Chapter 46: Interrogating the Guilty
The forbidden library remained silent.
The four of them were still gathered around the huge table covered in ancient books.
No one had said a word since the last System window appeared.
[Estimated arrival: 36 hours.]
Kael let out a long sigh.
"Well...
I think it’s time to ask the only one who probably knows what’s happening."
He slowly turned his head.
The Little Fat King was still lying on the table.
Asleep.
As always.
Kael reached out a hand.
Gave him two little taps on the head.
"Hey.
I need to ask you some questions."
The cat opened one eye.
"Meow."
"No.
You can’t go back to sleep."
Another meow.
And he closed his eye.
Kael took a deep breath.
"Alright.
Time to negotiate."
He pulled a small piece of dried fish from his pocket.
The Fat King’s ears immediately perked up.
Without opening his eyes.
Kael smiled.
"I knew this would work."
He brought the fish closer.
The cat opened both eyes.
Sat up slowly.
With all the dignity in the world.
As if he had never pretended to be asleep.
Aurelion crossed his arms.
"That was embarrassingly effective."
Seraphina nodded.
"Very."
Kael raised a finger.
"First question.
Do you know the other Bearers of Chaos?"
The Fat King looked at the fish.
Then at Kael.
Then at the fish again.
"Meow."
Kael gave him a small piece.
The cat devoured it.
"Was that a yes?"
"Meow."
"Perfect."
Aurelion frowned.
"How do you know that was a yes?"
Kael answered without taking his eyes off the cat.
"Because if it had been a no, he would have meowed differently."
Aurelion blinked.
"...Differently how?"
Kael opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
"..."
"I have no idea."
Silence.
Aurelion stared at him.
"So?"
"I’m improvising."
Seraphina also stood still.
"Improvising?"
"Yes."
"Sounds convincing."
The Fat King let out another meow.
"Meow."
Kael immediately nodded.
"See?
He confirmed I’m right."
Aurelion looked at the cat.
Then at Kael.
Then back at the cat.
"I don’t understand anything at all."
Kael didn’t seem to understand much either.
But he kept going.
"Second question.
Did the other Bearers die?"
The Fat King stopped eating.
For an instant.
Just one.
Then...
He slowly shook his head.
Everyone froze.
Kael’s eyes widened.
"They didn’t die?"
"Meow."
"They disappeared?"
The cat nodded.
Aurelion stepped forward.
"Where to?"
The Fat King yawned.
And lay back down.
"..."
Kael raised the fish again.
The cat immediately opened one eye.
"How convenient."
He gave him another piece.
"Did they leave willingly?"
The Fat King tilted his head.
More or less.
"Does that mean ’more or less’?"
"Meow."
"Understood."
Aurelion raised both hands.
"What part of that did you understand!?"
Kael answered with total naturalness.
"That it’s complicated."
"And why does that mean that?"
"I don’t know.
I just felt that’s what it meant."
Absolute silence.
Seraphina watched Kael.
Then the Fat King.
Then Kael again.
There was something strange.
It wasn’t that he really understood the meows.
It was...
That he knew the cat so well...
That he could guess what he meant.
And, surprisingly...
He was right.
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"How envious..."
Not an unpleasant envy.
But a small pang.
"I wish I could understand the Little Fat King like that too."
She remembered all the times she had tried to get close.
Always carefully.
Always respecting his space.
But she had never managed to interpret what he was thinking.
Instead...
Kael argued with him.
Negotiated.
Fought.
Insulted each other.
And yet...
They seemed to understand each other better than anyone.
"It must be nice..."
She clenched her hands slightly.
"To be able to talk to him like that."
Kael kept interrogating.
"Alright.
Important question.
Is the Second Entity dangerous?"
The Fat King remained completely still.
He didn’t respond.
Kael waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Fifteen.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
"Did you fall asleep?"
Nothing.
Kael brought another piece of fish closer.
The cat immediately opened one eye.
"Meow."
Kael smiled.
"You’re incorruptible.
But quite bribable."
The Fat King ignored the comment.
Took the fish.
Then...
Raised a paw.
Showed two paw pads.
And then...
One.
Kael frowned.
"Two... one?"
"Meow."
"What does that mean?"
The cat pointed again.
Two.
One.
Two.
One.
Aurelion watched, fascinated.
"It looks like some kind of code."
Kael thought for almost a minute.
Until he snapped his fingers.
"I’ve got it!"
The other two looked at him.
"What does it mean?"
Kael answered with complete confidence.
"No idea."
Aurelion almost fell backward.
"THEN WHY DID YOU SHOUT THAT!?"
"Because I thought I’d figured it out."
The Fat King sighed.
A clearly disappointed sigh.
Then...
Gave him a light slap on the forehead.
WHAP.
"Hey!"
"Meow."
Kael rubbed his head.
And suddenly...
His eyes widened.
"Wait!
Are you telling me we’re two... and then one?"
The cat nodded.
"That when the Second Entity arrives...
We won’t be just the two of us anymore?"
Another nod.
Aurelion was surprised.
"That...
actually makes sense."
Kael pointed at the cat.
"See?!
We do understand each other!"
Aurelion looked at him with absolute seriousness.
"Kael.
I need to ask you something."
"What?"
"Did you actually understand what he meant?"
Kael was silent for a few seconds.
Then smiled with complete honesty.
"Honestly...
I just assumed that’s what he was saying."
"What?"
"Yeah.
I saw he meowed in an affirmative tone.
So I assumed an answer.
And when he meowed again...
I confirmed I was right."
Silence.
Absolute.
Aurelion slowly brought a hand to his face.
"That...
is the most irresponsible thing I’ve heard in a long time."
Seraphina also blinked.
"So...
You don’t actually talk to him?"
Kael shrugged.
"No.
I’ve just spent enough time with him to get an idea of how he thinks."
He looked at the Fat King.
"It’s like living with someone.
After a while...
You start to know what they mean even when they don’t speak."
The Fat King looked at him for a few seconds.
Then...
Gave him a small tap with his head on Kael’s arm.
Very soft.
So soft it almost seemed accidental.
Kael smiled without realizing it.
"I guess I was right again."
Seraphina watched that scene.
And smiled too.
Maybe...
She didn’t need to understand the meows.
Maybe...
What mattered was spending enough time with someone to understand them.
Without words.
Without magic.
Just being together.
At that moment, the blue window appeared before Kael again.
[Estimated arrival: 35 hours.]
And for the first time...
Below the counter, a new message appeared.
[The Second Compatible Entity has begun the synchronization process.]
Kael swallowed.
"I think...
There’s not much time left."
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