Chapter 289: Black Cat and White Cat (3)

Chapter 289: Black Cat and
White Cat (3)

For
a moment, I was bewildered by the appearance of the two cat-person
sisters when they were young.

—Stop
right there! You damn brats!

Behind
them, a woman with an enraged face chased after the two with a roar.

The
girl and the woman seemed not to notice us as they rushed past.

“It
seems they can’t see us.”

“This
is still the surface of the mental world.”

This
place is the surface of the mental world. The sea of unconsciousness
that hasn’t properly taken shape yet.

No
matter how powerful a dream demon is, all they can do on the surface
of a mental world is imprint a faint erotic sensation, like adding
salt to seawater.

To
exert proper influence, one must go to the center of the mental
world.

Wooong—

The
dream demon’s horn resonated again, leading us forward.

I
sailed through Serif’s mental world, using the horn as my sail.

Idelbert,
nestled in my arms and looking around Serif’s mental world, turned
her gaze somewhere toward the surface.

—Serif.
Hide here.

—W-what
about you, sister?

—That
bakery woman is stupid, so if I take a few hits, she’ll calm down on
her own. If I get hit a little, we won’t have to worry about
retaliation either. You need to wait here quietly, okay?

—B-but…

—Listen
to your sister. Serif is a good girl, right? Understand?

—Y-yes…!

The
two sisters, unable to endure hunger, had stolen bread and were
running away from the bakery owner who was chasing them.

To
hold back the owner, the older sister placed her younger sister in a
trash can and alone drew the attention of the enraged bakery owner.

She
fled with incredible agility for a child, but she was still just a
child after all.

—You
damn brat!!! Interfering with an adult’s business!!!

-Thwack!
Thwack! Whack! Whack!

The
older cat sister, caught in the hands of the enraged woman, was soon
seized by an adult’s hands and beaten mercilessly like a dog on a hot
summer day.

The
sister groaned “ugh” and “kugh” from the incoming
punches, but she was still smiling slightly.

That
belligerent smile contained confidence that she wouldn’t submit to
the likes of them and satisfaction from protecting her younger
sister.

—S-stop
it!

That
smile cracked when her younger sister jumped out of the trash can and
charged at the bakery owner.

—Huh,
w-what’s this!

The
white cat girl clung desperately to the bakery owner’s leg that was
about to stomp on her sister’s abdomen.

No
matter how much the leg was swung, she clung desperately, as if
determined not to let the sister be hit, causing the adult to spew
curses.

—Kugh,
you damn brats. If you do this again, I’ll beat you to death!

Eventually,
the exhausted bakery owner left the back alley with a curse and a
thick glob of spit.

—Ugh…

—Sister,
are you okay?

The
younger sister shed tears looking at her sister who was covered in
bruises and filthy from rolling in the dusty ground, but the sister
shouted first.

—I
told you to wait quietly, so why did you come out! It was dangerous!

—B-but.
I don’t like… seeing you get beaten like this… waaah…

—……

The
corners of the older sister’s mouth twitched as she looked at her
adorable younger sister who began to shed tears like chicken
droppings.

Unable
to scold her sister who had risked herself for her, the older sister
tightly embraced her lovely younger sister and began to groom her
with “wararara.”

Lick.
Lick.

As
the short tongue wiped away the tears that flowed down her cheeks,
the younger sister stopped crying and felt the warmth of her sister’s
affection.

And
seeing her sister’s many wounds, she began to lick them too.

I
turned my gaze away from that scene and glanced at Idelbert, who was
embarrassed.

Apparently,
this wasn’t a simple hallucination but a real experience.

“…You
were close.”

“…We
were. Back then.”

Is
this the hallucination Serif wanted to see?

To
be with the kind sister from the past, not the sister with whom her
relationship had soured in reality?

As
I was pondering such thoughts.

Paaaaat—

—Oh,
sister! Light is coming from my tongue!

—Uh…
w-what is this…?

Dazzling
divine power began to pour out from young Serif’s entire body as she
licked her sister’s wounds.

“Until
the temple noticed that divine power.”

Serif’s
divine power, which awakened by chance while trying to heal her
sister’s wounds, instantly changed the environment for the two
sisters.

Eventually,
several silhouettes of priests who obviously looked extraordinary
appeared and lured the two sisters to the temple with the promise of
food, clothing, and shelter.

“They
are the source of all evil. The high priests brainwashed by the
worshippers of envy. Because they noticed Serif’s existence, we ended
up going to the temple.”

Wooong—

The
dream demon’s horn resonated again and vibrated. It was evidence that
we were smoothly entering the center of the mental world, like a
sailboat catching a favorable wind.

As
we headed toward the center of the mental world, the surrounding
scenery began to change in more detail.

What
followed was the appearance of fresh young girls, growing gradually
from their adorably chubby forms.

The
two girls, on the boundary just before growing into beautiful women,
were adapting quite well to life in the temple.

—Sister.
This problem is solved by doing this, then this.

—Little
sister. Number studies are meaningless. If you know how to manage
subordinates well, annoying tasks will be taken care of
automatically.

—To
handle subordinates as you say, you need to have this kind of
knowledge as a foundation. Let’s solve the next problem too.

—Yaaaaaaawn…

There
was the scene of Idelbert stretching with a yawn and Serif struggling
to keep her sister focused on studying in the temple library.

—Bang,
bang-bang, then swiftly dodge, and bang-bang again. Bang-bang-bang.
Is that difficult, little sister?

—Heck,
heck… I’m having trouble just maintaining my stamina while
running… I can’t do that kind of thing like you, sister…

—Eventually,
we’ll have to be tested in the Labyrinth to become high priests and
paladins. In the labyrinth, I can’t stick close to you to protect
you. Come on, raise your fists. Let’s go again!

—Uweeeeeee…

Idelbert
helping with her sister’s endurance training as she held her guard
up, and Serif nearly collapsing from exhaustion, panting heavily.

We
navigated through the mental world where the sisters’ memories
floated around.

Then
suddenly, a familiar scene caught my eye.

On
the 16th floor of the Labyrinth, the vegetation in that tropical
climate was stained red, and many people were engaged in fierce
battles with monsters attacking from the ground and the sky.

In
the center of the battlefield where numerous priests and paladins
were dying, the two sisters were present.

“It’s
a melee.”

“It
was chaos. We were ambushed just as we were taking a break.”

A
surprise attack by a swarm of wyverns, notoriously difficult monsters
even among those in the 16th floor.

Moreover,
there were several wyverns mixed in that could handle magic, making
it difficult to avoid damage even for the past Idelbert.

“That
was when I noticed the suspiciousness of the high priests.”

Looking
at Idelbert, who was murmuring calmly, she continued to speak while
gazing at the battlefield scenery.

“To
be more precise, it was the day when the awkwardness I had felt until
then became more certain. I sensed very faint magi from their
fingertips and at the end of that magi were monsters rushing in to
devour it, leading their packs. They deliberately leaked magi to lure
the monsters.”

-Slash!

Idelbert
burst a magi-stained wyvern with her fist, barely saving Serif who
was about to be swallowed by the monster’s mouth.

Even
in her bloodied state, Serif tightly embraced her sister who had come
to save her and poured out healing miracles.

“Each
time we entered the labyrinth, that trick was repeated, and as we
gained experience and grew stronger, we also grew tired. Our mental
strength was gradually shaken by the many deaths, which became a good
gap for the envy worshippers to attempt brainwashing.”

After
the battlefield scene came a joyful banquet and feast.

Though
restrained as befitting church members, in the feast where the joy of
overcoming hardship could be felt, the high priests under the control
of envy worshipper Karelos showered the two sisters, the stars of the
banquet, with words of praise.

—Well
done. You two are truly the hope that will lead the next generation!

—Blessings
to the noble saint! Cheers to the strong saint’s paladin!

—May
the Earth Mother’s grace be with the talents that will lead the
future!

The
magi carefully hidden behind those sweet voices and applause
resonated wonderfully in the ears of the two sisters, drenched in
fatigue.

The
sisters, who once had to steal bread in back alleys just to feed
themselves, had now grown splendidly to become known as a saint and a
paladin, receiving everyone’s praise and congratulations.

The
high priests who tried to enchant people, gaslight them, and implant
their minds with brainwashing to use them according to their tastes
smiled sinisterly.

“I
didn’t question my immediate doubts directly, but clung to vague
circumstances and sharp senses to pursue my questions.”

However,
because doubt had already blossomed in Idelbert’s heart, she couldn’t
take their sweet words at face value.

“Eventually,
I discovered that the high priests and even their successors around
them were dominated by envy worshippers, and I was convinced they
would repeat such actions in the future.”

Idelbert’s
principles of action were similar then and now.

Does
it pose a danger to her precious younger sister?

The
brainwashed high priests continuously put Serif and Idelbert in
manageable levels of danger and slowly worked on brainwashing them.

For
Idelbert, they were like deadly poison that clouded Serif’s judgment
and made her fall into brainwashing.

On
behalf of her sister, who failed to notice this, the older sister
raised her fist.

“I
killed them the very day I decided. As they were dying, they asked
how I had figured it out. I told them to eat shit and then smashed
their heads.”

The
sharp and keen atmosphere emanating from Idelbert could be felt just
as it was.

Perhaps
because we were in a mental world, the scenery she was looking at
seemed to faintly appear in my mind as well.

In
the temple engulfed in flames, Idelbert stood majestically after
smashing the heads of the high priests.

—Sister,
why…?

The
sister did not answer her younger sister’s hollow murmur.

—Sister,
please say something. Hmm…? Why, why did you do this…?

“I
hoped Serif would feel betrayed and grow. Stupidly, at that time, I
thought it was for Serif’s benefit.”

The
older sister didn’t attempt any dialogue and simply walked away from
her beloved younger sister.

“Serif,
wounded by me, no longer depended on anyone. It was the catalyst for
her to develop her own judgment. She became wary of others and kept
only those who would act solely for her benefit by her side. Getting
more obsessively drawn into faith wasn’t good, but…I had to
understand that much.”

Is
it because of that day when Serif strangely isolated herself from her
surroundings and smiled while hiding her true feelings from others as
much as possible?

“It
was also good from a macroscopic perspective. When the temple’s saint
is wary of others, the chances of falling into danger are
significantly reduced.”

Cases
like the current Jellicy or Cleassia were good examples.

Even
if Cleassia were to approach Serif similarly to Jellicy, Serif
wouldn’t easily open her heart to others.

It
might have been betrayal as a younger sister, but with Serif holding
the position of a saint and potentially being exploited by various
factions, her sister couldn’t protect her forever.

The
older sister wanted her fragile younger sister to be able to survive
against beasts baring their teeth even outside the fence that was
herself.

“Still,
I was anxious, so after changing my profession to explorer, I
occasionally sponsored Serif or helped her unknowingly. Well, I was
found out soon enough…When we met again later, we could no longer
go back to how we used to be.”

A
crack began to form in the memories of the two people, starting to
split.

The
joyful memories of Serif and Idelbert that had been floating in the
mental world were no longer visible.

I
continued through the empty mental world where memories of the two
sisters had disappeared and asked.

“…Do
you regret it? The past events?”

“…All
choices in the world leave lingering attachments.”

Decisions
once made cannot be reversed.

So
much time has passed that regret remains only as lingering
attachment.

Idelbert
looked back and gazed at Serif trapped in a mixture of her own
lingering attachments and the envy worshipper’s illusions, faintly
visible in the distance.

Next
to Serif, who was smiling brightly, the illusionary Idelbert was
grinning and ruffling her hair vigorously.

“That
girl just…wanted something like that…”

In
a voice that seemed to recall memories that could never be retrieved
again, I finally couldn’t hold back and said.

“You
can change it.”

“…What?”

“Even
now… you can take it back.”

I
firmly grasped Idelbert’s hand and called out as I moved toward the
deepest part of Serif’s mental world.

“Talk.
Both of you. Start with a conversation. Don’t avoid it because it’s
scary; tell each other the stories you didn’t know about each other.”

“…But…”

“Words
won’t come out easily. It’ll be awkward, uncomfortable, and the
atmosphere will be unpleasant. But that’s all the more reason to
speak. Keeping it bottled up inside will only become a poison that
gnaws at your endless attachments.”

Without
conversation, people cannot live.

Haven’t
I already seen the results of the absence of dialogue?

Diana
and Ellie, the mother and daughter, were the same.

If
you only keep things in your heart without voicing them, it will
someday create division.

“Talk
about everything in your heart—lingering attachments, regrets,
hopes, all of that. Talk about your everything. So that the other
person can know your everything.”

“……”

“It
starts with talking. What comes next can be dealt with later. You
promised before entering this place, didn’t you?”

—Please
have a proper conversation, both of you, and clear up any
misunderstandings.

When
I spoke with a winking smile, Idelbert, who had been wearing a
complicated expression, regained a slight smile.

“…You
thoughtful disciple.”

“I’m
a thoughtful disciple who even looks after my master’s family
matters. Ugh—”

As
I chuckled while being put in a headlock with a large bosom pressing
against my cheek.

Wooong—

The
dream demon’s horn, also pressed against Idelbert’s breasts,
resonated intensely, and the surrounding scenery began to change
again.

Warm
weather, gentle sunshine.

The
place with a breeze gently touching the forehead and the sounds of
small animals chirping was…the Earth Mother Order Valerus Branch.

Though
brief, having been trained by Lilith to play the role of a dream
demon somewhat decently, I instinctively felt that this was the very
center of Serif’s mental world.

“Oh,
Lady Idelbert…?! And even Sir Balkan…?!”

When
a female priest with an unfamiliar face called our names in a
surprised voice, Idelbert tilted her head and looked at me.

“They
recognize us this time?”

“We’ve
come to the central part of the mental world, and depending on whose
mental world it is, for someone of Serif’s caliber, it’s not that
surprising. We should be able to touch things too, I think. See?”

As
could be seen from Bunny’s empty mental world and my own mental world
filled with precious people, each person’s mental landscape was
different.

Moreover,
the current Serif is experiencing the illusions of the envy
worshipper, making it even more exceptional.

I
gently stroked the hair of the still surprised female priest and
asked.

“Excuse
me. Do you know where Serif is?”

She’s
not a real person but merely a figure drawn from Serif’s mental world
mixed with envy illusions, so it doesn’t really matter if I’m
impolite, but I still maintained minimum courtesy.

“Ah,
um… I-if you’re looking for Serif, she just went with the two of
you… toward the garden… hmm…?”

We
passed by the female priest, whose face had turned bright red, and
headed to the temple garden. Fortunately, the perceived distance
wasn’t far.

This
is both Serif’s mental world and an illusion manipulated by the envy
worshipper to show everything Serif desires.

I
spotted a well-ripened, soft and ample Serif enjoying tea time at a
table in the garden.

Next
to the swaying white cat tail was, of course, Idelbert and…

“…Huh?”

“Two…disciples?”

A
gleaming man in Earth Mother Order paladin armor.

It
was me, wearing a sparkling helmet, who had become a paladin
escorting Serif along with Idelbert.