Its pink nose twitched lightly. After carefully sniffing Cang Ye's scent, Fou suddenly opened its mouth and bit down on one of his fingers.
The sudden action startled Cang Ye, but he didn't pull his hand away, instead watching to see what Fou would do next. The bite wasn't hard; its sharp little teeth merely pricked his finger, drawing a small bead of blood. Then, with its soft little tongue, it lapped up the droplet.
"Fou~"
After tasting Cang Ye's blood, the small white animal's eyes narrowed in a blissful expression. However, Fou didn't seem inclined to tear the wound open for more. It just licked his fingertip again with its wet, soft tongue, as if reluctant to let go, before finally releasing him.
"Fou-kyu~"
Fou chirped at Cang Ye again, its call much softer this time, almost like a greeting. Seeing this, Cang Ye's smile grew even wider, and he reached out to scratch Fou's fluffy chin. Fou didn't resist, even tilting its head forward and letting out a purr like a kitten.
Emboldened, Cang Ye didn't hesitate any longer. He scooped Fou up and began to shower it with affection. Say what you will, but before being isekai'd by Truck-kun, Cang Ye was a devoted cat person, and this was Fou. No one could resist a fluffy creature like Fou.
Besides, Cang Ye figured that since Fou was willing to be close to him, it probably didn't see him as food. After all, you don't get friendly with your dinner.
After indulging his inner cat lover, Cang Ye held Fou up by its front paws, bringing it to eye level. "Hmm, I know your name right now is probably Cath Palug, but you wouldn't mind if I gave you a nickname, would you?"
"Fou?" The little white monster tilted its head, looking at Cang Ye in confusion.
"That's right, I'll call you Fou. It's cute and easy to say," Cang Ye said with a grin, giving Fou a little shake.
Fou didn't seem to mind. A name was just a label to it, after all.
"So, Fou, are you the one who did this to all these people? Can you change them back?" Cang Ye asked.
"Fou, fou, fou-kyu?"
Fou nodded its little head in response, and Cang Ye understood the meaning behind its subsequent chirps. "Ah, you're asking if I want you to release them now?"
Cradling Fou in his arms, Cang Ye thought for a moment before confirming, "Will keeping them in this state cause them any harm?"
"Fou." Fou shook its head, indicating there would be no harm.
"Then let's not release them just yet."
Getting the answer he wanted, the corners of Cang Ye's mouth turned up in a sly grin. He leaned down, his face wearing the same kind of smile a shady uncle might use to lure a little girl to see his goldfish. "Fou, my friend, how about you help your big brother put on a little show? If it all works out, I'll let you have another taste of my blood~"
"Fou?" Fou tilted its head, looking at Cang Ye with innocent confusion.
Meanwhile, on a forest path not far from the town, Artoria, dressed as a boy, was heading towards the town with Merlin and Kay.
"Merlin, do you know anything about this 'three-eyed monstrous cat' that Sir Kay mentioned?" the fair, golden-haired 'boy' asked the white-robed figure beside him.
Now that the Arthurian army was established, Artoria's presence in the world had grown significantly, which in turn affected Merlin's illusion magic. To avoid drawing attention, she could no longer travel as 'Lily' and had to adopt a male persona, one that better fit the public's image of their king: Arthur Artorius Pendragon. However, because the Sword in the Stone had halted her aging at fifteen, she still looked like a handsome, slender youth.
As for Merlin, he was his usual self: white robes, a staff, pinkish-white hair, and that ever-present, trollish grin.
"About that... from Kay's description, I have a general idea of what it is. But theoretically, it shouldn't be here at all," Merlin said, waving his long sleeves before turning to Kay with a smug look. "By the way, you idiot Kay, are you sure this thing appeared in the town and is terrorizing the populace? You didn't just hear some rumor from a woman in bed, did you?"
"What are you barking about, you useless incubus? Aren't you the one always crawling into strange women's beds?" Kay shot back without missing a beat, crossing his arms with a mocking expression. "Don't you try to play innocent with me! What about that lord's youngest daughter last time? She wasn't much older than Lily, and you still had the nerve!"
"And not only that, you ghosted her right after! The lord found out his daughter had been sullied by a pig and came after us at the inn in the middle of the night, forcing me and Lily to flee with you!" Kay grew angrier as he spoke, his face contorting in a snarl. "From now on, don't you dare call yourself the Court Magus of Britain! Anyone who hears that will think Britain is doomed!"
"Ahem, that wasn't intentional!" Merlin rubbed his nose, looking rather embarrassed. "Besides, the girl consented to my request. It was mutual, so how can you blame me?"
"Oh, sure, sure. Go tell that to the lord. See if he believes a word you say," Kay said, flipping Merlin a derisive middle finger. "You know, after that, he put up a sign in his domain: 'No White-Haired Men or Dogs Allowed'!"
"Tsk!" Seeing Kay's smug face, Merlin grew irritated. He thought to himself, If I told you I gave that lord's daughter your name, you'd probably explode. But considering Kay would likely try to kill him for real, Merlin wisely decided to keep that retort to himself.
Thankfully, Artoria interrupted their argument. "That's enough, Merlin, Sir Kay. Please, calm down. We're probably close to the town now. We shouldn't attract attention."
Artoria sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. Her foster brother and her teacher were both reliable under normal circumstances, but in private, neither of them was serious. Merlin was a troll who loved to cause trouble, and Kay had a sharp tongue and a short temper. The two of them were like oil and water.
If only Lamorak were here with me...
Unexpectedly, Artoria's thoughts drifted to the man who was once an invisible fairy friend and later became a noble, radiant knight. After all these years, she still wasn't sure if their first meeting had been a dream or reality. But the knowledge he had taught her, the stories of the world beyond Britain, and the countless landscapes and foods he described were all etched into young Artoria's memory.
During those days when everyone urged her to never slacken, never stop, and always strive to be the perfect king, it was that fairy who had encouraged and comforted her. He had told her, "Artorius, if you're tired, you must rest well. Before you can achieve your great goal, you must first ensure your own happiness and fulfillment."
Later, Merlin had driven him away, and Artoria had been heartbroken. She didn't blame Merlin; she only felt she was too weak, unable to even protect a friend.
But... now that I have the power to protect him, why does he no longer belong to me?
Thinking about what Kay had recently told her—that Lamorak had sworn fealty to her sister, the witch Morgan—a wave of sadness washed over Artoria.
"You promised to take me to eat lots of good food... you're a liar too," Artoria muttered under her breath, her deep blue eyes darkening. She desperately wanted to find Lamorak, to ask him why he had pledged himself to her ill-reputed sister, to say to him, Come, Lamorak, fight with me for the future of Britain. Then, we can fulfill our childhood promise and bond.
But Merlin kept insisting she wasn't ready to stand on her own, that her training had to continue, and kept saying things like, "Don't worry, fate will bring him to your side."
Artoria, however, felt that if she didn't fight for it herself, fate would never grant her wish. After all, in her heart, Lamorak was as beautiful and unattainable as the pale moonlight.
"Don't worry, Lily. The people there will be fine, and we'll take care of that magical beast," Kay said, sensing her low spirits and mistakenly thinking she was worried about the beast. He nudged Merlin beside him. "You started this, so you should say something too."
"Oh, it's alright, it's alright, Lily," Merlin said with a cheerful grin, patting Artoria's head and pressing down her golden ahoge, only for it to spring right back up. "While that creature is certainly not simple, based on the timeline, it should only be in its infant stage. You'll be able to handle it easily. I'll take care of the aftermath."
"Stop touching my symbol of kingship..."
Hearing Merlin and Kay's concerned words, Artoria felt a warmth spread through her, a faint blush on her cheeks. She lightly patted her face, telling herself to work harder, so that she could face him as a more outstanding version of herself and invite him to join her.
"Let's go, Sir Kay, Merlin." The 'boy's' face bloomed into a smile once more. "Let's deal with this three-eyed cat quickly and keep moving forward."
Seeing that smile, Merlin and Kay exchanged a knowing look.
-------
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