"Heh, heh. That clan has been missing for years how would you, a country bumpkin, know about them?"
Lulune wore a sly expression as she spoke. According to Hermes, this kid must have come from some small village.
Shaka replied calmly,
"That's a secret. You should ask Lord Hermes."
Lulune scoffed, clutching her head as she asked,
"So, what's your conclusion?"
How should he put it?
Shaka organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Have you ever seen a kind of monster with intelligence comparable to humans?"
"Oh?" Lulune raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to continue.
Shaka pointed at the key on the ground, the iron cage, and the horrific battlefield around them.
"For now, let's assume this monster possesses intelligence no lower than that of humans."
"Then we can make a hypothesis," he continued.
"It had already assessed the combat strength of the mercenaries. After confirming that their strongest fighters had left, it deliberately lured the remaining guards into opening the cage then escaped."
Lulune frowned slightly.
"But that's still just speculation. Ordinary monsters could theoretically do something like that too."
"That's precisely why intelligence matters," Shaka replied.
"You should understand when monsters are treated as commodities, they must be 'trained' to ensure quality. Even if they aren't obedient, they're usually restrained by magical tools."
"The buyers are most likely nobles from various countries. To ensure safety, there must be safeguards at the very least, control collars. Otherwise, transporting them would be suicidal."
"That makes sense," Lulune nodded. "So you're saying accidents shouldn't happen."
Shaka's voice lowered.
"And that's the key point. From the moment it was captured, this magical beast pretended to be weak and obedient to gain the seller's trust. When the timing was right, it broke free in one decisive move."
"Hiss—"
Lulune inhaled sharply. "That level of cunning is far beyond what a monster should possess. Are you certain? Monsters developing intelligence like this is almost unheard of."
Shaka himself couldn't be completely sure.
This conclusion came from his prior knowledge that Ikelos was involved in the transaction, and that the creature might be a Xenos.
In a sense, this was a god's-eye deduction.
Highly intelligent monsters weren't exclusive to Xenos. Some enhanced species that had consumed large quantities of magic stones could also display similar behavior.
For example
The Moss Giant from the main storyline.
Even so, that case was closer to an amplified hunting instinct than true intelligence.
"But…" Shaka frowned. "If my speculation is correct, then this incident might not be related to the remnants of the Dark Faction I was investigating, specifically the creation of enhanced species."
Was his lead wrong?
Although Ikelos had deep ties with the Dark Faction, they weren't the kind to orchestrate long-term chaos. They cared far more about profit than destruction.
The Daedalus Family, on the other hand, controlled the artificial labyrinth. Their goal was to harvest materials,to aid the Dark Faction while also enriching themselves.
Seeing Shaka's troubled expression, Lulune patted his shoulder.
"It's fine. Even if the two matters aren't connected, you helped me so I'll help you."
"Oh?" Shaka asked warily. "And how exactly do you plan to help?"
Lulune sighed.
"That thing escaped, and the mastermind vanished without a trace. My task was simply to identify the cargo. Now that I know what it was, there's no reason for me to continue."
She shrugged.
"As for whatever trouble that escaped monster causes, I'll leave that to the Astraea Familia. You're a righteous guardian, aren't you? You wouldn't let innocent civilians be endangered."
…That's shameless, isn't it?
Shaka stared at her.
"You're dumping all of this on me? Don't forget I've only been an adventurer for a week!"
Lulune narrowed her eyes.
"That's exactly why I said I'd help. Besides, judging from what I just saw, you don't act like a newbie."
"That's because "
"I know, I know. A secret."
Lulune waved her hand dismissively.
Shaka fell silent for a few seconds before asking,
"So… what do you mean by 'helping'?"
Lulune replied bluntly,
"I'll guard the house."
"Huh?"
"Literally," she said with a grin. "I'll stay behind and protect Lady Astraea. That way, you can investigate without worrying."
"You—"
"Don't rush to refuse," Lulune interrupted.
"Even if you stayed behind yourself, could you guarantee nothing unexpected would happen?"
Even while injured, that feline monster had been nearly as fast as a level-2 adventurer. When caught off guard, it had even knocked Lulune a level-3 back several steps.
And worse it possessed curse-based abilities.
Most importantly, the gods' so-called "safe mode" only protects them from children in the mortal realm. It offered no protection against monsters.
Shaka spoke solemnly,
"I understand. Until the culprit is found, I'll entrust Lady Astraea's safety to you."
"Shouldn't it be until we find the cat demon?"
"In that case, I'll prioritize investigating abnormal monster incidents outside the city."
"Tch, you sly little devil."
Lulune stuck out her tongue, completely unfazed.
Swordsmith City
The midday sun bathed the streets in light. Crowds bustled noisily, laughter and chatter filling the air.
In stark contrast, a dark alley across the main road lay steeped in shadow.
Within it, a dark figure trembled and collapsed, slowly opening its scarlet eyes.
"Hmph… foolish humans. You never expected it, did you? You still let Master Meow escape. Hiss—"
The shadow thought bitterly, its body covered in bloody wounds that forced labored breaths from its throat.
As time passed, the writhing shadow gradually transformed into a small jet-black cat.
Around its neck was a collar resembling writhing tentacles. A pearl at its center glowed crimson.
"Those fools never imagined that Lord Meow could counter curses with curses!"
The cat licked its wounds and lay still.
Defeating those humans had taken tremendous effort. One of them had even dealt her serious damage.
"Cool, cool, cool… When I return to the underworld, I'll spread tales of my glory. Any being that wounds me earns eternal bragging rights!"
"Why?"
"Because I am the Shadow of Despair, bearer of the power of the supreme being, Lord Behemoth, the Overlord of Earth!"
"Cool, cool, cool! Unlike those brainless cats, I was born with a king's wisdom. I will reign supreme and fulfill Mother's long-cherished wish! Meow hahaha!"
The black cat gazed at the sun-scorched land and cried out:
"One day, I will make night cover the sky!"
"Meow—meow—meow!"
Just as Master Meow basked in her triumph
"Look, a kitten!"
A child tugged on an adult's hand, pointing.
"What are you doing?! Foolish humans, stop at once!"
The cat arched her back, fur bristling, hissing fiercely. "Back off, or I'll curse you!"
"Mom, it looks hurt…" the boy said softly.
"Don't touch it," the mother warned.
"Injured stray cats are dangerous. They can carry diseases."
"But it looks so pitiful…"
"…Alright."
She sighed, pulling out some dried fish and setting it down.
"Let's just give it food and go."
The cat's eyes lit up.
"Such rich magical aroma… the finest sustenance of the abyss!"
Then realization struck.
"No, no! Foolish humans! Do you think I'll fall for the same trick again?!"
Memories surfaced being lured by dried fish, captured, locked in a cage.
"I, the wise Meow Meow, will not fall into the same trap twice!"
But…
"…That smell… that golden color…"
"I really want to eat it…"
Happy new year guys