Late afternoon. The designated meeting place.
"…?"
At a hidden location on the outskirts of the garrison, Harriet could see a black cat approaching from afar.
"…A cat?"
As the cat came closer, it gradually grew larger, eventually taking on the familiar shape of a person. Harriet's jaw dropped.
"Reinhardt?"
"…"
In just a single day, something had happened that left Reinhardt looking quite disheveled.
"What's going on? You can transform into a cat? Since when?"
Harriet couldn't help but be taken aback when a random cat appeared out of nowhere, only to transform into Reinhardt.
"First... let's head back to Edina. I'll explain everything there."
Reinhardt, his mouth tightly closed, seemed to have a lot he couldn't say.
Edina, the capital city of Lazak.
"…Ah, so you couldn't enter the Royal Class garrison in human form, so you transformed into a cat?"
"Yes! But then, Sarkegaar just left me there and escaped!"
He tried to teach me various things for a few hours, but when I couldn't grasp anything, he abandoned me at the garrison and fled!
He said that as long as I got into the garrison, it would be fine, and that being cute would somehow work out.
He claimed that if I was stealthy, I could manage to escape on my own!
Sarkegaar... I thought he was a loyal servant.
Did he have some grudge against me?
It would be strange if he didn't, right?
Considering the long history of our troubled relationship, it's actually odd if he didn't hold any resentment.
Is it fortunate that he only did this much?
"Well, my original plan was to transform into a cat, hide here and there, and eavesdrop on conversations, hoping that if I were caught, my cuteness would let me off the hook..."
"But it turned out the opposite?"
"…You could say that."
"…"
In the end, not only did I attract the attention of the entire Royal Class, but I even spent a night in Ellen's tent.
This actually worked out well in the end.
But there were too many memories from the process that I didn't want to recall.
"That bastard Kono Lint…"
"Kono Lint? What about him?"
"…Never mind. It's nothing."
"What is it? What happened?"
I don't even want to think about it!
"Did he torture animals or something?"
"No, it's not that…"
"Then why are you angry?"
He did help, in a way.
I know he tried to take care of me in various ways!
If it weren't for him, I might have turned into a lily!
"No, I just really don't want to talk about it…"
"…It seems like something did happen."
Though I experienced a series of unexpected events, I couldn't help but consider the outcome as positive.
I was able to closely observe the demeanor of the Royal Class members, not out of curiosity, but because I was right in front of them.
I even got to examine Ellen, who I wanted to scrutinize the most, from up close.
I also checked on how Adriana was doing.
Ellen is a demigod.
Whether it's because of that or not, Ellen was clearly coping better than I was.
The spirits tried to kill me, but they might not have had a reason to kill Ellen.
Although I can't tell how long it will last, it was clear that Ellen was doing better than me.
But maybe I should be even more afraid that Ellen, who is a demigod, is gradually being consumed by it.
Sarkegaar remained stationed at the garrison, gathering information while I was the only one who had returned for now.
"By the way, what about the other units?"
"They must still be in operation, considering we finished too early."
"True."
Thanks to Liana summoning a blizzard that turned the area into a deadly frozen wasteland, our operation ended swiftly.
Other units led by the Vampire Lords were still in action.
When the allied forces resumed their march, we would start our work once again.
I checked the situation at the garrison as well.
"What about Heinrich?"
And at this point, a matter as important as Ellen's situation.
"I sent a letter through Sarkegaar, but..."
Although I warned them, the future remained uncertain.
Of course, I knew that letters were being delivered throughout the Royal Class garrison. So, it was no big deal to include one more letter through Sarkegaar.
However, I didn't think it would entirely resolve the issue.
"Will a single letter... be enough?"
Harriet looked at me anxiously.
"We could meet in person and talk... for sure."
"Yeah, so wouldn't it be better to discuss things more thoroughly?"
I wholeheartedly agreed with Harriet's opinion.
In fact, although it was an incident I didn't want to remember, Harriet had a similar conversation with Ellen.
"The source of information is important."
"..."
"Where's the guarantee that Heinrich will blindly believe what I say? They might think I'm trying to disrupt the allied forces."
Only a handful of people knew the truth about the Gate incident. So, very few would trust the sincerity of my words, and Heinrich wasn't one of them.
Contacting Bertus would be dangerous for him, not me, and I could no longer get in touch with Ellen.
At best, I could only encounter her as a cat, as I did this time.
It was a painful task, nonetheless.
And she asked me to come again.
I never expected it to turn out this way, but would it be good for Ellen if I visited her regularly? Is there any meaning in me visiting her as a cat?
There might be some meaning, but it didn't seem significant.
The situation had become so strange that I began to worry if Ellen would feel neglected if I didn't visit.
Sarkegaar, you were too irresponsible.
When I return, really...
Really...
I can't say anything because of my numerous sins.
It's now impossible to complain about Sarkegaar because I had received the most hospitality so far.
In fact, my information gathering was more successful than necessary.
Anyway.
It's best to avoid secret talks with someone from the allied forces in the name of Darkland.
"There must have been more than one or two guys among our peers at the temple who wanted to kill you out of resentment. That includes you, Olivia, and Liana."
Even if they forgive the cat, they won't forgive me. That's only natural.
It's not just because this situation happened because of me.
Most of the students lost their homes and families.
Unless they were from the Imperial Capital, many of them experienced such incidents.
So, to them, I would be an absolute enemy.
And as a kitten, I listened carefully to the conversations among the students while in the cafeteria.
Of course, most of them talked only about the cat, but I also heard stories beyond that.
Hatred for me
There were many who didn't care at all about kittens or such, being entirely swallowed up by it.
Ludwig was a prime example.
Something had drastically changed since the death of Asher.
In Cliffman's case, it was impossible to know what he was thinking, but the once shy and reticent Cliffman had become less talkative in a different sense.
Whenever the topic of the Demon King arose, the atmosphere would become heavy.
This was felt even amidst the warmth of the kitten's arrival.
Hearing something and seeing it with one's own eyes are indeed different.
I experienced this firsthand, seeing the atmosphere of the royal class through the eyes of the cat.
There are many who will never forgive me.
Would knowing the details change anything?
What if people find out that Ellen, Charlotte, Bertus, and the responsibility of the Imperial Family are involved?
People will hate Ellen, the Empire, and me together.
Then, it would only be the beginning of an era of unending hatred until everything is destroyed.
Heinrich didn't lose his family, but he's among those people.
So, if my people or I were to tell him the truth, he'd be more likely to doubt us first.
Therefore, it's better to remain anonymous.
If he knew the source of the information was me, Heinrich might be less likely to believe me.
If they find out the truth about the Gate incident, it could be an even bigger problem.
They would know that the responsibility for the underlying cause of the Gate incident lies with the Imperial Royal Family, including me, and that we've been hiding it until now.
It's better not to know the truth.
Because knowing it would inevitably lead to divisions within the alliance.
"But... how can you be so sure it'll happen that way?"
At Harriet's question, I stared out the window quietly.
I know the future.
But that no longer has any meaning. Because now, I don't know the future.
Except for the 'future' I saw in the preview.
"Sometimes, things that happen between people can be painfully obvious."
People remain the same, and the dynamics of power remain the same. And then they begin to change.
The events scheduled to unfold in the changing landscape will proceed accordingly.
Harriet seemed puzzled by my words.
Heinrich von Schwarz is a forsaken prince.
As a child, he awakened his abilities and accidentally killed his siblings.
That's why he was driven out to the Temple.
So, at the beginning of my time at the Temple, I didn't fear any repercussions when I defeated Heinrich. I knew the Kernstadt royal family had no interest in him.
"Still, I can't predict everything... and this isn't my area of expertise, anyway..."
I merely know the characters and events I've created, not predicting the complex dynamics of politics.
So, for dealing with what comes after this, I'll need to consult an expert.
As always, there's the possibility that there's something else I don't know.
There's no guarantee that there are no hidden events in this case, too.
Charlotte would tell me what else I need to do or learn here.
"But you know..."
"Huh?"
Harriet's face reddened as she looked at me.
"I want to see it too."
"What? What do you want to see?"
"I didn't get a good look earlier."
Ah.
I think I know what she's talking about.
"Well... Why would you want to see that, of all things?"
"It's just so fascinating, isn't it? Huh? Can you do it?"
Harriet, brimming with excitement, approached me and eagerly asked.
Seriously, what's the big deal about a cat?
In reality, I don't like cats that much.
There's no reason to like the cats that make strange noises all over the neighborhood when they're in heat. Of course, I've never raised one.
I chose it simply because it's easier to hide than a dog and wouldn't need a leash. And kittens are usually cute, so that's why I went with it.
But when the people from the royal class garrison came to see me, I couldn't help but wonder why they were all so amazed and excited about it!
It does seem cute, though.
But is it really worth all this fuss? Even if we are in the midst of a desolate and miserable battlefield?
That's how it was.
I never even expected Ellen to show that much interest in it!
I don't like turning into a cat!
I still don't know the controls well, so I'm not sure what to do either!
I've managed to walk and run, but I still haven't gotten the hang of anything more than that.
"Uh, do it! Do it! Please, huh?"
This.
Isn't she going to cry if I don't do it?
But why does she want to see it so badly?
Seeing Harriet this excited was so unusual that I felt awkward.
"…No."
I couldn't refuse her when there wasn't much difference with the other options and Harriet was acting like this.
"How did it come to this...?"
In the end, I gave in.
I couldn't bring myself to look away from Harriet's sparkling eyes.
I used Sarkegaar's ring again.
After a short while, Harriet looked down at me, now transformed into a small black cat.
Uh.
But.
Now that I'm smaller, the.
The angle is that.
"…Hey! You!"
Harriet hastily covered her skirt.
-Meow!
No!
You're the one who asked me to transform!
I didn't know this would happen! It's only my second time transforming, so I didn't think about how things would turn out!
With a flushed face, Harriet stepped back and then kneeled down to look at me.
"Wow, wow…"
Harriet approached me with a wobbly gait and swiftly picked up my cat form.
-Meow!
"Ah! Cute, so cute!"
Harriet hugged me tightly.
As expected, she has quite the reaction.
"I love you!"
-Meow!
My waist is breaking!
Edina's scribe, Harriet de Saint-Owan, suddenly began wandering around the castle, hugging a cat.
"Scribe? Are you raising a cat?"
"Yes! Isn't it cute?"
"Ah, yes… It's, it's cute…"
Harriet, holding a black cat with a somewhat sour expression, shoved it in people's faces, constantly exclaiming how cute it was.
Hugging a cat that somehow seemed forcibly cuddled, Harriet proudly showed it off to everyone.
Everyone quite liked seeing the always mature and serious scribe smiling like a person her age.
There were many who feared the Demon King, but it was clear that the scribe had a good impression on everyone.
As she wandered around the castle, it was only natural for her to run into various people.
"…What's this? Why do you have a cat?"
Olivia Lanze, who had come to the castle to talk with the regent, was no exception.
"Isn't it cute?"
"…Cute? What's with the cat's sour expression? Besides, I don't like cats. They're so rude, acting like animals."
"Heh..."
At Olivia's words, Harriet wore a sly smile. Seeing Harriet's enigmatic grin, Olivia furrowed her brows.
"Ha, seems like you're trying to charm me with a cat. But you were disqualified the moment you couldn't seduce Reinhardt despite sharing a bedroom with him for over six months."
"Heh, hehe... Is that so?"
As Harriet's gaze seemed to ridicule her, Olivia's expression froze.
A dreadful suspicion arose in her mind.
"What? You couldn't possibly...?"
"Well, I don't know about that, but watch."
Harriet suddenly lifted the cat and pressed her lips to its mouth.
-Meow!
"Cute, right?"
"...What a show-off."
And then, Olivia saw it.
The cat transformed from Harriet's hands into a human in the blink of an eye.
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
Reinhardt, with a flushed face, covered his mouth, spluttering.
"????"
"What! I wanted to kiss my cat!"
"Why am I your cat?!"
"What... What... What's happening? What's going on here?"
Olivia gaped, watching the scene of the transformed cat acting indignant.
"You... You damned little brat!"
Olivia shouted in anger, and Harriet cackled as she hurried away.
"I prefer dogs, too!"
"What are you talking about, both of you!"
This time, Olivia made a plea that wasn't a plea for Reinhardt to transform into a puppy.
Reinhardt tried to surprise Olivia by transforming into a wolf-sized dog, but Olivia ended up loving it even more, saying the bigger, the better.
