Turning from a cat back into a human could be very complicated, but it could also be very simple. The choice of whether it was complicated or simple rested entirely in her own hands.
A single demand to eat fish, finished with a trailing "Meow."
At this moment, it was as deliberate as could be. Not only did she conveniently fetch a ladder to step down from, but she also dragged herself back from Poer to Purr.
This was precisely why some people's willful tantrums caused irritation and anger, while another's spoiled heiress antics were simply found endearing.
"All right, I'll cook for you."
The momentary awkwardness melted away in an instant. After all, though both Karen and Purr indulged in their share of affectations in daily life, they were strictly confined to a glass of ice water and a cup of coffee.
Karen turned toward Mr. and Mrs. Santos and bowed slightly to express his gratitude. The couple immediately returned the courtesy.
"Thank you for your hard work, sir, ma'am. Please get some rest first. I'll prepare lunch."
"In that case, let us prepare the ingredients," Santos said.
Selina immediately pointed at Ashley. "Ashley, go get some fresh live fish."
"Um, right now?" Ashley froze for a second. "Alright, I'll drive out and buy some right away."
The research institute received supply shipments every week. Living necessities were fully rationed and basically cost nothing, but fresh live fish were certainly not available right now; they would have to wait until next week's delivery day.
Santos quickly reminded her, "Go check the aquatic monster beast area. Catch any fish of a suitable size, and we can just file a write-off report later."
Selina added, "State in the report that Sandy escaped her cage and ate the fish."
The fish in the institute were, at the very least, aquatic low-tier monster beasts.
Eating monster beasts from one's own institute was not common, but neither was it particularly rare.
The research institute was a public institution, and everyone treated it like their own home. So... eating a few fish raised at home was perfectly normal.
Ashley blinked. She felt her parents were truly daring—blatantly embezzling Church property right in front of the Regional Chief of the Whip of Order!
Ashley hastily explained, "Chief, some of the fish there are meant to be fed to the stronger monster beasts anyway. And sometimes when a monster beast dies, once its valuable parts are harvested, the meat is either distributed within the institute or packaged and sold outside..."
Karen smiled gently. "Just prepare it."
As senior researchers who had their own private laboratory within the institute, if Mr. and Mrs. Santos truly wanted to embezzle, loosening their fingers over project funding would net them countless point coupons. There was no need for them to pinch petty advantages like this.
Besides, in his memory visions, Karen had seen with his own eyes the former High Priest and the Temple Elders relishing wild monster beast game that Dicaloste had poached.
"Understood, Chief."
Ashley headed out to catch the fish.
Karen looked at the Santos couple and said, "The cost of the ingredients should be charged to me. After all, this is an expression of my gratitude. Please don't refuse."
Santos caught on at once and replied, "Understood. I will report it as human-caused loss and cover it."
***
Purr stepped down from the platform, scooped up Little Kanna, and walked toward the dormitory area.
Little Kanna looked up at Purr and said, "Sister Purr, it feels weird seeing you turn into a human."
"Don't worry, it won't last long. Most of the time, I'm still a cat."
"Then I'm relieved."
"You're a bit heavy..."
"Then I'll walk by myself."
After all, she was the human incarnation of a bone dragon; her bone density was terrifyingly high.
Purr set Little Kanna down, then pinched her cheeks with both hands.
"You know, I've wanted to pinch your cheeks like this for a long time."
Had it been anyone else who dared humiliate her like this, the little bone dragon would likely have gone on a rampage. But who could complain when the person in front of her was Purr?
Little Kanna could only say helplessly, "Sister Purr, it huuuuuurts a biiiiit..."
Purr squeezed and stretched Little Kanna's cheeks, giving her words a bouncy, rhythmic beat.
Karen walked up from behind and watched the scene.
Little Kanna immediately shouted, "Karen, grab her tail!"
Hearing this, Purr, whose back was turned to Karen, flushed scarlet across her cheeks.
"Oh, I forgot. Sister Purr doesn't have a tail right now."
Little Kanna slapped both hands onto Purr's backside, patting around repeatedly to confirm.
"Whoa, so soft, so nice to touch."
Purr flicked Little Kanna's forehead with a finger.
*Smack!*
A shower of sparks burst where her fingertip struck the girl's forehead.
"Behave yourself! Have you forgotten your lady's etiquette?"
"Fine, I got it," Little Kanna grumbled, clutching her forehead.
In the past, Karen had never found anything strange about Purr teaching Little Kanna etiquette. But seeing Purr's true human self now, he suddenly realized that a once-rebellious young lady was currently cultivating a lady bone dragon.
Purr looked back and saw Philomena still holding the bundle of clothes. She smiled. "Such thorough preparations. Pity—are you a little disappointed you didn't get to see anything?"
Karen shook his head. "No."
"No need to be hypocritical. You can speak your mind."
"Really?"
"Really."
"There was nothing to see. You've gotten fat."
Purr: "..."
Little Kanna took Karen's hand with her left and Purr's hand with her right, pulling them both along back to the residence.
Philomena trailed behind alone. For some reason, she felt like she was looking at a family of three.
***
Upon returning to Ashley's home, Karen first went into the kitchen to begin prep work.
Ashley returned swiftly with three fish in her net: a two-headed fish, a red-scaled fish, and a third with a pitch-black horn atop its head.
When Mr. and Mrs. Santos returned and offered to help, Karen declined, so the couple obediently went to their room to rest, leaving Ashley behind to assist him.
In truth, a major reason they had chosen to cook here rather than head back was that Purr's time as a human was limited. Spending that brief, precious time stuck on the road was obviously not worth it.
Philomena raised her Dream Demon Blade and said, "I'll clean the fish."
Without looking up, Karen asked, "Do you really want to help?"
"Yes."
"Then go sleep in Ashley's room. I'll call you when it's ready."
"Understood."
Philomena sheathed her blade and headed off to the bedroom to sleep.
Karen cleaned the fish himself while instructing Ashley to prepare the side dishes. Having "extensive" experience making sandwiches, she was more than capable of prepping garnishes and vegetables.
Purr pulled two chairs together by the kitchen entrance, curled her legs up, and sat watching Karen work, sometimes resting her chin on her knees, sometimes leaning her cheek against them.
Little Kanna slunk over to the sofa, looking to take a nap.
Purr glanced back at her.
Little Kanna said defensively, "This isn't home."
"Please, continue your excuses."
"Fine."
Drooping her head, Little Kanna trudged off to the guest room to take a bath.
Preparing the ingredients was straightforward, though when Karen reached the fish with the horn on its head, he hesitated for a fraction of a second before bringing the cleaver down.
Before long, mouthwatering aromas wafted from the kitchen, intoxicating enough to enrapture any cat.
Watching Karen at the stove in an apron, Purr asked Ashley on a whim, "Ashley, have you ever noticed that men look quite handsome when they're cooking?"
"Yes, absolutely," Ashley agreed, nodding.
"It would be even better if one could watch quietly all by oneself."
"Yes, indeed."
"Hmm?"
"Ah, I get it." Ashley washed her hands and retreated to her room as well.
"Karen, did you ever cook for Eunice like this?"
"When we were dating, yes. Later on, things got busy."
"Your courtship was pretty short, too."
"Then not many times. When I returned to Allen Manor, I spent half my time in a wheelchair."
"Diss never cooked," Purr remarked wistfully.
"Did he ever cook for you?"
"Mm, once when I was little. When he set the plate in front of me, it gave me a fright—I thought it was a dish of pollutant."
"I can imagine."
"He wasn't picky about food either, but I could tell he enjoyed eating what you cooked."
"What he enjoyed was the atmosphere."
Having added water, Karen left the fish soup to simmer. He wiped his hands on a towel and turned around, looking at Purr sitting on the chairs.
Purr's eyes were fixed on him, gazing intently.
Karen's eyes drifted over her, clearly sizing her up.
"I look pretty, don't I?" Purr asked with a smile.
"Yeah. No wonder Bernard was so hopelessly infatuated with you."
"Ugh, could you not bring that guy up? It ruins the mood."
"Fine."
"Karen, who do you think is prettier, me or Eunice?"
"Don't ruin the mood."
"The fact that you didn't immediately say Eunice is an answer in itself."
"There's a virtue known as respecting one's elders."
"Hmph, I can wear that, too."
"Wear what?"
"Nothing, never mind."
"By the way, Neo will soon be leading the militia regiment into the desert. He specifically asked for Rekar to go along."
"What does he want a pirate for?"
"Funds have been tight lately. The High Priest can afford to run at a loss for the sake of drilling troops, but I can't. The broader church can take a loss; I need to make a profit."
Purr broke into a knowing smile. "I understand."
"Do you want to go?"
"Are you asking a rhetorical question? Of course I want to go! Although my current strength is far from its peak, it should be enough to keep me safe. I can finally re-explore this unfamiliar world."
"Alright."
"You agree?"
"Why else would I bring it up?"
"Hehe, so many surprises today. Little Karen, you're the best. Your great-great-great-great-aunt loves you."
"Your task will be heavy."
"I know, don't worry. To be honest, among the places I visited in the past, unmapped secret realms accounted for less than half. What I loved exploring most were the sensitive regions controlled by the various churches."
"Good, as long as you understand. Pushing these reforms is terribly expensive. Those instructors at Order University have voracious appetites; they'd probably order toilet paper made from bamboo-attribute monster beast dung if they could."
"Then why do you spoil them so much?"
"I need them to get things done right now. Launching departments and laying the framework requires their expertise. Once the stage is set, I'll send them right back."
"Ooh, ruthless."
"It's for their own good. Otherwise, I'd have to launch an anti-corruption campaign."
"I'm curious, Karen—how did you become so slick?"
"You call that slick?"
"Isn't it? You're compromising."
"I'm just getting things done."
***
When the meal was ready, the main spread consisted of three fish dishes, complemented by three side dishes Karen had whipped up. The Santos couple, Philomena, and Little Kanna were all called over, and the group gathered around the circular table to eat.
Influenced by Karen, Ashley's family kept chopsticks in the house, though her parents rarely used them. Purr handled her chopsticks with practiced ease; far from wolfing down her meal, she ate with remarkable grace.
"Not to your taste?" Karen asked.
Purr shook her head. "It's delicious. Besides, I love the feeling of eating without worrying about getting my whiskers dirty."
Little Kanna picked up a large fish head with her chopsticks and stuffed her medicinal pill inside.
Once it was secured, she held up the fish head—which was as large as her face—and took a huge, noisy bite out of the fish lips.
Mrs. Selina quickly chimed in with concern, "Careful with the bones."
Santos tugged his wife's sleeve gently and whispered, "She's a bone dragon."
"Ah, right, I forgot." Selina tapped her forehead with a chuckle.
To think she had worried about a bone dragon choking on a fish bone.
Little Kanna turned to Karen and Purr, beaming. "Eating like this feels really great!"
With that, she took another massive bite of the fish head.
Purr remarked, "Are you sure it isn't your innate nature making you enjoy feeding this way?"
Little Kanna furrowed her brow, deep in thought.
Purr smiled faintly. "Fish heads are the only exception. Don't go getting ideas about any other kinds of heads."
"Okay," Little Kanna agreed, nodding as she took another bite. "But why can an exception be made for fish heads?"
"Because I like eating fish."
"Oh, so that's why."
***
When the meal concluded, Karen normally would have taken his leave, but Purr had not yet turned back into a cat.
"Walk around here with me for a bit," Purr said, adding, "I want to tour the zoo from a human's perspective."
"Alright."
Karen led Purr and Little Kanna outside.
Ashley moved to follow, but Mr. and Mrs. Santos stopped her.
Selina cautioned, "Why are you tagging along right now?"
"I can't go with them?" Ashley asked, confused.
"Look at her." Selina pointed at Philomena, who was still seated at the table eating.
All three fish had been sizable; a single fish would have served as the main course for a family of five for days. But to Philomena, this was nothing. While the others had already finished and left the table, she had merely worked up an appetite.
Moreover, with everyone else at the table, she had shown a modicum of restraint. Now that she was alone, her eating pace visibly accelerated.
Santos asked, "I recall Chief Karen has a fiancée. What is the relation to that black cat?"
Ashley replied, "She's the Chief's fiancée's great-great-great-great-aunt."
Dazed by the string of prefixes, Selina turned to her husband. "What kind of relationship is that?"
Santos replied, "Far more distant than cousins."
***
Not long after stepping outside, Little Kanna grew drowsy—a routine occurrence whenever she took her pills.
Karen hoisted her onto his back, letting her sleep there.
Purr strolled ahead with her hands clasped behind her back, looking left and right just like a visitor at a park.
As they passed Sandy's enclosure, Purr waved at her. Sandy spread her wings and flew toward them, only to catch sight of Karen behind her carrying the bone dragon, terrifying the creature into plummeting straight to the ground.
"Her feathers are truly gorgeous," Purr praised.
Karen walked up and said, "Do you want them? We can file a loss report."
Sandy shot into the air on the spot, pressing herself against the far side of the dome.
Purr swiped at Karen's chest. "Why are you scaring her? She's smart; she understands everything you say."
"Maybe it's just become a habit."
"Too bad that silly dog wasn't brought along. Had I known you were giving me this gift, I really should have brought him to make him jealous. You know, when you're happy, if there's no one around genuinely envying you, your joy is cut in half."
"After this is over, rest for a few days. You'll be able to turn into a human once more before you leave, and you can walk the dog then."
"I can't wait to see that silly dog's face when he sees me as a human, hahaha!"
Purr laughed aloud, bright and clear, without the slightest reserve or bashfulness. Her chestnut hair fluttered in the breeze, painting a delightful picture.
When her laughter subsided, Purr brushed a lock of hair aside. "I'm not used to my fur being this long."
"You'll get used to it eventually."
"Not necessarily. Right now, it feels as if I'm merely acting out the role of a human."
With that, Purr glanced at Little Kanna on Karen's back and added, "Actually, my legs are tired from walking. I really want to sit on your shoulder."
"In a little while."
"Mm, in a little while."
The two continued their stroll.
"Karen, you're a Regional Chief now. Time flies so fast. Back when we left Ruilan, I never would have dared dream of today."
"Yeah, completely unthinkable. Even the cat at home has to go out to work and earn coupons for me."
"Since I can turn back into a human, Diss will surely wake up safe and sound, too. When that happens, that mischievous little Rasma won't be an issue anymore."
"There's no need to wait for Grandfather to wake up. I'll strive to handle these matters myself." Karen paused before continuing, "Now that I hold this seat, with the situation outside in utter turmoil, I will either keep rising higher, or I will take a devastating fall.
"In short, everything has begun to accelerate."
***
Philomena was waiting beside the car when the three finally returned.
At that moment, the words Madame Tangli had spoken that night—after thrashing her under the guise of training—surfaced in her mind. Madame Tangli had said that sometimes, walking alone made one feel afraid and helpless, as though something was missing from one's side.
The honest Philomena had answered at the time: "You're missing an assassination target."
Madame Tangli had merely smiled faintly and replied, "On to the next round of training."
Just then, Karen spoke: "Philomena, you parked facing the wrong way again. Turn it around."
Philomena instinctively bent down to hoist the car, hesitated, and instead climbed inside, started the engine, spun the steering wheel all the way, and successfully completed the U-turn.
Little Kanna was placed into the back seat. Karen slid in, and Purr climbed in as well.
As she drove, Philomena asked, "Isn't anyone sitting up front? Is it cramped?"
"Not cramped, meow."
Philomena glanced up into the rearview mirror. In the back seat, Little Kanna remained fast asleep against the Chief, while a black cat lay across his lap.
Karen reached out and gently stroked the black cat's back. The cat raised her tail, familiarly found one of Karen's fingers...
And tied a knot around it.
Chapter 754