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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

A Walk with the Puppy 2

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Yes, the place Elna had brought Feliol was a sweets shop. It was a small, charming establishment with round wooden tables in muted colors, and the good airflow meant both of them were completely cooled down just by entering.

Even while Elna stood there, face down in silence, more and more customers poured in. The influx of guests was so sudden that the guide girl's voice was starting to get hoarse from the busyness. All of them were sturdy men, and the shop quickly became packed.

That was to be expected. They were Feliol's bodyguards, who had likely placed personnel inside the shop as a precaution, in addition to those outside.

「Um, how should I put this. Actually, this is my first time in this shop, too...」

「I can tell that just by looking, but...」

「I've been a little curious about it for a while, so I thought it was a good opportunity. But now that I've actually entered to eat something sweet, I feel a sense of shame, or maybe guilt.」

「Hm, hmm?」

「It's not about criticizing anyone else, it's just about my own feelings. I only recently learned that sweets are delicious, but when I think about willingly eating them, a feeling of apology comes first.」

「I don't understand what you are saying, but I can tell you're saying something difficult...?」

In truth, Elna only learned about sweets after coming to the capital—after Cross started "feeding" her.

Sweets were something she hadn't encountered, either in her memories as a Dragon or during her life as a human, and the existence of snacks, which she tasted for the first time, gave Elna quite a shock.

She still harbored the vague feeling that it's delicious but probably not good to eat too much, and she hadn't even realized that she was a lover of sweets.

「Well. I still don't fully understand, but... shouldn't it be polite to order something if we came all the way to the shop?」

「That's right. Yes, you're absolutely correct. Mm, you are. Wait, let me think... What should I order? I have absolutely no idea what to ask for.」

「…………」

To Elna, the simple menu seemed like an incomprehensible ancient text.

Feliol changed the angle so they could both see it, but he had just finished his very first purchase in life. They ended up in a staring contest. The Hamster Spirit also climbed out of Elna's pocket and tilted his head.

Thus, time passed mischievously, until, 「Customers, if you've decided on your order... oh?」 A newly arrived clerk's pink hair, tied high, bounced as she gasped in surprise.

「Elna-san!」

「Eh. Kakami?」

「You know her?」

All three spoke almost simultaneously and looked at each other.

Elna nodded at Feliol, and after a brief thought, replied, 「Yes. A friend.」 Kakami smiled cheerfully, tapping her pen against her memo pad.

「Elna-san is with... family, I presume?」

「Yes, that’s right. My younger brother. Were you working at this shop, Kakami? What about the church?」

「The Priest is starting to feel much better. I sometimes help out at this shop to earn some pocket money. I'm usually in the kitchen, but today is a little...」

Kakami was an orphan living in the church dedicated to Elnalfia. The memory of the incident where the Priest, with whom Kakami lived, was caught up in the trouble related to Elnalfia was still vivid, but Elna quietly sighed in relief that he seemed well.

Even so. Elna wondered why Kakami was taking orders when she usually stayed in the kitchen. She looked around the shop, trying to understand Kakami's evasive words, and immediately grasped the reason.

The guard knights, Feliol's bodyguards, were all staring at the menu with dead-serious expressions, but staying like that forever would be unnatural. One by one, they raised a hand and started ordering sweets with stern faces.

The girl who first guided them inside was already swamped by the sudden influx of orders, and Kakami, too, must have been feeling anxious. Her feet and eyes kept darting around.

「Elna-san, you two haven't ordered yet, have you? It's fine if I come back later.」

「Yes. Since I don't know what to order, that's perfectly fine, but...」

「Hmm? Is something the matter?」

This rush was, in a sense, something Elna and Feliol had brought upon the shop. Kakami said she usually worked in the kitchen; serving customers must be tough for her small body. ...Elna's true thought was that she wanted to help.

There were other customers besides the knights brought from the castle, but given how many bodyguards were crammed in, the shop felt relatively safe for Feliol. Still, Elna was a maid of the castle. Even if Cross himself didn't think so, she was a kind of property of the King, and she knew that acting on her own initiative was inappropriate.

「Sorry, it's nothing...」

She put her hand down on the table and returned her hips, which had naturally lifted, back to the chair. However, 「It's fine. I permit it,」 Feliol said to Elna, using his old, high-and-mighty tone while nodding and crossing his arms. Elna blinked and turned to look at the boy.

「Really?」

「It is a very natural thing to want to help a friend. There is no need to worry about us.」

「Huh? What, what? Are you going to help, Elna-san? Hooray!」

「Yes. I'm not used to it, so I don't know if I can be much help.」

「It’s fine! Actually, the kitchen is looking busy too, so I was thinking of getting any hand I could, even a cat's or a hamster's!」

「In that case, I won't hold back.」

「Hmm. Go on.」

「Hahaha! You’re such a cheeky boy!」

Feliol looked up at Kakami, who burst into laughter, with a stunned expression. Since Feliol was sitting in the chair, the difference in their heights was unclear, but they were likely around the same age, or perhaps Kakami was slightly younger.

Being told he was 「cheeky」 by someone around his age, or rather, by anyone—he being a prince of a nation—was probably something he had never heard in conversation before.

「Ch-Cheeky...?」

After looking dumbfounded, Feliol's mouth started twitching. Elna decided to just watch the situation. It was beyond the point of saying anything awkward.

「Perhaps you're lonely without your big sister?」

「Lonely?! No... Th-There's no way I am...!」

「That's right, little brother hasn't ordered either, so why don't you help too!」

「Huh?!」

The moment Kakami pulled Feliol's arm, the air in the shop trembled, and many of the customers half-stood up. They were, of course, the guard knights. Elna hastily waved a hand to signal, 「It's okay,」 and the strange atmosphere immediately vanished. The general customers looked around as if wondering if they had imagined it. Elna felt apologetic.

Elna had vaguely noticed that Feliol was easily swayed, and before long, he was being pulled away by Kakami. 「Little brother, have you ever worked in a place like this? Huh, you haven't? Then this is all experience! It's fine, it's fine!」 Kakami said, skipping cheerfully. Feliol, who was initially wide-eyed, muttered, 「Experience...? Is this... experience?」 Then, he exclaimed, 「I see! Experience!」 and became full of motivation.

Elna also borrowed an apron and started taking orders from the knights, who were already familiar faces, and relayed them to the kitchen. When Feliol carried a tray with the finished cakes and placed them on the knights' table, a strange tension hung in the air. This is getting interesting, Elna thought, secretly peeking while wiping down a used table.

***

In this way, time passed quickly, and the wave of customers gradually receded. Or rather, the knights, who would look suspicious if they stayed put forever, left some of their comrades behind and withdrew. Now that they had confirmed the inside of the shop, they would likely patrol the perimeter. Elna quietly bowed to the knights. Feliol's outing would be over soon.

「Thank you so much! I know this isn't a replacement for pay, but please enjoy our best chocolate cake and fruit tea!」

After looking at the cake and tea placed on the table with that energetic pronouncement, Elna and Feliol faced each other. Kakami retreated to the kitchen, the strings of her apron swaying.

Elna and Feliol sat opposite each other at the table, just as they had at the start. For some reason, they looked at each other for a few seconds. 「Heh heh.」「Heh heh.」 Then, for some unknown reason, it started to become amusing.

They held their stomachs and laughed at the tumultuous chain of events, wondering what they had just been doing.

「Labor, huh. Other than official duties, this might be my first time.」

「Did you dislike it? I'm sorry I dragged you into it.」

「No. But I believe there's a right person for the right job. It's not that I dislike this work, but I feel I must do what I can to support those who are here.」

「...I see.」

「However, it is true that this was a good experience. Once again, thank you for coming with me today... Elna.」

「You are very welcome.」

Elna looked at Feliol with an affectionate smile. Feliol also smiled brightly, but when he then made a mischievous face and said, 「But the knights. They gave me and the cake the most amazing look when I delivered it,」 Elna blinked slightly, reminded that he was indeed Cross's little brother.

Unaware of Elna's reaction, Feliol looked down at the cake and tea on the table and murmured, 「The color is beautiful.」

The glass-like transparent pot contained enough tea for two. The liquid was amber-colored, and it was brightly colored with slices of seasonal fruit—red, green, and orange. When he lifted the pot, it felt cool, not warm. He poured the amber liquid into his own and Elna's cups. A refreshing scent tickled their nostrils.

「Mmm. This is delicious.」

「It's crisp and nice. I'd like to drink it when it gets even hotter.」

Elna was a little nervous serving Feliol, whose palate was accustomed to royal palace food, but it seemed to be well received.

「The tea is good, but... compared to this...」

This was a brown, rectangular cake about the size of Elna's palm, placed on a single plate. A knife was also provided, so it was meant to be sliced and eaten.

「It's plain,」 Feliol stated frankly. Elna didn't know much about cakes either, but for something Kakami had touted as the best recommendation, its appearance was too ordinary. It was just a plain brown, unappetizing cake with no frosting, looking like it had been served in its raw form. There were many other cakes decorated with cute sugar confections, Elna thought, but she nevertheless cut the cake briskly with the knife and offered half to Feliol on his side plate.

「Well, whatever,」 Feliol said, poking it with his fork. Elna hastily took a bite of the cake as well. If it was meant to be a taste test for poison, it had to be eaten first. Elna later regretted eating it in such a rush.

What she had assumed was a rough-looking cake melted smoothly on her tongue. Despite being cake, the moist texture and taste were exactly like high-quality, rich chocolate, and Elna, still a beginner when it came to sweets, was simply bewildered. It was sweet but had a subtle bitterness, which made her want to drink the tea paired with it. She drank it, of course. The light sweetness was delicious. Then, she wanted to eat the cake again.

After several back-and-forth bites, Elna unconsciously put down her fork and covered her mouth with both hands. She let out a long sigh, 「Phew...」 and looked up at the ceiling. Feliol's plate was almost empty, and he wore a similar expression.

「...That was delicious.」

「...Yeah.」

「Food really isn't about looks, is it...」

Feliol's murmur felt profound to Elna. Elna regretted eating too quickly and moved her fork slowly this time. She also shared some with the Hamster Spirit, whose cheek pouches were now completely stuffed.

While the Hamster Spirit held up and shook his trembling, overflowing cheek pouches with satisfaction, Feliol was looking down at his empty plate with a difficult expression.

「...I might need to order another one.」

「Hmm? It was delicious, after all. But I think I'm good.」

As she turned to call the clerk, wondering if they could cut a second order in half, Feliol asked Elna in a genuinely puzzled voice, 「Why is that?」

「Why, you ask?」

「Was it not delicious?」

「Of course, it was delicious. But for something delicious, a little bit is enough.」

That was Vaid's, her former partner's, favorite saying.

It was the sentiment of a person who wished to live a long, healthy life with Elnalfia.

In the end, it was unknown whether Vaid's actions affected his lifespan or not, but it was a phrase that felt right to Elna, so she cherished it even in this life.

However, she didn't mean to assert it to anyone; she had just murmured it without thinking. Feliol looked at Elna blankly at first, then quickly furrowed his brows and groaned with his arms crossed.

「...Feliol?」

「In that case, I shall stop as well.」

「Eh. I'm sorry, did I say something that made it hard for you to eat? But that was just me saying it.」

「No.」

Feliol shook his head slightly.

「No, for some reason, that phrase resonated deep within me. That is all.」

Elna was briefly unsure how to respond. But realizing there was no need to say anything, she gently broke into a smile. Feliol, in turn, beamed even brighter. After a moment, though, he wilted into a troubled expression.

「However. I... would truly like for my brother to try this immensely delicious cake...」

"Brother" was, of course, Cross. Elna instinctively leaned forward across the table and nodded vigorously.

「You're right. He absolutely must eat this.」

「I thought so too! Right, right. Okay, an additional order! I'll pay for the bill!」

「Let's get it to go, yes! I want to pay too!」

The two of them excitedly raised their hands to call the clerk. Kakami, who had apparently become their designated server, approached with a look of exasperation, her pink hair bobbing.

「Listen, if you want to call a server, you just need to ring that bell. You helped out earlier, so you should know that.」

Both of them blushed. They had gotten a little too caught up in the moment.

「So, what's up? Was the cake so good you just had to give feedback?」

「That is certainly part of it! But, um, if you could wrap one up to go, we'd like one of the earlier cakes.」

Just then, 「You bastards!」 a loud male voice echoed through the shop. 「Cake, one...」 Feliol repeated the words, his gaze naturally drawn to the source of the voice. It seemed there was a commotion at the entrance of the shop, and Elna also turned her eyes that way. To her surprise, the person shouting was a familiar young man. The bandana-wearing man with prominent canine teeth—the leader of the group that had tried to kidnap Elna a week ago.

Elna was briefly taken aback, but the kidnapping attempt—no, it wasn't exactly a total failure, but he had been put in jail to cool his head, only to be released soon after, she had heard.

「I was in line first! Don't you try cutting in front of me!」

「What, do you think yelling loudly is going to solve anything?!」

It seemed they were arguing over the order of payment, with the bandana-wearing man claiming he was first. The clerk was at her wit's end.

「Him again...?」

Kakami sighed heavily and frowned.

「You know him too, Kakami?」

「Know him? He goes around the city stirring up trouble pretending to be a self-defense corps. The guy yelling there is probably the leader. He leads a bunch of idiots and is always picking fights with loud shouts like this, so he's not well-liked in the city.」

「Oh...」

「Recently, he's been even more full of himself, saying it's for security because he's seeing so many new faces in the city.」

Come to think of it, he had mentioned wanting to become a knight to protect the country.

Regardless of their actions, since they called themselves a self-defense corps, that must have been their true intention. However, this was just causing trouble. Feliol was glaring at the man who kept shouting, unable to suppress his annoyance, and Elna looked around for a solution. Since the man likely remembered Elna's face, her intervention would probably be counterproductive.

On that note, it was fortunate she hadn't encountered him while helping out in the shop. Although, if there had been an opportunity, she probably would have noticed him first and avoided him.

Her eyes met one of the remaining guard knights, and they exchanged a small nod. The knight immediately rose from his seat. Since a commotion at the entrance was problematic, they would likely deal with it quickly... Elna lost interest and turned back to the menu to place her cake order with Kakami.

However, the situation did not end there.

—The cowbell swayed.

「Excuse me, is it possible for just one person to enter?」

As the cowbell on the door rang, a familiar man poked his head into the shop. The expression beneath his silver bangs was a friendly smile, and his long back hair, longer than a horse's tail, swayed.

It was, of course, Kyle.

(Why is Kyle here, of all places?)

Elna was slightly taken aback and shifted her gaze again.

「You bastard! That's enough of your mockery!」

It could only be described as terrible timing for everything. The bandana-wearing man, supposedly the self-proclaimed self-defense corps leader, finally swung his clenched fist. The man he had been arguing with—or rather, picking a fight with—cried, 「Whoa!」 and surprisingly managed to skillfully dodge. Perhaps the punch had no power or speed to begin with. However, the spot where the punch landed was unfortunate.

「Eh?」

Beyond the man was Kyle, blinking his eyes.

Ah, several voices overlapped in the shop. This outburst of surprise likely came from the customers and clerks who had been watching the incident unfold, the knight who was about to intervene, Elna, Feliol... and even the person who threw the punch.

In the next moment, the punch, which should have had no power, skillfully connected with Kyle's jaw. The impact was so clear you could almost hear a dull sound. Poor Kyle toppled over and immediately lost consciousness.