Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord Act 6 (Light Novel) E-Book

Satori Tanabata

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 292

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

After dealing with troubles in the Royal Capital, Yumiella has returned to Dolkness County to relax. But with one simple line, Eleonora alters the course of her life: “I think you’re the only person who could hold their own against yourself.”

An imaginary battle of Yumiella versus Yumiella begins! Stuck in her own mind, Yumiella is put to bed. She wakes up later to find that...her left side died?! Yumiella’s left half has wandered into a world between life and death, and she sets out to explore a mysterious kingdom in order to find a way to come back to life. Meanwhile, Yumiella’s right half is back in the living world, stuck with a half-paralyzed body and working to find a way to fix the situation. But her motivation is much more Yumiella-like—the battle against herself was left unsettled, and she needs to figure out which side would’ve won! Can Yumiella resurrect herself, and if she’s successful, what does that mean for the other residents of the realm beyond life?

Leseprobe

Prologue

It had been about a week since we’d returned from the Royal Capital, and the end of the year was approaching. Actually, it was better to describe it as the approach of the Foundation Festival since the festival marked the end of the calendar year in the Kingdom of Valschein. The Foundation Festival took place in winter, so I liked to think of it as New Year’s.

The fall harvest was over, and tax calculations had been completed. Every year, both commoners and aristocrats would get the day off to celebrate this holiday, but Dolkness County had no time for rest. Patrick’s and my wedding was planned for a date with impeccable timing—it would be right before the excitement of the Foundation Festival would die down, and it was also before the arrival of spring. Invitations had been sent out long ago.

Since I’d uncharacteristically gotten involved in central matters, I wanted to take a break, but there was no time for that. I didn’t even have time to get sentimental and think, Wow, I’m getting married...

I was sitting in the lord’s office, waging a staring contest against tax-related documents. To celebrate the change in lords and gain favor with my people, I had decided that the county wouldn’t be collecting taxes this year, but we still recorded the harvest and calculated what we would’ve collected in taxes. I was starting to get depressed about how things were going to be even more work next year.

I took a quick break to stretch, and Eleanora entered the office.

“Yumiella, do you have a moment?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I don’t have any matter in particular to discuss, but...I wanted to spend some time with you. Is that all right?”

Eleanora’s so cute! Yay! So this is what comes off as cute. I’ll use it on Patrick another time. Until now, I’d been coming up with random topics to create an opportunity to talk to him, but thinking back on it, it might not have been that endearing.

I happily welcomed Eleanora. “Of course. I was just thinking it would be nice to take a break.”

“Yay! I’m so glad!”

No matter what we were talking about, it was a fun time with my dear friend Eleanora. Even if the topic was something I had no interest in, if it was important to Eleanora, I could listen to her go on about the most inane things. That’s how you show respect to a person!

“Do you remember the perfume I introduced you to? It’s more real than a real...”

No matter how much someone might want to, most people couldn’t catch a four-seam fastball going 160 kilometers per hour—similarly, there were just some things that humans couldn’t do. That’s why it couldn’t be helped if I zoned out a bit. Once Eleanora got going about perfumes, she wouldn’t stop. If I asked one question, she’d respond to it with one hundred answers’ worth of information. She could easily talk for four hours straight when it came to fragrances.

But I’d experienced this several times by now, and I was starting to gain some knowledge on perfumes. I knew what she was about to discuss right now. It was easy for me to follow along.

“I’ve heard of that. You’re talking about the imposter who founded Parfeu, the perfumer Tritus, right?” Parfeu was Eleanora’s favorite fragrance brand. I’d been forced to hear the name countless times since we were students, so it was burned into my memory. That also meant I needed no further explanation. “If I remember correctly, he gets inspiration from his surroundings, like scenery, objects, and culture, when making perfumes...”

“His name is Sir Quartus,” Eleanora said, correcting me. “Let me start from the beginning.”

I see. It was Quartus, not Tritus. I’d just mixed up whether his name had a three or four in it, but Eleanora ever so graciously decided to explain things from the beginning. This is going to take a while.

And so, time passed slowly—the seas dried up, the land dried out, and everything in the world weathered. Eleanora energetically kept talking, and we eventually reached the truth of the matter.

“That was when I realized, it was all lies!”

“What?! I can’t believe it was all made up.” Though I responded to show I was listening, I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. We’re talking about perfume, right?

Eleanora’s ability to explain things left much to be desired, and my understanding was just not there. Both the speaker and listener lacking in skill was like the car wheels not touching the ground. We ultimately couldn’t get anywhere.

Eleanora’s topic wrapped up for now, and she seemed to have noticed that she’d gone on for quite some time. “Oh dear, I’ve been talking about myself this entire time... Is there anything that’s been on your mind these days, Yumiella?”

This was the branching point of my fate. If I pulled out a shared topic of interest here, we could both be engaged in the conversation. I decided to play it safe and go with something that all of humanity would be interested in. Oh, I know!

“Would you be interested in talking about strong concealable weapons that can be made using the technology this kingdom has access to?”

“You really seem to be fond of such topics, Yumiella...” Eleanora had been wearing an elated smile until mere moments ago, but her expression suddenly clouded over. Do mechanical weapons not make a good topic for some girl talk? Eleanora continued with a sad—no, exasperated—look. “You’re already so strong. What else are you trying to battle?”

“I just want the weapons because they’re cool. I’m not a member of a warrior race or anything.”

“But you think like a warrior—you want to fight those who are stronger than you.”

“I’m not going out of my way to find someone stronger than me. It’s just that I know I’m the strongest, so I can’t forgive anyone spreading lies about being stronger than me.”

“I think you’re the only person who could hold their own against you.”

I’m the only one who could hold their own against me? Is she talking about Yumiella 2? I was thinking of the Yumiella from the parallel world, but Eleanora believed 2 was a different person who just looked like me. It didn’t seem like she was referring to my doppelgänger, so she must have truly meant that I should fight myself.

“Me versus myself, huh?”

That meant I needed to fight a clone or copy of myself. I would be fighting someone who was the same as me in every sense, including having the same physical specs, level, and thought process.

Even if I tried to punch myself in the face, we’d have the same reach, so she’d probably use a cross counter. That was why I’d actually go for a low kick... No, wait, she’s me, so she’d think the same thing. Then I would anticipate that and deliver a flying kick...which she would also think to do.

Then what would happen if we took thinking out of the equation and resorted to mudslinging? There was no way a copy would stand up against the original me. Well, she’ll think she’s actually the original...

We’d both anticipate each other’s movements, and we’d make a move at the same time, only for it to be a misdirection and lead to another staring contest. Maybe magic would... No, there can be a gap between casting a spell and it activating, so it’d be difficult to figure out the right timing...

“Yumiella? Yumiella?!”

“Huh? What? What is it?” Why is Eleanora calling my name? Actually, I don’t even remember her being here. Oh wait, right, we were in the middle of a conversation. I’d accidentally gotten lost in thought, fighting against my imaginary clone.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop my imagination from running wild.”

“This might be my fault for even bringing it up... It’s nothing you need to think about so seriously. It’s just a hypothetical.”

“But I keep thinking about those what-ifs.”

“There’s no use in thinking about it, you know? You can’t make a clone of yourself, nor can you split your single body into a right side and left side.”

“Right and left...?”

“Oh dear, I’ve really done it now.”

I see. Yumiella Dolkness is undoubtedly the strongest, ultimate force in the world, but it’s unclear whether Yumiella’s right or left side is stronger. I’m right-handed, so I think my right side is probably stronger. But I was also right-handed in my past life, yet my left hand had a stronger grip. The skilled right versus the powerful left...which is the ultimate force? What’s my current grip strength like? I wonder how different my right and left hands are.

“Yumiella! Yumiella?! It looks like I’m too late...”

I can’t just base it off of my hands. My heart is on my left side, and more of my liver is on the right side... What’s going on with my organs might also help determine which side is stronger. Spatial awareness, which is important for fighting, is governed by the right brain. So maybe the right side is more... Wait, but the right brain controls the left side of my body. The left brain is my right side’s ally, and the right brain is my left side’s ally, right? Since my nerves are crossed over, that would mean the same for my eyes. The information my right eye gets is sent to my left brain.

“Sir Patrick! Please help! Yumiella has set off into the world of her own imagination, and she’s not coming back!”

My dominant hand and dominant eye are both on my right, but I kick a ball using my left foot. Kicking in general is always with my left foot. That’s why even if I have an advantage on my right with punches, kicks should be stronger on my left. Still, my right side might still be stronger... Oh, I still haven’t figured out the issue of my nervous system being crossed over. I should figure out whom my right brain is allied with.

“Yumiella!” Patrick called out. “Yumiella! Daemon’s brought extra reports for you to go over!”

“Here’s a cookie, Yumiella...” Eleanora said. “Oh! She ate it!”

It didn’t seem like I was going to figure out who was stronger: Right Yumiella or Left Yumiella. Mmm, cookie yummy. Oh right. I forgot about my mouth. It’ll be difficult to talk with just half a mouth.

If my mouth was split down the middle, which would have an easier time talking? Magic doesn’t require reciting chants to activate so I don’t need my mouth for that, but it’ll be important for coordinating attacks with others. I guess I’m trying to decide who would win between Right and Left Yumiella, so coordination isn’t an issue. I guess I’ll stop thinking about my mouth. Mmm, tea yummy.

“I tried bringing some tea up to her mouth, and she drank it!”

“So she’s still conscious, and she’s just in such a daze that she looks like she’s lost consciousness.”

“What shall we do about this, Sir Patrick?”

“Hm... I think we just have to wait until she returns to normal. For now let’s put her to bed, and we’ll decide what to do based on how she seems tomorrow...”

Wait, my left hand has my engagement ring, which is also a magical instrument. The wind-type magical energy that Patrick filled the ring with might tip the scales of victory. Wind... That would mean a cyclone, so wouldn’t it be weird for my left side to have it? Wind should be on the right side. Should I move my engagement ring to my right hand?

“Rita! Rita! We’re free to do Yumiella’s makeup all we want right now!” Eleanora exclaimed. “She won’t notice if we wash it off in the bath!”

“Why has Lady Yumiella’s soul left her body?” Rita asked.

“It hasn’t, she’s just busy with a battle going on in her imagination. There’s no use worrying about it.”

I love asymmetrical robots, but I myself am a mostly symmetrical human. Still, even though I might be symmetrical, my right and left sides aren’t exactly the same. That’s why it’s more difficult to figure out who would win than in a battle versus a copy of myself.

“She won’t be like this all night, will she...?” Rita asked.

“Is she asleep with her eyes open?” Eleanora asked next.

Okay, then. I’ve finished sorting through the requirements, so it’s time to actually make Right Yumiella and Left Yumiella fight in my mind.

“Right versus Left!” I suddenly exclaimed. “Begin!”

“It doesn’t seem like she’s asleep,” Patrick remarked.

“You’re right. She just hasn’t returned yet.”

Suddenly, day had turned to night, and I was in my bed. Before I even knew it, I’d fallen asleep.

Chapter 1: The Hidden Boss (Left Side) Awakens in the Kingdom of Twilight

When I woke up, the room was dim. When did I fall asleep? I wondered as I rubbed my left eye and sat up, only to find that I was outside. What a wild way to wake up. I scanned my surroundings, assuming I’d just sleepwalked into the garden, but I was completely stunned.

“Huh? No, really. Where am I?” I had woken up in a truly unfamiliar place. I had no idea where I was, let alone which part of the world this could be.

I looked down at myself and saw I was in my usual dress. Did I change out of my pajamas and... Wait. Did I even change into my pajamas last night? My memories are foggy.

Before me was an expansive red wasteland. There were no buildings or plants in sight, only reddish-brown boulders and sand-covered land.

One might refer to this as That Time I Woke Up in a Red Desertlike Place.

Joking aside, the shade I used to describe this place—the color of the rocks and sand—was probably not the area’s original color. It seemed that the sun was red, and the red light from the sun was spilling over the horizon and shining onto the wasteland. But was the sun setting or rising? Taking into account the time I spent sleeping, it’s probably the glow of sunrise.

Since I was involved in this mysterious phenomenon of waking up in an unknown location, I probably couldn’t trust my own sense of time. As I looked out at the red world and sorted through my thoughts, I realized something—I clearly had jumbled memories.

I could recall what had happened up to yesterday afternoon, but I had no clear memory of what had taken place last night. I had vague memories of eating something, of having makeup put on me, and of being manhandled as I was put to sleep, but it all felt like a dream.

I guess I’ll figure out what time it is eventually. If the sun goes up, it’s early morning, and if it goes down, it’s evening. There’s a fifty-fifty chance, I thought, voicing my guess like I was placing a bet.

“This one is...a sunrise!”

“Is that how you see it?” a voice asked out of nowhere from my right side.

Shocked, I turned to my right and saw a blond young man standing right beside me. How did I not notice him until now? I made sure to raise my guard as I faced him.

I looked the mysterious young man up and down and saw that he was a king. His outfit looked like army clothes, but there were formal elements of aristocratic clothing included in various parts of his clothes. The western sword on his hips was overly decorated and looked to be for ceremonial use.

The biggest clue to his status was the golden crown on his head. His golden blond hair, which looked as soft as silk, also seemed to announce his regality.

“Where did you come from?” I asked.

“I’ve always been here. I just thought it would be best to watch over you until you calmed down. Everyone who comes here is confused at first.”

“Is that so? I didn’t notice you.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have stood so far back. It probably didn’t help that I was on your right side either.”

I was sure I had scanned my surroundings and turned 360 degrees as soon as I’d woken up. Do I have a blind spot...?

Though this young man was definitely no ordinary man, I was happy that I wasn’t the only one here. I need to ask him where I am and find a way home. Did I teleport here, or was I kidnapped? Figuring out why I was moved can wait for later.

As such thoughts ran through my mind, the man gazed into the distance, where the light was still spilling over the horizon. He stood with a tall, confident posture, but his expression was somber. I couldn’t help but silently stare at his face.

After some time, the man dressed like a king noticed my gaze and spoke. “It’s rare for someone to stay composed upon arriving here... Welcome to the Kingdom of Twilight.”

“The Kingdom of Twilight?”

“Yes. This is a kingdom where the sun is constantly about to rise and where people’s regrets gather. I’m the king of this land.”

The Kingdom of Twilight...? I’ve never heard of it. Also, the sun never fully rises? What does that mean? I was definitely confused, but it probably wasn’t showing on my face at all. The man wasted no time and continued his explanation.

“Everyone refers to me as ‘King,’ but some call me ‘Hero’... You can call me whichever you’d like.”

“I see... Well, I know a king, so I’ll call you Hero.”

“Sure. And what’s your name?” He asked this naturally, but I had to think about it.

Was it okay for me to reveal my true identity of Yumiella Dolkness to him? I wasn’t sure why, but I was brought to some place I’d never heard of while I was asleep, and I wasn’t in the Kingdom of Valschein anymore. Stating my name in the neighboring kingdom of Lemlaesta would cause chaos, so it was best to use a fake name when I was somewhere that I’d achieved notoriety.

I’d introduced myself as Eleanora to Gilbert, Patrick’s older brother, but Eleanora was too close to me, and it was hard to respond when someone called me by that name. I don’t really want to use my name from my past life... Maybe I can use the player name I used in games? But being called “RedBeanMochi” out loud makes it feel like an offline gathering for online friends, and it’s embarrassing. Why don’t I use this opportunity to come up with a really cool name?

Though I gave my response a lot of thought, I thought it would be suspicious if I took too long to answer, so I quickly introduced myself.

“My name is Joker.”

Shoot. Joker? Really? That should be your last choice. That’s so embarrassing. It’s so cringe. I feel like my face is on fire.

The self-proclaimed hero took my cringey name seriously. “It’s nice to meet you, Joker.”

“It’s Yumiella. Yumiella. That’s my real name, so please call me Yumiella.”

“Huh? Is Joker a family name? Yumiella Joker?”

“It’s Yumiella Dolkness. Please forget about Joker.”

I shouldn’t have introduced myself as Joker. The only ones allowed to use the name Joker are clowns, phantom thieves, metal bands, and... I guess that’s a lot. Still, I have to be careful. Who knows what’ll trigger a relapse and turn me into an edgelord again.

My current location was the still-unfamiliar kingdom known as Twilight. Had the name of Yumiella reached these lands...?

Surprisingly, my first name wasn’t what caught the hero’s attention.

“I’ve heard the name ‘Dolkness’ before. Where do I know it from...? I think it was the name of a yeoman to a count.”

“I think that might be a different family with the same name. My family holds the rank of count in the Kingdom of Valschein.”

“Oh! You’re a noble lady from Valschein!” The man seemed happy to hear the name of my kingdom. First Dolkness and now Valschein—this guy reacts to the weirdest things.

Though his reactions were strange, I was glad that he seemed to know of my home kingdom. I’d been worried that I’d traveled so far that no one would know where Valschein was, but those fears were wiped away in an instant.

The hero was as excited as someone going, “We’re from the same place!” Maybe he’s involved with the kingdom. I can probably get home right away.

“So you know of the Kingdom of Valschein?”

“Of course. My knowledge is quite old, though, so I don’t know how it’s currently doing.”

“What’s the distance between Twilight and Valschein? I’d like to know the way back.”

“The way back? To Valschein?”

“Well, yes... Oh, you might not believe me, but I woke up and was suddenly here. I should’ve been in Valschein.”

I was aware that my story sounded unrealistic, but I just wanted to know the way back, so it wasn’t really an issue if he didn’t believe me. But, or I should say as expected, he responded in a way I didn’t anticipate.

“I understand. That’s the sort of place this kingdom is.”

“What sort of place?”

“It’ll take a while to discuss the Kingdom of Twilight. Let me first take you to somewhere you can rest. The settlement is a short walk from here.”

This desert looks like an empty wasteland. Is there really a settlement here? I took another look at the red desert, and the hero pointed at a rocky mountain behind us. It was the opposite direction of the sun.

“People are gathered behind there, in the shade of the mountain. Don’t worry—there are a lot of strange characters there, so I’m sure they’ll accept you.”

“Oh, black hair must be rare here too.”

Having black hair was especially rare in the Kingdom of Valschein and its surrounding area, but it was also somewhat rare in the entire world. My appearance was bizarre no matter where I was.

Having figured out what he meant, I realized that the hero was staring at me. His gaze was focused on my head. He observed my hair as he slowly moved around me. He was on my right side, but he passed by in front of me and looked at my left. His eyes were now locked on the back of my head.

After some time, he finally spoke. “It’s true,” he mumbled as if his thoughts were spilling out. “Your hair really is completely black.”

“You weren’t referring to my hair when you said they’d accept me?”

“There are stranger things than your— Never mind. Don’t worry about it. The Kingdom of Twilight accepts all.”

Is there anything else strange about me besides my hair and eye color? Wondering if there was something on my face, I touched my left cheek, but nothing felt off. I looked down and everything looked the same. My left hand and left leg had nothing wrong with them.

I’d rather you just finish your thought since you already started it... Before I could complain, he urged me to walk towards the settlement.

“It’s this way. Let’s hurry. They say it isn’t good to be out in the sun for too long.”

“It hasn’t even risen though.”

“That’s just the kind of place this is.”

It felt like we weren’t quite on the same page, but I followed him regardless, and we headed for the other side of the rocky mountain.

We kept walking along the hard terrain of the red wasteland. I’d only noticed this now, but I was wearing shoes. I even changed out of my pajamas, so maybe someone dressed me... Or I did it myself and just don’t remember. The mystery of waking up in an unfamiliar location was still a mystery.

The scenery didn’t change as we walked, so I stared at my shoes that I had no recollection of putting on. I suddenly looked up and my eyes met those of the hero, who’d been walking ahead of me. He looked at me with concern.

“You walk in an interesting way.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll make sure to look up as I walk.”

“That’s not what I...” The hero suddenly trailed off and turned back around.

He implied that I was strange earlier too. Is there something weird about me? Should I just tell him to clearly say whatever is on his mind?

Before I could say anything, the hero spoke, still facing forward. “I had an old friend that was similar to you.”

“Excuse me...?”

“He had jet-black hair. I couldn’t tell at first because of the lighting and the way he was facing, but it was a pure, deep black, and it surprised me. He had an air similar to you as well. Ah, he was a really good guy.”

From the way he spoke, this friend had probably passed. Though the hero spoke cheerfully, I couldn’t tell what kind of face he was currently making. The way he reminisces on his black-haired friend kind of reminds me of...

“He was a really fun guy. I thought we’d never see each other again, but we actually reunited recently.”

What the heck? He’s not dead? You were totally giving off the vibe of someone grieving their passed friend. We hadn’t spoken for very long, but I could tell that this man was a bit of an airhead. The fact that he claims he’s a hero is also proof. Maybe he’s also just a self-proclaimed king.

“Oh, so he’s alive?”

“Who is?”

“Your friend that I remind you of.”

“We were recently reunited. The answer should be obvious.”

The hero was definitely an airhead, and it still felt like we weren’t on the same page. Maybe I was teleported somewhere super far—somewhere where people’s ideas of how to conduct small talk are different.

We made our way around the rocky mountain to the settlement in the mountain’s shadow. Since the sun hadn’t risen, the shade was on the western side of the mountain.

The ground hidden by the mountain was black, and people were gathered there, as if to avoid the red, dimly lit wasteland.

“This is the settlement...?”

There were definitely people, but the sight before me was completely different from what I would imagine when hearing the word “settlement.”

First, there were no structures. There were just people sprinkled across the area, sitting on the ground. There were a few man-made vaselike objects, but there weren’t many. It looked like a group of students were just gathered in the school courtyard, and I was speechless.

It appeared that I’d come to a ridiculous kingdom. The king turned around to face me and smiled as he held out his right hand to shake mine.

“Welcome to the Kingdom of Twilight. This is the area where the most people are gathered, so we call it a settlement. These people don’t like the sunlight, so they usually spend their time here.”

I had come up with a convenient explanation: these people all had homes elsewhere, and they gathered here in the morning to do radio calisthenics together, and they just called that gathering spot a settlement. But the hero’s words made such an explanation impossible.

My brain wasn’t processing the situation fast enough, and I’d forgotten that he wanted to shake hands. I just stared at his hand as he held it out.

The hero suddenly gasped and pulled his hand away. “Oh, my apologies... Once again, welcome.” This time, he extended his left hand. It’s not that I don’t want to shake your right hand specifically, you know?

I didn’t have it in me to point that out amid my confusion, so I just shook his hand, the current situation still feeling unreal.

“Thank you,” I responded.

I looked up at the hero’s face, which was only half lit. His gentle and regal expression befitting of the crown he wore was still there, but I felt something unstable behind it all.

Okay, then. Though they call it a settlement, all I can do here is sit on the ground and rest. I need to hurry up and ask about the way to Valschein so I can escape this strange kingdom.

I let go of his hand and was just about to ask about the geography here when someone called out to us. It was one of the residents gathered in the shade.

“That spot is dangerous! Come over here, quickly!”

I looked over, wondering what could be the problem, and saw a middle-aged man with cat ears screaming. Huh? A middle-aged man with cat ears? A middle-aged catboy? What’s going on?

“You too, King! You’re in danger!”

No matter how many times I looked, I saw a middle-aged man with cat ears. There was a human, a middle-aged man with cat ears sprouting from the top of his head. Including his pair of human ears, he had a total of four.

He keeps yelling about how it’s dangerous over here, but I think his presence is the most dangerous thing right now.

“Why are you just standing there?! Hurry up and come over here!”

Yup, he’s definitely a middle-aged catboy.

It probably wasn’t fair to dismiss his cat ears just because he was a middle-aged man. Everyone had their own sense of fashion. As long as it wasn’t harming others, people should be free to dress however they pleased.

Still, I feel like a middle-aged catboy makes everything unpleasant for everyone else. Oh, I guess that’s the same logic people use when they unreasonably ask someone to change from a skirt into pants. I guess even if it’s a little hard to accept, the middle-aged catboy should be allowed to exist.

I was determined to accept the middle-aged catboy in the name of diversity, and I decided to first try complimenting him.

“Those ears are lovely.”

“Hurry up and— Hee hee, do you really think so, meow?”

Okay, even if I can accept the cat ears, the “meow” is criminal. He should definitely be arrested. Are the law enforcement agencies of Twilight functioning?

The cat-eared man did a “cute” gesture, curling his hand like a cat’s paw, out of embarrassment and effectively committed another crime before returning to the stern look he originally had.

“Forget my ears. Get over here!”

“Okay...”

He’d been urging us over to the shaded area. If he’s concerned because the UV rays in this area are strong enough to insta-kill you, then I’d be worried too. The man didn’t seem that concerned though, so it didn’t really feel like I was in danger. Still, if I didn’t get in the shade, I wouldn’t be able to have a proper conversation with the cat-eared man. I don’t actually want to have a proper conversation with him, though...I guess I have no choice. I stepped into the shade known as the settlement.

“Is this all right?” I asked.

“Oh, thank goodness. Does anything feel...?” The man inspected me from top to bottom and fell silent in the middle of his sentence. What is it? Did I get really badly sunburned or something? I looked at my left hand and saw nothing wrong.

“Is there something on my face?” I asked.

“Oh, no. I’m sorry for staring...meow.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to act like a cat.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. How long have you been here fur, meow?” The cat-eared man, who showed a glimpse of his regular self, ignored my comment.

It seemed like there was no point in trying to get through to him. There’s a weirdo here—please do something about it. That’s the king’s job, isn’t it? I turned to look at the hero, who had just stepped into the shaded area. He spoke, but he didn’t touch on the older man’s manner of speech.

“She’s just arrived in Twilight. I happened to be there when she arrived.”

“You were out walking in the sunlight again?” the cat-eared man asked with concern. “If anything were to happen to you, we would all be terribly saddened. Please look out for yourself more. I beg of you to stay in the shade of the mountain.”

Mr. Cat Ears can totally speak normally...

I was well aware that there was no use in trying to get him to stop, so I decided to continue without pointing out his speech pattern.

“You were telling us to come into the shade earlier. Is it bad to be in the sun?”

“It’s the word of the great god. If we don’t stay in the shade, something terrible will happen to all of us, meow.”

Oh, so it’s just your religion. That’s pretty different from banning any contact with sunlight. Still, I wasn’t quite satisfied with why they were gathered in the shade provided by the rocky mountain. It’s only shaded for now, right?

“What would you do if the sun rose to right above this spot? You don’t seem to have any structures with roofs.”

“It’s always evening here, meow.”

“No, you’re wrong,” the hero chimed in. “It’s morning. The sun is about to rise.”

“There you go again, King... The sun will eventually set, meow. You need to give up already, meow.”

It’s always evening? But the hero says it’s early morning? Oh, I get it now! This kingdom must be experiencing midnight suns. That happens on Earth too—regions close to the north pole spend summers where the sun never fully sets. The sun just revolves around the horizon. That means if you spend twenty-four hours walking around the mountain, you’ll always be in the sunlight. This must be religious activity limited to the summer—it all makes sense now. Their king must be a nonbeliever.

The midnight sun would also explain why they were arguing whether it was morning or evening. I was starting to understand the mysterious settlement a little more, and I was starting to feel comfortable.

Sorry for being so harsh towards you, Mr. Cat Ears. After giving your cat ears and speech quirk another thought... No, never mind. I still don’t like it. Though those cat ears really do look real. The fine, silky hairs look exactly like a cat’s—it’s like they could move at any mome—

“They moved!” I yelped.

“Meow?!”

I’d suddenly raised my voice, which made the cat-eared man’s cat ears flatten on his head, like a cat that was scared. They’re real ears! Have beastkin existed in this world this whole time?! Stop adding things that suddenly change the world-building this late in the game.

“Are those ears real?” I asked.

“They’re attached to my head, meow. I’m sure it’s an un-fur-miliar sight to someone new, meow.”