Na! ①
It seems I’m still dreaming.
It can’t be helped. I was exhausted, after all.
The one who licked my face all over wasn’t the regret— I mean, the naked Juicy-san.
Of course not. Obviously. Dammit.
Now, what is this? What in the world?
This small thing on my lap— a creature? A Monster? It’s a Monster, right? A Monster? Monster? Hmmm. No matter how I look at it, it’s a Monster.
It’s about the size of a cat.
Its body is pure white, fluffy, and oh-so-soft.
It has faint purple spiral patterns and small wings. At this point, it must be a Monster.
Its long, white tail curves gently in an arc.
It has four slender ears, and the outer pair look like feathers.
Its large, red eyes are slanted like a cat’s, almond-shaped.
On its forehead is a purple, teardrop-shaped jewel. It looks like a third eye.
Let me be clear. It’s cute. It’s a Monster, but it’s cute. Extremely cute.
Its small-animal cuteness combined with a mystical cuteness makes it just so adorable.
But I’ve never seen a Monster like this before.
Well, it’s a dream, so that makes sense.
It stared intently at me and cried out.
“Na!”
“Na…?”
What’s with that cry? It reminds me of a Knife. Maybe because I’m tired, this is a weird dream.
“Na!”
Whoa, it floated! It’s hovering skillfully with the wings on its back and the feathers on its head-ears.
“It’s really well-made.”
But, white and purple… somewhere… Whoa!? It landed on my face and licked me.
“Hey, hey! Ooh, it’s soft.”
It’s smooth and soft like a winter blanket. And it’s lukewarm.
“Hm?”
Even though it licked me, it’s not sticky.
Come to think of it, even though it licked me all over, I’m just wet, and it doesn’t even smell bad.
Is it because it’s a dream?
“Na!”
It looks at me and cries happily. How cute. The purple, teardrop-shaped jewel on its forehead glows.
Hmmm? That jewel… hmm. Somewhere… Ah.
“…Ah!”
I got out of bed.
“Na?”
I left my room and entered the room to the left.
There, on the single-legged round table— was nothing.
That Whitish-Purple Mass is gone.
“…”
It was then I realized this wasn’t a dream.
Also, all the Scrolls were gone too. Why?
“Na!”
“…Well, considering the situation…”
“Na?”
It must be this thing. It followed me and is now sitting on the table.
It’s almost certainly that Whitish-Purple Mass, right?
Was it a living being? Or was there a living being inside it?
“…Was it an Egg?”
But wait, there’s no shell or fragments or anything like that. Did that mass become this?
Was that mass alive? No, it didn’t feel like that at all.
It should have been completely inorganic.
Just in case, I use the Relic [Danger Detection]. It’s white.
I also try using the Relic [Wheel of Fortune], just to be sure.
This Relic is only for inorganic objects, but there’s no reaction.
So, it really is a genuine living creature, huh? Hmmm.
Also, there isn’t a single Scroll left. I left them on top of this wooden box.
What were those Scrolls about again? Uh, I think they had stuff written about Monsters.
“Ugh. I don’t get it.”
I don’t get any of it. As I puzzled over it, my stomach growled. I’m suddenly starving.
Come to think of it, I fell asleep without eating.
Guess I’ll get something to eat first. My brain doesn’t work well when I’m hungry.
“Na?”
“What is it? You want something to eat too?”
“Na!”
“Leftover Mixed Meat Soup and bread beans, and what else was there… Dried meat? Pickles?”
I forgot to go shopping. Anyway, what time is it now?
I think it’s probably late at night. I left the room.
If I check from the courtyard with the Watchtower… It’s bright. A blue sky!?
“Eh? No, it was almost evening when I got back…”
So if it’s bright, that means… that means… it’s morning.
“Gah, just how long was I asleep…?”
I gave a wry smile.
I remembered working at that Black Company in my previous life. After working 15 days straight, I had the next day off. I got home just before the last train, and the moment I stepped inside, I passed out. When I woke up, it was morning, but it turned out to be the morning of the day after next.
Not the next day, but the morning of the day after that.
I ended up having to go straight to work, and that was one of the reasons I quit that company.
It wasn’t quite the day after next this time, but falling asleep in the evening and waking up the next morning is a first for me in thirteen years.
“Na?”
“Anyway, let’s eat before going to the Witch’s place.”
“Na!”
“…Do you understand human language?”
“Na?”
“Oh well.”
Right, I’m starving. I return to my room and, though it’s a bit of a pain, make a proper meal.
It’s ready after a short while.
Mixed Meat Soup with lots of vegetables. Bread beans. My special black bean tea. And three sample sausages of a new type I got when I went to the Cidre Tavern the day before yesterday.
I’ll boil these to eat them. Then, lightly grill a block of cheese. Oops, I forgot the dried meat.
I’ll go get it from the Storage Cellar under the washing area.
“…That’s kind of a lot of meat.”
Hmm. The meat dishes are a bit redundant.
But I like meat, and I’m a growing boy, so no problem!
“Na!”
“Alright. Let’s eat, let’s eat. Time to dig in.”
“Na!”
I prepared the same things on a separate plate and gave it to this Monster-like thing just in case.
Oh, it’s eating, it’s eating. It’s gobbling up the Mixed Meat Soup like a puppy.
But it skillfully holds the sausage in its paws and chews on it.
Looking closely, it has five tiny claws. It’s using its claws to grab the cheese and dried meat to eat them too.
I find myself soothed by its small-animal— no, small-Monster way of eating. It even drinks the black bean tea from a cup.
It only wolfs down the Mixed Meat Soup.
Seriously gobbling it. Why, though?
“Na! Nana! Naa-naa!”
“Yeah. I don’t understand, but do you want seconds?”
“Na!”
It eats a lot, though not as much as Mineha-san.
Alright, after finishing my meal, I got changed. Wearing yesterday’s clothes just isn’t right.
They smell like sweat. I quickly wiped myself down at the washing area.
Still in my underwear, I took out a black shirt and white trousers from the built-in closet drawers and put them on.
I grabbed a yellow jacket from the closet and threw it on.
It was a jacket-like thing with lots of black lines on it.
I fastened my Knife battle belt, put my Knife in it, and attached my usual pouch.
Knife check, good. Preparations, good.
“Na!”
It flaps around, flying and watching me.
“Oops, I forgot. What should I do with this thing?”
Well, I guess I have no choice but to take it with me.
It obviously won’t fit in my pouch, so I think I had an unused Bag somewhere.
“Na?”
“Found it. This is it. Uh, could you get in?”
“Na!”
It got into the Bag without any fuss. Curled up like that, it’s cute.
Still…
“You really do understand human language, don’t you?”
“Na?”
It puts on an innocent, blank face. Cute.
Can’t be helped, I’ll let it slide. Alright. Let’s head out.
Deep in the Forest. In front of the Witch’s House.
Surprisingly, this thing was quiet. No wonder, it was sleeping inside the Bag.
“So carefree.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I rang the doorbell, and the Witch opened the door.
She greeted me in her usual black, slightly revealing outfit.
“Well, well. Wof boy. Welcome.”
The Witch is all smiles. Her large Fox Ears are perked up, and her Three Tails sway side-by-side.
She’s in a strangely good mood.
“Did something good happen?”
“Hoh hoh. As expected of Kon’s disciple. You figured it out easily.”
“Well, yeah.”
Her ears and Tails give it away, and the Witch’s smile is even wider than usual.
“Oh my. What’s in that Bag? How unusual.”
“Ah, this is, well…”
“Na?”
The Bag rustled, moved, and the creature cried out.
The Witch’s eyes widened.
“Eh? Eh? Wof boy. I think that Bag just… squirmed.”
“I’ll explain, including that.”
“Mm-hmm. Seems like there’s quite a bit going on. Come, come, please come inside.”
I was led into the living room of the Witch’s House.
Well, it’s the usual living room. As always, it’s cluttered with various things, but I’m used to it now.
I sat on the usual red sofa and placed the Bag on the usual table.
And the Witch brought her usual herb tea… eh? She wasn’t holding any.
Instead, she was holding a black plate. That’s a Relic Plate.
She placed it on the table. The Witch sat down across from me.
“Now, now, first let’s talk about Kon. About this Relic Plate of yours, Wof boy. We’ve identified the Relic contained within.”
“R-Really?!”
“Mm-hmm. What’s in this Relic Plate is [Swordsmanship].”
“[Swordsmanship]… you say?”
I’ve never heard of it, but I can guess what kind of Relic it is.
It turns things into swords, probably. That must be it.
“My, my, this is a very rare Relic. Its effect is, simply put, to turn into a sword.”
“That makes sense.”
There’s no other way to put it.
“Well, well, but you know. Even Kon is seeing this Relic for the first time. Aren’t you curious, Wof boy?”
“About what?”
“Well, well, whether the Relic [Swordsmanship] is a transformation type.”
“Transformation… you mean?”
“Hee hee, hee hee, whether your living body transforms and becomes a sword.”
The Witch narrowed her eyes, looking amused.
“If that happens… is the body okay…?”
Uwah, just imagining it seems gruesome.
The Witch grinned.
“Probably, probably. Since it becomes metal, it might be fine.”
“…Doesn’t that mean I wouldn’t be able to move myself?”
“Well, well, it’s a sword, you see. Of course, it can’t move.”
“…I really don’t like the sound of that…”
When I said that honestly, the Witch laughed out loud. What’s so funny? Of course I wouldn’t like it.
“Uh-huh, uh-huh. But, but, you know, Wof-shounen. If, if Kon were to become a sword through Swordsmanship, would you wield her then?”
“Eh? Of course, I’d take good care of her.”
“Then, then, you’ll use only Kon, use her, use her, every single day, right?”
Saying that, the Witch leaned over the table, getting closer. Whoa, her face is close.
“O-Of course. Ah, but don’t use the plate for that!”
“Of course, of course. I hesitated a little, but when it comes to Kon— Oh my?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh my, oh my, that’s strange. The Relic Plate is gone.”
“Eh? You’re right.”
The Relic Plate that should have been on the table was definitely gone.
When the Witch moved away from the table, the bag suddenly fell.
Fell? I stood up and looked; the bag was empty. Hey, where did that thing go!?
“Hmm, hmm. Where could it have gone?”
“Where…”
Where did it really go? No, it’s not like it can just go somewhere.
I look around.
Hm? I hear something. Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch?
“Oh my, oh my, what could that be? I hear a strange sound.”
“Where on earth is it coming from… Ah!”
There it was. Right above the table, floating in mid-air, eating something.
“Huh? Huh? Eh, eh, what, what!? What is that!? It’s a monster!”
The Witch was extremely surprised. Her ears and tail were standing on end. Even the Witch is surprised, huh?
Still, what is it eating?
Something black and square, with sides glowing red— Wait, could that be!?
“And what’s more, it’s eating the Relic Plate!”
That’s right, that thing was eating the Relic Plate. Or rather, it was finishing. It finished eating.
It looked at me, smiled, and chirped cheerfully.
“Na!“
Then, it spun around, and its form changed.
What fell onto the table with a thud was—a strange, mauve-colored knife.
No way.