Chapter 20 A funeral, a place where good and evil, love and hate coexist...
When Mainkun was fully conscious, he was in a cage at the veterinary hospital.
“.
The cat raised its whiskers and measured the distance between the iron bars.
Indeed, it can firmly hold any weak animal.
...except for me.
"How is it? Little, cough, big guy."
When the veterinarian saw that he was awake, he came over to observe his mental state.
"Even the largest cat cage couldn't fit you, so I got a new medium-sized dog cage. How does it feel?"
Not good.
The Maine Coon with its severed tail coiled up, looking up at him like a tiger.
The corners weren't cleaned properly, and the smell of disinfectant and dog odor were mixed together.
Unlike in human form, the current Mainkun can look humans in the eye peacefully with its vertical pupils, and its cat ears, connected to lynx fur, stand upright on its head, completely different from the drooping ears in human form.
"What a powerful fellow."
The veterinarian observed for a while, nodded in relief, and then turned to instruct the children who were watching the commotion.
"Son, come to this room to do your homework, and keep an eye on your medicine while you're at it. Call me when you're done with the IV drip."
"Okay!"
An IV drip? Oh right, I'm sick. I threw up all over the place and even got that white-haired man's clothes dirty.
Maine looked at his forelegs; a ring of silver-gray down had been shaved off, and needles and IV tubes were inserted into the bare skin.
......
So why help me, the human named Navelette?
As far as I am concerned, I am not related to you, nor am I even your pet.
Logically speaking, I can't offer you anything in return, and someone as elegantly dressed as you probably wouldn't even look at a bloody prey.
"Cat God, are you hungry? I'll open a jar of minced meat for you when you're better..."
The little boy hadn't done his homework at all; he was squatting in front of the cage, peeking at him curiously.
It's probably human children's nature to talk to animals. Mainkuhn ignored him and just turned his ears, searching for the sounds he remembered.
So, where have you been, Na Villette?
"Why don't I give you canned food now? Because you injured your stomach, had surgery, and have to fast and abstain from water for two days!"
The child was incredibly bold, sticking his fingers into the gaps in the cage and trying to tug at the extra-long tuft of hair on Maine's ear.
"Daddy promised Mr. Navelette that he can go to work without worry, and we'll take good care of you! You have to try your best to get better too~"
"!"
Mainkun stared intently at him with his golden eyes.
Navilette is not here.
The handsome man who seemed pampered but was actually incredibly strong was not there.
"!"
Without hesitation, the cat immediately lowered its head, extended its sharp teeth, and gently picked at the medical tape on its forearm.
"Stop chewing! Dad wrapped the IV catheter so many times, it can't be pulled out... Oh my god! Dad!"
"No swearing!"
His father called out from afar, "Go do your homework!"
"No—Dad, the cat can remove the bandages!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" the veterinarian said dismissively. "Why don't you say it will pull out the needle?"
"Holy crap! Dad! He's really good at pulling out needles!"
"I told you not to swear!"
"Why don't you go see a doctor?" a customer who brought his pet to the vet suggested. "What if it's true?"
"impossible."
The veterinarian waved his hand, and Kuku frantically wrote in the medical record: "In all my years, I've never seen a cat that can remove tape and pull out needles by itself. Cats are not as good as dogs; they are both very stupid and dumb."
"Dad! The cat can pick locks!"
"This is getting more and more outrageous. Even pet dogs can't open that lock, except for a few sheepdogs..."
"Smack."
The sound of a heavy window opening and closing suddenly came from next door.
"?" I remember my son couldn't open that window.
The veterinarian finally realized something was wrong.
"Dad!" his son wailed, "The cat opened the window and ran away!"
"??"
When the man arrived at the scene, he only saw an empty cage and his terrified son.
"???" It really ran away on its own?
He quickly bent down to check the remaining items in the room.
The removed fastening straps are mostly intact, with no obvious signs of tearing.
Needle tip: Silvery and straight, without the common bending caused by struggling.
Lock: No claw marks, opens easily on the first try.
Son: "Dad! The Cat Goddess of Mo Mang Palace is so smart, no wonder she's the one I approve of!"
He looked excited and very happy.
"......"
Based on the above clues, the veterinarian came to a reasonable conclusion.
"My son," he said earnestly, patting the child's shoulder and sighing.
"Even if you like the cat goddess of Mo Mang Palace very much, you can't let it get away. The injections aren't finished yet."
"Dad, he really ran away by himself!"
"Okay, Dad believes you."
The veterinarian sneered:
"Dad believes that a cat can complete the four steps of removing the fastener, pulling out the pin, unlocking the door, and prying open the window in one minute. Haha, the cat god is too amazing."
"...He really ran away by himself, sob sob sob—"
*
I'm sorry, I'll try to explain when I have the chance, but it's really not possible right now...
Mainkun heard the children arguing from afar, drooped his ears and apologized inwardly, but his four paws were spread wide, and he didn't stop running for a moment.
That human named Navelette is too powerful. If he hadn't harbored any ill will towards me, I wouldn't have been able to win at all without the aid of demonic power.
I don't mean to fight him... Violet is a good person, he's been keeping me at the veterinary hospital for treatment, but the problem lies there.
No, no, it's not because I'm afraid the veterinary hospital will remove two round organs... okay, a little, but there's a more important reason.
Slowing its pace, the cat hugged the corner of the wall and darted into the elevator, descending from the bustling Fontainebleau to the gloomy Grey River.
The paw pads silently pressed against the damp, cold ground, and the silver-gray shadow swept across the familiar streets, reaching the dilapidated houses.
White lay peacefully in bed, fast asleep with a pink urn in his arms.
well.
The big cat jumped onto the bed, its paws pawing at the rough mattress, and circled the corpse twice to examine it.
If I'm getting treatment at a veterinary hospital, who's going to collect my body?
The autumn temperature was low, and White hadn't had time to rot and smell.
But we can't just leave it like that.
Mainkun, having just regained consciousness after surgery, was running and jumping around, which was a bit too much for him, so he simply lay down and curled up next to White's head to think:
I, a wild beast, don't care how I'm treated after I die, but humans seem to care about being buried in the ground after death.
Find a place to dig a hole? It's not difficult, you don't need to become human to do it... but it seems like you have to hold a ceremony called a "funeral"? Troublesome.
Mainkuhn had seen plenty of corpses, but he had never actually seen a funeral.
The Fireplace House is a frugal family that doesn't waste a single thing their children eat.
That's strange.
The cat yawned.
Some bodies are dismantled and studied like objects, while others are laid to rest and treasured amidst the cries of loved ones...
And you, White.
A distorted sneer came from the silver-gray fur ball, like the cry of a baby.
Poor fellow, apart from a foolish beast, none of your kind cares about your departure.
Thump, thump, thump.
At that moment, the clear, youthful voice of a girl, not yet fully developed, rang out from outside the door.
"Mr. White, please open the door."
A teenage girl named Clarinde, holding a gun in one hand and knocking on the door with the other, calls out to the dead.
"I'm not here to take your Les. There's just been a serious crime in the neighborhood. Based on my assessment, the perpetrator might pose a threat to your life. Please open the door quickly."
The room was completely silent, with only the cat standing beside the corpse, looking up in confusion.
A serious crime? Where?
"Mr. White?"
Has something already happened?
No one answered the door, and Clarinde grew impatient. Her training as a Shadowhunter led her to take drastic measures:
"I'm coming in—"
With a thud, the door opened, and the purple-haired girl immediately spotted White.
How can someone sleep so soundly? — No, that's not right.
"The serial killer has already come?"
The future duel agent stepped forward with a calm expression, reaching White's corpse in two steps, his sharp gaze sweeping over his entire body in a rapid motion.
There was no blood written inside the house, the body was intact with no external injuries, completely different from the previous two murder scenes of [Lynx]—wait, that expression!
When her gaze fell on White's face, Clarinde froze on the spot.
Sunken eyes, high cheekbones—it was the familiar gaunt face, but...
With relaxed brows and a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, White wore a serenity that was completely unfamiliar to Clarinde.
Such a peaceful death has never been seen among those addicted to lex.
...No, they would hardly have been this peaceful even when they were alive.
"......ah."
Little Clorind opened her mouth, but remained silent for a moment, staring at White's corpse.
It seems his death was unrelated to that serial murder case.
......
"They died at such a young age."
Mainkuhn curled himself up into a ball, his golden vertical pupils silently gazing at the girl in front of him.
"Meow..."
What's wrong, human child? Your troublesome monster, Les, is dead. You should be happy.
The meowing woke Clarinde.
"...Ah, you're here too...Yes, you're White's cat."
The girl was stunned, seemingly unable to react, and only subconsciously reached out to pick up the cat away from the corpse.
“You…White…uh,”
He was still just a minor, and he was speechless when faced with a cat that had lost its 'owner'.
"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? I don't see your food bowl, so I guess White didn't prepare anything for you..."
"Meow..."
"Cloth! Lind! So slow!"
Stepping on the low, whimpering meows, little Navia stormed into the room in a rage:
"I've already finished questioning everyone, why aren't you done yet—!"
The blonde girl saw the stiff man on the bed.
"White! White! You are not allowed to refuse to cooperate with Clorind's questioning!"
"......"
"And you're not allowed to ignore me. I have something important to ask you!"
"Wait, Miss."
Myles, ever perceptive, immediately stepped forward and bent down to examine the area.
"...He's dead, Miss."
"He died from physical exhaustion caused by Les; that day has finally come."
"...Huh?!"
Yes, what a self-inflicted death.
"Ooh-mi..."
Maine called out softly to Navia:
The person who caused you so much trouble, the person who cost you so much money and medical resources, is finally dead. You should be happy.
Stunned for a moment by the sudden bad news, little Navia silently took off her hat and held it in front of her face.
"...That stubborn bastard who won't listen to advice."
After a long silence, a loud sob suddenly broke out.
"I...I still...couldn't save him."
"Young Miss."
Miles also took off his hat, closed his eyes, and sighed:
"Even Mr. Carles couldn't save someone addicted to Les... Ah, at least Mr. White passed away peacefully."
...What's wrong with you guys?
The cat's ears drooped, and its vertical pupils stared at them unfocused.
Are you going to mourn for someone who is of no use to you, a half-crippled person who can't bring you any Mora?
Are there really so many kind-hearted individuals in your human race?
"The master saved his body, but not his soul."
Miles read the eulogy.
"Before he became a monk, he would give the moras he earned to poor children."
Navia's life story.
"One day, the tragedy of Les and White will be wiped from the world."
Clarinde began to pray.
The small funeral was held in a dilapidated house.
This was Mainkuhn's first funeral, held by unrelated people for his half-siblings and relatives.
"Mimi—"
"Don't cry, big cat."
Little Claurind lowered her eyelids and gently advised him:
“You haven’t stopped crying since I came in. It’s time for you to take a break.”
"Mimi—"
Fate, you're a bastard!
Tears welled up in the beast's vertical pupils, wetting its tiger-striped fur.
Why must I, who already have the appearance of a beast, still suffer the pain of a human?
"Aww—"
Fate, you're a bastard!
White's stiff body, the villain's dying screams, the white-haired man's outstretched helping hand, and the blonde girl sobbing by the bedside were all blurred by tears.
Why make me experience the malice of humanity, yet also let me witness pure and selfless kindness?
This left me stuck in a limbo, filled with regret and resentment, struggling between love and fear for humanity!
Brother! Brother!
The half-demon wept, his tears falling onto the corpse.
Help me!
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