I was comfortably settled in my cat backpack, being carried around by Sophia, while Cal walked beside her.
When I heard she was going on a date, I wasn’t particurly surprised. With her looks, it was inevitable. Take away her weird food preferences, and she’d be the perfect girlfriend.
What did surprise me, however, was learning that she was actually dating the imperial prince.
But that wasn’t all.
I focused on Cal and brought up his status window.
---
Calyxianov Kashnikov (Zmey Gorynych)
Level: 278 Mana Capacity: 14,387 Occupation: Imperial Prince (Maurya Empire), Leader of the The Silent Sentinels
Strength: 271 Intelligence: 513 Agility: 131 Dexterity: 43 Vitality: 432
Skills: Eyes of Discerning, Hearth of Deceit, Word of the Worlds.
---
Just like Valeslina and the other anomaly I’d encountered, Cal was someone I’d cssify as an 'anomaly' in this world. The bracket after his name was a clear indicator.
If he was anything like Valeslina, I could expect him to become even more formidable as he aged.
Even now, despite his youthful appearance, his stats already rivaled that of the knights in the imperial pace.
Another interesting thing about Cal was his ability to speak my nguage. He called it a "bloodline ability," which I assumed was some kind of skill that allowed him to understand and communicate in any nguage.
'I want that.'
I couldn’t help but feel envious. Being transported to another world without any nguage skills felt like being a Swede in Japan without access to Google Transte.
It was a nightmare.
I’d only avoided the worst of it by being Sophia’s tamed beast.
Shifting focus, I opened my own status window.
---
Seraphix
Level: 1 Mana Capacity: 492 Occupation: Beast (cat) tamed by Sophia Kovalevska
Strength: 1 Intelligence: 1 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 1 Vitality: 1
Skills: Transmogrify Essence, Veil of the Abyss, Essence Devour
Friend list(1)
---
A new section had appeared—Friend List.
It had shown up after my paw handshake with Cal.
Curious, I opened it. His name was there, alongside a symbol: a serpent dragon coiled around a tower.
The menu also included several functions: 'Chat', 'Invite', 'Go To', and 'Trade'.
I decided to test the chat function right away. A window materialized in front of me, and I quickly realized typing wasn’t necessary—I only had to think of the words for them to appear.
To test it, I sent something simple.
"Cal."
Cal visibly flinched, his gaze snapping to me in the backpack. We locked eyes for a moment before a message popped up in the chat box.
"I understand," he replied in the chat.
He gave me a subtle nod, which I returned, smiling inwardly.
'This could definitely come in handy.'
We continued our walk as if nothing had happened, with Sophia oblivious to the interaction.
So far, my impression of Cal was positive. He’d shown respect during our first meeting, despite my appearance as a mere cat.
His perceptiveness was impressive too; he immediately understood the chat’s function.
He could make for a reliable ally.
Turning to Sophia, I whispered, “You’ve got yourself a great boyfriend.”
Her face turned red as she gred at me, clearly flustered.
I ignored her.
As we moved through the bustling city, I noticed the atmosphere was different from the st pce me and Sophia visited.
This area felt more like a common-css district. People wore simpler clothing, the houses were smaller, there were no vehicles on the streets, and the streets were more crowded, with children running around.
Eventually, we reached what seemed to be a market district for common people, where small shops and stalls lined the streets.
Sophia and Cal moved from shop to shop, picking up items like ink, stacks of paper, and various other supplies.
Occasionally, Sophia would stop by a vendor selling questionable food items, only to be held back by Cal.
After some time, we arrived at a slightly rger building compared to the rest. Inside, it appeared to be an administrative building, bustling with people speaking to receptionists or waiting their turn.
Sophia took a seat while Cal grabbed some small wood from the edge of the room and returned to sit beside her.
“Our queue number is 14AD,” he informed her.
"Okay," Sophia replied.
We sat quietly after that, with Sophia snacking on 'something'.
***
Sophia sat quietly inside the administrative building, enjoying her snack as she and Cal waited for their turn to renew their passports.
Normally, nobles like her didn’t need passports. Sophia's silver card, adorned with her family insignia, was sufficient. However, the passport they were applying for was specifically for their study abroad at Naurvile Academy.
Since they were posing as commoners while attending the academy, they required a passport with an identity for their time abroad.
As Sophia sat, she noticed something on the man across from them—a cat pin on his clothes. She recognized it immediately as one she had made from leftover material after the cat backpack project.
Her memory clicked.
'The butler from the Merchant Guild.'
Though, she couldn’t recall his name.
'Right, he wasn’t from the Maurya Empire.'
Though, she couldn’t remember where he was from.
Suddenly, an important realization dawned on her. Quickly, she pulled her hood up, concealing her face. If anyone were to recognize her as a noble here, it would raise questions.
“What’s wrong?” Cal asked.
“There’s someone here who knows I’m a noble,” Sophia replied.
“What? How?” Cal’s tone shifted, tension rising.
Sophia expined her visit to the Merchant Guild, where she had encountered the butler.
Cal sighed, rubbing his face in frustration.
“Why did you visit a merchant guild in your commoner disguise?” he asked, his voice heavy with disbelief.
“I... well... It’s a habit,” Sophia answered sheepishly.
“...Of course,” Cal pinched the bridge of his nose.
***
Cal and Sophia strolled through the bustling city streets, with Seraphix nestled comfortably in a cat backpack on Sophia’s back.
They had just secured an airship ticket for their upcoming journey abroad, completing their final errand of the day. The flight was scheduled for the morning, two days from now—the st departure to the United Republic of Aur before winter brought all travel to a halt.
While purchasing the ticket had proven challenging, they managed to secure one just in time.
As they walked, Cal noticed the weariness etched on Sophia’s face. Her steps had slowed, and she seemed visibly drained. Spotting a café nearby, he suggested they stop there.
The two stepped into the café and selected a secluded table tucked away in the corner, away from the windows. Cal set their shopping bag down on the table.
Sophia carefully unzipped the cat backpack and gently lifted Seraphix out, pcing him on the table.
A waiter approached shortly after, pcing menus in front of them. Cal scanned the options, his brow furrowing.
“This price is ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath.
The waiter, clearly irritated, snapped back. “Look, don’t bme me for the prices. Compin to that idiot emperor if you’ve got a problem.”
At the waiter’s outburst about the emperor, the café suddenly grew quieter. Conversations hushed, and the faint clinking of cutlery against ptes stilled. Yet, no one voiced any objections to his compint. Instead, a subtle tension filled the room, marked by knowing gnces exchanged between patrons.
It was clear that the sentiment was shared by everyone present. The frustration was mutual.
Cal felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Turning, he saw Sophia’s worried gaze as she whispered, “Let’s find another pce.”
He shook his head slightly and gave her a reassuring smile before addressing the waiter.
“You’re right. That emperor’s decisions are outrageous. Prices keep rising, yet wages stay the same for us common folk.”
The waiter’s face softened as he joined in. “Exactly! It’s unbearable. I can’t even afford a decent meal most days.”
What followed was an exchange of grievances, with Cal and the waiter trading increasingly colorful insults about the emperor.
Sophia remained quiet.
Eventually, Cal selected something from the menu, and Sophia followed suit. Seraphix also received a small treat from the menu.
The waiter left with their orders, looking oddly satisfied after the shared venting session.
As they waited, Sophia broke the silence. “You know, Cal, I think your father is a great man. He’s always been so kind and gentle with me. I really admire him, and—”
She continued on, her words flowing without pause. Cal listened for a while, but eventually, he’d had enough. Without warning, he reached out and pinched her nose, making her voice sound comically nasal.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Sophia yelped, her hands darting up to tug at his.
Cal chuckled, holding her nose a moment longer before letting go. “Go get some rest.”
Sophia gred at him, her cheeks flushing, but she chose not to press further. Instead, she crossed her arms and huffed quietly.
***
In the emperor’s private library, Grigori Kashnikov, the reigning emperor, and Naphael Kovalevska, head of the Kovalevska household, sat facing each other. The atmosphere was heavy, though there remained a faint air of familiarity between them.
“Naphael, I apologize for calling you here on such short notice, especially knowing you’re leaving for abroad tonight,” Grigori began.
“Grigori, you’re the emperor. You don’t need to apologize every time we meet.”
“Do I do that often? My apologies,” Grigori replied with a faint smile.
Naphael exhaled, leaning forward slightly. “So, what’s this about?”
“You’ve heard about the incident, haven’t you?” Grigori asked carefully.
At the mention of the incident involving his wife and daughter, Naphael’s gaze turned sharp. “Yes,” he said curtly.
"I’ve received information from Seraphix—something I haven’t shared with anyone else.”
“Seraphix?” Naphael asked, confusion flickering across his face.
Grigori raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know? That’s your daughter's nine-stroke beast.”
“I see,” Naphael said, his voice quieter now. “What’s the information?”
Grigori’s tone turned serious. “The spy who infiltrated—he’s from the United Republic of Aur.”
Naphael’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible,” he said firmly.
He knew Grigori’s ability to identify infiltrators firsthand, and breaching his security was no easy feat.
But then a thought crossed his mind.
“Unless…” he murmured.
Grigori nodded. “Yes, it’s likely an inside job. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the ‘Primal’ party is involved.”
The Maurya Empire’s politics were divided among four major factions, the most prominent being the ‘Human’ Party and the ‘Primal’ Party.
The Primal Party held the belief that the Maurya Empire, founded by legendary creatures who ruled the ancient world, was inherently superior to others. They advocated for embracing the traits and heritage of those creatures with pride, as opposed to the Human Party’s vision of following humanistic ideals and values.
In recent years, the increasing number of “awakened” individuals in the empire had bolstered the Primal Party's influence, pushing it to the forefront of political power.
It seemed inevitable that they would eventually overthrow the government.
“I see,” Naphael said ftly.
Grigori sighed. “Naphael, tell me honestly—am I being too idealistic?”
Naphael held his gaze, studying the man across from him.
“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.
“Then why do you follow me?” Grigori pressed.
Naphael closed his eyes, memories of their youth surfacing. Back then, they had traveled the world together.
Grigori had always spoken of his dream to create a nation where people from all backgrounds could coexist, embracing their differences rather than being divided by them.
There was a light in his eyes—a conviction so strong that Naphael believed it could move the sun.
And it wasn’t just words. Shortly before his ascent to power, Grigori had secured the support of the four grand titleholders—a feat few could have even dreamed of achieving.
But now, as Naphael opened his eyes and looked at the man before him, he saw a different Grigori. His complexion was pale, his expression weary, and the light—the one that once shone in his eyes—was now extinguished.
“Back then,” Naphael said quietly, “I believed you could do it.”
Grigori smiled faintly, but there was no joy in it. “I see... I’m sorry. I failed all of you.”
“No,” Naphael corrected, his voice firm. “We failed.”
