A short while before Routa arrived home…
The mansion lingered in silence, disconnected from the chaos in the forest. Late at night, even the patrolling maids took to their beds, and nobody would wake up until morning arrived.
And now a white mist crawled through that mansion. It entered through the little gaps in doorways, ever advancing toward its destination.
The mist’s goal was the room of a beautiful young girl sleeping in a canopied bed. She was slumbering quietly, but occasionally, as though she was just remembering something, her hands would move, searching for something that should be next to her.
The mist traveled to the bed, and, with a chill clinging to it, stroked Mary’s skin.
Rapidly the mist regained human form. It was Carmilla, who had returned to the mansion once again.
“Ahh, such a sweet smell…”
Carmilla, leaning over Mary, brought her face closer to her neck.
“As always, the smell of young maidens is the greatest. I’m sick of the blood of those beasts. In fact, I’d very much like to cleanse my palate with this child’s blood.”
Carmilla moved her lips toward Mary’s soft neck.
The whole business gave off an air of lewdness, but what waited a moment later would be a brutal death by bloodsucking. Carmilla wasn’t even half-full yet—and so it took willpower to hold herself back from this meal.
“I’d like to drink you dry right now, but unfortunately, I can’t. You need to be our bait to lure out the King of the Fen Wolves.”
But, deciding to at least get her fill of the aroma, she brought her face close to Mary’s neck once more. And then she made a dubious expression.
“…This scent… I’ve smelled it before…”
Carmilla drew away from Mary and searched her memories.
Considering she’d been sealed away for a millennium, there couldn’t have been that many scents she knew. If there were any that she remembered in this way, it would have been before that.
Unraveling her memories, she eventually arrived at the answer.
“I remember now. It’s the same as the Hero’s scent. Could this girl be of the Hero’s bloodline? If she is, then a pillar of the Demon Lord’s sealing—”
“Stop right there, villain!”
A sword flashed as the voice sounded.
Carmilla turned around, a little irritated that her thoughts had been interrupted.
“You sensed my presence, even when I was turned to mist? And got behind me without allowing me to sense your presence? You are quite skilled, for a human. A thousand years ago, they would have lauded you as a brave hero.”
The one who had slashed at Carmilla from behind was Zenobia. Her death blow, however, had been blocked by Carmilla’s nails.
“Bastard—you’re no human…! What business do you have at this mansion?!”
Zenobia pushed her sword, along with the nails, toward Carmilla. The added weight caused her heels to send cracks through the floor.
“What incredible might you have, to push a vampire like me back with arm strength alone. Are you truly a human? Are you sure you’re not some greater variety of ogre?”
“Silence…! Get away from the young lady…!”
Her sword creaked against the nails. Their power was evenly matched, and the sword wasn’t able to withstand it.
Zenobia’s expression was bloodcurdling; Carmilla wore a thin smile.
But their contest of strength ended before the sword even broke.
“…?! Guh…!”
Zenobia groaned in pain, backing off. When she looked into Carmilla’s eyes, they were giving off an eerie glow. She fell to one knee, as though weighed down by something invisible, and eventually her sword fell from her hand.
“You… What did you…do to me…?!”
“Your strength may be your pride, but it looks like your resistance toward magic is average. Don’t worry—it’s only a little sleeping spell. If I allow any of you to be wounded now, she will no longer have value as a hostage. Sleep, then, as you curse your own powerlessness. Of course, you probably won’t remember anything by the time you wake up.”
Scornfully laughing at Zenobia, who was trembling as she desperately tried to stand, Carmilla picked Mary up in her arms.
“I’ll be quite careful with your ‘young lady.’ If she does turn out to be a pillar of the sealing, she could be quite crucial for us.”
“Wait…! Let go…of her…!”
Zenobia’s outstretched hand grasped only air as Carmilla flew out the mansion window.
✦ ✦ ✦
I’m almost there.
As fast as I can without letting Ururu fall, I run back to the mansion.
“Arwf? (Is someone at the gate?) ”
Someone is crouching at the front gate we use to enter the mansion.
When we get closer, we see that it’s Zenobia, who has been trying to walk by using her sword as a crutch.
“Arwf, arwf! (What—Zenobia?! What happened?! I thought you were a morning trainer! What are you doing out here?!) ”
“Is that…you, Routa…? Where have you been…? No, that’s not important right now… The young lady, she…”
Zenobia reaches out and grabs my chest with a shaking hand.
“The young lady…has been kidnapped…”
“Arwf?! (Huh?!) ”
“I’m pathetic… I wasn’t able to do anything… No, that’s not what I need to be telling you…”
Her mind must be hazy, because her eyes aren’t focused. She continues to speak as though in delirium.
“The enemy looked like a human, but she was clearly a monster… She fled in that direction…”
Her trembling fingertip points into the forest. Toward where the lake is—the one we all just vacationed at.
“…I wish I could be the one to save her, but I don’t think…my consciousness will last… I hate myself for only relying on you…when it’s convenient for me… But you’re the only one…who can do anything right now…! P-please… Save her…!”
Finally Zenobia runs out of strength. She falls against me and loses consciousness.
“Woof… (Zenobia…) ”
“Squeak. (It’s nothing to worry about. She’s only sleeping. Likely magic interfering with her mind. I can also sense a spell that will take her memories to keep her quiet. She must have tried to tell you before that happened. She shouldn’t have been able to pull through with willpower, but it is quite like this stubborn boar of a woman.) ”
Seems like Zenobia hasn’t been injured. That’s a relief.
She’s leaning against me, so I lay her to rest on her back at the gate.
“……”
So the young lady has been kidnapped, has she?
“…Squeak? (What’s wrong? Why are you silent, my love?) ”
“…Arwf. (Heh. Heh-heh… I haven’t been this pissed off in a long time…) ”
Time to go up to the roof…
…is how I have to joke to even keep my cool, I’m so mad.
They have some nerve, stealing the young lady from me. I’ll show you just how loyal this dog really is.
“Woof! (Great. Let’s get moving, you jerks! I don’t give a rat’s ass about what the Demon Lord’s army is after! We’re saving Lady Mary and getting back to our old lives!) ”
“Mew. (I think the way you don’t get shaken is wonderful!) ”
“Lord Routa…!”
I don’t have a happy pet life without the young lady. I swear I’ll save her.
I mean, we’ve got Len, a muscle-head dragon who uses sheer firepower for everything, and Nahura, who has a whole assortment of convenient spells. If it comes down to it, they’ll take her down for me.
I’m relying on all of you.
I’ve never forgotten my virtue of relying on others. I’m so cool.
“Squeak. (Just when I’ve thought you’d regained your wild spirit through training with the Fen Wolf princess, it’s as though you haven’t changed at all.) ”
“Mew. (Well, that’s another one of Routa’s good qualities.) ”
And with that, they both jump onto my back.
“Arwf, arwf. (What about you, Ururu? It looks like the enemy boss is waiting for us up ahead. It might be safer for you to stay here. After all, it doesn’t seem like she’s harmed anyone in the mansion.) ”
“No, I’ll go with you!”
I see. Then I’ve nothing more to say.
There’s only one thing to do: destroy anyone who would get in the way of my life as a pet.
“Awooooo!! (We ride!!) ”
With everyone on board, I start running in the direction Zenobia pointed.