"What…?" Minoru widened his eyes upon hearing the news, yet he kept his mind clear as he narrowed his eyes. "Alright, go on…"
Ai sobbed a bit when she was glad that he finally picked up her call. "She's running from her school with her friend Anya, and then Miyako-san found out about two children are riding a dog's back on twitter. I think they went to your school since most photos of them are around Azabu. Don't worry Minoru-kun, since I'm also almost there!"
"Dogs… and Anya Forger…"
The clues were obvious.
Since he already knew Twilight's real identity as Loid Forger, then Teresa must have already met with Anya. But what about the dog? What kind of dogs were they riding? It seemed too obvious that since Teresa was here, then his dogs were also here.
Since he trained them to become weapons, his dogs were smart enough to judge the situations around them. It seemed the dogs sniffed trouble since Teresa's place was also nearby, and they would come to him when they knew that there was no way that their real master could do the job alone.
Logically speaking, there was no way he could capture 21 cows on his own, but he believed he could find some way. But if his dogs were here, it would be a great help for him while he also wasn't worried since legally they were Teresa's dogs and not his.
It was too weird even to think about it since he never planned this. And positively, he was also happy when his "cute daughters" brought help for him, yet he wasn't happy at all. Just thinking about it made him scared.
What if Anya and Ruby got hurt?
The dogs obviously went for the cows, and what if they got hurt by those living wagyu with angry issues? The impact from one of 21 cows, with a minimum weight of 400 kg, on tiny Ruby and Anya...
Crippled for the rest of their lives…
Even death…
What was the point of the mission if he lived the rest of his life with regret?
"Hiek… I'm sorry. I'm such a bad mother, am I? Even though I noticed it... It seems Ruby has been under a lot of pressure since Aqua became busier," Ai said, and he could hear it.
"Yeah, me too... but don't worry. I'll protect them." Minoru thought about her words as he hung up the call.
He focused on his new objective: his dogs must arrive earlier than him, and he must get there quickly to ensure Ruby and Anya's safety. He knew that no one would be concerned about his daughters' safety since they would prioritize saving their ass first.
"Sir! We have the things you requested—"
They gulped upon seeing Minoru's sudden change in demeanor. Minoru glanced back and saw the chief and his men. They thought he could kill someone with just his gaze.
"We brought our best ropes and turned them into lassos, horse riding reins, and, lastly, a western-style saddle, as you requested." The chief said while he was scared.
He asked for the western-style saddle because he needed the saddle horn for roping the cows.
"Thank you…"
He took the ropes and circled them around his shoulder. He grabbed the saddle and riding reins, attaching them all without asking for their help. More importantly, he performed these actions as if he were used to them, and they even saw that Yuuya was perfectly behaved.
"H-How?" The chief was dumbfounded, his face seemingly asking who exactly this young man was.
Without a doubt, Yuuya had finally chosen the person who could ride on his back. If the higher-ups at Shuchi'in found out, especially the CEO, they knew the uproar that would happen if this new teacher could sit on Yuuya's back, but he wasn't just sitting there. He was using Yuuya to go after the escape cows.
Goosebumps ran through him.
Momo, the daughter from the Ryuju Clan, had never met someone like this.
She walked closer, observing Minoru as he swung his legs over the horse's back and positioned himself on the saddle.
More importantly, she wondered if someone could change so drastically. Earlier, Minoru always wore that poker face; now, he was totally different after finishing his call with someone. Just what had he heard that made him seem like he wanted to kill someone?
Minoru glanced at Momo, causing her to gasp as she halted. "Err…" This was awkward. But then Minoru tossed her something. "Uwah!" She caught it, a bit shocked. "Eh...?" It was her dirt bike key. Looking at Minoru, she asked, "Why?"
Minoru was busy finishing putting on his pair of black gloves. He then held the horse reins. He said, "There won't be a next time."
Gazing forward, Minoru put slight pressure on Yuuya's right using his leg. "Go…"
"NEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!"
Longing for action, Yuuya ran with everything he had. It was Yuuya the Ninth's first time experiencing this, and he was super thrilled. Minoru could feel the wind on his face, his unbuttoned suit fluttering as he rode the horse with lightning speed.
But this wasn't enough.
"Yuuya! Run at full speed."
Yuuya roared again, sharpening his eyes at the front. The clacking sound of his shoes could be heard as he left a trace of dust behind, running even faster on the road that led them to the forest of Sakura trees.
"Whoa…" Momo, who usually had a harsh tongue, lost her words.
The sight of a man with silver hair riding that stubborn horse in his fancy suit left Momo and the others in awe. Gradually, they couldn't see his back and the horse anymore as he entered the forest.
---
"Eh? Did he refuse it?"
Tilting her head, Teresa asked the question, but somehow, she wasn't shocked by Minoru's refusal.
"Hah... What does he think? Does he want to take care of the cows by himself? And how do we even convince the guests to evacuate? Really troublesome..."
Kaguya shook her head, less doubtful of Minoru after he took care of the Yakuza alone. She even wondered about his relationship with the Yakuza, as they were obedient to the point of fear.
Reflecting on the first time Kaguya met Minoru, she glanced back at Teresa, who wore a clueless expression. That time, she had also seen Teresa and Minoru talking in front of the principal's office.
Somehow, Kaguya believed that Minoru had some kind of relationship with Teresa or Luxemburg. She based this belief on watching Maki talk with Minoru as if they had reunited in an unexpected moment.
Teresa stood there with a warm smile, watching Kaguya lost in thought until someone addressed her, "Teresa-sama, our agents are waiting for your call," Alexandra said respectfully.
"Nothing. Just continue as usual," Teresa replied with a warm voice.
"Understood," Alexandra backed off a bit. "Agent, for now, just observe the situation until Teresa-sama commands you."
Somewhere far away, a man wearing a dark blue suit steadied himself with a sniper in his hand. "Roger," Loid said calmly.
But amidst all that, "Excuse me, young lady."
Kaguya snapped back, looking at the woman with pink hair, her husband, and their little daughter. They seemed to be the family of freshmen this year. How cute, she thought.
"Yes? Can I help you, ma'am?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but we're looking for our daughter. I thought she might be lost somewhere."
Kaguya smiled, "No, that's fine. We'd be glad to help you, ma'am. If you could just tell me the student's name?"
The mother lit up, "Yes, thank you! Her name is Gotoh Hitor—"
AAAAAAAAAAH!
From afar, they could hear someone shouting for help.
---
A/N:
I just wanna said my current thoughts on why there are so many 'top-tier' female characters. I mean, Ai needs some real competition and obstacles. What are your thoughts?