The cries drew closer and closer.
"Fou~ Fou~"
Shing-
Sovell and Artoria, the only two who retained their ability to fight, slowly drew the swords at their waists halfway out of their sheaths, faintly radiating dragon might.
It was a warning.
Just as the tension in the hall was about to reach its breaking point, a voice that made anyone who heard it want to punch its owner rang out:
"All right, all right~ Calm down for now, Three-Eyed Demon Cat-Cath Palug."
As the words fell, countless petals drifted into the hall through its entrance and gathered into a human figure.
It was Merlin.
But in his arms, he held an exceptionally adorable... an... something that could just barely be called a white cat?
Looking more closely, though, the white cat's ears and tail were astonishingly large, almost the size of a rabbit's ears and a squirrel's tail.
And from that white cat's mouth came the very sound that had filled everyone with dread:
"Fou~ Fou~"
"Greetings, my king. Sir Kay has been worn out by his long campaign against the demon beasts. Might I ask you to let him rest for the night?"
In a rare turn of events, Merlin had appeared at court of his own accord and bowed in greeting to Artoria.
Clearly, he had come because of the disturbance caused by this white cat.
Otherwise, knowing Merlin's habits, he would most likely have only just climbed out of some young maiden's bed.
After the incident caused by the white cat, that morning's court session ended without accomplishing anything.
At Merlin's prompting, Artoria and Sovell followed him into Kay's room.
When they pushed open the door, the sight before them was nothing like what Artoria had imagined-her older brother lying gravely injured or the like.
On