[V12C10] Monica Raine Wants To Be A Cat

Isaac Walker was staring at a piece of paper covered completely in formulas.

This document contained the results of his verification on the anti-dragon detector, in particular, involving the case where the dragon swallows it whole.

Isaac crumpled the sheet into a paper ball and threw it off to the side.

The culmination of his past few hours traced a parabola, landing right in the center of a trash can.

“My anti-detection device works by modifying the wearer’s mana response when exposed to the mana pulse of the detector,” Isaac explained.

“Okay. So what does that mean?” Nero asked.

“It should have no effect if ingested. However…”

Isaac placed a disk the size of his palm next to Nero, who was sitting on the table in black cat form.

This clock-like disk was a replica of Silas Page’s dragon detector. The biggest difference was that it had an effective range of a few paces, since it was intended for verification purposes.

Isaac activated the replica detector right in front of Nero, and yet, it showed no reaction whatsoever.

“…For some reason, the detector has been successfully nullified.”

“In other words, it’s a big success. All thanks to me!”

Nero let out a triumphant purr and patted Isaac’s arm with his front paw.

“Come on, be happier! And praise me!”

“…How can any researcher be satisfied without understanding the underlying reason?”

“You’re starting to sound a lot like Monica.”

Eating the magical tool had allowed Nero to evade the detector, but it was uncertain how long this state would last.

In the first place, unlike powerful ancient artifacts, modern magical tools were not designed for use by magical creatures such as dragons or spirits.

Thus, Isaac had intended to check regularly for possible malfunctions. This was now impossible since Nero had ingested the device.

“Nero, is it possible for you to selectively choose what you reproduce out of the things you eat?”

“Dunno.”

Isaac raised the corners of his lips into a smile. Or at least that was his intention, but it probably looked more like a sneer to Nero.

“…You’re lucky that I don’t know how to dissect you properly.”

“Now you really sound like Monica.”

“I am her disciple, after all.”

After bantering with Nero, Isaac looked at the wall clock. It was almost midnight, so Monica and the other girls were already fast asleep.

Even so, Isaac was not going to sleep any time soon. He put away the experimental tools and took out a different set of documents.

These included the records on Theodore Maxwell’s activities and the theft of Gluttonous Zoe, as well as the information he had extracted from Melissa today.

“Guess I’ll go for another patrol,” Nero muttered. “You sure you don’t need to sleep?”

“I still have work to do.”

“Alright.”

Without pressing further, Nero darted through the window.

After watching Nero leave, Isaac turned his attention back to the documents.

Isaac had performed an independent investigation into Theodore Maxwell, but a lot of the information was concealed from the public. Of particular note was Theodore’s presence during the Phantom Dragon of Pistraune incident.

The luxury cruise ship Evangeline sank after a sudden encounter with a huge water dragon, which somehow evaded the vigilant eyes of the crew. This gave rise to several rumors.

——There was a sinner aboard the Evangeline, and the dragon came to smite him.

This so-called “sinner” in this rumor likely referred to the criminal Theodore Maxwell, who turned out to be aboard the Evangeline.

There was also another intriguing rumor.

——The Phantom Dragon of Pistraune continues to prowl around the sunken ship, monopolizing its treasures.

If Isaac’s hypothesis was correct, then this rumor held significant meaning.

(…That would explain the blank period.)

With further analysis, Isaac only became more convinced that he was on the right track.

And at the same time, he could not help but shudder at the terrifying opponent he was about to challenge.

After about an hour of analysis, Isaac flexed his cold fingertips and stood up. He intended to brew some coffee to shake off the drowsiness.

But as Isaac turned his head, the wall-mounted mirror came into sight, causing him to freeze.

In the dimly lit room illuminated only by candlelight, there was an intimidating man with an eyepatch staring back at him through the mirror.

“…”

The kind prince was gone.

Every time Isaac was reminded of this, he felt the urge to smash the mirror in his despair.

——Who is this? Why is this dead man in the mirror instead of the beloved prince? Give him back.

The face reflected in the mirror twisted into a grimace. Due to Isaac’s sharp eyes, it looked more like a condescending sneer, directed right at himself.

Isaac averted his gaze from the mirror and headed toward the kitchen with unsteady steps.

(…I’ll get it back. No matter what.)

＊　＊　＊

Monica woke up to find herself in darkness. Everything was pitch black.

(Where am I?)

Her consciousness had been swaying between reality and the world of numbers, so everything felt vague and unclear.

Still, once she returned to reality, Monica’s brain gradually started thinking again.

She was in an unfamiliar house; neither her own home, nor her uncle’s home.

This house had a big scary man, a princess-like girl, and a lively girl with a hair bun.

Those two girls had sat down next to Monica, eating together and chatting about random topics. They even gave her a bath and said, “Call for us if you need anything,” before going to sleep.

(I wonder why they’re so nice to me.)

Still wrapped in a blanket, Monica sat up and glanced outside the window.

There was something on the other side of the window: a pair of golden eyes staring back at Monica from the darkness of the night.

(…A cat.)

Monica approached the window, but the black cat with golden eyes let out a meow and immediately turned away. Its jet-black fur blended into the night and promptly vanished from sight.

Even so, Monica continued staring outside the window.

(…I wish I could be a cat.)

This thought went through Monica’s head every time she saw a cat.

After all, cats were good at keeping their distance from people, as well as taking care of themselves.

Of course, cats had hardships of their own, but to Monica, they seemed to be very adept at living.

On the other hand, Monica was not adept at living, so she was a bit jealous.

——That was why Monica Raine wanted to become a cat.

Though still barefoot, Monica descended from the bed and walked over to the door. She felt a sudden urge to chase after the black cat.

She opened the door to find a dark corridor in front of her. And yet, Monica walked through the darkness without a candlestick.

Ever since she found herself in this house, Monica had spent most of her time escaping into the world of the numbers. Thus, while being taken into the bath, she had memorized all the numbers available to her, from the length of the corridor to the size of the stairs.

Even if Monica could not see anything, all she needed to do was compare the numbers in her memory with the size of her stride. Soon enough, she reached the stairs.

(Cat, cat, where are you?)

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, a dim light came into view. Someone was awake.

“…Monica?”

That person emerged from the door leading to the kitchen. It was the big scary man.

Big scary men were big and scary.

Monica crouched down and shielded her head with trembling hands.

＊　＊　＊

Isaac, who was brewing coffee in the kitchen, initially thought the footsteps coming down the stairs belonged to either Lana or Karina.

Perhaps they needed to go to the bathroom, or came to drink something because they had trouble falling asleep in a different bed.

If it was the latter, the considerate Isaac intended to prepare an herbal tea for helping them sleep. However, Isaac was dumbfounded when he peeked into the living room.

Monica was standing there in her sleepwear, and without any light.

“…Monica?”

Isaac inadvertently called her name and immediately realized his mistake.

Upon noticing him, Monica crouched down and shielded her head with both hands.

Isaac tried to reach out to Monica, before freezing.

He wanted to gently lift her, assure her everything was okay, and carry her back to the bedroom.

But right now, Isaac was nothing more than an object of fear to Monica. Approaching her caused Monica’s breathing to accelerate, becoming dangerously close to hyperventilation.

The best solution was to get help from Lana or Karina. However, Isaac would need to pass by Monica in order to reach the guest rooms where the two were sleeping.

As Isaac was frozen in helplessness, a sobbing voice entered his ears.

“I-I, was, looking, for, a, cat, cat, s-s-sorry…”

Monica continued uttering fragmented apologies, but Isaac could make out the first part.

——Looking for a cat?

Isaac quickly crouched down and retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket. It had been so long since the last time he did this, but his fingers remembered exactly where to fold and pull.

Isaac completed the handkerchief cat and presented it to Monica. Then, he squeezed out his voice with a stiff expression.

“……Meow.”

Though Monica was still covering her head, she turned slightly in Isaac’s direction.

Her round, teary eyes were completely focused on the handkerchief cat.

“…”

“…”

The two remained frozen in that position for who knows how long.

“Monica, you’re awake? You can always call for me if you need anything…”

Lana broke the silence, descending the stairs with a candlestick in hand.

Isaac quickly stood up and concealed the handkerchief cat behind his back.

Only after rubbing her sleepy eyes did Lana finally notice Isaac’s presence.

“Oh, Walker-san, you’re still up too?”

“I am very glad that you came… Could you please take Monica back to her room?”

Lana gave Isaac a slightly confused nod, then called out to Monica.

“Monica, can you stand?”

“Ah… um… yes.”

After watching Lana guide Monica back into the bedroom, Isaac heaved a deep sigh of relief.

Mainly at the fact that Lana did not notice him.

The “meow” of a grown man felt quite awkward.

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