episode_0033

Having realized just how outrageous my actions had been, I froze stiff.

A sensation like blood flowing backward crept over my entire body.

I screwed up.

“You understood what I just said, right?”

Karen hooked her arm under my armpit and lifted me up, staring straight at me.

Those eyes, swirling with faint amusement and excitement, were intensely unnerving.

“A cat that understands human speech… If only my finances were a bit better, I’d have taken you home. Sorry.”

No.

Don’t apologize.

I let out an internal sigh at the absurdly tangled situation.

Judging by Karen’s shimmering eyes and feverish reaction, she didn’t seem inclined to let me go anytime soon.

Think.

The time it would take to transform back into a human and return to class was at least 10 minutes.

If I stayed trapped like this any longer, things would get complicated.

If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I should’ve just run away earlier.

No, it’s not too late even now.

I wracked my brain.

Trying to physically pry Karen off me was impossible.

Even in my human form, an arm-wrestling match against her would end in a swift defeat.

In cat form, overpowering her was out of the question.

In that case—

I’ll have to make her let go herself.

What could I do to make her release me?

After a moment of deliberation, only one idea came to mind.

The method was somewhat violent, which made me hesitate a little, but…

No choice.

I steeled myself and retracted my claws.

Sorry.

Then, with a silent apology,

“Hm?”

I slowly raised my front paw.

“Myaaa!”

—Thwack!

I summoned all my strength and delivered a nyan-nyan punch straight to her cheek.

A soft smush traveled through my paw, and at the same time, I felt the stifling pressure under her arm vanish.

“Kyaaa!”

Seizing the moment Karen loosened her grip, I bolted without a backward glance.

Pushing myself to sprint harder than I ever had since my bottle-feeding days.

“Su—Sundae~! Don’t run away~!”

Karen’s heartbroken voice calling my name echoed in my ears, but I stubbornly ignored it.

Along the way, I learned a valuable lesson:

Never recklessly lend your personality to random cats or dogs outside—it’ll land you in deep trouble.

After slipping into a secluded spot and safely reverting to my original form, I somehow managed to return to class just in time.

“Ah, you’re back? But… you look even more exhausted than before. Did something happen?”

Ume greeted me with her usual faint smile when I returned.

“…You’d get hurt if you knew.”

“Aww, what?! It’s so mean to tease someone and then not tell them!”

I had to work hard to fend off the barrage of curious questions from the kids.

Later, during break time, while walking through the hallway—

“……”

I accidentally ran into Karen, whose shoulders were slumped dejectedly.

When our eyes met:

“…Don’t talk to me.”

Her sharp response made me clamp my mouth shut.

Time passed, and the weekend rolled around again.

That’s right.

Today was the day Karen and I would conquer the dungeon.

“……”

Sitting on a bench at a bus stop near the outskirts, I closed my eyes and rested for a bit.

—Skreech.

Soon, a bus pulled up to the stop, and a pink-haired girl trudged out from the back door.

“Sorry, I was polishing my weapon and ran a little late.”

Slung across her back was a massive greatsword.

Seeing a petite girl—20 cm shorter than me—wielding such a large, intimidating weapon was something I hadn’t witnessed often in either of my lives.

“…What’re you staring at?”

After observing her imposing figure for a moment, Karen frowned and snapped at me.

“That greatsword looks cool. It’s my first time seeing you armed.”

“You claimed to know practically everything about me. No way you didn’t know I use a greatsword. Don’t lie.”

She sneered, mocking my past words, then gave me a quick once-over.

“By the way, didn’t you say you’d handle all the supplies for the dungeon raid?”

“Yep.”

“…Your sheer audacity leaves me speechless. I don’t see any supplies—or even a weapon—on you.”

She clearly couldn’t fathom how I’d shown up without so much as a backpack, let alone equipment.

Smirking at her grumbling, I gestured to the small pouch at my waist.

“Everything’s in here, so don’t worry.”

“…A spatial pouch?”

Sharp-eyed Karen instantly recognized it wasn’t an ordinary pouch.

“Yeah. Figured it was a good investment. Though my wallet still aches just thinking about how much it cost… Ugh, makes me dizzy.”

Finances were admittedly a bit tight now.

Might have to take up Sandra Geos’s offer for a few gigs soon.

Still, it’s worth the price.

“Are you bragging?”

“Ugh, why so cold? You questioned me, so I answered. Anyway, don’t worry about supplies. As for my weapon… well, I don’t really need one.”

“If you start whining later about forgetting something—”

“I’m more meticulous than you think. Ready to go?”

Karen sighed deeply, looking unconvinced, before finally nodding.

—Grrroowl.

Just then, a familiar stomach growl cut through the air.

Impossible for it to come from me—I’d had a light fruit breakfast.

“…What? I’m fine.”

Karen’s cheeks flushed faintly as she growled defensively.

The time was 8:21 AM.

From what I remembered, she lived in District 3 of E City… So she must’ve left home before 6 AM.

No wonder she skipped breakfast.

In a way, it was my fault for setting the meeting time so early.

“Ah, sorry. You didn’t get to eat. Wanna grab a quick bite nearby before we head out? My treat.”

When I made the polite offer, Karen glanced at the sky as if debating, then nodded slightly.

“Fine.”

Though I doubted she hesitated even a little.

After a light meal at a nearby sandwich chain, Karen and I briskly made our way toward the dungeon.

Crumbling ruins dotted the landscape, exuding a desolate aura.

Traversing the bleak terrain myself, the reality sank in—I’d stepped into the infamous dangers of the Outer Districts.

“……”

We didn’t talk much on the way.

Not because we’d fought during the meal or anything.

We were just staying alert, and before I knew it, conversation had lapsed entirely.

The Outskirts weren’t just undeveloped land—they were crawling with dangerous villains.

An ambush could happen anytime, anywhere.

Moving as stealthily as possible, we walked for about 30 minutes before:

“We’re here.”

We arrived at a barely standing, half-collapsed shack.

“…Here?”

Karen wrinkled her nose, tilting her head in confusion.

Understandable.

Most dungeons blended into untouched nature—forests, deserts—far from civilization.

But “most” implies there are exceptions.

“…Whatever. Lead the way.”

Abandoning further questions, Karen motioned for me to go ahead.

I nodded and stepped inside.

The shack was pitch-black, cobwebs clinging everywhere.

Yet Karen didn’t flinch—a sight that would’ve made most girls her age scream.

Must be nothing new for her.

“This way.”

Glancing back to confirm she was following, I carefully descended a staircase into the basement.

Karen trailed behind.

“Still don’t see any dungeon.”

Ignoring her sarcasm, I shone my phone’s light around.

The walls were lined with bricks.

Scrutinizing them, I spotted a cracked section where one brick had crumbled.

Bingo.

“Hit this spot hard with your sword.”

“My greatsword isn’t a pickaxe.”

“Then let’s call it a pickaxe for today.”

Karen shot me a glare, now an impromptu miner.

—Ssching.

She drew the massive blade from her back.

“Huuup!”

Swinging with all her might—

—CRACK!

The fissure in the wall split wider until the bricks collapsed inward.

Revealing a narrow passage.

“You’ve got a knack for mining. Now, let’s head in.”

Clearing debris to widen the entrance, I stepped into the dungeon.

But when Karen’s footsteps didn’t follow, I looked back.

“……”

She stood frozen, staring blankly at me.

“Not coming?”

Only then did she snap out of it and hurry after me.

“…Where did you even get info like this?”

Her mutter carried a faint tremor.