“…Devours Fortune?” Alnea mumbled, staring at the cat with confusion, and horror. He finally understood why only the girls were able to feel the threat from the cat. “Is it its Innate Ability?”

“No,” Yuri said, shaking her head. “Weren’t you asking what the golden lights are? They represent the Fortune of the Wolf, both good, and ill. And the cat is devouring them as its food.”

“…Treating Fortune as food? How can such a terrifying ability exist?”

“…Logically, mere Oren Beasts, especially one still in its Adolescent Stage, should not even have the ability to touch Fortune, let alone devour it. But the Fortune Devouring Cat is an exception. Why that is so, no one knows. All we know is that we have to be very careful of them, or they might spell destruction.”

“…Can the cat really destroy Rianra?”

“…The cat cannot destroy anything,” Cecilia said, shaking her head. “Can you not feel its strength? At best, it is just at the peak phase of its Adolescent Stage. It is not strong enough to even destroy a city, let alone the entire country.”

“Then what Yuri said…”

Instead of answering Alnea, Cecilia turned towards Yuri with worry, and said, “Is it really a Fortune Devouring Cat?”

“…What else can explain the palpitations that we are feeling?”

“But… I have read a little about Fortune Devouring Cats. Aren’t they supposed to be guarded by their kin until they reach their Adult Stage?”

“…I am just as baffled as you are,” Yuri said. “Fortune Devouring Cats are known to stay with their kin. Rarely will they leave their mother before reaching the Adult Stage. Most important of all though, Fortune Devouring Cats are not native to the Tes Domain. And yet, here it is, a Fortune Devouring Cat in a remote corner of the Night Canyons… I am afraid that a terrible conspiracy is being staged against Rianra.”

“…What are you two talking about?” Alnea said, scratching his head in confusion. “I don’t know much about Fortune Devouring Cats… Why are you two so afraid of the cat?”

“…Like I said, we are not afraid of the cat, but what it represents.”

“And I am saying that I cannot understand what you are saying.”

“…You can think of the cat as an omen of disaster,” Yuri said, turning back towards the cat. “If a Fortune Devouring Cat were to die, then the area where they died would become tainted grounds, devouring the Fortune of all the surrounding areas. There are even speculations that the reason why the Orthodoxies lost three Domains against the Thralls was because someone had killed Fortune Devouring Cats in those three Domains.”

“…If you don’t kill the cat, it will devour your Fortune. And if you kill the cat, it will lead the entire world to destruction… What is with that ridiculous setting?”

“…The Fortune Devouring Cats are indeed ridiculous,” Cecilia said, staring solemnly at the cat. “Throughout the history of the world, their presence has always been sporadic. But whenever they have appeared, they have always been accompanied by horrific disasters.”

“…Is this related to the conspiracy that you were talking about?” Alnea said to Yuri. “Who would dare to conspire against a Fortune Devouring Cat?”

“…Conspiring against a Fortune Devouring Cat is not as difficult as you think it is,” Yuri said. “All they would have to do is to drop off the cat in a Forbidden Area, and the other Oren Beasts would do the rest of their work.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Why do you think the appearance of Fortune Devouring Cats has always been so sporadic?” Yuri said. “Normally, these cats like to stay away from the rest of the world, and live in hiding. They do occasionally come out to look for food, but they do their best to stay away from Wanderers, and Oren Beasts. And they know their weakness. They would never step foot into a Forbidden Area. Not to mention that these cats are not native species of the Tes Domain in the first place. Do I need to say more?”

“…Let me get this straight. Some people dropped off the cat in the Night Canyons to let the Oren Beast do their work, in hope that it will bring disaster to Rianra. Is that right?”

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“…That’s my guess for now.”

“Then it would be fine as long as we capture the cat, and bring it out of the canyons, right?”

“…If only capturing a Fortune Devouring Cat was so easy,” Cecilia said, shaking her head. There was no despair in her voice though, or in her eyes. “We need a plan.”

“…Let us try to figure out why the Fortune Devouring Cat exposed itself to us in the first place. Maybe we can find something that can let it drop its guard against us.”

“…From how the cat is enjoying its meal, it must have been very hungry. Its days in the Night Canyons must not have been easy. After all, Fortune Devouring Cats are not known for their fighting prowess. It must have been hiding nearby, in one of the crevices, bidding its time, when it sensed a sudden change in the wolf’s Fortune. It should have sensed our presence too, but its hunger probably overcame its reason.”

“Change of Fortune,” Alnea mumbled, before turning towards Cecilia. “Is it because of your Spear of Ill Fortune?”

“…Probably.”

“Why don’t you try condensing another spear?”

“No,” Yuri said. “We do not know who brought the cat to the Night Canyons, and if they are still here, or not. Wasting our Spirit Power just to lure the cat would be too much of a waste.”

“But isn’t it exactly because we do not know who our enemies are that we must secure the cat first? What if they kill the cat, and cause a disaster?”

“There is no need to worry about the cat’s safety,” Yuri said. “Since they have not killed the cat yet, it means that they are not willing to bear the burden of killing the cat. After all, the ones who kill the cat will have to bear the greatest risk in the disaster that will follow.”

“It is not that we are not willing to take that risk, little girl,” a voice rang out in the darkness, startling everyone, even the cat. As if recognising the voice, the cat stopped enjoying the Fortune from the wolf, and looked towards the depth of the darkness with its golden eyes, hissing, and purring, getting ready to fight for its life.

“If Lord Ghost Fire had not warned us to ensure that the cat is killed by the natives of Rianra, then we would have long sent the stupid cat to our Supreme Lord with our own hands. We were originally planning on letting it die at the hands of the Oren Beasts, but now that you are here… won’t you little friends consider doing us a favour, and kill the stupid beast?”

Alnea raised his sword, and urged his Aspect, while searching for the owner of the voice. His Domain of Night had long faded away though, so he had to rely on the senses of his Spirit. And they were not proving very effective.

“Supreme Lord… Are you a Heterodox Wanderer?”

“…Smart kids are not very cute, you know?”

“Show yourself, and I’ll show you whether I am cute, or not.”

“…I like feisty kids like you,” the voice rang out once again, before a man finally came into his view. Clad in a greenish robe, the man was around six feet tall, and had a crazy look in his eyes. Licking his lips, as he looked at Alnea, the man added, “I hope you taste just as fine as the ones I had yesterday.”

“…Great, another lunatic,” Alnea mumbled, appearing mostly nonchalant on the surface. His Heart though, never stopped shaking.

“How strong is the Heterodox Wanderer, Yuri?”

“…Most probably a Peak Stage False Wanderer.”

“…You dare to step foot in Rianra once again?” Cecilia said, taking a step towards the mad man. “It looks like the lesson that Serena taught your people not good enough for you to remember.”

“…I was wondering what three little fellows like you were doing so deep into the Night Canyons all by yourself, but now that I see carefully, you are bearing the symbol of the Serpia clan,” the man said, looking at Cecilia with interest. “Even if you are training, you should not come to such a dangerous place by yourself, you know?”

“Worry about yourself, before worrying about me, rat.”

“…That fiery temper. Are you three little lambs related to that abominable woman?”

“…Faein’s smite, why now of all times?”

“That is just how fate is, fickle, and everchanging.”

“…How about you tell me what you, and your Ghost Fire is planning, and I will tell you how I am related to Serena?”

“Oh, you will tell me everything you know,” the man said. “And you will also tell me things that you do not know. I will make sure of it.”

“…Or maybe it is the curse.”

“Focus, Alnea.”

“…Serena was right. You rats truly are delusional.”

“…Little children should not so rude, you know? Looks like I will have to teach you manners on behalf of your clan.”

“A rat teaching me about manners? Don’t make me laugh.”

“Why don’t you give me a chance?” the man said. “I am told that I can be very persuasive in my ways.”

“Can we take him?”

“…We have to.”

“…And I have been told that I can be very brutal in my ways,” Cecilia said, recondensing her claws, as she prepared herself to deal with the Heterodox Wanderer. “Why not give my claws a try first?”

“…Children can truly be ignorant,” the man said, shaking head with a rueful expression on his face. “But it is alright. I will make sure to teach you everything about the world. After all, I am a very kind person, you know?”

“…All I know is that you are going to die,” Alnea said, stepping forwards to stand by Cecilia’s side.