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“This is delicious!”
“I highly recommend this shop’s taiyaki. By the way, the soy sauce senbei across the street are great, too.”
“As someone who works in the food service industry, you really know a lot about delicious food, don’t you?”
“Fufu. Well, I suppose so.”

Under the eaves of a traditional Japanese confectionery shop. We were relaxing on a bench with a Japanese umbrella, set up for customers to sit and eat.
Enjoying a snack in such a leisurely atmosphere felt like a real treat. Glancing out of the corner of my eye at Kuzuha-chan and Fumitsuki-san, who were getting excited talking about sweets, I took a bite of my taiyaki.

……It’s not too sweet—it tastes great.

Since the red bean paste wasn’t overly sweet, it complemented the soft, subtle sweetness of the dough perfectly, and there’s a generous amount of filling.
It was not just the paste sealed inside the dough; it’s a harmonious balance of sweetness.¹ I’m also happy to see that the paste is packed tightly all the way down to the tail. I can see why Fumitsuki-san recommended it.
Kuzuha-chan seemed to really like them too; she was already on her third one. She started by sinking her teeth into the tail. Even after eating so much for lunch, she sure had a big appetite.

“I’m delighted you’ve taken a liking. Want some more?”
“Yes! I’d love a second helping, please!”
“Woof~. Fumi-chan, Kuro too, Kuro too!”
“Oh my, Kuro-senpai too?”
“Woof, woof. Hurry up, hurry up—”
“It won’t come out that fast, you know. I’ll give you half of mine, so please wait patiently.”
“Yay! Kuro loves Fumi-chan! You’re just like Satsuki-chan! Oh, but you don’t have… boobs…”
“My chest has nothing to do with it, does it!?”
“R-right, you’re right. Um… Ya, spiritually busty!”
“That’s not a compliment at all, is it!? It’s not even clear if that’s supposed to be comforting or not!?”
“Um, Fumitsuki-san. Do you know that person?”
“Huh? …Wait, why is Kuro-senpai here!?”

After handing over half of her taiyaki, Fumitsuki-san’s eyes widened as she shouted.
Long black hair, animal ears and tail, and she walked in on us so naturally.
She was probably a beastfolk, just like Kuzuha-chan. She looked to be about 16 years old. She narrowed her chestnut-brown eyes in a friendly way and was chomping down on her taiyaki while wagging her tail.

“Um… this is one of our employees. Come on, say hello.”
“Myam, myam… Woof? Kuro’s name is Kuro Inui! Kuro’s a werewolf, nice to meet you!”
“Warehouse?”
“Werewolf!”

Even in response to my joke, or rather, my mishearing, she corrected me with a big, beaming smile.
Indeed, the shape of her ears and tail made the description “wolf” seem just right.
Kuro-san was dressed the same as Fumitsuki-san: in a chic-looking waitress uniform. Watching her skirt flutter restlessly as her tail wagged nervously, Fumitsuki-san asked curiously.

“Kuro-senpai. Why are you out and about in your uniform on your day off?”
“Fumi-chan is wearing one too, no?”
“Well, Fumi is technically on the job. Onee-sama came home and asked me to run an errand.”
“Woof, makes sense! Kuro’s wearing it because it was the first thing that caught Kuro’s eye when Kuro opened the closet!”
“……Well, we do have plenty of spares, though.”

Fumitsuki-san nodded, her eyes half-closed. Her reaction felt less like she was convinced and more like she’d decided to just let it slide.
Kuro-san happily wagged her tail as she polished off half a taiyaki, then darted around us.
With the light, playful steps of a dog playing in the snow, she examined me and Kuzuha-chan from every angle. Eventually, she let out a “Woof!” and said,

“Yeah! Kuro’s pretty much memorized your scents!”

It seemed she hadn’t just been observing us, she’d memorized our scents, too.

…Her movements are completely those of a dog.

I know it might be rude to say, but watching her, she felt more like a dog than a wolf.
Kuzuha-chan—foxes are supposed to be part of the Canidae family too, but Kuro-san is far more dog-like. She was so friendly that if she were any shorter than me, I might have naturally reached out to pet her.

“I’m Argento Vampyr, a vampire. That’s a long name, so just call me Arje.”
“I’m Kuzuha, a spirit fox.”
“Arje-chan and Kuzuha-chan, huh? Woof! Kuro remembered your names!”

Raising her hand energetically, Kuro declared.
Her gestures were a bit over-the-top, but that’s precisely why her sincerity came across so clearly without a hint of sarcasm. I wonder why she doesn’t question the fact that I’m out and about during the day—is it because she’s an acquaintance of Satsuki-san, who can go out in the sun under certain conditions, or does she simply not notice?
Splitting the half-eaten taiyaki in half again and giving it to Kuro, Fumitsuki spoke up.

“Kuro-senpai, are you free?”
“Yeah. Kuro’s free! Since Kuro’s free, somebody really should pay attention to Kuro, you know? Fumi-chan, wanna play? Wanna fluff fluff with Kuro?”
“I’ll pass on that. Kuro-senpai, if you’re free, could you show these girls around town? You’re always strolling around town, so you’re good at that, right?”
“Woof! Leave it to Kuro!”

With her eyes sparkling, Kuro-san nodded repeatedly and devoured the taiyaki, which had been cut into quarters, in one gulp.
Seeing this, Fumitsuki-san handed her the last remaining slice. That, too, vanished into her stomach in a single breath.
I think she could savor it a little more. She’s just like a dog. Wait, she’s a wolf.

“Kuro knows this town really well! Is there anywhere you want to go?”
“Um… is there a place that feels just right for a nap?”
“Woof! Kuro knows a great spot for that!”
“Oh, then, could you show me the way ple—Eek!?”

I tried to say “Please,” but I couldn’t.
It’s fast. No, rather than fast, it’s just too sudden. I was lifted up from the ground as if I were being scooped up. In an instant, I was in a princess carry.
Before I could even process what was happening, the scenery began to drift away. It was a different kind of floating sensation from being lifted up.

“Awoo!”

With a loud roar, Kuro-san soared through the air. Naturally, I was right there with her, held in her arms.
Not caring that her skirt was flipping up or that my long sleeves were getting tousled, Kuro-san took off. She landed roughly on the roof of the sweet shop where we’d bought the taiyaki, and

“Woof~! Here we go!”
“Eh, wait, hyaaah!?”

Before I could even protest, Kuro-san started running while still holding me.
I could hear Kuzuha-chan calling my name and Fumitsuki-san calling Kuro-san’s name, but Kuro-san completely ignored them. Or rather, she was so absorbed in her goal that she didn’t seem to hear them at all.

Although many people were staring at us, she didn’t even seem to care about that.
We were already moving at high speed. Even from where I was in her arms, I could feel the power she was putting into each stride.

“Eek!?”

Almost reflexively, I clung to her to brace myself against the sensation of floating.
My feet and butt felt light and wobbly, making me terribly uneasy. My legs, now exposed down to my thighs, felt a chill.

“Hold on tight!”

I didn’t have the composure to reply, “I’m already holding on.”
Holding me in her arms, she leaped from roof to roof one after another.

I’d crossed rooftops before in Arlescha, but moving on my own was different from being carried by someone else. Especially by someone whose name I’d only just learned, out of the blue.
Rather than being scared, the situation was unfolding so quickly that my mind couldn’t keep up.
After experiencing that floating sensation for the umpteenth time, I finally calmed down enough to open my eyes—and that’s when I saw it.

A massive building towering over the city center.
It was a building with a rugged yet clean design, reminiscent of a castle from the Warring States period. Four towers surrounded it, each connected as if relaying signals through the central castle.
Kuro-san was running in a straight line toward the very center—the castle. Or rather, it was right in front of me. No, right under my feet, perhaps.

“Woof! We’re here!”

The moment we landed, I was set down on the ground.
After that constant feeling of floating, I couldn’t put any strength into my legs. Thud—my butt hit the castle’s roof. The cool touch of the roof tiles made me shiver even more.

“…That was a bit too sudden.”
“Woof?”

Ah, she looks like she has no idea what’s going on.
It didn’t seem like complaining would do any good, so I just let out a sigh.
After taking a few deep breaths, I gradually began to calm down. Eventually, I regained my strength in my legs, so I stood up and smoothed out my rumpled clothes.

…Ah, what a great view.

Standing up and looking around, the view was high, wide, and far-reaching.
I could see all the way down to the outer wall marking the entrance to the city, and a cool breeze carried the scent of flowers my way.
As I took a deep breath of that pleasant, cool floral scent, drowsiness began to wash over me.

“Woof, woof! What do you think? What do you think? Do you like it?”
“Yes. I think it’s a nice place. But… is it really okay to be here?”

As far as the eye can see, this is the heart of the city. When you think of the center of the capital, you naturally imagine that the building standing here would be important.
Compared to the surrounding buildings, this castle was tall, large, and luxurious. No matter how I look at it, isn’t this an important facility?

“Woof! It’s fine! Kuro knows someone here!”

Kuro-san puffed out her chest proudly.
Since Satsuki-san—Kuro-san’s employer—seemed to know a lot of people, she might have some connection to this place. If she says it’s fine, I guess I don’t need to be shy about it.

I took a blanket out of the Blood Box, spread it out, and lay down on it. Mm, not bad.

“Can Kuro take a nap too?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Woof—!”

Wagging her tail happily, Kuro-san lay down next to me.
It’s a bit of a forced and chaotic situation, but from her perspective, it’s a kind gesture. I’m not injured, and she brought me to a comfortable spot to nap, so that’s fine.
I was a little worried about Kuzuha-chan, but she’ll be fine as long as Fumitsuki-san is with her. If I want to meet up with her, she can always follow my scent to find me.

My stomach was full, so as soon as I closed my eyes, I drifted off.
I’d worked hard enough for today, so I decided to just bask in the bliss of a nice afternoon nap.