Chapter 36 Why did it perish? The gentlest and most sorrowful beast...

How can there be such wonderful people in this world?

"Are you willing, Lord Cat God?"

Navelette stared at the feline's expressionless face, unsure whether the other had understood her.

"Since you can't write, all you need to do is leave your paw print here, and our contract will be established."

Taking out the inkpad, Villette tentatively reached for the cat's front paw—the same paw that had just been pressing against his neck.

No, no, no, that's not right! You idiot, do you know what I just did—

Mainkuhn retreated rapidly, frantically backing away while scraping his limbs against the desk:

I was just thinking about all the bad things I wanted to do to you!

The cat retreated too quickly, and its furry rear end knocked over the typewriter on the table.

"Thump—"

"!ha--"

"Lord Vilette, what's that sound?!"

Melusine Sedna knocked on the office door warily:

"Did someone throw a rock at the window? I heard a really loud bang!"

"No, it was just a frightened cat."

Navelette immediately picked up the item and casually patted the round cat's head, which was turned away from its ear:

"If you and I sign a contract, you will not be liable for similar equipment losses."

"Hey, isn't that the Cat God? How did it get in?"

Melusin was very puzzled as she looked at the silver tabby cat lying guilty on the table.

"It looks even bigger up close..."

"Hmph! Luckily it's just a cat, not some terrifying 'lynx'!"

The man behind Meiluxin strode forward and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Lynx?

Maine twitched the clever hairs on her ears.

"Lynx?"

The familiar words made Navigette frown:

"May I ask who you are?"

“Lady Navelette, this is a reporter from the Fontaine Daily News, the gentleman who made an appointment to meet you two months ago!” Meloshen reminded him.

"My lord, you really have a short memory. I just hope that those innocent lives won't be forgotten by you either!"

"Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean."

Villette's face remained calm, and no one could discern the slight bewilderment beneath.

"My memory isn't exceptional, but it's above average... If it's a life that I need to remember, I will try my best to remember it, regardless of whether the person is innocent or not."

"You, you—"

The reporter swallowed the words, "What are you pretending to be stupid for?"

Stay calm and polite! The person opposite you is the highest judge, not some ordinary citizen who can be manipulated with words!

"Lady Navelette!"

He adopted a sincere and earnest demeanor and began to get to the point he had in mind:

"When will you finally allow us to expose the sins and horrors of the lynx? I believe that the children of the God of Justice are willing to lend a helping hand and capture this cold-blooded little killer!"

"!?"

The reporter didn't notice that the cat on the judge's table started wagging its short tail, looking both confused and anxious.

The impassioned speeches on the shore never caused a ripple in the sea.

"Sir, I have already explained to your organization that the information about the lynx is not yet complete, and we can only provide a broad description and profile. Publishing it rashly will only cause a lot of harm to the youth in Fontaine."

The Water Dragon King remained calm and rational.

"So what if it was an accidental injury? Please allow us to publish this in the newspaper!" the reporter declared passionately.

"To save more innocent lives, I believe the youth of Fontainebleau are willing to make sacrifices!"

"......?"

Even though everyone was dressed in suits, the half-demon could smell the stench of greed in the room.

I will reiterate to you once again—

Naviette's tone became stern:

“Juvenile offenders are protected by law. Even if it comes to the point of being publicly wanted, the law enforcement court will never release the information to private newspapers!”

The newspaper in Fontainebleau.

It wasn't that Navelette was prejudiced, but most of them were too flamboyant, almost always resorting to any means to pursue drama... Navelette once suspected that they were influenced by Furnessa.

But although Furnessa was unrestrained, she never tried to break the law. Couldn't her people learn from her other virtues, aside from her flamboyant behavior?

"Please leave."

Navelette bid farewell with a cool but polite tone.

"Thank you for your concern and support for justice, but we have official bulletin boards, sir."

"You, you—"

Reporters who fail to achieve their goals exude an aura of anger and hatred.

"Navilette, just you wait!"

"That ferocious beast will shake your scales of fairness sooner or later!"

A most vicious curse.

The highest judge, presented to them by the people of Fontaine.

"......?"

The cat was a little confused.

The half-demon possessed limited wisdom and common sense, lacking knowledge of many things. He did not understand the pursuit of breaking news by journalists, nor did he know about legal protection for minors.

All he knew was—

Lynx, that is, me, have I caused Vilette trouble again?

"ah......"

The cat heard Melusine Sedna's worried voice.

"Are you sure it's alright, sir?"

"What's wrong."

"Although the investigation suggests there's a possibility that the lynx doesn't kill innocent people, but—"

Thinking of the various corpses listed in the Shadow Court documents, Sedna looked at Vilette with worry:

"Count Sze, crushed to death; the ghost of Les, poisoned to death; the human trafficker whose face was smashed by Mora; the kidnapper whose brain was filled with money... So brutal! None of them died easily!"

"Besides, no one can guarantee that he will only kill bad people. Lord Vilette, the public's curiosity about lynxes is growing stronger. Shouldn't we temporarily abandon the protection of juvenile offenders and directly show all the intelligence we have to the public?"

"......"

Navelette recalled Amélie's defense of the lynx in court.

[My husband fled home out of fear of lynxes, but without him, my children and I would likely have been sold!]

I don't blame him.

Navelette recalled the Court of Shadows' investigation report on the victims:

[So annoying! Why can't humans have Melusin's vision? The victim clearly isn't a good person! Why bother searching for evidence?]

And the profile that was examined many times.

[The victim was emaciated and mentally unstable... Every part of the body bore the marks of murder, yet the victim showed extreme affection for the survivors, to the point that no one was willing to tell the guards what the killer, a lynx, looked like, suggesting possible schizophrenia.]

There are also many wicked people whose stories are written in newspapers and who are cursed by thousands.

[You deserve to die! Your parents deserve to die, and your children deserve to die!]

Then Mainkuhn saw Navelette bend down and patiently comfort Melousin:

"The situation is not serious enough to warrant breaking the law and ruining a teenager's life."

"Don't be afraid, we will catch him as soon as possible."

"Lady Villette, I am not afraid, I am just worried about you."

The creatures of the abyss are never afraid of blood and slaughter; Melusin simply looked at her beloved Water Dragon King with her unique eyes, filled with worry.

"If lynxes only ever kill bad people, using extreme violence to efficiently punish evildoers, then..."

"His existence will certainly break the established framework of Fontaine's 'justice' and shake the foundation of the rule of law, which means you, Lord Vilette."

The Supreme Judge, a symbol of traditional justice in Fontainebleau!

Look! People in the streets of Grey River are already singing the name of the beast, the lynx. Its black claws have torn your hem, and it is about to steal your place in the hearts of the people!

"Don't worry, it won't come to that."

But the Water Dragon King turned around without paying much attention and went to greet the short-tailed big cat who had been silent for who knows how long.

"Lord Cat God, have you considered the matter of the contract...?"

"Meow—"

The cat looked at him with teary eyes, and Violet, through the slight water element, felt a strong sense of... self-reproach and shame?

Why is that?

"Meow—"

Another strange meow rang out. The golden vertical pupils stared at the dragon for a few moments, then immediately turned around, smashed open the window, and ran away!

Whoosh!

"Wait, wait a minute."

Raindrops on the street were splashed by the silver-gray cat's shadow, refracting waves of seven colors.

"Even if you disagree, there's no need to react so strongly."

Navelette peered out the window, staring blankly at Maine's departing figure, muttering to herself.

"Even harder to understand than Fryna..."

*

Waaaaah, I deserve to die—

The silver tabby Maine sped through Fontainebleau, its paw pads and delicate ears radiating an unimaginable heat.

Stick out your tongue and let the cold wind take away the fiery temperature inside your body—no, that's not enough!

"Thump!"

The cat jumped into the room through the window, and upon landing, it instantly transformed into a naked boy, tumbling into the bathtub.

"who!"

Fimi, who was left at home, was startled and asked tentatively.

"Big brother, is that you?"

"......Um."

He gave a muffled reply and turned on the shower.

Wow.

Cool water poured down from above can be considered artificial autumn rain.

"Big brother, do you need to take a bath? I'll go get you some clothes!"

"……good."

The half-demon splashed water on his flushed face.

hateful!

I only knew that the crimes I committed when I lost control might cause panic among humans, but I didn't know they would bring so much trouble to Vilette!

"Smack!"

A slap landed on his burning face, as if as a form of self-punishment.

Mainkun, you damn monster! You idiot! You beast!

You've caused him so much trouble, and you even tried to knock him unconscious, hurting such a kind and good person!

Slumped dejectedly at the bottom of the bathtub, the boy pressed his burning chest into the rising waterline.

Who healed you? Who cared for your body? Who tried to teach you again and again, with the sole purpose of—

Only by respecting and understanding human rules can one live happier and longer in a human city.

[Your Majesty, I wish you happiness.]

"Ugh—" I'm such a beast...

He stuffed his long, sharp fingernails into his mouth and rubbed them against his fangs repeatedly, anxiously trying to bite off all the parts of these monsters at once.

Unconditional love, care, and help—these emotions, more precious than gold, were gifts that Violet bestowed upon a harmless and kind cat.

But this creature has never existed.

The cold water in the bathtub rose little by little, overflowing the boy's mouth, nose, back, and buttocks until he was completely submerged.

Glug...

The half-demon opened his eternally cold golden vertical pupils underwater, tears streaming down his face in sorrow.

Navelette, I'm sorry, there have never been any harmless, kind cats here.

Only a half-demon with a bloodstained hand, who slaughtered countless of your kind, is deceiving you.

"......"

I really want to die.

He expressionlessly put his sharp fingernails into his mouth and began to gnaw on them.

Water was gurgling down my throat.

Mainkuhn, you are utterly useless.

As the water level rose higher and higher, the gray-white-haired boy showed no desire to struggle.

You lost your brother when you were young, harmed and killed the family in the fireplace during your childhood, and were even more shameful in your adolescence, where you could only cover your terrifying true nature with a cat skin, letting your demonic power run rampant within you, and you were always powerless to control it.

No one deserves to die more than you.

Glug...

The heat has subsided, but a terrifying chill pervades the entire body.

Mainkuhn closed his eyes, a desire to fall asleep rising within him.

'！！'

But the vibrations came from the porcelain wall, making it difficult for Maine to fall asleep.

'...kindness...! '

"thump!"

The blond, short, thin child jumped into the bathtub.

Just as Maine jumped into the sea months ago, he jumped into the water today in the same way.

"Waaaaah!"

Little Femini held his breath, stretched out his short arms, grabbed the hairy ears at the bottom of the water, and kicked his legs to pull himself up.

"Hoo-ha—Brother En, you can't sleep while taking a bath!"

"......!"

The cat looked at the soaking wet child and suddenly came back to life.