02: An Elf Rescue Mission! …Or So I Thought, but We Wound Up at a Bar!

“Woof, woof! (Hey! Wait up! Hey~!)”

My barks surprise the three sisters.

“Wh-what is it?! Are you going to eat us after all?!”

“W-we don’t taste good! H-how about you eat these grilled dumplings instead?!”

“A m-monster wouldn’t want something like that! W-we’ve gotta run for it…!”

They’re terrified. Time to use my ultra-cute pose to show I’m not a threat.

“Ha-ha-ha. (See? I’m not scary. But I wouldn’t mind those dumplings.)”

I’m splayed on my back and wriggling back and forth.

“Y-you didn’t come here to attack us…?”

“Arwf, arwf. (Look how fluffy I am. I’m not a mean monster! Just a cute little doggy. And I’ve seen those collars before, so I thought I’d come tell you what I know.)”

Weird. I’m showing them my cutest puppy tricks, but all three of them still look like they want to run away.

I guess they can’t understand what I’m saying. That’s going to make communication difficult.

“I can’t believe such a strong monster would willingly be subservient to humans.”

“That’s true, but they did say it was a dog…”

“Whatever this so-called pet is, I think it has something important to tell us. So do you know something about those collars?”

Huh? So they do understand what I’m trying to say?

“Oh yeah! What do you know?!”

“Arwf?! (Can you guys understand me?!)”

The taller elf, Oruru, draws closer to me.

It must be because she can understand what I’m saying. Maybe elves can hear me?

“We can’t understand your barks, but we’ve made a connection through your magic,” the middle elf, Ururu, replies nonchalantly.

“There’s probably a lot of people who can understand you among the powerful races with strong magical sensitivity, like us.”

I stare at Eruru, the short elf with the glasses, with a “What the hell did just you say?!” expression.

That could have been bad. Thank goodness I didn’t have any weird thoughts about licking the three of them.

Speaking of which, Hecate’s always just talked to me normally. I thought it was just some special ability, but maybe it’s a racial thing.

Wait, have I always been transmitting my thoughts like that? There’s just too much I don’t know about this body.

Damn that airheaded goddess who sent me here without explaining everything.

“Well? Where did you see those collars?”

“Arwf, arwf. (I saw them at an acquaintance’s house. I don’t really know that much about it, but I bet she’d tell me if I asked her.)”

Only question is how to ask.

Drills doesn’t understand me, and even if I asked Len to transform and interpret, who would trust a little girl upon first meeting her? These three would have the same problem.

“Mrow? (Oh well, then why don’t we ask my mistress for help?)”

Ask Hecate? She’s certainly more reliable than the rest of this motley crew…

She’s always bailing us out of trouble. Should we really be begging for her help this often?

“Mrow. (Routa, Routa. My mistress and I share our senses.)”

“Arwf? (And?)”

“Meow. (Mistress is always eagerly awaiting chances to leave her workshop, so it should be fine to call on her whenever—gack!)”

“That’s enough of that…!”

A heeled shoe stomps down on Nahura.

A panicked witch appears from midair and lands before us.

“A-arwf? (H-hey there, Hecate. I guess you could hear us, huh?)”

“Routa, would you please forget everything Nahura just told you?”

“Arwf, arwf… (Oh, uh, I wasn’t really paying attention…)”

“So you didn’t hear anything. Right?”

“A-arwf. (Um, of course.)”

Crap, she’s intense. And with the way she’s not letting her words trail off, I can tell she’s serious. She’s scary enough that I wouldn’t wanna mess with her.

“Mew, mew— (My mistress may act above it all, but she can actually be quite lonely and is always happy when people ask her for assistance—gerk!)”

Nahura never could recognize danger. RIP.

“Wh-where did she come from…?!”

“Sh-she just came out of the sky, right…?!”

“Ummm, who is this?”

The three sisters are bewildered by the sudden appearance of the witch.

“Oh, my apologies. I’m Hecate Luluarus. Pleasure to meet you.”

The sisters jump as Hecate grabs her skirt and hat and sweeps into a theatrical bow.

“L-Lady Luluarus?!”

“From the legends…?!”

What’s this? Is Hecate some elf celebrity?

“Elves normally live to be about three hundred years old, but Lady Hecate has lived for over one thousand years! She’s the legendary elder!”

“She was an elder even before our grandmother was born!”

“Lady Luluarus is the eternal elder!”

The girls are super-excited, but all they’re doing is incurring Hecate’s wrath.

“…Perhaps I should leave?”

“A-arwf, arwf! (Wait! Wait! Please don’t go!)”

Time to shut up about her age, girls. Otherwise Granny Hecate is going to storm off in a huff!

“I—I apologize.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

The three girls apologize.

“So what brings you here, Lady Luluarus……?”

“Arwf, arwf. (Hecate lives in the forest near here. And she’s also the family doctor.)”

“I also figured I should help my fellow elves.”

Hecate should be able to tell them about Drills and give them some info about the collar. She seems to be an important person in the capital, what with founding the Adventurers Guild and such.

“Bark, bark! (Okay then, Hecate, I’ll leave it to you!)”

Take care, have a nice trip.

If she shares senses with Nahura, she should know all about what happened at Drills’s place.

My work here is done. Time to head home and hop in bed with Lady Mary.

“Stop right there.”

Huh? I should be walking, but I’m not moving forward. Why are my legs just treading air?

“I’ve never met the girl face-to-face. Wouldn’t it be easier if someone she knows is with us, Routa?”

It would indeed.

I float back to Hecate’s side like a cat being held by the scruff of its neck.

Damn. Levitation magic sure is useful.

“Well then, we’d best be off. You wanted to save them as soon as possible, right? Tonight would be ideal.”

“That’s impossible. Tonight, you say? Even by carriage, it takes a month to travel to the Royal Capital…”

With Papa’s airship we managed to do it overnight. I guess that’s how long a carriage takes, huh?

But still, don’t worry. This amazing witch can use her magic to get us anywhere in an instant.

“Wait for me!” Zenobia cries out as she appears from the mansion.

I guess she overheard our conversation somehow.

“Lady Hecate, please allow me to accompany you.”

“Oh my, whatever for?”

“For protection! I’ve already received permission from Master Faulks.”

“Oh my, for protection? Don’t you think I’ll be fine with Routa here? Not to mention my own abilities. I can’t think of a reason that it would be incredibly necessary.”

“But I…”

Zenobia flashes a glance toward the elf girls.

She sobbed when listening to their story. Maybe her feelings toward them have changed.

Unable to convince Hecate to let her come along, Zenobia just stands there fidgeting.

Hecate gives her a stern look before her expression suddenly softens.

“I’m kidding. I’d be glad to have you join us, Zenobia.”

“Oh! Th-thank you so much!”

Maybe the initial refusal was only for show, to test Zenobia’s intentions.

That whole “protection” bit is nothing but a front. Clearly she wants to come along to help out the three sisters. But she also can’t come right out and say she wants to help the people who just tried to rob the Faulks family, who have been hosting her.

I think Hecate wanted to make Zenobia a little more self-aware.

“Arwf. (She’s unfortunately not blessed with good sense.)”

Zenobia does stuff like this a lot, which is probably why Hecate tried to be mean and scare her.

But come on, Hecate, I know you. Even when you seem to be picking on someone, you’re still looking out for them. You’re just trying to act cool, aren’t you?

“Is there something you’d like to say?”

“Ar-arwf. (N-nope, nothing at all.)”

Something terrifying lurks in her narrowed eyes. Don’t look at me with that kind of smirk. You’re going to make me wet myself.

“Then, as I said already: We’d best be off.”

Hecate lightly taps the ground with her staff, and a shining white circle begins to spread.

It surprises the three girls, who try to jump out of the way, but only a moment later we’re standing in the middle of a city.

“Wha?! Wh-where are we…?!”

“This is the Royal Capital.”

“Th-the Royal Capital?!”

“We traveled all the way here in an instant?! No way! Was that the teleportation magic that was lost during the war with the Demon Lord?! I can’t believe it! I can’t believe I actually saw it!”

The elves stand there with their eyes wide and jaws dropped. A nearby drunk drops his bottle of booze.

Is this type of magic really that special? We use it all the time.

“I chose this place because there aren’t many people, but it means we’ll have a slight walk.”

“Which way are we headed? It’s still the middle of the night, so it’ll probably be hard to search for our older sisters.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. How about we start with some food?”

“““Food?”””

Oh, right, I haven’t had my midnight snack yet.

But it is pretty late. Are there still going to be shops open?

Hecate seems to have a place in mind and takes off.

“Please wait, Lady Hecate! These streets can be dangerous at night! I’ll lead the way!”

As Zenobia moves to take the lead, Hecate grabs her by the shoulder.

“I’ll be fine. Take the rear guard, if you would, Zenobia.”

“Of course, b-but…”

“I. Will. Be. Fine. Okay?”

Her tone will brook no arguments. Clearly Hecate knows a thing or two about Zenobia.

This knight would lead us with the utmost confidence but would almost definitely lead us in the wrong direction. And we can’t let someone with such a horrible sense of direction lead us. Zenobia goes silent and drops to the rear.

In the end, we’ve got me walking alongside Hecate, then the three still-nervous sisters, and finally Zenobia, muttering to herself as we head into the dark city.

“Arwf, arwf? (Hey, Hecate. Is it really okay to just not investigate those collars?)”

When she was saying we’d sort things out tonight, I thought for sure we’d have to invade Drills’s house to question potential suspects about the collars.

“It’s fine. They’ll come to us.”

Come to us? How does she know something like that?

Sometimes I don’t understand what Hecate’s doing. Well, she still hasn’t led me astray, but at times like this I’ve still got questions.

“Woof, woof? (By the way, what district is this? It’s definitely not as clean as where we were last time we visited the city.)”

“We’re in midtown, somewhat close to downtown. I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous, but it’s also not a place I recommend walking around by yourself.”

Was it really all right to bring the girls here, then?

“But you’re here with us, Routa. You’ll protect us, right? We’re counting on you.”

“Arwf, arwf. (Ha-ha-ha, that’s enough of that.)”

No, seriously, please don’t count on me. I’m just a house dog, not a guard dog.

Zenobia’s more suited to violence, so if some punks try to make trouble, it’s up to her. A pet like me is just going to turn tail and hide.

We continue walking down a street lit solely by streetlamps for a few minutes.

“Arwf, arwf. (Something smells good.)”

With every step we take, the street is getting brighter, and more and more people can be seen walking about.

Steam carrying the scent of food wafts through the night air, mixing with the sounds of revelry and swishing alcohol.

“Are these all bars?”

“A lot of them are. This area is quite popular at night.”

Based on the seductive ladies waving down the male pedestrians, some of these shops are of the more seedy variety.

But the witch standing next to me is definitely a class above them when it comes to being sexy.

“Whoa, look at that beauty!”

“And what about that monster next to her?! It’s wearing a collar! Is that her familiar…?!”

“A mage, a swordswoman, and three rogues? That’s an unusual group for an adventurers’ party. Looks like they’re going to Bordolf’s place. Hope they don’t come in here.”

It’s no surprise that our little group is beginning to draw attention, and it seems people are whispering about us.

“This is the place. Shall we go in?”

Hecate stops in front of one of the bars.

“Arwf, arwf? (Are you sure they’ll let me in?)”

I’m an animal, after all, and usually shopkeepers kick us animals out for hygienic reasons.

Though with my daily baths, I’m probably cleaner than most of the guys around here.

“It’ll be fine. I know the owner.”

And with that, Hecate pushes through the swinging doors and into the bar.

“Arwf, arwf? (What should we do?)”

“Squeak. (If Lady Witch says it will be fine, then it will be fine.)”

“Mrow. (More importantly, I’m starving.)”

Now that she mentions it, I am, too. Thanks to those three elf girls huddled behind us, I missed my midnight snack.

And the delicious smell of grilled meat emanating from the pub has made my mouth start watering again.

Right, I’m going in. And if I surprise or scare anyone, I’ll deal with it then—by stealing meat from one of the tables and making a break for it!

“Arwf… (Howdy…)”

It certainly seems like a popular place. A number of round tables are scattered throughout the large room, and everyone seems to be drinking and having a great time.

There’s also a fair number of staff. Waitresses are scurrying among the customers, delivering food and drinks. Everyone’s smiling. It looks like a nice pub.

“Arwf. (Now, where’d Hecate……? Ah, there she is.)”

Hecate struck up a conversation with the muscled middle-aged bartender as we were fussing about outside.

He must be the owner of this place. He has white combed-back hair and an eye patch, kind of like a pirate. And with his muscles and stern expression, this hulking middle-aged guy looks completely different from old man James back home.

“I never thought I’d see you again during my lifetime.”

“While it’s always fun to talk about your apprentice bartending days, I’m here on other business today. Mind if I take some seats upstairs?”

“Enough of that. Don’t go bringing up the embarrassments of my youth. We’ve got a reservation for up there tonight, but if you’re fine with sitting near them, go ahead.”

“Thank you. How about I come by with Emerada next time and the three of us share a drink?”

“…Give me a break. You’re just going to drink the place dry… Who’s that? Is that group by the door with you?”

The white-haired bartender looks past Hecate and over to me just as I enter.

“Yes, they’re friends of mine. Very dear friends.”

“You’re always dragging around some strange folk… So long as it doesn’t have any diseases or fleas… What is it? A wolf? A monster? Something like that?”

“Woof, woof. (I’m a dog, thank you very much.)”

Just look at how nicely groomed I am. And I have a master, and a lady, and maids.

“…Well, if it’s with you, then I don’t have any complaints. You go along and wait upstairs and I’ll bring something up for you.”

And with that dismissal, the eye-patched bartender heads back into the kitchen to relay the food order.

As instructed, we head up the stairs to the loft seating on the second floor.

The first floor is packed, but up here it’s almost like we’re alone. Kind of feels like a VIP seating area. Bwa-ha-ha, look at us. So much better than the drunks.

Hecate is draped over one of the chairs at a table. I sit next to her, and then the three sisters perch tensely on their chairs. Zenobia does a quick sweep around the room before finally sitting on Hecate’s right.

“Arwf, arwf? (Hey, Zenobia, what’s with that look? Were you really that put out by not being able to lead us?)”

“Keep it down. Don’t raise your voice in here…!”

Zenobia is slumped in her seat, as though trying to avoid being seen from the first floor.

Maybe there’s someone here she doesn’t want to meet. Based on all the weapons, there seem to be a lot of adventurer types here.

Actually, she did something similar last time we came to the Royal Capital, hiding behind me when we were outside the guild headquarters… Seems like there might be a troubled past there.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that…? I’m not hiding from anyone. I left the Adventurers Guild in good standing.”

And yet you’re still trying that hard to hide.

I narrow my eyes as Zenobia turns away.

Hecate watches the exchange with amusement.

And while this is going on, the food arrives.

“Arwf, arwf! (Woohoo! This looks delicious!)”

It isn’t the fancy cuisine of the manor, but instead an overflowing assortment of hearty, high-calorie dishes.

Little fried shrimp still popping from the fryer.

Garlic toast topped with salted pork fat.

A juicy, leafy salad decorated with crispy fried bacon.

Juicy, tender skewers of what seems to be teriyaki chicken.

The look, the sound, the smell—everything here is to die for.

I’m overcome by appetite, and a great tummy rumble rings out.

“Arwf?! (Wait, huh, that wasn’t me?!)”

“““………………”””

The three elves try to hide their blushing faces.

“Well then, why don’t we all dig in? Those who believe in the gods can say their own prayers.”

Seems like Hecate isn’t the praying type, since she’s already serving herself some of the bacon salad.

“Arwf! Arwf! (Me too! Me too!)”

“Of course—here you go.”

“Arwf! (Thanks!)”

I dig into the salad that Hecate hands me.

The texture of the leafy greens and crunchy bacon is unbelievable. The salt of the bacon and the dressing is absorbed by the greens and doubles their flavor.

“Arwf, arwf!! (So goooood!!)”

It’s a walk in the park to make simple bar food, so why does it taste so good?

“And it goes great with beer.”

Hey now, we’re here to save the elves’ sisters. Do you think this is the right time for drinking? How disgraceful. I’ll have some, too.

“Ruff!! (This beer is so light and refreshing!!)”

I don’t know if it’s unfiltered or just cloudy, but it’s smooth and washes away the lingering oil in my mouth. This must be why Hecate recommended the place. What a great bar.

“““Gulp…”””

Watching us eat must have pushed the three girls to the limit, because they quickly clasp their hands and rattle off a prayer before falling on the food like savage beasts.

Looks like they haven’t been getting enough to eat. They’re shoveling it down like they’ve missed a few meals.

“Slow down. You’ll choke.”

Zenobia, who had been the first to start praying and the last to finish, offers Ururu some water as she pounds her chest and groans.

Zenobia may be a meathead, but she’s got impeccable manners. She eats in the same polished manner as Lady Mary: using a fork and knife and taking small bites.

“It’s been a while, but the flavor hasn’t changed. It’s certainly delicious.”

After eating the toast with the dribbling pork fat, Hecate licks the crumbs off her fingers in a display of poor table manners. It may be rude, but it’s also sexy as hell.

“Mewf! (This chicken is delicious! The sauce is sweet and spicy, and the flesh is so tender!)”

“Squeak, squeak! (And this shrimp! It’s so crispy!)”

Nahura and Len seem satisfied. But make sure you don’t drop any on my back, okay? Once it gets into my fur it’s a nightmare to get out.

“It’s delicious—so delicious.”

“How long has it been since we’ve had a proper meal?”

“I wonder if our sisters are getting enough food?”

The three girls are still gulping down the food, with Zenobia stepping in to help if they start choking.

“Slow down and chew. No one’s going to take it from you. You want to save your sisters, don’t you? Well then, first you have to be healthy.”

Zenobia warns the three of them while rubbing their backs.

Oh, look at Zenobia acting all motherly. What a gentle gorilla.

If she ever finds out I call her Gorillanobia, she’ll do whatever it takes to end me, so let’s keep that our little secret.

“E-excuse me!” splutters the shortest elf with the glasses—errrr, Eruru, was it? And her voice sounds like she’s moments from bolting.

“Why are you being so nice to us?! You only met us today, and we tried to rob you!”

“Arwf? (Tch. Do we need a reason to help someone?)”

“Mew. (When you talk with your mouth full of food like that, we can’t understand anything that you’re saying.)”

“Squee? (Besides, darling, didn’t you try to leave this to someone else so that you could head home?)”

So mean. I was just trying to look cool.

The three girls pretend I didn’t say anything and stare at Zenobia.

“Just like the marquis before: You’re not simply forgiving us but even going as far as to help us to search for our sisters.”

“There’s really no reason for you to do all this for us, and it’s got us on edge!”

These elves, whose village was attacked and sisters were kidnapped, have never experienced kindness from humans. So it seems the gentle demeanor of the people at the manor has them especially uneasy.

Zenobia looks straight at them and answers their doubts.

“I, too, was saved by the Faulks family.”

Zenobia has said she was an adventurer before going full freeloader.

“When I became disillusioned with the adventurer life and was lost and adrift, they did not hesitate to take me in. I had lost faith and trust in everyone, and they rescued me.”

When we first met and she treated me as an enemy, she was just trying to protect those in the mansion. I know how much Zenobia cares about everyone.

“And in turn, my lord would say that he has been rescued. People are all connected to one another. Whether helping or being helped, those in the Faulks family are all connected in some way.”

I see. The reason the mansion is so warm and inviting is that everyone there cares for one another. It feels so natural living there that I didn’t realize it.

“What I’m doing is simply an imitation of what the people of the Faulks family did for me. So please don’t feel any obligation toward me. I’m doing this because I wish to. And that’s my only reason for helping you.”

Zenobia’s still being so cool today…!

She’s gotta have a fever or something, right? I’m really getting worried.

Without the gorilla grunts and chest pounding, she’s just not Zenobia.

“M-miss…”

“Wow…”

“You’re so cool!”

The three girls stare at Zenobia with flushed cheeks.

Hold up, now. I basically said the same thing, so what’s with this huge difference in reception?

“Probably in the delivery, I’d say.”

Urgh. Hecate delivers the finishing blow.

“So anyway, yeah. Keep eating. After that, we’ll be off to save your sisters. Lady Hecate is a peerless sage, and I’m sure you remember my abilities… And that wannabe dog has his uses as well.”

Oh, Zenobia seems a little embarrassed.

But what she said contained one little mistake. She made me out to be a stand-up guy, when I’d be happier lying down.

Don’t make the therapy dog do any real work!

We’ve finished our meal and are relaxing with some tea when Hecate looks toward the stairs.

“Well then, it should be about time…”

Immediately after Hecate murmurs, I hear faint footsteps coming up the stairs.

Must be another customer. Upon reaching the second floor, they head quickly to their table without giving us a glance.

This must be the customer with the reservation the owner mentioned earlier.

This loft seating must be reservation only, because aside from us, this is the only customer.

“……………”

Their hood is pulled low over their face, but they seem rather short and quite slender.

Maybe a woman? No, but this isn’t the sort of place for a woman to come to alone this late at night.

“Hmph… It appears they have yet to arrive. And yet they were the ones to invite me. Clearly they don’t have the proper courtesy a merchant should possess.”

Taking a seat, they lower their hood.

Amazing curls of blond hair spill out.

“Arwf?! (Wait, Drills?!)”

What is the loudmouthed, monster-loving Lady Drillizabeth doing here?

“Right on time.”

Right on time? How did Hecate know Drills was gonna be here?

I look at her with a doubtful expression, but Hecate just sits there swirling her wineglass and smiling.

“Squeak. (Hmph, Lady Witch certainly is mysterious.)”

“Mew. (My mistress’s attitude is just for appearances. She puts on an act, but inside she’s not actually planning anything evil—ngah!)”

I wonder if Nahura’s been stricken with an illness that makes her say stupid things that might get her killed.

“Mewl! (Mistress, forgive me! Forgive me!)”

I say a quick prayer for Nahura, who’s under the table getting stepped on.

“Excuse me, you there, please quiet down. I’m here for an important meeting…”

Drills, who has turned to scold our group, suddenly freezes.

“A-are you—are you that lovely dog I met before?”

“Arwf, arwf. (Indeed. I am that lovely dog.)”

Only Drills would say such a thing. And I like it. I still won’t be your pet, though. But I hope you maintain that obliviousness.

“Wh-what are you doing here? Is Mary with you?”

She’s definitely not here. Though she probably would’ve been thrilled to come along.

We’re planning to save the sisters of these elves behind me, and I couldn’t bring myself to lead her into danger.

But on that note, what’s Drills doing alone in a place like this? I wouldn’t exactly call this area “safe.”

If she’d brought her dragon, Christina, as a bodyguard, I think that would’ve been suitable protection, but it doesn’t seem Christina is with her today.

But then again, if she had brought Christina, it would’ve caused a huge commotion at the bar. Even if she paid off the guards to keep them quiet, there’s no way she would’ve been able to quell the uproar of the townsfolk.

“You’re Mary’s family doctor, correct? And you’re the knight I remember seeing when we saw Mary off. But you three are unfamiliar to me…”

She approaches our table without hesitation—every bit the daughter of a skilled merchant—and strikes up a conversation.

“Why are you here? It doesn’t seem like you’re on another vacation.”

“Indeed. I’d like to explain, but I think you have something to discuss with them first?”

We turn to look in the direction Hecate is pointing just as a few men begin climbing the stairs.

“Ah! We’ll speak later. I must speak with these gentlemen first.”

Drills adopts a serious expression and returns to her seat.

Hecate gives a slight gesture with her outstretched finger just as Drills turns to walk away.

She appears to write a few characters in the air, and while I can’t understand what it might mean, it surprises Drills.

“Arwf, arwf? (What did you just do, Hecate?)”

“Hee-hee, you’ll see.”

Hecate is especially sexy when she’s being coy.

While this is going on, the men reach the top of the stairs.

At the forefront is a small man wearing a silk hat and a gentleman’s suit. He slaps on a greasy grin and heads over to where Drills is sitting.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. And it looks like you came alone, as promised.”

Hmm? Alone? We’re sitting right here.

“Squee. (It’s invisibility magic. Just as the blond child sat down, Lady Witch erased our table’s presence.)”

I guess that gesture with her finger just now was for a magic spell.

Drills probably looked surprised because we suddenly disappeared, but she sure caught on quickly.

Tch, clearly Drills has a better head on her shoulders than I do. And here I thought we were birds of a feather.

Five burly guys stand behind the man in the silk hat. They’re all wearing matching long-sleeved coats. They must be burning up.

They don’t take a seat, but instead assume a protective formation, standing in a half circle around the table. Looks like these guys can’t see us, either.

“What are they going to do to her…?!”

“Shh, wait. Just watch.”

Zenobia must realize there’s a spell between us and them, as she silences the sisters and observes Drills.

“You seem to be better off than the last time we met.”

“Well, of course, that’s because of your patronage, my lady.”

Wow. The way he’s rubbing his hands together is super sketchy. Mix that with his smirking face, and his sliminess just doubled.

I don’t think I’d ever buy anything from him. He doesn’t seem cut out to be a salesman.

“Well then, should we order some drinks? And perhaps some food to go along with them? This may be a dingy bar, but the food here isn’t half-bad.”

“I’m fine, thanks. Why don’t we just get down to brass tacks?”

The merchant slaps his palm in an exaggerated manner in response to Drills’s curt refusal.

“Then let’s get to it. For you, my lady, this time we’ve successfully procured a large number of rare animals. We thought that before we sold them to the market as pets, we would let you have the pick of the litter, so to speak.”

By “rare animals” he means monsters, I’m sure.

Of the animals Drills used to keep in her house, every one is a monster. Now they all live in the forest protected by the Fen Wolves, but none of them should’ve been kept as pets in the first place.

I guess Drills never quite learned her lesson and still sees those monsters as regular animals.

Barring exceptions like Christina, I imagine it’s difficult for monsters to form attachments with people. And relying on those enchanted collars is just going to result in another stampede when the spell wears off.

Drills’s parents aren’t very close to her, and the neglect fed into her loneliness. She started buying all those “pets” to fill the void.

But I kinda thought we resolved that issue last time.

Now she’s got Lady Mary as a friend, and I was almost certain her bond with Christina had changed after all the other monsters ran away.

But it looks like even my lady and Christina aren’t enough to heal Drills’s loneliness.

And if that’s the case, that’s pretty tragic.

“If you’d like, I could take you to see them right after we finish here?”

“No, there’s no need.”

Drills’s response doesn’t match my expectation.

She shuts down this discussion about pets and tosses a leather sack on the table in front of the merchant.

“This is double the amount of our prior arrangement. I’d like you to take all the animals back to where you found them and release them.”

“Release them…? What caused you to change your mind?”

The merchant isn’t looking at the sack of money but instead at Drills with an inquisitive expression.

“I’ve come to realize that my actions were a mistake. I realized that I shouldn’t run from my loneliness, but rather confront my issues with my father and mother directly.”

Even though she shouldn’t be able to see us, Drills shoots a glance in my direction.

“Some very dear friends taught me that. And there’s no solace to be found in keeping animals locked away in cages.”

My little Drillizabeth is all grown up. There’s no trace of the girl who did whatever she pleased, laughing and not caring about the trouble she caused those around her.

“Oh? And I don’t suppose that in addition to confronting Mommy and Daddy dearest, you’ll be bringing up our little arrangement?”

The merchant sneers at Drills’s attempt to end their business relationship.

“Surely you’ve picked up on the fact that I’m not the most honest of merchants. And don’t you think that if it became public knowledge that Daddy’s little girl had done business with such a shady character, it might negatively impact Daddy’s company?”

“…Are you threatening me?”

I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Drills is trying to put on a brave face, but I can tell she’s becoming overwhelmed.

“No, no, of course that wasn’t a threat. I completely understand what you’re thinking, and I think you’ve made a wise decision… By the way, what happened to those pets you bought before?”

“Well, they……they all ran away.”

“Oh, they ran away, did they? I’d think if something like that happened, it’d be the talk of the town. But I haven’t heard anything like that.”

Yeah, that’s because Nahura teleported all of them to the forest. I guess from Drills’s point of view it must have looked like they vanished in an instant.

“Are you accusing me of lying?”

“Hmm, that you don’t appear to be lying has me all the more confused.”

The merchant strokes his chin and frowns.

“Well, to be honest, I didn’t expect you to still be alive after being attacked by the monsters.”

“What?”

If we hadn’t been there back then, those monsters would’ve been all over Drills. Even with Christina jumping in to protect her, they probably still would have killed her.

But that’s not the problem here. Based on what he just said, he knew the collars were faulty from the get-go. Maybe they were designed to fail from the start.

“Our expectation was that the monsters would be driven mad and kill everyone in the house, but thanks to some sort of miracle, everyone seems to be fine.”

Bull’s-eye. I was right.

“I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to undermine the Morgan Trading Company. But instead they’ve started dealing with that damned Faulks Co., which is the last thing we want.”

“Wh-what are—what on earth are you saying?!”

“Now I’ve got to clean up this whole mess. The original plan was to lead you to some remote location and kill you, but based on how things are going, you probably wouldn’t come quietly, would you?”

The merchant puts his silk hat back on as he steps back, and the bodyguards move to block Drills from escaping.

“It may be a bit conspicuous, but we’ll just have to do you in right here.”

At that signal, one of the men begins to move his arm. From the sleeves of his coat he draws a long, curved knife.

He swings the sharp, glittering blade down with the intent to slash Drills’s face.

“Arwf. (Yeah, I’ve seen enough.)”

I put myself right in the path of the knife. It strikes my back and then snaps pathetically.

I’ve been hit by Zenobia’s best strikes over and over. Some amateur attack like this isn’t scary at all.

“……Arwf. (……No, wait, that was a lie. I definitely peed a little.)”

Even if I know it’s not going to hurt, scary things are still scary! Acknowledge the courage it took to make that leap!

“What the—?! Where did this monster come from?!”

“I don’t remember selling something like this?!”

And I don’t remember being sold by someone like you. I was sold by a legitimate pet shop, which makes me a pedigreed pet!

The man whose blade broke stands there looking like he can’t believe what just happened. From his perspective, it probably looks like I appeared out of nowhere. But the truth is, I’ve been right under their noses the whole time.

“K-kill them both!” the merchant shrieks. But not a single one of the men responds to the order.

“Nice job stopping him, Routa.”

As Zenobia speaks, the bodyguards slump to the floor.

While my jumping to Drills’s defense drew their attention, Zenobia took care of them. We make quite the team, don’t we?

All Zenobia had to do was whisper, “Sic ’em,” and I leaped into action. That’s terrifying. What if I’d messed up? Stop putting your confidence in me, please.

“Now, my lord did ask me to avoid killing anyone. Which is the only reason I used the flat of my blade on scum like you.”

The flat of her blade? I’m pretty sure she just smacked them with her bare hands. I guess that as a knight, she thinks of everything in sword terms. Looks like our family’s problem child is more meathead than gorilla.

“Trash like you isn’t even worthy of my blade. Do yourselves a favor and stay down. I wouldn’t want to sully my sword with your filthy weakling blood.”

But you’re fine with trying out new swords on me, huh? I don’t think “people you’re willing to cut” is a group I need to be in.

“Tch, what a useless bunch of…!”

The merchant tries to slink off, only to find his path blocked by the three sisters.

“Don’t try to run away!”

“You’re going to tell us where our sisters are.”

“Shall we torture him?”

He knew about the collars, so there’s no doubt he’s involved.

Torture or not, these guys did just attempt to murder someone, so we’ll have to hand them over to the guards. Although I’m sure there’s a lot we can talk about before that happens.

“You, youuuu…!”

Whoops, forgot about Drills. Looks like she fell into shock after almost being killed.

Here’s a special freebie. My fur is perfect for calming down.

It’s just a matter of time before the merchant is taken into custody. Zenobia’s guarding the front, and the three girls have the rear. And the bodyguards are all unconscious, so he doesn’t have any support. And we’ve got plenty of witnesses to the crime.

Everything is under control.

That said, it doesn’t seem like the merchant is ready to give up yet. He keeps scowling at us.

“Hey, you guys! What the hell are you doing in my bar?! If you’re going to fight, do it somewhere else! Outside!”

The owner heard the disturbance and stomps up the stairs.

We’re somewhat busy at the moment, so please don’t come up.

“Tch!”

Just as I hear the merchant click his tongue, the sound of the window shattering rings out. He took the moment’s chance and leaped through it.

“Arwf?! (Did he just jump?!)”

Suicide by jumping is never a good idea, because you might fall on someone below you. I did a fair bit of research on the subject back when I was stuck working for my dead-end company, so I’m rather well-informed.

Wait, this isn’t the time to be thinking about depressing crap like that.

I rush to the window and look below.

“Arwf! (Whoa, no way!)”

The merchant jumped from the window, kicked off the wall of the neighboring building to get to the roof, and is now escaping across the rooftops.

Those aren’t the movements of a short, fat guy.

“Arwf? (What is he, some kind of ninja?)”

“With those moves, he’s obviously not an ordinary merchant…! But even with that leg strength he won’t be able to escape me!”

Zenobia climbs up onto the window frame and leaps into the night.

With one bound, she’s on the roof of the next building and off after her merchant prey.

“Bark?! (Huh, wait, should I go, too?!)”

I’m worried about letting Zenobia go off on her own. She really has zero sense of direction.

“Hold on, there, Routa.”

As my forepaws are on the windowsill and I’m puzzling about whether to go or not, Hecate calls out to stop me.

“Arwf? (Shouldn’t I go after them?)”

“They’ll be fine. Let’s let him escape rather than catch him.”

Hecate seems to have an idea. She was gracefully sipping her wine throughout the entire ruckus.

“Damn it, I told you there was going to be trouble.” The owner shows up with a sour expression.

“You didn’t say anything about that.”

“Didn’t I? Oh well, I’ll be adding the cost of replacing the window to your tab.”

Hecate pouts, and the owner gives a bitter laugh as he begins to clean up. He doesn’t seem very interested in what just occurred.

“Oh, don’t touch the glass, ladies. I’ll take care of it.”

Rather than worrying about the glass, shouldn’t we be worrying about what to do with these unconscious guys? Shouldn’t we tie them up or something?

I guess it was Zenobia’s crazy strength that knocked them out, so they probably won’t be waking anytime soon.

And is this some kind of everyday occurrence? The people on the first floor don’t seem worried at all.

They went quiet for a moment, but then the noise immediately picked back up.

“Will you add their charges to my tab, please?”

Drills has regained her composure and addresses the owner.

After he acknowledges her with a shrug, she moves over and takes a seat facing Hecate.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Elizabeth Morgan. I am most grateful to you for saving my life. I would like to thank you.”

In a complete reversal from her prior stuck-up behavior, Drills gives a deep bow.

“And I would appreciate it if you could explain some of what just happened. I seem to be somewhat involved.”

“Well if you’re offering to treat me, how can I refuse? Why don’t we walk and talk? Thank you for everything, Bordolf.”

“Sure thing. I’ve already contacted the guild, so we’re fine here. And it looks like the payment is covered.”

“Arwf! (Thanks for treating us, Drills!)”

Free food is the best food.

The owner waves to Hecate as she heads down the stairs, and we follow.

After settling the bill, we proceed outside to find the night has darkened even more, and it’s gotten a bit chilly.

“Arwf, arwf? (So Christina really didn’t come along?)”

I guess the crazy girl who rode a dragon everywhere she went really has disappeared.

“Hey, human.” The tallest elf, Oruru, calls out to Drills.

“What is it?”

“Didn’t you hear him asking about Christina?”

“Who’s Christina? A friend of yours?”

She’s a land dragon with horrible taste. And by the way, I didn’t ask you to interpret for me.

“Christina is watching the house. She never really liked walks anyway, and I’ve stopped showing her off to the townsfolk.”

Looks like Drills has seen the error of her ways and is even ashamed of her past actions.

“Wait!! Can you—?!”

Drills suddenly sidles up to the elf girls.

“Can you three understand what animals are saying?!”

“No, we can’t understand animals, but this guy isn’t an animal. He’s actually a high-ranking monster, so—”

“Woof! Woof! (Shut up, elf girl! Shush!)”

What do I do if Drills blabs to Lady Mary and she finds out I’m not a dog?! My sweet setup as a pampered pooch would be ruined!

“That’s amazing! Do you think there’s some way that I could learn to understand them?!”

“Um, well, wh-who knows? Maybe people who aren’t elves just can’t understand them…”

“Is that so…? That’s a pity. I just thought it would be fun to be able to talk with Christina…”

Trust me, you don’t want to do that. That chick likes it when you step on her, Drills, and she’d tell you about it in great detail.

“Arwf…? (Man, are all dragons perverts?)”

“Squeak. (You are the last person I want to hear that from, beloved.)”

“Mew. (You should probably look at yourself first, Routa. Maybe start with your species.)”

“Woof. (I’m a dog. Just a cute, lovable, fluffy pet dog. With cute little button eyes.)”

“S-squee! (They’re blind. Those eyes of yours are blind!)”

“Meow? (You try your absolute best to deceive even yourself, don’t you?)”

As we rehash familiar arguments, we continue to follow after Hecate.

“So I asked before, but what brings you all back to the Royal Capital? Mary and Mr. Gandolf aren’t with you, so I assume they aren’t involved with this matter?

“That would be correct.”

Hecate gives a quick rundown of the situation.

The elf girls are searching for their sisters, who were kidnapped to be sold as slaves.

And the soldiers who caught their sisters were using the same collars that Goldilocks once had on her pets.

And because of that coincidence, we came to the Royal Capital to ask Goldilocks about what she knows.

But before they could ask her, they discovered the merchant, the root of this evil, who no doubt knows the whereabouts of the elves’ sisters.

Goldilocks interjects with a few questions during the story but seems to get the gist of the situation.

“So then, isn’t it all the more important that we catch the merchant?”

“Before he ran off, I attached an anchor to him, so we can find him at any time.”

“Oh, an anchor…?”

It seems Hecate and Nahura require these anchors to target their jumps when using their teleportation magic.

They’ve also got one attached to me. Stealing my privacy. And my food.

“But I suppose it’s about time.”

Hecate waves her staff.

A shining white portal opens, and Zenobia appears.

“Bastard! You think you can escape from me?!”

Zenobia is grinding her teeth, head flicking back and forth.

That’s definitely the look of someone who got lost.

She loses sight of someone, and instantly she gets lost. Just one of those Zenobia qualities.

“What? Lady Hecate?! When did you—?!”

Looks like she didn’t even realize she’d been recalled. Just as you’d expect from a woman who’s all brawn and no brain. She never wavers.

Also, it looks like you can recall the target, not just warp to it. This teleportation magic sure is useful.

“And so what will you do, Elizabeth? If you’d like to head home, perhaps we could escort you?”

“No, I’ll be joining you. I may not have known what the collars were, but I still purchased them, and I feel some responsibility.”

What a gallant response. The Morgan Trading Company is in good hands. Now if only they could do something about that pet food that’s only good for nutrition. When food tastes bad, it ruins everything else.

“Very well, now that we’ve joined forces, shall we head off to our final destination?”

And again Hecate activates her teleportation magic, allowing us to remain in hot pursuit of the merchant.

“Haah-haah… Did I get away…?”

That chick was crazy fast. I’m a top-class spy and she still almost caught up to me.

If I hadn’t gotten lucky with them losing sight of me, I wouldn’t have been able to make it back to the hideout.

The silk hat was lost long ago, and the suit is now a mess. His hair sticks to his forehead with perspiration.

He no longer has the appearance of a rich merchant but instead looks like any other poor little man. Even the expression on his face is so generic that no one would think him the same merchant if they met him anywhere else.

“Guess that job’s a bust…”

The place he barely escaped to is a warehouse not far from the city’s harbor.

“Who’d have thought she’d have allies like that…? And to think I dismissed her as a harmless little girl…”

The assassination was a failure. The plan was to harm Marquis Faulks, who is close to the imperial family, by damaging the reputation of the Morgan Trading Company, which Faulks Co. recently took under its umbrella. But after this debacle, it won’t be easy to make another move on the marquis for a while.

Looks like there’s no option but to get out of town and lie low while waiting for the next opportunity.

He opens the door to the warehouse and slips inside.

The dim warehouse is filled with cages housing monsters caught all over the country.

Each of the monsters is wearing a collar and cowering with lifeless eyes.

“Well, that was only one of many plans to overthrow the royal family, and there’s no reason to leave any evidence behind. I can release the monsters to rampage through the city while I escape on a ship in the confusion.”

The mission may have been a total failure, but if he can cause at least a little injury, it won’t have been a complete loss.

And releasing the monsters into the city is bound to cause considerable damage.

It doesn’t matter if they don’t cause any damage at the city’s center, since most residents live on the outskirts beyond the downtown.

If an incident were to occur in the supposedly impenetrable Royal Capital, then trust in the royal family would waver.

Once they’ve been commanded by the collars to go on a rampage, the monsters should break out of their cages and terrorize the city. Good enough for a last-ditch effort.

“But before that… I have some property I need to collect.”

Slipping through the gaps, he makes his way deep into the collection of cages.

He pulls a cloth from over one of them, revealing two women lying inside.

“You two are rare commodities. You’ll be useful down the road.”

What beautiful silver-haired elves. He captured them when he raided the elf village on the edge of the kingdom. Two perfect specimens.

He could sell them for getaway money, or they could be used as catalysts for forbidden rituals or magical weaponry. Plenty of ways they can be used to assist in overthrowing the royal family. It would be such a waste to leave them here.

A few of these elves were among the group that protected the noble’s daughter he tried to assassinate. If those elves are related, they may have heard something about these two.

So rather than just dumping the elves here, he’ll have to take them with him.

“Get up.”

“…Urgh.”

In response to the man’s order, the two elves begin moving and slowly rise to their feet.

“Please……let……us……go……”

Although clearly exhausted, the elves glare at him with determined eyes.

“You really are a race with strong intellect. The magic has very little effect on you… Looks like we’ll have to increase the power of the spell.”

The orders don’t render them unconscious, but the elves’ bodies still respond to them, and they walk out of the unlocked cage.

“Hurry up. Once we get out of here, I’m releasing the monsters.”

“We will never……forgive you……”

“Shut up and come with me.”

The elves’ throats forcefully constrict, and they follow the man toward the exit.

The door is thrown wide open with a roar.

“That’s far enough, villain!”

The moment we materialize, Zenobia hears the voice of the merchant and plunges into the warehouse.

Typical meathead. Doesn’t wait for the right moment, doesn’t make a plan—just barges in without thinking.

“Arwf! (Wait, this isn’t the time for thinking. He just said he was going to make the monsters riot. We’ve got to stop him!)”

“Squeak. (Even were they to rampage, you could defeat them. It would be easy for you, darling.)”

Damn it. I’m surrounded by meatheads. I am a pet; I’d prefer a peaceful solution.

We chase after Zenobia.

“Tch, what are you doing here……?! I thought I lost you—were you just waiting to see where I went……?! Who the hell are you bastards?!”

“I don’t normally tell villains my name, but for you I’ll make an exception!”

Zenobia slides her sword from its scabbard and points it at the merchant.

“I am Zenobia Lionheart! And I am the one who will destroy you!”

“What?! Th-the Zenobia Lionheart?!”

“The SS-Rank adventurer! Slayer of One Thousand Men! Fortress Destroyer! Labyrinth Annihilator! The Blood-Soaked Knight with the Heart of a Lion! The Crimson Lionheart!”

A pile of stupid nicknames come pouring out of the merchant’s mouth. Dang, if Zenobia wouldn’t be the coolest thing to a teenage nerd.

“So Zenobia Lionheart herself has gotten involved…… That must mean the guild knows what we’re up to…… I was supposed to be the trapper, but instead I find myself caught in the trap……!”

The merchant glares bitterly at Goldilocks.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho! What a simpleminded fool!”

Look, I get you’re feeling happy we’ve won, Goldilocks, but you had no idea what was going on.

“You’re a fine actress. To have fooled someone like me for so long……”

All Zenobia did was give her name, and he seems to be working himself into a panic.

People with those stupid nicknames are amazing.

“Damn it, I guess it’s come to this……?!”

The merchant pulls out a hidden dagger, drags one of the elves in front of him, and holds it to her throat.

“Stay there! If you come any closer, I’ll slit her throat!”

“Oh my, what a naughty child.”

Hecate waves her staff in a come-hither manner.

The ground near the merchant sparkles, and a moment later the two elves are transported close to us.

“““Sisters!”””

The three girls catch their sisters.

“Ururu, Eruru, Oruru……”

“I never thought we’d see you again……”

They look frail but don’t seem to have any injuries.

They wrap their arms weakly around their crying sisters.

“What?! What did you just do?!”

Having just lost his hostages, the merchant pitches forward and yells in shock.

“It can’t have been?! Was that teleportation magic?! You can cast such advanced magic without a ritual?! Not even the court magicians can do something like that! Just who the heck……?!”

Hecate just laughs and doesn’t answer.

“Urghhh……”

A thorough display of the difference in power.

Realizing that this time he’s been cornered, the merchant drops his knife and falls to his knees.

“Give up. Time to confess all of your wrongdoings.”

Keeping careful watch, Zenobia approaches the merchant.

“…I have my pride. And I will not allow myself to be captured…”

As the merchant’s shoulders drop, he breaks something with a grunt.

He staggers to his feet.

“So you’re still going to fight?”

“This isn’t a fight…… It’s suicide.”

The merchant looks up with a dark light in his eyes, and before Zenobia can close the gap, he spits out an incantation.

The jewels on the collars around the necks of the docile monsters shatter immediately.

“Wh-what did you just do?!”

“If I’m going down, then I’m taking you bastards with me… At least I’ll have completed my mission! We’ll be overrun by hundreds of monsters! And you’ll all die with me!”

As if in response to the merchant’s broken laugh, the monsters in the cages begin to stir and emit low growls.

“E-eek?!”

Probably suffering a flashback, Drills starts freaking out.

Oh, right, this is like when we were back in her mansion.

The monsters start breaking out of their cages, fangs at the ready.

When crazed, these monsters will just attack anyone around them.

“Ha-ha-ha! Even you guys can’t immediately defeat this many monsters! How many civilians will be slaughtered before all of these creatures are defeated?!”

Looks like if the merchant’s going to lose, he’s going to lose in style.

“You—you fiend!!”

“Call me whatever you want! It’s already too late to kill me!! No one can stop this stampede!!”

Zenobia grits her teeth as the merchant crows.

“Arwf… (Ummm…)”

Sorry about this, you two.

I know I shouldn’t ruin the scene, but we can handle this.

“Mew. (Looks like it’s your time to shine, Routa.)”

“Squee. (The man’s a fool. Something like this is meaningless for my darling.)”

“Arwf… (Gimme a break…)”

I step in front of the bloodshot eyes of the monsters and draw in a deep breath.

And as the monsters leap as one toward me, I pour all that air into one big howl.

“Hoooooooowwwwwwwwl!! (All! Of! You! Siiiit!!)”

My howl rings through the warehouse and drowns out the bellowing of the monsters and the crazed laugh of the merchant.

It is suddenly quiet enough to hear the walls falling apart, and all the monsters begin to grovel.

Each and every one of them is showing submission, trembling with their tails tucked between their legs.

“Arwf. (Yes, that’s a good beastie.)”

This howl can make even the bravest of Fen Wolves clam up. No matter the monster, they always lose the will to fight and turn obedient.

Well, that’s my job done. I’ll leave the rest up to you guys.

“Wh-what the— What on earth just happened…?”

The merchant is looking around, dumbfounded, at the groveling monsters.

“Hi-ya!”

Zenobia sneaked in close to the merchant and now smashes him with her fist, sending him soaring into the air.

“Arwf. (Damn, that was one hell of an uppercut.)”

The merchant’s body flies up and almost hits the ceiling.

Completely robbed of consciousness, his body hits the ground with a thud.

He is totally down for the count. Plan foiled again.

“Arwf! (All of you, back to your crates! We’ll be helping you soon, so behave.)”

At my order, the monsters jump and start heading back to their cages.

“Wh-what did you do to us…?!”

The elves, who for some reason were with the rest of the monsters, have regained their sanity. They seem to be doing a lot better, probably because the influence of the collars has been cut off.

Zenobia nods in agreement and looks at me suspiciously.

“Routa, you really are…”

“Arwf?! (Wait, seriously?!)”

I’ve definitely used my power in front of Zenobia before this!

“………No. I’ve thought there was something mysterious about you since the very beginning. This doesn’t surprise me. This time it’s your victory. I’ll not make little of it. You’ve done well. It’s thanks to you that the Royal Capital has been saved.”

Zenobia gives me an awkward pat on the head.

“A-arwf?! (Zenobia’s being magnanimous?! I can’t believe it!)”

Zenobia’s just not herself without the whole “I don’t trust you, beast! Grr, grr” thing.

“You’re thinking something rude, aren’t you…?!”

“Arwfrrr. (N-no, no, of course not.)”

“I’m only going to overlook this this once. If you ever turn your power on the young lady, I’ll be ready for you.”

“Woof, woof. (Like I’d ever do that.)”

Without Lady Mary, there’d be no lavish pet life to speak of. I’ll continue serving her with all my heart. But I still don’t plan on doing any real work.

Zenobia chuckles and rubs my head again, then goes to tie up the merchant.

“You really are the most amazing dog…”

Drills manages to make it all the way to the end without panicking. Looks like she’s going to grow up to with a different sort of talent from Lady Mary.

And she somehow still thinks that I’m a dog! Talk about oblivious. Never change, Drills.

“But what’s going to happen to these poor things? Maybe there are records or something of where they were caught. Maybe if they need a safe place to stay we could use my mansion…”

As she said that, Drills closed her eyes and shook her head.

“…No, I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right to make them live somewhere they don’t want to. I’ve already learned my lesson.”

Well, that and the fact that they are monsters. They’re playing nice right now because they’re listening to me, but unless they’re strange exceptions like Christina, they probably won’t get along well with people.

“For now, I can testify to the evil actions of that man. And then, once things quiet down, maybe I can come visit you? I did promise Mary that I would.”

Sure thing, come visit whenever. We’ll be glad to have you.

And maybe we can even sneak you out to visit the monsters that ran away from your mansion.

“U-ummm.”

Swapping places with Drills, the five elf girls line up before me.

“They told us everything—that you’re the one who saved us.”

No, I didn’t do that much. I just howled at the end; really Zenobia and Hecate did most of the work.

“Thank you so much for everything.”

The elf who appears to be the oldest bows her head, and then the rest of the girls follow suit.

“Arwf, arwf. (C’mon, that’s enough of that.)”

I’m just glad everything turned out all right.

“Arwf? (But now what are you all going to do?)”

The girls said that their village was gone and all their fellow villagers were scattered.

“I don’t know… We could go back and rebuild our village, but who knows when people like that might come attack us again…”

“We don’t really have anywhere to go.”

“We had our hands full just trying to save our sisters.”

“Guess we’ll have to go back to getting by as burglars…”

No, no, no, that’s a terrible idea. It would be a huge mistake to think that everyone is as nice as the people in my mansion. If you get caught, you might be sold right back into slavery.

“Oh my, perhaps I know of a place that you can go.”

Hecate walks over, spinning her witch’s hat on her finger.

“It’s a place no one knows about, easy to live in, and surrounded by nature.”

“A-a place like that would be…”

“Lady Luluarus! Please tell us where it is!”

“I suppose I could, but we’ll have to ask the Lord of the Forest.”

Hecate looks over at me.

Wait, me? I’m no lord. That forest is Papa’s domain.

That said, Hecate has a point. With the Fen Wolves protecting it, that forest is as safe as can be.

Hecate lives there and she’s also an elf, so it would be a great place to build a village. It’s unbelievably huge, so it wouldn’t matter if people did show up.

And if anything does happen, we’re close enough to help.

“Arwf. (I’m fine with it. I was planning on taking the monsters that wanted to go there back with me anyways.)”

“Really?! Thank you so much!”

“You’re so kind, my lord!”

“Thank you, my lord!”

The elves rush over and hug me.

Eh-heh-heh. No worries, no worries at all.

“Squeak squee-squeak! (Hands off, you harlots! That’s my husband! If you want to be his mistress, you better get in line!)”

“D-did that mouse just talk……?!”

“Squeak!! (I’m a dragon!!)”

Please stop jumping around on top of my head.

“Now then, let’s all teleport back. Nahura, your assistance, please.”

“Mrow. (Of course.)”

And with that we can draw the curtain on tonight’s excitement.

I still don’t know entirely what the merchant was up to, but that’s a job for someone greater than me. Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with a humble house pet like myself.

From the warehouse I can see the horizon and the sun just starting to peek above it.

Already morning. After everything that happened tonight, I’m exhausted. An afternoon nap sounds like the perfect plan for today.

Time to head home and sleep while my lady pets me.