Chapter 11
Um... what am I supposed to do here?
For now, I'll try mentally saying, "Yes."
≪Your application has been accepted. Momo has joined your party.≫
Apparently, that means Momo has joined my party.
Yeah. There are way too many things to process, so I can't quite organize my thoughts.
When I check the status screen, a new entry has appeared at the very bottom.
The entry is called 'Party Members.'
Momo's name was listed there.
Momo
Shiba Inu Lv. 2
I see. So when you form a party, names and levels are displayed.
Shiba Inu, huh...
Wait, could it be a Race?
It could be a dog breed, but since this is a game-like system, Race feels more fitting.
If it were a human, I wonder how they'd be displayed.
A Job, maybe? Hmm, I won't know until I actually meet someone else.
Actually, wait a second.
Level 2...?
"......Hey, Momo. Did you perhaps defeat a monster?"
"Woof!"
Momo answers cheerfully.
Does that mean yes?
Wait, seriously?
Momo wags the tail and tilts the head as if to ask, 'What's up?'
How cute.
There is no way such a cute little dog could have defeated a monster.
Right, it must be some kind of mistake.
Oh, right. There is a way to find out.
"Hey, Momo. Have you seen a stone like this?"
I take a blue pebble out of the Item Box.
It's the drop item that proves I defeated a goblin.
What am I supposed to use this for, anyway?
Incidentally, when I stored it, I learned its name.
The Item Box's list displayed 'Goblin Magic Stone (Tiny).'
Magic stones... They're a staple of other worlds.
You take them to the Adventurers' Guild to exchange them for money, or use them as materials for powerful weapons. But in reality, there are no guilds. All we have are black companies (corporate-slave factories) that ignore the Labor Standards Act.
Hm?
The moment I took out the Goblin Magic Stone (Tiny), Momo's tail started wagging like crazy.
"Woof, woof!"
It seemed to be saying, 'Gimme! Gimme that!'
Huh? You want it?
"Wuff!"
Apparently, Momo wants it.
In other words, can Momo understand what I'm saying?
When I move the hand holding the magic stone to the right, Momo's gaze follows it to the right.
When I move it to the left, Momo's gaze follows it to the left.
When I spin it around, Momo's head spins around too.
"Wuff..."
Ah, I made Momo dizzy. ...Cute.
Sorry, sorry.
For now, I place the magic stone in front of Momo.
Momo sniffs it, then looks back and forth between me and the pebble.
I nod.
But what would Momo do with something like this?
Just as I think that, Momo picks up the pebble and crunches it.
Whaaat!? Momo ate it!?
"Hey, Momo! You can't eat something like that! Spit it out. Spit!"
But it was already too late.
Crunch, crunch, gulp.
Momo polished off the magic stone with a satisfied look.
Whaaat...
Momo gazes up at me with sparkling eyes.
Do you have any more? I want to eat more.
That's what it looks like Momo is saying.
"Wuff...?"
Won't you give me one? Is it not allowed?
Ugh... Gaaaaah.
Stop looking at me like that. Please, stop.
I remember the Chihuahua from that one commercial. What do I do?
In the end, defeated by Momo's gaze, I take a Goblin Magic Stone out of the Item Box.
Momo is overjoyed and gobbles it down.
"Seriously... You can eat this?"
For a test, I put one in my mouth too.
It's hard. It's just a rock. And it's bitter. Damn, it's awful.
There's no way this is edible.
Why can Momo eat it?
Oh, well. Momo is happy.
In the end, I give Momo all the Goblin Magic Stones from the goblins I defeated.
"Oh, right."
I look at the Item Box's list.
I stored a considerable amount, so even finding 'that' is a bit of a chore.
"There it is..."
The big dog I ran over at the very beginning.
The purple pebble it dropped.
Its name was listed properly, too.
'Shadow Wolf Magic Stone (Small) ×1'
Apparently, that big dog was called a Shadow Wolf.
A literal translation would be Shadow Wolf, huh? What a cool name, damn it.
Man, this storage list is convenient.
It accurately lists the 'names' of everything I've stored.
This could have all sorts of applications.
I take out the Shadow Wolf Magic Stone and place it in front of Momo as well.
Momo's tail starts wagging furiously, and the dog's expression lights up.
Momo looks incredibly happy.
Momo's eyes practically ask, 'Is it okay? Can I eat this?' Cute.
When I give Momo permission, the dog digs in.
Even so, why does watching a dog that's been made to wait finally eat its food make my heart flutter so much? It makes me all giddy.
Is it just me? No, surely any dog lover understands.
I leisurely watch Momo eat.
"Hm?"
After finishing the Shadow Wolf Magic Stone, Momo's body gives a sudden twitch.
Then Momo spins around in place, as though checking whether anything had changed.
"What's wrong, Momo?"
Could it be I shouldn't have let Momo eat that after all?
When I look at Momo worriedly, Momo pats my shadow a few times, then enthusiastically rubs against me.
"Woof!"
It seemed to be saying, 'I'm fine, don't worry. Thank you.'
If anything, Momo's voice seems more energetic than before.
Cute. I spend a while petting Momo's fluffy fur. It soothes my battered heart.
"All right, Momo. I'm heading to the convenience store nearby. Want to come with me?"
"Woof!"
Momo answers enthusiastically.
Hmm, honestly, considering my Skills and Job, as well as the danger posed by monsters, I should probably go alone... Especially for Momo's safety.
But... for some reason, I feel like I should bring Momo with me.
Someone once said that humans are creatures who think with reason and act on emotion.
At times like this, it's better to follow your intuition.
And a few minutes later―――I become certain that my intuition was correct.
Momo is far more amazing than I expected.