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IBP 113
“Stop drinking so much. You're making a racket.”
“Still, I think we need to check. The lives of those noble lords are on the line, after all.”
I could hear two sailors, heavily intoxicated, chatting loudly.
Listening to their voices gradually fade away, I rubbed my elbow, which felt like it had a bruise.
‘Hing, it hurts.’
I'll have to ask Sister to blow on it for me later.
Springing up, I scanned my surroundings.
‘The boiler room. I've arrived exactly where I need to be! There should be a box inside here...’
Since the boiler room was right next to the chart room, I had to be careful.
I crouched down in the darkness.
‘I think I bruised it.’
But it was okay, even if my arm throbbed with pain. As long as I could help Sister.
I walked slowly deeper into the boiler room. It was when I reached a corner of the antique-looking room.
“Found it, the box.”
It was the pitch-black box I had been looking for!
However, to be absolutely sure, I looked toward the mouse and Jjek-jjeki.
“Jjek-jjeki!”
“Got it. Professional agent, <Information Broker> Jjek-jjeki will verify it right away.”
“Be careful. It could be a dangerous box.”
But just as I saw the bird approaching the box.
Something caught my foot.
‘Huh? What is this?’
It was a cufflink rolling across the floor.
‘Why is this here?’
It bore the crest of Duke Ardos's family.
I frowned as I looked at the crest of Duke Ardos's family on the cufflink and the ancient language written above it.
...Among the people of Duke Ardos's family, there is no one interested in the construction of this ship.
As far as I know, the one who invested in this ship was the Imperial Concubine.
And I heard that the one overseeing it was the Imperial Concubine's closest knight...
‘What happened here?’
It was just as I gripped the cufflink in my hand.
A sailor appeared, letting out a wide yawn.
“Huh, why is this plank ripped off?”
“I told you we need to repair it.”
I heard the sailors approaching, joking around while completely drunk.
I hurriedly moved further inside the boiler. However, it was only a matter of time before I was discovered.
‘It would look suspicious if the daughter of Duke Ardos's family were wandering around the ship's basement!’
I lay flat on the floor and held my breath.
I intended to wait for them to leave, but...
“I think someone's here.”
At those words, my body froze stiff.
I was hiding diagonally inside the boiler, but the structure was such that I would inevitably be caught if someone came closer to look.
And finally, one of the sailors stepped inside the boiler room.
One step. If he took just one more step closer, I would surely be caught.
While I was holding my breath, I heard a squeaking sound from my bosom.
“Coco.”
“...”
“Do not worry. This Emperor of Mouse shall handle it.”
Then, the Emperor of Mouse dashed quickly through the air.
The sailor shouted in surprise.
“Hey! That rat is heading toward the chart room!”
He hurriedly turned his direction toward the chart room.
The other sailor whispered with an annoyed expression.
“Ah, it was just a rat?”
“Let's catch it and get out. I don't want to be here any longer. It's spooky.”
Their footsteps headed toward the Emperor of Mouse.
It's okay. Even if they try to get rid of him, the Emperor of Mouse will come back.
Because he is always a strong friend.
I truly had that faith in him.
However...
Thwack!
The sailor's hand, as large as a pot lid, struck the mouse.
Along with my faith, the Emperor of Mouse's small body fell thud to the floor.
The mouse's body, fallen on the floor, writhed painfully.
“Is it dead? What about the corpse?”
“Ugh, let's just bring a cat later to clean it up. It's filthy.”
Until they carelessly kicked the mouse and headed up the stairs.
I stared blankly as the Emperor of Mouse's body grew stiff.
Dragging my own frozen body, I slumped down on the floor near the mouse.
“M-Mouse.”
I couldn't see clearly, but I could tell that the Emperor of Mouse was dying.
“Mouse...”
My eyes widened as I saw the Emperor of Mouse's belly torn open.
Tears fell pitter-patter onto the mouse's body.
“This fellow, cou-cough...!”
“Don't talk. You're bleeding...”
It's okay if I get hurt. I've always been hurt often.
But for the mouse, who trusted me and helped me, to be in pain because of me...
‘Is this how Sister felt?’
Until now, I had only thought of myself.
I wanted to save Sister and make her happy, even if it meant sacrificing my own body.
But...
‘...I think I can finally understand Sister's heart.’
Because my friend is hurt, it hurts more than when I am hurt.
Because my friend seems like he's leaving, my hands keep shaking.
“Mouse, you're so, so s-small...”
I didn't know because he always bragged, calling himself the ‘Emperor of Mouse.’
“I didn't kn-know you were such a small and precious mouse, the size of a palm...”
It felt as if my heart were being broken into pieces.
While I was trembling, unable to say a word as I looked at the scratch on the mouse's belly.
The Emperor of Mouse stroked the back of my hand with his tiny hand.
Since his hand was so small and lacked strength, it felt as if a very tiny breeze had just brushed past.
“A mouse's life is naturally short. Therefore, do not cry...”
“I-I don't want to. I don't want you to die...”
Beside me, Jjek-jjeki bit the back of my hand hard.
“What's he saying? Look, it's just a scratch. It'll heal really fast.”
“Eh...?”
Jjek-jjeki let out a scoff with an incredulous expression.
“And get a grip, Coco. You have healing power.”
“Ah!”
I barely managed to lift my stiff hand and rubbed the mouse's bleeding body.
Light flowed smoothly from my hand, and the Emperor of Mouse's body relaxed.
Then, my eyes widened slightly.
Soon, the mouse also snapped his eyes open.
“You're pretty good?! I feel incredibly energetic!”
At that moment, Jjek-jjeki fluttered and flew up.
“Arreureu!”
“Eh...?”
“Why did you suddenly become a real Arreureu!”
In that instant, I looked at the tips of my hands.
‘Huh?’
I wondered why my field of vision had suddenly become so low! I felt as if I were suddenly standing on four legs instead of two!
In my sight, I saw not a round human hand, but a furry dog paw.
And it wasn't translucent like before, but incredibly vivid!
“You're the one in a bad state!”
The Emperor of Mouse, who seemed to be in better condition than before he bled, was jumping around wildly.
‘I don't feel tired, I'm not out of breath, and I didn't use much life force.’
I definitely...
‘Hardly used any power.’
I stood firmly on four legs, seeing white puppy fur.
Strangely, my body felt a bit tilted.
“...It feels heavy to move my body? I must have really become strange!”
Then, Jjek-jjeki chirped quietly.
“Arreureu, you've become really chubby.”
“Hup? Why?”
“...Did you perhaps eat a lot of sweet potatoes?”
“Did I g-get fat from eating a lot of s-sweet potatoes...?”
At that moment, the mouse's hand landed squarely on my belly. Then, closing his eyes in deep concentration, he muttered softly.
“Squishy.”
“...Gasp.”
At a critical moment when I didn't even know why I'd suddenly become a dog and had to deal with Gillen.
The wicked mouse, the Emperor of Mouse, who had just escaped the brink of death—this naughty fellow was recklessly touching my belly fat!
“Squishy-squishy.”
And he was so absorbed in it!
“Go away!”
I pushed the Emperor of Mouse's hand away.
Then, stretching my neck and wagging my tail wildly, I looked up at the box in the boiler room once more.
‘It should be about time to return to human form?’
Why am I still a puppy?
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