xuebingcode

Chapter 10

Rutile: Don’t give up, Seda!

Mitile: Just hang on a little longer!

The brothers watch over Seda in suspense and desperately cheer him on.

Seda was also desperate.

So desperate you wouldn’t have thought that he wanted to be all alone, live by himself, and become a cat of his own will.

Seda: Ah…!

Riquet: Seda!

He was at his limits. He caught his leg on a thin tree root, and fell on his face.

Right behind him was the shadow cat, who instantly overshadowed him.

Shino: Matztzah Sudipas!

Lennox: Forsettao Meiuvat.

Their magic weapons shined brightly. The Flores brothers and Riquet lifted up their magic tools.

But they didn’t make it in time.

The shadow cat’s fangs seized Seda’s windpipe, and his blue eyes opened wide.

Seda: Ah…

…Big Brother…

Faust: The spell is ready!

Come, Seda!

Seda: …!

His ears stood up hearing Faust’s words, and Seda immediately punched his attacker.

None of us knew if a cat punch would work on this ethereal shadow being, but it stopped moving for a brief moment.

And he took that chance to run.

His destination was straight forward, where Faust waited with his mirror.

Mithra: Arthim.

Bradley: Adnopotensum.

The two northern wizards recited their spells, and the magic circle by Faust’s feet glowed.

His mirror warped, and expanded itself into a full length mirror before Seda.

It was a mirror that reflected only truths, and on its clean and flawless surface, a grey furred and blue eyed cat—was not displayed.

Reflected instead was an ambitious looking boy with grey hair and blue eyes.

Faust: Satillquinart Mullcreed.

A second before the shadow cat began to chase after Seda again, Faust said his spell.

A deep silver moonlight shone brightly as it poured out of the full length mirror.

My eyes shut from the brightness, and—

Seda: Uuh…

The light died down, and what laid before us was a single young boy.

The same boy that was reflected in that mirror.

Mitile: Seda!

Rutile: Seda, you’re okay.

Rutile, who had run over to him, whisked his finger, and a warm jacket gently placed itself on his bare shoulders.

Seda’s eyes blinked, the same blue he had when he was a cat.

Seda: A jacket…? Ah!

My hands! These are human hands! My legs are human too! I don’t have toe beans anymore!

Yes! I did it! I’m a human again…!!

His face beamed enthusiastically, and after seeing how young he really was, a wave of relief washed over my heart.

The northern pair scratched their heads.

Bradley: Phew, what a day. We’re back to normal.

Mithra: As I thought, having no tail is better. Yarn won’t get tangled on me now.

Lennox. Do you still feel like headbutting?

Lennox: No, not anymore. Our minds are no longer that of cats.

Shino: How about catnip? Here Riquet, smell this.

Riquet: *sniff*…No, I don’t feel anything. We’ve completely recovered from being cats!

As things got lively over here, Faust walked over to Seda. Faust had picked up the silver collar that had fallen next to him.

Faust: Satillquinart Mullcreed.

Without a sound, a pale blue light engulfed the collar.

The wizard then looked down at Seda with a stern expression.

Faust: Never come back to the Valley of Storms again. This is the valley of the lost where recluses come to hide.

It is no place for humans.

He continued…a strained smile slightly formed on his face.

And I remember.

In a world where those who live for thousands of years exist it’s easy to forget but…

He’s someone who has lived for a long time. Not only longer than me, but longer than my parents or my grandparents.

Faust: There’s nobody nor nothing here. I understand why you wished for the respite living in solitude brings…

but this place is too quiet for you.

The collar the Cat Wizard made started to burn. It became ashes, and melted in the sunlight of the trees.

The spotted cat came out of the cat door. Examining the quiet that returned to the forest, it gave one large yawn.

Completely content.

A few days later—

“What should we do with this yarn ball?” the kittens seemed to say as they played with it, but some were trying to eat it as well.

Helping out Faust, I was at the Cat Wizard’s house.

We were proofing the home of anything dangerous like he requested in the letter he left.

Faust: That could be dangerous. Perhaps a spell that won’t let the yarn ball undo itself will help. …Urgh.

Akira: Aaaah, a cat’s trying to climb up your back again…come on, let’s get you off. Hupp…!

Grey White Tabby: Muuuun…

Akira: Wow, you can stretch far…Faust, haven’t you been made into a cat staircase this whole time?

Faust: It’s the shelf right next to me…they might want to climb to the highest layer and have been using me to get to it. I’ll place a chair in my stead.

We took down anything that could be harmful, and made it a safe environment to live in.

The cats were either interested in our work and kept butting their head in, or found us a nuisance and watched from afar. It was the same as usual.

Minus one cat that had gone.

Akira: …I’m glad that Seda got home safely.

Faust: Yeah, and that he was able to reunite with his brother too. That eastern merchant was stupid for trying to have a direct conversation with the Central Government, but he was lucky to have been there.

Right after the events of that day, we were following behind a Mithra who wanted to go home straight away, and went through his space door back to the Magic Manor.

We took Seda with us, but thought that we should hand him to Cock Robin at least, and left for the castle.

It was there that we encountered his brother, away from home, pestering Cock Robin at Magic Affairs.

Akira: I hope Seda’s alright. His brother was really mad at him…

Faust: He was hugging him in tears while scolding him, so I don’t think we have to worry.

They both learned something from this incident, so all’s well that ends well.

Besides, kids at their age go straight to fighting with anybody, even if it’s someone they’re close to.

Akira: …Is that what you learned from Shino and Heath?

Faust: Somewhat. They fought when we came home too.

When Heath heard that we’d grown cat ears and a tail, he laughed at Shino saying he must’ve been really cute, and that’s what ticked Shino off.

And because I happened to be there, I got weirdly dragged into the fight too…good grief, was it an effort trying to get them to make up.

In contrast to his words, his voice was gentle.

I smiled seeing that, and opened the window for some ventilation.

A calm breeze that carried the scent of grass and flowers blew in with the sunlight.

Curious about a window that was rarely ever opened, the cats gathered. They looked outside, as if they found it interesting.

Faust: …We won’t be coming here anymore. Our job here is done.

Going across these domains is bothersome to those in hiding.

A cat who was already tired of watching the window ran up to Faust’s feet and meowed at him sweetly.

It purred as soon as he picked it up in his arms. This cat must love cuddles.

Akira: (I wonder if the Cat Wizard hugged it like this too. …Wait, now that I think about it…)

Faust: Sage?

Akira: Ah, I’m fine. I just remembered that we never found out what the Cat Wizard really wanted in the end.

Considering that barrier he had up, it’s hard to say he was actually a kindhearted guy deep down…

But…the wizard that Seda spoke about didn’t sound like a bad guy, just maybe a little difficult to deal with.

So I was wondering, which was it…

Faust: Who knows. It could be as simple as having time to kill since he lived so long in seclusion.

Or…

The cat whined for headpats, and Faust stopped his words to pet it.

His upper eyelashes, lowered to face the cat, surprisingly made clear lines of a soft shadow on his cheeks.

Faust: …having lived peacefully in solitude, away from the humans he hated so much, with only cats for company, he felt content…

and after this long period of time, realized something.

That having someone to speak with isn’t so bad.

Akira: …

…Like you, Faust?

Faust: Yes, just like me.

I looked at him in a daze. I didn’t think he would actually agree.

And for a second I felt those purple eyes of his laugh at me amusingly. Those purple eyes that carried the same grace as an elderly man and a fresh young adult.

Though that may have been because the cat in his arms thrusted its head into his chin at that very moment.

Faust: Ow.

Akira: Woah! Are you okay? Did you bite your tongue just now?

Faust: Yeah. …What, you want down now? Was that headbutt a sign…?

He let it down on the floor, and after grooming its tummy, it flapped its tail and left.

Watching the cat go, Faust then lightly clasped his palm together.

When he opened it, there were numerous pieces of a mana stone shining in his hand.

Akira: That’s…

Faust: The Cat Wizard’s mana stone. He wrote that it would be my reward, but…

to eat a fellow Valley wizard’s mana stone will cause a disturbance in all wizards hiding here.

Without saying his spell, the mana stone floated up. As if to cover it, a transparent ball-like basket weaved itself.

Once it finished, Faust left it on the table where the letter was.