Brain bloom

Volume 1 #025: The Black Wildcat

That paper boat was said to have been folded by the second king of the Flower Kingdom, the Cotton Queen.

A side quest even revealed a little story behind it to Moritoki. So even though this plot item only appeared once, it left a deep impression on Moritoki.

It is a ship folded from paper, entirely white.

The maker, longing for his missing loved ones, filled an entire sheet of paper with his thoughts, folded it into a paper boat, and set it adrift at sea. It was as if by doing so, he could deliver his longing to them.

To prevent the paper boat from turning into waste paper and sinking to the bottom of the sea midway, it was also enchanted with several powerful spells.

It can grow larger or smaller, and it is not afraid of the waves, always sailing towards its destination with a calm demeanor. Later, when the Cotton Queen died, the ship returned to the Land of Flowers, but apart from that, the fundamental reason it was listed as a sacred object of the Land of Flowers was its speed.

The more passengers want to reach their destination as quickly as possible, the faster the ship will go.

These were all spells cast by the creators—yet even so, the ship never reached its destination.

"Well, I am a princess after all, and I am destined to inherit these sacred relics. It's the paper boat you mentioned, so don't worry about going back."

"That's good. There's really no need to worry about going home now."

Although her expression didn't betray her joy, Dandelion was actually very happy.

She was happy to be able to talk about these topics with the Four Seasons People. Through these conversations, she could realize that she was not the last Four Seasons Person in the world. It also helped to erase the loneliness that had been haunting her for so long.

Across from him, Mori wiped the grease off his fingers, looked around, and then asked in a low voice:

"Besides this... how much of what was left of the former Kingdom of Flowers?"

"Tu Mi left me some important things."

"So, the three magical cheat codes from the Kingdom of Flowers storyline—uh, no…" she realized she'd used game terminology and quickly corrected herself, "...are the three ancient sacred artifacts that formed the foundation of the kingdom still around?"

"It's still there." Dandelion nodded very seriously, not keeping it a secret from Sen Shi. "That's our trump card."

Mori instinctively clenched her fist, gripping the wooden fork in her hand so tightly it felt like it was digging into her skin. She had thought the ancient Kingdom of Flowers had vanished, yet something like this had survived. It seemed the road to restoring the kingdom would be a little easier.

……

After finishing their meal, the two women prepared to work for the salt elf and look for someone she wanted to thank, so they strolled around the town. Along the way, they heard mostly curses directed at the lord, and suddenly appearing healing spell scrolls.

Such a thing, normally enough to keep people talking for three days straight, has now ignited the streets and alleys at this particular time. People of high status care more about its influence, while those of lower status envy the price it fetched at auction—a huge sum of wealth that they could never accumulate in a lifetime.

But the person involved didn't feel anything about it; they were just worried that it would cause trouble.

In order to find the young nobleman, Mori deliberately entered a small general store. The signboard looked old, suggesting it was a long-established local business. Mori bought a small bag of fresh red apples and, while paying, pretended to chat with the bearded shopkeeper.

"I heard from the people at the inn that there's a creature here called Black Wildcat?" She had no other clues, but she still remembered that they had mentioned it in casual conversation.

"Oh, yes, you're here to buy slaves, right? You can't go wrong looking for the Black Wildcat flag."

The bearded shopkeeper gave them a small pile of change, then said:

"Turn left after you go out and walk straight. There's a big house with a garden, and the largest number of slave guards are gathered outside the door. That's the Black Wildcat family's mansion. But if you're just doing small business, you might get chased away if you go straight there. Good luck."

"So, they're called the Black Wildcat Family?"

"Yes, that flag is not a symbol, but the true identity of that family."

The bearded shopkeeper found the young girl, Senshi, very pleasing to the eye, and was in a good mood. Since she had made his first sale of the day, he told her everything without reservation:

"It's no secret. That family is actually a bunch of black cats. Who knows how they turned into humans. Even now, they close for a few months every year—as long as the slave market closes, black stray cats will appear... If you see them, you'd better feed them, otherwise they'll hold a grudge."

Sen was incredibly surprised after hearing the introduction; this was something that had never happened in the gaming era.

They weren't cat-people, but a group of wild cats disguised as humans, selling slaves...

After coming out, Mori told Dandelion what he had found out. She and Salt Fairy were waiting at the door. Upon hearing this, they both said it was a very interesting story.

Things still need to be done.

After another leisurely stroll, a tasteful mansion came into view, with the Black Wildcats flag fluttering as if it were higher than the city walls.

It occupies a considerable area in the best location in the entire Frozen Bear Town, and several extremely experienced warriors guard the entrance. Sen Shi glanced at it; the average level was also around 50.

At this point, Mori stopped speaking up and instead stood behind Dandelion, letting her practice more. In fact, Mori was quite introverted and thought this excuse for being lazy was good, making it easier to observe the overall situation.

“We are traveling merchants who would like to speak with your young master,” Dandelion said amiably.

"Oh? What exactly is it about?"

“He must have gone out hunting the boar chieftain yesterday, right? He rescued someone along the way and wants to thank him in person.” Dandelion placed her hand on Salt Elf’s shoulder and continued, “We’d also like to discuss business, if it’s suitable…”

Upon hearing that they were discussing business, the guard nodded and sent one of his men inside, without much suspicion.

In fact, it wasn't necessary, as powerful individuals roamed the entire mansion. Looking at all this, Dandelion thought that if they were all integrated, they would form a small but powerful force. However, the cats running around everywhere seemed to soften the murderous aura, proving that when one cat achieves enlightenment, even its chickens and dogs benefit.

Soon, they met the person they wanted to see—

It was the noble young master we met yesterday. He was dressed very handsomely, especially his clothes, which were exquisite. With a kind face, he led the three of them to the reception room—and kept glancing at the Salt Elf along the way, his face full of smiles.

"I am Black Cat III, and the future head of the family. I hope to get along well with you all." His voice was also very soft.

My name is Dandelion.

"Senji".

"I...I...I am salt—"

Sen Shi casually covered the salt spirit's mouth, as if afraid that this valuable, permanent salt container would reveal his secret.

"She's still a child and can't remember her own name, but we all call her Fufu." Sen Shi gave her a name on the spot. Anyway, salt can ward off evil spirits, so it's good to give her an auspicious name.

"Fufu, that's a very nice nickname." Black Cat III narrowed his eyes again and gave Salt Elf a fierce smile.

Mori felt a chill run down his spine, because that look in his eyes seemed to indicate ill intent...

Based on her past life's experience, she judged that seemingly respectable young men often harbored a terrifying side... Moreover, stray cats are definitely prolific animals, and once they enter their mating season, that's...

……

(Moon Crow is preparing for the entrance exam to junior high school, so there hasn't been time to update yet. The second update will be later.)

Volume 1 #026: Wildcats are terrifying

However, among those present, only Mori Toki was worried about these things.

Fu Fu had just received his name and then met the person who saved him, and he was beaming with joy because of this double happiness. Dandelion, on the other hand, had been observing with her head down. The young master's feet were very light, and he walked with a somewhat exaggerated cat-like gait. No wonder something seemed off about him that day.

Upon arriving at the reception room, Mori and Dandelion were surprised to find that it was not empty; there was a very old man exuding a powerful aura.

[Level 77 - King of Slaves - Black Cat II]

Sen Shi opened his eyes slightly in surprise, not expecting the owner of this place to be so powerful.

He was the master of this place; anyone could tell at a glance. Seeing his son lead the guests in, Black Cat II raised his lion-tiger eyes, stood up, and greeted the guests with undiminished authority, then looked at his son.

This father and son are two extremes. When Mori faces the old wildcat's eyes, he feels a bit numb from the old man's aura. But when he looks at the little wildcat, it's a different kind of numbness—maybe more like goosebumps? He always feels like the little wildcat is a pervert.

So she felt annoyed inside, thinking she shouldn't have come looking for trouble.

"Since they've come directly to you, does that mean they're here to discuss business?" the Second asked his son.

"No, I told you yesterday that we rescued a lovely little girl... She wanted to come and thank me today."

“Oh, I see. Don’t neglect your guests. Since the young lady has come all this way, take her to the garden for some snacks. Children should eat well. — I think these two have business to discuss with me; they reek of money.”

After waving to his son, Black Cat II rolled up the paper in front of him, clearing the entire meeting table.

Sen Shi didn't overlook this detail, because the content indicated it was a bid. The Chamber of Commerce was only auctioning one item, and clearly, this old stray cat was also a potential buyer of the healing scroll.

Although Mori and Dandelion were not there to discuss business at all, the other party misunderstood and acted as if they were about to discuss a big deal.

Seeing this, Black Cat III coaxed her a few times and immediately managed to leave with the Salt Sprite. Mori thought to himself that something was wrong and desperately winked at Fufu, telling her to turn back into a sprite and run away if she encountered danger. He didn't know if she understood.

"So, how many slaves do you want to buy?" The old wildcat straightened his collar and continued, "Because the Evil Fog is getting thicker, making sea voyages much riskier, there aren't that many high-quality slaves left from the Peda Empire..."

"First of all, I apologize and hope you can understand. We don't have any big business to do. We just came here to inquire about prices... We'll wait outside. It's probably inconvenient to bother you, and you can check the prices and such outside."

Dandelion told the truth, and Sen Shi calmly increased his vigilance, worried that the old wildcat would get angry.

However, he simply blinked, dispelling his tough aura.

"Haha, is that so? It's okay, don't be so awkward. Anyway, I have nothing else to do, so it's nice to chat with two beautiful humans for a bit."

The old wildcat looked dignified, but seemed to be a very talkative fellow.

"Speaking of which, when I was a lonely and helpless little stray cat, a rural woman with flaxen hair picked me up and took care of me for a long time. Over time, I realized that it was a wonderful thing to be cared for... There were also many wild sparrows in the countryside, and I could even catch birds to exercise, unlike now. Sigh, I can't run anymore."

"It's truly an inspiring story, going from a stray cat to where he is today," Mori commented.

"Not really, just lucky..." The old wildcat keenly noticed the curiosity in their eyes and said with a smile, half-jokingly, "It's a pity you're not here to trade, otherwise, if it were worth more than a thousand gold coins, I wouldn't mind telling my reliable business partners the secret."

"...How did a stray cat become a human?"

"Yes, that's a miracle related to the coffin carriers."

Dandelion responded with a polite smile, but in reality she loathed the coffin bearer, even if he was a fictional religious idol, he was still an enemy Dandelion would curse for the rest of her life.

Meanwhile, the woman who delivered the coffin was desperately trying to recall what she had lost that could turn a stray cat into a human to sell people... How many sins did she commit by carelessly tossing it away?

"Oh right, you want to hear about the price? Let me tell you first, maybe we'll become trading partners in the future."

The old stray cat stroked its graying hair and quoted prices for some of the more common slave breeds. The lowest-class slaves, used for hard labor, were one silver coin each. Prices gradually increased; the catalog was quite extensive. When the topic turned to the "Hand Clan" women skilled in handicrafts, Dandelion unexpectedly made a purchase, buying two of them.

One costs fifty silver coins, which is still affordable even if it's a complete waste.

After the deal was finalized, Mori asked curiously, "Did you capture them all?"

"No, it's all self-inflicted or voluntary. After all, slaves are guaranteed three meals a day and rest. For example, those who have lost everything gambling or whose families have been ruined for various reasons are our main source of goods. Go and catch them? That's too tiring..."

Sen Shi still felt unwell, but the old wildcat was happy because he had made a small deal, so he continued to quote prices.

"I do have some powerful combat slaves to sell. You can take a look if you're interested. I don't mind whether we make a deal or not; it's boring to stay cooped up in the house all the time anyway."

"Combat slaves?"

“Yes, those things down there outside—” he pointed out the window.

Sen Shi became somewhat interested, so he walked to the window and looked down.

There were a few people sitting under the shade of a tree, waiting to be counted. They were shackled and exuded an aura completely different from their surroundings. Sen Shi squinted and checked, discovering that the highest level among them was 70, and they looked quite young.

If we buy their freedom, and then properly equip and train them, they might become a great help...