Chapter 65

"Stay at the inn, we will. Make sure to come back by night."

It was probably just before noon. I said goodbye to the one-eyed knight in front of the inn, making sure to be visible to the enemy who was likely watching us.

"Kyaa!"

I barked and wagged my tail. Since there were people around, we had to avoid talking from here on.

"Arf!"

I almost said, "I'm off," but managed to make a dog-like bark to cover it up. The one-eyed knight looked worried again.

It's fine, it's fine!

"Arf!"

I swallowed the words, "Let's go, Kugaru," and invited Kugaru to follow me as we started walking. It was dangerous.

I planned to head to a place far from the inn where the one-eyed knight and the others were staying, to make it easier for the enemy to move. I had received some pocket money to put in the purse hanging from Kugaru's neck, so I intended to do some shopping until I was kidnapped. Thinking about the important mission we were about to undertake, Kugaru and I got unusually excited. Even though we didn't need to run, we panted and headed towards the center of town, barking and meowing.

"How strange!"

"Haha, what is that?"

"Is it a costume shop's promotion? Or a rich person's hobby?"

The bee Kugaru and the sheep I quickly became the center of attention among the passersby. While they smiled and watched us, I was more annoyed by the number of people who found us "funny" rather than "cute." But even if this were Japan, people would laugh and take photos if they saw animals dressed like this. In a place where it's not common to dress dogs and cats in clothes, it's inevitable that our appearance would seem odd. As we reached a busy area, we were surrounded by people chattering excitedly.

"The tail is properly visible."

"Look, they even have a purse."

After being petted by the passersby, we continued on our way. The main street had a similar atmosphere to Gorda, with shops and stalls lined up. However, there were also some high-end stores, so we had to be careful not to enter them in our ridiculous outfits. As we passed by one of these high-end stores, I looked around cautiously.

(Where are they watching from?)

I was curious about where the enemy was hiding.

"Meow."

Kugaru made a terrible cat meow and called me, as if to say we had to act natural or we'd be caught.

"Arf!"

I barked and nodded, fully embracing my role as a dog. I usually make "kyaa" or "kyun" sounds, so barking "arf" was new.

"Arf arf (Do you want anything?)"

"Meow (Not really.)"

"Arf arf arf (Since we got pocket money, let's buy something.)"

"Meow meow meow (Anything is fine. I want what you want.)"

Somehow, we could understand each other. Even though Kugaru only said "meow," I understood what he meant. However, if Kugaru said anything was fine, it meant I could choose freely. In that case, there was only one option: food. But since I was tired of fruit in Regan, I decided to look for something else.

Gathering the attention of the people around us, we wandered around the shops and stalls. Soon, I found a store selling delicious-looking items. It was a cake shop.

"Arf! (Let's go in there!)"

I pushed open the wooden and glass door with both hands. Kugaru helped by pushing with his head.

"Welcome... What!?"

The young lady behind the display case gasped in surprise. I understood her reaction. There were two other customers, a couple, who also looked shocked with wide eyes. The man's eyes seemed like they might fall out.

... If only the squad leader had prepared more inconspicuous clothes for us.

"Aww, you're so cute!"

I was satisfied to hear "cute" instead of "funny" and approached the display case. It wasn't really a display case but just a shelf without glass.

"Are you hungry?"

"Kyun..."

I wasn't that hungry, but I made a pitiful sound to avoid being kicked out of the store for being an animal. There were no cream cakes on the shelf, probably because they spoil easily, which was a bit disappointing. I love cream.

However, there were pound cakes, which looked delicious. Some had dried fruits, others had nuts, and some had vegetables like carrots and spinach mixed in. But the plain ones looked good too, with a sweet buttery aroma.

(Okay, I'll get these.)

Just as I decided what to buy, a rolled-up piece of paper fell out of the gap in my rabbit backpack. It was probably pushed out by Mother's fairy from inside. I managed to unfold the paper with my nose and front paws and showed it to the young lady with my mouth.

"Two of these, please."

I can't read yet, but the squad leader must have written that on the paper. Since we couldn't talk, we were supposed to show this to the store clerk to convey our intention to buy.

"Kyun..."

I nudged the plain pound cake with my nose while looking up at the young lady with the paper still in my mouth.

"Ahaha! Amazing! You're so smart. Two of these, then!"

The young lady laughed and wrapped two slices of pound cake for us. It seemed to work. Next, I put the paper on the floor and showed her Kugaru's purse.

"Oh, you even have money. Your owner must be quite unique to have you carry a purse."

Yeah, they buy us too many things. Maybe it's because they have too much money. I should tell them to find a lover and spend money on that.

"Here, I'll take this much for two slices."

The young lady took out a few coins and closed the purse's drawstring with a click.

"Can you carry them? Do you want me to put them in your backpack?"

Before the young lady could open the backpack, I quickly took the wrapped pound cakes in my mouth. I didn't want her to see the light orb and the blue snake inside. The pound cakes weren't in a bag, so it was a bit difficult to carry them, and I might crush them, but as a fox, this was the only way.

"Arf (Thank you)."

I wagged my tail and left the store. Kugaru was holding the door open for me.

"Come back again, sheep and bee."

We were sent off by the young lady's voice as we returned to the street. I wanted to eat the pound cake right away—since I was carrying it in my mouth, the delicious smell was constantly in my nose—but it would be better to go to a less crowded place. Here, we would be in the way.

Thinking this, I went around the side of the cake shop and headed to the back. It was a bit damp, but it would do. I put the pound cake on the ground and opened the wrapper that had gotten wet from my drool.

"Arf"

This one is for Kugaru. I offered him a slice, but he didn't seem interested. After seeing me happily munching away, he finally took a bite. It was warm and moist, freshly baked, but Kugaru left most of it uneaten. He seemed to prefer jerky and other meat-based snacks.

"Meow (I don't need it anymore.)"

"Arf (Then I'll eat it.)"

I quickly finished my share and ate Kugaru's in two bites. I licked my mouth, savoring the deliciousness, and hesitated over the crumbs on the ground.

Would licking these make me look undignified as a former human?

But there were some pretty big pieces.

As I stared at the ground, a shadow fell on it from behind. I turned around to see who had come to this building's back alley, and it was the couple from the cake shop.