Was this the charm of a married woman? However, this mother. she’s seriously pretty. Because she looked about the same age as me, I was conscious of her! Moreover, she had the same face as Buchou who I yearned for, you know? She was a flaxen-haired version of Buchou! F-Furthermore, her style was also exceptional just like Buchou! Her breasts were big! Buchou’s breasts were hereditary. Thank you very much, mother! Your breasts' genes were safely handed down to Buchou! “Shall we take a short break?”
And so having been given permission, I sat down right where I was with long, drawn out breaths. Ah, I had been chased around by a dragon since this morning. My stamina was…well, this is still far better than having fire shot at me by that monster Ossan. …But still. I asked a question to Buchou’s mother. “U-Umm.”
“What is it?”
“Why am I the only one doing this? And not Kiba or Gasper?”
Yes, why only me? Including the customary Gremory education as well, if it was to train me as a gentleman, even Kiba and Gasper should be…Though, I understood that I was the least like a gentleman. Buchou’s mother answered me. “Kiba Yuuto-san has already mastered these sorts of techniques. As expected of a [Knight]. Gasper-san is a member of a distinguished vampire family. He may behave unreliably, but he at least knows etiquette. The problem is Issei-san. It can’t be helped that you’re a commoner from the human world, but even so it’s troubling if you don’t acquire etiquette beyond a certain level. Because you’ll also have to make an appearance with Rias in high society eventually. You have to remember customary practices even a little during your stay in the Underworld.”
I was dumbfounded by the words of Buchou’s mother! Me in high society!? But didn’t I hear that servants couldn’t show their faces to such an extent? “B-Buchou…Rias-sama and me will be in high society together! ?”
As I was surprised, Buchou’s mother shifted her gaze to the side and covered her mouth with her hand. “…Oops, I carelessly let something slip out. That kind of thing is still talk of what may happen. Leaving that aside, calling her [Buchou] like that will not do. This isn’t school, so you have to properly call your master by her name. Not to mention, Rias is…Oops, I nearly let something slip again.”
Eh? Calling her Buchou is no good? “Even if you suddenly say such a thing, since I’ve always kept calling her Buchou…Hmm, how about Rias-sama then?”
“Yes, like that. Or you can call her [master]. —Though, you have to call her differently in private as well.”
“So [Buchou] is no good?”
“Think. If you had to give an answer on that within yourself, do you hate that girl?”
Buchou’s mother said that while giving a wry smile. No, no! There’s no way I could hate Buchou! “Well, it would be difficult for you to call her that all of a sudden, and Rias would also be bewildered if you did that suddenly. For this home visit only, you may call her [Buchou]. However, you have to be certain of what to call her eventually.”
Now that she brings it up, what was the person in question, Buchou, doing right now? She might be in dire distress with poor physical health like Koneko-chan. Hmm, I’m also a bit worried. I’d like to go see how she is at least once as her important Kouhai, but…If I go, that may seem like an overuse of my feelings with that…
“U-Umm, can I ask you one question?”
“What is it?”
“What about Koneko-chan…? Is Koneko-chan okay?”
“Yes. It was just ordinary overworking, so she should recover slowly if she rests her body for one or two days.”
“…I’m very worried about Koneko-chan, since she’s been acting strangely since before we came here.”
“That girl is doing her best to face her own existence and power right now. It’s a difficult problem. However, she won’t be able to advance forward if she doesn’t find the answer herself.”
“…Her existence and power?”
I was full of questions. What was in Koneko-chan? “…Now that I think of it, you haven’t been part of Rias’ group for long. Yes, it’s natural that you don’t know. I’ll tell you a little.”
Buchou’s mother sat down while facing me, and began to tell a certain story. It was a story of two cat sisters. The cat sisters were always together, when they played, when they ate, when they slept. With their parents dead, they had no home to return to and no one to rely on. The two cats struggled to live day to day while depending on each other. “One day, the two of them were picked up by a certain devil. The older sister became a part of his group, and so the younger sister was also able to live with them. Having finally obtained a decent life, the two of them believed that they could pass time very happily.”
However, something unusual happened. It appeared that the elder cat sister achieved rapid growth after gaining power. Buchou’s mother said that her hidden talent suddenly began to overflow by becoming a reincarnated devil. “That cat was of a species that naturally excels in youjutsu. Furthermore, she bloomed in magic talent as well, and even invoked senjutsu that was said only the last of the sennincould use.”
It seemed that the elder cat sister, having surpassed her master in a short time, was swallowed by power and was transformed into a wicked existence that only sought blood and battle. “With her increase in power not stopping, the elder cat sister killed the devil that was her master in the end, and degenerated into an “exiled devil”. Moreover, she changed into one of the most dangerous among the “exiled devils”. One that completely annihilated all the pursuit squads…”
It was said that the devils temporarily canceled all pursuit of the elder cat sister. “The younger cat sister remained behind. The devils questioned her as a liability there.”
[This cat may also eventually run out of control. It’s better to deal with her now.] —So they said. “It was Sirzechs who saved that cat that was planned to be disposed of. Sirzechs persuaded the high-class devils that the younger cat sister was innocent. As a result, the situation was settled by having Sirzechs watch over her.”
However, having been betrayed by her elder sister, that she believed in and tortured by the other devils, the little cat sister’s spirit appeared to be on the brink of collapse…What a sad story…
“Sirzechs left the younger cat sister that had lost her smile and the will to live in the care of Rias. After the younger cat sister met Rias, she recovered her emotions little by little. And then, Rias gave that cat a name. —Koneko.”
—. I was at a loss for words after hearing this much. So, the story just now was Koneko-chan’s…? Wait, then, Koneko-chan’s true form is—. “She was originally a Youkai. You know of the Nekomata, right? Cat Youkai. She is a survivor of the strongest species among the cat Youkai, a Nekoshou.