NOVEL NEXT WORLD 6
Unlike my worries, Kyle didn’t kill anyone. When I saw the blade flashing ominously, I really thought he was going to cut down all three in a single stroke. I was shaking in fear, but thankfully, he only subdued them using the flat of his sword.
No, to be honest, calling it “subduing” feels like an understatement.
— Squeak… (Um…)
Kyle beat the three of them like a dusty rug on a rainy day. Two passed out in an instant under his ruthless, grudge-filled blows, while the last one collapsed to the floor, trembling like a leaf in the wind.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t lost consciousness—it was that he couldn’t. Kyle had been controlling his strength with eerie precision, making sure he stayed awake through the beating. …Was he just taking out his anger?
“Who sent you?”
Kyle pressed his sword close to the thief’s throat.
“If you confess who’s behind this, I’ll spare your life.”
“W-We just… came looking for valuables…”
“Valuables?”
It wasn’t entirely incorrect, but the phrasing was off.
Didn’t they say they’d either capture or assassinate any woman they found? It only seemed stupid because Kyle was their opponent, but if their target had been someone weak, they wouldn’t have hesitated to commit robbery.
And what made them even more pathetic was how impulsive and unplanned their actions were. Compared to other noble estates, the Grand Duke’s security might not have seemed as strict, making it an easy target in their eyes.
“There was no one who hired you to kidnap a beast?”
Kyle’s voice was chilling.
“This is your last chance to answer.”
“W-Well, um, that…”
The trembling thief struggled to lift his head and turned his gaze toward me.
What? What do you want? Don’t give me those desperate puppy eyes, you little hamster thief!
“…A beast?!”
Right. They had come expecting to find some woman hidden away by the Grand Duke, only to be met with a hamster munching on almonds instead. They must have been just as bewildered as I was.
Kyle quickly scanned the study. The scattered documents were related to the administration of Blake Territory, and the macadamia nuts… were my snacks.
Seemingly convinced that these intruders weren’t professionals or part of an organized group, Kyle raised his sword.
His murderous intent was so thick, it felt like he was about to cut the thief down on the spot. Even I tensed up, let alone the petty criminal before him.
“T-The G-Grand Duke, Your Grace, I—”
Thud.
The masked man, who had been shakily getting up, collapsed in a disgraceful heap.
The sight made me jump in shock.
Damn it! Did he really have to fall right in front of my nose?! I just made eye contact with an unconscious guy!
“Cashew Nut.”
Kyle reached into the hamster house and carefully picked me up.
“Are you alright? You must have been startled.”
— Squeak… (Um…)
“You don’t have to worry anymore. With the festival approaching and since they don’t seem to be trained assassins, I’ll imprison them in the underground cells instead of killing them. There’s a guest coming from the Imperial City, after all…”
Kyle gave a short nod.
“Right. No unnecessary trouble should arise.”
— Squeak. (That’s not what I meant.)
“Once everything is settled, I’ll dump them in the wilderness.”
— Squeak! (Fine, fine!)
Could you at least put the sword down when you say things like that? And move the unconscious ones out of the way already!
What kind of mindset prioritizes taking care of a hamster before cleaning up such a grim scene? I know they were caught red-handed trying to steal me, but still.
…Maybe it’s because I’m a rodent now, but my courage has shrunk to the size of a mouse. My heart was racing at even the smallest sound.
‘Well, back in my world, the only knives I ever saw were kitchen knives.’
A blade meant to cut people or beasts had a different kind of presence. Anyone who could remain unfazed before such a deadly weapon had nerves of steel.
Besides, all office workers have weak hearts. It’s not like I’m a coward or anything.
“Your Grace!”
— SQUEAK! (Jesus Christ! You scared me!)
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a group of armed guards stormed inside.
They must have heard about the intruders and rushed in.
Do all northerners act this aggressively!? Are you trying to break the door down!?
The loud noise made my fur stand on end, and I instinctively wriggled out of Kyle’s grasp.
It was a reflexive movement.
Whether it was the hamster instincts rubbing off on me or not, my body had already started reacting on its own.
Either way, I wanted to avoid being in the spotlight when there was this much commotion and so many people staring at me.
I mean, what else could I do? My MBTI starts with an “I”**!
“Cashew Nut!”
As Kyle kicked aside the unconscious men, I leaped off the desk and hopped my way down. After rounding up my running wheel usage, I’d probably run about seven hundred laps by now, so this was nothing more than a stepping-stone course to me.
I landed on the floor in an instant and scurried toward the bottom of the bookshelf.
‘Being small has its perks, huh?’
Now free from the terrifyingly large gazes of humans, I felt an unexpected sense of comfort. Yeah, if I were to truly rest, I’d need a space that was tightly enclosed by walls and a ceiling—my own personal sanctuary.
“Everyone, get out!”
Jeez, his voice is so loud. I swear the floor just shook.
I crept deeper into the darkness. Judging by the dust clumps hitting my face, this place was tough to clean.
“Y-Your Grace?”
“I said, everyone, out.”
Kyle’s voice carried a chill that was practically lethal. If they didn’t scram in the next ten seconds, he might actually start swinging his sword.
The soldiers must’ve felt the same urgency, using strength they didn’t even have left to drag the unconscious intruders away in a blur.
Thud. The door shut, and silence settled over the room.
After a brief hesitation, Kyle stepped closer to me.
“Come out, Cashew Nut. It’s dangerous in there.”
No, think about it. The hamster house is actually more dangerous. I mean, an hour ago, thieves broke in there.
“Hurry and come out.”
He murmured softly, almost pleading.
He reached an arm in, but it wasn’t nearly long enough to reach me. I sat there, grooming my fur as I observed his outstretched hand.
His five fingers groped helplessly at the floor, looking rather pitiful. Feeling a little bad, I picked up what seemed to be an ink bottle cap and placed it in his palm.
…Wait. Why is this place so comforting?
[A hamster prefers dark spaces!]
A system message popped up before my eyes.
Ah, right. I am a nocturnal animal, after all.
Nodding in quiet understanding, I watched as his hand withdrew.
Kyle was silent for a moment before suddenly shoving something else inside.
—SQUEAK! SQUEAKSQUEAK! (Are you insane?!)
It was a sword.
Sure, the blade was still sheathed, but that didn’t change the fact that I knew exactly what it was. Of course, I was terrified.
Trembling violently, I burrowed deeper into the shadows. Dust clung to my fur as I rolled, turning me into a literal dust ball.
“Please come out, Cashew Nut. I was wrong.”
Wait, is this really the same insane Northern Grand Duke? Why does he sound so desperate?
“Shall we sleep together tonight? You need a bath, and I’ll do anything you like. I won’t leave you alone.”
—…
I swear I’m not tempted by his last words.
But, honestly, I’m lonely. The hamster house feels like an empty stadium, and the study is even bigger than the studio apartment I used to live in. If a human would find it spacious, imagine how I feel as a palm-sized hamster…
Besides, even though I had already witnessed death through the pages of a book, experiencing it firsthand left me feeling unsettled.
It had only been a few days, but somehow, I had grown attached to him. It wasn’t just because of my survival stat—I genuinely wanted to keep this guy alive.
And let’s be real, people who love animals aren’t bad people.
Avoiding his sword, I cautiously crawled out from under the drawer.
Kyle’s face immediately brightened. He tossed the sword aside and carefully scooped me up.
“You made the right choice.”
Wasn’t he supposed to be a cold-hearted Grand Duke? Right now, he looked like a complete fool.
Is this that classic trope? The ruthless Northern Grand Duke, but gentle only to his hamster?
Kyle dusted me off and carried me to the bathroom.
He filled the sink with warm water and gave me a bath.
‘…Not bad.’
It felt like I was soaking in a hot spring. Should I put a towel on my head?
Wait, is it even okay to bathe like this? I remember reading that rodents shouldn’t be bathed in water… Will this affect me negatively?
[Northern field mice enjoy water!]
Oh. Well, that’s a relief.
Afterward, Kyle stroked my fur several times and laid me on a soft towel.
His hands were so practiced, it made me wonder if he’d done this before.
I lay still, basking in the full-body massage.
A hamster’s life isn’t so bad after all.
“You look sleepy.”
Damn, he’s sharp.
I forced my drowsy eyes open.
I wanted to enjoy this lazy warmth just a little longer.
He kissed my belly before heading toward his bed.
Snuggled in the warm, white towel like a swaddled baby, I lay peacefully by his pillow.
‘Is this… heaven?’
As I rolled around on the soft sheets, he placed a running wheel beside me.
What the— What is this?
He must have thought I’d like it.
I stared blankly at Kyle, then at the wheel, then kicked it with my foot.
The pink Ferris wheel-like structure spun smoothly, almost as if it had been oiled.
…Weird. Maybe I’m just used to it, but somehow, it feels reassuring.
“I’ll be back soon, so stay put, Cashew Nut.”
He stroked me with his index finger before leaving the bedroom.
Considering the chaos earlier, he must have a lot to take care of.
‘Being the Northern Grand Duke isn’t easy.’
Technically, this is just overtime.
Still sprawled out on my towel, I suddenly had a realization.
This… This is my golden opportunity!
I immediately pulled up the system to check my progress.
[787/1000]
‘Just a little more.’
Two hundred more laps? I could do that while munching on almonds.
I quickly hopped onto the wheel and started running.
Rattle. Rattle. Rattlerattle.
Ah, this feels stable.
The bed must be some kind of high-tech stone bed because the wheel was firmly supported, making each spin smooth and satisfying.
Excited, I picked up the pace.
[864/1000]
…
[958/1000]
…
[990/1000]
And just as I had only ten laps left to go—
“Cashew Nut.”
The door opened, and Kyle walked into the room.
I immediately flung myself onto the sheet where the towel was laid out. Curling up into a tiny ball, I pretended to be a poor, fragile hamster who had just gone through a traumatic experience.
Thankfully, Kyle seemed content just confirming with his own eyes that I was safe.
The still-spinning wheel? He didn’t even notice it. Or rather, his eyes were too focused on me to pay attention to anything else.
Leaving a brief remark that he was going to wash up, he entered the bathroom.
I let out a deep sigh and turned to look at the still-spinning wheel.
‘It needs to stop before I can hop back on.’
I sat there, absentmindedly watching the wheel’s wild spinning slow to a halt.
Only after it completely stopped did I carefully climb back on.
[999/1000]
[1000/1000]
The moment I completed my thousandth lap, an odd fanfare sound played, and the system window gleamed brightly.
‘W-What the…?’
[You have acquired ‘Reload’!]
[Your Miracle Level has increased!]
[Current Miracle Level: 5.0%]
[Would you like to use ‘Reload’?]
‘Right now? Here? Can I even use it…?’
Hesitantly, I pressed [YES] with my tiny front paw.
The same radiant light bursting from the system window enveloped my body.
**Note: Cashew Nut means that his personality type is an introvert as opposed to an extrovert based on the MBTI system (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator).