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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Cursed Ore Prank
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That black lump of metal was an iron ore that the information broker's owner, Della Tura, had personally commissioned for appraisal.
When he'd left, it had definitely been covered with a long, round glass lid, but now the lid was gone.
And there was even a chair next to the desk that hadn't been there before.
Majia, piecing together the situation, turned back to Nibelria.
"Did you touch it?"
"……."
"I'm not mad, so you'd better answer."
"N-Nini isn't scared of the Magic Tower Lord!"
Nibelria put on a show of bravado.
But she soon confessed honestly.
"I touched it juuust a tiny bit…."
Nibelria held up her finger.
"Right here, my nail just barely brushed it. I didn't really touch it, just a teeeny bit. A smidge."
"Cat, you're in big trouble now."
Majia put on a grave expression.
"You touched a cursed stone, so your finger's going to rot away. Then it'll creep into your body…."
"Liar! That's a lie!"
"Look at your nail. It's pitch black, isn't it?"
Nibelria frantically checked her nail. Sure enough, the tip was blackened, just as Majia said.
"…Hieeek!"
Terrified, Nibelria ran to Majia.
"It hurts! It huuuurts!"
"I always knew you'd cause an accident like this someday."
"Waaah! Waaaaah!"
"What are you crying for? Stop bawling and come here."
Majia pulled a nail file from the drawer and sat the sobbing Nibelria on his knee.
"Snip."
"Nooooo!"
"Yeah, cry it out. Let it all out."
Biting back the ear-splitting pain, Majia gently scraped under Nibelria's nail with the file.
The black part of the nail flaked off cleanly.
"Treatment's done."
At those words, Nibelria's tears stopped abruptly.
In truth, it had just been iron dust from the ore. Nibelria's curiosity had gotten the better of her, and it had lodged in the crevice of her nail.
"……."
Nibelria stared wondrously at her now-clean nail.
Her long lashes, brimming with tears, blinked slowly up and down.
"If you sneak into someone else's room again and mess with their stuff, I won't treat you next time."
"The Magic Tower Lord's Nini's subordinate, so it's fine."
"It's not fine, you little rascal."
Nibelria hopped down from Majia's knee, sniffed once, and bowed her head politely.
"Thanks for saving me."
"At least your manners are on point. So, how'd you get here anyway?"
"I've been here before, so I know!"
"Oh, right—that time you came with your brother to sell mushrooms?"
The Magic Tower Lord's lab was off-limits to anyone without permission.
He must have forgotten to revoke the access he'd granted when she came to sell the poisonous mushrooms last time.
'Still, she found her way here all by herself.'
Her memory was sharp, too.
Feeling proud, Majia reached out to pat her head. But Nibelria dodged desperately, and he missed.
"Ugh, fine. I'll take you back to kindergarten."
Majia stood up again, urging her to hurry.
But Nibelria stood there with a sulky pout, not budging an inch.
"What? You don't wanna go?"
"There are too many strangers…."
"What's wrong with you, cat? Why are you acting so fragile?"
"But I can't hit them. If I do, I'll get in trouble with the law…."
"Ah, so you ran away to uphold justice."
Majia crouched down to her level.
"But what about Wolf? You're the boss cat, right? Isn't it wrong for the leader to abandon her subordinate and run off?"
"……."
Nibelria's lips puffed out in a pout.
'…Ah.'
It was because of Arep.
"He plays fine without Nini. I hate him. Player, dummy…."
Like a miffed cat, Nibelria grumbled under her breath.
When Ardores explained that she'd be going to kindergarten to study, Arep had been thrilled.
At first, even Nibelria was happy about it.
But kindergarten had way too many strangers.
Nibelria felt a bit uneasy about the kids approaching her so freely.
She endured it for Arep's sake, but he got so absorbed in studying that he ignored her completely.
So she'd snuck out of kindergarten.
Out of spite.
"He wasn't like that before… he changed…."
"Don't talk like a couple hitting their fourth anniversary."
Majia, understanding the situation, clicked his tongue.
"Anyway, you ran off like a sulky kid."
"Nini's not a kid. She's a cat."
"A cat who's also a kid. And a person, too."
Majia met Nibelria's eyes.
"Nini."
He said.
"Arep doesn't remember anything."
"……."
"So there'll be times when you're sad because of that. He doesn't remember being Wolf like you do."
"Nini knows…."
"And Arep's had a tough life. He didn't grow up in a warm home eating delicious food and being happy like you."
For Arep, every moment was a new opportunity, a first taste of warmth, a fresh shot of happiness.
"People have to hold back sometimes. You can't always do whatever you want. Even if you're the strongest cat ever."
"Even Nini has to hold back?"
"Yeah, even you, Nini."
"……."
"People are different from cats. We live together, show consideration, make concessions sometimes. That's how we survive."
"……."
"In other words, you can't just pout and run off because Arep forgot you for a bit."
"…Okay."
Nibelria nodded slowly.
But soon, in an anxious voice, she voiced her deepest fear.
"But what if he gets so into studying that he forgets Nini again…?"
"Tell him not to."
"That'll work?"
"The Arep I know—well, he's the Wolf from 40 years ago, but that guy always came back to you."
"……."
"Even without memories, he's probably looking for you right now."
Majia held out his hand.
Seeing it, Nibelria placed her hand on top.
"Cat, let's head to kindergarten now."
"Okay."
"And from now on, use polite speech with adults."
"Nini's older. She's lived longer."
"Well, yeah, that's true."
Ding-dong—.
As the elevator reached the kindergarten floor, teachers' voices calling for Nibelria echoed.
Sure enough, spotting Nibelria with the Magic Tower Lord, the teachers hurried over.
Nibelria slyly hid behind Majia's leg.
"Nini!"
"Oh my god, Magic Tower Lord! How did Nini…!"
The teachers looked on the verge of tears, as if they'd been through something terrifying.
"……."
Nibelria couldn't tear her eyes away.
"Looks like she took the wrong elevator. I happened to pass by and brought her back. You all must've been worried. Good work."
"We're so sorry. We should've watched her better…."
The teachers bowed deeply to the Magic Tower Lord in apology.
Then, the classroom door creaked open slowly.
A tuft of blond hair peeked out. It was Arep.
Peering out anxiously like a worried child, Arep soon spotted Nibelria and bolted outside.
Standing before her, Arep's lips trembled as if he might shout, but he clamped them shut.
"Uh…."
"……."
"Where… did you go…?"
"……."
"I looked for you 'cause you were gone…."
"……."
Nibelria tilted her head up slightly.
Their eyes met, and the Magic Tower Lord shrugged subtly.
As if to say, 'See, cat? I was right.'
"Nini lacks 'consideration.'"
Muniel muttered, propping her chin.
"It's partly because she's young, but she barely sees herself as human. That's why she acts and speaks so thoughtlessly."
"Her memories of being a cat are still stronger, I suppose."
Ardores moved a white chess piece as he spoke.
Muniel scowled, having lost a black piece, her wrinkled eyes narrowing.
Ardores responded with a grin, his own wrinkled lips curving up.
The old couple's chess game was nearing its end.
"…Anyway, it's time to fix that cheeky attitude. She can't live indulgently forever. She needs to grow up."
"Honestly, I was surprised."
"Why?"
"Don't you like her personality?"
"I do. I still do."
Nibelria was refreshingly cheerful, enough to brighten anyone's mood.
But if she kept blurting out whatever came to mind, she could hurt others.
Muniel wasn't soft enough to let that slide.
"Life isn't lived alone, so she needs to learn manners."
"Agreed."
"Only novel heroines get loved no matter how selfishly they act."
"……."
Muniel's black rook captured the white bishop.
"This isn't a novel anymore."
Now, on the rook's file, the white king sat two squares away.
"Hehe, I win."
"I can't seem to beat you even once."
"You lose because you love me."
"How convenient that you provide the excuse yourself."
Ardores stood, shoulders relaxing as he conceded defeat gracefully.
"…That novel story."
"Yes."
"Truth be told, I still don't quite believe it."
"You believe Nini was a cat, but Arep's reincarnation feels like a dream?"
Muniel teased.
Ardores was about to admit his standards were selfish, but Muniel's eyes widened reassuringly.
"It's normal not to believe. You're just trying to believe because you love me."
"Doesn't that make you resent me? Even as wrinkles set in, I can't fully trust your words."
"I'm not resentful because, wrinkles and all, you're trying to believe me."
The old couple leaned on each other, admiring the spring garden.
"But this is just the beginning, right?"
"Yes."
The soft afternoon sunlight spilled through the window, illuminating the old woman's face.
In Ardores's eyes, Muniel briefly looked like her 40-years-younger self in the glow.
The saintess who saved the world said,
"It's started."
"Welcome back!"
Kaleo greeted Nibelria and Arep as they returned from kindergarten.
"……."
"……."
But the two children climbing down from the carriage had strange expressions.
Arep was usually quiet and cautious, sure.
"…Nini?"
"……."
But Nibelria, slumping her shoulders like a drenched stray cat, was unexpected.
What on earth had happened at kindergarten? Nibelria gazed with the eyes of a tragic heroine bearing a fateful sorrow.
"Baby? What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"Father…."
"Yes, Daddy's right here…."
Huh?
Kaleo's eyes widened in shock.
