At the end of Aldis's gaze, a small furry ball was in sight.
It was the larvae of a quadruped beast.
I don't know why this is happening, but one of the hind legs is pulled upwards by a string-like object like a stick, and it is swaying from side to side in an upside-down suspension with its head down.
The body, which only had a human head, was wrapped in golden hair, and its back was hanging with a short, voluminous tail.
Zifu?
The beast seemed to tilt its neck in response to Lucille's small crush.
What's the situation, this?
When I looked around, there was no sign of anything else moving.
It looks like you're caught in a human trap, but I didn't think there were people hunting in a place like this.
The vines entangled in the legs of the beast were not visible to the artifact, and I could not feel any other beast-like magical response around me.
The beast is not frightened or intimidated, but turns to the Ardis.
It's like, "What's going on?" That's the look you're asking.
The two of them were confused, but there was not much information to guess at, and no conclusion could be drawn.
Did you get caught?
"Now... it looks like a human trap... but I don't think a hunter is wandering around at a time like this."
Luchel asks Aldis to think about it.
"Hey, what do we do?"
What are you going to do?
Luchell's black eyes were pointed at a fur ball that was hanging over her.
"I feel sorry for her, for leaving her like this."
"... are you going to take me with you?"
Aldis frowned at Rouchell's words.
The Wisteria Mercenaries are a group of mercenaries who make a living from fighting.
Strangely, it was a mercenary group that had a strong patronizing spirit, so they picked up the children and protected them, but only if the opponent was a human.
I didn't think I could expect the same treatment from a wild beast opponent.
Rouchell stared straight into Aldis' uneasy eyes.
"Because..." Lucille opened her mouth as her black eyes reflected the difference.
The Commander picked us up, didn't he?
Aldis had a bad look on his face at the words.
…………
Drifting silence.
Do we refuse to reach out to others, even though we have been saved by the help of salvation?I felt like I was being blamed for that.
After silently thinking for a while, Aldis sighs heavily and surrenders, “I understand.”
"Let's take her for now." Until then, I can't take responsibility. "
"Yes. Thank you, Aldis."
Looking at Rouchell, who was flaunting his face with joy, stroked his palm as he deceived his loose cheek, and Aldis looked at the child of the hanging beast again.
The two of them approached, but the golden beast did not bark or try to escape.
I don't think Aldis and the others are out of sight, but they've been watching us, as usual.
It's a lot of quiet, isn't it?
Maybe she's weak.
"I'll cut off that string-like thing, so if it falls, will you accept it?"Don't try to force yourself to hug me, because I might get rampaged. "
"Yeah, I know."
Just below the beast, Rouchell spread his hand and watched as Ardis jumped up and cut off the string suspending the beast's legs with his sword.
The beast child who was released from the restraint fell, and Luchel took it firmly.
"You're alive... aren't you?"
Aldis, who held the sword in a sheath, peered into the child of the beast in Lucille's arms.
"Looks like it's okay."
The fur balls in her arms were not violent, and when she looked at Lucille and Ardis' faces alternately, she closed her eyes with her body rounded.
"Do you want to sleep in this situation?"
It's a nervous beast.
Well, it's better than being scared, isn't it?
"That's true, but..."
"Let's catch up with everyone for the time being."It would be troublesome if we could close the fort's gate. "
Encouraged to do so by Rouchell, Ardis, who was looking at the beast with an indescribable expression, replied briefly, "That's right."
With a hurry through the woods, Aldis and Luchel were able to catch up with their allies at the end of the road, almost as far as the fort.
The gates of the fortress must be closed as quickly as possible, though they have just cast out their enemies.
No one would open a gate to welcome one of the mercenaries.
Ardis, who managed to get back to the fort before the door closed, searches for Grace and calls out.
"Grace."
"Hmm? Ardis?" What can I do for you? "
I think he was checking the damage.There was also a figure of Viktor beside Grace.
Grace and Viktor's gaze rushed toward the beast child in Lucille's arms.
What's the matter, man?
"Oh, it's unusual, isn't it?"
Halfway through?
"That's the kind of beast."Where did you pick it up? "
As Viktor asked Aldis how it happened, Grace pinched her chin and crushed it.
"Hmm... hanging from the branches of the tree, hey..."
Luchel tends to be reluctant to ask Grace, who looks at the child with interest.
"Um... Captain. I feel sorry to leave this child alone..."At least I'll take care of you until you grow up... "
Yeah, that's good.
It's okay, isn't it?
Grace gave her permission to cover up Luchel's words, which were difficult to say, and Viktor, who was nearby, agreed with her for a while.
Huh?
Aldis leaks out a silly voice at the fact that he has easily gained approval in addition to his thoughts.
It seemed that Rouchell had the same surprise, and his eyes were rounded with surprise.
What's the matter?
"No, I didn't expect this to be allowed lightly, so..."
Me too. I thought Grace would definitely disagree with Viktor anyway.
Aldis, who was more surprised than Rouchell, continued to do so, and Viktor returned his words in a light tone.
Well, at least Rouchell seems to forgive me, and if he doesn't like the Mercenaries (ours), he'll leave on his own.
"Of course, we don't even need to eat wasted meals..."Even if you don't have to be a fighter, if you let non-combatants accompany you, you'll be a good guard. ”
Having heard Grace's words, Rouchell asked her a question.
Is this girl going to be that strong?
You're going to be stronger than Neduro, right?
"Huh!?"
Aldis and Luchel were surprised at the unexpected answer.
What, did you bring them here without knowing?
Looking at the situation, Grace smiled in awe and peered at the moment when she remained in Lucille's arms.
Perceived a sign, the child opened his thin eyes to Grace in a troublesome way.
I don't know if you're a kid or a girl, but are you hungry?
Grace spoke with her eyes closed.
The child over time yawned heavily and then opened his mouth again, staring at Grace.
This time it's not a yawn.
The words that popped out of the little mouth were “hungry”, which Aldis and Luchel hadn't even anticipated.
Talked about it!?
"Are you talking!?"
Aldis and Luchel turned a blind eye to the response.
Regardless of the two of them opening their mouths in surprise, Grace continued to talk as usual.
Well then, I'll feed you, so follow me.
Ta-da.
When he answered in a stupid way, the timeless child stepped out of Rouchell's arm and followed Grace.
Aldis and the others, who were looking at the sight with an unbelievable face, began to chase after him in a hurry.
Behind Grace, who had a large stride, a small four-legged beast moves its legs in small steps, and Aldis and Luchel follow as they watch.
Reaching the cafeteria inside the fort, Grace asks the on-duty cook to prepare a meal for her.
"Why the rice of the beast..."
"Evil. I'll tell you what's up there."
Blurring the money to the cook, Grace left the scene, saying, "Come back to my room later."
All that's left is Aldis, Rouchell, and a child with golden hair.
When Aldis carried the meal prepared by the cook, the golden fur balls that sat on the table and waited for them, without any hesitation or hesitation, ate it.
Aldis and Rouchell had an indescribable expression on their faces that seemed like a wild beast.
Squeaky.
Apparently, I have the intelligence to evaluate the flavor.
Maybe you're just complaining, but in any case, it's a wild beast's frightening behavior.
Eating is not something that humans eat.
The dryness and texture are terrible, but the only thing that feels good is good bread, and a small amount of meat that has not been seasoned just by passing through the fire.
The beast's opponent was judged to be enough.
You're not carnivorous, are you?
It must be an omnivorous meal.
Was a fox an omnivore?
Huh? Aldis, I know a fox.
"Nh, somehow..."
There is a conversation between Aldis and Luchel over a meal of time.
Unlike the two of them who didn't know each other, Grace, who knew this beast, and Aldis stopped thinking that it was a meal prepared by a cook, so that would be no problem.
"Aji. So-so. Manpuku"
Thinking from the small body, when he flattened more than enough meals, the beast, after having made an evaluation of the meal, nodded on the spot with a satisfied face.
Even though it was small, it was a wild beast.Until then, Aldis silently watched and never spoke to him, saying that he should avoid interrupting the meal.
"Hey, you know what I'm saying?"
"... hey"
Although it was a short time after the inquiry, the child replied after staring at Aldis.
”Hey, does that mean... 'just a little bit'?”
"Maybe so."I wonder if it's because I'm still a child, or if I can only have that much conversation with my race originally... let's ask Viktor later. "
In the past five years, both Aldis and Luchel have learned a great deal, and their knowledge has grown tremendously.
But there are still a lot of things I don't know or don't know.
However, even in the special environment of mercenary groups, there is a bias to learn, and surviving that day is a priority, so there is no way to have a hole in knowledge.
"Hey, you. When you met us, you were hanging upside down from the branches of a tree like a string, right?"
If you are embarrassed for the time being but are able to communicate, you can ask the person in question.
Why is that? Could it be that you've fallen into a human trap?
When Rouchell asked about the strange encounter, he returned a surprising answer.
"Hanging around, it's so sloppy, it feels so good."
“How's it going?
Huh?
It swings its fluffy tail like a paintbrush and swings in a good mood.
Crushing the words of the passing of time, Ardis thinks as he captures the missing part.
The conclusions drawn were then mouthwatering.
"Maybe... you hung yourself upside down?"
"Saka, Sakura, it's interesting."
Aldis weakens when he hears the reply.
"Huh? What do you mean? I mean... I mean, just playing?"
It seems so.
If you think that you rescued and protected the helpless being without a side, the fact that the owner was just having fun and playing makes Rouchell look complicated.
In addition, if you believe Grace's words, it seems that she is much stronger than the half-man mercenaries there, contrary to her seemingly weak appearance.
At the end of the story, the child closed his eyes again and began to fall asleep on the table.
"...... in the meantime, will you go back to everyone?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
Standing up from Aldis's reply, Rouchell gently hugs the child with both hands as he rolls up.
At the moment of lifting, the ears of the crossing twitched.
But apparently, I chose to stay asleep with Rouchell's arm.
The figure that crosses when it turns round is exactly the golden fur ball itself.
It was inevitable that the two Ardis would be exposed to curiosity on their way to the borrowed dormitories of the Wisteria Mercenaries.