It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 99

“What are you saying, Camel!”

Kitty whispered quietly, but Camel didn’t back down.

“Kitty, they’re too busy guarding our surroundings to hear us anyway. We’re talking so quietly, right?”

Camel’s pink nose nudged Kitty’s face. Kitty stroked the curious cat in her arms, looking back and forth between Cleed and Ethan.

Conversations at this volume would definitely be audible to Clan Leader-level beastmen, but neither of them showed any reaction.

“See? They’re both focused on heading upstream in the Cat River, aren’t they?”

Camel poked Kitty’s side with her round front paw. The cats, who were clinging tightly to Cleed’s fox fur, sparkled their eyes, waiting for an answer.

Unable to resist the urging, Kitty pondered Camel’s question.

‘Ethan and Cleed?’

Cleed was kind and capable. His fluffy fox fur and affectionate personality were a great source of comfort and strength throughout her time in Gridwolf.

And Ethan was… prickly and had a terrible temper.

He knew he was good and remained aloof in any situation. And his tone was so blunt.

‘But Ethan has a chest like a box.’

So, whenever she was held in his arms, her mind went blank. When the scent of soap wafted over her, her heart seemed to expand and contract as if it would burst.

‘But Ethan is mischievous. Cleed is kind.’

The word ‘but’ began to repeat endlessly in Kitty’s head.

As she didn’t open her mouth, Cleed and Ethan, who were straining their ears to eavesdrop, became increasingly anxious.

‘Judging by her hesitation, am I also in the category of the young lady’s romantic interests?’ Cleed wondered.

‘She’s hesitating,’ Ethan thought, a grimace twisting his features as if he had tasted something bitter.

Kitty, oblivious to their changing expressions, decided to change the subject after much deliberation.

“Camel, I’ll answer what you asked later when it gets a little darker. I think we need to talk about something else first.”

Everyone except Kitty felt disappointed but didn’t argue.

The moving speed of Cleed, who had transformed into a large fox, was quite fast. At this rate, they would soon reach the oak tree where Nero and Elliot’s group were.

Before that, she needed to figure out what had happened to the cats in advance.

“What did Jerian do to you guys?”

The moment the name Jerian came out of her mouth, the cats flinched.

From that reaction alone, she could guess that Jerian had been persistently doing terrible things.

He probably justified his evil deeds this time with various pretexts, but from the victim’s point of view, they would remember it no matter how much time passed.

‘I still vividly remember the moment I was exiled.’

Kitty took a cautious attitude so as not to upset her friends. Camel, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head.

“Kitty, didn’t you know what we had been through?”

“Not in detail. Nero, the leader of the night cats, sent me to where you are.”

“Nero-nim [respected title]?”

They seemed to be hearing the name Nero for the first time.

‘How did Mom know so much about the night cats, who were unfamiliar to ordinary cats?’ she wondered. She felt like she would know the answer soon.

“I’ll explain later. First, tell me what Jerian did to you.”

“If it’s about that, I could talk about it all day.”

Anger began to mix into Camel’s usually gentle voice.

“Jerian, that bastard, said he would do the same experiments on us that he did on the rabbits.”

“……What?”

“I don’t know what he did to the rabbits, but judging by what he did to us, Jerian must be crazy.”

Jerian’s experiment that Camel was talking about was terrible.

He brought fox beastmen, who were turning blue and trembling, and forced them to cast curses on the cats. But the magic didn’t work as well as he thought, and the experiment was temporarily suspended.

After that, conflicts arose with leopards, wolves, and other races, so Camel and other test subjects and magical materials were taken to the cave.

“Kitty, you saved us.”

“No. I didn’t even touch Jerian.”

Ethan did cut off a few of his fingers, though.

“You’re wrong. Jerian said that if he had to escape, he would take us with him to finish the research. You were there, so he couldn’t take us.”

Camel rubbed her cheek against Kitty’s. Kitty felt a strange emotion and stroked her nape.

Knowing what Jerian had done to Toby and other white-haired rabbits, she couldn’t laugh even as a joke.

‘That crazy cat is now doing it to his own kind.’

It would be better to join Elliot’s group and go to the food storage where Jackal is to uncover the truth.

Tracking down Jerian, who had run away somewhere, was the next thing to do.

‘I hope the fox beastmen who were used by Jerian are safe.’

Kitty recalled the young fox beastmen who were miserably tied to Jerian’s belt. A chill ran down her spine.

“Camel, do you know where Jerian escaped to?”

“I don’t know, but it must be a place where there are many cats who follow Jerian.”

“It’ll be hard to find him since they’ll hide him on purpose.”

She thought the situation had improved a bit since Jerian had abandoned the food storage, but it didn’t seem so.

‘Wherever he ran away to, I’ll find him and avenge my family,’ Kitty thought, clenching her teeth and reaffirming her determination.

* * *

“Young lady! You’re back!”

As soon as Elliot saw the abundant fox fur on the horizon, he rushed over. Only after confirming that Kitty was not injured did he let out a sigh of relief.

“Sir Elliot, only Jerian is hurt, so don’t worry.”

“Yes? Did you perhaps meet Jerian?”

Elliot’s eyes widened.

Kitty briefly told him what had happened. Elliot became so dazed around the time Jerian appeared that he looked like he was about to faint.

Nero chuckled as she watched his reaction.

“The commander of the Knights is a coward.”

“Hey, you! Did you know this would happen and send the young lady?”

Kitty also stood close to Elliot and looked up at Nero.

Reuniting with Camel and facing her enemy. The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.

As Elliot said, Nero might have known everything.

It was time to hear the truth.

“Nero-nim, did I pass the test?”

“Yes, Kitty.”

“Then please tell me what you know.”

“…….”

Nero gazed at the emerald eyes shining with resolute determination and slowly rose to her feet.

She, who had been sitting in the center of the large oak tree, gently fell to the ground below.

With a pop, a woman with short, bobbed hair appeared. The black combat suit that wrapped around her body and the daggers attached to her belt suggested that her fighting skills were considerable.

“Let me formally introduce myself. I am Nero, the leader of the night cats.”

As she spoke, all the cats sitting on the branches transformed into people and lined up.

The fluid and silent movements were reminiscent of an assassination squad.

The immense bloodlust that the cats emitted covered the surroundings.

‘It seems like she’s finally going to give me a serious answer.’

Kitty swallowed hard. First, she was going to ask where she could go to find Jerian, who had run away.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, Elliot added.

“Young lady, first, ask about your mother. I don’t know what nonsense that fickle cat will say.”

“……Is that really okay?”

“Yes. As for Jerian, Jackal-nim, who was in the food storage, must have taken action as well. He wouldn’t just stand by while his youngest daughter’s enemy ran away, would he?”

“…….”

Sir Elliot tapped me on the shoulder. After a moment of hesitation, I opened my mouth.

“Nero-nim, do you know about my mom? I’m curious if it’s because of my mom that I have the goddess’s magic.”

Nero stared at Kitty without saying a word, then took off the necklace she was wearing around her neck.

The long, blue gem sparkled, emitting a warm magic.

Of course, Kitty was the only one who felt this power as warm.

‘It feels similar to the fake Blue Moon that the leopard guys use.’

The wolf knights, including Elliot, frowned and continued to be vigilant.

Kitty unconsciously reached out her hand towards the cozy energy that was wafting over.

Nero raised the necklace high and laughed.

“You’re just like you were when you were little.”

“…….”

“Back then, you reached out for the sparkling jewel without hesitation.”

Nero recalled Kittyia, who was wrapped tightly in cloth shortly after she was born.

At the same time, the sad smile that the woman holding Kitty wore was vividly drawn.

“Do those headaches really mean I’ve received the goddess’s revelation?”

“Yes. Aren’t you Icarus’s wife and the mother of young Icarus? The goddess is trying to dwell in you, who married into a family that serves the gods.”

“Ah…….”

“You will now manage the sacred objects according to the goddess’s power. It’s a glorious thing.”

“Then what about our Kittyia?”

“You may be able to meet her sometimes. But the moment you accept the god, you must think of everyone, not just yourself.”

Any cat would want to serve a god and become a special being.

But the woman simply held Kitty warmly in her arms.

Instantly, Nero sensed that the woman might reject the god.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but stop it. Misfortune may befall you if you reject the revelation.”

“But…….”

“There will be someone suitable to take care of the child in your place. You just have to accept your fate.”

The child in her arms whimpered, startled by the stern voice. Then the mother smiled, shaking the jewel she was wearing around her neck.

Held in her arms, Kitty giggled and grabbed the jewel with her soft palm.

“Look at this child, Nero-nim. She becomes so easily happy when I hold her.”

“…….”

“This child is happy when I’m there. So I’ll just endure my misfortune.”

“But if you do that…….”

“Mother.”

A strong yet gentle voice seemed to ring in her ears. Nero snapped out of her reverie and chuckled.

“Kitty, I want to ask you one thing first. You and your mom, your family, lived very poorly. You didn’t have much luck.”

Since it was true, Kitty readily nodded.

“Besides, you had to part with your family early because you had a special power.”

“That’s right.”

“……But were you happy?”

Did you also feel the only thing your mom wanted to give you?

Nero swallowed the rest of her words and waited for an answer.

Kitty rolled her eyes for a moment, then smiled as she always did.

“As Nero-nim said, my family wasn’t well-off. My dad and brother were killed by Jerian just because they had special powers.”

“…….”

“But that doesn’t mean the time I spent with my family wasn’t happy.”

Kitty wore a gentle yet strong smile. A look that resembled her mother in Nero’s memory.

“My family loved me with all their might. I loved my family very much too. So I can be happy even now, from the time we lived together in a small room until now, when I’m the only one left.”

Nero just stared at Kittyia.

The warmth of her sincerely loved son, daughter-in-law, and grandson seemed to live in Kitty’s voice.

She struggled to calm her trembling voice and said.

“……Then first, let me tell you why I had to leave you, Kitty.”