Chapter 3- His Owner

Caden doesn't know if there's any beast like him in this world. One that can understand the human language perfectly.

"Good observation skills Thomas, bringing you here in my shop is really not a waste of time."

That observation skill is terrible! It made Caden's whole body filled with fur to stand!

Is it really okay to stand out?

Although he felt some kind of anger when they evaluate his worth and value, it doesn't seem to be a good thing either to be sold even with an expensive price. Because cheaper or not, his fate remains to be sold to other people!

 

"Is it done eating? Then put it on the front for sale! We can sell it for one gold, it seems that those hunters didn't lie when they said they took this cub from the Spirit Realm, who would have known the entrance there can be found? Even though it isn't an elemental user, it can still be sold for its intelligence and its beginner skills, as for anything else, the compatibility value is also at max."

Caden finally remembered his fate and look at the person before him.

Is it possible that he can tell this boy not to put him up for sale? He knows it's unrealistic as the boy is only a worker, and the commanding tone earlier is the boss, but--- he wants to try it?

Can his cuteness be sold?

 

Thinking so, Caden wag his tail and put his tongue out slightly as he stared with his emerald green eyes with round black pupils at the boy, "Meow~" His raspy vocals aren't that cute, but his face can be a selling point.

Please don't put me up for sale!

Shame cannot be eaten, after all, he is now a small cute kitten! He doesn't believe he cannot make this boy a cat slave! Behold, this kitten will enslave you! Quickly bow down to me!

Thomas, after following the boss' body going outside to entertain customers, was caught by surprise by the little animal in front of him.

"Oh, you don't want me to put you up for sale?"

Caden was even more invigorated to sell cuteness and drew closer to the boy. He felt that this boy doesn't seem to be ordinary. There's just something about this boy that seems different. Throwing all his hesitations, he didn't even cover up that he can understand them. He looked at him with his emerald green eyes again, "Meow~"

"You can understand me?"

Caden was hesitant at first but he heard the other say, "Forget it, let me put you up for sale---"

"Meow~" Don't, don't, please!

He doesn't know he was already selling his whole body for his freedom at this point, only realizing later in the future.

The poor little kitten had to reluctantly do everything so he won't be sold.

The boy's eyes were suddenly tainted with gold in a second but then they went back to their original brown color as fast as they changed. But with Caden's enhanced eyesight, that slight change was caught in his vision. He was stunned.

This... This boy... This boy isn't simple!

"Interesting," The boy's lips curve upward, "Are you really from the Spirit Realm?"

Caden didn't know how to answer that, but that seems to be the case, as he found himself waking up to the cave that connects to that world and this world.

"Meow~" Thomas lifts him up and Caden obediently stayed still, "You don't look anything special,"

"Meow~" Caden's tone sounds rebuking.

I'm special! This little kitten is special!

"Let me see your teeth--- just milk teeth, not even grown,"

 

"Your claws, not even sharp enough. Your body, really delicate, and your face--- you can only sell cuteness, you will die before you can even touch your opponent."

The kitten was observed and inspected thoroughly by the boy until he became limp and his ears gone numbed by the insults and the mockery in his tone.

"But since you can understand me and you know where the Spirit Realm is, I can let these disadvantages pass," Caden's ears perked.

Yes, yes! Just please don't put me up for sale!

"Thomas, what's taking you so long? Put that creature up for sale, there are a lot of things we have to do today. Don't tarry anymore!"

"Yes, boss!" The boy's whole demeanor suddenly changes to 180 degrees making Caden stupefied and even started questioning his new kitten life.

-- Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Did that domineering him even existed in the first place?

But soon, Caden was terrified when he was slowly put in the container.

"Meow~! Meow~!" His voice sounds raspy and aggressive, and Caden's whole demeanor changes into that of a normal beast that is threatened with its safety. But deep inside, Caden was just yelling for his life.

No! No! No! You promise me! You said you will not put me out for sale! Hey--! Don't put me down---!

Caden didn't know where he get the strength but he scratch the boy that held him in place only stopping when he felt that he seemed to have scratched off flesh as his claws were now covered with fresh blood.

Oh hell! Did I just hurt this little boy?!

Seeing the missing flesh in his hand, Caden was stupefied, although he was small, his claws are really dangerous!

But that regret only was for a few seconds, when he suddenly felt a sharp object enter his body. His body immediately went limp, his eyes drooped, his tongue rolled out of his mouth and he fell listlessly into the container.

"I have trained you before, didn't I? I already told you to inject them with sedatives, or they will get aggressive. It is an innate instinct for beasts to get aggressive whenever they are confined to a space. These containers contained a special barrier that hinders their instinct and their abilities, and thus, can only be obedient and defenseless. There's a study that says they can sense it, and that will in turn be the reason for their aggression."

So, that is why...

Caden felt so wronged and sad...

He will never trust a human again. He said he will not put him out for sale.

Caden never felt this betrayed.

"Cubs might look harmless, especially this one, but it is still a beast in the end. It cannot be tamed without a contract."

"That was unnecessary." After a long period of silence, the boy finally spoke leaving the merchant boss speechless, but the way he looked at the now closed-eyed animal made the merchant laugh forgetting to reprimand him.

"Do you feel pity for that cub because it looks harmless? Boy, you need to know that the more they look harmless, the more dangerous they are! Look at your bloody hand! Come on, don't tarry anymore! Clean your wounds and start working!"

The boy glanced at the tiny animal inside the container and saw that its eyes seem to have water seeping out from them. He finally turned around.

"Boss, I'll clean the wound and be back in a minute!"

"Go on!"

****

 

Caden can hear the animals around him confined in the same space as him and the noise seemed to be magnified a couple of times making his head hurt. When the boy left, Caden was still pretending to be unconscious but his heart felt aggrieved and so he bitterly cried.

Foul human! He said he will not put him up for sale!

But when he remembered that he hurt that little boy badly, and left his hand a bloody mess, he found it in his heart to forgive.

Anyway, that boy looks to be only in his early teens, against the merchant boss that was the one who commands and is the one who manages this store and is the ruler, he is nothing. Caden just didn't know why he suddenly get the feeling that he could rely on that boy earlier. He must be out of his mind to put his hopes on that boy.

Forget it, forget it. He should just be obediently sold.

Although the thought of being sold made him feel scared and hurt.

"Excuse me," He heard a deep voice overhead, but he was too weak to open his eyes to look at the person who seems to be talking near the container he was in.

"Hello there gentleman, are you looking for a Familiar? We have a variety of Familiars for sale, please tell us your type and we can arrange the suitable familiar for your body." The merchant boss' voice became persuasive and amiable. With business, the merchant boss can really talk with a sweet tongue as if his mouth was coated with honey.

"No need. Just give this one to me."

"Eh? Gentleman? Are you sure? Although this one is also very impressive, I don't know if it suits your type?"

"Give it to me."

"Okay... Just one second--- Thomas! Thomas!" Hearing no one responding to him, the merchant boss gritted his teeth but didn't forget to still display a smile on the surface.

"I'll prepare this one for you then." Since his assistant didn't come out, the merchant boss can only be the one who will prepare the beast to give it to the customer.

"No need, just give me the injection to strengthen it back to health. Also, if you have, wrap me all the magus and other fruits you have in your store. Make it fast."

The merchant boss didn't have his assistant so he had to be the one to do all the requests and had to move back and forth.

Caden can feel his body being lifted again.

His kitty face scrunch up to an aggrieved look. He didn't know he look so pitiful but cute when he did it.

 

It was over, not even five minutes, and he was sold. What kind of life will he lead now? He woke up inside a big cave and had to escape danger, upon escaping, when he finally found a human he thought he can lean on, it turns out they were hunters and was captured, upon being captured, he was sold into a pitiful amount, after being sold to a store he was trick into befriending a human and expose his secret in exchange that he will not be put up for sale, yet he was betrayed. Now, he is finally sold after being put up for sale in less than 5 minutes.

What tragedy will he be encountering in the future? Can he go back to being a human on Earth? He doesn't want to be a little pitiful kitten anymore. The life of being a kitten in this world doesn't sound good.

"What are you thinking? I know you are conscious, your face is scrunching up every second. Just lie back down and receive this injection. This will nurse you back to health."

Caden's ears perked and he cannot help but open up his eyes.

Although the man was wearing a red cloak that covers most of his face, Caden was lifted closer to his chest and he can see his head and face inside. The glow of the daylight star only reaches the man's chin but with his beastly vision, he can see his overall features.

But what he saw is a face that looks to be sculpted into perfection. His nose is slightly raised from the bridge, very attractive. His straight nose bridge is well-rounded giving it an absolute perfect proportion to his face. With his nose a little larger, it gave his face depth and dimension. Paired with his chiseled jawline, his perfectly shaped lips, his magnetic eyes, and his prominent brows-- this face looks very inhuman. If he was on earth he doubted someone can achieve this perfection even when going under the knife. If he didn't have that inhuman golden eyes, he might think this guy is an angel. But that golden eyes make him look like a devil in disguise.

Caden's beastly pupils turned into slits.

Who is this unknown man? Why does it feel like...

"Gentleman, here's everything you are looking for. That will be 3 gold coins for the Familiar Beast and 89 copper coins for the fruits."

 

"3 gold coins?"

The merchant boss enthusiastically introduces, "This beast is from the Spirit Realm, it is young and the compatibility value is very high, it is easy to form a contract with it. Also, even with its small and young body today, it can crack magus, the hardest fruit in the entire Estopia, very easily. Its claws and canines were sharp. This beast is also very nimble and light, perfect for auxiliary type of offense."

"Hmm, I see." The man hidden under the cloak didn't say any refusals and took the explanation very lightly.

The merchant's tone is how scammers on the Earth sound when they are luring their victims into their trap, but this man who doesn't look like he can easily be deceived, fall for that modus operandi! Caden didn't know what to say.

The merchant boss, however, was delighted, even forgetting the neglect of his assistant of who knows where hole did it crawl into.

"See, you are worth 3 gold coins, you have to work hard to help me in exchange, help me find the way to the Spirit Realm."

Caden's eyes that were looking at the man before him suddenly widened.

This..!