Dog collars

Dog collars

Collecting dog collars, huh.

I covered my forehead, thinking that I could roughly guess why he was doing such a thing without having to ask for the reason.

‘This is why I shouldn’t have left him unattended.’

Thinking that he started to behave strangely because I had left him alone due to being busy lately, I said to Espin.

“Is there anything else besides that?”

“Hmm, not really? Other than that, just rumors that you’re pregnant and that Rumi has become very popular?”

In other words, there’s nothing.

I felt there was no more value in continuing the conversation, so I waved my hand and said.

“Let’s stop this conversation.”

“Okay, sure.”

Espin seems quite happy just for the fact that he could tease me at the last moment, and says to me with a broad smile.

“But you know what? I have one thing to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I’m curious now, don’t you see me as a woman?”

Thinking what nonsense that was, I looked to the side.

Espin supported her enormous chest with both hands and tilted her head.

“Usually, when I seduce like this, all men, without exception, fall for it. But you don’t even show interest, so I find it strange.”

I could understand that to some extent.

As Espin said, her information pouches were so large that they could be described as impressive, naturally drawing one’s eyes.

‘If I were in a normal situation, I would probably stare blankly.’

The problem is that this isn’t a normal situation.

‘If it were just my problem, it would be one thing, but with the lives of Rumi, Sien, Delia, and even Espin at stake.’

I couldn’t afford to be distracted by such things.

So, I tried to briefly explain this and move on.

Espin, with a bored expression, took a step away from me and said.

“Oh, really?”

Actually, rather than bored, it might be more accurate to say she looked disappointed.

Watching Espin move away from me, I slowly turned my gaze and decided to focus on the things that ‘needed to be done’ now.

‘Bringing down the Heaven God Cult.’

Thinking that this was the most important thing right now, I turned my body.

* * *

I pondered as I skimmed through the magic book I had received from Espin earlier.

The person who had spoken in favor of officially recognizing the Heaven God Cult was an unexpected figure.

‘Delphian, the head of the Magic Association.’

Although he wasn’t a major character in the original novel and was rarely mentioned.

As the leader of the Magic Association, known as the holy land for all magicians, he was undoubtedly a powerful and authoritative figure.

‘Then the question is why such a guy joined hands with the Heaven God Cult.’

I closed my eyes, thinking that this would need to be investigated further to understand.

‘So what would be the best course of action?’

Causing an outright terrorist attack on the Magic Association would draw too much public attention.

And with Deren’s older sister Chloe also present, it seemed unreasonable to carry out a blatant terrorist attack.

So this time, we need to use a method other than terrorism… but it’s hard to grasp what method to use.

While pondering this, tapping my feet,

Suddenly, a decent idea flashes through my mind.

‘Instead of going through the trouble of terrorism, why not just assassinate that guy?’

Although killing Delphian wouldn’t change much,

If we keep killing those put forward by the Heaven God Cult, eventually they’ll run out of people to put forward, and we can significantly reduce the power of the Heaven God Cult.

As this thought crosses my mind, I feel excited at how interesting it could be, and motivation builds up.

‘Normally, one wouldn’t be able to do such a thing.’

Thinking that it wouldn’t be too difficult to assassinate using the spatial manipulation magic I recently learned,

Just as I was about to slowly move my feet,

Someone begins to knock gently on the laboratory door.

“Come in.”

At my voice, a woman with blue hair carefully enters and meets my eyes.

“Lord Deren. Have you been well?”

As I silently stare at Sien, whose voice comes from in front of me,

Sien somewhat shyly rubs her cheek with the back of her hand, then puts on an expression as if she’s gathered courage and speaks to me.

“Without beating around the bush, I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

At those words, Sien looks at me with an awkward smile.

She takes out a dog collar from her bosom and tells me.

“I heard from a maid before. If you give something like this to your boyfriend, a hundred out of a hundred will like it.”

“……”

The moment I heard that, I felt a headache coming on.

I wonder what on earth is in that maid’s head to keep feeding Sien such strange information.

I sighed, realizing that Dellia, Rumi, and Sien all have somewhat distorted knowledge about sex.

‘Don’t they provide sex education in this world?’

From the way they talk, it doesn’t seem that closed-off, though.

Thinking that I couldn’t understand, I said to Sien.

“I’ll just accept your feelings.”

At my response, Sien stares blankly at the dog collar she brought, then asks me as if she doesn’t understand.

“Perhaps you don’t like the shape or color? If so, I brought some spare ones, you can choose from those.”

Feeling that if this continues, Sien might really bring out the spare dog collars, I waved my hand and spoke honestly.

“It’s an unnecessary gift, so don’t bring it.”

At those words, Sien’s face became very gloomy as she hurriedly put the dog collar back in her bosom.

She fidgeted with her sword unnecessarily and nodded her head.

“… I understand.”

I was holding my head, thinking it was a headache.

Sien slowly approached me and spoke to me with a face that still couldn’t let go of her lingering feelings.

“Lord Deren… Couldn’t you accept at least one?”

Feeling that she would follow me around all day giving me looks if I didn’t accept, I reluctantly nodded, deciding to just take it.

“I’ll accept it, but stay still.”

“… Yes!”

Sien, seemingly pleased for some reason, placed a dog collar in my hand.

Then, after tying her long hair to one side, she showed me the back of her neck and said.

“Please put it on quickly.”

“What?”

“Since it wouldn’t be right to put the dog collar on you, Lord Deren, isn’t it proper to put it on me?”

Sien spoke as if it was the most natural thing and looked at me.

She tilted her head, looking at me as if she couldn’t understand what was strange.

I sighed as I looked at Sien and continued speaking.

“Sien, do you understand the meaning of what you’re doing right now?”

At those words, Sien stared at me blankly and nodded.

“Yes. Of course I know. It means submission.”

“Submission… isn’t wrong, but usually, this kind of request implies something else.”

Sien looked at me, tilting her head as if she really didn’t know.

I told her the truth about this.

“It means sexual submission.”

“Sexual…?”

Sien blinked at me as if hearing this for the first time.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, her earlobes turned bright red as she stammered and took a step back from me.

“I, I didn’t mean it like that. I only meant it as a pledge of loyalty to Lord Deren…”

I know.

She was a character so focused on swordsmanship that she could be described as obsessed with it.

Since I had known from before that she lacked common sense to a great extent, I nodded and said to Sien.

“So before I misunderstand, take this back.”

At those words, Sien hesitated for a moment, then seemingly having made up her mind, spoke to me in a small voice.

“Lord Deren… what would you say if I told you it wasn’t a misunderstanding?”

“……”

If it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

Since there was only one meaning to that, I paused for a moment, then shook my head to clear my thoughts and said.

“I would say it’s not possible yet.”

When I said it wasn’t possible, she once again looked dejected and fidgeted, idly touching her sword.

Then, like a flower regaining its vitality, her expression brightened again as she muttered softly.

“Yet…”

It seems she interpreted it to mean that while it’s not possible now, it might be in the future.

I considered correcting her misunderstanding, explaining that wasn’t what I meant.

‘But if I say anything more about this, it might lead to an even bigger misunderstanding.’

I decided to just stop there and quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, did you come here to give that gift?”

“No. That’s a secondary purpose. The main reason I came here was to meet Lord Deren.”

Thinking there might be some reason, I silently looked at Sien.

Sien smiled calmly and said to me.

“It means exactly what I said. I just came because I wanted to meet Lord Deren.”

A blind expression of pure affection.

Thinking that such expressions never become familiar no matter how often I hear them, I turned my gaze away.

“I see.”

“Yes. So I hope you’ll give me some attention, even if it’s a bit bothersome.”

With those final words, Sien carefully sat down next to me, grinning.

As I looked at Sien like that, thinking if this would be enough, I was inwardly sighing.

Sien, still smiling, asked me one question.

“Lord Deren, may I ask you a question?”

“What is it?”

“I recently heard a rumor that Lord Deren is a puppy? Or a pregnant horse?”

Both are correct, but when combined, they become incorrect. Feeling a headache coming on from that nickname, I frowned.

Sien looked at me like that and said, as if not understanding.

“Could you tell me what that means? No matter how much I try to understand, I can’t…”