Chapter 24: The First Pot of Gold, A Magic Show Reveals the Truth...
Through the gap in the box, Mainkuen saw the brother and sister perform magic in public for the first time.
"ladies and gentlemen!"
Even when a small, short child stands on a roadside step, their height can only barely reach an adult's shoulder.
"Now is the time to witness a miracle!"
When they are surrounded by a crowd and stared at by dozens of eyes, aren't they afraid?
“.
Just by briefly immersing himself in his human form, Mainkun already felt like dying.
"Dad, there's a magic show! I want to see it! I want to see it!"
"Alright, alright, Daddy will hold you while you watch...tsk! What kind of tricks can two little devils pull?"
The adults looked the siblings up and down, then looked at them with disdain.
"If you don't perform well and waste our time, I'll spank you!"
"......"ha?
Even though they have children of their own, why are they so cruel to orphans of their own kind?
The big cat stood up and raised its paw to open the box.
Don't move, or I'm going to slap you!
"Oh dear."
However, he is not needed.
A straight tree branch, a natural walking stick, Linni tossed it gracefully into the air, spinning it in patterns, before catching it steadily back in his hand.
"So rough? The little brother will be scared!"
"you--!"
Ignore the noise and doubts, and as always, apply your skills and tricks to real customers!
"Hey, little brother, look here!"
Linni picked up the branch and waved his cane in front of the child.
"Smack!"
Colorful paper ribbons, replacing canes, fluttered over the children's heads.
"Wow! Dad, look! He's amazing!"
"...Well, it's just so-so..."
"gentlemen--"
The light-haired little magician winked playfully and kindly.
"I think any time spent that brings joy to my family is worthwhile~ Don't you agree, little brother?"
It looks great!
The smile that follows the surprise immediately wins over the child's heart.
"Of course! Dad, come watch too! Don't worry about wasting time. After we're done watching, we'll go home happily together!"
"......"
The unforeseen trouble and the rude questions were skillfully resolved by the child.
"!"
The big cat blankly lay back down in the box.
Wow, that's amazing, Linni! It's just a matter of rearranging and combining human language—
Yet it can bring a smile to everyone's face.
And so he silently upheld his dignity.
Hmm, but taking action is the only solution I can think of.
......
I might be okay with it, but even Pepe and Clementine at this age probably couldn't be so considerate.
A strange bitterness suddenly replaced the surprise and spread through the cat's chest.
He looked at the innocent child being led by his father; the child was clearly about the same height as his two siblings.
So how much suffering did you endure to become so mature?
"As expected of my older brother."
While everyone's eyes were focused on Linnie, Linette quietly slipped the branch cane—the one that had replaced the ribbon mechanism—into the cat box.
"Please, sir."
After giving her some instructions, she calmly stepped forward and walked back to Linni's side.
"Brother, brother!"
She raised her voice and questioned:
"Where did you put the walking stick I made for you?"
ah...
Mainkuhn realized this belatedly.
It turns out that the magic trick was cleverly launched the moment the adult provoked them.
"Oh dear! Ladies and gentlemen."
He pretended to grope his body, but in reality, he was just showing that his cane wasn't on him.
"Oh no, I've lost my cane!"
"Really? Where did it go..."
"Brother, you careless rascal."
Amid the gasps of the audience, little Lynette flapped her ears and put her hands on her hips, striking a accusing pose:
"If you do that, we'll have no choice but to summon the cat spirit to help us find the cane."
"Good sister, I'll do anything to get the cane back!"
“In that case, brother.”
The little magician's assistant, with a faded cape in hand, releases paper doves.
"Let's welcome the cat spirits with a grand magic festival! Clang clang—"
The opening ceremony, though somewhat immature, was smooth and successful, surpassing countless others of its age by a thousandfold.
Pebbles replace the original gold coins, the cards are drawn with childlike lines, and even the fishing line that connects the mechanism was picked up by the brother and sister on the beach.
How desperate, how miserable.
"......"
Through the cracks in the box, the cat peered at the children's patched clothes through its golden vertical pupils.
But how beautiful it is! The little brother and sister, hand in hand, stand stubbornly and brilliantly on the steps, facing the world's scrutiny, desperately trying to live.
"The festival has reached its climax! Come forth—Cat Spirits—"
"......"
Mainkun glanced at the branch, thought for a moment, and then discarded his already thin self-esteem.
"Bang—!"
The beast in the silver-grey cloak leaped up and jumped from the dark box into the human world.
The human world is cruel yet colorful.
"Master! Come to me!"
Wow! What a majestic cat!
[A cat? Isn't it a bit too big...]
The whispers of the audience mingled with Linni's calls.
[Is that the cat goddess from the Mo Mang Palace in the newspaper? Didn't these two kids read the report?]
[Stop the magic show? Catch the cat?]
...Gods! You humans, can you please respect the fruits of your children's labor?!
It angrily stretched out its front paws, curled up its belly, and clutched its head!
"ah!!??"
With a nimble front flip, the cat tossed its cane into Linni's hand mid-air.
"!?!"
Even a future great magician would be astonished now.
"elder brother!"
Lynette gasped, then immediately lowered her voice:
"When did you teach the master to do somersaults?!"
Ah...ah?
Linni gripped his cane, speechless.
Didn't you teach them that? You're both cats!
"Holy crap! Awesome!"
The audience screamed in surprise and burst into applause.
"This is a performance you can't even see in an opera house! Has the Water Goddess ever seen a cat that can do somersaults!?"
"One more!!"
A heavy object struck Linni's clothes, and the pain woke the child.
"!"
Lynette picked it up; the heavy object gleamed between the girl's fingers.
Mora.
"One more! One more!"
Numerous Mora were thrown from all directions, crashing into the half-demon's thick fur.
"Meow—!"
That's enough.
The cat silently bared its teeth at the audience.
Are you trying to make a fool of me?!
"So much Mora—"
But a gasp came from the child's mouth, and Linni muttered to himself:
"I feel like if we keep going, we can save enough money for rent, and I won't have to worry about Lynette freezing this winter—"
"..." Mainkuhn forced his mouth open, transforming his gesture of baring his teeth at the audience into a yawn.
"But brother, I've heard that animal performances are considered cruelty... I wonder if somersaults might hurt the cats..."
Lynette was very hesitant:
"Our initial preparations only involved having Mr. Big perform a few simple movements..."
"......"
"You...you're right, Lynette, Mr. Sir, please proceed according to the original plan..."
"......"
Grass Slime!
Mainkun jumped up expressionlessly, his short tail swirling in the air.
I insisted on performing it myself, okay?
*
"My God, Mr. Da! You're so amazing!"
Little Linni buried her head in Maine's furry collar and rubbed against his broad chest.
"I've never, ever seen so many Mora!"
Even the usually calm cat-eared girl cheered and pounced on the cat's sturdy back with sparkling eyes.
It was just a little trick, but look how excited you all are.
Mainkuen remained calm on the surface, but his ears stood up proudly, the lynx hairs shooting straight up to the sky.
"Great! Lynette, let's have something nice for lunch! No more black bread! I want garlic breadsticks—"
The bread has a crispy crust and a soft interior. Take a bite, and it's warm and full of the aroma of butter and garlic...
Lost in thought, Linni couldn't help but open her mouth and take a bite of the soft cat fur.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir."
Linni quickly wiped the glistening drool off the fur and apologized promptly.
“.
The cat wasn't angry.
She simply looked at him for a moment with a strange gaze that was a mixture of love and pity, then stuck out her thin, barbed tongue and smoothed his light brown hair.
Poor child.
They already have money, why are they still worrying about bread?
Meat is the most delicious thing in the world.
"I...I want to eat a cream cake. The last time I had one was when I was a child..."
The smooth texture and sweet aroma, combined with the dense and fluffy cake base, are swallowed together...
Little Lynette leaned against the big cat's back, with a suspicious liquid dribbling from the corner of her mouth.
“.
Poor child.
Mainkuen extended his thin tongue and lovingly smoothed the hair at her temples.
It's obvious they haven't eaten anything good.
*
Garlic breadsticks and cream cakes are on the menu.
There was also a chicken.
"After all, cats can only eat meat... right?"
Linni tore off a thigh, peeled off the flesh piece by piece, and fed it to the cat.
"How about we try garlic bread?"
Holy crap, they repay kindness with enmity!
The cat vomited and then stretched out its paw to dig at the ground as if burying itself.
"A little cream?"
Little Lynette scraped a little cream with a wooden spoon.
It has a rich milky and fatty flavor, which is nice.
The cat licked it clean.
"Although it doesn't look disgusting, we still shouldn't feed it."
Linni was very cautious and reached back to tear off another chicken leg.
"Next time I'll buy Mr. Big Cat food... Huh? Mr. Big Cat, are you leaving again? You haven't eaten enough yet!"
One chicken isn't enough for me.
Don't buy cat food either, save some money.
Maine yawned, lazily got up from the ground, and turned to leave the tent.
First, go to Mo Mang Palace to hunt a couple of birds, then wander around the streets and smell... just in case, I mean just in case.
Mainkuen was somewhat hurt after hearing Lynette call him "brother" all day.
What if I suddenly bump into my brother in the vast sea of people in Fontainebleau?
With the clues cut off and not daring to force their way into Mo Mang Palace, the half-demon could only resort to the old method as a temporary measure—a thorough search of every household in Fengdanting.
Ah... Gods, powerful gods, Mo Mang Palace, the abode of the gods.
Mainkuhn anxiously flicked his short tail.
If possible, I don't want to offend the Lord of Fontaine—
"Master!"
The boy's clear voice interrupted Mainkuhn's thoughts.
"Clang clang~"
A thin rope was wrapped around the big cat's neck, and something heavy was swaying with it.
!! ? Neck, collar! ?
The cat reflexively arches its back:
"ha-"
"Little sister, isn't the rope a bit short? The master doesn't seem to be feeling well."
"Okay, I'll loosen it a bit."
Little Lynette crouched behind the cat, carefully fastening the rope.
"......"
Oh yes, I'm no longer in the House of Hearths, nor am I a person anymore.
What are you doing? You scared me!
The arched back slowly relaxed, and Mainkun shook his ear in annoyance, the lynx's fur lightly tapping the little girl's forehead twice.
If I had reacted any faster, you would have fallen to the ground.
"Alright, sir."
Lynette finally let go, and the heavy object was buried in Maine's fur collar by the rope.
What is that? Get it away!
The cat immediately scratched at it with its paws, and Maine felt very uncomfortable with the feeling of being wrapped around its neck.
"Hey, don't move!"
The child's small, warm hands patted the beast's paws, and Linni stopped him with a smile:
"This cloth bag contains all the Mora we earned today, and your share is all in there!"
"...Meow?"
Mora? For a cat?
Maine suddenly looked up, staring at Linni and his sister as if they were two little lunatics.
"Sir, you're so smart, you must know how to buy things, right?"
Lynette's face held the innocent trust unique to children:
"If you don't know how, we can teach you right now, cough cough, brother."
Wait, I've seen people buy things, but that's not the point—
"Alright—cough cough, my dear Miss Lynette."
Ignoring the cat's contorted expression, Xiao Linni simply placed her hand on her chest, bent over, and stepped back, adopting the demeanor of a waiter.
"Welcome to our shop! May I ask what brings you here?"
"Hmm, brother, cough, I want to pick out the finest catnip for my most respected Mr. Da."
Little Lynette raised her finger, pulled on a skirt that didn't even exist, and gave an elegant bow.
"Mimi—"
Everyone says I know what to buy—that's not the problem—it's winter, you all say winter is coming!
"I'm going to give Mora to the waiter, sir. Watch closely, at this moment, give him the round gold thing in the bag..."
"Mimi—"
Wild animals hunt frantically in winter to replenish their fat reserves, yet you're throwing away precious Mora! Are you tired of living?!
The cat was howling and screaming, while over there, Mora had already fallen into Linni's hands.
"ha!"
The boy clasped his hands together, slapped the Mora in the middle, and then presented his palms to the cat.
"Ta-da! Mr. Big! Guess if Mora is still around?"
Don't suddenly do magic tricks, I'm seriously teaching you a lesson...wait...?
The cat stepped forward, pressed its nose against the boy's hand, and sniffed it carefully and repeatedly.
!
Linni saw the cat's pupils contract visibly, and then instinctively patted out Mora from the seam of his clothes.
"Ah, I've been seen through again!"
Linni spread her palms out with a hint of regret.
"It's a mini catnip ball."
When did you buy this?! It didn't smell like this before...
!
When you were buying food, you even made a special trip to the pet store for me?
The half-demon looked up at the child's face in disbelief.
Why would they care so much about wild animals that are not of their own kind?
"A surprise gift! Do you like it, sir?"
The green grass ball, carrying sincere love, was placed in the bag along with Mora.
"What a pity that this joy wasn't brought about by my magic!"
Xiao Linni understands that magic is a performing art that uses change and unpredictable techniques to bring surprises to the audience.
If a cat could always see everything, it would never experience the joy that magic brings.
"That's not fair! Couldn't you be a little slower?"
Linni angrily covered the cat's eyes.
"Strangers are happy because of my magic tricks, but my favorite Mr. Big can't? I hate that!"
"......"
So that's why you've been trying so hard to fool me?
The cat stared blankly at the dejected child in front of it.
I thought you were just competitive...
"It's okay, brother, I'll help you. Let's design a magic trick together that will amaze even the great master."
Lynette reassured her brother, a faint but sincere smile appearing on her calm face.
"Because I also like Mr. Da, and I also want Mr. Da to be happy."
"......"
Honestly, Mainkuhn didn't care about magic as a human art form, nor did he care whether he was happy or not.
"......"
But cats really love being cared for, favored, and treated seriously!
"Eh, eh?"
"Snoring~"
Crouching low, repeatedly leaving cat hair and scent marks on the siblings' legs, Mainkuen couldn't help but purr.
Lynn! Lynette! Little ones!
I'm sure that even if your magic tricks succeeded a hundred times in front of me, I still wouldn't be this happy!
"It itches, sir, stop rubbing!"
If you want to know the reason...
Mainkuen flaunted the Mora bag between his fur collars, beneath which were stacks of electrical scars.
Perhaps it's because for the first time in my fifteen years of life, I possessed wealth of my own?
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