"Fluffy Cat Guardian, help me!"
That day, Chizuki had just finished her Daily Commission and was about to head back when she suddenly saw a child waving frantically at her from a distance.
"Little Shimamura, what's wrong?" Of course, Chizuki wouldn't refuse a child's request.
They were all adorable little kids, and she was more than happy to help them if she could.
Not to mention, there were attribute points supporting her actions behind the scenes.
There was no way she could pass up an opportunity to grow stronger. Getting stronger = attribute points The equation was solved in an instant!
"Hint: Complete Shimamura's request to obtain Attribute Points *5."
"My tanuki mask that I left by the front door is missing! It's really important to me! Chizuki, can you help me find it?"
Shimamura stomped her feet anxiously as she spoke, her eyes reddening as if she was on the verge of tears.
"A tanuki mask? Can you describe what it looks like?" Chizuki was willing to help, but she needed to know what the mask actually looked like first.
"It's modeled after the bake-danuki you sometimes see wandering around, with mask-like patterns on its face and light green leaves on its head. The really cute kind."
"Cute? Am I cute?" Perhaps due to a cat's innate pride, Chizuki blurted out this question without thinking.
"Chizuki is super cute too!" Shimamura nodded earnestly.
"Then, can you tell me when you last saw the tanuki mask?" Chizuki now had a rough idea of what the mask looked like. While wandering around Yashiori Island, she had occasionally seen objects suddenly transform into bake-danuki.
Though she had never observed them closely. But knowing this much was enough.
"The last time I saw it? I left it on the tree stump in front of my house when I went out to play with friends this morning, but when I came back, it was gone!"
"Detective Chizuki, online!" Chizuki thought helping a kid find a mask would be a piece of cake.
"Let the great detective Chizuki analyze the situation!" She instantly slipped into character. "So, the mask went missing sometime between morning and noon."
"Was anyone else at home during that time?" Chizuki posed her first question.
"The adults went to mine Crystal Marrow," Shimamura said with certainty. Chizuki nodded.
She was well aware of the situation on Yashiori Island. The land was practically unsuitable for farming, meaning growing crops here was nearly impossible.
The only way for the people living here to survive was by mining the island's Crystal Marrow, taking it to the city by boat, and selling it to exchange for essential supplies.
"No one came back? Then how did the mask disappear?" A sudden thought sent a chill down Chizuki's spine. If it wasn't a person... could it be a ghost?
For a moment, she felt her hair stand on end. She had always been terrified of ghost stories—what was she supposed to do if she actually encountered something supernatural? Did ghosts even exist in this world?
After a moment of contemplation, Chizuki decided to rule out that possibility for now. After all, she couldn't jump to conclusions based on mere speculation.
"Then let's go take a look at the scene," Chizuki suggested, thinking they might find some clues there. "Huh? What's this?"
Due to the constant rain on Yashiori Island, the soil has always been in a state of high moisture content. If someone were to walk across the ground, they would leave a series of footprints behind.
Chizuki noticed the footprints appearing in the yard.
She compared them to the footprints left by Shimamura as she approached and confirmed they weren't hers.
What surprised Chizuki the most was that the footprints were singular. There were four in total, each appearing sporadically and spaced far apart.
She had a vague premonition that this must be connected to the missing mask.
"But where do these footprints finally disappear to?" Chizuki stared at the nearly untraceable footprints, puzzled.
They couldn't have just appeared and vanished out of thin air! Otherwise, this would truly become a supernatural incident! Chizuki's expression turned grave.
"Did you find any clues?" Shimamura asked eagerly, following close behind her. The footprints on the ground weren't very deep, with only a shallow layer of mud pressed down.
Due to the passage of time, their shape had mostly settled. All the footprints faced one direction, making it clear they weren't from someone walking with alternating left and right steps.
Moreover, the person—or thing—must have been very light. Chizuki looked at the nearly straight line of paw prints she had left behind, then tiptoed over to Shimamura to compare the depth of her footprints.
She had a rough idea now. She extended her little paw to gauge the depth of Shimamura's shoe prints—about one centimeter. Her own prints were slightly shallower.
As for the initial mysterious footprints, they were even shallower.
No wonder Shimamura hadn't noticed them at first. So, something lighter than her had taken the tanuki mask?
Chizuki felt like her head was spinning. Her current weight was only around 12 or 13 pounds. Oh no! The one who took the tanuki mask really isn't human!
She didn't even need to consider whether the culprit was a child or something else entirely.
Chizuki was convinced this was the most plausible explanation. Otherwise, how could something so absurd happen?
"Chizuki, do you have any leads?"
Shimamura asked, watching the tips of Chizuki's fluffy ears twitch slightly and her two tails flick in agitation, as if reading her expression.
"Well, I have a little idea, but I still need to confirm it," Chizuki admitted without denying it.
"Do you want me to come with you to look?" Shimamura instinctively offered.
"Sure, it shouldn't be dangerous." Chizuki figured it wouldn't be a big deal. She had some confidence in her abilities now—protecting a kid along the way was nothing.
After all, she was a super impressive Nekomata who had already completed a whole month of Daily Commissions! With an attack power of 103+23, she could easily outclass her former weak self. Chizuki wasn't the same Chizuki anymore. Reborn! Extraordinary! Unstoppable!
"Let's go. I'll take you to find your tanuki mask." Chizuki strode forward on her four short legs, her long, fluffy tail swaying as she led the way.
She needed to see if her hunch was correct. This time, the culprit was definitely not human!
Chizuki couldn't help but shake her head at this thought, letting out a soft "meow" as she dashed forward.