03: A Forced Invitation! …Or So I Thought, but It Turned into a Rampage!

“Arwf…? (Wait, ‘ohhh-ho-ho-ho’?…Seriously?)”

I didn’t think people who laughed like that actually existed. She even puts the back of her hand up to her mouth perfectly.

She has bright-red gloves and a bright-red dress. Her eyes scream “Jackpot!” and she smiles like she’s plotting something.

And then there’s the thing that ties it all together: her magnificent curls. They’re a deep golden color, like a lion’s mane. They’re done up in the legendary “twin drills” hairstyle and look like they could dig straight into the ground.

“Woof, woof. (Hey, we can see your panties. You all right with that, Drills?)”

She’s wearing a beautiful dress, but standing so high above us means that when the wind blows, we can see everything.

“Arwf, arwf. (Oh man, it’s worse when I can’t actually let her know. So rough on me. So she’s wearing black ones, huh? I mean, this is just the worst.)”

Lady Mary still has no idea what’s going on as she stares at the unexpected intruder.

I don’t know if Drills notices my lady’s confusion, but she makes a decisive pose.

“I am Elizabeth! Elizabeth Morgan!”

Hearing her introduction, Lady Mary snaps out of it and replies.

“I-it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Meariya Vo—”

“I do not care for the names of commoners!”

“Huuuh?! R-really?!”

How rude! That’s completely ridiculous.

“I mean, ugh, just look at yourself!”

“Ohhh-ho-ho-ho!” She sways as she laughs in a high-pitched voice.

Wait, she’s calling my lady a commoner, but Lady Mary is the daughter of an aristocrat. She’s the only daughter of multimillionaire Marquis Gandolf Von Faulks.

Socially speaking, she’s nowhere near commoner. Her family name even has Von in it.

And I feel like I’ve heard the name Morgan before. It makes me think of that Morgan guy with the curly sideburns.

Is it okay for her to act like this? Doesn’t she know what’ll happen?

“I don’t care about you! What I am interested in is that dog! That glossy fur, those eyes, that size! It’s simply spectacular!”

“Th-thank you very much. Hee-hee-hee. She praised you, Routa.”

I’m not exactly happy about being praised by an excavation drill, but Lady Mary’s smile is super-cute, so I’ll let it slide.

It’s no problem at all. Praise me all you want.

“The more I look, the more beautiful he becomes. Which is why I had a thought. Such a marvelous creature should belong not with a commoner, but with me!”

“……Arwf? (……Hmm? What the hell did she just say?)”

If we’re talking about pets, the only master for me is Lady Mary and no one else.

“Now then, hand him over to me! I shall grant you anything you desire! It’s an offer you can’t refuse!”

“Woof. (I refuse.)”

“I refuse.”

We respectfully refuse.

It’s a spectacular synchronicity between master and pet.

“Wh-what did you say?!”

“I said I refuse. Routa is an important member of the family.”

Lady Mary replies with a massive grin.

“Arwf! Arwf! (Yeah! Yeah! First of all, she has a private airship and an incredible chef! Beautiful maids as well—it’s great!)”

But more importantly, I have no interest in a household without Lady Mary!

“Ho-ho-ho………… Ohhh-ho-ho-ho! You sure have guts for a commoner!”

Your smile’s frozen, Drills.

“Very well! What do you think of this?! Christina! Come give this little girl a scare!”

“Who’s Christina?”…is what I’d like to ask, but before I can, I hear the rustling of the scaffolding beneath her.

“A-arwf…… (Wh-whoooaaa…!)”

I was wondering what she was standing on to be in such a high place, but it turns out to be a giant creature. Perhaps it’s because the sun is setting and creating a backlight that I didn’t notice sooner. Standing there on two legs is a reptile— No, wait, maybe I should call it a dragon?

She slowly lowers her front legs to the ground and then sluggishly turns to face us.

Her thick scales and the way she moves on her four limbs makes her look more like an alligator.

Ohhh, so that wave of people that ran into us was running away from this.

“Arwf…! (Whoa, she’s huuuuge…!)”

Drills has a pretty impressive pet.

“GRRRR…”

Following her master’s orders, the dragon growls at us.

Ha-ha-ha, goodness me. You’re quite intense. I daresay I may have voided my bladder just a tad.

“Arwf… (What should I do? The idea of actually wetting myself in front of Lady Mary is unbearable…)”

I stare into the vertical pupils of the dragon’s reptilian eyes……and she stops her intimidating gestures.

“Arwf? (Huh? What?)”

The reptile stares at my tense face as I try my best not to pee, and for some reason, she starts to tremble.

“Arwf, arwf? (Whoa, what’s wrong? Do you have a chronic illness or something?)”

Worried, I take a step forward, and the dragon takes a step back in fear.

“Squee… (It’s most likely because inferior magical creatures are stricken with fear when my darling glares at them.)”

It looks like the dragon who made her home in my fur has finally woken up.

Len peeks her face out of my mane and yawns.

“Squee. (When you glared at me and claimed your domain, I was so scared, my scales stood on end, but my heart was also set aflame.)”

Yeah, no, don’t make it sound like a proposal.

Wait, is she talking about the first time we met, when I peed everywhere? When I was so scared of her that I completely wet myself? How do you spin that memory into something positive?

“What’s wrong, Christina?! Why are you afraid?!”

“G-grrrr…”

Drills is bewildered by her dragon (who doesn’t look like a “Christina” at all) retreating in fear.

“Now go! And give them a terrifying roar!”

She stamps her high-heeled foot on the dragon’s head.

Um, you shouldn’t do that on such an unstable surface…

“Roar! Roar, I say! —Ahhh!”

Just as I thought, she loses her balance and falls off.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh?!”

“Woof, woof. (Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’… Aaand gotcha!)”

I move to where she’s about to fall and catch her on my back. She plunges into my fur, slips off my rear, and plops onto the ground.

“Arwf. (Hmph, you’d better be grateful to my fluff.)”

“Wh-what just happened? What was that…?!”

The girl who just fell on her butt looks around in shock before she starts to cry.

So she’s haughty yet weak willed; I don’t not like it. Maybe I should lick her?

“Squee? (So what’s this all about?)”

Len just woke up, so of course she has no clue. I give her a quick rundown of what’s happened so far.

“Arwf. (To put it simply, you missed out on street food.)”

That street food was so good. The best junk food I’ve had in a while.

“Squeak! (N-no fair! Why didn’t you wake me?! I was hungry, too!)”

“Arwf… (Really, all you ever do is eat and sleep…)”

Damn, Len’s living the ideal NEET life. I might actually respect her a little.

“Squeak, squeak. (What was that? I’ll have you know I perform an important service whispering sweet nothings into your ear each day.)”

Yeah, I really don’t need that.

“Um, are you all right?”

Lady Mary holds out a handkerchief to Drills, who’s still crying.

“U-uwaah, thank you…… This handkerchief is of surprisingly high quality.”

She sniffles, takes a deep breath, then stands up.

“Ohhh-ho-ho-ho! You saved me! You may be a commoner, but I am in your debt! I must thank you!”

That is a quick recovery.

“Let us be off! I am inviting you to my home! Then you will see once and for all who that dog is best suited for!”

Oh, she hasn’t given up.

Then again, if she sees me only as a dog, she might be even more clueless than I thought.

“Bark, bark? (Come on, Lady Mary. Can’t we just we leave her and head back?)”

I try to call out to my lady, but she’s not listening. Her cheeks are completely flushed.

“I’ve never…been invited to a friend’s house before!”

“S-s-s-since when are we friends?! Don’t get the wrong idea!”

Drills is totally flustered by how happy my lady is. She tries to hide her face quickly, but it’s easy to tell that she’s so embarrassed, even her ears are red.

I guess she doesn’t have any friends.

My lady is the same. I feel like these two could actually get along surprisingly well.

“G-grrrr…”

Perhaps it’s because she hasn’t received an order in a while or because she just dropped her mistress, but the dragon lets out an uneasy growl.

“What are you doing, Christina? I, your mistress Elizabeth, am not so narrow-minded that I would scold you just for one or two mistakes.”

“Grrrr…!”

She whips her tail happily and lowers her head so Drills can climb up.

“Let’s go, Routa.”

“Arww. (Aw… But Miranda and Zenobia are waiting. Shouldn’t we get back as soon as possible?)”

“We’re not going back right now.”

“Arww? (Really…?)”

Sigh. Here we go again… Lady Mary can be surprisingly stubborn.

Meanwhile, in the downtown area of the Royal Capital…

“Tch, where are we…?! Why can’t we find the inn…?!”

Zenobia groans, sweat pouring down her brow.

“Why? Because this is downtown! Our inn is uptown!”

Miranda, who has been holding it in as she walks behind Zenobia, finally snaps.

“What did you say?! This isn’t uptown?!”

“Are you serious?! Please pull yourself together, Zenobia! For mercy’s sake, please let me lead the way!”

“No! I shall not allow it! I must lead the way so that nothing happens to you in such a dangerous place!”

“But it was you who led us to such a dangerous place to begin with! …Oh, I do hope the young lady is safe…!”

Miranda clasps her hands together and prays to the goddess, as Zenobia looks left and right, checking a crossroad.

“Damn it! I know the inn is somewhere north! All right then, this way!”

“That way leads south! Ms. Zenobia, please at least let me decide which direction we go!”

“No! An amateur’s decision-making could be perilous in a place such as this! I shall lead the way! You’ll be safe with me! I am a combat specialist, after all!”

“But I already said that it was you who led us to such a dangerous area!”

Her desperate pleas never reach the airheaded knight.

Who knows when the two of them will ever reach the inn.

“Here we are!”

Drills strikes another pompous pose in front of a magnificent mansion.

We’re still in the city, so the garden is fairly small, but the mansion itself is huge.

“Bark… (This is…quite the place…)”

The Faulkses’ mansion is a calming white with gothic architecture, but this mansion has red walls with a gold roof. It looks like they built the house based on Drills herself.

“Wow. What a wonderful home!”

Whaaaat? Reeeally? I suppose it’s not something you see every day, but hearing that is a slap in the face.

“Ha-ha-ha, it is! You have a good eye! Very good! Very good, indeed!”

She puts the palm of her hand up to her mouth, praises Lady Mary, and laughs in a high-pitched voice. She’s going to fall off Christina if she gets too cocky again.

“““Welcome back, Lady Elizabeth.”””

A line of servants bow together as they greet Drills.

“I have guests. Prepare tea.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After taking her hands and helping her down from the dragon, the servants respectfully clear a path for us.

They open the door, and we enter the mansion, and there we are greeted by decorations so gaudy, they put the outside of the mansion to shame.

“Arwf… (I’m blind…)”

“Oh, how pretty!”

“Ohhh-ho-ho-ho! Very good! Very good!”

My lady’s compliment sends Drills reeling with ecstasy. As soon as she’s asked a question, she answers with genuine excitement.

These two really do look like they’ll get along well.

“Lady Elizabeth brought another strange creature home…”

My wolf ears are sharp. (Again.)

I can hear the servants talking from one of the corridors.

“Can’t anyone do anything about that strange hobby of hers? It’s good that she took the initiative to care for them, but I can’t help but worry that they’ll escape and attack someone…”

“The person who sold them to her kept insisting they would be safe to keep, but I don’t know how much we can trust them…”

“Every day, she spends all the money she wants. She’s just going overboard to distract herself from her loneliness…”

“There’s also the issue of the master leaving her to her own devices. How long has it been since he last returned to the mansion?”

“I’m sure it has been at least two or three years. Ever since his wife left him for another lover. Perhaps the master does not wish to return here anymore…”

“It is good that he’s working so diligently on his trading business, but I’m sure he doesn’t know anything about his daughter’s strange hobby…”

Oof. That is a surprisingly heavy conversation.

Seems like Drills is an abandoned child who simply gets money thrown at her.

My lady’s mother seems to be out of the picture, too, but I really don’t know anything about that. I do know that Papa showers her with love enough for two parents. And even when he’s busy, he takes her along on trips like this.

Does this mean Drills doesn’t receive any love from her parents…?

“Here we are!”

She guides us through the mansion until we finally reach a door that she throws open.

Was this once a ballroom? The hall’s big enough for it.

“A-arwf?! (Wait, what are those?!)”

Mountains of cages are piled up inside the hall like a pet shop, with a variety of creatures inside.

“All of these are suitable creatures that have been gathered for me from every region!”

She splays her arms, proudly showcasing the animals.

“Oh, how wonderful! They’re all Eliza’s friends!”

“‘E-Eliza’?! Th-that’s rather informal of you… But I’ll forgive you! I am a generous person, after all!”

“Thank you very much. You can call me Mary if you like, Eliza.”

“Whaaaat?! …Um……M-Mary…?”

“Yes! What is it, Eliza?”

“…………!”

Drills turns bright red when my lady replies with a smile.

Wow, you’re a softy. You’re a super-softy, Drills.

“Arwf… (But something’s bugging me. Aren’t these all monsters? Every single one of them looks pretty vicious…)”

The creatures in the cages don’t look anything like regular animals. They’re super-scary, with less of a roughness and more of a monster-ness about them.

“Squee? (What are you saying, beloved…? I think you’re the most terrifying creature here.)”

Shut up. Don’t say things that chip away at my glass heart. I even try to avoid mirrors so I don’t come face-to-face with reality.

“Woof, woof? (Hey, Len. Me aside, can monsters become friends with humans?)”

These guys are strangely quiet. Even when my lady and Drills go near them, they don’t react at all, staying stock-still in their cages.

If keeping monsters were this normal, then I wouldn’t need to worry about hiding what I really am, right? Wouldn’t my pet life be secure like this?

“Squee. (Look at their necks, beloved.)”

“Arwf? (Huh?)”

And that’s when I notice that each of them is wearing a magnificent jeweled collar.

“Arwf! (Wh-what incredible collars! I’m so jealous! Any of you guys wanna trade collars with me?)”

“Squeak, squeak! (No, no! Yes, their collars are what I was pointing out, but look closer. They’re enchanted. This is no doubt the type of spell that influences the spirit.)”

“Arwf?! (What?! They’re being brainwashed?!)”

I know they’re monsters, but that’s just cruel.

“Squee, squeak. (That’s right. It’s unheard of for even low-level monsters to act friendly to humans. The only way they would become domesticated like this is if someone used a spell to manipulate them. Although, such a sloppy spell like this wouldn’t have any effect on an intelligent dragon like myself!)”

It’s not good to puff yourself up like that.

“Arwf… (But what about that dragon? She’s totally being controlled.)”

I can see the other dragon outside the window. She looks like she really wants to come inside.

“Squeak, squee, squeak. (Oh, she’s a type of dragon that’s a subclass of a subclass. A red dragon with only a thin blood relation. I don’t know where they got her, but she must be an idiot if she was captured by the likes of humans. A weak dragon like that could surely be controlled with a spell.)”

I see. But it doesn’t look like this technique was used on that dragon. Elizabeth must have done something with her money power.

Sounds like she was tricked by a bad salesman into buying these creatures. Maybe that’s what the servants have been gossiping about.

Wait, so Drills hasn’t realized these creatures are monsters? That means she’s as clueless as Lady Mary, which would also explain why she hasn’t figured out what I really am.

“—And that’s how we came to the Royal Capital.”

“Oh, so you’re staying in that inn? I’ve heard their upholstery and cuisine are quite fantastic, and the staff are exceptionally skilled. You must have gotten very lucky to be able to stay there. I heard that people from the supreme Faulks Co. had booked out the entire establishment for the next three years.”

“Hee-hee-hee, thank you very much.”

“I was not praising you at all, honestly. Ha-ha-ha.”

Oh wow, when did these two become so close?

They’re having a lively chat as they drink the tea the servants brought.

“I see—so you don’t live in the Royal Capital.”

“My home is a little far from here, but it is most wonderful. I would love to have you over next time, Eliza.”

“I—I see. I s-suppose I’ll think about it, since you asked.”

Looks like Drills has forgotten all about me in the presence of her new friend, Lady Mary.

All’s well that ends well. They seem to be having a nice chat. I hope we can go home after they finish their tea.

“Squeak… (Hmm, this spell…)”

“Arwf? (Hmm? What’s wrong?)”

Sounds like there’s something on Len’s mind.

“Squeak— (My darling. I have some bad news. This spell is—)”

Just as Len is about to say something, Drills, who was enjoying her tea up until a moment ago, slams the table.

“No! Why are we sitting around talking?! I brought you here to prove to you that I would be a much better owner for that dog!”

“Wh-whaaaat…?! But we were having so much fun!”

“I—I was t— No! Just listen to me!”

“Very well, then. Let’s hear it.”

Lady Mary adjusts herself in her seat, resting her arms straight with her hands upon her knees. She looks at Drills with a serious glint in her eye, and Drills clears her throat.

“You saw them, didn’t you? All the creatures here. Their fur is glossy, they’re healthy, and they can move as much as they like. They’re even taken on walks every day.”

Well, I guess environmentally it’s not bad. There’s nothing more delicious than food you can eat lying down.

But the issue is that their eyes are all dead. They’re all clouded over.

“Perfect health management is very important for animals! I’m sure you only feed him scraps and don’t exercise him at all!”

I guess it’s not far from the truth. My meals are always what’s left around the mansion, and I spend all day sleeping.

“You cannot maintain an animal’s health that way! An owner’s responsibility is to give their pets an appropriate amount of exercise and consider the best nutrition for them!”

“Oh, I see.”

Lady Mary nods seriously.

Wait a second, my lady. I don’t want any of that!

I’m happy with spending every day lazing around and getting stuffed on high-calorie food.

“And the secret to these creatures’ health is this! Animal biscuits made by the Morgan Company! It has all the nutrition an animal needs. Everyone loves them!”

With that, she pours a bunch of hard biscuits onto a plate.

“Here, eat up!”

She shoves the plate under my nose.

I guess I’ll eat it.

“Arwf. (It doesn’t smell that good, but you shouldn’t judge something without trying it.)”

When I sniff them, they have a weird grassy smell.

“Arwf… (I’ll just start with a bite…)”

Crunch. Crunch.

“………… (…………)”

It’s good. There’s a pleasant aroma in my nose, and I begin drowning in satisfac— Wha—?! Or not!

“Pleh! Ptooey! (Gross! What is this?!)”

I feel all the moisture leave my mouth as my saliva stops and the grassy taste of the biscuit amplifies. They taste terrible, like concentrated weeds.

I don’t care how good for you these are; you’d go crazy if you had to eat these all day.

Especially me, because I get to eat food cooked by a crazy-skilled chef every day. I’m always spoiled by his food.

“Arwf! (Well, my lady wins! I will never be your dog!)”

I show my refusal by nestling right up against Lady Mary.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this…? All my babies love eating these…!”

That’s because you’ve brainwashed them. No one in their right mind would be able to eat these.

“Squee. (About that. The spell that binds these creatures is going to break soon.)”

“Arwf? (Huh?)”

“Squee. (There’s nothing wrong with the technique used, but to put it simply, the magical power is fading. The spell can’t remain active without any power behind it. It’s only a matter of time before the brainwashing wears off.)”

Oh, that’s bad.

The moment I think that, I hear something like a SNAP.

“Grrrr…”

I turn around to see a broken jeweled collar and a monster with its fangs bared. Its eyes are glowing red. It’s clearly enraged.

“Ar-ar-arwoooooo!”

It lets out a wild howl and bites the bars, effortlessly ripping the cage open.

That seems to set off a chain reaction as other monsters start to go wild.

“Wh-what is this?! What’s going on?!”

One after the other, the monsters break free and are unleashed upon the room. But it’s not quite right to say the brainwashing has worn off. This is unusual. They’re just running wild with no clear objective.

“Squee. (It appears their fighting instinct that was being suppressed has been released all at once.)”

“Bark? (‘It appears’? You sure are relaxed about this… What do we do…?)”

“Squeak. (I don’t know much about humans. But for anyone to assume they can have their way with monsters is a shortsighted notion and a fool’s mistake. They should have known better. You reap what you sow.)”

No, it seems Drills didn’t know anything about the collars. Saying “You reap what you sow” is too harsh.

She took care of them as best she could. It’s only turning out this way because of the loneliness she felt without her family around.

Len isn’t going to be any help, but no matter what I do, I can’t use my powers in front of my lady. Otherwise, she’ll find out I’m not a dog.

“Wh-what’s wrong, everyone?! I don’t understand!”

Drills desperately tries to call out to the monsters, and they all look at her.

“““GRWWWL!”””

“Eek…!”

Was the food really that bad? Their rage is overwhelming. Fangs and claws are bared as if every creature in the room is about to tear her to shreds.

But the one who positions their body in between Elizabeth and the angry horde isn’t me, but a scaly behemoth.

“Ch-Christina?!”

The ground dragon Christina has broken through the wall to get inside; her entire body from head to tail wraps around us, acting as a wall of protection.

“Grrr…!”

Christina growls in pain as she’s bitten all over.

She should have broken free of the brainwashing, too, but she’s protecting Drills.

“Arwf! (I don’t know why you’re helping us, but you’re all right in my book!)”

And now, with Lady Mary safely tucked away in the shadow of Christina’s giant body, I can comfortably act out of her line of sight.

“Woof! (Now’s my chance!)”

I leap over Christina’s back. The moment I land on the ground, I take a deep breath.

And then—

“Awooooooooooo!! (Quiiiiiiiieeeeeeeet!)”

—my howling voice shakes the mansion, rattling the monsters’ eardrums.

It also whips up a wind that cracks the windows and blows over the furniture.

At the same time, my cow collar snaps and goes flying.

Whatever, I don’t have time to worry about that. Having that clanging bell around my neck wasn’t dignified anyway.

“Arwf. (Phew… Looks like that calmed things down some.)”

Trying to howl without firing a beam is harder than I thought.

Luckily, my lady and Drills can’t see me. They probably think one of the monsters just howled.

The monsters that were running wild now have their tails tucked between their legs and are lying on the ground. Looks like my voice has brought them back to their senses.

“Woof, woof! (We don’t have much time, so listen up!)”

I don’t know if my intimidation is too effective, but now the monsters are trembling as they hang on my every word.

“Woof, woof! (You want your freedom, right? Well, here’s how you get it. Far to the northeast of here is a massive forest.)”

It’s incredibly far from the Royal Capital, but hopefully, I’ll be able to solve the issue of distance.

“Arwf! (Nahura. Can you hear me? Come to me if you can!)”

She always appears at just the right time. I’m not sure if that’s because she’s always watching me, but I know if I call her like this, she’s sure to come running.

“Mewl? (Whaddaya want? I won’t be sharin’ any of my booze, y’know.)”

Just as I expected, a portal appears out of thin air, and Nahura comes leaping out of it.

“Hic—”

“Arwf! (You reek of alcohol!)”

Oh yeah, she was drinking with Hecate.

She’s totally hammered. Will this be okay…? I’m a little worried now.

“Woof, woof? (I’ll explain everything later. You see these monsters? Can you teleport them to the northern part of the forest?)”

“Mew? Mrrow? (Wha—? Caaan I? I’ll have you know I’m an eggshellent familiar! Distance ish no issue at all as long as I have the coordinips.)”

“Woof, woof? (You’ll get them there safe, right? You won’t send them anywhere weird because you’re drunk?)”

“Meow. (It’ll be fiiiine.)”

I’m a little worried, but she reassures me. Next up are the monsters.

“Woof, woof. (All right, you guys, I have just one condition. Never appear in front of humans. If you can do that, I’ll guarantee your freedom. The water’s clean, and there’s lots of fruit. It’s a great forest full of nature. I know you’ll love it.)”

I feel bad that they’ll have to sleep outside, but even as I speak, I can see the light of hope begin to return to their eyes. As far I can tell, these conditions will work in their favor.

“Woof, woof. (Anyone who agrees should stand in front of this cat.)”

They line up in front of Nahura on my command.

I knew they all would agree. Looks like none of them have any regrets about leaving this place. I guess it’s true that monsters just don’t get attached to humans.

“Grrr……”

I stand corrected. A certain dragon seems to want to be the exception. She’ll continue protecting Drills like she has up till now.

“Woof, woof. (All right, when you get to the forest, you should meet some black wolves that look like me. Tell them ‘Routa said we can live here’; hopefully, they’ll understand. Don’t disobey them, even if you don’t agree with them.)”

Because they’re super-strong. And professional hunters.

The monsters all nod meekly. I guess they’ve had enough scary experiences for one lifetime.

“Mewl! (Space magic activaaate! Reeeady, steeeady, and—teleport!)”

A white space encircles the monsters, and a moment later, they’re gone.

“Meowf. (Mission compleeete.)”

“Arwf. (Thanks, nice work. That’s all I needed. You can go now.)”

My lady is going to get suspicious if Nahura is here when she wasn’t before.

“Mrooow? (Whaaaat? You call me aaall the way out here, have your way with me, and then send me away when you’re dooone? You’re such a meeeeaaaaniiiie.)”

“Arwf. (Hey, don’t cling to me, you drunk. Shoo, shoo.)”

“Mewl. (Honestly, you’re such a bad dog, Routa.)”

I shoo her away, and she sighs before stumbling back through another space-magic hole.

All that’s left in the hall is deafening silence, with just the wreckage and us.

“What in the world happened…? Where…is everyone? Where did they all go…?”

Christina moves her body out of the way, and Drills just stands there, staring at the empty cages in shock.

“But…why…? Everyone…… Everyone vanished…”

Seeing the lonely girl in the middle of the large empty room is heartbreaking.

“I’m all alone again……”

Forsaken by her parents, shunned by the servants, this girl only had her pets to rely on.

She drops to her knees in tears, and I try to comfort her with a bark.

“Arwf. (That’s not true, Drills.)”

“You’re not alone, Eliza.”

My lady hugs her from behind.

“Routa and I are already your friends. Not to mention……”

She gestures to the dragon that protected her master with her own body.

“Grrr…”

She rubs her nose against Drills.

“Christina…”

“Arwf. (So she’s staying here.)”

“Squee. (It seems she was never affected by the brainwashing spell to begin with. She serves this child of her own free will. Hmph. ’Tis not every day that a dragon will get close to a human by choice. You should be honored, little girl.)”

What’s this? Len was just saying “You reap what you sow,” but now she’s acting worried?

This only ended peacefully because of the strong master-pet bond between Christina and Drills.

Still, it will cause problems if anyone sees Len, so I try to hide her in my fur.

“Squeak! (Gngh. S-stop it. Stop pushing me!)”

I push Len down with my forepaw. Then Christina tentatively opens her mouth.

“Grrr… (I… I…)”

Oh, she can talk.

Len doesn’t speak too highly of her, so I assumed she had low intelligence.

“Grrr…… (I—I—I love it when Mistress steps on me…… I love being stepped on every day……)”

So she wasn’t being a footstool against her will. She was happy to serve.

“Arwf?! (Oh no, is she a pervert?! A genuine pervert?!)”

“Squeak. (You’re one to talk, beloved.)”

“Bark! (Hey! Right back atcha, perv!)”

A dragon who loves to be stepped on by humans, a dog who loves to lick crying girls, and a thousand-year-old spinster who wants to marry a two-month-old puppy.

If we work out who the biggest pervert is, it would be…

“Arwf. (It’s clearly Len. You’re the number one pervert here.)”

Thinking about it rationally, she’s definitely the most worrying out of the three of us. She’s into underage beast boys who aren’t even the same species as her. I have every right to kink shame.

“Squeak! (What did you say?! How am I a pervert?! I am a purehearted young maiden!)”

“Woof! Woof! (I told you to stop poking your face out whenever you want!)”

It looks like I’m running around chasing my tail as I argue with Len. Lady Mary probably thinks it’s very strange, as she tilts her head.

“What’s wrong, Routa?”

“Arwf. (Oh, it’s nothing.)”

I somehow manage to get Len back into my mane and sit down innocently.

Lady Mary looks slightly puzzled as she pets my head.

I can see the sun through the hole in the wall that Christina made. It’s about to set.

We need to get back to the inn, or Miranda and the others will worry.

“Sniff… Ohhh-ho-ho-ho! I have shown you something most unseemly!”

Drills wipes away her tears and stands up, laughing in that high-pitched voice with the back of her hand up to her mouth.

“And you have been here long enough! We shall call it a draw!”

Hmm, it doesn’t really sound like she’s learned her lesson now that she’s composed herself.

“I shall see you to your inn! Be grateful of my generosity!”

With that, Drills orders the servants, who finally arrive, to clean up the room and prepare a carriage.

The servants gawk at the scene in front of them, but they quickly return to work at the sound of her high-pitched laugh.

It’s not long before we’re in the carriage heading back to the inn.

The magnificent horse-drawn carriage moves down the roads to the sound of hooves clopping.

Christina has to stay behind because she can’t fit in the carriage.

My lady and Drills sit next to each other, buzzing with conversation once more. I’m glad they get along so well.

I-it’s not like I’m feeling left out or anything like that… No, that’s a lie. I really want to be involved. I want to be squished between two pretty girls. I want to be sandwiched.

How depressing. I can’t even move my body in this tiny carriage.

Instead, I stick my head out of the window and enjoy the fresh air.

“Arwf. (You really do feel the cold once it gets dark.)”

Night completely falls outside as we’re riding along in the carriage, and fragrant evening aromas fill the air.

Creamy, spicy, all sorts of smells.

I wonder what’s for dinner tonight. I’m really looking forward to a high-class hotel dinner!

The carriage ride is super-smooth as we travel through the streets and eventually stop in front of an inn. Standing by the gate is a group of familiar faces waiting for us.

“We’re back, Father.”

My lady opens the door and leaps out of the carriage without the driver’s aid.

“O-ohhh! Mary?! You’re safe! You’re not hurt, are you?!”

Papa spins around when she calls out to him.

“Yes! Routa and I are both fine.”

“Zenobia just told us what happened. We were just about to send the guards out to find you!”

“Oh, Father, no need to make such a fuss.”

Behind Papa, who now has the waterworks on full blast, are Zenobia and Miranda, who look exhausted for some reason.

The inn wasn’t that far from where we left them. Why do they look so tired?

Actually, I can imagine why.

Zenobia going the wrong way; Zenobia not listening to others; Zenobia dragging Miranda around. It’s all Zenobia’s fault, I’m sure.

You did well to endure, Miranda.

I silently extend well-wishes to the frazzled Miranda.

“Excellent! Truly excellent! I am thankful from the bottom of my heart that your daughter is safe!”

Ever the brownnoser, the man with the curly sideburns sidles up to Papa. But he freezes the moment he sees the young lady who follows Lady Mary from the carriage.

“E-Elizabeth…?!”

“F-Father…?!”

Ah. I knew they were related. Those over-the-top curls are a dead giveaway.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Wh-what about you, Father?!”

“I was conducting important trade negotiations… How fortuitous! We might make dealings with the excellent Faulks Co.!”

“Oh, Father, all you ever talk about is work…”

Drills looks away from her excited father, saddened by more of the same.

“Wait, Faulks Co.…? Huh? But that man is Mary’s father, which means Mary is—”

“Is this your daughter, Mr. Morgan?”

Papa, who was practically drowning in tears a moment ago, returns to work mode and calls out to the two of them.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Gandolf Von Faulks. You are the one who brought my daughter back to me, correct? You have my thanks.”

“Wh-wh-why, yes……!”

The golden drills are spinning so much, she can’t even respond with an introduction.

“Arwf. (She finally realized.)”

She kept calling the beloved daughter of a superrich marquis a commoner and making fun of her!

“E-Elizabeth?! Please don’t tell me you were impolite to Lord Faulks’s daughter……?!”

Well yeah, she called her a commoner and berated her. Then she took us to a room full of monsters and put her life in danger.

This must be some karmic retribution for what she’s put us through! A complete role reversal!

Ha-ha-ha! Ha……ha. Hmm. Is this right…?

You’d think this would be payback to Drills since she was being such a snob, but now Lady Mary and she have become close friends, and she can’t hide her pained expression.

Having the monsters she was keeping as pets break free and go on a rampage is punishment enough.

“Hmm, what’s all this about, Mr. Morgan?”

“Oh, well, you see, this is, um…!”

Both father and daughter start to tremble under Papa’s gaze.

My lady sees this and moves up next to Drills.

“We’ve become friends!”

She puts her arm around Drills’s frozen shoulders, and she snaps back to reality.

“Mary…?”

“Isn’t that right, Eliza? She invited me to her home, and we talked lots and lots.”

Tears begin to fall from Papa’s eyes again upon seeing his daughter’s happy face.

“Wh-what’s this? My Mary made a friend…! I see now, I see…!”

He nods, moved to tears, and grabs Morgan’s shoulders.

“I cannot be more grateful to your daughter! I look forward to publicly working with you, Mr. Morgan! I accept everything discussed during our negotiations.”

“R-r-r-really…?! You did it, Elizabeth! Well done! Now the Morgan Trading Co. is safe!”

Old man Morgan is so happy, he looks like he’s about to dance, but Papa looks at him with a serious expression again.

“However. You must take care of your home from now on. It’s not good to ignore your family because you are too busy. Never let yourself be caught up chasing after business.”

Papa’s got some sharp ears, too. He must have heard Drills’s muttering before.

“Y-y-y-y-yes! Of course! I understand! I will take that to heart…!”

Looks like the negotiations went well, and their parent/child relationship will get better.

And with that, the unexpected incident in the Royal Capital comes to a close.

It’s our final day in the Royal Capital.

They’ve come to the port to see us off.

“Maaaarrrryyyy! I shall come over to your home neeeext! I proooomiiiise!”

Drills cries out in farewell.

Things were awkward for a while once she found out that Lady Mary was of a much higher social status, but Lady Mary didn’t hold it against her. After spending several days together, Drills soon opened up to her. The day before we were to leave, they hugged and cried, not wanting to leave each other.

“That’s a promise! I’ll send letters, too!”

Lady Mary smiles and waves. It’s almost as if she’s not sad at all. Because they promised to see each other again.

“Yes, indeed! I am so happy we became friends!”

The one who’s crying the most is definitely Papa, and he nods with tears streaming down his face.

The airship creates a rush of air as it starts to float up and slowly departs from the Royal Capital.

The sight of Drills making big waves and old man Morgan panicking gets smaller and smaller.

Lady Mary waves the entire time, even when she can no longer see Drills, even when we’re hidden by the clouds above the city.

“Arwf. (Well, that really was a good trip.)”

We made lots of great memories of our time in the Royal Capital, finishing our plans without incident.

But at that moment, there was already a new batch of trouble brewing, though I didn’t know it at the time.