Chapter 56: Seat (3)

“Ugh, I guess I’ll have some free time for a while.”

Two days after the picnic in the forest.

I was lying down next to a tree, enjoying some leisurely time.

Some humans might scold me, saying I have a mountain of work to do, but what can I do? 

Cats are creatures that need a lot of sleep.

It’s not like I have a body that can function on six hours of sleep and work like a slave.

…Well, since becoming a spiritual being, I’ve pushed past my previous limits, but the muscle memory in my body still craves a good nap.

So today, I’ll just stretch out and take a nice nap—

“Nine? Are you sleeping?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not sleeping, are you?”

With a soft laugh, like meringue, I felt my body enveloped in a fluffy sensation.

Now she just hugs me without saying anything.

I rested my head on Kazein’s chest and looked up.

“What’s up?”

“Professor Ryuen has something to tell you.”

“Is she just going to whine about wanting to play again?”

It might be highly disrespectful to say that about a great mage, but given Ryuen’s past behavior, I can’t help but think that way.

Every time, she wants to cuddle, touch my paws, or throw a tantrum asking to rub her belly.

Honestly, she acts less mature than a neighborhood kid.

“She said it’s important. So… will you come with me?”

“Well, if it’s important.”

I can roughly guess what it’s about.

“Nine, where are you going?”

“The blonde kid has something to discuss.”

“I want to come too!”

“Sure. Kazein, let’s take Momo too. She wants to come.”

“Really?”

Surprisingly strong, Kazein held me in one arm and Momo in the other.

“Should I shrink you down a bit?”

“Can you make me kitten-sized?”

“Sigh.”

Look at that selfish request.

Do you really like kittens that much?

Adult cats have their own charm with their elegant curves, you know.

But since it’s a request from my number one can opener, I’ll oblige.

I quietly shrunk down and curled up on Kazein’s chest.

“Want to come in here?”

“Why not?”

Well then.

I undid the button and nestled into Kazein’s cleavage, poking just my head out.

“It’s so soft, I might get addicted.”

“Please, don’t follow Ryuen’s example.”

If more people like Ryuen show up, I won’t be able to handle it.

“But how can I resist when a cute cat is being so affectionate?”

Kazein stroked the top of my head with a pitying expression.

————–

“What! That’s unfair! I want to—”

“You’re flat.”

“That’s sexual harassment!”

“Pfft.”

“Are you seriously talking about sexual harassment to a cat?”

Are you expecting a high-level concept like that from an animal that mates in the streets?

I glared at Ryuen from Kazein’s cleavage, only my head poking out.

“Senpai, didn’t people stare at you on the way here?”

“Did they?”

“Senpai, you’re ruthless.”

“Suddenly?”

“Senpai, you just made countless men bow their heads.”

“?”

Do you really not know?

“Enough chit-chat, get me out of here. I can’t get out on my own…”

“Really?”

What? 

Why are you coming closer?

I glared at Marina as she approached with a sly smile, warning her.

“You don’t really think I can’t move, do you?”

“You seduced me first!”

What are you talking about?

I slightly enlarged myself and slipped out of my cozy spot, landing on Ryuen’s table.

“Nine, just once! Let me hold you in kitten mode just once!”

“I don’t have a fetish for being crushed by ribs.”

“Waaah…”

“Stop talking nonsense and get to the point.”

I felt a small hand tickling my back as I waited for Ryuen to speak.

Ryuen finally spoke up just as she started playing with my tail.

“They want you to attend the meeting!”

“About the forest?”

“Yeah!”

“That’s annoying…”

“If you don’t go, they’ll make it even more annoying.”

“Well, humans are like that.”

The older they get, the more cunning they become. It’s not surprising.

It’s within my expectations, so I’ll just handle it as it comes.

I slipped my tail out of Ryuen’s grasp and said,

“So they want me to prove something?”

“Bingo!”

“Sigh. Humans.”

“That’s why I have a great idea!”

“An idea?”

“In situations like this, you need impact! So, as a kitten—”

“Not just to fulfill your own desires?”

“…Hehe.”

You’re really going to make me raise my paw.

As I raised my front paw to the height of my head, someone behind me placed their palm against it and shouted,

“This is all part of the bigger picture! It’s the best way to show you’re a spiritual being! You can suddenly return to your original size when they least expect it!”

“…Since when did you come up with useful ideas?”

“I’m always useful! What do you take me for, a great mage?”

A senile old man.

But I thought better of saying it out loud, so I kept my mouth shut.

“What? Why aren’t you saying anything? Say something!”

“Sigh, fine. Just take me there already.”

I shrunk down to a size slightly larger than a hamster.

This should be enough.

“Ah, so cute…”

“Why don’t you just stay like this? You’d be super popular.”

“I don’t need that kind of popularity.”

Too much popularity is a problem.

It means more eyes on me.

“Ryuen, if we’re going, let’s go.”

“Okay!”

“Momo, you stay here and play! I’ll be back after some work!”

“Okay! Come back safely!”

Somehow, Momo had moved into Marina’s arms and was waving.

She must have picked up human habits from being around them.

“Let’s go!”

Ryuen carefully cupped me in her palm and held me close.

Naturally, I leaned against Ryuen’s chest, feeling the regular vibrations.

“I’ll be back! Keep working hard on your assignments!”

“Okay~! Come back safely!”

“Don’t cause any trouble!”

Am I your mom?

“Hehe… I can’t wait to see the kids’ surprised faces!”

“Kids?”

“But they’re way younger than me.”

No matter how you look at it, your mental age seems lower.

As we chatted about nonsense, we eventually arrived at a door that was noticeably larger than the others.

“Here we are!”

“Indeed.”

I can hear some commotion on the other side, but it’s hard to make out.

The soundproofing is impressive.

“Nine, hide in my palm before we go in!”

“Am I a child?”

“For an elf, you’re still a kid, right?”

Oh, is that so?

Well, then I guess I have no choice.

I curled up on Ryuen’s palm.

Then my vision was covered in darkness, and my whole body felt like it was being pressed into a soft sponge.

“It’s me! Open the door!”

What a rude knock.

But it wasn’t the first time she’d done this, so the meeting room door opened in response to Ryuen’s call.

—————

“Professor Ryuen is late.”

“She must have wandered off somewhere again.”

“Goodness…”

“She wouldn’t do that for something this important, would she? She’s probably trying to persuade the spiritual being to come.”

“Wasn’t there enough time given?”

“Persuading a spiritual being isn’t easy.”

The professors and board members gathered in the meeting room for the first time in days were debating Professor Ryuen’s tardiness.

It wasn’t uncommon for Ryuen to be late due to the elves’ notoriously poor sense of time, but this time, with so much at stake, the attendees were understandably on edge.

The development of the forest involved numerous interests.

The previous board chairman had opposed the development, so it was left untouched, but the current chairman and headmaster, Gideon, wasn’t actively against it, which only fueled the attendees’ fervor.

And finally, the main character arrived.

“I’m here~!”

“Welcome!”

“Where is the spiritual being?”

“Well~?”

Ryuen’s smile twisted mischievously.

Her blatantly playful smile made some of the attendees frown, but they quickly composed themselves.

Few wanted to cross the notoriously unpredictable Professor Ryuen.

Ryuen sat down, clutching something to her chest, and scanned the room.

Countless eyes were on her.

Gideon cleared his throat and asked,

“Where is the spiritual being?”

“Ta-da!”

“Peep.”

“Goodness.”

“Professor Ryuen. Even for you, this joke is…”

‘Is she mocking us now?’

Professor Ryuen was known for her childish antics, but to joke around at a time like this?

The room’s gaze shifted back to Ryuen.

“Professor Ryuen, enough with the jokes.”

“Please maintain some decorum.”

Finally, a few attendees couldn’t hold back and criticized her behavior, but Ryuen, unlike usual, crossed her arms with a mischievous smile.

Meanwhile, some professors gasped at the sight of Nine.

‘An irresistibly adorable cat. Is this also the power of a spiritual being?’

They couldn’t help but want to scratch its chin or play with it using a catnip toy.

The attendees’ hands twitched unconsciously, drawn to Nine’s cuteness.

“Peep.”

“Really, is this kitten truly a spiritual being?”

“How does it look to you?”

Ryuen’s face was adorned with a playful smile.

It was a smile that made it hard to discern the truth.

Gideon, who had been observing the situation, shifted his gaze to Nine and let out a sigh.

‘An irresistibly adorable cat.’

Is this also the power of a spiritual being?

Or is it innate?

He had seen other spiritual beings at the academy, but this was a first.

Most spiritual beings had an innate aura that made it hard to breathe when near them.

“Professor Ryuen, even for you, please maintain some decorum. How could a fist-sized cat possibly—”

“A fist-sized cat, you say?”

“Just now…”

Once again, the room’s attention was drawn to one spot.

Naturally, it was the cat that had just spoken.

The cat walked across the table toward the middle-aged man who had called it a “mere cat.”

The man couldn’t take his eyes off the approaching cat and gulped.

Something was clearly going wrong.

‘Oh no, I made a mistake—’

But the mistake had already been made.

The cat stopped in front of him, and its body began to grow rapidly.

To the point where it could bite his head off like an apple.

“Say that again. Did you call me a ‘mere cat’?”