Volume One, Interlude: Stern Prime Minister, Long-Bodied Dog, and Tenshinhan
“Whine.”
A dog. Yes, a dog.
An unusually long-bodied dog stood before me.
The creature twisted its elongated torso, exposing its belly for some reason, staring up at me intently with round black eyes.
Not particularly large.
A dog small enough to fit within both arms.
Its fur was brown. And yet its owner insisted the color was gold. Granted, the fluffy fur around its tail and the drooping fur near its ears did look somewhat golden, but everywhere else was unmistakably brown.
In this country, where gold was widely recognized as a noble color, claiming "gold fur" on such flimsy grounds seemed, frankly, a rather reckless assertion.
“Yip!”
Even after I stared at it for some time, the dog made no attempt to move, continuing to lie there with its belly exposed. It let out a high, wheedling whine through its nose, presumably demanding to be petted.
With its tail swaying enticingly from side to side and its short legs tucked up, it was undoubtedly the sort of sight most people would call adorable.
“Hmph.”
I cast a cold glance toward this beast that seemed to have entirely forgotten its animal nature, and firmly resolved to ignore it.
Settling onto the "veranda," I began reviewing my notes.
With lunchtime approaching, perhaps because the bustle of the meal had yet to begin, the place was unusually quiet and peaceful. The only sound reaching my ears was the faint clucking of chickens from the coop out back.
That atmosphere loosened something in me, dissolving away my usual tension. The place the residents called a "veranda" was utterly indefensible from a security standpoint, but in peaceful times, it was probably an ideal spot to relax. With no wind and the gentle spring sunshine pouring over the veranda, the warmth was almost unbearably conducive to sleep.
As Prime Minister, constantly busy attending to this kingdom’s affairs, how many quiet moments like this have I truly had in my life?
Much as I disliked admitting it, this old house was remarkably relaxing.
The quiet atmosphere and the veranda itself certainly contributed to that feeling—but the main reason was that this place was overflowing with things that interested me.
I was so fascinated by these things that, if I weren’t Prime Minister, I could easily imagine spending my life studying them. Magical devices were one such interest. Of course, there was no chance of that dream ever becoming reality. Even so, I had always sought opportunities to work with magical tools and had done what I could to keep myself involved with them.
So when news reached me that a strange, otherworldly structure had suddenly appeared in the castle garden, caught up in the Saint’s summoning, my heart raced far more at the prospect of unseen magical devices than at the tedium of the aftermath processing.
These days, whenever I found a spare moment between duties, I visited this house—a treasure trove of magical devices—to conduct research. It had become one of my few precious ways to unwind.
The memo in my hand contained information about the otherworldly magical devices found in this house. Every single one, remarkable. If we could replicate them, the Kingdom of Gilberta would prosper all the more.
As I carefully reread today’s notes, my mind drifting toward the profound history of magical devices and their prospects and development, something brown kept flickering intermittently into my field of vision, breaking my concentration. Each interruption grated on me considerably.
“…Why do you keep approaching me?”
“Woof!”
Before I knew it, that dog had settled itself right beside me.
Why, I wondered? I had never gone out of my way to pay attention to this dog called Leon, nor had I ever given it any food. I was certain I had done nothing that would make it grow attached to me.
And yet, for whatever reason, the moment this dog spotted my face, it came trotting over, tail wagging side to side.
The dog, perhaps realizing that waiting on its back wasn’t earning it any petting, now rested its head on my thigh, staring intently up at me. The warmth radiating from the dog against my thigh was, admittedly, pleasant, and I found myself somehow unable to muster the will to drive it away.
I had been told that this breed was called a dachshund.
According to its owner, dachshunds were hunting dogs with short legs and long bodies, ideally suited to catching prey in burrows. Yes… Unbelievable as it seemed, it was apparently a hunting dog.
…The way it sprawled out with its short hind legs stretched straight behind it, completely limp and relaxed, hardly made it look like a hunting dog. Nor could I imagine it ever becoming one. I questioned whether those short legs could even run fast, and besides, its plump, rounded torso resembled nothing so much as an oversized sausage.
According to its owner, it had gained considerable weight from all the treats given to it by maids and soldiers since arriving here. She lamented that its waistline had completely disappeared as a result. Notices have since been issued throughout, forbidding unauthorized treat-giving to this dog.
—Perhaps it would suit this creature better to be the hunted, rather than the hunter.
Utterly unaware of my thoughts on the matter, the dog let its tongue loll lazily from its mouth, pressing its nose against my palm with an air of complete contentment, insistently nudging for me to pet its head.
“…”
My brow furrowed involuntarily.
I rubbed the space between my eyebrows with my fingers.
It irritated me beyond reason that my precious time to relax was being consumed by thoughts about a mere dog. I rose briskly to my feet, moved a short distance away, and sat down again.
The dog raised its head to watch my movement, but almost immediately hopped up and settled right back beside me. It rested its head on my thigh once more, staring at me persistently with a whining "whine.”
—I owe this creature no obligation to simply give in and pet it.
I ignored the dog for a while, but it refused to give up. It kept insistently pushing its nose against my hand, gazing up at me with pleading eyes, demanding to be petted.
Each time, I bore with my notes fluttering wildly in protest, but my irritation gradually mounted, and I stood again to relocate.
The dog simply watched me with round eyes once more, hopped up, and trotted lightly over to my side again with brisk, cheerful steps.
“…”
Scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub!
“Fwuff, huff, huff.”
Having finally reached the end of my patience, I ended up somewhat roughly tousling the creature’s entire body.
I had expected it to dislike this, but contrary to my expectations, the dog wagged its tail as though it might snap off entirely, making strange breathing sounds while squirming with what appeared to be tremendous joy.
—Guh…! I’ve made it happy…!
Having never interacted with small animals before, I had no idea what they enjoyed or what they found unpleasant.
…No, that was merely an excuse. The fault lay with me for failing to conduct research and consider the matter before taking action.
Filled with regret, I observed the dog closely.
The dog, somewhat overexcited, dashed in circles around the veranda in high spirits, occasionally lowering its head and raising its hindquarters toward me in some sort of pose. All the while, its tail whipped back and forth so violently that its entire hindquarters swayed along with it.
“Mr. Luvan, Leon’s asking you to play with it.”
“…Hm. You.”
At that moment, the dog’s owner—Akane, the summoned Saint’s older sister—appeared.
“That pose, with the rear raised and the tail wagging, is how dogs invite you to play. … Mr. Luvan, Leon seems to have taken quite a liking to you!”
“It’s simply your dog imposing itself upon me of its own accord. I have no intention of being taken with it.”
At that, Akane, for some reason, started giggling and said, "I see," before informing me that lunch would be ready soon.
Lately, I had taken to occasionally having lunch at this house. Sampling rare foods was another thing that piqued my interest. The cuisine of the other world was fascinating, with cooking methods unlike any used in this region and seasonings I had never encountered before.
Then, as if suddenly recalling something, Akane clapped her hands together and invited me to a drinking gathering that evening.
“Mr. Dazil’s coming too, and I’ve prepared some rare snacks for today, so do join us.”
“You remain quite enthusiastic about drinking, don’t you?”
“Ahahahaha. Drinking alone never leads to anything good! Drinking together with everyone is always best, which is why I’m inviting you all! Ahahaha—”
I eyed Akane suspiciously—for some reason, her eyes had welled with tears, and her manner of speech had grown oddly stilted. This girl was terrible at hiding things. Something must have happened.
Having said her piece, Akane pointedly averted her gaze from me and wandered unsteadily back toward the kitchen.
Watching her retreating figure, I let out a small sigh.
…I should gather information from the Saint, the guard knight, and the security soldiers.
Akane was the keystone connecting the Saint to this world.
The Saint was still young and depended on Akane, who was both her older sister and a parental figure. Akane was indispensable to the Saint’s mental well-being. Therefore, protecting Akane’s peace of mind would ultimately help preserve the stability of the entire world.
…No. Was that really it?
I rejected my own line of reasoning.
The Saint, and Akane… We had placed the fate of this world on the shoulders of such innocent young girls. Having committed such a grave wrong, wasn’t it only natural that we should devote ourselves to serving them? No matter how grandly we proclaimed that we acted for the sake of the world or the kingdom, in the end…
I gritted my teeth and rubbed at my temples with a finger. Then, amid the confusion, I set down the dog that had settled into my lap, stood, and headed toward the living room.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
“…What’s this? Nothing’s ready yet.”
Stepping into the living room, I found the dining table still entirely bare.
Suspicious, I opened the sliding door leading to the kitchen and found Akane and her guard knight busy at work.
The guard knight, noticing me, bowed his head slightly and informed Akane.
“Ah, Mr. Luvan, sorry about that. Food’s always best fresh, so we never finish it until right before eating. Would you mind sitting and waiting a bit?”
Saying this, Akane briskly stirred the contents of a large bowl with cooking chopsticks.
Watching her, I suddenly had an idea and approached her.
“Hm? Mr. Luvan?”
“The cooking utensils of another world are rather fascinating in their own right. …Allow me to observe.”
Initially taken aback, Akane gave a distracted "Well, alright then," and resumed her cooking.
“Hmm. …Akane, are those eggs?”
“Yes. Today’s tenshinhan—or rather, crab omelet on rice, so we’re using eggs.”
“Whine. Whiiine.”
“And this can?”
“Canned crab! Today’s dish is going all out with canned crab! Normally, I’d use a cheaper alternative called crab sticks, but I can’t get any of that here.”
“Whiiiine. Whine, whiiiine.”
“Hmm, and dried mushrooms as well?”
“Yes, dried shiitake mushrooms. The soaking liquid’s delicious too, so I use that as well.”
“Whine whine, whine, whiiiiiine.”
An involuntary, heavy sigh escaped me.
Adjusting my glasses with a finger and doing my best to arrange my twitching face into something composed, I turned to the guard knight standing at attention behind me and asked:
“You. Jade, was it? …What exactly are you doing right now?”
“Sir… I’m currently guarding the person under my protection.”
“I see. In that case, I’ll keep watch here. …I have a new assignment for you. You will look after that dog for a while.”
I pointed toward the dog, whose mournful whining could be heard through the narrow gap in the sliding door between the living room and kitchen, its nose pressed into the crack. The sight of only its nose poking through was, admittedly, rather comical.
“It seems to have pent-up energy to release. See to it that it’s thoroughly worn out.”
“…Understood.”
The guard knight’s expression flickered with brief dissatisfaction, but he scooped up the dog as instructed and left the kitchen.
That left only Akane and me. Once that high-pitched, wheedling voice fell silent, the kitchen suddenly grew quiet.
Then, standing beside me, Akane could no longer contain her laughter and burst out. She laughed loudly, doubling over, clutching her stomach. I found myself feeling rather displeased about it.
“—Honestly. That dog is just as troublesome as its owner.”
“Pfft, hahaha…! S-Sorry about that. Both the dog and I seem to be causing you constant trouble… hehe.”
“It behaves that way because you spoil it constantly at home, no doubt.”
“No, it’s not usually like that. It gets especially clingy whenever you’re around, Mr. Luvan.”
Akane said this, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, looking thoroughly amused.
“…That makes it sound as though I’m the one spoiling it.”
That was absolutely not the case.
If anything, I spent most of my time deliberately ignoring the creature.
“Dogs, you see, instinctively pick out the person most likely to spoil them.”
“…”
—Utterly incomprehensible, all of it.
Feeling a faint dizziness coming on, I rubbed my temples.
“Add the crab, which has been stir-fried and allowed to cool slightly beforehand, and the dried shiitake mushrooms to the beaten eggs, then mix everything together. In a small pot, combine the liquid used to rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms with soy sauce, sake, sugar, and chicken stock powder. Bring it to a boil, then thicken it with potato starch. And that completes the soy sauce gravy.”
After briefly explaining, “That’s pretty much all the preparation done,” Akane rolled up her sleeves with determination and took her place in front of the now-heated "wok.”
“Chinese cooking comes together in no time once you start the final steps.”
I had no idea what "Chinese cooking" referred to, but Akane appeared unusually fired up about it.
She turned up the flame on the "gas stove" and poured in a generous amount of oil. Then, pouring the egg mixture from the bowl into the pan, a lively sizzling sound erupted as the oil reacted with the moisture, and the golden eggs spread into a round shape, their edges bubbling up.
I glanced at Akane. Her expression was intensely focused, her brow furrowed deeply as she kept her eyes fixed on the pan.
Gradually, the eggs began setting from the edges inward as heat cooked through them.
In step with that, Akane’s expression grew increasingly stern.
—Just what was going to happen next?
Perhaps this "Chinese cooking" she spoke of was something involving this kind of tension, some fearsomely difficult or dangerous technique?
No, even accounting for that, Akane’s demeanor seemed extraordinary.
It looked as though she were about to accomplish something truly exceptional. Yes—the air of a master craftsman about to execute some secret, once-in-a-generation technique.
Could it be—the very essence of otherworldly cuisine, about to be revealed before me, right here?
…Was I, perhaps, witnessing an extraordinarily precious moment? Arriving at that conclusion, my heart gave a sudden thump.
Caught up in the tense atmosphere Akane was radiating, I too found myself growing tense.
I clenched my perspiring hands and swallowed hard. Just then, Akane finally made her move.
It was right as the eggs reached the perfect half-set point.
Gripping the wok’s handle with all her might, Akane began to rock the pan back and forth.
The eggs inside traced circles along the pan’s surface, dancing within it. Confirming this, Akane declared with resolve, "Alright!" psyching herself up.
My heart pounded with anticipation.
At last. At last, the very essence of otherworldly cuisine—!
Akane bit down on her lip, seemed to hold her breath, and with a powerful flip of the pan—sent the eggs flying into the air with a pop.
The eggs, launched skyward, traced a beautiful arc through the air—and landed back in the pan.
…In other words.
The eggs had simply flipped over in the wok.
“Yesss!”
Akane pumped her fist, cheeks flushed with satisfaction over the result.
…So, all that tense buildup had apparently been for nothing more than flipping eggs.
“…That’s all?”
“Huh?”
Akane looked back at me with a vacant expression.
Perhaps it was my imagination, but that expression somehow reminded me of that dog.
…I closed my eyes, crossed my arms, and began a thorough consideration of my own foolishness.
On the dining table sat a dish called “tenshinhan”, consisting of white rice topped with eggs and covered in a glossy sauce, alongside another dish called wakame soup, made with wakame seaweed and green onions.
“Hiyori said she’d be a little late today, so let’s go ahead and eat without her.”
At the table sat Akane and Jade. In this household, everyone shared the same table regardless of status or position.
I had experienced this style of sitting on cushions laid out on the floor several times by now, so I was used to it.
“Yip!”
“Jade. …I believe I entrusted the dog to your care earlier.”
“My apologies. It’s just… Leon seems to be particularly fond of you, sir.”
I looked down at my own feet.
There, beneath the table, sat the dog, tongue out, staring up at me with round eyes, lying prone.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Luvan. I tried shooing it away several times, but…”
“…Honestly. Nothing to be done about it, I suppose.”
“Thank you very much.”
Akane’s expression, upon saying that, seemed unusually delighted, causing my brow to twitch involuntarily.
…I decided to put that aside and concentrate on my meal.
I dipped my spoon into the "tenshinhan.”
It sank easily into the fluffy egg, and lifting it drew thick strands of glossy sauce along with it.
I brought it to my mouth. Just as it looked, the egg was light and fluffy, while the crab meat inside delivered a rich, savory flavor. The saltiness of the somewhat strong soy-based sauce, combined with the sweet egg carrying crab flavor throughout, tempted me toward one more bite, then another.
“…Mm.”
This time, I readily took another bite.
The crumbly white rice mingled with the thick, glossy sauce, blending together smoothly in my mouth. The crab’s flavor was so prominent that it nearly concealed another, more delicate savory note. I discovered its source upon biting into a piece of that brown mushroom—shiitake. Chewing through the mushroom, which had apparently been dried and then rehydrated with water before cooking, released a burst of savory broth from within. The intense savoriness of that broth was what gave the entire dish its underlying depth of flavor.
—Ah, I see, that’s why the soaking liquid gets used.
It was remarkably logical.
Next, I brought the soup to my mouth as well. Along with the broth, some seaweed called "wakame" entered my mouth too. Its slight sliminess combined with a satisfying, crisp texture wasn’t unpleasant at all.
Chicken bone broth, perhaps? Its light flavor, seasoned simply with salt, provided a welcome reset from the "tenshinhan’s" richer taste.
“How is it?”
“Hmph. …Not bad.”
—I may not mind eating this dish again sometime.
Thinking that, I briskly worked through the rest of the "tenshinhan" with my spoon. It was just the right amount for a midday meal, and the plate emptied in no time.
Timing it well, Akane brought out green tea as I finished. Taking a sip, sweetness and astringency spread across my tongue. The refreshingly crisp green tea, enjoyed after a meal, left my mouth pleasantly cleansed. I let out an involuntary, satisfied breath.
At that moment, I felt something settle onto my lap.
Glancing down, a yellow ball had been placed there. Apparently the dog’s doing.
Having been put in good spirits after enjoying such an unusual otherworldly dish, I must have, at that moment, been genuinely not myself.
Without giving it much thought, I picked up the obtrusive ball and… tossed it away, off into the distance.
Akane and Jade exclaimed in unison, ““Ah,”” their startled voices overlapping, right at that instant.
—Tatatatatatatatata!
The short-legged, long-bodied dog took off at a speed far exceeding my expectations, tremendously excited, and leapt after the ball.
The dog snatched the ball up in its jaws and immediately came running straight back to me.
It dropped the ball at my feet with a soft plop, sat down, mouth wide open, long tongue lolling out, breathing rapidly with intense pants. Then it stared straight at me.
Tail wagging furiously, eyes narrowed as it gazed up—despite being a beast, it somehow appeared to be smiling.
“Mr. Luvan…”
“…Say nothing further…”
—To think, I of all people…!
An overwhelming sense of defeat washed over me.
To have, of my own volition… of my own volition, offered the dog a game…!
After that, the dog joyfully kept pressing the ball against me, nudging my hand insistently with its nose, begging me to throw it. Its persistence eventually exceeded my patience, and I found myself throwing the ball with full force out into the garden, purely to be rid of it.
But the dog shot off like a bullet, retrieved the ball in no time at all, and the whole affair simply repeated itself. In the end, I had only stirred up trouble for myself.
The dog’s face practically glowed with trust and affection for me. When it looked at me with those moist, shining eyes, my face twitched involuntarily.
Those round, dark eyes continued staring straight at me even now.
Within them, no ulterior motive whatsoever—only, purely, anticipation for play.
A thought crossed the corner of my mind: the faces of the nobles I regularly deal with, their intentions unreadable, their eyes murky and clouded.
“Woof!”
The dog let out a cheerful bark.
Out of habit, I raised a hand to rub at the space between my brows—but stopped myself.
I let out a long sigh.
With that same hand, I picked up the yellow ball and threw it as far as I possibly could.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
“…So. You’re now bringing your precious little pooch into your office to work, is that it!?”
“It somehow sniffed out the location of my office without my knowledge, and no matter how many times I send it back, no matter how many times its owner retrieves it, it keeps returning… there’s nothing to be done.”
Dazil had been laughing nonstop ever since arriving in my office. So much so that he was now leaning at an angle, one hand pressed to his side.
“…Hff, but, hehehe, that’s no reason to put it on your lap while you work, is it!?”
“It whines at a high pitch from the floor until I put it up. …Far too noisy to get any work done. Once Leon is on my lap, it settles down obediently. There’s no particular problem with it.”
At my words, something apparently struck Dazil’s funny bone again, and he crumpled to the floor, barely able to breathe.
I could hear him making rude remarks about how “even a demon could fall ill” and "reformed by a dog", but I pretended not to hear him.
I stroked the smooth fur of Leon on my lap.
Its coat, thanks to its owner’s diligent daily brushing, felt pleasantly soft and settled comfortably against my hand.
Leon, apparently enjoying the petting as well, narrowed its round eyes contentedly, its body going almost entirely limp, as though ready to fall asleep at any moment.
“…Hmph.”
As long as it didn’t interfere with my work, there was no particular issue.
I even felt that stroking Leon while I thought things over helped me work more efficiently. In fact, I was processing my work faster than before.
…That was why there was absolutely nothing wrong with this “little friend” of mine dropping by for a visit.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window.
The spring sunlight fell over Leon as well, illuminating its plush, fur-covered body brightly.
—Oh.
—So its owner had been right, after all. It really was gold-furred.
I gently stroked the area around its neck.
Leon nuzzled its nose against my hand, gave its tail a slow, contented wag, and then, looking thoroughly at ease, drifted off into a nap.
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