At the Northern Fort

"Captain, I believe you should bring her closer to your body and support her bottom."

The one who gave the advice was Winst-san. Even though he wasn't able to do it himself, perhaps looking at things objectively made it so that he could tell what was wrong with how I was held.

Captain Sarrell gently supported my body and hugged me to his chest.

"There isn't any fur sticking to my clothes, is there?"

"You'll have to bear with that at the very least. It's so you can get along better with a spirit."

For a short while, Captain Sarrell-san stared down at me. When I grew curious about his gaze and looked up, he let out a shriek, "Eep!"—he was probably scared of my mouth and fangs being so close to his face. Even though I wouldn't bite—thus I simply remained completely motionless and stared at a stain on the wall.

"It's quite docile……"

Captain Sarrell-san said in a deeply moved manner.

"It doesn't bark loudly, and it doesn't act violently. If it  didn't shed, it'd be just perfect."

After murmuring that in a slightly disappointed manner, he then started to go, "Fufufu" as the corners of his lips rose in a snicker.

"However, if I tame this spirit, then even in the Knight's Order…….no, in all of this Country of Aridora, my position will be steady. No one will be able to treat me lightly."

Then, his voice grew even louder as he continued excitedly.

"The power dynamic between my elder brother and I will reverse. Who cares about a duke? Aren't there mountains of dukes throughout the world? In contrast, there are hardly any humans who have ties to spirits. Things will be completely different! My elder brother will have to bow down to me!"

The light from the candle reflecting on Captain Sarrell's glasses flickered enchantingly.

"Yeah, that's right. I should bring the spirit to visit Father's grave. I have to report to him that the child, that he constantly despised and compared to his elder brother who grew up plump while saying things like [You weak-bodied failure], or [You illness-prone flop], is now an important person in the country who has ties with a spirit!"

Captain Sarrell-san laughed, "Hahaha!" loudly, but the depths of his eyes appeared desolate.

While Captain Sarrell-san was a bit scrawny and didn't seem all that strong, perhaps he was more frail when he was a child like Branch Captain-san said?

Maybe due to that, his father favoured his healthy older brother more.

If that truly is the case, then I do think that Captain Sarrell-san is pitiful in that respect.

I had expected that the reason why he was so ambitious and wanted to obtain more status and authority was because he wanted the people around him to recognise him, but it was possible that above all else, he just wanted his family to give him their recognition.

He wanted to get back at his father and older brother, who looked down on him for having a weak body.

He wanted them to know that he wasn't a failure.

Such feelings transformed Captain Sarrell-san into such an ambitious person.

Winst-san and the other four people were also looking at their superior with sympathetic eyes, and it was with somewhat bitter smiles that they spoke.

"If Captain Sarrell is recognised, then I will also be able to get back at my own older brother."

"Me too. I'll also be able to look down on those guys who bullied me in the past."

Hearing their conversation, I started to understand why they followed Captain Sarrell.

I'm sure that the five of them had some experiences that they shared with Captain Sarrell-san.

They either weren't blessed with a good physique or talent in combat, and thus were scorned by the people around them, or they had discord with their families.

Each and every one of them saw themselves in Captain Sarrell-san, and that may be why they lent him a hand.

And Captain Sarrell-san in turn trusted these five people.

"Once again, all of you did a great job. I'm proud to have such outstanding men. This matter isn't just my achievement. I will make an appeal to have your work appreciated as well."

"No, Captain. We just listened to your orders, and that is why we managed to bring about such good results. And we do not wish for our own advancement. We are satisfied if the Captain is able to have his wishes fulfilled."

"You guys……"

Winst-san spoke to Captain Sarrell-san, whose voice was trembling from emotion.

"We simply want to return the kindness with which the Captain has treated us."

Like how the five felt that Captain Sarrell-san resembled themselves, Captain Sarrell-san also noticed the commonalities they had with him, and thus specially took care of them.

It was quite normal to wish to treat those who have experienced similar hardships to yourself even more kindly.

"Winst, Nild, Sai, Jorg, Gordon. You are all my treasures."

Captain Sarrell-san fixed the position of his glasses while saying that in a slightly embarrassed manner.

It seemed like there was a stronger bond between these six people than I had originally imagined.

But even then, it's not good to do bad things.

Instead of saying that to them, I licked the bony hand that was in front of me.

My tongue feels a bit cold to those who weren't used to it, thus Captain Sarrell-san drew back his hand in surprise.

"S-She licked me……someone get me my handkerchief. It's in my right pocket. Get some disinfectant too."

Jorg-san hurriedly took out the handkerchief from Captain Sarrell's right pocket, and then sprayed some kind of fluid from a bottle that resembled a perfume bottle and vigorously scrubbed Captain Sarrell-san's hand.

My saliva is being treated like some filthy germ…….

Now that I think of it, he was a clean freak.

But somehow I felt a bit hurt, so I licked his hand even more in revenge.

"AHHHH!"

Captain Sarrell-san went pale and stiffened up. Seeing that, the other five people earnestly tried to encourage him.

"Captain! Just accept it as it is!"

"It means that the child spirit likes you!"

"You mustn't shake her off!"

Captain Sarrell-san's face twitched as he responded.

"But, even so……! While it's not like the child spirit isn't cute, its saliva is still dirty!"

"It isn't dirty!"

I reflexively talked back.

"In the first place, I haven't picked up any old rock rolling on the side of the road today with my mouth, nor have I bit any rotting branches. I also haven't nibbled on anyone's shoes. Ah, but I might've licked up some of the biscuits……"

"I-It spoke!?"

Captain Sarrell-san raised his voice in surprise.

The other five people might've seen us when we were talking in the town of Gouda, but it seemed like they didn't think that I could speak while in my beastial form.

Even though I was thinking of continuing to pretend to be like a normal animal that couldn't talk in order to make them relax their vigilance.

It couldn't be helped since I was already exposed, so I continued to respond with my usual lisp.

"Yup, I can twalk. I can also understand words."

I couldn't understand why such gluttonous news of me [liking sweets] was passed around while information of me being smart and being [able to understand words and speak] wasn't passed around despite the fact that I had spoken to the King and his family before.

After freezing for a moment, Captain Sarrell-san made an obviously fake smile as he began to sing my praises.

"My, how intelligent you are despite your youth! As expected of the child of an honourable spirit. When I look at you more carefully, your visage is truly dignified, and your noble spirit is also quite apparent! Your glossy snow-white fur is as beautiful as the pearls from the far east! It is the highest of honours to have it clinging onto my clothing! Even if I am covered in your saliva, when I think of it as something bestowed upon me by such a rare spirit, a simple common human like myself can only feel such gratitude—"

"I dyon't get such diffi-cwult words."

I couldn't understand 90% of what he was saying. All I got was that he wanted me to smear saliva all over him and have my fur clinging to his clothes.

Captain Sarrell-san's face regained its composure as he fell silent and then whispered a question to Winst-san, who was standing next to him.

"Oi, how smart is this child spirit?"

"I'm not entirely sure but……when in her human form, she appears to be around 2 to 3 years old. When looking at her actions up until now, it is reasonable to say that she is at the level of a toddler."

I can hear everything you're saying!

"Then we shouldn't worry too much."

Captain Sarrell said that and then once again had Winst-san wipe the hand that I had licked.

Hey.

"Now then, it's about time we head to the castle. I don't want to stay too long in such a dirty place like this…….fufufu, once we return to the castle, I will be a hero who saved the kidnapped child spirits."

Captain Sarrell's smile was incredibly warped, but he appeared to be happy from the bottom of his heart. Perhaps it was because his ambitions were about to be realised.

However, I would be troubled if Captain Sarrell-san went to the castle. If Captain Sarrell-san returned earlier and said, "I found the child spirit that Cromwell and his group weren't able to protect!", and then Branch Captain-san and everyone returned afterwards and said, "This was Captain Sarrell's plot……", it'll just make it sound like Branch Captain-san and everyone were making excuses.

With how young I was, I'm not sure how much trust they'd put in my testimony either.

(Where is everyone? Are they still not here…….?)

It was the moment when the meek-looking person—Nild-san, was about to open the door as I watched him, internally anxious.

When Nild-san pulled open the door, standing there was the person whose arrival I had been waiting for.

Standing there with his sword at hand by his waist was Branch Captain-san.

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