Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: 14. To the World of Agriculture! (7)
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"No way!"
My daughter was finally starting to rebel after such a long time.
She'd been such a good girl for the two years since we met, never once giving her dad any grief!
"Ellis."
Just calling her name, but in a firm tone.
She flinched for a moment, but this time, my daughter wasn't backing down.
"D-Dad! I'll take good care of Ellis! This kid just finished treatment!"
"It's fine, Ellis. Ar's treatments are reliable, right?"
Ellis froze as if time itself had stopped, but she clearly wasn't willing to give up on the cat.
"B-But! The emotional trauma! No, since she got treated by Sis, she's probably got even more emotional scars!"
...Yeah, no argument there.
Even the animal protection society would have nothing to say about that.
"Little sis! Don't you think you're treating me too harshly?!"
"I think Sis's treatments are that harsh!"
"Ugh... Little sis... my adorable little sis is denying me!"
She was in such despair I wanted to slap a [KABOOM!] effect in the background like a comic.
"So please!"
Looking up at me with those sparkling eyes, Ellis made me want to say sure, go ahead and keep the cat.
I wanted to, but...
'Can a normal cat really make that bored expression?'
In my past life, I'd seen cats acting like butlers, but I'd never had one myself.
I hadn't even fed canned food to a stray like protagonists in dramas.
The extent of my cat knowledge was getting heart-attacked by memes online and skimming related posts.
So my common sense about cats was all internet-based, which meant I could safely say I knew squat.
But this cat made me uneasy for some reason.
That blasé expression, the kind you hear cats can have, looked to me like it was watching us with amusement, full of secrets.
Logically, that's ridiculous.
I've seen the empire's top power, the princess whose face is rare to glimpse, every day from morning till night.
I've nearly been pounced on by a high elf, who supposedly never leaves near the World Tree.
Even I haven't seen a pureblood beastkin yet.
Let alone a pureblood beastkin noble who can fully transform into an animal.
And in this rural village! By chance!
Common sense says that's a higher probability than buying three lottery tickets and hitting first through third place.
But I've already experienced something with similar odds: the old man next door being a Sword Saint.
That's why the golden cat feels so ominous.
And whenever I get uneasy, trouble always brews.
So what can I do?
"Why this one of all cats?"
"Because I did something really mean to it... I have to take responsibility!"
Ellis, teary-eyed and hugging the cat, was unbearably cute.
But her words were a bit off.
My daughter shouldn't think taking responsibility means just handling the fallout from a little mischief!
- Yeah, if only women took responsibility for every guy who did something mean, it'd be three wives and four concubines minimum—three wives standard, four concubines optional.
- What's four concubines? Four!
I haven't done anything that bad... have I?
The spoiled one was giving me a profoundly pitiful look as I pondered.
"So let me keep it!"
"No!"
The cat hanging off my arm yowled in panic, but Ellis ignored it and thrust it toward me.
"This one's cute!"
"There are plenty of cute cats in the village. You can have any other one—this one's off limits!"
I'd sooner let her keep a black cat, symbol of misfortune, than this one that screams good bloodline.
"I-I'll feed it properly!"
"No."
"Ugh... I-I'll potty train it! Even if it goes inside, I'll clean it up! Please!"
"Nyaaooow!"
This cat's reaction felt different from before.
Rough translation: 'You think I'd soil the house, human?!'
- That's a disease, that attitude.
- Could be real!
If it happens to me, high chance it becomes reality.
I've experienced that enough that it's a miracle I've lived quietly these past two years.
Ah, of course, one insane condition got fulfilled in those two years: old man next door is Sword Saint.
- It's absurd, but you make it convincing...
- Right?!
Even the spoiled one was starting to concede.
But my daughter didn't know about her dad's unlucky streak.
"Ugh!"
She just puffed her cheeks and hugged the cat protectively.
"Haa... Dad's really mad?"
"Ugh... That's not fair..."
I lowered my voice a notch and put on a sad face.
No kids in my past life since I never had a family.
It's not my blood, but I don't want to fight with my first child.
So, time to go hard.
"You think Dad would ban a cat for no reason? There's a good cause."
"W-What's the reason...?"
"Secret."
"Dad's not fair..."
Ellis looked at me, then down at the cat, eyes wavering as she stared.
Then her wavering gaze blinked, hardening into resolve.
"Fine... I'll take it outside!"
"If you're thinking of crashing at a friend's for a few days, forget it."
"H-How?!"
"Same pattern every time."
Since coming to the village, Ellis has run away twice.
Once when I said at 10 she'd sleep alone from now on, and once last year when we decided no corn due to soil quality.
I tracked her routes via the spoiled one, so I could catch her anytime.
"Hmph! There's still places Dad doesn't know!"
"Next door at Grandpa's?"
"Eek!"
Her last sanctuary exposed, Ellis recoiled two steps in horror.
"Can Dad read my mind?"
"Yup. Dad knows everything."
Bluff, of course, but I'm not dumb enough to lose a psych war to a normal 12-year-old.
"W-What do I do, kitty?"
"Miyaoong."
Unlike her serious daughter, the cat looked utterly languid.
Rough gut translation: 'Not planning to stay anyway, human. Leave me be!'
- Three letters of miyaoong hold that much meaning?
- Gut feeling, gut!
- Hmm... If you're that stubborn... no choice.
The spoiled one, who'd watched our fight boredly, finally stood and strode confidently to Ellis.
"Little sis, keep ignoring Dad and Sis'll punish you?"
"S-Sis! Look at this kitty! So cute!"
"But Dad's the master of this house. He decides on indoor pets."
Ellis paled but held her ground as best she could, though she was losing ground.
"I-I'll keep it in my room."
"That room's from Dad too."
"Ugh... W-Why are you against it, Sis?"
Now teary-eyed, Ellis yelled at the spoiled one.
"You're always fighting Dad when I wanna play with you. It's boring me to death."
Simple reply to Ellis's desperate cry.
But Ellis's eyes lit up at that.
"Ah, I'll play with Sis lots from now on! Let's play with the cat together!"
"Great, little sis! Sis approves of keeping the cat!"
- This is?
- No, I wanna farm and have fun with cute little sis, but I'd have to guard the house alone! I wanna play with little sis too!
- Hey, it's almost winter. We stay inside mostly, so I'll be home!
- But if that thing really has something as per your gut...
- Then?
- Party time!
- And my suffering begins!
This one's trying to make me suffer for her own fun.
"Ellis!"
"Dad!"
Our eyes met.
Both burning with determination.
"Why can't I keep it?! You won't even say why. Like last time when you said we're moving and tossed all the crops!"
"Has trusting Dad ever led to bad stuff? And that cat's a wild one. Keeping it inside is bad for it too."
"But... this one... I'm keeping this one!"
"Really now..."
I sighed at my suddenly cat-obsessed daughter.
I knew she was friendly with village strays, but why bring home this ominous one?!
Her rebellion was so fierce, I'd believe the world's will was puppeteering her.
- If the world's will is screwing you over, I seriously believe it exists.
- Fanning the flames much?
"Think of it as a birthday gift, Dad. Please let me keep it."
Tears started plopping from Ellis's eyes.
The cat, hit by them, looked at her in bewilderment.
"You made her cry! Dad made Ellis cry!"
"Sob... Please... please..."
Tell a crying person they're crying, and they cry more—that's the rule.
Ellis's sorrow amplified accordingly.
But I can't weaken now.
Who am I?!
Once, the cold-blooded instructor of the empire's strongest, worst evil organization!
Once, the devoted butler under the empire's worst princess, berating countless souls!
And finally, once, a blood-and-tear-less professor at the empire's strongest academy, Yuglasia!
You think tears can move a man like me, daughter?!
"Dad's the best!"
My lovely daughter hugged me, shedding happy tears.
"Total pushover."
"Shut it."
And that day, I realized my ruthless past self had died...
Our first house pet was born.
#7 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Cat.
Humans are weird.
"Kitty, we're family now!"
The pink-haired little girl hugging me joyfully.
The little girl who from now on wants to be called Sis.
Truth is, I'm probably older... no, I'm male, so definitely not Sis.
"Miyaoong."
But no letting guard down yet.
The man who'd vaguely sensed my identity still eyed me suspiciously.
He knows what I am.
Even same beastkin can't easily spot transformation if different species.
To detect another species' beastkin form, you need noble status at least for a vague sense—but he clocked me instantly.
At first, I thought it was my imagination.
But acting like a normal cat, his gaze screamed, 'I know everything, no need for that childish act!'
I wondered if he was a beastkin noble hiding in human society, but his scent was pure human.
No trace of beastkin.
I've already been betrayed by one I called brother.
Can't stay in a suspicious man's house who spotted me at first glance.
Sorry to this girl showing me clear affection, but association with me would harm her too.
Even if I hate humans, I can't ignore the grace of saving me despite my hurting her.
She'll be disappointed, but that's my only way to repay.
Can't repay directly, but won't ruin her peaceful life because of me.
So I decided to leave tonight.
I did...
"Where you going, kitty?"
I'd slipped out the window, leaving the pink-haired girl clutching me in sleep behind.
But the house's other girl smiled slyly at me.
As if she knew I'd come down here!
"Our cute little bro fought with his favorite Dad just to keep you... You're not running away, right?"
No way... She knows my identity too?!
"Miyaong~"
But she's just a kid.
So I acted like a normal cat.
"Hehe."
But she laughed like she knew everything.
"Disobedient kids... need punishment, right?"
Even looking like this, I'm a beastkin warrior, one of the honorable royals.
A threat like that to me?! As if it'd work...!
'It... doesn't!'
Yet my legs trembled.
Mind wanted to fight, body cowered in fear.
"Wanna get hit, or go back in?"
"Miyaoong."
My body turned and reentered the house on its own.
Th-this is... this is!
'J-just repaying the grace and leaving!'
Just a tiny bit longer, super short!
That's what I thought, but leaving this house became a far-future event.