บท 237: Chapter 239: Helpers
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༺ Helpers ༻
– Screech… screech…
"The Church's secret weapon… Impossible. This can't be…"
The Bishop, who had confidently appeared before the people, muttered with a pale face. The soulless knights he had brought along collapsed, emitting eerie sounds.
"What's happening…?"
"Ee, eek!"
Noticing the Bishop's reaction, Isolet swiftly approached him and aimed her sword.
"I could execute you right now. The Church probably won't protect you since you tried to attack the Hero Party."
"Uh, ugh. Fine, just lower that…"
Terrified, the Bishop gestured with his hands and started to retreat.
"Grrr…"
"Quit your tricks and speak clearly."
However, behind him, Lulu bared her teeth, holding her ground. Due to her, Isolet once again pointed her sword at him.
"Whose orders are you following?"
Isolet inquired, making the Bishop sweat profusely.
"E, eek…!"
– Swing…!
Abruptly, he tightly shut his eyes and swung his left arm fiercely at Isolet.
– Slash!
"Aaargh!!"
However, such an obvious attack couldn't kill her. So, the Bishop soon flopped on the ground after having his arm severed.
"…My God."
However, Isolet and the others' attention wasn't on the Bishop.
– Wiggle, wiggle…
Strangely, the severed left arm transformed into a black, tentacle-like shape and wriggled violently on the ground.
"This isn't normal."
Grasping the gravity of the situation, Vener frowned and approached the Bishop, speaking on behalf of Isolet.
"Disclose whose orders you follow. I have my suspicions…"
"Ugh…"
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, a change occurred in the Bishop's body.
– Hiss…
"Ugh…"
The divine power emanating from the Bishop's body vanished entirely, replaced by a sinister energy.
Soon, his blue eyes turned red, and his once-healthy body darkened.
"The black… sun… will rise…"
Observing the disgusted and shocked faces around him, the Bishop murmured with an empty expression.
– Thud…
Bowing his head to the ground, he breathed his last.
"...…."
Silence lingered on the second floor momentarily.
– Shaaa…
"It seems they prepared so he couldn't expose who's behind this."
Isolet looked at the Bishop whose black eyes were bulging and stabbed him in the heart to ensure he was dead, and then she murmured.
"We have no other option but to keep moving forward."
Isolet shrugged, and Vener, who had been biting her lip, spoke with clenched fists.
"This was a chance to unveil the truth about Frey. And you made sure he's dead?"
"What are you suggesting?"
"It could have been a clever disguise. We should have checked outside…"
"With the building collapsing, we're in a dire situation. It's better not to touch a potentially dangerous corpse like that."
Isolet dismissed Vener's words and calmly moved forward, but Vener stopped her.
"You did it intentionally, didn't you?"
"What?"
"Don't tell me… Are you trying to protect Frey?"
All eyes focused on Isolet.
"You know what, Vener?"
Isolet pushed away Vener's hand and glared at her.
"Frey has always loved rye bread with butter."
As Frey wriggled on her belly more noticeably, Isolet blushed while speaking.
"....."
– Lick, lick.
"It's kinda like that."
Looking at Vener's cold expression, Isolet felt the need to reprimand Frey, who had started affectionately licking her stomach. So, she tried to shift the topic and move forward.
"Hmm?"
She stopped suddenly, her face displaying a mix of embarrassment, excitement, and suspicion.
"You're not behind this… you say?"
"Meow."
"Then… could it be the Church…?"
Licking her affectionately, Frey seemed to convey such a message.
– Squeak…
"Meow…"
Isolet, with a solemn expression, adjusted her armor and glanced inside. As Frey nodded, a deep silence enveloped her.
"..."
Frey looked up at her, encircling her waist with his tail and hand.
– Lick.
"…..!"
Arching his waist slightly, he licked her tender spot with his tongue.
– Press, press…
Pressing her belly with his hand, he sported a playful smile.
"Meow…"
Frey looked at her affectionately from inside her armor.
"…..! …..!!!"
Looking down at Frey in this state, Isolet felt the urge to keep him in this state, and then she trembled.
"Yes, I'll take care of you now… Frey."
Ultimately, her attention turned to Frey, who had no option but to rely on her.
'Even if I have to conceal you in the basement, miniaturize you to fit inside this armor, or follow the demon army… I'll protect you till the end.'
She murmured her long-standing wish.
'I've wanted that from the start… I chose to be an educator instead of a knight for that reason. Since then, raising you has been my purpose…'
In her thoughts, old scenes gradually reappeared.
'The day you lost your mother, the day you easily defeated me. You wept, expressing fear about not being able to rely on me anymore—just like now, clinging. Since that moment…'
"Ahh…!"
However, without fully recollecting her thoughts, Isolet grasped her head and screamed.
"What, what? What was that memory…?"
She looked around in confusion.
"Miss Isolet."
At that moment, Vener approached her from behind.
"What did you put inside the armor that made you react like that?"
With a twisted smile, she grabbed Isolet's armor.
– Whoosh…
Simultaneously, Alice also approached Isolet and grabbed her shoulder.
"I don't know why, but the dot on the tracking map consistently matches our movement."
Alice whispered coldly.
"Your armor seems unusually large. If squeezed tightly… a slender boy might just fit inside."
From the front, Vener muttered, eyeing Isolet.
"Do you have anything to say?"
"...…"
Vener believed she had the upper hand.
"Let's end this here, traitor…"
Drawing a dagger, she began inspecting the inside of Isolet's armor.
"Meow?"
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, a silver cat peered out from the eyehole in Isolet's helmet, surprising her.
Unbeknownst to her, Frey had completed his transformation into a cat.
– …Thud.
"Oof."
Frey, the cat, glared at Vener and extended a soft paw to swat her face.
"What is… this?"
Just then, the dot on the map started to wiggle, puzzling Alice.
"Oh, ahhh!"
Lulu had also seemed confused as she watched the scene unfold until she saw the cat.
"It's Master's pet cat!"
"Meow?"
Swiftly, Frey poked his head out of the helmet and wagged his tail on Isolet's face before he was taken out of the armor.
"Master cherishes this cat. But a few months ago, I entrusted him to Ms. Isolet…"
"....."
"Apologies for the trouble he caused. I'll take care of him now."
"Meow…!"
She spoke while gently holding him in her arms.
.
.
.
.
.
After the brief commotion, the entire group descended to the first floor, where the exit was.
– Ssshh…
The building's first floor was engulfed in an unknown fog, making it nearly impossible to find the way.
"Over here."
For Lulu, with her Magic Eyes, it was a piece of cake.
"We've arrived."
"Finally…"
Thanks to Lulu's efforts, the Hero Party safely exited the building and took a breather.
"I will… guide those coming down to the first floor."
Lulu said, then vanished back into the fog.
"I, I will…! I'll take care of the cat…!"
"It's okay."
Isolet, who had pledged to rescue people before the building collapsed, desperately shouted at Lulu. However, Lulu firmly refused.
Lulu had used her Magic Eyes to see what was happening inside the armor.
She noticed the peculiar fervor in Isolet's desperate gaze.
""...….""
Simultaneously, Lulu realized that the female knight Vener and Alice were eyeing the cat suspiciously.
"Go that way. Keep going straight."
"Th-thank you!"
She directed the maids rushing to the first floor, away from the hyenas eyeing the cat.
"Meow…"
Then, Lulu looked down at the silver cat yawning and stretching on her chest.
"...…."
On the outside, Lulu seemed composed.
'What? What? What? What? What?'
But on the inside, her mind was on the verge of bursting.
"Grrr…"
'He looks exactly like Master. I don't think I'm mistaken…?'
The mana composition, mana circuits, and the radiant mana filling his body.
Above all, Master's silver eyes that she cherished so much.
The small cat possessed them all, playfully pressing her chest with his soft paws with a curious expression.
She quickly started to lick the cat back.
– Lick, lick, lick…
For a while, the sound of Lulu and Frey diligently licking each other echoed on the first floor.
"What should I do…? Is this a curse? Or… a secret of Master?"
Lulu fervently licked him to convey her submission.
"...."
She soon stopped licking the cat, but the cat diligently continued to lick her lips, chin, and neck.
'Su, submission…?'
A guilty pleasure began to wash over her, thinking of something she shouldn't.
'Is he… submitting to me now…?'
"Slurp."
And there was more evidence.
The female knight who had just handed her Master's clothes appeared disappointed.
Inside her armor, a beastkin, greatly resembling her Master, was licking and rubbing her belly with care.
'No way… Really?'
Lulu noticed the cat's coyness as it clung to her.
'So, what should I do now!?'
She seemed to be increasingly malfunctioning.
'I, I am Frey's pet… but if Frey has become a cat… am I the cat's pet? Is this cat my master? Is that it?'
"Meow."
"Oh, Mr. Cat?"
"...."
With confused eyes, Lulu stared at the cat.
"Li, lick… lick."
After contemplating for a while, she diligently licked the cat as a sign of submission.
"…Meow."
"Huh? Ahh?"
Then, with its tail stiffly raised, the cat slowly closed its eyes and licked Lulu's cheek.
"Please, don't lick me!"
Lulu wore a shocked expression.
"You're my master! You can't lick me!"
'Does that mean… I am… the master now?'
– Thump, thump…
Feeling her heart race, the guilt and unease made her shiver.
"..... Lie down in front."
With a trembling voice, she addressed the cat, which playfully wagged its tail and nibbled her neck.
"You, you're nice, right?"
'He's not my master, just a cat… Yes, just a cat…'
And, without daring to confirm, she bowed her head and muttered.
"Meow."
"...!!!"
As Frey, the cat, lay on her chest, exposing his belly, Lulu momentarily blacked out.
"Prrrrrrrrrrrr..."
"Meowww!"
Lulu buried her face into his soft belly, breathing warmly while playing with his stomach.
"Meow… Meow."
The struggling cat suddenly shook his head.
"…..!"
His expression sharpened, greatly startling her.
"I'm, I'm sorry… hic…"
Unexpectedly, he came to his senses. Not knowing what to do, she started to turn pale.
"…Huh?"
Frey recognized he had transformed into a cat, gazing at the ceiling with his fur bristling, displaying a bewildered expression.
And the next moment.
– Whoosh!
"What, wha!?"
He landed on the floor from her chest and swiftly darted off in a direction.
"Master!!"
Alarmed, she hastily chased after him.
"Meow!!!"
"Eek?"
Casting a sly look at Lulu, he crouched and hissed fiercely, emitting a threatening sound.
"...…."
To anyone, it was a clear signal not to follow.
– Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
"Aaaah!!!"
Simultaneously, the building violently shook.
"What…? The building was supposed to last for several more minutes, right?"
Contrary to her magical analysis, it seemed the building wouldn't even last five more minutes.
"Could it be…"
In this critical moment, she activated her Magic Eyes to fathom his intentions within the building.
"..."
Soon, she wore a grim expression.
On the upper floor, a girl stood at the forefront, accompanied by survivors yet to escape from the building.
And Isolet was supporting a girl.
In the main hall, the Hero lay fallen.
'I'm not sure why he went to the upper floor…'
While Lulu could visually confirm things, she couldn't delve into the hearts of humans or animals.
Thus, she wasn't sure whether he went to the survivors' group, Isolet, or the Hero.
Nor did she know if he intended to assist or harm them as part of the demon army.
'However… I should help.'
After all, she was Frey's pet.
And pets were creatures that showed unwavering loyalty to their owners.
"Master!"
Thus, she made a vow.
In that instant, she resolved to be his rescue or hunting dog.
And…
"Let's go together!!!"
She was determined to shield him in any way possible.
Regardless of his appearance or whatever befell her, she was Frey's pet.
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile…
"Huff… Huff…"
Glare still had an opaque window before her.
"Just hold on a little longer…"
Struggling, she guided the injured maids ahead.
Quest: Assist the Hero
Quest Content: You can significantly decrease the Hero's mortality rate in this scenario.
※ Warning: Your life may be in danger.
"Hero…"
A faint glow enveloped her.
"I'll… I'll help you…"
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