When we returned to where we'd been before, everyone except us had already gathered.
Pakira was holding a cat, and Ryuzgyaru and Narcissus were chatting away happily together.
Lazing about in the shade of a tree was the big blue dog, Ken no Ken.
Ambrosius, who was nearby, gave me a cheerful greeting when he spotted me.
"Hey, how'd it go?"
"Well enough, I'd say."
"But I tried my hardest!"
Yeah. Anemos really gave it her all.
My gaze drifted toward Pakira.
Pakira was cradling a pure-white cat in her arms, stroking it gently.
Hmm. As I thought — the tail really is long.
"Good work, all of you."
"You as well, Pakira... How did it go?"
"Ah, about that. Well then — I'll explain shortly, so just bear with me."
"O-okay."
She had a slightly troubled look on her face, which only made me more curious.
"Everyone's gathered now. Report your results, everyone. Pakira's group first."
"Hm, we're starting with us, are we? Very well. Let's begin with this one."
So saying, she stroked the cat.
"Meow."
"This one looks like a cat, but it isn't actually a cat. Well, I suppose it is a cat, in a way.
This one's a cat monster."
"Huh?"
"A monster?"
"Oh, how interesting!"
"I see."
"Also, this one isn't a dungeon monster — it's a natural monster. Look. You've heard of them before, surely. It's a Cat Sith."
A Cat Sith. According to my memories from my past life, it was a cat fairy.
Was Puss from that fairy tale "Puss in Boots" a Cat Sith too?
So that's what it was. A monster.
"Cat Sith. I see. No idea what that is!"
"Honestly, you..."
"So did this Cat Sith have a Relic of Wind?"
"Mm. It did. This one can understand human speech, you see. It knows the conditions perfectly well. And not only that... it seems to be friends with the Water Death King."
"That shut-in!?"
Ambrosius was way too surprised.
"Also, Pakira. Can you actually communicate with it?"
"Somehow, yes. And so, this one — it seems the Water Death King taught it something, and apparently it's claiming to be the counterpart of the Wind Death King or something like that."
"That means..."
"The Wind's"
"Life"
"King!?"
"So that's it."
"This Cait Sith..."
"Hmm. I don't really get what that means, but it means it won't become the Wind Death King, right?"
"Seems that way."
"Disqualified!"
That does seem to be the case. Wait, is that even the issue here?
"Nya."
"That's not it."
He's brushing it off, but is that really okay?
"Then that means Ryuzugyaru."
"I decline, then."
"Wha—!?"
"Because, see, Byuu is the will of the Wind Dungeon."
"That's how it is, right?"
Ambrosius said, half exasperated.
"Then it can't be helped. Disqualified!"
Narcissus declared quietly.
"Huh? The will of the Wind Dungeon...? I've been... unable to follow what's going on since a moment ago..."
Anemos was bewildered.
That's it. That's the natural, expected reaction.
Everyone's off their rocker. Me included.
Then, with a proud puff of her chest, Narcissus spoke up.
"It's fine. I don't really understand it either! I barely know anything about the Wind Death King or the Life King, to begin with!"
"...And you're the head examiner...?"
"You can do it even without knowing! As long as you've got the motivation!"
".........."
Narcissus, brimming with confidence and standing tall, with absolutely no basis for any of it.
Anemos was speechless at this. I was already used to it.
The others didn't say anything either, but their expressions spoke volumes.
"Meow."
"So then, the Wind Death King is—"
All eyes turned to Anemos.
"Me... is it?"
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations."
"Well, how about that. I don't really get it, though."
"Meow."
"Congratulations."
"..."
Anemos was blushing shyly as everyone congratured her.
"Well then, let's get right to it."
I spoke while taking the Wind King Soul Jewel from my pouch.
It looked like a crystal ball the size of a palm. But it was a strange orb with swirling wind contained inside.
Apparently, handing this over would make her the King of Wind's Death.
"Wof-san. What's that?"
"Here you go."
I handed the Wind King Soul Jewel to Anemos in a casual, easygoing way.
So Anemos received it fairly lightly.
In that instant—the Wind King Soul Jewel sank into Anemos's chest.
"H-hey... ah, what... I feel like the strength is draining out of my body..."
She collapsed—careful, dangerous. I caught her just before she hit the ground.
"Phew. Anemos? Anemos?"
"No point calling. She's meeting with Lord Yomido right now."
"He is. He's a man."
"Right, that's right."
Ambrosius gave a wry smile.
"Say, would you mind telling us the details soon?"
"Sure. I suppose now that the next King of the Wind's Death has been decided, it's time to talk."
"If so, there's a log cabin called 'Whims of the Wind' nearby. Let's move there first. It has beds, too."
"Sounds good."
"I'll carry Anemos."
With a grunt, I scoop Anemos up in my arms.
Pakira saw that and said:
"Princess carry suits you not one bit."
"Huh?"
"Let's go."
"Meow."
Everyone set off to move.
It wasn't like I'd intended to do a princess carry or anything, but now that she mentioned it, I supposed she had a point.
Also.
"Why does a guy smell so nice and feel so soft?"
His sleeping face looked like that of an elven beauty no matter how you looked at it.
I almost wanted to physically verify whether he was really a man, but I restrained myself. That would be crossing a line.
Besides, something about jade entering his body, and collapsing — nobody told me about any of that, Lord Yomido!
Anemos opened his eyes.
"…Where am I?"
He stood in a mysterious white space wreathed in fog beneath the night sky.
"............"
The enigmatic space was dotted with slender black cylinders, set at regular intervals.
"Where even am I? Oh—someone's there?"
A figure emerged from deep within the fog, gradually drawing closer.
The silhouette was feminine, and animal ears were visible atop its head.
"Who... are you?"
Before long, the figure revealed herself.
She was a catkin girl.
Long black hair streaked with gold, with a pair of black cat ears perched on top.
Brown skin, wearing something like a thin, flimsy nightdress.
One of the shoulder straps had slipped down carelessly.
And behind her, two black tails—one longer than the other—swayed gently.
"...ZzzzZZzz... sleepy..."
Anemos stared, surprised at the sight of her mumbling like that with her eyes closed.
"P-Pakira...?"
The reason he added the question mark was because her coloring was different from what he remembered.
The moment he murmured that, her eyes snapped open.
They were vivid red cat eyes.
Anemos understood.
"N-no. You're not Pakira-san..."
"Quite. Pakira. Resembles?"
"E-eh, ah, yes. Exactly like her."
"But. Different. I am. Yomido."
"Yo-Yomido... Yomido!?"
"Hehe. Welcome. *yaaawn* New one. King of Wind's Death. Anemos."
Yomido smiled through her yawn.