The detached palace located west of the royal palace.
Kasim, the royal court's chief mage, furrowed his brow.
"Yodel, do you not understand your situation?"
"I am not Yodel. I am Kancho. Eh? Well, I am Yodel too. But I have a name: Kancho."
"Answer the question."
"I am a kidnapped Yodel."
A vein bulged on Kasim's forehead.
He had told her countless times that she wasn't kidnapped, yet she still said that.
Kasim let out a deep sigh and waved his hand.
Let's just get this over with quickly.
Dragging it out would only give him a bigger headache.
"When does the torture begin?"
"We won't. We're only interrogating you."
"Then why aren't you doing it?"
Kasim looked at Kancho, who was standing proudly on the table.
Chest puffed out, fists clenched tightly.
Despite her fluffy appearance, her spirit was immense.
Though even that was insignificant.
"First, get down. Regardless of the interrogation, standing on a table is basic etiquette."
"Understood. I will get down."
Kancho nodded obediently and climbed down onto a chair.
"..."
Kasim stared blankly at the spot.
She was so short that all he could see was the tip of her twitching ears.
"I can't see anything."
"...Just get back up."
"First you tell me to get down, then you tell me to get up. Your commands are all over the place. A commander must be consistent. If you're unsure, feel free to ask me anytime."
At this very moment, Kasim, the royal court's chief mage, was genuinely regretting his decision.
He shouldn't have brought her here.
He should have just left her alone, procedures be damned.
But what could he do? He had brought her, so he had to see it through.
He opened a small notebook and dipped his quill in ink.
"That's a nice pen."
Twitch.
Barely suppressing his irritation, he asked the question.
"So, why did you secretly climb onto the carriage?"
"I climbed on openly. You just didn't notice me."
Twitch, twitch.
She was so brazen it was baffling.
"What was your reason?"
"To find my friend, Moyaji. For your information, Moyaji is a combination of Momo and Doyaji. Her cheeks are incredibly chubby, so you'll probably recognize her right away. Sometimes, when she does Zumba, she wears leggings that make her look like a sausage. That's why she's called Moyaji or Moseji. For your information, I created these nicknames myself."
Twitch, twitch, twitch... Crack!
"Eh?"
Kancho wrinkled her nose.
The nice quill pen had snapped.
Just as Kasim was about to say something more.
Creak.
The door opened, and a woman with light green hair flowing down entered.
Startled, Kasim rose to his feet.
"Your Highness the Princess, you shouldn't be here..."
"Can I interrupt the kidnapping torture? Or can I not!?"
Kasim squeezed his eyes shut.
He wanted to shout out loud.
Please, just shut up!
"Pfft... Hahahaha!"
The woman doubled over, unable to hold back her laughter.
Kancho broke out in a cold sweat.
The Captain had always said this.
People who laugh for no reason are scarier than those who get angry.
Meanwhile, the woman approached Kancho.
"It's dangerous. This one's identity hasn't been confirmed."
"Kasim."
Princess Yuria Kuhn Ranvier spoke in a low voice.
"Just by looking at her, doesn't she seem far from dangerous? And have you ever seen anything this cute that was dangerous?"
Finishing her words, Yuria reached out her hand.
That fluffy thing, she just had to pet it to feel satisfied... Swish! Whoosh! Shashak! Slash!
Kancho dodged the princess's hand with all sorts of acrobatic movements.
Kasim closed his eyes.
He felt his lifespan shortening in real-time.
"And Kasim, you don't have to be so stiff. I'm just tribute to be sold off anyway. Make yourself comfortable. We're about the same age."
Kasim bit his lip.
He wondered if Yuria knew.
That this was exactly why he wanted to protect her even more.
"Why are you being sold? Are you a slave? I've seen it on the internet. They say in the old days, people were sold against their will."
"Puhahahaha!"
Yuria doubled over again, finding something hilarious.
Unlike the princess, Kasim sincerely wished.
That he could just faint rather than keep listening to that shorty's nonsense.
Tap.
Kancho placed her hand on Yuria's shoulder.
"Even if you're a slave being sold somewhere, you don't need to worry! Once a slave is emancipated, they don't have to be sold! If you're freed, that's it!"
Swish. Shashak. Slash. Swish.
Kancho had placed her hand on Yuria but absolutely refused to let herself be petted.
Yuria withdrew her hand and smiled.
"Is the fluffy friend going to emancipate me?"
"I am Kancho."
"That's a strange but cute name. I'm Yuria. Yuria von Ranvier."
"Why is your name so long?"
"You can just call me Yuria. Kancho, shall we be friends? I really like fluffy and cute friends like you. It reminds me of the old days."
"That's fine. You can have many friends."
"Then what's not allowed?"
"You becoming the Captain is not allowed. As the Vice-Captain of the Yodel Rangers, there is only one Captain for me!"
"Who is the Captain?"
"Yu... Hup!"
Kancho covered her mouth with both hands.
She had almost let the Captain's name slip.
'That was close! She's not ordinary!'
Seeing her smiling brightly, it probably wasn't her intention to extract information, but she needed to be careful.
"Anyway, don't worry. I will suggest your complete emancipation to the Captain."
"Oh wow, will you really?"
"As soon as I get out, I will officially report it."
Kasim, who had been listening, interrupted.
"Get out where? Your Highness, it would be best for you to return now. As you just heard, this creature moves on someone's orders. We don't know what kind of person this 'Captain' is either. We need to verify..."
Kasim squinted.
Kancho had gotten down from the table and was walking towards the open door.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To the bathroom. I can't just pee on the expensive carpet."
Holding his forehead, Kasim deployed his magic.
A barrier that blocked everything except the path to the bathroom.
Kancho gave a thumbs up and walked along the barrier.
And just as she turned the corner.
Wham!
"How's the kidnapped Kancho with the pointy ears!"
Agent Mo whispered, careful not to be heard from inside.
"Ow ow ow! Let me go!"
Kancho, finally free, wrinkled her nose.
She had come out because she saw something chubby moving back and forth near the door, and sure enough, it was Moyaji.
"Third-class Momo, why are you here? Are you interfering with the mission?"
"No! Master told me to give this to Kancho!"
"Eh?! A secret order from the Captain?!"
"Secret order? Momo likes pizza more!"
Gulp!
She didn't know how a secret order turned into a comparison with pizza, but that wasn't important.
She took the paper that the Captain had supposedly given.
Ears perked up!
"A search operation!"
"Can Kancho do it?"
"Of course! Searching is a basic skill for a Yodel Ranger! Third-class Momo, you need to practice searching too if you want to get promoted!"
"Got it! I'll go back, drink first, and then try starting next year!"
Not tomorrow, but next year.
As expected, the scale was different.
"Then I'm off!"
"Wait."
"What is it!"
"Give me some octopus legs before you go. I've run out."
"Here!"
"And give this to the Captain too."
She handed over a note she had scribbled in an instant.
"Got it!"
With one last armful of octopus legs, Agent Mo de-manifested.
Munch, munch, munch.
Kancho, with an octopus leg in her mouth, twitched her ears.
'Supply complete!'
Her spirits began to rise.
The search operation ordered by the Captain.
The mission would continue starting tonight.
---
The outskirts of the Kingdom of Metia.
Creak... Thud.
A figure hidden in the shadows of an alley revealed itself.
"Tch, took long enough."
Why was that foreigner, who hadn't even been here long, running around so much?
Thanks to that, the stakeout had taken longer than expected.
Bong--- Bong--- Bong---
The bell tolling midnight rang out.
It was time for everyone except the drunks in the alley to be asleep.
He took out a small whistle and put it to his lips.
Pheeeeeee.
As the sound spread, a few minutes passed.
With the clanking of metal, several knights approached.
At their center appeared Malrok, the Vice-Captain of the Golden Lion Knights.
"The foreigner?"
"I've confirmed he entered his lodging."
"Any companions?"
"None. All the Scanjers have returned to their respective homes."
Malrok curled his lips.
'Did you think you could act so arrogantly and get away with it?'
He looked back at his subordinates.
"Prepare."
"Yes."
The knights pulled up their masks and checked their weapons.
Vice-Captain Malrok also checked the dagger he had brought separately.
A dagger coated with the neurotoxin of the desert viper.
A deadly poison that inflicted unimaginable pain with just a scratch.
"Alright, follow me from the lead..."
Malrok frowned.
Someone was walking from the end of the alley.
Small stature, tiny frame. A little girl.
"Vice-Captain. What should we do?"
Malrok ran his hand through his hair and drew a line across his throat with his finger.
There was no choice since they had encountered her on this isolated path.
He couldn't risk danger just to show mercy.
"Understood."
A knight wielding a flail stepped forward.
The little girl kept walking towards them, indifferent.
Her bright blonde hair was clearly visible even in the darkness.
'What an odd atmosphere.'
Was it because of the strange patterned eyepatch over one eye?
Or was it the influence of the time and place?
For some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.
"Halt."
Did she not hear him?
She didn't stop.
Just as he was about to speak again.
Crunch!
Her right face was crushed.
Clang!
The knight was slammed into the wall, crushed in half.
The eyes of the Golden Lion Knights, including Malrok, widened.
"Hold on, everyone."
The woman raised her hand to the knights who were about to charge.
"There's no need for this. We don't have to be enemies."
Malrok gritted his teeth.
"You pulverize my subordinate and dare to speak so glibly!"
"Eheh, the one in the wrong here is you all, not me, you know?"
"Wrong?"
The woman smiled, a hint of irritation in it.
"Come on, think about it. I sacrificed even my precious eye to make this path, you know? And then these flies appear, unable to help, only trying to interfere? Do you think I'd be angry? Or not?"
"Kill her!!!"
The woman let out a deep sigh.
If you weren't going to listen, why bother asking.
Crack. Crackle.
Stretching, the woman lowered her stance.
There was no choice now.
In accordance with the role of a guide, she had no option but to lead them to death.
Boom...!!!
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T/N:
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