Danya’s lodging wasn’t far.
From the outside, it looked larger and more luxurious than Lina’s place.
When you consider that luxury and cost-effectiveness are often inversely proportional, it didn’t seem like a particularly economical place to stay.
It gave off the vibe of a space that thrifty upper-class people might live in.
— Knock, knock!
For some reason, I seemed to be knocking on a lot of doors today.
Amusing thoughts, like whether my wrist would start to hurt at this rate, crossed my mind as I waited for a response.
It was unusually quiet.
Was Danya out somewhere?
Just as I was about to lift my hand to knock again—
— Tap, tap!
A soft, fluffy sound came from beside me, as though something furry was knocking on the door.
I turned my head toward the source of the sound…
Blink, blink.
Blink, blink.
Blackie was sitting there, blinking its eyes at me.
Its front paw was stretched toward the door, revealing the true culprit behind the knocking noise.
“You knocked for me?”
— Meow!
“Thanks.”
I gave the purring little one a few affectionate pats on the head.
Is this why people keep cats?
The more time you spend with them, the more addictive their presence becomes.
‘No, I can’t.’
I shook my head firmly.
Blackie surely belonged to someone, so I couldn’t let myself get too attached.
Refocusing, I tried to sense if anyone was nearby.
“…”
It was still quiet.
The only noise came from the wind whispering through the cracks in the hallway windows.
Occasionally, distant conversations and laughter from passersby outside could be heard, but there was no sign of movement from beyond Danya’s door.
“Hmm, where could she have gone?”
I briefly considered where Danya might be.
Usually, she’d come to where I was staying.
Since my quarters had been relocated to the clubroom recently, she might’ve gone there instead.
Perhaps she was strolling along the walking paths where we’d often meet by chance, or maybe she went to the cafeteria, where we’d run into each other and end up sharing a meal.
“There are a lot of coincidences, huh.”
Looking back, I seemed to spend a significant amount of time with Danya whenever we happened to meet by chance. Other than when she stayed in her own lodging, we were often together.
This made my concern for her grow.
Normally, I would have run into her by now—either at the clubroom or along the way. That was typical of Danya.
“Of course, there’s always the chance she’s hanging out with someone else…”
While mulling over this, I suddenly heard light, cheerful footsteps coming up the stairs.
They were quick and lively.
At first, they reminded me of Danya’s steps, but…
‘… A bit different.’
Danya’s footsteps were softer, more delicate.
Though it wasn’t her, the sound was familiar.
I quickly realized why.
“Brother Ian?”
Elena appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Why are you here, Brother? I came to Sister Danya’s lodging.”
“I’m looking for Danya. Have you seen her today…”
Before I could finish speaking—
— Meowww!
Blackie, perched lazily on my shoulder, suddenly sprang toward Elena without warning.
“… Ah! A cat!”
Was it because she was quick on her feet?
Elena swiftly turned and began running away from Blackie’s pursuit.
But.
— Swish, swish!
Blackie leapt, using the wall as leverage, and expertly landed on Elena’s broad forehead in an impressive display of agility.
“Eek! Get it off me—!”
Elena cried out in panic, flailing about noisily.
This was a lodging area; if we weren’t careful, we could get kicked out.
I cast a simple earth-element spell to muffle her shouts.
“Mmph!”
With a quieter Elena in hand, I asked her.
“Have you seen Danya today? I haven’t been able to find her.”
But there was no reply.
Curious as to why she wasn’t answering, I tilted my head.
“Mmph!”
Elena pointed to her mouth with her finger.
“Oh.”
I was about to undo the adhesive spell sealing her lips but paused to ask.
“You’re not going to scream again, right?”
“Mm-mmm!”
Elena, with Blackie still perched comfortably on her head, nodded vigorously.
Satisfied, I dispelled the magic.
Phew—!
She let out a dramatic breath and looked up at me, her eyes welling with tears.
“Brother Ian! Why didn’t you help me when the cat attacked me?”
“Well, calling that an attack seems like a stretch.”
I gestured toward her head.
There sat Blackie, in the classic “loaf” position, looking perfectly content. It seemed at peace, as if it were sitting in its own home.
At my comment, Elena’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.
“I… I always seem to be a target for cats like this!”
“This happens often?”
“Yes! They suddenly charge at me, or block my way by rubbing against my legs when I’m walking! Once, I was napping on a bench, and a cat climbed on me and started kneading me! It can’t possibly be for good reasons!”
Elena added, trembling slightly.
“Cats definitely hate me.”
Hmm. I disagreed.
If anything, it seemed like they adored her—perhaps excessively so.
Blackie’s utterly satisfied expression proved it.
Judging by its smug demeanor, it seemed more content on Elena’s head than it ever was on my shoulder.
Could it just stay there permanently?
“…Oh.”
It wasn’t jealousy.
Absolutely not.
Definitely not that.
Anyway.
“Have you seen Danya?”
“No. Around this time, Sister Danya and I usually go to the clubroom together, but since she didn’t show up, I came looking for her.”
That explained things.
No wonder they always entered the clubroom together so conveniently.
Elena tilted her head and asked me.
“Could she not be inside right now?”
“Nope.”
“That’s strange! This never happens!”
Elena rushed to the door and knocked loudly.
“Sister! Are you not inside?”
This scene felt oddly familiar—like those people who go door-to-door to preach.
— Tap, tap, tap!
Blackie, still perched on her head, enthusiastically joined in, knocking on the door with its paw.
“This won’t do! I’m going in, Brother Ian.”
“Let’s just head back and check again later— Wait, what?”
“I’m going in!”
— Fwoosh!
Elena’s hand, gripping the doorknob, glowed bright white.
Click!
The door swung open effortlessly.
“What kind of magic is that?”
“It’s the blessing of Lord Deus.”
What kind of blessing allows someone to unlock doors so cleanly like this?
“Lord Deus is omnipotent.”
…Perhaps a bit too omnipotent.
And so, we entered Danya’s lodging.
— Rustle, rustle
A light breeze greeted us.
The wide-open windows let in the wind, causing the curtains to sway gently.
The room smelled faintly of flowers and grass—the same scent that lingered around Danya herself.
“Sister Danya lived in a much better place than I thought.”
“She’s got an eye for decor, too.”
— Meow!
Blackie purred in agreement, its expression radiating satisfaction.
I wondered if cats had some innate understanding of such things.
Then again, the most excited one here wasn’t Blackie but Elena.
“Ooh, fascinating plants!”
“What’s this tentacle-like thing?”
She darted around the room, poking at various objects.
I was about to grab her by the neck to calm her down when something unexpected caught my eye.
“Is that… my T-shirt?”
It was a short-sleeved shirt I’d lost not too long ago.
I’d thought I’d dropped it somewhere while trying to do laundry.
‘Why is it here?’
I decided I’d have to ask Danya about it later.
Carefully, I continued surveying the room.
There wasn’t anything particularly suspicious, but there were two odd details worth noting.
However, there were two things that were unusual.
- The unusually abundant yellow cat fur scattered around.
- A half-eaten meal sitting conspicuously on one side of the dining table.
The rest of the room was spotless, which made these two things stand out all the more.
At that moment—
— Knock, knock!
A knock came from outside the door.
“They… they’re kidnappers! I’m sure Sister Danya has been taken by them too!”
“Calm down.”
Signaling Elena to stay put and stop her wild imaginings, I headed toward the door.
Carefully, I pressed my ear against it.
— Is this the right place?
The faint sound of voices reached me from outside.
Without hesitation, I opened the door.
“Is Miss Danya here… Ian?”
Standing there was Silvia, holding something in her hands.
◆
An hour ago.
Silvia paced anxiously in her office, walking back and forth before stopping abruptly and crossing her arms.
“… This doesn’t sit well with me.”
The deputy leader of the Laurent Trading Company’s branch, Silvia Laurent, wasn’t worried about work—or about a man, for that matter.
Her concern was her love rival.
The very existence of Danya Catsnesia was enough to unsettle Silvia.
“The traces of her presence in that clubroom…”
The fur scattered everywhere, the lingering scent—she couldn’t forget them.
It wasn’t like Silvia to engage in a war of nerves, but Danya had pushed her buttons in a way few others could.
Tap, tap.
She drummed her fingers against her arm and let out a long sigh.
“Haah…”
It had been a long time since another woman had gotten under her skin like this.
Not since Emilia.
No, Emilia didn’t even count as human competition.
This really was the first time.
Thinking of Danya made her chest ache slightly.
Was Danya holding Ian’s hand at this very moment?
“It’s not like I have low self-esteem…”
But Danya’s charms made Silvia anxious.
Those ears and tail—something pure humans couldn’t hope to emulate.
Her soft, childlike skin.
Above all, Danya was undeniably beautiful and overwhelmingly cute, even from another woman’s perspective.
Silvia, confident in both her looks and style, couldn’t deny that Danya possessed a different kind of allure entirely.
“… As much as I hate to admit it, she’s a real rival.”
Reaching a conclusion, Silvia gathered a few dessert boxes.
She decided to visit Danya’s lodging for a casual tea time—a gesture that doubled as a declaration of war, Silvia-style.
When she arrived at Danya’s lodging, however—
“Ian? Why are you here…?”
Could it be… Were the two of them already living together?
Silvia’s pupils trembled violently at the thought.
◆
————
【Lichten Academy Emergency Notice】
- Due to the recent surge in the cat population on campus, all cats will be captured and removed effective immediately.
————
