After its last failure, the cat finally realized that surviving in the wild on its own was probably impossible. Nature was cruel, strictly enforcing the law of the jungle, and the cat was clearly just a human’s pet—not cut out for such a merciless world.
After once again evading the children chasing it, the cat leisurely made its way to the only merchant hall in town. Unlike the other buildings, it was the only three-story structure in the whole place, with floors paved in luxurious marble. The cat couldn’t see those details, of course, but judging by the building’s sheer size, money really was king in every world.
The cat quietly climbed over the roof and made its way to the merchant hall’s back courtyard, where they kept the horses and stored the goods. Every morning, several carriages set out from here to trade in cities all over the world, but by noon, no more carriages departed. The cat guessed that traveling outdoors at night was extremely dangerous and inconvenient in this world, and that the journey from this town to the next human settlement took about a full day.
So after mooching a meal early, it hurried over to the merchant hall to scope the place out.
But it seemed to have arrived a little late. Only two carriages remained in the courtyard, one large and one small, and neither had set out yet. After a moment’s thought, the cat leaped from the roof onto the larger carriage, carefully checked its surroundings, then squeezed into a gap between the cargo.
Once it was sure its hiding spot was secure and there was a safe escape route, the cat settled down to watch the world outside. It didn’t want the carriage to jolt along the road and send the cargo sliding over to crush it to death.
That would be a truly unfair way to go.
The sun climbed higher, and the gap between the cargo grew stuffy and hot. Judging by the sounds it had just heard, the small carriage had left too, but the large one it was hiding on still hadn’t budged.
The cat grew increasingly puzzled. If this large carriage didn’t set out soon, it definitely wouldn’t reach the next human settlement in time. Or maybe it had no intention of leaving at all today.
Just as the cat was wondering whether to sneak out, the faint sound of a group approaching drifted in from outside, along with quite a few complaints.
“Honestly, the master knows full well the young lady’s leaving today, and he’s still making us wait this long. If you ask me, we’ll be traveling after dark if we’re any later.”
“Watch your tongue! What business does a servant like you have sticking your nose into the affairs of the great house?”
“Hey, don’t give me that. I heard a rumor the other day that the master doesn’t even like the young lady. People in the house say she’s a white-haired witch, a bringer of misfortune. You think there’s a reason he’s kept us waiting so late this time…?”
“Bullshit! Get lost, get lost. Quit spreading that nonsense.”
“Yeah. By your logic, we might as well call off the trip and go home to our wives, right?”
“Hey, no, no! The master’s paying us a fortune, so he must care deeply for his daughter. What I said just now was crap. Forget it, forget it!”
Another burst of laughter followed.
Huddled among the cargo, the cat listened to them talk and couldn’t shake the feeling it had gotten mixed up in something big.
(No, something feels off. Maybe I shouldn’t go on this trip after all.)
With that thought, it had just gotten to its feet when its eyes met a pair of eyes outside the cargo.
(!!!)
Its body reacted on instinct. It dropped into a fighting stance, the fur along its back standing on end as it bared its sharp teeth and let out a threatening growl.
“HSSSSSSSS!”
