Early the following morning, we departed Akinashi and made our way toward the Wind Cats' hideout.
Naturally, we parted ways with the blue-braided maid and Geralt, the knight with the long sideburns, back in town. During our farewells, the two of them had cornered me with terrifying expressions, aggressively demanding that I look after Lady Felice. Honestly, it was hard to take it as a simple request when delivered with such bloodshot eyes. In fact, I was pretty sure it crossed straight into the realm of intimidation.
The moment we stepped inside the Wind Cats' hideout, the residents dropped to their knees in unison. Judging by the satisfied nod Girimehkala gave, they were kneeling to me, not Rose.
"We have eagerly awaited your arrival, our deeply revered master."
A white-haired old man at the center bowed reverently, lowering his head to the floor as he displayed the exact same fanatical devotion as Girimehkala's subordinates. Going by Felice's utterly exhausted expression, these people probably carried on like this around the clock, even when I wasn't around.
Damn you, Girimehkala! This is practically a malicious form of brainwashing! Besides, what I wanted weren't new fanatics, but citizens on equal footing. This makes things dreadfully awkward.
I shot a reproachful glare at Girimehkala, but he merely narrowed his eyes in smug satisfaction at the old man's display and nodded, seemingly oblivious to my look.
"Kai, what on earth did you do to them this time?"
Rose asked in an exasperated voice tinged with resignation.
"Listen here, I only showed them the path. I didn't do anything else—at least, I think I didn't! Really!"
I flatly denied the scandalous accusation.
Rose looked back and forth between me and the Wind Cats' residents with half-lidded eyes, let out a heavy sigh, and shook her head.
"I suppose it cannot be helped. It is Kai, after all."
She made that uncalled-for remark with a dismissive shrug.
"Yeah, exactly. You'll only wear yourself out if you try to nitpick everything the Master does."
Zack chimed in immediately, sipping from a flask filled with a suspicious liquid as he walked.
Apparently, that concoction was a muscle enhancer specially brewed by Nemea. When Nemea learned that Zack had become my disciple, he started training him, claiming he would forge him into someone worthy of the name. Muscle-brains truly think alike. Before long, Zack had thrown himself headfirst into Nemea's regimen.
"This way, please."
Led by the white-haired elder, a group of men and women who appeared to be representatives of the residents followed closely behind us.
"Mate, who the hell are you really?"
Oboro, the head of Akegarasu wearing round glasses and baggy crimson robes, asked in a low voice while casting wary glances at Girimehkala and his followers.
"Hm? I thought I already introduced myself. Kai Heinemann. Former eldest son of the Heinemann family, kicked out of the house just recently. Incidentally, I'm also that runt's Royal Guard—provisional, of course."
"A runt?"
Completely ignoring the runt princess beside me, who retorted in a low voice while maintaining a stiff smile, I pressed on.
"At any rate, you won't dig up anything else no matter how hard you prod."
I gave Oboro a blunt, matter-of-fact reply.
"Nah, that ain't what I meant..."
As Oboro stammered, Rose chimed in.
"He claims to be human, for what it is worth. Though I doubt anyone here actually believes it."
She offered a supplementary remark that was not helpful in the slightest. She was clearly holding a grudge over being called a runt a moment ago. What a petty little woman!
"Right? Honestly, isn't the Master the only one who thinks he's human?"
"I concur. In fact, classifying such a bona fide monster as an inferior creature, a 'human,' borders on outright insanity."
Asta agreed with Zack's sentiment without even looking up from his book.
"Master is Master!"
"Big brother is big brother!"
Faf and Mew raised their hands and chimed in together.
"I knew it, you ain't human."
Oboro nodded repeatedly, looking thoroughly convinced. He had definitely gotten the wrong idea.
"If you're not human, then what are you?"
Alice Renren Lorelei, the young girl in the pointed hat and leader of Lost Forest, timidly asked for clarification.
"I am human! Look at what you've done—the little girl actually believed you because you were all spouting whatever nonsense crossed your minds!"
When I glared at them, every last one of them looked away. Honestly, these people...