Chapter 25

The perspective changes midway through.

Recently, there has been a popular behavior among the knights of the fortress. It is to bury their faces in my belly.

However, for me, it is a completely bothersome act. Truly, a completely bothersome act.

It all started with Tina.

In the lounge, while she was brushing me, I became so relaxed from the comfort that I lay down and let my guard down completely.

However, no matter how good it felt, I never allowed belly brushing. Being touched there makes me feel uneasy. I'm also not fond of being touched on my tail, ears, or paws, which are the extremities of my body.

So, the brushing was mainly focused on my head and back. But as I began to relax, Tina made her move.

"Mil, let's roll over. Roll over."

I thought her soft hand was caressing my back, but before I knew it, it had moved to my belly, and I found myself lying on my back on the sofa. What a skilled hand. I was too relaxed to react in time.

Tina's eyes sparkled as she saw the pure white fur on my belly.

"Mil, okay? Just a little, just a little."

She said, almost like a man pleading with a woman outside a love hotel (Tina is very delicate, though!),

"It's been my dream!"

And she buried her face in my belly.

Then, she started to rub it.

...What is this feeling? Why am I a bit embarrassed?

It's more shame than discomfort. It's incredibly embarrassing. What is this?

Tina was making indescribable excited sounds with her face buried in my belly, but to avoid hurting her, I struggled and quickly jumped off the sofa. If I were human, my face would have been bright red.

"Sorry, did you not like it?"

Tina said, blushing as if ashamed of her own excitement.

"It's not that I didn't like it..."

I said in a small voice. Being able to speak is really convenient. I can express my feelings.

It's not that I didn't like it, but it's embarrassing. I feel a bit restless.

"If you don't like it, I won't do it again, so don't keep your distance! "

Tina said to me, who was on guard. She said she wouldn't do it to put me at ease, but then she would do it. Kicks often uses this tactic, but Tina doesn't seem like she would, so I obediently returned to her.

"Sorry. But it was so soft and felt so good..."

Tina murmured with a blissful expression. If it feels that good, I want to try it too. I tried to stretch my neck, but I only managed to roll over.

After that, Tina didn't target my belly as she had declared. It's a good thing she kept her promise. She's definitely different from Kicks. I sometimes felt her lingering gaze on my belly, but I pretended not to notice.

However, Tina seemed to have innocently told Kicks about this, and the next day, Kicks' attacks began. He didn't try to hide his intentions and came at me head-on.

"Mil! Show me your belly and let me bury my face in it!"

Kicks apparently thinks this is a sign of trust. Indeed, exposing your belly is something you can't do in front of someone you consider an enemy.

"Doesn't Mil trust me!?"

As Kicks approached, I kept my eyes on him, on high alert, and backed away.

Kicks is a huge narcissist. He thought I trusted him. I like him as a playmate, but I don't trust him at all.

Kicks is a persistent guy. To avoid disrupting my work, I come to this fortress from the top of the mountain during my lunch break, but every time I come, my belly is targeted. I wish he would give up already.

Moreover, rumors started to spread in a strange way, saying, "Mil only shows her belly to those she trusts." The knights of the fortress became challengers, and if I lay on my back and didn't mind having my belly touched, it was considered a successful challenge. The knights of the fortress are probably just bored.

"I'm sure I'm trusted."

"No, you're not. Mil, you don't rely on me."

"What did you say? What about you?"

"I don't really need to be trusted, but I want to bury my face in that soft belly fur."

"...Me too."

Such ominous conversations were being exchanged all over the fortress.

And I spent my days running from these challengers. Well, except for Kicks, no one tried to force me, and they backed off when I refused. Saying, "I don't like it when people force me!" seemed to have an effect. Really, being able to speak is so convenient.

But I hope everyone gets bored soon.

***

Recently, the way my subordinates look at Mil is strange. Everyone's gaze is directed at her belly.

Apparently, if you can bury your face in Mil's belly, it's a sign of trust. But in reality, everyone is just following their own desires, wanting to enjoy the softness of her belly fur...

"So? Has anyone succeeded so far?"

When I asked, exasperated, my subordinate scratched his head and said,

"No, not yet... Tina was the first to try and succeeded, but after that, no one has succeeded because Mil is on guard."

That makes sense. A well-trained pet dog might be different, but no animal enjoys having its vulnerable spots touched. Well, Mil is a spirit, but still.

"Tell everyone to stop this nonsense. What if Mil stops coming here?"

"Ugh... You're right. I don't want that."

Thus, I thought no one would target Mil's belly anymore... but one persistent person remained: Kicks.

"Kyankyan!"

In the lounge, Mil was attacked while I was distracted. By the time I noticed, she was lying on her back on the sofa, with Kicks burying his face in her belly.

I wanted to help, but Mil's adorable struggle, kicking Kicks with her hind legs, made me watch for a moment before I punched Kicks and pulled him away.

"It was so fluffy..."

But Kicks only smiled happily, showing no sign of remorse. It must have felt wonderful, but he didn't realize that he was losing the little trust he had left.

Mil, on the other hand, got up, put some distance between herself and Kicks, and trembled slightly, as if embarrassed, with a hint of moisture in her eyes. She looked like a girl who had been teased after her skirt was lifted by a silly boy.

In fact, even though Mil is a child, she is a girl. She might really be embarrassed.

"Are you okay?"

When I called out to her, Mil's ears twitched, and she looked at me. Was I also being guarded?

"Don't worry. I won't do the same silly things as Kicks and the others."

I said, patting her head, and Mil visibly relaxed,

"Knight with the single eye!"

She clung to my arm. By the way, it was only after Mil started speaking that I learned she called me "Knight with the single eye." She had been calling me that without knowing my name, and it had become a habit.

"Everyone is so mean. To my belly! To my belly..."

"I know, I know. I've already told them, so it's okay. I'll scold Kicks later."

"Thank you! I can only trust the Knight with the single eye."

That's how trust is earned. While comforting the sobbing Mil, I glanced at Kicks, who finally seemed to be regretting his foolish actions.

"I acted too hastily, didn't I..."

It's too late. Once lost, trust is hard to regain.

It's because he did the foolish act of burying his face in Mil's belly against her will.

By the way, later, I accidentally witnessed a scene in the quiet lounge where no one was around: the leader of the detachment, Cromwell, was silently burying his face in Mil's belly.

I couldn't see Cromwell's expression, but I could see Mil's. She was also silent but accepted Cromwell without resistance, with a solemn expression, as if she had reached enlightenment.

Later, when I asked Mil, "Didn't you mind?"

"It was embarrassing, but if I refused, it would have been mean... Cromwell doesn't have any friends..."

I didn't quite understand, but I realized that Mil had a strange kindness and sympathy for Cromwell.