The Proud Bloodline of a Little Mutt🐶
“I’m hurt you carried out justice without me, woof!”
Dubu’s front paws thumped against my leg.
“I was home all alone!”
On his back was the snack bag he always carried around, and on his face was the tuxedo mask I had made for him.
What kind of dog wore more than I did? Weren’t dogs supposed to run around stark naked?
‘At least wash that bag before letting him carry it around.’
I signaled Kasian with my eyes, but he shook his head.
‘He’s unbelievably stubborn.’
“I am the assistant of the Magical Saintess Sena! A divine beast who stays with her in life and in death! Is this not betrayal? The present reality is truly deplorable!”
“Sorry, sorry. Something happened all of a sudden, so I couldn’t help it.”
Let’s definitely go together next time.
“Promise, woof.”
“Yeah.”
Apparently worn out from being angry, Dubu flopped down on his side, and I grabbed his front paw and shook it.
Only after neatly stamping the back of my hand with the three paw-pad jellies he had did Dubu lick his nose in satisfaction.
That’s right. Dubu has three toes. Therefore, three jellies.
Do normal dogs have five?
I don’t have any dog friends, so I wouldn’t know.
While I crouched in front of Dubu and shook his paw, Kasian, who was organizing the tea boxes he had delivered today in the corner of the storage room, asked,
“So, it was a trap?”
“Ah. Right.”
I’d meant to talk about that.
“Do you remember last time, when I said those villains might have a magic tool that detects my power?”
“Yeah.”
“I think that was true.”
The animal abuser definitely said it. They confirmed I had used magic, then set fire to the shantytown.
“To capture me after I’d exhausted my mana and grown weak.”
“If that’s true, we can’t let our guard down from now on either.”
“Yeah. They’ll definitely try again.”
“I shall protect Serapina, woof!”
“Oh my, thank you. I’m invincible now.”
“Invincible-woof!”
“But.”
I scratched Dubu under the chin—though he looked like he couldn’t protect himself, let alone me—and took out the hand mirror hanging around my neck.
“Something strange happened back then.”
I explained how the jewel on the toy hammer had suddenly shone, and how I’d used magic powerful enough to extinguish the fire across the entire shantytown with it.
“So I thought the limit on my magic use had increased, but when I checked today, that wasn’t it.”
Do you happen to know why? I asked Kasian.
Hmm. Kasian seemed to think for a moment before speaking.
“Perhaps your power temporarily surged at that moment.”
“Temporarily? Why?”
“That’s what you should be telling me.”
“Uh…”
“What exactly happened then?”
What did you experience that made your magic recharge? Kasian asked.
“Uh. Um.”
“Hmm?”
“……”
I rolled my eyes away, avoiding his gaze.
“Nothing happened.”
I’d just been chasing and being chased by Arden like usual, then caught Arden when he nearly fell after being attacked by a violent heron, and then we…
“Really, nothing happened.”
Even to my own ears, my hahahaha laugh sounded awkward.
Kasian’s eyes narrowed.
“What was it?”
“I said it was nothing.”
“I have to know what it was if I’m going to guess.”
“It really wasn’t anything.”
“Tell me before we start living apart over your ‘nothing.’”
“……”
Were we ever living together?
After hemming and hawing, I finally confessed.
“Arden was chasing me at the time, okay? Then he staggered, so I caught him and helped him up.”
“How?”
“Huh?”
“How did you help him up? Did you grab him by the collar or something?”
“No, not that.”
“Then?”
“I… held his back.”
“Dangling?”
Kasian made a motion as if lifting Dubu by the scruff of his neck.
“…Not like that.”
“……”
“Like… this?”
I supported Dubu’s back, cradled him in my arms, and mimed whispering, “Don’t worry, my little kitten.”
“…Aha.”
“……”
“……”
“……”
This is embarrassing, so could you hurry up and say something?
“Your heart must have fluttered then?”
I told you to say something, not nonsense.
I glared at Kasian.
Naturally, I thought he was teasing me, but surprisingly, Kasian’s face was expressionless.
With an expression so indifferent it almost looked sleepy, Kasian continued,
“Your case is a little different, Sena, but Magical Saintesses originally use love and justice as the source of their power. If you felt your heart flutter then, your mana may have been charged by that power.”
“Oh…”
“So, your heart fluttered?”
“Not really…”
Of course, I had been momentarily surprised and flustered, so my heart did seem to beat a little faster.
But that didn’t mean I, like, with Arden, like, like… felt that way.
I didn’t.
“I really didn’t…”
“Good. I hope not.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
Kasian shook his head and folded his arms.
“In the end, we didn’t get any results.”
“I know.”
I’d gone all the way to the imperial ball, but instead of spying on the social club, all I did was confirm that every noble there was selfish.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if any one of the people there that day turned out to be part of the forces of evil.”
“And we lost the red-eyed man too.”
“He vanished like smoke. As if someone knew he was in danger and rescued him.”
They knew me and were chasing after me, but I didn’t even have a clue who they were.
This wouldn’t do.
“Hmmm.”
Kasian stroked Dubu as if deep in thought, then said,
“Or, do you want to try for one more opportunity?”
“Opportunity?”
“Do you know an amusement park is opening in Everlan Forest next week?”
“Yeah!”
“…You startled me.”
Kasian flinched.
Whether he did or not, I was excited.
You see, there’s a huge piece of land called Everlan Forest that used to be used as an imperial hunting ground.
But the imperial family doesn’t enjoy hunting these days.
So a few years ago, they opened the park to the public, and part of it was developed into an amusement park.
A place of dreams and hopes for children, where all proceeds except operating costs are donated to the Imperial Children’s Hospital.
For reference, the person who strongly advocated developing the amusement park was His Highness the Crown Prince.
Ever since the establishment of the mental hospital last time, I’ve liked His Highness the Crown Prince so much.
Ellie said that if His Highness the Crown Prince were ugly, she’d just steal his wallet, but…
‘I’m willing to protect His Highness the Crown Prince’s wallet even if he’s hideous.’
Though I wouldn’t be able to protect the nation’s dignity.
Anyway, that amusement park opens next week!
“I’m looking forward to it so much!”
“I can tell.”
“I’m not the only one looking forward to it. Everyone at our dress shop is excited too.”
They say there’ll be a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, cotton candy, balloons floating around…
“There isn’t a single kid in our country who doesn’t want to go to the amusement park! Everyone’s apparently begging their parents like crazy!”
“I see. But, Serapina?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not a kid.”
“……”
Ignoring my glare, Kasian said,
“In any case, as you said, the amusement park is currently the place every child in the empire is dying to go to. Since their children want it, their parents will naturally want to take them. And nobles are no exception.”
“So nobles will flock to the amusement park in droves.”
“Exactly.”
“And if we want information, we need to go where the crowds are.”
“That’s right too.”
Kasian nodded and pulled a pamphlet from his coat.
“The day before Everlan Park opens, they’re holding an agility competition to celebrate its safe completion.”
“What’s that?”
“A competition where you bring your pet dog, jump over obstacles together, and pass through tunnels.”
“Oh.”
Why would they commemorate an amusement park’s completion with that?
“They say the winner will receive a golden ticket that lets them enter Everlan Park first, right after the competition.”
“Uh, then?”
“That’s right. For that one day, the park will be operated entirely for the winner.”
“Oh!”
It’ll be chaos! At my words, Kasian nodded.
“Probably every parent with children in the capital will try for it.”
“Ooh…”
“Let’s infiltrate there.”
“With who, you?”
“You don’t want to go with me?”
“No. That’s not it.”
I pointed at Kasian and myself in turn.
“You said it’s a competition where you bring a dog and jump over obstacles together.”
Who’s going to participate?
“Am I the owner and you’re the dog?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Then?”
At my question, Kasian looked at Dubu.
I looked at Dubu too.
Dubu, who had taken out some jerky and was tearing into it in the meantime, bared his teeth with a growl.
“I’m not a dog, woof!”
Magical Saintess Serapina