Cat and Spy

The Story of Hans Humpty

The kingdom of the Santo River was large and was located on the north of the continent. People lived
here in peace. However, there was a gap between the rich and the poor.

On the outskirts of the capital, Vobon was an area with unpleasant odors. A woman stood in a small
square surrounded by dirty brick buildings.

She seemed to be in her fifties. She wore the blue dress of a priestess of the Temple of Heaven. The
fabric was old and burned, it was called "Toula Maynes". She was the "Saint of Medicine." She converted
about thirty years ago and had since traveled the world.

She healed rich and poor indiscriminately. She had healed a countless number of people. Her fame was
close to the fame of "Mora Chester", the head of the Temple. Even kings of different countries were glad
to see her.

A crowd surrounded her. People were in rags, many without strength crawling on the ground. Toula
took a woman by the hand and closed her eyes. Ten black balls appeared in her hand, and she gave
them to the woman.

"Dissolve them in water and compress against your chest once a day. Even if the cough stops, keep using
it."

The woman, after receiving the medicine, bowed to Toula with tears. Toula smiled and then approached
a man with a baby. Toula did not receive gifts from the poor, but her fame continued to grow.

Behind her was a masked man, behind his back he hid his sword, he looked at the surroundings, he
looked intently at the people surrounding Toula.

This man's name was "Bormak". He was a knight of the Order of the Black Knights of Piena. A couple of
months ago, Toula saved his life by curing his illness. Leaving the order, he went with Toula. As a
gentleman, he had his own quirk.

"Oh ...".

Toula exhaled when he saw the patient. From under the hood, you could see the bloodied face, but the
man was not sick, under his cloak there were quite expensive clothes.

Bormak grabbed his sword.

-"Tula-sama this…".

The man handed Toula a piece of paper folded in half, Bormak looked there, on the paper was the
address and name of the person, with a writing difficult to understand.
Bormak sighed softly.

Not long ago a rumor was heard about Toula, it is said that she not only helps people with her unusual
ability, but also kills them:

[T/L note – The rumor is:] That people come to her under the guise of a sickness and hand her a paper
with a code, then she recognizes the name of the one who needs to be killed. and that person will
disappear after a few months.

The crowd complained about the man near Toula, many were confused, others who knew the rumor
became more suspicious. Toula looked into the man's eyes and then turned to the crowd to reassure
people:

-"I know, there are terrible rumors about me."

The man shuddered.

-"Please go. This place is full of the sick and poor."

The man turned and walked away without saying a word, Toula began treatment with the next patient.
Bormak remained silent, dismissing the man with his eyes.

Suddenly, Bormak noticed and looked around. Where did that paper go?

***

Five days have passed. Bormak forgot about paper.

At midnight, Toula arrived after healing the poor in a cheap hotel.

In a small room, she ate liquid oats, she ate the same as poor people, as she had done for thirty years.

At midnight, only candlelight illuminated them. Bormak was still wearing a mask, standing behind Toula.

He received a strange order from Toula. "Don't take off your mask and don't talk" As Toula had asked for
it, he had no objection.

-"OH"

Toula dropped a spoon to the ground. Bormak reached out to lift it, but another hand extended and
took the spoon on the other side.
Bormak's heart almost stopped. Before that, only he and Toula were in the room.

Just now they were alone in the room. But now, there was someone else. Bormak barely contained a
scream.

"Don't worry, this is an acquaintance," Toula told Bormak.

The man lifted the spoon and quietly lowered it to the table.

-"Nya, baba, this food is horrible Nya, this meat or fish is going to ruin your health."

-"I haven't had illnesses in fifty years."

Toula was not surprised by the appearance of the intruder, but did not look at Bormak, and Bormak
stayed there, not knowing what to do.

Toula pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Please kill it earlier than planned. The stranger
momentarily looked at the paper, and then burned it in the fire of a candle.

"Nya," the stranger said, moving away from Toula, the order had been given to him.

The man suddenly opened the window and jumped, after this I hear a voice.

-"Bormak-san, close the window better, and you can talk," Toula said and continued eating.

Bormak closed the window and asked:

-"Who was this ... man?".

-"I call him Hans Humpty, but that name is definitely not the real one," Toula said in her usual calm
tone.

-"And... who is he?".

-"A murderer".

After all, Toula was terrible.

***

Bormak was shocked, he believed Toula was a saint, but she had spoken to a murderer. He couldn't
believe it.

Toula kept quiet while eating, Bormak didn't know now how to trust her.

[T/L note, Toula began explaining:] Three years ago, an aristocrat wished Evil unto Toula, because she
healed his adversaries. The aristocrat tried to stop her. She refused, then he took a nun who served
Toula as a hostage and forbade the other saints to intervene.

There was nothing Toula could do, at that moment Hans appeared in front of her.

Toula asked him to solve the case, thinking it would be something simple. The Aristocrat who had taken
the hostage was dead in the morning in his room and the nun returned to Toula on her own feet, she
had not noticed when the door of her prison had opened, the aristocrat's castle was well protected, no
one saw the intruder.

A few days later, Hans appeared in front of Toula, and Toula offered Hans continued cooperation, he
accepted the offer.

When a "customer" appeared, Toula sent a letter with his location to a Piena merchant. After a while,
Hans appeared before her.

Then Toula showed Hans the name and address, the paper was destroyed there.

Hans would then meet with the one who wrote the request, get the money, and kill the victim.

Toula also told Hans about the Sacred Instruments and the Holy Ones at his request.

Sometimes these skills could interfere with his mission, and he had to learn about them.

In return, Hans complied with Toula's requests and killed those who were against the Temple of Heaven.
Sometimes Hans himself, when he considered a person to be dangerous, would remove it without
Toula's request. With their help, Toula eliminated four people. If Toula's actions had been known, she
would have been killed, but Mora and the other saints didn't know what she was doing, they didn't even
doubt her.

-"So, Bormak, what will you do now that you heard this?"

Toula asked this when she finished eating, she wanted to know if he would condemn her or stay by her
side.

Bormak wanted to say that he could not continue doing this, but he stopped, it is not the first time that
Toula did it, Toula clearly knew that peace could not be achieved without getting her hands dirty, For
this world to continue, someone had to purify it.

Toula seemed to have understood Bormak's thinking, she laughed and said:

"Mora is too serious, I can't put that responsibility on her, she had no choice."

Bormak decided that even if he knew of this evil, he would still be faithful to duty.

-"The right thing is not up to me, but please tell me more, What's going on? This man... Can you trust
Hans Humpty?".

Bormak’s questions changed Toula’s expression.

-"Who is he anyway?".

Toula drank warm water in silence after her oatmeal.

-"I don't know anything about Hans, I just contact him for this kind of work, I know he's incredibly
strong, but at the same time cunning, and he likes to give people trouble, that's it."
Toula turned to Bormak.

-"You also noticed, didn't you?".

Bormak nodded, Hans's power was immediately noticed, he had seen many times very good warriors,
but they could not be compared to Hans.

-"Bormak-san, I want to ask you something, as you have already seen Hans-san, you could fulfill my
request."

- What would it be...?

-"I want you to find out the true identity of Hans Humpty. Do you think you can do it?"

Bormak drew a labored breath, knew how dangerous it was to approach that man, He got goosebumps.
Bormak wondered if he would survive an encounter with Hans.

**

A few weeks passed, Toula returned to the Temple of Medicine in Piena, Bormak left her and reached
the port on the outskirts of the kingdom of the "Holy River". Bormak had received a request from Toula,
He could die, but he would not regret such an outcome.

There wasn't much time. he hurried down the colorful street, The fishermen having finished the work,
exhibited their catch in the shop windows, The fish was cooked on fire, the smoke rose in the sky.
Bormak sped up. Bormak knew that coastal cities live off fishing. The Order of the Black Knights to which
Bormak belonged, was involved not only in battles, but also those with unusual talents. A few
distinguished knights hunted people, spied, or carried out secret investigations. This was how they had
found and killed many who had threatened the life of Princess Nashetania. However, finding a single
person in such a spacious country was very difficult, especially when that someone was a murderer,
Bormak needed to be cautious.

He could look for him all his life and not find him, but he didn't want to end up like that, that’s what
Bormak thought, It's worth trying, Bormak was thinking about it, and at that moment life took an
unexpected turn.

-"OH, oh, don't be afraid."

He heard a voice from the top of the tree at the end of the street. Hans Humpty hung from the
branches; the voice belonged to him. Bormak froze and looked at Hans, he should not remember his
face as he was wearing a mask at the time of his meeting with Hans.

Oji-san be careful."

There were several children under the tree, looking at a kitten on top of a tree, it looked like Hans was
trying to get the kitten down from the tree.

-"I got you."

Hans caught the kitten, put it in the palm of his hand and jumped out of the tree, When the kitten was
on the ground, he ran towards the children.
-"Thank you, Oji-san."

The children said, taking the kitten in their arms.

-"Nya-haha, don’t thank me, Let's do it this way, Nya".

Hans pulled sweets out of his pocket and gave them to the children.

-"Why did you do that?" the children asked.

-"Cats are my mentors, I have to show respect to my mentor's friends." After thinking, the children
returned the sweets.

-"It's bad to take things from people the unemployed, better find a job, so you don't have to save cats."

Hans was surprised, but then laughed. The children lost interest in him and ran down the street.

***

Laughing for a long time, Hans climbed a tree and sat on a branch. A drowsy breath was soon heard.
Hans didn't seem to realize that Bormak was looking at him.

-"Bormak-san, you have to find out not only his real name, I want to know what he’s like," Bormak
recalled Toula's task. What he likes? What he hates?, What does he want?, What does he hate?, What is
he good at?, What is he weak at?, That's what I want to know. Bormak considered this task very difficult.

-"Do you have any idea what kind of person he is?"

Toula replied, “about that ... Hans-san is very unreliable, he can receive my request, but depending on
his state of mind he decides what task he will perform, he himself decides this, without looking at how
much money is offered to him."

-"And what are your standards?".

-"The harder it is to complete it, the more willing he is, that’s how it was in our first meeting, However,
he rejects simple requests, it seems that he likes to fight ... and kill."

Bormak was disgusted.

-"A bloodthirsty killer enjoys the pain of others, They can be understood quickly, But he ... it's not just
that. I think so."

***

Bormak decided to stay in the coastal city, hide his identity, he worked in different places and asked
people about Hans, people said that Hans appeared in the city ten days ago, One morning he appeared
on the street in rags and settled in a corner of the market, When people asked him his name , he replied
that his name was Hans Humpty, if they asked him who he was, he said no one. Everyone doubted his
words but were afraid to get closer. Bormak first thought Hans was waiting for someone in this city.
Bormak himself has been in the city for three days, he had not crossed paths with him, Luck was not on
Bormak's side.

--------------------------
While unloading the ships in the harbor [T/L Bormak caught a glimpse of Hans], Bormak investigated. He
didn't follow Hans, He watched him around the corners. It seemed as if he was walking through the
market, as he watched Hans his life scared Bormak.

He did not use the hotel, he did not have a tent, he slept in the shade of trees or houses where he could
hide from the rain.

The kingdom of the Holy River was in the north, There the homeless suffered a lot from the cold, but in
Hans I did not notice any suffering.

"Listen, did you see the boy sleeping outside our house?" asked one of Bormak's colleagues as they
unloaded.

"Oh, he’s a problem. What about him?".

-"He escaped when I threw water at him out the window, He's a creepy guy, and poor."

The worker laughed.

Rumors about Hans circulated alone around the city. And it was easy to gather information about them,
they all talked about Hans without Bormak bringing it up.

One day, when he woke up, Hans walked with a bag on his shoulder, he casually walked into a river that
flowed into the ocean, there he washed his clothes, so his clothes were surprisingly clean even to be
rags.

Hans rarely ate normally, He sat by the roadside, chewing old bread and small fish.

No one knew where he got his food from, and Bormak didn't know where Hans was going when he
needed to take care of his bodily functions .Once a man saw Hans on his way to a private house, Hans
stopped at the house as if he had already been there but left without saying anything. What else did he
do besides eating and bathing? Bormak continued to hear the stories of local residents.

***

"Yesterday that guy was on the dock," one of the workers said calmly. Bormak asked him what he was
doing.

-"He didn't really do anything. He walked along the pier, jumped into a pile of logs and there he sat
cross-legged and look somewhere." Bormak asked him where he was looking.

-"Towards us while we worked, to the sea, to the birds. I was a little angry and yelled at him asking what
he was doing, but this guy had his eyes closed.” Bormak asked how long he had been there.

-"Until we finished the work", the worker shrugged his shoulders.

Hans was talked about by different parts of the city, Every day he was in different places, without
stopping somewhere for a long time.

"I was playing with my Child," said Lynn, a woman at the market.
 -"And then I heard a noise. I was surprised, he was playing on stone steps, you also played such a game
in childhood, right? When you jump from stone to stone on one leg, He meowed and laughed cheerfully,
I yelled at him that it was noisy, and I asked him to go somewhere else. It's strange that he behaves like
that, he's not a child after all."

Then the woman's son approached Bormak.

-"Hey, do you know where Hans went? Oh, where did he go? Let's look for him!”

The children ran off somewhere. Bormak was then called by a man who made furniture. -"Oh, I saw that
guy running after a stray cat, He ran normally, and then on all fours.

-"He ran like a beast, I couldn't believe what I saw, when I came back to my senses he had already
disappeared. The stray cat made a racket, it wasn't so long ago. It was funny."

Bormak walked around the city, thinking. What should I say to Toula? Maybe I should stay longer in
town, Toula probably would think Bormak is crazy. Hans seemed to be the most dangerous killer, and
the strongest, perhaps, but until now it seemed that he had only been chasing a cat. Maybe Hans was
going to kill someone here, and he was preparing for it. But he was drawing too much attention.

-"Unya-nyaaa".

Bormak noticed Hans was in the corner of the market, poking around in a wooden box, nobody was
stopping him, it looked like there was fish that had gone bad in that box.

-"Nya-hee. This is good why throw it away?".

Hans grabbed a half-dead fish and shoved it into his mouth. Bormak didn't bother him, he didn't stop
walking, Bormak couldn't understand where Hans's rewards for the murders were going. Toula said he
demanded that the payment be enough for him to have at least a year of fun. Plus, he could get the
same amount from other contracts. It didn't make sense for him to behave like a beggar.

-"Nyaaa! Am I in trouble?". - From afar came Hans's voice.

Bormak headed toward the crowd.

The soldiers who were in the city stood in front of Hans, intending to catch him, it was strange that they
still had not captured him. Hans just sat on the floor lazily.

-"Nobody stole this fish."

-"Nonsense, either you come with us in silence or by force."

The soldiers were upset.

-"But I'm a cat, the cat likes fish, what's wrong with that?".

"I don't get it," the soldier muttered. "I've heard you've been around here a long time; you're plotting
something bad, haven't you?"

-"Cats can only steal fish, that can't be wrong."

-"Let's start with the fact that you're not a cat."

-"Don't judge by appearance." Hand said as he stood up.

The soldiers didn't like Hans getting ready and raised his swords, Bormak knew this was a bad thing,
Hans could kill him in less than five minutes with his own hands.

-"Mr. Soldier, I don't know him, but he didn't steal that fish, I saw him... he was just poking around in
the trash."

The soldiers again kept their swords and turned to Bormak to look at his face.

-"Forget about him!" a soldier called out.

The soldiers retreated, those who watched also lost interest and dispersed, Hans looked at Bormak.

-"Unyaa, well, thank you."

There was no hostility in his voice. he barely knew that Bormak had been watching him for some time,
or did he know?

("Just don't let your guard down,") Bormak muttered to himself trying to keep a calm look. he would
continue with his role of just being a passerby, it was not the first time he had been close to Hans.
Bormak was surprised that he felt nothing by his side. When he first saw him, he felt Han’s strength in
his skin, but now he was not afraid of him. Now he only smelled of fish.

-"What are you doing here?" Not old enough to work? No shame? Bormak asked, choosing his words
carefully, he didn't want to bother him, but he didn't want to miss this opportunity to try to uncover the
truth about Hans.

-"Nya-ji-ji, cats don't work like that."

-"There are cats that work, aren't cats who catch mice doing it?".

Hans nodded calmly.

-"There is such a thing, Nya. But is that a job? It is more an endless activity, what kind of work is that?

Bormak tried to stay calm and asked:

-"Well, that's fine, what are you going to do now?"

-"I'll wait until dusk."

-"What are you going to do at night?".

-"I'm going to wait until the morning."

Hans laughed, Bormak shrugged his shoulders and left.

Bormak was thinking as he walked, did Hans realize he was following him? First-class warriors like him
were very susceptible to detail, They had a well-developed sixth sense, and could feel an enemy
approaching in the crowd.

Bormak himself was not well versed in signs, but in a man as strong as Hans? He likely would have
noticed, but Hans did not seem suspicious. Then all will be well? What will he do when he realizes that
he is being observed? Will he hide, will he kill me? Or would he start looking for the one who sent me?

Hans's behavior was unpredictable, Bormak couldn't understand it, Fear silently squeezed his heart.

***

Bormak continued to study Hans, He wanted to understand it, understanding the outward actions didn’t
work, so he had to explore his inner world.

Hans didn't seem to know Bormak, His behavior hadn't changed, so he continued to work on unloading
ships, one day Bormak noticed something strange. They were unloading vegetables and fruits. when
Hans passed by with a straw in his mouth, a man holding a wooden box, asked:

-"Oi, Hans, do you eat apples?".

-"I would."

After Hans's response, the man threw an apple infested by a worm at him, Hans bit the apple and
turned around.

-"I didn't know cats ate apples."

"There are exceptions," Hans said. He continued as if nothing had happened.

The surprise did not end there, In the evening, Bormak went to a café, Here inside they served snacks
and also tea, The place clearly flourished quite a bit, there were even tables on the street, The food was
carried by women, and that's where Hans came in, Bormak almost choked on tea.

-"They say that the queen committed adultery, with a man[T/L man = subordinate] of the king, The King
wanted to expel the queen, I don’t know what is happening with that betrayal I can only imagine, Nya".

Hans was talking about a scandal that happened recently and made a lot of noise.

-"Is that true?".

-"So, the queen cheated?".

The women bowed and listened to Hans's story.

-"Not long ago, The Queen even crossed paths with me, Nyaa. Before leaving for the Kingdom of the
Holy River when I was still in Piena."

-"I've heard rumors, People have been talking about the queen for a long time."

"Absolutely, Nya," Hans told the woman.

Another said with admiration:

-"And you know a lot."

-"Cats know everything."

Bormak continued to observe, the women chatting did not notice him, and Hans did not look at Bormak,
Surprisingly, Hans seemed to fit into the city, People accepted it.

Hans was mysterious, but it didn't bother anyone, it was strange but nice how he behaved in this city.

Although he hadn't been here for that long, the speed of the change in attitude towards him was
surprising.

Bormak realized that Hans had the ability to conquer people, he couldn't even explain how.

That night, Bormak was called to the café by his work friends, there he saw Hans in the afternoon, It was
surprising as it was not Bormak who chose that bar.

Hans sat relaxed in the street near the café.

"Ah, the cat is here," said one of the workers.

No one was surprised by Hans; it was common to see him in the taverns in different places of the city.
Bormak had an informal conversation with his friends, but at the same time he saw and listened to
Hans, Hans was looking at the sky, there was nothing in the night sky, only the stars shone.

-"Nyaaaaaa, girl".

Hans muttered, looking up at the sky, Bormak tried to hear him amid all the noise of the establishment.
This wasn't the first time he's been a spy; his hearing was good.

Hans conversed with a young woman who was walking down the street, she was less than thirty years
old, her breasts were clearly visible in an open dress, although the dress could not be classified as
expensive, she behaved arrogantly.

"Just die, ugly cat," the woman replied grimly.

Hans laughed so much that he was shaking.

-"Better you, nya".

Hans continued to stare at the stars, Bormak noticed something unusual.

The woman ignored his words, Hans didn't even look at her. But she obviously changed her mind and
stopped ten steps from Hans.

The men drinking next to Bormak cheerfully yelled at the woman who stopped, someone even whistled,
she didn't hear them.

The woman turned and walked towards Hans.

"Come on, I'll give you something to eat," the woman said. Hans laughed, staring at the stars.

-"Nya-hi-hi, first you make me the food".

The woman waved her hands towards Hans to get him up. This time, Hans looked away from starry sky.

"Come on, it's time for me to go to bed."

-"Unya-nya. I am a trained and obedient cat."

The woman left; Hans went after her. Bormak left his friends and went after Hans, saw that the woman
and Hans hid in a dirty house and left them.

Bormak didn't want to spy on them anymore, because he wasn't good at it so he couldn’t know what
was going on in there.

The next morning, she saw Hans's clothes hanging from a rope outside the woman's house, apparently
Hans stayed with her.

***

Late at night at a hotel, Bormak wrote a letter.

The pen moved in the light of a small lamp. It was time to send the results to Toula.

Bormak described what he found out about Hans, what he had heard, what he had seen. But in spite of
all this it was impossible to call this a report.

Toula instructed him to discover Hans's soul, what he loves and what he doesn't love.

But nearing the end of the report, Bormak himself found it strange, Hans seemed to him a completely
normal person albeit a strange way of living. Hans's daily life was meaningless.

He added with concern: "The task is not yet complete."

Bormak sealed the letter with wax.

Looking at the report, Bormak thought about the past. When Toula gave him this task, he asked her why
she needed it.

A small incident led to this, an incident that occurred four months before Bormak's investigation.

That day, Toula summoned Hans to the Temple of Medicine. Hans appeared silently in his room at
midnight.

"Nya-hello, who is my new client?" - said Hans.

Toula poured a mountain of gold coins on the table, it was ten times more than the money for which an
ordinary family could live a year, it was too much for a murder.

Hans looked at the money and said with a smile:

-"Something big is coming up, how did you get that amount of money?".

"This is not my money, I was able to collect them from people," Toula replied.

His voice echoed, as if there were a lot of people in the room. Clients had money.

-"Unyaaa, the enemy is serious."

-"That's right, this may be the only request of this size."

"And who are they, Nyaa? The Princess of Piena?, The girl with the power of the Swamp?".

Toula shook her head silently.

It's the "Majin", I want you to be a hero and defeat the Majin.

Hans wasn't surprised to hear Toula's words, but he responded with ease:

-"I cannot accept this request."

Toula was surprised, Hans has sometimes given up tasks before, but that was because they were simple
tasks, he was always happy with difficult tasks.

"OH, I can't do that. I have my reasons."

-"But Hans-san..."

-"Without the Crest you can't get close to the Majin, no matter how much you pay me, there's nothing
we can do about it," Hans said and turned around.

Toula grabbed his clothes to stop him.

-"If one is to be chosen as a hero, then we just have to do it, I am sure that there is no man in the world
stronger than you."

Hans put on a boring look.

Heroes are chosen not only by their strength, that is even written in children's books, The mark left by
the "Saint of a Flower", is largely incomprehensible, and it is not always clear how heroes were chosen,
Supposedly to become a hero, you had to prepare and be tested. You can’t be afraid of fighting with the
Majin and death. There could be no mistake in choosing you.

But those heroes who were already elected were not the strongest people in the world, and many
warriors who were considered candidates did not become heroes.

Those who were not elected were afraid of death, some feared losing their family, others regretted
having left their wealth, by logic you could not choose as heroes people like that.

-"They won't elect me. I can't accept this money."

Hans carefully removed Toula's hand from her clothes.

"Don't expect this from me, nya," Hans said, leaving Toula.

***

After reporting on the event, Toula added:

-"Hans-san does not look like a person who mourns the lives of other people, I do not understand why
he denied. Is the money is not enough, or the request shouldn’t have been expressed in this way, or he
is not interested in killing the Majin, It could be anything, I do not know what the answer is".
Toula was upset.

-"It is a pity that Hans-san has refused, it is unlikely that the heroes will win without him".

Bormak scratched his neck, why did he want Hans as a hero? There were many strong warriors in the
world, for example, the former eye of the Order of the Black Knights, "Ghazamar", was a famed strong
warrior. And then there was a genius named "Goldoff."

"Chamo Rosso" is considered the strongest in the world, "Mora Chester", "Asurei Yara", "Weylynn
Coteau" and others, Hans was not the only strong choice.

Bormak noticed that Toula was in a bad mood.

-"I wish I could trust my idea, but I have no strength to fight, and power is important, Hans-san is
stronger than anyone except Chamo-san."

-"... However, I don't know if it should be him ...".

-"No, this fight requires Hans-san." There was no doubt in Toula's voice.

"Chamo-san and Goldof-san are still too young, Mora is accustomed to peacetime, will not be able to
lead these people to danger, and Ghazamar is not suitable for the fate of the world to fall upon him."

Bormak disagreed but remained silent.

-"Chamo-san and Mora-san will lose, even if they are strong, we need Hans-san, his strength, mind,
instincts and, above all, his cruelty".

Toula was unwavering, she expected no objections. Bormak believed her words, and agreed to comply
with her request.

***

Looking at the sealed report, Bormak was thinking of Hans. It was amazing that a man who killed others
was so open, he was always in sight. Murderers could also be victims, to live longer he would have to
hide. Hans was definitely not afraid of death. And all the gold? He had probably saved a lot of money but
still lived as a beggar, Bormak did not understand it, he did not see Hans in need of gold, besides killing,
there were many ways to make money and not live like a beggar, but killing was a goal for him, This man
liked to kill others, Then he should not be afraid to kill the Majin. Bormak thought so, but Bormak
remembered how Hans played with the kids, and what the kids said to him, "Thank you oji-san," "It's
bad to take it away from those who are unemployed," "Where did you go? We're going to look for
Hans." Children sometimes see people better than adults. If Hans were obsessed with the desire to kill,
the children would not get along with him, so who was he? Why did he refuse to become a hero?
Bormak sent this report to Toula and continued his study of Hans.

***

Observation from afar yielded no results, and Bormak decided to approach Hans, but as he was
dangerous, he decided to send other people and make sure they didn't tell Hans about him. He had a
similar experience in the order of the Black Knights to which he belonged. It was somewhat funny, while
Bormak prepared everything, Hans suddenly disappeared from the city, People did not react to his
disappearance, they acted as if they had forgotten about him, even the woman with whom Hans lived
for several days.

Ten days later, Hans returned to the streets as suddenly as he had left, on his shoulder he carried a bag
of gold coins.

***

The night Hans returned there was a big celebration in the city. People sang, ate, drank, as in the days
that the war ended. Instead of bread and water, they consumed expensive grapes and caviar. Hans had
so much money that it would have been enough for a family for five years, he spent it all in one night.
He went to the café and paid for all the guests there, he walked like this to all the cafes until they were
filled with customers, He bought all the women in the hotel, Hans didn’t even touch them, he had fun all
night and paid for everyone. Bormak watched in shock as the sake was finished. The city honored Hans
that night.

"Hey, we heard the cat brought money."

People whispered around Bormak.

-"Did he steal it? Was it ok to use it?".

-"I don't know for sure, but it could’ve been stolen."

People were celebrating, even though they didn't know where the money was coming from, they only
did what they knew best... drink.

The men laughed; the reaction of the women was different.

-"I have heard that the cat serves an aristocracy! He came here to see our state!".

-"Wow! Really?".

"Yes, and now he has decided to help people!"

Bormak paid no attention to such rumors.

Strangely, Hans could not see himself inside the hustle and bustle of the city, Bormak came out of the
circle of people and went in search of him.

Bormak walked, the wind cooled his cheeks, He had a bottle of sake in his hand, the contents were
leaving quickly.

Not used to drinking, He was actually looking for Hans.

Now he wasn't surprised that Hans lived as a beggar, after a night like this, he would hardly have a
penny left.
Bormak's head began to hurt as he walked slowly in search of Hans, he looked around and noticed a
small light on the roof of a house.

"Hey, you," Hans shouted from the ceiling.

In his hand was an empty bottle with something shiny, an enchanted stone?

-"Come up here with the bottle".

Bormak trembled, communicating with him now was a death sentence, but leaving would be more
suspicious since the whole city now loved Hans.

-"I can't go up, I'm not a cat."

-"Go upstairs."

Hans went down some wooden stairs from the ceiling, Bormak with difficulty climbed to the ceiling,
Hans took the bottle and drank it with a pleased look.

-"You wonder where the money came from."

"Not really."

-"Everyone in the city wants to know, it’s unlikely that the rumors will stop until I respond to them.

-"Who knows".

Hans smiled; Hans seemed to be talking to any passerby. Bormak thought Hans hadn't realized he was
following him, until the next moment.

-"By the way, how is Grandma Toula?

Bormak's heart almost stopped, Hans's cheerful tone didn't fit his words.

-"What ...?".

Hans looked at the Frozen Bormak without emotion. it was amazing how his face didn't express
anything. as if he didn't feel anything.

-"I haven't heard, but she must be fine, Otherwise, I would have been informed".

Bormak tried to answer honestly, He stopped pretending to be a drunk, that didn't make sense
anymore, strangely he felt a little happy, this was going to end soon, and he won't suffer anymore.

-"Really? okay."

Hans laughed. It still didn't sound dangerous.

When did he realize it? What betrayed him?, Bormak did not ask, it no longer made sense.

-"Enjoy it, Nya. You like alcohol, don't you?"

Hans gave the bottle to Bormak.

-"I don't like it very much."

-"You're weird." Hans shrugged his shoulders.

-"Do you always spend your reward like this?"

-"Not always, only When there is enough money".

Bormak understood that if he always did this, he would be known all over the world.

"It's not the best way to spend money, is it?" Hans said.

Bormak was surprised by his opinion.

There were different questions in his head, but he didn't know what to ask, why didn't he want to be a
hero? Why was he there? What was he doing now? Was he trying to escape? Would he spare his life?

"I'm going to kill you," Hans said rudely.

He thought he had misheard, as his tone was still calm, but Bormak realized that his death was
imminent.

Bormak stood silent and looked at Hans's face. He remembered different things, was angry at his
carelessness, and at Toula's request.

But the anger escaped. He will die, for Toula, it was not so bad, the suffering will cease.

-"Kill me". Bormak said calmly. Hans seemed confused.

-"Nya-hee, where is the resistance?".

-"It doesn't make sense, There's a big difference between us."

-"Don't say that You may be unarmed, but we were both drinking, who knows what's going to happen."

-"I don't think so, and on the roof, I'm going to lose my balance."

"Absolutely...".

Hans was depressed, it was as if he wanted to fight Bormak, but Bormak knew that his mission was not
to fight Hans.

-"What can I do? you don't want to fight, so you're giving up."

"I didn't say that."

-"It doesn't matter, I'm going to kill you," Hans sighed.

-"What will happen to Toula herself?".

-"Nothing".

-"Then I'm glad, I can die."

-"Do you pray?".

Hans pulled out a statuette of the "Flower Saint" and an artificial flower. Bormak laboredly held it, set
the bottle away, and asked the Saint.

-"Please let me finish the last mission. May Hans be a hero." Bormak thought.

***

The prayer was over, everything was ready, all that was left was Hans's final blow.

As Bormak meditated, Hans said:

-"Talking about Grandma Toula".

-"What about it?" Bormak drank.

-"She's a good woman, Nya." [T/L note: good woman in a perverted way]

Some sake flew out of Bormak's mouth, Toula was fifty years old, it was weird to hear that.

-"If only she was fifteen years younger... Nyaa".

Bormak replied, wiping his mouth:

- "... That's amazing, are you really interested in Toula-sama?".

-"Nya-hee-hee-hee, enough is enough. Although there is a charm in adult women."

Hans gave Bormak the bottle to drink more.

-"It looks like you got the point" .

Bormak laughed next to Hans, knowing that he would be killed.

-"Do you like strong women?".

-"Anyone who comes to me, Nya".

-"You are a danger to women."

-"Actually, Nya, cats are always on the side of

women."

Bormak felt a fool, involuntarily relaxed next to

Hans, under the sight, at the end the street was
the woman with whom Hans lived a couple of
days. Hans clearly noticed it but showed no
interest. She no longer occupied a place in his
heart, he was definitely an enemy of women.

"Did you want to know anything about me?"

said Hans.

Bormak himself didn't know how to take this,

but he just got down to business.

-"I want to know why you refused to become a

hero of the six flowers?".

Hans turned his head with an empty look.

-"What is ... ?, Why did you ask this, nya?",

How do I answer?".

-"Don't you remember? That was almost five

months ago.

Then Hans seemed to remember.

-"OH, that."

-"Toula-sama wants to know why you didn't

accept the money."

Hans was still confused.

"Unyaaa, I said I didn't accept it, because I'm

not sure I could handle it."

-"Why can't you handle it?".

-"To be chosen hero, you need special skills."

-"You may well become one."

Hans was surprised.

-"It's strange that you listen nonsense from grandma."

- "What else would I do?".

-"You're a fool, nya, it was just necessary to come and ask."

Hans laughed stupidly, and then raised his head towards the sky and covered his eyes, He seemed to
think about that.

-"The problem, nya? I don't even know how to answer you".

Hans was silent, Bormak waiting for a response.

-"Uncomfortable with the battle against the Kyoma?

-"No, nya, On the contrary, it sounds tempting".

Hans's eyes shone under his hair.

-"The Majin would be great, the king of the Kyomas will be strong enough".

-"Would you like to kill such a powerful enemy?".

Hans was hard to understand, but now everything was clear, he clearly wanted to fight the Majin.

-"Marie and Hayuha died, but the little dog Kyoma is also interesting, it is a good enemy and still alive,
nya".

Bormak recalled Marie's memoirs, which he read as a child. Hans spoke of this Kyoma, who killed Roey,
the saint of the wind, who followed Marie the saint of the sword.

-"And he could also try to fight his friend, Cargikk."

Hans spoke forcefully and Bormak asked:

-"If you want to fight, why not become a hero? You will have a lot of money if you do not die".

Hans frowned at the question.

-"I don't want to be a hero. It’s also possible they don’t choose me."

-"I'd like to hear the reason."

-"I don't even know how to explain it."

Bormak was silent, waiting for an answer. I was looking at the sky. The night was beautiful, due to the
absence of clouds the moon appeared. Hans opened his mouth.

-"Play with me, Nya., let's fight? Nya, life itself is a game."

Bormak didn't want to say anything, he was waiting for Hans's words.

-"I like to sleep during the day, I like to look at the sky."

Hans took the bottle, where half of the drink was left.
 -"I like to look at the ocean, the mountains, the flowers and the people, I like to spend my time like
that," Hans smiled. "I like to drink alcohol, I like the hugs of beautiful women, money comes and goes
and if an unknown problem appears, I also like to kill people, I think I would also like to kill Kyomas".

The cold again ran down Bormak's back, for Hans, killing people and contemplating the sea was similar.

-"I think it would be good to defeat Majin by becoming a hero, But, if they don't choose me... I could live
quietly; this isn't that important."

-"I see ...".

- "I don't know how the Saint of a flower chooses heroes, Is there any procedure?".

-"Maybe ...".

-"Then I will not become a hero, I will sleep until the Majin is killed."

Bormak was silent for a while, this could be reported to Toula. Maybe Hans didn't reveal everything, but
this was enough. But Bormak still wanted to know, how could he make Hans a hero? And Bormak said to
Hans:

-"The fate of the world depends on you."

-"Why? I'm just a murderer, I'm not going to carry the fate of the world". Hans smiled.

-"You say that the world will perish if I do not protect it, if it is destined to die so be, I will not interfere,
Nya".

-"Are you drunk? Or are you serious?".

-"You don't have a family? Parents?".

-"I'm alone, I don't know where they are."

Bormak couldn't figure out if it was true or not.

-"What about children? Maybe you have one somewhere."

-"I don't know."

Bormak realized that Hans had no intention of protecting family, It was as if the family was something
strange to him.

-"And some beloved... you don’t?

-"Of course, nya".

-"You could die, no one will survive against the Majin once reborn".
-"Nya-hee-hee, it’s okay, Nya. I will surrender and die in silence."

Bormak was terrified, why would this person need a hero mark? He doubted the need.

-"Everyone will die someday, And the world will perish, the only difference is whether it will be sooner
or later, you don't have to worry about it."

Bormak didn't understand it, but he was trying to figure out how to make Hans a hero, He was looking
for a word that would convince him.

"Surrender, nya," Hans told Bormak.

-"I can't be a hero." I'm just a cat, that's how it is...".

-"Do you agree with that?".

-"I don't know if it's like that or not."

Hans laughed as if it were funny, He did not express his true intentions, He stood up, shaking the bottle.

-"Not for long, nya, wait here I'll bring more".

Hans jumped off the roof and went somewhere, Bormak was waiting for his return, savoring the drink,
He waited for the return of the one who will kill him.

***

-"You didn’t run?".

Hans returned a couple of minutes later, opening a new bottle. Bormak asked with surprise:

-"Did you think I was going to run away?".

-"Yes, nya".

Hans lay down on the roof, took a sip, and began to tell the story of himself.

He started working as a murderer at the age of fifteen, He no longer remembered the reason, he did not
remember how he was given that opportunity.

-"It's a good job, Nya. Murdering, I have money, it's strange that so few people choose it."

Bormak thought for a moment, If he liked to fight, but did not need money, then he should not be happy
with being a murderer, There were many strong warriors, If he just wanted to fight, why did he not
choose this path?

-"Do you kill anyone?". He asked.

-"Exactly, nya, especially when I see a strong man, I want to kill him, and this desire doesn't fade." Hans
smiled indifference. His sincerity was frightening.

-"Killing everyone for no reason is not fun, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, so where was the joy? ...
Killing at request is a lot more fun, but it still leaves the bad taste in the mouth."

Bormak was surprised that Hans had such feelings.

-"Some of those you killed had no conscience, does that also leave a bad taste in your mouth?".

-"Who is guilty and who is not? It is not my place to judge".

His opinion was surprising, this view was different from ordinary people.

-"Nya-hee-hee, okay." Hans laughed.

Bormak reflected on his words, Hans dramatically changed the subject in the middle of his story. He
talked about the people he met in the city, The children who played with him, the soldiers, the man who
threw an apple at him, he talked about it tirelessly, he was drunk, it was not strange that he drastically
changed the subject.

-"By the way, you were talking about the queen. Did you have anything to do with it?" Bormak asked.

-"Ah, nothing." Having said that, Hans laughed. He started talking about cats, about their beauty,
about how they should be respected, He said that all his fighting techniques were inspired by cats,
Bormak listened, although he did not understand how cats could teach him to fight, and suddenly Hans
remained silent.

-"Oh, I have a dream."

Bormak became a little interested.

-"I'd like to be a cat."

-"I don't understand...".

-"You could live, do something and then just die, I wish I had a life like that, sleep, get what I want, kill
something, not depend on anyone, not listen to anyone."

Hans looked up at the sky.

-"Something to have fun with, being a liar going back and forth, without feeling bad, there is no cat with
a bad heart".

Bormak heard, he could understand him, and sometimes he couldn’t.

-"I like to be able to do something and not do something, to have someone to love, someone to hate,
live as I want, I would like to live playing, the cat only lives. This is my dream."

Hans shook his head and smiled bitterly.

-"You're complicated."

-"If you say so".

Bormak didn't understand. It was probably hard for him to live.

"It’s funny."

-"What, nya?".
-"You want to live like a cat, but you don't want to depend on anyone."

-"Yes, it's a bit contradictory."

Hans smiled.

-"Living overcoming contradictions was better than living with doubts."

There was a long silence, Hans seemed tired of talking.

"Do you want to do something before you die?" asked Hans, looking up at the sky and drinking from a
bottle.

-"I want to send a report to Toula-sama, I have to do it".

-"Nyaaa, I don't care, I'll wait."

Bormak was relieved, to write the report he needed to return to the hotel. He went downstairs, Hans
followed him.

-"Nya-haha. it looks like I talked a little bit about myself, I hope I didn't screw up, but it was fun."

They got lost in the crowd and the darkness of the night.

***

A few days ago, Hans received a message from one of the people who made him "assignments", Hans
didn’t only work with Toula. The message was from an aristocrat from the kingdom of the holy river.
Hans has worked for him many times; I was waiting for the client in the woods.

[T/L – Flashback]

The aristocrat came alone, disguised himself carefully, looked around in case anyone followed him, he
feared that someone would discover his connection with Hans.

-"Hans ... You may not have noticed, but they're watching you," he said immediately.

"Nya So what?" - yawned, Hans replied.

-"So what?!, If they associate me with you, it's all over!".

-"The problem can always be solved."

-"But your pursuer can find out about our relationship."

-"Maybe then I'll kill you too?".

The horror was reflected in the face of the aristocrat, Hans smiled with irony.

-"It's a joke, a joke."

"So, what should I do?" said the aristocrat, while Hans was smiling.

He threw a sack of gold at the tree on which Hans was sitting.

Hans's pursuer ... Bormak, was someone unforgivable to the aristocrat. Hans jumped out of the tree and
collected the money.

And the aristocrat left.

"You're unfortunate Bormak, I would have forgiven you, nya," Hans said, counting the money.

***

It's morning in town, the party Hans had arranged at night was over, People with a tired look walked
through the businesses. Hans was nowhere to be seen, for a while there were rumors about him, but
they were forgotten quickly. In the morning, a man was found dead on the road, someone who came to
town a month and a half ago, it seemed that he got drunk and fell with very bad luck, for his injuries you
could only think that way. There were also rumors of his death But, like Hans, he was quickly forgotten.

***

At the Temple of Medicine in Piena, the nuns worked constantly here. At midnight, in a room in an
ancient temple that was illuminated by a lamp, Toula read a letter. Patients everywhere sent her letters,
suddenly there was a knock on the door. Toula looked away from the letter with surprise, A nun entered
the room.

-"Toula-sama, a letter came from Mora-sama from the Temple of Heaven, It is for the state of the
candidates for heroes".

-"Oh, I need to prepare for the trip."

Then Toula smiled.

-"We need to find a warrior somewhere, Bormak suddenly disappeared, so we have problems."

-"There is nothing we can do about it, Preparations must continue."

Toula dismissed the nun and continued to read the letter. This was the last report the pigeon brought,
everything he learned was written there. After reading, Toula got up and went to the lamp to put out
the fire. Everything sank into darkness. Bormak did a good job, Seeing the report turn to ashes, Toula
prayed silently for his rest.

-"... Oh."

She closed her eyes and thought of Hans Humpty, she was going to do everything she could to make him
a hero, she could get more money for him, she could ask women or kings of other countries to persuade
him. Perhaps it was possible to find relatives and influence him, you could take him hostage to someone
dear, It is unlikely that the mark will appear on someone who was worried about a hostage, but she was
willing to do that. However, all this would hardly work.

-"Nya-hello, are you going to sleep yet?".

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, Toula's heart almost stopped. She quelled a scream and turned
around with a calm look.

-"... I don't remember calling you."

-"I thought you would and saved you the trouble."

-"I didn't behave politely. I'm sorry."

Hans acted as usual, standing against the wall. The cold sweat pierced Toula.

-"Don't worry, I don't kill the allies, I love to kill, but I don't lie, However, Bormak had to be killed".

-"I'm glad to know." Toula exhaled. "And now."

Hans approached.

-"And how do I become a hero?".

Toula reflected, looking into Hans's eyes. How do you become a hero? It was necessary to say something
for him to decide.

-"No, Hans-san. You shouldn't be a hero," Toula said.

-"Don't think about the battles against the Kyomas, the battle against the Majin. This is an order. You
shouldn't be a hero."

-" ... Nya".

-"If you follow the order, you will be rewarded, everything you want, and also money and position.
Obey me, we will take care of everything. If you ignore me, I will find a way to prevent you from
becoming a Hans-san hero."

Hans kept quiet, Toula didn't know if this was right.

Hans asked after a pause:

-"What did Bormak tell you?".

-"Why? What will you decide?".

Hans was silent, Toula spoke exactly as Bormak wrote to him. He wrote how he could persuade Hans to
become a hero.

-"Nyaaaa, Nya-ji-ji-ji!" Hans laughed and applauded.

-"Oh Bormak," How did you come up with this?!, You're in an another class!" Hans scratched his head.

-"I have a bad habit, I don't want to do this, but I don't want to deny it, Bormak you're amazing. How
did you manage to catch me?"

Hans talked to Bormak, although Bormak was not in the world of the living. Bormak wrote a report, He
realized that Hans could not go against his beliefs, He himself told him about it. And Bormak used it.

"So what did you decide?" didn't you be a hero?" asked Toula.
Hans shrugged his shoulders.

-"Who knows, nya. I'm a cat, anything can happen, right?".

Hans walked to the window, hinting that the conversation was over. Toula didn't stop him.

-"But your Bormak was great."

Hans disappeared through the window, Toula felt the tension disappear in the room, and dropped into a
chair.

Toula closed his eyes and remembered the heroes candidates. Mora, Chamo, Asurei, Weylynn. And it
could be that also Rolonia.

-"Hans-san, I entrust these guys to you, it will be difficult... Get ready." said Toula quietly.

No wonder I'm admired. Wherever you are, even in this city near the pier, there is nothing more
beautiful. Although this man was a bit rude. He has been watching me for three hours without rest, But I
did not say anything, he’s what? Twenty years old? Messy hair, rags. Why do you need a cat's tail? He
tumbled with his cheek pressed against the floor and looked me in the eye. this place was far from the
main street of the city. Usually, the kids played here, and the adults talked. But people were
uncomfortable with the behavior of this guy, so they left the square.

-"Hans, you, what are you doing?". - asked a stranger, it was a salesman.

-"Nya Nyaaaaaa, I murmured". - "You're weird, and I haven't started doing anything yet... before this
beautiful day."

The boy turned his head with a smile to the salesman and made a strange sound with his throat.

Suddenly I saw it. this morning, as I ran with a can pulled out of a drawer, this strange guy was running
on all fours. I ran, I hurried to the roof and was surprised that the guy climbed behind me. Before that,
he managed to get a fish tail out of the trash. I jumped off the roof and ran down the street between
people's legs. The boy wasn't far away, jumping off the ground hard, but the boy wasn't far behind.

***
 I was surprised. Among the stray cats of the city there was no one faster than me, I had never reached a
person, even when I was a kitten. How long have we been running around the city? The boy did not fall
behind, his eyes were wide open. I froze, turning I saw that in his eyes there was no hostility, His eyes
shone with joy, he admired me.

I stopped running and sat in the corner of the square, he sat in the middle, I noticed he was looking at
me.

I threw the fish's head to the ground and started licking it, the boy started eating the fish tail he brought.
Like me, he lowered the food to the ground and ate on all fours, Passers-by seemed to be terribly
surprised by what the guy was doing, even I was embarrassed.

I yawned, the guy also opened his mouth, scratched my back leg, repeated the movement, went to bed,
and the guy also lay down.

How strange it was! Not only did he admire me, he wanted to be like me, He copied my movements and
seemed to want to get close to me, He was delighted, he looked beautiful.

He was somewhat messy, but he tried to behave like a cat, it didn't bother me so I let him keep an eye
on me, he looked at me for three hours repeating my movements.

***

My back was itchy, and I turned around, the guy also rubbed his back on the ground. chasing the flies,
the guy shook his tail attached to his belt.

-"Nya-o".

"Nya-o," the boy repeated my cry.

The guy was determined to be a cat, I was delighted with him, but I was a little disappointed with his
behavior, He repeated my posture, but he was not as beautiful as me, his limbs moved
incomprehensibly, and his voice was still human.

I felt the despair of the boy, He was missing something, he was still human, He could not be a cat, I could
not find the grace and beauty of cats.

I thought he wouldn't make it, he was showing me his movements, but the guy couldn't be a cat.

The sun was already setting, the time to catch fish was approaching, and he still couldn't show me a
decent move.

I felt dissatisfied when the guy stopped imitating me, I stretched out on the ground and looked up at the
sky.

-"Nya, I'm not that good, I'm still a newbie," muttered the drowsy guy.

-"Don't worry Nya". I was happy. He wasn't a fool, although he wasn't in the best shape, he still had a
lot to grow up for, he could still be a cat if he didn't lose his determination.

I was happy. I turned away from the boy and ran into the trash.

[T/L] It was super fun to read/translate

this section. The story itself motivated
me to keep going. I’ll keep updating as I
have time �.

-justdoingmytime