How to Train Your Dog (3)
There are many ways to train a dog, but the most common method is using treats. Just like how the mere thought of delicious food can make your mouth water, once a dog tastes a treat, it never forgets that flavor. The moment it sees one, it goes absolutely crazy. And to get more treats, it starts thinking up all sorts of things. That's when you can use the treat in your hand as bait to teach it various commands—sit, come, down, paw, bang, and so on.
I'm not sure if the dog actually understands what it's doing. But one thing is certain: it knows that completing those specific actions and commands earns it a reward. That's why dogs are more than happy to do whatever you ask. All so they can get the treat they want.
Why was I suddenly thinking about dogs? The reason was simple. The way Morgan's gaze was locked onto my hand reminded me exactly of the dog I'd once raised.
“It was a pleasure meeting you today, Lady Morgan.”
“The pleasure was all mine, of course, Duchess White Night.”
Morgan exchanged greetings with me, but her eyes weren't on my face at all. Ever since she'd spotted the necklace in my hand, she couldn't tear her gaze away. It was an incredibly awkward sight no matter how you looked at it. As expected, the curse on this necklace was vicious enough to turn a person into a complete fool—no, into a dog.
What made it even funnier was how, when I shook the necklace up and down, her eyes followed it perfectly. If I drew a circle or a square with it, her head would trace the exact same path. It was downright ridiculous. If she'd had a tail wagging behind her, she'd have been a perfect dog.
“Well then, we'll take our leave. We have urgent business to attend to...”
Daeho tried to make a quick exit. She must have realized we needed to deal with this necklace's curse as soon as possible. And it wasn't just Morgan—more and more eyes were turning our way. Many nobles who hadn't yet left the auction house were staring right at us. Or more precisely, at the necklace in my hand.
“W-wait just a moment! Duchess, I only wanted to have a quick word, so there's no need to rush. I simply wanted to congratulate you on winning the Garcia Necklace at auction. It seems like it would suit your companion perfectly as well.”
When Daeho started backing away, Morgan hurriedly grabbed onto us. Then she spoke with desperate intensity.
“The truth is, I've been waiting for that necklace for a very long time... I was planning to wear it to the upcoming banquet, you see? So, would you perhaps consider yielding it to me? Of course, I'll pay whatever additional amount you require. Hoho.”
Morgan's face flushed as she made her request. For someone as prideful as her to beg like this—it was unimaginable. She must have fallen completely under the necklace's spell.
Seeing her like that, a mischievous impulse stirred inside me.
“I don't need money.”
“Th-then...? Is there something I could offer you, young master? I am the First Imperial Princess of this empire. I can obtain anything you desire.”
“I'm quite satisfied with this necklace. I really like it. What do you think? Does it look good on me?”
I deliberately put the necklace on right in front of her and gave it a little sway so she could see it clearly.
“I-it's pretty...”
Morgan nodded in acknowledgment.
“I don't usually wear necklaces, so maybe that's why... my neck feels a bit stiff. It's heavier than I expected.”
“Then if you'd just yield it to me...”
“Still, I think I'll get used to it soon enough. Actually, it might even be good for my neck muscles. Like exercise.”
“...”
This was what you might call trolling. Since I held all the cards, Morgan couldn't say a word against me. She could only nod along. Her tightly clenched fists made it obvious how furious she was. But that was all she could do. There was nothing the Imperial Princess could do about it.
Watching her like this felt like ten years' worth of indigestion finally clearing up.
“Well then, until next time. You can show me around then.”
With those words, I turned away. If I kept tormenting the princess any longer, she might genuinely lose her temper and do something drastic. It was time to make our exit.
Just as we were about to leave Morgan behind—
“Excuse me, do you have a moment?”
An auction house employee stepped in front of us. He bowed politely and made his offer.
“Of course, if you're busy we won't insist, but the seller of the Garcia Necklace has expressed a desire to meet the buyers.”
“The seller of this necklace?”
“Yes, Duchess White Night. Would you be willing to spare a few moments?”
Daeho glanced at me, her eyes asking for my decision. I nodded. The necklace's curse was one thing, but our original reason for coming here had been the hope of finding the demon race pulling strings behind the scenes.
Daeho smiled and replied.
“Very well. Please lead the way.”
“Thank you very much for accepting the invitation. Ah, and the seller also extended an invitation to Her Highness the Princess. Would you be interested, Lady Morgan?”
“Y-yes, I'd like that. I'm quite curious who could be selling such a magnificent necklace.”
“It is an honor to escort you, Your Highness.”
Despite her haughty tone, Morgan's eyes sparkled. It was a clear signal that she wanted to come along despite her words. And so, we went to meet the necklace's seller.
Chapter 3 Complete
The place we were led to was a luxurious room. Since it was part of an auction house where all sorts of valuable items changed hands, every piece of furniture was adorned with intricate, high-end carvings.
“Not bad.”
Imperial Princess Morgan sat down as if she were perfectly used to such surroundings. Once we'd taken our seats, the door opened and a man entered. He had brilliant golden hair and a bright, cheerful smile. What stood out most was the teardrop mole beneath his right eye. He was the kind of man who would be considered handsome even by other men.
“It is an honor to meet the First Imperial Princess of the Arcadian Empire and the Duchess of the White Night Duchy.”
After offering a polite greeting, he sat down across from us. Then he looked at the necklace I was wearing and offered praise.
“Oh my, it suits you perfectly. Is it because your face is so handsome? It almost makes the necklace seem insufficient. Even so, we're incredibly pleased that you've chosen to wear one of our products. I'm sure Meister Garcia will be delighted that his necklace has found such a wonderful owner.”
His gentle, flowing way of speaking somehow left me with an inexplicable sense of discomfort. They were nothing but pleasant compliments, yet they gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.
“Are you the seller from Garcia?”
“Indeed, Your Highness. Forgive my late introduction. My name is Mammon.”
“So, Mammon. What business do you have with us?”
“It would be rude to keep such esteemed guests waiting. I wished to present you with a simple gift, which is why I asked to meet.”
In response to Morgan's question, Mammon produced an ornate box. It was studded with jewels all over. When he opened it, three rings were revealed inside.
“Oho...”
They were just as beautiful as the necklace I was wearing. As expected, these were the Garcia rings being circulated by the demon race.
“They're modest gifts for someone of your station, but I hope you'll accept them. Hehehe.”
At Mammon's words, Morgan immediately picked up one of the rings. The moment she slipped it on, a smile stretched across her face from ear to ear.
“Wonderful. Simply wonderful! I love it, Mammon. Who would've thought it would be this beautiful!”
“You honor me, Your Highness. Now, the two of you should try yours on as well. I prepared them as couple rings, since the two of you appear to be lovers.”
At Mammon's suggestion, I glanced at Daeho. Her hands were trembling. She seemed to be struggling with whether or not she should take the ring.
“They'll look absolutely perfect on both of you~.”
Mammon rubbed his hands together as he tried to tempt us. That gesture made everything click for me. I finally understood why I'd felt so uncomfortable.
“Heal—!”
It was the same feeling I'd gotten when facing a curse before. What he was using wasn't a curse, but most likely demonic magic. Judging by Daeho's reaction, it seemed he'd cast some kind of suggestion spell.
I cast healing on Daeho without hesitation.
“Fire—.”
The moment the healing light touched her, Daeho unleashed her magic in rapid succession.
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!”
Mammon's entire body burst into flames as he screamed in agony. His skin melted away like leather, revealing his true form.
“How did you notice, human?”
Purple skin and four horns. Just as I'd suspected from the beginning, he was a demon. Judging by the number of horns, he was a high-ranking demon—likely an executive in the Demon King's army.
“S-stop—!”
“Fire—!”
“P-please spare me!”
“Fire—!”
Even as the demon begged, Daeho didn't stop. She kept hurling spells at him as if she'd seen something filthy.
“...”
His entire body burned until nothing but ash remained.
“Demons never tell the truth. So the moment you discover one, it's best to kill them on the spot. Besides, he wasn't the one I was looking for anyway...”
Daeho explained with a stiff expression. I slowly nodded. I already knew that much. In the original story, no matter how much you interrogated a demon, they would never reveal the truth. Instead, they'd spread lies and create nothing but chaos. Since Daeho had been dealing with demons for a long time, she was an expert in this field. Her judgment was correct.
“Now the problem is Imperial Princess Morgan...”
“It's so good! So beautiful!”
Even though a person had just burned to death right in front of her, she was so obsessed with the ring that she hadn't noticed at all. The ring's curse was bad enough, but it seemed the suggestion magic the demon had cast was working overtime. In times like this, healing magic was the perfect counter.
“Heal—.”
I cast the spell on both Morgan and the ring. Fortunately, the ring didn't melt or anything like that. It simply turned into an ordinary ring. It seemed the curse had been lifted.
“My ring... Oh! The necklace...!”
Even though the healing was clearly complete, her gaze immediately locked onto my necklace again. Come to think of it, I was still wearing it.
“Necklace...!”
When I took it off and held it in front of her, Morgan's eyes followed it perfectly. The dog version of Morgan from earlier had returned.
“Do you want this?”
“I-if I said yes, would you give it to me?”
Morgan turned her head away with a pouty expression. But her hand was still stretched out. She clearly wanted the necklace.
If I used healing magic on the necklace one more time while she was holding it, Morgan would probably return to normal. But the way she was reaching out, the way her eyes kept darting toward the necklace... it kept reminding me of our family's dog.
“Paw!”
‘Oops.’
I'd said it without thinking. How rude, commanding an imperial princess like that. Even if Morgan got angry right now, I wouldn't have any excuse. However, as if in a trance, Morgan...
“Paw...”
Placed her hand right on top of mine.
‘Huh? It actually worked?’
In the underground sewers beneath the imperial capital, where not a single ray of light could reach, a mass of slime began to gather in the darkness. Clumps of clay converged from all directions, forming a shape roughly the size of a young boy.
“Huff... I thought I was going to die.”
The one who had barely survived was the demon Mammon. He'd activated his unique magic Resurrection from the Brink of Death at the very last moment. It was a spell he could only use once per day, but thanks to it, he'd managed to cling to his stubborn life.
“I won't forgive this!!!”
How dare they destroy the tower of achievements he'd built up over so long? Rage surged through his entire body, impossible to contain. The one called the Duchess of White Night—he would never forgive her.
Having sworn revenge, Mammon decided to move locations immediately. Since the Demon King's army was currently carrying out operations in the capital, if he could reach one of their hideouts, he would be able to recover from his wounds to some extent.
“I won't let the Duchess of White Night get away with this! Fuck...”
As he struggled to move his body—
“Demon race?”
A group approached him. They were armed knights. No, judging by their varied equipment, they looked more like a mercenary band. Every single one of them drew their weapons and pointed them at Mammon.
“Who the hell are you people!”
Mammon couldn't believe it. When he looked around, he realized he'd already been surrounded. Since when? He hadn't noticed at all. But that question didn't last long.
“Exterminate the Demon King's army!”
Before he could even finish the thought, they hacked him to pieces.
“Aaaaaaaaah—!!!”
After taking down the demon, the group began moving again.
“All of this is for Lord Sieg...! Down with the Demon King's army!”
It was a unit that existed for one man alone.