"Albert-niisan, are you alright?!"
After defeating Pazuzu, I hurried back to the shore and shook Albert to wake him.
The lingering effects of the Majin's mana seemed to have already cleared, as he opened his eyes almost instantly.
"Ugh... L-Lloyd...? What happened? Wait! Is everyone safe?! What about the Majin?!"
Albert sat up abruptly, his eyes darting around the area in confusion.
Ah... damn. How was I going to explain this? I could hardly tell him that I was the one who’d taken the monster down.
"Please, calm down, Albert-niisan! Um, you see... That’s right! I was knocked out too, and when I finally came to, everyone was lying here and the Majin was already gone!"
I tried to bluff my way through the explanation, but Albert’s expression remained skeptical.
"I see... Forgive me, I lost my head for a moment. Regardless, let’s get everyone else awake."
"Yes, sir!"
It seemed I had managed to deceive him for now. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as the others began to stir.
Albert confirmed that everyone was unharmed and gave a firm nod.
"Everyone, the fact that we are all safe is nothing short of a miracle. However, during the struggle, I was engulfed by the Majin's black mist and lost consciousness. I have no memory of how the beast was driven off. Did anyone see what happened?"
Albert looked around at the group, but everyone remained silent. Sylpha simply shook her head in response.
Phew, I was safe. It didn't look like anyone had seen through my disguise.
"—I saw it all, ne."
"Pffft!"
I sputtered at Tao’s sudden declaration.
"Is something wrong, Master Lloyd?"
"N-No, it’s nothing..."
I coughed repeatedly as Sylpha gently rubbed my back to soothe me.
Did she really see me? My heart hammered against my ribs as I waited for Tao to continue.
"The one who saved us and defeated the Majin—it was Roberto!"
"Pffft!"
I nearly choked again.
"Master Lloyd!" Sylpha cried, looking worried as she stroked my back with even more vigor.
"Roberto?" Albert repeated. "Wasn't that the adventurer who saved Tao previously?"
"Yes! Just as Atashi was losing consciousness and thought it was the end, he appeared like a hero! He faced the Majin in a spectacular battle right on the surface of the lake. He didn't even flinch at the Majin's attacks; he just blasted him with incredible magic and won easily. He really is the man I’ve sworn my future to, ne!"
Tao twisted her hips and blushed, looking entirely smitten.
I couldn't believe she’d still been conscious... but fortunately, she seemed to have misunderstood the details. It didn't look like she knew "Roberto" was actually me.
Besides, when exactly did I "swear a future" with her? I had absolutely no memory of such a thing.
"Hmm... an adventurer capable of soloing a Majin must be quite famous. I shall have to track him down and offer my thanks personally."
I mean, there is no adventurer named Roberto... but whatever. I decided to just play dumb.
"On! On!"
Suddenly, barking echoed from the forest. A pack of large, pure-white dogs came bounding out from the brush and began nuzzling against me.
"Whoa, hey! Where did you guys come from?"
I looked closer and realized that while they were adorable now, these were definitely the Bearwolves from before. I could tell just by touching them; the flow of mana through their bodies was identical.
Generally speaking, while mana capacity can change through growth or training, the actual flow pattern of an individual never changes. I wondered what could have caused such a transformation.
"Magical beasts change their form and temperament based on the mana they consume, boss. Since they were showered in Master Lloyd's mana, they likely ended up like this-ssu."
"On!"
One of the dogs barked as if to confirm Grimo's explanation. It sat obediently at my feet, and the rest of the pack followed its lead. The dog at the front looked up at me with sparkling eyes, its tail wagging like a blur.
"Looks like this one was the leader Pazuzu was controlling directly-ssu. It’s recognized Master Lloyd as its master."
"It sure seems that way."
Still, I couldn't exactly bring a pack of monsters back to the castle, no matter how cute they were. I stole a glance at Sylpha to see her reaction.
"Oh my, it seems this dog has become quite attached to you, Master Lloyd!"
To my surprise, Sylpha was smiling warmly at the sight. I’d expected her to tell me that keeping a monster was out of the question, but she seemed to approve.
"Why the puzzled look, Master Lloyd? Dogs are creatures of great loyalty and make the finest companions for warriors. House Langris has kept many of them throughout our history for that very reason. I had hoped you might get a dog of your own someday, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. This one looks healthy and strong; why not keep him?"
Albert nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. I am fond of dogs myself. Besides, white magical beasts are considered auspicious omens. If he is this attached to you, I’m certain he will be a fine friend for you, Lloyd."
"On! On-on!"
The dog barked enthusiastically, as if imploring me to agree.
Well, if both of them were fine with it, I didn't see why not. It would give me plenty of chances to research magical beasts, after all.
...Wait, no! I didn't mean I was going to do anything grotesque to him.
"Lloyd, you should give him a name."
"A name? Hmm... Let's go with Shiro."
"On!"
It was a pretty lazy choice since he was white, but Shiro seemed to love it. He began rubbing his head against me, demanding to be petted. When I finally obliged, Shiro wagged his tail so hard I thought it might fly off.
He really was cute.