Fumu, it's been a week since I moved in, the twins haven't came and dragged me back yet, fumu.
As I thought, they can't find me!
Ufufufufufufu, I'm a free man dog!
However, my life here......its, it's bland.
From my exclusive spot on the carpeted floor Naomi's room, I've downgraded to a stiff bed I shared with Luton, it was really really small!
From my exclusive plate of raw meat and a crystal I ate on the ground......I've downgraded to a plate of vegetables and fruits - sometimes a bit of meat was added- I shared with Luton, who fed me at the table!
Furthermore, there isn't any baths here! Its been a week since I took one!
However......fufu, there was a merit! A silver lining! That is......this place was filled with all kinds of small running things!
From cockroaches to lizards, there was everything! Fufu.
I want to chase them.
"Please don't!" a girl's voice came from behind me as I readied myself to pounce on the cockroach.
She had grabbed onto the collar of my shirt, and effectively stopped my small body.
It was the eldest girl here, aged 11. Luton was two years younger, but he was the eldest amongst the boys.
She sported short black hair, black eyes that contained only a hint of red, and a single small horn protruding from the right side of her head. Her name was Germaine.
"Luton, watch him!" she dragged me away from the corner of the room to the middle of it, where Luton was sleeping at.
Unlike Nathan who would wake at 6 to practice swordplay, he woke up at 8 to do odd jobs.
But since I lived with the twins for a while, I was used to waking early as well.
Mumbling incoherently in his sleep, his arm lunged out and grabbed me by the neck with his elbow, dragging me into his bed.
"Ah!"
With a 'Tch' she left.
In this place, the girls took care of housework and food, the boys went out to do odd job, mostly because as this was in the slums, girls could be abduted to be a slave.
Of course, there was a risk for the boys, but this was the only way they survived.
They also received some help from the children that left the orphanage, those who possessed sufficient talent for magic was adopted into families of higher power.
Therefore, no one here was elder than the age of 12, the age where magic talent was tested. Those that failed would leave the orphanage regardless to be an adventurer.
As I was proudly thinking about my collected information, Luton's hands reached over and pulled me even closer, snoring in his sleep.
Oi! Are you trying to take advantage of me!?
But......your shirt...
As he was sleeping, his shirt had bunched upwards, revealing his stomach.
Please wear it properly, you'll have a stomach ache with it exposed to the cold!
Pulling down his shirt for him, I sighed and fell asleep once again.
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After all, aren't puppies the best at sleeping?
Just like that we slept for two more hours before Luton woke up to the sight of Nicolai sleeping unsightily with her belly exposed.
Stretching with a yawn, he asked, "Shall we go out and work now?"
"Yes~" I woke up easily with a shake of his.
As for working, at first many of the children had a debate whether I should work or not, considering that my feminine appearance will invite trouble, but I persistantly pushed for work and their only compromise was for me to go collect fruits and vegetables outside of the Slums with Luton.
Fumu, I am a man(?) in my past life after all.
Other than herb collection, some children worked at restaurants as dish washers in exchange for food, some worked as mail boys, cleaners. Basically, I was sent outside of the slums.
Of course, even outside was unsafe, and I was ordered to bunch my hair up into my hat and pull it down just above my eyes while a cloth covered my mouth.
When we woke in the mornings, we would first brush our teeth with this special twig, then, we would eat a small bowl of vegetables and fruit thrown together frugually.
But...eating just this much as children will stunt your growth.
It was no wonder all the children were small, with lack of sufficently food combined with daily work took a toll on their growth.
And afterwards, just like the previous days I lived here, I went out of the orphanage like that with Luton leading me.
Brisk walking through the streets and past the walls surrounding the entirety of the city, we came to a meadow.
A distance away was a forest, though the edges were slightly dotted with trees, the inside was incomparably dense with trees.
Fumu, I want to go in there.
But somehow sensing my thoughts, the collar of my shirt was grabbed as he spoke, "Let's start!"
On his and my backs were straw baskets with two straps, it's purpose was to hold everything we had gathered.
Digging through the ground, we unearthed a lot of carrots, beets, etc.
Fumu, this is fun.
But-
I wanna go into the forest! I want to chase those rabbit things!
As we collected the edibles, a few white rabbits could be seen, though they carried a single small horn on their foreheads, those long ears were undeniably the features of a rabbit!
Fumu, I want to catch it.
Glancing back at Luton who was digging enthusiastically at the ground, and at the closest rabbit, my heart said yes.
Think about it, if I catch it, we'll get to eat meat! My legs are longer in this form, compared to my dog one, I'll be able to run better!
Fumu, I'll apologize afterwards.
With that thought, my hand which were previously still digging into the ground pulled out as I broke into a run.
"Eh...?"
At an incredible speed, I caught up to the rabbit which were instantly alarmed.
Though it's hind legs immediately kicked at the ground for momentum, I pounced as well, grabbing the rabbit by its ears.
HIOK.
I got it.
UFUFUFUFUFU.
BOW DOWN.
As I was relishing in self praise, a knock landed on my head.
"Ah!"
Ouch!
"What are you doing!" he shouted, completely ignoring the struggling rabbit in my hand as he stared angrily at my head.
"I caught a rabbit!"
"It's a Sapuru you idiot!" he knocked on my head again, "Don't go grabbing dangerous animals like that!"
"But we can eat it, right?" I asked, it's been a while since I had my fill of meat.
Ufufu, I'll mock him the moment he replies, fufu I did the right thing, you know? Look at this fat thing, it's round bottom, those thick thighs, tha-
"Its not edible you idiot!"
Eh?
"Why'd you think they'll live so prosperously at this place so close to human population! They can't be eaten! They're poisonous!"
"Eve-even so! We can sell it!"
Hearing my argument, he sighed, "Let's walk away from the forest first." he pulled at my other hand.
Right now, we were at the edges of the forest, but thankfully with the commotion, the Sapurus around had ran away.
After walking a safe distance away from the forest, he turned around with a black face.
"The horns, if they stab onto you, their poison will enter your body and you'll die!"
Umu, that sounds painful.
"Your eyes will pop out and your skin will go purple!"
Oh my.
"I'm..." I
"Go on."
"I'm- I'm, I'm sorry..."
"Louder!"
"I'm sorry!"
"LOUDER!"
"IM SORR- AH!"
I bit my tongue.
After that, he took out a small knife he kept with him at all times and tore the small rabbit apart without hesitation while teaching me what to do as well.
Fumu.
That was strangely interesting.
"Can......I, really not eat it?" I look at the meat he had thrown away.
"Idiot!" he punched at my head, "If you want meat so much, I'll buy you some!"
"Yay~" Happily waving my tail which was tucked in my pants, as instructed by the children, I went back to dig at the ground.
------------------------
[The night the orphanage had took in Nicolai.]
Germaine: "No matter how we look at it, it's not a demon, is it?"
Luton: "The tail, it's definitely like a dog's."
Rubbing her face in exasperation, Germaine muttered under her breath, "What to do now? That tail will definitely incite trouble."
However, oblivious to her worry, Luton and the other children asked Germaine with shiny eyes that seemed to say, "Can we keep him?"
Luton even added, "I'll take care of him properly!"
It was like adopting a dog.