The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
In the suburbs far from the heart of Kagune, there was Chocolat.
She was usually relaxed, but now, more than ever, she seemed devoid of emotion.
Like a doll.
Chocolat bit her finger slightly and whistled.
Responding to the sound, a pigeon-like creature appeared.
At first glance, it looked like a pigeon, but its wingtips were stained black, and it had horns—clear signs that it was no ordinary bird.
A subspecies of pigeon native to the Western Continent.
Capable of flying at ultra-high speeds without rest, these pigeons were commonly used as messengers among the demon race.
Chocolat took out a message and tied it to the pigeon’s leg.
A carrier pigeon.
Simple, but effective.
Since no magic was involved, it wouldn’t trigger barriers or be detected.
"Go."
At Chocolat’s signal, the pigeon took flight.
It quickly disappeared into the distant sky.
Seeing this, Chocolat smirked…
Then, her eyes widened in shock.
The carrier pigeon had suddenly returned.
Was there trouble?
Watching in surprise, she saw that the pigeon didn’t return to her—but instead, it landed by Rain.
――――――――――
"Why...?"
This turn of events seemed unexpected, and Chocolat's eyes reflected her surprise.
Then, as if on guard, she took a step back.
"I don’t think there’s anything ‘why’ about it."
"What?"
"The repair of the Comet Sword was supposed to be top secret, but as soon as we arrived in Kagune, Lin showed up. When we headed to the Northern Continent, Lin and Monica were already chasing us. Even if they had gathered information somewhere, it was far too fast."
"That’s..."
"For demons, the Eastern Continent is enemy territory. Gathering information in such a place naturally comes with limitations. Moving swiftly in enemy territory is nearly impossible. And yet, someone managed to collect information with ease. A normal method wouldn't allow for that. But... what if there was a spy among us?"
"..."
"It’s only natural to suspect that. So, it’s only natural that I arrived at this conclusion."
I ran my fingers gently over the throat of the messenger pigeon perched on my arm.
It cooed, letting out a cry similar to that of a regular pigeon.
A species that seemed familiar yet was unlike any I had seen before.
The beast tamer in me itched with curiosity.
If only I had the time, I’d love to study its ecology in detail.
But for now...
I had to deal with this matter first.
"Why do you think I’m the traitor?"
"To be honest, I hadn’t pinpointed anyone."
"Huh?"
The fact that our movements were being anticipated so precisely made me suspect the presence of a spy.
But I didn’t know their identity.
If we thoroughly investigated those around us, we might uncover the spy.
However, doing so would alert them.
They’d disappear without leaving a trace.
That’s why I avoided taking direct action to identify them.
Instead, I predicted their next move, analyzed it, and set a trap.
And this was the result.
We had successfully identified the spy—Chocolat.
No—
Someone disguised as Chocolat.
"Who are you?"
"I am Chocolat, of course."
"No, you’re not. Chocolat would never be a spy."
"And why are you so sure?"
"Because she’s one of Chiffon’s closest friends."
"..."
"Their bond is real. No matter the circumstances, she would never betray them."
Chocolat chuckled softly.
"That’s such a sweet, sugar-coated ideal. People betray others easily, you know? No matter how important someone is, betrayal can happen in an instant."
"Even so, I believe in them. Their bond is stronger than anything."
"Geez... To think I’d be exposed because of such childish sentimentality. Hmm, that’s a bit of a shock."
At this point, maybe they figured there was no point in hiding it anymore.
Or perhaps they were simply the type to be upfront.
The person disguised as Chocolat stopped mimicking her way of speaking.
"I’ll ask you again. Who are you?"
"..."
After a brief pause, the fake Chocolat smirked.
"Alright. I’ll tell you my true identity."
"..."
"No need to be so on edge. This is your reward for finding me. Besides… you probably have a rough idea already, don’t you?"
"…Are you a demon?"
"Correct! ♪"
She grinned and spun around on the spot.
And in an instant, her appearance changed.
She looked like a ten-year-old girl.
Short, with a frail frame that seemed like it could snap with the slightest touch.
Her silver hair had a gentle wave to it.
Her clothes were adorned with countless frills, making her resemble a doll.
"My name is Mona. Nice to meet you!"
"I have no intention of ‘nicely meeting’ a demon."
"Hmm, is that really okay?"
"What?"
"You humans know nothing about us demons. You simply assume we are the natural enemies of all living things. Why do we attack humans? Why do we seek to destroy other creatures? You don’t know the reasons at all."
"..."
"Well, most humans don’t care about the reasons anyway. And maybe that’s fair. When faced with an enemy attacking you, few people stop to think about their motives. Reacting instinctively and fighting back is a natural response. But..."
Mona smiled.
Despite her childlike appearance, her grin was truly sinister.
"Are you really okay with that? With destroying an enemy without ever knowing the truth? Will that truly satisfy you?"
"Are you saying demons have a cause?"
"Who knows? From a human perspective, I doubt it would seem like one. But we do have our reasons. Though, not all demons share the same ideals. However… I believe the Demon King at least has a purpose."
If her words were true, it was something worth knowing.
Something that couldn’t be ignored.
But—
"Right now, my only priority is capturing you."
I readied myself for action.
Surrounding Mona from all sides, Kanade, Tania, and Chiffon appeared.
Of course, I wasn’t acting alone.
I had already discussed the plan with everyone, and they had followed me in case of emergency.
"Hmm, this might be bad for me. You see, I’m only good at shapeshifting, not fighting."
"Shapeshifting?"
"Yep. As you saw, I can transform into anyone. That’s how I infiltrated your group and gathered information."
"…You’ve said a lot. Does that mean you’ve given up?"
"No way."
Mona laughed and pulled out the same teleportation artifact that Monica had.
"I had my escape route prepared from the start. I only shared information as a reward for finding me."
"Kanade!"
"Nyan!"
"Well then, see you later!"
Kanade moved like the wind, but even that wasn’t fast enough.
Mona’s figure vanished, melting into the air.
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