“Ah, what a lively day this has been…”
Soichiro had always enjoyed doting upon children and cats. For reasons he did not understand, both had often taken a liking to him in his previous life.
The tea party in Zephal’s chambers began around brunch and continued until sunset.
At one point, Melia and Raficel started playing a board game to determine who would earn the right to sit upon Soichiro’s lap. He sipped his tea and watched their intense match with a fond smile.
Perhaps it was the heroine’s special advantage, or perhaps Melia was simply exceptionally intelligent. Although she had learned the rules for the first time that very day, she won.
Melia retained her usual unimpressed expression as she raised both arms in triumph. Across from her, Raficel collapsed onto the floor in utter despair.
“There is no need to fight over it. I will always let you sit here.”
“Huh? Truly?!”
“Of course. You are my only younger brother, are you not, Rafi?”
“Pfffft!”
Lude sprayed tea everywhere.
He had initially declined the invitation on the grounds that he was on guard duty, but Soichiro had dragged him into the gathering. Since then, Lude’s complexion had shifted constantly between red and blue.
“Ah… Forgive me. I promised we would use that name only when we were alone.”
“Z-Zeph—B-Brother!”
Although Lude ought to have been touched by the brothers’ reconciliation, he merely stared fixedly at Zephal’s gentle smile.
When he came back to himself, his face went scarlet. He hastily began wiping the tea from the floor.
Soichiro took the knight’s strange complexion for the beginning of a cold and simply handed him a handkerchief with the advice, “Please take care of yourself.”
“Zephaaal—”
“Yes, yes. What is it, Melia?”
Melia, already seated upon his lap, had begun kicking her legs to recapture his attention, so Soichiro did not dwell upon Lude’s behavior.
The white cat they had taken in was perched upon Melia’s back, having entered the contest for Soichiro’s lap of its own accord. Incidentally, Melia had named the animal Lulu.
The competition that followed might best have been described as the First Grand Lap-Sitting Championship.
Soichiro’s second day after reincarnating passed happily as he watched the contest among Raficel, Melia, and the white cat with a smile.
* * *
“Now then…”
Late that night, Soichiro lay alone upon his bed with the original novel open before him.
Melia had left with her mother. Raficel had retired to the attendant’s room, Lude had been relieved by another knight, and the guard now stood outside the door.
In other words, Soichiro was free to speak to himself.
“Calling it the original work every time is rather cumbersome. I think I will call it the source novel.”
*The Abandoned Saintess’s Tale of Revenge* rested upon his palm, glowing faintly. Its pages turned by themselves in response to his wishes—an automatic-scroll feature, of sorts.
Vermilion text described Melia and her mother’s present circumstances. The two had apparently wandered around the luxurious palace parlor for some time, unsure what to do.
*Her hunger finally satisfied, Melia climbed into bed with her mother and happily closed her eyes—*
*Yes, that is exactly as it should be. I am glad I brought her mother as well.*
Relieved, Soichiro stroked the newly written vermilion letters.
Then he abruptly turned and looked toward the window behind him.
“—Lulu, eavesdropping is poor manners.”
A cat’s cry sounded from the terrace.
Soichiro rose from the bed and opened the window. Lulu slipped smoothly through the gap.
『Mrrrow.』
“Pretending to be an ordinary cat will not help you, sacred beast.”
『Tch…』
Any animal accompanying the Saintess was naturally a sacred beast.
At least, that was how it had been described in the source novel.
Soichiro smiled warmly and beckoned to Lulu.
“I will keep your secret from everyone.”
『What the heck? Are you threatening me now?』
“Certainly not. I merely hoped to ask for a little help with something only you can do.”
Soichiro sat upon the sofa and gently stroked the back of the white cat that jumped up beside him.
At that single caress, Lulu’s ears flattened, his long tail quivered, and his entire body trembled.
Soichiro had been an unbeatable charmer of cats in his previous life. Whenever he visited a cat café, the animals invariably swarmed him.
『Ngh! W-What is this? Well…if it is only a small favor, I suppose I could consider it.』
“You will? Thank you, Lulu.”
Thoroughly conquered by Soichiro’s petting technique, Lulu rolled onto his back upon the sofa and purred.
It had taken no more than a few dozen seconds.
“I would like you to gather some fruit from the forest in the Holy District.”
『Fruit?』
Lulu’s nose twitched. He snorted disdainfully and lowered one ear.
『That will be as easy as finding breakfast! I’ll bring you as much as you want!』
“How impressive. I would expect nothing less from a sacred beast like you.”
『Exactly! I am a noble and magnificent sacred beast descended from the White Tiger!』
“My, my.”
Soichiro lightly clapped his hands in time with Lulu’s boasting.
According to the source novel, Lulu was approximately the same age as Melia. Once flattered by Soichiro, the young sacred beast proved remarkably easy to handle.
During his years as a general affairs manager, Soichiro had trained newcomers with such bewilderingly different personalities that they sometimes seemed like aliens. He had a strong record of helping every one of them grow into a competent employee.
A five-year-old sacred beast was entirely within his grasp.
“I look forward to seeing what you will be like when you grow up.”
* * *
“Good morning, Brother—what happened in here?!”
Raficel arrived the next morning.
Soichiro realized that he had fallen asleep upon the sofa and jerked his head up. Something soft and furry pressed against his cheek, radiating a pleasant warmth.
A white cat was asleep on his face.
Unable to see properly, Soichiro called to Raficel in a voice rough with sleep.
“Rafi…?”
“I-I will bring you tea for when you wake! Please excuse me!”
With a cry that was almost a scream, Raficel fled.
Still only half awake, Soichiro sat up and lifted the warm object away from his face.
『Mrrrow…』
Lulu’s white whiskers twitched, but he remained fast asleep.
During the night, the sacred beast had grown to the size of a great tiger and leaped through the window to hunt. It had apparently exhausted all its strength the moment it returned.
The bag tied around Lulu’s neck was stuffed with small, round fruit as black as ink—the very fruit Soichiro had requested. More had spilled across the floor, leaving black stains upon the carpet.
“Brother, what are these black things?”
Raficel returned with steaming tea and tilted his head.
“They are ingredients for medicine. They are important, so please gather them together.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Raficel bustled around the room, collecting the scattered fruit.
Soichiro untied the cord around Lulu’s neck and peered into the bag.
*He brought far more than I expected. With this much…*
These were not ordinary edible berries from the Holy District’s forest. They could be made into a special medicine for the infectious disease that would soon begin quietly eating away at the kingdom.
At present, only a handful of patients had been identified. There was still time to prevent an explosive epidemic.
But one major obstacle stood in Soichiro’s way.
“Rafi, would you send a letter to the Adelberg Trading Company?”
“Adelberg? Do you wish to purchase something?”
The company was so famous that there was scarcely anyone in the kingdom who did not know its name.
The Adelbergs were a merchant family stretching back generations. It was said that, provided one could pay, they could procure anything—and that their influence extended across the entire continent.
The young man who had recently become the company’s head would eventually become one of Raficel’s most powerful patrons in the source novel.
“Yes. I have business with him. He is unlikely to answer if the invitation comes from me, so I would like you to send it in your name.”
“But…”
The aid of a major trading company would be the most effective way to distribute the medicine. Unfortunately, the Adelbergs despised the first prince Zephal.
“It is rather sad to be disliked. I hope I can clear up the misunderstanding…”
At Soichiro’s quiet murmur, Raficel clenched his fist with sudden determination.
“Leave it to me, Brother!”
