01x04 - Kuroneko to Ouji

[bunniefuu]

I thought I'd take a walk
outside my territory for once.

So I went foraging on the way. Am I late?

There's no one here to greet me.

Actually, I'd like to ask you
to go to the royal castle.

The royal castle?

How should I put it? Well…

It seems the human king has a child.

So a male who will become
the next king has been born?

The cat who used to live in the castle
also asked me for a favor.

"If the king has a child,
you must go to the castle to see him."

You can come back after showing your face.

Sorry about this.

I understand. I'll head out now.

It's really just for a short stay.

That'll be enough to save face
for the cats in town.

Just a short stay will do--

Uncle, I get it.

Seriously.

He says he doesn't like
dealing with humans,

but he can't say no when asked.

Uncle really is soft on his own kind.

Wait.

Cats living in town
follow the humans' schedule.

They should all be asleep by now.

This is a problem.

The royal castle

must be that most
conspicuous building over there.

This wall is quite nice.

Humans who can build things like this
are certainly diligent.

What was the name of the King's friend?

If I ask her,

I should be able to find
where the prince is.

In that case,
I'll find a place to sleep first.

The view from up there looks good.

The floor is so soft.

[THE CAT AND THE DRAGON]

He has a human face.

[THE BLACK CAT AND THE PRINCE]
But his hands are so tiny.

[THE BLACK CAT AND THE PRINCE]
It seems he's a human child.

Just like a kitten.

Are you the cat from the forest protected
by His Majesty, the Imperial Dragon?

I'm just one of the cats from the forest.

I was just looking around
when I came across this child.

I was just soothing him,

and somehow, things ended up like this.

So that's why he didn't cry tonight.

It seems the prince really likes you.

The prince?

This is bad.

I intended to greet his parents first.

Could you tell them I'll come
to see the king later?

I understand.

I heard there was a hero
who defeated a bear all by himself.

So it was you.

Gosh, you do have the face of a king.

A human king.

You're as big as a bear.

And your voice is so loud.

Well then, Lord Black Cat,

what do you think of my son?

Are you satisfied with him?

Even if you ask me that,

I have no idea what kind of person
this young prince is.

I really don't know how to answer.

It's the exact opposite of how we met.

How interesting.

I remember she was sleeping then.

We only got close
because I kept teasing her.

I think I was only five years old then.

Lord Black Cat.

Please stay and observe him.

I won't say something like,
"You'll definitely like him."

That's the kind of thing
only foolish parents say.

Because you're a hero.

He's still a baby who can't even move yet.

How can I tell what kind of person he is?

To see his true character,

it will probably take some time.

Your Highness, that's dangerous.

I did it!

Where's Kurobane? At the training grounds?

Yes.

There's a country at w*r
with the Demon King's Army.

So I sent soldiers to deliver supplies.

I see.

No wonder I didn't see
the people I sparred with last month.

I wish I could fight
the Demon King's Army too.

A king is the leader of a group after all.

You can't just do whatever you want.

Precisely, Lord Black Cat.

When I was younger,

I would've said I wanted
to go play in the forest

or run off to be an adventurer.

I might've even joined the volunteers
to fight on the front lines.

I heard you used to play
in the forest too.

And you got chased mercilessly by a bear.

That's right.
That beast gave me a lot of trouble.

That's why I know how strong you are.

A cat actually defeating a bear…

It's truly incredible.

The black cat that has been by your side
since you were little

is actually a hero among us Cat-Siths.

There's no other cat in the world
who could defeat a forest bear on his own.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

When I was young,
I defeated a bear alongside my siblings.

I'm sure
they could easily defeat a bear too.

Kurobane.

Are you one of those kittens?

You're those legendary kittens.

What are the other cats doing now?

We haven't seen each other in a long time.

Some of them
should've made their way to this town.

Your siblings?

I'd love to meet them too.

Kurobane.

That tree was too easy.

I want a harder challenge.

I see.

Well, Your Majesty,
I'll take my leave now.

All right.

Do you want to try and catch my tail?

I'm not a baby anymore!

Is that so?

What's going on?

Who's here?

The ones who defeated
the Demon King's Army.

Since our country sent them supplies,

it seems they came
to express their gratitude.

What country are they from?

I don't know.

They're adventurers.

They stand up for any country
that's in danger,

fighting on the front lines.

Fellow heroes.

We're the ones who should be thankful.

Splendid work.

Your deeds will surely
be passed down for generations.

One of my brothers
really did become an adventurer.

He even partnered up with humans.

Forget about defeating a bear,
he even defeated the Demon King.

Your Highness!

Prince!

He has disappeared again. Seriously.

Leave it to me.

Lord Black Cat!

As expected of Kurobane.

He caught up so quickly.

It's about time you taught me magic.

I refuse.

You can't receive magic training
from a court mage until you're eight.

Hey, Kurobane.

Today was the first time
I saw an adventurer.

I see.

I was so surprised.

Those adventurers
had the same aura as my father.

Indeed.

Let's go on an adventure too, Kurobane.

Only through adventure
can one become strong.

So I'm going on an adventure too.

It's all to become a great king.

I see.

To become a king?

Wait. No.

That's not quite right.

I've got it.

Kurobane.

I want to be as strong as you.

I want to be a man
worthy of standing by your side.

Cats from the forest come to town

to befriend those they choose
and teach them magic.

That's why I'm going on an adventure.

I'll need to know magic for that, right?

Yes. I'm going to learn magic.

It seems I've met
- And then, one day,

an interesting prince.
- I'll stand proudly by your side.

Your Highness.

If you want to go on an adventure,

magic alone isn't enough.

Is that so?

Besides magic, you need claws and fangs.

For a human, that means mastering weapons.

I see.

Then I'll learn to use weapons too.

And your way of speaking.

Adventurers tend to speak more boldly.

I see. Then…

First, I left that comfortable forest.

Then I came to the human town.

And then…

Are we setting off on our journey now?

Jeez, excuse me.

Could someone tell me where the guild is?

You kid…

Where on earth did that bear come from?

I just happened to find it in the forest.

What's with this kid? How suspicious.
- What's with this kid? How suspicious.

As expected, he's being suspected.

The prince is far too naive.

But I don't know much
about human society either.

My companions and I didn't k*ll it.

Is the buying price for bears low?

It wasn't easy for the two of us
to sneak out of the castle.

Besides,

I want to join the guild as an adventurer.

But the prince has been preparing
for this day for a long time.

He's so handsome. Who is he?

He's the prince of this country,
Lord Stanleto.

He's only 12 years old.

He's only 12?

I heard the royals here
all have a cat companion.

So it's actually true.

Tired already? Looks like we need
to ramp up your physical training.

I'm not tired from the dancing.

You should understand.

It's because of those young ladies.

Every single one of them
is obsessed with romance.

I'm happy to be called a fine man,

but as a prince…

No, I'm still just a kid.

Changing it to "I'm still a brat"
might be better.

I see.

I get it. I'll keep that in mind.

Why are those noble ladies
so intent on scouting for good men?

Because in their world, that's hunting.

To those women,

dressing up is no different
from sharpening claws and fangs.

Gossiping is like
gathering intel on their prey.

It also serves to ward off other hunters.

An occasion like a ball
is exactly their chance to hunt.

I see.

The prince must follow their lead.

No, I must follow their lead too.

Hunting?

I haven't been hunting lately.

What are you saying, Kurobane?

Later on, I'll drag you along to hunt
even if you say no.

Is everything ready?

Of course.

It's time to head out on an adventure.

Twenty barrels of red wine.
The count is correct.

All right. Let's head in.

Gosh.

Security is really tight today.

It's the king's birthday party after all.

Many foreign guests have arrived.

To the king!
- Bless the king!

The prince is truly exceptional.

Gosh, I'm so envious of you.

Not at all.

He's only recently started
to mature a little.

Whenever the prince is praised,
Little Li can't stop grinning.

It seems the prince
is the other star of the show today.

He has been hosting guests
in Little Li's stead since this morning.

He really is exceptional.

I should go prepare for the final event.

The fireworks?
Are you setting them off too?

I've been practicing
this fireworks magic for a long time.

Make sure you watch it.

I'll head to the VIP seats
at the top of the castle then.

Gosh, you're so impatient.

Father.

Forgive me, but I'm a bit tired.

I'd like to rest in my room
before the fireworks start.

Sure.

You've been busy since early morning.
You've worked hard.

The guests
were all full of praise for you.

You truly are the son I'm proud of.

I'll send someone to get you
when it's time for the fireworks.

Get some good rest.

Yes, Father.

It's magic fireworks!

They're so beautiful.

You can only see these in this country.

Your Majesty.

You're back. Where is the prince?

Well, the prince isn't in his room.

But "I'm going on an adventure"
is written in big letters on the wall.

He got us.

He has been wanting to go
on an adventure since he was little.

He even said
he wanted to be an adventurer.

I was wondering
why he'd been so well-behaved lately.

Seriously.

May the heavens
watch over that little adventurer.

Don't worry.

Because that boy has a hero by his side.

Let's go on an adventure, Kurobane!

My very own adventure

is finally about to begin!

Keep it down,
or the pursuers will find us.

And so,

we decided to head

to the neighboring country
past Novice Forest.

It's a neighbor,
but it's still quite a distance.

As the prince…

No.

My identity won't be exposed, will it?

The missing person notices
will probably reach there soon.

So I don't plan on staying long.

Anyway, I'll pretend to be
a country bumpkin for now.

I should catch a wolf or something
to exchange for money at the guild.

Right.

I'll need a fake name to join the guild.

Stan… I'll go by Stan.

From today on, I'm Stan.

It's getting late. I'll get some sleep.

What are you doing?

It's safer to sleep in a tree.

That's true.

But at least find a better place to sleep.

This is bad. My body hurts.

Am I the one who's used to
sleeping on sofas and pillows?

How embarrassing.

Your Highness?

You're awake, Kurobane.

What are you doing?

I'm hiding my clothes.

Didn't I say I'd disguise myself
as a country bumpkin?

Country bumpkins wear clothes too, right?

Kurobane.

If I wear such flashy clothes,

my identity will be exposed in no time.

But…

Never mind that. I'm starving.

Is there anything to eat?

There's a rabbit over there.

Watch me.

What's wrong, Kurobane?

Aren't you eating?

No. Well…

You won't get sick, will you?

I've learned magic to strengthen my body.

Crap.

I wanted to skin it
as cleanly as possible.

I can't even make underwear out of this.

Your Highness,
don't you want to take a bath?

Kurobane.

You don't take baths or soak either.

Well, that's true.

But at the castle, you've bathed
every day since you were little.

People in other countries
don't bathe that often.

Only our country does that.

Is that so?

I already have plenty of bruises
and scars from training.

If I get myself a bit dirty,

I'll look like a country boy
who wants to be an adventurer.

That's why I'm dying
to run into a wolf right now.

Wolves are pack animals.

With your skills,
you won't be able to handle them.

That's the sound of a bear.

It should be over there.

We'd better retreat for now.

Why? Let's go take it down.

What are you talking about?

I've been learning magic and combat
from you since I was a kid.

How could I retreat at a time like this?

Wait. Don't be so rash.

Although this is Novice Forest,

that thing is on a different level
from other monsters.

You're not ready yet.

This is what adventure is all about!

If I'm about to die, you can come save me.

Master!

Seriously.

At least listen to your master.

Yes!

Look, Master.

I look like a total adventurer now.

I've got clothes I bought myself,

gear I bought myself,

and weapons I bought myself.

It really feels like an adventure.

I'm glad we managed to sell that bear.

However…

Listen up, you foolish apprentice.

When hunting, you need equipment
that matches your own strength.

Your "fur" and "tail" are passable,

but what about your "fangs" and "claws"?

Do you mean my weapons?

The ones I'm using now
are a bit unreliable.

If I were to pick a weapon for myself,

it'd be one that conducts magic.

That sword in the warehouse back home
was quite easy to use.

I got it, Master.

While I train my "fur" and "tail,"

I'll also look for "fangs"
and "claws" that suit me.

I'll find a sword worthy of a hero.

To do that,
we have to start our adventure first.

Let's go on an adventure!

Just keep your voice down for now.

Thank you for taking care of us
these past few days.

He's really strange.

He's super suspicious.

And he's traveling with a Cat-Sith.

That kid must be able to use magic too.

He dragged that bear here with one hand.

I'm sure he and that cat
defeated the bear together.

How is he a beginner?

Everyone, look at this!

A missing person notice
was just delivered.

[WANTED]

This is the beginning
of the adventure of a boy and a cat.

It'd still be some time before he made
a name for himself as an adventurer.

As for him being honored
by the world as the Hero King,

that was even further in the future.

[THE WHITE CAT AND THE MAIDEN]

[HE LEAPS ACROSS THE ROOFS,
DROPS HIS SPELL, AND LANDS ON A WALL.]

[HE HEADS TO THE SQUARE
AND HEAD HOME TOGETHER WITH THE CATS.]

[PEOPLE QUIETLY WATCH HIM LEAVE.
SOME ARE TOO MOVED TO SPEAK.]

[THE SQUARE FINALLY COMES INTO VIEW.
SEVERAL CATS ARE ALREADY GATHERED THERE.]

[PEOPLE QUIETLY WATCH OVER THE CATS.
TO BE CONTINUED.]