Chapter 40: Thief found! But it was actually Scaryyy!
TL: kizen
ED: FilipGecko
AN: Just who the h.e.l.l stole the carrots……! (´・ω・｀) (Knows but just pretending not to know)
「Nya~ (Ghost?)」
「Wan (Yeah)」
「Chuー (That"s right jya)」
We met up with Nafra in the middle of the night and explained the situation about the fields to her.
We talked about how the carrot field was ruined, the hoof tracks we found, and how we followed those tracks into the forest where they suddenly disappeared.
Nafra started giggling after listening to us talk about the fear that we felt.
「Nya~ (No way~. Silly Routsan. Do you still believe in ghosts~? There are no such things as ghosts you know~? Pfftー)」
「Wan (Grrr)」
「Chuー (Grrr)」
It was really irritating to see Nafra with her front paw on her mouth trying to hold in her laughter.
「Wan (Aren"t you kind of a ghost yourself? You"re originally a corpse after all)」
「Chuー (What was that? This is the first I have heard of such a thing you know?)」
「Nya~ (Nafra is trainee homunculus that"s using a cat"s corpse as a vessel. Nafra is a high performance familiar that consolidates the essence of the greatest scholars you know? That"s why please don"t lump Nafra together with unscientific beings such as ghosts)」
「Chuー (T-that is amazing nojya!)」
Nafra puffed her chest out in pride while Ren jumped up and down as she praised her.
A corpse or a homunculus, it doesn"t matter what she calls herself since both are the same to me.
「Wan (Anyway, we"re going to stand watch in the fields tonight. Let"s go)」
I started walking toward the fields.
Meanwhile, Ren and Nafra were just in relax mode on my back.
「Wan (Oi, you guys. Walk by yourselves)」
「Nya~n (No way~. Sitting on Routsan"s back is the best you know~?)」
「Chuー (There"s no way we"re heavy so you are in no position to complain. What are you dissatisfied with when you have two beauties on your back?)」
You guys are animals though.
I repeat, you guys are animals.
I can"t even tell whether you"re male or female, much less whether you"re actually beautiful or not.
Also, Nafra, you have skipped bathing again, have you? You have a subtle beastly smell you know?
What will you do if I bring that kind of smell back when I enter Ojou-sama"s bed?
We arrived at the fields as we were having our usual banter.
It seems like the Illusive couple had already gone to bed.
I could tell since the stables that were lit with a crystal lamp were already quiet.
Because of that, we quietly pa.s.sed through the stables while trying not to disturb them and hid inside a bush that was close to the fields.
「Wan (Well then, Nafra)」
「Nya~ (Yes?)」
「Wan (I"ll leave the lookout to you. I"m going to sleep)」
「Chuー (If that"s the case then I will do the same. Let us know if you see anything)」
「Nya~ (H-huhー. No fair~)」
You, didn"t you laze around more than I did today?
I was really busy keeping Ojou-sama company and helping out the twin-tailed maid-chan with the laundry you know?
That"s why I need to make up for my chronic lack of sleep.
「Nya~ (Uuu, everyone really treats familiars roughly……)」
It seems like that"s how familiars are used. That"s nothing new though.
「Nya~ (Ah. Routsan, Routsan)」
「Wafuu (Eh? They"re already here!?)」
I raised my head even though I was trying to fall asleep.
「Nya~ (Look, look. It"s a weird insect~)」
「Wan wan! (Don"t disturb my sleep just because of thatー!)」
Nafra showed me something that looked like a relative of the rhinoceros beetle that she caught in between her front paws.
I shooed her away and returned to my sleeping pose.
「Chuー! (Dear! My dear!)」
「Wafu (Geez, what is itー? If it"s another weird insect this timeー)」
「Chuー! (That"s not it! It"s here! It"s the thief jya!)」
In the direction that Ren pointed at on top of my head, something that had some kind of light source was coming closer.
「Wafuu…… (Is that a torch? Wait, does that mean that the thief was actually a human all along?)」
This must be the b.a.s.t.a.r.d that"s trying to steal our family"s vegetables.
I"ll just instill fear into them by surprising them with my wolf face.
I quietly dashed towards the moving fire.
「Gau gau! (Ora ora! This field over "ere"s our territory, ya got that! n.o.body"s allowed here! Wanna get hurt! Hah? Wanna get hurt!?)」
Once I reached the place where the torch"s light could be clearly seen, I forcefully jumped out and barked.
「Gau gau gau gau! (Ora oraー! So surprised that ya can"t speak, can yaー!)」
Well, I guess they probably were surprised.
Even I would faint if such a large wolf suddenly appeared in front of me.
I"ll also pee myself of course.
I noticed that the torch guy remained quiet.
Don"t tell me……did they faint while standing up?
Since I had just been paying attention to the flame, I didn"t get a clear picture of the other party.
Because of that, I strained my eyes to get a better look at them.
The person I expected to be there, wasn"t.
Instead, it was a horse. A large horse was there.
However, it wasn"t just an ordinary horse.
Its mane and tail were burning like it was on fire, and its eyes were glowing blood-red.
The moment it saw me when it looked down with its rectangular pupils, then its fiery mane started going wild.
The flame which was now intense seemed like it burned the horse"s skin causing it to be see-through.
What was underneath its skin wasn"t muscles, but a bare skeleton.
With that terrifying appearance, no matter how you look at it, it"sー……
「K-KYAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINN!!! (I-it"s a ghoooooooooooooooooooooooost!!!)」1
Without thinking, I grabbed Nafra who was sitting on my back and used her as a shield.
「NYAAAAAAAAAAA!!! (N-noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!)」
The moment I grabbed Nafra, she immediately held Ren with her forefeet and also used her as a shield.
「CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! (Waiー, STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!)」2
Being pushed in front of a flaming horse skeleton, Ren screamed out loud.
Then, the horse frantically stood up on its hind legs and shrieked.
「BAHIHIHIHIHIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!! (W-heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!? Ghosts are scaryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!)」
「「「Wan Nyaー Chuー!!! (IT"S YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!」」」
The scream of four animals resounded on the field in the middle of the night.
It"s a hooooooooooooorse! (´・ω・｀)