Help!
I stared at the young lady who had appeared before me.
Yeah. Just as I thought.
The corners of her mouth were trembling, and her eyes sparkled with an intensity that was honestly a little overwhelming.
Was this the destructive power of this body?
Oh dear, oh dear. What an incorrigible young lady.
Sorry, but this body of mine has no intention of folding that easily.
I checked her escort first.
A knight, huh.
He was too far away for me to read his information properly, but at least one knight was visible to the naked eye.
Well, there might have been other guards I couldn't see.
"Grrng!"
I decided not to worry about them too much. It didn't matter how many of them there were or how skilled they might be. The one who moved them was the young lady standing right in front of me. If I could win her over, the knights would never be a threat.
I gazed quietly at the young lady, who stood there completely at a loss for what to do.
Still, I never expected her to come looking for me first.
I'd planned to seek her out eventually, but I hadn't dared set foot inside the human settlement yet. The knights there were far stronger than I'd anticipated.
Only then did I understand why the status window had so insistently pushed me toward the human race.
It was a human-favoritism map! Damn it!
Most of the soldiers guarding the entrance were around the same level as goblins. But the knights who appeared here and there? Every last one of them had information I couldn't identify. Even now, when I'd judged myself reasonably strong, I was no match for those knights. It was enough to make me want to tear my fur out.
Thrillzhak was Level 25, for crying out loud.
Did that mean every single one of those knights was an elite who outclassed Thrillzhak? Suddenly the reason the goblins had been driven deep into the forest made perfect sense.
If I'd chosen to be human and become a knight…!
Aaagh, just thinking about it made my blood boil.
Starting today, I resolved to become an Aura Tiger. I was going to flatten those knights' noses with my claws!
Why the sudden grudge against knights, you ask? It was absolutely not because of that time I got spooked by some guy named Albert, so don't get any funny ideas.
Anyway, that was how I took the first glorious step toward becoming a Greatsword Tiger.
"Grrng?"
"Per!"
I exchanged a look with Per, then launched the operation I'd prepared in advance.
"Mrrrow?"
"Hah!"
Its name: Operation You Shall Be My Butler!
I still couldn't beat humans with my own strength. But right now, I needed their help. So I'd decided to make use of this conspicuously wealthy young lady.
Hey, don't look at me like that. My intentions aren't bad. People never hesitate to become a cat's butler of their own free will — I'm simply granting their wish.
For the record, you should know this: I am not a cat. I am a tiger. And a butler is just a butler. Meaning the master of the house is me.
What that actually entails… well, I planned to show them, step by step.
"Purr, purrrr…!"
"H-hyaaaah! A purr song, just for me!"
I hadn't really done anything. I'd simply met her eyes, blinked slowly, given her a little smile, and tilted my head. Then I'd padded over to Lia — who was clutching her chest and trembling — settled myself into a nice soft spot, and let out a comfortable breath.
"Grrng-grrng."
Hey. Put that hand down. I am merely exercising my natural rights as a tiger! Wherever I nestle, wherever I sit — that is my decision alone.
Do you understand, you insignificant humans? Kwahaha!
"Purr-purr."
"I-I can't believe it! Raymond! Look at this!"
"Yes, my lady. I am looking."
See? She looked overjoyed too. Was this not the grace of a tiger?
As I nestled in her arms and purred away, even the face of the knight called Raymond softened into something peaceful. I was an aromatic tiger who soothed both butler and bystander alike.
Lia, her face flushed with excitement, gently stroked my head and spoke.
"Good heavens! He must have been waiting for me too! No wonder the name 'Lu-deus' kept circling through my mind!"
What? Lu-what now?
I looked up at her blankly. Lia scooped me up in both hands and met my eyes.
"Lu comes from lux — light — and from ruby. Deus means god. Your eyes shine as clear as rubies, so it means you're a noble being, one of a kind in this world. How about it? Ruby? Oh, right! Ruby is your nickname! Do you like it?"
No. What are you even saying.
Rudeus? Hmm, "noble being" wasn't half bad…
That aside, even if I refused, she was still going to call me Ruby, wasn't she?! You damn human!
Ruby?! Call me Rudeus!
"Grrng!"
"Kyaa! He likes Ruby!"
"Gyarrrng!"
Without a second thought, Lia scooped me up and started walking. Sensing something off about her behavior, the knight Raymond asked urgently,
"My lady! Surely you don't mean to take him with you?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"W-well… he might still have a mother. And also, over there."
Raymond pointed to where Eryllion stood, radiating a soft, bright light.
"Oh!"
Lia clearly hadn't expected a fairy to tag along. Her eyes wavered for a moment as she looked at me.
Naturally, I answered with perfect composure.
Yep. It's a buy-one-get-one-free deal~
No refunds, valued customer.
"Mrrrow?"
"Hah!"
A single tilt of my head disarmed her completely. She nodded to herself and said,
"If he had a mother, she would have appeared by now. Abandoning a child in a forest full of monsters…! Something must have happened to this little one's mother!"
"Ah, no, that's not—"
"What are you doing?! Raymond! We have to find Ruby's mother right away!"
"Uh…? M-my lady! That way leads back to the estate…! My lady! My lady!"
Excellent. My butler clearly had an exceptional sense of initiative.
And so, cradled in the young lady's arms, Eryllion and I made our triumphant entrance into the count's household.
Behold — I have descended upon House Bloodmoon!
And from this point on, the real operation began.
I needed to figure out exactly who Lia was — and whether she was truly capable of helping us.
Lia felt as though she might float away from sheer happiness.
Good heavens! Rudeus had been waiting for her too!
Just thinking of him nestled in her arms, purring that little song, brought a smile unbidden to her lips. She wanted nothing more than to run straight to her father and show him off…!
But the count had recently sunk into despair over failing to find the Phoenix Egg, so Lia decided to choose her timing carefully.
I'll tell him later, when he's in a better mood.
It wasn't that her father particularly disliked pets — it was just that Lia had already accumulated quite a collection of incidents.
"Grrrrng!"
"Yip…!!"
Incidents like this one, for example.
House Bloodmoon had as many pets as it had servants. One rescued abandoned child after another, and before anyone knew it, things had gotten to this point.
Lia spoke out of habit.
"No! Podori. Rudeus is still just a baby…?"
Wait. Why was Podori acting like that?
That wasn't like him at all.
Podori was what you'd call a problem dog. A little thug of a puppy who went around bullying the other pets whenever he got bored…
"Huff, huff-huff…!"
For some reason, Podori was beaming and wagging his tail for all he was worth. He wasn't even barking at Rudeus!
Was he doing that because Rudeus was just that cute? Good heavens!
Truly, cats would save the world! One little kitten, and the whole atmosphere of the house had changed!
In high spirits, Lia scooped Rudeus up at once.
"Mrrrow?"
Rudeus looked back at her with a bright, sunny face.
Heheh, so cute!
But why did Podori's face look like that? Maybe because he never normally smiled. Honestly, that grin was so awkward it was almost painful.
Lia simply laughed off Podori's changed behavior.
And that night, Lia found herself staring at the scene before her eyes, unable to close her mouth.
As usual, Lia had been researching magic and returned to her room late at night. On days when she got absorbed, she would often work until dawn — but today she had come back early, wanting to see Rudeus.
Creeeak.
"Ruby!"
She called out cheerfully as she stepped into the room — and found a tiny beast and a fairy standing before her, faces set in expressions of the utmost gravity and valor.
Good heavens. They were far too adorable.
Lia wanted nothing more than to nibble on that white little fluffball and the fairy right then and there, but their earnest effort was so touching that she forced herself to ask calmly. Half of it was teasing, of course.
"What's wrong, Rudeus? Are you sulking because I left you alone?"
She simply assumed he was putting on a little show. She had no idea why he was striking such a gallant pose, but how could anyone fully understand an animal's every behavior? She was just thinking how cute he was and reaching out to pick him up when—
Thud.
Rudeus tossed something at her feet.
"Hm?"
It was the Official Mage License she had earned the previous year. She was the only person who had obtained the certification before even enrolling in the Academy, and the plaque was engraved with the words Youngest Ever.
Why is this here…?
She had clearly put it on display beside her desk.
Then the fairy standing with Rudeus gathered a warm, bright light and conveyed a thought directly into her mind.
"The Exiled Prince asks whether you are truly affiliated with the Tower of Knowledge."
"What?"
Lia was stunned. A thought had just been transmitted straight into her mind? Was that even possible?
She asked urgently,
"D-did you just ask me that?"
"The Exiled Prince nods."
"That's impossible!"
A chill ran through her entire body. Communication between different species through mana — that was the ideal Lia had always dreamed of.
"H-how did you do that? Teach me! This — this is a discovery that will go down in history! Can fairies normally use that kind of magic? Good heavens!"
Despite her fervent reaction, Rudeus and the fairy only stared at her with set expressions. Only then did Lia recall their question and nod.
What on earth was going on?
They were conversing. That was proof they were intelligent beings.
Her eyes shone like gemstones at the confirmation that her instincts had been right all along.
"Yes! I'm a mage of the Tower of Knowledge! I'm not at a level worth boasting about yet… but if there's something you're curious about, I should be able to answer most of it! Do you need my help?"
Lia's heart was racing. Good heavens, what was all this? Rudeus truly seemed like a gift from the heavens. She had brought him home simply because he was cute and beautiful — and now she might even find a clue to the magic of Communion from the fairy who had come with him!
But Lia still had no idea that more surprises awaited her.
The moment she confirmed her affiliation with the Tower of Knowledge, Rudeus exchanged a glance with the fairy and stepped forward.
"Grrng."
Then he swung a forepaw — and drew an egg from a subspace.
The instant Lia saw that egg, she knew exactly what it was. In all the world, there was only one egg that shimmered with surging red mana.
"Th-the Phoenix Egg…?"
She murmured blankly, her mouth falling open.
Scritch. Scritch.
Rudeus was carving letters into the floor with his claws.
[ Help. ]
Having written that, Rudeus and the fairy bowed their heads to her with solemn courtesy.
Caught off guard by the formal greeting, Lia watched as Rudeus began carving into the floor once more.
[ In Return ]
The handwriting was crooked, but Lia understood. There was not a shred of falsehood in the faces of Rudeus and the fairy. The sincerity in their eyes and the resolve in their bearing were nobler than any knight she had ever known.
With her uncommon gift for communion, Lia felt it all the more clearly.
Drip. Drip.
Rudeus and the fairy drew blood with their claws and swore an oath before her.
Help us.
And we will repay you.
Faced with the earnest hearts of these small beings, Lia found herself at a loss for words. She bit down hard on her lip.
"What are you talking about…!"
She gathered the young creatures — still watching her with tense faces — into her arms.
"You don't need to say things like that… Of course I'll help you!"