It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 95

<95>

“Awoo-!”

The wolves’ threatening howls echoed, their voices reverberating like thunder within the food storage, now completely surrounded.

The cat demi-humans hired to attend to Jerian could only shrink back, their eyes darting nervously around.

“Krrr…”

When Jackal Gridwolf, who had brought this massive pack, lowered his voice, some of the cat demi-humans froze, paralyzed with fear.

Jerian, too, stiffened at the thunderous threat that seemed to shake the very air.

“Damn it…”

He scratched at the armrest of his chair with thick, coarse nails, adding to the many scratch marks already there.

It was a nervous habit, one he’d indulged in ever since the wolves had surrounded the food storage.

Jerian rubbed his hollow eyes, sleep having eluded him for days. The bright, sparkling eyes characteristic of cats had long since faded.

“Jerian, Jackal Gridwolf has delivered an ultimatum,” a cat demi-human working in the food storage reported urgently. Jerian snapped irritably.

“Is there anyone here who *can’t* hear that Jackal bastard’s howling?”

“S-sorry…”

“Shut up! As long as I have the Blue Moon, wolves without immunity can’t enter the food storage!”

“But the imitation Blue Moon used earlier seemed to hold out better than before.”

“Quiet! Do you think the power of the real thing is the same as a fake? Get out, now!”

Jerian clutched a small pouch made from clumps of his own fur. Inside was the real Blue Moon, stolen from those foolish leopards.

No matter how strong the elite soldiers were, they were all equally helpless before the madness induced by the Blue Moon [a gem that emits a mind-altering aura].

Knowing this, Jackal was content to lay siege, refraining from attacking the building’s interior directly.

‘But the imitation Blue Moon seemed to provide more immunity than before,’ Jerian mused, stroking the gem, wondering how the wolves had developed resistance to its effects.

‘If they knew I had this, I thought they would protect me to the end.’

With no news from Sigma, or even Delta Leopard, it seemed they had decided to abandon the cats.

Jerian thought he knew why they had suddenly turned their backs on him.

‘Have they found a way to control other demi-humans without using me, now that they’re immune to the Blue Moon’s influence?’

Personally, he didn’t like her very much, but Sigma was an excellent researcher.

If she had been allowed to research to her heart’s content with Delta’s support, she would surely have achieved the desired results.

For example, using bear demi-humans who had been with the relics for a long time.

‘Sigma and Delta infiltrated the wolf territory, targeting Katrina Polly.’

It was Sigma who told Jerian this.

After the New Year’s raid, she had come to him, diligently scraping together the imitation Blue Moon, and said.

“Bear fur is a bit stiff. Malrangson’s fur was so soft it would flutter…”

Her slightly regretful voice was annoying, but he was able to confirm that the leopards had secured Katrina’s hair.

‘The problem is that was my last contact with Sigma.’

Fighting the wolves without the support of the leopards was madness.

‘Now that the relationship is completely broken, it’s every cat for himself.’

Jerian stared out the window at Jackal, who boasted a fearsome physique.

In his wolf form, he glared menacingly around with golden eyes and howled.

The cats had already sensed the difference in power and lost their will to fight. Jerian counted the number of cats remaining in the food storage.

‘Can they buy me enough time to escape?’

The cats would understand the leader’s intention to achieve great things and accept the sacrifice reverently. He had no intention of giving them a choice in the first place.

‘It is an honor for the cats that I, who inherited the power of Icarus [a mythical figure known for his hubris], survive safely.’

Weak animals always prepare to flee. Jerian had secured an escape route long before Jackal arrived.

The research results obtained by grinding down foxes had also been 미리 빼돌려 두었다 [secretly diverted and hidden away beforehand].

“If I’m easily cornered, how can I be a cat?”

Jerian smirked bitterly, clutching the Blue Moon he had been fiddling with.

* * *

“Then I’ll be off, Master.”

“Miss, please come back safely. If that old woman’s stated time passes, I will go looking for you immediately.”

Sir Elliot glared slightly at Nero and earnestly asked me. As time was already considerably delayed, I set off immediately.

“Thank you for believing in me, Sir Elliot!”

Catherine took care of Ethan as Sir Elliot had done for me, even fixing his crooked tie before patting him on the shoulder.

For an aide in a tense situation, the familiarity was considerable.

“What’s between those two?”

Kleed whispered in my ear as if reading my thoughts. His sly voice tickled my ear.

“Miss, it seems that Ethan is quite close with that lanky wolf.”

“……”

“I wish they would separate public and private matters, given the situation.”

Although the content was clearly grumbling, Kleed wore a satisfied smile, like someone who had witnessed a juicy piece of gossip.

…Even I think their relationship seems a little more intimate than just superior and subordinate.

I held back the pout that was about to form. I could feel the second hand of the pocket watch ticking in my pocket.

Although the time was wrong, it was moving once every second, so there were no problems with the power.

“Let’s go, Kleed.”

Ethan would follow on his own.

The mountainous terrain made traveling on two legs the fastest option. I grabbed my bow and started running towards the target point.

As Kleed followed immediately, Ethan also left Catherine behind and joined us.

“Are you going to leave me behind?”

Even while running, my ears clearly caught Ethan’s indifferent and mischievous voice. Before I could even finish my thought, a sulky answer popped out.

“I thought you knew the way. You usually like to act alone, don’t you?”

“Not when I’m with you. Especially not when you’re giving off that fox scent.”

“Miss, does the wolf not know that the fox is listening next to him?”

Kleed didn’t miss the opportunity to interject.

Being caught between the growling two was reassuring, but also a little burdensome.

‘They must have energy to spare, being able to argue even while running.’

I sighed deeply and focused only on the target point.

Although I didn’t have the stamina of a fox or a wolf, I was able to arrive faster than expected by taking breaths in between.

‘That’s strange. There’s more time than I thought.’

I became anxious, not thinking that Nero would give me such an easy test.

Could there be something else hidden?

Before long, the two, who had far superior senses than me, began to look around as if they had smelled something.

Ethan turned first.

“Kitty, I smell something over there.”

“What kind of smell?”

“A cat demi-human smell.”

“……”

Could it be that the cat demi-humans are what Jerian hid in the cave?

Kleed and Ethan continued to walk, focusing on their sense of smell.

I muffled my footsteps and followed behind Ethan, adding with some trepidation.

“Cat demi-humans are very clean. It’s just that the situation isn’t good right now.”

“I know. It’s just that I’m a wolf, so I’m sensitive to the smell of other races.”

“……Do I smell like a cat too?”

When I asked cautiously, Ethan stared at me intently before saying in a very small voice.

“You smell like sweet chocolate cookies.”

“……”

I felt a little strange hearing Ethan’s answer. I didn’t expect Ethan to remember what I smelled like…….

I 괜히 [unnecessarily] brought my hair under my nose and sniffed.

Kleed, who was walking side by side, looked at me and made a face as if he understood.

“Come to think of it, when you were little, you liked to take naps inside the cookie jar.”

“Ah……”

My cheeks flushed when the story of my childhood came up.

“Back then, I was small enough to take naps anywhere.”

“And maybe eat a few while sleeping?”

Ethan added with a smirk.

I remembered the time when Ethan found me asleep in the jar while eating cookies and patted off the cookie crumbs.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I glared at Kleed.

“Kleed, why are you suddenly bringing that up?”

“Well……”

He smiled, gently taking my hand.

“I wanted to say that I know you smell like sweet chocolate cookies too.”

“……”

“Watch your step.”

As Kleed spoke kindly, Ethan frowned. The gazes of the two people met with a different feeling than before, then fell away.

Even I, who am not perceptive, could tell that the atmosphere had become a little strange.

How much further did we walk in silence?

“It’s here.”

Ethan suddenly stopped walking and turned around to hold me so I wouldn’t stumble.

Suddenly, I was hugged tightly in his box-like arms, just like on the balcony. A cool and clean scent wafted over me.

“Ethan?”

“Don’t move, Kitty, there’s security magic.”

“……”

I looked at Kleed for confirmation. He immediately snapped his fingers and released his magic widely.

As his magic spread out like fog, the red magic circles that had been invisible until just now began to appear one after another.

There were more than one or two things that could be seen with the naked eye. I recalled what I had learned and calculated the time it would take to 解除 [release/disarm] the security magic.

“Kleed, will two hours be enough? Will it be difficult?”

“Originally, it would take about two hours to 解除 [release/disarm] the magic circle, but since you’re in the arms of a black wolf, I’ll have to hurry.”

‘As if you wouldn’t,’ Ethan retorted silently, then looked around, a little surprised.

Swoosh-

It was because Kleed had drawn the sword from his waist and cut down all the security magic at once.

“Kleed!”

As I opened my eyes wide in surprise, Kleed shrugged and put his sword away.

“It seems that the power of the Miss inside me is getting stronger and stronger.”

It seemed that his mana core was getting closer to completion.

As I smiled brightly at the good news, Ethan picked me up.

“It seems there’s something even more amazing inside, so let’s go in quickly.”