Chapter 36

"Shiro, come here!"

"Arf!"

When I call, the large white dog—Shiro—runs over energetically.

Shiro jumps on me, and the weight and momentum knock me down onto the grass.

Short blades of grass dance in the air, and the scent of grass and earth fills my nose.

I am Lloyde Di Saloom, the seventh prince of the Saloom Kingdom.

A ten-year-old who loves magic. In my previous life, I was a poor, struggling magician who died marveling at a high-level magic I had never seen before, and then reincarnated into this body.

Since I am the seventh prince with a significant age gap, I have no claim to the throne and am told to live freely, so I spend my time doing magic. ...However, lately, I feel like the people around me have some strange expectations.

Well, it's probably just my imagination.

Being a low-key, unassuming seventh prince is my position.

"Arf! Arf!"

By the way, this dog licking my face is Shiro. Originally, he was a monster that attacked me, but he seems to have taken a liking to me and has become quite affectionate.

I was told I could take him home, so I made him my familiar.

From the palm of my hand, a mouth suddenly appears.

"Hehehe, it's no wonder Master Lloyde is so beloved, even by a monster."

This is the demon Grimoire. I call him Grimo.

He was sealed in the forbidden books in the castle's underground library, but after a series of events, he became my familiar.

I let him live in the skin of my palm, and occasionally he opens his mouth and starts talking.

"Hahaha, you've even tamed a monster. That's great. When you get all sorts of things, I'll have a good time when I take over this body..."

By the way, he's an emotionally unstable guy who often mutters to himself.

At least speak in a voice I can hear.

"Arf! Arf!"

"Hey, hey, you little dog! Don't bark! Shh, shh."

Shiro barks at Grimo, who is muttering to himself.

...It seems they don't get along very well.

"Hey, hey, stop fighting and let's continue."

"Arf!"

I close Grimo's mouth by gripping his hand, and Shiro sits back down.

What we are doing now is a technique for beast tamers, which involves sending commands through magic power and controlling familiars with just a thought.

Beast tamers, as the name suggests, are those who make contracts with monsters and control them as familiars. It seems this technique was developed by magicians who loved their familiars and specialized in controlling them.

They apparently control their familiars without using incantations, just by using magic power and willpower. I am trying to do the same, but...

"Shiro!"

I called, but Shiro just waits with sparkling eyes for my next command.

I tried to command him to come, but it doesn't seem to have worked.

Shiro is very intelligent and understands most of what I say, so if I speak out loud, he usually understands.

However, simple commands like "sit," "down," "stay," "more," "fetch," etc., are one thing, but something more complex like "run around three times and bark" is a different story.

How fast, where to run, and how to bark—these nuances can't be conveyed in just one word.

If I could make him obey just by willing it, I might be able to handle these nuances as well.

"Master Lloyde, can't you use incantations to give commands?"

"Incantations are written in a special magical language to efficiently interfere with the world. Shiro can't understand them."

Moreover, very few magicians can understand and manipulate incantations.

Even I can only rearrange words at this point. From that perspective, it's important to improve my understanding through daily reading.

Ultimately, the fastest way is to send words through magic power.

"...Sit."

"Arf!"

So, I am trying to make Shiro understand by simultaneously sending magic power and words, and through repeated training.

Hmm, but this takes a lot of time and lacks flexibility.

The nuances are hard to convey, and I wonder if there's a better way.

As I was thinking, I suddenly remembered someone.

"Right, if it's Big Sister Aries..."

—Aries Di Saloom, the sixth princess of the Saloom Kingdom.

My older sister by three years, she, like me, has no claim to the throne and lives doing what she loves.

Her passion is animals.

She keeps not only dogs and cats but also reptiles, birds, and even monsters. She is a true animal lover.

The fact that I can keep Shiro without any complaints is largely due to the precedent set by Aries.

"I don't really want to, but... I guess I'll go see her."

"Arf!"

Shiro responded enthusiastically to my words.

We headed to a large tower in a detached part of the castle.

The spacious garden around it was filled with small animals like squirrels and rabbits, which looked at us with interest, and colorful birds were chirping in the trees.

"Wow, all these are kept by Master Lloyde's sister? How do they not run away when they're just let loose like this?"

"Yeah, Aries has always been good with animals. Now that I think about it, it might be due to her magic power..."

It's hard to imagine a normal person taming so many animals.

Since we share the same blood, it's not unusual for her to have manifested magical talent.

It's not uncommon for those with superior bloodlines and talents to unconsciously use magic power.

I knocked on the large door at the front of the tower.

"Sis, Big Sister Aries. Are you there? It's Lloyde."

After a moment, a black-haired maid came out.

I think her name is...

"Elise, right?"

"It's an honor that you remember me. Master Lloyde, it's been a while."

"Yeah, it has. I want to see Big Sister Aries."

"Understood. Please wait a moment."

She bowed and returned to the tower.

After a while, the door opened.

"Lloydeee!"

Suddenly, I was hugged tightly.

"Wha—!?"

I was pressed against a soft, fluffy sensation. It was suffocating.

"Lloyde, Lloyde, Lloyde! Oh, it's been so long! I'm so happy you came to see me!"

She also started rubbing my head. It hurt.

"Lady Aries, please stop. Master Lloyde is suffering."

"Wh-What!? Oh, I'm so sorry."

Aries apologized and loosened her grip.

...Phew, that was suffocating. That's why I don't really want to come here.

Aries has always treated me like a toy, hugging and kissing me whenever she finds me.

As I coughed and raised my head, I saw a woman with long, light pink hair that was fluffy and soft.

Not just her hair, but her dress was also adorned with fur and pom-poms, making her look fluffy overall.

...And her chest, too.

"Hehe, sorry, Lloyde. I got so excited. So, what brings you here?"

Aries smiled brightly and asked.