In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 15 Page 2

  “Gh... But...”

  “Gah... M-Miss Renne, please don’t tell him!”

  This was bad. Our master had prohibited fighting between Luli and I. Even if we were just verbally bickering, I didn’t exactly want to get punished because of her taunting.

  After all... The punishment I’d incur was... so terrible...

  From the looks of Luli, she remembered the punishment too. She was visibly trembling.

  I decided to just silently curse her instead. Eventually, we were freed from Renne’s grasp, and Luli finished up her meal.

  “Either way, call on me if you need me to take care of it. I’m not against assisting in national affairs.”

  “Very well. I don’t think I’ll need you, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Luli flapped her wings and took off from the balcony. I’d only call on her if the situation became really dire.

  For the most part, I just needed to be sure that our master wasn’t inconvenienced.

  I finished up my meal, had Renne wipe off my mouth with a napkin, and then headed back into town after a brief rest.

  I hoped Mr. Mittens was seeing good results from his investigation.

  ◇　◇　◇

  When I returned to the town, a couple of cats caught my attention. Apparently, Mr. Mittens had discovered something.

  The cats guided me around the back of the bar next to the guild. There I found Mr. Mittens and the three cat musketeers. If I recalled correctly they were named Aramis, Athos, and Porthos. When I appeared before them, they all crouched down on one knee as if bowing.

  “No need to bow. What did you uncover?”

  “Ah. We discovered that the suspicious merchants did not stay in the Silver Moon Inn, which would be the usual stopping point for men of their profession. Instead, they’re staying on the outskirts of town, at the Forest’s Harmonium Inn.” Athos, one of the three knights, spoke up.

  Hmm... This is interesting, but not exactly conclusive. The Forest’s Harmonium isn’t exactly a bad place, but every merchant tends to stay in the Silver Moon because it’s in the middle of town, and an ideal hub for trade operations...

  Plus, there were a lot of knights in the area due to the locale. It was the safest inn you could imagine. It didn’t make sense that they’d stay at the Forest’s Harmonium, since that place was an adventurer’s inn. That made me think maybe they had a problem with the knights in town.

  “We’ve been keeping watch, but neither the merchants nor their escorts have left their room in a while. They may still be sleeping.”

  “Are they traveling with adventurers? You’d think they’d have stopped by the guild...”

  “Also, here’s the damning evidence. I inspected their cargo, and it’s several bundles of beastwood under a protective sheet. It’s highly likely that the beastwood found by the Black Monarchs fell from their wagon. The amount we found would be sufficient enough to cause a massive stampede if it was strategically placed throughout town. Even with our protective barrier in place, it would majorly disrupt our economy and I’m sure any magical beasts outside the town would come in as close as they could. The roads would end up being shut down, and the citizens would effectively be locked in.”

  Hrmm... That’d be really bad. All trade activity would end up ceasing, and we’d be unable to get fresh supplies... The only positive out of this would be the adventurers would be able to make a ton of money by killing the monsters...

  “I’m pawsitive that they plan on burning all the wood around town at night! They’ll set the beastwood down and then get the heck meowtta here!”

  I agreed with Mr. Mittens. If they did it in broad daylight, they’d be found out in a flash. Plus, beastwood had a very strong scent that could easily be sniffed out. There weren’t as many people out at night... Especially not in the shopping district.

  “So did you manage to identify them, as well?”

  “We did. According to the information network we employed, these men hail from Sandora. They were once slavers. Perhaps they seek to destroy this country as an act of retribution...”

  Sandora... Ah, that’s the slave country my master destroyed. Given how close that country was to the Sea of Trees. It makes sense they’d have access to beastwood.

  They’d probably lost their slaves, and their livelihood with it, so they’d come here in an act of defiant revenge.

  They likely figured that since this was such a small country, the destruction of its castle town would be easy. How naive.

  “Keep watching them for now. If they take action, inform me right away.”

  “Very well!”

  With any luck, they’d leave without doing anything shady, and we could just confiscate the beastwood. But if they decided to act against the nation, we’d just take them out.

  I hoped they’d see the error of their ways and leave.

  Night eventually fell. And some time after midnight, a cat came over to get me.

  “...So they’ve done it, then.”

  They were idiots, clearly. Seemed like I had to teach them a personal lesson.

  ◇　◇　◇

  Shadowy figures moved under the cover of night. They moved through the quietest streets and alleys, away from anyone else who may be awake at such a late hour. In their hands were dried out pieces of wood.

  One of the men stood in a back alley behind a store and crushed up some of the wood with a small hammer.

  According to their boss, it would be better to ignite small pieces. They’d call less attention that way.

  One was on guard while the other set to work. But suddenly, they heard a noise, which made them stand to attention.

  “Meooow...” A black cat innocently walked out from a nearby bush.

  “...Just a cat...”

  “Cats freak me out... Hurry up with the fire.”

  “...Got it.”

  The second man rushed to start lighting up the small pieces. But again he stopped after hearing a sound.

  “Meooow!”

  “Guh... Another cat? Why does this town have so many?”

  “H-Hey... Isn’t this a little weird...?”

  The fire-starting man stood up and looked around uneasily. Something felt wrong. Even though there was nobody around, he could feel eyes on him.

  “Meow...”

  “Meooow...”

  “Mew... Meeew...”

  “Hiss...”

  Several eyes gleamed in the pitch black of night. From beneath porches, from the tops of nearby trees, from the heights of the nearby rooftops, and from nearby bushes.

  White. Black. Tabby. Calico. Toygers. All manner of cats emerged and began staring at the men.

  “H-Hey... What the hell is going on?”

  “I don’t like this...!”

  “Are you scared, wastrels?”

  A voice rang out from the black, causing the men to unsheathe their blades. They looked around, but they couldn’t identify the source. They didn’t know who the voice belonged to, or where it was even coming from.

  “Do you men know what those hunks of wood are for?”

  “Wh-Who are you?! Come out!”

  Beneath the pale moonlight, the gathered cats parted left and right. From the middle of the crowd walked a little white cat. It looked almost like a baby tiger.

  Even though it looked juvenile and unimposing, the men felt an immense surge of dread. They might as well have been facing down a dragon.

  “...No answer, hm? That’s fine. You’ll have plenty of time to answer in prison.”

  “A talking cat?!”

  “Bold of you to assume I’m a cat, profligate!”

  A white puff of smoke ejected itself into the air, and from within the misty manifestation emerged an enormous, snarling white tiger. The two men tried to scream, only to find their voices caught in their throats.

  “Listen well, mortals. My name is Kohaku! I am a Heavenly Beast, direct servant to the most esteemed Mochizuki Touya, grand duke of Brunhild! I am one of
the guardians of this nation, do you hear me?!”

  “Wh-Wh-What...?!”

  “Deal with them, kitties.”

  A cacophony of hisses and howls rang out into the night. The men could do nothing as they were swarmed by over a hundred feral cats. They were so immobilized with fear that they couldn’t even draw their swords. They fell to the ground and were bitten, scratched, and aggressively nuzzled.

  As if on cue, a cat knight jumped from the rooftop, his rapier flashing in the moonlight as he descended.

  “It’s curtains for you, fellas! Time to hit paws on your entire operation!”

  “Gwah?!”

  “Hngh?!”

  The two men stopped moving entirely once they were struck by his blade. It had been enchanted with [Paralyze].

  The crowd of cats stopped attacking the men and dispersed into the dark.

  Countless little kitty footsteps could be heard marching into the distance. Only the white tiger and the cat knight remained.

  “Kohaku! Sir Mittens!”

  “...My name is D’Artagnan!”

  Mr. Mittens put his hands on his hips and glared at Lanz, the knight who had called out to him and the tiger next to him. He grumbled a little toward Kohaku, but calmed down after a while.

  “Kohaku... What is going on here?”

  “Ah, well. These men were attempting to ignite this beastwood, it would have caused all nearby magical beasts to rampage and surround the town. There are likely others doing the same elsewhere in town, but the other cat knights have been sent to take care of them. I’m going to take out their leader, a merchant. Would you like to come with me?”

  “Alright! You three, take these two men into custody. You two, head to the other locations! The rest of us will head with Kohaku and Sir Mittens to capture the ringleader!”

  The two men were dragged off. Kohaku returned to her kitten-like state and called out to the remaining knights.

  “Hear me now! We are the Guardians of Brunhild! We cannot forgive those who would seek to harm our home! We will capture them, and force them to repent!”

  The men all cheered in response, following the white tiger into the night.

  Some time later, the Sandoran merchant and all of his cohorts were arrested. The night became peaceful once more.

  ◇　◇　◇

  I am a tiger. My name is Kohaku. That name means “noble protector.” It didn’t always mean that, but it means that now. That’s what I decided it means. Hmm... And today I overslept. The incident last night took a lot out of me, after all... But this is still an unseemly thing to do.

  I dipped my face into the cool water fountain in the courtyard. I rubbed one of my front paws against my eyes. It would be most uncouth if I appeared before my lord with a sleepy face.

  There, that should do it. I’m quite awake now.

  I went to the dining room and found something rare. My master and all of his fiancées were together at the same time. It was unusual for them all to be there at once.

  “Good morning, my liege. Good morning, ladies.”

  “Morning, Kohaku!”

  Once my master said hello, all the girls followed suit. Hm... They all looked well, I was happy.

  Renne brought over my meal, and I sat at a smaller table by the side of their main table. Ooh... It’s roast beef today, is it? I’m certainly fond of dishes like this...

  Well, then... Time to dig in!

  “Oh right, Kohaku. I heard you helped out a lot yesterday.”

  Just as I was about to tuck into my delicious roast beef, my master called to me.

  “Hm? A-Ah, yes! There were people trying to do something bad in town, so I handled it. I had everyone arrested, they’re in the jail right now.”

  “That’s great, thanks Kohaku... I’m really proud of you, I’m sure you’ll keep it up.”

  He came over and gently patted my head. His brides-to-be followed suit, showering me in praise.

  I wasn’t exactly fond of being petted too much, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the positive attention from people who meant so much to me.

  Still, all I had done was fulfill the task I was assigned with... But if they wanted to praise me for that, I was hardly going to complain.

  I did owe my victory yesterday to the efforts of Mr. Mittens and his musketeer cohorts, so I decided that I’d treat them to some good food. The knight order as well, and I couldn’t forget about the strays who helped subdue the two men. I was sure they’d be happy to receive recognition for their actions.

  As I planned out my day ahead, I tucked into that delicious bowl of roast beef. It was just as yummy as I’d hoped.

  Chapter I: The Egret Emissaries

  “Strike true, Light! Sparkling Holy Lance: [Shining Javelin]!”

  The beam of light flew toward its target like an arrow.

  The stone statue shaped like a King Ape was completely obliterated.

  After that, several [Shining Javelin] shots were released successively, without any chants, headed toward their own targets.

  It didn’t take much time at all for all ten statues to fall apart.

  “How’s that? Not bad, right?”

  “Not bad at all. Good work, Sue.” Sue grinned and puffed her chest out, so I patted her on the head. Given that she was only 11, she was extremely gifted to pull it off.

  Sue had an aptitude for Light magic. Light spells were also known as Holy spells and tended toward the defensive or healing side. They were also used to purify corruption.

  But there were still plenty of offensive capabilities for that particular school of magic. There were spells like [Shining Javelin], [Light Arrow], and [Starbright] that could burn enemies with holy fire.

  Sue had been learning magic from Linze and Leen in her spare time and had already become adept enough to cast several high-tier spells.

  She’d also been learning more about self-defense from Yae and Lapis, our head maid. She’d also been learning about precision techniques and knife-throwing from Cecile, our other maid. Seemed like she’d been absorbing all that knowledge like an eager little sponge.

  She was definitely way stronger than the average adventurer, despite her age.

  It was possible that was because she was a beneficiary of my divinity, but I think she had a lot of talent in her to begin with.

  “Still, I’m not tough enough yet! I’m gonna be one of your wives, so I can’t fall behind! I’ll get strong enough to protect all of Brunhild!” She seemed determined. I smiled and took one of her hands into my own.

  “Thank you, Sue... But don’t push yourself, alright? Strong or weak, that kind of thing doesn’t bother me. I like you for you, Sue.”

  “I’m not pushing myself, don’t worry. You’re important to me, Touya. That’s why I have to work hard, so feel free to spoil me plenty as a reward!” Sue giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck. Spoil you, huh... I can’t do too much, now.

  I leaned in and hugged her back.

  “By the by, Touya...”

  “Hmm?”

  “Is it true you have another woman following you around?”

  “Huh?!”

  Wh... What are you talking about?! “Up in Babylon... There’s a new woman, right? Cesca told me. She wears glasses and has a cute dog, right?”

  “Wait! It’s not what you think! She’s just here for engineering and tech support!” You stupid pervert maid! Don’t tell Sue weird stuff! Sue released her grip on me and let out a small sigh. Then she shook her head and folded her arms together. I wondered where she even learned that kind of world-weary pose.

  “My father told me that you look like a man who’ll suffer many women problems, Touya. He told me to be careful that you don’t get in trouble with strange ladies, too.”

  “That isn’t what’s happening here!” Damn it, Duke Ortlinde! Don’t tell her weird stuff like that... What do you even mean by that?! Trouble with women... Huh...? No way, no way... That definitely can’t be the case. The trouble has to b
e over at this point, right? It won’t keep coming up, right? Please.

  Sue kept on lecturing me for a bit, despite my protests, and by the end of it all, I think she had been reassured properly.

  “You’re useless without us girls, Touya!”

  “Y-Yeah, sure am...” Sue was cheery again, so I let her hold on to my arm, and we started walking back to the castle. The skies above us were clear, despite the fact that there was a bad storm just a few days beforehand.

  I was able to ask the nature spirits to keep environmental disasters away from Brunhild, but I decided not to ask them to interfere unless it was something seriously dangerous.

  “How’s Ellen doing?”

  “Good! Her tummy got really big lately. I wanna have a little brother, I think.” Sue’s mother was heavily pregnant, which might have been one of the reasons she was so studiously working on her magic.

  Sue had even been spending time in the Belfast castle town clinic and healing people there with her own magic reserves. She was definitely a kindhearted girl.

  That didn’t mean she couldn’t be a little bullheaded and needy sometimes, though.

  “...Touya. There’s something weird up there.”

  “Huh?” Sue pointed out toward the sky above the castle.

  Something was flying this way, but it was too far away to make out clearly.

  “Is it a bird?”

  “[Long Sense].” I projected my sense of sight toward the object with my Null spell.

  Just as Sue suspected, it was a bird. But this bird was highly unusual... There was a person riding on it.

  It was a huge bird, too. A goddamn giant bird. It was so big that I wondered if it was some kind of Behemoth... And then I realized there were three of them, with one rider on each.

  I wondered maybe if they were trying to launch an attack on the town, but then they changed their course and landed in the plains north of the castle.

  “...That’s a big bird.”

  “Three of them, actually. Let’s check it out.” I used [Teleport] to immediately bring us to the plains. We came out right on top of a hill, in front of the people and their mounts.

  There were two men and one woman. They wore fairly tribal clothing, it kind of reminded me of the stuff they wore in the Sea of Trees, but it was a little different.