Volume 2 Chapter 14 (2/2)

I was in a cold prison cell

The only things I could see were the grey-colored dirty floor and walls, and the rusted iron bars of the cell It looked like night had fallen, and I could see soh a smallin my cell

The ht noever, I am not able to see it directly When I look upwards from my seated posture, all I can see is a stake driven into the wall, and my handcuffs that are attached to that stake I have been sitting against the wall ever since I was brought here I've lost all sense of feeling in my hands

”Why did this happen…”

The words that slipped out ofaway

Of course, there was no one here to reply There are no people here I've been thrown into a prison where there aren't even any other prisoners How can so like this be allowed? It's too much

”………”

No, there's no point in feeling sorry for et out of this situation

To begin with, I once again took a look at my current situation

As I can't bendmy staff is definitely impossible I'm chained to a wall, so even if I was able to reach my broom, I wouldn't be able to ride it Even If I was able to ride it, I feel like I'd soon be discovered, and with erous in any event

I can't rely on ic

Ah, this is checkmate

Ufufu

”…What should I do…”

I could only feel despair It would be nice if I could resolve this situation with money I wonder if that is possible Maybe it depends on how the negotiations go?

More i else

I should have just escaped theto be sent to prison, for some reason I was unable to deal with the situation calmly

Why is that? As I thought, I seem to be in exceptionally poor form today

Is it because of my cold?

My throat hurts,all day, and uely itchy all over and I have no idea what's going on

I don't think I have a fever, though

I don't think that I was unable to deal with the situation cal that still doesn't do anything to get me out of this situation

”…Haa”

I let out a sigh

That's when it happened

The ht vanished

”—Hey there, Witch-dono Is the prison cell to your liking?”

A voice echoed in my jail cell that had become even darker

It was the caluely feel like I've heard this voice somewhere before

I looked around, but didn’t see any people

”Over here, Witch-dono”

The voice once again echoed in the cell, but thejuh theabove

”Nyaa~”

The cat that had jumped into my cell made a cute sound and looked over at me

While waving its two tails in a pleased manner

”You are—”

”It's been a few hours since we last met”

Before me was the existence that the people of this city revered and worshi+pped as a God

The Cat Cod-sama, or whatever they called it, was here

Moreover, it just spoke

You were lazing around in h you can talk?

Such a wolf in sheep's clothing Or should I say cat's clothing

○

The cat looked up at me

”I've finally found you I've been waiting for a human like you”

After saying that, it tilted its head and said,

”Would you like to make a trade with me?”

In this kind of situation?

”Since you called it a trade, I assu from this?”

”Of course I will free you froain In return, you will have to accept one of my requests”

”Hoho What is it that you want me to do?”

”I want you to get me out of this city”

”—Achoo! …So ain is merely a byproduct of your own request?”

”Still, I am the only one who can save you from this place”

”……”

”And in return, you are the only person who can save ”

”……”

I don't understand what this cat is saying at all

”U”

”Very well Are you interested in taking up my offer?”

”It depends on what you have to say I don't want to take the most i the circumstances”

I don't want to increase my number of enemies any more

”…Fumu”

Cat God-saht

”In that case, let , as you asked”

”Before this country fell into ruin, it had a long history spanning some few centuries—”

”It would be helpful you just explain the parts that have so to do with me”

”Nuu Such a selfish girl”

And then, the cat gave a sigh

”In that case, I'll tell you—putting it simply, this present country was formed because of me”

She started to speak as if reo

It was the story of this country

Very rarely, when a cat that has lived for a long ti an attachment to this world, it is reborn as a monster with two tails

This fe

Around forty years ago, she was born in this city as a domestic cat At that time, this country still interacted with the world outside She was loved by the people, and lived in the country until she grew old

However, that all ended when she was fifteen years old

An epidehout the country The people of the country all died one after the other Her owners were no exception, and they passed away quickly as well

A prosperous country that had existed for a long time turned into a place without people in just a few years

This country without people was abandoned and forgotten by the people outside, and she lived here in peace with other cats

She didn't have any interest in leaving the country She felt that the country would be taken over by the forest and vanish if the cats were to leave as well She fervently prayed and waited for people to once again coain She kept waiting for a long time

Very rarely, people would happen across this country, but they would leave after capturing several of her compatriots, the other stray cats, or only stay for a few days beforeon None of them showed any inclination to settle down here

She continued to hile hoping for more people to come And twenty years after she was born, she finally stopped

It was her time—apparently, she are of that At the very least, she wanted to feel loved by soret, she surrendered herself to death's embrace

And then, she stopped breathing

Or so she thought

The next day, she woke up as usual She wasn't dead What's e now felt light as a feather It felt as though she had gone back to when she was still a kitten What on earth had happened?

Once she stood up, she saw that she now had two tails Also, she was only able to say ”Nyaa Nyaa” before, but now she could speak the sae as humans

All the other cats had only one tail, but she had two Also, she could speak Incredible

Even though she was still confused, she went to show off her new skills to the other cats

Ever since that day, the environe visibly The people who came to the country became unable to leave

For example, a merchant who came to the country for vacation and only intended to stay for a few days A traveler who got lost and soees ere driven away from their home countries

The nule one of them tried to leave Also, they showed a lot more love for her and the other cats compared to the people who had come to the country before

This must be due to the fact that she now had two tails

Both the other cats and she herself realized that In fact, even just lightly touching her caused most people to love cats at a level far beyond as ordinary

She had no choice but to use this power There was no need to hold back, either If this caused the country to becoain, she had no reason to hesitate

Ever since she became an existence different from a cat, the population of the country steadily increased Most of the people who just happened across this country ended up living here

Very rarely, there would be a person as unaffected by her power After some observation, she found that her power had no effect on people who rejected cats because they were allergic to them

It took a long time, but the people who had been entranced by her formed a new country

The people built a new gate, developed the country, and at some point started to worshi+p her as a Cat God because she had two tails

She continued to live in that country while feeling the love froe number of people

And then, twenty years passed since she had been reborn

”—The population has grown too rows any more, the country will pop like an overinflated balloon The country will fall into ruin once again So, I have no choice but to leave”

That is the story that she told me

She said that it was the main reason why she had to leave the country

”Do you understand the situation now?”

Cat God-sa her head

”……”

In front of her, I sat with my eyes full of tears

”Ooh, you're crying for irl”

I shook my head and said,

”I' anyways”

”H a joke That's one of the identifying features of people who are allergic to cats—you've been feeling under the weather ever since you ca that your body is itchy, or your eyes hurt, you have a runny nose, your throat hurts, you feel sick, and—”

”Achoo!”

”…you keep sneezing It looks like you've already realized”

”Indeed”

I nodded while sniffing hard to stopI hadn't realized that I had this condition because I had never interacted with cats before, and never even so much as touched one

It looks like I'll have to avoid being near cats in the future

”So what do you say? Do you feel like cooperating with me?”

She once again promptedher expression, I feel like she was silently saying, ”I told you about the situation, so just help me out already”

”………”

I looked up as if escaping froaze, and shook the handcuffs

”You're a cat, right? How do you intend to remove these?”

After hearing that, her eyes widened, and after a little while,

”Fufu I have a plan regarding that—give me some time”

Even before she finished speaking, she had already turned around and slipped out through the bars on the cell door

I had nothing to do while waiting for her to return, so I a s since I had been sitting in the sa time

”Can't you just wait quietly?”

She returned after a short while Holding a keyring in her mouth

I expected her to have some brilliant idea because she said that she had a plan, but it looks like she just went and stole the keys I was a little disappointed

Just like she had done when she left the cell, she slipped in once again through the bars on the door, walked over to me, jumped up on top of me, and started to claw her way up my body

Just like before, it was quite painful because of her claws digging into my skin

”The operation starts at noon to on a rae”

After reachingthe keys on the keyring to jangle It felt like I was being pushed down from above

”Are you sure you don’t want to leave right away? I think it would be o now”

”That won't do We need to publicize the fact that I have left the country Otherwise, there ht be people ill continue to worshi+pthat I have left We need to make the people realize without a doubt that I have left, and then it will be fine if only the people who still want to stay here ree as much as possible”

”…If I do that, I'll turn into a wanted criminal”

”You're already a cri about?”

”Don't you know? There are different degrees of sin”

”I'et away”

”That's definitely the thought process of a criminal…”

Whilefrom atop my head, she snorted

”I have cheated a large nuh I'm not a person”

”……”

Hearing her self-deprecating laughter, I laughed as well

”I know a foolish person who said that even if you coe to run away”

”…Sounds like that person is pretty strange”

”Yes It was a very strange person”

I heard the sound of so unlocked above my head

○

Well, that's what happened

After spending the night in the prison cell, aited until noon and went outside after destroying the prison in an overly flashy manner

I went on a rae, and made sure that this incident would be remembered for quite some time, but ensured that no one was actually injured I flely and at a low height on purpose to make it easy for the people to attack me

Maybe it was because I spent a lot of ti worse and tears spilled out of my eyes only to be bloay by the wind

”Dammit! I can't catch her!”

”Hey! Close the gates! Don’t let her leave, no matter what!”

”Do whatever it takes to save Cat God-sama!”

I was at the center of the vortex of chaos as I sped throughout the city, and my ears were assaulted by the shouts of the people People jumped out at ed to touch me

My chest feels hot as if it's on fire,had turned into pain Even so, no matter how bad my condition, I was still a witch There's no way any of them can catch me

”Good, good Go rae some more”

However, please fly more safely if possible That was the unnecessary co on my arm, said after her words of praise

”If I fly safely, we ht, you know?”

”What are you talking about? Look, we're nearly at the gates Make sure you hold out until then”

”No, that's pretty difficult I mean—”

Just when I said that,

”Elaina-san! I ed you! I already felt contempt for you yesterday, but even so!”

Rushi+e-san appeared She dropped in on me from above

Sitting on her broom with staff in hand, she landed in front ofthe closed gates

”……”

So she showed up, as I expected I was sure that she would coet in my way It's a major incident for this city, there's no way she would not come

She pointed her staff at me

”Not only were you rude to Cat God-sama, you also broke out of prison! Really, what on earth were you thinking!? I will definitely never forgive you! You will be executed! Guilty!”

She waved the staff

As if responding to the round ilohite with her at the center The light , and in the next instant, seven pillars of water appeared and headed towards h speed

I avoided the my broom to the side, but iular water Each one of the seven pillars moved independently as if they had minds of their own, and they twisted in the air to attack ain They're like snakes The more I avoided them, the more they continued to attack me from all directions

If I fly upwards, I get a concentrated attack froround, they coil around me and try to close in

I jumped around here and there like a small insect, and looked towards Rushi+e-san She was holding her staff while sitting on her broo fiercely at me

It looks like I can get the attacks to stop for now if I ician is no different fro to fear from them Well, the same holds true for me as well

”Uht now Are you sure you want to keep attacking me?”

”Shut up! Die!”

”……”

I quickly glanced down at Cat God-sama

”It looks like she's not ready to talk it over”

She was saying so like that, as if this didn't involve her

I ignored her, and continued to avoid Rushi+e-san's attacks, and then Cat God-saain

”What are you going to do? Are you just going to stay on the defensive?”

”Both ht now, after all”

I ht where I could look down at Rushi+e-san—but not high enough to kill me if I fall

”You don’t have to worry, though I have a plan”

”Ho Judging by the way you said that, I assume you have a brilliant idea”

”Yes, of course”

I ih the air to avoid the attacking water serpents

Well, I say preparation, but all I had to do was grab Cat God-sama in my hand

”Please don't extend your claws”

Because that hurts After I said that,

”……Huh?”

Her eyes widened as she said that At the sao

By the ti to do, I had already done it

”—Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

She left round while yelling

What I did was extremely simple I don’t know if it can be called a brilliant idea, but I simply threw her off the broom

I wonder if she was disappointed in uaranteed to have a great effect on the people of this country

”Eh? A-Aah! Cat God-sama!”

In that instant, Rushi+e-san ent into a panic beloeakened her attack on me

That is exactly what I had been waiting for—I immediately turned my broom into a steep dive I ic in an instant while ai it at Rushi+e-san—and then immediately put my staff away

The ic It whirled like a tornado as it agitated the dirt on the ground, and headed straight for Rushi+e-san

”Cat God-sama—eh?”

Rushi+e-san had extended her hand to catch the falling Cat God-sa my counterattack head on

Caught in the raging vortex of wind, Rushi+e-san was blohile spinning out of control With a loud noise, she came to a sudden stop as was slammed into a hard object made of iron

”Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

I flew beneath Cat God-sas in the air as she fell

The tip of round as I flew beneath her, and I grabbed her in one hand and held her close

After she returned to h

”…I-I thought I was going to die!”

”It worked, didn’t it?”

”That's judging after the fact!”

”That holds true for s”

I glanced at the gate, and saw that Rushi+e-san had passed out with her eyes rolled up in her head After confirot off my broom

Some of the people were du hostility towardsto surround me

I put on my best evil expression and spoke to them

”Right, then The most powerful witch from this country just lost easily to o?”

The people raised a cole one of them took a step forward Very wise

”In that case, I think I' to run away froates If you don’t, this cute cat will—you get the idea, right?”

I quickly glared at the gate guard, and could tell that his shoulders were shaking, even under his flaates

The scenery outside slowly came into view

”Hey, what are you doing? I a to treatall this”

Cat God-sama raised her voice in protest

”Don't worry I have a plan for this as well”

”I' to believe in your plans anymore”

”I' to throw you off the broom this time Don't worry”

One the gate opened fully, I started to walk I took each step carefully, while paying careful attention to everything around me

In the end, none of the people tried to do anything to me until I stepped over Rushi+e-san and out of the country

Looking around, I saw that the people all had frustrated expressions So abuse at me, while others had dissolved into tears

”………”

After looking at them for a while,

”Well then, we'll be on our way”

Ithat

I called it a plan, but I was actually just lying

I didn't really decide where to go next I just fleay in a rando the black cat

I fleay so fast that no one would be able to catch up to me

The agonized cries of the people who had lost their God faded away as time passed and I left them behind

○

I soet away

I don't really re I ran

After getting through the woods and running through the vast plain filled with greenery, we found ourselves in a gloomy forest

There are no people nearby, and no countries either

”We should be fine after co this far”

We've traveled quite some distance

Looking up, I caught a glih the branches

”Thank you for your help”

She juround

I spoke to her whilemy eyes

”What do you plan on doing now?”

”Nothing I' to live quietly and avoid all contact with people”

”……”

”What about you?”

”I' to continue my travels quietly and avoid all contact with cats”

”That's good Make sure you do that”

She snorted, and I spun around and sat on my broom

”Well then, I hope we ain—that reminds me, I don't know your name”

”I have no such thing”

”Weren't you a pet cat?”

”I already died once”

So I don't have a name now—that's what she told me

”In that case, would you be willing to tell ular cat?”

”……”

After looking conflicted for just a second, she opened her le word

It was incredibly ordinary and coood name

I laughed and said to her,

”It's a nice name”

”No one is going to ever call h”

After saying that, she laughed as well, and turned her two tails towards me

She turned her neck, looked back at me, and spoke

”This is goodbye I should be on lad that you're the last person that I met”

After just saying that, she disappeared into the depths of the forest

I flew up on my broom as well

I wiped ht

After I left the forest, I was greeted by the wind on the plains that were dyed a deep red color by the sun that hung low in the sky

○

Let's talk about what happened just over a month later

I received a summons from a certain country—and because I had proain returned to this land

I didn't really have any reason to do so, but I also stopped by at the village where I had told the people about the country full of cats

I went back there, but…

”Greetings, nyan!”

”………”

”Traveler-san! Welcoe is a place that has achieved a har as you like, nyan!”

”………”

They're talking in a weird ain

Along with that, the village has changed a little as well I didn't see a single cat here before, but now cats are popping up everywhere I look

…No

More importantly,

”…What on earth are you doing, Rushi+e-san?”

”………Please Just don’t ask”

The person who greeted me was none other than The Witch of Fair Skies herself She's still wearing a robe like she was back ea headband with cat ears attached to it She was probably once again forced to do it by the other villagers, but it doesn't suit her at all I feel sorry for her I cannot keepat this cruel reality

Rushi+e-san lightly rubbed her head

”Elaina-san, thank you for what you did one o Thanks to that, I caely when I was living in that country”

”I see”

You still look plenty strange to me—I decided not to say that

”What happened to that country after I left?”

”Everyone left the country, one after the other After Cat God-saely disappeared— controlled by that cat with two tails There were even people who started to say things like that”

So, in that case…

”Does that country no longer exist?”

She gently shook her head in answer to my question

”No The are still quite a few people there who love cats, and people who really had nowhere else to go, so it's still functioning as a country They're proether with cats, and right now the nu”

”And this place is i that country, so that's how you ended up in such a state”

”……I brought a few cats back with ers also fell in love with the cuteness of the cats as well…”

”I hope it doesn't cause them to lose their sense of reason”

”Seriously…”

And then, after a short pause in the conversation, Rushi+e-san suddenly clapped her hands once

”Ah, please wait here for a bit, Elaina-san”

”Hmm? Ah, okay”

She hurriedly ran off and entered one of the houses She cae wooden box

”Elaina-san, look at this!”

She was very excited for some reason, and turned the box towards me

Looking inside, I saw a number of cats

The mother cat had a pure white coat of fur Three of the kittens had fur that was randomly patterned in black and white One kitten had jet-black fur

”These kittens are less than a month old Aren't they cute?”

Most of the cats looked at ht back to sleep, but one of they

The kitten had black fur that looked like it would be nice to hold and blue eyes Only this kitten stretched out its legs and tried to get out of the box

”This one looks pretty energetic”

I just gave some random praise, but Rushi+e-san smiled and looked very happy

”I know, right? Do you want to touch it?”

”No, thank you”

I'ic to cats, after all

”Have you decided on a name?”

”The kittens don't have names yet—that's why I'd like it if you picked out names for them”

”………”

I replied while looking into the eyes of the black cat that had been born very recently

”If it's just one of them, I don’t mind”

”Which one?”

”This one”

The black cat with a surplus of energy made a ”Nyaa” sound

”Well then, the name I have in mind is—”

I said it

I told her a name that perfectly suited the black cat in front of me

It was incredibly ordinary and coood name