Chapter 13 : The Empire’s Princess (6)

Nia, hanging upside down from the ceiling, was staring at me, her yellow-green eyes sparkling brightly.

“How long have you been here?”

“I’ve been here since last week. I followed your scent and kept tracking you every day.”

“Did you really catch up that quickly?”

“When the party members started fighting, Nia was the first to escape. I didn’t want my precious fur to get damaged fighting monsters.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at her shameless reply. Truly, she was like a cat.

“Then why did you try to steal the treasure after following me so fast?”

“That… because I need to prepare a house and supplies for living with Haru!”

I was momentarily speechless. Even in this situation, she would say something like that…

“Do you know that the Princess and the Saintess are fighting right now?”

“Nyan nyan… Nia’s plan is perfect.”

Her smug expression while hanging upside down didn’t quite match.

“I was planning to wait until everyone got tired, then steal Haru away! That’s the great thief Nia’s way!”

“…But you got caught in a trap, huh?”

Nia’s ears twitched, then drooped sadly.

“The dogwood fruit looked so delicious. It must have been the finest dogwood for royal cats…”

I sighed. No matter how legendary a thief she was, in the end, she was still just a cat.

“Haru, don’t laugh! I was so hungry from chasing after you… It’s all your fault!”

“If I were a dog beastkin, I wouldn’t have been caught.”

“Enough with the teasing, help me quickly! My head hurts from hanging upside down!”

Her body twisted as she was bound by black thread, looking like a cat tangled in yarn.

“Hmm…”

I tilted my head. If I helped her, she’d probably just follow me again.

“Haru?”

Nia’s voice became more pitiful. Her golden eyes started to glisten.

“Please… I was so lonely by myself…”

This was dangerous. If I looked into those eyes, I might feel compelled to help.

“Even so, you’ll just keep following me, won’t you?”

“Of course! I’m Haru’s cat!”

Her shameless answer made me sigh.

“I’ll really tell you all the treasure information! It’s a promise!”

Nia’s face grew serious. A thief cat’s promise… Can I trust her?

“What will you do if you lie?”

“I’ll live as a house cat at Haru’s feet forever… Though, I was already planning to do that!”

… She mumbled the last part, but I heard it clearly.

“Sigh… Fine.”

I started walking. I had raided the treasure vault for a week, after all. It should be helpful.

“Really? Haru is the best!”

I opened my aura and cut the black thread. Nia fell to the floor.

“Ugh… My head hurts…”

Like a cat, Nia crouched as she landed. Her golden eyes glared at me.

“But… why did Haru come to the treasure vault?”

Her voice had become sharp, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

“Are you… thinking of running away again?”

Her black tail swished dangerously. My heartbeat quickened.

“Are you going to leave Nia behind… and go alone?”

The beast-like glint in her golden eyes replaced the earlier pitiful expression.

Was she acting this whole time?

“Yeah. I’m going to run away. I can’t live with you guys.”

I spoke honestly. There was nothing left to hide now.

“LF?”

Nia’s eyes widened in surprise at my confession.

“You know it too. If I stay with you, my life is over.”

“What do you mean… Nia can make Haru happy!”

“Happy in your own way, I suppose.”

“So, what now? Now that you’ve freed Nia, you can’t run away, can you?”

Her gaze was dangerous, but I had already made up my mind.

“I don’t want to fight you.”

Her black tail shot up menacingly. Her claws grew longer.

“I won’t let Haru slip away again!”

A black shadow swirled around. Nia’s movements were so fast that my eyes couldn’t keep up.

But…

Nia leapt up like a cat. Her sharp claws flashed as she swiped at my face.

“Kyaa! Haru, you won’t be able to run away now!”

Swish, swish—

But her attacks… felt somewhat playful. It was like a cat playing with a toy.

“Nia, I don’t think you’re serious.”

“Shut up, Nyan! I’ll catch Haru… Haaah!”

Her claws grazed my clothes, tearing the fabric. But my skin wasn’t scratched.

“Ugh… Why are you so calm?!”

Her attacks were literally just kitten punches.

Nia’s movements started to slow down. She began to breathe heavily.

“Now that I think about it, you specialize in speed. But me…”

“Ugh… Haru’s defense is too high… Too hard…”

Eventually, a tired Nia collapsed onto the floor. Her black tail limped, laying flat.

“Are you calm now?”

“Ugh… Haru, you’re so mean…!”

Her flushed face was cute. After all, a cat is just a cat.

The truth was, I had let Nia go because she wasn’t really a threat.

Aris’s dragon magic, Sylvia’s spirits, Seraphine’s divine power… Compared to them, Nia was just fast and agile.

Of course, she was the best at stealth and escaping, but she didn’t pose much of a threat to someone like me with high defense. She knew very well she couldn’t catch me.

“Sigh… Nia is tired now…”

“Now will you tell me the treasure information?”

“Hmph! Why should I tell you now that Haru won’t play with me?”

“Should I tie you up again?”

“I don’t want that! …Fine, I’ll tell you…”

Nia pouted and stood up. Her golden eyes sparkled mischievously.

“But Haru, really, can’t you live with Nia?”

“No, that’s…”

She was definitely calculating something in her head again.

“I refuse. You’re a cat.”

“Ugh… Haru, you’re really mean…”

With a sigh, Nia reached for the wall.

“This is the secret passage lever. The treasure is behind that closet…”

“You’re the party’s thief, not just a cat burglar.”

“Haru, you’re so cold… But I’ll definitely get it next time!”

She pouted, but expertly avoided traps as she went along. It made me smile. This level of interaction was just right for us.

While exploring the treasure vault, Nia gradually changed her attitude.

She must’ve realized that she couldn’t use force against me.

In an instant, the pressure disappeared, and only a playful voice remained.

“Haru, did you get hurt earlier? Or are you tired?”

Her black ears twitched as she gave me a concerned look. Before I knew it, she had closed the distance and started circling around me.

She subtly wrapped her tail around my hand, occasionally pressing down on my back.

“…What are you doing?”

“Haru-nyan looks really tired these days, so I’m giving him a massage…!”

Nia swirled around me, her tail flicking. She looked like a cat trying to catch prey… or, more accurately, trying to get her owner’s attention.

“Stop it.”

“Why, Nyan? I’m really worried about you…”

“Allergy.”

“Ugh! Not that again!”

Nia pouted and took a step back. Then her expression suddenly changed.

“Haru-nyan, do you dislike Nia…?”

For a moment, my heart wavered. Anyone would…

“Just tell me the location of the treasure.”

“Ehh… I didn’t know Haru-nyan would be so heartless…”

No. I need to snap out of it. This is just a cat’s crafty trick.

“Haru-nyan, let’s think rationally for a moment…”

What did Nia just say? Rationally? Does a cat even know what that means?

Nia sat down, blinking her golden eyes, looking like she was calculating something.

With her ears perked up, Nia spoke in a serious tone.

“First! No matter how much of a hero you are, there’s a limit to running around alone. Haru is as solid as a turtle! But Nia is the master of escape! A legendary great thief!”

She swung her black tail confidently.

“Nia has outrun S-class adventurers’ pursuit! Escape? Leave it to an expert!”

“Hmm…”

“Second! You just saw, right? Nia is not at all threatening to Haru-nyan.”

“Is that so?”

“Think about Aris or Sylvia! Isn’t dragon magic or spirit power also deadly to Haru-nyan?”

I paused for a moment to think. Nia’s words were correct. Her claws weren’t a threat to me, but the powers of the other party members were different.

“Conclusion! What Haru-nyan needs is a helpful companion who’s not dangerous… and that’s Nia!”

Her black tail swished proudly.

Suddenly, her suggestion started sounding attractive. Nia’s stealth skills were indeed top-notch.

“Nyan-nyan-nyan! I’ve crushed you with logic!”

“…Nia, you actually have logic?”

“Of course, Nyan! What do you take Nia for? I’m a legendary great thief! Of course, I have to be smart!”

Nia’s voice suddenly sharpened.

“And if…”

The eyes that had been soft and round until just now turned sharp once again.

“If Haru-nyan refuses… I’ll tell Alice your location.”

“What?”

“Should I mention it to the golden dragon? That Haru-nyan is in the empire?”

With a sly laugh, Nia made her threat. When did she start calculating this?

I was deep in thought. Nia was right. She wasn’t a threat to me, but she could be helpful.

And if I turned her into an enemy now…

“Sigh… Fine.”

With a deep sigh, I made my decision.

“Let’s go together.”

“LF?!”

Nia’s ears perked up. Her golden eyes sparkled with joy.

“Really? Really, you’ll go with me?!”

“However, there are conditions.”

I quickly added.

“First, you can’t act on your own without my permission.”

“Got it, Nyan!”

“Second, you can’t contact the other party members.”

“Of course, Nyan!”

“Third… Don’t stick too close. I told you I have allergies.”

“Ugh… That’s a bit hard, Nyan…”

I already started regretting it.

“But I’ll bear with it, Nyan! I’ll try my best! From now on, Nia will be Haru-nyan’s shadow!”

“Shadow, huh…”

“I’ll watch over Haru-nyan from places where you can’t see, and help you whenever you’re in danger!”

It was a strangely convincing proposal. Indeed, it might be better than being alone…

“Now, let’s go finish looting the treasure vault! This is the first mission for the Haru-nyan and Nia duo, not the hero party!”

Nia led the way with an energetic step, and I couldn’t help but smile. I just hoped this was the right choice.

“But do you really have a cat allergy?”

“…I do.”

“That’s a lie, Nyan! You were fine when you released me earlier!”

“That’s…”

“Haru-nyan tricked Nia again!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw Nia pouting with her flushed face. Well, if it’s just a short partnership… it might not be too bad.