Mayutan's Love (Part 2)

"Who exactly are you?" Mayutan demanded.

"I'm sorry. My name is Aneta. Whenever I make eye contact with a male, he falls hopelessly in love with me. It's something I was born with, so there's nothing I can do about it..."

It seemed that Aneta's eyes possessed a mysterious power.

"They fall in love with you just by looking into your eyes? Then why am I unaffected?" Mayutan asked, unable to make sense of it.

"I wish I knew. I've never met a cat like you before."

Aneta gave a helpless shrug.

"I've heard that my eyebrows have the power to ward off evil... Maybe that's why."

As he spoke, Mayutan gently rubbed his eyebrows.

"Really? I don't know why either. But this is terrible..." Aneta said despairingly. "The effects of my eyes never wear off. They last until death."

"They last until death? That's a serious problem..." Mayutan frowned. "We're in the middle of a journey. At this rate, we won't be able to continue."

Mayutan explained their predicament to Aneta. After thinking for a moment, she finally spoke.

"This is only an old legend, but..."

"I don't care if it's just a legend. We'll try anything."

"All right. There's the Cat Shrine nearby. The Cat God is said to live there and keep a horribly bitter fruit called the Libera Fruit. They say anyone who eats it will regain their senses, no matter what condition they're in."

For a shrine, the name Libera Fruit certainly sounded Latin.

But that was the least of their concerns right now.

"That's great! Then let's go meet the Cat God right away!"

"It's not that simple..." Aneta replied. "The Cat God gives everyone a quiz. Unless you answer it correctly, you won't receive anything. The quizzes are so difficult that no one has ever solved one."

Hearing that only made Mayutan more excited.

An impossibly difficult riddle that no one had ever solved...

It was exactly the sort of challenge he loved.

"I accept the challenge. Now, please lead us to the Cat Shrine."

And so, the two of them set off for the Cat Shrine.