In the middle of the night, Valeslina walked through the halls of the Kovalevska mansion, already back from her useless errand. Even after sending additional subordinates to further inspect the building, nothing important could be found. In the end, the intruders were, indeed, nothing more than a band of reckless ruffians; their ignorance was the only remarkable thing about them.
"I suppose… in every era, human foolishness never truly changes," she muttered under her breath.
Valeslina continued down the corridor until she reached her bedroom. When she opened the door, she was greeted by a grand bed, an ornate study table, and a sitting area by the large window, furnished with two throne-like armchairs facing each other across a small table. In one of the chairs sat the man who shared ownership of this room. His features were stern, marked by sharp, dark-red eyes and matching hair, offset by a neatly trimmed mustache. Dressed in night attire, he held a glass of wine, gazing silently out the window.
Following her usual routine, Valeslina took a shower, changed into her nightwear, and then joined him in the sitting area. She picked up the empty glass set aside for her, poured herself a measure of wine, and settled across from the man, Naphael Kovalevska.
Naphael turned to Valeslina, his dark-red eyes flashing with barely restrained anger. Valeslina studied him, noticing the hardened lines of his face and the tense grip on his wine glass; it was obvious he was in a very bad mood.
"Valeslina, who was it?" Naphael asked, his voice sharp and demanding.
As a Grand Magus, his sensitivity to mana was unparalleled, allowing him to detect even the faintest traces with absolute precision. The moment he returned to the mansion, he immediately sensed the lingering residue in the air, and almost instantly, the full sequence of events formed in his mind. He moved to act, tracing the mana to its source within seconds. The location revealed itself at once, but before he could fly there, he detected the mana of his wife and the Kovalevska servants, a clear indication they had already taken action. Trusting in Valeslina's abilities, he remained in the mansion, ready should another attack occur. Once she returned, he planned to ask which group had dared to target them, intending to eradicate the entire faction with his own hands.
"It was just some nobodies."
"Huh?" But Valeslina's answer was not what he had been expecting, and certainly not in a good way. Out of nowhere, a faint crack appeared along the rim of his glass.
"A nobody, you say?" he asked, his voice tight with a mix of fury and disbelief.
Valeslina simply nodded, ignoring the thickening tension in the room. The realization that such brazen acts had been committed by mere nobodies only infuriated Naphael further. But before it could spiral out of control, he drew on his mana, channeling it into his 'unconscious realm' to forcibly steady his emotions.
He exhaled heavily, his voice tinged with both weariness and restrained irritation. "Is Maurya turning into a gathering for fools these days?" he muttered mockingly, the tension in the room easing with his words.
"Who knows…" Valeslina replied, sharing the same sentiment.
Sensing the moment had begun to ease, Valeslina shifted to something she had been worried about.
"By the way, how was your visit to the Psychologist Guild?"
Naphael took a slow sip of his wine before replying.
"Agafon said my condition will be fine, but I'll need to go for more check-ups in the future."
"That's good to hear then," Valeslina said, a smile of relief appearing on her face. Then, trying to lighten the mood further, she asked, "How's Agafon doing?"
Naphael exhaled softly, reluctant to answer. "Same as always."
Valeslina chuckled. "Don't be like that; he's one of your biggest fans."
"Anyway," Naphael said firmly, shifting the conversation. "There will likely be a meeting with Grigori soon; it's about Sophia and her beast."
At the mention of the beast, Valeslina tensed slightly. Naphael continued, "I want you to accompany her on that visit."
Valeslina's eyes widened in surprise. "You won't be going with her?"
He shook his head. "I'll be busy for some time."
Her expression tightened. "Is it about Aur again?"
"Yes."
"I see. Sorry… because of me…" Valeslina said, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Valeslina, being with you is my choice, and I will never regret that decision. Besides, Grigori has also agreed with the 'plan,' right?"
"I know, but I'm not sure if Sophia will be okay with it."
"It'll be alright, I'm sure 'she' will find a way to convince Sophia."
***
On a quiet night, Sophia sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, staring at the result of her efforts: Cat Backpack v0.1. After returning from shopping, she immediately resumed work on the backpack, making adjustments based on Seraphix's input. It took several hours to complete, and it was already past midnight. As she inspected the fixed version, a swell of pride rose within her.
'Not as bad as I imagined.'
Beside her, Seraphix was curled up on a pile of clothes, fast asleep.
'I guess he helped quite a bit this time,' she thought, smirking to herself. Earlier, Seraphix had been actively involved in the project, but after the first hour, he had left her to finish on her own, his contributions reduced to occasional compla... advice about the backpack. Still, Sophia didn't feel annoyed. She felt an unexpected contentment. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the feeling of working alongside someone.
"I wonder how everyone's doing…" she murmured quietly, missing her friends from the academy. Her eyes drifted to Seraphix, where she noticed faint traces of white marker still smudged on his face. Smiling softly, she grabbed a clean cloth and gently wiped it away.
Her gaze then wandered over the scattered remnants of her project: the fabric scraps, wood pieces, and tools strewn across the floor. "Tomorrow," she muttered, letting out a soft yawn. Cleaning could wait. Scooping up Seraphix, she carried him to her bed and cradled him as she lay down. With him nestled in her arms, Sophia drifted off to sleep, feeling more at peace than she had in a while.
***
In the depths of the night, I open my eyes. Moving away from Sophia's intense grip, which she called a cuddle, I began doing a light cat stretch. Scanning my surroundings, I notice the floor littered with remnants from the cat backpack project. A frown creases my cat's face at the sight.
'This is why I don't like kids.'
In my previous life, I had always been meticulous about organizing my belongings and keeping my workspace clean, both before and after any task. Watching how children often lack work ethic and organizational skills was something that always grated on my nerves. My gaze shifts to Sophia, peacefully asleep.
I let out a sigh.
'I guess I'll help clean up.'
But before that, I open my status window.
---
Seraphix
Level: 1
Mana Capacity: 543
Occupation: Cat (Beast) tamed by Sophia Kovalevska
Strength: 1
Intelligence: 1
Agility: 1
Dexterity: 1
Vitality: 1
Skills: Transmogrify Essence, Veil of the Abyss, Essence Devour
---
I can't help but smile at the sight of my mana capacity.
'Although it tasted like genuine dirt, eating all those mana stones was definitely worth it.'
But then, knowing there's a weekly limit on how many mana stones one can buy, I've probably already used up all of Sophia's mana stones for this week.
'I'll have to find a way to make it up to her later.'
Now, though, with my mana capacity this high, I decide to continue my experiment on my skill.
'Let's run another Transmogrify Essence session.'
Walking to the human-sized mirror, I change into my human form, ready to see the results. Standing by the mirror, I emerge as a man with a lean, muscular build. My hair and eyes are black, entirely different from my previous life. Back then, my hair was mostly white, and a hint of wrinkles marked my face, a clear sign of my age.
'This isn't right.'
I sensed something was wrong. Using Transmogrify Essence, I could transform into anything I wanted, which raised the question of whether I could transform into a specific age. So I intended to test it, focusing on my Transmogrify Essence to shift to my actual old age. But even after targeting that age, my face showed no wrinkles, and my hair remained smooth and youthful.
'If that doesn't work… then…'
I refocus on my skill, changing my form again, this time with a different 'intention' in mind. My hair turns white, and the familiar wrinkle appears on my face.
'I see, if I don't specifically target the appearance I want, it just defaults to my prime body.'
But then again, 'Why does it have black hair and black eyes?' I'm pretty sure I was born with blond hair and green eyes in my old world.
'Could it be that the default color of Transmogrify Essence is always black?'
Thinking back, when I first turned into a cat, I never actually intended to have black fur.
'I guess black is the default color.'
As I observe my reflection further, I notice a glaring issue.
'I'm still naked.'
Realizing this, I focus on the skill again. Then, a compression shirt and pants materialize over my body.
'Wow, it actually worked. I can even turn my body into clothing... wait, turn my body?'
Curious, I reach out and touch the shirt, feeling a faint sensation as if being touched.
'So it's still part of my body. I guess I'm technically still naked.'
Even so, this discovery is enough for now. Knowing I can appear clothed gives me more freedom to shift into my human form without public humiliation. Though I long to live as a cat in this world, I know there will inevitably be times when using a human body is more convenient.
As this thought settles, a new question arises.
'What clothing would best suit the setting of this world?'
The fashion here isn't medieval, but it's not quite modern either; it lies somewhere in between.
And so, using my remaining motivation, I spent some time experimenting with different designs before finally ending my little experiment for the night. Turning back to the room, I realize I've overlooked something important.
'I haven't started cleaning up yet.'
With a sigh, I begin organizing the leftover materials and tools scattered across the floor. By the time I finish, fatigue has seeped into me even more than it had during the experiment.
'Handling other people's messes still drains me, just like always.'
I shift back into my cat form, walk over to Sophia's bed, and curl up for another round of sleep.
***
Early in the morning, Sophia awoke on her bed, a faint stream of light spilling through the barely open curtain. She searched for Seraphix and began her morning routine.
Once satisfied, she stepped out of bed and glanced around the room. She then realized that the leftovers from her cat backpack project were now neatly arranged and cleaned.
"Was it Sir Seraphix?" she murmured, her gaze shifting to the cat, sprawled out and sleeping peacefully on his back, belly exposed.
"But Sir Seraphix doesn't have hands…" she pondered aloud.
Then, a realization struck her.
"No, Sir Seraphix is a nine-stroke beast. Why should I even ponder how he cleans?"
Over the past few days, Sophia had started treating Seraphix like a chatty housecat, forgetting that he was, in fact, a being of immense power. The thought made her smile a little.
"That's right. I've become a tamer of a nine-stroke beast," she said softly, a sense of pride flickering within her.
Even so, as she reflected, despite possessing power she believed equal to that of her parents, her daily life remained surprisingly unchanged. Another thought appeared in her mind.
"As long as I don't show my power, no one whtill really believe it."
Proving herself as the tamer of a nine-stroke beast turned out to be surprisingly difficult. During her time in the Merchant Guild, she remembered how Lucas had been largely unaware that Seraphix was even a beast. Likewise, during breakfast a few days ago, even revealing her beast contract pattern had not been enough to convince her father.
Sophia felt conflicted. She had been chasing talent, striving for more power, but even after attaining it, people still seemed to find it hard to believe her. An even more daunting thought surfaced.
"Why am I even chasing power."
She never really had any interest in becoming the strongest, nor was she intent on using her newly found power for something noble.
"What am I really wanting, then?"
Knowing that dwelling on the question would only confuse her further, she decided to set the thought aside. She walked through her room and reached her study table by the window. Opening her desk drawer, she retrieved her silver-covered notebook, her diary, and settled it on the table before beginning to write.
Before long, a loud knock on the door startled her, causing her quill to slip. She sprang to her feet and hurried to the door to open it. Standing there was an elderly man with a neatly trimmed mustache, a monocle perched on his eye, and a perfectly pressed uniform. He was the head butler of the Kovalevska Family.
Sophia quickly averted her gaze, focusing on anything else. Among all the servants in the Kovalevska Estate, the gazes of the head butler and head maid were the ones she could never get used to.
"You have a letter," he said curtly, tossing the envelope to her before turning and leaving without another word.
The envelope bounced off her chest and fell to the floor. Sophia picked it up, closed the door behind her, and returned to her study table. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the envelope was sealed with a spell, preventing it from being opened by ordinary means.
Opening her drawer again, she rummaged through it for a 'letter unsealer'. At that moment, a familiar sensation echoed in her mind.
"Sophia, what was that noise just now?"
She flinched slightly before turning around, seeing Seraphix already awake. Seraphix, who had been roused by the loud bang of the door, jumped down from the bed and approached her.
"It's nothing," Sophia replied. "I just received a letter, and I'm looking for a letter unsealer."
Seraphix looked at her with a confused expression. "Can't you just tear the paper?"
"No, it's sealed with a spell," she explained.
"I see," Seraphix said, deep in thought.
Finally finding the letter unsealer, Sophia returned to her desk and gently placed Seraphix on its surface so he could watch closely. Looking at Seraphix, whose eyes beamed with curiosity, Sophia let out a soft giggle.
'Even with all his power, he is still curious about something.'
Using the unsealer, a small carved piece of dark wood with a magic circle-like pattern embedded on it, Sophia carefully tapped its tip against the letter to break the seal. The blue gemstone in her ring glowed faintly, followed by the magic circle on the wood, and the envelope began to shimmer with a unique pattern, transforming the form of the letter. What had been a plain white letter was now an ornate missive, adorned with a dragon-like symbol and its insignia, a golden slit eye, sealing the letter.
Sophia's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the design immediately.
'The Imperial family.'
Even more alarming was the letter's color: pure black.
'Absolute secrecy.'
Feeling the weight of the letter's significance, Sophia couldn't help but feel nervous. Clutching Seraphix close, she steadied her hands and began to unfold it.