Norton quickly realized the additional flickering was not from more tomb guardians, but from the black cat he had seen earlier that day. She was perched atop a cabinet next to the tomb guardians, her eyes glowing in the darkness with a phosphorescent green light similar to theirs. At a glance, it seemed as if there was an extra guardian.

Ordinary cats’ eyes don’t glow like that, and moments like these revealed that this ball of fur was more than a typical household pet.

"What are you doing here?" Norton walked over and asked. Normally, at this time, the cat would be out patrolling the castle grounds and hunting for mice.

"It’s because of you, of course," the black cat replied grumpily. "Instead of sleeping, you’re here playing with dead bones."

"To practice," Norton replied matter-of-factly.

"Hmph. These days, except for the lowest-level skeleton soldiers, high-level undead are produced on assembly lines. What’s the point of you making them by hand? Besides, you’re a Count von Carstein, practicing the work of ordinary vampire workers. Does it really matter?"

"Well..." Norton blushed a bit, admitting the truth in her words. To be a good count, this wasn't exactly the right focus.

However, he had his reasons. He had command of nearly 100,000 skeletons that needed discretion. He couldn't just use the castle's factory for making higher undead.

"But she has a point. I have thousands of high-grade skeletons. If I make them all myself, I'll be dead tired. I’ll need to think of something..."

Seeing Norton deep in thought, Celia assumed he was taking her advice to heart, feeling smug as she raised her tail high. Continuing in a haughty, elder-like tone, she added:

"Fine, I’ll talk to Windsor and that little girl another day to teach you something else. Sylvannia may be unified internally, but its enemies won’t be so kind." Celia leaped down from the cabinet, landing gracefully, before looking up at Norton. "Come, follow me to my room. I have something to say to you."

"Oh." Norton shrugged, unsure why she was suddenly so full of pride, but he followed nonetheless. When this cat was serious, it was best to do as she said unless he wanted to suffer.

It was nearly midnight. Lady Windsor had already gone to sleep, and the castle was patrolled only by the undead. Norton followed Celia to her room.

It was his first time there, so he looked around curiously. Celia’s room was similar in size and setup to his and Juana’s but featured a large velvet-lined basket in place of a bed. There were also yarn balls, cat teasers, and catnip tablets scattered around.

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"Quit gawking. Sit!" Celia commanded, slightly embarrassed by the sight of Norton seeing her messy room and remnants of her playful nature. A flick of her tail sent a hefty wooden chair sliding in front of him. She hopped onto another chair next to it.

Despite having seen her strength before, Norton still marveled every time. This seemingly frail creature, not unlike a house cat, wielded surprising power.

Not wanting to provoke her anger or risk her cat-like methods of making him lose memory, Norton obediently tiptoed to sit in the offered chair. "So, why did you call me here so late?"

He spoke as if he were the innocent one, and Celia was irked by his demeanor. "You know very well what you did. Don’t act innocent!"

Norton widened his eyes, feigning ignorance and innocence by shaking his head, which only made Celia laugh out of frustration.

"No family in centuries has found the ancient empire’s tombs of emperors, let alone the famous 'Knight Emperor' Alaric! The news has spread throughout Sylvannia and reached the Sigma Empire, Dwarf Kingdom, and the Border Princes. With this much upheaval, you claim ignorance?"

"Oh, I know about that," Norton nodded, then added to Celia's exasperation, "But what does that have to do with me?"

Celia bristled with anger, her body tense as she gestured wildly, "You can't fool me! I saw you leave that day, with sixteen undead who never returned! The next day, it all happened! If it wasn’t you, then who?"

"Who knows?" Norton continued to deny any involvement.

"So tell me, why did you leave?" Celia pressed.

"I told you, a child’s grand adventure."

"If you’re a child, I’m a cat!"

Like their conversation a month prior, this exchange was futile. Norton was adamant about not confessing, leaving Celia at a loss. Eventually, she had to relent.

"Fine, I’ll let it go—this time. But there won’t be a second chance." Celia warned, leaping down from her chair and circling Norton slowly. "From now on, I’ll be stricter. No amount of tomato fish or magic crystals will bribe me into letting you roam again."

"Huh?!" Norton was taken aback by her declaration. He had just obtained a massive haul of skeletons and learned how to make tomb guardians. With Triss seemingly amenable to teaching him other higher undead crafts, he was eager to build an army. He hadn’t expected a cat to pull the reins on his ambitions.

"Isn’t that a bit much?! I promise not to go to dangerous places anymore." Norton clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture. His promise was genuine; having amassed a foundational capital, he was content to focus on manipulating skeletons without venturing into danger.

"—No!"

Though Norton put on a convincing pitiful act, Celia, with her centuries of wisdom, saw through it. Yet, seeing his disheartened expression softened her resolve, leading to her offer some consolation:

"I don’t know why you’re in such a rush, but I advise you to take it easy. You have exceptional talent and a promising future. There’s no need to rush.

You might feel pressured by familial obligations, but remember, you’re still a child. Responsibilities and missions can wait. Right now, you should focus on learning and playing, leaving the rest to us adults. Don’t worry, Sylvannia has thrived for thousands of years and will continue to do so."

Initially, Norton found her advice sensible, but by the end, he couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, "Leave it to you... why do I feel uncertain about that?"

Hearing this, Celia blushed, furiously clawing at the air while loudly declaring, "Enough, that's how it is—now get back to sleep!"

"Yes, goodnight, Lady Celia," Norton said, slightly disappointed, as he prepared to leave the room.

"Wait—there’s something else," Celia called out just as he was about to go.