(Edited by Radriel7)
Ingram’s Pets was a small shop that occupied a large plot of land within Sunheart’s Sky District. Most of that land was taken up by a fenced in grassy lawn, which included various obstacle courses and playsets for the animals to run around in. I saw a few from my perch within the House Sturm carriage. The shop itself was a simple two-story white stone building that bordered the nearest road.
Looking at it from the outside, I thought it was the perfect place to buy a pet for Roland.
The House Sturm carriage stopped in front of the shop. I let Leroy do his job by having him go out first and check the surrounding area, before following him out. It was a quiet and overcast morning with a slight chill in the air. Thick gray clouds blanketing the sky. It looked like it would rain at any moment; smelled like it too.
There weren’t that many people out and about in this part of the Sky District, which didn’t surprise me considering the weather. Those who were out, and on foot, carried umbrellas; Water wizards being the exception since they could just use magic to keep the rain off. Other kinds of wizards could too, but it cost them more mana to do so.
After looking around for a bit I held my hand out to help Kaylee and Roland exit the carriage. It was the day after the tea party at Thorne Manor, and the three of us were out on an excursion together.
When Roland and I went to see Father about getting a pet for my little brother, he agreed after giving it some thought. Roland was so happy and excited about this that he had trouble going to bed that night.
However, Father had some conditions. The first was that Roland and I were responsible for everything involving the pet. Cleaning up after it, training it, etc. We couldn’t order any of the servants to do it for us, though we could ask for help. The second was that we couldn’t pick a magic beast as a pet, since the dangers far outweighed any potential benefits. That meant buying a mundane animal.
Roland and I had no difficulty agreeing to these conditions.
When it came time to go out and buy a pet for my little brother, I made a last minute decision to bring Kaylee along. It had been a long time since we spent time together, just the three of us, so I figured I’d rectify that.
“Why did you have to bring me?” Kaylee complained. “I’m busy preparing to attend the Solarian Imperial Academy, since the spring semester starts in a few days.” Her eyes narrowed. “Not only that, but Mother and I are busy with my birthday party. You’re going to attend this year, right? Gabe?”
As she complained, Kaylee fussed over Roland, to my little brother’s annoyance.
“Of course,” I said, feeling contrite. “I’m sorry that I missed your birthday party last year. I promise that the same thing won’t happen again this year.”
The Solarian Imperial Academy had two semesters per year, with month-long breaks in between each semester. Students had the choice of either going home during those breaks, or staying at the academy’s dormitories. Last year, I was so obsessed with beating Annabelle that I opted to stay at the academy and focused on improving my wizardry. It got to the point where I missed Kaylee’s birthday party, in addition to forgetting to get her a gift.
Yeah, I had been a complete asshole last year.
Kaylee’s birthday party would take place the day before Kaylee and Lady Calla had to leave for the Solarian Imperial Academy. Her birthday was actually a few days after the start of the spring semester, but we decided to hold the party early. I thanked my past self for remembering to invite Annabelle, otherwise my sister would’ve never forgiven me.
“Sissy,” Roland said in a stern voice. “Gabe. Stop fighting.”
My sister and I looked at each other and smiled, before we both looked down at our little brother.
“Yes, Roland,” we said at the same time.
Roland beamed at us both. He reached out for our hands, and we each took one. Together, the three of us entered Ingram’s Pets, with Leroy in tow.
As appropriate for a shop that catered to scions from minor to middling Houses, the front door led to a lobby. It was a small room, with wood paneled walls and a plush rug covering the stone floor. Comfortable looking chairs lined one of the walls, beautiful but bland in design. It was also warmer in here compared to outside. A welcome reprieve from the chill. In addition to the front door, there were a few other doors leading deeper into the building.
There was no one else in the lobby. However, seconds after my siblings and I entered, followed by Leroy, an employee walked in from one of the other doors. She was a young woman who wore a simple uniform. Like most people born in the empire’s heartlands, she had light tanned skin and dark hair. She wore a polite and professional expression on her face as she approached us.
“Hello there,” the employee said, bowing to all three of us. “How may I help you?”
“We’re looking for a pet for our younger brother here,” I said, gesturing to Roland.
Even though Kaylee was now the heir to House Sturm, I took the lead here since I was the oldest and it was my idea to come here in the first place.
“Hi!” Roland said in a cheerful voice. “I’m Roland.”
The employee just about melted from my little brother’s cuteness.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Roland,” she said with a smile. “What kind of pet are you looking for?”
Roland’s face scrunched up.
“I don't know,” he said, before giving me an uncertain look.
Heh. My little brother was so excited about getting a pet, that it looked like he hadn’t given much thought as to what kind of pet he wanted.
“In that case, would you like to take a look around and see if one of the animals catches your eye?” the employee asked.
Roland nodded so fast, I was afraid that he would hurt himself.
The three of us, plus Leroy, followed the employee through another one of the doors. It led to a large room that seemed to take up most of the first floor. Unlike the lobby, the walls were stone, though colorful sheets covered the walls, giving them a splash of color. Thin stone pillars helped support the ceiling. No carpets covered the stone floor here.
The room was filled with cages and kennels that contained a variety of larger animals. There were cats and dogs for the most part, though there were a few more exotic animals such as badgers, ferrets, and weasels. A cacophony of barks, meows, and screeches reached my ears as soon as we entered. For some reason, half of the cages and kennels were empty.
Despite the stone walls and floor, as well as the temperature outside, it was quite warm in this room as well.
We weren’t the only ones here. There were a few employees escorting other scions, or their retainers, who were looking to buy pets of their own. We didn’t recognize any of them, so there was no need to strike up a conversation. We just nodded at the others, and went about our business.
The employee led us around the room, escorting us to the various cages and kennels, and informed us about the animals they contained. The various breeds of animals were similar enough to the ones from Earth, that I called them by their Earth names in my mind.
“Why are half of the cages empty?” Kaylee asked, looking around.
“We bring the animals outside on a rotating schedule,” the employee explained. “So that they get plenty of fresh air and exercise.”
“Ah, I see.”
We continued with our little tour. I kept an eye on Roland as we did so, gauging his reaction to the animals. While I was tempted to keep him away from the dogs, given my dislike of the treacherous little bastards, I refrained. I wouldn’t inflict that particular prejudice on my little brother. However, I needn’t have bothered. Roland wore a frown on his face the entire time. It seemed like none of the animals available interested him.
“What do you think, Lord Roland?” the employee asked when we finished checking out each of the animals. “Did any of them catch your eye?”
“No,” Roland said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. This happens all the time. Would you like to go outside and see the animals currently enjoying playtime?”
Roland nodded. The employee led us through a door leading to the back lawn. As she said earlier, there were plenty of animals running around and enjoying the fresh air despite the cold. I glanced at the sky. They wouldn’t be able to do so for much longer, since it looked like it would rain at any moment.
A few employees kept an eye on the animals, though it looked like we were the only clients out here.
Our group took a few steps outside, when a puppy caught sight of us and ran in our direction. It looked like a beagle, or similar enough to one that it didn’t matter. Despite my dislike of dogs in general, I had to admit that this puppy was quite cute. When the puppy reached Roland, it ran around his legs and barked, wagging its cute little tail. It was as if fate had brought the two together. However, Roland just frowned.
One of the other employees, a young man, rushed over and picked up the puppy.
“I’m sorry, my lord,” the second employee said. “This little one got away from me.” He grinned. “Though it seems like he’s taken a liking to you.”
Roland shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I don’t want that one.”
The second employee’s expression fell a little, but he maintained a professional expression.
“Very well,” he said. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, my lord.”
The second employee walked away. The puppy in his arms let out a sorrowful howl. Even I felt bad for the little creature.
“Why didn’t you pick that puppy, Roland?” Kaylee asked. “When it ran over to you, it was as if you two were meant to be together.”
Roland shook his head.
“It didn’t feel right.”
“Roland,” I said, kneeling in front of him. “What do you mean that it didn’t feel right?”
Roland’s face scrunched up in concentration.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“It wasn’t the right one,” he said. “That’s what my gut told me.”
I tilted my head at him.
“Well, you’re going to have to pick one,” Kaylee said, sounding a little exasperated. “Unless you want to go home empty handed.”
Roland took a moment before answering.
“It’s better than going home with the wrong friend.”
Kaylee frowned at him, while I narrowed my eyes. If I understood my brother right, it seemed like he was using his intuition to find the right pet for him. As someone who relied on my own intuition all the time, that sounded like a valid strategy to me.
“What does your gut tell you about the other animals out here?” I asked, gesturing to them all.
Roland shook his head with a frown on his face.
“Gabriel,” Kaylee said in an admonishing tone. “Please don’t tell me you’re taking him seriously. He’s four.”
I shrugged.
“Why not?” I asked. “The whole reason why we’re here is for Roland’s sake. If he doesn’t want any of the animals, it’s better to go home empty handed than to force him to take one against his will.”
At my words, the first employee’s smile stiffened. I felt a little bad for her, since we wasted her time like this, but I cared more for my brother’s feelings than hers.
Kaylee opened her mouth to respond, but a high-pitched yowling interrupted her. We all turned to find a commotion occurring on the other side of the lawn, beyond the fence. A group of rough looking people, adventurers by my guess, were chasing after something. I couldn’t see what, since the fence was in the way. Whatever it was, it was heading in our direction.
“Catch it!” the lead adventurer said.
He was a rugged man who looked to be a bit older than Leroy. A jagged scar ran down his cheek. Like my bodyguard, he wore leather armor and had a muscular build. Without my divine sense, I couldn’t tell what elemental affinities he had, but I guessed Earth based on his appearance.
At his words, one of the adventurers threw out a metal net. The net moved like it was a living creature, which meant that it was either enchanted or the one who threw it had an affinity for Metal magic. Regardless, whatever they were chasing must have evaded the net because the adventurer who threw it swore.
“I’m so sorry that you have to witness such an unseemly display,” the first employee said, a stricken expression on her face.
“There’s no need to apologize,” I said. “It isn’t like you’re the one at fault here. That said, you should probably go help your colleagues out.”
As the adventurers, and whatever they were chasing, neared the fence, the animals started to go wild with fear. The employees had a difficult time keeping them under control. The first employee threw me a grateful look, before going out to help them.
“Should we do something?” Kaylee said, a derisive expression on her face. “Those brutes are causing a disturbance.”
I shrugged.
“We don’t have a reason to get involved,” I said. “If they keep this up, the Sky Guard will handle them.”
Each of Sunheart’s districts had its own form of law enforcement. The Earth Guard for the Earth district, the Sky Guard for the Sky District, and the Sun Guard protected the Sun District, in addition to acting as House Solaria’s private army. Sooner or later, the Sky Guard would arrive to deal with the disturbance.
Still, maybe we should get involved. Assholes like these were the reason why most of House society looked down on adventurers. However, if we got involved, then the situation would just escalate.
Just as I thought that, the creature that the adventurers were chasing hopped over the fence and landed on the lawn. When I got my first good look at it, my eyes widened. The creature was a cat, a kitten rather, with red fur and bright yellow eyes. It had tufts of fur at the ends of its ears. A silver collar adorned its neck.
Despite the lack of my divine sense, I knew that this kitten was a magic beast, one that I was very familiar with.
Rather, it was a spirit beast.
I took a closer look, just to make sure I saw right, but nothing changed. That kitten was a Blaze Cat, a spirit beast from Spirit Earth with an affinity for Fire. I knew this because my foster daughter, Flameclaw, had been a Blaze Cat. Well, she had been a regular cat with Blaze Cat blood running through her veins. Eventually, she awakened her bloodline in order to become a full on Blaze Cat.
What set Blaze Cats apart from most other spirit beasts, and magic beasts for that matter, was that they were born with human-level intelligence. Not only that, but some could even take human shape from birth.
Before I even realized it, I started running towards the Blaze Cat. I knew that this one wasn’t my foster daughter, but I would not stand by and do nothing while a bunch of jackasses tried to capture it. Leroy followed right behind me, while Kaylee remained behind with Roland.
What was a Blaze Cat doing here on Lumina? As far as I knew, they weren’t native to this world. These thoughts ran through my mind as I sped towards the Blaze Cat. Its eyes met mine. We stared at each other for a moment, before it ran towards me, closing the distance between us. Animals and shop employees scrambled to get out of its way.
‘Grandpa!’ the Blaze cat said, speaking in my mind. Her voice sounded like it belonged to a little girl.
I felt a stabbing pain in my head as the Blaze Cat spoke to me telepathically, but I ignored it. Blaze Cats were born at the equivalent of the Foundation Establishment stage, and could start cultivating from there, which gave them an advantage over humans in that regard. It also meant that they could communicate telepathically when they started to learn how to speak, though they could also speak aloud if they wished.
The group of adventurers hopped the fence as well and chased after the Blaze Cat, further agitating the nearby animals and employees. However, the Blaze Cat reached me before they could get to her. The Blaze Cat leapt in my direction and I caught her in my arms.
‘Grandpa,” she said, repeating it over and over again.
Each time she spoke, I felt a stab of pain in my head. Despite that, I didn’t let go.
“Shh, I have you little one,” I said, speaking in Spirit Tongue. “You’re safe now. There’s no need to be afraid anymore.”
The Blaze Cat buried her face in my chest and sobbed. Cold rage burned in my chest as I faced the adventurers. Perhaps they had a good reason for chasing after the Blaze Cat. I didn’t care. That was no excuse for terrifying a child like this.
The adventurers came to a stop not too far from me. There were five of them: three that looked like they specialized in internal magic, and two that focused on spellcasting.
“Hand over the magic beast,” the lead adventurer demanded, the one with the scar.
“No,” I said, in a surprisingly calm voice.
“You…!” he started to say, but one of the other adventurers put a hand on his shoulder.
“Boss,” she said, giving me a nervous look and licking her lips. She was the one who threw the metal net earlier. “That guy’s a House scion.”
The lead adventurer narrowed his eyes at me and took a closer look. Realizing that I wasn’t someone that he could speak to carelessly, he cleared his throat and changed his attitude somewhat.
“My lord,” he said, though it grated him to do so. “We are on an official job for the Adventurers Guild.” He pulled out a piece of paper, and I saw that it was an Adventurers Guild notice. “That creature is a rare kind of magic beast that belongs to House Shelton. We are simply trying to return it to its rightful owners. If you would hand it over to us, I would much appreciate it.”
My left eye twitched at the mention of House Shelton. For the second time in just as many days, I found myself at odds with them; or people working on their behalf at least. Either fate was fucking with me, or it was simply bad luck on my part. Regardless, I wasn’t going to give this Blaze Cat up. I didn’t know what they wanted to do with her, but it couldn’t be anything good, even in the best case scenario.
“If you don’t believe me,” the lead adventurer continued. “Check the collar around that creature’s neck. It bears the crest of House Shelton.”
“I believe you,” I said without checking the collar. “However, I’m not giving up this cat.”
The lead adventurer glared at me, and opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off before he could.
“Tell me,” I said. “Does the Adventurers Guild deal in slavery now?”
The lead adventurer blinked at me in surprise.
“What are you talking about?” he demanded.
“This cat is an intelligent magic beast,” I said. “More than that, she is a child.”
The lead adventurer blanched at this. The adventurer who spoke up earlier, the one who threw the net, stepped forward.
“It doesn’t matter if that magic beast is intelligent or not,” she said. “If it’s not a citizen of the Solarian Empire, it doesn’t have any legal protections. According to the law, that cat belongs to House Shelton.”
After she said this, the Blaze Cat tried to bury her head deeper into my chest.
“And you know for a fact that she isn’t a citizen of the Solarian Empire?” I asked.
The lead adventurer shook his head.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “That doesn’t concern us. Our job is to retrieve that creature for House Shelton. You can take up the legalities with them.” His expression hardened. “Now give us the cat. I won’t ask again nicely.”
I heard footsteps from behind me.
“Gabriel,” Kaylee said. “What do you need me to do?”
I wanted to kiss my sister in that moment. While I was used to doing my own thing, it felt nice to have someone backing me up.
“Take her,” I told Kaylee, not taking my eyes off of the adventurers. “Keep her safe while I deal with these assholes.”
When I said that, the adventurers’ expressions turned ugly. They drew their weapons and cast shield spells. The lead adventurer, the one who I assumed was an Earth wizard, wore a pair of armored gauntlets. A fist fighter.
At my side, I heard Leroy draw Crimson Fang and felt a wave of heat as he coated it in fire.
Kaylee stepped forward to take the Blaze Cat off my hands. The Blaze Cat refused to budge, however, and clung to my clothes.
“Go with my sister, little one,” I said in a gentle voice, speaking in Spirit Tongue. “She’ll keep you safe while I deal with our enemies.”
The Blaze Cat looked up at me, hope and desperation in her eyes. She reminded me so much of Flameclaw, when I first met my foster daughter, and my heart clenched. After a moment, the Blaze Cat nodded. She let go of my clothes and let Kaylee take her. My sister stepped away from the soon to be battlefield.
“You arrogant little shit,” the lead adventurer spat out, dropping any pretense of politeness. “You think that because you belong to a House, you can do whatever you want?”
“In this case, yes,” I said. “Since you said that the cat magic beast belongs to House Shelton, taking her for my House is perfectly legal.”
Of course that meant I was all but declaring war on House Shelton, or at least giving them grounds to challenge me to a duel. My parents were going to love that, especially since Lorelei already got into a fight with them just yesterday. At this rate, our Houses would end up in a feud with each other. Considering that they were vassals for a Great House, things would get ugly if they got that far.
“That also means it’s perfectly legal for us to give you a beating to take that cat back,” the lead adventurer said.
Honestly, I was surprised that they hadn’t tried anything already. Then again, getting into a fight with a House scion wouldn’t end well for them, even if they won. After all, they were just adventurers. House Shelton wouldn’t go out of their way to protect them from my House’s wrath.
“We can still resolve things peacefully,” the lead adventurer continued. “Just hand over the cat, and we can all walk away. There are five of us, and two of you; three if you count the girl. You can’t win.”
They had a good point. Not only that, but I couldn’t tell how powerful they were. If any of them were in the Third Circle, then things would get ugly fast.
“Leroy,” I muttered under my breath, low enough so that no one else could pick up on my words. “How powerful are they?”
Without my divine sense, I had to rely on others for things like this.
“Second Circle, young master,” he said, also speaking under his breath. “Highest is at the fifth thread.”
Okay, that was doable. Even without my divine sense, we could still beat these guys. Leroy was at the fifth thread of the Second Circle, so that put him at the same level as their strongest fighter.
“Aurora,” I called.
My familiar flew out of my dantian and hovered in the air next to me. The group of adventurers started at the sight of her.
“Finally!” Aurora said. “I was getting bored in there.”
“The odds are a bit more even now,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter,” the lead adventurer said. “We still have you outnumbered.”
I gave him a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.
“But not outmatched,” I said. “I’ll give you one chance to walk away. Whatever House Shelton is paying you for this job, it’s not worth it. No matter what happens, you lose. Leave, while you still can.” I gestured towards myself. “This is a House affair now. You don’t have to get involved.”
One of the other adventurers, one who hadn’t spoken yet, piped up.
“Maybe he’s right, boss,” the adventurer said.
I saw the group’s resolve waver. For a moment, I thought my words had gotten through to them and we could avoid this fight. However, the lead adventurer spoke up and dashed that particular hope to bits.
“They’re paying us one thousand mana stones each,” he said. “I’m not walking away from that. You can if you want, but you forfeit your share if you do.”
At this, any hesitation disappeared from their eyes.
Oh well.
“Try not to kill any of them,” I said to my companions.
I was still a member of the Adventurers Guild, even if I had let my membership lapse. Killing my own guildmates was a surefire way of pissing off the rest. It was a good thing I left Sky’s Dream in the House Sturm carriage. I wouldn’t have to hold back as much if I used my fists.
My companions and I cast our own shield spells.
Silence reigned as our two groups stared each other down. Aurora, Leroy, and myself on one side, the group of adventurers on the other. Thankfully, the shop employees had managed to corral inside, so no innocent bystanders would be caught up in this.
The tension in the air grew thick as the seconds ticked by. Then, as if by some unspoken signal, we all surged forward and charged towards each other.