The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (3)

I was a veterinarian in my previous life. After reincarnating, I never really had the chance to handle animals in any meaningful way, but the memories of my days as a vet still lingered. They had to. As a child, I used to think, Why do we have to kill those poor creatures? As I grew older, that shifted to, What I'm best at isn't killing beastmen—it's saving animals. And right before my coming-of-age ceremony, I told myself, The humans on that island are nothing but beasts. Never forget your dignity as a human being.

That last one came from how brutally hard life on the island had been. If I'd been born into some noble family instead, I might have wrestled with the same identity crisis between human and beast, but the comfort of that privileged life would have let me forget my past. Island life never allowed that luxury. Just like how military service turns your civilian memories into fond nostalgia, every single day on that island forced me to relive my pre-reincarnation life. Those memories—the ones I could never share with anyone else—still lived vividly inside my head. The specific knowledge like scientific names or disease diagnoses had faded after twenty years, but certain instincts remained burned into my consciousness.

Just like right now.

"Huuueee...."

The hamster went completely limp. On the outside she was just a regular hamster, but since she was a talking female one, I treated her like a sentient being in animal form and poured my heart into grooming her. Handling and grooming. Without any proper tools, the best I could do was stroke her fur by hand following its natural direction, but fortunately my customer seemed satisfied. I worked with the same care you'd use untangling your girlfriend's hair—neat, precise strokes. Not the kind that felt distracted or half-assed, but the kind that said with every fiber of your being, I'm still completely focused on you.

—Dr. Jang, you're seriously amazing. The kids seem way calmer here than they do at home. Wow.

In my past life as a vet, this one technique had earned me a decent living. I wasn't some miracle doctor who could bring dying animals back from the brink, but I was the guy who could make frightened creatures feel safe. More precisely, when the animal health technicians—basically the nurses—were performing surgery or giving injections, if I was there stroking the patient, they were far less likely to bite or attack.

Putting that experience to use, I diligently groomed the hamster for about an hour.

"...What the hell are you doing?"

"Hah?!"

Bastet had returned. She was carrying a rather large paper bag that gave off a fragrant aroma of food. Oh. So she really had gone out to buy ingredients for a meal. I hadn't seen any signs of actual cooking happening in what I assumed was the kitchen, though.

"Hey, Silmarion. How long are you planning to stay like that?"

"........"

The hamster—who I assumed was named Silmarion—simply lay there as if dead. Her relaxed mind had snapped back to attention the moment Bastet returned, but she seemed reluctant to give up her current state.

"Ma'am. Your host has returned."

I stretched my back, pulling it straight with my hands. I ran my palms along my spine, slowly waking up the relaxed muscles, then turned both hands into a flat platform like a stepping stool.

"...Mmm. It's been so long since I've fallen asleep this comfortably."

The hamster Silmarion woke with a slightly drowsy voice. Once again, I was struck by how her voice sounded completely human, which made it impossible for me to treat her like a mere animal.

"You're late, Bastet! I came to buy something and the shop owner wasn't even here."

"......."

"W-what's with that look?"

Was I imagining it? For a split second, the glance Bastet shot toward Silmarion seemed sharp. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Silmarion's tone carried a hint of defensiveness.

Whatever.

The result of over an hour of dedicated grooming hadn't made Bastet angry, and she hadn't screamed at me for being human either. Whatever transaction was happening between them, I'd already built up plenty of goodwill with Silmarion.

"Hey."

Bastet set the paper bag down on the dining table and turned her gaze toward me.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"I used to do it for my younger siblings when they went to bed at night."

She seemed suspicious of my grooming skills, but back on the island I had regularly used my hands to tidy the girls' hair. They had no shampoo or soap, only seawater to wash and dry their hair with. Their locks inevitably became coarse, but whenever I combed through them by hand, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the strands would soften considerably.

"I've completed all the tasks you assigned, Master."

I spoke carefully, only saying what needed to be said. No matter how much I'd been grooming her guest, it would be trouble if my true identity were exposed.

"...Hmm. You really are something else."

The hamster, who hadn't climbed down from the chair in front of the kitchen table, stood on her hind legs and grinned.

"He's definitely worth the ten thousand gold I spent on him. Don't you think?"

"You...."

"......."

I didn't answer. Instead, I quietly closed my eyes as I processed the truth I'd just realized.

She tested me.

She'd tested how I would behave around her guest Silmarion while she was away. She wanted to see how a human slave would act when left alone. It made me a little—okay, more than a little—angry. Even though I understood my position, no one enjoys being put through a hidden-camera situation like this. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Still, if their relationship was exactly what I'd expected, it made sense. This was basically like an initiation test for some secret organization.

"You pass. I'll acknowledge it. You're qualified to be a 'Silver Bullet' for the true Bremen Revolution."

"......."

"Hey, human wearing the skin of a sheep. I was late with my introduction, wasn't I? I am Silmarion."

The hamster crossed her arms and lifted her head high.

"One of the Twelve Kings!!"

* * *

A short while later, I sat down at the kitchen table.

"You look surprised. Didn't Bastet explain enough?"

"I had heard that the leader of the rat beastmen was a hamster beastman, but I assumed she would be around the same size as Lady Bastet."

"Really? Then it's not that strange! If I transformed into my human form, there wouldn't be much difference."

"Human form...."

"Some among the beastmen find the term 'beast-man' itself unpleasant. This form is simply more comfortable for me."

Maybe it was just a matter of personal preference. There were probably those drunk on conquering humanity who lived with only twenty percent fur, and others who found living as beasts more comfortable and stayed in full animal form. Bastet preferred her humanoid shape, while Silmarion kept her beast appearance but spoke like a human.

I really shouldn't judge by appearance.

The being who had melted like an old man enjoying a hot spring under my massage was apparently one of the Twelve Kings.

...The Twelve Kings.

"Lady Bastet."

"Yeah?"

"Am I supposed to steal the King's Symbol from Lady Silmarion, or is there some other method I need to use?"

Bastet was a woman full of secrets. The fact that she hadn't told me everything yet probably meant she wasn't fully prepared. But that hurdle—

"My Symbol is not with me right now!"

Here, Silmarion was lowering it for us.

"First, you human. Do you know what form the King's Symbol takes?"

"I was told it's a gem embedded in a crown on a gold coin."

"I see. That's not entirely wrong, but that's the 'original form.'"

Silmarion reached into her chest, then raised her hand as if pulling something from a pocket.

"This right here!"

"!!"

A red gem. Silmarion held up a jewel so large it looked like it would be a struggle to grasp with one hand. The pose reminded me of—

A thumbs-up hedgehog?

She wasn't a hedgehog since she was a hamster, but the posture was eerily similar.

"Have you heard its name?"

"The King's Symbol belonging to the rat beastmen... isn't that it?"

"Correct. Bastet, I don't think there'll be any major problems if we tell him, do you?"

"Sigh. Fine. He doesn't seem to have figured out your identity anyway."

As expected. I'd suspected Bastet wouldn't expose me to just any guest, but it really had been a test.

"Good. Then I'll show you."

Holding the King's Symbol, Silmarion climbed onto the back of the chair.

"It goes by many names, but this King's Symbol can transform into a very special type of treasure. We call them artifacts, or Noble Phantasms."

"Noble Phantasm...?"

Just hearing the word made me feel like I could sense a fragment of its power. It could just be a fancy abbreviation for 'treasure tool,' but still.

"That's right! For example, something like this."

The moment the red gem in Silmarion's hand emitted light—

Shaaaa.

The gem instantly melted into flames that flowed downward, transforming into a cloak that fluttered behind the chair.

"Ah...."

Those flames were incomparably clearer and more vivid than the ones I'd desperately tended on the island.

"Fire Rat's Robe. Along with the King's Symbol held by those chicken-heads, this is a very special artifact that grants the power of flame."

"......."

"Even the fire-breathing minotaurs, whose limit is spitting flames from their mouths, cannot produce a blaze capable of reducing an entire city to ashes. The King's Symbol is a holy relic that possesses such power."

The hamster Silmarion, now wearing a burning cloak, stared straight at me. Her gaze seemed meaningful, but it wasn't asking to be petted.

"Bastet. I think it's fine to explain the true Bremen Revolution to this human. I've already revealed my identity, so I'm comfortable enough with him."

"But...."

"I understand the need for caution. But this human is different from the others. He's capable of deceiving both himself and the world. And isn't 'he' there as well?"

"...Haa."

Bastet let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze toward me.

"I'll ask you just one thing. This is a question for you, as a 'human.'"

"Please ask."

"If you were sent into a certain place to act, and you saw other humans walking around with slave collars like dogs, would you have the confidence not to be discovered as human?"

"......."

I understood what Bastet was worried about.

She's being considerate. Of me.

Although she presented me as a slave to the outside world, she saw me as an equal individual and was concerned about my mental state. It was probably because she viewed me as 'that peculiar human who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only grew up on the island.'

"There is no problem."

I lightly tapped my chest with my hand.

"Because I do not hold prejudices based on appearance."

I don't look down on beastmen as mere animals. I don't treat all humans as the same either. Living like a proper person—that is what I consider a human life.

"Bastet. I think that's enough, don't you?"

"...Fine. I suppose I have to tell him. About the place where we will gather all the King's Symbols."

Bastet lightly tapped the floor with her foot.

"One year from now, a gathering will be held in this city, Cadelis."

"A gathering?"

"Yes. It's where they will train the candidates who will inherit the King's Symbols. I learned of this information in advance and established my base here."

"Candidates...?"

"That's right. Well, since you grew up on the island, you might not know."

Bastet made a gesture as if unfolding something with her hands.

"The institution established in this city for training successors to inherit the King's Symbols is called... an 'Academy'."

Oh.