Cat Princess and Human Knight

Yi Yin climbed up the high slope and saw a devastated battlefield before him. In the distance, the gray rock castle stood halfway up the mountain, and cats dressed in various armors were clearly visible to him.

Even knowing that this is a world dominated by cats, Yi Yin is still awestruck by the cats' powerful creativity.

They did indeed establish their own cat-centric civilization, just like the humans in Yi Yin's previous life.

Sitting on Yi Yin's right shoulder, Sophia shifted her position uncomfortably.

After that hug by the river, the relationship between the person and the cat seemed to have become even closer.

Along the way, there were low-lying areas submerged by the river. The 30-centimeter-tall dwarf cat princess couldn't cross the river, so she simply sat on Yi Yin's shoulders and rode all the way back.

As soon as the man and the cat appeared on the high slope, countless cats swarmed over.

Sophia saw Luna at the front of the group and whispered in Yi Yin's ear.

"Put me down."

Yi Yin nodded and carefully put her down.

Luna rushed over and knelt on one knee to pay her respects.

"You're finally back, Lady! How did you manage to run off with just a cat? If anything happened to you, I... I..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Luna stammered. Sophia pulled her up and patted her on the shoulder to comfort her.

"It was my oversight that made you worry. I will be more careful next time."

Bell ran up to Yi Yin, looked up at him and shouted.

"You're really something! What caused such a commotion?"

Yi Yin grabbed the outspoken orange cat by the neck and lowered his head to say something.

"Let's talk privately later."

Bell glanced at the approaching group of cats behind him and nodded slightly.

He's just honest and straightforward, not really stupid; he can still tell what's important.

Behind Luna and Bell, the first to approach were the three largest fiefdom nobles of the Shattered Hills: Duke Snowclaw, Marquis of Velvet Carpet, and Marquis of Iron Oak, who held seats in the Seven-Tailed Council.

Duke Snowclaw, as the lord of Huru Territory, was in the most awkward position at this moment. He had been secretly suppressing Sophia and did not want to fulfill the lord's obligation to protect his vassals.

But in the end, it was Sophia's impassioned speech at Eagle's Beak Pass that persuaded the northern noble army to march south to support Grayrock Castle and rescue Duke Snowclaw, the feudal lord.

Although the Marquis of Iron Oak led his troops south primarily for his own benefit, he secretly fueled the conflict and gave Sofia a much more prominent role.

Regardless of the circumstances, Lady Sofia's actions perfectly embody the image of a responsible vassal, and everyone would have to give her a thumbs up and praise her as a loyal and decisive noblewoman.

This was tantamount to putting the Duke of Snowclaw on a hot bench, forcing him to express his gratitude to Lady Sofia.

Duke Snowclaw bowed slightly and said.

"Thank you, Lady Sophia, for everything you have done for the Shattered Hills. I owe you a debt of gratitude."

From this day forward, Huru's affairs are my affairs.

Sofia knelt on one knee and bowed.

"I am filled with trepidation; this is my duty as a vassal."

Duke Snowclaw immediately helped her up, and the ruler and his subject smiled at each other, as if they had put aside their past grievances.

But both cats knew in their hearts that this was a political show put on for the other cats.

Because of the mistake in this battle, the Duke of Snowclaw's prestige was greatly diminished. He needed to unite the local nobles and be careful to prevent the Marquis of Iron Oak from replacing him as the noble leader of the Shattered Stones.

They had assumed the royal family was extinct and that a fugitive princess would only bring them trouble, but they never expected that this princess had such a profound background.

First, knights participated in the knightly tournament, and then the Royal Claw Knights came to their aid in full force.

Furthermore, the final cry of "Long live Mankik!" from the nobles of the Shattered Hills on the battlefield forced the Duke of Snowclaw to change his political stance.

The four ironclad bonds in life are: studying together in school, fighting together in battle. This principle is universally applicable.

The bond forged through shared battles on the battlefield has led the noble circles of the Shattered Hills to accept Lady Sophia, an objective reality that is beyond the control of the Duke of Snowclaw's personal will.

Social rules constrain all cats, and even royalty has times when they are forced to do things against their will, let alone the Snowclaw Duke whose prestige has already been damaged.

Moreover, this political show of reconciling past grievances between the monarch and his ministers was entirely beneficial to Duke Snowclaw.

These noble families are highly politically astute, and the Earth Mother Goddess's powerful counterattack against the Dark God has already revealed crucial information.

That is, the Earth Mother Goddess was actually very unhappy about the return of the two gods.

For most cats who believe in the Earth Mother Goddess, they will undoubtedly support her 100%.

Whether the return of the two gods is a rumor or a fact, using this as a reason to attack the Mankik royal family has lost its political legitimacy.

The Seven-Tailed Council's characterization of the Regent's massacre of the Mankikang royal family as a heroic act of saving the cat tribe from retaliation after the return of the two gods is even more untenable.

A political storm of counterattack and rectification will inevitably erupt at the Seven-Tailed Council.

Duke Snowclaw acted first; he appeared to be on the side of Duchess Sophia, but in reality, he was on the side of Mother Earth.

How could it be wrong to stand on the side of Mother Earth? This is the safest political stance.

Sofia was well aware of her treacherous nature as the ruler of the land, but she needed to establish a foothold in the rocky hills.

Even if the lord in front of me is a scoundrel, he is still the noble leader of the Shattered Hills, so I have to play along.

The Marquis of Iron Oak's challenge to the Duke of Snowclaw's political position is a long-term struggle, and the final outcome remains to be seen.

For her own sake, Sofia had no need to offend the Snowclaw Duke. Huru Territory was located in the Shattered Hills and couldn't be moved. Why should she offend the biggest local tyrant?

Duke Snowclaw publicly admitted that he owed Sophia a favor. With this favor in hand, the two sides could maintain a peaceful relationship and keep things harmonious on the surface.

What Sofia cares about more at this moment is how to clear the name of the slaughtered royal family.

The mere title of Lady of Huru Territory is only enough for her to protect herself. If she wants to revive the royal family and become empress, the first step is to clear the name of the Mankikang royal family, who have been slandered and smeared by the Grand Duke of Shadowmoon.

Although the Shattered Hills are not very strong, they still have three noble seats in the Seven-Tailed Council and are one of the 108 fiefdom nobles.

There is still great potential for cooperation between the two sides in the future, so it is natural to reach an understanding first.

The Duke of Snowclaw and Lady Sophia each had their own needs, which led to this reconciliation.

The Marquis of Velvet Carpet, standing to the side, wiped away his tears of emotion and led the applause, which drew a response from countless nobles who were also moved.

The Marquis of Iron Oak, standing to the side, stared blankly, wanting to sneer, but the occasion was inappropriate. After all, he was a straightforward soldier and couldn't possibly emulate the shamelessness of the Duke of Snowclaw or the hypocrisy of the Marquis of Velvet.