"Ancestor?""Did I hear this mouse correctly?"
Mina looked at the mouse who had a determined look on its face while standing on two paws.
"Tarou did say ancestor right?"
An unsolicited thought immediately popped up in Mina"s mind. She could imagine standing behind Tarou with a feather fan. While imagining a scene where she is the fan-bearer on the right side of the king, she couldn"t help but include Barca in the feature. The gentle human would probably be feeding the gluttonous creature with excellent grains. Knowing Tarou, he would be sitting on his mouse throne while patting the human.
Mina looked at Tarou again while shaking her head as if she"s chasing the thought away.
Whether Tarou is 400 years old or not, he would be her ancestor. After all, she is from the future. Looking at Tarou with a distrusting look, Mina tried to sound as unconvinced as possible while confronting him.
"Why would you think you"re an ancient creature?"
Tarou hesitated before squeaking.
"It"s the elder."
Mina gave the grey mouse a sideways look as if prompting him to explain further.
"A mouse they called elder visited me today. He... he said my memories do not make sense. According to him, they were from 10 summers ago."
For a mouse who only cares about food, it felt unusual to listen to Tarou admit that he did not make sense. It took Mina some time to digest what Tarou said. Ten summers ago... this means ten years. She couldn"t help but give Tarou a sideways look.
"This mouse was trying to take her for a ride."
"Ten years. Your memories were from ten years ago," she repeated. Tarou nodded quickly and Mina couldn"t help but clear her throat while eyeing Tarou. "And these mice friends of yours are teaching you how to dupe me?"
Realizing he was caught, Tarou instantly appeared more docile as if he was playing coy. "Ten summers, that"s how long 400 years are if you"re a mouse." Needing to redeem himself, Tarou explained what happened and how he arrived at his conclusion to divert the topic.
"You make friends so quickly!" Mina couldn"t help but exclaim. While she was playing with curtains and thread, this little mouse has been making new friends. The only friend she made was an old, suspicious man who could understand wriggling worms! Then there"s the maid who almost fainted although that girl is not exactly her friend.
"I am NOT friends with them," Tarou replied with disgust. "They are not very likable."
Mina realized that she held her breath while waiting for Tarou"s reply. She was surprised at how relieved she felt when Tarou denied being close to his new mice friends. She felt like she could forgive this fluffy thing from making her believe his 400-year white lie.
"What was I thinking!"
"Why would I be jealous of mice? That"s beneath me!" she reminded herself.
"Tarou is an underling Mina, an underling. It"s not like he"s your best friend."
"Between you and a piece of cheese, Tarou will choose the cheese unless there"s meat lying around which smells more delicious."
"Why would you care so much about that kind of person, er, mouse."
"I"m telling you, Boss, those mice should be worshipping me. I am like a G.o.d to them. Even people should make me an altar. I am four hundred years old," Tarou squeaked with so much excitement.
Mina secretly thanked Tarou"s preposterous dream of being treated like royalty for pulling her out of her sentimental state. Just then, Mina saw something rushing towards them, specifically towards Tarou who was so busy chattering away, he failed to sense the incoming threat.
Mina could sense an evil intent from the approaching creature. She saw something glint in the light. The shiny thing looked like teeth?
"Sharp teeth!?"
Instinctively Mina raised a paw to slap the approaching creature before it could hit Tarou who is still prattling mindlessly. The sudden appearance of her claws made Tarou stiffen but the sound of a body hitting the ground made the grey mouse turn to see what happened. Looking at the direction of the fallen creature, Tarou"s eyes widened.
They could hear the hissing of the rat who flared at Tarou with flaming red eyes. When the rat stared at him, Tarou"s courage disappeared and he ran behind Mina.
"Boss that rat hates me. Your ancestor is in danger."
"You have to be dead if you want to be my ancestor."
"Boss, I am your underling. I am everyone"s ancestor but you are my ancestor. Boss! I... I will be your underling for four hundred years!" Tarou pleaded. Seeing no change in Mina"s reaction, the mouse tugged on her paw. "Boss! I will be your underling forever!"
"Is this mouse more afraid of a rat than a cat?"
Mina took a closer look at the rat. She seems to have made substantial damage but the rat was still alive. Looking closely, the villainous rat looked less attractive than her underling. It had bald patches on its body and vicious bite marks on its paw.
When the rat attempted to launch another attack, Mina panicked because she didn"t want the rat to get close to her. Clueless on what to do, she used her claws again. This time, the impact was harder and when the rat crashed on the ground, it could barely move. Seeing that the rat can no longer do any harm, she turned around to check on Tarou. Seeing that her underling was still shaking, she couldn"t help but drag him back to reality.
"Hey! Snap out of it."
"Boss, those rats hate me!" came Tarou"s concerned reply.
"Rats... mice... aren"t you supposed to be friends? Close enough to share the booties?"
"You know nothing Boss. That...that rat has been giving me an evil eye because I ratted them out. They are out to get me. What if they hack me to pieces while I sleep? I"m a poor, unfortunate mouse."
"You are their ancestor, what are you afraid of?" Mina retorted. Of course, she wouldn"t let any rat touch her underling but she needs to teach him a little lesson. This Tarou is becoming too out of hand, he needs to know who"s Boss. But instead of lording over the mouse, Mina heard something totally unexpected.
"Boss!" Tarou suddenly called out, "I remember something!" The grey mouse stood on two paws and his eyes were as wide as saucers. Tarou"s whole expression screamed that he had an epiphany.
"That, the last day I remember spending with my family, the day elder said happened 400, uhm, ten years ago... That day, I followed a rat. That"s how I discovered a strange hiding place."