Chapter 3: The Most Dangerous Guest
The road outside Arcadia Academy had never seemed so bright.
Kael walked through the streets with a smile he couldn’t hide even if he wanted to.
He had a torn uniform. A strange cat. Zero idea what was happening with his life.
But still...
He could finally breathe easy.
"Big brother, hurry up!"
Luna walked ahead of him with almost criminal happiness.
"If we go fast, we can still buy meat before the market closes!"
"You’re still thinking about that!?"
"We haven’t had meat in months!"
"...Fair point."
Kael sighed.
Honestly, she was right.
Ever since their parents died, they’d barely managed to survive by doing odd jobs and using academy scholarships.
But now everything would be different.
He was already an official Student Adventurer.
That meant:
Missions,
Money,
Rewards,
And possibly a better life.
Kael squeezed the academy emblem in his pocket tightly.
It still felt unreal.
Then he felt something heavy shifting in his arms.
He looked down.
The Cat of Absolute Contempt was comfortably lying down while being carried like an emperor.
Completely relaxed.
Completely satisfied.
"You’re still way too heavy..."
"Meow."
"Don’t give me that look. You can walk perfectly fine."
The cat slowly closed its eyes.
As if talking to Kael was an absolute waste of energy.
Luna started laughing.
"I think it likes you."
"That is NOT a look of affection."
As they walked through the streets, Kael began to notice something strange.
People were staring at them.
A lot.
"That’s him..."
"The guy with the cat..."
"I heard an Abyssal Beast exploded..."
"No. I heard the cat killed it."
"How does a cat kill an A-rank thing?"
"I don’t know and I don’t want to find out."
Several people moved away the moment the feline turned its head toward them.
The cat seemed to enjoy it.
Kael sighed.
"The rumors have already started..."
"That’s good!" Luna said happily. "Famous adventurers make more money!"
"I guess..."
Though honestly, he was a little worried that people seemed terrified of his pet.
Well.
"Pet" probably wasn’t the right word.
Furry weapon of mass destruction sounded more accurate.
Then—
Kael felt a chill.
Someone was watching them.
He slowly turned.
And almost dropped the cat.
A girl with sky-blue hair was standing on the other side of the street.
Beautiful. Elegant. Intimidating.
Even in the crowd, she stood out immediately.
Seraphina Vale.
The most feared student at Arcadia Academy.
Kael felt his back tense instantly.
"Why is she here...?"
Luna’s eyes also widened.
"Waaah..."
Seraphina slowly crossed the street.
With every step she took, the people around her automatically moved aside.
Kael swallowed.
Why would someone like her come looking for him?
Had she discovered something about the cat?
About the system?
About the memes?
A thousand horrible thoughts crossed his mind.
Seraphina finally stopped in front of him.
Her ice-blue eyes slowly moved toward the cat.
The cat opened one eye.
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
Absolute silence.
Then Seraphina spoke.
"I need to speak with you privately about your summon."
Kael felt his heart stop working.
"She knows something."
It was the only explanation.
Maybe she had read about similar creatures. Maybe she knew forbidden secrets. Maybe she knew why the cat could destroy A-rank monsters.
Kael tried to stay calm.
"P-privately?"
"Yes."
Her tone remained completely cold.
Impassive.
That only made things worse.
Luna then smiled cheerfully.
"Then come to our house!"
Silence.
Kael turned so fast he almost broke his neck.
"WHAT?"
Luna tilted her head in confusion.
"What’s wrong with that?"
"What do you mean, what’s wrong with that!?"
Kael started whispering desperately.
"She’s literally a super important noble!"
"Uh-huh."
"Look at her! Her bathroom probably costs more than our house!"
"Probably."
"Then you can’t just invite her like that!"
Luna just smiled.
An extremely suspicious smile.
"But she’s rich."
Kael felt a sense of dread.
"...Luna."
She leaned in and whispered:
"If you marry her, we can stop being poor."
Kael froze.
"WHAT KIND OF EVIL PLAN IS THAT!?"
"I’m thinking about the family’s future!"
"DON’T TRY TO SELL ME TO THE NOBILITY!"
Luna puffed out her cheeks.
"You’re not even trying!"
"BECAUSE I JUST MET HER!"
Behind them...
Seraphina remained completely silent.
Listening to absolutely everything.
Kael slowly turned his head.
And saw her watching him with the same cold expression as always.
"..."
"..."
"Please ignore everything you just heard."
"I can’t."
Kael wanted to die.
Luna, on the other hand, looked proud of herself.
The cat slightly opened its eyes.
Then went back to sleep.
As if human drama wasn’t worth its attention.
Seraphina spoke again.
"I accept."
Kael blinked.
"...Huh?"
"I’ll go to your house."
"..."
"..."
"Oh... That’s what you meant... Wait, REALLY!?"
She calmly nodded.
Kael looked at Luna.
Luna gave him two thumbs up.
Kael felt like crying.
.
.
.
The slums were far from the bright central area of the city.
As they walked, the streets gradually began to deteriorate.
The elegant buildings disappeared.
The luxury shops were replaced by old stalls and structures worn down by time.
Several people looked at Seraphina in surprise.
A noble like her would never normally set foot in a place like this.
Kael walked stiffly.
Stiffer than when he faced the Abyssal Beast.
"This is so awkward..."
Luna walked happily beside Seraphina.
"And then big brother accidentally set the kitchen on fire trying to make soup!"
"LUNA!"
"It was an accident!"
"YOU DIDN’T NEED TO TELL THAT!"
Seraphina listened in silence.
Every now and then she looked at the cat.
The cat remained lying in Kael’s arms like a king being transported by his personal servant.
Completely relaxed.
Kael noticed Seraphina’s gaze.
And hugged the cat a little tighter instinctively.
The feline immediately hit him.
SLAP.
"What did I do now!?"
"Meow."
Finally, they arrived in front of a small wooden house at the end of a narrow street.
The roof was slightly broken. The paint was worn. And the walls had clearly seen better days.
Kael felt horrible embarrassment.
"Well..."
He scratched his head nervously.
"It’s not much."
Luna quickly opened the door.
"Welcome!"
Seraphina observed the house for a few seconds.
Kael expected:
Surprise,
Discomfort,
Pity,
Something.
But she simply walked in.
As if nothing was strange.
That honestly surprised him more than anything else.
The interior was small but warm.
There were old books carefully arranged. Blankets that had been sewn many times. And a small wooden table that had been repaired countless times.
Luna immediately started acting like a professional hostess.
"Please have a seat!"
"Since when are you so polite!?"
"We have an important guest!"
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"You’re still thinking about marrying me off, aren’t you?"
"Of course."
"LUNA!"
Seraphina sat down calmly.
Then...
Her eyes slowly moved toward the cat.
The feline also watched her.
Silence.
Kael swallowed.
Finally.
Finally they were going to talk about something serious.
Maybe she would reveal secrets about his summon.
About the LOL System.
About why the cat existed.
Seraphina remained quiet for a few seconds.
Then she spoke.
"...Can I hug it?"
Absolute silence.
Kael felt all the dramatic tension in the universe just commit suicide.
