Haaaaaah…
What a luxurious time this is.
「Lord, bad child. Lying down right after lunch.」
「You’re doing it too, Shiro.」
「Hmm… the sun’s fault.」
「Yeah… it’s totally this sun’s fault.」
With the warm sunlight pouring down without restraint, I couldn’t resist.
After lunch, Shiro and I ended up taking a nap together on the roof.
She was curled up facing me, using my outstretched arm as a pillow.
「No work today?」
「Yeah. Nothing that needs doing right now.」
「What about training?」
「Ah… I should, but… this takes priority today.」
Lately, I’d been spending all my time training or working with Aina and Mizera, so I hadn’t had much time with Shiro.
Relaxing like this together was a good way to refresh from our busy days.
「Now that you mention it, you’ve been going out a lot lately, Shiro. Busy with something?」
While I trained with Aina and the others, Shiro would often go off somewhere on her own.
Sometimes she’d even ask, in her awkward polite tone, 『May I go play?』, and then wouldn’t come back for several days.
I wondered what she was up to.
「Hm? When lord’s free, I’m free. When lord’s busy, I’m busy.」
「What’s that supposed to mean?」
「It means Shiro’s loyal, always putting lord first. Fall for me and hold me?」
「Yeah, yeah…」
Keeping her head on my arm, I shifted toward her and pulled her into a hug.
「Hmmn… close, but not what I meant…」
「No, it’s exactly that. I’m holding you.」
「Haah… well, this is fine too.」
Shiro scooted a little closer and curled up again in my arms.
She fit so neatly, it reminded me just how small she was.
「Hmm… lord’s warm.」
「Too hot?」
「No. Feels nice.」
「Good. You’re warm too, you know?」
「Hm? Lord’s warmer.」
Normally, kids have higher body temperatures than adults, but apparently I was the warm one.
On that point, Shiro wouldn’t budge.
「Ah, how did it go yesterday?」
「Yesterday? Oh, the mock battle. Yeah. Just barely, but I grazed Sorte with my sword tip.」
It wasn’t much in the grand scheme of things, not even close to a proper result in a real fight,
but for me, it was a big step forward.
「Oooh. Lord’s amazing. Worked hard. Dog serves her right.」
「‘Serves her right’? …Well, I got completely beaten up by Renge right after that though…」
Yeah, I really got thrashed.
Even Renge looked confused about it, like, ‘Huh?’
If Aina hadn’t rushed in to stop her, I’d probably be lying in bed right now groaning in pain.
Renge apologized over and over… but honestly, that turned out to be a good experience.
It helped me tighten my focus again, kept me from getting carried away or overconfident.
「Well, I’ve still got a long way to go. Slowly but surely, I’ll keep at it.」
「I see… lord. There’s a way for you to definitely beat those three, you know?」
「Oh? What’s that?」
Training-wise, since I still haven’t mastered the basics, Aina and the others have been teaching me.
Shiro’s fighting style, though, is completely outside the norm.
Her approach is never about defense, it’s about killing faster than anything else, so there’s not much I can learn from her right now.
That’s probably why she never joins in during our training sessions.
But now, Shiro was offering me advice.
Considering I’ve grown a little, I looked at her with anticipation, wondering what kind of wisdom she’d share.
Shiro puffed up proudly, full of confidence.
「You just have to fight them in bed from night till morning. Then the next day, their legs will give out and you’ll definitely win. It’s something only lord can do, only lord can win that way. Shiro would be done for too.」
「…Hey, Shiro. I feel like your goal shifted from ‘getting stronger’ to just ‘winning’.」
「…Oh! That was a blind spot.」
The fact that she paused to think meant she’d only just realized that.
Also, if I were to fight from night till morning and then have a mock battle the next day, I’d be the one collapsing, right?
I wouldn’t even be able to defend myself. One wrong hit and I’d end up seriously injured.
And besides, Shiro’s still a kid, so no. Not because of her chest or anything, but ethically and legally, absolutely not.
I gave her a meaningful look, especially about that last part, and she seemed to understand, letting out a small sigh.
But then, she quickly cheered up and hugged me tightly again.
「Can’t be helped. The sun’s warm, and so is lord, so I’ll just settle for this… Hmm. So happy.」
Shiro pressed herself against me snugly.
Unfortunately, being flat-chested, there wasn’t much of that ‘supreme comfort’ to be had, but still…
「I’m happy too… Wait, huh? Shiro, did your chest get a little bigger?」
「Really!?」
「Yeah…」
It was probably about five to seven millimeters, but it did seem slightly more rounded.
Is that something she wouldn’t notice herself?
「My gear resizes automatically, so I didn’t realize… Shiro’s ‘Oppai Journey’ begins today.」
I… don’t know how to feel about that.
But yeah, it really did look a bit bigger.
I confirmed it when she sat up in surprise, so there’s no mistake.
「I’ll brag to the dog later. Shiro’s growth spurt will soon surpass hers in no time.」
「Don’t do that… Sorte will cry.」
Well, thinking about it… maybe that’s fine too?
Flat chests are cute. But the ‘cutest’ thing of all is when the person herself is embarrassed about being flat.
No matter how many times I’ve seen it, watching Sorte tearfully try to hide herself so I won’t notice… it’s unbearably adorable.
「Lord is thinking about another woman… even though Shiro’s right here…」
Another woman, huh…
Well, she’s not wrong.
「Sorry, sorry. Come on, let’s take a nap. It’s the perfect day for it, so warm and cozy. It’d be a waste not to.」
「Hmm. Talking with lord is nice, but napping is nice too. Very nice.」
We both yawned deeply, and I pulled Shiro close, holding her in my arms as I closed my eyes.
Before long, her gentle breathing became my lullaby, and I drifted into a blissful midday slumber.
-0-
「…ease! Please… let me meet him!」
A loud voice reached my ears. My blurry eyes looked up at the sky,
The sun, which had been shining straight above us, was now beginning to set, handing the sky over to the moon’s shift.
Far in the distance, twilight was slowly creeping in.
「That’s not possible! The sun’s already gone, please return tomorrow!」
It was the tanuki gatekeeper girl, raising her small voice to confront someone at the gate.
「Please, I beg you! It’s urgent, I must speak with him!」
The visitor… whoa. Furry.
No, wait, his hair, beard, tail, and ears were all long, so that’s probably why he looked like a walking ball of fluff.
But I don’t know this beastkin.
All the beastkin I know keep their fur immaculate.
Because ‘I’ made sure of that.
「Please, let me meet the master of this house!」
So, he’s looking for me…
Could it be that word of my grooming skills has started to spread?
That fur of his, it just screams for maintenance.
No, no, that won’t do. Absolutely not.
That level of neglect… that’s beyond saving.
He looks like he hasn’t done a single bit of care throughout a long journey.
As a beastkin enthusiast, I simply can’t approve.
「Hmm… lord?」
「Looks like we’ve got a guest. I’ll go check it out.」
「Hmmn… okay…」
She answered sleepily, still clinging to me with her legs.
Even when I stood up, she stayed attached, completely asleep.
So, with one arm supporting her bottom, I rode the Invisible Jail down from the roof and approached the gate.
「Ah, master-san…」
「Oh! You must be the master of this house!」
「Yeah. Sounds like you’ve got business with me, but… sorry, once the sun’s down, I don’t take visitors until morning.」
The tanuki girls guard the gate in shifts, day and night.
Officially, they’re there to protect Iris’s mansion, but since Iris is rarely home, it’s really more for my sake.
Evenings are meant for relaxing together, so unless it’s someone we know, we turn away visitors after sundown and ask them to come back the next day.
「I can’t do that! Please, I beg you! You must hear me out!」
He really was a walking ball of fur.
Brown, black, gray, and white, an elderly visitor covered in a thick, tangled coat.
No matter how you look at it, this guy’s here for grooming.
Most likely… a dog-type beastkin. Though surely there’s no such thing as a ‘Yorkshire Terrier tribe’, right?
「…Alright then. For now, please come inside. But first, take a bath. I’ll have it heated up, and we can talk after you’ve cleaned up.」
Well, I was planning to let him in anyway.
Besides, after that long nap, I was feeling rested enough to deal with visitors.
Still, there’s no way I could just leave someone in that state.
Even if I were to groom him, there’s no comb on this continent that would pass through that mess.
He’ll need a good wash first, honestly, maybe even a full trim.
「Ah, I… I apologize… I’ve been traveling long and in such haste that I forgot how disheveled I’ve become…」
「Don’t worry about it. You can take your time in the bath; there’s plenty of it. Besides, I get the feeling this won’t be a bad conversation for me either.」
That fur of his, if cleaned properly, it would surely become beautifully straight and silky, smooth enough to slip through the fingers.
Glossy, soft, with a fine, golden-thread texture… I could already imagine the feel.
「Oh… then you already understand… Very well. I shall take that bath first. Thank you, truly…」
Alright, one guest escorted.
While the old man’s soaking, I’ll polish my grooming tools and get the sharp scissors ready.
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