Underling
((Happy birthday, Joan!))
(Hoo!)
When I turned around, there stood Pearl and Rosso—who’d wandered off after the toast—and for some reason, a white owl perched beside them.
“Thanks. Um… what’s with the owl?”
(Don’t you remember? It’s the one that got captured by goblins a long time ago.)
“Wait, that White Demon Owl?”
(Hoo.)
(Yeah, apparently it’s been looking for you ever since. We ran into it again when we were out finding your present.)
(Our present’s waiting outside.) Pearl added.
Looking out the window of the party room, I saw something huge sitting outside.
“Uh… what is that?”
((Mana Bison))
““““““““Haaaaah!?””””””””
---
Mana Bison
With its massive frame, the power and vitality of its charge are unmatched. The meat is said to be incredibly delicious.
---
The Mana Bison in the garden was enormous. The kitchen team—headed by Ken—rushed out immediately, shouting something about needing to drain the blood before it set.
(It’s really tasty, you know.) Pearl said proudly.
“The White Demon Owl even helped us find it,” Rosso added.
(Hoo-hoo!)
“Th-thank you. Umm, what about this owl though?”
(It said it wants to repay you for saving it.)
“Repay me? But it already helped find the Mana Bison. That’s more than enough.”
The White Demon Owl let out a soft hoo and circled me in the air. Normally I’d offer my arm for it to perch, but with my dress, neither my shoulder nor my arm could really handle that.
“Lady Joan,” said Sarah, handing me a towel.
I wrapped it around my arm and held it out. The owl landed gracefully and tilted its head.
(Hoo?)
“So cute… can I touch you?”
I reached out slowly. The owl didn’t flinch—just closed its eyes.
When I stroked its head, my hand sank into unbelievably soft feathers. Not coarse or wiry like I’d expected—fine, silky, and warm to the touch. The way it leaned into my hand was just adorable.
“You want to stay with me?”
—You saved me, boss. I gotta return the favor or I ain’t no man. I’m nocturnal, got great night vision, can fly silent, and my hearing’s top-notch. I know the forest like the back of my wing. I’ll be useful, swear it!
“… That’s… impressive. Alright then—you’ll be Meteor.”
As I said the name, the White Demon Owl glowed brightly.
(Uh, name’s Meteor! I’ll do my best for you and your family, Big Sis!)
The now-talking Meteor greeted everyone in a gruff, streetwise tone that made everyone smile awkwardly.
“Hahaha! Big Sis huh? Jo, you’ve got another contract beast,” Gene said, laughing as he came over.
“Well, he’s nocturnal, flies silently, and has good hearing—perfect for reconnaissance! And he’s so fluffy! A totally different kind of fluff from Snow, Pearl, or Rosso!”
“Fluffy or not, he’s cool. I’m jealous, Joan. Hey, Meteor, I’m Vince. Nice to meet you.”
I hadn’t known before, but apparently Vince really liked birds of prey.
Meteor seemed flustered after being called cool.
(Nice to meet ya too, Big Bro Vince!)
“Ohh, I like that. Big Bro—that’s good.” Vince grinned.
Since Vince didn’t have any younger siblings, he seemed to really like being called “Big Brother” by Mika and now by Meteor too.
For the record, Noel, Gene, and even Rosso all got called “Big Bro,” while Pearl and Dora were “Big Sis” and answered with a Fenrir Punch.
Meteor had even tried calling Father Boss, but Pearl quickly dragged him off for “educational guidance.”
When he returned, he called everyone normally again—except Vince, who still got “Big Bro.”
He must’ve really liked it.
---
Ping-pong-paan-pooon!
“Eh?”
“What’s wrong, Joan?”
“Belle? Didn’t you hear that? Like… a chime?”
“No? What sound?”
“Oh… maybe…”
—Assistant-chan, was that you?
—Happy birthday, Joan!
—Thanks! I didn’t expect you to call me.
—I’ve got a present for you, that’s why.
—A present!? Don’t tell me—it’s another skill?
—Nope! This time, I added a new feature to your Storage!
—A… new feature?
—Yup! A Dimension Room!
—A Dimension Room?
—Now you can live inside your Storage! You can keep your familiars there and even camp without a tent!
“Haaaah!?”
“Wh-what’s wrong, Joan!?”
“Ah, sorry! Something just really surprised me.”
“Surprised?”
“Yeah… I’m kind of processing it. Let me sort it out before I explain.”
“Okay. I’ll grab us some more juice, then.”
Belle headed off toward the refreshments.
She didn’t push for answers—just waited for me to talk when I was ready.
I really do have such a good friend.
Still… a Dimension Room?
Is that just for me? Even if I asked someone, everyone’s already had some alcohol tonight…
Alright, I’ll deal with it tomorrow.
It’s my birthday—no need to overthink things tonight!
What do you think about this chapter?
