Chapter 33
“Yes, back then Gerald was a bit arrogant, but he wasn’t a bad person… The time he started changing was after I rejected his confession.”
“What a lunatic… So what, everyone’s supposed to accept his confession just because he makes one?”
“I know, right…? I guess it was a huge shock to him that someone as lowly as a commoner like me dared to turn him down. After that, he started tripping me on purpose, pulling my hair—just childish stuff. And… he especially started bullying this cat I met here. Looking back, I think he got disgustingly jealous seeing how much I cared for it.”
Remembering that time, Sophia’s face twisted in pain.
It was such a cliché story of a third-rate villain.
He tried hitting on Sophia because she was a commoner and seemed easy, then threw a tantrum when she rejected him—and even took it out on an innocent cat.
I ground my teeth, regretting that I hadn’t flattened Gerald into an X shape when I had the chance.
“Ugh, I should’ve hit him one more time!”
“Haha. No, it was already satisfying enough. Gerald fell so pathetically, remember? And that expression of his…”
Sophia mimicked Gerald’s face, giggling.
“Pfft! That’s exactly it! So he’s been tormenting you all this time since then?”
“No, my father and I moved to another village after that, so we were away for quite a while. But we recently came back to our hometown, and that’s when I ran into Gerald earlier today. I tried to ignore him because I didn’t want to get involved, and then…”
“He threw that tantrum at you, huh? That worthless piece of trash, not even fit to be Ruby’s poop!”
“Zoe.”
“What? He deserves the insult.”
When Luan gave a polite cough, clearly telling me to calm down, I just shrugged innocently.
“Yes… actually, the reason I came back to this village was to find that cat. The day we moved, we promised to meet one last time at our special spot—but we never did. Now, if Gerald finds out I’m looking for it…”
“He’ll interfere again. Ugh, such a petty bastard.”
Given Gerald’s third-rate villain personality, if he learned Sophia was searching for the cat, he wouldn’t just interfere—he might even harm it.
That kind of guy feeds on bullying the weak to make himself feel strong. So what should we do about this…?
After thinking for a moment, I looked at Sophia.
“Hmm… Sophia. We’ll help you find the cat.”
“What? But I can’t drag you two into this.”
“It’s fine. We’ve got nothing but time. Right, Luan?”
I sent Luan a pressuring look, silently urging him to agree. But he coolly avoided my eyes.
Oh? You dare look away from me? Take this—eye beam attack!
“…Luaaaan. Pleeease?”
“Haa… fine.”
Defeated by my big, pleading eyes like those of a sad puppy, Luan sighed deeply and gave in.
See? Being a foal has its advantages.
I nodded to myself, seeing my reflection—an innocent little foal—in the teacup.
“Really… thank you, both of you. If you ever need my help in the future, please tell me. I’ll do anything I can to help!”
Sophia declared with a determined look. I smiled awkwardly, trying to calm her enthusiasm.
“Ah, it’s nothing. So, could you describe what the cat looks like?”
“Oh, right. Its fur color is…”
Drip. Drip.
At the faint sound of water droplets hitting the ground, my ears perked up instinctively. The sound came from right nearby.
Then, a cold drop of water fell onto my cheek, and I jolted awake.
“Wh–where am I?”
My voice echoed hollowly in the unfamiliar space. Forcing down my panic, I cautiously lifted my head and looked around.
A narrow labyrinth of twisting tunnels inside a cave.
Stalactites hanging from the ceiling.
A damp floor covered in fine sand.
Sparse weeds sprouting between cracks and vines running along the walls.
…Why does this place feel weirdly familiar?
Then, a system window flashed before my eyes.
[<System> You have entered Grade B Dungeon: Lunatis’s Hideout.]
“Another—another dungeon?! Hiiiii!”
My loud neigh echoed through the dungeon.
To explain why I was in a dungeon again, we’ll need to rewind a bit.
After hearing Sophia’s story, we went with her to the place she used to meet the cat.
It was behind the village, on a hill overlooking everything. Sophia said she often met the cat beneath a large oak tree deep in the woods.
“When I first met that cat, it was covered in wounds. Its back leg was caught in a trap. So I freed it and treated it with herbs.”
“Oh, then you were that cat’s savior!”
“I didn’t really do much. But maybe because it felt my sincerity, the cat slowly started to trust me. The first time it rubbed against me… I was so happy.”
Sophia smiled radiantly as she spoke.
“That’s when I decided to adopt it. It was hard for it to live here anyway, and Gerald kept bothering it. The cat was smart enough to understand what I said, so when I told it to meet me here the morning we were moving, I really thought it understood. But… I guess I was wrong.”
“It seemed to understand human speech,” she said—and that made me think of Ruby.
This was a world full of magical beasts and monsters.
So maybe that clever cat was a magical creature too.
“Sophia, we’ll check the other side!”
“Okay, be careful!”
While searching near the tree, I slipped and tumbled down a slope.
“Zoe!”
Luan turned pale and rushed after me—but before he could reach me, something grabbed the back of my neck and carried me off into the darkness.
When I woke up from that shock…
“So this is a dungeon, huh…”
Hahaha. What a dynamic, nonstop animal life this is. When I first got trapped in this game, I dreamed of a peaceful and happy life—but nope.
Sighing, I shook my body to get rid of the sand clinging to my fur.
All I wanted now was to find that cat, return to the inn, take a hot bath, and fall asleep hugging Ruby.
“Why does every place here have to be a maze? The Entregon Palace was the same…”
I quickened my pace through the winding corridors. By now, Luan was probably frantically searching for me.
While looking for an exit, I suddenly remembered the story the fruit skewer vendor had told me earlier—about a pet kidnapper.
“…Wait, don’t tell me the psychopath who only kidnaps pets is the one who took me?”
If that’s the case, I’m absolutely beating them senseless.
Kidnap me? Oh, you picked the wrong pony.
As I followed the twisting path, I finally emerged into a wide chamber.
“Ugh, I was starting to get claustrophobic. Good thi—huh?”
—What’s that? A pony? Meow!
—Pant, pant! A new friend! Woof!
—Friend? No way, squeak! Hey, stop licking me, squeak!
Suddenly, a group of animals appeared before me. Not monsters or magical beasts—just ordinary animals.
Oh my gosh… can I understand animal speech now?!
I stared, wide-eyed and disbelieving, as the animals chattered.
—Pant pant pant! Hi, friend! Let’s get along from now on, woof!
A golden retriever with soft brown fur trotted up to me, tail wagging.
Looking at that ridiculously adorable dog, I couldn’t help but change my mind immediately.
Actually… maybe this is heaven.
