It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 143

“Elite leopards, you say?”

Jerian asked in a sinister voice, and his subordinate, sensing the mood, continued to explain.

“Yes. The same leopards that Sigma and Delta used to bring along. I confirmed their faces.”

“Why don’t you drop the honorifics for those leopards? They’re dead anyway.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jerian chuckled, watching his subordinate tense and relax at his every word. Being in a position of power was enjoyable for this reason.

“So, what’s their business?”

“They conveyed their intention to join forces. It seems they want to avenge Delta and Sigma.”

“Hmm.”

Jerian stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.

The pebbles that Gridwolf scattered throughout the cat territory contained Sigma’s confession, and Jerian had watched the video carefully.

He couldn’t even imagine that Kitty had used magic to cut out a portion of the video before releasing it.

‘Polly’s mirror speaks only the truth.’

Jerian believed that one sentence that most beastmen knew about Polly’s Mirror [a magical artifact said to reveal only the truth].

He couldn’t imagine that Kitty had deliberately hidden some facts to distort the truth without actually lying.

‘Clearly, there was no mention of the elite leopards.’

The news Jerian had heard about the elite leopards was that they had been severely defeated by the wolves in the bear territory.

No other news had been released, so he thought they had all been annihilated by the wolves, but surprisingly, there were survivors.

‘Even after Delta and Sigma died, they came seeking revenge.’

He was surprised, even though he knew the elite leopards were quite loyal. Jerian wanted to lend them his strength and play the hero once more.

His forces were a bit lacking to face the wolves, too.

“Since they’ve come all this way with such sincerity, let’s schedule a meeting in a few days. How many surviving leopard beastmen are there?”

“I couldn’t ascertain the exact number, but their leader, a fellow named Seville, was alive.”

“If he’s there, it will be quite helpful.”

Jerian chuckled and headed to the window.

Inside a small iron cage placed there, emaciated baby foxes, unable to eat properly, were sleeping as if dead.

Thump!

Jerian struck the cage, waking the fox beastmen. Startled by the violent touch, the foxes yelped and jumped up.

“You can’t just sleep all the time. I’ll need your strength soon.”

Even though he was immune to Blue Moon [a source of magical power that can also induce madness], his eyes were full of madness.

* * *

Meanwhile, some of the wolves from Wibis who had been staying in the leopard territory were preparing to withdraw. It was a decision made by the head of the family, Ethan.

“You won’t be of any help in that state.”

Clifford, who had taken over the plush chair that Delta used to use, said. Ethan stared at his arm, where the blood vessels had become even more prominent in the past few days, before pulling down his sleeve.

An unidentified magic power that had seeped out from the wound where Delta bit him was gradually expanding its territory.

However, he had no intention of staying in Wibis territory doing nothing.

“Kitty’s going. You stay here and protect your castle.”

“My castle, huh.”

Wibis, Gridwolf, and Foxstein had a long meeting to decide what to do with what was left in the leopard territory.

Everyone agreed that the foxes, who had lost their magnificent castle to the leopards long ago, could temporarily use Leopard Castle.

But Clifford glared at Ethan’s words.

“Absolutely not. If you die in battle, the young lady will be lonely.”

“You’re praying for my death.”

“I’ll decipher these documents roughly and follow you, so go ahead.”

Clifford spat out. But his voice was filled with considerable worry.

Fox beastmen, who were well-versed in both magic and medicine, had been working on it for days, but they couldn’t figure out what had happened to Ethan.

There were no significant symptoms, so they were relieved, but they didn’t know when or how the magic that had seeped into his body would manifest.

‘If something happens to this guy, the young lady will be heartbroken.’

No, the opposite could also happen.

For example, Ethan might not recognize Kitty and harm her.

When he fought Jerian before, he seemed to have endured it because the exposure to madness was short.

But no one knew what would happen if Ethan fought Jerian, who possessed the real Blue Moon, for a long time.

‘Seriously, do I have to worry about that guy’s personal health?’

After Ethan and the black wolves returned to Wibis territory for a while.

Clifford scratched his head and went back to deciphering the records.

Sigma wrote all his papers in ancient language, so getting the information he wanted was like finding a needle in a haystack.

‘Clearly, Ethan’s symptoms are caused by being bitten by Delta.’

Just as his eyes were getting sore, a sentence written in ancient language caught Clifford’s eye.

[Research on Blue Moon Resistance Response]

‘Resistance response?’ Clifford frowned and scanned the document.

This report recorded what kind of reaction appeared in Delta’s body before Blue Moon was separated.

[Blue Moon seemed to continuously strengthen Delta’s body as if it did not recognize the vessel it was contained in. However, Delta could not fully absorb Blue Moon’s magic…]

The document described in detail how much Delta suffered before Sigma helped him remove Blue Moon from his body.

The problem was that some of the symptoms Delta experienced were similar to the changes happening in Ethan’s body now.

‘Could it be…’

Clifford frowned.

In his head, he pictured the leopards shouting to kill all the foxes without leaving a single one.

Delta Leopard… he didn’t think that guy would disappear from the world so easily.

“Ben, can you lead the foxes even without me?”

“Yes?”

Ben, who had been looking at the documents with Clifford and had blurry eyes, was momentarily stunned by the sudden question. From what he had seen since he was young, Clifford showed this reaction in one of two cases.

Either it was something related to the fox clan, or it was something related to Miss Kitty.

“I’m going to bring back our baby foxes that Jerian has. And I’ll see our young lady’s face too.”

“It’s both this time, so you’ll be gone for a long time.”

“Well, I don’t know.”

Clifford summoned the other fox knights, emitting a fierce look.

“If I’m unlucky, I might have to cut off Delta’s remnants with my own hands.”

* * *

Several days had passed since Seville and the elite leopards had departed for the cat territory.

We did not directly contact the leopards to avoid Jerian’s suspicion.

Instead, we could hear news from the cat territory through Nero. Thanks to her and the black cats secretly reporting the leopards’ movements and contact status.

[Seville has contacted Jerian’s subordinate]

[We hope you will send a soft paw print when the information has been safely confirmed.]

‘Cats confirm that information is well delivered in this way.’ Soft-

It was a slightly unfamiliar information confirmation method for me, who grew up in the wolf mansion. Theo and Dion, who were reading the letter with me, sparkled their eyes at my paw print.

“That’s right. I think I learned that I always have to go through this kind of identification at the central training center.”

“I forgot. From now on, put your paw print on the notes you exchange with your brothers.”

They already had about a hundred of my paw prints, but they couldn’t stop their greed. I nodded and stamped my paw print on Nero’s letter.

“The elite leopards must safely enter Jerian’s food warehouse.”

Our plan was this.

First, we hid very strong Gridwolf catnip and concentrated fragrance pouches in the clothes of Seville and the elite leopards.

It was clear that the cats would recognize it if we simply inserted it into their clothes or hid it in their pockets, so we added special fabrics and packaging several times to completely block the scent.

Seville and the leopards were to enter Jerian’s hideout with those and grasp its scale in advance.

‘Once we gather some information about the hideout, then it’s our turn.’

Already, quite a few Gridwolf wolf knights had departed for the cat territory.

I heard that everyone was lying low without any problems, as it was a place they had gone on an expedition to once before.

“Kitty, we have to leave soon, aren’t you nervous?”

“Not at all.”

My heart was just pounding at the thought that the day of revenge I had been drawing in my head was just around the corner.

“Then Kitty, get ready and come out.”

“Yes, Brother.”

I sent them out, then changed into combat gear and grabbed my bow.

Lena was more worried than when she sent me to the leopard territory.

“Young lady, please be careful.”

“I will, Lena.”

I hugged Lena tightly, then stood in front of the display case.

The chrysanthemums of Mom, Dad, and the little ones were still blooming vividly with the power of magic.

‘I’ll be back.’

I murmured inwardly and then took a step.

It was finally time to settle things with Jerian.