Chapter 10: The Tea Party and the Award Ceremony

And so I had tea and waited with Demon King Pecora.

It might seem like a weird time for a tea party, but actually, this was the exact kind of situation that made me want to drink some tea and take it easy. I could see why the tea ceremony was popular during the Warring States era. When your body was fighting, your heart yearned for peace.

As an aside, on our way to the tea party venue, Pecora took my arm.

Apparently, she'd been looking for someone she could physically connect with on this level.

"I'm very happy to have found an elder sister. I'd grown weary of simply making everyone obey me."

"Isn't there anyone you can respect among the demons? A former teacher or someone like that?"

"When they see me, everyone naturally turns humble."

Well, after all, she was the king.

I could understand that. Sometimes, when people praised me too much as the Witch of the Highlands, it wore me out. Although, since Beelzebub treated me as an equal, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

"What sort of tea would you like, my sister?"

"I don't know what kind you have, so you choose something, Pecora. Show me your good taste."

"That's a heavy responsibility…"

Pecora and I entered a sumptuous room, just the two of us.

The beverage her retainers brought in for us resembled a very spicy soup.

"What is this?"

"It's nsuja tea."

That was tough to pronounce. I wasn't sure, but it was probably a drink like butter tea. The demon lands were in the north, and I thought they probably needed a beverage that warmed them up. This one was pretty good, once you got used to it.

"Aah, tea with my elder sister. I've been looking forward to this day. I was right to choose you as a recipient for the Demon Medal… Although I never dreamed I'd lose consciousness."

Was it possible she'd called me here in order to form this mysterious pseudosister relationship with me?

"If there's any way the demons can be of service to you, just say the word, please. Your little sister will do everything she can for you."

So apparently, I now had the demons at my beck and call.

I'd acquired a strange level of authority before I really knew what was happening… Depending on how I used this, I could easily destroy a country.

Since she was calling me "elder sister," I thought it might be strange if I spoke to her too casually, so I tried talking a bit less and acting somewhat cool and distant. I also sharpened my gaze.

"Well, yes, I'll put you to work. Don't resent me for it, Pecora."

"Ooooh, nice. This is nice… An elder sister witch with a cool attitude. It doesn't get better than this…"

My act had been a smash hit?!

The demon king looked about ready to start drooling. Was she okay?

"When you pounded the wall beside me, Sister Azusa, it made my heart skip! A woman with a gallant expression giving me orders—I nearly swooned."

I'd unintentionally scored a direct hit on Pecora's preferences. I hadn't been acting, either; that had been serious.

"Um, Sister, I have a request."

"What, Pecora?"

"Would you kiss me on the cheek?"

"Huh?"

I felt as if she'd just said something weird to me.

"In my favorite book, there's a scene where the older sister kisses her sworn younger sister on the cheek, and I just love it. I've truly longed for something like that."

Pecora had flushed red, and she put her hands to her face.

"And, you see, no one's here right now…"

True, the retainers who'd brought in the tea had all gone away again.

"You kiss family members, don't you? This is merely an extension of that."

Was it like that among the demons? In some countries, I'd heard it was pretty common to do that to your family, but I'd never done it to mine… It would have been easy to do it to my daughters, but if I had, I most likely wouldn't have been able to stop there and would have had to include Laika and Halkara as well, so I'd kept it to hugs.

"All right. Only on the cheek, though."

If no one was looking anyway, it was fine. Besides, right now, it would be dangerous to treat Pecora badly.

"Th-thank you very much, Sister!"

It was just a little peck on the cheek. There was no need to be so nervous about it. It had nothing to do with romance, either.

I got up from my chair and put my face near Pecora's cheek.

"Close your eyes, Pecora."

Pecora obeyed my order.

If I kept her in suspense for too long, I'd freeze up as well, so I immediately moved my lips closer.

Just then, the door opened.

"My, but that was frightening, Madam Teacher. They very nearly put me in a flooded chamber."

Halkara had come in.

But of course, at the moment, I was just about to kiss Pecora, and…

The kiss was interrupted, but Halkara had already seen more than enough.

"Wha… Madam Teacher, you and the demon king are… Wh— Wha— Whaaaaaaaaaat?!"

She was clearly about to blow a fuse.

"Calm down, Halkara! Actually, that's an order. Settle down!"

"Madam Teacher, are you the type who falls for women?! I see… I, um… You have my support."

"I don't particularly need your support!"

"Only, if that's the case, it does put me in an awkward position. We live in the same house, and you've never made a single move on me… Am I that unattractive? I feel a strange sense of failure…"

"You haven't lost at anything! You don't have to feel miserable, all right?!"

While I was explaining myself, Pecora was looking miffed.

Her face was redder than I'd ever seen it.

"You! Barging in on my precious time with my elder sister—have you no delicacy?! That's one thing I absolutely shan't forgive! I'll have you

executed!"

Whaaaaaaaaaat?!

"First you release me, and now you're having me killed?! Spare me, I'm begging you! I'll do anything, so please forgive me!"

Halkara despaired; she was on the verge of tears.

"You can't execute her! Forgive her! Okay?! Please?!"

"Don't stop me, Sister! That woman spoiled my fantasy!"

"No, I'm stopping you! I can't not stop you!"

Hmm… How can I put her in a better mood?

"In that case, would you like me to kiss you now?"

"No. The atmosphere's been ruined. Kisses are a ritual to deepen the bonds between older and younger sisters. They're more than a mere brush of the lips."

Apparently, she was very picky about these things.

In the end, I no longer had to kiss anybody, I managed to soothe Pecora somehow, and Halkara was forgiven.

***

After that, my family was safely reunited.

When Halkara returned to the room, Falfa jumped on her. Shalsha and Laika sighed with relief.

"For a while, I really wasn't sure what would happen. Halkara, please do live just a little more cautiously."

"I worried you, too, didn't I, Laika? I'm very sorry."

This time, Halkara seemed to be doing some serious soul-searching.

"Still, all's well that ends well. Welcome back. Take your time—relax and rest today."

Laika's expression grew gentle. Everyone had been anxious about Halkara.

"Thank you very much. A little later, and they would have begun to torture me…"

"By the way, where is Rosalie? I don't see her."

Rosalie's face emerged from the wall right beside me.

"Oh, sorry, I was in the wall!"

"Waugh! You scared me!"

I flinched. It was bad enough that I jumped and almost stepped on Halkara's foot.

Still, we really were all together now.

Suddenly, I began to want to do a certain something to my daughters.

If an action isn't wrong, it's best to go right ahead and do it.

First, I called to Shalsha, who was nearby.

"Shalsha, come here a moment, please."

Shalsha trotted over.

I scooped her up in a hug and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Oh! A kiss…"

Even after I put Shalsha down, she seemed dazed for a little while.

"I've decided I'll kiss you two from now on… That's all right, isn't it? I know I'm asking after the fact, but…"

Pecora had inspired me, and I'd decided to kiss my daughters as their mother.

Our relationship was more nebulous than the one a normal parent and her children would have had in the first place, so it was important for us to confirm that we were family this way.

"…I don't mind at all."

Maybe it was embarrassing; Shalsha's face had flushed a little.

"Mommy! Falfa too! Falfa too!"

Falfa was bouncing up and down. Of course I'll kiss you.

It was my policy to treat both my daughters equally. Even if their personalities were different, there really mustn't be any inequality in the love I showered them with. After all, if I hadn't killed slimes, neither of them would have been born.

Falfa leaped at me, and I caught her in a hug. Then I kissed her.

They were both slime spirits, but their cheeks weren't as springy as slimes — Well, but they were incredibly resilient. Was this the phenomenon known as "youth"? Or was it really because they were slimes?

"Yaaaay! Mommy kissed me!"

Falfa was delighted, without a trace of embarrassment. That's right. Between parents and children, no embarrassment is necessary.

"Mommy, Falfa wants to kiss you, too!"

"Sure. Wait just a minute, though."

I wanted to be as equal as possible, respecting both their wills…

"Do you want to kiss your mother, too, Shalsha?"

Shalsha nodded. "Uh-huh."

"In that case, kiss me from both sides."

In perfect sync, my daughters kissed me on the cheeks.

Having your daughters kiss you. For a mother, was there any time when real life felt more fulfilling? It was probably safe to say no. I'd worked very hard, so it was okay for me to have a perk like this, wasn't it?

"All right, you two. Thank you."

"I think Falfa likes you even more now, Mommy!"

"It isn't possible to express love in quantitative terms like 'more' or 'less.'"

At times like this, their differences became apparent.

I'd have to thank Demon King Pecora for teaching me about the notion of kisses.

"My, my. Kisses between parents and children are nice as well, aren't they?"

I heard a voice I'd just been listening to a little while ago.

When I turned, Pecora had opened the door and come in.

Involuntarily, Halkara braced herself. True, she had very nearly ended up in a dangerous situation.

Laika had braced herself as well, but in a different way. Halkara had prepared to run, while Laika seemed ready to fight.

"Pecora, what…?"

"I heard that none of you had eaten yet. Since we had the opportunity, I thought we might be able to eat together."

I see. That wasn't a bad idea. Actually, when I heard the word eat, I realized that I was incredibly hungry.

Well, of course. Until I was sure everybody was safe, food had been out of the question. Human bodies were apparently pretty tactful about things like that.

"Perfect timing. Where should we go?"

"I'll show you to the dining room for guests. Come, Sister, let us go."

Pecora took my arm, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I got the feeling that, of the people I'd met so far, this girl spoke the most with her actions. Falfa was my daughter, so she got special treatment.

"Oh… Lady Azusa…"

Laika looked a little lonely. True, she was just my apprentice, so she walked a step behind. When this is all over, perhaps I should dote on her a bit more.

"It's like Madam Teacher has been taken away, and I feel almost defeated after all."

Halkara felt something similar, apparently. Managing distance in relationships was unexpectedly hard… That was a problem for later.

"Listen, Pecora, don't you think you're being too clingy?"

However, Pecora paid no attention to what I'd said; she clutched my arm even more tightly.

"This is what pseudosister relationships are like. Please play along with my fantasy, just for a little while, elder sister."

Well, there hadn't been anyone to fill the role of big sister to the demon king, so there might be no way out of this. She'd probably been lonely.

"Yes, all right. I did promise I would."

I stroked Pecora's head. I wasn't sure if it would be a faux pas to pet her ovine horns, so I didn't touch them.

"Aaaah, I got knocked out today, but this happiness is enough to cancel all that."

I was honored by her utter lack of embarrassment as she shared her joy with me.

"Um, Sister, could I ask you to carry me to the dining room in your arms, like a princess?"

"You're pretty demanding, aren't you?"

"Well, I am the demon king, after all. Of course I'm willful."

True, she didn't seem apologetic, but she took no petty delight in controlling other people, either. In her life, it was simply her place to ask others for things.

"Besides, I suppose I might call it a replacement for that kiss that didn't happen. Sisters should have special moments like those."

"That's true. Is this how you want me to carry you?"

I picked Pecora up. Possibly because I was level 99, I didn't lose my balance or drop her.

"In the arms of my elder sister… Those scenes that I fantasized about from the story really are wonderful…"

Laika and Halkara followed us. They didn't look as if they were enjoying themselves much.

"Halkara, I believe I may not be terribly fond of that person."

"If I had to say, I can't deal with her, either. I think sheltered rich girls like her would grow better if they experienced some of the harshness the world has to offer. For example, maybe she should work at my factory, with an additional eighty hours of overtime a month."

I think that was probably a joke, but don't you dare give your employees that much overtime.

I had no idea that Pecora would irritate those two so much… I'd better smooth things over somehow. I preferred not to rock the boat.

"Oh! You just thought of something besides me, didn't you, Sister?"

Pecora puffed out her cheeks a bit.

"I'm free to think whatever I like, aren't I?"

"When you're carrying your little sister in your arms, though, it's only natural to think of her."

So apparently, the princess carry was bound by a variety of rules, too.

"Come, don't you have anything to say about this? 'You're very light, you know,' or something like that."

"Maybe it's your fancy clothes, but you're beginning to feel heavier and heavier."

"You're so mean, Sister."

Pecora puffed out her cheeks crossly again, but—

"I like being toyed with by my mean elder sister, too."

In the end, she looked happy.

On the way, the other demons watched us, looking terribly taken aback, but no one said anything.

I guess there isn't a demon anywhere who can complain to their king.

Beelzebub and Vania were waiting outside the dining room.

Beelzebub looked a little—or rather, very—disgusted.

"Your Majesty, don't you think you're overdoing it a bit?"

"Well, there's no one in this world who's fit to acknowledge as my elder sister. I'd thought that you might be a big-sister candidate, Beelzebub, but you've never scolded me even once."

Pecora pouted. She seemed to be quite a spirited girl.

Beelzebub and the rest probably had a pretty hard time here.

"Haaa… Azusa, play the big sister properly, would you? The job's too much for me."

"All right. I'll handle it for the next few days."

"If possible, I'd like you to come here once every couple of months."

Was this strange relationship going to go on forever? I might have roped myself into something awkward…

"I know! Why don't you eat with us, Beelzebub? Your subordinate is welcome, too."

Our group now consisted of the usual suspects for parties at my house, plus Pecora and Vania. Well, it was nice to have things lively.

The demons' court cuisine was all highly seasoned, but it was delicious. I was glad we hadn't been served insects or something. During the meal, Pecora spoke to me again and again: "Sister, is there any type of liquor you'd like to drink?" "Sister, do tell me if there are any dishes you fancy." "Sister, Sister."

"Why don't you act a little more like a demon king?"

"That would be boring, no different from what I usually do. I want to do all I can for you, as your little sister."

I had the authority to make the demon king do anything I wanted. How should I use this…?

"Later on, could you teach me a few things about the plants that grow in the demon lands? I might be able to develop new medicines based on them."

"Of course! I'll make the arrangements right away!"

This would benefit my home area, too, so I'd call it a win.

"Tomorrow is finally the day of the medal conferment. I can't wait!"

"Come to think of it, that is why we're actually here, isn't it?"

I wondered what sort of event it would end up being.

"Oh, that's right… Laika, wasn't it?"

Unusually, Pecora said a name that wasn't mine.

"Yes, Your Majesty. What is it?"

Since Pecora was clinging to me, Laika still looked nonplussed.

"Tomorrow, you'll be reunited with someone unexpected."

"Pardon?"

Instead of answering, Pecora just smiled mischievously.

***

The next day, we put on our dresses and went to the ceremony venue.

Despite the eventful day before, the site of the ceremony was decorated with flowers as though nothing had happened at all. My rampage probably wouldn't be made public.

There were other people who didn't seem to be demons, besides us. From what I overheard of their conversations, they were scholars. Evidently, it was true that the demons held this ceremony to honor all sorts of people.

"I'm nervous, but this is hard for other reasons."

People I'd fought yesterday were here as well. We greeted one another awkwardly: "I apologize for my rudeness yesterday." "No, no, I should be saying that to you…"

As a result, when I spotted Beelzebub and Vania, I felt a little relieved.

"For a while there, I really wasn't sure what was going to happen."

"I could say the same. That was the biggest crisis I've ever had, too… I thought things wouldn't get boring if I was with you, but I'd really rather not have any more of this, thank you."

Beelzebub still looked worn out.

I could tell from the way her wings were fluttering. On top of that, even though it wasn't hot, she was waving her feathered fan.

"I thought I might die, too. Actually, I was already prepared for it."

Vania also looked rather haggard.

Beside Vania was another demon whose face strongly resembled hers.

"Who's this?"

"I'm the leviathan Fatla. I was the one you rode here."

"Oh! Thank you very much!"

"I'm acting as a staff member at today's ceremony. Personally, flying is a lot easier for me. You know how it is; entertaining guests takes a lot of emotional energy."

I knew what she meant. Back when I was chained to my company, chauffeuring had been easier than taking care of guests.

"Well, I'm looking forward to serving you today. Please enjoy a drink before the ceremony."

Fatla offered us glasses with something alcoholic in them. This might have been a universal custom.

Laika took a glass after I did. However, at that point, Vania broke in.

"Um, listen… If anyone here gets intoxicated easily or doesn't handle alcohol well, drink water instead, okay?"

Vania's eyes were clearly on Halkara.

"All right. I'll be cautious."

Since Halkara was being careful, we probably wouldn't have trouble this time.

"Falfa and Shalsha, you have water, too."

Slimes apparently weren't good at breaking down alcohol. Since this fact fit their childlike appearances, it was easy to understand in a way.

"Since this is a demon ceremony, I wondered what it would be like, but it's quite sophisticated, isn't it, Lady Azusa?"

Laika was gazing around at the venue, looking very much like a well-bred young lady.

"You're used to ceremonies, aren't you, Laika? I suppose you would be."

"Yes. This isn't much different from dragon ceremonies. I imagine the proceedings will end without trouble."

Laika, comments like that tend to jinx things, so I really wish you wouldn't.

Just then, the soldiers loudly called: "Presenting Her Majesty the demon king!"

Pecora appeared on a slightly raised dais.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend today. I am the demon king, Provato Pecora Ariés. I'll get straight to business and award the Demon Medals in order. First, the magic division. Mr. Mantoya, for vastly improving the level of defense reinforcement magic."

Pecora handed something that appeared to be a medal to a man who was very obviously a magician.

This part went the way you'd expect it to as well.

"Next, the nature division. Mr. Noreil, who has successfully cultivated blue roses."

The next individual to appear was an elderly man who seemed to have no idea why he'd been summoned to such a place. It was easy to imagine that the demons had suddenly informed him that they were awarding him a medal and told him to show up.

After that, she went on to recognize various divisions.

It was probably due to Pecora's temperament, but the ceremony itself felt casual, and it wasn't tedious.

"All right, next is the peace division. Miss Azusa, the Witch of the Highlands, if you would."

Accompanied by applause, I went to stand in front of the dais. I'd been through quite a lot just to receive this medal.

However, at that point, Pecora smiled mischievously.

Argh, that expression… She's gotta be plotting something.

"As a matter of fact, it isn't just Miss Azusa."

"What do you mean?"

"You put an end to the long feud between the red and blue dragons. Since we have this opportunity, I'd like to award medals to the dragons as well."

Pecora's eyes went to Laika.

"Huh? Me too?"

Laika pointed to her own face. Applause broke out, and so she had to come up on the dais as well.

"I see. This is a rather nice idea," I said.

It was true that, without Laika's help, I wouldn't have been able to stop the fight. However, if this was all, then Pecora's expression didn't make sense…

"Well, Miss Laika the red dragon is here. Let's have a representative from the blue dragons as well. Miss Flatorte, come to the front, please!"

""Huh?!""

Laika and I yelped in unison.

A girl with horns and a dragon tail opened the door and came in.

There was no mistake. It was Flatorte in her human form.

Earlier, she had been the leader of the blue dragons who'd forced their way into Laika's big sister's wedding. We'd trounced her completely, and she'd been forced into a nonaggression pact with the red dragons.

"Miss Flatorte is in charge of the blue dragons, after all, and she's making sure that no more fights occur. I thought she should receive a medal, too."

"You do like surprising people, don't you?"

Timidly, Flatorte came up onto the dais as well.

As you'd expect, she didn't seem comfortable standing beside Laika… Although the reverse was also true.

"I-it's been a long time, Laika…"

"Yes, it has. I'm glad we've stopped meeting each other on battlefields."

"All right, I'm conferring a medal to each of you."

Pecora was rather sloppy as she hung the medals on each of them.

"Now the dragons' peace is even more secure. I can't imagine anyone would start a fight."

Pecora smiled brightly. It was the "If you violate this, the demons will fly into a rage and attack you" system.

"I—I know…that. The blue dragons won't do anything, so…"

Flatorte was trembling rather noticeably. Even dragons were scared of the demon king.

"Pecora, you may not seem to be the meticulous type, but that was a pretty clever idea."

"As the demon king, I must ensure that the world stays in line." Pecora looked quite proud of herself. "In the coming age, the demon king will become a symbol of racial cooperation. After all, our nation is home to a vast number of ethnic groups."

True, even if you called them all "demons," physically, they were awfully diverse. Maybe that made them tolerant?

"Well, I believe I'll take my leave now… I still have all sorts of errands to run…"

Flatorte was already eager to make her escape. Being here had to be awkward for her. Besides, while it might have been different if she'd won, she'd lost to her intended victims.

However, I didn't miss the way Pecora smirked again for a moment.

I was beginning to understand her. Pecora had an extremely bad personality. Not only that, but she was aware of it, which made it incredibly hard to deal with.

"I just had a thought. I'd like to have you prove the blue dragons' continued obedience to my elder sister as well."

Was she going to make me do something again?

"Sister, stroke Miss Flatorte's horns, if you would. I hear that the blue dragons let individuals to whom they show absolute obedience pet their horns."

Pecora beamed. It was an adorable smile, but it contained a subtle hint of sadism.

"Eeeeep! N-no, not the horns… Not the horns…"

Flatorte was backing away.

Laika was watching Flatorte sympathetically. "The demon king shows no mercy, does she?"

"Is having someone touch your horns really such a bad thing?"

"It's a custom peculiar to the blue dragons, and it signifies total submission. If they break the rule against it, death becomes their only alternative—and so, in battles up till now, the red dragons have always been careful not to touch them there."

I didn't have horns myself, so I didn't quite understand the feelings here.

"It's said that long ago, when adventurers tried to touch dragons' horns to make them their own, many of them lost their lives. For the most part, they were hit with their cold breath and perished before they touched them."

I see. I'd heard stories of knights who rode dragons—so those had been blue dragons?

"If Laika, who is a red dragon, touched them, it would put the blue dragons under the complete control of the red dragons, and I expect that would be awkward for you two. That means that having the Witch of the Highlands touch them is perfect. In other words, we'll add an additional fetter to the existing ones."

Pecora really was a schemer.

Granted, that might have been precisely why she was succeeding as the demon king, but…

"Well, it is for the sake of peace. I guess I will touch them."

"D-do whatever you want… Argh, I don't even care anymore…"

Flatorte wilted and hung her head.

In that case, I'll touch those horns.

I put out my hand and stroked the horns. Pet-pet, pet-pet. They were hard, like stone.

"My ancestors… Flatorte has submitted to the witch. I beg your forgiveness for bringing shame upon you…"

It was brutal of Pecora to do something like this in public, I thought, and I stopped.

"Well done. That ends the commendation ceremony. You may repair to the buffet party."

And now my job at the ceremony was over.

However, I still had one strange problem: Flatorte kept following me around.

Even when I went to go fill my plate from the various dishes, she was right behind me. I thought the only people who'd stick that close were assassins or attendants. Was this some new form of harassment?

"Um, what did you need?"

"I—I am…now under the control of the great Witch of the Highlands, so…I am staying behind you, in case you need me."

I had a very bad feeling about this.

"When does this 'control' business end? Tomorrow? Three days from now?"

"When I die."

Yes, that bad feeling had been right on the mark!

"So you're going to follow me back home?!"

"That's correct…"

The whole time Flatorte spoke, her face was red with humiliation. Since she looked like a girl, I felt as if I was doing something pretty awful.

Meanwhile, Laika seemed to think that this was a nuisance.

"Lady Azusa, the house in the highlands does not need two dragons. I-I'm enough. Order Flatorte to return to the blue dragons' hometown. If she owes you absolute obedience and you tell her to go home, she will."

Laika was right.

It would be mean to force her to move house, and all I had to do was "order" her to live at home, the way she'd always done.

"According to the customs of the blue dragons, when we part from the one who controls us, we must end our lives. After all, it is our duty to protect that person forever…"

"That's one harsh custom!"

Pecora was a short distance away, and our eyes met.

Her face seemed to say, Sister, do take care of that Flatorte person, won't you?

"Pecora knew all that, and she still had me touch you! She has a sweet face, but she's a little demon!"

"Lady Azusa, she is their king, a demon among demons," Laika pointed out.

"You're right… Demons really are scary…"

That was when Beelzebub strode up to us and immediately bowed her head.

"Her Majesty is quite fond of pranks… She isn't a bad person, and she's very clever, but sometimes she does odd things on impulse. I'm sorry."

"Well, it's not as if it's caused me serious trouble. It's all right."

With Demon King Pecora as the benchmark, Beelzebub looked like a careworn middle manager.

"Um…I'll do anything, so please take me with you."

Flatorte kept her head lowered the whole time, gazing at the ground.

"Yes, yes, it's fine, just raise your head."

"Yes, Mistress Witch of the Highlands."

If she was in her human form, it wouldn't be a problem if we had her live in one of the empty rooms.

"It looks like you've been roped into something awful, but we'll take you in, so don't worry. Besides, no one will blame you for coming to where I am. We'll visit your hometown once in a while, too."

"Thank you very much, mistress!"

She knelt on the spot.

Somehow, I'd gotten fearsomely important, or so it felt, and it was really awkward.

"You're lucky the merciful Lady Azusa was the one to pick you up."

Maybe Laika wasn't really all that displeased about having another dragon around.

"Laika, I won't lose to you!"

However, Flatorte abruptly raised her head.

"Wh-what do you mean?!"

"I will submit to my mistress, but that is all! I won't submit to you!"

"I have seniority here! You're being rude!"

"It doesn't matter who's new and who has seniority! You aren't my mistress!"

The two of them snarled at each other and began to fight.

I bet this is going to get complicated…