Capítulo 165: Chapter 165: Cat Lord Part 6
"Why goddess Liadel…?"
When I muttered that in confusion at the unexpected name, Kali who had been grooming his fur gave an unexpected response.
-Ah, once again, the goddess of luck has lent her aid.
"...Do you know her?"
-Liadel, she is our secret benefactor.
Liadel.
The goddess of art and luck.
Perhaps because she governs "luck", she has many nicknames like "goddess of gambling", "goddess of uncertainty", and "goddess of ecstasy".
I was already familiar with Liadel. Thanks to choosing the [Lucky One] trait, I'd been benefiting from her favor up until now.
Now, I finally understand why there was such suspicious wording in the quest.
An unnamed (for now) item from an unnamed (for now) benefactor
Liadel and Lausian were sworn enemies.
Of course.
How could the goddess of temperance and order possibly get along with the goddess of art and luck?
Gambling, uncertainty, ecstasy. These were all things Lausian would undoubtedly despise.
"A secret benefactor… could it be…?"
Even though they were special cats able to traverse the nine worlds, it couldn't have been easy for them to invade the realm of the gods. Furthermore, these guys were still kittens who had not yet fully grown, so it would have been even more difficult.
And yet, the kittens had stolen the goddess's quill from Lausian.
I kept wondering how that could have been possible, lingering doubt filling a corner of my mind…
"Liadel. Goddess of Fortune, could it be that you… brought these kittens…?"
Worried that Lausian might still be watching this place, I stopped myself from saying more and simply looked at the Key of Fortune.
-Hehe. We are beings who bring joy to the goddess Liadel. You should feel proud as well.
Everything became clear with Kali's words.
Liadel had brought a basket of kittens to the gods' domain to play, and while she was briefly distracted, the kittens must have stolen Lausian's quill and escaped. However, the Goddess Liadel was already on bad terms with Lausian and couldn't afford to let it be known that she had caused the whole ordeal, and so…
That's how all of this came to be.
The Key of Fortune sparkled under the light of the Milky Way. So, I was like a shrimp caught in a whale's fight, or rather, a Cat Lord caught in a clash between goddesses… Is that it?
Well, I suppose I should be glad I didn't get crushed completely. At least the reward turned out to be pretty decent. This Key of Fortune looks incredibly useful, after all…
The Key of Fortune was made of gold, adorned with a four-leaf clover-shaped decoration at the top crafted from emerald. Attached below it was a thin, small cylinder inscribed with intricate and complex characters, the kind only gods would use. Unlike a typical key, it didn't have grooves, but instead, five or six round gold beads were hanging from the cylinder and were spinning around it continuously.
It seemed that those gold beads could change shape to fit any keyhole.
I narrowed my eyes and carefully read the tiny, engraved characters. Even though I had never seen this language before, thanks to my [Polyglot] trait, I could understand it.
"Open."
The characters carried a meaning so simple and straightforward that it felt almost anticlimactic.
Should I call it confidence? In any case… it seemed to imply that it could open any door or treasure chest as long as there was a keyhole.
I thought of Heines' box, which I had taken from the top of Dihid's castle. It didn't seem like it could be opened through ordinary means, so I'd have to try using this key.
"A reward fitting of Liadel."
I carefully placed the Key of Fortune into my inner pocket. When I glanced around at the chaos surrounding me, Kali who had been grooming his messy fur for quite a while raised a paw and called out to me.
-You are quite clever.
"…What do you mean?"
-Since you told the goddess Lausian that you are the [Cat Lord], we have no choice but to accept you as the [Cat Lord]. Even though you haven't passed any trials, and don't even know your own 'roots'!
"I expected a thank you first, but this is just like cats… Kali, I'm the one who took the loss here. Thanks to me calling myself the [Cat Lord], I've ended up on the bad side of the goddess Lausian."
-Hmm, well…
"If I hadn't claimed to be the [Cat Lord], do you really think things would have turned out this well? You saw what the goddess Lausian is like, right? She was ready to roast not only you but also those nine little kittens without a shred of mercy."
-Hmm…
"The fact that we were able to calm down a goddess that furious is a miracle in itself. A miracle."
-…
"So, you should gratefully accept your new [Cat Lord]. Please."
Kali's tail swayed back and forth in discontent, but there wasn't anything wrong with what I said. Honestly, just the fact that I managed to save the kittens from the wrath of the goddess should be enough to prove I'm worthy of being the [Cat Lord]. Yes, without a doubt.
Now that everything's resolved, if I gain nine lives…
It would be sweet. Maybe not insanely sweet, but still sweet.
-…We'll need to prepare a ceremony to appoint the new lord.
Kali muttered wearily as he stroked his whiskers.
***
While the Cat Council prepared for the ceremony to appoint the new Cat Lord, I found myself overwhelmed by the relentless demands of the kittens, and working like crazy to make the "homemade churu". I ventured out to sea, caught dream tunas until my boat was nearly sinking, broke them down, minced, boiled, and mixed them, only for the kittens to devour everything in the blink of an eye, over and over again.
"…When is this ceremony supposed to start, anyway?"
I had been staring at the castle shaped like a cat tower when the sound of meowing beside me pulled me back. I stirred the pot of churu once again. The nine kittens surrounded me and the pot with their blue eyes sparkling.
– Meowwwwww
"Camellia!"
As I divided the churu onto plates, Camellia appeared. I threw down the ladle and apron I was holding and turned to ask him.
"Is it all ready?"
– Meoww
"Phew… Finally, I'm free from this churu slavery."
Camellia glanced up at me once before starting to lead the way as if telling me to follow. After quickly straightening my clothes, I followed him. The kittens who had devoured all the churu with their insatiable appetites trailed right behind me as well.
When I entered the castle, I was met with a scene far beyond my expectations. I had anticipated a mess of yarn and toy mice, but instead, various cats roamed among delicately carved marble pillars and rich red carpets laid across the floor. The grandeur and beauty rivaled the royal palace of Lysette.
– You've arrived.
Kali greeted me in front of a huge brown door.
– Everyone is waiting for you.
Cats that seemed to be servants busily moved around me while mumbling to themselves, "But there's no fur to groom, where should we even start?" After a bit of fumbling, they gave up and simply tidied my hair and clothes a little before disappearing.
I stepped beyond the red curtains with Kali by my side.
The Cat Council Hall was round, much like a colosseum. At the front entrance, nine seats of honor had been prepared, and on those seats sat nine cats of various colors and sizes. Surrounding them at a distance were countless other cats filling the hall. Meows and yowls echoed as the cats chattered noisily, but as soon as I entered, the noise ceased. I slowly walked toward the center of the hall, which had fallen silent in an instant.
Then from the center seat, a single old cat with long white fur and blue eyes rose. This cat who seemed to be the head of the Cat Council leaned on a bone-shaped staff and looked down at me before speaking in a surprisingly powerful voice.
– Fellow cats! After a long time, we are finally welcoming a new Cat Lord.
The cats, including myself, listened quietly as the council leader spoke.
– Though he is human, and there are countless ways in which he falls short compared to us…
Huh? Is he really dissing me like this, all of a sudden?
– He stood against the goddess to protect our future and will continue to elevate our status…
Yes, yes. You've got to mention the accomplishments. That's what matters. As I nodded my head in agreement, the nine giant kittens who had followed me nodded along as well. Right, it was worth protecting them after all!
– Theodore.
The leader of the council, with his long whiskers hanging down, extended a paw towards me. Something glittering slowly descended from above. On closer inspection, it was a crown shaped like fish bones made of gold.
– I hereby appoint you as the new Cat Lord.
The crown slowly descended and fit perfectly on my head. At the same time, the old brown cloak I had been wearing transformed into a sleek, black one that shimmered like a cat's fur. Could this be… an item? Checking its effects the moment I receive it would be too uncool, right? Suppressing the itch of curiosity, I maintained a serious expression and gave a slight nod to the feline council leader.
– Clap, clap, clap, clap!
– Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!!
Then, I heard the sound of applause. Thanks to their soft jelly pads, it sounded different from human applause. I waved slowly, making sure to acknowledge each of the cats filling the council hall.
-Congratulations.
Kali also clapped while looking at me, and the giant kittens rushed toward me, eager to pounce. Thankfully, before I was smothered under a pile of nine cats, Kali pulled me out.
"Hah, haha… Thank you."
-It's good that they like you.
"I'm not so sure about that."
Feels like they like the treats more than me. Ptui. I spat out the fur that had gotten into my mouth and asked Kali.
"…So, are you sending me back now?"
-Ah, yes, of course.
Kali who was stroking his whiskers revealed his gleaming claws and snapped his toes with a sharp click. At that moment, the portal I had seen before appeared once again.
– See you there, Cat Lord.
The portal, like the eyes of a cat, swallowed me whole. A feeling of drowsiness washed over me, no, it felt more like nausea, or perhaps the dizzying sensation of falling endlessly that was tearing apart both my body and mind.
– Crash!!!
I woke up with the sound of tumbling and started groaning in pain from the ache in my butt. It was a familiar ceiling.
"Master! Are you alright?"
I heard El's voice tinged with concern. Ouch, ouch. I rubbed my sore butt and climbed back onto the bed.
"I'm fine."
"Thank goodness. Please hold on just a little longer. I think we're almost at the village, I can see the lights!"
"Alright."
I replied in a dazed voice, still half-asleep, and stared blankly out the window. Reflected in the glass was my figure, draped in the sleek black cloak that shimmered like a cat's fur.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder