A cat with fur as black as night let out a big yawn. Its fangs were still small, but its body had grown slightly since spring. This cat lived in Kitase’s mansion, though it wasn’t always there, and only appeared when called for by Kitase and Mariabelle with a Magic Tool.
Kitase was just an average office worker but had the ability to travel to another world when he went to sleep. Mariabelle the elf had been visiting Japan ever since she had learned of his power, and Kitase had been enjoying his time in the fantastical dream world. They had invited the cat to Japan almost as an afterthought, and it had spent most of its time curled up somewhere comfortable. It preferred lying on beds, chairs, and under the bed, much like an ordinary cat would. This “cat” was none other than the familiar for the Arkdragon Wridra. Anyhow, it could easily understand human speech. Even in modern Japan, which lacked the foundation to activate magic, it could somehow conjure magic from nothing. Although, no one there would understand the significance of this even if they had it explained to them.
The Arkdragon was an incredible being who could generate magic by simply breathing, a skill which she had acquired in the savage yet advanced ancient times for survival. However, this black-furred creature was only a familiar and a cat. Wridra didn’t see magic as anything special, so it didn’t often act as if it were superior to others. The familiar could create a system to allow magic to activate in Japan if it wished to, but it couldn’t be bothered. There weren’t even any enemies or monsters to defend against, so it would have been pointless.
Yet the black cat lay next to the window, looked at the sky, and exhaled. Wisdom far greater than that of a mere mortal was visible in its golden eyes. Kitase didn’t realize it, but there were complex rules in play for Wridra to exist in the so-called real world.
Long ago, Wridra sent her familiar to Japan after accepting an invitation from the boy and the elf. When she had awakened, bare-skinned and unable to bring anything from her world with her, she had instinctively sensed a message: “Do not upset me.”
She still remembered that sensation like a drop of cold water falling on her face. But she felt no fear and was aware that someone had sent her a clear message upon arriving in this land. This meant that “someone” was still watching. As long as they supervised her, she couldn’t cause any trouble, or that mysterious stranger might become agitated. The situation was rather simple yet multifaceted. To upset someone was an emotional matter, as one could not tell what would set off a completely unknown entity. Judging by the rather ominous tone, this entity didn’t think well of Wridra. After she had spent so much time in this land, no one else seemed to be aware of this situation.
The black cat yawned in the bed that the autumn sun kept warm, seemingly unconcerned. All it cared about was keeping this bliss. Wridra intended on spending her time in this world as a “mostly normal cat,” which might have been the best way to please the mysterious entity.
As the cat scratched the back of its head and rolled over, a young man’s voice called from the entrance, “I’m leaving now. I’ll get in touch in the evening again.”
“Okay, take care. It’s supposed to rain in the afternoon, so you should take an umbrella. Oh, and...” The elf trailed off. She was in an apron, and it was clear from her expression that she wanted something. She glanced at the cat, and it pretended not to notice them. The two casually moved out of sight, even though the cat could see the elf stand on her tiptoes.
These exchanges were rather irritating. Kitase and Marie could suck go suck face for all Wridra cared, but their poor attempts at hiding when they did these things made her sick. If they did it openly, she would undoubtedly think, Get a room.
There was silence for some time, then Kitase awkwardly said, “I’ll...be going now.”
After he left, the elf girl stood there for a moment longer, then fanned her rosy face as she walked back into the room, her slippers plopping on the floor with each step. At this time, the familiar had already curled up with its butt turned toward her, so Mariabelle couldn’t see the furrow-browed, extremely grumpy face it was making.
Said routine always took place at the entrance, and the elf girl became the head of the house while Kitase was out for work. Unlike Wridra, she didn’t plan on spending the day lazing about. She often walked around busily, doing laundry, cleaning, hanging the futons out to dry, and getting any shopping done before noon if she needed anything. She was quite the hard worker.
Wridra watched contemplatively through the eyes of her familiar. Elves grew up fast from a dragon’s perspective. Mariabelle had already learned to speak the language of this world after only a few months and had adapted to life here without issues. She even enjoyed television and reading novels, and kept herself entertained even without Kitase.
Mariabelle the elf girl had come to this foreign world alone, and there must have been times when she felt uncertain or lonely. Wridra had once asked her about it when she was studying Japanese. Of course, this was when Wridra had come to Japan in her core body, not as a familiar.
“Lonely? Hmm, I don’t know...” Mariabelle had said. “It’s strange, but I can focus on my studies more when I’m here. There’s so much to discover, and I’ve been too busy to feel lonely.”
Apparently, Mariabelle enjoyed her time studying in silence with her table lamp, her favorite stationery, and a dictionary. She had learned how to make the best of her alone time. There was no need to bother her more than necessary, so the familiar continued to lie around and get the occasional belly rubs.
As it was comfortably dozing off, Mariabelle asked, “Wridra, would you like to go shopping? We can get your favorite treat, oranges!”
The cat’s golden eyes snapped open. Oranges were refreshingly sweet citrus fruits. Although real cats didn’t like them, they were delicious treats for the familiar’s taste buds. It meowed, then made a beeline for the elf girl. Mariabelle stood at the entrance and smiled when she saw the cat coming.
Wridra didn’t mind going on walks with her. Mariabelle often spoke to her even when she wasn’t in her humanoid form, and the riverside road was perfect for a relaxing stroll. They often encountered dogs and cats on the way, but their instincts were far keener than those of humans. Animals quickly realized the familiar was no ordinary cat, but they only stared without daring to bark or bite.
However, this form wasn’t without its issues. Supermarkets handled food items, so they didn’t allow animals inside for sanitary concerns. The familiar meowed as Mariabelle waved goodbye and stepped into the building.
Since those were the rules, getting upset about it would be pointless. Wridra’s familiar was a legendary being on the inside despite its looks, and she was a proper adult from the elf girl’s perspective, so she should’ve been allowed in. She wasn’t angry about it, of course, but had to admit it was frustrating that she couldn’t get inside when she knew there was all sorts of tasty food. Even though she wanted to get in so badly that she walked in circles around the store, she was by no means annoyed or angry. If one thought the cat looked like it was about to shout profanities, it had to be their imagination or a trick of the light. This was the familiar of the great Arkdragon, after all.
Wridra was also quite simple. When the automated doors opened as the elf girl stepped out, the familiar ran over to her, excited for the oranges.
Mariabelle crouched and said, “Have you been behaving and waiting out here? Good. Look how yummy these oranges look! Let’s go home and try them.” She held up the oranges, which glowed in the autumn sun. The black cat moved its nose closer and sniffed, taking in the sweet, citrusy scent and narrowing its eyes. Wridra’s eyes opened again, and she realized something: inside the bag were snacks, juice, and other indulgences that had nothing to do with dinner. Mariabelle quickly moved to cover them with her hands and said, “It’s not what it looks like. One of our rules says we can buy ourselves a little reward if we go grocery shopping. It’s not as if I’m wasting money for no reason.”
She put a finger to her lips and gestured as if to say, “This is between you and me.”
Indeed, nothing was wrong with it if they had such a rule in place already. The cat was basically acting as a bodyguard throughout their trip, and Wridra deserved a reward. She would also partake in the snacks and persistently urge the elf girl to share.
“Yes, yes, I get it. You can have some too, so you don’t need to keep meowing like that. You adorable little thing,” added Mariabelle, rubbing the back of the cat’s neck.
Still, Wridra had to admit it wasn’t too bad receiving so much affection from a cat lover while in her cat form. She didn’t even mind when Mariabelle picked her up and breathed deeply to smell her. It made her chest a bit ticklish and even brought a smile to the real Wridra’s face in the other world. Thus, it was a win-win for both the elf and Arkdragon.