Chapter 26 On the eve of a turning point, an unexpected event occurs silently…

When Navilette arrived with the guards, it was all over.

He could only see the white-haired god, smiling and waving goodbye to his subjects, walking briskly away from the Mo Mang Palace.

"Furina, where are you going?"

"Go buy some cat treats for my colleague!"

"? Colleague... you mean Lord Cat God?"

Navelette was puzzled.

"Didn't you say you were going to change his name before?"

"What? Is that true?"

Funina winked her right eye at him:

"Naviette, don't make things up without evidence. You're ruining my relationship with Cat God, hmph~"

...She really is as fickle as ever.

Shaking his head helplessly, Villette chose to ignore the matter.

Ah, speaking of cat gods.

I haven't taught him that he can't eat seagulls.

"They must have already escaped."

Navilette's rational analysis:

"After all, there was illness, pain, capture, and obstruction; every time I spent with him was far from pleasant."

Therefore, being disliked and shunned is a perfectly normal behavior.

Rationally, he knew this, but emotionally he still felt somewhat disheartened, and Shuilong couldn't help but sigh softly:

"I still hope we can get along peacefully...!"

He suddenly saw a fluffy cat's head pop up on the bench outside the Mo Mang Palace as he sighed.

"Meow?"

The cat raised its short tail and shook it in confusion.

You've resolved everything, so why aren't you happy?

"You were... waiting for me? That's unexpected."

Surprised, Navelette stepped forward and tentatively reached out to the big cat.

"I thought you would be angry with me, after all, I have already forcibly arrested you three times against your will."

“.

The cat gently twitched its ears and nuzzled the other's hand with its head.

You meant no harm at all, so why should I be angry?

"Do you realize that I'm helping you?"

The Water Dragon King was very pleased and politely stroked the fur on the dragon's neck with his finger pointing downwards.

"I am glad. It seems that although humans have caused you a lot of harm, brought you many painful memories, and even left you with irreparable wounds, those torments have not changed your gentle nature."

"!?"

What does that mean?

His golden vertical pupils widened in terror, and Maine slowly bristled.

You know about my time at the Fireplace House?!

“I heard from the people that you were even willing to help children under Furina’s guidance, even though humans had hurt you so much… That’s amazing, not everyone can do that.”

Navelette continued with a sincere expression:

“Fontaine has comprehensive animal protection laws. If you encounter any difficulties next time, you can contact me for help.”

"......"

The fur on its back slowly relaxed, and the big cat quietly lay back down.

It startled me.

Please don't let my disgusting human form... tarnish my perfect cat image.

"What's wrong? You seem a little nervous..."

“.

It's all thanks to you!

Maine reached out and grabbed Villette's hand, roughly stuffing it into his fur collar.

"do what......!"

The Water Dragon King was startled and at a loss for words in the face of this sudden enthusiasm:

"I must remind you, Lord Cat God, today is different. I am certain that you have transcended the beastly class and evolved rudimentary intelligence. And for any intelligent being, sudden closeness is an extremely offensive act. You must remember this..."

Suddenly, a round, hard object appeared among the soft down. Shui Long carefully felt it:

"Mora?"

"Mimi".

Yes, I'll return your money. The surgery fees and such must have been quite expensive.

The cat bit the bottom of the bag and poured the money into the tap's hand.

Mainkuhn didn't spend a single penny of his first Mora.

This is only part of it; I will gradually pay it all back to you. Thank you for taking me to the doctor; you're such a kind person.

"......"

Navelette touched the coin and stared at it silently for a long time.

He never imagined he would receive a repayment from the beast.

It was a stray animal that couldn't even get enough to eat, had limited intelligence, and was covered in wounds.

...It must have taken a lot of effort to save up this little bit of money.

"Your Excellency Cat God."

After a long while, he quietly took off his gloves and touched Maine's back hair with his bare hand.

"You are such a good cat."

An unformed plan suddenly surfaced in the Water Dragon King's mind.

*

Having spent some time escaping from under the watchful eye of the Water Dragon King, the cat happily wandered from house to house in Fontainebleau looking for its brother.

Is it because I'm in a good mood? The symptoms when my demonic power goes out of control aren't severe.

For example, this time.

"Kid, if you cooperate and write 'Daddy, prepare another 50 million to save me' here, I won't kill you... Who's at the door?! Waaaaaah—"

After he lost consciousness, they simply stuffed part of the ransom into his brain through his eye sockets, and there was hardly any bleeding, which is great.

*

At the Rose Society's tavern and intelligence exchange, Clarinde is unpacking a new bag of cat food.

"This is much easier to care for than a dragon lizard... Come on, gentleman."

Hearing the call, the silver-gray cat with the bobbed tail jumped from the stool onto the bar and peered curiously at the granules in the bowl.

?

"Never seen it before? Cat food... Well, that makes sense, it's White after all."

The purple-haired girl reached out and gently pinched the cat's nape, pressing it against the edge of the bowl.

"It's good stuff, eat it."

The cat called "Gentleman" did not struggle. It carefully sniffed the new food in the bowl, following her force. After a long while, the sound of soft chewing could be heard in the tavern.

"How wonderful, sir! I envy you for having food delivered to your mouth without you having to do anything."

Navia propped her head up and watched from the side, casually adding some more water to the cat's bowl.

"Why can't what I want just come to me?"

“.

The cat remained silent, only focusing on eating.

"You didn't go to investigate the crime scene today?"

"You didn't go to Nina and the others to ask them questions either."

The two girls were speechless for a moment.

"Damn it, why won't the special patrol team agree to cooperate with the Rose Society in the investigation? Is it because Father isn't here?"

Navia angrily interrupted the cat's eating and furiously stroked its back with both hands—Clorind was glad that the gentleman didn't have the habit of guarding his food.

"When will we ever catch a lynx?!"

"......"

The cat suddenly shuddered seven or eight times under the girl's touch.

"Gentleman, how come you feel cold even with your thick fur?... Although the special patrol team was unwilling to provide any clues, I successfully extracted information from them and learned that the murder of that nobleman was also committed by a lynx! Did you know that the deceased was an earl!"

"What's the big deal?"

Clarind sighed and patted the cat's head.

"You don't know, there have been several murders recently. I've investigated each one, and they're all likely committed by lynxes..."

"Hiss—has he gone mad! If this continues..."

Mainkuhn stopped listening.

Honestly, he felt there was no need for humans to capture him.

It is true that my uncontrolled demonic power is terrifying.

But he never hurt a good person after leaving the fireplace house.

Small acts of misconduct cannot make me lose control, nor can small acts of malice, nor can the two conditions not occur simultaneously.

Therefore, those who died because of my uncontrolled demonic power must all be unforgivable villains.

Isn't it a good thing that the bad guy is dead?

'Once they find out that the dead were all bad guys, they probably won't arrest me anymore.'

The cat thought somewhat naively.

'Or is it that killing someone in Fontainebleau is unacceptable and will result in arrest and punishment?'

A vague legal awareness.

'Then why hasn't any human captured Kugavina?'

They parted ways in an instant.

The half-demon couldn't figure it out, so he could only put the matter aside for now and shift his attention to more important matters.

Ultimately, those are just rules that humans set for themselves.

Mainkuhn jumped off the table, raised his fluffy ears, and the lynx's fur twitched slightly.

"Squeak..."

"......"

Press down your forelimbs, gently twist your hips, and launch!

"Smack!!"

"squeak--!"

What do human rules have to do with a beast like me?

"Well done, gentleman!"

The bartender picked up a stick and used it to pick out the mouse whose spine had been broken by the cat from the corner.

"Young lady, the cat you brought back is truly wonderful! In just a few days, all the rats in my tavern have disappeared—"

"Really? That's amazing?"

Despite her young age, Navia beamed with joy at the slightest compliment.

"Come, sir, let me give you a proper compliment."

The little girl reached out and pinched the cat's cheeks, shaking them affectionately: "What reward do you want, little hero of the Rose Society?"

"Mmm~"

The cat raised its paw, wanting to play with her.

"Gentleman is indeed a good cat."

Clarin quickly pulled out a handkerchief, dipped it in water, and wiped the paw of the mouse she had just killed.

"And unlike other cats in Grey River, they don't have the habit of playing with or eating mice."

She stroked the cat's large head, a slight smile appearing on her face.

"Clean, so you can use it with peace of mind."

“.

They were praised, loved, and provided with food and gentle caresses.

These are things that cannot be experienced in human form.

"Gurgle."

The half-demon squinted and gently rubbed the girl's hand.

I want to be a cat forever.

*

[Stop all transactions for now! Tell the brothers to find somewhere to hide! There's a guy in the underworld codenamed Lynx who killed several of our members...]

[Boss, why is he specifically targeting us? Could it be an assassin sent by the rival team?]

[Impossible, he's just a complete madman! Because all our competitors are dead!]

[...Could it be that he's an undercover agent for the law enforcement?]

[I'll retire from this business once I finish this batch.]

He died in his last deal.

Assassin? Madman?

Neither.

The boy had terrifying hooks on his slender fingers, which he used to carve the names of assassins on the stone walls.

I am the retribution for your evil deeds.

I am the echo of your desires.

"......"

They killed themselves.

I still couldn't find my brother. Fontaine is too big. I'm so sad.

*

Cha-cha-cha.

The cat scratched at the window glass with its paws, alternating between them.

“.

"Xiao En~ You've come to keep me company again—"

Little Femini immediately and skillfully opened the window, smiling as she let the large, silver-gray cat into the house.

The way the cat was called "Mr. Enmao" became "Enmao" and then "Little Enmao," making the nickname more intimate and natural.

But no matter how the child calls out, the silver-gray beast responds with a soft growl.

"Mmm~"

"Hey." Little Femini quickly stuffed what she was holding into the cat's mouth.

...?

The cat instinctively shook its head, as if it wanted to vomit.

"Don't throw up!"

With tiny hands pinching the cat's mouth shut, Fimini nervously tried to stop her:

"Do you know what this is? You definitely don't know, it's a real treat, I haven't had it in ages!"

"?"

What is it?

Mainkuhn used his barbs to scrape the surface of the hard object, then curled his thin tongue and smacked it vigorously.

It has a slightly acidic and salty taste, and a poor-quality texture.

You can't taste it.

"It's candy!"

Little Femini couldn't wait to reveal the answer.

"Is it delicious or not? I knew you'd never tried it!"

He pursed the cat's mouth while swallowing hard.

"Sweet things are the best!"

"!"

O God of Wisdom! You foolish child.

With his mouth pressed down, Mainkun could only helplessly glare at him with his golden vertical pupils.

Cats have a natural deficiency in their sense of taste; I can't taste sweetness!

Little Femini knew nothing, but when she saw the cat swallow the candy, she happily hugged him, feeling even happier than if she had tasted the sweetness herself.

"Does Xiao En like it? If you do, I'll save it for you next time... but that might be a long, long time from now."

My mother has been feeling down lately, probably because we're out of money again.

But it's okay, now we can fill our stomachs even if we don't have money!

"The poultry you brought last time, Mom roasted it over a fire, it was delicious! Mom specially saved some for you, I'll go get it..."

This is all thanks to Xiao En!

Thump—thump—thump—

The unexpected knocking sounded at that moment.

*

"Mom's back?"

Little Femini released the cat in confusion and walked towards the door.

Did I forget my keys today?

He raised his hand to grasp the doorknob.

"!"

The cat, quick-witted and sharp-tongued, bit the hem of his shirt.

"Waaah—"

"Ah... Xiao En?"

The child's body suddenly felt heavy, and when he turned around, he saw the large cat's nose and forehead muscles contorting fiercely, constantly emitting low, warning growls.

"Waaah!"

Little one! Look at the light outside!

It's not even completely dark yet, how could your mom possibly bear to stop what she's doing and go home?

"Outside, isn't...Mom?"

Yes, Mom has been very anxious lately, and she doesn't come home until late at night after working.

But who else would come here besides Mom?

Thump thump thump!

"Amélie! Open the door for me!"

...! What a fierce voice! And it even knows its mother's name...

Could it be—a debt collector?

Unpleasant memories immediately attacked the child's brain.

A silent boy with a bloody nose, a fierce-looking woman, and a man with greedy eyes.

Burning cheeks, and a mother's humble voice, trembling hands.

"......"

The child didn't cry or fuss, but his face suddenly turned pale.

"?"

The scent of fear made the half-demon look worried.

Are you alright?

He stretched out his big paw to pat Fimini's back.

"!!!"

As if only then realizing that she wasn't alone, Little Femini, her face pale, ducked down and burrowed directly under the cat's belly, following the raised front paw!

"...?"

Although the half-demon cat form was large, it wasn't large enough to hide a four- or five-year-old child. Staggering a few steps, Maine struggled to hook her claws onto the floor, twisting her neck to search for the child's head under her body.

What's wrong with this child?

"Open the door! Open the door now!"

The smell and sound outside the door are just from an ordinary male human, what are you afraid of?

With a sweet, thin tongue, Mainkun tried to coax the child out of his arms as he stroked the child's forehead.

"Meow?"

If you're scared, just wait here for a bit. I'll go and give him two tangerines to eat, and I guarantee he won't dare come back.

"No, don't go, Xiao En—"

The mere raising of its claws intensified the aura of fear.

“.

Okay, you fragile little thing.

The big cat yawned expressionlessly, relaxed its four paws, and gently pressed its soft belly against the child.

Thump thump thump—

"Damn woman, where is she—Amélie! Amélie!"

The knocking was so loud and clear that it made the sensitive child extremely uncomfortable.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

A deep, rhythmic snore came from above at just the right time.

Like a mother's heartbeat, and a lullaby in a dream.

Fimini nestled warmly under the big cat for a while, gradually forgetting her fear, and fell asleep.

*

"ha--!"

"!!"

What woke Fimini was the sound of his intense panting.

"Oh dear, oh dear, that's really fierce."

The strange man was frantically withdrawing his hand from in front of Fimini:

"Amélie, haha, you still love cats so much."

He tried to act familiar.

"You say you don't plan to pay off your debts? Then why did you come back?!"

Fimini's mother completely ignored him and scolded him with a grim expression:

"You gambling addict, don't even think about messing with Xiao En!"

"Of course, of course, how could I possibly harm my own son?"

"??"

Fimini looked up at him blankly, wondering if there was something wrong with her hearing.

Otherwise, how could this guy's conversation with his mother be so absurd?

"Don't worry, I'll just stay home for a few days, and I'll leave once things calm down."

Although the man kept chuckling, his smile made Fimini uncomfortable.

He bowed his head and finally greeted the child for the first time.

"Hey little thing, what's your name again, Fion? Why aren't you opening the door for me, huh?"

"......"

Mom, who is he?

Seeing the child's helpless gaze, Amélie reluctantly spoke.

"I'm sorry, baby."

"By blood, he is your father."

"......!?"

*

Fimini had never met her father and did not like him.

He knew from a very young age that his mother's life was so miserable because this man went out to gamble, owed a lot of money to many people, and then selfishly ran away.

"So your name is Fimini... Kid, you're so rude, you still won't call me Dad!"

So, how did this man dare to come up to us so openly?!

"Go ahead and call out, why aren't you calling out?"

The man casually tried to play with the child a few times, but received no response, which made him somewhat dissatisfied.

He lightly accused Fimini, who was staring wide-eyed.

“Amélie, you’ve spoiled this kid. You’ve raised him to be a waste.”

"!?!"

What are you saying?!

The child stared wide-eyed at the unfamiliar man before him, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

For the first time in my life, an indescribable anger erupted from my small chest.

How can a husband, after being away from home for years, only criticize his wife when he opens his mouth?

How can a father, after being away from home for years, start by belittling his son?

We suffer for your gambling debts and are held accountable for your crimes.

I don't ask for any thanks, and I don't even want to see your face again, but... but—

How could you say something bad about Mom?!

"Get out."

"?" The man's nonchalant expression froze, and he looked down at the small, thin child in front of him with disbelief.

"Little thing, are you talking about me?"

"Get out! Don't you dare bully Mom!"

Even innocent blue eyes can shoot out a glint of anger.

Even a child's innocent voice can express resistance to being driven away.

"I don't know you, you're not my father! Get out!"

"Hey—how dare you talk like that?"

Fimini saw the man's expression change swiftly from disdain to embarrassment and anger, his powerful adult hand spread wide, raised like a steel plate.

"Fimini!!"

"!"

Amidst her mother's scream, Xiao En jumped high into the air.

*Pfft*

Four canine teeth tore through flesh, and human blood stained the cat's beautiful white velvet mouth red.

"......!"

For the first time, Fimini realized that cats could bite.

"Aaaaaahhhhh—what is this thing?!"

-----------------------

Author's Note: I'm not sure about tomorrow's update time either. I'll post it as soon as I finish writing...

After these two chapters, Mainkun's human form will appear more frequently, but his cat form will still dominate.

The Iron Resurrection storyline is over, haha, I've become a fan of dead characters again [crying face]

My next book will definitely be Onphalos, and I want to write about the Golden Clan.

But I haven't decided on the specifics yet; I'll have to wait for the plot to unfold...