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IBP 184
Epilogue 1 Twelve Years Old, Coco
My life continued to flow even after the wonderful party ended.
It was a peaceful and warm daily routine.
After a year, and then another two years had passed, one afternoon.
I was holding my sister's hand tightly, performing the most important part of my daily schedule.
Measuring my height by leaning against the wall of my sister's room every single day.
My sister looked at me with the most serious face in the world, then drew a line across my head with a pencil.
“Sister, did I grow?”
“Hmm...”
No way, did I not grow?
Just as I looked at her with an expectant heart, she checked the measuring tape and spoke.
“Our Coco is so admirable. You've already grown 3cm since the last time we measured.”
A whole three centimeters!
If I keep growing at this terrifying rate, I might reach 140 centimeters by next year...!
I smiled proudly and lifted my head high.
“It's because I eat my carrots and broccoli well.”
“As expected of our Coco.”
“Sister, Coco is an adult now, right?”
“That is not the case.”
Sister, you're too blunt!
I pouted my lips and grumbled.
“Hmph... I'm already twelve! Just how much more do I have to grow to become an adult?”
I tried to meet the eyes of my sister as she noted my height on the hallway wall. Then, she stroked my head and spoke casually.
“You're not an adult, but you are at the age to attend school. I wonder when our Coco will grow up and go to the Academy...”
“Hup, if I'm twelve, then it's time to go to school.”
Come to think of it, I hadn't paid much attention because I was too busy eating sweet potatoes at the dining table, but I think Dad mentioned the Academy to me.
I heard that children from noble families attend the Academy once they pass ten?
They said many people are looking forward to the day I attend the Academy. There are even children applying to the Academy in advance just to see me.
Dad had opened his mouth and laughed, showing his teeth with a proud expression.
But...
‘Actually, I want to go somewhere other than the Academy.’
...To be precise, I want to do something else instead of school studies.
But! I needed preparation before I could tell my sister that.
My eyes shone with determination as I gripped my sister's sleeve tightly.
“Sister, sister. Do you have time today? Want to go to the tower with me?”
“Mm, let's do that. Come to think of it, it's about time we visited the tower.”
It had already been two years since my sister took me to the tower to reassure me that ‘the bad guys are gone now.’
Before I knew it, climbing the tower had become a monthly event for my sister and me.
Whenever I worried that a second Imperial Concubine might appear and harass my sister, I would diligently climb the tower. It was because I wanted to see with my own eyes that the bad guys who bullied her had disappeared.
However...
‘I already know that sister isn't in danger. But while seeing that with my own eyes, another dream was born.’
Today, as I climbed the tower holding my sister's hand.
The world seen through the telescope was beautiful. But I muttered while pressing my eye against the lens.
“Phew, today too...”
A pickpocket was stealing money from children.
That's right.
Whenever I looked at the world through the telescope from the high tower, there were scenes that often appeared.
Namely, the bad guys...!
I was encountering the empire's public security, which had become noticeably unstable lately.
“What's wrong, Coco?”
“Hup, sister. There's a bad little fry over there...!”
Unlike when I was ten, I had become stronger. Thanks to being two years older, my punches had become more powerful.
‘Hmm, it's time for Coco to step in.’
I brought up the topic I had wanted to tell my sister earlier.
“Sister, I've decided.”
“Mm?”
“I want to do something other than the Academy.”
“Like what? Should we go back home and talk about it? I'm so excited!”
“No, I have to tell you right here. It'll be easier to explain that way.”
“Mm? Here? Alright, our Coco, what do you want to do?”
I took a deep breath.
For the puppy god and the friends from the dog star who sent me to this world, and for the friends who would one day return to the dog star, the thing I want to do is...!
“Catching and beating up bad guys...!”
“Huh?”
“I'll show you right now!”
* * *
The back alleys of the capital.
Chloe was following Coco, who had instantaneously transformed into a puppy.
‘Too fast, Coco!’
I felt like my mind was being sucked out.
Upon seeing a pickpocket roaming the capital, Coco suddenly awakened. Then, transforming into a puppy, she flew through the back alleys...
“Ha, hah.”
Sprinting at the speed of light, to the point where even Chloe couldn't catch up...
“Wha- what. Some do- dog. A dog is mo- moving.”
...She cornered the pickpocket, who had stolen a child's money, into a dead-end alley.
Chloe crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched the situation. Since Coco had earnestly asked her to just watch, she had no choice but to observe while staying hidden.
Perhaps he hadn't fully grasped Coco's identity yet. The pickpocket let out a deep sigh and stomped his foot.
“Ah, damn... Why was I intimidated by this puppy? Now that I look, it's as small as a chestnut.”
“Woof?”
‘How dare he call our Coco a puppy? This bastard deserves to be torn limb from limb...’
It was just as Chloe gritted her teeth.
Coco let her ears droop back like a seal, as if she had a plan.
The pickpocket, who had been flustered and cornered in the alley, looked down at Coco with a sneering expression. Then, gripping the wallet in his hand even tighter, he spoke.
“What a pathetic little white dog.”
“Woof?”
The pickpocket smiled vilely and approached Coco.
In her heart, Chloe wanted to tear apart the human who dared say those words, but...
Coco's front teeth were excessively exposed, just like when she hunts sweet potatoes. That was her expression when she was excited, so Chloe absolutely could not intervene.
And slowly, very slowly.
Coco lifted a paw toward him.
“Woof!”
The light flowing from Coco's front paw finally became a pure white circle of light.
“Wha- what is this.”
Only then did Chloe, who had been buried in the darkness, speak a word.
“What do you mean 'what'? You're screwed.”
Coco's light turned into handcuffs and leg irons, binding both his hands and feet.
Chloe used her darkness supernatural ability to lift him up into the air.
“Aaaagh! Help me!”
“What do you mean 'help'? You're a thief, not a person.”
“Woof!”
As if agreeing with Chloe's words, Coco also let out a bark.
“Fi- first, let's put this do- down and talk, Mr. Dog...”
Only the voice of the pickpocket, floating in the air, echoed like a reverberation.
* * *
...After handing the pickpocket over to the Imperial Security Force.
The owners of the wallets rushed into the security office one by one. There were more than ten wallets in the pickpocket's possession.
Among the owners were a small ten-year-old match-girl, a boy who lived day by day selling newspapers, and an old woman whose eyes had grown dim with age.
“Oh, thank you so much!”
“Muuuung...”
I was lying sprawled out on the security office sofa.
And I was receiving plenty of praise and affection from the security officers.
The problem was...
“Hu, hup.”
“Is- is it really a divine beast?”
...Even the children who had lost their wallets crowded around me!
‘Hehe! Everyone likes Coco so much!’
My eyes sparkled. While sparkling with eyes like black beans, I spun my tail like a pinwheel. Then, the children, gaining courage, whispered softly.
“Wow, a divine beast is among us...!”
“I thought they only hung out with nobles.”
When the children revealed their honest feelings, Sister Chloe spoke.
“...It seems a rumor spread that Coco discriminates by status because she limits her outside activities. That's not the case.”
When Sister Chloe's eyes sharpened, the children became frightened. I gently stroked her with my tail as if telling her to calm down. Then, I ran toward the children.
“Hu, hup. The divine beast is co- coming to us.”
“Ca- can I touch the divine beast?”
I tilted my head, with an expression that said it was okay to pet me.
Then, the children carefully stroked my body.
“Wow...”
“It feels like touching a ve- very cool sheep.”
A sheep? I'm a puppy!
“I wa- want to keep touching it...”
Maybe they had never met a puppy before?
The touch of the commoner child stroking my ear was so, so warm.
It felt as if my body was floating in the air!
The children love Coco so much!
‘Hehe, Coco is a truly cool divine beast puppy!’
When I held my tail up straight like this, people praised Coco.
“I heard the divine beast saved the world from a wicked person.”
...It wasn't quite to that extent, but.
“They say she returned from death for her family! What a wonderful story...!”
“Woof.”
That's true!
My tail became as stiff as it could possibly be out of pride, standing very high.
It meant I was very confident!
“I should be kind to the puppy in front of my house.”
Oh, this was an unexpected result...!
I sparkled my eyes happily. Then, I shook my head and rubbed myself against the human who said something kind.
However, the expression of the human, who I thought would be happy, was different from usual.
Foam was forming at their mouth, and only the whites of their eyes were visible.
“Wo- woof?”
...Is this human suddenly dying? Why?
“Too... too cute... How can there be such a re- reward...”
The human's eyes rolled back and they collapsed with a thud.
They're clutching the back of their neck because Coco is too cute?
What a truly foolish human...?!
* * *
After receiving tons of praise and proudly holding my tail high!
Sister Chloe and I returned safely to the Ardos mansion.
Whether I was in the carriage, changing clothes, or lying in bed, I kept the same expression.
Namely...
The expression that said, ‘Sister, I did really, really well, right?’
But Sister Chloe had a complex expression. Her attitude suggested that she couldn't just give me praise.
She let out a deep sigh while brushing the grey dust off the fur on my back.
“Our Coco, who told you to do dangerous things?”
“Ming...?”
“Did you just want to punish the bad guys?”
I worked hard to write letters on the floor with my paw.
[Yup!]
“Why?”
[Puppies helped Coco a lot when I was sick]
“Mm...”
[There are many kind humans too, so I want to give back the love!]
“You want to give back the love?”
[Yes, Coco is strong now!]
Sister looked at me silently.
“...That must be why the god loves our Coco.”
“...Woof?”
“You did well. I'm proud of you.”
I don't know what that means, but anyway, I got praised by my sister!
I said, shaking my hips and tail as much as possible.
[Then sweet potatoes!]
“...Alright, I'll give you plenty of sweet potatoes too.”
Being very excited, I smiled brightly and shook my tail vigorously.
‘Yes!’
...From now on, this great Coco will catch the bad guys!
While I was making that serious vow, my sister muttered.
“...If our Coco says she wants to do that kind of work, I should help her.”
What does she mean by help?
Strange.
Sister's eyes sparkled with a wicked glint.
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