Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Nemea Cat
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Fuck, never thought I'd end up getting mauled to death by rats and brushing up against the gates of hell. Maybe the adventurer gig just isn't for me after all.
What a shitty world. How the hell am I supposed to get back to Earth? I was seriously pondering that when.
...
A soft melody drifted in from somewhere, and the rats froze in place. Then one by one, they peeled away from us and scurried off into the shadows.
"...Thought I was done for."
Only after they'd all vanished into the gloom could I finally pat my pounding chest. Looking around, I spotted Luna curled up on the floor, trembling, and Malco doing the same.
"Hey, the rat bastards are gone. You can get up now."
Luna finally lifted her head and glanced around.
"I-I thought I was gonna die. Looks like my heartfelt persuasion worked after all."
"Attacked by rats! This is exactly why you should never deal with mentors! Whew, that was close."
"Everyone okay? Check if you got bit anywhere."
At my words, the group stood and inspected each other. Our clothes were torn in places, but no one was hurt.
Whatever it was, thank fuck those rats bailed. What a relief.
.
That's when the soft melody sounded again, and I whipped my head around. It seemed like some kind of man-made tune, like a wind instrument being played.
Step, step.
At the same time, I sensed someone approaching. Soon, the shadow of a figure fully emerged in the light from my torch.
The first thing I noticed was the rat-gray robe.
Beneath it, pale skin and thin lips came into view, along with a long recorder-like instrument clutched in those lips. Even under the robe, the prominent swell of her breasts drew the eye.
A woman? My tension eased for a split second, but then I remembered no normal woman wanders these sewers. My grip tightened on my sword and torch.
The woman who had appeared so suddenly pulled the flute from her lips and spoke.
"A fated meeting. Thanks be to Lord Mercury."
Her speech was a bit slurred somehow, but her voice was as clear and pure as the instrument's tone, not a whit inferior.
Just hearing it made the frustration and exhaustion bubbling up in my throat melt away.
"The flute that commands rats! Y-You're Hamelin, aren't you?"
While I was wondering what the hell she was, Malco shook himself off the floor and asked for me. The woman in the gray robe parted her small lips to reply.
"I had such a nickname once. I am Augeias, guardian of the karma that leads to glory. Also..."
"Good lord, to actually meet Hamelin! What an honor! I'm Malco, the bard Malco! I've been wandering these sewers for months searching for you!"
Malco foamed at the mouth like a roach that'd eaten boric acid, chattering noisily at her.
Just moments ago he'd been on the verge of death under a swarm of rats, but now he acted like it was nothing, getting all worked up.
His freakish intensity and my curiosity about this woman both spiked at once.
"Lady Hamelin! I beg you to teach me the secret of that music that even entrances rats!"
"That's a secret I must keep. Anyway. I followed a familiar scent and came here—"
I felt her gaze sweep over me from beneath the black robe.
Flash.
In that instant, her eerie red eyes gleamed under the hood, locking onto mine. A chill raced down my spine. I nearly went weak in the knees, fuck.
For some reason, instinct screamed not to get deeply involved with this woman. The only things in this world that could make me shake like this were witches.
Maybe she was something like that?
Controlling rats with a flute! No way that's possible without selling your soul to the devil. My feeble imagination couldn't even guess how.
"A familiar scent. You. Friend of Nemea. Right?"
But her mention of Nemea softened my razor-sharp wariness a bit. That was the name of the witch from the alchemy shop who'd given me the cat-finding job, I think.
"Ah, y-yeah. That's right. Th-thank you for saving us."
"Strange karma. But not ripe yet. Two? No, three or more presences mixed in. Champion of the gods. No, a toy. Poor thing...."
The flute woman muttered incomprehensibly to herself, then clicked her tongue and turned to walk away. Stunned, we just stared as she called back without looking.
"Follow me. The cat you're looking for. I have it."
Her back receded slowly. But overwhelmed by the atmosphere—or whatever—we hesitated, exchanging dumb looks instead of moving.
I was about to decide what to do when Luna spoke up.
"I-I'm getting a really bad feeling...."
"Sister, is that your insight as a shaman?"
"No, her boobs are just too big. Even under the robe, they're huge. She's gotta be a monster disguised as a human."
"Fuck. You still on that bit?"
But even I couldn't tell if tailing this woman was the right call.
However, with the rats starting to squeak all around again and a chill wind brushing my nape like ghostly fingers, we all bolted after her like we'd been shoved.
*
"Hey, Malco. We really doing this? Following her?"
We'd been trailing her for ages, but she showed no sign of stopping.
We'd twisted through the sewers so much that even the map couldn't tell us where we were anymore.
Worried, I asked Malco again.
"Hey, you seemed to know her. She trustworthy?"
"No bard or poet in Sodomora doesn't know Hamelin. I thought she was just legend or ghost story. Never dreamed I'd meet her for real."
I asked if she's trustworthy, not about legends.
"Anyway, she's one hell of a musician!"
How to put it. My little sister was a total idol fangirl once. Skipped cram school to hit a concert.
That night, I had to listen to her rave about some idol I didn't give a shit about until I passed out. Malco was exactly like her right now.
Starstruck after meeting his idol crush. No way a guy like that could think straight.
"I just can't trust her. She seems like a monster disguised as—"
I seemed to be the only sane one here.
Even that nagging old fart Platan would've given some useful grumbling advice. Who'd have thought I'd miss a near-dead geezer.
"Nemea's cat. It's in there."
The flute woman stopped abruptly in a dead-end alley barred by iron bars like a dungeon cell. She even ran her pale fingers over the rusted grate.
Swipe, swiiipe.
Her stroking looked kinda lewd. Sexual harassment?
"Ahem, anyway, the cat's in there? For sure?"
"Yes. Unlike Nemea or Erymanthus, I always speak truth. And truth often smells worse than lies. Uglier too."
No clue what that meant, but apparently Nemea's cat was beyond those bars. Listening closely, I could even hear a weird meeeeow.
"Go in. See for yourself."
Clank. She snapped the lock with her bare hands. It was rusted and corroded, sure, but shattering solid metal like that? What kind of grip strength?
"...Alright, let's wrap this up quick and go. Uh, Augeias, was it? Anyway, thanks."
"Augeias. If the name's hard, Hamelin's fine."
"W-well, we gotta get going. Hey, let's move. Hurry."
Something told me to get out of here, away from her. I squeezed through the open bars.
"W-wait, I'm coming too!"
"Me too!"
As we slipped inside and rounded the corner out of sight, it felt like her red eyes bored into my back the whole time.
Like a knife stabbing me. What'd I do wrong? Pissed her off by calling her gay?
Or mad I sliced her precious rats? That was all that came to mind.
Only after turning enough corners that her gaze faded did I exhale in relief.
"Whew. This job sucks."
"L-Look, white fur here!"
Luna shrieked, spotting something on the floor.
I rubbed my stuffy ears and looked down. Sure enough, clumps of long white fur littered the ground.
"Sister, let me check."
Malco knelt, picked up a few strands, sniffed them, then licked one with his tongue.
"Cat hair all right. Starved for a while, I'd say. Poor nutrition."
"Hey, legit question. You can tell by taste?"
"Cat's good for the joints. Their pelts make great instruments. Cute when alive too. Noble beast. Oh, more fur over there. Heh, can't pass up a taste."
I could say it with certainty.
This is hell.
Maybe I died long ago. Fell in a manhole or brained by a random brick. Now I'm in hell.
Grrrrr.
A beastly growl from deep in the corridor lifted my gloomy mood a bit.
Plus, light pattering—like something nimble on the wet floor—approaching us.
"Whoa, a cat! Look, Hassan! White fur cat! That's gotta be Whitey!"
Luna's night vision must be sharp; she yelled in her high-pitched voice. Moments later, I saw it too: that sleek form with long white fur. Definitely a cat.
But a cat.
"Brother. Isn't it a bit... big? Am I dreaming?"
"F-Fuck!"
Grrrrrr!
It was small-car-sized. Less cat, more leopard or lion.
With that monster charging full tilt at us, all color drained from my face. I nearly pissed myself.
"R-Run, fuck!"
"Good idea!"
"Eeek!"
"Hey, Luna, what're you doing? Run!"
Luna was frozen like a rat before a cat. I grabbed her shoulder hard.
But she just quivered, white as a sheet, not snapping out of it. Fuck, ditch her? As I agonized—
Swoosh.
Something whistled through the air, and my body launched into the sky, slamming into the floor.
Scraaape. Crash.
My pack burst open, spilling junk everywhere. Fuck, my 1-silver pack?
"You little fucker, how dare a mere beast try to—"
Rage surging, I steadied myself. The giant cat—no, lion—yawned a cave-sized maw and roared before me.
GRRRR!
"Actually, yeah, I can see how that happened."
Those fangs were as thick as my arm.
GRRR!
The lion irritably shredded my ruined pack with its claws, thrashing wildly.
Kyahhh!
Rolling belly-up, clawing the walls—it wasn't acting normal. Do beasts in this world get mental issues too?
Anyway, with it seizing instead of attacking, this was our golden chance to bolt.
"Now! Run!"
"Hassan, b-but we have to catch it!"
"Fuck, right. F-Fuck, how do we even catch that?"
Wrestle a rampaging beast? Unless you give me an K2 with 30 mags for full auto, no thanks.
"Fuck this shit, let's bail! This ain't human work!"
"N-No! I got a great idea! I know why it's freaking out!"
Luna stopped my escape, pointing at the floor.
"That grass! Bug-repellent herb! That's it! Cats love that stuff!"
She pointed at the herbs scattered from the sewer-exploration pack. I couldn't make sense of it, brow furrowing.
"Indeed, sister has a plan!"
"Hassan! I'll burn that grass, so k-keep that cat busy meanwhile!"
Fearless, Luna reached toward the rampaging white beast. The lion swiped irritably at her with a forepaw.
Clang!
"Eek!"
The sharp clash of metal on metal rang out with Luna's scream. Pain throbbed in my raised left arm; I gritted my teeth.
"Fuck, I can't hold long! Nngh—!"
Without my 5-silver armor, that savage claw would've severed my arm. It pinned me down, my stance crumbling from the legs up.
Right then—
Ding.
『Nemea Whitey lv. 15
Status: Heartworm | Diabetes | Asthma』