On the fifth day of the Month of Light, I spent the early afternoon basking in the warm sunlight in the garden behind Lilia-san’s mansion.
Calling it a backyard was something of an understatement; the space was vast enough to serve as the training grounds for the estate’s security force.
"...Hmm. So that's how Seigi's doing... I’m not doubting you, Kaito-senpai, but it’s just hard to wrap my head around," Hina-chan said.
"Well, regardless of how much Mitsunaga-kun has changed, I’m just glad to hear he’s doing well. Thank you for the update, Kaito-san."
I had been filling them in on my reunion with Mitsunaga-kun in the Hydra Kingdom. Hina-chan seemed skeptical of his supposed transformation, while Aoi-chan was simply relieved to know he was safe.
Since Hina-chan was his cousin and knew him so well, I suppose it was only natural for her to be the most surprised by his growth.
With those thoughts drifting through my mind, I took a sip of green tea and watched the two of them. Hina-chan was dressed in her usual athletic trousers, looking ready for a run, while Aoi-chan wore a simple one-piece dress paired with a brown jacket. They were both busy with their own warm-up routines as I sat nearby, observing.
"Alright, I’m good to go! Aoi-senpai!"
"Ready here, too... Let's do this."
"Yes!"
"Kaito-san, if you would give us the signal?"
It seemed they were finally set. Hina-chan and Aoi-chan stood in the center of the garden, facing each other with a healthy distance between them. I gave Aoi-chan a nod, raised my hand, and brought it down with a shout.
"Alright... Begin!"
The moment the words left my lips, Aoi-chan dropped into a low crouch. She pressed both hands to the earth, and a magic circle flared to life beneath her.
"...Clay Golem!"
"Whoa..."
The magic circle erupted in a brilliant light. Mud and soil churned upward, coalescing into a humanoid shape—a massive earthen giant standing about five meters tall. Seeing her opponent, Hina-chan shifted her weight back and tightened her fists.
"Hah! I’m going all out!"
With a sharp kick, Hina-chan tore across the grass. She moved with such incredible speed that it felt like watching a video on fast-forward. The golem reacted instantly, however, raising a massive arm to intercept her.
It was a heavy, crushing blow that could have flattened a person, but Hina-chan evaded it with a graceful leap. She landed light as a feather on the golem's descending arm and began sprinting up its length.
"Wow, she's fast..."
"Hah!"
In the blink of an eye, she reached the golem's shoulder. Twisting her body in mid-air, she delivered a fluid, powerful heel drop. The impact rang out with a heavy thud, and a spiderweb of deep cracks bloomed across the golem's shoulder.
"Ugh, it's so dense..."
"Fufufu. This golem isn't going to break that easily."
"Geez... its reaction time is way up, too. Just how much magic power did you pour into this thing?"
Seeing that a single strike wasn't enough, Hina-chan wore a frustrated pout. She kept her distance, nimbly dodging the golem’s grasping hands.
Still, they were both incredible. Hina-chan’s movements were already reaching a level that could hardly be called human, and while I knew Aoi-chan had been training hard, I hadn't expected her to be capable of summoning something so massive. I couldn't help but feel a little left behind.
The two of them had been training like this quite often lately. Today's bout had started because Aoi-chan wanted to test her new golem's capabilities. Her previous one had been about three meters tall and had shattered after a single kick from Hina-chan.
Aoi-chan was more competitive than she looked; she clearly didn't like losing. This new golem was a significant upgrade, and even with Hina-chan’s overwhelming physical specs, she was having trouble finding a decisive opening.
Eventually, the match reached its conclusion. Hina-chan slumped her shoulders in defeat while Aoi-chan offered a small, triumphant fist pump. It was a tactical win for Aoi-chan; her golem’s high durability and new regeneration function had allowed it to weather Hina-chan’s relentless assault.
Of course, in a real fight to the death, Hina-chan would likely just zip past the golem and strike Aoi-chan directly, but since this was a test for the summon itself, I was happy to call it Aoi-chan’s victory.
"Good work, both of you. Man, you’ve both gotten so strong. I don't think I could even touch you."
"Thank you! But Kaito-san, it’s only natural that your base combat power is lower than ours. It’s just a difference in types."
"A difference in types?" I asked, tilting my head.
Aoi-chan pointed toward Hina-chan to illustrate her point. "If this were an RPG, Hina-chan would be a Warrior and I would be a Mage."
"Being called a 'Warrior' doesn't sound very cute, so I kind of feel like I lost to Aoi-senpai in the girl department... but yeah, that makes sense," Hina-chan added.
"I see... Then what am I?"
""A Monster Tamer.""
"...That makes sense."
"Kyui?"
They answered in perfect sync. Between Rin lounging on my lap and Bell serving as my backrest, the label was undeniably fitting. If I were a Monster Tamer, then it stood to reason that my personal combat stats would be low.
In fact, that connection was exactly why I’d been asked to join them today.
"That aside, Kaito-san... I finally managed to push Hina-chan back! Now it’s finally time for Bell-chan!"
"Are you really going through with this?"
"Please! I need to see if my golem can hold its own against the monsters of this world."
"U-Uh, okay. If you’re that determined... Bell."
"Gau."
Aoi-chan had been itching to see how her golem would fare against Bell. I’d been hesitant because I didn't want Bell’s fur to get dirty, but I couldn't say no when she looked so earnest. I’d just have to give him another bath afterward.
Bell’s coat was my pride and joy. I groomed and washed him so frequently that his fur was glossier and softer than the finest luxury bedding. I spent half my afternoons napping against him for that very reason.
At my call, Bell stood up with a look that seemed to say, "If I must," and padded slowly to the center of the yard.
"Bell... no breath attacks, okay?"
"Gau!"
Aoi-chan hurried to her position and summoned her massive clay giant once more. Maintaining a summon of that size must have been a massive drain on her mana, but since she had the highest capacity of the three of us, she could manage a couple of them in a row.
"Alright, Aoi-senpai, Bell-chan... and, start!"
"Grua!"
"...Eh?"
"Gau..."
Hina-chan gave the signal, and the fight ended instantly.
It was over in the blink of an eye. Bell lazily swiped a single front paw, and the golem exploded into dust.
As expected of a legendary magic beast... they weren't even playing the same game.
"O-One hit... Bell-chan is... terrifyingly strong."
Ignoring a dejected Aoi-chan, Bell trotted back to me and lowered his head, clearly fishing for praise.
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Bell. Good boy. You did great."
"Kuu..."
Bell let out a pleased hum as I scratched his ears. Then, he moved behind me and settled back into his usual spot, ready to serve as my cushion again.
"Good effort, Aoi-chan..."
"Ugh... I guess I’m still no match for Bell-chan. I need more improvements."
"Don't overdo it, okay?"
"Hmm. How do we even categorize this? Does this mean Kaito-senpai is actually the strongest one here?"
"Bell is the strong one, not me. More importantly, Bell..."
"Guru?"
"You got your right paw dirty, didn't you? Come on, let me see it so I can wipe it off."
"Gauuu..."
My immediate priority was cleaning Bell’s paw. If the mud from the golem dried, it would be a nightmare to get out of his fur. I pulled a large cloth from my magic box and started scrubbing.
"Whew... I’m beat."
"Same here. I’m almost completely out of magic power..."
"You two should take a break. I’ll ask Lunamaria-san to bring out some tea... Hm?"
As I spoke to the exhausted girls, Rin suddenly fluttered her wings and hovered in front of my face.
"Kyu, kyukyukyui!"
"Eh? You’re saying 'leave it to me'?"
"Kyui! Kyukyukyukyui!"
"And I have to praise you later? Uh, sure?"
"...Aoi-senpai. It looks like Kaito-senpai has finally reached the point where he understands monster language perfectly," Hina-chan whispered.
"...He really is a total Monster Tamer," Aoi-chan replied.
I chose to ignore their commentary. Rin seemed to have a plan, and she looked incredibly confident. I wasn't entirely sure what she was up to, but when I nodded, she turned toward the girls and took a deep breath.
"Kyu~kuu~!"
"Wait, what—!?"
"Wh-What is this? All this sparkling light!?"
A shimmering, wind-like breath erupted from Rin’s mouth, enveloping Aoi-chan and Hina-chan.
"Wait... I feel like my fatigue is just melting away..."
"Even my magic power is recovering? Is this... 'Healing Breath'?"
Wait, Healing Breath? I didn't know white dragons—or Rin, specifically—could do that. That was an incredibly useful ability.
As I was marveling at Rin’s new trick, I heard the sound of something dropping behind me. I turned around to find Lilia-san and her two attendants standing there, their mouths hanging open in pure shock.
"...Wh-What was that just now?"
"I’ve never heard of a white dragon using Healing Breath. Is Rin-chan a special variant?"
"N-No! White dragon variants have a distinct wing shape! Rin is undeniably a normal individual!"
"As expected of Milady... your knowledge of dragon species is impeccable."
I had a sudden, sinking feeling. I could practically smell the trouble brewing.
Dear Mother, Father—I’ve had a chance to reconfirm just how powerful Bell is, and I even got to see Rin’s new power. But apparently, for her species, that ability is supposed to be impossible.