Chapter 14: Cats & Kanase Kanon!
"Meow. Meow. Meow!"
A chorus of cries greeted him the moment he stepped inside.
The once-sacred building was now home to dozens of stray cats.
"Alright, alright. I brought food. Don't rush me."
He opened the bag of cat food and began filling dishes, ignoring the swarm of tiny paws brushing against his legs.
"Seriously, your caretaker's been gone for weeks now.
What, did they just dump you here and leave?
Unbelievable."
He sighed, setting the empty bag aside.
"If I ever see her again, she's paying me back for this."
Stray animals were rare on Itogami Island.
The city's policies treated them as pests.
Any animal found wandering the streets was rounded up by enforcement teams and euthanized.
Most residential zones outright forbade pet ownership.
And even the areas that allowed it had strict limits.
Which made it even weirder to find this many cats—
All hidden away in an abandoned monastery.
Logically, someone must have smuggled them in.
Probably someone with more compassion than sense.
But emotions were fickle.
Pity didn't last forever.
Eventually, reality would set in.
The costs and effort of caring for them would pile up.
And one day, the caretaker would decide—
"It's too much work."
And just like that, the cats would be left behind.
It wasn't evil.
Not really.
This island simply wasn't built for strays.
Without someone to care for them, they would've died faster.
So why did it still piss him off?
Cid's eyes narrowed.
Those eyes.
The ones that had lured him in.
Innocent. Helpless. Pure.
They'd tricked him.
And now his precious Shadow Funds—
Money meant for artifacts, weapons, and rare materials—
Were being burned on cat food.
Unacceptable.
He let out a deep sigh and poured the last bag into their bowls.
"Enjoy it while it lasts."
His voice was low, almost threatening.
But the cats?
They just meowed happily as they devoured the food.
Cid leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
This wasn't over.
He'd get his revenge—
Starting with that runaway caretaker.
And when he found her?
She'd pay back every last cent.
Cid Kagenou never saw himself as a good person.
Sure, he liked cute animals and wouldn't hesitate to help return a lost cat or dog to its owner.
But he had no intention of adopting strays.
For him, the abandoned monastery on the hill was the perfect compromise.
A weekend retreat where he could relax and pet cats without any responsibilities.
The original caretaker had a pair of eyes so pure and sincere that Cid believed she'd never abandon them.
So when she disappeared for several days, leaving the cats starving, he felt—
Betrayed.
He should've walked away.
Let nature take its course.
But after all those lazy afternoons spent petting them, he couldn't just ignore them now.
This was payback.
For every purr and headbutt he'd enjoyed—
This was the price.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps at the entrance.
"Pay me back."
That was the first thing out of Cid's mouth when he saw her.
She stood in the doorway, short silver hair framing her doll-like face.
Her ocean-blue eyes shone brightly, though her cheeks were flushed from what was likely a long sprint.
Her breathing was still uneven.
For a typical mob character, this scene would've been enough to fluster them.
Her looks were striking—the kind that could make a man forget his priorities and start offering pointless reassurances.
But Cid?
He was no ordinary mob.
With no one else around, he had zero reason to maintain his act.
So instead, he pointed straight at the cats still munching on their food.
"These cats.
The food.
The time.
The effort.
Everything I've done since you vanished—pay me back."
"Eh?! W-wait—what?"
Her eyes widened, clearly caught off guard.
Confusion.
Panic.
Even a bit of shock.
Cid watched her reaction without blinking.
Then he listed off every expense and inconvenience he'd dealt with while caring for the cats.
By the time he finished, she was already bowing deeply, holding out her wallet with both hands.
"I'm so sorry!
Please—take this money!"
Her earnest apology and immediate repayment caught Cid a bit off guard.
Not that he let it show.
He took the wallet and started counting.
Enough to cover the expenses—
And then some.
A lot more, actually.
For a moment, his fingers hesitated.
But ultimately, Cid pulled out only the exact amount he was owed and handed the wallet back.
"This is enough."
But then—
"No, Cid-kun.
I want you to keep all of it.
Actually—I need your help."
Cid raised an eyebrow.
"Help?"
Kanase Kanon knelt down, gently cradling one of the cats in her arms.
Her voice softened as she spoke.
"I'm leaving the island, Cid-kun.
For good.
And I can't take them with me."
She hugged the kitten close, her eyes filled with regret.
"I tried to find someone who could take them all in…
But no one will.
Not fast enough, anyway.
So I'm begging you—please look after them until you find homes for them.
I'll pay for everything—no matter how much it costs."
Her voice wavered, but her eyes were resolute.
Cid's mind spun.
This was…
Perfect.
The island's population was massive.
Sure, only a fraction of people could own pets.
But that fraction was still huge.
If he found homes for the cats fast enough, the leftover money would be his.
He wasn't scamming anyone.
He'd do the job.
Just…
Efficiently.
And any extra funds?
Shadow Funds.
To fuel the Eminence in Shadow.
Cid looked at her carefully.
Then he nodded.
"Deal.
I'll take care of them."
The relief that washed over her face was almost blinding.
"Thank you—thank you so much, Cid-kun!
I promise, I'll pay for anything you need!"
As Cid watched her leave, his thoughts shifted back to the cats.
It was easy money.
A low-risk job with a high return.
But something about Kanase Kanon's parting look left him feeling—
Unsettled.
Like there was more to her departure than she was letting on.
Even if he couldn't find homes for the cats right away, there was still at least a few hundred thousand yen to fall back on.
No—if Kanase Kanon was willing to give him more funds later, then it could even go up to millions.