Lady Kimiyo heads upstairs, with Lady Ren trailing behind her.
Voices drift down from above.
“Ren, you’re going to help Ikaku Akamuro.”
“Huh?”
“The vault holds enchanted artifacts. Some of them are dangerous, even deadly, to untrained hands.”
“What?! You want me to mess with that stuff?!”
“That’s right. You’re doing it, Ren.”
Silence. Then footsteps.
Lady Ren comes down looking like she’s been sentenced to death.
“Um… Grandma said I should help you, Mr. Akamuro.”
“Your support is deeply appreciated, Lady Ren.”
“Meoow~!”
“Ah…”
Milady Mikaela slips from my arms and launches straight into Lady Ren’s chest.
“Meow! Meow!”
“Whoa—w-wait! Mikaela? You’re—wow, you’re so fluffy! You’re snuggling me? Why are you—no, stop! You’re too cute!”
“A Healing Cat... Never seen this Magibeast in person,” Sumire mutters. “I’ve heard they can fry a human brain with sheer adorableness. Lady Ren, are you still with us?”
“My analysis is that Lady Ren’s brain is already toast," I observe. "Resistance is futile.”
“Ughhh, she’s too cute... I’m gonna lose it... sniff…”
“Lady Ren! Snap out of it! You damn fluffball—get off her!”
Sumire moves in urgently and peels Milady Mikaela off Lady Ren’s chest. A clean rescue.
But now Mikaela turns her sights on Sumire.
Squish squish. Her paws land right on her chest, rhythmically kneading.
Pressure on both peaks—full compression.
“Guh-ahh! Nngh—my chest... hurts. But it’s good.”
“Meooow~.”
She’s gone too.
As expected. Milady Mikaela is unmatched.
Humanity never stood a chance.
I leave the feline warlord with Ren and Sumire and turn to my actual job.
Inventorying the ransacked treasure vault is slow, tedious work. But at least it’s more straightforward than the wreckage upstairs.
“Meoow~ meoow~!”
“Please wait, Milady Mikaela. Miss Akashi will play with you. I’m busy right now. Got important work to do.”
“Meoow!”
“Ack, no no no—don’t sit on the inventory list! Kneading me won’t work either—ah, dammit—”
“Meoow~!”
She won’t quit.
But I power through with the iron focus of a body forged in battle and gyms.
Eventually, I finish logging everything.
Eighty-five Relics are missing. The unstable ones, thankfully, are brought under control thanks to the maintenance manual and Lady Ren’s assistance.
By the time we wrap up the hectic work, the sun’s already high overhead.
“Phew. That’s it for now.”
Lady Ren collapses onto the long table. Her stomach lets out a beastly growl.
She goes red and grabs her gut. “I-it doesn’t usually make that sound... haha...”
She’s been on her feet since morning. Hunger and exhaustion are fair enough.
“Thank you for your help, Lady Ren. I can handle the rest alone.”
“R-really? Then… I’ll leave it to you, Mr. Akamuro.”
I send her off. Final cleanup doesn’t need a crowd.
“Sheesh. Looks like bandits came through here. Hayate said the attackers were after the Akai ladies. But judging by this mess, they might’ve wanted the vault too—Hey! Milady Mikaela!”
“Meoow~!”
Last I saw, she’d been napping in a corner of the room.
Now she’s on the table I just finished sorting. Curled around Samonjiro’s Typewriter—a relic from 19th-century London, once favored by the previous family head.
“Meooow—Mew-mew-mew-mew!”
Clack clack clack clack clack clack.
Clack clack clack clack clack—ding.
Her paws hammer the keys like she’s writing a damn novel.
Of course, this isn’t just an antique—it’s a magical item.
“Hey! Stop! Mikaela!”
“Mew-mew-mew-mew!”
“Not the typewriter! Bad! Get down!”
“Meow! Meoow~!”
“That’s not allowed, Milady. Bad kitty!”
I scoop her up and wrestle her off the keys.
“Can’t take my eyes off you for a second—Huh? What the heck is…?”
“Mee-ow!”
Letters are stamped across the yellowed paper, crisp and clear in a neat row of Roman characters.
[MewMewMew!! I am Ayano Akai!!]
I hold Mikaela up by her little armpits. She goes limp in my hands, letting me inspect her like luggage.
I meet her gaze. Sharp. Proud. Mischievously intelligent.
She’s radiating smug fluff at lethal levels.
“...Lady Ayano?”
“Mee-ow♪”
“Seriously?”
“Meow?”
“If you’re really Lady Ayano, meow twice.”
“Meow♪ Meow♪”
...What the hell is going on?