Chapter 61: Chapter 61

JONEA

“Oh, yeah, I… Nothing,” I said to Daran.

I started running after him. I asked the cat when standing next to Daran and the black cat. “So where is your king?”

“The one next to you,” the black cat replied.

I was confused and looked to the side. Apparently, it was a snow-white cat with beautiful, thick fur perched on the fence of a stone house. The cat had odd-eyed eyes, one blue and the other yellow.

“Good afternoon, lycan king and his apprentice!”

“So you are the king of the cats here?”

“Yes, my name is Snowy. I am a female cat, but I am their leader. You must be the red moon girl.”

“My name is Jonea Rawling, you can call me Jonea.”

“Okay, Jonia. I was just wondering what kind of person this stupid lycan would want to marry.”

“Shut up, you ugly cat!” Daran said in annoyance.

Watching their argument, I could only grin awkwardly. What did they say? Bride? Had news of me really spread to the corners of the wizarding world?

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Snowy said. “I wouldn’t know what I would have done if it was a warlock or a wizard.”

“Would you not want a warlock?” I asked curiously.

The black cat that had been following us had scratched my pants. It whined like a child. “We all hate warlocks, Miss. They’re so cunning and lowly. I don’t want to be near them.”

“Isn’t Daran a wizard too?” I asked.

“He’s the magus and has a good reputation,” Snowy said. “I know you were sent here by the auction. I wish I could tell you that there’s no problem in our country. But honestly, we’re in big trouble.”

I began to wonder. How important is the auction in the affairs of these wizarding countries?

“Will you help us, lycan king?” Snowy asked Daran.

“That’s why I’m here, even though I don’t want to,” Daran answered coldly.

Suddenly, the gate of the stone house beside us opened, and someone ran out in a hurry.

“Who are you?” A girl the same age as me stood behind me while carrying a broom.

I was confused and looked around. Daran was no longer visible, and the cats talking to me were silent. They acted as if they were just ordinary cats.

“Daran? Where is he?” I was flustered.

Meanwhile, the girl who had just appeared seemed even more curious. She approached me with a questioning face.

“I heard you talking in front of my house. Who are you and what do you need here? I’ve never seen you before.”

I could only sigh heavily and had no choice but to face this girl. “I just happened to be passing by and saw a cute cat on your fence.”

“That’s our cat, her name is Snowy. She’s beautiful, isn’t she? She’s also a sweet cat and never causes any trouble.”

The girl started talking to Snowy, who was still perched on the stone fence. “Come on, let’s go home. It’s time to eat.”

The girl entered her house. Only Snowy and I were left talking in front of the fence.

“She is Raelina, my master who lives in this house. I have been with her since she was born.”

Daran suddenly appeared behind me with his pitch-black wings spread wide and surprised me.

“Daran? Why did you disappear and confuse me?”

“I don’t like humans,” Daran replied. “Humans are far more dangerous than even the greatest warlocks.”

Daran affectionately hugged me using his pitch-black wings. Until I was short of breath.

“Can you wait for me here, Jonea? I will go to investigate what really happened in this cat country. You will be safe with these cats.”

“Daran... Where are you going?”

He had let go of me and transformed himself into a brown cat. “I feel something is wrong,” he said.

I was truly amazed to see Daran transform from one form to another. I couldn’t believe he was a lycan king because his attitude and actions were more fitting for a wizard or magus.

“Okay, I’ll show you around,” Snowy said.

The four of us walked through the village with Snowy as our guide and the other two cats behind me. As we got further, we entered a forest area that wasn’t too dense.

Snowy said, “Long before the dragon kingdom made a fuss in other countries, we already inhabited this country. But there was someone who always disturbed and disturbed our lives. He even kept killing us. Whether we wanted to hide or run away, it was all in vain.”

“We would always be caught and lose our lives in his hands. He used us, the cats, as offerings in an ancient magic ritual. He wanted to transform himself into supernatural creatures through the magic ritual. In fact, this country is the only remaining safe place, both for humans and cats, from the attacks of the dragons.”

I know that because humans out there are almost extinct. One by one, they began to transform themselves into unnatural, supernatural creatures, especially hybrids.

“Then the first cat king managed to end the story. He gathered the remaining cats and attacked the wizard together. Since then, our country has become a safe country, both for cats and humans who need shelter.”

Without realizing it, we arrived at a lake with a small piece of land in the middle. The land was overgrown with a very large tree.

“Do you see that Jonea?” said the black cat. “On that small piece of land, right in the middle of the lake, a ritual offering that took the lives of many cats was performed. Our kings in every generation tried hard to seal the magic power so that it would not escape.”

I looked at the giant tree on the small land in the middle of the lake. Indeed, a very strong magic energy radiated around the giant tree.

“That is tainted magic energy,” said Snowy. “A lowly soul that we cannot purify. Lately, that magic energy has been trying to escape from there. It targets anyone, be it a cat or a human. I have to prevent it from getting out of there. Even if it kills me.”

“Is it for Raelina?” I asked.

“Isn’t it a protector’s job to protect their master? At least that’s what I think,” replied Snowy.

For some reason, I suddenly remembered my adoptive parents, who sacrificed their lives to protect me and Miller. Meanwhile, I have been unable to repay their kindness even a little.

“Well, you’re right,” I muttered.

Suddenly, someone appeared behind me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me very hard. I was so shocked that my chest was pounding. I could only open my eyes wide when a bright light suddenly blinded my eyes.

“JONEA!”

The cats screamed in panic, calling my name. But the red-hooded figure continued to hug me from behind and carried me flying across the lake. Suddenly, she released her grip on me and wanted to drop me.

“Don’t hold a grudge against me, okay,” whispered the red-hooded woman.

She was the woman who passed me on the road earlier and kept watching and spying on me.

I didn’t recognize her face, but faintly, from her body odor, I could feel the presence of someone else with her. This woman’s body odor mixed with the body odor of someone I recognized very well.

She suddenly dropped me after she carried me flying to the middle of the lake. I fell freely. While the red-hooded woman floated above me as if flying.

Our eyes met. I saw her take out a pendant that emitted a bluish light. That light blinded me momentarily before I had no time to fight back.

Then, the woman disappeared after a flash of light radiated from her pendant. While I fell into the lake.

Damn it! I can’t swim. I hate water.

The longer it took, the more my body felt like it was being pulled to the bottom of the lake. Plus, my clothes became very heavy when they came into contact with water. I couldn’t move and couldn’t breathe. Am I going to die here?