ch1-ch20 · 006-ch6

Episode 6: The Knight, the Bandit Gang, and Melkid

"Thank you, thank you so much. Whoah, yummy yummy!"

　　―　◆　―

For the time being, we bought some dog food at a convenience store and moved to a nearby park.

The Samoyed-lookalike pup we'd picked up by chance (?). Looking closely, it wasn't a real dog at all—more like a fancy stuffed animal.

But right now, it was unmistakably crunching away in front of us. How does that even work, that mouth and body structure?

"No no no no, more importantly, it's talking!"

Kiri, blessed with the special skill of voicing exactly what I was thinking, was practically sparkling.

"Why are you so happy, Kiri?"

"Because this is nothing but pure romance! I like slice-of-life stuff too, but I love the extraordinary just as much! Oh my gosh, what's going to happen now?! Ah, but you two absolutely cannot become magical girls, okay!"

"Dunno what yer talkin' about, that's hilarious~"

Sumi laughed her head off at Kiri, who was riding high on excitement. She's a piece of work too, in her own way.

　　―　◆　―

Once it finished three servings of crunchies, the Samoyed-lookalike seemed to finally calm down.

Rubbing its belly, it stood up on two legs... well, its hind legs.

"Greetings, greetings, young ladies. You saved me. I am Melkid, a familiar hound. Goodness, to think there are kind people in this world as well."

"It's isekai!"

Kiri shouted without missing a beat.

Okay, let's all just calm down for a second.

"Indeed, I have come from a different dimensional world than this one."

"Ooooooh!"

"Is it really okay to just spill all that~?"

In contrast to Kiri, who was roaring with excitement, Sumi spoke in her usual tone, like she was chatting with a friend.

"It cannot be helped. My very existence seems to be unusual in this world, and now that I've been seen, it amounts to the same thing."

"Ah, gotcha~"

"So Melkid-san, the dog from this other world? Why are you in our world?"

When I asked, Melkid's plushie eyes glinted sharply.

"I'm glad you asked! The truth is, I am searching for someone."

"Someone?"

Melkid nodded, straining to bend a neck that may or may not actually be there.

"My world is at peace now, but until a little over a decade ago, it was on the brink of destruction due to the Demon King Yalnadagamada. At that time, the one who defeated the Demon King was a hero knight of seven. It seems one of them drifted to this world."

"Isekai transfer, here it co--mmph!"

I quickly clamped my hand over Kiri's mouth, who looked like she might burst into a song of joy.

"Kiri, quiet down. Passersby are looking this way."

"Mmgh mmgh!"

There was no one else in the park right now, but it was a small park, and we could see people walking on the street.

It also seemed like a hassle if anyone saw Melkid talking and moving around.

"Thank you for your consideration. ...Anyway, the reason I am searching for that knight... is that his life is currently being targeted."

"His life~?"

Whoa, things are getting dicey.

Maybe we should've had a passerby find it and ask the police for help after all.

"Back when the Demon King was wreaking havoc upon the world, there was a bandit gang that took advantage of the chaos to commit all manner of evil. The one who annihilated them was that very knight, but recently, several members of that gang escaped from prison."

"Escaped..."

"Mmgh mmgh!"

"Security's lax~"

"And those scoundrels, nursing a grudge against the knight, have come to this world seeking revenge!"

Geez.

If they finally managed to break out of prison, they should've just run off somewhere and lived their lives. Going out of their way to seek revenge for something over a decade ago... The knight must've been pretty thoroughly hated.

Wait, hold on. As a hideout, another world would be the best option, right? Two birds with one stone—revenge and escape?

"Mmgh... there!"

While I was thinking, Kiri escaped my restraint and raised her hand.

"Yes, you there... the well-endowed young lady!"

"It's Kiri! Is transferring to another world really that easy, even for escaped prisoners?"

Oh, that's a good point.

If escaped prisoners can do it, you'd think they could establish diplomatic relations between worlds by now.

"No, until very recently, interworld transfer was the secret of secrets held by the royal family. However, it seems there was a traitor who stole that secret and leaked it to the bandits."

"Yeaaah~"

"Yes, you there, the beautiful-legged onee-san!"

Melkid, are you really a dog?

The way you look at people is seriously pervy, isn't it?

"I'm Sumi~. So that traitor is after the knight too?"

Wow, my childhood friends are surprisingly sharp.

Not only are they unfazed by this sudden fairy tale, they're analyzing all sorts of things.

"That... I do not know. That is a possibility, but perhaps they simply sold the secret for money... or they may have been trying to sell it to another country and the bandits stole it first."

"But that knight beat the bandits back then, right? So won't he be fine?"

Someone who could defeat a Demon King probably wouldn't be bothered by surviving bandits attacking him.

But then Melkid shook its head with a serious expression. How does that neck even work?

"No matter how great a hero, if attacked by someone who should not exist in this world, it would be dangerous. And above all, the eiyōso in this world is far too thin."

"Otherworldly mystery power, here it comes~!"

Kiri kept her voice down, having learned her lesson. I love that about her.

"Eiyōso is the source of power for warriors, existing in the atmosphere. By absorbing it into their bodies, the warriors of my world can demonstrate their strength... but at this world's eiyōso concentration, someone who transferred here would consume all their stored reserves within a month. The combat ability of the knight who transferred here over a decade ago is now no different from an ordinary person."

"Whoa, that's baaad~"

Sumi sounded nonchalant at first glance, but she actually had a surprisingly serious "this is bad" expression on her face.

Yeah, even if it's someone we don't know at all, it doesn't feel good knowing bad guys are coming to take their life.

"Yes."

"Yes, the little young lady!"

Why am I the only one without any sex appeal?

And why am I the only one getting '-chan'??

"It's Ai! Hey, if it's that dangerous, don't you have any allies, Melkid? Did you come alone?"

"That is..."

Melkid bit its lip, looking frustrated. What a dexterous mouth—what kind of structure is that?

"...In my homeland, that knight is not viewed favorably, as one who abandoned the country. Of course, there are those like my master who respect him... but the upper echelons of our homeland do not wish to dispatch a large-scale rescue team through the dangerous transfer process, even if bandits are targeting him."

"Ehh, that's mean~"

"This treatment toward a hero who saved the world... does this count as banishment?!"

"So Melkid, did you come with your master?"

"No, I came alone. The secret technique my master secretly used, hidden from the royal family, was only enough to send me through."

And then Melkid prostrated itself.

Since its knees don't bend, it was basically a full dogeza. Guess proper seiza is tough with those legs.

"Please! Won't you search for the knight together with me! In this world with so little eiyōso, if I walk alone, I'll soon end up in the same state as before! Please, please!"

"Mmm, what should we do~?"

"We've got school, and I wanna work too~"

"No no no, this is a once-in-a-lifetime fantasy opportunity! We've gotta take a bite! Eheheh"

Ugh, your desire and drool are showing, Kiri.

But to be honest, I kinda get how she feels. Even I'd get excited if something this thrilling invaded my ordinary daily life.

"Well then, let's do it, as long as it's not too much trouble."

"Puppy, we'll help you out~"

"D-don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I'm doing this for you or anything!"

While Sumi was patting Melkid's forehead, Kiri crossed her arms and suddenly started acting like a tsundere.

Trying to establish that character now is pointless, I think your true nature has already been exposed.

"Th-thank you so much! I am so grateful, so grateful!!"

"Alright. Then let's decide whose house to take you to today."

"Huh?"

Ignoring the bewildered Melkid, we held a gossip session.

"What should we do~?"

"If you can pretend to be a stuffed animal, my place is fine."

"Of course my place is fine too! I'm the one who found him, after all."

"U-um, aren't we going to search for the knight..."

Melkid started flustering around outside our circle.

But we've got our own circumstances to consider.

"Mmm, but it's getting dark, so let's start after school tomorrow."

"I gotta go see my mom now~"

"Or should we take you to the police station after all?"

"N-no! Tomorrow is fine, tomorrow! Please! Wah, I'm so happy!"

Melkid suddenly started wagging its tail to express its joy.

He's pretty worldly, or rather, he's definitely human-like. For a stuffed... I mean, a familiar hound. What a weird dog.