“…If I, the organizer of the Fen Wolves, neglect to properly greet our king, those below me will cease to follow my instructions.” “…Arwf, arwf. (…No, no, you’ll be fine. They’ll follow them to the letter, don’t you worry.)” Garo groans a little, trying to get her face closer to lick me, as I ward her off with my front paw. Our pushing battle continues. “…My king, do you think I am doing this because I harbor untoward thoughts?” “…A-arwf? (…You mean you’re not?)” “For the Fen Wolves, this is a long-held tradition of swearing fealty to the king. Now allow me to—!” “Arwrw! (You’re lying! That’s gotta be a lie! You’ve never done that before, ever!)” Garo has really been trying to get at me lately. I know what’s going on here, though. These advances aren’t like you at all. They’re something you learned from another. The one hidden right behind those trees over there: Bal. “Bow, bow! (That’s it, Lady Garo! That’s it! His Majesty is a gentle soul. If you keep at it, he will eventually be fettered! Press the attack, always!)” I will not be fettered. You hear me? I will not be fettered! “Squeak! (Hey! What do you think you’re doing?! In such matters as these, I should come first!)” Um, no, there’s no first or second here. Still, that was a nice one, Len. Upon her indignant return, Garo reluctantly withdraws. Apparently, Len’s position as my self-proclaimed “lawful wife” is working. Oh, and then Shiro and Kuro chase after Len and capture her. Considering the size difference, Len is snatched up by a set of lupine jaws in no time. Still, it shouldn’t faze her much at all. I watch Len with lukewarm eyes as the pups play-bite her and cover her in slobber. “Gohh? (What’s all this? Refusing an invitation from a lady? And you call yourself a man? You’re really a no-good wolf, aren’t ya, Your Worshipfulness?)” “Arwf? (Eh?)” That street punk–esque voice that inserted itself in the conversation… I remember it. It belongs to a huge bear, his chest covered in scarlet hair. He joined up with the Fen Wolves sometime during my boot camp experience. “Arwf? (Uhh, what was your name again? Redhelmet?)” “Gohh! (It’s Redarmor! It’s completely different!)” “Arwf, arwf. (My bad, sorry.)” Knowledge from my previous life got in the way there for a second. I have the distinct feeling you’ll be losing your right eye soon. Anyway, I wonder what Redarmor needs. Also, is he always this belligerent? I don’t remember doing anything that would make him hate me. Mystified, I watch as Redarmor brings his face closer to mine, his large frame swaying to and fro. “Goh, goh. (Don’t get full of yourself just because you beat me once or twice, Mr. King.)” Actually, I don’t recall ever beating you. The first time, all I did was stop your attack without getting hurt. The other Fen Wolves were the ones who took you down. And the second time was when Len floored you with one tail swipe. “Gohhh. (I haven’t given up on being king of this forest, you know. I’ll be your underling because I lost to you, but only for now. I will eventually gain power and take up my old position! In the end, it is I who will become king!)” Redarmor gives a great roar and declares war against me. But the reactions from those around me are cold. “Squeak? (What did they call this again?)” “Mewl? (A hopeless try hard?)” “Squeak. (Yes, yes, that’s it. Wonderfully hopeless.)” “Awoo! (Try!)” “Awoo! (Hard!)” “G-gohhh…?! (You… The lot of you have got some lip, you know that?!)” Redarmor’s big body recoils at the girls’ biting interruption. I, however, feel differently. His words excite me. “Arwf?! (Wait, seriously?! You’re going after the throne?!)” Well, what do you know?! He’s a good guy after all! I’ll just give up the title right now. And I won’t take it back even if you decide you don’t want it later. You will be the Fen Wolf King! “Woof, woof?! (You’re serious?! You’d actually replace me as king, Redhelmet?)” “Gohh! (I told you, it’s Redarmor! …Damn. You probably think it’s impossible for me, don’t you?)” “Woof, woof! (No, not even remotely! Even if nobody else believes in you, I will! You could do it! You have what it takes to be king! Don’t give up! Let yourself burn with more passion!)” With my eyes ablaze, I earnestly encourage him. “G-gohh…! (Urgh, that straightforward gaze…! I can tell—he’s not lying about a single thing…! He honestly believes I can become king…! He has faith in me, the one who challenged him twice and lost miserably both times…!)” My desperate cry causes Redarmor to take a step back. “Gohh… (What generosity… So this is the caliber of a true Fen Wolf King…)” And then he breathes a heavy sigh. “Gohh… (I have lost… I am utterly defeated…)” “Arwf! (Wait, no, don’t lose! For my sake!)” Didn’t I just say I’d give you the throne?! Why are you giving up now?! “Gohh! (I swear absolute fealty to you, King. From this day forth, I will be at your beck and call. Use me as you wish. But if you show yourself to be a noncommittal coward…that is when I shall light the flames of revolution!)” Huh? Wouldn’t it be a little hard to be even more cowardly and noncommittal than I already am? The life I lead is already unparalleled in its disgrace. I thought I’d maxed out on the path of the mongrel, but I guess I still have a ways to go. I guess I need to take it even easier and live even more lazily. “That’s our king…! Despite all the training, Redarmor has remained rebellious—and yet now he’s been made into such a devoted subject…!” Upon seeing Redarmor bowed before me, Garo raises her voice in admiration. And the Fen Wolves around us quickly begin to fall in with her. “““Grwl, grwl, grwl! (Our king! Our king! Our great and mighty king!)””” ““Woo, woo! (Kiiing!)”” I’ve done nothing, and yet for some reason the Fen Wolves’ loyalty to me has increased. I think you all really need to stop taking everything in the best way possible! I keep telling you I don’t want to be the Fen Wolf King! Please listen to what I’m saying! I beg you! My protests fall on deaf ears, however, and the howls of the Fen Wolves singing my praises echo through all the forest. After that, I lounge around in the forest, rolling the little balls of fur Shiro and Kuro around with my paws and tasting the sausages with the Fen Wolves. I planned to return to the mansion early, but it’s already past midnight when I get back. “Arwf. (Despite what I say sometimes, they’re fun to play with, too.)” For the moment, I wonder if there’s a way to keep my friendship with the Fen Wolves and only reduce their loyalty to me. “Squeak. (I should think it is the most natural desire of all males to stand at the head of their pack. You are a strange one.)” “Woof, woof. (I’m not strange. I think the same as any regular pet would.)” “Mewl. (A regular pet? I don’t see any of those here.)” I’m right here! I’m a cute dog, no matter how you look at me! I may be a little big, and have a mean face, and the ability to barf up laser beams, but I’m still just a dog! “Mew, meow. (Oh, you and your jokes.)” Ree! It makes me so mad! As Nahura beckons to me with her paw with a grin on her face, I stomp my feet. Then I jump high over the mansion wall, leaning into my anger, before landing on the other side. “Arwf. (Okay, time to sleep. Can’t get enough of how good it feels to finally get some Z’s after staying up late.)” A luxury I can afford, thanks to the complete lack of responsibilities awaiting me tomorrow. I wash my feet in the fountain, and as I’m about to enter the mansion, I hear someone talking. “Arwf? (The back door?)” I was pretty sure nobody was around when I left the mansion. Are some of the servants still up this late? Poking my head around the wall, I check inside the back door. “I can’t stand this anymore, Uncle…!” “Now, don’t say that. The current situation is miserable for me as well…!” There I find the blond tsundere maid, Mircalla, and the old butler, Richmond. Is working at the mansion really that difficult? The two of them are together, voicing their complaints to each other. Maybe the two newbies have similar grievances. I get that. I remember it well. Back at my old job, I’d always be told to think for myself. And then when I actually did, I’d get scolded for acting out of line. So unfair. …Urgh… Away with you, memories of my previous life…! Still, I doubt the servants here are taught their jobs in that manner. Maybe their concern is something only they would understand. So I decide to listen in, and soon I notice that their conversation is getting strange. “As long as we do nothing about this subordination spell,” says Richmond, “we are no different from powerless humans. We must somehow endure this and think of a way to turn the tables.” “It’s been a month since you said that! To think I, the vampire princess Carmilla, one of the five great generals of the Demon Lord’s army, would be reduced to a servant of mere humans…!” Mircalla balls her hands into fists and growls. “All of the other maids are nice, and they teach us our jobs politely, and they don’t get mad even when we mess up! What is with this den of stupidly good people?! And the food they give us as payment is so good that I’m forgetting the taste of blood! Especially that tomato juice we had this afternoon—it was sublime…! Rich, full-flavored, and powerful. Blood can’t satisfy me anymore…! I can’t believe a vampire like myself would experience such humiliation…! They must plan to keep on domesticating me like this…! Curse you, humans…!” “I, too, notice myself becoming prideful each time the marquis compliments me on my tea-making abilities. The joy that comes from being praised by an excellent superior is impossible to put into words. I cannot but honestly say this is a very good workplace to be in. Curse you, humans…!” Wait, wait. Even though you keep cursing humanity, it seems like you’re really enjoying your lives as regular people. Are you just trying to out-humblebrag each other? “This situation would have been unthinkable for us when we were in the Demon Lord’s army. What could be the matter? Ever since the day we were defeated by that Fen Wolf King, I cannot help but feel as though our wickedness has been draining.” “Wait, Uncle, get ahold of yourself… Still, it’s the same for me. I feel like my malice toward humans is rapidly disappearing. In fact, why exactly did I want to destroy all humans to begin with? Me aside, regular vampires have to coexist with humans. I still can’t remember what the Demon Lord looks like, either… Maybe that witch did something other than just steal our mana…” “Yes, and about that. What we need to be discussing is the way we shall break that witch’s curse and recover our power. I do not know why the witch hid our identities and forced us to work at this mansion, but putting us next to that Fen Wolf King likely doubles as a way to keep a watchful eye on us. Should a miracle occur and we gain our powers back, she has it set up so that the Fen Wolf King will devour us immediately. A fearsome two-layered strategy indeed. Should our identities be revealed to that thing, it will all be over. We will surely be destroyed, this time without a trace…” “Y-yeah. We absolutely have to make sure he doesn’t find out.” I’m sorry. I heard literally everything you just said. Who would have thought these two were generals in the Demon Lord’s army? I thought I’d defeated them. If they’re working here, then it must be Hecate’s doing, one way or another. It looks like they can’t do anything bad anymore, but it also doesn’t seem like they’ve given up. I can’t pretend not to have seen this, so I plop down behind them. “That’s correct, Miss Carmilla. We must be prudent and not allow the Fen Wolf King to learn of it—Hwah?!” Oh, he finally noticed me. My Fenrir paws barely make a sound when I sneak around. These plush paw pads are good for a whole lot more than getting played with by Lady Mary! Richmond begins trembling madly after noticing me. I’m not that surprised, to be honest. If something this huge were to abruptly appear right before my eyes, I’m pretty sure I’d piss myself. “Miss…Ca-, Ca-Ca-Ca-, Ca-Ca-Ca-Ca-Ca-Carmilla…!” “Eh? My name isn’t Cacacacacacarmilla, you know… Wait, why are you shaking…like—” I look down at them, the moon at my back. Mircalla’s expression shifts to one of horrified realization. “Arwf… (Never would have guessed this about you two…)” I say with a sigh, taking a step toward them. “Y-y-you’re wrong! I’m just a maid!” “Yes, and I am just a butler!” The two miserable Demon Lord’s generals fall on their butts and inch away. “Arwf? (Reeeaaaally?)” ““Yes, really!”” “Arwf. (Oh, I see. I must have been jumping to conclusions, then.)” ““Yes, jumping to conclusions!”” I stop, and the two breathe sighs of relief. “Squeak. (No, considering they understood what you said, it’s fairly obvious.)” ““Oh no!”” Unfortunately for them, the jig is up. “Squeak, squeak. (Of course, I knew it right from the start.)” Are you serious? Say something earlier! Then I could have had a lot more fun driving them into a corner. ““Please, if you spare nothing else, spare our lives…!”” The generals of the Demon Lord’s army get on their hands and knees and start begging for their lives. I almost tear up at the sight of it. Knowing exactly how strong these characters were when they first showed up makes me all the sadder at seeing them now. Well, if Hecate is involved, I doubt she’d have done this to them for no reason. I trust in my friends. Also, I’ve been watching these two ever since they came to the mansion, and they’ve been working earnestly the whole time. Mircalla was a mess in the beginning, but now she’s an excellent maid, performing her duties quickly and efficiently. Richmond already held mastery over his work when he started, but his expressions used to be much stiffer. Despite all they were saying, they do seem to be enjoying life at the mansion. Even now that their identities have been revealed, I can’t just exterminate them right off the bat. They haven’t done anything. “Woof. (All right. I’ll overlook this.)” Their faces positively light up when they hear that. I do need to give them a warning at least, though. Someone just as terrifying as me lives here in this very estate. What am I beating around the bush for? I mean Zenobia—the mansion’s violence machine. “Arwf, arwf. (But if you ever mistreat any of the mansion’s residents, you’ll both end up ripped to shreds.)” By Zenobia. “Woof, woof. (So you might want to be careful.)” I’m being careful, too. Zenobia really doesn’t have any mercy. Course I’m cautious. ““Y-yes, sir…!”” They both nod furiously, tears streaming down their faces. I think they got the message.
Chapter 90
14 min read