Chapter 70
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Cat, Owner, and Churu
Rionne doubted her ears for a moment. What did that cat just say? Owner? No way.
She was certain she'd misheard, so she replayed the memory. The shape of Tsukiyo's lips as they moved, every syllable she'd uttered—putting it all together finally led to the right conclusion.
'Yep, owner.'
Rionne grinned.
From now on, Tsukiyo wasn't some venerable great warrior of the beastkin tribe. She was just a horny she-cat daring to call Enoch her owner.
"Um, Great Warrior? What did you just say?"
"Oh, Sword Saint. Perfect timing. With you as that human kid's master, this'll be much easier."
Tsukiyo smiled languidly. It was a seductive smile like a crescent moon on a midnight night.
"I'm granting your disciple the honor of becoming my owner. What do you say? To be the owner of this Tsukiyo, no less."
"Ahaha, owner. So what does an owner do, exactly?"
"What? You don't know what an owner is?"
Tsukiyo sighed and put her pipe in her mouth. In a good mood, she sprinkled some catnip from her bosom into the pipe, took a puff of smoke, and it was pure bliss on earth.
"Hnnng…."
Rionne's gaze filled with contempt as she watched Tsukiyo's face flush red and her body shiver.
"An owner, you see, is granted the honor of attending to my needs, and when I'm bored, they watch butterflies with me, open my tuna cans, and serve as my pillow when I sleep…. Hmm, a truly noble position."
"Ahaha…. Pillow."
"Well, I'll even share some of my Churu with an owner. Tempted yet? Doesn't it sound irresistible?"
Tsukiyo gazed at Enoch with calm eyes. But only for a moment. Her body suddenly floated up.
"Hweh…?"
Rionne, who had grabbed Tsukiyo by the scruff of the neck and lifted her, grinned brightly. No, the smile faded more and more, replaced by fury.
"You perverted she-cat. What? Using Enoch as a pillow? You shameless…!"
"Shameless!? What are you even talking about, nyang!"
"With tits barely the size of gumdrops, who do you think you're eyeing!"
"Wh-what!?"
"If you're gonna cling to Enoch, grow some height first!"
Tsukiyo's mouth gaped open at the vulgar insult too crude to repeat.
"H-how can you say something so mean…! These are fully grown, nyang!"
"You think adding 'nyang' at the end makes it cute!?"
"Eeeeek…! This is just instinct! You're the one making me mad, nyang… Nya!"
Tsukiyo belatedly corrected herself and glared with flashing eyes while huffing.
"Oh ho…. I see now. You're scheming to hook up with your own disciple! Who's the shameless one here? Ha!"
"Wh-what…!?"
Seizing Rionne's momentary fluster, Tsukiyo slipped free from her grasp and landed lightly on the ground. With graceful gestures, she straightened her rumpled clothes and snorted in disbelief.
"My word, how utterly pathetic. I hear the Sword Saint is nearly nine hundred years old, yet you're in heat for a kid not even twenty?"
"Wh-who's in heat!"
"Then you're not? As if. Even a random neighborhood kid would nod knowingly at your face!"
"I-I'm just so flabbergasted!"
"Hmph! Cut the nonsense and release my owner!"
"Who's your owner!"
Rionne's face flushed beet red as she unleashed her aura. In an instant, every breeze in her domain stilled.
At that eerie silence, Tsukiyo bared her fangs too.
"Wanna go?"
Rumble—! The ground shook like an earthquake. The aura she revealed now was worlds apart from her spar with Enoch earlier, as if she'd been holding back then—space itself began to warp.
The elves watching the spar blinked in confusion at the sudden turn.
"Uh…, what do we do?"
"Should we side with Lady Rionne?"
"Nah, why so serious? It's just a lovers' quarrel."
Come to think of it, yeah. The elves nodded in agreement and decided to watch quietly.
"Um, Rionne."
But Enoch, stuck in the middle, couldn't just stand by. He tugged lightly at Rionne's clothes, and she turned back with a beaming face.
"Enoch…!"
See! Enoch's always on big sis's side! I knew it!
"You really in heat?"
That day, Rionne's world crumbled.
*
The emotional spat never escalated to blades.
No matter what, they were both adults who knew their own power. One slip, and they could level the area—not to mention the headache of dealing with the aftermath.
Of course, the main reason was that it wouldn't even come to blows.
"Human kid, think it over. Become my owner, and I'll give you ten Churus a day."
"Churu?"
"What!? You don't know Churu either? How is this possible…. How can so many people not know Churu?"
Tsukiyo sighed and rummaged in her bosom to pull out some Churu. Enoch tilted his head at the finger-sized plastic packet.
"This is supposed to be that good?"
"Of course! A delicacy like no other in this world."
"Hmm."
Enoch eyed the Churu suspiciously, then tore open the packet. He sniffed it—strong fishy stench.
"Ugh…."
"Try it already!"
But with her watching so eagerly, lying and saying it was good would be rude, right? Enoch cautiously touched his tongue to it.
"Ptoo…!"
"Eep…?"
"Fishy. Tastes bad."
"N-no way, nyang…!"
Did it go bad!? Tsukiyo snatched the Churu from Enoch's hand and bit into the open end.
"Mmm…!"
Exquisite…! The heavenly flavor danced on her tongue…!
How could anyone not enjoy this delight? Living life at a loss…!
"…You're really missing out, owner."
"……?"
Their gazes crossed, forever unable to understand each other. And one elf wasn't pleased by the sight.
"Hmph!"
Rionne snorted loudly and glanced sideways.
"Ahem!"
She cleared her throat pointlessly and glanced again.
"Ahem hem…! *Cough*!"
Undine looked at Rionne pityingly as she finally hacked up a cough.
[She's trying so hard….]
Rionne's eyes twitched. This couldn't be happening. How could someone change so much in a day? She even said she loved me…!
"Sob…."
Rionne covered her face with both hands, sobbing. Undine shook her head at the busy eyes peeking through her fingers.
[Pathetic woman….]
Meanwhile, Enoch—who'd been enjoying Rionne's reaction—turned at the tug on his sleeve.
"Owner. Come to think of it, you're no swordsman, so why carry a sword?"
"Because Rionne gave it to me?"
Rionne's ears perked up. Tsukiyo let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
"Heh…, as his master, how could you…."
A nearly nine-hundred-year-old elf acting more childish than a kid.
"Owner, if you ever feel threatened in your chastity, come to my place anytime."
Rionne froze stiff.
Enoch sensed it was time. Any further, and Rionne might really snap. That would be a real hassle.
He quickened his pace, caught up, and firmly grabbed Rionne's hand.
"You mad?"
"N-nooo!? I'm not mad!"
"Looked like you were about to be."
"No? Big sis doesn't get mad over stuff like this?"
Rionne sputtered. Enoch smirked, and Tsukiyo—sensing something off—pinned back her cat ears.
"Owner…?"
No answer. She hurried over with quick steps and tugged desperately at his sleeve.
"Ahem! As a special honor, I'll let you open my tuna cans."
But Enoch's response was lukewarm.
"Nope. Time for you to head home."
Tsukiyo's steps halted abruptly. Enoch waved breezily.
"Bye-bye."
Tsukiyo stared blankly, then huffed and turned away.
"Fine."
*
Rionne's sulk levels can be divided into roughly five stages.
Tiny sulk, small sulk, medium sulk, big sulk, massive sulk.
Right now, she seemed like a small sulk edging toward medium, so caution was needed. Once it hit medium, it lasted at least a day.
"Rionne."
"What?"
Her reply was curt. Enoch rolled his eyes briefly before speaking.
"I know you're not in heat, Rionne."
"*Cough*! Uh, y-yeah…?"
"I just said it 'cause your reaction was cute."
"Wh-what…? Cute…?"
"Yep."
Rionne stopped dead in her tracks. She fought to keep her upturned lips in check and turned away primly.
"R-really…?"
"Yep, Rionne's cute."
"Heh, heh heh…."
[Whoa….]
Undine recoiled.
Well, up to here, it was fine. You could let it slide, thinking, yeah, that could happen.
Sure, questionable that someone her age craved being called cute, but anyway, you could barely, grudgingly push it that far!
"R-really, nyang…? Rionne cute-nyang?"
[KYAAAAAAAAA!!!]
Undine lost her mind completely at Rionne finally crossing the line.
And mimicking the nya on top of it, as if conscious of Tsukiyo? Utterly ridiculous! Has she gone insane!?
Then a voice came from above.
"Pathetic, Sword Saint. Adding 'nyang' to your words is something our tribe's kids do."
There hung Tsukiyo, upside down from the roof.
[…What are you doing?]
Tsukiyo snorted, her face red from blood rushing to her head as she stared intently at Enoch.
"Owner. Call me right now, and I'll even let you call me Choco."