NOVEL WEB Chapter 83.2
A Lost Kitten, Guardians, And Its Finder?
Rooks gently bounced in place, careful not to wake the kitten as he moved. Why he had taken such a liking to the kitten was beyond their understanding. Only Aroru had a hint—perhaps Rooks saw something of himself in the rare kitten, a kind of kindred spirit. She prayed her guess was wrong.
When they reached the guild, Licht handled the reception to avoid causing a scene, securing a private room for them. The kids surrounded Rooks to keep the kitten out of sight, hoping to avoid any unnecessary attention. They were not in the mood for any more trouble.
In the private room, two young werecats—still likely considered youths—were waiting. One was a sleek black-furred female, and the other, a tall, slim male with rich brown fur. Yuuri and Camille were somewhat awestruck at seeing werecats for the first time. At that moment, Rooks stepped forward and presented the kitten resting atop his head to the two. The kitten, of course, was sound asleep.
“Young Master!”
“Sir?!”
“…Huh?”
The pair’s immediate reaction upon seeing the kitten atop Rooks’s head was one of pure relief. They dropped to a crouch before Rooks, practically ready to kneel, bowing over the sleeping kitten. The words that tumbled from their mouths left the four companions dumbfounded. Yuuri, Camille, Rooks, and Licht exchanged glances and collectively sighed. Another trouble inbound—hooray.
Cradled in the arms of the black-furred woman, the kitten murmured faintly in its sleep, though there was no sign it planned to wake. Meanwhile, the brown-furred youth lowered his head to Yuuri and the others in gratitude. His gestures were refined, giving Yuuri the impression of a knight—there was an undeniable sense of grace about him.
“Is this the one you were searching for?”
“Yes, without a doubt. I didn’t expect you to find him so quickly. I am truly grateful.”
“No need. Actually, these kids found him collapsed from hunger.”
“Is that so? We owe you our deepest thanks.”
The brown-furred youth smiled gently, and Yuuri and his friends nodded in acknowledgment, leaving it at that. Licht, ever the adult, tactfully ignored the earlier remarks like “Young Master” and “Sir.” Deciding to follow his lead, the kids chose to keep the kitten’s true identity as a “royal werecat” under wraps. Trouble wasn’t welcome here.
As the two werecats prepared to leave with the kitten, Yuuri, and the others saw them off. However, just as they were about to part ways, the kitten—who had been sound asleep—suddenly opened its eyes with a soft blink.
Its bright ice-blue gaze widened as it took in the werecats holding it, then shifted to the group seeing it off.
And then—
“Mewww!”
“Wha—Young Master?!”
“Sir, what’s the matter?”
“Myaa! Myaa!”
The kitten squirmed frantically, kicking and struggling for some reason. Rooks bounced lightly in place, observing the kitten’s behavior. Before anyone could react, the kitten leapt from the werecats’s arms and landed on the ground—only to be effortlessly caught by Rooks. The capable slime was as reliable as ever.
Still perched on Rooks, the kitten stared straight up at Yuuri, meowing persistently.
“Uh… Could you translate that for us?”
“Apologies. It seems the meal you provided was… exceptionally to his liking.”
“Hmm. It’s probably just that he was starving, so everything tasted good.”
Yuuri tilted his head at the black-furred woman’s explanation. After all, what they gave the kitten was just a simple dish of rice with bonito flakes—hardly anything fancy. It was undoubtedly hunger that had enhanced the taste.
The black-furred woman, looking somewhat apologetic, added.
“He enjoyed it so much that he wishes for you to accompany us to our village.”
“…Huh?”
“Denied!”
“Rejected!”
“Kyuu!”
“Mewww!”
Camille and Aroru interrupted immediately, followed by Rooks bouncing defensively. While Licht remained silent, he subtly shifted his position to shield Yuuri. Meanwhile, Rooks flung the kitten back toward the werecats as if to say, He’s not going anywhere with you.
The kitten protested noisily, but the two werecats bowed their heads, treating the children’s reaction as if it were mere childish nonsense. Despite the kitten swatting playfully at the brown-furred youth’s face, the youth paid it no mind—kitten punches weren’t exactly painful.
Yuuri gave the kitten a small smile, patting its head as he spoke. Meanwhile, Camille and Aroru clung tightly to the hem of Yuuri’s shirt, clearly signaling, You’re not taking him.
“Look, I’ve got a home in this town, so I can’t go with you.”
“Mew…”
“But I’ll be here, so come visit anytime, okay?”
“Mew?”
“And next time, come with an adult, all right? No sneaking off on your own.”
“Mew!”
The kitten’s eyes lit up as if thinking, Why didn’t I think of that? It nodded eagerly and turned to the two werecats, practically radiating, I can come back, right? The pair exchanged amused smiles and gave a small nod.
“As long as you don’t sneak off without us again.”
“Yes, Young Master. Only if we come together.”
“Mew!”
The kitten gave a triumphant meow, seemingly declaring, Got it! Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Finally, it seemed this whole ordeal was coming to an end. The werecats departed with the kitten in tow, and Yuuri and the others returned to their hideout.
…A few days later, however, a letter arrived from the werecats’ village expressing heartfelt gratitude for “safeguarding the future generation.” And with that, Yuuri and the others were left utterly frozen in shock.