Chapter 43: Alice, I Chose You! (3)

“…An unfamiliar ceiling.”

I had always wanted to say that.

I muttered the clichéd, almost stale line as I extricated myself from Alice’s embrace.

Ugh, she was holding on so tight that it was hard to get out.

But who am I?

A cat so flexible that it would be a shame to call me second best.

Unlike stiff dogs, I could easily slip out of such a predicament.

Is Alice still asleep?

I stared blankly at Alice’s face, which was deep in slumber.

With a face like that and pink hair, she should be drawing insane amounts of attention.

It was bizarre that someone who should trigger a “Menthera Alert” within a 50-meter radius could be so inconspicuous that she could assassinate an assassin.

“Don’t go…”

…Sigh.

I slipped back into Alice’s arms as she flailed them and closed my eyes.

I had plenty of time, so I might as well sleep a bit more.

I’m clearly a seasoned veteran, but…

I shouldn’t get so used to this…

————

The expression she had seen the most in her life was one of indifference.

Blessed by the crescent moon, her presence was so faint that even her parents often lost track of her.

Despite her blessed talent, she was always forgotten by her family.

‘I thought it would be different here…’

Even her mentor, who had remembered her when others didn’t, had told her.

The academy, which had produced countless talents over a thousand years, might be able to solve her problem.

But at the academy where she had come with hope, she was once again confronted with the nostalgia of a past she never wanted to revisit.

‘No friends… and the professors don’t care…

I had some hope for Professor Ruyen, a friend of my mentor, but it’s been over a month, and Ruyen hasn’t approached me.

I thought about going to see her, but I was too afraid of her reaction to make a move.

…Maybe I’ll graduate alone like this…

Just as she thought she might sink back into the shadowy gloom that had been following her, she met a pure white cat.

A mysterious cat with heterochromatic eyes.

A cat that could speak human language, no less, and it brought her a warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time.

‘So warm and fluffy…

Even though it’s not a house cat, it smells nice.

A warm, sleepy scent.

A natural smile bloomed on Alice’s lips as she drifted back to sleep.

Today, she would have a pleasant morning.

Not that I was being hugged so tightly that my body was bent at a 45-degree angle.

“Alice, Alice. Wake up. It’s morning.”

“Mmm…”

Alice slowly opened her eyes to the soft sensation of her cheeks being pressed.

It was earlier than her usual waking time.

The sun was just beginning to peek through the window, and Alice, who had woken up at this hour, looked down at Nine, who was pressing her cheeks while nestled in her arms.

“…Did you sleep well? Hehe…”

‘So cute…’

Ordinary cats are cute, but Nine, with her pure white, luxurious fur, had the grace of a cat raised in a noble household.

Hidden within that grace, her round eyes sparkled so brightly that I wanted to touch them, but doing so would probably make her dislike me, right?

Alice swallowed her small desire and sat on the edge of the bed.

The warm sunlight gently touched her feet.

The dorm’s heating was reliable, so the warmth of the sunlight wasn’t particularly meaningful, but at least emotionally, it felt better, didn’t it?

Alice thought with her still-sleepy head.

“Come on, it’s morning. Let’s go wash up.”

“Mmm…”

Alice nodded with a drowsy face, set Nine down beside her, and stretched.

Today, she had a place to go with the cat guest who had visited last night, so she had to prepare early and go for breakfast.

Alice placed her change of clothes on the shelf next to the bathroom and went inside.

Along with an unexpected guest.

“Uh, kitty?”

“Can I wash up too?”

“A cat washing up?”

“Cats wash up when they need to.”

Nine confidently entered the bathroom and pushed the faucet up with her front paw.

Whoosh—

In an instant, a stream of hot water poured over Nine’s head like rain.

An ordinary cat would have freaked out and jumped like a rubber ball, but Nine, as if used to hot water, began to rub her fur with her front paws.

Wow.

‘Is the cat showering?!’

Alice’s shock was short-lived, as an even more shocking scene followed.

Holding the soap with her front paws and scrubbing her body.

Alice’s thoughts came to a halt at the sight of Nine lathering up.

A talking cat was one thing, but a cat showering itself was even more bizarre.

“Using soap really makes it feel like you’re clean.”

‘Using soap at a fountain would be weird.’

Just washing with water doesn’t leave much of a mark, but using soap would make bubbles float around, so that wasn’t an option.

Getting soap in the first place was a challenge, though.

Nine, enjoying the combination of hot water and soap for the first time in a while, finished her shower and looked up at Alice.

“What’s wrong? Hurry up and wash.”

“Uh, uh…”

Alice nodded, unable to hide her astonishment.

—————-

“Kitty, where are you going?”

“The garden.”

“The garden…?”

“Where we first met.”

“What if there are a lot of people?”

“It’s fine. Not many students come to the garden on weekend mornings.”

Most would be thinking of going out, not coming to the garden.

Only a weirdo would do that.

Except for my can opener number one, of course.

That kid considers seeing me one of life’s pleasures, so whenever she has time, she brings snacks for me and the brown furball.

Speaking of which, I wonder if the brown furball had a good night.

She wouldn’t be eaten or bullied, but I can’t help but worry.

The look she gave me yesterday was similar to the one my younger sister used to give me whenever I slipped out of the alley to get food.

…Ewww.

I’m just a spirit creature who’s barely escaped being a cat, and yet the number of kids I have to look after keeps growing.

But since it’s my doing, I can’t ignore them.

So, I’ll have to give up the idea of living comfortably as a seasoned veteran for a while.

“Nine!”

“Yeah, what’s up? Nothing happened last night, right?”

“Nope!”

Did this kid roll around in the grass while I was gone?

The brown furball started rubbing her head against me with a happy face.

“Nine, you smell weird.”

“Weird? It’s a fragrant smell.”

This is why people with no sense of smell are hopeless.

“Did you play around last night? Your fur’s a mess.”

I started licking the brown furball’s tangled fur to smooth it out.

How much time passed like that?

I gathered the fur stuck to my tongue and spat out a small hairball.

“You two get along well…?”

“Well, we’ve been together for over a month now.”

Mostly, I take care of her, though.

I didn’t expect to gain a family member while playing the seasoned veteran.

“Nine, is this person a good human?”

“Yeah.”

I’m sure she saw her before, but maybe her 30g brain ran out of space and deleted the memory.

I walked over to Alice’s feet, rubbing against the brown furball, then hopped onto the bench and leaned back.

“So cute…”

“If you want, you can pick her up and hold her.”

“R-really? I heard cats don’t like being held…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

I personally don’t like being held, but the brown furball loves humans so much that she doesn’t mind.

With my permission, Alice picked up the brown furball and hugged her tightly.

“So warm…”

Seeing the relief and joy replace the 50% gloom and 50% fear on her face made me feel a bit reassured.

“Nine, it’s uncomfortable…”

“Just keep holding her. You like it, don’t you?”

“Really? Then I’ll endure it…”

You two look good together.

I sat on the bench like a human and stared blankly at the two girls.

I didn’t have anything else to do, after all.

How much time passed like that?

By the time the sunlight was glaringly bright on the bench, a familiar figure approached us.

“Nine! We’re here!”

“Nine, we’re here.”

“Yeah. Got any food? I’m hungry.”

Hey, can openers, my mouth’s bored, so give me something to eat.

Orca, who had scurried over at my bold request, pulled out a small box from her bag.

It was the box she usually brought snacks for me and the brown furball.

“Nine, it’s dried fish caught near the west.”

“Nothing special, but I brought some dried fruit as a snack. Want some?”

Hmm.

Maybe it’s time to drop a hint.

“By the way, do you know where the brown furball is?”

“Of course, she’s right next to… huh?”

“Huh?”

“Uh…”

It’s the first time I’ve seen Orca make such a surprised face.

I glanced back and forth between the two troublemakers with wide eyes, then turned my gaze to Alice.

The goal of this meeting was to introduce Alice. Further, to form a party with these three and get them used to team play.

Once the joint class is over, we’ll be diving straight into Act 2.

“That looks delicious! Nine! Can I have some?”

“Sure. Eat and stay quiet.”

I picked up a piece of dried fish with my claw and hand-fed it to the brown furball, then looked at the three of them and introduced the third party member.

“Let me introduce you. Alice Darkmoon. The third member I told you about.”