It was still early, not even nine o’clock.
There weren’t many people in the restaurant. A few employees and cooks were gathered behind the reception desk whispering gossip, while a team of adventurers who had been drinking all night snored at a table.
As Vyea stepped into the establishment, she caught a faint whiff of wine. The bluestone floor beneath her feet had been scrubbed clean, and walking on it felt smooth.
‘So this is where that pig brought my daughter to steal things.’
“Break it up, break it up! Stop chatting, a customer is here. Back to work!”
Behind the reception desk, a dazed waiter rose from his seat. He walked toward Vyea, who was looking around the entrance as if searching for something.
“Young Lady, it’s still a bit early for lunch. If you’d like to eat something, you might have to wait a while.”
Vyea hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “Uh… I’m actually not here for a meal.”
“Haha, that’s fine too. If you just want to rest for a bit, you’re welcome to sit anywhere.” The waiter was quite observant. Although he hadn’t seen her before, the girl’s temperament and appearance clearly weren’t something an ordinary family could cultivate. Since it wasn’t peak hours yet, letting her rest in the shop was no issue.
“I heard a black cat appeared in your restaurant recently to steal things. Did you record what that cat looks like?” Vyea’s emerald-like eyes stared at the waiter. She didn’t find a place to sit and rest, asking softly, “I have a cat that ran away, and I’m looking for her.”
“Looking for a cat…”
The waiter froze for a moment and swallowed hard. He remembered the bounty order that had been the talk of the town lately.
A high-ranking Noble from the Capital had reported a lost cat in the vicinity of Fengxiang Town. The Noble was supposedly heartbroken and couldn’t eat or sleep. Consequently, they had mobilized their influence, reaching across thousands of miles from the Capital to enlist all of Fengxiang Town’s power to help find the cat in the shortest time possible.
‘Wait…’
‘That cat that hits people… It couldn’t really be the one from the Bounty Order, could it?’
The waiter felt a surge of anxiety as he recalled the secret trap they were currently planning: using Poisoned Dried Fish to lure and capture the violent cat.
“So the Bounty Order in the city was issued by you, Miss?” The waiter wiped the sweat from his forehead and said flatteringly, “That cat of yours is truly clever. It specifically picks the most expensive fish in our shop to eat, and it even takes some to go.”
‘It seems with that cat by her side, my daughter won’t starve in the Kingdom of Humanity.’
‘Having to leave the Demon King City where she lived since birth to lead a life of hiding in the Kingdom of Humanity… it can’t be easy.’
Vyea sighed inwardly. She neither confirmed nor denied the waiter’s words as she walked toward the kitchen, continuing her questioning.
“How much did they eat? Write a list for me later, and I’ll settle the bill.”
“That’s quite embarrassing.” The waiter scratched his head, sounding awkward. “Moreover, your cat also stole… uh, no, I mean, besides our restaurant, it also ate at other establishments. If you’re settling all the debts, it might take some time.”
“It’s fine, that’s nothing. Once you’ve tallied it all up, just send the bill directly to St. Katale Monastery.”
Vyea didn’t want to trouble the monastery, but she really didn’t have much money on her.
In the past, when she was in the Forest of Magic Creatures, she would occasionally hunt some demon materials and sneak into the city to sell them.
However, over the last few years, she had been living aimlessly, taking it one day at a time. Her money had long since been spent entirely, leaving her with no savings.
‘It seems I’ll have to find a way to make some money later.’
‘And stop drinking.’
Making a firm resolution and feeling more hopeful about the future, Vyea followed the waiter to the back kitchen. The cooks stood there whispering, curiously peeking at Vyea, the owner of the black cat.
“Last night, it was right here that the chef and your cat had a friendly exchange.” The waiter spoke, then sighed. “As a large restaurant, we originally had a Monitoring Tool, but the one in our shop was also destroyed by your cat.”
Vyea frowned for a moment before her expression softened. “Put those on the bill as well. Send it to the monastery, and they’ll send someone over to verify it.”
“By the way, where is your restaurant’s owner?” Vyea suddenly asked.
“The owner doesn’t usually come to the shop, only when something major happens. We only see them a few times a year,” a cook wearing a blue bandana added. “Oh, right, several of the restaurants on this street are owned by our Master.”
Vyea conducted a careful search of the back kitchen, but unfortunately, she found no trace left by that cat.
It seemed the trail had gone cold for now. She didn’t know if they would return to steal food again tonight.
If they did, things would be easy.
But if they didn’t, it would be a problem.
Vyea thought worriedly. The black cat had brought the Little Demon King to the human race’s territory to escape the assassination attempt by the Spider Demon King. However, news of the Demon King’s death had already spread among the humans.
Once the black cat learned that the biggest threat had vanished, would she take the Little Demon King back to the Demon King City?
If they ran away, they would be hard to find later.
‘I need to seize the time. I can’t let them escape Fengxiang Town.’
‘In a bit, I’ll find a way to ask the Order and the City Lord’s Mansion to place the exits of Fengxiang Town under martial law. Then I’ll hire some adventurers skilled in tracking cats to help.’
With that thought, Vyea asked the waiter and the cooks a few more questions. After confirming that it had been less than twelve hours since the black cat stole the food yesterday, she prepared to leave in a hurry to enlist the Order’s help for the next step of her plan.
The waiter could see that Vyea was in no mood to linger. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, bowing and scraping as he jogged over to see her out.
“Miss, please take care. We look forward to your next visit!”
Vyea nodded slightly. Just as she turned around, a loud crash echoed from the entrance!
*Crash!*
Everyone in the restaurant was startled. The waiter’s face changed drastically. An adventurer, reeking of alcohol, stood there with a flushed face and yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Quick! Catch that damn crazy cat! It burned my beard!”
“Sir, please calm down! That cat is very valuable!” the waiter said urgently.
The adventurer roared, “Just a damn beast! Can it be more valuable than a Gold-rank Adventurer like me?! Die! Just die!”
*Bang!*
Seeing the adventurer start using a chair to beat the “precious” cat, the waiter’s face turned red and white in turns. Ignoring Vyea, who was still standing nearby, he threw his hands up and ran over to stop him.
The cooks who heard the commotion also rushed out from the back kitchen. They ignored Vyea, who looked like a weak Noble Lady, and rolled up their sleeves to rush into the fray.
*Thud!*
The chaos didn’t last long. Once she confirmed the black cat was indeed Herkate, Vyea acted decisively. She reached out and grabbed the back of the cat’s neck, lifting her up. Herkate’s four limbs hung limply in the air, swaying.
The messy scene immediately quieted down. The waiter and the cooks looked at each other in surprise, not expecting this delicate Noble Lady to be so skilled.
*Meow.*
The black cat turned her head and licked the back of Vyea’s hand in a fawning manner. Her deep crimson eyes were filled with moisture, and a playful voice rang in Vyea’s heart.
‘Master, long time no see. There is a child outside who doesn’t dare come in. Should I take you over to see her?’
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