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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Episode 10
"Wahaha! ‌I've lost, I've truly lost. What a clever little thing you are!"
"Oof!"
The Patriarch Grandfather's booming laughter shattered the silence that had settled over the conference hall.
With it, the atmosphere transformed into something warm and inviting once more.
"Indeed. There ‌‌‌is nothing finer than Driblyane. What a remarkably wise answer! You surpass even me!"
The Patriarch Grandfather ruffled through my fur ‌coat and tickled my belly without restraint. Flipped onto my back, I was nearly losing myself entirely.
I shouldn't like this! I really shouldn't! But... I do!
'D-dangerous!'
My human rationality threatened to scatter to the winds.
I gasped for breath and hugged my precious pink belly protectively.
Recognizing my silent plea to stop, the Patriarch Grandfather made a clicking sound and withdrew his hand.
"You shall have your own private chamber immediately. Here, on the Main Building 2nd Floor. Choose whichever room suits your fancy."
"!"
"You're still young, so I'll ‌‌‌‌assign you a nursemaid and a servant. Let me see—how old is the little one?"
"I... I don't know."
I shook my head at the ‌‌‍‌Patriarch Grandfather's question. There was no way to know without attempting humanization first.
The documents I'd ‌‌‌submitted upon entering as a servant couldn't be trusted anyway—age could be falsified as easily as anything else.
"Hmm. At most ten years old, I'd wager. Perhaps younger still."
If I could just humanize myself ‌‌right now, ‌‌‌I could tell him precisely. What a ‌‌‌pity.
Ordinary beastkin naturally sensed Iculis and used it for humanization, or so I'd heard. Yet no matter how hard I strained, I felt nothing whatsoever.
"I ‌‌‌‌do wish to see your humanized form soon. I shall find a way."
Warmth began to bloom in those dark eyes as they turned toward me. In that gaze, I felt the first stirrings of true belonging.
"So long as you support Driblyane, Driblyane shall protect you. Never forget that."
"Yes!"
The Patriarch Grandfather smiled kindly and extended his hand.
Sensing he wanted ‌me to take it, I timidly offered my front paw, and the Patriarch Grandfather grinned mischievously as he gave me a finger handshake.
"Then, welcome to Driblyane, little one."
"...!"
My chest grew warm. Overwhelmed by unexpected emotion, I discreetly wiped away the tears that threatened to spill.
This was surely my moment to exit gracefully.
'But... this isn't quite the end yet.'
I scampered over to the ‌‌‌map spread across the table and gently tapped a particular region with my hind leg.
"Is there something else of importance there?"
The senior officials turned to ‌‌regard me with benevolent curiosity.
I nodded shyly.
Their eyes gleamed with anticipation—perhaps expecting news of sudden fortune or some scandal ‌‌involving the imperial family.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the sort of information that would multiply a ‌‌‌modest wager into a fortune. Yet it was treasure ‌‌‌beyond measure—information that some would gladly exchange for millions. Military intelligence, in other words.
"That location will soon face a surprise attack."
Silence fell over the conference hall like a heavy curtain.
"Then next, here, here, and here."
How did I know all this in such detail?
'In the original story, there were occasional scenes of Holy Empire knights who favored Rahyun acting as plague vanguards.'
That's why ‌‌‌I remembered it.
All I needed to do was mention ‌‌the part about the Holy Empire launching a cowardly surprise attack and achieving a great victory, right?
Raphiren placed pins on the points I had indicated.
Noticing that Patriarch Grandfather's expression had grown serious, ‌I quietly retreated from the map.
Did he ‌‌‌not believe me?
"Raphiren."
"Yes, Patriarch."
"Relay this information at once. Be careful not ‌‌‌‌to let it be intercepted."
"I obey your command."
Raphiren left the Conference Room without asking ‌a second question.
One of the retainers watching him tilted his head and spoke up.
"Pardon me, Patriarch, but do you truly believe this? Surely... a child knowing about the front lines is rather..."
"This child knows that spring arrives. If the information is accurate, it ‌‌will save our soldiers' lives. And even if it proves false, it can still sow confusion among those Holy Empire dogs."
"Ah...!"
"The Holy Empire was so insufferably arrogant when they possessed the ‌‌‌‌Saint. This child could prove to be a great blessing for us."
"..."
"Perhaps... yes. She may truly be the ‌‌‌Saint of the Demon Empire, just as Kirakseruss said. I'm not certain where she came from, but..."
Oh! I could see trust and curiosity deepening in Patriarch Grandfather's eyes!
Still, since no results had come yet, I simply smiled respectfully and demurely.
"Now then, go choose your bedchamber."
"Yes!"
I hoped that what I had told them ‌‌would save many lives.
With that wish in my heart, I hopped back into the ‌‌basket.
'But... what information will I sell the next time Patriarch Grandfather calls for me?'
* * *
I chose a large, spacious room flooded with sunlight as my bedchamber.
There were a few similar rooms, ‌‌but I was drawn to ‌‌‌‌this one because the wallpaper—a color reminiscent of custard ‌‌‌‌‌pudding—was absolutely delightful.
'And this room's bed is bigger than the others!'
If I started rolling across it in Marten's form, I could roll dozens of times across such a vast ‌‌‌expanse!
"Yum."
Happy moments seem to flow so ‌‌leisurely. ‌‌‌‌
Now was afternoon snack ‌‌‌‌time—a precious moment I awaited all day long.
"So sweet...!"
Nina fed me chocolate pudding with a tiny silver spoon.
I accepted each spoonful, ‌‌‌and every time the rich chocolate touched my tongue, my tail tingled. I was so moved by the sweetness that melted on my tongue—the first time I tasted it, my tail ‌trembled all the way to its tip.
"May I ‌‌‌not have just one bite as well...?"
"Nina, please give ‌way just this once."
"Blast it...! Someone must have rigged the lottery! How is Nina ‌on snack duty again today?"
The three people gathered around me were, in order, a maid, a governess, and a guard knight.
Linda, who had become my personal maid, was a serval ‌‌beastkin and had just turned twenty. Her spirited nature energized me whenever I saw her. She handled my bathing and wardrobe, apparently.
'Though I have ‌‌‌‌no need to wear clothes, ‌‌mind you.'
My governess was a caracal beastkin in her fifties named Evangeline. She had a plump, round appearance and a warm disposition to match. She oversaw my meals, ‌‌snacks, and general upbringing.
Finally, my guard knight ‌‌John was... a bear beastkin.
A ‌‌‌grizzly bear, to be precise. ‌‌
He was so massive that ‌‌‌when I first ‌‌‌‌saw him, I thought he was a legendary monster from the tales.
"The Young Mistress is ‌‌‌in the middle of her ‌‌meal. All of you—remove those cute little bottoms far away from here at once."
Ah, so Nina had cursed them out.
Whatever magic Kirakseruss had woven remained effective. Every time Nina swore, I nearly died laughing.
'Come to think of it, I heard Kirakseruss inherited the position of Young Patriarch. He must be quite busy.'
I leaned back against a plush feathered cushion, ‌‌‌glancing at the orb of light hovering in midair.
That fist-sized luminescent object was actually a golem—likely a communication golem of Kirakseruss's own making.
On the day I chose this bedroom, Kirakseruss didn't ‌‌‌appear until nightfall.
"Found something."
Then he simply tossed it at me without warning.
"I made this because I thought you'd want to greet me ‌‌in the morning and evening."
What kind of confidence was that...?
I was flustered, but he seemed utterly assured.
And shortly after, I learned the golem's true purpose.
"Tap the head twice and the baby language translator activates. You can speak roughly, and it will translate for you."
"Wow...!"
I'd been struggling when I needed to say longer things—how did he know that?!
Bewildered as I was, I gave the golem a name: Pompom. ‌‌
'The fact that he gave me ‌‌this at all seems to ‌‌mean he's forgiven my past as a spy and will ‌‌‌let me live. That's reassuring.'
Besides, Pompom had another use.
Self-defense.
The daughter-in-law of Driblyane is precious cargo, after all. If ‌I'm ever kidnapped, I'll scream at it with all my might!
Then Kirakseruss will come running, even if just to ‌‌‌silence the noise.

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------