkey cart was granted entry.

Hal and Liora disembarked right in front of the well-lit Aeloria City Hall to turn over the poor cubs.

The guards customarily stopped them, asking about their agenda before leading them to the Creature Welfare Department, where they turned the cubs over in exchange for a redeemable stub.

Both parties had wide smiles on their faces afterward.

The duo were most pleased at the professionalism of the department’s welfare officer.

Initially, they were quite nervous that the city hall would brute force them into surrendering their chosen cubs, but no such thing happened.

The officer didn’t even mention the matter, treating the black-furred and alpha cubs as if they never existed.

With relieved hearts, Hal and Liora cheerfully proceeded to the Rewards Department’s Claiming Office and exchanged their stub for fifteen silver coins, receiving seven silver and fifty copper coins each.

"Now then, time to get you registered, bud!" Hal said, turning to the cross-eyed cub beside him and rubbing its head.

The tiny creature’s comical gaze didn’t waver in the slightest, still fixed on empty air, though its tail wagged excitedly.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the Companion Registration Office.

It was surprisingly incredibly spacious with an insanely high ceiling.

However, as the two scanned their eyes, they immediately realized the reason why.

It wasn’t only cub-sized beasts or monsters that were being registered.

Some prominent summoner wizards wore prideful looks on their faces, waiting to register the high-ranked monsters they recently tamed, under their names.

There was a Flame Salamander, a Thunder Leopard, and other high-level beasts.

A few monsters like the Reptilian were also around, though a majority were still young.

’And this is only in Aeloria City...’ Hal mused as he admired the mighty creatures in the room before stepping inside.

His and Liora’s companions, on the other hand, were among the most common.

But they were also the youngest present.

Who knows?

Perhaps one day, he’d be lucky enough to steal a dragon egg and soar through the skies atop the neck of the king of all creatures.

’Would I be the first, then? Or have other wizards done it before? Maybe the previous Magnas already had...’

In any case, his black-furred, cross-eyed Dharmwolf Cub was a start.

It was soon Liora’s turn.

Surprisingly, her age garnered quite a bit of attention, prompting others from prominent wizardry clans to quietly gather information about her.

She was clearly only eighteen or nineteen, yet she had already managed to sneak into the den of a Dharmwolf pack and obtain its most prized cub.

Maybe it would be wise to mark her now and hire her immediately upon graduation.

She was a promising youngster, that’s for sure...

Liora’s naming sense was straightforward. She registered the Alpha Dharmwolf as "Little Gray."

Since it would grow into a D-ranked Arcane Beast at most, it was classified as a "Companion" instead of a "Combat Beast," which would have required a great deal of additional paperwork and licenses.

Liora gave her companion a tight hug and smiled with sincere happiness once the process was complete.

Little Gray was now truly hers.

Next, it was Hal’s turn.

He drew attention too, not because of his age, but because of the Dharmwolf he was about to register.

A few people in the office couldn’t hold back their chuckles, amused by the pup’s cross-eyed gaze, though some were genuinely intrigued by its unusual black fur.

The registration officer didn’t dare immediately list Loki as a standard F-ranked Dharmwolf.

After all, there was a slight chance it could be an A-ranked Shadow Wolf, given the color of its fur.

Only after a proper check confirmed that Loki’s DNA, while odd, was still mostly that of a Dharmwolf, was it officially registered as a Variant Dharmwolf.

Like Liora’s Little Gray, it fell under the category of "Companion."

"That’s it, Hal Fennec. Loki is now officially registered as your companion. But be advised that if he harms anyone in the future, the empire will confiscate him."

Hal nodded seriously, then looked down at his little cub, giving it a gentle head rub.

"Hear that? You better behave, Loki."