It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 63

<63>

Eden’s succession ceremony commenced immediately after the banquet. Surrounded by the crowd, Kitty made her way to the center of the training ground.

‘I doubt I’ll have time to double-check the bow.’

Since the bow was firmly lodged in the ground and wasn’t going anywhere, it wasn’t a pressing matter. Kitty decided to prioritize the memorial service and succession ceremony.

Numerous torches and candles illuminated the darkened square, the sun having fully set.

Following a period of remembrance for the wolves who had fallen, under the flickering lights, Eden’s succession ceremony was set to begin.

“Now, before we celebrate my son’s succession as head of the family, let us honor our departed comrades,” Hogwood announced from the platform. The boisterous atmosphere that had filled the banquet hall, celebrating Eden’s rise, quieted for a moment.

As the clear sound of a bell echoed, everyone reverently clasped their hands.

Kitty glanced at Caris, her face etched with worry. As she suspected, Caris looked paler than anyone else present.

‘She’s probably holding back because I’m here.’

Caris pressed her lips together, as if suppressing tears. The usually confident and dignified Caris maintained a somber silence.

She didn’t even seem aware that her hands were trembling, and her attempts to appear composed only highlighted her distress.

‘She must be thinking of her deceased child.’

Under different circumstances, I would have playfully asked what was wrong. But knowing that this wasn’t an emotion to be taken lightly, Kitty couldn’t bring herself to speak to Caris.

“Now, let us pray for the wolves who have ascended to the heavens,” Hogwood said, and the bell rang once more. Kitty sincerely prayed for the peace of the wolves she didn’t know, adding a personal wish at the end.

‘…Please ease Caris-nim’s and Jackal-nim’s hearts, too.’

She would never dream of asking the Gridwolf couple to simply forget their daughter and move on.

It was Caris who had taught her that beloved family members are always cherished in the heart, never forgotten and impossible to forget.

However, she hoped that the guilt Caris felt for burying her loved one with her own hands might be lessened, even a little.

‘If you could just tell me the story directly, I could offer comfort….’

Of course, Kitty understood that Caris’s reluctance to share her painful memories wasn’t a matter of trust or affection.

It’s simply too difficult to talk about. Reliving that day and putting it into words would be agonizing.

So, I couldn’t press her to recount what happened. Kitty felt a pang of sadness at her inability to fully comfort Caris.

After the memorial service, the torches around the square burned brighter. As visibility improved, the wolves gradually raised their heads, which had been bowed in respect.

‘Eden seems to be suppressing his emotions right now, with the succession ceremony ahead of him….’

Kitty kept an eye on Eden, who stood silently with Hogwood near the platform. Their eyes met as Eden looked her way.

At that moment, Commander Forward solemnly announced.

“Now, we will proceed with the oath to inherit the position of head of the family.”

It was the moment he would officially become the head of the Wibis family, co-managing half of the vast wolf territory with Gridwolf.

Jackal, Hogwood, and Forward ascended the platform and faced Eden.

The platform, decorated with majestic splendor, and Eden’s appearance in a black suit created a striking visual harmony, like a painting.

Hogwood placed two swords engraved with the Wibis crest on a red cushion. These were heirloom swords, passed down through generations to the head of the family.

‘I heard that the successor holds the heirloom swords and then transforms into a wolf and howls.’

Kitty, who had never witnessed Eden’s wolf form, craned her neck in anticipation when—

Whoosh—

A sudden gust of wind swept through the succession ceremony site. The torches that had illuminated the area were extinguished all at once.

“What!”

“Is it an attack?”

The wolves, on edge, looked around, quickly understanding the situation.

Dozens of pairs of sleek leopard eyes gleamed with murderous intent, surrounding the plaza. The eyes of powerless fox therians [therianthropes: individuals with the ability to shapeshift into animals] could also be seen scattered among them.

Their objective in coming here was clear.

“Protect the young lady!”

“Gridwolf Young Lady, this way!”

Sigma’s eyes narrowed as she led the leopards forward amidst the desperate cries. She retrieved two small boxes from the pocket of the white gown she wore beneath her coat.

One box contained the imitation Blue Moon [a magical artifact that induces madness] that she had received from Jerian earlier. But Sigma’s primary interest lay in the second box.

‘How far can our Malangsons’ [referring to Kitty, a being with divine powers] power extend…!’

Inside was an imitation Blue Moon enhanced with magic extracted from Kittyah’s hair, which she had collected.

Sigma herself was uncertain about the effectiveness of the artificially processed Blue Moon using the goddess’s magic.

‘Jerian said that Kitty’s proficiency in using magic is low.’

If that were the case, she might be able to kidnap Kitty as well. Sigma’s cheeks flushed with anticipation.

Just as she was about to order her forces to charge, using the darkness as cover,

“Cleed.”

Jackal called out to Cleed in a deep voice. Instantly, dozens of intricate magic circles bloomed like flowers across the plaza. These circles emitted a brilliant light.

The placement of the magic circles was unusual, seemingly designed solely to provide light in place of the torches.

Bright light emanated from the bushes and the branches of the dense trees, as if someone had anticipated that a force would surround the plaza.

The leopards, who had intended to use the deep shadows as a shield, found themselves exposed and discomfited.

“Sigma, it’s been a while.”

Jackal glared at Sigma, his golden eyes filled with intense murderous intent. With Cleed’s magic illuminating the surroundings, finding Sigma was easy.

‘I can’t believe Sigma would come in person.’

Sigma was the most unethical person Jackal had ever encountered. She was also somewhat unhinged, laughing like a pervert every time they met.

But she was not an opponent to underestimate. Sigma, consumed by madness, had been skilled enough to hold Jackal at bay for a considerable time on the day Caris was struggling to give birth.

‘If it weren’t for Kitty, the damage could have been far greater than expected.’

The previous wolves hadn’t gained much even after capturing the fox therians who had been affected by the madness of the Blue Moon. This was because the fox therians who naturally recovered from the madness after a long time didn’t remember anything that happened while they were under its influence.

However, those who had their madness dispelled by Kitty’s magic remembered all the information they saw and heard while they were in that state.

Thanks to this, the wolves were able to gather a wealth of information and prepare for today’s attack.

“Everyone, move!”

Seeing Jackal leap towards her in an instant, Sigma opened the box containing the imitation Blue Moon and shouted urgently.

A wave of blue light emanated from the box. The eyes of the leopards, fox therians, and wolves who saw the light became clouded. Those with less magical power than Sigma were once again overwhelmed.

“Secure Kittiah Gridwolf! Protect me!”

Fox therians rushed at Jackal upon hearing Sigma’s cry. Jackal’s movements were hampered as he knocked them unconscious with swift blows.

“Kitty.”

Eden, who was on the platform, drew his two swords and approached Kitty. Kitty, who had been reserved until now, didn’t resent him for rushing to her side in this urgent situation.

Caris was already half out of her mind after seeing the leopards.

“What kind of day is this….”

Knowing that Theo, Deon, and Eden were near Kitty, Caris began to suppress the leopards, her body trembling with rage.

Kitty drew the dagger from her belt and scanned the surroundings. The situation was so chaotic that making a clear decision was difficult.

“Should we save the wolves who are possessed by madness first?”

“No.”

Eden said firmly.

“The imitation Blue Moon that Sigma used is weak. At this level of madness, the wolves’ instincts will inevitably lead them to fight the enemy leopards anyway.”

Kitty nodded. If the high-ranking wolves giving orders weren’t losing their minds, it would be better to use her power after Sigma was dealt with.

But she couldn’t simply be protected by the three wolves like this. She had to assist Cleed, who was struggling to maintain the light magic.

‘Sigma is trying to kidnap me… wait a minute.’

Kitty narrowed her eyes and followed Sigma’s movements. She was clearly aware of Kitty’s presence, but she didn’t approach directly, as if she had other intentions, hovering nearby.

She acted as if she was waiting for the right opportunity, but she was gradually moving away.

As if she had another purpose besides kidnapping her. Kitty soon realized the reason.

A strange light was leaking from the box Sigma was holding. It was a mixture of two lights with slightly different colors. Both lights felt like warm sunlight to Kitty.

“Everyone, can you see that box that Sigma is holding? I’m not talking about the one with the imitation Blue Moon in it.”

At Kitty’s words, the three wolves focused on the small box in Sigma’s arms.

“Malangson, what’s wrong with that box?”

“Did you see what’s inside?”

Deon and Theo didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. Eden didn’t show any particular reaction either.

‘I see. I guess it only feels strange to me. And that light is definitely similar to my magic….’

Sigma kept glancing at the location of the bow. Only then did Kitty understand Sigma’s true objective.

‘Could it be related to my power, which is said to be the goddess’s magic?’

She must be looking for an opportunity to approach the Gridwolf’s bow, not Kitty herself.

“It’s the bow. Sigma seems to be trying to use that strange Blue Moon on the bow.”

She didn’t know exactly what Sigma hoped to achieve, but she couldn’t allow a leopard to tamper with the wolves’ sacred object, the bow.

The four’s gazes all turned to the bow. Sigma, realizing that she could no longer waste time searching for an opportunity, threw herself nimbly towards the bow.

Crash—!

Sigma shattered the glass case containing the bow with the corner of the box, then opened the box and retrieved a small cloth bag from within. It was a bag containing something bulky.

When Sigma rubbed the bag on the bow, the Gridwolf’s bow, which had always been motionless, moved very slightly.

“……!”

“The bow… moved?”

The four immediately rushed to the front of the tower. Sigma’s attempt to pull the bow, deeply embedded in the ground, intensified.

“Kitty, we’ll surround Sigma, so protect the bow, okay?”

When she was young, they would have simply held her close, but now that she was grown up, they were entrusting her with a task. Kitty reaffirmed her determination, feeling a renewed sense of her own strength.

“Yes!”

The three wolves advanced, threatening Sigma from all sides.

Sigma gritted her teeth and drew her sword. She had witnessed the bow move, even if only slightly, so if she could just deal with these three, she would be able to transport the bow to the leopard’s territory.

“Damn it, I didn’t want to do this.”

Sigma retrieved the jewel from the pouch. It was a clear and transparent jewel, unlike the Blue Moon. Seeing it, Theo, Deon, and Eden’s eyes gradually glazed over.

Sigma, who only possessed slightly higher magical power than them, took a deep breath and placed the jewel back in the pouch, which had a magic-blocking effect. Any longer exposure would be dangerous for her as well.

Sigma’s eyes, moist with murderous intent, turned to Kitty.

“What should I do, Malangson? It seems the wolves are still weaker than me.”

“……!”

Sigma pushed aside the three wolves, who were unable to stand due to dizziness, like unwanted baggage and approached Kitty.

The madness affecting the three wolves would dissipate soon. Kitty resolved to protect the bow instead of fleeing.

‘This is the first task my brothers have entrusted to me. I must protect it.’

The moment Kitty thought this and gripped the bow tightly,

“……?!”

The Gridwolf’s bow, which had been firmly embedded in the ground, slipped free.