Gathering of mythical creatures.
A gathering of mythical creatures…
The phrase had a strange resonance.
I scratched my neck with my hind leg and watched as Momo eagerly accepted food from a group of unnamed can openers.
“So cute~”
“Do you want this too?”
Perhaps because Momo was particularly charming today, there seemed to be more students than usual coming to see her.
On the other hand, I… Well, let’s just say my popularity has waned.
It’s clear that the kids are startled by how big I’ve gotten.
I’ve grown to a size where I could easily overpower a medium-sized dog, so it’s no wonder some students are intimidated.
“Wow, has he always been this big?”
“I remember he was just a bit bigger than Jae…”
I looked up at the unfamiliar female students who were gazing down at me.
Their curious eyes met mine.
“Isn’t it enough that he’s cute?”
“Right?”
In an instant, the girls seemed to accept this reasoning, and their relentless hands began to ruffle my fur.
“It’s even more satisfying to pet him now that he’s bigger.”
“Look how soft his fur is. I could bury my face in it and sleep soundly.”
I could feel their hands moving from the top of my head down to my back.
I guess they thought it was okay to keep petting me since I wasn’t resisting.
Of course, I had no intention of stopping them—as long as they weren’t trying to touch my belly.
Fortunately, the two unnamed girls seemed to have some basic manners and offered me a long piece of jerky.
This is delicious!
What kind of jerky is this?
“He must like it. He ate it in no time!”
“Even cats know what’s expensive, huh.”
That’s right.
Got any more?
I licked my lips and looked up at the girls, but unfortunately, it seemed there was no more jerky to be had.
What a shame.
Still, I should give them something in return.
I deliberately purred and closed my eyes.
These girls can be opener numbers 5 and 6…
“…Hello.”
“L-Lady Linnaeus? Oh, it’s been a while. We met a few years ago, do you remember?”
“Yes, Lady Eliza. It’s been a long time.”
What, Orca’s here?
I looked up at Orca, who seemed a bit deflated by the girls’ reaction.
…She gives off more of a predator waiting in the bushes for its prey vibe.
“Are you out for a walk?”
“…Yes.”
Orca’s gaze shifted to me. Just that was enough for the girl to sense Orca’s intentions, and she awkwardly smiled and spoke to her.
“Do you like cats?”
“…Yes. I do.”
“Lady Linnaeus seems to like cute things too!”
Her energy is high.
I watched as the typical cheerful aura of teenagers began to overwhelm Orca and lost myself in thought.
Still, it seems like she’s making some progress.
Maybe it’s because they’re past acquaintances.
“I heard about what happened during the joint class! You had a tough time.”
“If it weren’t for Lady Linnaeus, we wouldn’t have made it back alive. And you even took down the boss in the process…”
“I was just lucky.”
“Come on, anyone who knows the Linnaeus family knows how strong Lady Linnaeus is.”
Is this flattery or sincerity?
“You’re too kind.”
Either way, it’s better for Orca to have some kind of social connection.
Friends call friends, so it’s important to make at least one.
I watched the scene with a warm gaze and quietly rubbed cheeks with Momo, who had approached me.
—————-
“Nine, where are you going?”
“There’s a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Yeah, I’m meeting with some scary folks to talk.”
A massive snake that seemed sculpted from the word “sinister.”
A paper-devouring goat.
A chatterbox squirrel.
A belligerent owl.
Since I was attending a gathering of mythical creatures, I might be able to learn some information that wasn’t available in the game.
“Can I come too?”
“It won’t be fun. There are a lot of scary beings, so it might be dangerous.”
“But I’ll be scared if I’m alone…”
Sigh.
I feel like I’m becoming more of a spoiled pet.
Is that just my imagination?
I tapped Momo’s head with my paw as she looked down at the ground with a dejected expression.
“You can come, but don’t cause any trouble, okay?”
“Okay!”
Well, bringing one cat should be fine.
They know she’s part of my family, so they won’t mess with her.
I stretched and started walking towards the meeting place.
The meeting place was in the Magic Department, so it wasn’t too far.
If it were in the Academic or Theology Departments, I would have had to leave earlier…
“Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
I left the garden with Momo and headed towards the Magic Department.
The Magic Department was quiet in the middle of the night, but occasionally, I could hear moans or screams from somewhere.
Graduate students are being torn apart.
Marina and Kazein are probably among them.
I let the thoughts in my head drift away with the night breeze and walked for a while longer.
Eventually, I saw a stone table-like structure in front of the nest where Selene usually resided.
Around the table were the mystical creatures of the academy, all looking at us.
“Oh, you brought a friend. Did you think the meeting would be boring?”
Starting off with a blatant threat, huh.
I yawned and brushed off Selene’s playful threat.
“Bringing one more won’t change anything.”
“Hahaha! That’s right! The more friends, the better!”
“The scaredy-cat friend from back then!”
“Having one more guest won’t change anything, so I don’t mind. But I’d like to get started soon. I still have a mountain of papers to eat.”
The agenda, the agenda.
But what kind of discussion would mystical creatures have?
As guardians of the academy, are they discussing countermeasures against internal conspiracies?
Something about a lurking antagonist, suspicious movements within the academy, or a shady student council president?
Perhaps—
“Hoho, today’s agenda is…”
Selene smiled slyly and paused, perhaps trying to tease me.
“Why are you dragging it out? Just say it already! You’re making me impatient!”
Finally, under Irops’s pressure, Selene revealed the agenda.
“…It’s about the forest.”
The forest? Wait, the forest as in the Hunting Department?
“Is it already that time?”
“We’ve left it alone for too long!”
“It’s been ages since that guy left…”
What’s this about?
Even though everyone’s in a sentimental mood, I have no idea.
Was there a mythical creature in the forest?
That wasn’t mentioned in the game.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Can someone explain?”
“Friend, simply put, we’ve left the forest unattended for too long!”
…That’s true.
That forest has been left untouched for over half a century.
The academy’s administration and the mystical creatures must have a lot to consider.
With the Hunting Department gone, what should be done with that forest?
It’s too valuable to develop, but also too precious to leave alone.
“Normally, this issue wouldn’t even be on the agenda. But since a child has appeared who wants to restore its past glory, it’s time for us to decide its fate.”
“Gott is right! We can’t leave the forest idle forever! Why not remodel it so the Knight Department students can have realistic training—”
“Oh my, it’s not just the Knight Department here, you know?”
“Those cowards who only know magic wouldn’t even step into the forest, right?”
The owl’s words are harsh.
“Hoho… Is that really what you think?”
The snake and the owl began to glare at each other, heating up the atmosphere.
If left alone, it might turn into a fight, but neither Ratatosk nor Gott seemed inclined to stop them.
It must be a familiar occurrence.
Maybe it’s an annual event at every meeting.
Then I don’t need to worry about it.
I felt Momo clinging tightly to me, scared by the atmosphere, and turned my gaze to Ratatosk.
“What do you think?”
“Friend! I don’t mind either way! It’s a good place for outdoor prayers, but faith isn’t bound by location, hmm, so!”
“I’m not interested in the forest either. It might be a good place for the academic students to relax, but relaxation won’t change everything.”
Two interested, two uninterested.
That’s good news for me.
At least only half of the mystical creatures are actively interested in this agenda.
“You—”
“Oh my, the ignorant owl.”
“Both of you, stop fighting.”
At my words, both creatures turned to glare at me.
Wow, that’s a bit intimidating.
I forced a nonchalant expression and continued.
“Why not just hand it over to me?”
“Oh my, already wanting your own territory at such a young age?”
“Hoh.”
“The Hunting Department hasn’t completely disappeared yet.”
“But it’s just one person.”
“Just because it started with one doesn’t mean it will end with one.”
“Can you revive it? A discipline that’s been forgotten by the tides of time?”
Gott’s eyes pierced through me with interest.
Him being interested in me isn’t exactly a good thing, but… I should answer.
I addressed the mystical creatures waiting for my response.
“A tree without roots will eventually wither.”