Wanted: Purrfect Cat Guy 40 Follow The Ra

'Interesting. Could there be some kind of portal in this world where you can travel to the past and the future? Like a time machine?'

Mina couldn't wait to hear more as Tarou continued to wrack his brains for more memories that could be useful.

"Yes, it was a rat. I saw it disappear somewhere. When I saw a human, I slipped into the same hiding place. Let me tell you Boss, that place was a huge maze. It felt like forever before I could find the way out."

'Did Tarou truly enter the time machine or is this mouse trying to deceive me?'

Judging from Tarou's expressions however, it seems like he was as invested in figuring out what happened as she is. Taking some time to digest the new information, Mina finally had an idea.

"Do you remember exactly where that place is?" she asked. If Tarou entered the hiding place and traveled 10 years into the future, it should be the time machine they are looking for right?

Tarou started gnawing on one of his paws before letting out a hesitant squeak.

"Boss, that place is miles away from the capital. It's closer to the forest where we met."

The forest? It took them more than one day to travel from the forest to the capital.

"Unless," Tarou beamed, "we get a ride to my old village."

'Why didn't I think about a time machine when I first arrived?' Mina thought while observing Tarou.

'If I was transported here, it makes sense that I was revived in a location closest to the time machine if it did exist.'

On second thought, Mina realized that when she arrived, her first priority was to get acquainted with her new body and environment. She really had no plans on returning back to her time.

Being human again had its benefits but there's a little voice telling her that life in this world was better.

'What would I do if I go back?'

Her life wasn't that glamorous. She escaped a fate worse than death, it was a pathetic life unless...

She smiled when a brilliant idea hit her.

'If I return five years before my time, I could change my life and undo everything.'

Mina could imagine how things would turn out so much better if she could change things back. After thinking of all the possibilities, she was dragged back to reality. Her actions could have serious consequences and she wasn't even sure if Tarou was genuinely from the past.

'How would I even manage to control where I go? What if I travel to the ice age? Or the age of dinosaurs?'

The thought of making a wrong turn and ending up in a worse situation made her shudder.

'I'll be fossilized. Displayed in some museum! Researchers will show my remains as Exhibit A, human remains found inside a dinosaur's stomach or something.'

Mina's mind was swimming with all the possibilities that her head started to hurt.

'How will I know if time travel works? And how it works?'

"Boss! Boss!"

The sound Tarou made caught her attention and brought a potential solution to her problem.

'Tarou could try it out first, right?' With a sinister smile on her face, Mina asked Tarou a serious question.

"What would you do if you can travel back to the past?"

Tarou answered almost instantly.

"Bring back wifey to the present, of course. You wouldn't want to be in that time Boss. It was too chaotic!" the grey mouse exclaimed. "Me and Wifey! We will harvest grains together and eat together in my new home," the mouse continued.

'Well, Mina, it wouldn't be too unethical if you let Tarou in first right?' she thought to herself while listening to her little friend's reply. 'This grey mouse can try out the portal first to grab his family back. If he succeeds you can try it for yourself.'

Still reluctant, another unbidden thought crossed her mind.

'He wants to do it anyway.'

At this, Mina looked at Tarou who was giddy with excitement.

"Boss, do you also think there's a way to return back to my time and bring back my family?"

Although Mina had doubts if there is a portal and if it works the way they want it to, she didn't have the heart to dashTarou's hopes. It would be too cruel.

"I not certain" came Mina's noncommittal reply. 'We have to test this theory. We could try to see if the portal is still in the same place or if it works. That would be the logical thing to do," she added in her mind but she blurted out an entirely different thing.

"How do we get back to your village from here?"

Without missing a beat, Tarou replied with confidence.

"The same way we left. By horseback." Tarou squeaked the words out as if he was talking to a one-celled organism and Mina couldn't help but admire him. This mouse has been getting bolder and bolder.

"What do you suggest?"

"Let's ask one of the horses to join our cause."

"And which horse do you have in mind?"

Tarou actually had no idea and he blurted out the first thing he thought of.

"Nightmare"

"Would he know the way?" Mina asked without thinking.

'Am I seriously considering this?'

"Boss. He's a horse. He's a dumb horse if he doesn't remember the way. It's like a mouse not knowing how to find the way home."

'How would horses be related to mice?' she wondered but stopped herself from asking Tarou. The little mouse seems to be in a mood to show off his intelligence and superiority today.'

'If he only knew.'

"How would we get Nightmare to agree with this plan?" Mina asked, still unconvinced of Tarou's methods.

"Boss, that's where you come in. You are the Boss! Of course, that part will be up to you." Tarou looked at her with his eyes glittering as if he believed she could make anything possible.

'This mouse deceived her again!' Mina could feel her ears flatten on her head and her slight annoyance showed when she rephrased Tarou's suggestion.

"So we are going to steal a horse."

"Borrow. We need to get back here so we need a horse to get back from the village to this Manor," Tarou corrected while waving his paws and Mina felt the urge to shoot him down again so she retorted right away.

"So, Tarou, you want us to do this with only me, you, and a horse?"

While Tarou nodded happily, Mina could feel a migraine coming on. Tarou's suggestion was straightforward. They only needed to go back to the village and check if it's possible to bring someone back from the past. Unfortunately, accomplis.h.i.+ng this task with just her and Tarou would be difficult even with Nightmare's help.

Just then, she heard incoming footsteps and saw the general and Barca coming their way. Tarou was still looking at her expectantly while she stared at the more imposing figure between the two.

'This, this human. If he could only understand her, he would be useful at this very moment,' she thought. Looking at the general, she was reminded of how he ignored her early this morning. He didn't even offer her anything to eat. Unlike Tarou who was waving at Barca, she couldn't help but hiss at the general when he pa.s.sed by.

"Hey, human! How dare you leave me hungry! Useless, useless human."

As her angry meows continued, the man looked at Barca who nodded in understanding. Mina couldn't decipher the meaning behind their silent communication but before she could obsess what it was about, the general's strong voice issued a command directed towards her.

"Try to stay out of sight. People here are not very fond of your kind."

The man continued walking away after the reminder but Mina couldn't help but stare at the direction where he left. Every time she finds a reason to hate the man, he finds a way to prove that he has a heart.