"Jibodan!"
Out trotted Ferris, the fox girl, from the mansion. She looked like a middle or high school student, but her movements were entirely those of an elementary school kid.
My babysitting duty still continues. It's hard to believe such nerves exist. The nerves of this fox clan are as thick as a shimenawa rope.
But this time, I'm saved.
Thankfully, I'm no longer dragged to an all-girls school, but even now, I'm occasionally called like this and taken around as Ferris's escort whenever she walks outside.
Today, too, I was called mid-shift, tapped the Minotaur manager on the shoulder to sneak out, and came to pick her up at her mansion. The manager sent me off with a knowing look, as if he understood everything.
Ferris walks through the town, and I follow behind her, watching her fluffy tail and fox ears sway.
She seems to have stopped wearing her beret. I don't know why, but maybe something changed her mind. Her ears are cuter when they're visible, though.
Thanks to her dragging me around like this, I've learned a lot about the town. I wonder where we're headed today.
"#$△〓◎○#$, ※○☆. Jibodan 〆◎△★◇?"
Ferris bought something from a stall where fragrant smoke was rising.
She sat on a bench by the roadside, handed me a skewer of meat while talking to me, and said, "Here you go." Thanks. Munch munch. It's saucy. Delicious!
Then, she took something out of the bag slung over her shoulder and offered it to me. It was a herb. I don't know what the Minotaur manager told her, but this herb… munch munch. It's slimy. Delicious!
Ferris sat on the bench, swinging her legs in the air, and ate her skewer just like me, munching away.
Does she feel like she's walking a large dog? She has no guard up against me at all.
Far from it—she's even eagerly feeding me. Soon, she'll probably have me do tricks. Well, I'm good at *that* kind of trick.
I haven't done anything to make her like me, and yet, despite writing pages of traumatic scenes into her innocent youth, why is she so affectionate?
But this innocent curiosity of hers toward me will become extremely important from now on.
Suddenly, Ferris looked up at me. Her cheeks were puffed out from the meat she was chewing.
I pointed to her half-eaten skewer and tilted my head.
Seeing my gesture, Ferris swallowed the meat in her mouth and said,
"Tapua."
Hmm, so this is called Tapua.
Next, I pointed to the familiar herb.
"Marijuana."
Ah, so this herb is called marijuana.
…Wait, is this *that* marijuana? Really?
So the manager was eating marijuana in broad daylight…
Or maybe it's just a word coincidence… But now that she mentions it, this herb is really fibrous, has a sweet scent, and does smell like it. The leaf shape is also very similar… And the manager is unusually cheerful… I mean, does marijuana even work if you eat it raw?
Oh well.
Lately, I've been loving this herb too. Even though I'm a carnivore, I eat it like cat grass. Munch munch. Delicious!
Ferris, you shouldn't eat it.
I took the herb from her hand as she stretched out her tongue, sniffing it curiously. "Ah…" she said, sounding disappointed, but nope.
After finishing her skewer, Ferris licked her fingers and stood up.
She started walking again, leading me.
Along the way, she pointed to things and taught me words. I nodded each time.
"Doren," yeah.
"Misakura," yeah.
"Sartahufu," yeah.
"Bufftan Riconoaregyoru," uh, that's a bit much.
And so, today's babysitting duty ended.
Today's destination was a park on the opposite side of town.
It's a botanical park with autumn roses and cosmos in bloom this time of year, and Ferris wanted to see the garden. She really loves flowers. It suits her perfectly.
And who got dragged along? Yours truly, Butcher.
These beautiful flowers are completely ruined.
Seriously, I'm being treated like a dog.
Walking a dog to the park. How elegant. In reality, it's me, Butcher, but she doesn't seem to mind. The people around us in the park definitely minded, though?
I'd appreciate a collar. Imagining Ferris holding a leash, treating me like a dog, and dragging me around town is… kinda exciting.
Ferris leads me through the evening streets, walking briskly.
Following behind her, her fluffy tail and perky ears stand out, making her look so fox-like. I want to take her home, lock her up, and groom her all night.
What is this… Watching Ferris calmly like this strangely stirs my protective instincts. With other beastfolk, I'd only think about grabbing their tails and going at it from behind, but…
Is it because I was once part of the "Fox" team? Maybe I unconsciously feel close to foxes.
If that's the case, thanks to Fox. Thanks to that, I didn't end up eating Ferris, and now I've found a path to freedom.
Who would've thought I'd still be under Fox's care even as Butcher? You never know how things will connect in life.
Before sunset, I escorted Ferris back to her mansion.
We stopped at the entrance together.
She looked up at me and waved goodbye.
Normally, this is where we'd part ways, but now that everything's in place, it's time.
I pointed to one spot at the entrance. Seeing that, Ferris smiled and said,
"Feigusu."
I pointed to another spot.
"Rimpio."
And one more.
"Suburu."
I kept pointing to these three in rotation.
"Feigusu, Rimpio, Suburu… Feigusu, Rimpio, Suburu…"
Eventually, Ferris looked up at me, excited, and blurted out,
"Ferris?"
I nodded.
"○§＃＆＃☆○ Jibodan, ▲□, Ferris ▼◇＃!"
Ferris thrust both fists into the air, looking incredibly happy, like an owner whose parrot finally spoke.
I memorized the sounds of the words she taught me and connected the first syllables to form a word. It's an incredibly roundabout way to communicate, but it's the only way I can.
This is part of Abigail's plan.
First, I need to get even closer to Ferris.
The target is the brunette classmate.
The brunette who can remove the self-destruct device. My immediate goal is to create a path to her. I haven't decided the final move yet, but for now, I need to talk to the brunette, become friends with her, and deliver the information to Abigail. That's my mission.
When Abigail proposed this plan, I was worried I might not be called to Ferris's house again. After all, I went on a rampage at the all-girls school right before the expedition.
But Abigail insisted I'd definitely be called again.
She said that, in the end, I completed my mission, and more importantly, the fact that Ferris controlled me in front of the entire school was significant.
It seems to have greatly boosted Ferris's status. Jibodan's value has apparently increased.
The fact that they call me, a Butcher, to their home and school shows they don't see me as an ordinary Butcher. The fox girl's evaluation of me seems quite high.
And here I am, called to Ferris's house again.
Just as the blonde witch predicted.
From now on, things will probably go as she says.
—Now, the real game begins.
I pointed to another spot and started forming new words.
"U, te, go, ru, a, ku—"
Ferris already knows the drill, connecting only the first sounds of the words I point to.
What I'm trying to say is simple. Abigail knows some alien languages and told me this is all I need to tell Ferris.
"Bi, na, ku…"
Ferris gasped and looked up at me.
It means, "I want to talk."
Abigail said this pitiful phrase from me would have a strong impact. Any girl's heart would tighten.
After hearing Ferris's and my story, Abigail concluded that Ferris has developed a sense of closeness to me. If we stimulate her maternal instincts and empathy, she'll definitely try to communicate with me somehow.
She'll probably rely on the brunette or another telepath. Luckily, Ferris and the brunette seem to be close. There's a high chance the brunette will come.
I couldn't believe Ferris would feel close to me, but Abigail insisted it was absolutely true.
After all, what I did to Ferris was: spray her face with semen and seawater, show her my evil erection up close, eat two aliens right in front of her, chase her around the mansion for days, stand by her bedside for three nights and probably in her dreams too, murder humans in front of her, rip out their spines, and almost publicly rape and eat her classmate—someone she might not have been close to—with an added shameful play on the way back.
No matter how you look at it, closeness seems impossible, I thought.
But… man, I really put her through a lot. I'm starting to feel sorry.
But the result is clear in Ferris's pitiful gaze as she looks up at me now.
Abigail's plan won.
Abigail is terrifying. Is she really a witch…?
Without waiting for Ferris's response, I turned on my heel. Even if she spoke, I wouldn't understand.
The outcome of this gamble will be clear soon enough.
Smiling to myself, I returned to the butcher shop.