Big Tree Village.

    After lunch, I was relaxing in my room when—unusually—Jewel, the jewel cat, came to visit.

    Not only did she come over, but... she climbed onto my lap?

    Ah, I don’t mind, I don’t mind.

    There, there.

    ...Hmm?

    Wh-what?! She’s lying on her back?! @@@@

    She trusts me that much?!

    Fufufu...

    ...

    This is kind of scary.

    Yeah, if you’re this affectionate, I can’t help but suspect something happened.

    Did you do something?

    No, you wouldn’t.

    That, at least, I trust.

    If the father cat, Raigiel, messed up, I’d scold him first—then you’d come to cover for him.

    That means... one of your daughters must’ve done something.

    Was it the anenekos?

    Or the imoutonekos?

    ...Maybe both?

    Jewel turned her face away.

    Without overthinking it, I just fluffed her up.

    -0-

    Summoned by an oni maid, I arrived at one of the mansion’s rooms—and found utter devastation.

    It looked like someone had gone on a rampage...

    No, there’s no need to be vague.

    The culprits were the anenekos and imoutonekos.

    All eight of them.

    Now, they were lined up in front of the oni maid, heads hanging.

    Oh? Trying to look at me with pitiful eyes won’t save you.

    What happened here?

    Did the imoutonekos try to pick a fight with tiger again?

    Or did the anenekos stir up trouble?

    ...They all averted their eyes.

    Just like their mother, Jewel.

    You should reflect.

    「Now then, Village Chief. About the room repairs... It’s not just the floor and walls—even the built-in shelves and tables took damage.」

    Sounds like this will be a major repair job.

    The pillars seem fine, but I should check them just in case.

    Alright, I’ll handle it.

    「I apologize. We appreciate it.」

    No, no—it’s my cats’ fault...

    And don’t start protesting that you’re not pets!

    That’ll just derail the conversation.

    Come on, now. Assume the position of reflection.

    「I’ll call for extra hands to help.」

    Yeah, I’d appreciate that.

    ...Oh, but before that—

    「Yes?」

    If this toy goes berserk from magic power, then how did Loo even build it?

    「It doesn’t react to just any magic.」

    ...It doesn’t?

    「It seems to respond specifically to uncontrolled magic... But I don’t know the exact details.」

    That’s enough for me.

    So, it only works properly when an adult holds it, but it goes berserk when a child holds it?

    「No, it doesn’t move at all when an adult holds it. It only moves when someone with poor magic control holds it.」

    ...

    It moved when I held it, though?

    「Ehto...」

    Yeah, yeah—I never claimed I had perfect magic power control.

    But... the toy reacted to the cats’ magic power, too.

    「Normally, it shouldn’t react.」

    Hnn?

    The oni maid brought the toy close to the cats.

    Areh?

    Then why did it go berserk earlier?

    「These ones deliberately poured magic power into it to make it go wild.」

    ...

    Stay in the reflection pose a little longer.