Lick.
The first reaction from the creature after hearing my question was to stick out its soft pink tongue and lick its moist nose.
"I heard that dogs have a habit of flicking their tongues when they're flustered…"
— I'm not a dog!
"Yeah, you're not a dog. And you're definitely not a winged bread roll either. So, since you're neither a puppy nor a pastry, you must know the reason behind what happened today, right?"
Sniff, sniff.
Its little nose twitched with an almost comically cute sound.
I had also heard that dogs flare their nostrils when flustered, but I chose not to say it out loud.
— Why do you think I'd know?
"Just a hunch."
Its round eyes rolled from side to side.
The third telltale sign of a flustered puppy.
Not wanting to give it time to think, I quickly added,
"But when it comes to things like this, my gut feeling is usually right."
— …
"If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. I'll figure it out myself. But if you do know something, don't lie about it."
— W-Who said anything about lying…?
"Lying would be a betrayal of all the chocolates and snacks we've shared. If there's a reason you can't tell me, just say so. Or say nothing at all."
— Ugh…
"If you do that, I won't bother you about this anymore."
Leaving the obviously flustered creature behind, I unfastened the buttons of my ceremonial robe and prepared a towel to place under its belly.
If it truly refused to talk, the only thing left for me to do tonight was sleep.
— Don't… take that off.
Just as I finished rolling up a bundle of silk to use as its pillow, a voice—unlike its usual tone—reached my ears.
— That one's pretty particular about etiquette and appearances, so you should go as you are. First impressions matter, after all.
Because of an important ceremony earlier that day, I was still dressed in formal attire, unlike my usual self.
The creature leapt onto the gold-embroidered shoulder decorations of my robe and said,
— Tonight… I have someone to introduce you to.
---
Claudius's domain was vast.
Most of it was made up of islands, but even considering that, it was undeniably large.
In pure land area alone, it was probably the largest among all noble families on the continent—perhaps even bigger than some royal territories.
For convenience, people referred to the entire territory as Espetara, but in truth, that name only applied to the island where the Claudius family's main residence stood.
The actual domain was a sprawling archipelago.
Dozens of islands spread out from the central island of Espetara.
Only about one-fifth of them were inhabited. Another two-fifths were used for training grounds, farmland, or facilities like apothecaries.
The remaining two-fifths remained untouched, preserving their wild, natural state.
While patrols kept a minimal level of oversight, the difference between inhabited and uninhabited islands was significant.
Even now, the elderly women of Espetara sat their grandchildren on their laps, telling old tales passed down through generations.
"You see that island over there? When night falls and the sea darkens, the ocean fairies come out to dance until dawn."
Even children who scoffed at fairy tales couldn't help but be enchanted by the sight of the moonlit sea.
Swoosh.
— Mm-hm, it's fine. We still have plenty of time. No need to rush.
I was riding on the back of Gianni, the great orca spirit beast of Espetara, cutting through the enchanted waves.
— Well? How's your first time riding a spirit beast?
"It's fun. And a lot more comfortable than I expected. Now I understand why Father prefers traveling on Beldorussiinstead of using the family's ships."
— Heh, right? Your ships are decent, but they can't compare to us spirit beasts. We've been at this for centuries!
"Gianni's the one doing all the work, so why are you the one bragging?"
Squeak, squeak.
Gianni seemed to enjoy our nighttime excursion, letting out joyful cries as we glided over the waves.
Riding a great orca spirit beast felt fast, smooth, and comfortable.
Gianni was an expert navigator.
Feeling the moonlight shimmer on his sleek skin, watching the foamy waves trail behind—it was an exhilarating experience.
"But as a member of Claudius, I have to say… the night patrols seem a bit lax. No one even noticed me sneaking out of the mansion and making it all the way to the docks."
— What nonsense are you talking about now?
"It's not nonsense. If an outsider used the same route I did to infiltrate the island and no one noticed, wouldn't that be a serious issue?"
Every territory had its own security measures, and Espetara was no exception.
But here I was, the heir to the ruling family, running across the sea in the dead of night, completely undetected.
It meant there was a serious flaw in the security system.
— Tch. You're overthinking it. Listen, you're getting special treatment. Don't go around blaming innocent people. The guards and spirit beasts are keeping watch just fine.
"Special treatment?"
— Yeah. The reason no one noticed you sneaking out isn't because of a security flaw—it's because they couldn't. Even if every guard stayed up all night with their eyes peeled, they wouldn't have spotted you.
"Why?"
— Because the spirit beasts on night duty helped you escape! Heh, with our teamwork, something like this is a piece of cake. You're not seriously thinking about punishing the guards for failing to catch an operation that was orchestrated by this island's protectors, are you?
The creature chuckled smugly, but I couldn't laugh.
The island's security relied on two key pillars: the human guards and the spirit beasts.
And now, one of those pillars had helped me escape.
I couldn't ignore it.
— Why the serious face? Did you really think Tapoma, the owl overseeing Espetara's night sky, wouldn't notice you? Oh, and don't worry about getting caught—our smart little owl friend put an illusion on your bed. Even if a servant checks on you, they won't realize you're gone.
The moment I heard the name Tapoma, my expression grew even more serious.
Tapoma was a respected veteran spirit beast, trusted for his diligence and vigilance.
Yet, he had misled the guards.
The mystery behind this unusual act only deepened.
"Are you saying the spirit beasts are acting under someone else's orders?"
— Yup. But rather than 'orders,' I'd say they're following a will.
"That doesn't change the fact that they're moving at someone else's command. It's shocking."
— No need to be shocked. We still respect our oath to Claudius. But we also respect the will of the island's other master.
"The… other master?"
With each movement of the creature's tiny mouth, a secret not found in any history book spilled forth.
— That's right. Claudius rules this island, but Espetara doesn't belong solely to Claudius. There's another ancient master who co-owns it. Of course, your people have no idea they exist.
A gust of wind rustled the creature's long whiskers.
— Just like how you didn't know about me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"That's who you're meeting tonight."