It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 90

I remembered what happened when I was doing odd jobs at Jerian’s food warehouse and receiving food rations.

One day, like any other, Jerian, who seemed to have nothing to fear in the world, frowned and scolded.

“What are those Night Cats dissatisfied with that they’re rebelling! Haven’t you found their base yet?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Damn it, hiding like rats……!”

Night Cats.

Jerian almost had a fit whenever that name came up in his subordinates’ reports.

Considering his usual relaxed demeanor, I, even as a child, could tell it was a rather excessive reaction.

After touching the jewel with my soft paws as Jerian ordered for a while, I went home and cautiously asked my mom.

“Mom, what are Night Cats?”

Then, my mom looked at me with a slightly surprised expression before lowering her voice and answering.

“They’re monsters that Jerian is afraid of. Soft Paws, do you remember what an oak tree is?”

“Ah, I know! The mother tree of acorns?”

“Yes. There’s a big oak tree upstream of the Meow River. The Night Cats live there.”

“Yaaawn…….”

“Remember this, Kitty.”

At the time, I was too young to understand how my mom knew the Night Cats’ hideout, which even Jerian didn’t know, and I fell asleep.

I woke up and completely forgot about it, never mentioning the Night Cats again.

Even after that, Jerian raged at the Night Cats’ actions, but he never asked me if I knew their whereabouts.

‘He probably wouldn’t have believed me even if I had said it was upstream of the Meow River.’

The upstream of the Meow River was a place where cats didn’t go because the terrain was rough and particularly barren.

My dad said it was always foggy and damp.

Among cats, it was a place to be avoided because there was a rumor that if you fell into the swamp there, your jelly beans [paw pads] would turn black.

‘I still don’t know how my mom knew their hideout…….’

Now that I’m an adult, I knew what Night Cats were and why Jerian was annoyed by the ‘Night Cats’.

An organization that dared to rebel against Jerian, who acted as the king of cats.

Brave cats who shouted that everything Jerian did was a trick to control the cats.

We had to use them.

“In the cat territory, there’s an organization called ‘Night Cats’ that rejects Jerian’s rule.”

After my family was massacred by Jerian, I received excessive education and support at the Gridwolf mansion and came up with several ways to avenge my enemies.

I started learning about the ‘Night Cats’ who opposed Jerian’s rule from around the age of ten.

It would be nice if I could take revenge entirely without anyone’s help, but I knew it was wise to get help.

It’s thanks to what Ethan taught me.

“If you want to strike an enemy, first join hands with the enemy of the enemy. That’s much more efficient.”

“But wouldn’t that be a little less cool?”

“Kitty. Revenge isn’t about being cool. Besides, your life is very precious.”

“I know. I won’t be affected by Blue Moon’s madness either.”

“Well, that’s true too.”

Join hands with the enemy of the enemy.

At those words, I thought of the Night Cats that Jerian shuddered at.

The fact that my mom told me about the Night Cats’ hideout, which even Jerian didn’t know, might have been for the future.

So now, I had to use that information.

“If you head to the cat territory, you’ll be able to contact them.”

“Are you talking about the organization that opposes Jerian’s rule?”

One of the guild leaders asked back. As they had been interacting with Jerian, they seemed to know a lot about the major events in the cat territory.

“Yes, that’s right. It would be difficult for wolf or dog beastmen to deeply infiltrate the cat territory, so I think it would be efficient to support those who want to drive out Jerian.”

“It’s not that we haven’t tried it. But we’ve failed every time.”

“Miss, the Night Cats don’t usually show themselves. Their base is not even known, so we can’t even contact them.”

“If it weren’t so, even Jerian wouldn’t have found them yet.”

Several guild leaders complained. It seemed they had the same thoughts as me many times.

If they only traded through Jerian, there would have been many frustrating points to please him, so they must have tried to get rid of him.

‘As expected, merchants are amazing.’

The difference between the guild leaders and me was that they didn’t know the Night Cats’ hideout, but I did.

“I know the hideout where they stayed about ten years ago.”

“Yes?”

At my words, the guild leaders’ eyes widened.

“I don’t know the details until I go there, but I think they’re still staying near there.”

“H-How do you know that?”

“Are they still staying there now?”

“Even if the Night Cats have moved their hideout now, I think the information will be useful.”

Cat beastmen were very sensitive to their territory. But if wolf and dog beastmen started investigating their old territory.

‘They’ll definitely try to find out what’s going on. Then we can convey our intentions.’

Anyway, the goal was to cooperate with the Night Cats to threaten Jerian’s position.

When I gave my opinion, the guild leaders whispered to each other for a while. It didn’t take long for them to stare at me with shining eyes.

“That’s a valid idea.”

“Besides, we have the Miss, so it will be much easier to talk to the cats.”

“That’s right. After all, we’re the same race.”

The guild leaders were already thinking of me and themselves as being on the same side. Haska wore a subtle smile as if he had noticed that fact.

“Miss. I should tell you this before it’s too late.”

“……?”

“The Gray Sleigh Merchant Guild is always recruiting new employees.”

“Ah.”

Instantly, I imagined my knitted scarf being sold at a large merchant guild, and the corners of my lips went up.

Even if my place to stay was decided, I couldn’t just play around for the rest of my life, so wouldn’t it be good to think about how to make money in advance?

As my eyes sparkled, Jackal and Karis, who were next to me, hugged my shoulders.

“Haska. Let’s focus on the matter we’re discussing now.”

“Agatha, merchant guild work is harder than you think. You have to leave home for a long time…….”

“But the members of the merchant guild will be a strong family, so you won’t be lonely.”

Somehow, the three of them ended up in a confrontational structure.

Pushed back by the eye fight of the big animals, I quietly picked up a piece of salmon jerky that came out as a side dish and ate it.

* * *

“Miss, you’re going to wear the dagger, right?”

“Yes! Persuasion is a precious gift from my brothers.”

I wore the dagger that Lena had cleaned and handed to me around my waist. She said she wanted to take care of my departure herself and came to my room early in the morning.

“Are you nervous?”

“A little…….”

I took a deep breath and looked into the full-length mirror.

Only the pigtails tied high so that I could turn around and hide even if cat ears suddenly popped out remained the same.

The me in the mirror had a slightly flushed face with half nervousness and half anticipation.

The cat territory was a little warmer than here, so I wore shorts and long boots instead of a fur coat.

When I put on Jackal’s fur cloak over it, I looked dignified enough to start a battle right away.

“If your deceased mother saw this, she would definitely think you grew up well.”

“……I hope so. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the cat territory.”

I moved to the display case in the room. I’ve grown this much, but the chrysanthemums in the display case were still the same.

‘Mom, Dad, Brother, Little Ones.’

I made eye contact with each flower. The feeling of my heart pounding at the fact that I was heading to the cat territory subsided a little.

‘I’m leaving for the Meow River soon.’

I was planning to head to the Meow River with Sir Elliot and Cleed. Several guild leaders were also included in the group.

Jackal was planning to occupy and threaten Jerian’s food warehouse with Haska.

He said that he would mobilize particularly strong wolf knights and take away any imitation Blue Moon [a dangerous substance] that was not supplied.

‘I have to get things done while Jackal is making Jerian sweat.’

Jackal was strong enough not to be affected by the imitation Blue Moon, but if Jerian took the risk and used the real Blue Moon, the cat territory would be devastated.

‘Not all knights are as strong as Jackal.’

Because of this, Jackal couldn’t directly attack the food warehouse and was only planning to threaten it from the outside.

I took a deep breath, then put my hand on the display case glass and muttered softly.

“I’ll be back.”

Only the glass plate was touching my hand, but it felt warm.

If conditions allowed, I definitely wanted to go to the place where my house was.

To the happy and warm home of our family.

The thought of the narrow but harmonious space made my eyes hot. I shook my head and took a firm step.

“Then I’ll be back!”

“Just a moment, Miss.”

Barniel grabbed me as I was about to leave. In her hand was the pocket watch that Ethan had given me before.

“Why don’t you take it with you?”

“But…….”

I looked back and forth between the pocket watch engraved with the Wibiskas crest and the clock in my room.

The clock that Ethan gave me didn’t tell the time at all. I tried to reset it, but it went back to the wrong time several times.

The indifferent wolf might have given me a broken gift. Nevertheless, I reached out and took the pocket watch into my arms.

‘Because it’s Ethan’s gift.’

If I carry this with me, maybe I can act rationally like Ethan always does.

I looked around again to see if I had left anything out, then left the room.

Sir Elliot was waiting in front of the room, instead of Cleed, who was busy moving the fox squad members.

“Whose disciple is so admirable.”

“The disciple resembles the master.”

Sir Elliot smiled coolly and led me downstairs. Many wolves in combat uniforms were there.

The merchants belonging to the guild were also waiting together in full preparation.

“Is everyone here?”

“No. There’s one more special unit that Forward Commander has additionally deployed.”

“Special unit?”

“Yes. It was urgently decided to support the Miss.”

Sir Elliot smiled meaningfully as he looked at my surprised face.

“They must have left the central training center by now.”