Episode 25 — Behind the Scenes of the World Reform

That guy has absolutely no intention of leaving the house today, either.

Since morning, he’s been buried in the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

When I approach him, he just reaches out with sleepy eyes.

(…Honestly, how can he talk about “reforming another world” while acting like this?)

Well, since he’s definitely not going to move, I’m the one who has to do it.

I quietly left the house and headed for the garrison.

The garrison, which was just finished yesterday, looks strangely magnificent bathed in the morning sun.

Bartos was busy cleaning.

The moment he noticed me, he scrambled to straighten his posture.

“L-Lady Tarmane…!”

“Good morning, Bartos.”

I raised a hand slightly.

In my other hand were two bags stuffed with mana stones.

(I’ve been hunting magic beasts every day to earn him points and divine power… but I never thought I’d be providing the materials for urban development. I’m glad I kept them.)

“I came because I have something to give you.”

“To… me, My Lady?”

“Yes. You mentioned you were short on mana stones, didn’t you?”

When I dropped the bags at his feet, Bartos’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“T-This is…!”

“You need them, right? If you’re going to build a city.”

Bartos fell to one knee, trembling.

“Lady Tarmane… you are truly…”

“More importantly, I have a favor to ask.”

“I want to register as an adventurer. Can you guide me?”

“O-Of course! But… for someone of your stature, Lady Tarmane, to become an adventurer…?”

“It’s necessary. It’ll make it easier for me to move around.”

(It’s more convenient to have an official identity if I’m going to be working behind the scenes for him.)

Guided by Bartos, I headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.

The moment I opened the door, the chatter stopped instantly.

The morning guild was full of life.

People arguing in front of the quest board, others drinking, others lining up at the reception.

All that noise died the second I stepped inside.

Every eye turned toward me at once.

Silver hair, golden eyes, black and purple outfit—yeah, I suppose I stand out.

(…I’m much more comfortable when I’m curled up on that guy’s lap.)

The woman at the reception spoke in a relaxed voice.

She had a peculiar aura, completely disconnected from the tension in the air.

“How can I help you…?”

“I’d like to register as an adventurer.”

“Certainly… however…”

The receptionist lowered her brows apologetically.

“You’ll need to present identification… or if you don’t have any, a guarantor…”

(Ah, so that’s how it works. What a pain.)

Right then, Bartos stepped forward.

The atmosphere in the guild sharpened in an instant.

“I shall be her guarantor! I, Bartos, Knight Commander of Felsen, take full responsibility!”

“C-Commander Bartos!? In that case, there is no problem at all!”

The receptionist’s attitude flipped instantly.

The surrounding adventurers began to whisper frantically.

“The Commander is a guarantor…? Who is that woman…?”

“Never seen her… but she’s clearly not normal…”

“The Commander is actually bowing to her…?”

(…So noisy. I just want to get this over with.)

The paperwork was pushed toward me, and I wrote down a name.

—Meina.

(“Tarmane” would cause too many problems… this should be fine.)

As the registration card was handed over, Bartos placed a hand over his heart.

“Meina… with this, you can now operate officially!”

“Thanks, Bartos. You’ve been a big help.”

We exchanged brief nods and left the guild behind.

On the way back to the garrison, I spoke to Bartos.

“Hey, Bartos.”

“Yes, Lady Tarmane!”

“Don’t tell Zect about today. Not about the registration, or the mana stones. …Actually, don’t mention me at all.”

“…May I ask why?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

(I just want to be “Tama” when I’m with him…)

Bartos nodded with a dead-serious expression.

“Understood. I shall not breathe a word of this to Master Zect!”

“I appreciate it.”

I gave a light wave and walked away from the garrison.

(Now then… I think it’s time for a nap on his lap.)

That little window at the back of Zect’s house.

There’s a tiny gap left open—more than enough for me to pass through as a cat.

Standing before the window, I took a deep breath.

My body felt suddenly light, and my vision dropped toward the ground.

Returning to the form of a black cat, I flicked my tail and hopped onto the windowsill.

I slipped inside smoothly.

In the living room, he was still lounging on the sofa.

When he saw me, his sleepy eyes narrowed, and he reached out.

“…Welcome back, Tama.”

(Good grief…)

I walked toward his hand and hopped right onto his lap.

His fingers began to stroke my head.

(…Well, I suppose this isn't so bad.)

My throat began to purr of its own accord.

And so, my day ended.