Volume 6 Chapter 68 Port Town Fwavlotz
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It didn’t feel nostalgic at all.
When he first came to the Beast Continent, he had surely stopped here.
Yet only three months had passed, and he could barely remember a thing.
Everywhere he went, the air carried the smell of good food.
He looked around, hoping for a weapon shop or a general store, but the Beastkin standing at the storefronts all wore aprons.
More than half of the people passing by were cats, and the rest were other kinds of Beastkin.
Most of the shopkeepers were cat Beastkin. Some were cute girls like Meina, almost too charming to be real, while others had full cat faces and strong animal features. Earlier, a female with a cat face had stared at him so intently that he wondered if she thought he was prey. A chill ran down his spine.
This was a western town of the Beast Continent.
Port town Fwavlotz. Commonly called the Cat Town.
Cats drew other cats. Most of this town was filled with cat Beastkin.
Everywhere he looked, noisy “nyan-nyan” voices passed through his vision. Each time they sniffed at him, Klock felt curious eyes on him, as if he were something unusual.
Some had beast ears, some had full beast faces. Passing through the mystery of Beastkin, who could look like different beings depending on their beast traits, he stopped before a shop.
It looked like a general store.
A shabby little house turned into a shop. From the open entrance, many kinds of alley goods were lined up.
His feet moved on their own, pulling him inside.
These kinds of shops always had a strange pull. The messy variety, like hidden treasure waiting to be found, made his heart race.
Oh, smoke bombs.
Those could be useful.
He picked up a ball. A bit of paper stuck out from inside.
If pulled, the shard of fire magic stone within would react, and smoke would gush out.
Sometimes they misfired, but if squeezed and filled with mana, the stone would ignite.
”Welcome, welcome. Take your time~”
The shopkeeper appeared with a gentle air.
Round ears—probably a bear Beastkin.
Secret magic tools… no way.
Still, he needed to gather whatever could be useful. It looked like he would be walking around a lot today.
Money wasn’t a problem. He had plenty.
Six gold coins rested in his pocket.
Enough to buy a small house. They were given to him by a certain noble cat princess. From a bag said to be a gift from the Great Mage, its size and space inside didn’t match at all. She had simply grabbed some coins and handed them to him.
Getting pocket money from a girl half his age.
But there was nothing to feel about it. Before the shine of gold, people became invincible to shame. Of course, his affection toward her soared, and he would gladly princess-carry her whenever she wished.
He looked around the store quickly.
Not sure if useful, but he picked up some throwing knives.
A hooded cloak for travelers. A wrist guard with hidden blades. Some small fire and earth stones. He placed them all on the counter.
”You spend big, don’t you? Buying earth stones means… you’re an adventurer, right?”
”Something like that.”
Ordinary gear was fine, but magic stones cost more.
Their price rose or fell with size. They weren’t things to buy on a whim.
For home use, fire was enough. If rich, people bought water stones. The other stones were usually bought for work. Some even used earth stones for house repairs, though that was eccentric.
”Truth is, I got my hands on something dangerous lately. Too dangerous to keep. Interested?”
”Dangerous? What kind of thing?”
”It’s rare, very rare. But… I shouldn’t say this too loud. In this town, it’s actually banned.”
Banned? Probably drugs.
He guessed quickly and lost interest. He wasn’t looking for that. What he needed was gear to fight and survive.
”This. With this, any cat girl falls at once. They call it the Cat-Crazy Branch. Some even call it the Cat-Killer Rod.”
Cat-Killer.
Klock’s eyes widened at the sight.
From the box, the man pulled out a branch. Just a dry stick, the kind you could pick up anywhere.
Anyone who didn’t know would think it was a joke.
But the faint sweet smell proved it was real.
”How… did you get this?”
”Can’t say. This stuff is seriously dangerous. Restock is impossible. One coin for each, take it or leave it.”
”I’ll take them! All three!”
Spending half the princess’s gift was worth it.
Along with the other goods, Klock had just secured his ultimate trump card.
* * *
”Look, Kuro! I found a fox! Can I keep it?”
”No way. Get rid of it.”
Near the fountain square in the center of town.
After wandering Fwavlotz, mostly window-shopping, he met up with the white cat.
She now wore adventurer-like clothes, though who knew where she got them.
And for some reason, a fox sat on her head.
”Why not! Elna made friends with it! Look at those wet eyes, begging for help! It must be so hungry! Leaving it would be cruel!”
”You can’t keep a pet at the inn! And dragging it with us would be even worse!”
It wasn’t small enough to be a kit, but not yet a full-grown adult either.
Clearly a wild animal not meant to be taken in. The fox looked puzzled on Elna’s back, but not scared enough to run.
Elna could befriend wild cats on sight.
Apparently, her power worked on other animals too.
Now, all they had to do was wait for Meina.
But when he looked around, Elna blocked his view.
If you’re free, pet this fox—that was the pressure she gave, thrusting the creature at him with its soft fur brushing his face.
The fur was too soft. Not wild at all.
When he stroked it, it felt incredibly fluffy. Maybe she had washed it. Could it be that she spent the whole time here playing with a stray fox?
”Hey, look, a yakitori shop! Let’s have a snack!”
”Yakitori as a snack? You’ll get fat.”
”Elna doesn’t get fat. Kuro, you wait here for Mī. Come on, Kuzuha!”
”Wait—what kind of name is that?”
Without another word, she ran off.
To name a pet after a foreign princess—that was either insult or pure thoughtlessness. Probably because of the fox link, but if the real one heard, she’d explode in rage.
”Sir Klock. They really won’t let ships leave.”
Right after Elna left, a soft landing sounded beside him.
Slender legs, white-colored clothes fluttering, and then she jumped into his arms.
”They said if you really want to sail, you must leave from Belandi in the south.”
”That’s way too far. No point taking a ship then.”
Only a second since reunion. After barely an hour apart, the golden cat cuddled into him tightly.
While Klock was shopping, she had gone to gather information.
He patted her without hesitation, pleased with her precise report—unlike a certain princess who only played.
So even the Rize Strait itself was a no-go.
The Rize Strait, lying between the Human and Beast Continents. Fwavlotz was at its southern tip. He thought maybe someone could be bribed, but if even that was impossible, then it was hopeless.
When they first came to town, he had gone straight to book passage.
A lesson learned: delay only brought trouble. But the port had refused immediately.
The mermaids had blocked the strait.
They had declared clearly—try to pass, and they would attack. No one could fight them.
That was the way of mermaids.
Their values leaned closer to demons.
Demonkin. Oni Humans. Earth Humans. Forestkin. Incubus and Succubus.
The Demon Continent was home to many races, and its people lived with elitism and talent-first values.
Fishkin shared both of those views. Because of that, their home and values were said to belong to the Demon Continent side.
Normally, the word “demons” meant Demonkin.
But just as all dogs and cats were lumped together as Beastkin, sometimes all Demon Continent dwellers were simply called demons.
That meant the ones blocking the sea were, in truth, demons. No wonder no one could fight them.
From Suzette he had heard of the Demon Lord’s Army’s Four Heavenly Kings. One of them had been a mermaid.
So this sea blockade was the Demon Lord’s Army acting on its own. But with the Beast Country in the middle of a coup, the nation could not respond. If the country could not act, the people could do nothing either.
To be honest, it gave him nothing but bad feelings.
While Beast Country was in this state, the Demon Lord’s Army showed up. The Hero was now helping overthrow a nation, and the Human Continent was showing its greatest weakness to the Demon Lord’s Army.
The Saint was missing.
The Hero was staying in the Beast Continent. Their ally, the Beast Country, was about to collapse.
So why were mermaids blocking the sea now? There weren’t many possible answers.
—Could it be the Demon Lord’s Army was already moving?
If they blocked the sea, it was to stop supplies and reinforcements.
If so, then right now the Human Continent might already be at war…
No way. Who even fought wars anymore?
He thought and thought, but at the end gave up on it as nonsense.
If he had seen the fighting at Slomvanilla with his own eyes, maybe he would have thought differently. But since he hadn’t, Klock allowed himself to stay soft in peace a little longer.
* * *
”This is tasty.”
”So good~”
”It’s truly delicious!”
On the way back to the inn.
Evening time. After wandering the town more, they finally returned to the inn.
They had skipped lunch, but instead spent the day eating all over town.
Now the three of them each held a thin pancake—what people here called a crepe. Klock’s was filled with chicken, ham, cheese, and vegetables—like a light breakfast food.
Among the kinds offered, there had even been something called a Crepe Suzette.
The name instantly reminded him of the demon maid Suzette. It was said to use a strong orange liqueur.
If he got the chance, he wanted to come here again with Suzette and Cianie too.
”Hey, Kuro. What did you mean when you said you’re the trump card against the Hero?”
Almost at the inn, Elna dropped the question.
When he turned, she was walking while staring at her crepe, not looking at him. Her calm air made it feel less like curiosity and more like she wanted him to say it out loud.
”She’s my woman.”
Sensing her mood, he answered honestly.
Elna’s eyes looked far away, and she said nothing. On his other side, Meina lowered her head slightly.
He knew this reaction. She must have already heard the truth from Meina when he wasn’t there.
”Why didn’t you tell me back in the capital? If I had known, I wouldn’t have fought her.”
”At that time, it was different. Even Hermine attacked me.”
Strictly speaking, Hermine had only threatened him.
The one who attacked was Tiet. Klock didn’t know what they had thought then, but maybe they believed he was just some ex-boyfriend from a past life.
Maybe they thought killing him was fine. At the very least, only Cianie had held the strange idea that since they hadn’t broken up, he was still her current boyfriend.
”Do you think the Hero is angry with me?”
”She’s probably just worried I’m cheating on her.”
He figured she was annoyed for sure.
After all, they had only just gotten back together, and now this happened. If Klock were in Cianie’s place, he would have felt restless too.
But Elna had a reason for revenge.
It was only self-defense in truth, but if a princess of a nation had been raped, execution was natural. Cianie must understand that. As long as Klock was safe in the end, peace was still possible.
Of course, only if Klock forgave it.
But he no longer held a grudge against Elna.
If anything, it was his fault the country was in such a state. The cats’ rule was bound to collapse. The Beast Country was close to an age of war, where weakened races—cats, wolves, foxes—would spill each other’s blood.
When he imagined it, he thought things had gotten pretty bad.
He even felt sorry for Elna, though he kept that to himself.
”Elna will talk to the Hero. Surely her heart is not calm now. If Elna keeps running away in fear, then the Hero will stay sad forever.”
”I see. Fine, then I’ll go with you. It’s not only your problem.”
Her words truly impressed him.
If he had been in her place, he would have run away. But she cared more for Cianie’s feelings than for her own danger.
At her core, she wasn’t a bad girl.
Aside from wanting to eat people she disliked—a quirk of her race—she was kind. Even making peace with Meina was thanks to Elna’s big heart.
”…If the Hero is angry, you’ll protect Elna, right? If Elna is cut down, you’ll chase after Elna too, won’t you?”
But she wouldn’t protect his future.
Clinging close, she looked up sweetly and demanded something terrifying as easily as breathing—die together with me.
She was one of those ruinous princess types.
Choked by the same air as Cianie, Klock entered the fancy inn with them.
”…Hey, Kuro. Are you really sure we shouldn’t run away?”
Once inside the room, Elna asked again.
She went straight to the bed, sinking into the gray sheets.
”Auntie will come to this town. They are cats who work in the shadows. They’ll strike when guards relax. If we want safety, we should leave town right now.”
Meina showed a little tension at her words.
Klock ignored it in silence.
After the chase, the elder cats hadn’t followed.
At their speed, they could have caught Elna’s slower flight. But they hadn’t. They had stopped right away.
Thinking calmly, that meant they believed they could catch him later. They already knew his destination was Fwavlotz. And since they knew ships wouldn’t leave, they hadn’t needed to rush.
Elna had taken a detour to reach here.
But there were no Nyan Law Corps in town, no signs of ambush.
It almost looked like they were pretending to have lost him. That meant tonight, when he relaxed, would be the best time for them to strike.
”In a head-on fight, it’ll be hard. Last time, they held back. Next time, who knows.”
Elna sat on the bed, tail swishing.
Meina sat beside her. Each girl’s tail wore a ribbon—one red, one blue—and the two swayed the same way as they yawned.
Maybe Lona was truly an outsider, and these two were the real sisters.
”I have an idea. Sorry, but I’ll need your help.”
”Hmm. Fine, I don’t mind.”
If it came to it, they could fly away.
With that belief, none of them looked worried.
But Klock honestly didn’t want a clash. If fighting was the only option, he would already be running south.
On the way to Fwavlotz, he had been thinking of one thing.
That was to negotiate with the elder cats. He felt there might still be a choice other than battle.
”By the way, Kuro. A lady’s bath is a must. Since it’s private, let’s all three go together!”
With that, she pulled out a towel from her bag.
A cat suggesting a bath so eagerly—Great Mage’s lessons were well taught.
Beside her, Meina copied and stretched her towel too.
On the floor, the fox arched its back in a big stretch.
”…Can I go alone?”
”What are you saying? Who will wash Elna’s back if not you?”
The line between men and women had already been erased.
Elna and Meina’s eyes turned sharp, like hunters. Klock understood what they expected.
No way. He wouldn’t give them the lead.
He grabbed them both from behind, declaring he was still the wolf.
The two pretty cats gave soft, sweet cries. Clinging to his arms, they smiled as the three of them headed for the bath together.
Notes:
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Fwavlotz – A town beyond a mountain north of Rizan Village, it is an alternative location for Klock to verify his humanity.
• 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.
• Clea – younger dog beastkin sister who also serviced Klock previously.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• 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.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• 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.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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