Chapter 19 – Catherine is a really kind mentor!

"Not again!" I yelled, bolting upright from my new bed, my voice echoing through the quiet room. My hand shot up to my throat instinctively, as if checking for some phantom injury, but everything felt intact. I let out a shaky breath, trying to steady my racing heart. The room around me was still, too still.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down, gripping the blanket tightly in my lap. "It was just a dream... just a dream," I whispered to no one in particular, though the pounding of my heart refused to settle as quickly as I'd hoped.

Meanwhile, I scanned the dimly lit room, and my eyes landed on Catherine. She was sitting in a chair beside my bed, her head resting on the edge of the mattress. She was dressed in soft, pastel pajamas, and her steady, quiet breaths suggested she'd been there for a while, long enough to drift off into sleep.

It seemed like she was so exhausted that my earlier outburst hadn't disturbed her slumber. I let out a quiet sigh, my gaze shifting to a plate of steaming vegetable soup resting on the small table beside my bed. The aroma wafted gently, inviting and warm, despite the chaotic state of my mind. Next to the plate was a small note.

I picked it up, expecting some kind of written message—not that I could read it—but instead, I was greeted by a simple, hand-drawn illustration: a playful fox happily devouring a bowl of soup, its tiny paws clutching the edges of the bowl as if it were the greatest treasure in the world.

A faint smile tugged at my lips. The childlike sketch was undeniably Catherine's handiwork. Though it lacked words, it carried a clear message: Eat and feel better.

I quietly lifted the bowl of steaming vegetable soup from the table and began eating, savoring the warm, hearty flavor. Each spoonful felt like a soothing balm, calming the chaos in my mind. As I bit into the last tender piece of potato, I heard a soft rustle.

Catherine stirred, her head lifting groggily from the edge of the bed. She rubbed her eyes, blinking slowly as she looked at me.

"Ah, sorry. Was I too loud?" I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Good evening… I didn't realize I was… sleepy." Catherine mumbled, her voice heavy with drowsiness as she let out a soft yawn. Her red hair was slightly disheveled, framing her face in a messy halo. She stretched her arms lazily before resting her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on me. "What did you do today?"

"Catherine…" I muttered, and before I realized it, I hugged her in a flash.

Catherine froze for a moment as I suddenly embraced her. Her body tensed, and I could feel her stiffen beneath my arms, but she didn't pull away. The warmth of her presence, despite the awkwardness, was oddly comforting.

"Uh… what's this about?" she asked, her voice a little softer than usual, though still laced with confusion.

I didn't have an answer—no words came. I just held on, needing a moment to ground myself. Her familiar scent filled my senses, the one that I hadn't realized I missed. Maybe I was just overwhelmed, or maybe it was something deeper than that. Either way, I stayed silent.

I could feel her tense against me, her protective instincts kicking in. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, a fiery look in her eyes that could melt steel. The intensity in her voice—filled with a desire for retribution—wasn't something I expected.

"Was it the merchants? Did they do anything to you?" Catherine's eyes flared with anger, a fire burning in them as she leaned forward, her fists clenched tightly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they taste what Vekmor's Wrath feels like," she spat, her words dripping with venom as she clenched her teeth.

I pulled back slightly, surprised by her intensity. "Catherine, it's not them. It's not anyone else," I said softly, my voice breaking as I tried to make sense of the whirlwind inside me. "I just… I'm just tired."

Catherine stayed silent for a moment, just watching me with those intense, yet strangely comforting eyes. She didn't push me, but I could feel her gaze probing, understanding, and somehow, it made me feel even more exposed.

"It's okay to be tired," she said gently, her voice both soothing and reassuring. "But you're not alone in this, okay? You don't have to bear everything on your own. If you need to, talk to me. I'm here for you."

I sighed and recounted the events, my voice low. "Well, first, I was chased by skeletons in the forest. Then, there was this flower that trapped me, and I ended up running away from someone who was actually trying to help. I don't know… I just couldn't handle the compliments he gave me, and I ended up pushing him away."

Catherine's expression softened slightly as I explained, her fiery determination dimming, though the concern never left her eyes. She placed a hand on her chin, thinking carefully.

"Skeletons and flowers... That's definitely a strange day," she said, her voice a little gentler now.

She paused, clearly trying to piece everything together, and I could see the flicker of uncertainty in her gaze, as though she was calculating how serious this situation was—or whether I was just making it sound worse than it really was.

Catherine furrowed her brow, her expression turning serious. "A skeleton... That shouldn't be possible. I placed an Aegis Wardstone on the heart of the forest and the village. There shouldn't be any hostile low-level monsters below level 40 appearing here. All the monsters around should be harmless."

I blinked in confusion, trying to process what Catherine said. "Aegis Wardstone?" I repeated, furrowing my own brow.

Catherine's expression grew more thoughtful. "The wardstones are supposed to prevent any hostile creatures from getting too close, especially low-level ones like skeletons," she said, more to herself than to me. "Something's not right. There must be some kind of interference."

She stood up from the bed, her gaze turning distant as she seemed lost in thought. "I'll need to check the wardstones again. If they've been tampered with…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "We need to be careful. This isn't just a random encounter anymore."

I hesitated for a moment, trying to piece together my thoughts. "Well, I mean... What if the skeleton wasn't really attacking me? Maybe it was just... following me, or trying to get my attention?" I offered, not entirely convinced myself. "If it wasn't truly hostile, maybe the wardstone wouldn't have noticed it."

"That doesn't make sense," she murmured to herself. "Undead are by their very nature hostile. They're the remnants of something dead, driven by something—usually a curse or dark magic—that makes them violent. There's no way a skeleton could be non-hostile, especially not one that chased you."

I could see the wheels turning in Catherine's mind as she processed what I said. Her gaze drifted toward the window, her arms crossed as she pondered.

"I'll check the Aegis Wardstone first thing in the morning," Catherine said, stifling a yawn. "But for now, I need to get some rest." She gave me a tired smile before she stretched and stood up from her chair. "What will you do, Mashiro? I read somewhere from the library in Thalradia that fox girls are nocturnal, and sometimes active during the day," she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

I shifted uncomfortably, not entirely sure how to respond. "Um... don't worry about me," I said, trying to brush off her concern. "I'll just... sleep again, I guess."

I gazed out the window, the moonlight casting a soft glow on the world outside. It was already midnight. I must have slept from the afternoon until now, a habit I used to fall into during summer vacation. Back then, I'd hole myself up in my room for hours, losing track of time as I mindlessly played gacha games, the outside world feeling distant and irrelevant.

"Is that so..." Catherine's voice was soft, her eyes lingering on my fox ears as she spoke. "I know I said I'd take you as my apprentice, and I want to teach you things like magic, but…" She hesitated, a gentle frown tugging at her lips. "I don't want to force you to live like a human."

I smiled slightly, hearing her mention teaching me magic. It was a kind offer, but I wished I could tell her how much I wanted to stop being human. The thought of locking myself away in a quiet room, with nothing to worry about except my next gacha pull, was so much more appealing than any social interaction or responsibility. I longed for the simplicity of that life — no questions, no expectations, just me and my games.

"I can just stay awake during the night to teach you stuff," Catherine said, her voice a mix of determination and care. She seemed to be trying to work out a solution, her eyes soft as she looked at me.

"I'm fine, really," I smiled, trying to reassure her as I lay my head down on the bed, the soft warmth of the blanket wrapping around me. "Goodnight."

Catherine paused at the door, her expression softening before she said with a faint smile, "Okay, then. Goodnight, my apprentice." She gave a small nod and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.