"Have you spoken about this to anyone else, Aisha?"
A question hastily thrown out.
'If she has, it could be a problem.'
On the outside, I remained composed, avoiding Aisha's gaze and continued shoveling the orc meal into my mouth.
"No? I haven't told anyone yet. I've been in my room practicing for the stage from yesterday until now, so I haven’t gone out at all."
"Is that so."
Phew, that's a relief.
Then let's proceed this way.
Clink.
I put my spoon down and gazed at Aisha with serious eyes.
"...Don’t speak of it to anyone, Aisha. I'm worried."
"...Huh? Worried? Theo, you are worried about me?"
Aisha looked at me, her eyes confused.
"Yes. I'm worried, Aisha. If other people heard that story, they would think you are insane. Since when do puppies talk?"
"...But I really heard it. It was a voice very similar to yours, Theo. It was exactly like your voice from 5? No, 3 years ago."
At Aisha’s words, my head started to spin.
Her assessment of the puppy’s voice was exactly as I had perceived it.
An unnecessarily keen analytical skill.
"Hmm, still, it's strange. I'll check it out myself. Do not go speaking to others about it."
"...Why? It's so fascinating. I got goosebumps without realizing it."
"Aisha, I don't want to see you become the talk of others."
With that, I withdrew my gaze from Aisha and nonchalantly lifted my spoon, scooping another bite of the orc meal.
"Is... Is that so..."
Aisha made a strange expression.
"I get it, Theo. I won’t talk to others about it. You're worried about me, right?"
Inside, I silently celebrated.
Almost there.
I put a spoonful of the orc meal into my mouth and chewed, pausing for a moment.
Aisha’s eyes, large and innocent, gazed at me.
Looking firmly into those eyes, I spoke.
"Whew, to think I’d have to say such an embarrassing thing with my own mouth. Yes, that’s right, Aisha. I’m worried about you."
"!"
Aisha’s eyes widened.
The air changed somehow.
‘Damn, why is she reacting like this all of a sudden.’
In the game, when Aisha was in such a state, troublesome things happened.
I hastily continued.
"...This is concern coming from a member of the Waldeurk family."
"...Okay."
Aisha responded so, then she took her gaze off me and speared a cherry tomato with her fork.
‘Phew, seems like I managed that relatively well.’
Ignoring Aisha's stealthy gaze, I continued to stuff the remainder of the orc meal into my mouth.
I became curious.
"Aisha, what did Little Fist say?"
"Um... what did he say again?"
After pondering for a moment, Aisha spoke.
"He said he wants to live with me forever!"
Aisha wore a proud smile.
'Ah, it was nothing serious after all.'
If it was just that, even if Aisha were to tell others, it could be dismissed as a dog lover's wild imagination.
"Is that so."
Theo moved on nonchalantly, but
"...What kind of food did you give to Little Fist, Aisha?"
Amy joined the conversation.
Aisha thought hard and then spoke.
"Um, mostly salmon."
"...You should give him dog food, Aisha."
"Why? He doesn't eat the food well. But as soon as I take out the salmon, he wags his tail and seems to really like it. So I gave him mostly salmon except for one meal."
"...That may be true, but you shouldn’t give snacks to a puppy too often, Aisha. It may look adorable that he's eating well now, but later he might refuse to eat his dog food."
"Hmph, but there was too much of a difference in his reaction when I gave him dog food and when I gave him salmon."
Aisha wore a sullen expression.
Amy, maintaining a serious face, opened her mouth.
"Still, even if it breaks your heart, even if Little Fist looks gloomy, you must give him dog food. Treats should be approached as a reward concept, Aisha. They should be given when he's done something cute or similar, so he perceives them as a reward. If he can eat them all the time, he won't see them as a reward."
"Ugh, fine. But how do you know so much about puppies, Amy?"
"I studied. Most of what I mentioned is in almost all books related to puppy training. Taking care of Little Fist is a task that young master entrusted to me."
"...Okay."
Aisha looked at Amy sulkily.
After finishing their meal, Theo and Amy got Little Fist back from Aisha.
The carriage back to the dormitory was quiet.
Normally, at this time, it should have been full of people, but only Amy and Theo were in the carriage.
'I guess everyone is excited about the festival tomorrow.'
Theo thought, glancing at Amy, who was sitting next to him.
Amy was gazing into the distant mountains, hugging Little Fist, her expression stern.
"Amy."
"Yes, young master."
Amy, who had been gazing into the distant mountains, responded immediately.
"I need to tell you something important."
"...Please speak, young master."
Amy quickly noticed the change in Theo’s expression.
Theo's face was always indifferent, but Amy, having observed him for a long time, could see differences in it.
Theo gave a brief glance at Little Fist.
"Little Fist can talk."
"···Excuse me? I think I misheard you, could you please say that again, young master?"
Amy's eyes slightly widened.
"Exactly as I said, Amy. Little Fist can talk. It wasn’t a misunderstanding by Aisha."
"···If that’s the case."
"If that’s the case?"
"Then what Little Fist told Aisha is true."
Ashamed, Amy looked at Little Fist with sad eyes.
─Kiiing, Kiing?
Little Fist, perhaps feeling Amy's gaze, looked up at her.
Theo slowly shook his head.
'That's not the important part.'
Right now, the important thing is to prevent others from knowing that Little Fist, a dog, can speak.
“Little Fist must have said that because it has been a while since he ate delicious food. But Amy, you are Little Fist’s mother.”
"Mo, mother... Yes."
"So keep your child’s secret. If it becomes known that Little Fist can talk, a lot of annoying things will happen, Amy. It won't be good for Little Fist either."
"···Understood, young master."
Whether Theo’s words had sunk in or not, Amy reverted to her usual calm, expressionless demeanor.
"···But, young master, did you know this when you brought Little Fist here?"
At Amy's question, Theo's mind whirred into action again.
"Yes. If a dog is with the heir of the Waldeurk family, it should at least be able to talk, shouldn’t it, Amy?"
"That’s... true."
It was strange logic but Amy, captured by the feeling the word ‘mother’ gave her, didn't realize it.
"Amy, as you know, I do not have time to spend with Little Fist. Please continue to raise Little Fist well as its mother. I didn’t even know you were studying on your own. I’m impressed."
"...Thank you, young master. It’s only natural."
With a slight blush on her cheeks, Amy stared into the distant mountains again.
"I’m counting on you, Amy. If anything else happens to Little Fist, I would appreciate it if you could tell me."
“Of course, young master.”
Having received Theo’s acknowledgment - Amy solidified her resolve once more.
To be reborn as Little Fist’s true mother.
The next day.
Rising early in the morning, Theo immediately boarded the carriage to the Hero Department.
His destination was the Hero Department training ground.
He had been itching to train properly over the weekend and hadn’t done so.
Perhaps because it was the long-awaited day of the Academy Festival, the carriage was unusually busy.
"Are your parents coming today?"
"No, they're coming tomorrow. The Artifact Contest is being held tomorrow, isn’t it?”
"Ah, right. You entered the Artifact Contest. But there’s also that guy from the Alchemy Department, right? What was her name again...Dang…?”
"Dangi."
"Ah, yes, Dangi. The name is so peculiar that I couldn't remember. Anyway, isn’t she likely to win? She beat all the second-year seniors as soon as she enrolled, didn't she?"
"Heh heh, look forward to it. This time, the artifact is something no one would expect."
"The Saintess isn’t participating again this time... I want to see her at least once. They say she looks, 'divine.'"
"I saw her before and she was really something. It's a bit blasphemous to say this but… her figure is killer."
"You bastard, be ready for divine retribution. Anyway, why isn’t she participating?"
"Isn’t she very busy with Hero Department student council work? They say she hardly ever comes out of the student council room."
With the students' chatter as background noise, Theo continuously simulated the sword dance Maximin had shown him in his mind.
