"Calm down! Calm down!"
Leo reacted quickly, grabbing Lucrezia by her back collar and hauling her back like a scruffy kitten.
"She’s an ally! An ally!"
"What ally?! She’s an enemy! A lifelong arch-nemesis!"
Lucrezia kicked her short legs in the air, her teeth gnashing. "This is evil! Such a massive evil! It must be purified!"
Beside them, Vespa couldn't help but cover her mouth to stifle a giggle, her eyes even hurting a little less.
Serves you right! You little brat, always mocking me for being a flat-chested kitty! You’ve finally met some real towering peaks and lost your mind, haven't you!
Though Vespa was also flat-chested, seeing the usually overbearing, tsundere, and sharp-tongued Lucrezia suffer filled her with a strange sense of satisfaction.
In the few days she’d spent following Leo, she hadn't learned much magic, but she had certainly picked up quite a few bizarre adjectives.
"Ahem."
Leo pressed the still-frenzied Lucrezia back into her spot, ignoring her protests. He then looked at A-Ling and said seriously, "Since you’re Vespa’s sister, you’re one of us."
"We happen to be short on melee fighters. Want to join us?"
Leo extended the invitation.
Though the team already had Vespa as a scout and Lucrezia as a... well, a power bank and mascot, they were indeed lacking a capable physical DPS.
A-Ling didn't speak. Instead, she turned to look at Vespa.
Vespa immediately nodded like a woodpecker, winking frantically.
"I can,"
A-Ling retracted her gaze and gave Leo a slight nod, her words concise. "Room and board included, I follow orders. Killing costs extra."
"No problem."
Leo snapped his fingers.
...
Early the next morning.
A strange four-person party set out once again.
Vespa, sporting a black eye, rode at the front to scout the path. She hummed an unknown tune, seemingly in a very good mood.
A-Ling rode another horse, guarding the flank.
Her back was ramrod straight. As the warhorse galloped and jolted, the staggering undulations of her chest were like raging torrents in a stormy sea, tracing dizzying parabolas. She became a magnificent—and highly unscientific—sight on an otherwise dull journey.
Meanwhile, Leo and Lucrezia shared a single horse.
"Hmph!"
Lucrezia huddled in Leo's arms, her eyes fixed deathly on A-Ling’s back. She muttered incessantly, radiating a thick aura of resentment.
"What’s the point of them being that big... They’re a burden! A total burden!"
"She probably loses her balance when she runs! She’ll definitely have back pain! They’ll definitely sag when she’s old!"
"And that kind of woman clearly has no brains! All the nutrients went into those two lumps of meat!"
"It’s much better to be the refined type like me! Not only am I lightweight, but I also reduce wind resistance, and I can..."
Lucrezia couldn't make up any more excuses. In a huff, she turned and punched Leo in the chest.
"Hey! You stinking small fry! What are you looking at?! Your eyeballs are about to fall out!"
Leo retracted his gaze from the "beautiful scenery" and put on a righteous face.
"Don’t talk nonsense. I’m observing the enemy’s movements for you. That woman’s footwork is steady, her core strength is extremely high, and even her riding posture aligns with a certain breathing technique. She’s definitely an expert."
"Hmph! I think you’re just looking at a dairy cow!"
Lucrezia pierced through to the truth with a single sentence, her grief becoming even more profound.
"As expected... you men are all perverts! No matter the age, you all love those sinful things!"
Leo: "..."
He wisely chose to change the subject, pulling out a map for a quick look.
"Vespa, let’s head here next—Worcester City."
Hearing the name, Vespa’s ears perked up instantly.
'He really is going there!'
Vespa’s vertical pupils lit up as she felt a surge of joy.
'This guy really is the "specialist"! I knew it!'
Last night, he had been staring at Worcester City on the map for ages, and this morning, he made the decision immediately.
"Understood, Lord!"
Vespa nodded immediately, her face wearing an expression that said, 'I understand everything, you don't need to explain.'
Beside her, A-Ling’s eternally stoic face also showed a flicker of an indiscernible emotion upon hearing the words "Worcester City."
She glanced at Leo, and the suspicion in her heart, which had been only thirty percent credible, instantly jumped to seventy percent.
In truth, the reason A-Ling had snuck over in the middle of the night was entirely because she was worried about Vespa.
Though her sister was decent at her job, she was far too flaky.
Every time she went on a mission, she’d cause some kind of trouble. Her specialty was "making it out alive every time, but don't ask how the danger started."
The fact that she hadn't been promoted despite repeated attempts was largely her own fault.
Thus, A-Ling had actually been observing the team from the shadows for most of the day yesterday. Seeing that they truly harbored no ill intent—and that Vespa was even thriving—she had decided to reveal herself.
"Sister, the mission,"
A-Ling urged her horse closer, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Mission? What mission? ...Oh! Right, meow!"
Vespa slapped her forehead, finally remembering that their original rendezvous point and the place to report back to that old geezer was also in Worcester City.
"Then it’s perfect! We can turn in the mission on the way!"
The more Vespa thought about it, the more excited she became, her tail whipping behind her like a blur.
'When the time comes, I’ll use Lord Leo’s influence to back me up! I’ll show that old geezer who’s boss!'
'I’ll make him process my promotion to a permanent post right then and there!'
'After all, I’ve latched onto a golden thigh. This is a man personally led by an imperial envoy! I’ll see who dares to block my paperwork!'
While Vespa was dreaming of her bright future...
"What?!"
A sharp cry of surprise shattered the morning silence.
As if she had heard something utterly fantastical, Lucrezia stared with wide, ruby-like eyes, pointing at Vespa.
"That stinking cat... is actually a female cat?!"
She turned her head in disbelief to look at Leo behind her, only to find him perfectly calm, clearly having known for a long time.
"You already knew?!"
Lucrezia’s fur—metaphorically—stood on end. Her small hands grabbed Leo’s collar and shook him violently.
"You actually kept it from me?!"
"Don’t look at me,"
Leo raised his hands, looking innocent while uttering words that added fuel to the fire. "I only found out last night... while you were sleeping."
The air instantly froze.
A-Ling silently placed her hand on her hilt, her gaze becoming extremely dangerous.
"Wh... What?!"
Lucrezia’s small face flushed red instantly. She shrieked as if her tail had been stepped on.
"While I was sleeping... what did you do secretly?! You guy! Are you really a pervert?! You won't even let a cat off?!"
"Hey! Who are you calling a female cat!"
Vespa also exploded, turning her horse around and charging back to point an angry finger at Lucrezia. "'Female' is for animals! You uneducated brat! That’s racial discrimination! You’d be thrown in jail for that in the federation!"
"I am a noble cat demi-human! I am a woman! Not a female cat!!"
"Blehh! You are a female cat! A stinking female cat!"
Lucrezia hid in Leo's arms and made a face.
"Aaaaah! I’m going to tear you apart!!"
Watching the cat and the dragon instantly descend into a brawl, Leo breathed a sigh of relief.
As for A-Ling’s gaze, which looked like she was staring at a piece of human scum... let her be. My conscience is clear.
Rate on N.U.
