32 Tarou's Vow

Mina stared at Barca when he crouched down to arrange the pile of grains in front of Tarou. She couldn't help but feel that the man was being too attentive to the grey mouse today. Barca had an interesting look on his face - a mixture of amazement and confusion while looking at the mouse who screamed like a fangirl who saw her idol.

Mina couldn't help but observe Barca's movement. When he lifted a finger to pat the tiny rodent, she squinted. The man was clearly fawning on Tarou. Meanwhile, the rat looked like he would create a shrine for the human before him just because of a pile of grains. Mina couldn't help but shudder at the scene.

'Is this how I act in front of the general? This...this is too much! This mouse even had the gall to call me out for being too friendly with the humans and here he is acting like this.'

When Mina saw Barca's lips curl up in a smile while shaking his head as if unable to conceal his amusement, she couldn't help but meow something in disdain.

"Tarou," she meowed in a reprimanding tone, "you are worshiping that human as if he is some kind of god."

Tarou looked at her with big eyes and an even bigger smile while holding the plant he was munching on before Barca arrived. As if he came up with a brilliant idea, the mouse grinned. After throwing the pile of grain another endearing look, Tarou went closer to Barca's hand and placed his paw on the man's palm. He looked up to the human before squeaking a bold proclamation.

"I, Tarou, a brave and intelligent mouse would take you as my human. From this day forward, you should provide me with heaps of food!"

The mouse looked to his left as if he forgot something. Tarou looked at his other paw and placed the limp, half-eaten plant on the man's hand before squeaking.

"In exchange, I will do my best to... assist you."

'And this was the creature who said they should stay out of human affairs,' Mina thought.

Just then another set of footsteps approached and Barca looked up. He placed his hand inside his pocket, taking Tarou's offering with him. As Barca stood up to leave, Tarou called out endearingly to him.

"Take care, my human! Don't forget to bring me delicious grains! Piles and piles of them," he squeaked shamelessly while waving one paw."

Shortly after, Barca walked towards a man who seems to be one of the stablehands while Tarou continued to circle his hoard. After circling around the pile, the mouse finally settled down and addressed the cat who has been glaring at him the entire time.

"Boss, you saw that? Barca, that person, would be my human from this day on," Tarou exclaimed with glee while looking at her. Mina was speechless for a moment.

"And here I thought animals should not depend on humans for food," she rebuked. But even her scornful statement couldn't extinguish Tarou's happiness.

"That person is a good catch. Even the locals, I mean the house mice in the area, think highly of him. I have to claim him as my human before that high-pitch mouse decides to extort all the grains out of him. Since we have decided to move to the Capital, we need to adapt. Besides, I do not have to do anything to assist him, do I?" Tarou explained with conviction.

Mina couldn't help but feel like she has been underestimating Tarou's intelligence but she wouldn't let him off the hook easily.

"What about human affairs?" Mina asked him. Tarou looked at her as if she lacked brains before explaining his stand.

"Boss, human affairs are human affairs. Animal affairs are animal affairs." Mina nodded, waiting for Tarou to take back his words about meddling with humans. "But," the grey mouse continued with a glint of mischief in his eyes, "Food affairs ARE food affairs."

As if he forgot something, Tarou continued, "Besides, those people would not even understand us. How can we even meddle with their lives?"

"What if they could?" Mina retorted quickly. Tarou looked at her as if she was demented and let out a mocking laugh before replying.

"Boss, the humans we just met happen to be sensitive to their environment. It's not because they understand what we talk about."

Mina looked at him and smiled. She may be a newcomer in this world, but she knew for certain that Tarou is wrong. While admiring the large moon in front of them, she told him about the old man she met and how he could understand every sound she made.

***

After instructing the stablehands to check if other horses injured their hooves and to check the stalls for rats, Barca proceeded towards the house. When he entered the kitchen, he couldn't help but overhear the servants gossiping.

"The old man," one voice said, "I heard him talking to someone." The woman paused before adding, "I have been here for three years and that man rarely said a word."

"Agnes saw a pair of golden eyes inside the general's room. Could the man be talking to that creature?" another servant commented.

Barca slipped inside making his way upstairs, trying to make as little sound as possible to avoid startling the servants. He entered the room and saw the old man standing in front of the open window while looking at the moon.

"Grandfather?" he called out and the man turned to look at him.