[1-12]: Treasure Hunting

Translated by Syxphis
Edited by Syxphis

Good evening everyone, I’m the very same cat you’re already familiar with.

I’m currently in the middle of a ninja-like covert operation.

A carriage that’s guarded by a group of demons is moving along the path through the forest without stopping. I’m following about twenty meters behind it, blending in with the forest and the darkness of the night so I won’t be noticed.

I thought that I may be a little too far away, but since I’m not using [Concealment], I need to be careful.

In fact, I would love to keep [Concealment] active and stay close, but it’s too tiring to keep up all the time.

I’ll wait for my chance.

A chance to get closer…

To be honest…I’m on the verge of giving up. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. I saw several wild demons, short-necked kubinagaitas, attacking the carriage as a group. They were probably attracted to the lights.

The demons killed them in seconds.

Ice and lightning spewed from the palms of their hands, and in no time, the crowd of beasts had turned into a pile of corpses.

…Is that what you’d call “magic”?

It’s not that I didn’t expect magic to exist, but it really freaks me out to see it in person. I mean, I was really scared!

You’d be freaked out too if you saw lightning flashing out of nowhere or ice piercing through a monster.

Eh? My Slingshot’s similar to that? No, no, no, I’m just cutely throwing things.

Anyway, it seems like I wouldn’t even beat one of them in physical combat, but they also have supernatural powers like magic…These demons are too dangerous. If it comes down to a battle, I’ll definitely die.

If I don’t want to die, the right thing to do is to pretend I never saw the carriage and walk past it. Even so, I can’t keep my curiosity about their cargo at bay.

It’s not as a desire as a collector, it’s more like a…side mission? No, sense of duty? Something like that came to mind, but in my heart, I know I won’t get another opportunity like this.

I can probably get closer by using [Concealment].

The problem is getting into the cart without the guards noticing…

It would be good if the demons would let their guard down because I’m just a kitten, but a kitten walking in the woods at night would look suspicious to most people. If you’re not careful, there’s even the chance they’ll think I’m a monster and hit me with magic instantly…They might do that anyway.

Hmm…

The cart and escorts suddenly stop.

Are they taking a break…?

The monsters seem to have infinite strength, but the horses pulling the cart probably don’t.

But—that’s not it.

I don’t know how many times I’ve had this hair-raising chill since becoming a cat…!

—Is there something out there!?

I feel like I’m being pushed from behind.

My senses tell me that a large…no, a deadly presence is approaching.

Something is coming!

In a panic, I use [Concealment] to eliminate my presence and climb a nearby tree.

In the very next moment, a black shadow passes near my feet.

A shadow—Yes, a shadow.

A wolf-shaped shadow easily over two meters tall was running towards me.

A shadow beast.

A vague, distinct presence that would melt away and become invisible if it were in the dark.

The Forest Lord.

Those words appeared in my mind.

He passed me by (I guess it’s natural because I’m using Concealment…) and rushed towards the cart and guards that had halted.

Perhaps all the monsters that were killed by the demons with magic earlier were their minions and they showed up for vengeance…?

It seems that the demons noticed the shadow beast, stopped in their tracks and were positioning themselves to protect the carriage.

“A Shadowdancer? Why would it show up in a place like this?”

“It’s unexpected for sure, but nothing to panic about.”

“You’re right. What do you think we’re here for? Actually, it’s nice to see something with a bite for a change.”

“You could say that again.”

“Shall we take bets on who can beat him?”

“I’m in!” “I love it!” “That’s what I’m talking about!”

“I don’t give a shit what you do, but we need to protect this cargo.”

The rat headed coachman said, “I understand.”

The battle against the shadow beast begins.

Various kinds of magic fly through the trees, but the shadow beast avoids every spell. It either dodges with nimble agility, simply outruns it with speed or avoids by diving into the shadows of trees. 

If you weren’t aware of the situation, it probably looks like a festival from afar.

…No, this isn’t the time to be drinking! Maybe this is my chance!?

Is this my chance to infiltrate the carriage?

I leap to a branch in the next tree with a squirrel-like motion.

I fly from tree to tree, being careful not to turn off my [Concealment].

The shadow beast and the demons are now locked into a fierce battle.

The demons seemed to be cutting corners impatiently even if they can’t hit their target that way.

—The shadow beast is blocked by the magic that’s constantly being released and can’t get any closer.

If either one of them were to get impatient enough to move, it would be settled instantly. The demons seem like they would win, though.

The shadow beast isn’t weak by any means. If I fought it, I’m sure I’d lose a hundred times out of a hundred, but the demons are even stronger. I don’t have the power to measure their abilities in detail, but even so, the chills running down my spine tell me the strength of each one by order of magnitude.

If the demons became serious, that moment would be the end of the battle.

If I want to sneak onto the carriage, I have to wait until that moment…but if I’m discovered, there is a good chance I’ll be killed along with the monster.

Be careful and agile!

It takes around thirty seconds to move to a branch that I can leap to the cart from .

The problem is what to do now…

How do I get into the cart?

Of course, the front and back are not fixed, so it would be easy to get in by rolling it up, but the front is too dangerous because of the rat headed guard. On the other hand, the back is in the middle of a battle, so if I get too close I’ll be found by one of those demons.

…This is a dead end—isn’t it?

I just have to get the perfect timing.

The moment that the demons make a loud noise or use magic is the moment to jump…!

I waited for a moment and the bull-horned demon created a fireball in the palm of his hand. 

That looks awesome, doesn’t it? Okay, let’s go!

“Oi oi, you’re gonna use [Crimson]?” 

“I’m not sure if you should burn the forest down. I can’t protect you if the Demon Lord blows up about this later.”

“I’ll only shoot it with a little bit of power. If the forest starts burning, you can use water magic to put it out right away!”

A huge fireball catches the shadow beast as it is crossing the road.

At the same time, I fling myself towards the roof of the cart.

“Turn to ashes!”

It explodes with a bang.

Hot shockwaves spread throughout the area.

—For a moment—I felt as if sound and color had vanished.

I felt a lingering chill in my stomach.

＊　　＊　　＊

I made it into the wagon by the time the fireball exploded.

Damn…!

If I were outside, I would’ve been blown away by that blast for sure!

So, here’s how I got inside: …I went through the roof.

There’s a small hole in the roof now.

And an iron knife lying inside the cart.

Yep, I flew on top of the cart and shot the iron knife into it with Slingshot, opened the hole and dropped through it.

The hole is small, but it was easy to slip in once I twisted my head into it.

The sound of the ceiling tearing and the knife falling was muffled by the explosion, so I’m sure they didn’t notice.

I feel like I’m a thief in a novel right now…

Anyway—the invasion is complete!