Shirou Has a Cat / The Cat for Her Master

"Damn it! Don't Run! Stop right there!" Jeanne d'Arc chased after him in a frenzy.

"Ah, the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse, and now the Arsonist Woman! Am I lucky or unlucky?" Merlin Rabbit, using some kind of Magecraft, somehow managed to open a large hole in the tree and jumped right into it.

Jeanne d'Arc didn't think twice and jumped in after her.

Chapter 171 Shirou Has a Cat

Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, who had jumped down the rabbit hole with Merlin, felt herself falling continuously. Several tens of seconds had passed since she jumped, but she was still falling, with no idea whether there was a hundreds or even thousands of meters of underground space below.

Whoa! When Jeanne d'Arc Alter landed, she created a huge crater and collapsed face down on the ground.

But Merlin, with ears like Fou's, hopped and skipped, shrinking to the size of a rabbit, and walked towards a door in front of him.

The door was too small; even if Jeanne d'Arc crouched down, she couldn't squeeze through. Just as she was about to burn the door down, she saw a glass bottle on a tree with the words "Drink Me" written on it.

"Jeanne d'Arc d'Arc, Altair-chan, it says 'Drink Me' over there," Da Vinci from Chaldea suddenly pointed out.

"Enough with the nonsense! I've studied it, I can read now!" Jeanne d'Arc raised an eyebrow. If she hadn't also learned English for practical purposes, she really wouldn't understand. She reached out and grabbed the glass bottle on the tree, which seemed to contain some kind of magical potion.

"I never imagined this world would be so strange. Even that mysterious Merlin was summoned here. The magical energy doesn't seem particularly strong, though. This is a really odd place. I guess I need to collect more data about this world and analyze it carefully."

Da Vinci emerged from his reverie, just in time to witness the girl's actions, and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah... didn't this child even consider the possibility of poisoning? She simply picked up the glass bottle and drank it..."

Jeanne d'Arc drank a sip of magic potion, and the glass bottle in her hand began to shrink. She was now slightly shorter than the Merlin Rabbit she had shrunk to before, and could now easily pass through the door.

She ran through several strange places, with strange animals and birds, strange rooms, and finally found the garden where Merlin Rabbit lived, where several people were having a tea party.

"Merlin! You bastard, I told you Don't Run!" Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, enraged, raised her flag and set it ablaze.

"Calm down, there's nothing I can do about it. This is the role I was summoned to play," Merlin said, shrugging as he used illusion magic to dodge the attack.

"By the way, weren't you supposed to be playing the White Rabbit? Why are you having a tea party here?" Da Vinci appeared on the screen at that moment and asked curiously.

"Oh, isn't this Da Vinci? It's been a long time. I was the White Rabbit serving the Queen and the Countess, but here I'm the March Hare, drinking tea with these beautiful ladies. Come, Miss Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, how about you have a cup of black tea? Is that alright, you two?"

Merlin looked towards the tea party with his companions, and on one side was a girl dressed in a formal dress, wearing a tall hat, with long red hair and two dragon horns growing from her head.

On one side was a beautiful woman with long black hair and purple eyes, wearing a pink bat-patterned pajama that looked like a fat rat, as if she had been playing games all night and looked very tired.

"Yes, the more spectators the better, right~! Dormouse Hime no Toki." Elizabeth, the Dragon Girl wearing a top hat, said with a smile to her friend sitting next to her.

"Oh, sing, sing! Mad Hatter ~! Zzzzz!" The woman next to her lay on the table, clapped her hands twice, and then fell asleep snoring.

"Hahaha, in that case, I'll get right to the show! You must feel honored to be a new member of the tea party. I, Elizabeth, will offer you my best performance! It's a pity that my little deer and my greatest rival aren't here." Elizabeth picked up the long, spear-like microphone and said with a smile.

"Huh? Is she going to sing?" Jeanne d'Arc Alter asked, looking in that direction with a puzzled expression.

"Come, come, please sit down." Merlin eagerly made room for Jeanne d'Arc.

"Ah, Jeanne d'Arc of Arc, good luck! I have something to attend to, so I'll disconnect now." Da Vinci chuckled dryly and ended the connection.

"So, Elizabeth -chan's concert is about to begin! Ahhhhh~!" The girl sang loudly into the microphone.

Then, Jeanne d'Arc felt a jolt in her ears, a sonic wave and impact rushing towards her face, even causing her beautiful long silver hair to flutter backward.

If the white light emanating from saints Saintess disgusted her, then this sound stirred her heart. The roar of dragons and the howls of beasts could not shake the girl's heart in the slightest, but this sound wave, from the red-haired girl singing with such relish, truly startled her.

"Hey? What's going on?!" Jeanne d'Arc exclaimed. She looked at the others and realized that she was the only one suffering from the sonic attack.

"Zzzzz..." Hime no Toki, who was catching up on sleep by lying on the table, put on pink earphone-style noise-canceling earmuffs.

Merlin, who had been smiling the whole time, used his magic to seal the rabbit ears on top and the human ears on the bottom, making a total of four ears.

"Whoa, you bastard! Tell me! Where am I? I don't want to stay here a second longer!" Jeanne d'Arc cried out in a frenzy, covering her ears with one hand and grabbing Merlin by the collar with the other, dragging him out of the garden.

"Well, don't get excited, don't get excited. The black mud Heroic Spirit here is well hidden, and it's almost impossible to find him. But if you want to see the boy you miss as soon as possible, there is a way," Merlin advised the girl.

"What's going on? Wasn't Shirou supposed to arrive in France tomorrow?" Jeanne d'Arc asked, releasing her grip on Merlin's collar.

"Indeed, that's the reality, but there's no way to enter this world through real-world means. I believe you've sensed it too, the anomaly of this world," Merlin asked the girl.

"Everything here feels strange, like it's not real," Jeanne d'Arc said. Before receiving the boy's affirmation, she herself felt like a phantom, a dream, so she was very sensitive to this feeling.

"It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake. As for why, this is actually a world between reality and dreams. I think Shirou will be drawn here as soon as he gets close to this land. So I think you could go and greet him," Merlin said with a smile.

At this moment, at Bristol Airport, flights bound for France, France, officially began their journey.

Yesterday, due to various farces, and then being caught by my classmates who insisted on holding a farewell party, I ended up having to cook, so it went on until very late and I'm a bit sleep-deprived.

As soon as Shirou sat down in his soft seat on the plane, he felt very sleepy. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes without realizing it.

At that moment, in the formless void of Paris, a magical, undulating wave rippled. It was not something harmful, but merely a sound wave that induced drowsiness, allowing people in the bustling metropolis to sleep better.

Elderly people sitting on chairs and sofas at home dozed off, while pedestrians on the street covered their mouths and yawned in unison. Office workers lined up at the water dispensers or restrooms to wake themselves up.

The magical fluctuations in the sky were like countless invisible hands, trying to pull everyone in their path into a dream.

One of the hands reached out onto a passenger plane in the distance, pulling the sleeping boy into a world in another dimension.

In his dream, Shirou felt himself being drawn into a strange world, where there were rare, extinct animals like the Dodo Bird, and many of them could even talk. Strange things kept happening.

His identity in this world seems to be that of the unloved youngest son of an ordinary farming family, born into a farming household.

At that moment, Shirou was sitting on the ground in a daze when he heard a male voice with malice in its tone.

"Hey! You idiot, how long are you going to stand there like that! Everything's already been agreed upon, hasn't it?"

"Shinji?" Shirou looked at the arrogant seaweed-haired man standing there with a strange expression.

"Shinji? Who's that? Forget it! Now that the old man is dead and we've divided the family property, you have nothing to do with this house! Take your share of the inheritance and get out of here!"

While Shirou was still in a daze, Shinji used some unknown strength to push him out the door. With a bang, the door slammed shut.

At this moment, Shirou finally sorted out his thoughts. It turned out that in his family, after his parents died, the brothers divided the inheritance. The eldest son, Shinji, had taken over the house and land, while he, as the youngest son, only received a cat.

Just then, the pink cat, who was chasing butterflies on the grass outside the door, saw its owner and ran over.

"Master, where are we going from now on, woof?" The cat ran up affectionately and hugged its owner's shoulder, asking.

"Huh?" Shirou sized up the creature running towards him. It did indeed have cat ears and a cat tail, and its hands and feet looked like they were wearing claw-like gloves. However, it was dressed in Maid Outfit and apron like a waitress at a family restaurant. With its big, round eyes and fluffy pink hair, it looked like a girl no matter how you looked at it.

"Meow?" The cat peeked out, squinted its eyes, and rubbed against the boy, acting like a cute little cat.

Shirou gently pushed the girl in the apron away and asked in confusion, "Um... who are you?"

"Meow? Master doesn't recognize meow, woof?" The cat seemed very upset, tears welling up in its eyes, and looked pitifully at the boy.

"Eh? Ah... I think there was such a thing? I'm sorry..." Shirou's mind recalled the corresponding setting. As the youngest son, he helped with farm work and housework every day, but he didn't get any recognition. The only thing that made him feel comforted was the cat in the house that was closest to him.

During his spare time between farming seasons, he would play with his cat, and in winter, they would huddle together under a tattered quilt for warmth. Their shared childhood experiences had forged a deep bond between them.

"Wait? Something's not right?!" Shirou exclaimed in surprise.

"Meow?" The pink-haired maid cat wearing an apron tilted her head cutely.

Chapter 172 The Cat for Its Owner

Beyond the open space where the tea party was held, further in, you'll find a large garden surrounded by flowerbeds and hedges. It's the heart of the forest, with a lake where Griffin guards Softshell Turtle, and green spaces where Croquet Ground can be played.

Several castles stood at the innermost part, forming a palace. At this moment, the city gate was opened, and a coachman slowly drove a carriage out from inside the cave, arriving at the outskirts.

King Louis here was a kind-hearted man, but he wasn't very interested in politics, leaving even important state affairs to the Queen. On this particular day, he unusually refrained from his beloved locksmithing and instead, accompanied by his servants, left his territory within the forest of the Heart Kingdom to travel abroad. This place was no longer a dense forest, but rather a pastoral landscape, with lush green Pasture Grass and golden grains, inhabited by some farmers.

"Alright, let's go find a young nobleman who is worthy of the royal family today, after all, our Princess is of marriageable age."

"Yes, Your Majesty King!" the servants and soldiers replied in unison.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider this matter!" The Princess, a beautiful young woman with long, straight blonde hair, also sat in the carriage. Hearing the King's words, Princess blushed and spoke respectfully. However, her demeanor was more like that of a Princess than a princess.

"Hehe, my lovely Princess, do you really want to stay by your parents' side forever? What a spoiled child! But don't worry, I will choose the best husband for you," Emperor Louis said with a loving smile.

"Your Majesty, that's not the point. The premise is wrong!" the Princess said, her face flushed with anxiety.

The carriage turned its wheels and moved slowly forward, accompanied by the clatter of horses' hooves on the ground.

Meanwhile, the boy had finally sorted things out and accepted his new identity. Shirou rummaged through his patched-up, tattered clothes to make sure he was in a good position.

In reality, he's probably asleep on the plane right now, having some strange dream. He's unusually clear-headed, but seems unable to wake up anytime soon.

There was a faint magical aura emanating from the surroundings, and now even Servant had appeared. Clearly, this dream was not so simple. Completely bewildered, he could only react to whatever came his way and wait for Chaldea side to notice the situation and contact him.

In this dream, I am the youngest son of a farming family. After my father's death, I am driven out of the house by my brothers and the only inheritance I receive is a Calico Cat.

But this cat has now turned into a strange girl. She seems to be Servant belonging to the category of yokai. Although she talks to herself and does whatever she wants, she is not too difficult to communicate with.

Shirou sighed and said:

"In short, I'm penniless now, with nothing left except a cat that suddenly became Servant at some point."

At this point, shouldn't he kick down the door, go back inside, and redistribute the family fortune?

"Master, Master, wait a minute, besides meow, don't you also have a pair of boots?" Tamamo Cat reminded her.

"Ah." Only then did Shirou realize that along with him, there was a pair of small leather boots that he had picked up and brought home before. Except for two- or three-year-old children, no one else could fit into them.

"Master, if you give me the boots, I can help you get a house and land. Meow is an amazing Omnipotent Pet. Master only needs to sit and wait for the meal. Whether it's cleaning, cooking, or raising the family, leave it all to the dog." Tamamo Cat said confidently.

"Don't you already have shoes?" Shirou asked, scrutinizing the girl. The girl, who claimed to be a cat, had a large, fluffy tail, and her hands and feet were encased in long fur suits that connected to cat claws and animal feet, reaching to her elbows and knees. Could those be the real thing?

"Oh, Master, how dare you stare at my fur and paws so brazenly!" Tamamo Cat said, cupping her slightly flushed face, seemingly quite pleased. "Although I don't need new shoes, I'll always hold them to my chest, keeping them warm, you know."

"No, no, if you just imitate like that, both the Oda Nobunaga and the Golden Monkey will get angry. But if you want it, here you go," Shirou said, then handed the boots to the cat.

"Great! I got a gift from my master! But next time, please give me a carrot!" Tamamo Cat happily hugged the boots, then disappeared from her grasp, nowhere to be found.

"Alright, although I really have nothing left now." Shirou clapped his hands and said with a smile.

"It's alright! Master, please come with me. Meow will bring you bread and milk." Tamamo Cat took the boy's hand and pulled him forward with her Monstrous Strength.

Tamamo Cat was scouting ahead, had keen eyes and ears and spotted the emperor's carriage coming this way.

"Master! Master! Come here." Tamamo Cat ran back and grabbed the boy, then darted into the bushes by the roadside.

"What are you doing?" Shirou asked, dragged along by the Monstrous Strength.

"Take it off!" Tamamo Cat said with a smile to the boy.

"Huh? Why?!" Shirou exclaimed. Although the other party was Servant without hostility, they were difficult to communicate with in every sense of the word.

"It's okay, the old clothes are gone, so the new clothes will come! Trust me, woof!" Tamamo Cat immediately took action.

"Wait! Can't you listen to what people say?" Shirou said angrily.

With a tearing sound, the tattered clothes could not withstand the weight and were ripped to shreds by Tamamo Cat.

"Oh, Master's body is so amazing. Meow, I wish I could lie on Master's abs and sleep." Tamamo Cat blushed and covered her eyes, but she peeked through the gaps in her paws, her eyes not closed at all, but looking around.

"Sigh... I don't even know if the Projection will work." Shirou sighed helplessly, silently chanted a spell, turned on the switch, and released magic power from his hand, causing his clothes to slowly condense into shape.

Tamamo Cat suddenly exclaimed, "Master, look, the clothes have arrived!"

They could hear the sound of horses' hooves approaching in the distance.

Tamamo Cat ran straight to the road where the emperor's carriage had passed and shouted, "Marquis Shirou has been robbed by bandits! Someone, please save him!"

"Marquis Shirou has been robbed by bandits. Is there any kind soul who can help him? His clothes have been stripped off. Anyone willing to help Marquis Shirou will be richly rewarded upon returning to his territory."

"To think that Marquis could suffer such a misfortune! Guards, bring me my best clothes and let that Marquis change into them," the benevolent Emperor Louis ordered from inside the carriage.

"Your Majesty, please be careful, that might be a trap. Please allow me to dismount and protect you," the Princess said, drawing a rapier.

"What are you doing, my Princess? You should be sitting there like a lady. Put down your sword!"

"Oh, I know, but Your Majesty, please be careful." The Princess reluctantly sheathed her sword and advised again.

"I understand. When you deliver the clothes, go and check them, then come back immediately," Emperor Louis instructed his trusted servant with a wink.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the servant replied, picking up the clothes with both hands and walking towards the bushes.

"Master, you lead these people forward, and leave the rest to meow," Tamamo Cat whispered, before running off towards the front of the path.

Because Shirou was already good-looking, although he wasn't exactly pampered, living in the modern world, eating well, and exercising regularly, he had a healthy, rosy complexion, and his skin was even better maintained than that of the nobles of this era.

The strong muscles on his body are not the irregular bulges caused by farm work, but rather a masculine charm that can only be achieved through accumulated training, resulting in a solid yet not bulky physique.

Therefore, the emperor's servant believed the boy's noble status at a glance.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the Shirou looked completely transformed, appearing capable and handsome. The people outside the carriage were also impressed by this sight; what a dashing young man!

"How is it? Is the Marquis injured? What kind of young man is the other party?" the emperor asked his loyal servant.

"Your Majesty, the other party is not injured. He is a handsome and refined young nobleman. Even if you said he was a prince of a country, perhaps no one would doubt it."