“You’re saying you can’t do anything on your own, so you’ll run straight to the lord and confess everything? Are you bragging about your incompetence now?”

Even as he said that, I could see him getting anxious, so I inwardly scoffed. It seems he’s aware that he did something wrong.

By the way, it looks like he thought that by scratching my pride like that, I wouldn’t be able to tattle to As. Don’t think of me by your standards.

I tilted my head with an innocent expression.

“Incompetence… bragging…? How is reporting about work to the lord considered incompetence…?”

“A-Ahem!”

“Anyway, I still don’t know much about the monsters, so I need someone to help me…”

I glanced at Prom while drawing out my words. His black pupils were shifting back and forth.

Good. Should I provoke Prom a bit more here?

From my short time observing him, I judged him to be a person with strong pride who hated having his things taken away.

So, let’s give him a sense of crisis that he might lose all authority related to monsters if things continue like this.

“Our wise and thoughtful lord would gladly assign someone new to help me, right? For example…”

I paused for a moment. What would be a plausible place for Aspeiran to entrust monster management to?

A group that can sufficiently control monsters, would be interested in monsters, and has the scale to completely take away monster management authority from the research institute.

‘Hmm…’

Come to think of it, there’s a magic tower here in Belloy Castle too, right? Good, the magic tower meets all the conditions.

“He could assign a mage from the magic tower.”

I neatly finished my turn with ‘a mage from the magic tower’. The provocation effect was immediate.

“What nonsense!!”

Prom stormed over to me in great anger. He pointed fiercely at the air and shouted.

“How dare the magic tower covet the authority of our research institute working for Roakin’s future! How dare they!!”

It seems he’s had quite a grudge against the magic tower, as his reaction was much more intense than I expected.

After raging at some unknown target for a while, Prom soon coughed and immediately apologized to me.

“Ahem! I misspoke just now. Of course, monster breeding work is our research institute’s job! If you don’t know something, you should naturally ask! Ask us experts, right? Don’t you all agree?”

“Yes…”

The other researchers reluctantly nodded at Prom’s intense gaze.

As expected, if I persuade the research director Prom, the other researchers will follow along. Just as I predicted.

Prom smiled benevolently and said.

“Yes, yes. The situation here is quite serious. It needs improvement. So, what do you want to do now?”

“Cleaning.”

I answered without hesitation. I had a plan in mind already.

“First we need to clean. I’m going to get rid of those cages. But since the room is so large and dirty, I’ll need some help from others…”

“No!”

The researchers suddenly shouted in unison. I blinked.

“What?”

“Other people? We can’t let outsiders into this research institute!”

“This place is covered in top secret matters~”

“It, it would be difficult for security reasons… I’m sorry…”

“My research…”

Prom, Sek, Titira, and Kiri gave their reasons in order and strongly objected.

To refuse so adamantly. I scratched my cheek.

“Well, I guess there’s no helping it then.”

“…And that’s how all the researchers ended up cleaning the breeding facility themselves, my lord.”

I solemnly finished my story. Aspeiran’s face was dumbfounded and furious, his mind in a daze.

The sound of teeth grinding came from Aspeiran’s mouth. The veins on his temples visibly bulged.

“The monsters I entrusted to be managed… were neglected like that.”

As expected, it seems Aspeiran didn’t know the puppies were being treated this way.

The lord’s wrath upon learning this belatedly was terrifying. A murderous aura emanated from around him.

The four researchers all knelt before Aspeiran at once. I retreated cautiously.

Aspeiran’s voice, suppressing his anger, was colder than a midwinter gale.

“After your attempts to tame the monsters ended in failure, it was you lot who brought them to the research institute when I was about to reluctantly entrust them to the magic tower with its sufficient personnel.”

“My, my lord…”

“I clearly ordered you to take good care of the monsters without lacking anything. It seems I’ve been quite the fool to have things handled like this.”

“No!”

The researchers strongly denied it and bowed their heads, but Aspeiran did not soften his anger.

“I’ve been overlooking your arrogance all this time. Do you know why? Because I highly valued your willingness to throw yourselves into research that everyone else avoids, in order to discover new things.”

“…”

“But you’ve only become more and more insolent as time goes on. Don’t think I’ll keep overlooking things like this forever.”

Even though the anger wasn’t directed at me, my hands and feet went stiff and cold sweat flowed. My body trembled.

Fortunately, not long after, Aspeiran withdrew his murderous aura with a small click of his tongue.

He doled out punishment to the researchers while containing his anger.

“I’ll eliminate your personal research budgets for the next year.”

“…We humbly accept your command.”

The researchers who had prostrated themselves on the ground retreated. Aspeiran approached me.

“You did well today, Shuria. You must have had quite a hard time because of those hopeless fools.”

“Ah, no, my lord. The researchers helped a lot with the cleaning and such.”

I bowed politely and subtly spoke up for the researchers at the same time.

I felt guilty because it ended up like I actually tattled everything to Aspeiran. I hope this clears up any ill feelings they might have towards me, if there were any.

At my response, Aspeiran slightly softened his hardened expression. He seemed to think the researchers had reflected somewhat after all.

He didn’t mention the monster neglect incident any further. Instead, he looked around the room once and said.

“It will certainly take a lot of effort to renovate this place. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll provide whatever it is.”

‘Whatever!’

Whatever, what sweet words those are.

I was actually planning to go see Aspeiran tomorrow about something I’d been thinking of.

I was worried about how to persuade him, but this works out well.

With a broad smile, I boldly exclaimed.

“Then please give me some land!”

For some reason, Aspeiran’s expression contorted strangely upon hearing my request.

The land Shuria boldly requested. It was the wide open space on the research institute grounds.

Containing his bewilderment and asking for the reason, Aspeiran was told by Shuria:

‘I’m going to make proper breeding facilities for these puppies, the moonlight wolf dogs.’

Of course, Aspeiran permitted it.

Not only that, he even bestowed a golden ticket allowing her to freely borrow the labor of all the artisans and workers in the castle.

And today, a week later, was the day the breeding facilities for the moonlight wolf dogs would be completed.

Aspeiran personally came here to watch Shuria take her first steps as a monster breeder.

“My loooord―!”

Shuria, who had been looking around the completed breeding facility alone, ran out with a flushed face to greet Aspeiran.

Aspeiran was about to nod in response to her enthusiastic welcome, but Shuria suddenly made an “oops” expression and bowed deeply at the waist.

“I greet you, my lord!”

At that sight, Aspeiran couldn’t help but smile. As he thought from the first time he saw her, she really was a funny and strange woman.

Containing his faint smile, he looked down at the three furry lumps clinging tightly to Shuria.

The three moonlight wolf dog siblings, who had been so fierce, were now unrecognizably clean and fluffy.

Moreover, those once ferocious creatures were now nuzzling against Shuria and acting cute.

Aspeiran let out a small exclamation of admiration.

“They already listen to you well.”

“Isn’t it amazing? The kids are so smart. And they’re very affectionate too.”

Shuria bent down and patted each of the three puppies in turn. Three tails wagged as if they might break.

Casually brushing off the white fur stuck all over her hands, Shuria said.

“Now then, shall we go? I’ll guide you!”

The breeding facility Shuria enthusiastically introduced was clean and without unnecessary frills.

A wide snowy field for the snow-native moonlight wolf dogs to run around freely, three sturdy doghouses, a circular pergola for Shuria to use, all practical.

“I completely renovated the underground breeding facility too. I’m planning to have the kids stay there at night.”

“I see, well done.”

Aspeiran looked around the entire view of the breeding facility while listening to Shuria’s explanation.

The breeding area, enclosed by sturdy high fences, looked very cozy.

“Um, and…”

Just then, Shuria hesitantly opened her mouth. Aspeiran turned his gaze to her.

Shuria fidgeted with her hands nervously and carefully continued speaking.

“When I asked the researchers, they said these kids don’t have names yet.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. So I was wondering, could you perhaps give names to the children, my lord?”

Aspeiran raised one eyebrow.

“Names, specifically?”

“Names are important for puppies too! Both for building affection with each other, and further for training them.”

Aspeiran fell into thought for a moment.

Giving names isn’t particularly difficult. But names should contain affection towards the being they’re given to.

In that sense, there was a more suitable person to name these monsters.

“In that case, you should name them.”

“Me?”

“You’ll be spending the most time with these dogs, so it makes sense for you to name them.”

Shuria looked down at the moonlight wolf dogs. She was honestly happy to be allowed to name them herself.

After pondering for a while, Shuria said with fondness:

“Then I’ll go with Cutie, Tiny, and Awesome.”

“…Is that some kind of spell?”

“They’re names meaning cute, small, and amazing.”

“Hmm.”

Words I’ve never heard before. Are they from the region where this one lived?

Honestly, I thought ‘cute and small’ didn’t suit the monstrous moonlight wolf dogs at all, but if she really wanted to use those names…

Aspeiran nodded without further comment.

“Do as you wish.”

And so the three moonlight wolf dogs were named Cutie, Tiny, and Awesome.

Since the words cutie, tiny, and awesome didn’t exist in this world, no one realized that Shuria’s naming sense was terribly tacky.

Unfortunately.