TPPE 08

Chapter 08

“…A p-puppy?”

“Kiing.”

When Lisa murmured blankly, the creature responded as if in answer.

It was about as tall as my calves—definitely a small puppy.

With red eyes and snow-white fur all over, the little dog stretched lazily, crunching over the snow as it padded toward us.

“S-Stay back, shoo!”

Lisa pulled me closer protectively.

It stopped about two small steps away.

“Kii… kii-choo!”

With a tiny sneeze, the puppy spat something out.

A small, sparkling red stone.

My eyes lit up.

Finally!

“The Core of a Demonic Beast!”

I slipped out of Lisa’s arms and picked it up, shouting in delight. Lisa’s eyes went round.

“A… a core? What do you mean—wait. That thing is a demonic beast?”

She gasped and tried to scoop me up again, but I ignored her and gently patted the beast’s head.

“It’s okay. They don’t attack when they’re full.”

As expected, the puppy calmly accepted my touch with its eyes closed.

This snowflake-like puppy—no, this demonic beast—was the guardian of Stykia’s ducal castle.

It had a gentle disposition and did not attack first. But if someone trespassed on its territory, it would mercilessly devour them.

After finishing a satisfying meal, it would spit something out.

That was the Core of a Demonic Beast.

The core contained highly pure mana and could be sold for an enormous price.

In other regions, this species had gone extinct due to indiscriminate hunting by poachers.

But in Stykia, its roots still remained.

In my previous life, this very creature wiped out more than half of Agnito’s forces.

Back then, there had been rumors that a single beast guarded the front of Stykia’s castle.

The captain of the Agnito knights had scoffed.

“It’s just a ruined house. What’s there to fear?”

And so they forced the gates open.

“Ah—Aaaah! Wh-What is that?! S-Save me!”

They were devoured by the ‘gatekeeper’ standing before them.

Agnito lost half its manpower without even putting up a proper fight.

That was why I had imagined it to be terrifying beyond belief.

“Kyawng.”

The puppy—no, the demonic beast—wagged its tail gently as it made a small sound.

With its ears drooping while enjoying my touch, it looked unbelievably cute.

It didn’t resemble the creature that had swallowed a man whole in the shadows even a little.

Still, thanks to it, I had gotten rid of someone I couldn’t stand—and repaid a favor at the same time.

Thank you.

After whispering softly, I turned to Lisa.

“Take this, Lisa.”

I held out the core in my hand.

“Huh? Why are you giving this to me…?”

“You can sell it to mages for a very high price.”

“…What?”

“Don’t sell it for less than 500 gold. That’s a scam. If they try, just tell them to use that kind of money as travel expenses for their own funeral.”

“W-Wait, my lady. What are you saying right now…?”

“Take this and go back to your hometown, Lisa.”

At my words, Lisa froze.

“You only came to Agnito to earn money because your younger siblings were sick. If you sell this, you won’t have to worry about making ends meet anymore.”

“H-How do you know that…?”

“The Duke will assume we died in the North anyway, so you don’t need to worry about anything else.”

From the start, Duke Agnito had likely intended for both of us to die alongside that man.

That’s probably why he hired a criminal instead of someone from the estate. He assumed we would all end up dead.

So even if the core was sold, no one would come after her.

“W-Wait… I don’t understand. My lady, you don’t mean…”

Lisa’s face turned pale.

“…You’re not telling me to leave you here and go alone, are you?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

Her face filled with shock.

“I can’t do that. Then come with me instead.”

“That’s not possible, Lisa.”

The priests of the Eastern Temple know of my existence.

Even if she covered her living expenses by selling the core, Lisa would still need the temple’s support because of her sick family.

If my existence were ever revealed, she would bear all the blame.

With Duke Agnito’s vicious personality, he might even accuse Lisa of kidnapping me.

But Stykia was different.

A land no one sought.

A land where anything could be discarded.

It wouldn’t be strange for a child like me to be here alone.

It wouldn’t be strange for Lisa to have found a demonic beast’s core by chance.

That was exactly why I had to stay here.

A grave. The underworld.

No one was more accustomed to those words than I was.

And it’s not like I have no trump card at all.

“I’ll be fine, so hurry and go, Lisa. Hurry!”

I pushed at her insistently.

Now she’ll leave, right?

Is this what Grandma in my previous life meant by accumulating virtue? If so… it feels kind of satisfying.

“…No. I can’t leave you behind.”

“Huh?”

But Lisa was more stubborn than I expected.

She grabbed my arm and began pulling me with her.

“W-Wait? Wait!”

I’m really fine! Honestly, I’d rather you just leave me here!

“You’re not leaving me behind—I chose this place!”

“Th-Then at least take half the money when we sell the core! Stay with me until then, please?”

She tugged at my arm stubbornly, clearly trying to buy time and persuade me somehow.

That was how unwilling she was to leave me.

Shaking my head, I took her hand with my gloved one.

“I’ve already been paid, Lisa.”

Her hands were red and swollen.

Because she had given me her gloves the entire time.

And not just the gloves.

The scarf she knitted herself.

The hat with little animal ears.

The blanket she wrapped around me in the carriage.

The way she gently smoothed my hair so I would look cute, even just a little.

My entire body was filled with Lisa’s kindness.

Of course, at first, I wanted to tell her to stay with me.

I didn’t want to part from her either.

If I threw a tantrum, she would probably remain by my side.

But how could I say that to someone who smiled so brightly when thinking of her family?

Lisa’s happiness was with them.

As someone who had longed for a family’s love more than anyone, I knew that better than anyone.

I tightened my grip on her hand and said,

“You’re the only one who ever treated me kindly. That’s worth more than anything.”

Then, so I would never forget, I looked straight into her eyes and spoke sincerely.

“…Thank you, Lisa. For being kind to someone everyone else hated.”

My eyes burned without me realizing it.

But I mustn’t cry.

I forced my eyes wide and pushed firmly at her waist.

“So go, Lisa! Hurry!”

No matter how hard I pushed, she wouldn’t budge.

“…You knew from the beginning, didn’t you? That we weren’t heading to the temple—but to Stykia.”

Ah. Sharp question.

When I didn’t answer, Lisa continued.

“I thought something was strange from the start. The way you hit Sir Bert. And the rumor that Lady Esther cried after meeting with you.”

I hadn’t expected her to know about Esther. It seemed Lisa was well-informed about rumors.

“…Will I be a burden to you if I stay?”

I couldn’t answer.

Lisa wasn’t a burden to me.

But I couldn’t promise she wouldn’t be put in danger because of me.

That was why I couldn’t let her stay.

Lisa had to live.

“…You’re not a burden.”

“So I could become one.”

She murmured it quietly—not bitterly, just calmly accepting the possibility.

“If I’m honest, I want to stay with you…”

“…”

“But if this is truly what you want, my lady, I will respect it.”

As she said that, Lisa glanced down at my feet.

“…At least as long as this demonic beast favors you, nothing terrible should happen.”

The beast had crept close at some point and was rubbing its face against my calf.

Lisa pulled me into a tight embrace.

Then she handed me something—a piece of paper with her hometown address written on it.

“If anything happens, contact me here. I’ll come immediately.”

“Okay. I will!”

I answered bravely.

Even so, she hesitated, looking back several times before finally, as if making up her mind, taking hold of the reins.