*Click*

“I-I understand…”

Johna was scared.

Scared more than when he was facing death.

He couldn’t look at Jack at all.

“Good! Calling me Jack is just fine!”

The voice… was normal?

It was a regular, young man's voice.

When he looked at him, he saw a regular face.

A face with a smile that shined brighter than the source of light in the room.

It was as if nothing happened.

Johna couldn’t help but think.

‘Was I… seeing things?’

“...J-Jack?”

“Yes, Jack, that’s my name.”

“Oh, oh, sorry, I just dozed off for a moment.”

Johna tried to play off his weird behaviour to not seem strange to a potential apostle.

Mixen nodded. He was glad he thought that way.

“No problem! I have a question by the way.”

“Yes, yes, ask away.”

Johna was still a bit shaken. He hid it, though such attempts could never fool Mixen.

“So~, because I was sent here right away without much explanation… I have no idea what we do here.”

“...Really? Well, if you’re playing the role of a guard you don’t really need to know.”

Johna was loyal. If someone did not have the clearance to the information, he wouldn’t give it out even under torture. In other words…

He would last about 27 minutes according to Mixen’s experience.

‘Not that I’d need to use it on him… now.’

“Pretty please? I want to get as much credit as possible, so I was thinking about helping you out!”

Mixen behaved like a literal child. Considering how he was kneeling down, calling him Young Master, Mixen thought it will work.

“W-What? Help? How would you even help? The shelter is not ready.”

‘Shelter? Not a prison or a lab? I kinda figured it wasn’t done yet… but shelter? For whom?’

“Then can I help with getting anything? You might be surprised at how good I am at getting things.”

“...Even literal tons of building material?”

“I can get you a cheap seller?”

It was somewhat unbelievable for Johna, but he was touched by Jack’s enthusiasm.

“Ha~ Although it might be a bit early, you can look for some children already. This city is under our full control, but the same can’t be said about neighbouring villages. You can mark them on the map and give it to me.”

‘...Children? I don’t like where this is going.’

“No problem! But… what about my job as a guard?”

“Were you thinking about going right now?”

“...I can’t?”

“Well… As you can see there is nothing to guard here. So you can go, but I can’t pay you then.”

Mixen looked at Johna with a raised brow.

“I’m not doing it because of money, but… why those guys were here then?”

It didn’t seem that the guards he shooed away a few minutes ago knew about this.

“Ah… Our Boss just wanted to give believers a place to work and earn something for a living… Boss is just that kind of person.”

Johna was quite happy to hear that Jack didn’t do this for the money.

“Haha, I knew Boss was great from the moment I met him!”

Now it was Johna’s turn to raise a brow.

Mixen noticed it but didn’t know why, and it didn’t look like he was going to say it out loud.

“Well… Then I’m off, I’ll come tomorrow with good news!”

“Yes, Goodbye… Jack.”

Mixen left shortly… and left the door slightly ajar.

He returned right after as a mere wind.

However… he didn’t fly as usual.

The steps Mixen made were heavy like he was about to fall at any moment.

He was watching Johna quietly.

Mixen could tell from a glance that the letters on the table were Magic Letters.

He needed to check if Johna would write anything about “Jack” visiting.

After about 10 minutes of observation, Mixen was certain that he could come back tomorrow.

So he left the room.

He flew up the stairs out of the basement and made a few quick steps toward a nearby room.

There…

*Click*

…he collapsed.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it all!”

He was breathing heavily.

His heart was racing and his pupils shaking.

*Boom*

He hit the floor, but his punch was weak.

“Why! Just Why?! This shouldn’t have happened! I already forgot all those bad memories! When I came to this world I left that behind… No! I started forgetting it even in my past life! Was my defence too weak!? How could I let… I was too shortsighted… I should’ve noticed it back when the incident with Jack happened… I guess I need to set up my defence again… Damn…”

Mixen’s breath calmed down.

He stood up.

But didn’t leave just yet.

‘I didn’t get enough information… Let’s think. They serve a forgotten god. There aren’t many that I know… They are called forgotten for a reason… Children… Why would they need children? It doesn’t look like they are going to sacrifice them or experiment on them. And a shelter? Why would he call it a shelter?’

Mixen was in deep contemplation, but then suddenly noticed his surroundings.

‘Wait… is this a canteen?’

It was indeed a canteen. More of a cafeteria, actually.

Mixen used his ability to look into the whole building.

There was a big kitchen nearby. 

The second floor consisted entirely of empty rooms, fit to be made into classes.

Even the yard outside… it had a fence, and enough space to build a huge playground.

‘...Are they making an orphanage?’

Mixen came to an obvious conclusion.

‘...Unbelievable… Was there a god who specifically helps child-... No way.’

There was one god that stuck in Mixen’s mind.

It was simply because of its weird name.

Nothing was left except for it…

‘The God of Mischivious Children?’

Mixen had a laugh the first time he read it.

After all, those names, or titles, always made sense in one way or another.

Like God of Battle, God of Life, Death, Fertility etc…

You could tell why one would pray to them and what was their purpose.

But this?

What the hell was this one for?

“...I’m tired… I need some stress relief kitty therapy.”

The only thing that could help him heal was always a cat at a times like this.

Going back to the tavern, he was smiling.

He looked forward to it and felt a weird sense of deja vu.

‘Hah… It did happen many times in the past, didn’t it?’

.

.

.

“I’m home e~arly. Whitey? Ha~ did you fall asleep in a weird spot again?”

Mixen couldn’t see Whitey anywhere so he just guessed that she was sleeping under the bed or inside the wardrobe again.

“Not here~,”

He checked the obvious spots.

“Ah… Are you hiding on purpose?”

Mixen’s mind was weak at the moment, he usually would know how stupid this sounds.

“Haha, you know you can’t hide from me!”

He sounded playful but lost nearly lost it when he couldn’t find her.

Then he noticed the window… it was open.

‘H-How? I locked it shut!’

It was a near impossible feat for a cat, but Mixen had no time to think about it.

‘I know the city is safe…I can’t help but worry for some reason… It’s… familiar…’

The deja vu he felt… It wasn’t the regular deja vu.

It was from one of the worst days of his life.

…the time when his old cat escaped… and never come back.

Mixen still doesn’t understand why.

He searched for it for so long back then.

Almost died from going into dangerous areas…

He was immature back then.

Mixen wouldn’t understand the reason behind his beloved cat escaping.

Now, he could probably understand it… just that he doesn’t want to think about it.

Mixen took out a red stone.

A Lover’s stone he used to find Whitey.

He was nervous.

‘Please… please…’

It took time for the stone to connect.

…unusually long time…

His usual headache was becoming stronger.

Mixen’s mind played a cruel prank on him… Making him remember the last days he spent with his precious kitty.

She wasn’t as smart as Whitey… but still a very smart cat.

Mixen remembered trying to play with her… but she wouldn’t… couldn’t…

She was too old… too weak…

The kitty too knew of impending death… And she knew that Mixen would not handle it.

And it was a good judgement.

If Mixen were to hold her lifeless body… even see a glimpse of it.

Then…

.

.

.

He would not hold himself back anymore.

.

.

.

“Yes! It connected! I’m coming Whitey!”

He jumped out of the window with such force that the floor cracked.

In under a minute he was at the place where the stone seemingly was pointing at.

…it was a pub?

‘...Is she inside?’

Mixen checked everywhere, but could not find her.

He frowned.

‘I… I won’t use… My mind won’t take it right now…’

So he returned to his old ways.

Mixen went inside just like any other visitor.

He looked around.

The pub was noisy, almost all tables were taken.

People were laughing, eating, and some were even about to start a fight.

Mixen didn’t care about any of it.

He pinpointed where the stone was attracted to. Just like a magnet, its force became stronger the closer he got.

It pointed at a table where only one person sat.

Mixen took some time to calm himself. He didn’t want to lose control and go on a killing spree.

He calmly approached the table.

The person sitting there was a girl.

She had a rather small complexion and didn’t have any noticeable features.

The girl was rather handsome, but Mixen didn’t care.

The moment he sat down, the girl flinched.

She clearly didn’t expect any friends.

The girl didn’t say anything.

She was visibly nervous.

Mixen didn’t say anything either, he looked at her, with a stare that could kill a person.

He was giving it his all just to hold his Killing Intent from leaking.

There was no need to worry about his eyes scaring her, as he was used to controlling emotions.

The girl couldn’t take any more of this intense gaze and finally spoke.

“H-Hello?”

Mixen did not answer.

*Thuck*

He placed a stone near the food she was eating.

She gulped.

“Does this seem familiar?”

It was a rhetorical question.

“N-No?”

Why did she say it as a question?

“Wrong answer.”

Mixen let out a bit of his Killing Intent.

Now she was visibly shaking.

“Listen here, Mira, I’m going to ask another question… It will decide if you’ll live or die.”

Mixen had an unusually good memory in his second life.

Even such a brief encounter as that imprinted her face in his memory.

Mira opened her eyes wide.

She was surprised to hear her name.

“H-How… D-Do you k-know my n-name?”

“Oh, I know a lot about you. Like the fact that you’re stalking the Hero.”

It was a random shot, but judging from her reaction, he got it right.

“I-I…”

“Now. Answer. What did you do to the cat?”

His voice sounded scary. 

Mira never expected Mixen could be so terrifying.

“T-The… cat?”

“You better be careful with your answer.”

Mira thought he would ask something else.

She eased her shoulders, though didn’t calm down completely.

Mixen noticed that she didn’t answer right away, so he pressured her.

“Did you not hear me?”

Yet again, Killing Intent, she spoke right away this time.

“I-I didn’t do anything to t-the cat!”

“Where is it?”

“I-I don’t know! I j-just picked the stone f-from the g-ground!”

“...Where and when?”

Mixen was a bit calmer now.

He could guess what happened.

“R-Right outside this pub, j-just like an hour ago?”

Mixen closed his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them again there was a lot less hostility in his stare.

“...Consider yourself unlucky.”

Mixen picked the stone from the table.

“W-Why?”

‘It’ll take me about an hour to thoroughly search the whole city.’

“Keep the stone. You have an hour. Find the cat, it’s white and has a collar that fits… should fit the stone you got…”

Mixen started leaving.

“...B-But I just got my food.”

He ignored that and turned to her.

“Oh, and if I find the cat sooner… or she is harmed… Don’t even try to escape.”

She got chills once again.

Mixen soon left.

Mira was left alone.

She was sad that she won’t be able to finish her meal… and yet…

Mira had a tender smile.

“How can someone love a cat that much?”

.

.

.

‘I don’t like it. F*ck, F*ck, F*CK! It’s the same all over again! I can’t find her!... No, calm down… Maybe… Maybe that girl found her. Yes. Let’s go check.’

Mixen was very skilled in lying to himself.

No matter how unbelievable that was, at this point in time, he had no doubt whatsoever.

He was quick, so it didn’t take him a long time to reach where the stone pointed again.

However, this time it lead him to a tavern, the one he stayed at.

He found it strange, so he walked in through the main door.

The keeper found it suspicious, as he didn’t see him leave, but said nothing.

The stone pointed at one of the rooms… His room.

He checked… and hurriedly opened the door.

“Whitey!”

She was there, unharmed and with a stone properly attached to the collar.

Mixen took her into his arms and embraced her tightly.

“Why did you have to do that? Please don't do that…”

“Meow…”

She was a smart kitty. She also felt guilty, Whitey knew what she did wrong.

Mixen gave her a few pets and sat down, he was too mentally exhausted.

Placing Whitey on the bed Mixen took out something from his ring.

“...Never thought I’d use it.”

It was a mana bottle… but for some reason the liquid inside was green.

“Can’t believe I’m using painkillers… it’s all your fault.”

He said that with a smile to Whitey.

Mixen gulped the whole bottle down in one go. It didn’t have the best of tastes.

He did have some pills against headaches in his ring, but as medicine was rather underdeveloped in this world, he didn’t trust them.

Mixen’s face was twisted.

“Ew, it tastes even worse than I remember… But the effect is immediate. Good thing I could find the right herbs here.”

Mixen was no stranger to making his own medicine, he treated all of his wounds by himself after all… that’s the reason he got so many scars.

However, this was the first time using a painkiller.

And the reason for that…

“Whaaa~, Yeah, this comes into effect immediately too.”

The medicine also acted as a sleeping drug.

He lay down.

“Meow!”

Before he managed to fall asleep Whitey attracted his attention.

“Hmm? Whaa~t is it?”

He was too sleepy already.

Whitey was trying to show him her collar.

“Mm? What’s that?”

There was something stuck in it.

“Is this… a napkin?”

There were scratches on this napkin, probably from Whitey trying to take it out.

“Is it from that girl?”

There was something written on it.

Mixen read it out loud.

“I’m sorry… Please don’t search for me? Gosh, she didn’t need to do this… And why a napkin? If she had a pen why doesn’t she have a paper? Or did she write it inside that pub? No, that sounds as if she knew she’d find you. Then did she return after she found you? That would mean she’d need to find you twice though… Did she bring you with her…? Ahh~ Maybe she… brings napkins… with her..? She’s… weird… aha… ha…”

Mixen fell asleep mid his blubbering. 

“...Meow.”

Whitey wasn’t amused and took a comfortable spot near Mixen.

Just like that, both of them were sleeping.

.

.

.

“What the f*ck was that!?”

.

.

You again?

“Yes! Long time to f*cking see! What the f*ck happened?”

Stop yelling.

I don’t even know what you’re talking about.

“Don’t know!? Really?! Look around!”

.

.

.

It’s as it usually is.

“Don’t spew bullsh*t! I’ve been here for who knows how long! The sea is raging! There was never a storm here! It f*cking ruined my hut! I was almost done building it! And that! What the actual f*ck is that?! There’s a ripple in the sky!”

.

.

That needs to be fixed.

.

.

Nothing unusual.

“What!? It disappeared?! How the hell did you do that!?”

.

.

I fixed it.

“What did I even expect? Can you at least tell me what was that?”

.

.

You don’t know?

“Duh! Dumbass! I wouldn’t be asking if I knew!”

.

.

It just led to another part.

“Part? Part of what?”

.

.

Of this place.

“Huh? There’s more?! What even- WHOA! Damn it! How can you just balance yourself in here!?”

.

.

?

“Grr! Forget it!”

.

.

I need to do some things now, goodbye.

“What!? Wait! Don’t leave!”

.

.

What?

 “If you can control this place, turn off the damn storm!”

.

.

I can’t fully control it.

But I can do this.

“Oh! This is so much better! The waves can’t get to us up here! But what about my hut?”

.

.

It will eventually calm down.

“That’s good.”

.

.

.

Are we done?

“No, no, wait!”

.

.

What is it this time?

“Can’t you… Stay?”

.

.

Why?

“Well… I’m bored.”

.

.

.

I’m leaving.

“Nooo! Please! You rarely go here! Can’t you stay for at least a bit!?”

.

.

Why would I?

“Oh, cmon, I’m-”

Fine.

“Huh? You will?”

.

You don’t want me to?

“Oh, no, no. I mean yes! I want you to stay!”

.

Okay.

“...”

.

.

.

Did you not expect me to actually stay?

“...I didn’t”

.

.

Then-

“Is everything fine?”

You mean?

“Something like this wouldn’t happen for no reason. What happened?”

.

.

Just a moment of weakness.

“...You know I can help. Wasn’t my advice helpful?”

.

.

It was.

But I already know what to do.

That’s why I need to leave.

“Oh…Can’t you just tell me what happened? I’m curious.”

.

.

.

It’s just some forgotten memories returning.

“...Isn’t that good? You always complain about forgetting things.”

.

.

Those weren’t good memories.

.

.

Those were supposed to stay forgotten.

“...Well, still. It might be a good sign. First some bad memories, and some good, right?”

.

.

No.

.

It won’t work that way?

“Hmm? Why?”

As I said, they were supposed to stay forgotten.

.

.

I intentionally forgot them.

“Ha~? How can you intentionally forget something?”

.

.

Practice.

.

.

.

Why are you looking at me like that?

“...I pity you.”

I don’t need your pity.

And there’s nothing to pity in the first place.

“...To want to forget something so badly… that you’d go to such extent. I’m older than you, and yet I never had such a thought… And I’ve been through a lot.”

.

.

Older than me?

“Hm? Yes? Isn’t that obvious? Look at yourself. You’re clearly younger than me.”

What?

.

.

I don’t even have a face.

“Are you crazy? You have the face of 16-year-old me!”

.

.

I’m not 16.

“Hm? Then how old are you?”

.

.

Around 80… I think.

“What!? Nonsense! How can you be older than me!?”

.

.

.

I still don’t understand what you are.

“I said it before! I am you!”

.

.

It’s time for me to go.

“Jeez, fine… Visit more often though… I get bored.”

.

.

.

I’ll think about it.

.

.

.

“God damn it! How can I sleep for over fifteen hours!?”

After looking at a clock, Mixen jumped off the bed, which startled Whitey who was sleeping next to him.

“Me~ow.”

“Yeah, good morning! I need to run Whitey! You’re free to roam around! Don’t lose your stone this time!”

“...Meow.”

Flying into the sky, Mixen took out a map of the region.

‘I still need more information on that cult… I mean church. Requesting an investigation would take too long… I simply can’t lose something so interesting. Now that I have an ideal cover, I can’t simply leave such an opportunity! Okay! Children! I can do it!’

Mixen had about an hour before the start of working hours.

So he rushed.

Mixen saw many children in those villages.

Most had parents. He assumed he was to find those who didn’t have a guardian.

There weren’t many.

Mixen found 2 orphanages in the region.

He wasn’t sure if that counted but still marked it.

Kids that were perfectly fit to be taken mostly were in bigger villages.

They lived in groups and were easy to find.

Those children worked under some criminals, but such is life.

Mixen noted it down and marked the place.

After being done with all villages in the whole region, he rushed back.

He was there just in time.

“Oh! Jack! Why are you here? It’s not your shift.”

Jim and Curt were working here at this time.

“I came to Johna, need to report something.”

Mixen wore a smile as he entered the building.

Both guards were acting friendly toward Mixen.

‘Doesn’t look like it’s out of fear… Not faking it either… Did Johna tell them something? No, he’s not that kind of a character… They didn’t keep the grudge, huh.’

“Oh, if you don’t mind, will you keep us company after that?”

“Hm? Sure! If Johna won’t give me more work that is!”

The three of them laughed.

‘Might as well get some info out of them.’

Proceeding down the stairs, Mixen noted that there was work being done upstairs.

‘Isn’t it more efficient to start with the shelters? Why make classes first?’

*Knock* *Knock*

“Come in.”

Mixen came in with a map in his hand.

“Oh, Jack, You’re early.”

“Thought you said to come in the morning?”

“Didn’t mean to come when the day just starts… Anyway, which village have you been to?”

Mixen got a bit startled.

His brain started processing information and immediately concluded.

‘I made a mistake.’

“He, he.”

Mixen nervously chuckled.

There were two choices he knew could save him.

But either of those would raise suspicion and make him waste a lot of time.

So decided to take a risk.

‘Time to bullsh*t my way through… as usual.’

“Just give me the map.”

And so he did.

Johna looked at it and soon was in shock.

“Did you… visit them all already?”

‘Do I say that I’ve done it beforehand or that I’m just quick?... First one. The second one will make him force more work on me.’

“I was in all those villages before. So I just put it on the map.”

“You looked into it beforehand? Ah… As expected from a devout believer.”

Johna nodded a few times.

“You know what? I’m going to write a recommendation letter to the Boss right now. With your strength and capabilities, you don’t deserve to be in a place like this.”

“What? Really? Will you contact him with a Magic Letter?”

‘This might be good or bad. If I play it down and make him write a recommendation letter to not the Boss, but just someone higher in command, I might get myself a legit spot… just need him to leave out all the revelation stuff.’

Contemplating his next step, Mixen didn’t expect Johna to ruin his plan.

“Oh, you might not know it… But Boss hates artefacts of any kind. Boss says that it’s cheating and can not be tolerated by a warrior who pursues true strength.”

‘...Isn’t this like a church? Why does their Boss now sound like a fighting lunatic?’

“So I can only write a regular letter to Boss. Boss is staying at the headquarters right now, so you can consider yourself lucky.”

‘This is perfect! I can forge the letter and get a spot right under their Boss!’

“I’m humbled. I will never forget your kindness Johna.”

“Haha! No need! We are all bro- one big family! H-Haha! I’m glad to help!”

‘...For some reason, I feel like he just wants to get rid of me.’

Johna wrote the letter very swiftly.

He said that to avoid any traces, they have a person whose job is a kind of courier, who delivers stuff to their headquarters, but also that it would take some time.

Mixen said he’d wait and asked if there was anything he could do in the meantime.

Johna said that there is really nothing to do.

Mixen showed a disappointed expression but was quite happy inside.

When he left Johna’s office, he kept his promise to the guards and played some cards with them.

He carefully collected information and overall was not disappointed because of wasted time.

After that, he waited for Johna to give the letter to a messenger. It happened in the evening.

Mixen stole the letter.

“Phew. Finally. I got it”

Mixen unsealed the letter.

“Let’s look.”

The contents were pretty simple. Johna was complimenting Jack a lot.

The only thing that Mixen needed to change was the sentence about Boss sending Jack here.

“Kind of sad that I need to write this whole thing just to change one sentence.”

Mixen sighed but there was nothing he could do.

He was concentrated on forging Johna’s style of writing and when he finally got to the signature… he suddenly laughed.

“This is so funny. I completely forgot. Pffft, how could I forget about the main story?”

Mixen was so immersed in his investigation that he forgot about the Hero and his team.

“I can’t let this letter go through.”

Mixen put the letter in his ring.

He decided to leave it for now, as it might come in handy later.

“They’ll probably set out tomorrow… I’ll check in with Johna tomorrow morning and then write a letter about Boss contacting me personally. It should be fine like that” 

Mixen decided to leave it be for now, as he was following a much more interesting story.

“Whitey must be hungry.”

.

.

.

Mixen did not know that in just two days, he missed out on something very peculiar.