Volume 7 Side
Story 3
And Then the Commotion
Breaks Out
One early morning, Nozomu was asked by a maid from the Francilt family who suddenly visited his dorm room, and he was visiting Irisdina and the others' mansion.
And he had ended up
watching the strange scene unfolding in the hall of the Francilt mansion with a
grave expression.
"Somia!
Somiaaaaa! Where are you?!"
"Get out of the
way, Mena! Somia, Somia...!"
Screams and roars like
thunder were echoing throughout the vast mansion.
Nozomu, while covering
his ears at the sheer volume he was hearing, focused on the source of this
noise.
The ones who were
shouting were Irisdina and Victor. Irisdina was continuing to shout Somia's
name with a look of impatience, and Victor, who was on the verge of running
off, was being held down by several servants.
"Please wait, my
lord, as I have said before, the possibility of Lady Somilliana having been
kidnapped is low.
For now, please calmly
think about the young lady's whereabouts..."
Mena was calling out
to the restrained Victor, trying to get him to calm down somehow.
However, Victor in
question showed no signs of calming down at all and was struggling to break
free from Mena's restraint, shouting, "There's a possibility of one in a
million, isn't there!"
"U-Um... Excuse
me, what in the world is going on?"
Nozomu, who could not
understand the situation at all, called out to Mena, at least to find out what
had happened.
"Ah, Nozomu-sama,
you've come. Actually, we have not seen Lady Somilliana since this
morning..."
"...Huh?"
"Nozomu! Somia,
Somia has suddenly disappeared from the mansion! Do you know where she
is!?"
Somia is missing.
Hearing those words, Nozomu's cheeks twitched.
For a moment, Nozomu
could not understand what Mena was saying, but in order to grasp the situation
for the time being, he opened his mouth to ask Mena for the details.
"Let go of me!
I'm going to find Somia!"
However, before Nozomu
could ask his question, he was interrupted by the frantic Victor.
He began to shake off
the servants who had been restraining him with brute force.
Victor, who was
throwing off the servants with a force that made one wonder where he, a civil
official, had such power.
After he had eliminated
all the servants who had been holding him back, he ran straight for the
mansion's entrance.
"It can't be
helped. My lord, excuse me."
"Hau!?"
However, after Victor
had taken a few steps, Mena, who had circled behind him, flashed a knife-hand,
and took his consciousness.
The body of Victor,
whose consciousness had been knocked out in an instant, followed the wedge of
inertia and gravity and crashed face-first into the floor. He then did two and
a half forward somersaults with great force and was slammed to the floor on his
back again.
"U-Um. Is he
okay?"
"Yes, there is no
problem."
While in front of the
completely unconscious Victor, the head of the attendants, who was the cause of
all this, replied to Nozomu with a nonchalant attitude and a concise answer.
"Umm, is there
really no problem..."
"None at
all."
Nozomu couldn't help
but ask again, but Mena only returned the same answer with a nonchalant
expression.
Perhaps at her overly
skillful and unchanging attitude, Nozomu was at a loss for words, as he did not
question her any further.
And he was also
averting his gaze from the fallen Victor as much as possible.
"Um, that
Somia-chan is missing... C-Could it be a kidnapping..."
"No, that
possibility is low. The key to her room had been opened from the inside, and
there were no signs of a struggle, nor were there any traces of drugs or magic
being used. It is likely that the young lady herself left on her own
accord."
But since there was a
one in a million chance, Mena added that she had sent a messenger to Jihad and
the military police.
Furthermore, for the
time being, they would search for Somia themselves, and if they couldn't find
her, they would borrow the power of the military police and Jihad.
"Nozomu-sama, do
you have any idea where the young lady might have gone?"
"N-No. Not
really... ah."
What had floated in
Nozomu's mind was the vacant lot at the end of an alley in the commercial
district. Somia had been going there recently to meet with the cats.
For the time being,
Nozomu told Irisdina and the others about the vacant lot that Somia had been
visiting recently.
"Is Somia
there!?"
"I'm not sure,
but..."
"Then... Wilkas!
Francois!"
""Woof!""
Along with a spirited
bark, two dogs rushed to Irisdina's side.
Perhaps the dogs that
had come were well-trained, as when Iris raised her hand, the two of them sat
side by side and waited intently for their master's command.
"Iris, these dogs
are..."
"The pair of
hounds I took in from the previous request. The male is Wilkas and the female
is Francois. Both are former hounds. They should be able to track Somia's scent
and chase after her!"
Since these dogs had
been hounds, then they were certainly suitable for the task.
If they had these
hounds remember Somia's scent, then they should be able to track her.
"I see, then
let's wake up my lord, have those dogs track him, and see if they go to the
vacant lot that Nozomu-sama mentioned."
Mena strode over to
her unconscious master and flashed a knife-hand at Victor's forehead again.
"Hau!"
At the driven-in
impact, Victor woke up in an instant.
The head of the
attendants had struck her own master again. At that sight, Nozomu was at a loss
for words again.
The risen Victor was
looking around with a dazed expression.
"Why am I
sleeping in a place like this?"
"My lord, since
we have obtained information regarding Lady Somilliana's whereabouts, we are
thinking of heading to that place for now. Is that alright?"
"Y-Yes. I
understand. Do as you see fit?"
"Well then, I
will make some preparations. I will be back in five minutes, so please wait for
a moment."
Mena stated her
business concisely and, leaving the still-confused Victor as he was, quickly
disappeared into the mansion with the hounds in tow. She had probably taken
them to her room to have the hounds remember Somia's scent.
On the other hand,
Nozomu was asking Irisdina about Mena's strange behavior just now.
"Hey, Iris. Is it
okay for Mena-san to do something like that?"
"Ah, it's fine.
Actually, the two of them are usually like that.
Mena was my father's
classmate, and it seems they were in the same class at a noble school in the
country of Foschia. It seems they have been quite close since that time."
Apparently, Viktor and
Mena have known each other for a considerably long time.
Since they were
long-time friends, then her previous action was also understandable. Perhaps it
was Mena who had stopped Victor, who had gone on a rampage and had tried to
convene the knights when Somia had run away from home a few years ago.
(But from the name
"noble school," the ones who attend are nobles, right? Is Mena-san a
noble?)
Ignoring such a
question from Nozomu, Mena and Irisdina and the others, who had returned with
the hounds a few minutes later, went out into the city to search for Somia.
***
Nozomu and the others
had gone out into the city to search for Somia.
The rather eccentric
combination of a nobleman's head and his daughter, a maid, a student, and two
dogs naturally attracted the attention of the people walking around.
Being stared at
strangely, Nozomu's shoulders trembled uncomfortably.
On the other hand, the
three who had peeked at Nozomu were brushing off such gazes from their
surroundings as if it were a gentle breeze and were just single-mindedly
chasing the hounds that were tracking Somia's scent.
In particular,
Irisdina and Victor were staring at the two hounds walking in front of them so
intently that it seemed a hole would open, and they were fidgeting at the
slightest gesture.
When the dogs stopped,
they would clench their hands and focus on the ground that the dogs were
sniffing, and when the dogs raised their faces, the two of them would follow
the dogs' gaze together.
At that strangely
synchronized gesture, Nozomu couldn't help but reveal his inner thoughts,
"They're really parent and child..."
"It seems there
is no doubt that the young lady headed for the commercial district."
The dogs had passed
through the central park from the administrative district and were heading into
the commercial district.
"Is she
there?"
"I don't know.
But if I think about Somia-chan having business in the commercial district,
recently I can only think of the Ox-Head Pavilion or that cat vacant
lot..."
The dogs walked down
the main street of the commercial district for a while, then suddenly entered
an alley. It was the alley that she had entered when Nozomu had seen Somia
before.
"It seems there's
no mistake."
While proceeding down
the alley, Nozomu spoke with a voice of conviction.
The path that the
hounds were taking was exactly the same as the path that Somia had taken when
she had chased Kuro before. If Somia had taken this path, then there was no
doubt that the destination was that vacant lot.
After Nozomu and the
others had proceeded down the dim, narrow alley for a while, their view
suddenly opened up.
"Woof woof!"
The dogs barked as if
to say, "We've arrived!"
In front of Nozomu and
the others was a vacant lot that had been created in a gap in the dense
buildings.
And there, as
expected, a dozen or so cats were gathered.
"This is that
vacant lot."
The cats took a
distance from the suddenly numerous visitors with a timid look and directed a
gaze full of caution at them.
The hounds they had
brought with them also, as if affected by the tension of the cats, were not
averting their gaze and were observing the state of the cats.
In a corner of the
commercial district, a strange tension between different species of animals was
filling the air.
""Somiaaaaaaaaa!""
However, the Francilt
parent and child were unaware of the tension between the animals.
To search for their
beloved Somia, like cavalry that would trample a battlefield, they charged into
the vacant lot where the cats were.
On the other hand, the
cats, surprised by the parent and child who had charged at them with a demonic
look, were letting out cries of "meow, meow!" and were trying to
escape from the vacant lot.
However, the vacant
lot was surrounded on three sides by other houses, and on the one side that
served as an exit were Nozomu and the others, who were accompanied by the
hounds.
Naturally, since the
hounds were wary of the cats, as a result, the cats had their escape route
blocked.
"Where is she,
where is she!"
"Somia, your
father isn't angry that you suddenly disappeared from the mansion, so come
out~~!"
On the other hand, the
Francilt parent and child utterly disregarded the neighborhood, shouting loudly
as they ran from one end of the vacant lot to the other, flipping over
everything in sight.
Meow, meow, woof,
woof, clatter, clatter.
The screams of the
fleeing cats and the roars of Irisdina and Victor echoed.
"You there, white
cat! Do you know where Somia is!? Speak the truth! It won't do you any good to
hide her!"
The one to whom
Irisdina had thrown her question with a desperate look was a single white cat.
Yes, the leader of that Kuro imperial guard.
While the other cats
were running around in confusion, she alone had bravely not run away and was
facing Irisdina head-on.
The white cat's answer
to Irisdina's question was only a hiss of intimidation.
When Nozomu looked
closely, he saw that Kuro's bed had been overturned and was covered in dirt and
dust. It seemed she was furious that her beloved cat's bed had been overturned.
On the other hand,
Irisdina was also quite heated. Does she intend to hide Somia to the end! And
this young lady was also furious. Completely forgetting that her opponent could
not speak human words, she was reaching for the rapier at her waist.
"Wait, cats can
only say 'meow' or so, so calm down a little."
Perhaps thinking that
it would be bad to draw his sword against a cat, Nozomu restrained Irisdina
from behind.
At that moment, the
hound that had been on standby at the entrance of the vacant lot suddenly began
to bark.
"Woof woof!"
The hounds were
barking as if they had noticed something. When he followed their line of sight,
he saw a shadow moving in the grass of the vacant lot.
Its size was about
that of a human child. The face that had peeked out as if to peek at them was that
of the person Nozomu and the others were searching for.
"Ah, there she
is."
""Somiaaaaaaaaa!""
Irisdina and Victor
reacted to Nozomu's words.
Irisdina at once shook
off Nozomu's restraint and leaped at Somia along with Victor.
A super speed that
even Nozomu could not react to. In front of the dazed Nozomu, the two of them
were diving straight at Somia.
"Nyau!"
""Fugya!!""
But with a reaction
speed greater than Irisdina's, Somia had leaped away from that spot.
Having lost their
target, the Francilt parent and child had dived headfirst into the empty grass.
"Eh? Did she just
say 'nyau!'... And those cat ears and tail..."
On the other hand,
Nozomu's gaze was fixed on the Somia who had jumped out from the grass.
Because her appearance
was, to be frank, something he couldn't believe his eyes.
A well-made silk
pajama, and glossy, jet-black cat ears and a tail. So-called pajama cat ears.
Although it was slightly stained with dirt, it had a loveliness like a kitten.
However, what caught
his eye most of all was her gestures. Not a human, but the figure of her, with
her four limbs on the ground, intimidating, was that of a cat.
"Fushaaaaaaah!"
"She's completely
turned into a cat. Why?"
Somia was intimidating
her relatives who had dived into the grass.
She then turned on her
heel and began to run towards Nozomu.
"Ah..."
And then a leap. She
ran past Nozomu's side and jumped over the heads of Mena and the hounds to
escape.
At her speed and
jumping ability, which was unthinkable for an eleven-year-old, Nozomu, Mena,
and the hounds could only see her off in a daze.
""Somiaaaaaaaaaaaa!""
On the other hand, the
Francilt parent and child, from whom Somia had escaped, shouted loudly and,
while kicking up a cloud of dust, chased after the cat girl.
The figures of the two
disappeared into the back of the alley in an instant.
What was left behind
were only Nozomu, Mena, and the two hounds. Incidentally, the cats in the
vacant lot had, in the opening while Nozomu and the others were distracted by
Somia, run away in a hurry.
"Umm, Mena-san.
What should we do?"
"...It was
careless of me. In the face of the young lady, who had changed so much, I had
forgotten to restrain my master and the others."
"No,
restrain..."
At the unsettling
remark about her master, Nozomu's cheeks twitched. Nozomu's eyes, as he looked
at Mena, began to be tinged with a color as if looking at something suspicious.
"Nozomu-sama, do
you have any idea about the cat ears and tail that Lady Somilliana was
wearing?"
"Umm, what are
you going to do if you know?"
"The young lady's
strange condition. The first thing that can be considered as the cause is those
cat ears. Therefore, I would like to thank the creator for making such a fine
item... No, I am thinking of going to question them about the cause of what is
happening..."
Nozomu felt as if a
word that was out of place in this situation had come from Mena's mouth.
Words like "very
fine item" and "thank...".
However, if he were to
pursue it here, it might stir up a hornet's nest. Nozomu ignored that remark
that Mena had let slip with all his might.
"But when
Somia-chan wore those cat ears before, there was no particular change, you
know?"
"...Have you seen
the young lady in that appearance before, Nozomu-sama?"
"Y-Yes..."
At Mena's sharp gaze,
Nozomu couldn't help but take half a step back.
Although she was a
woman who usually had a dignified atmosphere, for some reason, at this time,
Nozomu had felt a chill as if it were crawling up his spine.
"...However, at
present, I cannot think of any other cause for the young lady's current state
than those cat ears. First, it would be better to investigate the most likely
factor."
"What about Iris
and the others?"
"We cannot catch
up with them now. For now, let's prioritize investigating the cause."
Behind her polite
words, while putting on an intimidating pressure that could even make Nozomu
flinch, Mena mentioned that she wanted to meet the creator.
"This
way..."
Nozomu, while sighing
at the fact that he had been dragged into a commotion again, and at the
disaster that was likely to befall him from now on, began to walk the path to
the residential district with a trudging step.
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