The 5th day of the Light month. On the warm, sunny afternoon, I was in the garden behind Lilia-san’s mansion.
This garden, which is somewhat too large to be called a rear garden, is also the place where Lilia-san’s mansion’s guard force conducts their training.
[……Hmmm. Seigi is like that now huh…… It’s not like I’m doubting Kaito-senpai, but I just can’t imagine him being like that.]
[Well, putting aside if Mitsunaga-kun has changed, I’m just glad that he’s doing well. Thank you for telling us, Kaito-san.]
When I told Hina-chan and Aoi-chan about Mitsunaga-kun, who I’ve met in the Hydra Kingdom again, Hina-chan seemed to be doubting the change in Mitsunaga-kun, while Aoi-chan was honestly happy to see him safe.
Well, Hina-chan was Mitsunaga-kun’s cousin sister, and since she knows Mitsunaga-kun’s well, she may be surprised by his change.
As I think about this, I look at the two of them while drinking green tea.
Hina-chan, dressed in trousers that look easy to move…… The same as she usually wears when she’s going for a run, and Aoi-chan, wearing a simple one-piece dress and a brown jacket.
They seem to be doing their prepared exercises in their own ways, while I was sitting on the side, watching the two of them.
[……Alright, all set and ready. Aoi-senpai!]
[I’m also ready…… Well then, best regards.]
[Yes!]
[Kaito-san, please give us a signal.]
It looks like they’re ready to go, as Hina-chan and Aoi-chan stood around the center facing each other, keeping a reasonable distance.
Then, Aoi-chan asked me for a signal, and slightly raising one hand, I waved it down with my call.
[Well then…… Start!]
With my signal, Aoi-chan quickly crouches down on the spot and places her hand on the ground to summon a magic circle.
[……Clay Golem!]
[Ohhh……]
Thereupon, the magic circle lets out a bright glow, and a large amount of dirt and mud flooded towards the magic circle…… gathering together and forming into a humanoid, mud giant of about 5 meters tall. When Hina-chan saw it, she lightly pulled her foot back and tightly clenched her fist.
[Fuuu! Let’s get serious now!]
At the same time as those words, Hina-chan powerfully kicks off the ground and heads straight for the golem at a terrific speed.
Hina-chan’s speed was moving at a speed that makes me feel as if she’s moving through a fast-forwarded video, but the golem immediately responded to her movements, raising one arm to intercept Hina-chan.
It’s a strike from a huge arm that could easily crush a human, but Hina-chan easily skips away, leaps onto the arm that had just been swung down on the ground and runs up to its shoulder.
[A- Awesome……]
[Hah!]
Then, running up the golem’s shoulder in an instant, HIna-chan twisted her body and with fluid motions, stomped the golem’s shoulder with a dropkick.
It feels like that drop kick holds great power, as a loud sound is heard and a large crack is made on the golem’s shoulder.
[Kuhh, this thing’s touch……]
[Fufufu, my golem won’t shatter so easily this time.]
[Ueehhhh…… Its reaction time had also increased, how much magic power did you put into it……]
Unable to shatter the golem with a single blow, Hina-chan looked troubled and took her distance, avoiding the golem’s hand that was about to swoop on its shoulder.
Even so, the two of them were awesome…… Hina-chan is already able to move completely beyond human means, and I knew that Aoi-chan is learning how to cast genuine magic, but for her to make a golem that big…… I feel like I was left behind.
As I was thinking about this, I watched the battle unfold.
The reason why the two of them are fighting now is because Aoi-chan asked Hina-chan to help her test her new golem, which is something that is a rather common sight these days.
Incidentally, the last golem was about three meters tall and was crushed by Hina-chan with just one kick.
I don’t know if Aoi-chan is being quite competitive or not, but the golem she summoned now is greatly strengthened compared to the last one, and even Hina-chan, who boasts of her overwhelming physical abilities, was unable to easily defeat it.
Unnn, well, how should I say this…… The two of them got really strong……
[Auuuu…… I lost. Having a regeneration ability is unfair.]
[Awesome…… Ah, no, thank you. Hina-chan.]
After a while, it seems that the match has been settled. Hina-chan slumped down on the ground, while Aoi-chan clenched her fist and made a guts pose.
This time, Aoi-chan’s strategy seems to have clutched victory, as the golem that emphasizes endurance, adding a regenerating ability to that, the golem was able to withstand Hina-chan’s onslaught of attacks.
Well, in a real battle, Hina-chan would just end the match by targeting Aoi-chan herself with her fast movements, but since the target of this match is to test out the capabilities of the golem, Aoi-chan would certainly be the winner.
[The two of you did great…… Well~~ Even so, both of you have become really strong. I don’t think I’d be a match for either of you.]
[Thank you. However, it can’t be helped since Kaito-san’s basic combat power is lower than ours. You’re also a different type of fighter.]
[A different type?]
As I was saying congratulatory words to the two of them, Aoi-chan reacted to my words and said that I’m a different type.
When I tilted my head, not knowing what she was talking about, Aoi-chan continued while pointing at Hina-chan.
[If we were to compare it to an RPG, Hina-chan is a Warrior while I’m a Wizard.]
[Being a Warrior doesn’t sound very cute, so I feel like I’m losing out to Aoi-senpai as a girl, but I can certainly agree with how she described it.]
[Fumu…… Then, what about me?]
[ [ A Monster Tamer. ] ]
[……I see.]
[Kyuii?]
They answered my question in unison. Looking at Lynn who was laying on my lap and Bell who I was leaning my body against…… I was easily convinced why.
It’s true that if I were to be likened to a Monster Tamer, I think it can’t be helped if my body’s fighting capabilities are low.
Well, that’s actually the reason why I was also called to this place……
[Anyway, Kaito-san. I’ve finally defeated Hina-chan! At last, it’s now Bell-chan’s turn!]
[……Are you really sure you want to do this?]
[Please! I just want to see if my golem will work against the monsters of this world.]
[……U- Unnn. Well, if you’re going to go that far…… Bell.]
[Gaoo.]
Yes, the reason I’m being called to this place this day is because Aoi-chan wanted to let her golem fight Bell as well.
As for me, I was just worried about Bell’s fur getting dirty, but if she’s going this far, I guess it can’t be helped…… I’ll just bathe him again after they’re done.
Bell’s fur is one of my pride and joy. I bathe him often and never miss a day of brushing him, so his fur is shiny and fluffy.
Thanks to that, his fur feels as comfortable to touch as those high-class futons,so I often lean against Bell for a nap.
When I called out to him, Bell gets up and slowly walks to the center of the garden, with an expression that seems to say “It can’t be helped”.
[Bell…… Using your Breath is forbidden, okay?]
[Gaoo!]
And so, Aoi-chan, who wanted to confront Bell, also jogged towards the center and made a huge golem appear just like the one before.
At first glance, the golem looks bigger than Bell…… It really consumes quite a considerable amount of magic power, but Aoi-chan has the most magic power among the three of us, so she can manage to make a golem of this caliber at least twice.
[Well then, Aoi-senpai, Bell-chan. Ready~~ Start!]
[Guruaahhh!]
[……Eh?]
[Gao……]
Hina-chan energetically started the match…… and it ended in an instant.
It really just ended in an instant. As if he just found this battle troublesome, Bell waved his paw and the golem shattered by that one strike.
As expected on a legendary magical beast…… He’s on a completely different level.
[J- Just one strike…… Bell-chan…… is really strong.]
Without seeming to be bothered by Aoi-chan’s slumped shoulders, Bell comes back to me and slightly bowed his head, as if he’s asking me to praise him.
[Unnn. Thank you, Bell…… Good boy, you did really great.]
[Kuuu……]
Bell lets out a pleased purr as I pet him before he moves behind me again, returning back to his prone position he had before.
[Aoi-chan too, you did great……]
[U- Uuuu, as expected, I still couldn’t beat Bell-chan yet…… I still need some improvements.]
[I guess so.]
[Hmmm. What does this mean? Does that mean that Kaito-senpai is the strongest?]
[It’s not me you should be naming here, it’s Bell who’s stronger……. More importantly, Bell.]
[Guru?]
[Your right forepaw got dirty, you know? Show me that, I’m going to wipe it off, so hold out your paw.]
[Gaooo……]
For now, the most important thing at the moment is Bell’s paw, which got dirty after smacking the clay golem earlier.
Dirt stains are troublesome to remove when they get dry, so I took out a large cloth from my magic box and wiped his paw.
[……Even so, I’m really tired.]
[Unnn, I also agree…… I’ve almost used up my magic power……]
[Well, let’s go take a break then. There’s still some tea that Lunamaria-san brought…… Unnn?]
I called out to Hina-chan and Aoi-chan, who looked like they were tired, while wiping Bell’s feet, when Lynn suddenly moved in front of me, flapping her wings around.
[Kyuu, kyukyuuii!]
[Eh? You want me to leave this to you?]
[Kyuii! Kyukuukyukyuuiii!]
[So, praise me later? U- Unnn?]
[……Aoi-senpai. It looks like Kaito-senpai has finally begun to understand the language of monsters almost completely.]
[……It seems like he’s completely become a Monster Tamer.]
I thought I heard some people speaking rude things about me, but anyway, Lynn seemed to have something in her mind now, and she confidently told me to leave it to her.
In the first place, I didn’t really understand what she was asking me to leave to her, but I nodded anyway, and then, Lynn turned to Aoi-chan and Hina-chan and took a deep breath.
[Kyuk~~ Kuuuu~~!]
[Eh? Wha!?]
[W- What is this? These glittery stuff is!?]
Thereupon, Lynn released a glittering Breath burst forth like flowing wind, enveloping the both of them……
[Eh? Arehh? I somehow feel like my tiredness is disappearing……]
[I also feel like my magic power is recovering bit by bit? Could this be something like a “Recovery Breath”……]
Eh? Recovery Breath? Could Lynn, or rather, White Dragons release a Breath like that? Ohh, that’s awesome, and it’s something that would be really helpful.
As I was admiring Lynn’s unexpected ability, I heard something fall behind me, and when I turned around…… Lilia-san’s trio was there, with their eyes and mouths wide open in astonishment.
[……Wha, w- w-…… what did she just……]
[……I’ve never heard of a Recovery Breath before but, is Lynn perhaps a Special Individual?]
[T- That’s not it! The Special Individuals of White Dragons have different wing shapes. Lynn is definitely a normal White Dragon.]
[As expected of My Lady…… You really know a lot about Dragons.]
Arehh? What the heck does this mean? Somehow, I don’t know if I should say that I’m smelling the scent of trouble or not, but I feel like something ridiculous is happening.
Dear Mom, Dad———– I’ve reaffirmed Bell’s strength, and even witnessed Lynn’s newfound ability. However, it seems that this is———- an ability she shouldn’t be able to have.
<Afterword>
Kaito’s Pet Raising Environment
Bellfreed: Bathed and brushed almost daily, making his fur the greatest it can be.
Lindwurm: When she works hard, Kaito feeds her a <Fruit of the World Tree> as a reward ← Cause
Note: Kaito is super sweet to his pets.
Well, putting that aside, Aoi, making a guts pose, after defeating Hina…… that’s absolutely cute.
T/N: 19/151+2