Chapter 4- Poor Little Kitty

This guy isn't that boy right?! But... How come..!

This man doesn't even look like a 14 year-old boy, he looks about in his early 20's. How is that possible?!

Until he was carried away by the guy, Caden was still stunned into silence.

"Meow~" He sounded looking at the guy. They should be about a few kilometers away from that store.

If this man is here, then who is that person in the store? Caden felt an oncoming headache so he didn't think about it anymore, anyway, he is now sold.

Kitty Caden tried to wiggle out from the man's grasp but felt the grip holding him in place tightened.

"Don't move or I'll squeeze you to death."

Woo... That sounds scary.

Caden stops moving, and only looked around.

They are now walking in a crowded street but the people here seem to be all merchants selling different items.

Their clothing is a bit weird but nothing very different. Some are wearing a shirt on top, but most of them, are only wearing their pants and a belt tied around their hips with weapons and accessories hanging on it.

Women wear the same clothes but they have a tube-like garment wrapped around their busts to cover their chest area.

The garments look like what people on earth would wear and wove except the designs are a bit primitive and simple, some are even crude.

There are also a lot of tiny animals around like him working together with humans. He saw a lemur, monkeys, squirrels, hamsters, and many more. They look cute but at the same time, you can see how these animals are very integrated with humans--- almost like the animals are at the mercy of these humans. Caden can understand somewhat how they feel with their sounds and they all don't have any human-like perception, treating their owners as their masters.

 

"What? Feel aggrieved with your fellow beasts? This is the mortal world where a beast like you are our Familiars. Who told you to come out and let yourself be captured by the hunters?"

Caden understands what he said individually but using them all in one sentence makes him confused.

He had been hearing the term, 'Familiars' often, accompanied by 'Beast' which they call him, it was a bit confusing for him. Since he can't understand, it's not too late to pretend to be stupid. Anyway, even if he did understand, he cannot do anything by it.

Finally, they stop in a tavern, as they entered inside, the sound of obnoxious laughter and conversations hurt his ears. He unconsciously uses his forelimb paws to cover his ears.

The kitten looks very cute, with round emerald eyes as it looks around, its tongue poking out a bit his two paws in front covering his ears to lessen the impact of the noise on his eardrums.

The man glanced at his newly bought beast, stared at it for a moment before he looks away when one of the workers came to receive him.

 

"Two nights."

"Right away our Esteemed Guest, could we ask for the esteemed guest to wait for a couple of minutes in the waiting area? We will serve you food and drinks while waiting. We will just prepare the room for the esteemed guest."

The man waves his robe and the worker leads him to the waiting area in the corner a few meters away from the bustling sound of the main hall where the tables for the casual customers who are in only for food and drinks are arranged.

Finally, Caden was put on top of the table, he immediately stretched his limbs and shake his fur.

That traveling, although he was carried, drained his energy.

"Don't make trouble and sit obediently."

Upon hearing the words, he immediately put his butt down and look stupidly at the man. 

 

He still cannot wrap his head around the idea that this man is that boy. How is it possible to look like an ordinary boy in the second and then turn into a very handsome man in another? He looks at his hand and sure enough, he saw the man's left hand wrapped in gauze, spots of blood can be seen on it.

He tilt his head as he stared at the man again. Caden didn't know how adorable that looks, but the man neither appreciates it nor did he show any emotions on the surface.

"You don't need to know anything, just be obedient and lead the way to the Spirit Realm and I will spare your life. If not, in addition to wasting my time and deceiving me, you will suffer a life worst than death."

Caden immediately gets timid. Why is this guy's mouth so poisonous?! He likes to threaten him every single time he opened his mouth!

I'm just a little kitty, after all, why does he need to live a life worst than death as he was trying to imply?

Unconsciously, he backed away and started licking his body and paws. He might as well clean his body to ease his depressing thoughts.

A moment after--- something struck his mind. His body went limp, and after thinking again, rolled around the table, contemplating over his kitten life. He is a human, damn it! He is really becoming a cat! A total cat! Just now, he thought if he will lick his paws and his body, he will be disgusted, but damn, does it feel so good! What's next? Is he gonna eat raw meat? Is he gonna drink water in the sewer? Taste every food first before deciding if it's edible or not?

 

The thought of him doing those things makes him tremble.

 

Suddenly he heard a chuckle, so he stops rolling.

When he look at the man before him, he wasn't even smiling nor is he looking at him. Who chuckled?

 

That deep chuckle sounds so real that he cannot pretend he didn't hear it. What now? Does this tavern have a ghost?

He stood up and immediately attached himself to the cloaked man who brought him here. His claws were stretched out to penetrate the man's protective clothing. Sensing the guy didn't brush him away, his courage grew deeper, and he insisted on climbing to the man. Seeing the gap between his chest and his chin, he saw his body can fit inside that gap and slowly climb to enter.

The man watches the little kitten climb to the gap in his collar and enters its tiny body inside.

He saw its clean butt upturned towards him and he didn't know what face is he making now. Finally, the tail was the only part of its body left outside, his face was brushed by the furry tail making him feel a bit itchy and tickling.

He then felt something moving around in his chest, the claws the kitten used to climb on his body were retracted and only his ticklish paws were moving around trying to find a comfortable spot.

No one had ever been close like this to him, not even humans nor any beast--- they all died but the kitten was so courageous. But finally, the man can no longer deal with the itching, pulled the kitten's body inside him out, and then put him back into an upright position inside. Only his head is peeking out from the gap between his clothes.

"I told you to be obedient," the man's voice was hoarse as he spoke.

Caden immediately stops moving. 

 

Damn, it almost suffocates him when he fell head first onto the man's inner clothes. Thankfully, the man had helped him. But come to think of it, this man was unknowingly fragrant. The fragrance seems to stem from his body. It didn't assault his sensitive nose rather it makes him feel comfortable. 

 

"Esteemed Guest, please have these dishes while we are arranging your room," the head server bowed.

They are all wearing the same clothes. A plain pink skirt only slightly above the knee, paired with a big red flower covering their chest.  All the workers seems to be women, but it was surprising that no woman is accompanying the customers. This seems to be a decent tavern.

"Have you guys heard? There was a big wave in the Capital. Haha, the royals are again back for the race to the throne, I heard the Imperial Majesty just passed away,"

"Pweh!" One guy pretends to spit, "Those royals, are only there for a show! The Capital is the only city in the whole Estopia for them, they don't care for the common folks."

Caden's ears perked and then looked at the group at the nearby table, running their mouth to curse whoever the royal family living in this world.

 

"But have you guys heard, there's this nameless prince who hasn't been seen for 20 years but had challenged the legitimate princes for the throne,"

"Wasn't he banished from the palace because he killed his own concubine mother?" 

"Not only his concubine mother, but he also killed all the people in his concubine mother's courtyard. That one is a monster."

 

"Who cares? It's just another worthless royal in the end, just more sinister."

So this world has an Emperor? This world is governed by royalties? But thinking of the facts that they have said about the royals, they don't sound to be good people. Especially that banished prince.

Suddenly, someone covered his ears, "You are a little gossipping beast, aren't you?" The warmth radiating from that touch makes Caden tremble.

Deep inside, Caden was aggrieved, I have sensitive ears, who made them talk so loud? Aren't you bullying the wrong person? 

 

But Caden had no way to say those grievances so he only looked down.

"You are feeling wrong?"

Caden:...

He immediately composed his expression and looked at the man with cuteness. Anyway, this man is now his owner. Whether he likes it or not, he can only be obedient to this guy. Or else, if he suddenly thought that he is not worth his time, he might end up doing what he threatened him.

 

That said, Caden looked at the food served on the table and felt his drool almost going out. 

 

Is he really absorbed in this world's gossip that he only had smelled the scent of this food? 

Before the man could move his spoon he suddenly felt the tiny animal in his chest squirming.

"Meow~" 

Then before he knew it, the tiny beast had already jumped out of his chest cautiously looking at the cooked meat in front of him.

"You eat meat?" 

 

"Meow~" he tried to mellow his voice although he can only utter one sound Caden hopes he had delivered his message.

 

The man had a profound look when he stared at him for a few seconds making Caden feel that--- he didn't do something wrong, did he? 

"Then, with the account that you are eating the same food as I am, don't forget to be useful to me in the future."

 

Ayt! Do you have to count everything you give?

Caden didn't mind his words and just look at him eagerly.

"Do you understand?" 

 

It seems like he will not let Caden off the hook until he swears. So Caden can only meow one more time. 

 

"Very well," the man move the bowl of meat closer to him, making Caden feel so happy he could ascend. 

His little tongue licks the meat in the bowl for a taste if it's edible. 

He didn't know if it was because he is just a lover of meat, or if it is because his taste buds were influenced by his nature as a beast, but he love it so much..!

He then began digging the food in the bowl by putting his head inside. Although he wanted to eat the meat in a human way, his paws are dirty so he can only eat the meat using his mouth, it turns out eating this way is very easy.

The man look at the kitten before him with a deep look, then he felt a gaze on his table. 

 

Looking far ahead, his eyes meet a piercing gaze. His eyes suddenly narrowed, as a smile curve into his lips. 

 

Suddenly feeling a danger, little kitty Caden, raise his head, his mouth and nose had sauce on them.