Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 266

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Side Story 9

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A particularly sunny, peaceful afternoon.

On the wool cushion Leo had placed by the window, a black cat was basking in the sunlight, loafing like a piece of bread.

Having even thrown off his Magic Tower cape, he looked so much like a real cat that Leo momentarily wondered if what was sitting there might not be Chaser but an actual cat.

“Mentor.”

Leo called out to Chaser carefully, but the cat didn’t even pretend to hear.

“…Mentor?”

When he called again, he could see the upright ears twitch slightly.

Relieved, Leo grumbled.

“Mentor, I saw your ears perk up just now. You’re awake.”

Only then did Chaser open his eyes drowsily and look back at Leo. The bell around his neck rang once with that head movement.

Chaser opened his mouth with a prim expression.

“Why are you calling me, meat flipper.”

“…Meat flipper?”

At Leo’s questioning response, Chaser’s golden eyes widened. He realized his mistake.

“Meat flipper” was what the foul-mouthed Cookie called people, including the Elder who was his owner.

Leo remembered seeing the Elder lamenting bitterly about how his devotion of grilling meat for three meals a day was being repaid like this.

But for that phrase to come naturally from Chaser’s mouth. Leo’s eyes immediately narrowed.

That expression looked exactly like Belinda’s, making Chaser feel guilty for no reason as he hastily added an excuse.

“I misspoke. I was dreaming about grilling meat.”

“Hmm.”

Had this perceptive disciple noticed something?

While the tip of Chaser’s tail swished anxiously, fortunately Leo changed the subject.

“This is sudden, but the Royal Court will hold my succession ceremony in two days. Belinda and the Knight must have worked hard for it, because a summons suddenly arrived. I thought I wouldn’t get my title succession recognized until next year.”

“Finally, this country’s King has subdued those idiots, I see.”

Chaser congratulated Leo.

Though he never showed it outwardly, he probably suffered mentally for the past year.

His disciple was so exceptional that he wouldn’t lose anywhere he went, but he was a kind child who disliked conflict.

‘What should I give him as a succession ceremony congratulatory gift.’

Chaser, who had been thinking, stopped short at the following words.

“You’ll come to my succession ceremony too, won’t you, Mentor?”

The succession ceremony would be held in two days.

By then probably… Chaser would be Chaser yet not Chaser.

Nevertheless, Chaser hid the truth and answered nonchalantly.

“Wouldn’t that be impossible? I’m not a noble of this country, and I’m from the Mage Republic.”

“If I ask His Majesty, he’ll gladly permit it. You’re also a contributor to continental peace, so you’re qualified to enter the Royal Palace, and above all, you’re my mentor.”

“But in two days I’ll still be in a cat’s body.”

“It’s fine even as a cat. Please come.”

Leo was being unusually stubborn.

Looking straight at Chaser who was pondering what excuse to use to get out of it, Leo said earnestly.

“I still have so much I want to learn from you, Mentor.”

That was no longer a story about the succession ceremony.

Just as Leo had intuitively noticed Chaser’s lie, Chaser also instinctively felt it. That his disciple knew the truth.

That much trust and time had accumulated layer by layer between mentor and disciple.

Leo didn’t wait for Chaser’s answer any longer and continued speaking.

“Belinda and I looked into soul magic as much as possible. Unlike human souls, animal souls have the nature of accepting and trying to mix with others.”

There was no way Chaser, who had once delved into soul magic like crazy, wouldn’t know that fact.

Leo glared at his mentor with some resentment.

“Your soul is mixing with Cookie’s, isn’t it? That’s why you’ve thrown off even the Magic Tower cape you called human dignity and are walking around naked!”

“It’s not naked…”

“Anyway!”

Leo shouted loudly.

“What happens to you if your soul mixes with Cookie’s? Can you return to normal? Or…”

He had an ominous premonition that speaking his thoughts aloud would make them reality. Nevertheless, Leo had to ask.

“Are you really planning to give your body to Kiss?”

Chaser closed his mouth for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. He could no longer play dumb.

The first day Kiss returned. He had planned everything, grateful for this coincidental fortune.

From the beginning, the two weeks weren’t Kiss’s grace period but the time remaining for Chaser.

More precisely, the time until his soul completely mixed with the cat’s and his self-awareness as a human became blurred.

After that, Kiss would also give up on returning the body to his younger brother.

“Sprout, have you ever seen Brother use magic?”

“What does that have to do with anything right now?”

“If anyone were to see it even once, they would realize. That the owner of that body is both me and Brother.”

Though it was incomprehensible talk, Leo realized that Chaser had absolutely no intention of giving up.

He bit his lips tightly, then dropped his shoulders as if he had no choice.

“If that’s your will, Mentor, I understand.”

It was when Chaser raised his head at the unexpected words.

Snap.

With the sound of snapping fingers, several weasels popped out of thin air and surrounded Chaser. They were Leo’s messenger beasts.

“Sprout?”

“Do as you please, Mentor. I’ll do as I please too.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Leo’s magic bound Chaser’s body tightly. When had he summoned it—a cage as big as a human torso was already placed beside Leo.

Chaser involuntarily hissed.

“Hey! This is kidnapping and confinement!”

“I already got permission from Belinda!”

“Why get permission from Protagonist to kidnap me!”

Ignoring Chaser’s shouting, Leo captured Chaser with magic, put him in the cage, and locked the door.

Chaser resisted so fiercely that the cat translator around his neck came off from his struggling.

However, Chaser, who couldn’t use magic, was just a talking cat, so subduing him wasn’t very difficult.

That had been Leo and Belinda’s plan from the start anyway.

“Leo, that damn bastard is soft on you, so you try to persuade him well.”

“Do you think Mentor will give up that easily?”

“Of course not. That bastard is already a repeat offender with three priors! Why does he treat his own life like that…”

“Then what should we do?”

“First, lure him into letting his guard down. And then…”

“And then?”

“Kidnap him and stick him in a cage. So he can’t run away.”

“Ah, even so, that’s a bit…”

“It’s not as difficult as you’d think. But if I step forward, that damn bastard might notice something’s up and run away, so I’m asking you, Leo.”

“…Yes.”

Fortunately, the plan was successful.

Though he had no choice, Leo confessed hesitantly, feeling guilty about having caged his mentor like an animal.

“I’ll call Kiss, so tell him the truth.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, Mentor.”

After apologizing, Leo turned around.

Now Kiss was the only one he could rely on.

Before Chaser’s soul completely merged with the cat, Kiss had to use the artifact to restore Chaser’s body to its original state.

The moment he took one step outside the room.

Meow.

A cat’s cry came from behind him.

Leo glanced back at the cage.

As if all his previous struggling had been a lie, Chaser sat blankly in the cage looking up at Leo.

“Teacher?”

Feeling a strange sense of unease, Leo stopped leaving the room and picked up the cat translator, crouching in front of the cage.

“Teacher, you’re okay, right?”

Meow.

“Ah, the translator came off… It works just by touching it, so here, I’ll put the translator in for you.”

Leo rolled the bell through the bars.

Chaser tapped the bell with his front paw, then as if already losing interest, he licked his front paw and began grooming himself like a cat.

“Teacher, you need to touch the translator and speak so I can understand what you’re saying.”

“…”

“…Teacher?”

Leo called out to Chaser several times, but he didn’t spare even a glance and focused intently on grooming.

As if he had become a real cat that couldn’t understand human speech.

Leo’s heart sank.

Something was wrong.

‘Don’t tell me his soul has already assimilated with Cookie’s…’

“Teacher!”

Leo hurriedly opened the cage door and grabbed Chaser. Even then, Chaser just sat blankly in Leo’s arms, only blinking his eyes.

“N-no!”

Maybe the bell wasn’t properly attached so Chaser’s words weren’t being translated.

Just as Leo was hurrying to put the bell around Chaser’s neck.

“I’ve told you many times, Saesaek-i, you need to be more suspicious of others.”

“Ah, thank goodness…!”

It was the moment relief spread across Leo’s face.

As if targeting his moment of carelessness, Chaser quickly escaped from Leo’s arms and darted out through the open window.

Leo chased after him urgently, but by the time he looked out the window, Chaser had already disappeared without a trace.

“Teacher! If you run away like this, Belinda said she really won’t forgive you!”

Only Leo’s voice echoed futilely in the backyard of Blanche Manor.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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