Chapter 199: Normal

Colt’s every known sense was swimming as it fluctuated from being sharp to being the dullest they’ve ever been.

Standing alone in the alleyway, Colt was still processing what had happened but couldn’t. Was it the alcohol or pure stupidity? Colt couldn’t even bring himself to berate himself.

He was intoxicated beyond belief.

However his left wrist was hurting, but at the same time, the golden light disappeared, and the pain did as well.

Reis’ Gift added with the vitality from the Pearl, and his regenerative capability was nearing absurdity.

The golden light took with it the ethereal dragon scales that appeared to protect Colt from the blast. Most of them lost their luster as they receded into Colt’s body.

‘I hope they’re okay. They really need mental health care in this world. To think he’ll cut off his arm just because I touched him. That darkness must have affected hi- ooh, a cat.’

Colt saw a blue cat enter his field of vision.

‘Kitty!’

It looked at him for a second, and he decided to follow it.

Its fur was unique to what he had seen.

It was blue, like the flowing water of an icy lake.

Its eyes were like dew, attracting Colt.

Meow.

Half his clothes were burnt. There were still spots where he was glowing gold, but Colt decided to follow the cat.

Why?

He was drunk.

Thanks to Fluff, he could understand cats. But this time, he did not quite understand its words.

Again, he was drunk.

‘Heh, a blue cat….’ like a kid, he was attracted to its pretty colors.

He swayed from side to side, fell occasionally, and vomited on a corner. Colt could not care any less about appearances.

On some alleyway between two different whorehouses the cat stopped. Behind a trash can, another cat walked out.

This time it was a cat with green fur. Its fur moved as if they were reeds blown by the wind even though there was only a weak breeze blowing past.

‘Cute.’ such was his simple mind worked.

The two cats lowered their heads.

Colt was just about to pet them when he heard small voices coming from the cats:

“The Second Water General offers his respects to the Master of the Great Lord.”

“The Second Wind General offers her respects to the Master of the Great Lord.”

The two cats lowered their heads to the Master of the Great Lord – The Human Colt Edgeworth.

“Oh… one more kitty, how cuutwaaaaaaaaakk! How cuwakkkkkkkk!”

The great master started vomiting mid-sentence behind a trash bin. Colt clawed the ground as more and more alcohol escaped his system. Like a dam that finally opened, a large excess of filth came out with water.

“Shi…uwaaak! Fuck, thiuwaaaak….” in between every vomit, Colt would sneak curses that rained without restraint. It was a horribly pitiful sight but entertaining in a weird, disgusting way.

While emptying his stomach mid-sentence, the cats glanced at Colt not with disgusted eyes but with respect. The two cats connected with their mind link.

‘To think he fought them drunk and came out with so few scratches. That golden light must have been the Pearl the Lord has told us about.’

‘Haven’t you heard? He’s a Water Aura user, and the technique he used is meant for when you are weakened. Lord Colt wouldn’t go in a territory he knows to be dangerous without proper precaution, right?’

To others, Colt looked nothing more than a drunkard who had too much to drink. But, to the cats, he was different. Their furs stood on end when their eyes even dared grazed Colt’s. His voice gave them goosebumps, and his presence made them feel uneasy.

To them, he was a ferocious creature.

“Uweeeeeek!”

A vomiting, ferocious creature.

“Ack, my head hurts… Hylda will chew me out for this.” wiping the drool on his lips, Colt’s warping consciousness was starting to lift, ‘I thought I wouldn’t get drunk because of Reis’ Gift, but I guess I was wrong.’

His head was still hurting, his vision was still spinning, “You two….”

“Yes!?”

Their bodies froze and straightened after hearing a full voice.

‘What was that!?’

‘His voice commands so much presence!’

The two cats felt danger from Colt. He was destroying their expectations.

Though they knew that Colt was the partner of their Lord, they didn’t think he would carry the same prestige as Fluff’s.

Whatsmore, the pressure he exuded was dissimilar to their Lord. Colt’s was a mix of what should belong to their Lord and something unexplainable.

He was a scary slumbering monster. But Colt changed his expression and showed them a soft smile.

“Sorry about that. The effect of the Pearl lingers.” Colt apologized though half his mind wandered to what happened earlier.

‘I’m lucky I didn’t fall asleep, so I still vaguely remember what happened just now… those guys were trying to kill me.’ Though he did not know how he used his sword techniques more effectively than when his mind was clear.

The Pearl also protected him from the powerful blasts.

He already had so much to unpack with that alone, but Colt decided he’d deal with them at a later date ‘Butler Go and Mary are with the children. Vyra is also there, she may be sleeping, but she made sure to set up a lot of defenses for the children. Miss Cille is with Mina. The demon Fluff trusted is there as well.’

Colt didn’t mention the people of the Cathedral once because he didn’t trust them. No matter what Sister Mary said, they still attacked them, and Colt was reasonably confident the Knights were enemies in the original novel.

He couldn’t bring himself to trust them. But with the number of strong people he brought with him, he was pretty confident if worse came to pass, they’d be able to fight back or at least escape.

‘I’m their target, and I injured the leader, though he severed his arm on his own -I still don’t know why – and.. ugh… my head still hurts.’ A semblance of clarity may be present, but Colt was still experiencing the consequences of drinking too much.

He decided to deal with the matters closest to him, “Anyway, you two don’t have to be so uptight. You two deserve to be rewarded for doing so much for Fluff and me. I’ll give you my blood, but I don’t know how that will affect you guys, so, for now, let me just pet you.”

Colt said as he started reaching out to their little heads.

“With all due respect to Lord Colt, we would like to decline being petted.” The Wind Cat General said with an upturned nose, “To be petted like a household pet will be a disgrace to our position given by his Lordship.”

“That is right. Only the disgrace of our race, the Domesticated cats, would be so low as to act as kings of a claimed home. We will not be reduced to such disgraces!” the Water Cat General roared -meowed- with all its heart.

They refused to be touched. They didn’t want to lower their heads, even if it was Colt.

The two Generals have bestowed powers and evolved past what they were supposed to be. Their limitations would not show until their deaths.

They were going to become stronger than any Race born from the Blood of their Lord. Being the Generals of this Era, they were the Delegates of their Lord’s name. To be reduced into the form of a domesticated race was an offense worthy of death. They refused to tarnish his great name.

“Is that so? You two seem to like it, though.”

But Colt’s words woke them up to reality!

“!?!?!?!”

“!?!?!?!”

They realized it far too late, but when they finally did, the two ferocious Generals of the Lord of Fluff realized they were already on their backs.

They did not know when it happened.

It was all too fast, and when Colt finally pointed it out to them, they were already purring like a common domesticated feline.

They acted like the beasts of hypocrisy that acted like Kings in the mercy of their owners!

They tried to fight back!

But, they could not even muster any strength!

The two mighty Generals purred at the touch of the human!

“How can this be!? I… no, we have been subdued!?”

“Thi-this is impossible! I-is this the power of the one who has been recognized by the Lord!”

The two cats were in disbelief!

Colt was in the dark, but he didn’t stop seeing how they enjoyed the massage, ‘They’ve been our main source of information across the Continent. They deserve to be rewarded.’

“Nyahahaha!”

A cat’s laughter reached their dancing ears.

A fat cat was looking down on the rooftop right above them.

On the rooftop directly overlooking the alleyway, a fat cat looked down like a mighty beast – as beast as a fat cat could anyway – with a broad smirk plastered on its face.

Fluff arrived on time – breathing heavily – granting his children the pleasure of being in his presence.

‘Ah, you’re here too?’ Colt said, but Fluff did not so much as acknowledge his words, ‘Must be another of his theatrics.’

Colt did not care about their theatrics and continued stroking the Generals’ fur. It was helping retrieve his mind from the alcohol.

Fluff. jumped down, landed perfectly on his feet, and appeared right next to them.

The two generals refused to meet his eyes.

They were ashamed.

The cat’s eyes were filled not with disdain but understanding, “Nyahaha, meow, meow, nyanya, myewo! (Heh, of course! He is this Lord’s Chosen, after all! I have taught him every possible stroke to be given to a cat. This man is a prodigy and could bring down any cat quivering with his fingers alone!).”

“As expected of -purrr-  his Lordship!”

“To be -purrr- you have opened our eyes!”

The two cats shouted in reverence to their Lord.

Colt was just there, minding his own business, fighting through his muddled mind, ‘…I don’t know why, but I feel proud for all the wrong reasons.’

In front of Colt, Fluff sat on his hind legs, “Colt.”

Fluff only spoke his name, and Colt already knew what he needed to do.

The two Generals watched in awe as their Lord got picked up by the human on his armpit. Fluff was gently rested on Colt’s lap, where Colt performed what could only be explained as a masterful display of finger brushing technique.

With his flexible joints, Colt brushed Fluff’s hair masterfully, and the Lord of the two prideful generals looked at them with eyes of obvious superiority, “See, my children! To be served is not a disgrace. It is a pleasure. But know that you must find a proper half or else it will be degraded to nothing but a-“

Colt could not bear listening to Fluff bullshit his way to reason why a cat could have its fur brushed.

Only after ten minutes did Fluff settle down.

Colt spoke only after a minute of revering silence:

“So, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to teach the kids cat tongue?”

“Mm? They started looking around the Main Hall. I did not want to follow them, but your Sister, the masochist, and a Valkyrie were there to look after them. Ayl is sleeping under the watch of the Butler.” Fluff explained.

“So they didn’t go to the Night Market, that’s good to know.”

“I don’t know the exact reason, but they were told to avoid the night. Well, just be happy you didn’t lose your daughters’ respect tonight – ah, that’s nice. A little more to the rig~Ohhhhh, that’s perfect – and I came out after noticing a familiar feeling here. I didn’t expect to see you here. Those two will tell you about it all.”

Before Colt, the two cats sat with troubled dignity. Their backs shaking and keeling over. It was a pitiful sight, but Colt ignored their disgrace.

Colt was in no state to say anything. He just let Fluff deal with the matter, “So, what have the two of you found out?”

“Everything we have to report was already included in our letter two months ago, my Lord.” Wind General answered.

“I see.” But Colt lied because he couldn’t strictly follow. His mind was far too gone to process so much information. But, he did note something from their explanations, ‘Hey, what did they mean about a letter? I didn’t hear about that.’

‘You were already dealing with the enemies hiding in the shadows. I didn’t want to add another layer to your problems. Besides, the Holy Land is my turf to deal with.’

‘Turf? I don’t care about that. I need to know everything, so I can move accordingly. I need to learn everything, so I can make appropriate plans.’

Colt instantly snapped. Information was the only thing he had. If he could not control them, then he’d be at a disadvantage, a significant disadvantage. He was no genius. He was simply lucky enough to know the future and the right people.

‘I need to know about the Holy Lands, you hear me? This place is the center of the Goddesses’ operations, it is supposed to be a great ally, but they are becoming more of a hindrance than anything. They attacked us, and I think there was an attempt on my life just now. I need to know. I know nothing about this place and don’t know who to trust. What if Sister Mary and Fer align with the enemy!? Do I have to kill everyone who shows hostility? Should I start hacking at everyone, lopping off the heads of every criminal?’

He had his reasons why he hoarded power. Long he had known he was already out of ammunition. He tried to act smart and acted accordingly, but Colt knew that things were tipping sideways when his knowledge of the plot ran out.

‘I need to know who’s on my side. Who can be trusted? Who is worth forgiving? I can’t risk it, Fluff.’

The cat moved Colt’s hand to the side. Fluff stood on his hind legs and sat on his butt, “You two, close your eyes. What’s about to happen cannot be seen.”

Fluff sternly commanded, and the two Generals dared now disobey. They followed his orders and closed their eyes, covering them with their paws to make sure.

Fluff beckoned Colt to lean over, and when he got close enough, the cat smacked the human across the face.

Colt wanted to say something, but Fluff sat on his chest with piercing eyes. The usual laziness he always carried disappeared, ‘Well, at least your eyes are clearer. Now listen before I smack you on the head again.’

‘You big piece of shi-‘

Colt wanted to start a “fight” the way they always do, but Fluff did not want to play.

Fluff pressed his forehead on Colt’s and looked him directly in the eyes, ‘That drumstick is useless, but his Gift does not miss. Because if he does, that means my Gift fails, and we both know we’d long be in big trouble if I had. So, listen, and listen well. The reason why you’re drunk and fucked up right now is that you let it. Our Gifts do not take effect unless you accept them. You allowed the alcohol to poison your body because you wanted to get drunk. I know you’re pissed your wife got injured, but you can’t be losing yourself. So, listen to me, you bigger piece of shit – I am here. So go back to the Cathedral, go rest and leave the rest to me. Trust me.’

Idolized by millions, Colt was seen as a Hero when he was just an ordinary man from Earth. The truth not so many know was that he was not the kind of man who belonged on a pedestal.

‘Go back to the Cathedral. I pulled some strings so you can rest without worrying about who to trust. Your protection is assured.’ Fluff said as he jumped down Colt’s chest.

Colt let out a deep sigh as he listened to Fluff. He said nothing but a simple, “Thanks… I needed that.”

“I still won’t take you with me; you’re drunk.”

“I understand.” As he checked his jaw, Colt said, “That hurt more than usual….”

“That’s good then; you needed it more than usual. Oh yeah, I will be taking your little assistant. I saw Sera following those who attacked you. I’ll be keeping Sera with me.”

“Suit yourself. Don’t make her do anything risky.”

“I know; as for you, go back to the Cathedral and rest. You two can open your eyes now and follow me. We have a job to do.”

“Yes, your Lordship.”

“Yes, your Lordship.”

He watched Fluff leave with its butt swaying from side to side.

Before the cat could leave, Colt called his name:

“Hey, Fluff.”

“Yeah~yeah~, I know, you’re welcome. I know you’re grateful for my greatness staying by your side.”

“I’m not going to thank you, I just have a question.”

“Huh? If you’re not going to grovel at my feet, what do you need then?”

“You said you pulled strings… how did you do that? You’re so fat you practically don’t have fingers. So, how did you do it?”

Fluff turned around with a glare, “Hey, Colt?”

“Yes?”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you as well.”

Fluff walked away with a huff.

“Hey, be careful out there.” Colt remarked.

“Yeah, yeah.” Fluff answered with an uncaring tone together with a smile.