DLBF Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Legend of Werewolf

Chapter 1, Part 5.2

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Julian continued, “In mediaeval Europe, it’s said that the Christian Church used werewolf legends to eliminate local pagan beliefs and spread Christianity further.”

“The legend of the werewolf…?”

Fujimori initially didn’t understand the word Julian used and tilted his head in confusion.

“Sorry, what?” Fujimori asked, apologetically, as he reached for his electronic dictionary. It was something he always carried with him inside the estate. He asked Julian to input the word directly.

Julian typed the word ‘Werwolf’ and Fujimori understood that it referred to a werewolf.

“Yes,” Julian nodded. His eyes shimmered silver in the light streaming in from the window.

“Originally, wolves were hated in Europe because they attacked livestock. It was a common belief. They say it was a result of humans hunting all the prey in the forest. The wolves, searching for food, were forced to come down to the villages and attack livestock. Well, it’s the classic ‘chicken or the egg’ scenario.”

“Oh, that’s the same in Japan,” Fujimori responded. He was surprised by Julian’s unexpectedly verbose explanation.

“At the time, there were diseases like rabies and ergotism, which caused mental confusion, seizures, and paralysis, with little to no treatment available.”

“Ergotism… rabies…?”

Since Fujimori wasn’t confident in his English when it came to complex phrases and technical terms, he once again approached Julian and had him type the spelling into the electronic dictionary.

Finally understanding the Japanese translation, Fujimori realised that Julian was talking about ergotism, a type of poisoning caused by the ergot fungus, which parasitizes cereal grains like wheat, barley, oats, and especially rye. The ergot fungus produces alkaloids, which are toxic and can lead to severe poisoning, even death.

In mediaeval Europe, where cereal grains were a staple food, there were occasional outbreaks of ergotism. This disease sometimes caused blood vessels to constrict, leading to gangrene, which made it a terrifying affliction at the time. 

Ergotism was sometimes referred to not by its name but as the ‘Dance of Death’, where people supposedly danced uncontrollably until they collapsed and died.

“In Germany, where rye bread was particularly popular, many people suffered from ergotism. They likely associated it with people transforming into beasts. The transformation into wolves, said to be incarnations of the devil. It was considered the devil’s doing. It was a time when witch hunts were common, so men who opposed Christianity were called werewolves, and women were branded as witches. However, the witch hunts were driven by other factors, such as greed and envy toward wealthy individuals. So it wasn’t just about hunting wolves and demons.”

What surprised Fujimori more than the eerie content of the story was how Julian, usually quiet, was speaking so extensively and knowledgeably. Julian was typically reserved but seemed to have a vast reservoir of knowledge. Recalling the number of books in Julian’s study, Fujimori realised how much he had read. 

He wished to explore that large collection of books, some of which likely belonged to the Hachigayas. If Julian had brought so many books from Europe, he must indeed be an avid reader.

Fujimori had suspected Julian was highly intelligent for some time now. Even after discovering how striking his appearance was, Julian’s intellect made sure his looks didn’t seem superficial or frivolous.

“There’s also a theory that the terrifying beast that attacked nearly a hundred people in France in the 18th century—the ‘Beast of Gévaudan’—was actually a large wolf.”

“The Beast of Gévaudan… I’ve heard of it.”

“Yes,” Julian nodded.

“It was a serial killing spree as notorious as Jack the Ripper in Europe. Not only France but all of Europe was gripped by fear at the time. The true identity of the Beast of Gévaudan is still unknown. But back then, they believed it to be the work of a wolf.”

“And that’s why you don’t want to see one?” Fujimori peered into Julian’s face.

Julian smiled awkwardly, as if a bit troubled.

“…No, I was just mentioning those stories. Aren’t you scared?”

Fujimori returned to his seat with the dictionary in hand, thinking that perhaps Julian didn’t find the conversation too pleasant. Or maybe it was the way he had excitedly shared the story of what he’d seen that had been inappropriate. He had thought that Julian, too, would be delighted by such a sight—an animal that was large yet ran gracefully and elegantly.

“Well, approaching a wild wolf without caution would be reckless. But… it might have just been a fox or a weasel that I misidentified. I’ll ask Mr. Tanba about it.”

Julian nodded and resumed eating.

***

Later in the day, Fujimori spoke to Tanba, who was mixing compost with a forked tool at the edge of the garden. 

His reply was indifferent: “Huh…” 

At least Tanba responded, which was better than usual. In the past, he often left abruptly in the middle of a conversation without any response at all.

Tanba’s family had served the Hachigaya’s household for generations. Even after the Hachigaya family had passed, Julian employed Tanba as a gardener and caretaker, treating him with appropriate respect.

It seemed that Tanba also appreciated that Julian had inherited Hachigaya blood and, despite being a foreigner, hadn’t tried to modify the estate in his own way. He instead gave clear instructions for repairs in a steady, composed manner.

At first, Tanba had treated Fujimori like a complete outsider, as though he were a real estate agent trying to appraise the property. It wasn’t until Tanba realised that Fujimori had earned Julian’s favour and was genuinely conducting academic research on the estate that he finally began speaking to him properly.

“Bears aside, there aren’t any wolves here. They’ve long since disappeared.”

“But there are still sightings in various parts of Japan,” Fujimori replied.

Tanba chuckled softly through his nose and shook his head.

“Wild dogs or foxes are far more plausible than wolves. A few years ago, in the villa area on the other side of this mountain, a shepherd dog that someone had brought from Tokyo escaped, and it caused trouble around here—raiding chicken coops and such. In the end, it was caught and sent to the pound. But what you saw was probably one of those wild dogs.”

“Hmm…”

Now that Tanba had mentioned it, Fujimori considered that the creature might have been around the size of a shepherd dog—or perhaps slightly larger. 

After all, he had just woken up. It had been the misty early hours of dawn, so with Tanba’s dismissal, his confidence in what he had seen began to waver.

“…So, are there bears around here?”

“There are. A few times a year, the old bear hunters get called out because a bear shows up. People who hike around here usually carry bear bells with them. That’s why you shouldn’t wander around here alone too much. If you encounter a bear, turning your back will make it chase you. If it happens, you need to slowly back away. That’s important.”

“…I’ll be careful.”

It seemed this wasn’t just a casual warning—Fujimori realised it was something quite serious. 

“You should probably let Julian know as well,” Fujimori suggested, placing his hand on the edge of the compost heap.

“I already told him when I first showed him around.”

“…I see. Pardon me.”

Fujimori felt embarrassed for saying something unnecessary. 

“In the shoe cupboard by the front entrance, there are bear bells. Unless that woman has moved them, they should still be there.”

“You mean Frau Gessner, right?”

“That’s right.”

Not wanting to be disturbed further, Tanba finished mixing the compost and waved his hand, signalling Fujimori to leave.

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*Translator’s Note: Fujimori-san, the wolf might eat you alive. Be careful. Okay, guys, we’ve reached the end of Chapter 1 here. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Werwolf = German term for werewolf

• The Beast of Gévaudan is the historic name associated with a man-eating animal or animals that terrorised the former province of Gévaudan (consisting of the modern-day department of Lozère and part of Haute-Loire), in the Margeride Mountains of south-central France between 1764 and 1767.

Next update: 2024.11.05

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