The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter

Introducing a new family member.

After we exited the hidden dungeon, we raced against the glorious beauty of the evening sky.

The wind blowing against my face felt great.

The speed was absurdly high.

If you have to compare, it is fast enough to easily overtake the wolf demon in chase.

『 Do you need any help? 』

「I will do it myself 」

The wolf demon was chasing its prey, a rabbit.

It may also attack people, so I was going to kill it here.

Doh!

I released a stone projectile from the back of Toramaru.

It’s diameter is about fifty centimeters.

「Kyau!? 」

It let out a high-pitched shriek and fell down. It won’t stand anymore.

『 By the way, Noir. How far should I go with you? Would it be good to let you ride and part at the entrance of the city? 』

If it is OK with Toramaru, why don’t you visit my home for now?

There is a small garden there, and my father told me that he would like to have a guard dog.

『 If that is so, pardon me for disturbing. 』

Thanks to Toramaru’s speeding up again, we arrived in the city quite quickly.

Our arrival caused an uproar once we arrived near the gate.

The gatekeeper was shaking with his mouth open wide.

「Oh, that is, that is…, an attacking demon? 」

『 Be at peace. I bear no hostility towards you.』

「It’s true. It’s my subordinate demon.」

As I get down from the back of Toramaru, I went on with the following scenario.

Sit down! Hand!

A slightly humiliating instructions were thrown at the face of Toramaru.

However, thanks to that, he was acknowledged as a subordinate demon, and obtained a permission to enter the city.

Sorry for treating you like a dog, Toramaru.

As we entered the city, the uproar went up again.

Well, that is a given.

「What is that thing, a subordinate demon? 」

「Why there is a blooming flower on its head?… 」

「What an unbelievable strength… I wonder if that monster is really your follower… 」

As they noticed me riding, the attention was shifted from Toramaru to me.

『 As expected, if someone like myself goes inside the city, people will become frightened 』

「I think they would soon accept you as a subordinate demon, and you will surely become popular 」

「Noir!? What is that?」

uh-oh, I’ve encountered some acquaintances .

On my way, I’ve met a pretty girl who was in the middle of shopping.

As usual, the blooming beauty, Emma, runs which causes her big breasts to quiver.

She was impressed by the appearance of Toramaru.

「I think it is the first time I have seen such a demon. Has Noir obtained a subordinate demon? 」

I explained the circumstances in short and introduced Toramaru.

『 I’m a new friend of Noir’s. Nice to meet you!』

「Un, nice to meet you too! Right, I’m Emma!」

『 Emma should take a ride as well 』

「Well then, I would take on it 」

Emma took a ride behind me.

Some time after enjoying the view from the back, suddenly a hand embraced me around my stomach from behind.

Thanks to such close skinship, some LP started pouring in.

Should I feel thankful?

However…

「What is up with you, all of sudden, Emma? 」

「I think I have a fear of heights. Riding like this, it is scary.」

「Although you used to climb the clock tower so many times… Since when you have got that kind of illness?」

「…… Since 10 seconds ago?」

Apparently people can catch phobias so easily…

Toramaru twisted his neck, looking at our appearance.

『 Noir and Emma have a good relationship. Are you called a “couple”?』

「Well… it is not like that, – right, Noir?」

「That’s right. I would call us just “childhood friends” 」

「That’s an outright denial! Am I so unattractive?! 」

「Well, it is not like that… 」

「Forget it. I’m angry, so don’t talk to me! 」

It looks like I have to leave this complicated situation “as is”.

However, she kept hugging me with her hand.

On my way to home, I’ve discovered a few more familiar faces again.

The first one was a guild receptionist dressed up in green-toned clothes.

The shoulder-length brown hair gave off a cute but lively impression.

Her name is Laura-san.

And another one next to her was a beautiful half-elf.

Stylish girl, with her favorite magic gun on the waist holder, – her name was Luna-san.

One of the member of my and Emma’s party, with a role of saint, she was overflowing with vitality.

「Hey, excuse me for a moment. It’s my treat.」

「Please, this way.」

While the two were walking along the road, 2-men duo approached them again.

It looked like they were using some well-honed pick-up lines.

Laura-san was treated that way while walking.

「We, will treat you the best way.」

「Tell me your type of man 」

「Your boyfriend type?」

「Your boyfriend, what the… .

What kind of person is he?」

「I would say it would be a kind man; Noir-san 」

I suppose I have to use my name to drive off those stupid skirt chasers.

The men backed off for quite a distance upon hearing it.

But they didn’t look discouraged, and went on with flirting attempts towards Luna-san this time.

「Hey you, there?」

「Yeah. I can say that I am.」

「Wh… what kind of person?」

「Noir-dono, the rumored third son of a noble 」

「「What do you mean!?」」

The two men raised surprised cries.

I thought it would be better to help, so I will speak.

「Nice to meet you, I’m that rumored Noir 」

「Hai?!」

If you turn around, you would be surprised because there was a man on a black lion.

I put my hand on the body of Toramaru and said to the two girls.

「Today Toramaru became my friend. Would you both like to ride together with me? 」

「Let’s ride!」

「Certainly, I would like to experience it.」

「And that’s why…」

I told that to those men duo, as the 2 women went to ride on the Toramaru’s back.

As Toramaru’s back is quite large, he can easily move with 4 people.

There was only a problem with positioning.

For me, the front seat is OK, but Emma and Laura were fighting for the second one.

「It’s my seat! Where are you trying to jam into? 」

「How so? I’m Noir-san’s dedicated receptionist.」

「Even if you say that, I’m his childhood friend. I think the seat here is reserved for me!」

「Is that so? You are still a childhood friend after ten years spent together?」

「Hmm…」

Emma and Laura-san are fighting as always.

I think they have similar personalities and can get along well.

Amazed by the actions of those two, Luna-san shook her head with an “oh, well” expression.

「I guest it can’t be helped. In that case, I would sit there as a compromise.」

「「There is no way you would take that seat in such a sneaky way!!」」

Was Toramaru impressed by such overflowing spirit of conflicting tastes?

Sure he was.

『 Noir’s friends are surely powerful.』

「Thanks to that I’m not bored. My family members are unique that way as well 」

『 I’m looking forward to meeting with them 』

I dropped those three on my way home and made a promise to meet them again later.

Upon entering the living quarters of the residential district, I followed the road to my home.

There is a small garden behind the stone wall of the residence, and from that side one could see my living room.

As it was hot today, the window was open and I could hear the conversation between my father, mother and my younger sister Alice.

「I will definitely help both of you even if I have to die. Even if the opponent is a dragon, I’m going to stand against it. I would do anything to protect mother and Alice.」

「Ara, and what about Noir? 」

「A man must protect himself on his own, after all. When he returns, I’m going to give him some training.」

「Giving training to onii-sama, are you mistaken, by any chance?」

「That’s not it, Alice!

I’m still strong.

After all, I’m still a father.」

Today the father’s tension is high, isn’t it…

My mind became peaceful, as usually.

I went around the entrance and opened the door of my home.

Toramaru with a grinding sound expressed his relief.

As my father noticed me coming home, he went to greet me with small steps.

「Hi, Noir. Welcome back home – m – aaaaaaaa!?」

His waist gave out.

He saw Toramaru.

Even if I was standing right next to him, I was totally out of his sight.

「Hiii, hi—-. Mother, Alice, help me! There is something dangerous here…」

While crawling, the father moved towards the living room.

Are you a Sick Zombie?

At the same time my mother and Alice came out and stared at Toramaru.

「Ara-ara, it’s amazing… Welcome back home, Noir 」

「Onii-sama, have you got a subordinate demon? That’s great… 」

They look some much more calm compared to the father.

The patriarch of the Stalgia house has finally noticed my existence, stood up and stretched his chest.

「*Coughh* Subordinate demon is a good thing, I suppose. For now, welcome back, Noir.」

「Father, to begin with – first and foremost. Your pants are down!」

「Oops! I’ve shown something unsightly!」

It’s all right, nobody in the family is interested in that.

「One more thing. Let’s get straight to the point. And let’s keep Toramaru at home! 」

「… but… isn’t he a Lion (not Tora/Tiger) – maru? Would it be ok? What is even more important… does he bite?」

『 I myself won’t do such a thing. Noir is my important friend. That’s why this family is very important for me as well.』

「He… talked?! Ah, furthermore, he has intelligence.」

「Whether it is a living room or a garden, Toramaru has enough space to move, and during the day he can act as a watchdog, for example.」

To tell the truth, there are a lot of thefts in the neighborhood.

Even though our house is poor, it still suffered damage a few times.

Even if there is no money, the food can still be stolen.

So my mother and Alice gave their approval.

Once you touch Toramaru, you can easily get used to it.

As for my father, it looks like his fear still remained.

「U-n, you know, how are we going to explain that to our neighbors? 」

「As my “subordinate demon”, that much is not enough?

Toramaru, would that sort of story be fine with you?」

『 No problem at all. I’m fine with it, – whether it would be a “subordinate demon” or a “pet”.」

「And that is how it is. What do you think?」

「… I got it! If I decline, I’m going to be eaten, so it is OK!」

So, it is so that he would not be eaten…

But it is OK this way as well, and from today he became a member of the family.

My mother already started calling him “Tora-chan”.

「Let’s indulge in dinner today. Come on, Toramaru-chan, sit down.」

『 I’m much obliged.』

Alice was combing with her fingers the mane of Toramaru, who was waiting in lying posture.

My father whispered in my ear:

「(Hey, hey, what is that tulip?)」

「Ah, that is… 」

It looked like I didn’t need to tell about it.

Alice gently stroked the flower.

『 Afa-aa, that is… ah… a…!」

That part is a sensitive place for Toramaru.

It has to be treated gently.

「If you do it like this, Toramaru gets slightly strange.」

「I understand, it is just like mother for me…」

「I don’t quite understand the analogy, so I wonder if it is OK. 」

My father also tried to gather his courage and touch the flower, but he gave up, as expected.

It looks like Toramaru was shaking his tail with *tsun-tsun* sound, while doing “poke-poke”-like teasing with all his force.

After all, from today Toramaru became one of the Stalgia family.