What a Cat Can Do [End of Volume 1]
… Once the lively breakfast was over, the dining hall suddenly felt spacious.
The mercenary group members dispersed to their respective training and duties, leaving behind wooden plates and cups on the long tables. The scent of freshly baked bread still lingered faintly in the air.
Of course, Korn also returned to work after finishing his meal. The area around his eyes was still red from crying, but his expression looked bright and refreshed.
If he looked like that now, then even without me sticking close to him, he probably wouldn’t quietly leave the Black Iron Claws anymore.
“Miya~o…”
The dining hall, which had been filled with laughter and the clatter of dishes just moments ago, had now fallen completely silent. Occasionally, the crackle of the fireplace popped loudly in the stillness. But it wasn’t an unpleasant kind of quiet.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to head over by the window and curl up for a second nap while soaking in the winter sunlight.
“Now then… what should I do…”
While I was thinking that, Valdo muttered softly beside me.
That said, it didn’t look like he was debating whether to take a nap by the window like I was. Personally, I’d be totally happy with a shared nap, though!
Leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, Valdo had a single sheet of parchment spread out on the table in front of him. It looked like some kind of map.
In the corner of the now-empty dining hall, he stared intently at it, his expression serious.
Eventually, his gaze shifted to the side…
… And landed on me.
As for me, I was slowly licking up my second helping of soup, which had been poured into a shallow dish. Small torn pieces of bread, meat, and vegetables floated in it, and every now and then I stuffed my mouth full of them, munching away.
Watching me like that, Valdo let out a quiet chuckle.
“Eat plenty and hurry up and grow big. At this rate, I might accidentally crush you in my sleep.”
“Nyaa.”
Those sharp gray eyes looked softer than usual now.
I chirped back energetically, then licked up the last droplets of soup left on the plate with my little tongue.
Maybe that was funny, because Valdo snorted and reached out, gently stroking my back along the grain of my fur.
As I narrowed my eyes at the pleasant warmth of his palm wrapping around me, he suddenly muttered:
“… Didn’t think Korn had been that worked up.”
My ears twitched, and I quickly lifted my head.
Just in time, I’d finished licking the bowl clean.
Valdo watched me for a moment, then lowered his gaze and continued quietly.
“I knew he was worried about my injury… but that was my own mistake in judgment too. It wasn’t just Korn’s fault.”
He fell silent for a bit, then let out a breath and spoke again.
“… Thanks to you, I was able to understand how he felt.”
There was a straightforward gratitude in his low voice, different from his usual boldness.
“Because you led me to him… I was able to stop him. I’m grateful, Al.”
“Miya!”
At his words, something warm swelled deep in my chest.
I couldn’t help but respond brightly, and he smiled a little at the sight.
“Hey, hey, just how messy do you have to eat to get that dirty?”
“Meow?”
“C’mon, let me see.”
As he said that, Valdo ruffled my head roughly with his big hand, then used his thumb to wipe around my mouth and nose.
His fingers, which looked so rough, were surprisingly gentle as they cleaned the soup from my fur.
When he rubbed my nose, it tickled and I squinted my eyes. But the warmth of his palm felt so nice that I just leaned into it.
Come to think of it… ever since I became this kitten, it feels like my emotions come out more honestly than before.
Is my fluffy body dragging my heart along with it too?
Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing… but well, Valdo looks happy, so I guess it’s fine.
As he kept petting me like that, my body gradually warmed up, as if his heat had seeped into me, and before I knew it, a rumbling purr started spilling out of my throat on its own.
Valdo’s eyes widened, and he suddenly pulled his hand away.
“Whoa! What’s that sound? Is that you?”
“Miya~”
Still purring, I looked up at him.
Valdo furrowed his thick brows and listened closely for a moment… and then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Haha, what the hell is that? You really are a weird one.”
Despite his words, his voice sounded amused.
Watching me continue to purr, he once again reached out and stroked my back with his large hand, slowly tracing along my fur as if enjoying the feel of it slipping between his fingers.
“Seriously… you’re one weird fluffball… but maybe you really do understand what we’re saying, huh?”
“Nya~!”
His low voice, almost like a whisper, carried even more warmth than before.
As his thumb gave one final wipe around my mouth and pulled away… a certain conviction took root in my chest.
At first glance, Valdo looks bold and strong-willed…
But in truth, he’s kinder and more considerate of his comrades than anyone else.
What happened with Korn really made me realize that all over again.
In that case, if I want to repay Valdo for taking me in, then what I can do is probably something like what I did for Korn…
Stay close to the members of the Black Iron Claws, help them with their worries.
That would surely help Valdo as their leader.
Sure, right now, a lot of the members are still wary of me, though!
But even Korn, he was completely on guard around me at first. And yet, once I showed him this fluffy body and squishy belly, he gradually started opening up.
Even for worries that are hard to tell other people, there are probably others who’d loosen up and talk to me, a creature that can’t even speak.
Yeah… this might actually work!
Alright then, if that’s the plan, let’s get started right…
Just as I was firming up my resolve, the dining hall doors burst open with a loud bang.
I reflexively turned my head.
A man stood there, breathing heavily, his shoulders rising and falling. I didn’t recognize his face, but from his gear, he was definitely one of the Black Iron Claws.
“... Commander Valdo!”
Shouting, the man staggered forward into the center of the hall and rushed up to us. His face was pale, his entire body smeared with mud and blood.
“Something’s wrong, Vice-Commander Carion is…!”
At that desperate cry, the air around Valdo tightened in an instant.
What do you think about this chapter?
