After being satisfied with appreciating Rouga's fur, I removed my hand from her head and moved on to the heart of the matter.
Rouga seemed to be slightly sad because I stopped petting her and made a cute "Kuu-n." Forgive me Rouga, but I can't pet you forever.
"Hey Rouga, I want to ask you something."
"Yes-? Master-?"
"Do you remember how you came to this world?"
"I don't know."
So she didn't know, huh… I guess that couldn't be helped then… Huh? Wait a second, she didn't know?
"Do you really not remember? Anything, even trivial things, would be fine."
"Hmm… I found myself here before realizing it."
"And how about your memories before you came here?"
"I don't know~"
Ah, we're done.
The fact that she didn't have a memory of what happened before she sp.a.w.ned here was quite troubling.
I gave up. Even asking the monsters directly wouldn't bring anything useful. I couldn't think of any other approach.
I switched my sight towards Rouga as I thought about what to do. Rouga, who noticed my glance, tilted her head.
I had been sure that a monster would have an answer.
If only a monster would… hm, wait.
"Rouga, do you understand the language of other monsters?"
"I think I do."
"I see, that means there's still a way."
Saying that, I stood up.
What I would be doing from now on was a monster inquiry.
There was a good chance that they would not have a clue, just like Rouga, but it would be worth a try.
"Let's go, Rouga!"
"Wan! (Yes, master!)"
Before I started walking, I got an uncomfortable feeling from Rouga's answer.
"…Hey, Rouga."
"Yes—Master?"
"Is it possible to stop calling me 'master'? It feels kinda itchy."
"Well then, what am I supposed to call you?"
"You can just say Yato, normally."
"No!"
'No,' why?
I tried asking Rouga reason for her instant refusal.
"Why not?"
"Master is Master."
What's with this frivolous objection?
I gave in to Rouga's mysterious persistence to not call me by name and asked her to at least change it.
"Alright, at least change 'master'."
"Okay, Householder!"
Householder? I don't remember being the householder of a family!
"Do you have anything else?"
"How about Ma'am-"
Am I your old lady neighbor?
"Something else?"
"Your highness!"
Come on now, do I look like a king?
"Else?"
"My lord!"
"Just wait!"
Despite that she didn't have a memory of her past world, how could she come up with these words? Did she actually know something?
"Something else?"
"Princess?"
She changed my gender again… I was tired of commenting.
"Next."
"Chief."
Finally something standard.
Well, at least better than Lord or princess.
"From now on, you will call me that."
"I understand, Chief!"
After deciding on a good name, Rouga and I started walking.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Since there were no monsters sp.a.w.ning, I took the opportunity to show Rouga around on our way back home.
"Wah! Chief, what is that?"
"That's a bicycle, something that people ride."
"Ah, there's an iron horse?!"
"That's not an iron horse, it's a car."
Rouga couldn't hide her excitement while discovering a completely new place. She knew about horses though. I wonder where she came up with that knowledge.
I started to doubt Rouga's one-sided knowledge.
"Look, that person is talking to a dog."
"Oh my, how scary."
I heard a conversation between two old women near us.
I forgot that I was the only one who could hear her voice. I guess I should have expected to be looked at as a weirdo if I talked with a dog.
"What's the matter, Chief?"
"Um, nothing."
I would try lowering my voice when people were around.
After deciding to avoid people's attention, I noticed that Rouga suddenly stopped walking and stood staring.
I followed her eyesight to realize that it was directed at a yakitori shop.
"You want to eat that?"
"There is a really good smell coming from there."
"Want to try it?"
"It is fine?"
"Yeah, wait a minute."
I ordered Rouga to wait and walked to the yakitori shop.
"Two rounds please."
"There you go, Thank you."
I paid the shopkeeper, received the yakitori and went to find Rouga patiently waiting, sitting with her mouth open and waving her tail. She was so cute.
"Here, try eating this."
The moment I stretched my hand towards her, the yakitori mysteriously disappeared.
"So delicious."
"Glad you like it."
I somehow felt relaxed when seeing Rouga enjoy her yakitori and proceeded to eat mine, when I halted my hand midway as I detected a magic reaction.
A monster had sp.a.w.ned.
"Let's go, Rouga"
"Yes, Chief!"
It seemed as though she felt the magic response as well, as Rouga had quickly reacted to my order and we teleported to the monster's location.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Bonus
"Hey Rouga, do you know any other way to call me?"
"Uuun- General, prince, dear, Boss, aniki, senpai, officer, commander, leader, admiral, president, your excellency…"
"Let's just keep it as 'chief'."
ーーーーーーーーーーーー
"So you can understand not only monsters but even animals?"
"Yes, I can~"
"Can you then tell me what that cute dog surrounded by high school girls is saying?"
"Let' see… 'Ohoo! Nee-chan, you've got quite the s.e.xy body. There, pat me more in here, good girl.'"
"Sorry, forget about what I just asked."