Several days passed.
Lancer had duties as a king and returned briefly to North Wales, while everyone else carried on with their own daily routines.
Kay was enjoying a leisurely stroll along a forest path on the outskirts of Camelot, the warm afternoon sun on his back and Mordred snug against his chest in a baby carrier.
"Right, Mordred. The air is so fresh, isn't it? If we keep you cooped up inside the castle, you'll start getting depressed."
"Kyaa! Woo!"
Mordred pressed close to Kay's chest, flailing her short arms in wonder as she gazed at the surrounding trees and butterflies. Kay gently poked her chubby cheek, walking on with a contented smile.
It was then.
Rustle—
Hearing the nearby bushes tremble, Kay stopped dead in his tracks and narrowed his eyes, wary that it might be a magical beast.
But what emerged wasn't a terrifying monster.
"Fou!"
A strange, mysterious creature popped out—silvery-white fur, a lush, long tail, and a size that made it look like a small dog or a cat.
"What are you? A cat? A dog?"
As Kay peered down with interest, the creature showed no fear. Instead, it trotted over and began nuzzling its face against Kay's pant leg.
"Fou! Fou!"
The sensation of incredibly soft fur wrapped around his leg. When Kay squatted and held out his hand, the creature sniffed his palm with its tiny nose and then licked it.
"Kyaaa!"
Mordred also began to squirm in Kay's arms, reaching out toward the white creature.
Wait a minute. I remember hearing that it's good for a baby's emotional development to grow up bonding with animals.
Recalling this bit of trivia from his past life, Kay decided he liked this strangely affectionate and cute beast. It had no collar, and seeing it in the wild forest, it didn't seem to have an owner.
Though it was wearing a small piece of clothing, there was no lingering scent of a human on it, suggesting its owner was long gone.
"Alright, I've decided. From today on, your name is Fou. I'll make sure you never go hungry, so do you want to come with me?"
"Fou!"
As if it understood his words, Fou leaped up and settled lightly on Kay's shoulder. With the beast on his shoulder and the baby at his chest, Kay hummed a tune as he headed back to the castle.
Upon returning to the castle and arriving in the kitchen, Kay laid Mordred safely in her cradle and lifted Fou onto the table.
"There, just stay here for a moment."
"Au?"
"Now, what should I feed you? Judging by your size, you don't look like an herbivore. Should I give you raw meat, or cooked...?"
As Kay rummaged through the pantry, the kitchen door burst open and Artoria Alter strode in.
"Brother, today's snack is... huh? What is this white fluffball that looks like a rat? Why is there a beast in the kitchen?"
Alter scowled and marched toward Fou on the table.
"What if it brings in germs? And the shedding will be a nightmare. I could tolerate a dog, but absolutely no cats."
The moment she reached out to yank Fou's tail—
"Fou!!"
Bap-bap-bap-bap!!
A blur of invisible, high-speed strikes. Fou's tiny front paws sliced through the air, delivering a merciless barrage of "kitty punches" to Alter's cheek and the bridge of her nose.
"Ouch! What?! This arrogant beast dares to strike my royal face...!"
Alter staggered back in shock, three distinct red scratch marks etched clearly on her cheek. As she flared her magical energy in rage, Kay hurriedly stepped in to block her.
"Hey, hey! Stop overreacting just because you got hit by a tiny animal! Besides, you tried to grab its tail first. It's only natural for an animal to be wary of a stranger."
"Tsk...! This thing has a temper that is anything but ordinary!"
Alter huffed, rubbing her nose. Fou kept its tail standing straight, hissing Kyaak~ at her, refusing to lower its guard.
Ignoring Alter's complaints, Kay took out some bacon he had smoked a while ago, lightly fried it in a pan, and—just in case—offered some bread alongside it.
"Here, try this. It's special bacon."
Fou sniffed the food, instantly dropped its guard, and began greedily devouring the bacon.
"Fou! Fou-fou!!"
The appetite was staggering. Seeing how quickly the meat vanished, it was certainly a carnivore.
"Quite the eater. He's your youngest sibling now, so don't bully him or call him a rat. I'm going to raise him properly, if only for Mordred's emotional education."
Alter clicked her tongue in disbelief.
"Ha, give me a break. If you need a pet, isn't that big-chested hound chopping firewood outside enough? She eats a ton, she's obedient, and at night... well, she does other things too."
"Bavanshi is a comrade, not a pet. And she's in a completely different category than a house pet," Kay replied firmly.
Just then, Artoria Lancer Alter entered the kitchen, shaking mud off her boots. She was carrying a large bundle of straw in her arms.
"Brother, I've expanded the coops in the backyard as you asked. But... another pet? You recently started raising dozens of those noisy ducks in the back."
"Oh, them? They aren't pets; they're livestock. I hatched them from eggs specifically to eat later."
As Kay responded nonchalantly, Lancer Alter shook her head.
"You say they're for eating, yet every morning and evening you go out there to groom their feathers, feed them high-quality ground grain, and you even gave them names. You dote on them far too much. Not to mention, the smell of the backyard is unbearable because they spend all day defecating."
"Livestock must be raised with plenty of affection and zero stress for the meat to be tender and delicious. If you keep them cramped in a factory-style pen, the meat gets tough and smelly. Besides, you're the one who volunteered for the job today."
"Sigh... I tried to earn some points and ended up just cleaning dung. I'm never doing that again."
"Then don't. It's a job that has to be done regardless; I'll just do it myself."
"Just make a subordinate do it. That's why you hire people..."
Kay raised his voice, passionately explaining his strict philosophy as a chef.
Lancer Alter, for her part, found it completely incomprehensible.
"Once Britain is completely at peace and I've grown a bit older, I'm thinking of moving to the frontier and running a massive ranch instead of dealing with annoying politics or fighting. I'll raise cows, pigs, ducks—all sorts of things."
Kay's grand plan for retirement.
However, the reaction from the two sisters was frosty.
"...Do you actually think we'd help with ranch work? I absolutely loathe cleaning horse manure and feeding pigs."
"I agree. I have no interest in tending to livestock."
Kay snorted at their responses.
"Do you think I'm crazy enough to entrust livestock to you? If I told people who can't even mash a potato properly to milk a cow, the cow would get pissed off and kick you. You two have zero dexterity, zero!"
Despite the scolding, Kay let out a small chuckle, seemingly used to his sisters' brazen attitudes.
"Do you even intend to follow me? Honestly, I don't know what you see in a petty, ordinary guy like me."
"...That's exactly the point, Brother."
"As I've said before, even though you're in your twenties, you have a certain 'middle-aged charm' that we like."
"You're just saying I'm old, you brats...!"
Though Kay was a handsome young man, his sturdy build and the way he carried himself often made him seem like a middle-aged man.
After their chat, Kay carefully picked up the well-fed Fou and brought her to Mordred in the cradle.
"Now, Mordred. Say hello. This is your new friend, Fou."
"Fou."
Fou hopped softly into the cradle and curled her warm, fluffy body tightly against the side of the whimpering Mordred.
"Kyaaa~"
Mordred seemed to love the soft fur, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around Fou's neck and nuzzling her face against her.
Fou, showing no sign of annoyance, accepted the baby's warmth and began to purr a contented song.
It was a peaceful, picture-perfect scene of bonding between a baby and a beast. Kay watched them with a proud, fatherly smile, folding his arms.
"...Hmm. Wait, she's female."
Kay murmured to himself, stroking his chin.
"Since there are no other male animals in the castle, there's no need to cut her open for a spaying surgery. Though, having her give birth and increasing the population would be a hassle in its own way."
And so, the peaceful days continued—until one day.
"King Arthur of Logres! I, Clarice, King of Spain and leader of Gascony, beg your aid! My wife, Lidoine, has been kidnapped by the British fairy, Maduan! Please, help me!"
"...I understand you are seeking help, but why come to me?"
"I sought aid from your relative, King Howell of Brittany, but he told me that you would know the affairs of Britain best! Furthermore, you bear some responsibility for this matter!"
"My responsibility?"
"Yes! For the fairy Maduan is a subordinate of your sister, Morgan!"
"...Sigh."
Clarice, the King of Spain and ruler of Gascony in the south of Frankia, had abruptly sought out Artoria for help.
And Artoria found it incredibly tedious...
"Looks like another incident is about to kick off."
Kay felt the sensation of another storm brewing on the horizon.