So many birthdays today! My blog, Kirindas, Mockery Cat…

Happy birthday, guys!

Ah, and note that I update the Character Profiles as new characters and information is revealed.

Three weeks after the town mayor sent out a request to the Guild, news reached me about the suppression team camping out on the Beruga Plains.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Yes, Oneesama.”

Timu, Myuu and I headed to their camp.

“Myuu, what’s wrong?”

Myuu’s expression was gloomy. We’re about to go talk to the suppression team. Maybe even if he’s a talented swordsman, it’s still making him nervous.

“No, this one was simply feeling guilty towards Captain.”

“Why?”

“Normally, at times like this, guard duty goes to the Captain of the Household Guard.”

“Huu, I know that you’re good at looking after people. Niel is relying on you too, it seems. Are you and Niel friends?”

“It would be above this one’s station to be friends to him. However, it is true that we are brothers in arms. This one cannot deny that he feels that way about the Captain.”

“Mn, mn. I knew it. Have you known Niel for a long time?”

“Yes. We are are childhood friends.”

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH THAT IDIOT!? Myuu, you must have had it really tough, huh.

“Hmm~ Is that how it is.”

“His status was different to this one’s, however.”

Status? …No matter how I look at it, aren’t you higher!? Does Myuu keep himself reserved day-to-day out of concern for that idiot?

He really is a good person. Well, if he wasn’t, there’s no way he’d put up with that Pervert(Nielsen)’s weird behaviour for any length of time.

“Myuu, even if he’s your childhood friend, there’s no need for weird reservations you know.”

“Mühen, it is as Oneesama says. There is no need for hesitation. You shall always aim higher than yourself. It was my mistake for allowing you to become like this.”

“Hahah, you overestimate this one.”

Myuu shook his head in embarra.s.sment.

Honestly, he’s way too humble…

It’s because of that that I like him.

And so like that, the three of us chatted while we walked, and eventually the suppression team’s camp came into view. Lots of war-horses were tied up around the place. From that, you could see just how severe the place was.

“Mühen, we are already on enemy ground. Suppress your mana!”

Suddenly, Timu started spouting chuuni speak. Her chuunibyou probably flared up after seeing all the horses and adventurers.

“Hah-! …Kuh-!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hahh, hahh, dropping one’s mana down to human levels is… quite the difficult task, isn’t it.”

“It’s like that for everyone to begin with. But once you adapt to it, it becomes but a simple task. Rather, suppressing your mana actually makes it easier to control.”

“Understood… Muu…. Huu~ This one has somehow managed.”

“Umu. Well done.”

So Myuu plays along as well. Mn, I see. Scolding her pointlessly would just make her rebel.

“Oneesama. Mühen and I have suppressed our mana to human levels. Please be at ease.”

“I-, I see… Take care in your behaviour, okay?”

“Of course, Oneesama.”

Timu said that full of confidence but… is the anxiety just my imagination?

Anyway, for now let’s have Timu stay at the back. It would probably be better for me to do the talking.

Well then…

Ahem, after pulling myself together, I headed into the camp.

“h.e.l.lo.”

“Who are you?”

A bunch of stern faces all turned in my direction at once.

Oohh, truly the image of ruffians. I can feel a different aura to Loser(Bizef)’s. As expected of real adventurers.

“I’m Tilea. I work as a cook in Beruga.”

“Hmph. And what does a lowly towngirl want with us?”

The bearded ball of muscle at the front sent me a haughty reply.

Mu-! What an unpleasant guy!

But if I get angry, it’d all be for nothing.

Smile, smile. Suppressing my anger, a smile appeared on my face.

“Thank you for your hard work. The truth is, there’s a favour I would like to ask of all of the adventurers, and…”

“FAVOUR? We’re busy exterminating magic beasts. GO HOME!”

p.i.s.sing me offf. Who does this bearded meatball think he is! Would it hurt just to hear me out a little!

“I cannot forgive your extremely disrespectful att.i.tude towards Oneesama!”

“Camilla-sama, please wait.”

“Mühen, do not stop me!”

“For the sake of Tilea-sama’s ambition, she is purposefully playing the fool. We must not put her determination to waste.”

“I know that! But, isn’t it frustrating? That the mighty Oneesama must be made light of by garbage that isn’t even worth a glance…”

“This one is also on the verge of exploding, but please restrain yourself. We must not hinder Tilea-sama’s strategy.”

“Mu, you’re right. Mühen, well said.”

“Milady. This one feels your mortification from the depths of his heart.”

For some reason I could hear Timu running wild behind me. But it looks like Myuu stopped her.

Had it been Pervert(Nielsen), all he would have done is add oil to the fire. It really was the right choice in bringing Myuu along. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like the adventurers heard what Timu said. I’d better advance the conversation while I can.

“Come on, don’t be so cold. Just liiisten a little bit~”

“Noisy. If you keep complaining I’ll kick you out of――”

“Oi, let’s just listen to her for now. And look! Ain’t she a pretty fine woman?

While I was struggling to persuade Beard Meat, one of Beard Meat’s companions joined the conversation with a suggestive grin.

“Tsk. A womaniser as always.”

“Heh! Stop with the bulls.h.i.+t. I know you don’t hate women either. It’d be a shame to kick out a jewel as fine as this.”

“Alright already. Oi, girl. Keep it short.”

I’m not quite satisfied with the way he said that, but I’ll endure it. Their ulterior motives are obvious, but at least they’re listening now.

“And so, about the favour, but if you see a puppy during your magic dog subjugation mission, please let it go.”

“MAGIC DOG? Oi, that’s totally different from what the Guild said. I was fired up because I heard it was some unknown large-type monster!”

“It’s true that it’d be weird for a new monster to appear in the countryside like this. For these parts, the danger level probably won’t get any worse than a pack of magic dogs.”

“The f.u.c.k. Aren’t the town guard enough for something like magic dogs? What a d.a.m.ned waste of time.”

The adventurers all started to complain.

Aahh, these people…

It looks like they were fooled because the mayor needlessly exaggerated things. So it really is weird for the Guild to dispatch a team to a peaceful place like Beruga.

“Hmph. Mühen, did you hear Oneesama’s words? To Oneesama, Gargan is nothing more than a puppy.”

“Yes. As expected of Tilea-sama.”

“And apparently Oneesama is using magic dogs as a cover for Gargan.”

“I see. Then in that case, let’s have Muram cooperate. If we use that guy’s summoning arts, we should be able to supply these humans with some good magic dogs.”

“Umu.”

Aahh, not only is the thing with the adventurers making no progress due to all their complaining, but on top of that I’ve been pretty worried about the conversation happening behind me. I can hear stuff like ‘dragon’ and ‘summoning’ and ‘deceiving the foolish humans’. Timu is definitely going wild again.

G.o.ddammit… I really should have left Timu behind. I mean, Timu is just as severe a chuunibyou case as Pervert(Nielsen) is.

But you knoww~

Once she says “Well then, Oneesama, let us depart!” and follows me as though it’s natural, I just can’t bring myself to put the foot down.

Anyway, I’ll need to somehow get the adventurers to listen. If we take too long, who knows what Timu might start blurting out.

“Well then, about what I said before, but the puppy is a pet that my sister is raising. So if you see it, could you please overlook it?”

“f.u.c.king, even though I’m already p.i.s.sed about losing my prey, you’re going on ABOUT OVERLOOKING SOME PUPPY!?”

“Y-, Yes. If possible… I would really like to ask you to do so, but…”

“A puppy, huhhh~ If you want us to overlook it, then we want some kinda reward, aight?”

One of Beard Meat’s companions said that before poking my chest with his finger. A number of the others are smirking my way with lewd faces.

Tsk. You d.a.m.ned sleazebags! Even if you’re adventurers, aren’t you the same as a bunch of outlaws!?

As you’d expect, I really can’t bear this. Even if I’m asking you for a favour, who the h.e.l.l would give you their body, dumba.s.s!

“YOUUUU… For a lowly piece of garbage like you to touch Oneesama is asking to be ripped to pieces!”

“Camilla-sama, we are still carrying forth the strategy.”

“Do not stop me, Mühen. This time I have reached my limit. Absolutely unforgiveable!”

“Yes, it is true that they went too far.”

Seeing me in danger, Timu and Myuu approached my side.

“Oneesama, let us attack!”

Timu, even if you speak like a certain old n.o.ble, it’s still a no. These guys are unpleasant, but they’re still fully-fledged adventurers. If you go against them, you’ll go through a tough time, you know.

Ah-… but if we don’t go against them, our chast.i.ties are in danger. No way. That isn’t a joke.

What do I do?

While I was at a loss, I found that Myuu approached me with an imposing att.i.tude, and a hand on his sword pommel.

S-, So reliable…

Thank goodness I came with Myuu. I get the feeling that Myuu could handle even these guys somehow.

“Timu, please get back. Myuu, are you okay with these numbers?”

I do think that I’m asking too much. But with Myuu’s sword techniques, I can expect that he’d be able to buy enough time for Timu and I to escape.

“It is true that personally destroying the one that touched Oneesama would be like using a greatsword to cut a radish. Mühen, you shall exterminate them instead.”

“Understood. From what this one observes, they do not appear to be much. Only, it seems as though one or two of them know what they are doing. Although this one will not lose, there is a chance that they will escape. Were this one in his normal condition then the result would be different, but…”

“I see. You were still in the middle of your mana regulation training, weren’t you. Very well. In my place, you will kill these pieces of garbage.”

“PIECES OF GARBAGE? WHO THE h.e.l.l DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!”

“Little girl, don’t say things you can’t take back!”

Timu’s words caused two of the adventurers to snap, and leave their table.

Ahh, aahh, those adventurers have finally heard Timu. Such a cute kid is saying something so extreme. Everybody must be shocked, right?

“Oneesama, I shall unleash my mana. As for information, if I spare just one from annihilation, it will be fine, yes?”

‘It will be fine, yes’? …OF COURSE IT’S NOT FINE!

The adventurers are getting really angry.

W-, What do I do?

“ANNIHILATE? HYAHAHAHHA, WHAT A RECKLESS LITTLE MISS.”

“Get on your knees and apologise! If you do, we might go a bit easy on you.”

“Ku ku ku. what an att.i.tude for garbage to take. Oohh, I see. So my pressure is not working because of my suppressed mana. No wonder these dregs are getting so full of themselves.”

Hearing the adventurers’ threats, Timu just added more oil to the fire.

“What’s with this brat’s cheeky att.i.tude!? What do we do? We’re free, so wanna play for a bit?”

Beard Meat and a few of his friends approached to surround us.

This is bad…

The situation has turned a little unfavourable. While I was bewildered by the development,

“How about you don’t. Isn’t she still a kid? And you still call yourselves proud adventurers!?”

A strong voice resounded from further in.

“N-, No, but, this kid was running off her cheeky mouth, so,”

“You say something? How about you play with me instead?”

“N-, No way, Maira-san. It was just a joke.”

Y-, Yeah. We were just teasing them a little, so,”

Because of the att.i.tude of the woman who suddenly appeared, Beard Meat and the others all dejectedly pulled back.

Oh goodness, she’s so dreamy…

Who on earth is this lovely big sister-like lady…? It’s the first time my heart has thumped like this since Remilia-san, you know?

“I’m Maira Eagill. Technically, the leader of this subjugation team. Sorry about the trouble these guys caused.”

“N-, No, not at all…”

Maira-san, is it…? She’s so pretty. Her red hair, dark skin, and fox eyes are really leaving an impression on me.

After apologising for the actions of Beard Meat and the others, Maira-san came even closer to us. And then she crouched in front of Timu.

“Those guys are a nasty bunch, but little miss, your att.i.tude was part of the problem. You shouldn’t make fun of adults, you know.”

“‘Little miss’? Is that supposed to be me? A brat like you calling me…”

“Okay, stop! That’s enough.”

I covered up Timu’s mouth from behind.

“Muguu. Mu, muguu, O-, Oneesa-…”

“I’m sorry. My sister is in her rebellious phase, you see.”

“Honestly, what an audacious girl. It’ll only do her harm if you spoil her too much, you know.”

“Haha, that’s true. It just kind of happened.”

“Don’t trouble your Oneesan too much, alright?”

Saying that, Maira-san gave Timu’s nose a flick, and then took a few steps back to where she was standing before.

“Y-, YOUUUUU… Your rude――mugu-, O-, Oneesama, let go-”

Let’s just keep Timu’s mouth sealed until the negotiations are done. Picking a fight even with Maira-san who helped us is as bad as Pervert(Nielsen) you know.

“And so, about the puppy…”

“Ain’t it fine? Everyone, our targets aren’t a bunch of tiny animals, right!”

“That’s true. If it’s you that says so, then we understand, Maira-san.”

Ooohh, Maira-san put the foot down, and everybody agreed. She’s as amazing as she looks. Once the magic dog extermination is done, I’d better thank her properly.

“Oneesama, let us attack!” (yattes.h.i.+maimashou)

Timu, even if you speak like a certain old n.o.ble, it’s still a no.

Sorry. I don’t know the reference.