If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Volume 7

by CHIROLU

  “...What is it?”

  “Well, those pups’ objective is Latina, right?”

  “So it seems,” Dale said with a nod in response to Kenneth, who was acting as representative for the group.

  “In that case, they’ll spend most of their time near her, yeah?”

  “I suppose so...”

  “So the obvious conclusion we reached is that you should be responsible for the pups.”

  “Huh?” Dale questioned, the gazes coming from around him all turning lukewarm.

  “You haven’t been leaving Latina’s side at all lately, yeah?”

  “Yeah, and you’ve had your eyes fixed on the little lady’s rear.”

  “I’ve been looking at more than just her butt!” Dale retorted, picking a strange point to fix his rebuttal on.

  “You must be overjoyed, having a good reason not to leave Latina’s side,” Rita said. Dale had reached his most deplorable of states, reacting like he wasn’t entirely dissatisfied with the idea.

  “And besides, you have the greatest authority of anyone here. And in terms of strength, well... anyone who’d try to lay a hand on you would have to be a real idiot.”

  “And so, you’re the best possible guardian for the pups.”

  Currently, as the patriotic savior of the nation, the world-famous Platinum Hero, his voice would be even more influential than that of Kreuz’s ruler, Count Kleinmifel.

  He was a great warrior who had defeated numerous demon lords, like a figure from some epic tale. Add the fact that he had become an extraordinarily powerful demon, and there were now none who could possibly defeat him if he employed his full power.

  “Vint, you weren’t intending for us to raise the puppies here, right?”

  Now that he’d had the responsibility thrust onto him, Dale was having an exchange that was like a parent telling their child, “I don’t care where you found them! We can’t keep them here!” However, since the other party he was addressing was himself a “dog,” it made for a pretty surreal sight.

  “When Daddy and Mommy alone time over, take back.”

  “Hmm? So it’s more like you just brought them along for a play date?” Dale said, looking a little relieved.

  “Arf.” “Urf.” Woof.” The puppies sounded off in their sweet voices, surrounding Dale as their tails wagged.

  “So after a bit of time has passed, you’ll be taking them back?”

  “Yeah.”

  Imitating Vint, the puppies let out a sniff, sniff together. He may not have had it as bad as Latina, but Dale also found their poofy fur and big round eyes plenty adorable.

  It wasn’t exactly as if Dale was an animal-hater. Back in his home village, it was normal to be accompanied by a hound when hunting, and whenever puppies were born, he would go along with his younger brother to go see them.

  If it’s just for a bit, then it’ll be fine, Dale thought to himself. Looking at him, Latina had a realization. They really are Vint’s siblings...

  Latina realized that the puppies had cleverly employed their cuteness in a calculated manner. However, rather than taking that as scheming or something done out of ill will, she saw it as them being good at adapting to the situation, like Vint was.

  Well, they’re cute, so I suppose it’s fine.

  And above all else, Latina was unable to overcome the allure of their fluffiness.

  Latina wasn’t the only one with an expression of joy on her face over the sudden visit from the fluffy pups. Emma had been allowed back downstairs with the conclusion of the emergency meeting in the Ocelot, and the second she saw those stuffed animal-looking furballs, she let out a squeal of delight.

  “Ooh!”

  The puppies realized that Emma was fond of them, and wagged their tails while letting out sweet little sounds of their own.

  Vint had been staying at the Ocelot since before Emma was born. However, he mostly played with Theo. Theo’s athletic abilities were exceptional because he had a mythical beast as his playmate since he was little, so even a simple game of tag was on a level where the young Emma couldn’t possibly join in. Furthermore, Latina had gone missing back when Emma was just a baby, before she was old enough to understand what was going on. At that time Vint was making frequent trips between Vassilios and Kreuz, so his time in the Ocelot was limited. The time that Emma was able to spend with him hadn’t been long at all.

  For Emma, ever since she’d been born it had been “normal” to live with a pup (soaring wolf) around, but Vint was more like her big brother’s personal pet dog.

  And also, Emma was still a little shy around Latina, as the girl had only just recently returned to the Ocelot. Even if she was told they had lived together back when she was a baby, she had no memory of that, so to Emma she was essentially a stranger she had met for the first time just the other day. To her older brother Theo, Latina was his “beloved big sis,” so ever since she returned, he had fawned on her like a little brother like it was only natural. That had been a shock for Emma, too.

  Emma truly was interested in this kind, beautiful “big sister.” However, she didn’t know how to deal with the distance between them.

  It was then that the fluffy little furballs had appeared.

  The puppies also seemed to be fond of Emma, wagging their tails at her, but the one they were most attached to was Latina, sure enough. If the young girl wanted to play with them, she would need to approach Latina. And Emma also knew that Latina was fond of children and good at dealing with them, so she would look after Emma if she took the initiative. However, Dale was always clinging to Latina, so that also meant getting close to him.

  By nature, Dale was also fond of children, and he didn’t have any real trouble looking after them. If Emma was nearby, he’d watch out for her second only to Latina.

  Emma’s doting father, Kenneth, was also aware that Dale would never do anything to harm his beloved child. Dale cared for Latina above all else, so he would never lay a hand on somebody else’s daughter, even after Kenneth’s precious little girl matured. He was someone perfectly safe and secure for Emma to be around.

  Since he was worrying about such things as he stood there on the stairs, Kenneth really had no room to talk about Dale being a “doting idiot.”

  The number of furballs roaming around the Ocelot had increased, but Latina’s day to day life didn’t change all that much. She cleaned the Ocelot alongside Kenneth, and then diligently carried out her work in the kitchen. She never played with Vint while working there. The puppies followed Latina about when she was in the middle of cleaning, but when they tried to chase after her as she returned to the kitchen, they found their path obstructed by their elder brother, playing the part of a faithful hound.

  To Emma, such times were a chance for her to monopolize the puppies. She squatted next to Vint and went around petting the puppies. Seeing that adorable little poster girl for the restaurant enjoy herself so greatly, the regulars couldn’t help but break out in wide grins.

  Latina hadn’t actually forbidden the pups from entering the kitchen. The stairs were in the rear of the kitchen, and especially in winter, Vint would often go up to Dale and Latina’s room in the attic to rest. And the quickest route to Theo and Vint’s favorite place to play, the backyard, was to cut through the kitchen. It was also very convenient for the adults to have Emma and the puppies play in the backyard, since that made it easy to watch over them.

  When Latina went on her break, she rolled up an old cloth in order to make an impromptu ball. Latina beckoned Emma and the furballs to stop playing in the shop and come out into the backyard. Next, she showed the ball to the puppies and then threw it. The furballs all took off at once, looking as if they were almost rolling along. The gray-furred male puppy was the first to reach the ball. However, before he could pick it up in his mouth, the gray-furred female and black-furred male caught up. As a result, it ended up in a scuffle to grab the ball.

  The black-furred puppy was the one who successfully got it, skillful
ly catching hold of an opening. He then ran at full speed to carry it back to Latina, then obediently dropped it in front of her while wearing a look on his face that said he wanted to be praised.

  Latina petted the puppies and then handed the ball over to Emma, who had been watching with twinkling eyes.

  Emma threw the ball with all her might, but it fell just a few paces away. However, the pups still had fiery gazes in their eyes and took off after it.

  Seeing Emma giggle at the puppies’ antics, Latina broke out in a gentle smile.

  The puppies obediently delivered the ball to Emma as well, but apparently had hit upon the idea of stealing it back before she could throw it. Emma started running with the ball so it couldn’t be stolen, resulting in the toddler and the puppies all frolicking about together.

  And unsurprisingly, before long this ended with the toddler taking a splendid spill. At first, Emma wore an expression like she didn’t even know what had happened. She looked more surprised than in pain, but after looking down at her muddy, scraped up knees, she seemed ready to burst out into tears. Emma had just noticed the pain a little late to start crying right away, but Latina hurried over and scooped up the girl, hugging her tight to console her and said, “You did real good, Emma, not crying.”

  Hearing Latina’s kind voice, Emma managed to pull herself back from the verge of tears. Recognizing how hard the young girl was trying, Latina patted her on the head and praised her further.

  Latina skillfully wiped away the dirt from Emma’s skirt, and then cleaned her knee at the water station behind the kitchen. She checked the wound, and then lightly applied some salve that she had at the ready. There was a reason that Latina didn’t magically heal Emma’s injury, despite being able to use healing magic. If it were particularly serious, or something life-threatening that required immediate action, Latina wouldn’t hesitate to employ it, but it would be incredibly dangerous to give the young Emma the impression that injuries are something that can be easily healed.

  Dale had been fairly clear on the matter to Latina once Theo was born. That had also been a necessary measure back in his home village, a unique environment where there were many people about who could use healing magic. Latina worried about Theo as he spent everyday running and jumping about and getting all scratched up. But after seeing him grow up to into a strong-willed young man, she realized that being overprotective would be harmful to her precious “younger siblings.”

  Latina was able to calmly handle Emma precisely because she had such experience.

  “Alright, all better now. It didn’t sting, did it?”

  Emma nodded her head, and Latina broke out in a gentle smile.

  “I’m so proud of you, Emma. You really gave your best, didn’t you?”

  The whole time that Latina was treating Emma’s wound, the furballs were excitedly running around them, wagging their tails and winding about Latina’s legs as if saying, “pay attention to us!” Even though she saw their adorable antics, right now her priority was the already-in-progress action of praising Emma. Understanding that, Emma let her “big sister” dote on her, which she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do until now.

  “Big si—”

  However, she felt too embarrassed to say those words she wasn’t accustomed to, and instead simply hugged Latina tight.

  Dale had watched over this whole chain of events, having plunked himself down by the kitchen door. Since Latina wouldn’t pay attention to him, the gray-furred male puppy came running over to Dale instead. He showed off his poofy fur, making a face as if to say, “you may go ahead and pet me.”

  Dale scooped the pup up and rubbed his tummy. Even though he bared his fangs in displeasure, Dale paid that matter no heed.

  Latina really does seem like she’d make a good mother, Dale thought to himself and then broke out in a wide, sloppy grin. He was in the sort of deplorable state that shouldn’t be exposed to others.

  †

  Not even a month had passed before it was time for the furballs to return home.

  The first ones to realize the situation were the members of the guard corps tasked with keeping the peace in Kreuz. The reason that Count Kleinmifel, the ruler of Kreuz, prepared a guard corps despite such things being unheard of in most other domains was because there were so many powerful adventurers in Kreuz. The adventurers themselves had their own unspoken rules and a self-governing organization, but things couldn’t simply be left to that. As such, an organization specifically tasked with keeping peace in the town was a needed. Since their duties were related, the gatekeepers of the town were also counted as members of the guard corps. The other counts would hire personal soldiers to guard their manors and towns from outside enemies, but the guard corps instead primarily concerned themselves with the town’s residents. As such, the guardsmen were a different sort of organization than those soldiers who stood atop the walls of the town, patrolling and keeping an eye on the outside. However, they served the same lord and their garrisons were close to one another, so it wasn’t as if they didn’t interact.

  It was in that manner that the captain of the guardsmen learned that countless figures were approaching Kreuz. At first the guards had only half-listened to the information, not thinking on it deeply. It wasn’t rare at all to see flocks of birds or flying magical beasts moving as a group, after all.

  Eventually, though, the captain realized a certain fact that caused him to break out in a cold sweat over his entire body. He immediately dispatched a subordinate to the Ocelot and constructed an emergency task force.

  By the time he arrived at the Ocelot, the key members had already gathered, and Vint was seated quietly in the middle of them. His siblings with their matching fur colors were seated in the same posture, gazing at the people around them. They may have been thinking this was some sort of game.

  Vint gave an embarrassed laugh and stuck out his tongue as everyone looked at him, and then confirmed that the situation was just as the captain had thought.

  “Mommy’s scent came.”

  With that one line, he had confirmed that a pack of mythical beasts had flown to Kreuz.

  “...It’s only a matter of time before the troops realize what they really are.”

  As they were part of a different organization, the captain couldn’t exert his authority to interfere.

  “I’m sure they’ll form a squad to eliminate them.”

  “Yeah, that’d make sense.”

  “That’d be the normal reaction, usually...”

  Mythical beasts were the sort of beings that normally only ever appeared in epics and legends, so it would generally be impossible to even imagine one wanting to live as a pet dog in a bar on the outskirts of town, just to enjoy the brushing skills of one of its employees. Even with an explanation, no one aside from the regulars who had experienced it everyday would believe this confusing and bizarre fact.

  “Our adventurer regulars would be able to get things under control... but not all the adventurers in Kreuz frequent our place...” Rita said with a sigh. Kenneth continued on with a similar tone to the one his wife had used, “If some adventurers blinded by greed go for a reckless charge and are struck down in the process... well, it could even be someone with good intentions getting over eager, but that could lead to a grudge being formed.”

  “Even if they are mythical beasts, there’s no guarantee that they’d come out of it unharmed, either...”

  Adventurers normally made their living by hunting rare magical beasts. Nobody had the right to stop them from doing so. Even though the adventurers of the Dancing Ocelot possessed a great deal of clout, they wouldn’t be able to enforce such a restriction.

  “We’re going to be working overtime everyday from today on...”

  The thought of the cleanup he would surely be in charge of no matter how things played out made the guard captain feel dizzy and caused him to sigh.

  “...What if I take the puppies and head outside of Kreuz?” Latina offered, seeing the stat
e everyone was in. She was seated in a chair with Emma atop her knees and the black puppy atop the young girl’s lap, making for a two-tiered stack. Everyone looked up together in response to Latina’s proposal, but soon shook their heads from side to side.

  “That wouldn’t do, little lady.”

  “It’d only make things worse.”

  “If we ended up with any more, it’d just be impossible to handle, right?”

  If Latina carelessly came into contact with the soaring wolves, then there was a great chance they would be charmed by her and the number of “pups” hanging about would increase. It was easy to imagine her trying to negotiate to have them leave peacefully, only to end up having the whole pack follow her back into town.

  “Looks like we’ll have to leave it up to you,” Kenneth said, patting Dale on the shoulder.

  “Yeah... looks like it,” Dale consented with a sigh. He was still an acquaintance of the soaring wolves, even if he wasn’t as accepted by them as Latina.

  Vint had a completely calm look on his face, only for Dale to stand up and give him a light thwap on the head.

  “You’re going too, of course.”

  “Woof!”

  And so, the members of the emergency task force in the Dancing Ocelot decided to bury the truth behind the incident as quickly as possible, sending Vint and Dale out under the veil of secrecy to do so.

  There was a reason behind needing to do it “under the veil of secrecy,” too. Just as the emergency task force had feared, the patrols soon figured out the identity of those flying beasts. It had been decided that entry and exit through the gates would be largely restricted, under the pretexts of safety and the need to form a plan. But even so, Dale and the pup sneaked stealthily out of Kreuz using their usual south gate.

  In that way, it was a plot being concealed with the full assistance of the guard corps.

  After leaving Kreuz, Dale confirmed that the soaring wolves were already at a distance where they could be seen with the naked eye, and then looked over at Vint out of the corner of his eye.