Chapter 44
“Uh…”
Sia thought that, depending on who heard it, his answer might sound strange. She recalled what Nox had said yesterday about not having anyone to joke around with.
“Oh, is it because you wanted to talk to me comfortably?”
After taking her seat, she asked Nox in a quiet voice before he left.
“…That’s right.”
“If that’s all it is, then don’t worry about it.”
Nox felt dizzy at the sight of Sia winking with one eye as she answered. She was so close that her scent filled the air. Straightening his slightly leaning posture, Nox lightly grasped and released a lock of her hair.
“I’ll trust only you.”
“Leave it to me!”
While the two were talking, Cedric came in pushing a trolley piled high with food. A fresh salad was placed in front of Sia, and a beautifully blended tomato juice was set before Nox.
Cedric watched, moved, as the two chatted and laughed together.
* * *
“A divine oracle has descended.”
News of the oracle was quickly delivered to the Lupensia Empire, the land of the wolf tribe. After gathering his retainers, the Emperor of Lupensia issued a firm command.
“Do not let another race claim it. The human must belong to our wolf tribe!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
After finishing the tedious meeting, James left the palace so quickly his black hair fluttered behind him. No sooner had he boarded his carriage than his aide, John, asked curiously,
“Your Grace, what was the urgent reason His Majesty summoned you?”
James replied quietly, still looking as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“They say a divine oracle came down at the Initium Temple. They sent out an urgent message.”
“Pardon? An oracle?”
“But the content of the oracle is absurd.”
“What does it say?”
“It says that the race who claims the human will be able to maintain a longer history. You could interpret it as being able to enjoy the glory bestowed by the divine.”
“…Excuse me?”
James completely understood John’s reaction. A human, of all things…
“It’s hard to believe that a mythical human actually exists in reality. I wonder if it’s meant as a metaphor for something else…”
“I don’t believe so, sir.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“As I understand it, the chief god of Initium is called the god of truth for a reason, always giving very clear oracles. That’s why, even among different races, all werebeasts believe in the god of Initium. And since it was the high priest himself who delivered the oracle, there’s even less reason to doubt it.”
“Hmm… Even so, I still find it hard to believe. Of course, I know that a human is said to have been at the origin of our kind, but wasn’t that just the human from myth? And now, suddenly, a human appears…”
John, concerned, asked in a worried voice as James murmured in a mix of wonder and doubt.
“But if it really is a human… aren’t humans incomparably weaker than werebeasts? What help could such a fragile being offer, for the god to say such a thing?”
“That’s right. It’s said that werebeasts inherited human intelligence, but all our physical gifts are strictly our own. That’s why I’m also curious. But there’s at least one thing I’m certain of.”
“What is it?”
“It means we now have an excuse to invade our neighbors even more aggressively, all in the name of finding the human. We might as well do some plundering, too.”
James let out a pleased laugh. His thoughts turned to the Blois territory, which had consistently been staving off repeated invasions. He remembered the unlucky duke who was discriminated against for having black hair.
“I really want to cross swords with him, sincerely.”
He knew of the superstition passed down among the cat tribe. To be honest, he found it utterly ridiculous. In the wolf tribe, on the contrary, a wolf with black fur was revered as a strong male—that kind of superstition.
James, whose situation was different despite sharing black fur, said boldly,
“To be honest, I’m not sure I can find the human, but I’m definitely confident I can bring back the black-haired cat.”
“With that confidence, perhaps you should focus more on preparing for winter this year…”
“…Hmph.”
Geographically, the Lupensia Empire was one of two countries closely situated to each other. Though its land size was similar to the Pelles Empire, its national power was weaker, so it had no choice but to be mindful of the cat tribe. That was why James had never participated in a full-scale battle before.
But this time, he ignored John’s criticism, determined to make a proper invasion of Blois. Pushing aside troublesome thoughts, James wondered when he would get to meet the black-haired cat, muttering to himself,
“If I manage to find the human along the way, all the better.”
Furthermore, James, convinced it would be a complete victory if the human was female, suddenly voiced his curiosity.
“If the human is a female, will knotting be possible?”
“I’m not sure… Isn’t she so delicate she might get hurt?”
The very idea of mating without knotting sounded tedious to him. James found his curiosity about humans slightly diminished.
“If it’s a female, I was thinking of making her my wife, but I’ll have to consider it more carefully.”
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