No matter how quick a cat’s reflexes are, it’s difficult to react to an unexpected ambush.
However, the leader of a beast pack must be able to handle unforeseen situations.
Jjakuni swiftly leaped, twisting her body mid-air.
But even evading has its limits.
“You…!”
Jjaknuni let out a fierce cry and collapsed.
A wound slashed across her flank.
It was a wound that couldn’t be ignored.
Without treatment, it was certain she would die from infection.
“I had my doubts, but I didn’t think you’d actually succeed.”
Geomdungi smiled regretfully, extending his blood-stained claws toward Jjaknuni.
The distance wasn’t far.
Frustrated as she was, Jjaknuni couldn’t move.
‘The wound… it hurts!’
The claws had torn through her skin, reaching deep inside. Unbearable pain and a searing heat consumed her body.
Effectively, as a stray cat, her fate was sealed.
If she moved, the wound would worsen; if she didn’t, Geomdungi would kill her.
Trapped in this dilemma, Jjaknuni gritted her teeth and glared at Geomdungi.
“You despicable scoundrel…!”
Mocking her, screams echoed from all directions.
Of course, they were from Jjaknuni’s subordinates who had been ambushed.
Though unfamiliar screams were mixed in, the reality remained that her subordinates’ cries were louder and more numerous.
‘Like this…’
To think they would stab her in the back like this…!
Despite Jjaknuni’s anguished outcry, Geomdungi looked at her with indifference.
“Those who aren’t despicable end up lying cold on the ground.”
At least, that’s how the world he knew worked.
To protect their territory and lead their pack, a leader must be more ruthless than anyone.
“Do you think you’ll get away with this?”
“That’s none of your concern. You’ll die here.”
Geomdungi’s blood-stained claws glinted ominously under the moonlight.
Even if left alone, she would die, but it’s only proper to see it through to the end.
“I’ll make it quick.”
Having made up his mind, Geomdungi slowly raised his front paw.
[Dammit! Why isn’t there any popcorn here!]
Geomdungi’s paw came down like a guillotine.
“…You’re here.”
“Yeah, I am.”
The once noisy garbage dump had fallen silent.
Half the cats that had claimed this territory were either dead or had fled.
After confirming the situation was over, I approached Geomdungi.
Perhaps moved by the end of a long-standing rivalry, Geomdungi quietly looked down at Jjaknuni’s body.
“It seems things have settled down.”
“I didn’t think it would end so easily.”
Geomdungi spoke in a genuinely indifferent tone.
Understandable.
Who would have expected such an ending?
A cat mimicking human speech to create chaos, and within that chaos, quietly cutting off the breath of silence.
“Nothing is as terrifying as an unexpected ambush.”
An attack at an unexpected time is the most frightening thing.
Especially in the wild.
“What about the others…”
“Only a few enemies are unharmed.”
I turned my gaze to the cats gathering around Geomdungi.
Some were unscathed, but others bore noticeable injuries.
“With this, they won’t last long.”
“It’s common.”
“True.”
How many cats in the wild live out their full lifespan?
Most don’t even reach half their potential lifespan, succumbing to disease, festering wounds, or being killed.
Wild beasts all have claws enchanted with germs.
Well, in any situation, if a priest uses healing magic, they might survive…
But what crazy priest would use healing magic on a cat?
Healing magic is scarce even for humans; using it on animals would surely draw criticism.
Only a royal family’s pampered house cat might enjoy such luxury.
And even then, it’s a miracle if they’re not abandoned when they get sick.
“In this state, even if we go in, we’ll likely be driven out. Are you okay with that?”
“At least the garbage dump is entirely ours now, so it’s not a loss.”
“Cold-hearted.”
“A leader must always be cold-hearted.”
Not a wrong statement.
“Well, anyway, our deal ends here. I’m going in, and you should get yourselves together before coming. In your current state, you’ll probably be driven out.”
“Let’s do that.”
There’s nothing more for me to do outside.
If I were to actively intervene in the original story, there’d be a lot to do, but I plan to just observe as much as possible.
If I intervene and cause a butterfly effect, it’s hard to predict what might happen.
“Then I’ll be going—”
“W-wait!”
Just as I was about to enter the hole leading to the academy, a familiar voice stopped me.
“What, you’re still here?”
I glared at the uninvited guest who suddenly joined the conversation.
Perhaps intimidated by my gaze, the cowering creature gathered its courage and approached me, shouting.
“T-take me with you!”
“Why should I?”
“I… I might die if I’m left alone!”
“Then die.”
“That’s so mean…”
The brown-furred cat slumped down, making a pitiful face.
This guy, who had charged at me during our first meeting, was now playing the victim.
Considering whether to strike him a few times for his audacity, I sighed and turned away.
No need to waste my precious front paws on such a creature.
“P-please… I don’t want to die…”
“Geomdungi, handle that brown fur.”
“No, take him with you.”
“What?”
What nonsense is this guy spouting now?
“We need a liaison between us, don’t we?”
“Have your subordinates do it.”
“As you can see, my subordinates aren’t in great shape. Even the healthy ones have kittens to care for.”
There were kittens too?
Well, that changes things.
Raising kittens takes a lot of effort.
“Then see you later.”
“W-wait, take me with you!”
I stuck my head into the hole.
It’s disgustingly spacious.
That was my first thought upon entering the academy.
“T-this is… where the shiny humans live!”
“Shut up, man.”
Who’s shouting in the middle of the night?
“Ouch…”
“Humans are different from us; they sleep when it’s dark. Never make noise when it’s dark.”
If cats keep meowing every night, they’ll surely find and kill us.
This is the academy, where there’s no blood or tears.
Just a bunch of immature brats gathered together!
“O-okay…”
I walked around the academy’s outskirts with the brown-furred cat.
This disgustingly large academy would take tens of thousands of cat steps to cross from one end to the other.
Of course, I had no intention of going that far.
My destination was about two hours’ walk from here.
If I was going in the right direction, that is.
Sigh.
If only the North Star were visible here, I could find my way easily.
“W-where are we going, Nain?”
“Somewhere to bury you.”
“P-please, spare me!”
“Just kidding, you idiot. We need to prepare to make the humans give us food.”
“Prepare?”
“Look at yourself.”
Spots of dirt all over.
Fur sticking out in all directions.
The nauseating stench of garbage that could be smelled from afar.
A used rag would smell better than this.
Approaching humans in this state?
Getting kicked would be a blessing; getting hit by magic and burning to death would be the norm.
I, too, had become dirty from rolling around the garbage dump and doing all sorts of crazy things, so I needed to prepare before morning.
“We need to clean ourselves up.”
“Can’t we just lick ourselves clean?”
“Idiot. You think licking will clean you after rolling in the garbage dump?”
This is why cats are hopeless.
Licking is fine to a certain extent, but thinking you can clean yourself after being in a garbage dump by licking?
This is why they don’t live out their full lifespans.
In this day and age, even cats need to pursue cleanliness.
“Then how do we clean ourselves?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
If I explain, he might run away, so it’s better to just take him.
“Now, shut up.”
“Okay…”
I walked through the moonlit gardens of the Pelisek Academy with the now noticeably quiet cat.
Flower buds slowly emerging as winter ended and spring began, neatly trimmed bushes.
And…
“W-why do humans keep such dangerous things at home?!”
“Shut up. And we need to go in there, so stop talking nonsense and get ready.”
“What? Going in there will kill us!”
Sigh.
I smacked the back of the brown-furred cat’s head as he tried to back away and repeated.
“To get rid of the smell, we need to wash in water.”
“H-how…!”
“If you don’t go in, I’ll throw you to the humans to be eaten.”
“O-okay… I’ll go in…”
With teary eyes, the brown-furred cat hesitantly walked to the fountain in the center of the garden.
He tapped the water with his front paw, then looked at me and said.
“C-can’t we not go in?”
“No.”
Sigh, do I have to show the skills of a seasoned trainer?
I immediately leaped into the fountain.