Godfather Marie

Instinct outweighs reason; actions precede thought. The wild, action-oriented Tamamo Cat's two pairs of paws are already pressed against Princess Chevalier d'Eon's chest.

"Whoaaaaah!" Chevalier d'Eon screamed.

"Hmm, it does look like it's gotten bigger! Although it can't compare to Mash's." Gudako noodle-like soft tentacles to hug the pink-haired girl.

"Oh, Gudako-senpai~!" Mash blushed.

"Master, this is the real deal. Although it's a bit modest, it's still about the size of a little pudding. In terms of texture, it's not quite as good as my paw pad. Master, would you like to touch it?" Tamamo Cat stretched out a pair of paws to the boy and recommended.

"Then I won't be polite... No! I didn't ask you for your thoughts!" Shirou couldn't resist the temptation of the fleshy ball and was about to reach out when he quickly changed his mind and complained.

"Master is such a pure-hearted person. Right now, you can stroke my tail and paws as you please. You're a rare breed of super fanservice dog," Tamamo Cat said with a grin.

"I already told you... I'm a man!" Chevalier d'Eon emphasized, blushing slightly. As a world-renowned cross-dressing spy, Chevalier d'Eon's skills were so refined that even both his own countrymen and foreigners would place bets based on his true gender.

Self-suggestion A has reached a level where it can alter the physical body; to some extent, this has surpassed grand True Magic and reached a more profound and mysterious realm.

Although Chevalier d'Eon identifies as male, she appears as a beautiful and innocent girl when dressed as a man, but when dressed as a woman, there is a mysterious bulge in her chest. However, the possibility of a mysterious bulge under her skirt cannot be ruled out either, so her true gender will forever remain a mystery.

"..." Shirou looked at the genderless knight in front of him, pondered for a moment, and realized that he seemed to have accepted Emperor Louis's invitation, which was extremely troublesome. In any case, he would just have to take it one step at a time.

"Chevalier d'Eon, now you know my identity, right? Can you tell me how you got here?" Shirou asked.

"I didn't come here through a dream, and this is the first time I've heard of a human coming to this world because of a dream, with some residents of Paris even falling into a coma as a result," Chevalier d'Eon said.

"We want to find the culprit who created the connection between this world and the outside world, and who created the dream world. Chevalier d'Eon, do you have any clues? Like a dangerous Servant or something?" Shirou asked tentatively.

Chevalier d'Eon paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, I left Chaldea at the Queen's invitation and have been following her ever since. As for Servant... there are quite a few around the Imperial Palace, but none of them are particularly dangerous. No... there is one troublesome fellow who's dangerous when he sings, but he's not exactly a bad guy."

"Is that so? Thank you." Shirou nodded.

"It seems you'll have to search them one by one, Shirou. We'll still have to rely on your Magic Eye from now on," Da Vinci said to the boy from Chaldea.

"I understand. Anyway, since we've been invited by the Emperor, let's go into the palace in the forest tomorrow and look for it. Chevalier d'Eon, you shouldn't get in our way, right?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, although I am loyal to the Queen, I was also a comrade-in-arms in Chaldea. As long as you do not do anything to harm the France royal family, then I am your ally." Chevalier d'Eon nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll go to the Imperial Palace as a guest tomorrow," Shirou decided.

"No, no, Shirou-senpai, that's not just being a guest. They're having the young man talk to them alone, and they're even introducing him to their parents. It's practically a blind date!" Gudako blurted out the truth.

Before he could finish speaking, a noisy chatter and laughter came from outside. It turned out that Emperor Louis had returned with his ministers and generals.

The 3D image of Chaldea instantly disappeared.

"Oh, my Princess, how did your talk with Shirou go?" Emperor Louis asked as he walked in, beaming.

"Your Majesty, that's why I'm your knight, I can't possibly fall in love with a man!" Chevalier d'Eon emphasized again, but was still ignored.

"Oh, and here's a cute little cat, Shirou. And who is this little girl?" Emperor Louis walked in and saw Tamamo Cat and Jeanne d'Arc, but didn't show any surprise. Instead, he asked with a smile.

"Meow, I got praised~!" Tamamo Cat said happily.

"I am Shirou's bodyguard, wherever he goes, I will go!" Jeanne d'Arc, leaning on her banner, looked directly at the Emperor and said.

"Haha, what a reliable little knight! I grant you permission to accompany Shirou to the Imperial Palace as his Shirou." Emperor Louis looked at Jeanne d'Arc as if she were a little girl pretending to be an adult, and agreed with a smile.

In the eyes of the emperor, his ministers, and generals, Tamamo Cat was regarded as an ordinary farm cat, while Jeanne d'Arc was seen as a little girl.

"No, Your Majesty, please listen to me. The Princess insists that she is a man, you know that, don't you? What is your opinion of her?" Shirou asked the emperor.

Even though this is a dream world, and the emperor sees Tamamo Cat as an ordinary cat and Jeanne d'Arc as a little girl, Chevalier d'Eon never seemed to conceal his true gender from the beginning.

"Hahaha! Shirou, it's up to you to change her stubborn mindset! Don't worry, my Princess, as long as she believes she's a woman, then her body is a woman! So this task is entrusted to you." Emperor Louis patted the boy's shoulder, as if entrusting him with some great undertaking.

"Huh? So, the body you're in now is male?" Shirou was taken aback, looking at the emperor uncle he had initially thought was a kind old man. He realized he had a completely different opinion of him. It seemed that none of the emperors were easy to deal with.

"Hahaha! With love, nothing is a problem! Youth is wonderful!" Emperor Louis said, giving a thumbs up. "With love, gender, age, and race are not problems at all. A woman can become a man for the one she loves! A man can also become pregnant and give birth for the one he loves—that's the power of love! So, young man... do your best to cultivate your relationship with my Princess!"

"What the Emperor said is so true! Meow is so touched!" Tamamo Cat said, wiping away her tears. "There are no barriers between a cat and its owner; the love between a pet and its owner is the most genuine!"

"No! No! I think that's already marriage fraud, isn't it?" Shirou retorted.

Chapter 176 Marie's Godfather

Under the night sky, a large plain beyond the forest was shrouded in darkness, except for a beautiful castle that emitted a dim yellow light. The crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall had been turned off, and the candles on the long table had been extinguished.

After their conversation, Emperor Louis took the Princess away, and they returned to another building to rest. Shirou and the others went back to Jeanne d'Arc's room, where they analyzed the characteristics of this world with Da Vinci, Mash, and the others from Chaldea.

According to current intelligence, this is a dream world.

Humans or Servant introduced into the dream are assigned their own missions and roles. Although they retain their original personalities, in the eyes of others, they are forced to continue the story.

"Shirou, after you came into this world, you encountered the famous France fairy tale, Puss in Boots!" Da Vinci said.

"Yes, this is a classic fairy tale written by the 17th-century French author Charles Perrault. It tells the story of a magical cat who helps his impoverished owner defeat the evil king and achieve happiness..." Mash's eyes lit up as she began to introduce the book.

"That's true. Because of her, it seems I got the castle and land without doing anything. There should be limits to getting something for nothing, otherwise it would be too unsettling." Shirou nodded. If the demon king in the castle wasn't Jeanne d'Arc, but the real one, then wouldn't it be a story of an even more powerful cat demon that ate a great demon and then gave the stolen property to the human who took care of it?

"Meow haha, I got boots as a gift from my master. Will he give me carrots next time?" Tamamo Cat raised her hands and showed off to everyone.

Shirou glanced at the carefree Tamamo Cat beside him. Although she claimed to be a cat, she was actually a fox. However, there was also Princess here who claimed to be male. Perhaps this type of Servant was surprisingly common.

"When Jeanne d'Arc Alter arrived here, she first encountered Merlin dressed as a rabbit, and ate various foods that could shrink and grow."

"That's Alice in Wonderland. Alice chases the White Rabbit and experiences all sorts of wonderful things, and then she attends a tea party with the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse," Mash said.

"Ugh... that tea party was hell." Jeanne d'Arc covered her forehead, still feeling a throbbing pain in her head just from recalling the eerie sounds she heard.

"So Merlin is here too?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"In the end, he's the one who built this castle, but then he ran away," Jeanne d'Arc of Arc said, spreading her hands.

"Is that so? Oh well, that guy's been acting all mysterious anyway, he's probably up to something behind the scenes. Let's just stick to our own plans," Shirou said.

"It seems that the important roles will be played by the one with the stronger Spirit Origin, which explains why we've encountered so many strange Servant," Da Vinci analyzed.

"But we didn't see the Cheshire Cat..." Mash said with some disappointment.

"Meow? Are you talking about meow?" Tamamo Cat asked, peeking over.

"No, they even changed their nationality, didn't they?" Mash shook her head.

"No, wait, when it comes to cats, it's definitely meow, woof~! Right, Alice?" Tamamo Cat suddenly pounced on Jeanne d'Arc, laughing as she spoke.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't understand at all!" Jeanne d'Arc said, frowning.

Tamamo Cat shook her head and said, "No! No, no, meow! Jeanne d'Arc- dōji should be asking me now which way she should go."

Jeanne d'Arc: "I just can't do anything with you... Alright, then where should I go?"

Tamamo Cat replied with a smile, "That depends on where you want to go first."

"Huh?! You're not kidding me, are you?" Jeanne d'Arc shouted angrily, grabbing him.

"It's just lines, lines, meow. Jeanne d'Arc was European, yet she doesn't understand any of it," Tamamo Cat said disappointedly.

"So, in that sense, they are indeed already interacting." Mash, witnessing this scene in Chaldea, exclaimed in sudden realization.

Seeing that it was already late, Shirou said, "Then let's rest for today."

"Shirou, is your bedroom ready?" Jeanne d'Arc asked.

"Yes, it seems the maids spontaneously made up my bed in the next room," Shirou replied.

"Next... next door!" Jeanne d'Arc exclaimed, her face flushed.

"Hmm... it's really too close, isn't it? I'll just go find a room on the other side then," Shirou said considerately, understanding the girl's feelings. Indeed, if a boy and a girl live next door, it's easy to feel shy and not sleep well if you're not used to it.

"No!... It's just sleeping next door, it's no big deal! Is that right? Everything's arranged, that's good..." Jeanne d'Arc turned her face away from the boy and said.

"Hey? You don't have to force yourself." Shirou looked at the silver-haired girl whose voice was high-pitched and who was obviously putting on a brave face, and said kindly.

"Stop looking at me! Just go on ahead." Jeanne d'Arc got angry and pushed Shirou towards the door, but her mind was a mess, thinking, 'The neighbors? What should I do? Will they hear my snoring?'

Tamamo Cat's eyes lit up, and she was about to pounce on Shirou, crying out, "Meow, I want to sleep with Master~! Lying on Master's belly, I'll definitely sleep soundly~!"

"You stray cat, come back here! You're staying here, and you're not going anywhere!" Jeanne d'Arc said, grabbing Tamamo Cat by the scruff of her neck.

"Yes, Tamamo Cat, you can stay here," Shirou said in agreement.

"Master, don't you want to meow anymore?" Tamamo Cat asked her owner pitifully.

"No, sharing a room with a girl at night is too much. I won't be able to rest at all. Tamamo Cat, please stay here." Shirou said to the catgirl.

"Alright then, meow is very patient," Tamamo Cat was surprisingly obedient and stayed. At this moment, she turned her gaze to the girl and said with a smile, "But Jeanne d'Arc- de-sama is such a spoiled brat, I really can't do anything with you. Meow will lend you my soft tail as a pillow tonight."

"Who wants it?!" Jeanne d'Arc shouted.

Shirou stepped outside and headed towards the room on the right. But when he opened the door, he saw a girl with animal ears wearing only an apron, standing there smiling to greet him.

Tamamo- neko, clenching her paws, said in a sweet voice, "Master, welcome back! Would you like to eat some cat food first, or take a bath first, or just meow meow meow~!"

Shirou looked behind Tamamo Cat and discovered that the side of this room was connected to Jeanne d'Arc's master bedroom by a door. By opening that door, one could freely enter and exit the two rooms.

"You stray cat! Come back here!!" Jeanne d'Arc dragged Tamamo Cat back to the room and threw it onto the bed.

Then, she stormed back and looked at the boy, saying each word clearly, "Shirou! Lock this door from the inside. Listen carefully, absolutely do not open it! Absolutely! Do you understand?"

"Okay, I understand, goodnight..." Shirou replied.

Before she could finish speaking, the silver-haired girl, having received the boy's assurance, turned around and slammed the door shut with a bang, making a locking sound.

Shirou reluctantly walked forward and locked the door. He now understood why the maids had smiled so knowingly when they talked about this room...

This design was probably inspired by the design of medieval noble houses. The so-called bad habits of aristocratic society included, for example, allowing the nobleman to move between the bedrooms of his first wife and concubines at night. After sleeping with his first wife in the first half of the night, he could go directly to the room of his concubine, maid, or perhaps the room where the girl who had her virginity was kept without leaving the room.

Shirou sighed, but when he thought about how Merlin was the designer of the castle, everything seemed to make sense again.

The young man immediately changed out of his aristocratic formal attire, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes. He needed to be well-rested for the possible battle tomorrow.

What he didn't know was that the silver-haired girl, her face flushed, leaned her head against the door, muttering, "Damn it, how am I going to be able to sleep tonight!"

The next morning, Shirou woke up automatically at six o'clock. As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Jeanne d'Arc standing there.

"Good morning, Jeanne d'Arc, you're up so early," Shirou greeted her with a smile.

"..." Jeanne d'Arc huffed and turned her head away.

"Huh?" Shirou looked at the silver-haired girl in confusion, wondering what he had done to offend her, and why she was so angry the moment they met.

If a girl is unable to sleep because her crush is in the next room, her heart is pounding, her face is flushed, and she tosses and turns, unable to fall asleep, but then she hears the boy's steady breathing as he sleeps, continuing until dawn...

'Anyone would be annoyed!!!' Jeanne d'Arc of Arc roared inwardly.

A sumptuous breakfast was served to Emperor Louis, his ministers, and of course, Princess Chevalier d'Eon, whose gender was uncertain. The breakfast consisted of freshly baked French bread made from refined flour, served with duck broth and a vegetable salad. It was simple yet delicious.

After that, the group followed the emperor's entourage and headed back towards the castle.

We walked slowly along the path, stopping midway to find a scenic spot where we sat on the lawn, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing across the green grass while having lunch. Fresh vegetables, pork and duck sandwiches, and brewed black tea made for a delightful experience.

After several hours, Shirou finally caught sight of the enormous palace built high in the heart of the forest from horseback.

The building covers an area of at least tens of thousands of square meters. The symmetrical flat-roofed building appears upright and majestic. Marble statues and huge stone pillars can be seen everywhere on the upper part of the palace's exterior walls. The two ends of the main palace are connected to other palaces, forming a magnificent sense of unity. Even from a distance, one can feel its imposing momentum and its rigorous and harmonious layout.

Outside, there are gardens, lakes, and large green spaces suitable for playing golf.

When Shirou saw these things, he realized that this palace was the famous Palace of Versailles, but due to the size of the forest, some unnecessary buildings had been reduced. Otherwise, it would have been much more magnificent.

When the carriage stopped at the main gate of the palace, the emperor, supported by Princess Chevalier d'Eon, stepped down to the ground.

"Darling, Chevalier d'Eon ~!" A cute girl's voice came from behind.

A noblewoman wearing a large black hat ran over, her carefree smile making her look like a pampered, innocent Princess. She threw herself into Emperor Louis's arms.

"Oh, my lovely queen, you've come out to greet me!" Emperor Louis said happily, embracing his queen.

"Queen Mary, so she's here after all? Chevalier d'Eon seemed to have mentioned before that she only dressed as a woman and obediently accepted the world's arrangement to become Princess because of the Queen's orders," Shirou thought to himself.

"Speaking of which, Marie, are you playing croquet?" Emperor Louis asked his wife.

"Yes, my dear, are you coming to play too?" Queen Mary said with a smile.

From afar, Shirou saw a bizarre and comical scene: the white soldiers, with their hands and feet on the ground, arching their bodies to act as goalposts, had red birds as their bats and a small hedgehog as the ball on the ground, which was running around restlessly.

Meanwhile, the group of Black men playing with the Queen were grinning and showing off their white teeth.

But the white soldiers were all angry but dared not speak out.

"Let's talk about it after we play croquet, Marie. First, let me introduce you to the young man. This is Marquis Shirou from the neighboring country outside the forest. He's a promising young man." Emperor Louis led his wife toward the boy.

"Hmm~! Is this the husband my dear has chosen for my daughter?" Queen Mary, dressed in black, looked the young man up and down with the eyes of a young girl.

"Well? This is a rare and fine young man, and we seem to have a special connection," Emperor Louis said with a smile.

When she saw Tamamo Cat and Jeanne d'Arc behind the boy, her expression changed instantly, revealing disgust as she said, "A black-clad village girl, and a dirty stray cat..."