Yunyun's Turn

by Natsume Akatsuki

  “This cat is not your master Orbach or whoever; she is our precious Chomusuke. And she herself wishes to be here, so I must ask you to withdraw.”

  “That’s Lady Wolbach… Well, this certainly complicates things. Are you sure I can’t convince you to give her to me? Not for free, of course. I would certainly show my gratitude for your taking care of her for so long…”

  Arnes reached into her bag. I couldn’t help feeling she was mocking me. Chomusuke was a valued family member. If this woman thought she could simply buy her from us…!

  “Hmm, well, all I’ve got on me right now is three hundred thousand eris, but—”

  “Oh heavens, that will be plenty. Okay, Chomusuke, this woman is your new owner. Have a nice life.” I picked up Chomusuke and held her out to Arnes.

  Chomusuke dug her claws into my sleeves. She clearly didn’t intend to go, but I tried to peel her off my robe…!

  “E-er… Lady Wolbach clearly does not want to leave you, and I’m sure you’d like to say your good-byes, so I’ll come back again tomorrow,” Arnes said when she saw this. “You can have one last evening together.”

  Then she handed me a heavy pouch. I looked inside and found it was stuffed with coins. I froze, but Arnes bowed to me.

  “I’m entrusting Lady Wolbach to you for the evening. I’ll return tomorrow.”

  And then she left.

  2

  After Arnes left…

  “Komekko. We’re bidding farewell to this fur ball today,” I informed her over dinner. “Give her a pat good-bye when you have a chance.”

  Komekko, who had been busily stuffing her face until her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s, suddenly changed expressions as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. She chewed a few more times and swallowed, then clasped her hands in prayer before Chomusuke, who was gnawing on some fish bones Komekko had left on the tea table.

  “…Bye-bye, Chomusuke. I promise we’ll savor every part of you tomorrow morning.”

  “Wrong! That’s not what’s happening, Komekko! We aren’t eating her! She won’t be breakfast!”

  She might have been my own sister, but I found her somewhat terrifying. She was ready to take Chomusuke, the cat with whom we had lived for six months, and have her for breakfast without a second thought.

  Komekko cocked her head quizzically. “Then what are we doing with her? We’ve fattened her up so nicely. We aren’t letting her go, are we?”

  “We’re selling her for a hefty sum.”

  “That’s my big sister! Awesome! We’ll be able to buy so much food!”

  Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this, but my little sister seemed somewhat inhuman.

  Perhaps she took after me. Maybe I would have to start being more careful. I reflected and kind of recoiled in disgust as I observed Komekko, overjoyed.

  “Huh. So this’ll be the last time we get to play together, huh? C’mere, Chomu.”

  Chomusuke, who was on good terms with Komekko now that she no longer constantly tried to throw her in the nearest stewpot, trotted over to her. Maybe she wasn’t friendly so much as she was just obedient.

  “…Drool.”

  “?!”

  Chomusuke froze in Komekko’s arms. Even though she had just eaten, my sister was slobbering all over her.

  Komekko could pull on Chomusuke’s ears or tail, the sort of thing that would get you clawed to ribbons by a regular cat, but Chomusuke just went along with it. It was very un-catlike; Chomusuke seemed to think that it was best to just resign herself to this treatment. Watching them, I had to agree. Three hundred thousand eris would be exactly enough to get me to Arcanletia. I.e., no more odd jobs for me.

  I had to admit, though, that with all that had happened, I had become rather attached to the mysterious ball of fur. As things stood, I was afraid that leaving her here at the house when I went on my trip would get her eaten by Komekko. But I was equally worried that bringing her with me would put her at risk of becoming a monster’s meal.

  I had once entertained the possibility of making Chomusuke my familiar, but considering how fond I had become of her, I was really quite worried for her these days. So giving her to Arnes solved a lot of different problems for me.

  …………

  Who, or what, was Arnes? And for that matter, what was this fur ball? Was I getting myself wrapped up in a whole lot of trouble…?

  “Hey, Sis, does a cat’s tail grow back if you cut it off?”

  “Cats are not lizards, so no, it doesn’t… And don’t go trying to eat her tail just because this is your last day together, okay?”

  …For that matter, who, or what, was my little sister?

  The next day.

  I decided to go all out for Chomusuke’s breakfast as a way of saying good-bye: I gave her an entire fish. Although she did end up trembling the entire time she ate it, given that Komekko was watching so closely that their noses could have touched.

  Once she finished eating, I put Chomusuke on my knees and waited for Arnes to show up. And sure enough, there came a knock at the door. The hand with which I was holding Chomusuke went stiff at the sound. Chomusuke mewled at me. Was she upset? I had to keep reminding myself that this was best for everyone.

  “…Well, I guess this is good-bye. Remember, you aren’t whoever it is with the weird name; you’re Chomusuke. Since I went to all the trouble of giving you a cool name, please don’t forget it.”

  “Mrow!” Chomusuke meowed at me, almost as if she could understand what I was saying.

  Yes, this was the right thing to do. I couldn’t care for a cat while also being an adventurer, and I was scared to leave her at home. And if I was just going to give her to someone else, it might as well be Arnes. She seemed like she would take good care of Chomusuke.

  “…If your memories do come back, please don’t come trying to get revenge on my little sister, okay?”

  “Mrooow.”

  I held up Chomusuke so we were nose to nose, and she snorted at me. She looked stubborn indeed. She had come to remind me of someone recently—totally unmoved no matter what happened.

  This cat might be sort of a big deal herself.

  There was another knock. I called for our visitor to come in.

  …This is it.

  I heard the door opening. “She likes small, dark places. Her favorite food is fish skin. Please promise me you’ll take good care of her.”

  I held Chomusuke out…

  …to Yunyun, who was standing in the doorway.

  “Huh? Wh-why would I take good care of Cho— Eeeyow! Megumin, what are you doing? Why are you hitting me?! Stop that!”

  I had braced myself for nothing, my dramatic good-bye wasted. And so I took it out on Yunyun.

  “How dare you, when a person is just on the verge of an emotional farewell! What are you even doing here this early in the morning?!”

  “What are you talking about?! Whatever you did, don’t take it out on me! I’m here to help you look for a job, just like I promised!” yelped Yunyun, utterly confused with tears in her eyes. Now that she mentioned it, I realized I had completely forgotten that we had indeed made that promise yesterday.

  I showed Yunyun the bag of coins Arnes had given me the evening before. “Take a look at this. I’m pleased to report that yesterday I came into three hundred thousand eriii—gh?!”

  Yunyun slapped me across the face. “You finally went and did it, didn’t you, Megumin?! No matter how poor you got, I never imagined you would resort to criminal activity to get money! You idiot! Why didn’t you talk to me before it came to that?”

  Wait—what?!

  “I—I do not know what you’re talking about. I have committed no crime! I obtained this money from a completely legitimate and mutually agreed-upon transaction—!” I forced back tears at the stinging pain in my cheek. Pressing my hand to my face, I tried to explain to Yunyun.

  “‘Transaction’? ‘Transaction’?! You don’t own anything worth selling, Megumin, let alone something that
would earn you three hundred thousand eris in a single night! You— Ahhhhh?!”

  “Wh-what? What are you shouting about?!”

  “You idiot! You actually went and sold your body, didn’t you?! After I told you you were worth more than that! Who was it?! Who would possibly have paid you this much?! Spit it out! I’ll kill them!”

  “Hrk?! Ow—hey! …Ahhhhhhhhh!”

  “Eeeeek! Owie-owie-owwww!”

  Yunyun smacked me across the face a few more times, but then I got my hands on her.

  3

  “My goodness, I do wish you would show some restraint! I tell you, I wouldn’t sell my body so easily! Why must I have you fret over me? By you of all people, who seems like she would go chasing after any guy who so much as treated her politely! I obtained this money legally and in a way that will allow all of us to be happy!”

  “I—I would not chase any guy who was nice to me! Sheesh, I’m sorry, okay? But the whole reason I thought you had sold your body was because you talked about it yesterday…!” After a bit of a scuffle, Yunyun and I lay in the entryway, nursing our wounds. “Anyway, I still think it’s weird that someone who always complains about how poor she is could come up with that much money in a single night! If you didn’t commit a crime for it, how did you get it?”

  Yunyun was slumped on the floor, looking exhausted, her legs splayed out. Chomusuke, who had avoided Yunyun at first, had apparently taken a shine to her and was now resting possessively on her knees.

  I was similarly slumped. “As it happens, last night we had a visitor who was interested in purchasing the little fur ball. In gratitude for my agreement, she gave me this money,” I said nonchalantly.

  “Huh?!” Yunyun exclaimed. She bolted upright and hugged Chomusuke protectively. “You mean you sold your pet?! This kitty you’ve been taking such good care of all this time?! Wait… Is Chomusuke…?”

  “Just an ordinary cat, I assure you. A perfectly unremarkable feline.”

  Yunyun, who seemed to be harboring some questions about Chomusuke’s true identity, looked like she wanted to say something, but then she went quiet again.

  “And believe me, this is the best thing I can do. I’m going to leave on a journey to become an adventurer. Meaning I would have to take Chomusuke with me, exposing her to the dangers of battle. I have no doubt that she would look like an appetizer to the monsters I’m going to encounter.”

  “Ergh… B-but…” Yunyun, still holding Chomusuke, looked at me pleadingly.

  “Think about it,” I said to her. “If I leave her here at home, it would be just her and Komekko most of the time. And… Well, I hate to say it, but… I’m afraid my little sister might simply eat her…”

  “Well then, her big sister should teach her better than that, shouldn’t she?! Now it’s not just Chomusuke I’m worried about. I’m wondering if poor, sweet Komekko has a future!” Still, Yunyun started to look like she was coming around. “I hope it’s someone who will take good care of Chomusuke…”

  But no sooner had the whisper left her mouth than—

  “She is not Chomusuke. She is Lady Wolbach.”

  Arnes was standing in the still-open doorway. How long had she been there?

  From under her wizard-style hood, Arnes’s golden eyes focused suspiciously on Yunyun. I hauled myself up from where I had been lying listlessly on the ground.

  “Ah, ahem, so you’re here. Yunyun, this person is Chomusuke’s foster mother.”

  “…She is not Chomusuke; she is Lady Wolbach. And I’m not her foster mother… It seems my master is quite fond of this person. Who is she?”

  Yunyun hugged Chomusuke again, looking as vigilant as Arnes looked suspicious. The corners of Arnes’s mouth tightened.

  “I helped care for this cat along with Megumin. What is it you want her for? And who’s this master you speak of?”

  “…You have my thanks for caring for Lady Wolbach. But take my advice and don’t go sticking your nose in any further. All right, Lady Wolbach, let us go.”

  Arnes had appeared virtually indifferent to me, but Yunyun seemed to rub her the wrong way. Yunyun, not in possession of the strongest of personalities, trembled.

  “Now if you would be so kind as to give her to me.” Arnes’s words were polite, but her tone brooked no argument, and Yunyun hesitantly held Chomusuke out to her. Arnes took her and smiled. “My thanks. I promise I will take excellent care of Lady Wolbach, so please don’t wo— Rrrgh?! Lady Wolbach? Ow-ow-ow, L-Lady Wolbach, please cease your mischief!”

  Chomusuke had started to squirm in Arnes’s arms, working her way free. Arnes seemed more shocked to be rejected by the cat than to be scratched up. Once on the ground, Chomusuke bounded back to Yunyun.

  “Gosh, what to do? Chomusuke really doesn’t seem to like her new owner, but returning the money at this point would be very…”

  “Hurry up and give back the cash, Megumin! You can work to earn money! But if Chomusuke is this unhappy…”

  While I dithered about the money and Yunyun shouted at me, it happened:

  “…If she’s this unhappy, then what? Lady Wolbach doesn’t yet have her memories back, and she’s understandably cautious. But if she comes with me, she will get those memories back. Now come this way…”

  Arnes leaned in to take Chomusuke. The motion caused her hood to fall back, leaving her head exposed.

  …Along with the two horns sticking out of her red hair.

  4

  The atmosphere changed immediately.

  “Oh, for—”

  Gee, I wonder what happened to that elaborate politeness.

  “Of all the rotten luck… Would you girls happen to know how to keep a secret?”

  Yunyun and I both nodded emphatically, neither of us saying anything.

  She is a demon. Part of a tribe that fed on people’s emotions, encompassing everything from small fry like gremlins to succubi, ever popular with guys. There were all sorts of demons, but top-level ones were viciously powerful. And I would have guessed that Arnes was one of them: Getting rid of her would have required a team of people wielding advanced magic to even have a chance.

  And needless to say, we weren’t a team with advanced magic. Yunyun had intermediate magic, and as for me, even if I could use Explosion at this distance, I would never finish the lengthy chant before Arnes finished me.

  “B-but what’s a high-level demon doing here…?” Yunyun whispered.

  Arnes, pulling her hood back on, smiled. “I think I told you not to ask too many questions, didn’t I? Now give me Lady Wolbach. If you keep quiet about who I really am, I’ll forget this ever happened.”

  Yunyun seemed frozen; I went over and took the fur ball, who was indifferently gurgling away in spite of the situation. Whatever the story was here, it apparently involved demons. I didn’t think anything good could come of my continued custody of this cat.

  Again, this was for the best. It was better than bringing Chomusuke with me or leaving her here to be eaten by Komekko. It was best for everyone.

  “…What’s the holdup? Give her here.”

  Yet, somehow, my hand wouldn’t move. I didn’t want to give Arnes this troublesome fur ball.

  Frustrated by my reluctance, Arnes reached out…

  “Fireball!!!”

  It was so sudden. Yunyun, still sitting on the floor of the entryway, unleashed the strongest fireball she could muster.

  Casting that kind of spell in this space would certainly have taken Chomusuke and me with it. But maybe Yunyun meant it as a warning shot, because the fireball went straight past Arnes’s cheek and out into the morning sun, where it exploded magnificently.

  “…What’s the big idea? I already said I would spare you. Do you have a death wish? You took such good care of Lady Wolbach that I have no intention of hurting you. Don’t make me change my mind.” Arnes’s beastly golden eyes narrowed, focusing on Yunyun sitting there on the floor.

  She stood up in spite of her fear, reaching for the dagger at h
er hip.

  Yikes! This demon could likely kill the two of us just by snapping her fingers.

  As I panicked in private, Arnes gave us a last word of warning. “I’ll say it one more time. Give me Lady Wolbach. If you do anything else, I’ll rip the two of you apart.” Her gaze was sharp, unrelenting.

  Beside me, Yunyun finally managed to draw her knife. She sure could be reckless when she had someone to protect. She had acted the same way when the servants of the Dark God had been chasing me. Now she was ready to get violent to keep the fur ball in my arms safe. Normally, she could hardly even talk to her classmates. And this was when she found her spine?

  “You want our fur ball? Fine. But be careful not to drop your precious Lady Folbach, all right?”

  “Don’t call her a fur ball! And don’t call her Lady Folbach!! That hallowed being is……… Huh?”

  As Arnes earnestly argued with us, I made a pass with Chomusuke. The cat flew in an arc over Arnes’s shoulder toward the door…!

  “Lady Wolbaaaaachhh!” Arnes dove for the catch, collecting Chomusuke an instant before she hit the ground.

  That made her hood fall back again. She stood up, breathing hard and staring daggers at us. “Y-you little rats…! I can’t believe you—” But she never got to finish her rant. A ray of light lanced past her cheek as she stood.

  It came from outside but ran straight through our house, punching a hole in the wall.

  “M-my wall! We just had that fixed after the incident with the Dark God’s servants!”

  I was fuming, but a trickle of blood was trailed down Arnes’s cheek. She slowly turned around.

  “We saw the explosion and wondered what was going on. Tell us—what business would a demon have in Crimson Magic Village?”

  “That’s Megumin’s pet you’ve got there, isn’t it? What are you, a cat burglar?”

  Several Crimson Magic Clan members stood there, among them the village’s leading NEET, Bukkororii.