And so, the two of them headed straight for the petting area, located deep inside the zoo.
Inside the fenced area was a flat lawn where various magic beast were allowed to roam freely.
There was a selectively bred Vorpal Bunny, about the size of a human, which had been made docile through generations of crossbreeding.
A two-headed hellhound, Orthros, known for its polite demeanor, so much so that even rich people would kept them as guard dogs.
A Hell Capybara, which would go on a rampage and level a whole mountain if it got too hungry, but stayed docile as long as it was regularly fed.
And so on and so forth.
All over the place, the magic beasts munched on food offered by guests, or lying down to show their bellies. Although several keepers were keeping a close eye on the area to make sure no accidents occurred, it was a very carefree scene.
The relaxed atmosphere made Allen chuckle.
"Pretty mellow place, huh? What do you think, Charlotte…? …Charlotte?"
There was no reply when Allen spoke to Charlotte next to him.
Allen was shocked when he quietly checked on her.
Charlotte was shaking and praying to the petting corner with tears in her eyes.
"H-Hey. What’s wrong? You okay?"
"B-Because…! They're just so…so fluffy, and soft, and round…!"
Her words were so garbled with emotion it was like her language center had taken a critical hit. And then she started openly weeping, this time directing her prayerful gratitude at Allen.
"I-I'm so glad I lived to see this…! Thank you, Allen-san…! I can die happy now…!"
"Well, we haven't even gone inside yet..."
He had seen her cry a few times before, but this time something seemed a bit off. Allen handed her a handkerchief and tilted his head.
(Is it really that good...? It's just a furry monster...)
To Allen, they were all just magic beast.
But to Charlotte, they seemed to be nothing short of paradise.
He decided to avoid saying anything that might ruin the moment and gently steered her toward the entrance.
"Anyway, let's go in."
"Y-Yes…! I'm going to fluff them up with all my heart...!
Charlotte swallowed and approached the nearest monster with a determined look in her eyes.
Her steps were solemn, like those of a hero heading into battle.
(Heh. If she likes them that much, I suppose I could give her a hand…)
Allen quietly slipped away from Charlotte and approached one of the nearby Vorpal Bunnies.
『Hey, got a sec?』
『Whoa—! You can talk to us, mister?』
『Just a little, yeah.』
Allen had some basic knowledge of magical beast languages. It wouldn’t work on high-tier monsters like Fenrir that lived in the surrounding hills, but it was more than enough for low-level ones like Vorpal Bunnies.
Seeing a human speak their language was apparently rare, and a few other bunnies bounced over curiously, tilting their fluffy heads.
『So, what can we do for you?』
『My friend over there’s really taken a liking to you guys. Mind playing with her for a bit? I’ll buy you all the snacks you want.』
『Yay! We'll do it, we'll do it!』
The bunnies squeaked in delight.
With the bribery complete, Allen turned around with a satisfied smirk――
"Hey, Charlotte! Come over he—"
—and froze on the spot.
The scene before his eyes was truly bizarre.
"Heehee… So fluffy…"
A large number of monsters had gathered and surrounded Charlotte. There were about a dozen of them.
Charlotte sank into the bed of fur with a dreamy expression on her face. Even Orthros, who has a strict personality, has his eyes sparkling like a puppy as Charlotte strokes his belly.
"Kapii"
Even the Hell Capybara who was supposed to be obsessed with food to a dangerous degree was solemnly offering her an apple. That Hell Capybara, who would usually fight its own kin over a single bite of food.
It was like watching a royal welcoming ceremony for the queen of beasts.
『Wow! That lady seems super nice!』
『Me too, me too! I wanna be petted!』
Even the Vorpal Bunnies Allen had bribed earlier completely ignored him and hopped over to Charlotte instead.
The other guests began murmuring excitedly.
"That girl is amazing! She's really popular!"
"She must be a famous Monster Beast user..."
"Damn. I should have brought my camera."
Allen was left dumbfounded.
He silently stroked his chin as he watched.
"Could it be...she...."