After filling their stomachs, they went for a stroll around the village. Though the village might appear small, its technological advancement could be compared to that of a normal town on Earth. Numerous shops had captivated Lucas, who was new to this world.
"Big Brother, let's visit the Gold Cage merchant. I heard there's a new batch of familias there! Maybe you can find something to your liking there!" said the girl.
Lucas enthusiastically followed suit with his cousin; after all, he was entirely unfamiliar with this place. Despite having his first companion in the form of an egg, Lucas was thrilled to explore and expand his insight into these creatures.
Upon arriving at the shop, they were surprised to find fewer people than expected. As they entered, the reason became clear.
"Damn it! We should have come here first. I never thought the familias would be sold so quickly!" said Aila, disappointed.
Although a few familias remained in the shop, they were weak and rejected, attracting little attention.
"Well, let's still take a look. Maybe we can find some nice familias here," said Lucas.
"As if! Just look at it! There aren't even copper familias here," said Aila contemptuously.
Ignoring his cousin's tantrums, Lucas proceeded to examine the remaining familias. As he curiously scanned the cages with various creatures, he was amazed to find a variety of them. Canines and felines were the most common types, even found in the streets. While wild dogs could be tamed, their growth potential was limited.
Surprisingly, cats were blessed with high intellect. They could talk, even as low-class familias, earning them the title of Wisdom Felines, commonly found in households throughout the sanctuary.
However, despite their intelligence, their inability to surpass bronze quality limited their popularity for forming contracts in the soul spiritas.
While observing the creatures in the store, Lucas noticed a small, malnourished white kitten outside the cages. It was thin, covered in scars, and near death. Lucas extended his hand to grab the kitten.
"What's that, big brother? Is that a white rat?" said Aila.
"No, it's a cat," he replied, quickly wrapping it in his jacket and approaching the shop owner.
"Uncle, I think this cat needs help. It's about to die of starvation," said Lucas worriedly.
"Let me look at it. Seems like a rejected kitten. How did it end up here? I need to check the breeding base," said the uncle.
"What's your name, kiddo? It's rare to see such a caring youth these days. I'm Leonardo, by the way. You can call me Big Brother Leo," said Leo.
"Big brother? Aren't you too old to be called big brother?" said Aila with contempt.
Lucas scratched his head with embarrassment and responded, "Sorry for her rudeness, big brother. I am Lucas Dy Morningstar, and this is my cousin Aila Dy Morningstar."
"Oh? A Morningstar? Never thought the famous young master of the Morningstar would be here," said Leo.
"Since this kitten is rejected, it would be hard for me to raise it. How about you take this one? It's free of charge. Don't worry; the bill's on my table. Take this as a token of friendship from me," Leo said shamelessly.
"Aren't you too shameless to even give us this dying thing? Can't you give us something good, like a copper familia?" said Aila.
Lucas grabbed his cousin's hand and said, "Aila, stop! Sorry, big brother. It was rude on our part not to accept this gift. After all, this is a living creature."
Leo just laughed; he was actually kidding but didn't expect the kid to really accept the kitten.
"I was actually kidding, kiddo haha. But seeing such compassionate eyes, I leave this kitten to you. Treat it well, my boy. It can be a good domestic cat if you raise it well," said Leo.
Lucas smiled and accepted the kitten.
"Thank you very much, big brother! I'll surely raise it well!" said Lucas excitedly.
"Very well, come back here soon. I'll reserve the best familia for you next time."
At the Morningstar Manor.
"Not only did we not get a good familia, but we even have a dying mouse in here, hmph," said Aila disapprovingly.
She totally disagreed with bringing this kitten in, believing it was a disgrace for the manor to have a Wisdom Feline that couldn't even pick up a fight!
"Aila, watch your words. You're scaring little Moxie here. Just let this be, okay? After all, it was too pitiful."
"And you even gave it a name? Whatever!" said Aila as she walked away.
"There, there, little Moxie. Don't mind her; she's just throwing tantrums."
As this feline could speak and understand human language, Lucas saw it struggling to nod its head. Due to its heavy injuries, it still couldn't talk. While Lucas carefully cleaned Moxie's body, his Aunt Anna suddenly appeared.
"Oh? Lucas, is that a mouse?" said Anna unsurely.
"Aunt Anna! It's you! It's not a mouse; it's a Wisdom Feline. I got this at a store for free," said Lucas, smiling and hugging Anna as he told the story of how he got the cat.
"Oh really? I thought it was a mouse haha. Are you planning to raise a domestic cat?" said Anna.
"Yes! After all, this cat is too pitiful to be left alone, right?"
"Such compassionate eyes! Just like your father," said his aunt.
He had already heard "compassionate eyes" twice that day, making him scratch his head.