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“Meow!!!”
A red-haired knight heard the yowls from an alley and decided to investigate it.
Three thugs were cornering a cat with sharp orange eyes, probably going to sell it due to its rare black fur.
“That’s enough.” Reinhard saved the cat before the thugs could touch it. “As a knight, I will not tolerate animal abuse or trafficking.”
Intimidated by Reinhard's sheer aura and the worst punishment of cat abuse being death sentence, the thugs left pathetically.
Reinhard looked at the cat he rescued. Its fur was too smooth and clean to be a stray cat, yet it wore no collar that indicated its owner or return address. Furthermore, besides his short legs and tail, it smelled of miasma. A common sign for the Witch Catist.
However, the cat seemed to understand that Reinhard saved it and its once puffed-up tail was now upright, mewing at him with clear gratitude and affection.
The first cat in Reinhard’s life that didn't run away or hiss at him in fear at first sight. Reinhard's heart had been too captured to suspect the cat any longer.
After the cat thanked Reinhard with its meows, it ran elsewhere in a rush, going to a place with a clear goal. Was the cat going back to its owner?
Out of morbid concern and curiosity if Reinhard could kidnap adopt the cat, he followed the cat quietly without its knowledge. Kidnap kidnap kidnap kidnap kidnap- No, doing that would make Reinhard the same as the thugs. Rescue adopt rescue adopt kidnap rescue-
Then the cat was adopted before Reinhard could, how unfortunate. Since it was Emilia with her cat father, she would be a better owner than Reinhard could ever be.
Just as Reinhard was going to return home petless, he saw it. A blonde cat with red eyes and fangs, characteristics of the past Royal Family, returning the glowing insignia in its mouth to Emilia.
“Congratulations, you are being rescued. Please do not resist.” Reinhard took the blonde stray cat in his arms. He needed this cat as his first collection.
“MEOW!!!” The cat resisted.
After draining the cat’s mana and forcing her unconscious, Reinhard smiled in satisfaction. It was all for the sake of fulfilling his duty, yes. The time to gaze calmly at the moon had come to an end, he would gaze calmly at his new cat now.
The blonde cat Reinhard adopted was a feral one. She wouldn’t listen to Reinhard and actively tried to escape his family mansion. Reinhard was only dressing her in beautiful dresses and she had to tear them to pieces every time. Had he done anything wrong?
As per tradition, Reinhard tried to figure out the cat’s name by playing Kokkuri with her with the help of Carol. Then he finally learned that her name was Felt. No family name that resembled Lugunica. A fake name?
Regardless of her relation to the previous Royal Family, she was still a Dragon Maiden. So when the Royal Selection started, Reinhard carried her to the Royal Castle in a pet carrier.
Cat Priscilla Barrielle and her cat knight, Aldebaran. Double cat duo.
Anastasia Hoshin and her knight, Julius Juukulius. Double human duo.
Crusch Karsten and her cat knight, Felix Argyle. A human and cat duo similar to Reinhard and Felt.
Emilia and her sponsor, Roswaal L Mathers, alongside a black cat in her hood— Ah.
Reinhard reunited with the black cat he met months ago, engaged in a pleasant conversation with human language and mews. Then he learned from Emilia that his name was Natsuki Subaru.
Contrary to Felt, the black cat was noticeably affectionate and protective of his owner, but it didn't mean that Reinhard loved his cat any less. Since ancient times, even before the Kingdom made a pact with the Divine Dragon, cats had been on equal or higher status than humans. After all, Lugunica was ruled by cats for over 1700 years.
When foreigners visited Lugunica, they would often question how could cats rule a country. A silly concern, any good ruler would provide emotional support by being their adorable, mischievous self. If they need any advice from their cat ruler, they would simply write decisions in paper balls and pick the ones the cat ruler picked first.
Reinhard considered asking Crusch, Anastasia, or Emilia for some cat advice as they all owned at least one cat and were more experienced. But Subaru had a fight with his knight friend Julius because the latter was close to his owner, so it distracted Reinhard.
Animal abuse was unbefitting of knights, especially Julius, the Finest of Knights, but his cat friend Ferris seemed to be very supportive of his action as he mewed Julius on the fight. Reinhard could never bring himself to hurt a vulnerable small animal, let alone a cat he himself had selfishly wanted to kidnap deemed a friend.
The fight was fast, brutal and cute. His black cat friend was restlessly trying to land even a scratch on Julius’ pants or shoes, but Julius easily subdued him once he grabbed the cat’s nape and carried it in his arms.
As Julius aggressively petted the hissing black cat. The knights around them cheered Julius on to tame the feral in him down. It was a horrible sight, it should have been Reinhard who duel Subaru.
Historically, a duel between a cat and a human decides the victor either from the cat making the human aww or the human causing the cat to purr. In short, it was a fight where one of them must stand superior to the other party by forcing them to show their submissive side. This duel was no exception.
With the cat in Julius' hold and him patting it on its ears, head, chin, back, butt and even tail, it was only a matter of time before the cat purred and lose. Did the cat even know that scratching and biting wouldn't normally make someone aww?
Finally, Reinhard couldn't stand this public animal abuse and physical harassment anymore and called out to Julius.
"Stop, Julius! Let me duel you in its stead!" Reinhard pleaded. "There is no need to pet it to this extent! You could’ve just fed it catnip easily for the purr!" Even though Reinhard’s cat had never submitted to catnip.
Julius stopped petting the black feral cat smugly and glanced at Reinhard with a stoic face. "Reinhard, this is an honourable duel between Nyatsuki Subaru and me. As the self-proclaimed emotional support cat of Emilia-sama, he caused her distress and scratched Bordeaux-sama's face. I am only doing my duty as a knight to tame his feralness down."
"Meow!" The black cat, Nyatsuki Subaru protested against Reinhard fighting for him too.
With his request rejected, Reinhard despaired as the duel continued.
Then he heard it. Emilia-sama’s footsteps. Someone must have reported the brutal petting session to her.
"Subaru!!!" Emilia cried out.
Subaru's orange eyes opened wide. Not missing this chance where Subaru had his guard down, Julius stroked Subaru on his belly.
Caught off guard and his weakness found, Subaru purred loudly and embarrassingly in front of the knights and his owner.
It was over. Both the duel and the cat's pride.
After the duel, Subaru had been staying in Crusch's mansion to recover. Reinhard, worried for his friend's wounded pride, visited him.
“I brought catnip for you.” Reinhard offered as a gift.
Subaru hissed as if he was insulted, retreating further into the darkness under a bed and curled up into a ball of angry cat fluff with only two angry orange eyes visible.
Reinhard’s face twisted in sadness as he realized that he had ruined his friendship.
“Reinhard-sama, Rem apologized for Subaru-kun's behaviour.” Subaru’s caretaker, Roswaal's maid, bowed deeply.
“It's fine, Rem-san. I'm sure it was tough on your side too, you have nothing to apologize.” Reinhard smiled wryly. He already heard how Subaru refused to let anyone touch him except for Rem.
Aside from the wounded pride from losing the duel with Julius, Reinhard had heard that Emilia had disowned Subaru after that. It was unclear what the reason was, but it sure left a deep abandonment issue in Subaru's heart.
After Subaru’s Gate recovered, he wouldn't have any place to go and could become a stray cat. Rem looked like she wanted to adopt Subaru, but it was a wonder if she could keep the same cat her liege abandoned under the same rooftop.
But it was different for Reinhard. His cat liege, Felt would be happy to have another cat in her camp.
But Subaru wasn’t happy under Reinhard's custody.
No matter how much Reinhard pet him, how much catnip or cat toy he gave, Subaru never responded in an affectionate way again.
Just like how Reinhard would never replace his good memories with his father with his fond memories with Felt, Subaru must be the same. Emilia was irreplaceable to him no matter what.
“I hope Emilia-sama will come back for you, Subaru.” Reinhard told the sulking fluff of black ball.
For the first time since his visit, Subaru reacted and turned at him. Reinhard wondered if Subaru was now willing to go with him, but his cat friend turned away again. It was fine, Subaru needed time.
A few days later, Reinhard exterminated the Beast of the End, returning to the mansion as a cat killer.
Neither Subaru nor Emilia was anywhere in this world any longer.