Agent's Dog System

12.A Collar and a Tag

Immediately after crossing the border and passing through the control center, Adia instructed her robotic chauffeur to speed up in order to reach Milan. What normally takes six hours by car, they completed in less than four.

Reia began reviewing the areas they were passing through and noticed that the system was sending her numerous notifications. She wanted to wake up Podbe, but seeing him sleeping so peacefully, she decided not to disturb him, not even with a few gentle electric shocks.

As they approached the city, the greenery of the fields gradually gave way to concrete. More gray than green, yet they always found traces of nature in parks, gardens, and buildings like the Bosco Verticale. They could see clusters of motorcycles and cars parked everywhere, people bustling about, technology intertwined with history in both ancient and modern architecture.

 The sun was already high in the sky, casting its light over bridges connecting streets and canals visible from every corner, colorful and picturesque plazas, vibrant businesses, and elegant hotels. The weather was mild, neither too cold nor too hot, and fortunately, there wasn’t a single cloud threatening rain.

The carriage continued onward until it reached streets slightly removed from the city center. Once they arrived at a place resembling a quiet neighborhood, they stopped in front of a two-story house with an antique-style facade, distinct from the others on the block. Upon stepping out of the carriage, Adia ordered her robot to unload the luggage while she went to open the door of the house. She approached the cedar door adorned with two carved dragons, pressed them both, and their eyes turned red as if scanning her. Once the scan was complete, the eyes returned to their original position, and a key emerged, which Adia used to unlock the door. The robot carried the luggage inside while she returned to the carriage to wake Aiden and his pet.

Approaching the carriage again, she first removed the blanket covering the puppy and then the one covering the boy. Seeing them sleeping so peacefully, she murmured, “What cute little things.” First, she tried waking them gently, but when that failed, she began shouting into their ears: “Wake up, you lazy pair! It’s already morning!” Without a doubt, she had a strong personality, but deep down, she was gentle-spirited. Startled, both jumped up abruptly, causing the carriage to wobble. “We’ve arrived in Italy, boys,” she said with a threatening yet friendly tone. “Well, actually, we’re in Milan, the destination you mentioned. You only said Italy, but it’s big—it’s shaped like a boot—and I thought this place would suit you. Anyway, it’s done. Go inside the house to freshen up and change clothes. I’ll do the same,” she expressed.

Before reaching the door, Adia told them to wait a moment. “This house belongs to an acquaintance and is secure, so it needs to scan you before you can enter.” Both stood at the entrance, and the two dragons scanned them. From inside, Adia pressed a green button to register them. Once the scan was complete, she told them to come in.

Upon entering, they could see that the exterior did not do justice to the interior; as the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. At first glance, the kitchen appeared spacious, equipped with a five-burner stove with an integrated oven, a microwave, and several cabinets. A circular table with four chairs occupied the center, and the living room featured three pieces of furniture: one with a single seat, another with two seats, and the third with three seats, all navy blue, perfectly matching the floor. “The bedrooms are upstairs,” Adia explained. “The good news is that there are three rooms; use the last one at the end of the hall, which is for guests. Each room has its own bathroom, and you’ll find towels and everything else you need. Oh, and if you’re wondering about your belongings, my robot has already taken them upstairs.” Reia, speaking sarcastically within Podbe’s mind, remarked that at least the owner of this house had better taste than Adia’s gloomy and dark residence.

Aiden and Podbe climbed the stairs, and Aiden was surprised when he opened the bedroom door. He found a bed larger than any he had slept in before, a desk, a lava lamp, and another door at the back leading to the bathroom. Inside, there was a regular shower cabin with a Spanish-style shower arm and a hydrotherapy system he didn’t even know how to operate.

He took off his clothes, put on the blue robe he had found in the bathroom, and stepped into the shower, not without first attempting to take Podbe in with him. Although the dog resisted at first, Aiden managed to convince him. In the end, they made quite a mess in the bathroom, but only Aiden could clean it up since Podbe, obviously, didn’t have hands. Once finished, he dressed in black pants, a red polo shirt, and a blue jacket.

His clothes were somewhat torn from what had happened on the train, so he decided to take out his sewing kit. This was how Aiden earned money at the orphanage, making crafts. He wasn’t an expert, but he managed well enough.

As he threaded the needle and began sewing, Reia informed Podbe about several notifications in the system. The dog asked her to read the messages aloud, so she began. “You have crossed Italy and gained twenty experience points; you now have seventy points,” the first message read. The second stated, “You have completed one out of twenty quests. Review the area where you are located; go to the center of Milan.” The third message warned, “Always stay alert to your surroundings.” “Wow, that doesn’t help us much,” Podbe interjected. She continued with the fourth message: “Your hunger has increased; feed yourself.”

Podbe interrupted again, saying, “That one matters to me. I’m hungrier than ever.” The fifth message, Reia noted, contained only question marks. Aiden, who was listening to their conversation through the link, indicated that he didn’t have much money for food but suggested they could go to the city center to continue the quest. He finished sewing, and they proceeded to leave the room.

They walked down the hallway when, suddenly, the front door opened, revealing Miss Adia wearing a rather fitted red dress that suited her perfectly. Her bright brown eyes and loose hair made her look flawless. She asked where they were going, confronting them. Aiden didn’t know what to say until noises were heard: it was the growling stomachs of the boy and the dog. “Alright, come downstairs with me for breakfast. It’s nine in the morning, which explains why you’re hungry—or perhaps it’s a side effect of drinking too much of the old man’s concoction.”

The three went downstairs, and she began pulling out various items. The boy tried to help, but she assured him there was no problem. Adia called her robot, which appeared wearing an apron and a chef’s hat. Quickly, the machine prepared everything, from frying eggs for omelets to brewing coffee, juice, and other dishes, all in record time.

Adia told them to sit at the table. The robot served plates for Aiden and herself. “And what about Podbe?” the boy asked. “Don’t worry,” she replied, calling her robot, which promptly prepared a special dish for Podbe and placed it under the table. The three ate heartily. Adia reassured him, saying, “Don’t be shy—if you want more, there’s no problem.” She heard a bark and added, “Yes, the same goes for you, little dog.” Reia, within Podbe’s mind, remarked, “Convenient.”

Once their stomachs were full, they informed Adia that they needed to go to the center of Milan. She responded that it was fine and that they could return once they finished their business. She returned the twenty euros Aiden had with him. Before they left, she reminded them that they couldn’t wander around with the dog without identification, as he might end up in a shelter.

She pulled a hundred euros from her pocket and handed it to him, saying, “With this, go to the pet store in the city center, buy him a collar with a tag, and pick up these items I’ve written on the list.” Two optional notifications appeared: the first read, “Get recognized wherever you go—obtain a tag and earn ten experience points”; the second said, “Complete Adia’s errand and earn five experience points.” “Wow, sometimes this system surprises me,” Reia and Podbe said in unison.

The two set off, of course, since Reia was also with them because she was part of Podbe’s system. Reia guided them to the pet store using the map available in the system. When they arrived, everything was in Italian. Something Adia had forgotten was to ask Aiden if he knew any language other than German.

“Do you understand anything, Aiden?” Reia asked.

“A little bit. At the boarding school, they taught us several languages besides German: English, French, Spanish, and Italian, but I’m not very good at the latter,” the boy replied, somewhat embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, I can translate for you, but I can’t speak it—you’ll have to learn,” Reia told him.

The store was fairly empty since it was still early, around eleven o’clock. The shop was medium-sized and stocked with all kinds of toys, clothing, vitamins, beds, and other pet supplies of all types and sizes. The shopkeeper began speaking, but Aiden didn’t understand much, especially with Reia explaining things in his mind.

He heard a young female voice but didn’t know where it was coming from. The voice told him she could speak his language and communicate with the owner. So, the boy said he wanted a collar with a tag for his dog. The voice responded that it was fine and addressed the owner in Italian. Still, he didn’t know where the voice was coming from.

Suddenly, a girl in the store uniform rose from behind the counter.

“My name is Elena,” she said. “Sorry for not showing myself earlier—I was fixing some things. Since I saw you weren’t from here and spoke another language…”

Elena was about the same age as Aiden. She worked alongside the owner to help support her family, as her father’s income wasn’t enough. She was a charismatic girl with captivating blue eyes and reddish-orange hair. She loved animals and dreamed of becoming a veterinarian someday.

She looked into the boy’s eyes and said, “It’s ten euros. What name should I put on the tag?” Aiden lifted his gaze, saw the girl, and stammered:

“Pod… Pod.”

Reia told him: “Wake up, boy.” Podbe nudged him and barked.

“What did you say?” Elena asked, trying to understand.

Reia thought: “If I weren’t with the dog, I’d give you a couple of small electric shocks too.” After a while, Aiden said, raising his voice slightly:

“His name is Podbe.”

“Understood,” she replied. Quickly, she told the boy to pay the owner, a man about sixty years old. Aiden walked awkwardly to the counter, handed over a hundred euros, and received his change. The owner spoke in Italian, and Elena translated: “He says it will take five minutes.”

Those five minutes felt like torture for Aiden, who didn’t know where to stand. He was making a fool of himself in front of this girl who had immediately captivated him. She kept talking to him, and he just nodded his head like one of those wobbly-headed figurines in car windows.

Reia told Aiden: “Wow, you’re still too young to fall in love. Humans can be a bit strange sometimes.”

Podbe said: “Falling in love? I don’t think so. We dogs just sniff tails and that’s it.”

Reia gave him a couple of shocks for his out-of-place comment.

Five minutes passed, with them just staring at each other. Of course, the boy’s face was as red as a tomato. Elena spoke again and told him the collar was ready. He quickly grabbed it, and she said:

“See you if you stay in the area.”

Without delay, Aiden rushed toward the door and left without looking back.

After walking a few blocks and calming down, he realized he had forgotten to tell her his name.

“How foolish of me,” he said, brushing the thought aside.

Reia reminded him:

“You haven’t given anything to the dog.”

“That’s right,” he replied.

Instantly, he pulled out the collar with the tag and said to Podbe:

“This is your collar with the tag that has your name on it.”

Reia informed them that he had earned ten experience points. They now had eighty out of a hundred.