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I was dragged outside by Lindy, unable to persuade my friends that it was all just a misunderstanding. The door closed behind us, leaving only Selian and Cecilia inside the room.

Selian, who probably couldn’t clear up the misunderstanding about having troubled the Emperor, would apologize to Cecilia, who would, in turn, be confused by Selian’s apology, not knowing what it was all about.

It might seem trivial, just a mere bow of the head, but for someone of Selian’s stature, even that requires significant resolve. Of course, the burden is slightly lessened by the fact that it’s the Emperor, but that doesn’t mean Selian’s pride won’t be wounded.

But I didn’t need to worry about Selian.

Or rather, I was in no position to worry. If I had the energy to spare, I should be worrying about myself instead.

Because Lindy was gripping my neck with an unyielding hand, and the way my other friends were staring at me from outside was incredibly cold.

Suddenly, I felt a drop of cold sweat trickle down my neck.

“Well then… let’s leave the business inside to those two and chat while we wait!”

For some reason, my instincts as an assassin were ringing alarm bells, urging me to flee, but with Lindy’s grip still firm on my neck, I couldn’t escape.

Meanwhile, Frecia, still in her cat form, was clinging to my clothes with her sharp claws, poking me every time I tried to move, as if telling me to abandon any thought of escape.

“Haha… didn’t we explain pretty much everything inside already? Is there really a need to talk more?”

No matter how hard I tried to shake them off and run away, I couldn’t escape from my friends’ encirclement. Of course, I thought about using the power of a Hero, but I couldn’t just use an unrefined strength I hadn’t even practiced yet in front of my friends.

“Hmm… really? So you think that, do you, Elysia?”

For some reason, Lindy’s response carried an unsettling tone. She was smiling, her voice sweet as sugar, yet it felt completely devoid of warmth.

“She knows she ‘kind of’ explained everything, and she also knows how worried we were, yet she wants to just brush it off…”

“From what Lindy said, I can guess what happened inside to some extent.”

The one who answered was Yuli. And as if on cue, Anne and Mariel also approached me, forming a circle around me. Even Olivier, who came to bring our friends to the capital, was pretending to be uninterested, but kept glancing our way.

“Haha… guys…?”

What are humans, after all? Aren’t they supposed to be rational beings that engage in conversation? We have this wonderful tool called dialogue.

Trying to find a way out of this inexplicable crisis, I attempted to converse with my friends, but they ignored me, continuing their chatter among themselves.

“How many times has this kind of thing happened already…?”

“It’s been this way even before we joined. Is it just their nature, or is it in their blood…?”

“If you just stay quietly, you won’t have any issues, but somehow as soon as you leave the room, someone always comes to ask what’s up.”

It felt incredibly strange, as if I were invisible. Where had my friendly friends gone? In their place was a cold indifference I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Maybe I should just be tied up so I can’t go anywhere?”

There was even someone jokingly suggesting something a little scary.

“Tied up?”

“Yeah. Just like a puppy, if we put a leash on you, you won’t be able to escape, right?”

But I’m not a dog! Besides, in this Empire, the slave trade had long been abolished, so it was rare to see someone on a leash. Even if they were a slave, they’d be controlled by magic, not by a leash.

“…”

It was utterly ridiculous…

Yet why were my friends silently agreeing with Anne’s nonsense without questioning it? Some were even nodding enthusiastically.

“…Now that you mention it, I remember that one of the items I was asked to relay to others while following El’s trail was something like that. It should be in this backpack…”

Anne turned her backpack around and started rummaging through it.

And finally, something emerged from her hand.

Having sent most of my belongings home, all that was left was this useless item, and I couldn’t fathom why it was still in her backpack.

“Here, El. Come here for a second?”

With the leash in hand, Yuli approached me with a friendly smile. As she took a step closer, I instinctively took a step back.

Thud.

But when she took another two steps, I found myself bumping into the wall of friends encircling me.

“Good boy, El? It’s for your own good…”

“Guys? I don’t know what’s going on, but this is really not okay! I mean, a dog collar?!”

Anne had wrapped her arm around me, leaving me unable to flee or even resist.

No matter how hard I tried to deny it, Yuli’s gaze remained unaltered, drawing ever closer. The leash in her hand slowly approached my neck, and I felt an unfamiliar sensation brush against my nape.

Slick, click.

“There! All done!”

I had actually put on a collar. The situation had completely disregarded my intentions, and I felt as though I’d given up my humanity.

“Whoa-ho! El is such a good boy after all.”

While holding my leash, Yuli lifted her free hand to pat my head like a pet, praising me.

In the midst of this violation of my human rights, I was shockingly filled with comfort, relief, and joy from Yuli’s touch and praise.

“This is just…”

“I thought you were a cat, but maybe a dog suits you after all…”

My friends continued their chatter without a care, but I couldn’t afford to pay attention to them. If I had the energy for that, I needed to cling to my humanity just a little bit longer.

Clack.

Was it the commotion from outside causing this? The sound of the Audience Room door opening came as Selian and Cecilia stepped out into the corridor, looking more intimate than before, although their previous awkwardness still lingered.

“Oh, Sel! Did the conversation wrap up?”

“Yes. Surprisingly, we found common ground. He’s a good person, so you don’t have to be overly cautious.”

It was worth celebrating that their relationship had improved. While an unlikely coup by Selian or a purge of Selian by the Emperor was improbable, these two would surely steer the future of the Empire.

Their combined strength would hopefully lead to the Empire’s resurgence.

“Hmm. By the way, it’s quite noisy here. What’s going on?”

It seemed the noise we made outside had reached inside the room, as the Emperor asked with a puzzled expression. At least he wasn’t angry, which was a relief.

Selian also appeared curious about the commotion, peering over with the Emperor’s accompaniment, eyes now directed towards us.

Oh no! I can’t let them see me like this…!

No matter what, I couldn’t show Selian this embarrassing sight. A collar? If she saw it, how pathetic would she think I am…?

I hurriedly bent over to hide myself as much as possible.

“Cough!”

But since I had been holding onto the leash tightly, I ended up choking myself on it as I bent down, stuck in an awkward position between sitting down and standing up. And the unexpected shock made me let out a helpless scream.

Thank goodness the collar was made of soft leather, or it could have hurt, but I was truly surprised.

“El…? What’s this…?”

“I-I didn’t want this! My friends just suddenly pressed me into this…!”

Of course, I was caught, and Selian asked in a bewildered tone upon seeing my plight. There was even a hint of excitement in her voice, as if she was mad that while she was bowing to the Emperor for my sake, I was actually fooling around with my friends outside.

This wasn’t my intention, and I quickly waved my arms in denial, hoping she wouldn’t mistakenly think I had such a kink.

But regardless of my denials, Selian approached me silently, getting closer and closer. Then she slowly raised a trembling hand and offered it toward me.

“Hand.”

…At that moment, I felt like I wanted to die.

 

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