Chapter 5
“….A cat?”
Inside the barrel was a kitten.
It seemed to be unconscious, curled up on a white cloth at the bottom, not moving at all.
“I hope it’s not dead.”
I pick it up and lay it gently on the ground.
After confirming that it’s breathing shallowly, I breathe a sigh of relief.
But it’s surprisingly beautiful for a cat.
A sleek body, perfect features. Its brown fur is fluffy, making me want to pet it involuntarily.
“Um…”
The kitten whimpered.
It’s an uncharacteristic sound for a cat.
Or rather, it sounds human. And it’s a girl’s voice.
“Huh, where is this…?”
With a blink, she opens her eyes.
The kitten murmured.
Surprised and frozen, the kitten looks around…
“Wha…!?”
She faints upon seeing the towering dragon house.
A strange silence follows.
It’s quite shocking that a cat spoke human words, but I’ll leave it be for now.
There are many things I want to ask, but the kitten doesn’t seem like she’ll wake up anytime soon.
Leaving her alone seems like a bad idea, so I decide to let her rest in the dragon house.
—
While waiting for the kitten to wake up, I check the driftwood again on the shore.
“The shipwreck… might be useful for something, so I’ll leave it on the shore… Ah, dried fruits. Did the barrels containing them break?”
I pick up a desiccated fruit that looks like a dried apple and try eating it.
It’s faintly sweet. But it’s hard.
Plus, it’s salty because it was soaked in seawater.
It’s not inedible, but it’s not delicious either.
“Well, I’ll collect them anyway.”
I collect all the dried fruits floating on the beach.
Some of them seem to have been gnawed. Probably the work of fish.
“Oh, I found wooden cups! And plates! And…”
Due to the ocean currents, a lot of driftwood from the ship is washed ashore.
I haul them all onto the shore, and because of that, I attract fish looking for driftwood, which saves me the trouble of getting breakfast.
Despite being gnawed on, there’s not a scratch on me, let alone any pain. I was surprised to find my left leg swallowed by a fish.
“Now! Today’s breakfast is fish as usual, but…”
I excitedly explain to the empty air.
“Today’s ingredients come with salt!”
Salt is packed into the salted meat and fish.
Which means I can season the fish with salt.
“Hmm? Isn’t that not much different from before?”
Until now, if I found the fish unsatisfying on its own, I would soak it in seawater before eating.
“Well, at least using seasoning makes it feel more like cooking and adds a sense of civilization! The fish is just roughly chopped as usual!”
I roughly handle the fish with the dragon’s claws and take a bite.
“Oh, there was wine… well, I have water now, so it’s fine for now.”
I munch on the fish fillet while sprinkling salt over it.
It tastes a bit better than usual.
“But still, cups and plates… it suddenly feels much more civilized.”
I look at the harvest lined up on the shore, feeling satisfied.
And then, belatedly, I realize.
“Come to think of it, since there are cups and plates, I could have used them… instead of eating with my hands all the time… I’m getting used to things.”
“After eating, hmm… I should transfer some water from the water dragon’s pool into the barrel. That kitten seems like she’d be scared of the water dragon.”
Luckily, the barrel that the kitten was in is empty.
It’s perfect for storing drinking water.
Thanks to yesterday’s rain, the water dragon’s pool is filled with water, and the barrel is almost full.
“But speaking cat is important, yeah. I might be able to learn a lot about this world from her.”
With that in mind, I’m looking forward to the kitten waking up.
Since I’ve finished my tasks and have nothing to do, I decided to return to the dragon house and wait for the kitten to wake up.
—
The kitten wakes up in the early afternoon.
As I lie down beside her, she suddenly utters, “Huh?” and opens her eyes.
“Is this… was what happened earlier… a dream?”
“Oh, you’re awake?”
When I speak to her, the kitten tilts her head curiously.
“…A goddess?”
…Oh, she means me.
It was such an unexpected word that I didn’t realize it at first.
But yeah, I must look pretty stunning right now.
And the fact that she calls me a goddess implies that there are humanoid beings here too.
But still, we can understand each other?
We can, but she doesn’t sound like she’s speaking Japanese.
It feels strange, but for now, I’m grateful.
“I’m not a goddess, I’m human. You were on a ship that wrecked and washed up on this island… Are you okay?”
I talk to her as if she’s human.
There could be a situation where cats are building civilizations, so it’s worth a try.
“Yes. I’m okay, thank you.”
She says, but she looks like she’s in pain when she tries to sit up.
Maybe she’s not okay after all.
“…I see. You were thrown into the sea by that storm… Where is this? Near the sacrificial altar?”
“The sacrificial altar?”
I ask, unfamiliar with the term.
“It’s the dwelling of the water dragon, Altarge.”
Her explanation makes sense.
But just to be sure, I ask.
“Water dragon Altarge?”
“It’s a giant water dragon that dwells in the Western Sea. It resides in a rocky reef known as the sacrificial altar, which serves as a catchment area for various objects washed up by the ocean currents.”
Ah, I see.
It’s confirmed.
“This is probably the sacrificial altar… I think.”
Upon hearing my words, the kitten’s tail stands straight up.
“What!? Then, there’s no time to waste! We need to escape quickly!”
The kitten urges, tapping my knee.
Putting aside the innocent question of whether she’s okay herself,
“For now, we won’t be attacked by the water dragon, so let’s calm down a bit.”
“…Absolutely won’t be attacked?”
The kitten tilts her head skeptically, looking adorable.
“May I ask for the reason?”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, I consider how to explain, but then I get lazy and just give her the conclusion.
“The water dragon is already dead.”
The kitten’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Huh? Um, you’re joking, right?”
“I’m not joking. All that’s left outside is its bones and skin. If you don’t believe me, you can check.”
“Uh…”
“I’m also washed up here, and at that time, it was already engaged in a battle with another dragon. By the way, this tent is made from the bones and skin of that dragon… What’s wrong!?”
The kitten suddenly flops over, so I hurriedly help her back up.
“I’m fine… I just let my guard down for a moment…”
“I think you’re tired. It’s safe here, so you should rest.”
“Yes… I’ll do that…”
“Oh, right. Are you thirsty? Do you want some water? Shall I fetch some for you?”
“Thank you. If you could, please give me a little…”
Upon my suggestion, the kitten weakly responds.
I quickly scoop up a cup of water from the water dragon’s pool into a wooden bowl and place it in front of the kitten.
“Thank you very much.”
With a bow of her head, the kitten then touched her lips to the water.
“It’s sweet…? And, is it just me, or is the pain in my body easing a bit…”
“Really? Maybe it’s because it’s water collected in the shell of the water dragon… Wait!?”
I was surprised when the kitten suddenly started coughing.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you… Is this the water dragon’s nectar!?”
“Nectar? I’m not sure, but if it eases your pain, should I get you some more?”
“No! Something this precious, I couldn’t possibly take more!”
The kitten hastily declined.
It seemed quite precious judging by her reaction.
“Thank you again. My name is Almira. I come from the City of Waters.”
As she seemed to settle down, the kitten—Almira—said with a bow of her head.
The City of Waters.
So cats have built cities?
As I imagined a paradise for cats, I nodded.
“Yeah. Nice to meet you, Almira. I’m… Well, my name might sound really strange to you, but it’s Tatsuki.”
“Tatsuki… Indeed, it’s not a name you hear in the Western States.”
“Yeah. I came from far away. Well, since we’ve ended up in the same place, let’s get along.”
“P-pleased to meet you, Tatsuki-san…”
Almira took my hand with a slightly bashful expression.
I felt like her gaze was subtly directed towards my lower half.
Maybe I should do something about this fluttering skirt after all.