The Villain Family’s Strongest Butler
Chapter 22
“What a ferocious beast.”
I chuckled quietly, looking down at the fierce little thing.
My, how terrifying.
Not to be outdone, Furball yowled back at me.
[That’s right! I’m only small now, but once I grow just a little bigger, a human like you will go down in one—hack, hack! In one hit…!]
Oh? You can understand me, can you?
Haaack, hack, hack.
“…….”
After getting so worked up, Furball began dry-heaving as if it were about to throw up.
Tsk. Clicking my tongue, I stepped closer.
“Stay still. I’m not going to kill you.”
[D-don’t come any closer…!]
Hiss! Hiss-screeech!
‘My, what a handful.’
I grabbed the struggling little beast by the scruff of its neck.
“Stay still, you.”
[Human! How dare youuuu-mewl…]
Mew, mew. The moment its scruff was caught, the wildly thrashing creature instantly went docile.
I took the opportunity to examine its condition.
Where on earth did it get beaten up this badly?
Chunks of its fur had been ripped out here and there. Where the fur was missing, the torn skin beaded with blood, and some of the older wounds were already crusted over with hard, dark scabs.
There even seemed to be dried blood caked around its mouth…
‘It’s in really bad shape.’
As I was checking its injuries, the creature’s exhausted voice drifted into my mind.
[If you’re going to kill me, do it quickly… Don’t humiliate me any further…]
“…….”
[Dammit… Not like a stinking human could understand me anyway. How much more do you plan to torment me…?]
Just stop tormenting me. Leave me alone already…
“…….”
Its plaintive cry echoed sorrowfully, steeped in resignation.
“Meooowww…”
“Quiet down, Furball. I swear on my name and honor, I have no intention of harming you. I may have killed plenty of people, but I’ve never once killed an animal.”
[…….]
Excluding the ones I cooked and ate, of course.
Either way, whether it understood my words or not, Furball quickly fell silent.
‘Well, that confirms it definitely understands human speech.’
Taking advantage of the lull, I quickly drew Furball into my arms. And miraculously, the creature that had been baring its claws just moments ago nestled against me without a fuss.
‘Right. At least you recognize someone who’s going to save you.’
Just then.
“It is a cat, I see.”
I turned my head at the sound behind me.
It was the High Priest.
‘Huh? Where is the Grand Duke?’
I peered past the High Priest as he walked in alone, but the Grand Duke was nowhere in sight.
Ugh, being alone with him is awkward.
Noticing my glances toward the entrance, the High Priest spoke first, realizing I was looking for the Grand Duke.
“His Grace is in the prayer room. Individual prayer rooms for each noble house are prepared within the Temple.”
Ah. I nodded in understanding.
By the way…
‘Unbelievable. Is the Grand Duke really not worried at all?’
What if I actually made up my mind to run away? What would he do then?
Should I light a fire under his lax vigilance?
I was lost in those thoughts when…
The High Priest looked at Furball in my arms and spoke.
“It is injured.”
“Ah. …Yes, it seems to have fled here to escape a group tormenting it. Apparently, some of the priests were among them.”
“……A priest?”
At the mention of a priest, Furball, who had buried its face in my chest, poked its head out.
Perhaps finding the High Priest’s gaze intimidating, Furball hissed with extreme wariness.
“Meoow!”
“…….”
“…….”
This was probably the first time the High Priest had ever received such treatment.
Just then, the High Priest asked me casually.
“What is it saying?”
“……Pardon?”
Why was he asking as if it were only natural that I could understand?
Dumbfounded, I shrugged.
“How would I know?”
Even if I did understand, I had no reason to explain this bizarre phenomenon to a High Priest I had only met today.
The High Priest nodded.
“I see.”
As he said that, an inscrutable smile touched his lips.
Ahem. Clearing my throat, I spoke up.
“Yes. In any case, if it’s not being raised here, I’d like to take it with me and treat it. Would that be all right?”
“……Of course. However… hmm.”
At my words, the High Priest held his chin, murmuring thoughtfully. Then, as if reaching a decision, he reached his hand toward Furball in my arms.
“Meooww—?!”
A startled, frightened cat screech rang out, but only for a moment.
Hummm—. A golden light sparkled at the tips of the High Priest’s fingers, and soon, the wounds across Furball’s body began to knit together and heal.
“Huh?!”
I gasped in surprise. The High Priest smiled gently.
“It’s a secret, all right?”
“……A secret?”
“Yes.”
Shh. The High Priest pressed a finger to his lips.
I nodded. I had no intention of going around blabbing about it anyway.
I was simply astonished to witness the High Priest’s famed divine power—the subject of so many rumors—right before my very eyes.
‘He must really love cats.’
Well, it made sense. Even the High Priest was human. How could anyone not love this adorable little ball of fur?
[What did you do to me?! How dare you lay a hand on my body! Try it again! Next time, I’ll cover the back of your hand in bite marks!]
Its mouth was rather foul, but nobody else could hear it anyway, so it didn’t really matter.
“Meow! Meooow!”
Ugh, so noisy.
Now that it was healed and its energy had returned, Furball yowled without stopping.
The High Priest looked at Furball with satisfaction and asked,
“It’s saying thank you, right?”
“……Y-yes, probably.”
Haha. The High Priest chuckled.
Looking down at Furball, who was still caterwauling fiercely in my arms, I said,
“I told you to be quiet. Unless you want to be the very first animal I put down with my own two hands.”
[…….]
Furball instantly fell silent. At that, the High Priest raised his eyebrows in wonder.
He observed the quieted cat for a long moment. His gaze was noticeably different from when he had first laid eyes on Furball.
I asked,
“You seem quite fond of cats.”
Seeing as you healed it and all.
At that, the High Priest lifted his gaze to meet mine.
“In the past, there were two divine beasts that guarded the World Tree. One was an eagle known as the sovereign of the skies, and the other was a black cat said to possess multiple lives.”
I had heard a fair bit about the World Tree. But I had never heard anything about the divine beasts guarding it.
Listening to the High Priest’s story, I looked down at Furball with newfound intrigue.
“Are you saying this cat is a divine beast?”
The High Priest smiled.
“I merely mean that is what the ancient texts record.”
“…….”
“That is why priests often hold cats to be sacred.”
Hearing the High Priest go that far, this Furball who spoke human words did seem a little special.
‘Wait, earlier Furball said a priest tormented it.’
Gently stroking Furball, I spoke pointedly for the High Priest’s ears.
“It seems not everyone in the Temple holds them sacred, though?”
“……Pardon?”
At the High Priest’s baffled reply, I gestured toward Furball with my chin.
Look, it got hurt this badly. Inside the Temple, no less. Don’t you feel anything?
Of course, I had no way of knowing how the High Priest interpreted my look.
Just then, the Grand Duke entered through the garden entrance.
“Here you are.”
Walking up to me, the Grand Duke looked at Furball in my arms and commented,
“A lost stray, just like the butler.”
“…….”
When I glared at him with narrowed eyes, he chuckled in amusement and turned around.
“Let us return.”
“……Yes, Your Grace.”
After exchanging polite nods of farewell with the High Priest, the Grand Duke and I left the garden.
Furball fell asleep in my arms.
Paying no heed to the rattling carriage.
‘I bet it’s your first time riding in a carriage like this, too.’
I quietly looked down at the sleeping Furball.
The High Priest’s divine power truly was remarkable. The dried scabs matted in its fur were completely gone, and the bare wounds where fur had been ripped away were healed without a single scar.
‘Guess it can’t make missing fur grow back, though.’
It was the same for humans. Even if you took medicine or applied ointments, you could only slow down hair loss—regrowing hair that had already fallen out was extraordinarily difficult.
‘Divine power isn’t all that omnipotent after all.’
I looked at Furball once more.
Its pitch-black fur was now fluffy and glossy from the High Priest’s divine power.
And then there was the star-shaped pattern on its forehead.
‘How could it be so vivid, as if painted on?’
It looked exactly as if someone had painted it with a brush dipped in white paint.
I placed my finger over that crisp star pattern and traced along its shape.
“Byul.”
At that, the creature I thought was asleep snapped its eyes wide open. Lifting its head, it looked up at me and let out a sound like, “Mya-myaang?!”
[……How does this human know my name?!]
“…….”
