Chapter 19

Having seen off the meteor shower, I advanced toward the leader who was still unconscious.

I really hope you wake up soon…

"Get up."

"…Ugh…"

When I patted his cheeks with my paws, he finally opened his eyes.

I made sure to be gentle, so his face wasn’t bruised or anything. Just normal.

"What’s this… What happened…?"

The leader, still sitting on the ground, looked around, his eyes wide.

Well, of course he’s surprised. If the hideout had turned into an open space and all his comrades had disappeared.

"I have a question."

After maintaining a certain distance from the seated leader, I removed my hood.

The leader flinched and then met my gaze.

"Y-You, where did you come from…!?"

"Where’s the safe?"

Ignoring the flustered leader, I threw out my question.

One of the debt collectors who turned into meteors had mentioned a "safe." It must contain evidence of the connection with the mayor, Schultem.

However, during the rubble excavation, no safe was found.

Even if the cat’s claws had hit the wrong spot, there should have been some fragments left. But even those were not found.

"Safe!?! What’s more important is, what’s going on here!? Did you do this!?"

The leader, still sitting, raised his voice.

With the hood off, he could see my appearance, and he must recognize that he’s dealing with a child.

But he can’t connect what’s happening in front of him with me.

After letting out a sigh, I extended the claws on my right hand.

"Yeah, like this. --Cat’s claws!"

I used [Cat’s Claws] on the pile of rubble I had stacked after selecting the people and the tree.

The five lines shot straight toward the rubble, leaving large marks and shattering it into pieces.

"No way…"

"It’s true."

I am the strongest three-year-old.

"Where’s the safe?"

Anyway. Now that you know my power, I want you to tell me where the safe is quickly.

So, I asked the question again, but the leader muttered something to himself.

"Damn, because of what he said… Damn, I didn’t expect this… Damn…"

The leader, clenching his teeth, glared at me and barked.

"Was it you who made those with the promissory notes disappear…? I get it! You have a grudge against the mayor, Schultem…!"

…No, not really? I’ve never met him.

But to avoid trouble, I nodded.

This seemed to satisfy the leader, who became more animated and continued.

"He gathers women flamboyantly… That perverted old man. But he’s the richest man around here."

…I don’t know.

I nodded again in response.

"If it’s a cat girl, he would definitely want her. There are places where a child like you could be highly valued… But what will you do by getting rid of us? You can’t survive around here if you defy Schultem."

"Hmm."

"…You don’t understand, do you?"

"Yeah, I don’t understand."

"Ah!?"

"Then, where’s the safe?"

"Shut up!! If you don’t understand, I’ll tell you! Got it! Schultem controls the politics around here. Of course, the judiciary too. He can fabricate crimes and mobilize the gendarmerie. You’ll be pursued as a public criminal! You, a child, probably think you’re on the side of justice, right?"

After saying that, the leader stopped barking and sneered.

"---You’re the evil one! That’s how it’s decided in this town!!"

He pointed at me directly.

The evil one is me, he said.

"Try to mess with me. You won’t be able to live a normal life."

---A victorious smile.

The leader, judging me as a child based on my appearance, thought that showing me the concepts of good and evil, the future, and living as a criminal would make me hesitate.

But I tilted my head at his words.

"It’s fine, though."

"What!?"

"I travel a lot."

"Huh!?"

Even if the small town’s mayor and his debt collectors call me evil.

Even if I’m condemned as evil in this small town and its surroundings.

There’s absolutely no problem with my life!

And---

"I’ll tell you something good."

I put force into my hands, which were wearing [Cat’s Hand Gloves].

When I clapped my hands, the paws made a squishy sound.

"If no one finds out, it’s fine."

See!

So, here’s what happened.

"I got the information."

I kicked off the floor, closed the distance in one go, and crouched.

Diving into the leader’s lap, I found an empty jaw.

I tightened my sides and bent my elbow. If I turned my palm toward myself, I was ready!

"Cat punch!"

I thrust my right hand upward toward the leader’s jaw while raising my crouched waist.

It’s a [Cat Punch] uppercut!

"Be a star!"

"Ughaaaaa!"

---Another star fell.