The Final Gatekeeper
I was lounging on the floor, enjoying the comfort of the room, when Angela walked in.
"Tommy."
"Woof!"
"Tommy..."
"......?"
Angela’s voice sounded strange. The usually fierce and spirited maid, who carried herself with such authority, sounded completely deflated and gloomy. Most importantly, she wasn’t holding the usual dish of milk. She approached me in silence, lifted me up, and held me tight. Squeeze.
Is something wrong? Why is she acting like this? Still, her chest is incredible... I’ve never felt her hold me this tightly before! It was an embrace so affectionate it was almost suffocating! I panted, lost in the sheer bliss of having my lungs pressed against her soft bosom.
"Tommy..."
*Smooch.*
"Woof?"
Angela lifted me higher to look me straight in the eye and suddenly kissed me. What?! A kiss out of nowhere, Master?! Master?! Then, she hoisted me onto her shoulder and hugged me again. Could it be...!
'This girl!' Has she already been [ Conquered ]?! She’s fallen head over heels for the charm of this hyper-intelligent genius dog...! I gently licked Angela’s cheek. This is mine. Hehehe. *Lick, lick, lick.*
"Tommy... Tommy... Tommy......"
"Pant, pant, pant."
Angela kept calling my name, rubbing her face against mine, and I licked her cheek in return. Ah... the taste of Angela’s cheek... so light... so smooth... so good... so soft...
She held me like a teddy bear, rocking me back and forth, then whispered into my ear.
"Tommy. If you are truly a genius dog and can understand my words... please nod your head."
*Nod, nod.*
"...You might be sold off."
The sudden confession that my master was being replaced felt like my heart had just plummeted into my stomach. Why? Didn't you like me?
"Whimper?!"
"Ah...?!"
I was so shocked I let out a loud, hiccup-like bark. Angela looked at me with wide, round eyes, as if she were surprised, too. D-don't tell me, damn it! Angela, you wench!!!! Were you the same type as that light-brown-haired girl after all!!!
I stared at Angela with a bitter expression, feeling a deep sense of betrayal. Right. The fate of a hyper-intelligent genius dog must be a difficult one. It all started when Angela went around telling everyone about my super-genius intellect. A genius dog that understands human speech! Doesn't that just make everyone's mouth water at the thought of selling me for a high price? Still, my master... she was poor. She had no money.
I instinctively realized this was our final farewell. As I licked Angela’s cheek repeatedly, tears welling up in my eyes, she looked me straight in the face and said:
"You barked so loudly all of a sudden... Anyway, Tommy. Listen carefully. I hope... I truly hope you are a genius dog who understands human speech. I hope you are the smartest dog in history. I hope the short time we spent together wasn't just a coincidence. Remember one thing. Prove your abilities to the person you are about to meet. Prove that you are a truly intelligent genius dog. This is the moment you must prove that you deserve to remain in this great Esper Barony."
"......?"
Things seem to be taking a strange turn. But from what I gathered, is there someone who doubts I’m a genius, and is that person Angela’s superior? Isn't the head of the Esper Barony the Baron himself? I already proved myself to that thick-armed Baron guy! I understood everything he said! I found his precious thimble instead of a ring! I did tricks and... sex... ahem. Anyway, damn it, I did everything! Doesn't this mean I’ve already normalized the Esper Barony?
Questions piled up, one after another... At the end of this mysterious snake-like chain of logic, something faint began to appear. No matter how I think about it, this Barony... there’s something here. Something I don’t know... Right! I missed something!
'Could it be....?!' Damn it, I was reincarnated!!!!!!!! Is that the setting? I’d heard of it before. In fantasy worlds, a Baron is the lowest of the low, the king of losers, the absolute bottom of the barrel. But among them, there’s the "overpowered" Baron concept! The kind of fantasy Barony that just eats everything for free!!!! Maybe it turns out the territory is actually run by a dragon. Or maybe the old man I saw pruning the garden was actually a hero! Maybe the thick-armed Baron is actually a Swordmaster who can fire aura from his crotch to fly through the sky, launch meteors, and even seduce the Spirit King to build an empire!
Given that I was chosen as the [ Pet ] by the coolest, most beautiful black-haired maid in the entire Barony, it’s definitely not a coincidence. This Barony is 100% an overpowered, free-loading Barony. It seems I didn't just escape the fate of a stray dog; I clearly sprouted wings on my back and went "To the Moon".......!
Ah... my name is no longer Tommy. To the Moon. DOGE. Tommy D. DOGE. I am a dog who carries on the Will of D....! I smiled contentedly, imagining the future that lay ahead. However, I was also worried. Seeing Angela’s sorrowful expression, I felt extremely anxious. My "genius dog" diary up until now consisted only of listening to people, being obedient, being good at sex, and being good at... well, you know. Compared to that, what kind of high-spec Zergling standard does a genius dog in an overpowered fantasy Barony have to meet?
Damn it, isn't this a world where magic exists? Just thinking about it is terrifying. If I’m a familiar in an overpowered, cheating fantasy Barony, I’d have to be an ultra-genius dog with +3 Attack, +3 Defense, +3 Shield, Speed upgrades, and Adrenaline upgrades—a total antisocial, psychopathic monster. They might even expect me to be on a permanent Stimpack. Even if I pass the threshold, I might eventually turn into a demonic dog so bad that even a happy-go-lucky trainer would have to hold their head in their hands and demand immediate euthanasia...
That’s when I realized. What Angela meant by "needing to be liked"... It must be that an Ancient Dragon-level monster with standards so high they’d reach Mars is going to evaluate me. I might even get caught that a human soul is trapped inside a dog’s body...
I swallowed hard. This trial. I will overcome it. And. I will claim it. [ Angela’s hymen. ] I’ve already done the first time and the no-condom finish, so that doesn't matter. ...Still, I regret not doing fellatio and anal. If I overcome this trial, I’ll definitely have to try those. I finished steeling my resolve and glared at Angela with a determined look.
"Woof-woof!"
"Tommy... it sounds foolish, but I believe in you."
"Woof!!!"
At my booming bark, Angela’s expression softened slightly as she replied.
"Please, prove that I was right to choose you, and that you were right to choose me."
I smirked at her words. Don’t worry, Master. A dog that disappoints its owner couldn't possibly be a genius dog.
Angela put on my leash, but she didn't pull it. She just held me close and walked around the mansion until we arrived at a certain room.
*Sniff, sniff....*
I could smell something sweet and sour right next to me. It was the scent of Angela’s sweat. She put me down, took a hand mirror from her pocket to fix her appearance, and even took a deep breath. I was shocked by that sight. In the two days I’d spent walking around the mansion with her, this was the first time I’d ever seen Angela this nervous. To think there was a being that could make this fierce, sharp-looking black-haired beauty sweat with nerves....
Is [ That Thing ] behind this brown wooden door? Pennywise??? I swallowed hard, and as I felt Angela’s hand gripping my leash, I automatically stood at attention. I don’t know what kind of monster it is, but I have to make a good impression. I only have one chance...! I have to imprint that I am a superior being to any +3 upgraded EUD Speed-up Zergling.....!
*Knock, knock, knock.*
"Head Maid Chloe. It’s Angela."
"Come in."
.....? Head Maid...?! Head Maid?! Someone lower than a Baron but a rank above Angela... That’s right. There was only one. Was the final gatekeeper the [ Head Maid ]? Is the Head Maid the strongest being in this world...?
I swallowed repeatedly, trying to calm my nerves. As Angela opened the door and walked in, I matched her pace and stepped inside. The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt dizzy from a thick, pungent smell that pierced my nose. Is this mana? Mana poisoning symptoms? Damn it, I don’t know. The smell, which felt like it would paralyze a dog’s sensitive sense of smell, was filled with the scent of paper and ink, making my head spin. And that was just from crossing the threshold.
The moment I felt that, I was certain she was the strongest being in this world. As we walked further in, sunlight streamed in through a large window in the distance. I could see the top of someone’s head sitting in a massive chair; it felt like looking at the final boss of a fantasy game.
"The kids?"
'......!!!!!!!!!'
Just three syllables. I knew it instinctively. The charismatic, low-pitched woman’s voice was as cold as ice, like a mafia boss giving an order, and it carried the soul of a female slaughter-machine who had undergone brutal Israeli special forces training and survived countless battlefields. Angela’s fierce, sharp impression, despite her warm heart, was nothing more than an action show from Tom and Jerry. This woman was the real deal. She was something out of a gore video, possessing the resonance of a true ruler.
"They are all gathered in the garden."
"What about Head Butler Heather? Did he wake up?"
"Yes."
"Right. I’ll go down as soon as I finish this. Don’t say anything to the kids."
"What should I do with Tommy?"
"What?"
Her reaction was openly annoyed. I pricked up my ears, listening to the life-or-death conversation between the ruler of this world and my master. At this very moment, the world could change forever.
"Tommy? Is the dog’s name Tommy?"
"Yes."
"Leave him."
At the final boss’s words, I felt the grip on my leash tighten. I looked up and saw that Angela’s fist was clenched so hard her knuckles had turned white. To think that even Angela was terrified...! I trembled in fear, like Homer Simpson caught in a state of shock and terror. If I keep this up, my DOGE coin is going to turn into JINDOGE coin. In other words, I feel like I’m going to cum.
"...Um, Head Maid Chloe. As I said before, Tommy is a truly intelligent dog. He has a kind personality, and for someone so young, he understands human speech..."
"20 Copper."
"......"
"Leave."
[ Leave. ] That was the monster’s eviction order, her command. Angela gave me one last look filled with trust and then left the room. I was left alone in the room, feeling awkward.
*Scratch, scratch.*
*Sizzle. Rip!*
In the uncomfortable silence, I heard the eerie sounds of something being scratched, burned, melted, and torn apart over and over again. I had no idea what that woman was doing at her desk. In fantasy worlds, you never know what’s inside the head of the strongest being until the ending. That meant I couldn't read her mind. Damn it. There’s no reaction at all—what do I do? Should I just approach her? Should I start by spinning my tail-copter 100 times?
While I was deep in thought:
*Gulp, gulp.*
My sensitive ears picked up the sound of someone swallowing as they drank something.
*Thud!*
I heard the sound of something heavy being placed on the desk. Surely, that must be the blood and the echoes of the souls of the dogs who perished here. But I, Tommy, will not yield.
*Creak.*
*Slide....*
I heard the sound of the ruler pulling her chair back and standing up. Now, even my nervousness had melted away. I am the dog who will fly to the universe. The dog who will conquer Master Angela’s [ Hymen ]. I am Tommy D. Doge. Whatever you are, I will meet the standards of a genius dog in this world....! Come at me!!!! Overpowered Zergling!!! I’ll show you what a hero Zergling, different from birth, is really like!!!