by Funa
Then came the pack of dogs, led by three dogs at the front.
“Good work today! Go ahead and eat your fill. I’ll see you again tomorrow!”
The three dogs at the head of the pack ignored the food and walked up next to the girl.
The rest of the dogs bowed their heads, then began eating. Unlike the ones stuffing their faces without a care in the world, the three dogs next to the girl had rather intense expressions on their faces. Indeed, it was as if they stood before a big bear in order to protect their master from harm.
I had hired the three house dogs, the freely roaming dogs that lived in the area, and other stray dogs, by offering them food. Some of them agreed on the condition that I relay a message they really wanted to tell their owners, or in exchange for me curing an injury or illness. And so, they were all more than happy to work for me. A doctor who could speak to animals...
Yes, I was a regular Doctor Dolittle.
Some time ago, that name was abridged to “Doctor Doritoru” because they figured the original would be too hard to pronounce for Japanese children, but it’s actually “Do-little.” Though, the Japanese spelling wasn’t always consistent. Then, I realized something.
Speaking of “Doolittle,” I needed to have some bombers. I couldn’t just load a bunch of military bombers onto an aircraft carrier, but I needed something... And that’s when I scouted the crows.
They wouldn’t run away even if you got close enough to talk to them, and they were great at intimidation, with all that creepiness and intensity. Plus, they ate just about anything, so providing incentives would be a piece of cake. They were perfect!
Animals that only ate bugs or living creatures, or were hard to find, or didn’t let you get close enough to talk to them, could be a real pain to work with. Although, it would have been cooler if I could have gotten birds of prey like eagles, hawks, or falcons. But this time, I was going for the intimidation factor rather than coolness, so it was fine.
I’d have the crows work on dropping poop bombs all over the place. They’d been level bombing up till now, but starting tomorrow, I asked them to add dive bombing into the mix. In exchange, I was giving them fruits, walnuts, and acorns as an additional reward.
＊ ＊
“Ah! Damn it, get away!”
Anyone who visited that house fell victim to the dive-bombing crows. Not only did they get hit by their poop bombs, but their belongings were stolen, and their hands were scratched whenever they tried to block the pesky birds.
With such ongoing incidents, it became widely known that anyone who visited that house was a target, prompting a sense of anxiety and distrust among those visitors. A murder of crows would consider you their enemy... And, although they didn’t directly harm visitors, numerous dogs sat and stared at anyone who got close. If they attacked like the crows were doing, it would be serious trouble for the visitors.
With these thoughts in mind, visiting merchants and delivery workers refused to enter the house, and their superiors didn’t reprimand them for their refusal. Getting involved with that house meant trouble. That was the consensus among the local business owners.
Of course, the crow attacks weren’t limited to visitors, but also the residents living in the house in question.
“Damn it, what the hell is going on?! What’s with the dogs and crows...?”
Upon further investigation, it seemed that no one had been scattering food around the premises, after all.
Thinking that the smell might be the issue, Aragorn hired workers to clean at night while the dogs and crows were gone, and even placed herbs that had a scent that dogs hated, but it had absolutely no effect. Then, the crows that had just surrounded the house before became more aggressive with their harassment, and there was no telling when the dogs would join in.
“There’s no way anyone could control dogs and crows. Besides, if such a power did exist, they could use it to become filthy rich. They could use the animals for shows, or make them work in the military... What would be the point of harassing me with it?! I never even did anything to deserve such treatment! This has to be supernatural in nature, but it’s not like it’s some sort of divine punishment...”
Aragorn flinched. Divine punishment... Had he done anything to deserve such a thing? He thought about it.
Would murdering his brother and his brother’s wife and son for the family estate, then tricking the surviving niece into marrying him, be worthy of punishment in the eyes of the Goddess...? The Goddess was a woman, so perhaps she would have little mercy for those with malicious intent towards little girls.
Well, he may have already harbored guilt for killing his brother’s family... But Celestine had no interest in crimes committed by humans, and she would never get involved in such a thing. That is, unless it led to mass murder on a grand scale, or some other catastrophe. Or, if someone was using her name to commit evil or did something to otherwise tarnish her name, that is. But no one besides Kaoru knew that.
The general populace understood from experience that the Goddess Celestine was quite careless, and didn’t mind if bystanders were hurt in the process of dishing out divine punishment. But due to her appearance and gentle way of speech, they presumed that she was generally a benevolent goddess who struck down evil and upheld justice, but also happened to be bad at controlling her powers.
...Despite the fact that she had never done such a thing before.
“W-Wait a minute... It can’t be... But if it is divine punishment, she’d just drop a lightning bolt on me, instead of doing it in such a roundabout way. So the Goddess has nothing to do with this! There must be another reason...”
Indeed, punishment delivered by Celestine would be swift and deadly. She wouldn’t waste her time with harassment like this. In that sense, Aragorn’s conjecture was correct. Although, really, that would do nothing to help him resolve his current predicament.
＊ ＊
“Count Maslias should be hearing the rumors any time now...”
“Yes, his subordinates and retainers may hesitate to report such rumors to him directly, but now that they’re so widespread, the count himself or someone close to him should hear of them, and will likely give an order to look into the details,” Emile responded as such to Kaoru’s comment.
Count Maslias’s house was the parent house of House Raphael. As a weaker noble house that wasn’t particularly wealthy, House Raphael was part of a faction, in which Count Maslias was an influential figure. The house of Count Maslias was in a neighboring territory, so it had acted as House Raphael’s protector for generations. Of course, they received tribute in return, and House Raphael was expected to side with Count Maslias if they were ever at odds over national policies with other factions.
In other words, House Raphael could not oppose House Maslias. The current Count Maslias was a man of character, who took care of the lower nobles of his retainer houses and treated them with kindness. He even loved the children of Viscount Raphael, Mariel and her older brother, as if they were his own.
Kaoru had heard this from Mariel herself, when she had asked the young girl if there was anyone other than the king who could step in and punish criminals, and might also be on her side.
“Hmhmhm, soon...”
An evil grin spread across Kaoru’s face.
“What’s ‘soon’?”
“Eep!”
Francette’s voice spoke up from behind, and Kaoru let out a yelp in surprise.
“Oh, um, n-nothing! I was saying, dinner will probably be ready soon...”
That was bad. Clearly a bad attempt at an excuse.
“...I see. I thought you were just preparing to dice up some meat scraps to feed the crows again.”
Kaoru and Emile froze.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Haah... I would stop you if you were putting yourself in danger, but otherwise, I won’t try to stop you or get in the way. In fact, if you are working as a goddess, it would be my duty to aid you. I wish
you would trust... or, rather, put... your servants to use more...”
With that, Francette shot Emile a glare.
It seemed that she didn’t like the fact that she had been kept out of the loop while Emile was part of the plan. After all, Francette had met Kaoru first, and she would likely be unhappy with the fact that she, a knight who had sworn loyalty to Kaoru, was considered to be below a novice like Emile. Her swordsmanship being judged was one thing, but to think her loyalty was seen as less than Emile’s...
“Oh, Roland...” Kaoru began.
“Sir Roland is royalty. He cannot be involved in matters regarding nobles of other countries,” Francette replied, cutting her off.
Kaoru was thinking:
Francette is a noble too, so wouldn’t it be problematic for her to get involved with matters regarding nobles of other countries too?
Besides, regardless of whether you’re royalty, a noble, or a commoner, wouldn’t sticking your neck in such business be an issue anyway...?
＊ ＊
“Is this true?!”
Count Maslias, the current head of the parent house of House Raphael, shouted to his subordinate. He couldn’t believe the report he had just heard.
“Yes, my lord. I heard the servants speaking of such rumors, and when I investigated the residence of Aragorn von Raphael, it was just as they said... When I approached the gate with a small bag in hand, the, ah... crow, defecated directly on me, and my bag was knocked out of my hand. As the bag landed on the ground, it was torn to shreds by a pack of dogs. It was clearly a coordinated and deliberate act, and one that doesn’t seem possible for a human to orchestrate...”
“So that’s why there are rumors of him committing a heinous act that brought divine punishment upon him. The only atrocity related to Viscount Raphael that occurred as of late would be...”
The answer was obvious.
“I cannot have Mariel marry patriarch-murdering scum! And, of course, such a man is not fit to be the head of House Raphael. Even if His Majesty and the Goddess allow it, I... Well, I suppose the Goddess doesn’t allow it, which is why this is happening. Seeing as she has yet to strike him down with lightning, this must be her way of saying he must be judged by the hands of men. And if we were to ignore her wishes...”
The stories of past incidents regarding the Goddess Celestine’s wrath crossed the minds of Count Maslias and his men. The incidents that ended up involving countless innocents in the vicinity...
“We must head to House Raphael tomorrow morning! Send a messenger right away. Send a messenger to Aragorn as well, ordering him to go to House Raphael!”
“Yes, my lord!”
They would be going to Raphael Manor rather than Aragorn’s house because Aragorn had no title or servants, and his home was no place to host a meeting. Even if that weren’t the case, no one wished to go to an unclean house that had been stricken by the wrath of the Goddess.
＊ ＊
“Count Maslias will be visiting tomorrow morning.”
“I see. That was quicker than I thought.”
It was late at night, and Kaoru was sipping tea at Raphael Manor and having a meeting with Mariel. Everyone in House Raphael already knew Kaoru was no ordinary human, and treated her with the respect due someone far above their own station.
“Tomorrow morning, so the second morning bell...” Kaoru muttered to herself.
In this region, saying “tomorrow morning” or “first thing tomorrow” in regards to work or meetings meant “at the second morning bell,” which was 9 a.m. in Earth time. This was unusually early for a noble’s house visit.
“He must have just heard the news today. I assume he is quite flustered...”
Mariel was probably right.
Around here, or rather, in most countries in this world, even though the people had great faith in and appreciation for the Goddess Celestine, they also contemplated her punishments with an incredible amount of fear and dread. This wasn’t a fear of being punished due to one’s own crimes. Rather...
This was a fear of “the Goddess Celestine being so careless that countless innocent citizens are inadvertently struck down by a stray bolt of her divine punishment, resulting in destruction on a national scale.”
And so, despicable acts that could incur such a punishment were deserving of capital punishment, and no connections, bribes, status, or power could absolve those who committed them. This was just common sense. No one would possibly accept a paltry bribe in exchange for the destruction of the nation, along with their entire clan.
“So, this will all be settled tomorrow morning...”
With that, Kaoru smiled a smile that could make children cry. Behind her were Emile, Belle, and Francette. Layette was sleeping in Kaoru’s lap.
Afterward, Emile and Belle disappeared into the night, and the others returned to their home base at the convenience store. They would sleep and rest well in preparation for the morning.
＊ ＊
“Wh-Why are there so many people...?”
The following morning, Count Maslias of the parent house of House Raphael, along with his attendants, arrived at the Raphael residence to find a large crowd gathered there.
However, the crowd wasn’t being rowdy or blocking the count’s path, nor were they arguing with those who were standing by the public road. Count Maslias found it odd, but nevertheless stepped onto the premises of Raphael Manor. His attendant sounded the door knocker, at which point a butler promptly arrived to guide them in.
“Are you in good health, Mariel?”
The count had been very supportive of Mariel immediately after the incident, but some distance had grown between them after it had settled. However, no one could really blame him for it. He had been spending so much time trying to help Mariel that he had neglected his own territory, and was reproached by his retainers as a result. Since then, he had been focusing on catching up on all the work that had piled up.
In Count Maslias’s eyes, Mariel was indeed like his own daughter.
“Yes, I am doing fine. And there is something I must do, so there is no time for me to waste.”
With that, her gaze turned toward Aragorn.
There were currently eight people in the room. On House Raphael’s side were three people: Mariel, the butler, and the under-butler. However, the under-butler’s clothes clearly didn’t fit properly, and he seemed too physically developed to be a high-ranking servant. He lacked an air of intellect and dignity. It was quite plain to see that he was a guard in disguise. This was likely in the event that Aragorn decided to resort to brute force, in which case Mariel would be too weak to stop him, and the old butler might not be too reliable in a fight.
As for Aragorn, he was by himself. He wouldn’t need a guard simply to visit the house of his head family, or to visit Count Maslias of his parent house, and a poor, unmarried noble with no title like him didn’t have any servants in the first place. If he went out of his way to hire guards just for this visit, it would be seen as an offense directed at the count and the current head of House Raphael, and it would bring the gravity of the situation into question. To Aragorn, this wasn’t a viable option.
Count Maslias had come with two guards. Guards usually remained on standby in another room, but this time they were on watch in here with them. This could be perceived as discourtesy, but he did hold the highest position here. Moreover, this was a welcome move in Mariel’s perspective, as it put her more at ease. Aragorn had assumed that the count had come to bless his union with Mariel, or to discuss the ongoing relationship between House Raphael and House Maslias, so he thought nothing of it.
That made seven people. The final one was...
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Nagase... a detective.”
“A detective?!”
Not wanting them to know her first name, Kaoru opted to refer to herself as “Nagase.” She disliked lying needlessly, and wanted to avoid a situation where she raised suspicion by
going by a completely different name and then failing to react to it in a timely manner.
And rather than her name, Aragorn and the count reacted to the unfamiliar word, “detective,” by cocking their heads in confusion. Of course, she didn’t use the actual Japanese word for “detective,” but a new word she had coined based on a similar nuance in this nation’s language.
“Indeed. One who investigates and detects the truth. A ‘detective.’”
Count Maslias and Aragorn wondered why this person was there at all, but considering Mariel had gone out of her way to bring her, and from that introduction, the count surmised the purpose of Kaoru’s attendance. As for Aragorn, he assumed this stranger was some sort of shrine maiden, there to perform the marriage ceremony between Mariel and himself.
“Now, let’s get right to it.”
Count Maslias took a seat and began the discussion, after only giving Mariel a brief greeting and without so much as a word to Aragorn. Mariel was the current head of House Raphael and the hostess of this meeting, while Aragorn was a member of a branch family and had no title, so this wasn’t particularly discourteous, but Aragorn had a displeased look on his face, despite being in front of Count Maslias, as he already considered himself the head of House Raphael.
The count had taken notice, but completely ignored him. That was insignificant when considering what was about to happen.
“Aragorn, I hear you have been receiving the Goddess’s divine punishment. The Goddess Celestine does not normally intervene in matters regarding individual humans. Just what sort of grave sin have you committed to deserve her judgment?! If you’ve incurred her wrath, you may have doomed this entire nation—no, the continent—along with yourself! Speak! What have you done?!”
“Wha...”
This was supposed to be the discussion to finalize the achievement of his ambitions, but instead he had been unexpectedly denounced by the head of his parent house. Aragorn was stunned.
“I-It’s nothing but a baseless rumor...”
“A rumor? But is your house not currently surrounded by crows and dogs, and do they not assault anyone who steps within the premises?”