Mythical Creatures Strategy Guide

Chapter 30 Audrey, You're a Good Cat

Two days later.

The morning mist still lingered on the streets of Cat Territory. A carriage moved slowly along the street, and the pegasus pulling the carriage would occasionally snort and exhale a cloud of white mist.

Most vendors hadn't set up their stalls yet, except for one tea shop with its lights on. The owner squatted at the door, adding firewood to the stove, while the cat's tail swished listlessly, barely lifting its eyelids as it saw a carriage pass by.

Chu Sheng leaned halfway out of the car window and waved to the boss. The boss's tail stood up and wagged in response.

Arthur sat on the hood of the car. Her injuries hadn't fully healed, and although the Holy Light had a healing effect, it wouldn't make her lively and energetic immediately.

So she didn't wear the knight's armor today, but instead wore a loose linen robe. The robe was altered by the lady-in-waiting overnight, with more than two inches added to the chest area, so it finally didn't feel so tight, but the curve it created was still quite exaggerated.

Yinye sat in the carriage, carefully tuning a banjo with her head down. The "Solo Band" move had given her a thrill, but the price was that she could no longer even press the strings accurately on her banjo, which she had played for decades.

She spent ages tuning it, but one string just wouldn't tune properly. She silently hugged the banjo to her chest, resting her chin on the instrument, the pointed ears drooping down to her head.

Ella, unusually, did not frolic outside the car, but sat quietly next to Chu Sheng, her mood clearly somewhat downcast.

"You can't bear to part with those kittens?" Chu Sheng patted her head.

Ella nodded, her dog ears drooping, and her mouth pursed: "Little Grey lent me his mouse doll to hug for a while last night. And...and..."

She sniffed and looked up with a pitiful expression: "Besides, I haven't even had a chance to eat a bite of the grilled fish yet."

"Didn't you make up the name 'King of Grilled Fish' yourself?" Yinye retorted, but she wasn't very enthusiastic.

In order to avoid the red tape of farewell ceremonies from the local authorities, they secretly planned to slip away this morning.

Of course, that's not the only reason.

More than anything, it was because he didn't know how to say goodbye to Audrey. Chu Sheng thought about it for half the night. Arthur suggested writing a letter, Silver Leaf suggested writing a song, and Ella suggested stealing Little Gray's mouse doll as a souvenir.

The last suggestion was rejected by a unanimous vote, and Ella sulked for ten minutes.

In the end, none of them could come up with a solution. Chu Sheng said, "Forget it, let's just leave tomorrow." Everyone was silent for a moment, then nodded in unison.

The carriage drove out of the city gate.

The road outside the city gate stretched straight south, and the plane trees on both sides began to shed their leaves, carpeting the ground with golden foliage. The Pegasus horses slowed their pace in unison, probably having rested comfortably in the city and reluctant to continue.

Arthur suddenly pulled on the reins, and the pterosaurs stopped. The lead horse snorted and glanced back at Arthur.

A person was standing under a big tree outside the city gate.

She wore a large black cloak with the hood pulled low, but the white cat tail peeking out from under the cloak's hem still betrayed her identity.

Audrey stood there, next to a cart loaded to the brim. The cart was covered with an oilcloth, but an enticing aroma still wafted on the morning breeze.

Ella's dog ears perked up instantly, her eyes widened like saucers, and she leaned out of the car window, her ample bosom nearly pushing Silver Leaf under the seat: "It's grilled fish!"

Chu Sheng jumped off the carriage and walked towards the sycamore tree. Audrey stood there without moving, the shadow of her hood obscuring most of her face, revealing only her pointed chin and pursed lips.

Chu Sheng stopped three steps away from her.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, and finally raised his hand and waved awkwardly.

"...What a coincidence, you're out for a walk too?"

Audrey pulled down her hood.

"Is this how humans behave?" Her voice wasn't loud, and she glared at him with her sea-blue vertical pupils. "Leaving without saying goodbye, how incredibly rude."

Chu Sheng chuckled, then realized halfway through that his laugh was a bit silly, but it was too late to stop, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep laughing.

"We're just on the same wavelength, aren't we? I knew you'd come to see us off."

"Stop flattering yourself." Audrey snorted, tucking her cat ears back. "Who wants to give it to you?"

She reached out from under her cloak and slapped a black and gold token onto Chu Sheng's chest.

The force was considerable, and Chu Sheng was forced to take half a step back. He took the token; it felt heavy in his hand. The black and gold surface was engraved with a lifelike cat's head, while the back bore the coat of arms of the Paladin family.

"This is the highest pass for Cat Territory. Throughout the entire northern border of the Empire, wherever there are cat people, seeing this pass is like seeing me," Audrey said calmly. "Take it well, don't starve to death out there and disgrace our Cat Territory."

After saying that, she turned her head away and remained silent, as if waiting for Chu Sheng to say something.

"Thanks." Chu Sheng put the token in his pocket and added earnestly, "Audrey, you're a good person."

Audrey's cat ears twitched slightly, and she pointed to the cart next to her, turning her head away somewhat awkwardly: "This cart is full of extra-large dried and roasted sea fish. It's just taking up space, so I might as well give it to that stupid dog."

Before the words were even finished, Ella had already jumped off the carriage, pounced onto the cart, spread her arms wide, hugged the oilcloth and the grilled fish together, buried her face in it and took a deep breath.

Then she looked up, her eyes brimming with tears: "Audrey, you're a good cat!"

Audrey looked at Ella's pathetic state, a slight smile playing on her lips, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.

"Alright, let's go." She turned around and pulled her hood up again. "Stop dawdling, I have a ton of things to do."

Chu Sheng didn't say anything more polite.

The more you talk, the more reluctant you become to part.

He did not suggest that Audrey join them on a grand adventure.

Audrey had her own things to do, and the hundreds of thousands of people in the Cat Territory could not afford to lose another monarch.

"I'm leaving. If you encounter any trouble you can't handle, come to me anytime." Chu Sheng turned around. "If one day you get tired of being a monarch, remember we'll always be waiting for you."

Arthur shook the reins again, and the Pegasus let out a light neigh, pulling the carriage slowly southward.

Audrey stood there until the carriage's silhouette became a tiny black dot on the horizon.

She reached out from under her cloak and touched her empty waist.

There used to be a dagger hanging there, but it's gone now. Last night, she left it in the sewer hall, stuck right in the center.

That was the promise she made to the cat people, and also the vow she made to herself.

She couldn't venture out onto the vast continent like Chu Sheng and the others; her freedom was locked to that throne by power and obligations.

But as she watched them walk away, she felt as if she were walking into the distance with them.

She can't leave, but the cat's pass will go for her, and they'll eat the grilled fish one by one.

"Bon Voyage."

She said softly.

At the same time, Chu Sheng, who was in the carriage, suddenly felt a heat in his chest.