***
Together with El, who seemed to have a lot of complaints, I investigated the prison in question.
There was no one in the prison, but signs of life scattered about as if it were natural caught my eye.
“As I thought, it seems a person is living here, not a ghost, right?”
“They’ve completely set up camp. Completely.”
“I doubt they’re in their right mind, living in a place like this.”
It was certainly not an environment a sane person would live in.
The surroundings were a series of iron bars, gloomy and practically a ruin.
To set up camp and live in a place like this, one had to be no ordinary madman.
Either that, or someone with a reason to live hidden from human eyes.
[Master, it's a life form reaction.]
‘Is it that person from before?’
[No. This reaction is?!]
The AI was acting all serious, which made me tense up as well, but.
“Meow.”
The sound of a cat that followed made me feel incredibly let down.
[It’s a kitty! How cute.]
A cat jumped out from inside an old piece of furniture.
It was a cat with mackerel-like patterns, commonly seen on the streets.
‘Is it being raised by the illegal resident?’
As I tried to pass the cat to check the inside further,
“Meooow!!”
The cat jumped onto the old table, growled, and was wary of me.
It seemed to be in a bad mood, as it was tapping the table with its tail, but a cat guarding a house, not a dog?
It was absurd, but seeing it block my path as I moved, it was really guarding the house.
[Wow! A cat is guarding the house? What a good kitty!]
“Is it guarding the house? A loyal cat.”
El also admired the cat’s loyalty.
No, but this isn't a proper house, it’s the dwelling of an illegal resident squatting in our family's building, you know?
“Meooow!!”
Meanwhile, this cat showed its wariness with a sharp posture whenever I tried to move.
“Go. Just go!”
“Meooow!!”
“This is our building! You damn cat!”
Unable to stand the cat’s continuous obstruction, I gently pushed it with my hand.
“Meow!!”
At that, the cat swatted my hand with its front paw.
This damn cat!
I reached out my hand to push the cat away with more force.
The cat lightly dodged my hand and then swatted it away with a thud.
“Ha?!”
Let’s see who wins!
I frantically reached out my hands, and each time, the cat kept swatting my hands with its front paws.
“This is crazy!!”
Unable to stand the surprisingly strong resistance, I quickly lunged forward to pounce on the cat.
“Meow!”
At that, the cat jumped up from its spot.
“Gack!”
I felt a heavy blow to my cheek, and at the same time, my body rolled on the floor.
What just happened?
[Master, you lost to a cat.]
What? This is because I got beaten by a cat?!
My mind went blank.
Along with the absurdity, a pulling sensation in the back of my neck and a surge of anger rose up.
“This damn crazy cat!!”
I charged at the cat again.
“Gack!”
A scene similar to before unfolded again.
“You beast!”
And at the same time as I charged again.
“Keoheok!”
I collapsed on the floor.
“Hah… hah.”
I had no strength to get up again.
My mind went blank once more.
No matter how I looked at this.
[Master, you lost to a cat in a row.]
I lost.
I lost to a cat?
Of course, it wasn't that I was beaten up and collapsed by a cat.
I was just chasing the cat that was dodging here and there, got hit a couple of times, and eventually collapsed from exhaustion.
[The conclusion is a defeat.]
‘Shut up.’
“You there! You can’t die!”
Am I going to die?! If I died from being beaten by a cat, I’d be too embarrassed to even die. Damn it.
“Uwoooooh!!”
I gathered all my strength and got up from the floor.
“Y-you’re alright! Thank goodness. You.”
El looked at me with a genuinely worried expression.
I feel so embarrassed I could die.
[Master's own combat power is lower than a stray cat’s. This is a result that even I did not expect.]
‘To be precise, I was pushed back in stamina, not combat power.’
[Isn't stamina more of a problem? Academically, humans have better stamina than cats in the first place.]
‘I know! You punk.’
I know it's an excuse.
So you should just let it slide, but this damn thing has no humanity, no humanity at all!
“Meooow.”
The cat was still blocking my path and growling, and I saw no possibility of winning.
As for taking out a tool.
[It would be pathetic, right?]
That's true. My pride just wouldn't allow it.
This wasn't a matter of efficiency or anything. It was a matter of dignity.
I stared at the damn cat.
Just when there seemed to be no answer.
“You there. I will help you too!”
El stood proudly next to me.
Despite her small size, her appearance was full of grace and reliability.
“Will you join me?”
“I will.”
Looking at El's determined eyes, I nodded with satisfaction.
Don't resent us for it being 2 on 1.
At least we're not using tools!
El and I stood up to the cat with confidence.
And a moment later.
“Y-you there…”
“Don’t talk to me, it's embarrassing.”
El and I were lying side by side on the floor.
[The two of you combined lost to a single cat.]
I couldn't see its expression because it was just text on the interface, but I felt like the AI was looking at us with great pity.
[Cheer up, Master. I am always on your side, no matter what you look like.]
‘Shut up!’
Who is this damn thing teasing?!
El and I lay side by side, glaring at the cat, which was scratching its head with its hind leg and grooming its fur.
That thing was definitely not just a cat.
It was some kind of max-level cat from a legend.
[As a result of my sensor detection, it’s just an ordinary cat.]
‘Shut up!! What do you know?!’
[As I said again, it’s just a cat.]
‘Just curse at me instead!’
Ah, I want to cry.
Watching the cat, which was purring happily as if letting out a victor's roar, was making my blood boil.
Dignity or not, should I just fire the Mana Blaster?
[That’s pitiful! It’s rare to see such a loyal kitty that thinks of its owner!]
‘Whose side are you on, anyway?!’
Even without the AI's words, I wasn't keen on that either.
Let's just pull myself together first. The places where I was hit by the cat hurt a lot more than I thought.
As I was becoming one with the floor.
[It's a biological reaction. It seems to be that person from before.]
As soon as I heard that, I jumped up from my spot.
At that, a man who was behind the cat was startled by my appearance and screamed.
“Uwaak!”
So it's you! The culprit who raised this damn cat!
I immediately took out the Zappy Wrench from the Dimensional Hangar.
Then, avoiding the damn cat, I threw the wrench.
Crackle!
“Kkeeeeeek!!”
The illegal resident collapsed on the spot from my wrench attack.
“Hyaeong!”
As its owner collapsed, trembling, the cat, without any loyalty, ran away.
[The kitty got scared and ran away!]
That’s right! Loyalty my foot! That's the true nature of a cat!
I clenched my fist, intoxicated by the strange sense of victory that was rising up.
“What happened?!”
Meanwhile, El, who had gotten up late, approached me.
I immediately opened the Dimensional Hangar and handed a tool to El.
“Take it!”
What I handed to El was a beating stick that could beat someone up neatly without leaving any wounds.
“Beat him up!!”
“Huh? L-like this?”
At my words, El swung the beating stick.
Thwack!
A spirited sound of impact rang out.
I too put away the wrench, took out a beating stick, and began to beat the illegal resident with spirit.
Thwack!
“Heok!!”
Thwack!
“M-mercy!”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“P-please save me!! Keoheok!”
The illegal resident, whose movements were restricted by the zapping of the Zappy Wrench, was beaten spiritedly with two beating sticks.
Thwack!
“You there.”
“What? Hit him one more time in the time you have to talk!”
Thwack!
“It's not something I, who is beating him with you, should say, but how about we listen to his circumstances first?”
At El's suggestion, I stopped the beating for a moment.
Well, we've beaten him a lot, so I guess it's time to listen to his circumstances.
“Huhu… Keo…”
The illegal resident sprawled on the floor was a mess from being beaten with the beating stick, but thanks to the stick's unique effect, there were no scars to be seen.
I squatted down, met the eyes of the illegal resident sprawled on the floor, and lowered my voice quietly.
“Why were you illegally residing on someone else's private property?”
At my words, the illegal resident's gaze darted from side to side.
This bastard is thinking?
I immediately swung the beating stick.
Thwack!
“Keoheok! S-stop! I’m sorry!! There are circumstances!!”
As soon as he was hit by the beating stick, the illegal resident immediately slammed his head on the floor and opened his mouth.
As expected, a guy like this only comes to his senses when he's beaten.
“So tell me those circumstances.”
“I-I was being chased by the cult, so I ended up here…”
At the illegal resident’s words, I felt my head throb.
A cult? Don't tell me it's that Cult of the End or whatever that caused a ruckus on the train?
Why are they showing up again?
“The Cult of the End?”
“Yes! I was constantly running away to avoid their eyes, and I ended up here! I’m sorry!”
The illegal resident slammed his head on the floor once more.
“Haaah, what the hell are those bastards doing that they keep getting involved with me?”
Because of that damn cult, I had to disarm bombs on a train, something I never expected to do.
“The Cult of the End, you say?”
“Do you know them too?”
El, with a rather serious face, inserted herself between me and the illegal resident.
“The Cult of the End. They are a nuisance to the Empire, spread widely regardless of status or occupation, and commit everything from minor crimes to acts of terror.”
Was it because I had only lived in a quiet country town that I didn't know?
If the Empire was concerned about them, they must have a considerable amount of power.
“The ones I met were nothing special.”
“That’s because they are spread out regardless of status and occupation. The ones you encountered were probably technology-related professionals, judging from the fact that they had bomb-making and alchemy skills.”
It seemed El was already aware of the train terror attack I had been involved in.
“Could you hand over this man to me?”
El proposed to me with a serious face.
She wants me to hand over someone related to a criminal organization that the Empire is concerned about, even before he’s an illegal resident?
I didn't know exactly what El's status was, but it seemed she wasn't of ordinary status, so it should be fine to hand him over.
For me, it was a good thing that she was taking a problem that seemed like it would become a headache off my hands.
“Sure.”
“Thank you. I will definitely repay this favor.”
I had passed on a troublesome problem and was even promised a reward.
What a sweet deal.
“Then let's move upstairs for now.”
“But how are we going to move this guy?”
“Did he faint in the meantime? This is troublesome.”
The effect of the Zappy Wrench was indeed good.
While I was talking with El for a moment, he had fainted completely.
“It can't be helped. We'll have to carry him ourselves, what else can we do?”
I gestured to El and said.
“I'll take the right, you take the left.”
“Got it.”
We decided that I would take the right and El would take the left, and we stepped forward, carrying the man.
“Keoheok!”
“Hwak!”
“Gack!”
And we fell forward side by side.
Which one of you was it? Can't you even match a single step?!
My anger exploded, but I took a deep breath and calmed down.
There was a possibility that I had fallen first.
[Shall I tell you who missed a step first?]
‘Shut up.’
“Phew… I’ll give the command, so move your feet according to the command.”
“Ah, got it.”
This time, we decided to move our feet according to the command.
This way, our steps wouldn't get tangled.
“Now, left foot, left foot.”
“Hwak?”
Although it was a bit unstable, we were moving forward relatively steadily.
“Keoheok!”
“Hwak!”
“Gack!”
We fell face down on the floor, side by side in harmony.
“Hyaeong!!”
The cat, which I didn't know when it had followed us, was startled and ran away.
Anyway, this doesn't seem to be my fault?
I swallowed the anger that was rising up again.
“Alright, let’s go again.”
We got into position again.
“Lef…”
As I was giving the command.
“Keoheok!”
“Hwak!”
“Gack!”
“Hyaeaeeong!”
We faced the floor, side by side in harmony.
At this point, even the merciful me was pissed off.
“Hey! You! You clumsy oaf! Can't you even match that one thing?!”
“Wh-wh-what are you talking about?! Weren't you the one whose feet got tangled?!”
El shamelessly passed the blame onto me.
I have to point out this damn kid's mistake clearly.
“What nonsense! It was you! You! It was your fault! Are your joints rusted?! Can't you even match that one thing properly!”
“Y-you! Your words are too harsh!!”
“What's harsh are your joints! Did only your joints age while you're still a kid?!”
“I will not tolerate any more insults!”
“What are you going to do if you don't tolerate it! You damn kid with corroded joints!”
“Hwaaak!!”
The damn kid, pissed off by my words, charged at me and grabbed my hair.
This bitch? She’s grabbing someone else’s hair?
I was pissed off too, so I immediately grabbed the kid’s hair.
Her hair was much longer than mine, so it was easy to grab.
“Aak!! Let go!”
“You let go first! You with the rusted joints!!”
“Hwaaak! It hurts!”
“It hurts me too! Let go! I said let go!!”
El and I grabbed each other’s hair and spun around, then fell over.
“Hwak!”
“Keoheok!”
Even in this state, El didn't let go of my hair.
You damn stubborn mule! Your joints are bad, but your grip is strong!
Of course, I didn't let go either.
“Let go, you punk! Let go while I'm being nice!”
“You let go first!!”
We rolled on the floor several times, pulling each other’s hair.
“Uh…”
“You let go first!”
“You let go first!”
As we were pulling each other’s hair and rolling, I ended up being pinned to the floor.
Why is this damn kid so strong?!
“You damn kid! Aren’t you getting off?!”
“Let go of my hair first! It hurts!”
As the confrontation with the kid continued.
“Uh, I can move now, so I’ll follow you on my own.”
At the voice I heard then, the kid and I, still holding each other’s hair, simultaneously turned our heads slightly.
The illegal resident was standing on the floor, perfectly fine.
“Hmm…”
“Ahem.”
The kid and I, without either of us going first, coughed awkwardly and let go of each other’s hair.
El stealthily got up, and I too stealthily got up from my spot.
“Follow me.”
“You know what will happen if you try anything funny, right?”
Then, as if nothing had happened, we took the illegal resident and went upstairs.
“Aewwng.”
The cat, which I didn't know when it had come, quietly followed behind.
Its cry sounded like a sigh, but it was probably my imagination.
We entered the secret pub on the first floor.
“Go! Raiel!”
“Hmph! It's been a while since I've done this.”
And inside the first-floor pub, at the old man's gesture, bottles of alcohol flew into the air.
“Hup!”
As my father drew his sword towards the bottles, the corks of the bottles were simultaneously opened, and a feat of pouring alcohol into the glasses below was being performed.
“Father.”
“Old man?”
El and I, without either of us going first, simultaneously looked at our respective guardians with pitiful eyes.
“Ahem. You've come?”
“Ahem ahem. You're here?”
The old man and my father simultaneously coughed awkwardly and greeted us.
Thanks to the pathetic behavior of the adults, which was even more pathetic than El and I fighting while pulling each other’s hair, the memory of that moment was buried deep in my mind.
“Yes, my son. Did you serve the princess well?”
And with a more shocking fact, all my memories were blown away.
“…Pardon?”
“Ah, was it a secret?”
“Eh?”
I was just rolling around with that princess while pulling her hair a moment ago, though?
<><><>
Several days had passed since then.
I had found out that El was a princess, but nothing had particularly changed.
In the first place, princess or whatever, it was none of my business, and El was just the El I knew.
El didn't say anything about me having to follow etiquette because she was a princess. On the contrary, she said this was right for engineers.
So, I had handed over the illegal resident to El, shared our mail addresses, and thought we would part ways.
But she said she would stay in Leventia until the day of the entrance ceremony.
She said she would wander around more to find that damn black armor.
The exploration of the old castle was quite fun in its own way.
[After that, the screaming, running away, and hair-pulling repeated, right?]
There were such things, but they are all old memories now.
[It was just the day before yesterday, but you dismiss it as an old memory. As expected, Master’s generosity is endlessly wide!]
This is 100% sarcasm.
You damn AI, I’ll get you later.
As soon as I have the facilities, I'll start with dismantling you.
Anyway, after the incident at the old castle was over, I was having a short break before enrollment.
“Usually, examinees are anxious and restless before the exam results are announced, but why are you so carefree?”
And there was my father, who was disturbing that short break.
“Because it’s a given that I will pass.”
“I admit that you are strangely smart, but, hmm…”
“What's with that uncertain ‘hmm’?”
“It's nothing.”
“Anyway, the one to worry about is not me, but Linia.”
I was perfect in both the written and practical exams, so there was no doubt about my passing.
However, the situation was different for the blockhead Linia.
She might be an S-rank in aura or whatever, but she still had to meet the passing cutoff for the other parts to some extent.
Just then.
“Raniel, your report card is here!”
As the old saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear.
As if the report card had just arrived, Linia came running to me, waving the mail that had come in my name.
“What score did you get?”
“A perfect score, of course.”
“What are you talking about? You haven't even opened the mail yet?”
“There’s no need to look at the report card. My exam was absolutely perfect.”
“What if it’s not?”
“Huh?”
Linia looked at me with a provocative gaze, which she must have learned from somewhere.
It was so petty that I chuckled and accepted the provocation.
“If I didn't get a perfect score, I'll buy you a new tablet.”
“Really? You promised!”
Linia's eyes sparkled at the mention of a new tablet.
She's having meaningless expectations.
I quietly opened the mail and opened the report card.
And.
“Ah?”
I doubted my own eyes.
“What is it, what is it? Huh?”
And Linia also doubted her eyes.
No,
“Puhahaha! What! You got a 99 out of 100! Puhahahaha!”
She literally burst out laughing.
“No, kukukuk. You said you didn't even need to look because it was a perfect score? Whaaaat? Perfeeeect? Puhahaha!”
“You, you… that mouth…”
“Puheup. Alright, I'll shut my mouth as you wish. But you know about the tablet, right? The, new, est, model, please!”
Damn it!
In the end, I had no choice but to buy Linia a new tablet.
A damn 99.
I don't know who graded it, but I will not forget this grudge.
And so, my first goal after entering the academy was set.
‘I’ll find the professor who gave me a 99… and I will have my revenge!’