“Oh…? Even in mist form, he was able to sense me. He is neglectful, though. He just shrugged it off.”
With an analytical murmur, the mist hanging beneath the moon coalesced and took the shape of a human.
A girl wearing a black dress, the moon floating behind her. With her index finger to her lips, she evaluated those leaving the cliff side.
“He must be the king of the Fen Wolves. It’s as if he doesn’t know what caution is. I could have fired magic at him from this distance if I’d wanted to. Uncle, you lost to that ?”
“Make no mistake, Miss Carmilla. A short incantation fired abruptly will not and can not defeat him,” warned Lich, held in Carmilla’s hand like a sake cup. “And it isn’t only the king. The monsters under his command are all very powerful. When I think back on our battle, I did not have the upper hand for a single moment. Even for one such as you, it would not be a wise idea to engage him in a straightforward fight.”
Lich’s bones shuddered in fear as he remembered being eaten.
“Please, Miss Carmilla, think about this in a calm, concentrated manner. As long as the Demon Lord is sealed in these lands, the King of the Fen Wolves, ruler of the forest, will be an obstacle. We will not need to worry should we turn him to our side; furthermore, it seems he coexists with humans. It is in his mental nature to live in consideration of those frail humans despite possessing such immense power. His essence is very far removed from that of monsters. He is much too abnormal. I doubt our words would mean anything to him.”
Carmilla, on the other end of his tedious, repetitive explanation, puckered up her face at the bones.
“I get it already. I’ll keep my guard up. That’s what you want, isn’t it? I lost all my own followers when I was sealed, too. We’ll start by observing and gaining a foothold. And also—I’m thirsty.”
Narrowing her bloodred eyes, the vampire princess smiled.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Routa, I fooound you!”
“Arwf, arwf! (Oh no, you found me!) ” I crawl out from under the garden fence.
“Routa, you’re so big I find you right away!” The young lady brushes off the leaves stuck to me.
“Arwf. (Can’t argue with that.) ”
Our games of hide-and-seek are hardly even games at this point. I’m so big there’s nowhere for me to hide, and I can sniff out the sweet-smelling young lady no matter where she is. The rounds end in the blink of an eye.
But that’s where my Japanese customer service mentality comes in. Rather than actually searching her out, I pretend to search.
“Okay, now it’s my turn to hide! You have to find me!”
“Arwf, arwf! (Okay!) ”
I turn around and put my front paws over my eyes. While I do so, the young lady patters off at a trot, looking for somewhere to hide.
“Arwf, arwf? (Can I look now?) ”
“Not yet!”
“Arwf, arwf? (Can I look now?) ”
“Hee-hee. Not yetttt!”
“Arwf, arwf? (Can I look now?) ”
“…You can look now!”
I have consent, so I turn around and start looking for her.
There, behind the fountain! It only took a second to spot her. I didn’t even have to sniff her out. She’s hiding in a spot that’s so easy to see it’s almost refreshing. I can glimpse her beautiful platinum-blond hair even from where I am.
In her not seriously trying to hide, her kindness is palpable; this way I have an easy time finding her. But it would be dull to go along with it and find her. All who are pets must let their masters have fun. If I don’t feign enough dullness, they might suspect I’m a monster.
“Squeak. (Normal dogs don’t have the intelligence to understand hide-and-seek in the first place.) ”
Y-yeah, probably not. Nobody’s ever called me out on it, though, so it’s fine.
“Arwf! (Right, here I come!) ”
The question is how I should go about arriving at the young lady’s hiding place.
“Arwf? (Are you here? Nope!) ”
“…Hee-hee, that’s not it! I’m not over there…”
The young lady watches me from behind the fountain as I poke my nose into the bushes and check the backs of trees.
Okay, great—she’s having fun, which is all that matters. I’ll take as roundabout an approach as I can to wander over near her. And then I’ll call out right before she gets concerned that I haven’t found her yet. A masterful display of customer service, if I do say so myself.
“Squeak, squeak. (You actually seem quite skilled at playing with children… You will be a fine father one day. I look forward to the future.) ”
Shaddup. That future is never happening.
I quiet my breathing, then creep up on the young lady before using my front leg to touch her back.
“Arwf! (Found you, young lady!) ”
“You found me!”
Watching Lady Mary giggle in delight makes me happy, too. This is the only sliver of free time she gets outside of her daily studies. I have to make sure she has as much fun as possible.
Conversely, you could say this is about the only time I actually move during the day. It’s just too hot.
“Squeak… (I cannot believe how cozy you constantly get with each other without ever getting tired of it… What is going on with these prearranged matches? What are you, lovers?) ”
“Arwf? (Wait, seriously? We look like that? Aw, you’re making me blush.) ”
“Squeak! (Grrr! You are such a pervert! No, your perversion puts perverts to shame!) ”
“Arwf, arwf. (If that’s how you feel, then why not join in yourself? Although she might not be able to find you since you’re so small.) ”
“Squeak… (I decline. I’m supposed to be sleeping the daylight away…) ”
After saying that, Len buries herself in my mane, and then her breathing grows steady. I have to say, she’s even more of a NEET than me—and I’m a pet!
“Arwf… (That’s strange, though…) ”
For whatever reason, I take a look around.
Ever since yesterday, I’ve felt someone’s eyes on me, appraising my fluffy body. Usually the only ones who give me the borderline stalker stare are Len and Garo, but Len is in my mane and Garo is too busy with child rearing to come this far out.
I survey my surroundings, but I don’t see anything that catches my eye.
Actually, there’s something suspicious about the roof… I narrow my eyes and stare hard, but nothing seems to pop out at me. Maybe I’m overthinking it. Len hasn’t reacted at all, either. Must be just me.
“Is something the matter, Routa?” asks the young lady, tilting her head in mystification.
“Woof, woof! (Nothing at all, young lady! Shall we continue our game of hide-and-seek?) ”
I put it from my mind, and we play as much as we can until Toa comes to tell Mary that her break time is over.