/
Great Sage 14 – Like a Freezing Blizzard
March 2, 2022Zathael
“I’m 119 years old. But until nineteen years ago I was just a cat so….. I’m 19 nyan ♡”
As the black cat ears above her long silky hair sways, she brings her two hands up to her cheeks and curls them like a cat. It’s pretty cute.
“Nyan my ass!”
While I was admiring her, Maya-chan hits the cat on top of the head with a slipper.
Where did she get that slipper from?
“Why’d you do that”
The cat glares at Maya-chan who brings out her ears and tail and growls in response.
It looks like two beasts fighting over territory. Were they on bad terms to begin with I wonder? I’ll ask one of them indirectly later.
“If it’s like that then servitude is the safest option”
Having her completely under my control is the easiest way to protect her.
“I object! We’ve already heard what we can from her, let’s just stuff her into a cardboard box or something and leave her by the riverside”
Apparently Maya-chan is against it.
“But Maya-chan what about animal rights laws”
“Then contact an animal shelter or something”
I don’t think an animal shelter will accept her…..
“M-Master, please don’t say something like that”
Even if it’s an act, I’m weak to crying.
Well, I did promise after all,
“Maya-chan, I’ll take responsibility for this cat so please let it be”
“But we don’t know when she might betray us”
“That’s why I’ll bind her with an [Oath]”
That seems to have convinced Maya-chan.
“I’m missing a bishop so I guess I’ll fit you there? For living arrangements, you can continue to stay in my tent like before”
“Of course that’s perfectly fine with me”
The cat clings to me in joy prompting Maya-chan to deliver a chop to her head.
“Then let’s get to it”
I prepare contract magic of servitude on the cat who is still glaring at Maya-chan,
“There’s some kind of curse on your clothes”
The magic is distorting around it.
“Ah, that’s probably Ashiya-sama’s [Curse]. I don’t know the details but its to prevent ayakashi like me from betraying him I think. There’s other girls with a similar [Curse] on them”
“Then is it fine if I change your clothes? Also I want to investigate that spell so If you could give me the shrine maiden outfit…..”
Maya-chan hits me on the head with a slipper.
“Don’t sniff them”
“As if, there’s no kind of analysis technique like that”
“Ah, master, in that case do you want my underwear as well?”
As the cat hums to herself she begins to take off her hakama,
Maya-chan lunges at her and the two beasts glare and hiss at each other.
Should I shove the cat inside my tent to get this over quickly I wonder.
“You don’t have to do anything, as for clothes…..”
My imagination is weak so I can’t make any unfamiliar clothes.
She did say that she enjoyed her highschool life, and it’s clothes I’m used to so I should be able to do something,
“In accordance with our oath, you will be clad in my garments”
The cat’s clothes change,
“What’s this, someone from one of those nighttime establishments? Wearing something like that with cat ears is too good”
Maya-chan is cackling with laughter,
“Master, nowadays these kind of socks are kinda…..”
Her ears and two tails droop.
It seems the sailor uniform with loose socks I am familiar with has a bad reputation.
Certainly, for some reason, I have the urge to pay her.
×　×　×　×　×
At Maya-chan’s recommendation, the three of us are gathered around the smartphone screen picking out an outfit for the cat on the net.
Maya-chan’s suggestion to wear a firefighter outfit since she’s 119 years old was rejected by the cat and my suggestion to wear the sailor uniform even without the loose socks was rejected by both.1
It seems my youth won’t return.
“Something like this is cute!”
In the end it was decided to be a maid outfit due to the person in question’s strong wish.
“In the end I can’t see it as anything but someone from one of those stores”
Maya-chan still hasn’t accepted it but she compromised that it’s better than a miniskirt sailor uniform.
That being said I’m suprised by the number of hits that came up for maid outfits.
Did Japan’s disparate society continue and result in more young women having to attend the wealthy.
I watch the two tails of the cat, pleased with her apron dress, sway as various worries flow through my head,
“Huh? A customer at this time? Mom’s still lying down so I’ll go deal with them”
The sound of the doorbell causes Maya-chan to leave in a hurry.
“Master look look, isn’t it moe”2
The cat spins around happily.
“Moe?”
“If I recall, it’s a general term for things like a girls beauty and cute gestures”
I can’t help but worry for the future of Japan.
“If you’d like I can make the skirt a bit shorter like that sailor uniform”
The cat stops spinning and rolls up the skirt embarrassedly.
I can see her slender thighs and black lace panties.
“What are you thinking?”
“For someone like me who lived in a one room rundown apartment eating cup noodles, to receive a extravagant room and three meals a day, and even though I was given a strange job by that spiteful old man, a kind, strong, and handsome man became my master. That kitsune might be a pain but aren’t I winning in life?”
“You’ve had it rough huh”
“Yeah, that’s why I’ll give you any service you want”
Exasperated I begin to work on analysing the shrine maiden clothes when…..
“Hey cat, did you ever try to leave the Shimogami or voice your complaints”
“Everyone complained a lot I think. I never truly tried to leave but I’ve been warned by some of the officer class before”
“This isn’t a spell of servitude, it’s a self destruct one”
“Ehh?”
The cat comes close to me in a panic.
The spells form is written in old classical chinese-like kanji, but the contents were basically the same. I apply colour to make it easier to comprehend and project the magic circle.
“I-It can’t be….. why”
Perhaps they we’re expecting her to get caught by me to begin with or maybe all the combatants like her are given the same spell.
Not to mention I feel a similar sense of discomfort from her now that she’s come closer.
I follow the flow of mana and,
“There’s something here too”
Above the cat’s heart a similar magic circle is hidden.
“Eh”
The cat panics and follows my gaze, staring at her chest.
The maid outfit has a large gap in the chest portion, and her black brassiere can be seen but…..
At that moment, with a click, mana begins to rise.
“Don’t move, I’ll release it now”
I apply colour and project it in the same way and the cat’s face pales. It’s the same self destruct spell as the shrine maiden outfit.
The formula is simple but if I alter it poorly the cat’s heart may be destroyed. Not to mention the key to activating it is planted in her [Memory] with suggestion.
It could be that one of the [Activation Keys] is being conscious of the spell.
The cat also realises this and begins to tremble.
“M-Master…..”
“Listen closely, look at my eyes and don’t look away. There might be some pain but I will definitely remove it”
I rest her waist on my left arm and place my right hand over the spell.
I stare into her eyes and read the way to lift the curse while moving my right hand.
My finger moves as I decipher it piece by piece,
“Ah, Ooh” “Sto….. don’t”
My fingertip touches her chest and her strange breathing tickles my face.
The soft bouncy sensation and the beautiful girls troubled face hinders my concentration…..
――Dammit, what an underhanded spell!
In more ways than one, I let out curses in my heart.3
“Endure it a bit longer”
My hands manage to reach the explosive core which I pinch and pull out,
“Ah!”
The cat’s body shakes violently.
Barely managing to release the curse, I wipe the sweat off my forehead,
“M-Master”
Perhaps it was it scary, the cat wraps her arms around my neck and spasms slightly.
“Did it hurt?”
“No, there’s a lingering feeling like of insertion but no pain”
However face is red and breathing is rough.
Concerned, I stare into her eyes once more,
“As I thought, I’ll follow you for the rest of my life”
The cat closes her eyes slowly.
Like this I won’t be able to confirm if the suggestion remains or not,
“Hey, what are you two doing?”
Like a freezing blizzard, I hear Maya-chan’s voice.
Translator’s Notes:
1: The japanese emergency number for fire/ambulance is 119.
2: Idk of any english equivalents for the term moe, cute is the closest maybe but then she uses cute later in the explanation.
3: The word for curse here is akutai which means abusive language. I think this is a reference to akutaimatsuri which is a festival in which people will yell out insults as a means of warding evil and relieving stress.