It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 70

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Not snapping out of madness, but a seizure? I knew that Cride’s condition was slightly different from other Beastkins exposed to madness, but this was unexpected.

“Where’s the head physician?”

“He’s observing the situation, but he said it doesn’t seem to be a problem that can be solved with medicine.”

“Let’s go see him first.”

We headed straight to the Fox Unit where Cride was staying. Sir Eliot, also worried about Cride, quickened his pace and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“I’ve barely returned from the training grounds, and incidents keep happening.”

Since it was true, I chuckled.

As we entered Cride’s bedroom, his unique scent filled the air. It was a sweet yet bittersweet fragrance.

However, as I got closer, the smell of disinfectant stung my nose. Near the bed where Cride was lying in his animal form, there were drops of blood.

“Hold him tight, he might have another seizure at any moment.”

“Don’t let your guard down. The young lady will be here soon.”

The head physicians were so out of it that they didn’t even notice I had arrived. I greeted them and asked about the situation.

“Is Cride awake?”

“We thought he was awake because he was moving, but then he suddenly had a seizure. He was twisting his body without even realizing he was hurting himself.”

As if to prove the head physicians’ words, Cride’s limp body twitched.

The Fox Beastkins and head physicians grabbed Cride’s body with tense faces. His golden fur was already a mess with blood and sweat.

“Krrr…….”

Cride threatened his surroundings with a low growl and struggled. The tension grew as it was uncertain where he would go or what he would do if he was let go.

“Cride, it’s Eliot. Do you recognize me?”

Sir Eliot pressed Cride’s nose hard with his hand and asked. However, Cride only let out a low growl this time as well.

Sir Eliot raised his eyebrows as if he had expected it and turned Cride’s face towards me.

“Even if he doesn’t recognize me, he’ll recognize the young lady.”

“…….”

Cride, who had been tensing his body, slowly calmed his breathing and looked at me. His lips, which had been trembling as if he was suffering from a high fever, seemed to be calming down little by little.

I narrowed my eyes and examined Cride’s magical energy flow.

‘It’s unstable. It was always surprisingly huge and calm, but now…’

I wasn’t as good as a mage, but thanks to not neglecting my training, I could roughly grasp the flow of magical energy.

Currently, Cride’s magical energy was fluctuating around the imitation Blue Moon that Sigma had embedded in his heart.

‘It must feel like a thorn is stuck in there. It must hurt…….’

If something was deeply embedded in my heart, cutting off the flow of magical energy, I would also twist my body and groan in pain.

I can’t take out the imitation Blue Moon, but I think I can at least purify some of the madness’s magical energy.

I called Ben, who had the most delicate magical energy after Cride, to my side and grabbed one end of the bow.

Sir Eliot was horrified and stopped me as I aimed the remaining end at Cride’s chest.

“Young lady, it’s dangerous. You still can’t handle the bow properly.”

“But I have driven out the madness of my brothers and Eden with the bow before.”

To be exact, it was the magical energy that spread out when I first held the bow that purified the three of them.

Since I had that one experience, I thought I could save Cride if I could just revive the senses I had learned back then.

“It’s okay, Teacher. I’ll try, and if it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work, I’ll back off right away.”

“The young lady is really…… You never listen when I try to stop you at times like these.”

Sir Eliot grumbled that he missed me when I was six years old and would believe him even if he said a stone was candy, but he didn’t let his guard down.

I felt a little relieved that Sir Eliot would help me no matter what happened.

“Ben, can you see the jewel embedded in Cride’s heart?”

“It must be the middle part of the vortex created by the flow of magical energy.”

“It probably is. Make sure the end of my bow is aimed at the center of the jewel.”

There was no guarantee that Cride would wake up like this, but it was better than doing nothing.

‘If I let magical energy flow through the bow, it will definitely be better than doing nothing.’

With Ben’s help, I aimed the bow and focused my mind on Gridwolf’s bow as I had been training.

For a moment, a faint light filled the bow. Everyone’s eyes around me were filled with anticipation.

Tap.

I placed the bow on Cride’s chest, which the head physicians were holding tightly. It was fluffy because of his abundant golden fur. The moment I tried to pour in my magical energy,

“……!”

Cride’s huge magical energy began to flow back into the bow.

Our two magical energies met in the central part of the bow and did not mix like water and oil.

I focused my mind with a desperate heart. As if talking to him, I weaved my magical energy into Cride’s magical energy, strand by strand.

‘Cride, the Fox Beastkins captured by the leopards are waiting for you. Hang in there a little longer.’

My heart ached as I thought of his face, embarrassed that he had heard the words “thank you” after so long.

Then, in an instant, the two magical energies fit together like a puzzle.

Cride’s magical energy no longer surged towards me. The magical energy vortex that seemed to engulf his entire body also shrank rapidly.

‘With this much madness…’

I reached out and tapped Cride’s black nose.

Squish.

The madness that had spread throughout Cride’s body subsided cleanly as my palm touched him.

He purred and slumped down as if he was having a good dream. It was definitely not a bad direction. Only then could I let go of my tension.

“Haa…….”

My whole body cooled down and dizziness washed over me as if all the blood had been drained from my body and then put back in.

“Young lady, are you okay?”

Banyel grabbed my staggering body. I was more tired than when I was training at the training grounds because I had used a lot of magical energy, but it wasn’t to the point where I could say I was injured.

“I’m okay, please check on Cride.”

As I said with a faint smile, the head physicians stroked their chests and checked Cride’s heartbeat and pupils.

* * *

‘What did you do this time?’

Eliot looked at Kitty, who was sitting exhausted in a chair, resting. It was good to say she was sitting and resting, but it was closer to lying down.

He didn’t know exactly what she had done with the bow, but Kitty had clearly done something that ordinary Beastkins couldn’t do this time as well.

‘With such a small body.’

She was an unfathomable young lady.

Eliot wasn’t the only one thinking that. Cride was deep in thought with his eyes closed.

He heard Kitty’s voice in his terrible dream. It was only three words, but it was enough to regain his mind.

“Thank you.”

Along with the kind voice, warm magical energy permeated the imitation Blue Moon embedded in his chest.

Like sunshine, the magical energy surrounded the jewel and protected him. Cride had seen this state in the Mana Records [magical texts detailing the properties and uses of mana].

A magical energy operation method that the first Lord Fowkstaine, who had been paralyzed in his lower body after being hit by a poisoned arrow in his heart, had awakened after praying earnestly to the goddess for three years.

‘I think the name was Mana Core [a concentrated source of magical energy within the body].’

It was to concentrate the magical energy flowing throughout the body in the heart to operate a kind of magical energy production factory.

In addition, it was said that when a Mana Core was formed in the body, magical energy would not react sensitively to external stimuli.

‘Even if you’re a fox sensitive to magical energy, you’ll be immune to that damn Blue Moon.’

Obtaining a Mana Core was the dream of all foxes, but Cride had not been interested in it since he was young.

This was because creating the core that would become the center of the Mana Core was too dangerous. He didn’t think he could endure the difficult process with his own strength.

‘But like this in an instant…….’

It seemed that what Kitty had was indeed the goddess’s magical energy. The magical energy flow was still unstable overall because it had not yet fully settled, but it would soon stabilize.

If that happened, he might be able to invade the leopards’ territory to save his comrades.

Cride lifted his heavy eyelids. He wanted to thank Kitty.

“……?”

However, he couldn’t transform into a human form because of the unstable magical energy. Cride’s ears perked up in embarrassment.

Ben, who had been waiting for Cride to wake up, had no choice but to stop at the strange reaction.

“Young Master?”

“Ben, I can’t go back to human form. It seems my magical energy has become unstable for a while because of the young lady’s magical energy.”

Cride’s inability to use magical energy was also a disaster for the Gridwolf wolves.

In the meantime, Cride, who had quickly finished thinking, pointed at Kitty with his abundant tail.

“My magical energy might stabilize if I’m by the young lady’s side. Because it’s the goddess’s magical energy.”

Eliot looked at him with suspicious eyes, but Cride didn’t care and walked towards Kitty.

Kitty, who had been dozing off for a while, did not refuse the golden fox with fluffy fur approaching her.

Cats were such weak beings in front of a fluffy tail wagging gently.

“Kyaa—! Cride!”

Kitty opened her arms. Cride naturally jumped into her arms.

However, his vision was much higher than he had intended. Even his neck hurt.

“Cride Fowkstaine.”

Cride was surprised by the familiar voice and turned his head slightly. Jackal, who had come after hearing the news, was glaring at him fiercely while grabbing the back of Cride’s neck.

Cride felt a chill down his spine as if his ulterior motives had been discovered, but he bowed his head slightly. His body floating in the air swayed back and forth.

“Hello, Lord Jackal. I survived thanks to the head physicians you sent.”

“I’m glad you woke up. But…….”

Jackal grabbed Cride’s nape even tighter and threatened in a very small voice.

“If you act like a fox with my daughter, I’ll burn all your golden fur with candles.”