CH 107

After a while, at the imperial dungeons.

“…….”

“…….”

I sat side by side with Argention, staring into the bars.

After all, I couldn’t refuse Catalina’s offer of consideration.

It was a little awkward at first, but it didn’t last long.

There was no time to think about anything else as the interrogation began.

“For what purpose did you break into the palace? Tell me the truth!”

“…….Keut”

“Count Molzigat. As a nobleman of the Empire, you have a duty to defend it, don’t you realize that what you have done is tantamount to treason?”

“…….”

Count Molzigat pursed his lips.

“What the hell, talk!”

The inquisitor slapped Count Molzigat in frustration.

It was a timid slap as if he was afraid something might go wrong and he turns back into a demon.

Count Molzigat’s head snapped back up and he looked at me.

‘What is this?’

Familiar words came to mind.

【Your pet wants to communicate with you, would you like to use the skill 〈Communicate with a tamed pet〉?】

“Huh?”

I exclaimed, too stunned to suppress my voice.

As if waiting, the interrogator turned to me.

“Duchess of Palesdon, have you noticed anything unusual?”

“N, no.”

Shaking my head, I averted my gaze from Count Molzigat.

‘Oh. No way. Of course not.’

But.

【Your pet wants to communicate with you, would you like to use the skill 〈Communicate with a tamed pet〉?】

The notification popped up again.

And when I could no longer look away, I could feel Count Molzigat’s eager eyes on my face.

‘What. Now?’

Everyone, be it a dog or a cow, is making a fuss about wanting to use communication skills.

‘I thought this skill was only for Calix.’

Felix had already used it, but even so, I hadn’t imagined Count Molzigat would use it.

And considering he talks trash about me.

‘A conscience, a mind, and everything else a human should have. He has none of it.’

Perhaps he was better suited to be a demon than a human.

And yet I must communicate with Count Molzigat.

I felt a little sorry for myself.

【Skill 〈Communicate with a tamed pet〉 will be activated!】

Eventually I used the skill.

‘I have to do this to complete the quest.’

I glared at Count Molzigat.

Count Molzigat’s eyes were pleading.

Count Molzigat was astonished.

Count Molzigat’s eyes filled with tears.

‘I can’t believe you’re so happy to be put in a prison that no one can escape from.’

He has completely gone out of his mind.

Suddenly, Count Molzigat collapsed, his eyes rolling back in his head.

“Count Molzigat?”

The inquisitor gasped and stepped back.

Then he turned to me.

“Duchess of Palesdon. What should I do in such a case?”

“Let me take a look at him first.”

“Thank you. I will step aside so as not to disturb your ladyship.”

The inquisitor stepped out of the cage at a quicker pace than usual.

“You may take as long as you wish, ma’am, to look at him.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The inquisitor seemed grateful to be a little further away from Count Molzigat.

‘As he should be.’

As he rose to leave, I felt Argention’s gaze on me.

“I’ll go in with you.”

“Huh? You don’t have to, I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine, and you never know what might happen.”

Then Argention walked over and stepped into the cage first.

“Argention!”

“He doesn’t look dangerous, I think you can come in.”

Not only that, but he looked inside the cage and cleared a path for me to enter.

‘What the hell?’

His demeanor is completely different from the first time I transmigrated.

I glanced at him questioningly.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you doing something you’ve never done before?”

“……I’ve been having a lot of dreams lately.”

“Dreams? What are they about?”

Argention pursed his lips.

He was hesitating to speak.

“If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s not that…… I keep seeing you crying in my dreams, and it looks like…….”

But I didn’t hear Argention’s reply in full.

“Ugh!”

Count Molzigat groaned and twisted his body.

“Count Molzigat!”

I leaned over to check on him, and a notification popped up.

【Your control over your tamed pet is diminishing.】

【If your control over your pet continues to decrease, taming will be forcibly terminated.】

【If the taming is forcibly terminated, you will be penalized!】

“What?

I hurriedly opened the system window to check, and sure enough, the taming index was dropping.

‘Why did this suddenly happen to my taming index?’

I thought for a moment.

It’s a bit of a déjà vu situation, even though the circumstances were very different in many ways.

The system has always been on my side, and it has served me well.

Even if it did behave strangely at times.

‘It threatened me once, but when Argention sliced it up, it got even better, but then it went strange again when I met Felix.’

It was like it was infected with a recurring virus.

At that moment, it hit me like a lightning bolt.

‘What if someone was really tampering with the system all along?’

If they take control of the system, they could give me strange quests or give me weird penalties.

‘Then my life is ruined!’

I can’t lose control over Count Molzigat.

‘The power I have now is not enough.’

If I were stronger than the intruder, I wouldn’t be taken advantage of in the first place.

‘But it wasn’t taken away completely, so they must not be overwhelmingly stronger than me.’

So at this point, it was a situation that could be resolved if I were just a little stronger.

Luckily, I wasn’t completely out of options.

I fulfilled the hidden condition of 〈Taming 5 creatures that no one has tamed〉 and got to level up a trait.

‘Now is the time to level up.’

I checked the notification I’d been putting off.

【You can level up the talent 〈Beast Tamer, tame any creature〉. Do you want to level it up?】

“Yes!

【Leveling up…… You have successfully leveled up!】

【Current rank: A】

【You will receive 50 Fate Energy as a level-up reward】.

‘Strange, the level-up rewards are low these days?’

It used to reward a new skill and a scenario, but now it’s just Fate Energy.

But the very next moment, a new notification popped up.

【Achievement!】

【A Skill has reached level A for the first time!】

【Skill Strong Control Over the Tamed Pet has been created!】

【Your fame is beginning to spread across the continent!】

【Some sealed magic power is released】.

As if someone heard my mumblings, my rewards rained down.

‘This is a bit embarrassing. I guess that’s why I have to listen to the end before I say anything.’

And then my skill was triggered.

【Strong Control Over the Tamed Pet is triggered!】

【Ownership rights to tamed pet restored!】

As I expected, I leveled up and the situation was resolved.

‘Alright, that should do it.’

I smiled and was about to turn off the notification.

But then a new notification popped up.

【Your control over Count Molzigat has increased】.

【You have reached the limit of your dominance, it does not apply!】

‘Where have I seen this before?’

Then a number popped up above Count Molzigat’s head.

‘101%?’

It was the same situation as when my father’s favorability rating had reached the limit.

‘My increased control over Count Molzigat will be useless to me. Ugh, I hate that.’

I wanted to deny reality.

But in the meantime, the system dutifully notified me.

【Achievement earned!】

【You have reached the limit of dominance!】

【In the future, you will know everything about Count Molzigat!】

【Count Molzigat’s affiliation changes to yours】.

【Your influence also extends to Count Molzigat’s entourage】.

‘Affiliation changes?’

I asked, reading the notification cursorily.

‘Does that mean I’ll be able to find out more about the shadows?’

The system had a plan.

‘I was counting on you……!’

I quickly shifted my stance and checked the system window.

【Count Molzigat

However, I was unable to get any information about the shadows.

‘What the hell, there’s nothing.’

I was about to clear the system window when the words “- Status: Transforming into a Demon” flashed up.

‘What?’

Half-heartedly, I pressed it—