In the end, Garen didn't get to carry out justice on behalf of the heavens—because that giant poodle really was unusually clever.
It had keenly sensed Garen's "special interest" in its physical body and managed to convey life-saving information through human-like expressions and agile body language.
"You're saying…"
Garen slowly sheathed his sword, standing tall and proud. "You have food for me?"
The big poodle nodded eagerly.
"Where is it?"
As Garen said those words, his eyes practically lit up green.
A hungry green.
He was so famished that he didn't even have the strength left to consider whether food offered by a dog would just be dog food.
The big dog quickly wagged its tail and, under Garen's intense gaze, slowly walked over to a tall patch of grass. Then, it happily bit off a clump of grass and swallowed it.
After that, it picked another clump and offered it to Garen.
"You…"
Veins bulged on Garen's forehead. "A dog this big… eats *grass*?!"
The big dog nodded sincerely.
"Damn it!"
"I want real food! Food for *humans*, like me!"
Unable to hold back, Garen raised his greatsword again. "Looks like you're really forcing me to act on behalf of justice!"
"Woof woof~"
The big dog once again caved in under the intimidation of Garen's massive sword, whimpering with a complete lack of backbone.
It raised a paw and pointed in a direction, gesturing repeatedly.
"There's food over there?"
Garen asked cautiously.
The dog nodded and whined softly.
"Food for *humans*?"
Garen added warily, "Like me?"
"Woof woof!"
The dog gave an affirmative response.
"Then let's go!"
Garen said eagerly—he was truly starving to the point of seeing stars.
He hoisted his greatsword and urged the big dog to lead the way toward the unknown source of food.
"Wait a second…"
Just as the dog lifted a paw to step forward, Garen rubbed his chin, eyeing its broad back carefully. "I *am* a noble knight, after all. How can I not have a steed?"
"I'll have to trouble you to carry me for a bit."
---
Samwell Island in the East Blue wasn't particularly well-known.
But as a stop along one of the sea's busiest trade routes, it had more than enough traffic to keep it lively.
Traders, pirates, marines, bounty hunters—people of all kinds passed through and made the port town bustling and vibrant.
Another feature of the island was its sheer size.
Despite the town being fairly large, vast forests still sprawled across the island, far beyond where ordinary folk would ever venture.
That was also why Garen had gotten lost in the forest for a full day and night without finding his way out.
But with the poddle, his new guide *and* steed, Garen quickly made it through the thick woods and encountered this strange new world for the first time.
"There are humans here after all..."
Riding atop the big Poodle, Garen let out a huge sigh of relief.
In that bizarre and boundless forest, he had nearly convinced himself that he'd traveled to some kind of savage, prehistoric world.
But looking carefully at the town before him—horse-drawn carriages, cobbled streets, vintage European-style buildings, oil-gas streetlights—if it weren't for the fact that he was riding a three-meter-tall Poodle, he might've thought he'd been transported to 200 years ago in Europe.
Then again, there were plenty of oddities.
Thanks to the system's built-in translation function, everyone's speech sounded familiar to Garen.
But the store signs lining the street were all in bright English, and some shop interiors even featured Chinese calligraphy scrolls.
As a native Chinese who had also passed CET-6 English, Garen felt a strange sense of familiarity...
But also confusion—
Had Earth already successfully *invaded* another world?
And that wasn't even the weirdest part.
On the streets were all kinds of people: sharply dressed gentlemen in suits, casual young men in shirts, samurai with katana at their waists, and gunslingers wielding flintlocks.
There were unkempt brawny men and cleanly dressed women alike.
And strangest of all—putting aside their rainbow-colored hair—the height of these men was astonishing. While the average ones were about as tall as Garen, the tallest stood three or even four meters high.
These *giants* strolled the streets casually, making the normally imposing Garen feel downright puny by comparison.
As for the women, they were equally odd—some so ugly they could apply for the Guinness World Records, while others were unbelievably beautiful.
What really caught Garen's eye were those impossibly exaggerated S-curves, totally ignoring the limits of human anatomy.
He couldn't help but worry whether those dainty girls were risking herniated discs from such "top-heavy" builds.
All these eccentric figures walked the streets without a care, as if it were totally normal.
No wonder no one gave him a second glance for riding a giant Poodle—
Compared to the rest, Garen the "Dog Knight" looked practically *ordinary*.
"What the hell kind of world is this…"
Garen murmured unconsciously, still riding on the poodle's broad back.
Of course, the big dog couldn't answer such a question. And Garen didn't dwell on it either—
Because he smelled food.
Delicious food.
Strictly speaking, the smell wasn't nearly as mouth-watering as the cuisine from his past life in China.
But in his state of extreme hunger, even a simple bowl of fried rice could make a hardened man toss away his dignity.
"Let's go!"
Garen urged his mount impatiently to follow the scent.
Before long, he arrived at a restaurant.
---
This was clearly no ordinary restaurant—you could tell just from the front door.
The crystal chandelier inside reflected a dazzling array of colors, and the ornate golden patterns on the open doors were extravagant.
Along the alpaca-wool carpet stood neatly uniformed security guards, and two girls with impossible curves greeted guests at the entrance.
No matter how advanced or primitive the world, the upper class always knew how to create an environment that made others feel inferior.
Just like how modern tourists still marveled at the Forbidden City, Garen was equally stunned by the opulence before him.
But it wasn't a feeling of inferiority—
Modern people had a unique trait: they instinctively never bowed to authority… at least on the surface.
No, Garen was shocked for another reason—
He didn't have a single coin.
As someone who had just transmigrated, he obviously had no money.
Even the armor on his back was a gift from the system.
"Should I go in?"
"I've got no money… Am I really about to dine and dash?"
Garen hesitated.
Another trait of modern civilization—too obsessed with following rules.
But while Garen was caught in indecision, the restaurant staff took the initiative—
A male attendant smoothly brought over a step stool, the kind used to help guests off their horses.
Meanwhile, the two charming hostesses beamed at him sweetly and said,
"Dear Knight!"
"Please dismount and enjoy your meal~"
Their voices were soft and melodic, and they didn't even flinch as they called his big Poodle a majestic steed.
Garen recognized the flattery, but couldn't understand *why* they were buttering him up.
Still, with his stomach growling and mind made up, he climbed off his dog and followed the scent of food inside.
As soon as he walked in, a sharply dressed, middle-aged manager came over with a smile and personally escorted the somewhat awkward Garen to a VIP table.
Garen was even more confused now.
He didn't realize that, despite being broke—
His armor and sword were anything but ordinary.
The original hero Garen's armor was the legendary *Inspiring Armor*, and his sword was the *Judgement*, a royal weapon bestowed by Demacia's king.
Even without their original stats, their appearance alone radiated overwhelming presence.
The armor was thick and solid, forged from a blend of platinum and white gold, glowing brilliantly.
The sword had a sturdy golden hilt and wide silver blade—flawless in every way.
Both the armor's pauldrons and the sword's hilt were inlaid with dazzling sapphires.
The restaurant manager, seasoned and sharp-eyed, had never in his life seen such large, flawless gems.
He'd bet his life that his judgment was correct—
This man was *definitely* a true noble knight!
Even if he was riding a dog.
---
Meanwhile, outside the restaurant, our noble knight's steed—Doge the big dog—was attempting to escape.
Now that he'd shaken off his "master's" tyranny, the big dog turned and tried to return to the forest.
"Hey!"
A loud voice rang out behind him:
"Captain!"
"That knight's mount is trying to run off!"
"Stop it immediately!"
The head of security shouted, "We can't let a noble's mount go missing under our watch!"
The restaurant's security team quickly sprang into action.
Despite the title "restaurant security" sounding unimpressive, in this chaotic era of pirates and rogues, working as security for a high-end establishment was no easy job.
"Woof woof woof~~!"
Doge howled in despair as the eager security lads finally wrangled him into the restaurant's stables.
---
(End of Chapter)