The Elf, the Maid, and the Genius Dog
After Trisha the elf finished speaking, silence descended between the two women. Angela kept her gaze fixed on the guest, her eyes filled with suspicion, while Trisha simply returned to her composed expression and sipped her tea.
'What the hell? Did that pointy-eared elf just try to mess with my Master?'
My blood boiled. I hadn't even had the chance to mess with her yet... A strange, inexplicable sense of distrust toward this elf named Trisha began to well up inside me. Being a beauty is fine and all, but a woman with a black heart is dangerous. Just in case, I pressed myself tightly against Angela’s leg. Angela fastened the leash back onto my collar and gripped it firmly, as if telling me not to go anywhere. The tension in the leash made me realize once again just how much she cherished me. Don't worry, Master! I would never dream of betraying you! I panted and stayed still, trying to be a good boy.
But I was hungry. Ah. Milk. I needed milk. I needed food. How much longer did I have to stay here? I hadn't even eaten breakfast because I was summoned by the Head Maid. It was almost lunchtime; starving a nursing puppy for two whole meals was an act of extreme cruelty.
"Whine..."
To signal to Angela that I wanted food, I stood up on my hind legs and rubbed my front paws against her white stockings. Only then did she look down at me.
"Tommy. It’s past your feeding time. But you must learn to wait."
"Whine-whine..."
"Acting cute won't help. We have a guest, so be quiet."
Angela, my strict mama, scolded me. Damn it. I'm hungry.
"You're being harsh."
Trisha, who had been alternating her gaze between me and Angela, tossed out a remark and rummaged through the bag tied to her waist. She pulled something out and held it right in front of my nose. I sniffed the white, biscuit-like object.
-Sniff, sniff, sniff.
It had a savory scent like a lump of flour, but it was something more refined. There was a mix of meatiness and the scent of grass. I could even smell a hint of sweet honey. My mouth began to water. What on earth was this?
"Here, eat up."
Trisha smiled and shook the biscuit, urging me to eat it quickly.
Gulp. It looked delicious as hell.
"Wait a moment. What are you trying to feed him?"
"It's elven bread. Wolves can eat it too."
"Tommy is a puppy. What are you going to do if he gets sick from eating something strange?"
"It's fine. If you're that uncomfortable, you can go feed him yourself. I'll be staying here anyway."
"...That won't be necessary. Tommy is a dog I'm raising. I will feed him myself."
"You're being too harsh on a hungry child."
"......"
Caught between an elf picking a fight for no reason and a maid asserting her ownership, I, the dog in the middle, found it impossible to understand the situation. Damn, why is that woman being so rude to our Master? Are all elves like that? I want to teach that bad attitude a lesson with some doggy-style action on those massive hips wrapped in white pants. To calm my annoyed heart, I crawled between Angela’s skirts to admire her white panties and the plump, soft flesh beneath, soothing my burning heart and hunger. Mmm. Nice. Master Angela is the best. Screw that elf who doesn't even show her panties under those trousers.
How long had we been waiting? The guard from earlier returned.
"Maid Angela. The Young Lady has returned. She asks that you and the guest come to the drawing room."
"Understood."
Angela guided Trisha to the drawing room of the great Esper Barony. I tagged along for the ride. In the center of the spacious room, there was a plush red sofa with cushions, and refreshments were laid out on the table. Aside from the butler standing to one side, no one else was there. Now that I thought about it, the 'first daughter.' What kind of person was she? If she was the first daughter of this cheat-code Barony, she probably wasn't an ordinary person. I mean, this is a Barony that has a silver-haired beauty who is an expert in Korean, a gray-haired mage, and a Maid Chief who is a dragon polymorphed into the strongest being in the world. Plus, my owner is the best black-haired, big-breasted maid in the city. I was full of anticipation! And hopefully, I'd get a peek at some panties and pussy while I was at it.
"Please, come this way. Wait here for a moment."
"Got it."
Following the butler's guidance, the elf sat on the sofa, and Angela stood next to the old man with me. Feeling bored, I perked up my ears. A dog's hearing is several times sharper than a human's. I could hear people walking from far away. There were two of them.
-Click, clack, click.
-Clang, clatter, clang.
The familiar sound of heels was definitely Maid Chief Chloe’s. My curiosity was piqued by the heavy footsteps and the metallic friction of the other person. What kind of person was this first daughter?
The metallic sound stopped, and Maid Chief Chloe’s voice drifted from beyond the drawing room door.
"Young Lady Yekaterina is entering."
The door opened, and what appeared was a giant knight clad in brilliantly shining silver armor. Even her face was hidden behind a helmet. She looked nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and thick thighs. She was literally general material. Having fallen into this fantasy world, this was the first time I’d seen such an absurdly massive physique, and I stared up at her, dumbfounded. No, wait. Didn't they say 'Young Lady'? Is this a woman?
-Sssss... Hhuuu... Sssss... Hhuuu...
Even the mouth-hole of the helmet emitted a rough, heavy breathing sound, like a beast that had been starving for three days, pressing its face against iron bars. Terrified by the horror-like, grotesque appearance, I quickly hid behind Angela’s legs, peeking out just enough to see the Young Lady.
"Trisha."
"You've grown a lot."
"Thank you for responding to the request. It’s an urgent situation, so this will be a great help."
"So stiff. You seem to be growing more and more like your father."
"I hear that often."
"I'd like to see your face. Won't you take off the helmet?"
"I am in the middle of training, so it is impossible."
Her high-toned, clipped voice felt strongly like that of an elite soldier. With the clanking sound of her armor, Yekaterina sat on the sofa. Perhaps because of the heavy armor, the sofa let out a creaking noise.
"I will proceed without unnecessary words. Recently, frequent disappearances have been occurring in the area between the eastern edge of our territory and the road leading to the Saxen Viscounty. All of these are areas near the Great Forest. Chloe! Bring the map!"
"Yes."
As Maid Chief Chloe spread a large map across the table, the fingers of a silver gauntlet pointed at it.
"The search party will be divided into two teams. I will take the soldiers and head north. Trisha, I will entrust the east to you. If necessary, I will assign you a few personnel."
"Five warriors and one carriage."
"Understood."
Judging by how she only spat out the necessary words, she must value efficiency. It was also a unique personality trait to refuse to take off her armor while receiving a guest because she was 'in training.'
"When should we depart?"
"As soon as you are ready."
At those words, Trisha suddenly stood up and walked toward me and Angela.
"Yekaterina."
"What is it?"
"There is one more thing I need..."
Trisha pointed at me, hiding behind Angela’s legs.
"I need a wolf."
"Hmm?"
I was stunned. I looked up, and Angela seemed flustered, her face slightly flushed and her lips pressed shut. Especially pathetic was Chloe, who was standing next to Angela. Her expression was clearly saying, Why?
-Gii-gii-gik!
With a bizarre metallic grinding sound, the gaze from the helmet that had been looking this way turned toward the old butler. "A wolf? What are you talking about? You brought a wolf into the mansion while I was away? Butler. What on earth is this?"
"Young Lady. When Trisha-nim says 'wolf'... um. Maid Angela adopted a puppy. I believe that is what she is referring to."
"...A puppy?"
The gaze from the helmet, which had found me hiding at Angela’s feet, glowed red. Oh my god, what is that? Is she a Terminator?! That's terrifying!!! I buried my head into Angela’s foot to avoid that gaze. Sniff, sniff... ah. Master’s foot scent is the best... My heart is calming down!
"A dog is indeed necessary for finding things. However, I don't know if something that small will be of any use."
"Don't worry. The wolf's owner said so."
"Maid Angela did?"
"Yes. That this puppy is a genius dog. It will definitely be helpful."
Trisha, with a very faint, mocking smile, said this while looking at Angela. Angela’s hand, which was holding my leash, tightened. That elf bitch dares to insult our Master? To take the best revenge I could, I glared at the elf’s crotch. For a moment, an uncomfortable silence swept through the room.
"...Well, take it if you need it."
"And the dog's owner, too."
Trisha continued, pointing at Angela. The helmet, which had been looking back and forth between me and Angela, nodded.
"Maid Angela. Support Trisha so that she can carry out her mission without any inconvenience. Do so without any issues regarding personnel or supplies."
"Yes."
"Good. Let us depart."
Angela told Trisha to wait in the drawing room and brought me back to her room. I sipped milk from a silver plate and glanced back. Angela was changing clothes in front of the wardrobe. Having taken off her usual maid uniform, she was wearing brown shorts over black tights-like leggings. Above that, she wore a black short-sleeved shirt and leather armor.
-Clatter. Clatter.
After changing, she took something out of a leather pouch she’d retrieved from the wardrobe and carefully placed it on the desk; the smell of iron and oil was ominous.
-Click! Click!
Angela, wearing gauntlets of solid steel that reached her elbows, moved her fingers freely and pulled her wrists.
-Shing!!!
Then, three vicious claws popped out from the back of the gauntlets. Predator?! No, Wolverine?!?! What is that!!! Angela, now in 'Zealot mode,' looked at the sharp blades with a satisfied face, then pulled her wrists again. With a metallic sound, the blades vanished in an instant. She took off the gauntlets, put them in the leather pouch, and hung them at her waist. She took off her shoes, put them in a box, and put on greaves that were leather-lined and steel-reinforced. Then, she even hoisted a large backpack onto her shoulders.
It was the first time I had seen Angela wear anything other than a maid uniform. Angela, the fully armed battle maid, was a perfect adventurer herself. As expected of the cheat-code Barony. Even a mere maid is no ordinary person. I should have known from the moment Angela’s impression was scary. With gauntlets that looked that hideous, one punch would surely burst an adult man’s skull. One low kick would definitely send a goblin flying like a soccer ball. Seeing my Master looking so reliable made my heart swell with pride. After I finished my milk and did my business, Angela wiped my mouth with a cloth, hugged me, buried her nose in my head, and inhaled.
-Sssss... Hhaaa... Sssss... Hhaaa...
"Tommy... Tommy....... Tommyyy.... Hhaaa...."
"Woof-woof!"
As if to repay her warm affection, I licked her lips. She gave me a soft smile, kissed me, and placed me on the bed.
"...Tommy."
"Woof!"
"Doesn't it hurt your pride?"
"......Woof."
"I don't know what Trisha-nim is thinking at all. But she is definitely looking down on you. And she even provoked me."
Angela bit her lip as if she were frustrated. She must have been quite upset. "Tommy. I believe in you. I hope you will use your talent to find the missing people. If it's you, Tommy, you can do it. It wasn't a coincidence that you found the object filled with Master's memories in one go."
"Woof!"
"Hehe. Good. But it might be dangerous if you run into a goblin, so stay in a safe place or stick close to my side. Do you understand?"
"Woof!"
At my loud answer, Angela smiled beautifully and took the leash. "Let's go, Tommy. To knock that arrogant elf down a peg."
"WOOF!!!!"