My head felt warm and fuzzy, such an unreal sensation. My eyelids were so heavy… so comfortable… mmm-hah~… hmm… wait, no. So I did fall asleep after all, didn’t I? Even though I didn’t dream or anything in between, my body did experience that sense of rest… So sleep really is possible for me after all.
Switching from lying down to sitting up, I stretched for the first time in a while, relieving some of that grogginess from waking up. If I could, I’d really love to lie back down until I’d had my fill.
Well, since I’m already up, that’s about enough.
“…Was I just lying down? This soft feeling…” A bed? I glanced at the blanket covering me and the mattress beneath me, still a bit dazed. But one thing I could confirm: “This family must be back already, right? That kid from earlier should be here too.”
I hope they don’t do anything to me… Well, probably not. A family that raises such an innocent child—the parents and relatives must be good people. Their morals and upbringing are definitely above average.
Just as I was thinking that, a “creak” came from nearby—a door opening, probably.
“Meow, little girl, how did you sleep, meow?” It was a catgirl, wearing a witch’s hat and floating in the air on a broomstick beneath her, just like a witch. “Meow? So you’re already awake, meow?”
Whoa, a catgirl who can use magic? So this really is a world of demihumans after all? Then that lamia on the other side of the magic circle earlier was also…
I had thought she was a wild species. Though normally, people shouldn’t be able to understand their speech.
“Ah, hello. I’m really sorry for taking up a bed in your home.” I should start off polite—that should leave a good impression. “May I ask who you are? I heard from the boy that he has two older sisters, but both of them had gone out.”
The catgirl kept the smile on her face and slowly leaned closer to me.
“Meow~ Little girl, you’re so polite. I’m Aria, meow. I’m a catgirl, meow.” As she spoke, she puffed out her well-endowed chest, seeming very confident about what she’d said.
“…Hello. I can see that.”
Well, I’ve seen plenty of demihumans in the demihuman city, so at this point it doesn’t feel that strange anymore. Though back in the Spirit Forest, I did fantasize about meeting real demihumans. But now? Seeing that their daily lives aren’t much different from humans’, that excitement has faded.
“Hey hey, little girl.”
“Yes?”
“Little girl, do you know that you’re human, meow?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?” Isn’t it obvious at a glance that I’m human? What’s so strange about that?
Aria… Can I call her that? Well, it should be fine, right? Aria nodded thoughtfully, then showed a smiling face again, but something about that smile felt off—like it was aimed at something specific.
This feels bad. I should leave quickly.
—12:36
I slept for two hours. I suppose you could call it catching up on rest.
I got out of bed and left the room together with the catgirl. But the moment I stepped forward, I stepped into empty air and nearly fell the whole way down. There was no floor in front of me at all—I could see the living room I’d been in earlier directly below, and the spiral staircase was on the other side.
How is anyone supposed to use this? Seriously, how does a person even go downstairs? Do they all have to fly?!
“Meow, little girl, be careful, meow. This is my room, meow. I usually use my flying broom, so hehe, meow~”
“So you really do always fly.” That’s way too dependent on magic. Though I guess I’m not one to talk. But the way this world operates is built on swords and magic, after all.
Still, this place clearly isn’t within the scope of《AWO》anymore, right? Just like that magical girl I met before—that place couldn’t even really be called a “space.”
I looked at the second floor. There were obviously more rooms up there. I found it strange—from the outside it looked so… ah, no, it was pretty big, wasn’t it? Like that Winter·Crackwind’s house back in Malettus?
As for the distance to the first floor, I roughly estimated it… Actually, before I even did that, I had already jumped down. It was like my body automatically measured the distance—as long as it was within a safe range, I just went for it on instinct.
“…Doesn’t seem like anyone’s home. Miss Aria, you…?”
I turned back to look at the catgirl, and for a moment I caught a look of surprise on her face. Then she used her broom to slowly descend along the same path I had just taken.
“Ara meow, I thought you’d need me to carry you down, meow. I didn’t expect you to be so relaxed about it, meow.”
“Mm, oh. It’s nothing, right?” No no no, for me it’s a pretty big deal. How could a girl my age jump from the second floor and come out completely unharmed?
Aria was full of smiles. Her skin was a bit darker than the average woman’s, but she was still very charming… Well, I can’t really appreciate anyone’s detailed appearance. I can only say she’s very pretty.
“Meow, little girl, have a seat, meow.” She pulled me over to the tea table and patted a larger sofa, motioning for me to sit.
I hadn’t noticed this sofa before, and since I tend to resist unfamiliar environments anyway, I felt it wasn’t appropriate. “That’s probably not a good idea. I’m only here by accident as a guest in your home.” I waved my hand and sat down on the wooden chair across from the catgirl.
She clearly sensed my feelings, so she didn’t insist further.
“…Then, let’s just wait here for Iris to bring Kalimel back.” After saying that, the catgirl stopped speaking.
Did I kill the mood? I’m really sorry. It’s not my fault—people call me the “conversation ender.”
I sat there restless, crossing and uncrossing my legs, constantly rubbing my fingertips and the back of my hands, cracking my fingers with a “crack.”
But I was still uneasy. Not the kind of unease you feel when facing an enemy’s attack, but the hesitation that comes with dealing with problems and handling other people…
So awkward.
I ruffled my hair and casually asked, “Miss Aria, how old are you?” Only after saying it did I consider whether asking such a question upon first meeting was too rude.
The catgirl blinked, then pretended to think it over. —As for that, I could see through it instantly. Especially back at the entrance of Quinn Forest, I had completely mastered that skill.
“Mm, meow. Ahem, I’m 19 years old, meow.” Pfft, sorry, sorry. I never imagined I’d one day hear someone who looks more mature than me say something like that. Hahaha, satisfied.
I don’t know the upper limits of lifespans for other races, especially demihumans. Some can live very long, like vampires and elves… while others have very short ones.
“…I couldn’t tell.”
“How rude, meow. I really am 19, meow! Much older than you, little girl, meow!”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“How could that be! I may not have met many humans, but I know. Because Kalimel is about your age, and Kalimel is still a child, meow!”
“Am I a child?” That’s worth pondering.
“…Now that you mention it, you really are a bit different.” Of course—my behavior, my way of speaking, plus jumping straight down from the second floor just now. “I think I’m about three years older than Kalimel, meow?”
I’m dizzy X﹏X. Can you really not tell? How is that possible? A normal person should have noticed by now!
“…Sigh…”
“Meow? Did I say something wrong, meow?”
“Nothing.”
This topic was dead. Better switch to another one.
“By the way, you’ve been saying ‘Kalimel, Kalimel’ this whole time. Who is he? If he’s younger than me, then is he that kid with short red hair and a blue vest?”
“Mm meow! So you’ve already met Kalimel, meow!” The catgirl suddenly got excited. Though she tried desperately to hold it back, the corners of her mouth still gave her away… That trace of a smile sent a chill down my spine.
“Ah, so it’s Kalimel, right?” I nodded. It should be that kid.
“Yes, meow! When you met Kalimel, did you feel anything strange?”
I was instantly confused, and for a moment I started speculating about what that “strange feeling” really meant.
Love? Hate? Anger? Or something even deeper…
“What do you mean by that?” I asked naturally.
“Of course I mean whether you had an urge to do oxox with Kalimel, meow!”
“An urge to do oxox… What’s oxox?” Whether in Flame Language, Rice Language, or Nihon Language, I couldn’t understand it.
Seeing my reaction, the catgirl seemed to understand something. She nodded, rested her hand on her chin, and slowly stroked it.
“Then, little girl, you’re safe, meow.” She said it seriously. So when she’s being serious, she drops the cat speech pattern? Is that her setting?
Safe? What’s that supposed to mean?
While I was racking my brain, there was a knock at the front door. Someone had come back.
“They’re back, meow! Facts speak louder than words! Little girl, come with me, meow!” Without even asking if I agreed, the catgirl grabbed my hand and headed for the door. Before I could react, she had already opened it and let the people outside in.
The first one to bump into me was the boy from before. And then there was another—a beautiful girl with fair skin… Girl? If I hadn’t seen the two horns on top of her head and the nimble heart-shaped long tail behind her, I might have actually believed that.
I touched the boy’s head to check on him. He seemed fine. Then I looked up at that legendary race—”succubus.”
I didn’t know much about them in my past life, but I had learned some things from certain perverts. A succubus is a… kuh, they do a lot of…
I lightly slapped myself with one hand, then turned away and covered my eyes.
“…Ah… ah… ahem… cough!” Then I turned back, smiling. “Hello, miss. I’m the guest Kalimel brought back—Hazuki Jūryō. Please take care of me.”
