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Diana stepped between me and the Shadow Cougar, shielding me. Asna also took up a defensive stance, protecting Farah. Ellen quickly hid behind me, shrieking.
“I told you, who knows what would happen!!”
The initial Shadow Cougar had a cute, cat-like appearance, but now it was as large as a lion. However, it didn’t seem hostile towards us.
The enlarged Shadow Cougar happily approached the slime and started rubbing its forehead against it. The slime, also appearing delighted, began transforming. Eventually, its transformation completed, and it took on an appearance identical to the Shadow Cougar, except its entire body was white, and the inverted triangular patch on its chest was black instead.
We watched the slime’s transformation unfold before our eyes, utterly dumbfounded, our eyes wide with disbelief. Once the slime’s transformation finished, the two magical beasts joyfully nuzzled each other, making gestures akin to a human embrace. Their intimate behavior reminded me of the atmosphere between my father and mother, and I couldn’t help but murmur:
“Could this Shadow Cougar and slime be…a married couple?”
“While the ecology of magical beasts is not well understood, based on their behavior, that possibility seems high. However, I’ve never heard of a slime and Shadow Cougar being mates.”
Asna responded with an expression of disbelief at the two creatures’ intimate display, and the others had similar looks.
At that moment, the man Diana had knocked away earlier got up, holding his bruised face and staggering. He glanced at us and then, with a sudden burst of anger, shouted:
“You bastards!? How dare you…”
His angry shout trailed off into dejection as he noticed the released magical beasts. He then pointed at them with a horrified expression and shrieked:
“Aaaaahhh!? Why the hell did you release those monsters!!”
The instant he shouted, the black Shadow Cougar angrily pounced towards the man.
“Uwaaaaahhh!! I’m sorry!! Help meeeee!!”
Terrified by the approaching beast, the man turned to flee in desperation. However, he couldn’t escape and was inevitably pinned to the ground by the creature.
“Uwaaaaahhh!! I don’t want to be eaten by a monster and dieeee!!”
All his initial bravado had vanished as the man cried out in desperation. With the tables turned, the Shadow Cougar bared its fangs, seeming to vent its anger at being chased. At that moment, I shouted at the beast:
“Wait, don’t kill him!!”
“……?”
Hearing my voice, the Shadow Cougar turned with a puzzled expression. I didn’t know if it understood words, but I stepped in front of Diana and approached the Shadow Cougar, smiling gently.
“Let us handle them. Besides, if you kill this man now, even more people will end up chasing you and your mate. So, can you leave him to us? Don’t worry, they’ll receive their due punishment.”
“……Grr.”
Whether it understood my words or not, the Shadow Cougar reluctantly stepped away from the man, looking slightly disappointed. Now it was our turn. The man, freed from the creature’s hold, wore an expression of relief.
“Th-thank goodness…”
“Ahaha, what are you saying? It’s too early to feel relieved, I think?”
At my mocking words, the man’s face fell, looking dumbfounded.
“Huh…?”
At that moment, Asna approached from behind me, her face contorted in a demonic expression. She calmly walked over, drew her sword, and pressed the blade against the prone man’s cheek while raising her voice.
“You’re going to explain why the Demon Forest’s monsters ended up here…tell us everything.”
“Hiiiiiii!! I-I’ll talk! I’ll talk!!”
The man’s pitiful screams once again echoed through the area.
The information Asna extracted from the man was not pleasant. Lately, in the Demon Forest, a mated pair of Shadow Cougars had been spotted. At first, it wasn’t particularly noteworthy, as mated pairs of magical beasts were occasionally seen. However, it was later discovered that one of the pair was a slime in disguise. A mated pair consisting of a Shadow Cougar and a slime was quite unusual.
There would undoubtedly be clients interested in such a rarity. On Marein’s orders, hired men plotted to capture the pair. However, since Shadow Cougars are powerful magical beasts, it wasn’t easy. So the men first captured the [slime] and held it hostage. With its mate held captive, the Shadow Cougar stopped resisting and was subdued. That’s when they attached the collar to capture it, according to the man.
After hearing his account, Farah and Ellen regarded him with scornful looks.
“How cruel…”
“…Despicable.”
However, the man dismissively retorted to them:
“…It’s none of your business what we do to others. They’re just monsters…who cares what happens to monsters!!”
Angered by his selfish words, I calmly but firmly responded:
“Do you think anything is permissible as long as the victim isn’t human? That is never the case. Such thinking is mere human arrogance. Those who stray from the path of humanity, committing such acts, are called [heretics]!!”
“!? …Damn it…”
Hearing my words, he flinched and averted his gaze, looking vexed. Then, a familiar voice echoed from behind us.
“I wondered what the commotion was about, but I didn’t expect to find you here, Diana. What’s going on in a place like this?”
I had an ominous feeling, hoping it wasn’t who I thought it was. As I slowly turned around, there was no mistaking it—it was indeed [Chris]. Even Diana seemed at a loss for words, her expression unreadable.
“…Oh? Did I interrupt something…?”
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Oblivious to the intent behind Diana’s expression, Chris looked puzzled. Eventually, Diana politely and slowly asked him:
“…Chris sama, what brings you here?”
“I was interested in the Gemini Sales Shop blacksmith located further ahead, so I was headed there.”
Chris replied with a smile to Diana’s question. What an coincidence that he happened to be going to the Gemini Sales Shop ahead. However, I hid behind Diana, desperately trying not to be noticed by Chris. At that moment, Ellen reacted happily to Chris’s words.
“You’re interested in our shop!? Thank you!”
“Oh, are you with the Gemini Sales Shop?”
Surprised by the unexpected encounter, Chris’s expression quickly shifted to a pleased smile as he continued:
“I’m delighted to meet someone from the Gemini Sales Shop. If possible, I’d love to chat? You see, there’s someone interested in dwarf engineers, so this could be a great opportunity for you, Ellen, and Alex.”
Ellen looked delighted but glanced at me before shaking her head slightly at Chris with an apologetic expression.
“…I’m sorry. We’ve already accepted an offer from someone associated with the Baldia Family, so we’ve decided to go with them.”
“I see, that’s unfortunate…wait, someone associated with the Baldia Family, you say!? If you don’t mind me asking, may I have that person’s name? Ah…could it be Diana, by any chance?”
Chris, making a flawless comedic retort, turned her gaze toward Ellen and Diana. Diana avoided eye contact, but Ellen answered the question plainly.
“No, it wasn’t Miss Diana. It came from Lady Tia over there.”
“Uh… Lady Tia…? Who is that?”
Chris was acquainted with almost everyone in the Baldia household. Naturally, she knew that there wasn’t anyone named Tia among them. Hearing Ellen’s response, her face immediately darkened with suspicion, and she lowered her head in thought. Unable to find any clues, she looked bewildered and directed her question to Diana.
“Miss Diana, my apologies, but… who exactly is Lady Tia?”
Sigh… I didn’t think it would come to this,
Diana sighed in resignation and motioned for me, who had been hiding behind her, to step forward.
(“Traitor!”) I cursed internally but reluctantly shuffled forward, head hanging low. Despite the circumstances forcing me into this disguise, I had no desire to be seen like this by someone I knew. At first, Chris looked puzzled, unable to recognize me since I kept my head down. She crouched slightly to peer at my face, and soon enough, her expression turned to one of surprise.
“Huh?! Lady Meldy? Wait… but the hair color is different…”
As expected, she mistook me for Mel at first. Considering how much we looked alike, it wasn’t surprising. Plus, she’d never imagine me in a disguise like this. I let out a defeated sigh and muttered softly.
“…I’m not Mel. It’s me, Chris.”
“Y-you’re…!?”
She seemed to grasp my identity in a single instant. Staring at me in shock, she gave an exaggerated cough, then leaned in close to my ear and whispered in a hushed voice.
“…Why on earth are you dressed like this?”
“Ahaha… Well, you see, I really wanted to go out into the town, so I consulted with Farah and the others. They said they had the perfect disguise—a maid outfit. So, well… desperate times call for desperate measures, right?”
I replied with an awkward laugh. Chris cast a quick glance at Farah and the others before whispering to me again.
“I don’t quite understand, but… it sounds difficult. Still, had you told me, I could have arranged for you to disguise yourself as an employee of my trading company.”
“Oh ……! I guess you’re right. …… Ha-ha-ha, I’ll do that next time.”
Her suggestion made me slump in defeat even further. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I’d probably been so caught up in the urgency of the situation that I’d rushed into a solution without thinking it through. From the start, I could have asked Chris for help. If I’d invited her to explore the town separately from Farah, I wouldn’t have had to wear this maid outfit at all. But… well, this would probably become a fond memory someday. Shaking my head, I lifted my face and resolved to stay positive. As Chris and I exchanged whispered words, Farah’s concerned voice called out from behind me.
“…Lady Tia, who might that person be?”
“Oh, sorry! Let me introduce her. This is Chris, the representative of the Christy Trading Company, who’s been helping us in the Baldia Territory.”
Following the flow of the conversation, I introduced Chris. Rising gracefully from her crouched position, Chris gave Farah a polite bow.
“Apologies for the delayed introduction. I am Christy Saffron, representative of the Christy Trading Company, which operates within the Baldia Territory. I am honored to make your acquaintance.”
“So, you’re Chris. I am Farah Renalute,” Farah responded.
Following her lead, Asna smiled gently and introduced herself as well.
“I am Asna Landmark, Lady Farah Renalute’s personal bodyguard.”
Hearing their introductions, Chris’s expression paled slightly, and she slowly turned her gaze toward me. I gave her a weak, apologetic smile. Chris seemed to grasp the situation immediately from my expression alone, sighing as she pressed a hand to her forehead.
“And so… what brings all of you here today?” she asked.
“Ah, well, you see…”
After I briefly explained the situation, Chris nodded in understanding and muttered to herself.
“…I see. So it’s about Marein Condroy.”
“Yeah. If we don’t deal with him and resolve Ellen and the others’ debt, it could cause problems later.”
After listening attentively, Chris frowned and seemed deep in thought.
“Actually, I also wanted to consult you, Lady Tia, about something regarding Marein…”
“Huh? You too, Chris?”
Chris proceeded to explain that the trading association led by Marein had been applying pressure, disrupting her supply chains. This had led to multiple issues and even caused some partners to decline transactions, citing Marein as the reason. However, she noted that, strangely enough, Marein’s grip seemed to have slightly weakened today. Continuing her explanation, Chris glanced toward Ellen and the others.
“To tell you the truth, I was planning to visit Ellen’s Gemini Store soon. But I was advised against it by some merchants from Renalute’s association. They warned me not to, saying that Marein had taken notice of the place. I decided to gather information before heading there, but I never imagined the situation had escalated to this extent.”
“…I see. Looks like we really need to do something about Marein,”
I said, nodding as I turned my gaze toward the two magical beasts nearby.
“We have to do something about them. …… ”
They tilted their heads quizzically at me, their adorable gestures bringing a small smile to my face. Still smiling, I shifted my thoughts to how we should deal with Marein Condroy.
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