Volume 6 Chapter 58 Collaborator
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hey, you. Why won’t you open your mouth? I won’t demand a proper greeting, but isn’t this a bit discourteous?”
From a step lower on the staircase, a girl frowned up at the man. A faint breeze stirred her hooded cloak, pressing the fabric against her frame and revealing her slender build.
’I told you, I can’t talk.‘
To not be able to say that he couldn’t speak—Klock carried that kind of maddening paradox. He scratched his head while gazing at the ceiling, wondering what to do, then suddenly had an idea. Embarrassing, sure, but still… Sticking out his tongue, he went “bleh.”
”…What’s with that paw mark?”
Parl furrowed her brow even deeper. Her reply left Klock frozen.
’…A paw? My slave mark… is a paw print?‘
The wind whispered past. The silence that followed was deafening. No matter how much he screamed inside—Stop customizing the original slave mark!—it was useless. Normally, such marks were engraved with carefully structured sigils, outer shell and inner core aligned. But Elna, prodigy of a mage that she was, had crafted a mark entirely to her own taste.
Like a mother forcing her son to wear clothes she’d chosen, regardless of his preferences. Perhaps she even saw Klock as her tomcat, “Kuro.”
”…I sense mana from it. Some kind of magic circle? Ahh, no, that has to be a slave mark.”
Parl touched her chin, thoughtful.
Sharp insight. Maybe the kind only a mage could have. When Klock nodded furiously, she sighed in understanding.
”Ah, so it was those twin princesses. Honestly, still making such childish things. Same twins, yet how different they are from that Asura pair.”
Passing him, she climbed one step, then another, turning to look back down from above.
”…Shall I help you?”
Her deep green eyes fixed on him. They drew him in, like a forest shrouded in midnight, dark and unsettling, carrying an inexplicable pull.
”If you’ll grant me one request, I could see to your release. I hold some authority in the Beast Country. If I take responsibility, they won’t easily refuse.”
Parl tilted her head with a smile. Well? What will you do?
Klock blinked in disbelief. Her offer was so unexpected that his mind lagged behind.
’Seriously? What’s this “request”? If only I could ask that… but I can’t. Damn it, all I can do is yes or no. Being mute is such a pain.‘
He furrowed his brow, closed his eyes for a moment, and scratched at his forehead. The stone staircase was cold beneath him as he turned it over in his head.
He had no way to negotiate. No leverage. And if he let this slip, there might not be another chance. He couldn’t just waste it.
At last, Klock gave a small nod.
”Good. I see. It must be hard, living as a slave. Then I’ll go and arrange your release at once.”
Now this was what they called a boat arriving just when you needed to cross the river.
With her small back already turned to him, Parl ascended the stairway toward the tower above. Her footsteps echoed against the stone, leaving Klock momentarily behind.
Against all expectation, it seemed Klock was on the verge of regaining his freedom.
But would she really negotiate on his behalf?
Unsure, he hurried to follow her upward.
* * *
”What?! Hand over Klock Livorno? What are you saying, Lady Parl?! There’s no way I’ll agree to that!”
The one yelling, cheeks puffed and face red with anger, was the white cat princess herself. She dragged Klock into her arms as though he were unquestionably her possession.
”But consider this. He may yet prove an invaluable asset. Better that than wasting him as a slave—”
”No! And besides, he isn’t Klock Livorno! He’s Kuro! The one you’re looking for, that human man, is dead!”
In Elna’s private chambers at the top of the tower, her shrill voice rang out. Flona stood awkwardly nearby, while Lona sprawled lazily on the windowsill, watching.
”…Dead, you say.”
”That’s right! He was executed for insolence toward both Her Highness and Elna. The Kuro here is a completely different person—Elna’s lifelong, dedicated slave! Not even for you, Lady Parl, will I hand him over! From the tips of his claws to every strand of hair, he belongs entirely to Elna!”
When did I swear lifelong service?!
His brain snapped back with that retort, even as she crushed him in a suffocating embrace.
Nestled unwillingly against Elna’s chest on the bed, Klock met Parl’s gaze. For some reason, her eyes carried a reproach, as if he were the one at fault here.
”…I see. If he was executed, then nothing can be done.”
The aristocrat’s answer, prioritizing appearances over truth. No proof bound this man to the name Klock Livorno. Even if someone recognized his face, they would dismiss it as mere resemblance.
”…For confirmation’s sake, then. What if I asked not for Klock Livorno, but for this ‘Kuro’—?”
”No! Absolutely not! I said no, and that’s final! This discussion is over!”
And just like that, the negotiations ended. Parl glanced once more at Klock and sighed. This wasn’t even diplomacy—Elna had refused to sit at the table at all.
Even Klock hadn’t foreseen such a stubborn reaction. She seemed determined to keep him as her slave at all costs. Her refusal to let him go almost felt… like he was being treasured.
”Very well. If you insist, I’ll withdraw. Ah, but one last thing—let me see your face again.”
Though she had spoken of helping him, Parl gave up easily enough. Perhaps it was inevitable. Elna was obstinate to the point of childishness, like a girl throwing a tantrum. There was no room to bargain.
Besides, Parl belonged to the Beast Country. Whatever interest she had in Klock, she would hardly stake herself on it.
When Elna finally released him, Klock stood. Parl stepped closer, raising her gaze.
”Let me look at you properly,” she said. Seizing his chin, she yanked him forward to peer at his face.
The sudden force startled him, and his lips parted. At that instant, her thumb slipped into his mouth.
A heat jolted through him. Something raced across his tongue, quick as lightning.
”I thought you might be a rare talent… ah well. Nothing to be done.”
Parl released him at once, waving her hand as if already disinterested.
’She did something.‘
He was sure of it. He could feel it.
Glancing back, he saw Elna hadn’t noticed a thing.
”By the way, Lady Parl, what brings you here today?”
Elna bounced off the bed and tugged Klock behind her. He landed on the mattress with a soft thud, her small frame shielding him completely.
Parl noticed and narrowed her eyes faintly.
”…In truth, I was summoned by Her Majesty. I came to check on the well-being of Princess Elna and Princess Lona.”
”Of course we’re fine. We’re so eager to get outside we can hardly stand it. But tell me—what did Mother say? We’ve been ordered not to leave, yet no one has told us why.”
Perhaps because the conversation had turned serious, Lona hurried over as well. Klock, abruptly pushed aside, was immediately instructed by Flona to leave the room.
”A matter has arisen. At present, we are rushing to confirm the details, so I cannot speak of it yet. However, it seems the Empress—and the royal family as a whole—may be in danger.”
”Danger? What do you mean? Are you saying assassins are after us? If that’s the case, wouldn’t Slomvanilla be the safest place to stay?”
”No. The danger is precisely because Slomvanilla is no longer safe.”
The secretary cat escorted Klock out of the chamber. Just before the door shut, he caught the last fragments of their talk. Flona added that he would be called for dinner and should remain in his quarters until then.
And so, Klock found himself alone in the hallway.
Had she just said Slomvanilla wasn’t safe? No mistake—that could only mean Cianie. Whatever she had done, the country must have begun to view her as a threat.
The Beast Country was the world’s largest and strongest nation. Its capital, Slomvanilla, was its heart and the most secure place in existence. Not even an army could hope to infiltrate it, nor would war ever reach this sanctuary—unless the enemy was something beyond human.
The ones who kidnapped him had been the Hooded Cat Law Group. A ridiculous name, but unmistakably the nation’s shadow.
If those who had abducted him had been identified, then surely Beast Country had realized Cianie’s gaze had turned toward him. That would explain why the princesses were being hidden away. It was the most plausible conclusion.
A Hero’s power was not something even the strongest warrior could withstand. It was a natural disaster incarnate. Just a glance could turn the land into scorched earth. Before such force, no fortress could ever be called safe.
So Cianie truly was searching for him. He had suspected as much—after all, she had chased him even across reincarnation. There was no way she would forget him after a brief disappearance.
Perhaps his return to the surface was closer than he thought.
He disliked the idea of being hunted, yet the strange reassurance eased the tightness in his chest, and he let out a sigh. Knowing Cianie was closing in meant he could finally act accordingly.
He descended the now-familiar Sky Staircase. Catgirls passed by, reaching out to tug at him playfully. He brushed them off half-heartedly and continued down to his room.
But why hide Elna?
He stopped cold in the doorway of his quarters. Inside, three catgirls from next door were sprawled across the floor. One looked innocently carefree, while the other two blushed furiously—though Klock ignored them.
His brow furrowed. Something important was slipping past him.
Elna was Hermine’s disciple. If the nation truly feared conflict with a Hero, she should have been the natural choice to act as a mediator. Yet they had chosen to conceal her. That could only mean they believed she was incapable of serving in negotiations. In other words, they suspected she was the cause.
It was like a half-remembered word caught on the edge of his mind—something once grasped but now slipping through his fingers.
Klock stood frozen inside the room. The catgirls glanced at one another, puzzled, then crept toward him with sly curiosity.
It had been under Elna’s orders that he was abducted—retribution for what had happened in the Imperial Capital three months ago. Did Cianie already know of that incident? If so, it was only a matter of time before the trail led back to Elna. The Empress must realize this, which would explain why she had ordered the princess hidden.
A sudden weight crashed against his back, making him stagger. Not an attack—just another bored catgirl clinging to him affectionately.
How had Beast Country realized Cianie had fixed her eyes on him? Could it be that Cianie had approached them herself? If that were the case, then his connection with her might already be exposed. And if so, his position was far more precarious than he had believed.
As he thought so, the girls herded him to the bed. He sat down, and they curled up beside him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
They sniffed at him, twined their arms around his, and giggled. He ignored the attention, lost in thought.
The word hostage rose in his mind.
If Beast Country and Cianie stood as enemies, then his existence became a shield against her. That might also explain why Parl had come earlier—not only to check on him, but perhaps to relocate him. She spoke of “help,” but perhaps what she meant was to move him somewhere they could keep him under control.
By rights, he should have been executed. Only Elna’s desire to enslave him had spared his life. That hadn’t been Beast Country’s will. Even Lona had shown nothing but frustration. Parl must have chosen to observe for now, given Elna’s erratic behavior.
He exhaled heavily, ending the chain of thoughts—only for a playful shove from behind to interrupt him again.
Annoying. They needed discipline.
He ruffled the hair of the two bolder girls beside him, then reached behind to seize the third, the purest among them. He pulled her onto his lap, holding her down as she struggled, and slid his hand under her skirt to tug at her underwear.
* * *
That night, a sharp tingling raced across his tongue—Elna’s summons.
Just like the night before, when she had demanded that strange “nursing handplay.” The memory made his cheeks twitch.
Still damp from his bath, Klock left his quarters and climbed the stairs. Partway up, he encountered a descending figure.
”…Oh. It’s you. Going to see Princess Elna?”
It was Parl again.
He nodded silently.
”What’s this? You’ve regained speech, and yet you said nothing? I almost didn’t notice.”
She flashed a mischievous grin.
”…So it was true.”
”Be grateful. And keep it from the others, understood?”
A surprise indeed. Could she have rewritten the magic circle in that fleeting instant?
Before he could react further, she waved him aside and continued down the steps.
”Oh, one more thing. About helping you escape—it’ll take a little longer. Given the current situation, you’ll need to wait a few days. But don’t worry. You’ll be free of Beast Country soon enough.”
With that, she vanished into the night, footsteps fading into the dark.
So she wasn’t fully aligned with Beast Country after all. Perhaps she truly intended to help him. At the very least, restoring his voice had no explanation but kindness.
A few minutes later—
”Well? Care to explain yourself, Kuro?”
Inside Elna’s chambers, she stood waiting with hands on her hips, dressed in a sheer, translucent negligee. Her expression radiated unmistakable displeasure.
”Why does Lady Parl want you? You’re mine… aren’t you?”
Klock bit back the words, hiding his regained voice.
The little white cat princess puffed out her cheeks and pressed closer, arms stretching toward him.
Notes:
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Lona – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with black hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked. Elna’s sister; a black cat Beastkin who’s relatively normally developed physically compared to Elna.
• Slomvanilla – The white fortress, also known as the empress’s residence; a gigantic bedroom on the scale of a fortress.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Hermine – Daughter of the Emperor of the Second Empire of Dusselhelm. A companion and friend of Anna. The mage. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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