Chapter 51: The Grey Cat

Warm beams of light passed through the thin curtain on the window frame, casting bright spots on the wide desk… The light danced among some scattered tiny crystals, bringing out a rainbow glow…

Constantine casually picked up one of the sparkling crystals and inserted it into the tip of a thin, short metal rod he held in his right hand. Then, he pinched this strange blade-like tool and slowly moved the diamond across the surface of the Bequli Gem. The tiny diamond fragment produced a faint squeaking sound. With the subtle movements of his fingers, a fine scratch appeared on the gemstone that radiated a faint blue-green glow. The boy’s knuckles were prominent, and his skin looked somewhat pale, clearly showing he was using considerable effort. Even so, each movement of his fingers only deepened the scratch a tiny bit.

After several repetitions, a short, twisted symbol finally reached an appropriate depth, though in reality it was only as thick as a strand of hair… The boy’s hand holding the gem trembled slightly. A faint, visible ripple formed in the air and then slowly spread into the gem’s surface. The gem’s luster shifted for a moment before disappearing entirely. Now, the surface of this small gemstone was covered with hundreds of such fine scratches.

“This damn job is exhausting!” The boy tossed the gemstone and engraving tool aside, let out a long sigh, flexed his pale fingers, and muttered a complaint.

“You should feel lucky. As a vessel for a soul, the hardness of the Bequli Gem has allowed this Magic Circle to be greatly simplified! Therefore, it requires relatively less Mental Power! If it were a piece of inferior smoky quartz, with your ability, you wouldn’t be able to complete the engraving at all!” Although the Duke’s Mansion’s spacious study was empty, the boy wasn’t talking to himself. The moment his words fell, Hartdiel’s flat, emotionless tone echoed in the boy’s ears.

“Nonsense, I’m talking about this damn hardness! How is the molecular structure of this Bequli Gem even made? It’s barely softer than a diamond? No wonder you had me get a bag of diamond fragments from Vernal! And also, the Magic Circle you showed me at the beginning wasn’t like this! I remember it being much simpler than this! Didn’t you say it was simplified? Why are there still so many twists and turns?” Constantine impatiently removed the crystal lens hanging over his left eye, stood up, and walked to the window.

Long periods of simple, repetitive work really harmed one’s vision—although he knew ways to correct his eyesight, over a decade of wearing glasses had long since made him tired of such things.

“Like the spells you learn, these symbols are meant to connect to the corresponding magical energy within the Weave of Magic. And the function of a Magic Circle is determined by the amount, type, and order of the energy gathered this way. I am not an Alchemist, so I could only make rough changes to these symbols. However, I also added some new structures so I can use some new abilities through it… Otherwise, only being able to see scenery and use the Soul Channel wouldn’t offer much ability to deal with complex situations… After all, you refuse to become me, so I cannot use my power. And before your Pact with me is fulfilled, I don’t have the ability to find a new body either.”

The Lich complained in its usual, somewhat long-winded manner, but this made the boy think of something else.

“So there must be many combinations of Magic Arrays? And they can have many different effects?”

“Of course. There are hundreds of recorded magical materials, and the layers and schools of the Weave of Magic that can be connected number around seventy or eighty, some even including various Divine Powers. Add to that the incantations controlling energy amount, flow direction, and duration, and the number of combinations is endless. The existing Magic Circles are all summarized by predecessors based on countless failures.”

“Then, do you know how to draw a simpler one, a Magic Array that can make something spin?”

“The few Magic Arrays I know are all related to soul vessels. After all, Alchemy isn’t my specialty. However, I think that fellow named Vernal must be very familiar with this point.”

Constantine became excited. It suddenly occurred to him that if he could create a rotating Magic Array, it would solve many problems—with a simple transmission system, he could make something like a vehicle… In fact, adding a propeller and wings wouldn’t make it too hard to build an airplane. If that didn’t work, he still had things like airships as backup options… This idea undoubtedly made him quite agitated. Although he could cast a Flight Spell after mastering Magic in the future, that would still require improving his own abilities first. And the role an airplane could play in this era was not just ordinarily powerful.

If only the environment were a bit quieter…

Peering through the thin curtain on the window, the boy’s gaze swept over the two Paladins moving back and forth expressionlessly in the courtyard. He shook his head with some irony—several days had passed. Although the Curse on him had worn off by about half, the Temple of the Three Gods’ arrest operation was reportedly encountering difficulties. Even though strange occurrences still happened near the Duke’s Mansion, that damned gay Vampire seemed to have vanished into thin air. “I wonder if it’s because of many years of peace that the Temple’s Paladins have become somewhat slow?…”

“They weren’t just slow now… Those guys have always been idiots who only wear shiny Armor and shout doctrines to catch noble ladies’ eyes…” As a creature of Darkness, the Lich would never miss any chance to slander the servants of the Three Gods.

But Constantine wasn’t interested in continuing this topic with him. His thoughts turned more towards that other Undead.

“I’ll be back…” This was a rather familiar line… In the countless films and TV shows Constantine remembered, minor goons destined to be less important than extras often used this line. But we know there are exceptions to everything… For example, that strong and tough monster of a metal skeleton wrapped in living cells also loved this line… And it undoubtedly belonged to the boss-level category.

What gave the boy a headache now was that the guy who had said this line to him seemed to fit the latter category too.

“It’s not thieves stealing that you should fear, it’s thieves thinking about you…” Constantine shook his head and smiled wryly.

Then, the boy’s attention was suddenly caught by a shadow on the window frame… A blue-grey cat had climbed onto the windowsill at some point. Its velvet-like, glossy fur shimmered in the sunlight, but its gold-and-silver eyes fixed tightly on the young noble. The boy reached out, rubbed the cat’s ears, and casually scratched its chin. Aside from some magically mutated variants, things like cats, dogs, and Horses in this world were no different from what Constantine remembered, though perhaps some individual breeds were stronger.

But then his brow furrowed. For some reason, when his eyes met those narrow, animal eyes, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart. Those jade-green eyes seemed to sparkle with… an unusual spark of intelligence?

“Young master, do you have any specific orders regarding the contents of afternoon tea?” The Old Steward’s voice interrupted the boy’s speculation. At that moment, the little creature let out an indifferent meow, rubbed against its ears, and jumped out the window…

The boy’s eyes narrowed—though it was just a flash, Constantine had noticed that the cat wore an ornately decorated collar under its neck, even set with a small gemstone… “A noble’s pet?” He shook his head, got up, and walked towards the door.

…

“Rose petals, muffins, almonds… Why do I have to do this kind of job, ahhh…”

A few rooms away, a Blood Elf girl dressed in a black-and-white maid’s outfit let out a drawn-out complaint. But the tone sounded more like a sigh.

Blood Elves, accustomed to freedom, definitely did not appreciate the pace of Human life, being tied to one place for over a decade without a chance to change. Their profound inborn love for freedom made it hard for them to stay in one place. They liked to travel; most were Adventurers mingling among Humans, finding jobs that suited their own pace and allowed free wandering. But now, Nirwen could only submit to that brat’s Curse, which depressed her greatly. Moreover, her feelings toward nobles, who embodied the hypocritical, filthy aspects of Humanity, had always been pure disgust—thinking about how long she might be stuck here made Miss Nightingale feel like the scenery before her eyes had grown unusually dim. Even the sweet taste of the snacks she usually liked couldn’t bring her joy anymore.

Fortunately, due to their long lifespans, Blood Elves liked to view everything from a broader perspective and wouldn’t get hung up on trivial matters. So after complaining for a bit, she had already found something to make herself happy—the girl flipped her wrist, and a large ruby appeared in her hand. “Before I find a way out, I’m definitely going to make that brat pay the full price!” The deep red color made her eyes of the same hue narrow into slits. A faint smile also appeared at the corners of her thin lips.

The Elf, lost in her small moment of happiness, suddenly stiffened. Her long, slender ears twitched. Nirwen sharply turned her head, directing her gaze towards the room’s window!

A shadow was nimbly leaping down from the windowsill at that moment, but it wasn’t a person—it was a cat. Its entire body exuded a deep, dark blue hue, and its movements carried a poise fitting for noble elegance; it was the type known as blue velvet, most beloved by noble ladies.

But Nirwen did not relax. On the contrary, every muscle responsible for movement in the Elf’s slender body instantly tensed! She narrowed her eyes. Her blood-red pupils fixed tightly on the blue-grey little animal. The ruby had already vanished from her hand, replaced by four slender silver blades. The blades flickered between her fingers like the claws of some large feline, gleaming with a dangerous, dark luster in the sunlight.

“Nightingale, the roost you’ve found is quite interesting, meow… No wonder those fools searched the city for two days… They were pretty sure you hadn’t escaped, but they couldn’t find you. Right, how could those guys of theirs get into a place like this, meow?” The grey figure nimbly jumped off the windowsill, and a flippant female voice rang out. Though the words carried a strange trailing sound, it was unmistakably the Common Tongue!

“There are a few interesting guys in this mansion… one quite powerful… and another I can’t figure out, meow. If not for my abilities, even Carlin and the others probably couldn’t have slipped in quietly, meow. I’m rather curious, how exactly did you sneak in?”

This little animal that spoke the Common Tongue then leaped onto a low table. Its two differently colored eyes fixed tightly on the Blood Elf, and the corners of its mouth curled into a strange arc.

“So it’s you…” The Blood Elf’s tone relaxed slightly… But her wary attitude did not diminish with it. She didn’t answer the other’s question. Instead, she retorted with a disdainful snort: “Aren’t you supposed to be playing with yarn balls next to the boss? What are you doing running to this place? Bragging about how your combination of Polymorph and hiding your aura makes you so close to a real cat?”

“What do you think, meow?” The animal speaking a Human language extended a paw and smoothed its long whiskers. “If some idiot hadn’t taken off after squeezing a fat sheep dry, why would the boss send me out to play, meow? You know… if there’s one thing the boss dislikes, it’s losing control over things in her grasp, meow. Dekel has tasted the ‘nine-tailed cat’ quite a few times these past two days, meow. If we still haven’t found you, he’ll probably be skinned alive.”

“What can I do? It’s not like I don’t want to go back either? You know yourself, there are some powerful people here. And that little brat who deserves to be eaten by an Ogre placed a Curse on me! I simply can’t leave his side right now! If I don’t act according to his will, he could probably take my life on a whim!” The Blood Elf cursed through gritted teeth. “I don’t even have a moment of free time now, and I have to serve as a maid for him here! Do you think I like staying with stinky Humans and serving that noble brat?”

“That just means your brain has become rigid, meow. Hmm… Wait, you said Curse just now?” The cat jumped closer to the Blood Elf and twitched its nose slightly a couple of times, as if it could determine something by scent. “There really is a scent unique to Necromancy… So the rumors circulating aren’t entirely baseless, meow? Interesting, interesting, very interesting, meow… A Duke’s son is actually a fan of Necromancy and curse magic… Could it be the Undead are planning a comeback? I’d really like to see the long faces on those guys from the Temple of the Three Gods, meow. Meow-hahaha…”

“Don’t get too happy. I’ve been here for days; I know more than you. That brat has no connection to any Necromancer. He’s just a Sorcerer… who merely offended Bloodscale and got revenge from that Vampire… I shouldn’t need to say this; with the boss’s intelligence network, it’s impossible she wouldn’t know…” The Blood Elf snorted coldly.

“Meow… Is that so? Well, fine… In that case, you stay here on standby. The boss happens to need some information on Griffins. Just be careful not to slip up… I’ll tell the boss and figure out a way to help you.”

“Don’t use that commanding tone with me, you damn brat!” Miss Blood Elf snorted coldly. “And besides, I can’t find out much. That brat has always been very wary of me; he simply won’t let me know anything!”

“Then go seduce him! Isn’t that your specialty, meow?” The cat’s face showed a mocking expression.

As soon as the words were spoken, a flash of Silver Light pinged as it embedded in the wall, but the cat had already left its original spot, leaving only a throwing needle stuck in the wall.

The Blood Elf’s angry roar followed: “The bridges I’ve crossed are far more than the roads you’ve walked! I don’t need a little bastard like you to tell me what I should do!”

“The organization doesn’t have a rule that older members automatically get the right to speak, meow. If you care about that useless stuff, you might as well go find a turtle and listen to it, meow!” The cat let out a mocking sound. Then, a solemn expression gathered on its small face:

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, you little runaway mouse getting ready to flee! Our place isn’t a charity house where you can come and go as you please… And don’t think your hands are completely clean, that the higher-ups haven’t noticed the things you’ve done… Meow. It’s just that, this time, the trouble caused by your little mistake was handled quickly and easily smoothed over, and you haven’t even left Hayton yet. Otherwise, I would have come this time to take that pretty head of yours, meow…”

The dialogue with its strange trailing sounds sounded comical, but the actions the cat made simultaneously were not so fun—the little animal, sitting up, perched on the small table beside the Blood Elf. It used a leisurely posture to lick its paw and then wash its face, as if the previous threats hadn’t come from its own mouth.

But the Blood Elf was startled inside… because the cat hadn’t been there before.

Yes, it wasn’t there a second ago. When it sat up, it was still sitting far away on a chair. But the next second, the cat appeared on that table as if it had suddenly materialized there!

The eyes, a mix of jade-green and silver-grey, were chillingly cold. The cat’s gaze swept over Miss Nightingale’s face. It spoke word by word while, as if by accident, waving the small paw it had been washing its face with. “You better not think I’m·jos·ting·okay?, meow!”

This seemingly casual gesture had a shocking result.

On the table nearby, a pure silver teapot slowly split apart. The rose tea inside seeped out along the gradually appearing crack. Then, with a creepy clatter, the exquisite silver vessel fell apart into five perfectly even pieces!

If that swipe had been aimed at the Elf’s slender neck earlier, her head would probably be flying through the air right now. Nirwen involuntarily took two steps back. The sound of tea dripping onto the floor, in the Elf’s sharp hearing, sounded exactly like the splatter of blood.