The ride was relaxing, and I’m happy to say there were no roaches on the way to Shi Island. There wasn’t a whole lot of room for five people to sleep, so we took turns on which of us used the two beds.

At least, that was the intent.

What this really meant was that Keke and Cannoli fell into unawakenable comas while Ravyn ribbed me raw, so I escaped out onto the deck to talk with Portia for most of the ride.

Admittedly though, I caught more sleep than I thought I would once Ravyn was out cold. And when the morning came, we arrived on the island.

The sloop didn’t need to dock for me to realize what I was looking at. There, just a few dozen meters away, were catgirls. Not just catgirls, though. What I beheld was something many men would have committed murder over.

“Hey, Portia,” I said, turning my head toward her slightly but never taking my eyes off the island, “you said they were a bit of an odd bunch?”

“Yeah, keep your wits about ya,” Portia said.

That may be difficult.

The port was small, under half the size of the Port of Meow. The service, though… Oh, the service.

“Welcome to Shi Island.” A pair of catgirls dressed like French maids curtsied at the bottom of the ramp. “We hope you enjoy your stay!”

Amazing. I give this island a perfect ten.

I shimmied my way through from the back of the sloop and descended the ramp. Their eyes lit up, and mouths hung open as I drew closer. The maid on the left, a beautiful girl whose hair was short and deep blue in color, elbowed the other maid on the right. The wounded catgirl mumbled something back to the perpetrator with a look of irritation, sweeping her long, golden-blonde hair behind her.

“Hey there. My name’s Matt,” I said with a brief wave.

Both girls awkwardly shifted and fidgeted with their hands, but I was beginning to wonder if I’d get a peep out of them.

“Hello?” I repeated.

“Just say ‘Hi’ to him!” Ravyn snapped from behind me.

The girls wagged their tails, a visible hue of pink on their cheeks. “Uh, um,” the blue one started.

“Destiny, Lara, stop wasting time and see to it that our guests are taken care of!” boomed a voice from behind them. A brunette catgirl with her hair tied in twin braids was approaching at a brisk pace, her heels clicking against the stone. She stopped just before running into the two maids, then bowed at the waist, shooting a nasty glare in their direction. “Your nonsensical fantasies can wait another summer. They have just arrived, and I’m sure they are most exhausted from their venture. Have you bothered to find out where they hail from?”

“N-no, Madame Celestia,” the blue one replied.

Celestia shook her head. “A disgrace, Destiny. An absolute disgrace.”

The blonde catgirl, who I assumed was Lara, slowly began to exit. When her back was completely turned, Celestia grabbed her by the collar without bothering to look at her. “And where do you think you’re going, young lady?”

“Ah!” Lara squealed.

“Told you they’re weird,” I heard Portia whisper from behind me.

“That’s really not necessary,” I said, holding my hand up to reassure her. “I understand if they were caught off guard by my sudden appearance.”

Celestia adjusted the pince-nez glasses on the bridge of her nose and bore her sharp eyes—so dark, I swore they were black—into mine. It was unnerving, and a little voice inside of me said that this was not a woman whose bad side I’d ever want to see.

“Unacceptable,” Celestia said. “Your kindness is noted. However, I do not tolerate such timidity and hesitation in my cloister.”

Cloister? Is this a religion?

Celestia spun Lara around by her collar, staring daggers into the poor girl. “I had better not witness such a display of disrespect again. Man or not, you are expected to uphold your duties to the best of your ability. If you are unable, then you shall be replaced. Is that understood?”

“Y-yes, Madame Celestia.” Lara bowed her head. She was shaking in her boots, and frankly, I couldn’t blame her.

What a hardass.

“Very good.” Celestia drew back and passed looks between them. “The two of you are dismissed for an hour. Since you seem to have forgotten it, I expect both of you to practice our mantra while I take care of our guests.”

“Yes, Madame Celestia,” they said in unison.

I watched them as they walked away solemnly, and I couldn’t help but feel empathetic toward them. I’d worked under bosses like this before, and gee, she had the same crazed look in her eye as a Safeway manager on a short-staffed Saturday.

“My humblest apologies,” Celestia said once more, bowing. “This sort of reaction is abnormal.” She straightened and extended a hand out past the dock and toward the port town. “If you would allow me, I would show you to the inn and a number of our finest eateries.”

“T-thanks,” I said, tilting my head nervously.

As Celestia began her walk, Keke and Cannoli closed in and flanked me, each of them resting their hands on my arms.

“That…was a little weird,” Keke mumbled.

“Maybe we should leave,” Cannoli suggested in a whisper.

“Nah, we got a job to do,” I replied, shaking my head. “Don’t worry. You can depend on me. I’m betting the island is safe with girls like this here. At least they seem to take their jobs seriously.”

“A little too seriously,” Ravyn said with a raised brow.

After we switched back into [Civilian Mode] at the suggestion of Celestia, she took us on a tour around the town. Portia politely declined, saying she was more than happy to find her own food and sleep on the boat. Save for the catgirls in maid outfits, one of the most noticeable things about the island was how organized everything was.

The dirt roads had the same tufts of grass hanging over the borders from beginning to end, never breaking in pattern, all virtually identical in size. Hedge animals—or, Encroachers, I suppose—decorated lawns and gardens, and fresh arrangements of flowers sprouted from seemingly every corner of every building. Homes were built with gable arches and points, many of them having one, two, sometimes even three hexagonal structures attached to the building. It reminded me of the old Victorian homes I’d ridden my bike past when I was a little kid.

The entire city was exceptional. Shulan and the Port of Meow were spectacular in their own ways, but this was on a whole other level. Their architecture and grid-like layout of homes and businesses were close to the level of modern-day Earth.

“They must be loaded,” I murmured.

“I apologize, Master. By what do you mean by ‘loaded’?” Celestia asked as she continued to guide us through the roads and alleyways.

I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud. “Oh, I-I mean, like…ahem. I’m referring to this city looking very, uh, profitable.”

Nice word choice, dude.

Celestia pointed to an alley on her left and continued onward. “If you are referring to whether or not it costs a great deal of Bells to construct our neighborhoods, then no, you would be incorrect.”

“Just exhausting, bone-breaking work,” Ravyn said. I turned around to see Keke and Cannoli shooting her the same look of astonishment as I felt. “Eck, my feet ache just thinking about it.”

Celestia’s sharp gaze caught Ravyn, and for a moment, I thought she was going to go Terminator on her and pull out a shotgun from under her skirt. To my relief, her gaze lasted mere moments.

“From where do you hail?” Celestia asked.

“Oh. I’m from—” I began.

“My apologies, Master,” Celestia said in a rather strange monotone voice, “but I was referring to the one in red.”

“The one in red,” Ravyn mumbled, pushing her tongue against the inside of her cheek.

Keke gripped Ravyn by the elbow, casting her a glare. “What are you doing?” she whispered as low as she could.

Ravyn shook her arm away. “Name’s Ravyn. I’m from Shulan. As I’m sure you expected.”

“The third island,” mused Celestia.

“The very same.”

“Do the orphans still commit theft?” Her tone didn’t suggest the previous care or attention, just pure malice. “I have heard that is still quite the problem.”

I really don’t like where this is going.

“Wouldn’t know,” Ravyn lied easily and shrugged. “Left a long time ago.”

“I see.”

To not only my relief, I’m sure, Celestia arrived at our destination—a smaller home than the other elaborate Victorian estates. Smaller, but still ridiculously sized. The front and center were box-shaped, and flanking the sides were two hexagonal towers. A black wrought iron fence surrounded the entire building, and a pair of dragon-shaped hedges flanked the red-brick pathway.

There’s no way they aren’t loaded. How in the hell do they manage something like this?

“This is where you will be staying if you so choose,” Celestia said, presenting the estate with a half-bow.

“What does it cost?” I asked while reaching for my [Cat Pack].

She shook her hand, glancing over at Ravyn. “For you, Master, no cost. Naturally, that applies to your companions as well. Venicia is a hospitable town. We take care of our own, especially the men.”

“Um, thank you,” I said, putting away my [Cat Pack].

“What’s the catch?” Ravyn asked.

Oh my God. Can you not leave well enough alone?

Celestia didn’t hide her glare. But it quickly morphed into a smile. “Why, there is no ‘catch’ in the town of Venicia. We strive to provide great service to our men and their fortunate companions. ‘Service, Grace, Urgency.’” Celestia held up a single finger, reciting the words as if counting them to herself. “These are the three pillars that we practice and abide by each day.” Her smile widened. “I understand if it is a shock to someone from San Island. Their greed is reprehensible.”

I could practically hear the teeth grinding in Ravyn’s mouth, and before it could escalate, I raised a hand. “So, uh, where do we eat?”

“Inside. There is a veritable array of fruits and vegetables. Please help yourself and pay no mind to the speed of consumption. If you require further, then you need only ring one of the many serving bells.”

“Where do we find them?” asked Keke.

“A fine question,” Celestia said. Her tone grew more and more chipper with each question, as if she couldn’t wait to show off. “There is a serving bell in each room in the house, including the basement and attic. They are silver and rest upon wooden countertops where available.”

“Thank you, Celestia. I think we can take it from here.” I held out my hand, and Celestia waved her hand in refusal.

“Please. This is fine enough.” Celestia curtsied. “Thank you for visiting Shi Island and gracing this humble town of Venicia with your presence. We wish to serve you again soon.”

With that, Celestia left at a casual pace. I was sure she had other places to be, and maybe the hustle and bustle of retail and food industries had instilled that sense in me, but she was awfully slow-paced for an acting head maid. Manager? Madame?

“Well, why don’t we get inside and talk about what to do next?” Keke suggested.

“Alright, sounds good,” I said, nodding.

Just as Keke reached for the latch around the gate, she pulled back in a yelp. “Ow! What the heck?”

“Are you okay?” I asked, putting my hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, shaking her hand. “Just a weird shock.”

“Static electricity,” I said with a chuckle. Her cheeks turned pink, and I reached for the latch this time. Nothing happened. “Looks like an ordinary latch to me.” I flicked it back and beckoned the girls behind me. Cannoli was the last to enter, shutting the gate behind her.

The steps leading up to the home were made of varnished wood. Have to say, I was impressed. As I reached for the door, I noticed it was missing a lock. Especially if this was supposed to be a guest house. I thought this was a little strange since even Ni Island had locks on their doors, and everyone seemed to know everyone there.

Guess it’s just a super safe neighborhood?

I reached for the door handle, and this time it was my turn to be struck by the electricity. My hand jerked back involuntarily, and I whispered, “Ow!”

“Your turn!” Keke said with a laugh.

I laughed with her. That would’ve been fine if that had been all that happened, but the spot where my ear was pierced throbbed for a split second. I fingered the earring, and Ravyn shot me a suspicious look, clicking her tongue.

Feeling apprehensive, I went for the handle again and pushed the door open. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. We were met by wooden floors shined to perfection, white silk drapes, four-panel window panes, and a spiral staircase.

And then I spotted the catgirl to my right.

“Welcome home, Master!” she said brightly.

Well, this is going to make things a little awkward.