Gazing absent-mindedly at the exchange between Deputy Leader Gideon and Assistant Deputy Leader Patty, I was suddenly shouted at by the Deputy Leader who had noticed me.
"You, youāre not eavesdropping on the guildās confidential matters, are you?! Get lost!!"
"Excuse me!"
...Hmm, does this mean I have official permission to return to the dormitory?
Thereās no urgent work, and it seems to be getting busy here, so itās not good to stay and accidentally hear confidential matters.
Yes, this is permission to return to the dormitory.
Although it was still within working hours, I decided to take this opportunity to return to the dormitory.
There was something I wanted to do before my roommate Olga returned.
On the way, I stopped by the cafeteria and got a bucket full of hot water.
Then, I placed the two bird-type monsters that Zabiria had hunted into the bucket for a while.
Since Zabiria was still asleep, I left her in the guild uniform without moving her.
When the water in the bucket started to cool, I took out the bird-type monsters and carefully plucked their feathers, being careful not to make a mess in the room. The feathers came off easily because they had been soaked in water.
After plucking the necessary feathers, I discarded the water in the bucket and placed the monsters inside.
Alright, now I just need to wash and dry these feathers. I wonāt be using the meat, so I might as well donate it to the cafeteria.
I repeatedly wrapped the feathers in a dry towel and patted them to remove the water.
Once the feathers were dry, I took out a blue cloth and began sewing the bird-type monsterās feathers onto it.
Zabiria stirred when the sun was about to set on the horizon.
"I had a dream about the past..."
Seeing Zabiria mutter with a dazed look, I couldnāt help but chuckle.
"Zabiria, when exactly is your past from when you were 0 years old?"
With a proud expression, I took out what I had been hiding and presented it to Zabiria.
"Ta-da! Itās a transformation accessory for Zabiria!"
It was a cloth with a large number of blue bird-type monster feathers, the Blue Dove, sewn onto it.
Zabiria seemed so delighted that she was speechless for a while. Then, she muttered in a dazed voice.
"Fia, I donāt think youāre trying to make me mimic a Blue Dove, are you?"
"Of course, Zabiria! Youāre right!"
Zabiria looked like she wanted to say something but decided to remain silent and spread her wings on my lap.
"Please, Fia. Transform me into a Blue Dove."
I carefully transformed Zabiria. There were strings to tie under her neck and belly, but I designed it so that the feathers would cover them, making the strings invisible. I also attached a beak.
Looking at the completed Zabiria, I sighed contentedly.
"Perfect, Zabiria! Thereās no trace of black, and you look just like a Blue Dove!"
"Yeah, my vision is a bit blurry, so I canāt see very well, but is that okay?"
"Ahā, I used feathers from two birds, so itās fluffier than a regular Blue Dove. Hehe, isnāt it luxurious?"
Zabiria looked a bit dejected, and I stroked her blue feathers.
"Actually, I was given a great strategy by Commander Cyril, but it didnāt work. It seems that human imagination is the strongest, and itās scarier to let the enemy imagine what kind of monster you are rather than showing them Zabiria."
"Hmm... Thatās an interesting way of thinking."
"But, since this strategy didnāt work, Iām going to stop it. After thinking about it, even if my familiar is feared for being strong, it wonāt do me any good."
"The strength of a familiar affects the hierarchy among knights, so I think itās a good thing. But, Fia, youāre not interested in that, are you?"
"Thatās why!"
I picked up Zabiria with both hands and brought her to eye level.
"Thatās why, I want to take Zabiria with me! Since you came with me, I want to be with you. Of course, if you get bored, you can sleep on the bed in the room or play in the castle garden. But, since Zabiria seems stronger than I thought, I think itās better to hide the fact that youāre a black dragon for a while. So, I thought Iād make this Blue Dove accessory just in case, and itās already in use! Of course, if other knightsā familiars are as strong as Zabiria and introducing you wonāt make you stand out, Iāll introduce you as my official familiar, a black dragon."
"If I follow that logic, Iāll always be this blue bird. Ah, Iām incredibly happy to be by Fiaās side, but having to mimic the weakest monster is a soul-crushing pain."
I could hear that Zabiria was happy to be by my side, even though she was muttering.
Iām glad I brought her. The rest is...
"...A suggestive attitude... I might need to practice more in the future."
"Fia, that wonāt do anyone any good, so I think you should stop."
"Hehe, Zabiria, youāre still a child and so cute. But, adults have to be more cunning."
"...Yeah, try your best."
Zabiria sighed and closed her eyes.
Donāt worry, Zabiria.
Iāll protect you. I wonāt let anyone bully you anymore.
The next morning, I headed directly to the Fourth Monster Knight Guild.
Wondering where to go, I entered the building dedicated to the Monster Knight Guild.
As I walked down the corridor, I felt the knights passing by glance at my stomach, but no, they canāt possibly think this is my own stomach.
Just then, Assistant Deputy Leader Patty walked down the corridor, so I called out to her.
"Assistant Deputy Leader Patty!"
Patty stared at my stomach in shock and hurried over.
"Y-Your stomach, what happened to it? It seems a bit too big to be from overeating..."
"Today, I brought my familiar. Sheās still sleeping, so Iām letting her rest in my clothes."
"Ah, I see. Fia, Monster Knight Guild knights spend a lot of time taking care of their familiars. The Familiar House is in a separate building, so why donāt you take a look later? Normally, I should give you a tour of the Monster Knight Guild first, but we have an urgent matter, so I wonāt have time for a while. Iām sorry, but can we do the tour another day?"
"Of course! If I have permission, Iāll look around on my own and find some work to do."
Using monsters is a novel idea. Itās a technology that didnāt exist in my previous life.
I happened to contract with Zabiria, but since I donāt fully understand the system, Iām very interested in the Monster Knight Guild.
I bowed and was about to leave when I noticed Deputy Leader Gideon walking by, so I greeted him.
"Good morning, Deputy Leader Gideon."
"Youāre still here?"
Without returning my greeting, he looked at me with a face like he had bitten into a bitter bug.
"Really, you keep appearing in front of me. What, do you want to catch my attention and be favored? Let me tell you, Iām a complete meritocrat! No matter how much you try to flatter me or lick my boots, I wonāt give you any special treatment if you donāt have the skills!"
Patty, the Assistant Deputy Leader, made a displeased expression at Deputy Leader Gideonās words.
"Deputy Leader, I thought you had more manners..."
However, the Deputy Leader ignored Pattyās comment and had a look of realization.
"Right, I have a job for you. There are several injured familiars in the Familiar House. Go get recovery potions from the Holy Lady in the castle and give them to the familiars twice a day, in the morning and evening. Do this every day for a while!"
"Deputy Leader, thatās a bit much..."
"Shut up! Patty, tell the person in charge of this weekās recovery potions that thereās a replacement."
As I watched the Deputy Leader rattle off his orders, I thought, heās pretty strict on outsiders, but maybe heās actually good with people once theyāre in his good graces. Just then, Zabiria, who had been woken up by the Deputy Leaderās shouting, stirred in my clothes and peeked out from my neck.
"Whoa! Whatās this?!"
Startled by the sudden appearance of a monster from my clothes, the Deputy Leader took a step back.
Ah, you asked for it.
I couldnāt help but smile at the joy of introducing Zabiria.
"Hehe, this is my strong and cute familiar."
Zabiria, introduced proudly by me, looked at the Deputy Leader from the side with her clear blue eyes under her fluffy feathers.