I was on my way back to the Inn when I saw Komraad and Fae in the middle of the street. They were frantically looking for me and shouting my name.
"Hey, Komraad, Fae, I'm back! I have something to tell you!" I shouted, rushing toward them.
"Oh, there you are, cat," Komraad said, crossing his arms in exasperation.
"Ms. Ina! Thank goodness! Where have you been? We were worried sick," Fae said, rushing to me and checking me over. "We came back to the Inn, and you weren't there. We waited, but you didn't come back, so we came looking for you."
"Oh, I was just walking around. I was bored back in the Inn. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I responded, using the flimsy excuse I'd prepared.
"So, what is it you want to tell us?" Komraad asked, his ears perked.
"Aah… n-nothing big, forget about it," I withdrew, unwilling to risk Fae hearing the sensitive information.
"That can wait. Let's go back, Ms. Ina, I bet you're really hungry. I bought you something delicious from the restaurant," Fae informed caringly.
"Yeah, let's go back, I'm starving. Thank you, Fae."
"Hey, cat. Next time, at least leave a note on the door," Komraad suggested sternly.
"How do you expect me to write with my paws?" I retorted sarcastically.
"R-right," he muttered, deflating slightly.
After our short reunion, we came back to our room in the Inn. I ate the food Fae got me, and she went to sleep afterward. It was already midnight, but I was still wide awake. I couldn't sleep after what I witnessed earlier. Komraad approached me because he noticed I was hiding something.
"Hey, cat. You're not your usual self. Did something happen?" Komraad asked. His instinct, as usual, was spot on.
"It's really complicated. I was going to tell you as soon as possible, but then, I thought of Fae's well-being. I don't want her to get involved, so I hesitated to tell you earlier, but now that she's asleep, I think I can tell you everything," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper.
"What is it? Is it something dangerous? If it is, then sign me in!" Komraad said, his eyes already gleaming with excitement.
"Y-yeah, it's about this place. I stumbled upon something that I shouldn't have," I revealed.
"Huh? What do you mean? Is that why you were missing earlier?" Komraad asked, leaning closer.
Nod Nod
"The thing is, I felt that sensation again earlier. I don't know why it keeps on happening, but I think I can feel strong emotions when nearby, and I always end up going to them. It's the same with Fae, even Nessie. It's kind of hard to tell, but it's like my instinct wants me to get involved with them. I think that every time I feel strong emotions, it's always a call for help," I relayed, trying to explain my strange new ability.
"Aah, sorry I got sidetracked. So, about earlier, I think I found someone who might be able to help me with my problem. I found a girl, it was the little witch that the head witch had introduced. I found her in an alleyway reading a book about magic, though I didn't understand any of it," I explained.
"Oh? That's great. We don't have to wait three more days for the witches' curse to be lifted and for them to use magic again," Komraad responded.
"That's the thing, they aren't actually cursed. It's just a part of their scheme. The head witch can apparently use magic, but that's it, it's just her," I relayed.
"Huh? Then why don't you just ask the head witch herself to help you if she can use magic?" Komraad asked logically.
"I can't. She used magic to hurt someone. I can't see her helping me. I don't know what she's planning for the upcoming three days. I know she's planning something sinister. I'm going to figure it out and stop it," I said with conviction.
"What are you even going to do about it? Do you even have a plan?" Komraad asked, suddenly serious.
"I thought of something, though I'm not sure if it'll work. I'm going to get adopted as the little witch's pet, the one I mentioned earlier. Apparently, the head witch was her mother. Maybe I can gain more information before the big event in three days. That's all I can think of right now. Will you help me out?" I asked Komraad, my eyes begging for his support.
"I promised you back in the village, I'll be your bodyguard. You can count on me," Komraad assured me immediately. "So, what's my job?" he added.
"I want you to stay put for now. I'll get as close as I can and figure out what they're planning first. In the meantime, I want you to get Fae out of this. Don't get her involved. I don't want her getting hurt," I instructed him.
"I'll tell you what to do once I get enough information," I followed.
"That's it? That's no fun at all!" Komraad complained loudly.
"Just follow me like you always do. This time we're up against a human being, someone who can think for themselves, unlike our previous enemies, who only use instinct to fight," I said, looking worried and stressing the seriousness of the situation.
"Fine! But better make it fast, or else I'll kick the head witch's ass myself," Komraad conceded with firm resolve.
"O-okay, okay! Just keep your voice down," I whispered worriedly.
After our conversation, we went to sleep.
Morning came. We had our breakfast together, and after we ate, I made an excuse to Fae so I could separate from them and proceed with my plan.
"Where are you going, Ms. Ina? Can I come with you?" Fae asked, already standing up.
"Oh, it's nothing important. You and Komraad can go have fun all day. I'll be back soon," I promised, giving her a reassuring nudge.
"Okay, Ms. Ina. Please take care," Fae said gently.
Thankfully, Fae didn't ask any further questions.
I left and came back to the alley where I found Rein. I was hoping I'd be able to see her there again. She hid her book here anyway, so she'll be back eventually.
I was alone, thinking of a way for her to adopt me or at least bring me back to her home.
How do I make her like me without knowing I'm not a normal cat? I wish I could tell her directly, but I'm pretty sure she'll freak out.
I waited for her all afternoon, but she never came.
Oh, maybe I was too early, or maybe she doesn't go here every day. Why didn't I think of that sooner?
I was about to leave and execute my plan again tomorrow, when someone came to the alley. I thought it was finally Rein, but it was actually Fae who came.
"F-Fae??? How did you find me here? Wait, what are you doing here in the first place?" I asked in utter shock.
"Hi, Ms. Ina! The thing is, I tricked Mr. Komraad into telling me where to find you and what you're up to," Fae confessed, her forced calm shattered by a slight angry tremble in her voice.
T-that dog! I told him not to tell Fae. He couldn't even keep his mouth shut!
(Earlier during Komraad and Fae's conversation.)
"Mr. Komraad, do you know where Ms. Ina is?" Fae asked sweetly.
"Yeah, but I can't tell you. She told me not to say anything," Komraad responded, puffing out his chest with loyalty.
"I see…" Fae responded, turning away with a slight, theatrical slump of her shoulders.
"Anyway, where do you want to go next? I promised cat that we'll have a lot of fun," Komraad said, trying to cheer her up.
"I think I saw a dessert shop earlier. Want to eat some, Mr. Komraad?" Fae suggested, her voice regaining its playful tone.
"Of course, let's go fill our stomachs!" Komraad agreed excitedly.
They entered the dessert shop and ate a lot of sweets.
"This cake is so good! I want to try all the flavors!" Komraad exclaimed, mouth full.
"You'll get a stomach ache, Mr. Komraad. You'd better slow down," Fae warned gently.
Munch Munch
"Oh, by the way, Ms. Ina told me everything. She's actually asking me to bring her a cake as well," Fae lied, setting the trap carefully.
"Oh, that's nice. If she told you everything, then that's fine," Komraad said, swallowing a large bite without suspicion.
Mr. Komraad is so easy to trick, Fae thought to herself with a smug little smile.
"I'm actually going to go there now to bring her some cake. Do you know where she is, Mr. Komraad?" Fae asked in a calm and soft voice.
"She's in the alley near the restaurant we ate at last night. She's waiting for the girl she met there," Komraad answered casually, betraying my secret for a slice of cake.
"Teehee, thanks, Mr. Komraad. Enjoy yourself, I'll be back soon."
(End of conversation.)
"So, that's how it happened. Now I'm here. I didn't ask him specifically what you're up to. All I needed was your location," Fae confessed, holding back a giggle.
I sighed.
That dumb dog! I should've known.
"A-anyway, I'm actually about to leave, Fae. Want to go back together?" I asked while stuttering. Lying to her was impossible.
"Sure, Ms. Ina, but only after you tell me what's going on," she demanded, crossing her arms stubbornly.
Aah, I'm in trouble.
"You don't have to worry about it. It's nothing important, really," I insisted.
"Why, Ms. Ina, can't I help you out with it? I thought we'd do things together from now on?" Fae asked, a noticeable sadness creeping into her voice.
Ugh... What's with this atmosphere? Fae is clearly upset.
I was running out of excuses when I saw a new, fragile side to Fae.
"Ms. Ina, do you think I'm useless?" Fae asked, the doubt in her voice palpable.
I was shocked by Fae's question. I didn't know hiding things from her would end up like this.
"No, Fae, of course not! Why would you even think that?" I answered immediately.
"It's just unfair, Ms. Ina. You always help me out. You saved my village, and you saved me. You allowed me to join you in your adventures, and yet, you still don't trust me. I can help, too, you know. I just feel so useless and worried when you do things on your own. You help me, but won't allow me to help you," Fae said, her voice heavy with a broken heart.
She was tearing up. I didn't know she was feeling this way.
After what Fae said, my chest felt heavy with guilt. I immediately started regretting hiding things from her. I was so afraid of seeing her get hurt that I ended up hurting her myself. I had to make things right this instant.
"That's not it, Fae. Of course, I trust you. You might not know it yet, but you've already helped me a lot, and I'm very thankful for it. It's just that this one is different from before. It's more dangerous, and I don't want you to get involved because I want to avoid you getting hurt," I said, my voice soft and assuring, my ears drooping apologetically.
"But it'll hurt more if you keep hiding things from me. Promise me, Ms. Ina, that no matter what happens, you won't keep any secrets from me ever again," Fae begged, her eyes wide with hope and hurt.
"I promise. No more secrets. I'm sorry I hid something from you, Fae. Will you lend me a hand on this one?" I asked, accepting her into the scheme.
"Gladly, Ms. Ina," Fae responded, her face instantly lighting up as she wiped away her tears.
After our heartfelt conversation, I told Fae everything about the little witch I met and about the head witch being a bad person.
"I see… that's so sad, Ms. Ina. We really need to do something about it," Fae said with firm resolve, her doctor-like determination returning.
"Yeah, I just can't leave this place after witnessing all of those. For now, my only problem is how I'm going to approach the head witch's daughter, Rein," I said, hitting a dead end for my solo plan.
"Oh, if it's about that, Ms. Ina, I think I have a plan," Fae offered, a mischievous sparkle in her eye.
Fae explained what she thought of, and it made so much sense that I agreed right away.
After explaining her plan, we waited for Rein to come back here before we started. After waiting for a while, Rein finally showed up in the alley. She was looking back, worried whether someone had followed her all the way here. The moment she was sure no one saw her, she took the book she had hidden inside the wooden crate and started reading it again.
Now that she was here, we could finally start our plan. Operation: Get Adopted as a Pet.
The plan is on set. I placed myself right in front of Rein while acting all cute and cuddly. It was awkward, but it was what Fae told me, so I'd better do it properly. I rubbed my cheek against her leg, purring loudly.
"Oh, it's you again, you're back," Rein said softly.
She put her book down, picked me up gently, and placed me on her lap while smiling at me genuinely. She was petting me, and weirdly enough, I liked it. My purring was enough evidence. While Rein was playing with me, Fae appeared, huffing and puffing as if she'd run a mile. Rein was a bit shocked, but she relaxed after seeing that Fae was just a little girl like her.
"Mimi! I was looking all over for you!" Fae shouted in worry, her acting Oscar-worthy.
"Is this your pet?" Rein asked, stroking my fur.
"Yes, she is. I've been looking for her all day. Thank goodness she's safe," Fae responded, faking relief.
"I see, this is my second time seeing her here. Here you go."
Rein handed me over, but Fae didn't take me.
"What's wrong?" Rein asked.
"The thing is, I can't take Mimi back home," Fae confessed, her voice full of feigned sadness.
"Why is that?" Rein asked, her brow furrowing with concern.
"My dad doesn't like pets. If I take Mimi back now, I don't know what he'll do with her. Maybe that's the reason why she's been running away," Fae made up, her story so believable that I almost fell for it myself.
"Oh no, that's really bad," Rein sympathized immediately.
"I love her, but I don't want her to get hurt. It looks like Mimi really likes you a lot. D-do you think you can take care of her for me?"
Fae begged Rein with all her heart, putting on the perfect teary-eyed display.
"I don't know. I think my mother doesn't like pets too, but if I hide her in my room, then maybe I can take care of Mimi without her knowledge," Rein responded, her face suddenly looking very excited by the prospect.
"Really? That's a relief. Don't worry, Mimi is very behaved. She won't cause you any trouble. Thank you so much, big sis," Fae said, playing the grateful little sister role.
"It's nothing, and you can call me Rein if you want. It's my first time taking care of a pet, but I promise you I'll take care of her," Rein said genuinely, hugging me closer.
"Teehee, I know you will. Thank you again, big sis Rein. I'll be going now. My father must be looking for me already."
Fae said her farewell and left. Our plan worked perfectly. After a while, Rein also left the alley to go back to her house, and this time, I was with her. When we came back to her house, instead of entering the main door, she entered a small, cleverly concealed passage directly connecting to her room.
So that's how she was able to leave and go to the alley without anyone noticing.
"Mimi, this is going to be your new home. I hope you'll love it here, but please don't ever get caught by Mother, or we'll both be in trouble," Rein whispered. She then put me in her bed, covered with a curtain to hide me. She sat on a nearby chair with a desk and a mirror in front.
I was sitting in her bed when I noticed her counting backward silently with her fingers, and when it hit one, someone knocked on her door calling for her.
Knock Knock
"Yes?" Rein answered immediately.
"It's time for your bath, my lady." The witch maid who knocked on her door responded.
"Coming."
Before going out of her room to take a bath, she approached me and told me something.
"Mimi, I bet you're really hungry. I'm going to go grab some food after I take a bath. Wait for me here, okay?" She assured me with a gentle smile.
She's gone. This is my time to investigate.
After she left, I looked around her room, but I didn't find anything helpful. Her room looked empty. Just her bed, a chair with a desk and mirror in front, and a wardrobe full of clothes.
This is going nowhere. Maybe I can find something in the head witch's room. I don't know where it is, though.
I went outside of Rein's room to look for the head witch's room. Even though I was small, I still tried to be as quiet and sneaky as possible.
Whoa! This house is huge! How am I supposed to find her roo-
"Oh, there it is."
I was worried that I'd struggle finding the head witch's room, but thankfully, it was just on the other side of the corridor. I went into the room because the door was slightly ajar, and thankfully, no one was inside.
What are you hiding, Head Witch?
For someone who was so insecure about her looks, her room looked surprisingly normal, which somehow made it more suspicious. It was kind of the same as Rein's room. This room only had a bed, a chair with a desk and a mirror in front, and a wardrobe full of clothes.
I looked around the room but found nothing until I noticed a faint bump under the floor's large rug. I carefully removed the rug and saw a hidden door underneath. I couldn't open it because it was securely locked. I wanted to force it open, but I might end up creating too much noise.
I might not have found that much, but this was still a lead. I needed to know whatever it was she was hiding below. I was about to leave the room when someone suddenly came in. It was Helen, the head witch herself, and a witch maid was accompanying her. It was the same maid who knocked on Rein's door earlier.
I wasn't able to get out of her room because she passed through the only way out, so I hid under her enormous bed instead. I'd just wait until she fell asleep and leave.
Helen sat in the chair with a desk full of makeup and a mirror in front of it. She then started meticulously putting on makeup and initiated a conversation with the witch maid.
"Dear, how's the brat doing?" She asked, her tone entirely indifferent.
"She's currently taking a bath," the witch maid responded stiffly.
"That's good. I don't want her to look ugly on the day of the ritual. Make sure she isn't injured anywhere. I don't want any damage on my new body," Helen said, her tone horrifyingly casual, like discussing a new dress.
"Yes, Head Witch," the witch maid responded, her voice carrying a noticeable hint of guilt and fear.
Eh? Eeh? W-what did I just hear? New body? What does she mean by that? I thought, my heart slamming against my ribs.
Helen smiled with a sinister, self-satisfied look on her face. "It's been so long. My body is growing older and older, and my beauty is slowly fading away. I can't afford that to happen. It's been seven years, and I've waited that long for this to finally happen. I'll finally get my new perfect and beautiful body."
"Yes, Head Witch. All preparations are finally on set," the witch maid informed her quickly.
After hearing their conversation, I finally pieced everything together. All the missing pieces had finally been put together, and all my doubts and gut feeling had finally paid off.
The event in the upcoming three days isn't about Rein lifting the demon's curse put on the witches, it's about the head witch acquiring a new body, and that new body is Rein.
I knew it! I knew something was off! I don't know how she'll pull it off, but I have to do something about it before it's too late. I have to tell Rein everything I've heard just now.