The Sleeping Devil

After talking with the priest about his situation and future plans, the night had quickly descended upon us.

I pretended to go to sleep early after finishing dinner and got into bed.

It wasn't a lie when I said I was tired. These past two days have been filled with too many things, and I am truly exhausted.

"Mew~"

I pretended to be asleep, but I must have actually dozed off because Noah's voice woke me up.

"Good evening, kitty, I mean, Noah."

Quietly, I opened the window to let him in, and he immediately transformed into his human form.

His glossy black hair swayed in the wind that entered the room through the open window, and he exuded a mysterious aura tonight as well. As expected of a Nekomata, he had a dignified presence when in human form.

"Good evening, miss."

"There are so many things I want to know, so please tell me properly tonight."

"If I can tell you, I will."

Having a conversation with Noah in his human form while on the bed felt a bit awkward, so I invited him to sit at the table. I couldn't prepare tea, but since he's a cat, it should be fine. Noah seemed accustomed to using human chairs and sat down elegantly, crossing his long legs.

"What do you want to know?"

"You mentioned that my attribute is '全' (Zen). What does that mean?"

"Oh, it's exactly as the word suggests. 'Zen' is the attribute. It means you possess all blessings, but not necessarily from all gods."

His words felt like a riddle, and I couldn't fully grasp their meaning. Am I really not as smart as I thought I was?

"And in the regular ritual, did it fail? Why was it successful last night?"

"It was successful last night because you used a large amount of your own magical power. In the morning ritual, you only shed a few drops of blood, right?"

Certainly, in the first ritual, I only dropped a few drops of blood on the magic circle. However, since Marcel, the vice-chief of the Mage Guild, was also present, I don't think the ritual was performed incorrectly. It seems that the 'Zen' attribute is not known even within the Mage Guild.

"But everyone performs the ritual like that, right? Why is blood not enough if it's the attribute 'Zen'?"

"That's right. Blood is normally used in the Baptism Ritual because you can't yet manipulate magical power. By mixing the magical power with blood, it marks the recipient of the blessings."

Noah's gentle and explanatory words smoothly entered my ears. I found myself wanting to keep listening to that calming voice.

"Do you know how the Baptism Ritual works?"

"I learned that it's about asking the gods for their blessings."

I involuntarily used polite language. Despite knowing that he's a cat, his behavior is very mature, like when I deal with Hermes.

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That's right, he's a cat, so he's around 70 years old, right? Isn't he trying to appear too young when taking a human form?

"The Baptism Ritual is a ceremony where you open a door to receive blessings using magical power. You need a certain amount of magical power and the recipient's attribute to obtain blessings. For example, if you want to bestow blessings on a child of fire, and there are six times the magical power of a fire magician, even one magician can do it."

It seems that not all attributes are required. The magic circle depends on each attribute, so it seems they need all attributes to gather enough people.

If there are fixed variables embedded in the formula, I can understand why they can't easily change it. They can't just switch three fire attributes to something else.

"Can't you rewrite the magic circle? If you could, you wouldn't need to be sent from the temple or the Mage Guild. Your family could do it, right?"

"I can't rewrite it. It's like a key given by the gods. I can't change the incantations or spells either."

So, the stories in mythological texts about the gods bringing certain things were not metaphors but actual facts. But the conversation got a bit off track.

"So, I had to forcefully use my magical power and open the door by myself since my attribute isn't on the magic circle?"

"That's right."

What a brute force method... but why isn't my attribute there? Is it a bug in the system?

"Did Noah add magical power to me? My stomach felt all twisted and weird."

"About half of it. You have a considerable amount of magical power, and it seems you already had some control over it."

"Me, control magical power..."

Suddenly, I recall that I felt like there was a familiar sensation from the swordsmanship training. When I was just born and couldn't move, I felt frustrated and struggled to move somehow.

I thought it was just better blood circulation, but perhaps I was using magical power to move.

"It seems you remember something. Is there anything else?"

I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't know where to start. I needed to explain everything to everyone tomorrow...

"Um, is it okay to tell someone? Noah, you don't seem to like people much, right?"

"You figured that out, huh?"

"You used to come to play, avoiding Mary."

"Huh? Ah, it's true that I can't appear in front of people. If you don't have to bring me here, then it's fine to talk, but is that possible?"

"That's impossible... I ended up saying I was helped by a mysterious cat. Now I must look like a completely crazy child."

"Haha, you're quite an amusing child when you talk. Do you usually hide your true self?"

"Like Noah, right? I have to behave properly, or Margot-sensei will scold me. She's really scary. But I've gotten used to it, so I behave properly even when no one's watching."

Noah laughed amusingly and seemed somewhat human-like.

"Marcel-sama, the vice-chief of the Mage Guild, said he would teach me, but is it okay? Is it bad if people find out about this attribute?"

Noah frowned slightly and put a finger to his lips, seemingly lost in thought. He looked like the kind of creature you'd want to give a nonchalant title like "Thoughtful Nekomata."

"That's a bit troublesome. Should I teach you magic?"

If Noah becomes my teacher, I can feel at ease. There would be no organizational schemes involved, and I wouldn't become a research subject. Moreover, Noah seems to be knowledgeable about my attribute. Since he's not human, I won't end up idolizing him like my teacher who appears in my dreams.

"Is that okay? But what should I tell everyone... I don't want to lie too much, and Grandpa will find out."

Was that statement a trigger? Without a sound, the door to my room opened.

"I see, so you're the infamous cat, huh?"

In an instant, I felt an overwhelming pressure as if my body was about to collapse, and my breath stopped.

"Oh my, have you noticed? Truly, you are a Beriard."

"Sherry, come here."

Hermes and, behind him, Dior, Sergio, and even Didier were there. This is terrible, Noah said he didn't want to be in front of people.

"Grandpa! Noah is not a bad kitty! He's a harmless cat who's good at magic! He's not an evil magical beast!"

"Sherry?"

"...?"

For some reason, even Noah looked at me with a puzzled expression. Oh, does he not know that Grandpa is fond of me? But we talked positively about Grandpa during our nightly chat.

"Noah, calm down, okay? They're not bad people, so there's no need to be scared. And don't use magic to attack, okay?"

"Kukku... Oh, I see. I'll do as you say."

I know this. In moments like this, when we become too guarded and react impulsively, misunderstandings can escalate into trouble.

"See, Grandpa, this little one is a good child. He's my friend! I'm sorry for hiding it!"

While I was troubled by the laughter from Didier and Sergio in the back, Dior's expression turned pale. Perhaps she's not good with cats.

"Y-yes... Sherry's friend helped with the Baptism ceremony."

I glanced up at Noah and he nodded slightly. Well, I guess there's no helping it. In times like these, I have to tell the truth as much as possible and apologize sincerely.

"Yesterday, I was feeling down, and Noah helped me with the ritual. But since Noah doesn't like being around people, he left quickly. Tonight, he taught me a lot about magic. Oh, Noah is a very knowledgeable kitty!"

While I was desperately making Noah seem harmless, I could hear Dior's trembling voice from the back.

"Sherry, um, please refrain from calling it a 'kitty'..."

"Oh, does Madam not like cats? Noah, please don't become a cat in front of her."

"Ah. But I think it's a little different."

Perhaps more than disliking cats, she might have some sort of allergy. If she has an allergic reaction even to his human form, it might be tough for Dior.

"Ah, um, is it alright if I call you Noah-sama? And you have no intention of harming my grandchildren, correct?"

"Call me whatever you like. This child gave me the name. And no, I have no intention of harming them. We are... friends, after all."

For some reason, Hermes appeared reserved, while Noah maintained an arrogant attitude. I wonder if magical power determines status even among different species.

"Oh, is Noah a spirit, by any chance?"

"Not quite?"

"No way!"

Didier was laughing so hard he seemed to have a panic attack. Why is it so funny that I'm getting scolded?

It's true that Hermes always speaks kindly and praises me, so this is the first time I've been scolded. It's a good thing siblings have quarrels over moments like this, I thought to myself with a touch of bitterness.

"It was a bit unexpected, but it's perfect. I'm thinking of teaching this child magic, is that okay?"

"Magic..."

"We should probably talk to the adults first. Oh, and there's something you need to know too. Can you wait here for a bit?"

Noah said that and confidently left the room with the Beriard family's adults. Even though he's not good with people, he's doing his best for me. I'm a bit sleepy, but I'll hang in there. And I should prepare some milk for him next time.

Only Didier, who still can't stop laughing, remained in the room.

"Haah! Sherry, you're the best! How did things end up like this? I don't get it."

"What is it! You're laughing too much!"

"So, that thing is a cat?"

"Right now, that's his current form, but he's actually a completely black and cute kitty. He can use magic, so he's probably a demon or something similar. Black animals are said to be nonexistent, so he's been hiding and meeting in secret."

Every time I spoke, Didier's eyes welled up with tears from laughing. There's nothing I can do if Didier is like this; he's the type who will laugh even if you drop a chopstick on his funny bone.

By the way, would yokai be classified as demons? Perhaps it's closer to fairies. I'll have to study that more in the future.

"Well, I don't know what that thing is, but it should be fun for a while."

"What are you saying? Didier, it's about time for you to return to the academy, isn't it?"

"Ah! Right... I wonder if I should quit the academy."

While comforting Didier, who doesn't want to go back to the academy, he teases me about my secret rendezvous with a black cat .

It's a bit heavy to think I might still get teased like this even as an adult. But that's a worry for when I grow up.

"I wonder what they're talking about."

"Well, probably checking its identity or something? It seemed to have some kind of issue. Sherry, whether it's as a priest or a black cat, you seem to pick up anything."

"Don't talk like I'm a child who doesn't know any better."

How do they even confirm the identity of a cat? I thought he might have belonged to someone somewhere, but if he's so knowledgeable about magic, maybe he lives in the Devil's Forest.