14
Chapter 14
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"What does Tiger even want!"
I ruffled my hair wildly.
Black Tiger hid himself again, becoming transparent.
I kept wandering around the area, but Tiger didn't appear.
He didn't write any more messages either.
'Judging by his eyes, he definitely seemed like he wanted to follow me.'
Then why couldn't he?
'I'm worried about my sister, but now I just feel bad for Tiger and want to hug him.'
I clutched my head and pondered.
Come to think of it, I had read something in the future newspaper.
In the future, they eventually found Tiger's corpse, having died from a wasting disease.
There were a few clues to Tiger's death.
'Right before he died, he tried to go back to where he originally lived.'
I felt like I vaguely understood, but I couldn't grasp it exactly.
I kept circling around, deep in thought.
Before I knew it, I had passed the place where Tiger was and was standing in front of a large building.
"Huh, where is this?"
A human child's body is much faster than a puppy's paws.
'Near the north of the mansion, there's the Council Hall, a few old houses, the training grounds, and...'
...the Branch Family Academy?
Since it was a place I had never seen before, I was about to turn back.
That's when a small bell rang.
And six or seven children rushed out of the door all at once.
They were all wearing the same uniform and had small name tags on their chests.
"Who are you?"
"Is she new?"
The prettily dressed children swarmed towards me.
'I don't have time for this.'
I was flustered by the children staring at me like an animal in a zoo.
I hesitantly told them my name.
"I, I'm Coco."
"Coco? Is that a commoner's name? Do you not have a family name?"
"Yeah. I live in the detached building over there."
"Hmm...?"
"Um, um. The Blessed Child, that's me!"
At that one word, their curious faces immediately turned sour.
"I know about that. It's fake."
"That's why she doesn't have a maid and wanders around alone, like a commoner!"
"Why are you here? Huh?"
"Why did you come here when you're just a commoner waiting to be disowned?"
Why are they suddenly bullying me?
As a barrage of accusations suddenly poured down on me, I bit my lip tightly.
When I was a stray dog, I had been bullied by humans.
I had even been hit in the head with a rock, leaving a patch where fur wouldn't grow.
'S, scary...'
Seeing them surrounding me and spewing out accusations, my body trembled and my mind went blank.
I know I shouldn't say this.
Instinctively, I hesitated and took a step back.
"I, I just wanted to h, help Tiger. I t, talked to Tiger, and I w, wondered if there was anything I c, could do to help. Please don't hate me..."
"What?"
"...I, I'll go."
I moved hesitantly.
Did they understand me?
The children closed their mouths.
And then, three seconds later. One of them grabbed my hair.
"What is this stupid commoner saying? Tiger is gone. How could she talk to Tiger?"
"Is she lying about having Special Ability now, on top of being fake?"
"Lying?"
"She probably doesn't even know what lying is. It means telling lies!"
"I'm not like that... I have a Special Ability to talk to animals!"
"What a joke. Hey, there are five categories of Special Ability. Even within those categories, 'Legendary Special Ability' is an Eitra-class Special Ability, followed by Bidento-class, Sidian-class, and the lowest Diran-class Special Ability. Even if it's a common Special Ability like animal affinity of Sidian-class, there's no way a lowly commoner like you could have it."
I stared blankly at the name tag of the child who was rattling on about Special Ability.
'Speed Wagon.'
His name even sounds like he'd be good at explaining things.
Having barely regained my senses, I muttered softly.
"My Special Ability isn't animal affinity. It's the ability to talk to animals."
"Nonsense! Direct communication and interaction with animals and Spirit Creatures is an Eitra-class Special Ability, a Special Ability that only comes down in legends!"
At those words, everyone's eyes widened.
Among them, my eyes were probably the widest.
'Wow, the dog god gave me something really good!'
And the flustered feeling subsided.
My butt wiggled like a tail.
'Hehe. I'm the coolest dog!'
Instant mood recovery!
Regardless, they raised their voices, accusing me.
"Ha! You idiot! You're already lying about being the Blessed Child, and now you're even lying about having Special Ability."
I confidently raised my head, like raising a tail.
"Hmph, I'm letting you off easy because you're children!"
"What?"
"Next time, if I prove that my Special Ability is real. Then, you have to apologize to me. Got it?"
Like a brave puppy, I raised my head again.
'I should go find Tiger!'
But that's when it happened.
Carriages lined up around the academy.
Noblewomen got out of them.
"Son."
"Mom!"
"Mom? You should say 'Mother'."
So the reason the children were gathered here was because it was dismissal time.
The faces of the children who had been surrounding me with malicious expressions quickly brightened.
They all rushed towards the carriages.
I was left alone in front of the academy.
Some of the noblewomen tilted their heads, looking at me standing alone in front of the academy.
"Oh my. Who is that child? I've never seen her before."
"Mom, that's her. That fake baby you told me about!"
"Fake? Ah... Blessed Child, I'm sorry."
After throwing a perfunctory apology, the noblewoman whispered to her child.
"As leaders of society, you must treat children who will soon become commoners well. That is noblesse oblige."
Unlike the children, the adults knew how to hide their emotions.
But there was contempt in all of their eyes.
'Everyone thinks I'm going to be kicked out.'
What was sadder than that contempt.
Was the pity mixed in the eyes of some of the kind noblewomen.
"You shouldn't say that. The Blessed Child is a pitiful person. So you should treat her well."
"Tch."
"Get in the carriage quickly."
The noblewomen hugged their children tightly, as if they were precious, and got into the carriages.
I could hear them whispering warmly inside the carriages.
'They look so happy as a family.'
Before I knew it, the noisy commotion had passed.
I was truly alone.
I rubbed one side of my chest with a small hand.
It was okay if people criticized and ignored me.
I could bare my tiny incisors and growl at them.
But it was different when they treated me like a pitiful stray dog without a family.
'I'm not a pitiful stray dog. I'm a smart puppy with an owner!'
The sight of the children going to their families almost pierced my heart like an icicle, but it didn't matter.
I clenched my fist tightly and glared at the air.
'I'm really not pitiful at all.'
How brave I am!
I even crossed the Rainbow Bridge to see my sister, so what's the big deal about pitiful looks?
There's only one thing I need.
That's my sister.
Thinking of my sister, courage filled my heart again.
'That's right, I only focus on one thing! Because I'm an animal faithful to my instincts!'
As I was walking powerfully and bravely, my eyes widened. There was something I had suddenly realized.
"Huh!"
Animals, including me, are different from humans.
We're very simple.
If there's something we're fixated on, we only think about that one thing.
The reason I crossed the Rainbow Bridge and came back to this world.
The reason Tiger refused the offer to escape and go to a 'good place'.
It must be for one reason only.
'That is...'