Murderous Emperor’s Inconvenient Behavior

“Kyaa!”

Hanna shouted and knelt down.

“Woof! Woof!” says the dog.

A strange beast sprang from the woods and pounced on Claire.

“Aack!”

Claire collapsed on the ground, clutching the beast that had leaped into her arms.

“Huk, huk, huk.”

The beast licked her repeatedly, its black eyes twinkling. Its cotton-like tail feverishly wagged from side to side.

“Who is this…? Wait, pause… Enough enough… Anyway, I’m delighted to meet you.”

Barbatos licked her face furiously, as if attempting to consume it. Claire hugged Barbatos, bending her head to avoid his tongue.

“Barbatos! What exactly are you doing here? No, tell me how you found me.”

Barbatos sat on the ground, slowly wagging his tail.

“Miss, do you know this puppy?”

Hanna questioned, relieved, as she saw the beast that sprung out of the bushes was a fluffy white dog.

“That’s Barbatos. We happened to meet during the Victory Festival.”

“It follows you really well, considering.”

“Right? I intended to carry it with me, but as you are aware, I cannot afford to do so.”

“You said it was called Barbatos? Then it must have a proprietor.”

“I was the one who named it.”

“Did you? Why?”

Hanna shook her head at the remark that she had named a pet she couldn’t keep.

“I’m intrigued as well. When I saw this guy, the name just came to me.”

Claire shook her head as she said.

“It was definitely a name from a book… What was it, the monastery?”

“The monastery?”

“Yes. I can’t recall the title… but I recall seeing that book at the monastery.”

She couldn’t recall the title of the book, but she knew it had something to do with demons. Claire, on the other hand, couldn’t bring herself to admit that a book about demons was kept at the convent.

“What a fantastic name! Is it a noble and holy angel?”

No, it isn’t. Claire averted her gaze from Hanna’s, feeling terrible.

“However, the name is a little tough. Is it because it’s so lengthy?”

“Yeah? So, shall we shorten his name to Tos? What do you think, Tos?”

“Woof.”

Tos wagged his tail energetically, whether Claire named it or not, which was charming enough for Hanna to reach out.

“Growl.”

She swiftly removed her fingers, taken aback by Tos, who promptly bared his teeth.

“Hey, good kids don’t show off their teeth like that.”

Claire scolded Tos gently by tapping his nose.

“He appears to be wary of anyone approaching you, miss.  He’s fine.”

Despite Tos’s stare, Hanna complimented him instead.

“Wouldn’t it like me better if I gave it something tasty?”

“That’s a great idea! However, what should I give?”

“How about some meat? There should still be some quail meat in the kitchen.”

Tos’ ears pricked up when he heard the word ‘meat.’

“Look at that expression. It’s obvious that it enjoys meat.”

“It’s still young and has probably never hunted. Have you ever eaten a quail, Tos? Have you?”

“Woof.”

Tos barked once and then dashed off someplace.

“Tos!”

She called out, but did not respond.

“Did it get upset because I said it couldn’t hunt?”

“Unlikely.”

“Then why did it run away?”

Hanna shrugged her shoulders, unable to find an explanation.

Claire felt bad on the inside. It had followed her all the way here, and she hadn’t even given it a piece of flesh before dismissing it.

“Miss, let’s go back right now.”

“Let’s wait a bit before we leave.”

Tos looked to be returning for some reason. If it had just planned to meet her once, it would not have come to locate her in the first place.

After a while of peering towards the bushes where Tos had vanished,

Rustle!

A white fluff ball sprang from the bushes.

“Tos!”

Tos raced gleefully towards her, holding something unusual in its jaws. It dropped what it was carrying on the ground and leaped into Claire’s arms.

“What have you been doing? I was concerned.”

Tos kept staring at what it had brought while it licked Claire.

“Miss, it appears that Tos has hunted its prey.”

“That is commendable! …But what’s with the foul odor?”

Claire wrinkled her nose as she smelled the stink in the air. She followed the smell and discovered that Tos’s mouth, which was still breathing, had a horrible odor.

“Woof.”

Tos barked once again, this time staring at what it had brought.

What had been dropped on the ground squirmed as though it were still alive. It was almost the same size as Tos.

“What exactly is that?”

The smell’s identification appeared to be the prey Tos brought.

“The smell is revolting, but if you like it, I can’t stop you. Go eat, Tos.”

Tos instantly rushed and lay down in front of the meal, as if it had been waiting for her instruction.

“Don’t forget to use your manners.”

Claire smiled as she glanced at it. It wasn’t eating badly, but it was sitting correctly.

“Chomp, gulp.”

“…”

“Chomp, chomp.”

“…”

“Crunch, crunch, crunch.”

“Miss…”

Hanna, who had been staring at Tos, couldn’t finish her sentence.

“…It must have been very hungry.”

She was at a loss for words. It ate so delightfully that its folded ears flapped attractively.

“What, on earth, is it eating?”

Tos was ripping into something bitter and horrible. It was nothing like the smell of an animal.

They approached Tos.

Then they noticed it.

“Ah!

Hanna shouted in agony.

“That, that, that! Help me!”

She stammered horribly, like if she’d just seen a ghost, and then bolted without looking back.

“Hanna!”

Hanna must have been taken aback since she did not respond when Claire called her.

Claire averted her head as she saw Hanna fade into the distance.

“Tos…”

Even though Tos was rolling his eyes at Claire, it didn’t stop tearing at its supper.

“Chomp, crunch, crunch…gulp, gulp.”

Tos was not devouring a little, adorable animal.

The weird thing turned out to be a monster.

Blue-gray skin, shaggy hair, a bloated skeletal body, black claws, and sharp fangs characterize this creature.

It tried to get out of Tos’s fangs while still breathing.

Tos placed its front paw on it and tore at its leg.

“Was your prey a monster?”

Tos grunted as he chewed the meat, as though verifying that it was accurate.

It was really a strange wolf dog.

Claire’s awe was fleeting, and she just appreciated it.

“You have a wide range of abilities! Killing creatures while stuffing your stomach.”

There would be no reason to be afraid of monsters with a kid like Tos around.

Tos appears to have picked Claire as its master based on how it presented its victim.

“Really. I’m quite appreciative.”

Claire paused as Tos filled its tummy.

She then cast a peek towards the beast. After a second glance, it was still quite horrible and terrible.

The monster’s eyes twitched as she stared at it, as though enthralled.

She wasn’t sure whether it could be called an eyeball, but it rolled around and aimed at her.

“Kehek, eeek.”

Its claws raked the earth, as if attempting to catch her.

“Eek.”

Claire took a step back, frightened.

However, the creature continued to move. Claire, fascinated by its motions, unintentionally stretched her foot.

“Rrrrrr.”

Tos snarled softly at her at that very time.

“Tos?”

It was a sweet and adorable dog who had never barked at her. And that puppy was alerting the beast by chewing into its skin.

Stay away.

And she hadn’t noticed since she was preoccupied with the strange Tos. Someone had materialized behind her.

“Grrr! Arf, arf!”

Tos abruptly rose and barked.

“This mutt has some guts.”

Slowly. A chilly voice and the sound of dry grass being gently stepped on came from the side.

Claire turned her head to see.

“Your Majesty… Eiden?”

She was initially perplexed as to why he was here.

Eiden gave her a sidelong glance before walking away. Claire’s vision was obscured by his scarlet cloak, which blew in the wind.

“Bark, bark! bark!”

Tos barked, its fur standing on edge, as if its neck was about to tear.

Eiden laughed, as if amused.

“Awooo!”

Tos sprang to his feet and rushed.

“Tos, please stop!”

“Mutt, where do you think you’re going?”

Eiden smacked Tos’s lips with his palm as it rushed to bite him.

Tos sobbed and fell on the ground.

“Tos!”

Claire raced forward and hugged Tos. She brushed the dirt off its white fur and examined it for any damage. Tos sobbed pitifully and curled up in Claire’s arms.

Eiden approached and lifted Tos by the scruff of the neck.

“What are you up to? Let go!”

Tos resisted and tried to bite the hand that held its neck by turning its head this way and that.

“Get the hell out of the way.”

Eiden, being Eiden, flung Tos aside.

“Ah, Tos! What if you throw it like that, Your Majesty?”

“I’m in a bad mood.”

“I’ll apologize for barking at you on its behalf. How could a dog tell? But tossing it was excessive.”

Eiden glared, not knowing what he was upset about. The more she sided with Tos, the worse the issue grew.

Claire was taken aback as she saw Eiden becoming more violent.

It was similar when they initially met, come to think of it. Eiden and Tos were disappointed by their inability to capture one other.

“It took something of mine… That’s why I’m upset.”

“Are you saying Tos stole something of yours?”

“Yes.”

“That can’t possibly be.”

“It did.”

“Fine. If it stole something, then it must have it now. However, where is it?”

Tos had just brought its prey. That prey was a beast. Eiden couldn’t have a monster in his custody, therefore she had no idea what it may have stolen.

Eiden had a look around.

“Are you sure? The monster is the only thing Tos took with him.”

Claire gestured at the squirming beast.

Eiden locked his gaze on her without saying anything.

Claire squinted her eyes and glanced up at the mask that covered half of his face. Suddenly, a notion entered her head.