DLBF Chapter 43

Chapter 43 – Bakeneko

Chapter 3, Part 4.3

Novel Title: ルーデンドルフ公と森の獣 (Duke Ludendorff and the Beast of the Forest)

Author：かわい有美子 (Kawai Yumiko)

Illustrator: 周防佑未 (Suoh Yuumi)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 藤森賢士 (Kenji Fujimori -MC), ユリアン ルーデンドルフ (Julian Ludendorff -ML)

*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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The cat didn’t respond or move but simply continued to stare at Fujimori with its blue eyes.

When Fujimori took a step closer to the cat, Wagahai suddenly bristled. Its fur standing on end.

The bristling fur seemed to grow and quiver, causing the cat’s outline to blur.

“…Huh?”

In front of Fujimori, who widened his eyes in shock, Wagahai’s outline wavered. The cat seemed to stand up, stretching taller and taller.

The transformation unfolding before Fujimori’s eyes was beyond explanation. Not only did Wagahai’s form change. But the surrounding space itself seemed to blend and distort, stretching and shifting into a new shape.

As Wagahai’s elongated form twisted and melted, it eventually morphed into the figure of a man—an ash-blonde man with slanted eyes and a hunchbacked posture.

However, his face still retained a strong resemblance to that of a cat.

“…Wha-, …Paul?”

Dressed in a classic-style outfit, the man, still with bristling hair, gave Fujimori a spiteful grin as he murmured in stunned disbelief.

“What? Is it so bad for a cat to become a man?”

More than bad, it was simply absurd… Fujimori swallowed the words that instinctively rose within him.

However, given that Julian was a werewolf, Fujimori tried to force himself to accept that it wasn’t so strange if Paul was something like a ‘bakeneko’.

It was harder for Fujimori to believe that Paul was a ‘bakeneko’ than it was to accept that Julian was a werewolf. Was it because of the different feelings of affection he held for each of them?

“You have the nerve to come back here?”

“I know it was wrong of me not to keep my promise…”

“So, you’re aware you broke your promise, huh?” With just those words, Paul swiftly turned away.

When Fujimori, surprised by the unexpected agility of the man, stepped into the hallway, Paul was already gone.

It seemed he had reverted to his cat form and left. Why Paul chose to reveal his transformation to Fujimori was a mystery.

Half disbelieving what he had just witnessed, Fujimori felt as if he were enveloped in smoke in this ancient, decaying mansion, or perhaps caught in a daydream. Even in his slight confusion, he thought of Wagahai, who had been somewhat attached to Julian.

Though Wagahai didn’t seem to like Fujimori, he often rubbed affectionately against Julian’s legs. Perhaps he had taken on human form just to say something to Fujimori.

A promise… Indeed, if Fujimori had returned on the promised day, this mess might not have happened…

With no other choice, Fujimori left the room and began walking through the vast mansion in search of Julian.

The entire place felt desolate, almost as if it had been abandoned for years, despite having once seemed like an old but well-maintained and comfortable home.

Though the household items placed here and there weren’t covered in dust, they gave the impression of having been neglected for a long time. Was this impression due to Fujimori’s guilt over how he had treated Julian?

Perhaps Fujimori had taken his promise to Julian too lightly, dismissing it with just a phone call.

Julian’s loneliness might have been much deeper, almost to the point of resignation, than Fujimori had imagined…

The mansion was large, with many unused rooms, and the most damaged areas were primarily those where Fujimori had spent time. This led him to feel the anguish and sorrow of Julian, who likely felt abandoned.

As the taxi driver had mentioned, the cook Forst was nowhere to be found in the mansion either.

Fujimori considered the possibility that Julian had left, perhaps returned to Germany, but then thought otherwise.

Wagahai was still here in the mansion anyway.

Maybe it was because of that, or perhaps due to some indescribable sense, but Fujimori felt that Julian was still somewhere nearby. If asked to explain, the only thing he could point to was the presence of Wagahai. But even that was a vague and tenuous reason…

If only he could howl like a wolf, Fujimori thought with a sigh as he left the kitchen. That way, maybe he could let Julian know he was here…

After checking several empty rooms and beginning to think Julian might not be in the main building, Fujimori suddenly felt a faint presence and turned around.

A slightly older, dark-coloured cat was peering intently at him from behind the door.

With white-tipped paws and hazel-brown eyes, this cat was likely Hilde—the one he had only seen once from a distance.

But now, Fujimori somehow knew instinctively. “…Frau Gessner?”

When he asked, Hilde looked up at him with her distinctive gaze, slowly swaying her tail.

“Do you know where Julian is?”

When he asked, Hilde tilted her head slightly as if she didn’t understand.

“Do you know where Julian is now?” When Fujimori repeated the question in German, Hilde stared at him for a moment, then began to walk with a distinctive rhythm.

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*Translator’s Note: I think perhaps a werewolf or someone with abandonment trauma like Julian will definitely take promises very seriously. Can’t say Fujimori was not at fault here. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• A ‘bakeneko’ (化け猫) is a type of ‘youkai’ (supernatural creature) in Japanese folklore. It’s a cat that has transformed into a supernatural being, often after living a long life or due to being treated poorly by its owners. ‘Bakeneko’ are believed to possess shape-shifting abilities, allowing them to take on human form or even speak. They are often associated with mysterious occurrences and can be either mischievous or malevolent, depending on the story. Some legends also suggest that ‘bakeneko’ can control the dead, bringing them back to life to serve their own purposes. 🐾 I thought of using ‘werecat’ or ‘cat demon’ before but in the end, I thought it better to use the original term. This is because I want to preserve the cultural and folkloric nuance to them.

Illustration 7:

Next update: 2024.12.02

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