"I am curious as to how you recognized me."
The black cat spoke.
The voice did not come from the cat's mouth; instead, it echoed directly within Greg's mind. It was cold and distant, possessing a non-human, ethereal quality, yet strangely mixed with a hint of the laziness unique to felines.
It even lifted a front paw, licking it elegantly, then tilted its head. With those emerald eyes that seemed to absorb all light, it looked at Greg with an inquisitive gaze.
Its posture was not that of a cat, but more like a deity sitting high upon a throne, interestingly observing an unexpected visitor.
"So that's how it is."
Greg's reaction was unexpectedly calm.
There was no prostrating, no panic, and he didn't even raise an eyebrow. It was as if he had anticipated this scene. He merely curled his lip into a mix of helplessness and an 'I knew it' expression, speaking in a leisurely tone.
"After all, this setup is too classic. A Goddess representing the night appearing in the form of a black cat... it's practically standard equipment in all sorts of stories. It's hard not to make the connection."
He even shrugged, as if discussing a cliché literary trope.
"Setup? What on earth are you talking about?" A hint of clear confusion seeped into the black cat's voice.
The emerald eyes narrowed slightly, as if Greg's reaction and words were beyond its expectations.
"Explaining it would be a hassle."
Greg waved his hand with an attitude of not caring about the details.
"In short, just assume that an ordinary cat couldn't possibly appear in a hellhole like this. And it just so happened to be right when I obtained a bunch of dark-element skills. So, the moment you appeared, I felt you were anything but ordinary."
He wasn't entirely brushing it off. From the first time this black cat appeared, its overly calm posture and its composure in ignoring the dungeon's dangerous environment had been eerie. Add to that the absurdly high Dark Magic Affinity he had just acquired... the accumulation of coincidences pointed to a conclusion that wasn't hard to guess.
"Quite a casual attitude, indeed."
The tip of the black cat's tail flicked gently, its voice betraying no emotion. "Since you know I am a Goddess, shouldn't you show me a bit more respect?"
Greg promptly gave the deity the universal gesture of friendship.
"I can't spare a bit of respect."
His tone even carried a hint of impatience. "I'm not exactly a member of the Animal Protection Society, so I don't have a special filter for felines. And frankly, I never wanted to get involved with beings like you in the first place."
He continued, "My current situation is troublesome enough. Besides, I just want to live a peaceful life, not get dragged into some script for a struggle of fate."
He concluded, "So, could you please not involve yourself with me from now on?"
"Attempting to reject a Goddess? You truly are a... peculiar human."
A very faint trace of a smile seemed to pass through the black cat's voice, but it quickly returned to its ethereal tone. "However, unfortunately, you have already been marked by me. Therefore, it is no longer possible for you to avoid being involved with me."
"Hey!"
Greg was starting to get agitated now. "You did all that on your own, didn't you? Did I agree? Did I nod? Did I sign anything? No! A blessing forced upon me unilaterally counts? Just take it back if it's such a big deal."
"I cannot do that."
The black cat shook its head gently, an elegant movement that carried an unquestionable finality. "Because your fate and mine have been thoroughly bound together."
"Dammit!" Greg cursed under his breath, modern terms slipping out. "A scammer like you who forces a sale and doesn't allow refunds really deserves to be harassed by those freeloading scammers who love no-return refunds!"
"Freeloading scammers?" The black cat tilted its head, clearly unable to understand these otherworldly terms, but the disgust and resistance in Greg's tone were very real.
"That expression of disgust truly makes me a bit sad."
Its voice remained flat, but there seemed to be a nearly imperceptible ripple. "Do you know how many living beings have been willing to offer everything they have—even their souls and eternity—just to earn a sliver of my gaze or a thin strand of my blessing?"
"That's other people," Greg emphasized. He sat down cross-legged, elbows on his knees and chin in his hands, his face written with worry about future uncertainties. "But I don't want to be treated as a pawn by a... well, a strange Goddess like you, and be forced to do things that might endanger my life."
He put a heavy emphasis on the word 'pawn.'
"A pawn?" The black cat seemed to find the term amusing. It leaped lightly onto a slightly higher rock, looking down at Greg from above, its emerald eyes shimmering in the firelight. "This is hardly the treatment of a pawn."
It paused, as if weighing its words or, rather, providing information. "If I were merely treating you as a disposable pawn, then you would not have received such a... generous gift."
The black cat's gaze seemed to sweep over Greg's body intentionally or otherwise. Although nothing looked different on the surface, Greg immediately understood what it meant.
That LV10 Dark Magic Affinity and the dark-element skills that came with it.
Greg's heart stirred. Indeed, according to the original game's setting, even Silvia, who was also favored by a Goddess, had her elemental affinity capped at LV8 on the game panel. The LV10 rank was something that supposedly only existed in the lore; in practice, no one could reach it.
If this Goddess of Night really just wanted to use him as a one-time tool, it seemed unnecessary to invest so much. So this looked more like an... investment? Or rather, a binding?
"Furthermore..."
The black cat continued with the voice that rang directly in his mind, its tone becoming a bit more solemn. "I have stated before—your fate and mine are thoroughly bound. This is neither a metaphor nor an intimidation."
It leaped lightly from the rock, landing silently in front of Greg. It looked up, its emerald cat eyes staring directly into the human youth's amber pupils.
"If you die, I shall perish as well."
Greg: "...?"
"We share the same Godhood."
Greg: "...??"
"Therefore, strictly speaking," the black cat's tail curled elegantly over its front paws as it delivered the final verdict, "you too are now... a deity."
Greg: "Where's my sword and shield???"
Rate on N.U.
