“Shiro, come!”
“Woof!”
At my call, the large white dog—Shiro—came bounding toward me with boundless energy.
Shiro lunged at me, and the sheer weight and momentum of the impact pinned me down onto the lawn.
Shorn grass danced in the air, and the earthy scent of soil and greenery filled my nose.
I, Lloyd di Saloom, am the Seventh Prince of the Kingdom of Saloom.
I’m ten years old, and I love magic. In my previous life, I was a lowly, penniless mage who died while being captivated by the first High Magic I had ever seen, only to be reincarnated into this body.
Being the Seventh Prince with a significant age gap between myself and my older brothers, I have no Right of Succession. I was told to live as I pleased, so I’ve spent my time focusing entirely on my favorite pursuit: magic. ...Lately, however, I’ve felt like the people around me have been placing strange expectations on my shoulders.
Well, I’m sure it’s just my imagination.
A plain, inconspicuous Seventh Prince—that is my place in the world.
“Woof! Woof!”
By the way, this dog currently licking my face is Shiro. It was originally a magical beast that attacked me, but it seems to have taken a liking to me and has become quite attached.
Since I was told I could bring it home, I decided to make it my familiar.
A mouth suddenly split open in the palm of the hand I was using to pet Shiro.
“Hehehe, to be adored even by a magical beast... as expected of Master Lloyd.”
This fellow is Majin Grimoire. I call him Grimo.
He was sealed within a Forbidden Tome in the castle’s Underground Library, but after a series of events, he became my familiar.
I have him living in the skin of my palm, and he occasionally opens his mouth like this to speak.
“Ghee-hee-hee, you’ve even brought a magical beast to heel. Fine by me... If you keep acquiring all sorts of things, it’ll be all the tastier for me when I eventually take over that body...”
As a side note, he is an emotionally unstable guy who frequently mutters to himself.
He could at least speak at a volume I can actually hear.
“Woof! Woof!”
“Whoa, hey, you damn mutt! Don’t bark at me! Shoo! Shoo!”
Shiro barked at the muttering Grimo.
...It seemed the two of them didn't get along very well.
“Now, now, don't fight. Let's get back to it.”
“Woof!”
When I clenched my hand to force Grimo’s mouth shut, Shiro sat back down and composed itself.
What I was currently practicing was a technique of a Magical Beast Tamer, which allowed one to issue orders to a familiar through thought alone by imbuing magic power with a command.
Magical Beast Tamer is a general term for those who contract with magical beasts and control them as familiars. It is said that the discipline originated from mages who loved their familiars and began specializing in the ability to employ them more effectively.
Apparently, they don’t use Spell Formulas to control their familiars; instead, they use magic power to dominate them through sheer will. I was currently trying to replicate that, but...
“Shiro!”
I tried calling out to it in my mind, but Shiro only waited for my next command with sparkling, expectant eyes.
I tried to project the thought for it to "come," but the message didn't seem to get through.
Shiro is very intelligent and understands almost everything I say, so if I speak aloud, I can usually get my point across.
However, while simple commands like "sit," "stay," or "fetch" were one thing, complex commands like "spin around three times and then bark" were a different story.
How fast should it spin? Where exactly? How should it bark? It was impossible to pack all that nuanced meaning into a single verbal word.
If I could make it obey through thought alone, I felt like I could manage those fine details somehow.
“Master Lloyd, can’t you just use a Spell Formula to give orders?”
“A Spell Formula is written in a special magical language designed to interfere with the world efficiently. It won't work on Shiro because it can't understand the language.”
Besides, there are very few mages who can actually understand and manipulate Spell Formulas.
Even for me, at my current level, rearranging words within a formula is the limit. From that perspective, it was important to keep training my comprehension through daily reading.
Ultimately, conveying words by riding them on magic power was the fastest method.
“...Sit.”
“Woof!”
Thus, I was simultaneously emitting magic power and verbal commands, steadily teaching it through repetitive training.
Hmm, but this is taking too much time and lacks flexibility.
Fine nuances aren't getting across. I wondered if there might be a better way.
As I pondered, I suddenly remembered a certain person.
“That’s right, if it’s Alieze-neesan...”
—Alieze di Saloom, Sixth Princess of the Kingdom of Saloom.
She is my sister, three years my senior. Like me, she has no claim to the throne and lives her life doing what she loves.
Her interest lies exclusively in animals.
Dogs and cats go without saying, but she is a genuine animal lover who keeps everything from reptiles and birds to even magical beasts.
A large part of why no one complained when I decided to keep Shiro was likely because Alieze had already set such a prominent precedent.
“I’m not exactly looking forward to it... but I suppose I’ll go see her.”
“Woof!”
Shiro responded energetically to my words.
The place I headed for was a large tower located in a detached wing of the castle.
In the vast garden surrounding it, small animals like squirrels and rabbits watched us with curiosity, while colorful birds chirped from the branches above.
“Heeh, is your sister keeping all of these, Master Lloyd? They’re just roaming free... Don't they run away?”
“Yeah, Alieze-neesan has always been liked by animals. Thinking back on it now, I wondered if it might be due to her magic power...”
Thinking logically, it would be impossible for an ordinary person to tame this many animals.
Since she shares the same blood as I do, it wouldn't be strange if she possessed talent as a mage.
Among those born with superior lineage and talent, it isn't rare for some to handle magic power unconsciously.
Having reached the tower, I knocked on the large door at the front.
“Sister, Alieze-neesan. Are you there? It’s Lloyd.”
After waiting a moment, a Black-haired Maid emerged from within.
If I recall, her name was...
“Was it Eris?”
“I am honored that you remember, Master Lloyd. It has been a long time.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. I’d like to see Alieze-neesan.”
“Certainly. Please wait a moment.”
The maid gave a polite bow and returned to the tower.
After waiting a bit longer, the door swung open.
“Lloyddddd!”
Wham! I was suddenly pulled into a crushing hug.
“Guh?!”
I was squeezed tightly against a soft, fluffy sensation. I could barely breathe.
“Lloyd-Lloyd-Lloyd! Oh, honestly—it’s been so long! To think you’d come to see me on your own... your big sister is just so happy!”
On top of that, she started rubbing and petting my head vigorously. It actually hurt a little.
“Lady Alieze, please stop. Master Lloyd is in distress.”
“Eh?! Oh, you’re right. I’m so sorry!”
With an apology, Alieze loosened the arms she had wrapped around me.
...Phew, that was suffocating. This is exactly why I didn't really want to come.
Since we were little, whenever Alieze found me, she would hug me, kiss me, and treat me like a toy.
As I looked up while coughing, I saw a woman with long, fluffy, light-pink hair standing before me.
Not just her hair, but her dress was also adorned with fur and pom-poms, making her look fluffy all over.
...And for the record, her chest was, too.
“Fufu, sorry, Lloyd. I just got so excited. So, whatever could you need from me?”
Alieze said, offering a beaming smile.