"Lu, there's someone at the door..." Nick approached me, his lips pursed together, his eyes worried.
"Hm? You can let them in," I nonchalantly replied as I folded my clothes.
I should've thought better about my answer, just like I should've paid more attention to Nick's expression. The person who stepped in was none other than a member of the Order.
"The Order..." I spitefully remarked as a figure, dressed in dark clothes and the Order's emblem on the shoulder, stepped in. Nick positioned himself beside me, staring at her.
"Why, the greetings are as cold as a blizzard, I see," the woman remarked. "But that makes it easier; no need for pleasantries. I'm here to take you, Lu."
"Why are you searching for me?" I asked.
"Why, you ask?" she chuckled, clasping her hands together. "The Order could use such a talented healer as you."
I stared deeply at her, thinking about a solution. "Nick, could you take two glasses and a bottle of wine?" I glanced at him, before returning to the woman. "Let's talk about this. Surely, you must be tired. Please, take a seat."
The woman's eyes softened, and decided to take a seat, while Nick brought what I asked. He poured the wine, and we engaged in a conversation.
"Tell me why I should follow you," I started.
"You don't have a choice," she flatly remarked.
I clasped my hands together, bringing them to my chin as I contemplated deeply about it. "Well, I refuse," I replied.
The woman, about to sip from the glass, suddenly stopped. Her expression neutral while she looked at me. "Well, you force me to use strength..."
"Perhaps I can make you change your mind," I reasoned.
"That is simply not possible. If I don't bring you in, others will. You would only be postponing what has already been decided."
"Fine by me," I said, folding my arms.
She blinked as she crossed her legs. "What do you propose, exactly?"
"How about a story?" I asked.
"Lu..." Nick looked at me in disbelief.
"A story, you say?" the woman commented.
"You know, I'm a storyteller. Surely, you've heard of me," I remarked, a proud smile playing on my lips.
"I could use a story..." the woman appeared thoughtful, rubbing her chin. "Lately, it's hard hearing good ones."
"Then, what do you say?" I pressed.
The woman took a sip of the wine, swinging the glass in her fingers. "I accept. But, should the story be unworthy, I will immediately bring you in."
"Very well!" I exclaimed. "I only have one rule: you're not allowed to say a word until the very end of it. Are you okay with it?"
She nodded, and I began. "Then, listen here..."
...
----------------------------------------
It hadn't been a fortunate day for Rowan; being hit by a high-speed vehicle could be many things, but surely. it couldn't be considered healthy. In fact, he didn't come out well from such an event. However, in a way, one could say he got... rejuvenated.
Yes, not himself exactly, or his body. But, in a way, being reincarnated and maintaining the memories of the previous life could also be considered rejuvenation, no?
And that is exactly what happened to Rowan; forced to bid goodbye to his previous life, he got reincarnated into a new world. A world completely different from his futuristic one; a world where magic exists, and where he could've wield it as well... as a cat.
"W-what...?" his first impression was: confusion, obviously. "Why am I so... short?" he asked himself, looking at the world from another perspective. The soil he had spawned on was rich with tall grass, obscuring his view.
"And where am I?" confusion kept gnawing at him as he moved in circles, trying to understand. "I was... on the road... Yes, I remember. Am I dreaming now?"
He began to walk, making his way through the grass. "It feels way too real, even to be a lucid dream... Am I in a hospital between life and death?"
He turned his head to the sky, feeling a weird discomfort wash over him. "I must be..."
In that moment lost in contemplation, a sudden tingling sensation at his nose took over; the grass was the culprit. To fight the feeling, he reached with his hand to scratch his nose. That's when he realized his hand was now a paw. "AH!" he bolted, jumping backwards in sudden fear and confusion, his scream coming out as a loud hiss.
His hair was now puffed up, giving him a weird sensation all over the body. "W-what am I?!"
He dared look at his paw once again, leaving him in shock. "What...?!"
In that moment, a blobby blue ball suddenly appeared in front of him, slowly moving forward. "A slime?!" Rowan thought. "What is happenin- WHOA!" he jumped backwards once more as the slime tried to crash him.
In a flash, Rowan and the slime were basically playing tag. "I have no choice but to kill it!" he screamed internally before turning to the slime, sticking out his nails and launching himself at it.
Using both his little teeth and what resembled little claws, the slime began gushing blue liquid from the holes inflicted by the cat. "This is so gruesome!"
After a while, the smile stopped moving, and nothing but its leftover juice remained. "AH!"
Level Up! You're Now Level 2!
New Passive Skill Unlocked: Sharp Claws.
Skill Information: Your physical hit will deal +25% damage.
Level Up! You're Now Level 3!
New Passive Skill Unlocked: Defying Paws.
Skill Information: You defy all logic; next time you're about to fall, you will fall on all four legs, always, in any case and incontrovertibly.
The sound of the notification startled Rowan, causing him to jump away once again. He then read the content on the magically-appeared blue box in front of him. "... What?"
He let his tiny body fall, exhausted both from the action and the mental work. "I need a drink..."
Then, he fainted.
Upon his awakening, he found himself nestled over a warm surface, only to discover it was a lap.
"Milady, where did you find that cat, if I may ask?" a man asked.
"I found it on the grass just outside, I thought it was dead for a moment," the girl replied, caressing the cat.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
"Where am I?" Rowan tried to speak, but nothing more than a low pitched 'meow' came out of his mouth.
"Aww, look how cute it is! It's purring!" the girl's eyes brightened at the cat's sounds, taking it in her hands and rubbing it against her cheek. Rowan could do nothing but be at her mercy as his body wobbled around.
"Milady, are you sure your father will allow you to keep it?"
Rowan observed the scene while the girl moved him around. On his left stood a giant, elegant man resembling an aristocratic butler, his expertise accentuated by his gray hair. He was conversing with the young girl, looking like a giant as well, trying to talk some sense into her. She, on the other hand, just appeared to have the man's grace. She was pouting, dressed in an exquisite pink dress, with a small crystalline crown on her golden cascading hair, the glitter of the crown reflecting the ocean in her eyes.
"I don't care if he doesn't allow it! I will keep it!" she replied, abruptly looking away with no intention of changing her mind.
The butler grumbled, drooping his shoulder inward. He already looked resigned.
"I'm no one's pet!" Rowan shouted; or so he thought.
The girl frowned at him. "How dare you meow at me in such a tone?"
"Girl, what?" Rowan blinked.
"Listen here, kitty," the girl straightened her arms, putting the cat in such a way he couldn't do anything but stare into her eyes as she spoke. "From now on, you're bound to stay with me. No angry meows, only cute purring. We clear?"
Once again, Rowan blinked, his mouth slightly open, showing his canines. The girl laughed at the sight, and the butler let out a sigh, his lips turning into a fond smile.
As they all made it through the lady's humble abode, Rowan was put on the ground, inside the girl's room. She had a bed worthy of a princess, with luxurious items all around.
"Here, kitty. Drink some water," the girl said, laying on the ground a little silver plate with some water.
Rowan approached it, finding himself looking at the water's reflection. "Oh..." he was left utterly speechless. "I really am a cat..."
The image of a gray cat was reflected on the water, making him confront the harsh reality of his reincarnation, leaving him fully traumatized.
"Milady, you should give it some milk, not water..." the butler gently chided.
"Water will do," she replied, leaving no room for objections.
Some hours passed, and Rowan was now on the lady's bed, forced to be caressed.
"Why do you look so depressed?" the girl murmured, more to herself than Rowan. "I've never seen a depressed cat..."
"'Why', she asks..." Rowan thought to himself, shaking his head.
"Milady, have you decided on a name for it?" the butler asked.
"Hmm..." the girl lifted the cat in her hands, looking at its eyes. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"That would be a boy, milady."
"Hmm... I wanted it to be a girl," she girl pouted angrily. "Can we make it a girl?"
"There are ways to do so, certainly, milady," the butler replied.
Rowan started shaking without any prior warning, trying to escape the girl's grasp. Alas, he didn't succeed. "I'm escaping tonight. I'm absolutely escaping tonight!"
And so, on that same night, as the lady was having peaceful and joyful dreams, Rowan escaped her clutches, sneakily making his way out. Escaping that villa was quite the task; it was enormous for a human being, let alone a cat...
But eventually, thanks to an open window, he managed his escape. But as soon as he set paw outside, a slime appeared.
"Why is it always you?!" he shouted at it as he charged against it.
"We found it!" someone suddenly exclaimed, the voice high enough to alert him.
Rowan twisted, noticing two tall figures dressed in black and with a bag in hand approaching it. He understood immediately what their plan was, and started running, leaving the dying smile behind.
"Why are you two chasing me?!" he screamed; a meow for the others.
Level Up! You're Now Level 4!
New Passive Skill Unlocked: Fast As Wind.
Skill Information: +25% movement speed.
Level Up! You're Now Level 5!
New Active Skill Unlocked: Tail Slash (Wind).
Skill Information: Use your tail to manifest a strong gust of wind against the enemy.
"Not now! AH!"
Distracted by the blue box, he was scooped up by one of the two perpetrators. He screamed.
"Calm down, calm dow-"
As Rowan wriggled in the pursuer's hands, the sight of blood prompted him to stay still, trying to understand the situation. He fell to the ground along with the pursuer; in his head, a peculiar weapon was stuck.
"... A comb?" Rowan asked himself.
A golden comb was stuck in the head of the pursuer's head, while the other stood frozen in fear.
"You..." a voice beside Rowan spoke; a voice familiar to him. "What were you trying to do to my kitty?!"
It was the young lady; in her nightgown and barefoot, she ran to the rescue of her cat. She bent down to reach for the comb, blood gushing over her from the force of the pull, before gazing at the remaining pursuer.
Rowan looked at the lady, her eyes as piercing as an ice blizzard. He stood still, observing her...
"WHOA!" he shouted as she swung the comb once again.
... They were now the only ones left.
The lady took Rowan in her grasp, caressing his fur as she hopped happily back into her room, humming a song. "You know? I've decided on your name! You'll be... Harold!"
Your Name Is Now: Harold!
"My whole identity is gone..." Harold murmured to himself.
Hearing a cute meow, the lady giggled.
----------------------------------------
...
"And that is the end," I declared.
The woman took the last sip of her wine. "Hm, that was a good story," she remarked, staring at the rim of her glass.
"So?" I asked.
"Very well..." she grumbled as she rose to her feet. "You're free for now. I'll report that you weren't here."
"Well, thank you very much."
And with that, the lady stepped outside. Nick just stared at me, blinking.
"What?" I asked him.
"A man reincarnated in a cat? Seriously?"
"Why not? It saved us," I shrugged.
He sighed. "What a story..."