Even if he had told the truth, no one would have believed him.

Of course not. Every student in the military academy knew what five hundred energy crystals could do.

Five hundred energy crystals could power three Marshal-class battleships for long-distance wormhole jumps, arm at least eighty-five of the military's latest model mechs, or sustain a small fleet of ten reconnaissance ships for two months of space operations.

To put it in perspective:

In the entire empire, there were only two Marshal-class battleships. Eighty-five mechs dispatched could utterly destroy a large city in just one hour. And ten reconnaissance ships operating in space for over two months usually signaled the prelude to war!

How could this not be alarming?

It was terrifying!

While the black market had its own intelligence networks, there had been no prior indications of such a large-scale purchase. For someone to suddenly buy energy crystals in bulk—especially someone who made no effort to conceal their military bearing—naturally set off alarm bells for the black market merchants, who had a keen nose for danger.

Of course, the vendor wasn't just alarmed; he also smelled a potent business opportunity.

For those who valued money over life, what was the most profitable venture?

War profiteering, of course!

The man's heart raced, torn between excitement and nervousness.

Was the Empire planning another major war? Was it expanding its territories or suppressing a rebellion somewhere? Perhaps responding to a call for aid from an ally? Or maybe... even an internal conflict?

The merchant wrung his hands, expectantly watching his customer, trying to glean any information from his expression.

But Seasonal had long ago mastered the art of maintaining a stoic facade, even if a mountain were to crumble before him. He showed no reaction to the merchant's probing gaze.

After all, even the truth wouldn't be believed. Let him speculate wildly.

So Seasonal said nothing. After a brief pause, he left with his five hundred plus energy crystals.

The exit led directly to the parking lot. Being a black market exit, this stretch had no surveillance cameras.

The lack of cameras also meant that people might be lurking, waiting to ambush those privileged enough to use this exclusive exit from the largest shop in the black market.

Yue An, crouched in the hidden pocket of Seasonal's coat, sensed the change in atmosphere through his innate animal instinct for danger. His ears stood alert, his beautiful cat eyes wide open, scanning his limited field of vision.

A cat's hearing is incredibly sensitive. In the wild, even a slight breeze can wake a sleeping feline.

Yue An's soft, furry ears swiveled, occasionally twitching slightly.

He detected several slow, steady breathing patterns. His gaze swept over a few blind spots, and his claws began to emanate faint electrical sparks.

Seasonal felt a sudden, brief pain in his side where the hidden pocket was sewn, accompanied by a momentary numbness, as if he'd been zapped by a leaking electrical wire.

He paused briefly, his keen ears catching several muffled groans from various directions. Looking up, he saw figures falling from several blind spots, revealing their upper bodies or heads.

They sported wildly disheveled hair, their clothes bearing a singed odor. While there were no visible wounds, they twitched a couple of times on the ground before losing consciousness.

Not dead.

And there was no question whose paws were responsible.

Yue An, having silently dispatched most of the would-be ambushers, remained in the hidden pocket, looking around and listening intently. He was satisfied to hear the remaining few breathing sounds pause briefly before gradually fading away.

Yue An shifted in the pocket and let out a small "meow" through the fabric.

Seasonal immediately grasped the situation. Without lingering, he grabbed the box of crystals and strode out, his long legs covering twice the distance of an average person. Within minutes, they were back at his vehicle.

As soon as they were in the car, Yue An wriggled out of Seasonal's coat and leaped onto the box of crystals. He meowed at Seasonal, who was removing his disguise brooch, his tail held high and his head tilted back in a clear "praise me" pose.

The Marshal, having reverted to his original appearance, glanced at the rapidly retreating scenery outside the window before gently scratching under Yue An's chin.

Yue An sprawled on the box, eyes half-closed in bliss from Seasonal's expert ministrations. His ears flattened, and he rested the full weight of his head on Seasonal's palm, purring contentedly.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Seasonal looked down at Yue An, who appeared ready to drift off to sleep from sheer pleasure. He paused his petting, his mind turning to Yue An's special talents.

He recalled their first encounters, noticing a distinct difference in the water streams Yue An had summoned. The second time, the stream had been noticeably thinner.

Then, when they were grilling fish by the pond, Yue An had accidentally electrified half the pond's water, seeming shocked by his own power. That was right after he had eaten half an energy crystal.

His cat wasn't sustained solely by energy crystals; Yue An could eat many things, virtually anything humans could eat. But he showed a particular fondness for energy crystals.

Considering the incident from the previous morning, when Yue An had singed a small patch of Seasonal's hair after nibbling on some energy crystals, the Marshal formed a bold hypothesis.

He gently roused the ever-napping Yue An.

Yue An expressed his displeasure with a light nip to Seasonal's finger, just enough to sting slightly.

The Marshal withdrew his hand, soothingly patting the small furball's head before asking, "Yue An, does your talent rely on energy crystals?"

Yue An, lying on the box, rolled over at the question, looking up at Seasonal. He made no attempt to conceal the truth.

"Meow," he affirmed.

It all made sense now.

Seasonal continued to stroke Yue An's head, his gaze drawn to the large box of energy crystals.

"My lifesaving benefactor cat is so high-maintenance," Marshal Seasonal thought to himself. But then he realized that wasn't quite right—after all, Yue An had earned the money for this box of crystals himself.

"..."

The Marshal fell into silence.

Did this make him seem a bit... useless?

The more Seasonal pondered, the more he felt this might indeed be the case. So he decided to ask, "Yue An, is there anything you want?"

The small ball of fur's ears twitched, and he stretched out a paw to pat the box he was lying on.

Seasonal paused before clarifying, "I mean, besides energy crystals?"

I want to become an immortal! Yue An thought, remembering his eight tails. He looked up at Seasonal, considered for a moment, then rolled over to expose his belly.

"Meow!" he proclaimed.

Seasonal stared at Yue An for a long moment, finally coming to terms with the harsh reality: it seemed his cat had designated him as a human massage machine.

What a predicament.

It wasn't that Marshal Seasonal lacked funds. On the contrary, he was quite wealthy. He owned a mining operation, had several side businesses, and received a hefty salary with various allowances. The Emperor never hesitated to lavish money on young, formidable military leaders to secure their loyalty.

But Yue An didn't need Seasonal's money. In fact, the cat's ability to generate income far surpassed the Marshal's.

As Seasonal seriously contemplated whether he should hand over his salary card to Yue An to avoid appearing useless, they arrived home.

The car pulled into the garage, and the Marshal effortlessly hoisted the box from the vehicle, bringing it into the house.

Yue An, still lounging atop the box, enjoyed a smooth ride into the house. As he looked up, he saw Marshal Kevin fast asleep on the sofa.

Yue An blinked in surprise, glancing up at Seasonal.

Seasonal showed no sign of surprise. His mentor had always had access to this house, a privilege granted by Seasonal's parents when they were still alive. Seasonal had never thought to revoke it.

The Marshal moved with extreme care, not wanting to disturb his mentor's sleep.

The room was temperature-controlled, so there was no need to worry about Kevin catching a cold.

Observing Seasonal's considerate behavior, Yue An realized that the relationship between the two men was likely not as cold as they had portrayed earlier that morning.

From what Yue An knew, Seasonal's interpersonal relationships were incredibly limited. This made him curious about the Marshal who had such unrestricted access to Seasonal's home.

He padded over on his short legs, gracefully leaping onto the coffee table in front of the sofa. Tilting his head, he scrutinized the sleeping man.

Marshal Kevin was over 210 years old now, having served as a Marshal protecting the Empire for nearly a century. In recent years, his physical condition had begun to slowly decline, approaching the end of what was considered the prime of human life in their era.

Although his appearance didn't show much sign of aging, as a soldier who had spent his life on battlefields, his body was no longer suited for the fierce frontlines of war.

However, years of battlefield experience had honed his instincts, which hadn't been entirely dulled by the recent years of peaceful living.

So, under Yue An's uninhibited scrutiny, Marshal Kevin stirred awake.

His eyes immediately found Seasonal. "You're back?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

Seasonal nodded. "Teacher."

Kevin nodded in acknowledgment. Noticing Seasonal heading to the kitchen while pulling up a takeout menu on his device, Kevin's gaze shifted to the small furball perched on the coffee table before him.

He cautiously extended his hand.

Yue An didn't shy away.

Kevin smiled, boldly reaching out to ruffle Yue An's head.

When Seasonal returned from the kitchen with a glass of warm milk, he was greeted by the sight of his mentor playfully dangling a strip of jerky in front of Yue An.

The Marshal watched as Yue An stretched up, paws reaching for the treat, before setting down the milk.

Yue An turned his head, sniffing the milky aroma in the air, and meowed questioningly at Seasonal.

The Marshal scooped his cat away from his mentor, gently squeezing Yue An's paw. "It's for Teacher," he explained.

Yue An looked at Kevin, incredulous. An old man still drinking milk?

What a trendy concept!

"Drinking milk helps slow down skin aging, you know," Kevin said, his face suddenly serious. "Unlike Seasonal, I'm a married man. I need to maintain my handsome appearance to keep my wife happy."

Seasonal's face remained impassive, not bothering to respond.

"Meow..." Yue An found it hard to believe that this man had managed to raise someone as stoic as Seasonal.

"I came here for a reason," Kevin said, setting down his cup. "We just received intelligence that someone, possibly from the military, purchased over 500 high-grade energy crystals directly from the black market."

The man and cat, who had been playing a game of paw-pressing, froze simultaneously at these words. They turned their heads in unison to look at Kevin.

Kevin, caught off guard by their unexpected reaction, paused for a moment. He seemed to realize something, glancing at Seasonal's civilian clothes and then at the large box still by the door.

"..." Kevin was silent for a couple of seconds. "Was it you?"

Seasonal didn't respond verbally, which was as good as an admission.

Kevin looked at him incredulously. "You have an entire planet's worth of mineral veins under your command. Why would you buy these?"

"..." Seasonal gently squeezed Yue An's paw.

If there was anyone Seasonal trusted implicitly, it was Marshal Kevin alone. But truthfully, even Kevin might find the real reason hard to believe.

"Are you planning a rebellion?" Kevin asked, half-jokingly.

"...No," Seasonal replied flatly.

Kevin eyed his student. "Then what is this for...?"

"..."

Seasonal stared at his mentor, his face expressionless. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"...It's cat food."

Kevin: ...

Kevin: ???

Huh???