Aibo wasn’t really in the mood to deal with anyone right now.
After all, any movement at all made his headache worse.
Still, the little girl’s inner voice had caught his attention, more or less.
“‘Dad’? Is this girl Gildarts’s daughter?!”
Aibo’s gaze naturally fell on the girl named Cana.
The little girl was quite delicate-looking.
She’d definitely grow up to be a beauty, but her features weren’t all that similar to Gildarts’s, and her hair color was completely different too.
But inner thoughts generally didn’t lie.
Maybe she just took after her mother?
Except… Gildarts hadn’t specifically greeted this daughter just now, which was a little strange.
“Oi, new kid, what are you spacing out for? I asked your name!”
“Idiot Gray! Be polite, don’t scare him.”
The little girl named Cana chopped Gray on the head with her hand.
They seemed to get along well.
“My name is Aibo…”
Since it concerned his benefactor Gildarts, Aibo had no choice but to muster up some energy.
Then he pointed at the pair of underwear the little boy had taken off behind him and twitched the corner of his mouth.
“Uh, that… aren’t you going to put your clothes back on?”
“Huh!! When did that happen?!”
“…”
To be honest, Aibo had been a little freaked out watching this boy named Gray walk toward him while expressionlessly taking off his pants.
From the other boy’s reaction, it seemed he hadn’t noticed at all that he’d taken them off himself.
And Aibo could attest that the boy’s mind was completely unaware of it too.
To develop such an incredible quirk at such a young age—this poor kid…
While pulling his underwear back on, Gray awkwardly tried to change the subject.
“Aibo, right? Um, do you have a surname?”
Aibo would have liked to say his surname was Ai.
His memories from his previous twenty years were far clearer than the six years of this life.
“A surname? I’m not really sure. I’ve been called Aibo since I was little.”
“Huh? Aibo, then you—”
[What’s your relationship with Gildarts?]
Aibo “heard” what Cana wanted to say before she said it, but just then, Guild Master Makarov and Gildarts happened to come down from the second floor, so the words on the tip of the little girl’s tongue never made it out.
Everyone’s attention was drawn over, and Cana reluctantly stopped asking.
“Brats, all eyes on me! I have an announcement!”
Makarov jumped onto the bar counter on the first floor of the guild, raised both hands, and said with narrowed eyes and a smile:
“First! Let’s welcome our guild’s newest member—little Aibo!”
In Aibo’s slightly terrified gaze, the slight Makarov’s hand suddenly grew huge and grabbed him directly, “carrying” him onto the counter.
[Giant Magic], one of Guild Master Makarov’s signature magics.
This magic could make his body, or any part of it, grow enormous.
“Little Aibo is a naturally awakened mage with limitless potential. Everyone, take good care of our little genius from now on!”
“Whoa! What an incredible newcomer!”
“The guild’s future is in your hands! Hahahaha!”
“New kid, show us a talent!”
This guild really was rowdy…
Aibo pressed his temples, which were throbbing a little from the stimulation of all those enthusiastic voices, and showed an awkward but polite smile.
“Also, I’ll be going to the Council for a few days to take care of something. You all keep an eye on the guild and on Gildarts! All right, that’s it! Dismissed!”
“Hey hey! Old man, what do you mean by that?”
“Don’t worry, Master! We won’t let Gildarts run wild!”
“Goodbye, Master. Gildarts! Come have a drink!”
“Hahahaha!”
“…”
Not for a single moment did they feel worried or curious about the Master’s imminent departure.
The guild members quickly started making a racket again.
Makarov was clearly used to this scene.
He turned to look at Aibo beside him and revealed a kindly smile.
“Haha, little Aibo, don’t mind them. These guys may look unreliable most of the time, but when it counts, they’re very dependable. You’ll get used to them in time. From now on, just treat this place as your home!”
[He looks like a good kid. I hope he doesn’t pick up bad habits from this bunch of idiots later.]
Hey hey, Master, even you don’t believe what you’re saying…
Aibo’s inner thoughts were pretty lively too, but unfortunately no one could hear his complaints.
“Elo! Come help our newcomer stamp a guild emblem~”
Makarov called out to the guild’s barmaid, and a shapely young woman came over carrying something that looked like a stamp.
“An emblem… is this a kind of tattoo? Do I have to get it stamped?”
Aibo drew his neck in, instinctively a little resistant.
And this guild’s emblem was strangely familiar, as if he’d seen it somewhere before, but when he tried to think harder, he couldn’t remember.
The barmaid Elo explained with a smile:
“It’s not a tattoo. A guild emblem is a special marking magic. It can be removed. All right, where do you want it?”
“…Then… put it on the back of my shoulder.”
Aibo reluctantly pulled down the clothes on his right shoulder, exposing half of it.
He didn’t really want to see a “tattoo” on his body, so he could only put it somewhere out of sight.
“Okay~”
Miss Elo raised the stamp and brought it down, neatly and efficiently stamping a pink mark onto Aibo.
Then, still a little excited, she pinched the little boy’s fair, tender arm and let out a booming, exaggerated laugh.
“Children’s skin really is the best~”
[So cute ww, I want to take him home and raise him~ This kid is definitely going to be a handsome man when he grows up, hehe~]
Miss, your thoughts are dangerous.
Frightened, Aibo edged a little closer to the Master.
Makarov nodded in satisfaction.
“Elo, I’ll leave Aibo to you for now. I’m not quite at ease leaving the child to that guy Gildarts.”
“No problem~ Master. I love children the most.”
Elo excitedly lifted Aibo bodily into the air and spun him around on the spot.
“Ah~ what a good boy, way cuter than Gray!”
Gray: ???
Suddenly, Aibo’s whole body sank into softness, and his nose filled with the scent of a young girl.
Aibo blinked.
He suddenly realized…
Turning back into a child didn’t seem so bad after all.
Just then, Gildarts, who had already had several drinks with the others, swayed back over and complained to Makarov indignantly.
“Hey hey hey! Master, I can’t just pretend I didn’t hear what you said earlier! I lived with Aibo for several days, you know! How does that mean I can’t take care of a kid?”
Hearing this, Makarov ignored Gildarts and instead looked at Aibo with a face full of guilt.
“Child, you’ve really had it rough. It hasn’t been an easy road getting here, has it?”
“…”
Nestled in the barmaid’s arms, Aibo showed a sad yet relieved expression.
Who’d understand what it was like, sleeping rough on the streets with a slovenly, lecherous old man?
“Brat, I took good care of you, didn’t I?”
Gildarts pursed his lips, not seeming to care.
He propped a hand against the bar and said to the barmaid in a flippant tone:
“Elo-chan~ It’s been a while, and you’re even prettier now. Want to go on a date with me tonight?”
“No. I have a boyfriend, Gildarts.”
“Huh!? Since when!? Damn it! Which bastard… no, I mean, which lucky bastard…”
Aibo’s gaze shifted among the several people, then landed on Cana, who stood nearby with an intriguing expression.
He wanted to know what this little girl was thinking right now…
[Dad is incredibly powerful, but he’s far too much of a ladies’ man… no, he’s just a shameless womanizer!]
[Dad seems to take good care of Aibo. Could he be my little brother?]
[Forget it. I have to tell him about Mom today! I need to find out whether he even remembers her…]
[But… but… what good would asking do? Mom said he’s a wanderer who wouldn’t stay for anyone…]
[If I told him I was his daughter, would he stay for me?]
[But Dad is a very powerful mage, and I… I’m so weak. Would he even accept me as his daughter? I’d only hold him back.]
[Mom, what exactly… should I do?]
“…”
The girl’s tangled thoughts flooded into Aibo’s mind all at once.
The weight of those emotions made him draw a sharp breath.
What a mess you’ve made, Gildarts.
Who would’ve thought my lifesaver would turn out to be an old scumbag too?
Ah~ I really didn’t want to know a secret like this…
Just then, Aibo’s eyelid suddenly twitched—
[Telepathy Magic LV4, 214→230/10000000]