episode_0105

[Episode 105] Dogfight War

The large palace had too many buildings to look around, but surprisingly, it didn’t take long to see them all.

Since the country was a cat country, no matter how big and spacious the palace was, it was a cat’s pace.

Most of the places felt more like living spaces or workspaces rather than warehouses, excluding spaces open to everyone, so there were only a few locked buildings that needed careful examination.

Most of the locked places were mostly food storage or material storage…

So, two buildings were left.

Those places were particularly guarded by cat soldiers, and they were located deep in the secluded parts of the palace.

Interestingly, those buildings had iron doors instead of wooden doors.

The locks looked large and sturdy, clearly indicating that something important was inside those buildings.

‘First, we need to figure out what to do with the guards and how to open the lock and iron door…’

Well, we don’t need to worry about the lock and iron door.

“Meow!”

With our universal key Sarri, we can open all those iron doors? Locks? It’s as good as having nothing at all.

Of course, it could be considered a cruel act towards the iron door to say ‘opening the door’!

“Calm down, Sarri. Dealing with those cat soldiers comes first; opening the iron door is next.”

Sarri, who seemed ready to tear down the iron door at any moment, was calmed down.

The bigger issue was that the cat soldiers were vigilantly guarding rather than the locked door.

From what we observed so far, two cats were standing on either side of the door holding windows, while groups of soldiers patrolled the area at regular intervals, checking and passing by, forming their boundary system.

If there was anything else to consider, maybe there could be something like a five-minute delay tactic?

Of course, even if the cats gathered and surrounded us, it would probably be fine to swiftly grab the treasure and transform as Sarri and pass through, but we shouldn’t harm them just in case.

Hmm… Is there any way to divert the attention of those cats, even for a moment?

It would be great to start the operation right after the patrol soldiers passed by.

Since cats like laser beams, I thought about pulling out a laser with a grindstone to stimulate their hunting instincts, but that wasn’t a surefire method.

While wandering around, I happened to watch the cat soldiers training in the training ground.

– Meow meow! Meow meow meow meow! Meow meow! Meow meow meow meow!

The trainee cats lined up in a bread posture, while the cats wearing red hats swayed bait according to the command.

Meowww!

Unable to resist their instincts, one of the trainee cats rushed towards the bait, and the cats with red hats all rushed in, grabbing the cat, delivering a meow punch, and then instructing the rest of the trainee cats…

Meowww!

Oh, poor thing… The cries of the cats still echo in my ears… Wait, weren’t cats individualistic? Why do they have collective responsibility? How dare those bad guys mess with those poor cats…

Remembering the past of guerrilla training, I shuddered.

Anyway, those cats receiving such training are likely elite cats trained to control their instincts.

It would be nice if they were interested in laser beams, but if it backfires and makes them more cautious, it will only cause headaches.

‘Hmm… I need a different approach… What do cats like?’

I closed my eyes and pondered for a moment.

‘Ah! What if we could extract the souls of those cats regardless of their training?’

Suddenly, with a good idea in mind, I rummage through my bag with my hands and pull out a millstone to retrieve the item I had in mind.

Meow! Meow! Meow meow meow!

“(Your Highness! Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! There is an intruder in the palace! You must evacuate immediately!)”

Meow? Meoww? Meowww!

“(What? Intruder? Who would dare to breach the palace in broad daylight! What have our loyal soldiers done! Have you identified the intruder’s motives?)”

Meow.. Meoww…

“(Tha.. that…)”

In the angry roar of the cat king, the speech of the subordinate cat was cut off completely!

The subordinate cat was in a frenzy.

This is treachery. Treachery!

Is it even reasonable to report such a dismal incident to His Highness?

To make matters worse, the armory was breached. And there were no traces found of the intruders.

The armory held a significant role in the military power of Cat Kingdom, with sturdy iron doors and locks installed at great expense, yet how were they broken…?

No, they weren’t broken. The door had completely vanished.

Is that all?

They stationed guards day and night and patrolled regularly, with a loud alarm set to sound if the door was forced open, ready for soldiers on standby to respond promptly.

So, they were confident that nothing would go wrong there….

In an instant, that confidence shattered into pieces.

Fortunately, it seemed the intruders only managed to remove the locks and iron doors of the armory by some means, and there were no issues with the inventory of the armory they had identified?

Perhaps the weapons were untouched as the soldiers who quickly responded scared them off… but there was no comfort in the fact that the armory was not breached.

There was a more serious issue at hand.

The state of the guards and soldiers who responded there.

Growl growl growl growl growl…

(Ahh..! Huh..! Huhuhuhuh..!)

Meow! Meoww!…! Meow… Meoww….

“(Huhuhuh..! I feel strange.! Too good..! Overwhelmingly good..!)”

Meow.. Meow.. Meoww..!

“(Huhuh..! My body feels hot..! My head is spinning…! Huhuhu….)”

What on earth..!

Those individuals writhing on the ground uncontrollably, unable to control their bodies as they frolic on the ground… were none other than the loyal soldiers of Cat Kingdom.

Who were they!

Having overcome all instinctual urges and being reborn as the elite among elites, boasting to be the best soldiers!

But such beastly behavior….

What could corrupt these soldiers like this…

Drugs.

Yes, that was definitely drugs!

The dangerous scent emanating from the dried leaves scattered around proved it!

It was a desperate situation.

“(Who dared to openly distribute banned drugs in the kingdom!)”

Despite desperately covering his nose and mouth, the subordinate cat couldn’t suppress his despair and could only lament.

The identity of the dangerous drug strictly prohibited in Cat Kingdom was likely… the dreadful ‘dog’weed!

A sense of urgency began to ring incessantly in the subordinate cat’s mind.

This was not just a simple burglary!

An almost-breeched armory… and the unleashed deadly drug!

What this meant was… war!

Perhaps the era of peace had been too long.

Someone was stealing our weapons, unleashing drugs to sow chaos and incite war!

It was the worst-case scenario!

While the nation was on high alert, the whereabouts of the troublemakers who caused the disturbance were mysterious…

How did they manage to infiltrate a place where only cats could enter in the first place!

From the gatekeepers to the palace guards and the soldiers guarding the armory…

All those people losing their military spirit, unable to filter out the intruders, is an unreasonable story.

Moreover, soldiers from the Cat Kingdom, with a strong sense of duty, would never have been careless about inspections or patrols.

There is only one possibility.

That the intruders, or the abilities of the intruders, are so exceptional that the soldiers of the Cat Kingdom cannot handle them.

It was fortunate to be able to exclude the possibility of a traitor within.

If we assume the actions of an insider, they must have been someone of considerable status even within the palace.

Otherwise, just the fact that an unqualified person appeared near the armory would have put the guards on high alert.

But there is no one who doesn’t know that among those with such status, there is a device installed on the door.

Yet, even if the guards subdued them so perfectly and still broke down the door like fools, setting off the alarm? That’s why this can’t possibly be the work of an insider.

From the start, someone with the ability to remove that iron gate in an instant did not exist in the Cat Kingdom.

We must somehow quickly find the intruders and determine their intentions.

So, despite quickly trying to control the soldiers who were under the influence of drugs, increasing surveillance personnel in the armory, and summoning additional troops to thoroughly search the palace…

Can we really find those with such exceptional abilities just by searching the soldiers?

Phew.. It seems escaping to where the king is located should take precedence…

Especially in such a chaotic situation, if the king were to be infiltrated by those with extraordinary abilities…!

In a dreadful assumption, urgency creeps into the voice of the loyal cat.

“(I apologize, Your Majesty! There is no time for a lengthy explanation! Since the alarm was triggered while attempting to break into the armory, it seems likely that the goal is to seize our country’s weapons, but nothing certain has been revealed. Fortunately, the weapons were not taken, but the problem is…)”

“(What is the problem?)”

“(Well, the soldiers are addicted to drugs… and we couldn’t find any trace of the intruders.)”

“(What! Drugs! Do you think it makes sense that such a major incident occurred and there are no traces of the intruders!)”

The Cat King rises abruptly from his seat, scolding his subject.

The whiskers of the flustered king tremble as he can barely contain his anger.

Driven by a sense of urgency to get the king to safety, the loyal cat anxiously prostrates himself, bowing his head flat to usher the king away, constantly vomiting excuses.

“(These are dangerous individuals! Perhaps… even our elite soldiers may find it difficult to stop them, Your Majesty! I fear that their extraordinary abilities may pose a threat to you, so please seek refuge with dignity and haste! This is all due to my incompetence! You will pay for my incompetence once this is over, Your Majesty! Please!)”

“(Ohhh..!)”

Despite the urgent plea of his subject, the Cat King emits a low growl from his throat, lost in thought.

This growl is a sound that the Cat King makes whenever he is unhappy or pondering something unpleasant.

The Cat King was a spirited individual.

As much as… almost losing the armory, having his soldiers humiliated, and now facing a threat to his own life would surely wound his lofty pride.

Especially… wasn’t he the king who always ruled above others, confident that no one could surpass him in strength?

So, he probably doesn’t like fleeing in fear like this.

“(Your Majesty! Please do not ignore my humble words! The future of the nation depends on your safety! Please seek refuge quickly…!)”

“(Fine then! Make way for me!)”

“Yes! Yes! I will follow your command, Your Majesty! I will serve you! Look here! Hurry and protect His Majesty! The safety of His Majesty is our top priority…”

“But…!”

As the cat king interjects with a condition, the hearts of his subjects grow anxious.

In times like this, he always made stubborn decisions without allowing any objections from his subjects.

“There is no retreat. We are heading to the barracks.”

“Your Majesty! How could…!”

“I will personally lead the troops to find the intruders…! And if this was a ploy by neighboring countries… our long-standing peace will be over. We prepare for war…! You must summon all the subjects to the barracks!”

The faces of the cat king’s subjects turn into despair and worry at his solemn declaration.