The morning after the iron extraction arrived with the kind of silence that only exists when you have survived something that probably should have killed you.
Renn woke up in his tent with every muscle protesting. Apparently, negotiating contracts and witnessing the genocide of a goblin tribe was physically exhausting. The first thing he did was check his bracelet to confirm that yesterday's numbers had been real.
[CURRENT RESOURCES] [Swamp Iron: 102.85 kg]
Real. It was all real.
"Shit," he muttered, smiling despite the pain in his ribs. "We really did it."
He dragged himself out of the tent into the cool swamp air and found Valeria already awake in her feline form, sitting on her favorite rock next to the troop tower.
"Good morning, Substitute Lord," she said with that melodious voice that should not come out of a cat. "Did you sleep well considering you closed your first significant commercial contract yesterday?"
"I slept like a log. I think my brain shut down from adrenaline overload." Renn stretched, feeling his vertebrae crack. "Where is Lysandra?"
"Her Highness is resting. The approval she showed yesterday required... considerable energy."
"Does meowing require energy?"
Valeria looked at him with those golden eyes that suggested he had just said something incredibly stupid.
"Her Highness does not simply meow, Substitute Lord. Every communication is an act of dimensional power filtered through a limited physical form. It is exhausting."
"Oh." Renn hadn't thought about that. "Is she okay?"
"She is perfectly fine. Simply... satisfied." Something in Valeria's tone suggested there was more behind that, but before Renn could ask, his bracelet beeped.
[NEW MESSAGE - MARCUS STEELHEART]
Renn frowned. Marcus? Sending him messages directly?
He opened the message.
> Blackwood > Still thinking about your mercenary > That power level isn't cheap > How long can you really keep that contract? > Just professional curiosity > See you soon
Renn felt a chill run down his spine.
"That is... disturbing."
"What is disturbing?" Valeria jumped off her rock and approached.
Renn showed her the message. Valeria's ears flattened slightly.
"He is investigating. He is trying to determine your financial resources."
"What if he finds out I can't actually pay you?"
"Then the questions will become more complicated." Valeria sat down, wrapping her front paws with her tail. "But for now, we maintain the fiction. You are a Lord with sufficient resources to hire quality protection. That is all they need to know."
Another beep.
[NEW MESSAGE - DEVON IRONFORGE]
> Blackwood > Good job yesterday > My buyers are interested in the iron > I can get you 52 points per kilo > 4% above market value > If you are interested in selling
Renn blinked. Was Devon being... professional? Respectful, even?
"Fifty-two points per kilo," he calculated aloud. "That would be... 5,348 total points."
"A fair offer," Valeria confirmed. "Slightly above market value. He is trying to establish a continuous business relationship."
"Should I accept?"
"Do you need the points immediately?"
Renn considered. With Lysandra's allowance, technically he didn't need to sell now. He could wait for better offers or use the iron for his own equipment.
"Not yet. I'm going to wait."
"Wise decision."
A third beep.
[NEW MESSAGE - KARA SWIFTBLADE]
> Hey Blackwood > Just wanted to say it was a pleasure working with you yesterday > Most Lords are assholes > You are less of an asshole than average > If you need help with anything, let me know > Seriously > I have contacts in the black market if you need discreet gear
Renn smiled despite himself. "Kara is... quite direct."
"She is honest. In this world, that is rare." Valeria tilted her head. "She could be a valuable ally."
"Even though she is from the Eastern Alliance? The same one that expelled me?"
"Especially because she is from them. She knows their inner workings. Their corruption. Their weaknesses." Valeria looked straight at him. "Substitute Lord, you are going to need every ally you can get. Your formal expulsion will arrive soon."
As if the System had heard him, another notification appeared.
[EXPULSION PROCESS UPDATE] [STATUS: Final Summons Scheduled] [DATE: 10 days] [LOCATION: Central Teleportation Point, Eldridge Academy] [NOTE: Failure to appear will result in forced expulsion and additional penalties]
"Ten days," Renn exhaled slowly. "Shit, there go my weeks of head start."
"Ten days to prepare. To decide your next move." Valeria stood up. "But today there is something more important."
"More important than my imminent expulsion to the neutral territory where I will probably die?"
"Yes." Valeria looked toward the tent where Lysandra was resting. "Her Highness has made a decision."
"What kind of decision?"
"The kind that will change... many things." Valeria jumped from her position and began walking toward the tent. "Come. She wants to see you."
Renn followed her, confusion mixing with curiosity. Lysandra had "wanted to see him" before, which usually meant he was going to be judged for some questionable decision or, on rare occasions, approved for doing something correctly.
But Valeria's tone suggested this was different.
They entered. Lysandra was curled up in her favorite spot, the pillow Renn had designated as the "royal throne" after three failed attempts to claim it for himself, watching him with those orange eyes of unusual intensity.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Renn said, automatically falling into the formal greeting Valeria had insisted he use. "I hope you rested well."
Lysandra meowed. A long, complex sound that Renn had not heard before.
Valeria translated: "Her Highness says you have worked hard these past few days."
"Oh. Uh, thanks."
Another meow.
"You negotiated favorable terms with Devon Ironforge. You defended your territory against an invasion. You showed initiative and growth."
"Well, I had a lot of help..." Renn started, but Lysandra interrupted him with a sharper meow.
"Her Highness says not to minimize your achievements. Yes, you had help. But you made the decisions. You showed leadership. That is... progress."
Renn felt warmth in his chest at the approval. Coming from Lysandra, that was truly meaningful.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Lysandra meowed again, longer this time, and stood up on her pillow. Her eyes shone with something Renn couldn't identify.
"Her Highness says..." Valeria paused, something unusual for her. "She says that, as a reward for your progress, she wishes to show you something."
"Show me? Show me what?"
"Her true form."
Renn blinked. "Her what?"
"Her humanoid form. Her real appearance outside of the feline manifestation." Valeria looked at him seriously. "Substitute Lord, this is a significant honor. Her Highness rarely reveals her true form. Only to those she has judged worthy of seeing it."
"I... wow. Okay. Yes. Thank you." Renn wasn't sure what else to say. "When...?"
Lysandra meowed, loud and clear.
"Now," Valeria translated. "She says now."
"Now? Here?"
"Outside would be more appropriate. The transformation requires space."
They left the tent. The morning sun filtered through the perpetual mist of the swamp, creating rays of golden light that made even this depressing place look almost mystical.
Lysandra positioned herself in the center of the small clearing in front of the troop tower, sitting with that perfect dignity only cats and royalty could achieve.
"Substitute Lord," Valeria said softly, adopting her own humanoid form in a flash of light. Today her purple crystal armor seemed more ornate, more ceremonial. "What you are about to witness is something few have seen. Her Highness in her full glory."
"Should I... do something? Kneel? Close my eyes?"
"Just watch. And, Substitute Lord..." Valeria smiled slightly. "Try not to faint."
"Why would I faint from..."
Lysandra began to glow.
It wasn't like when Valeria transformed, soft, fluid, almost instantaneous. This was different. The light emanating from Lysandra was GOLDEN, warm, almost alive, and grew in intensity until Renn had to squint.
The air itself seemed to vibrate with power. Renn could feel it in his bones, a pressure that wasn't physical but dimensional, as if reality itself were bending around the small orange cat.
The light intensified until Renn had to close his eyes completely.
He heard a sound, like crystals shattering and rebuilding simultaneously, like music that followed no known scale, like the universe taking a breath.
Then, silence.
The pressure disappeared.
Renn opened his eyes slowly.
And his brain stopped.
Where there had been an orange cat, there was now a woman.
No.
That didn't do her justice.
She was the most beautiful woman Renn had seen in his entire life.
More beautiful than Valeria, and Valeria was incredibly beautiful, but this was different. This was...
"Close your mouth, Renn. You look simple."
The voice.
Oh god, the VOICE.
It was sweet. Melodious. Like liquid honey mixed with absolute authority, but SOFTER than Valeria's, more musical, with a timbre that vibrated in his chest and made his heart do strange things.
"Ly... Lysandra?" he stuttered. "Can you... can you speak?"
"Obviously."
That eyebrow, perfectly arched, the same copper tone as her hair, raised with barely contained amusement.
"Did you think I was mute?"
"But you never said anything! You just meowed!"
"Because there was no reason to speak directly." She shrugged with a grace that made Renn's eyes treacherously move toward...
No.
DO NOT LOOK THERE.
Look at her face.
Look at her beautiful face with those amber eyes; the SAME eyes that had been judging him for months but now on a face that made words abandon his brain.
Copper orange hair fell in thick waves to her waist, moving as if it had a life of its own, each strand capturing the sunlight and shining with golden tones. It wasn't just orange: there were glints of gold, copper, even touches of fire red that shifted when she moved.
Cat ears, real cat ears, protruded from her head, semitransparent, made of what looked like solidified energy, moving independently as they scanned him. One forward, one to the side.
An ethereal and glowing tail waved behind her, the tip curling and uncurling with what Renn was starting to recognize as amusement.
She wore a dress, no, dress was too simple a word. It was midnight black with golden edges that seemed to move with their own light, flowing over her figure in an elegant and revealing way, draping in shapes that defied physics.
A golden collar with a purple crystal rested against her throat.
A crown, more like floating crystal fragments, slowly rotated above her head, each piece shining with dimensional power.
And her figure...
Renn swallowed. Audibly.
Because what stood out most in her demi-human form, what made it impossible not to look, was her chest.
Renn had never seen such a... perfect pair. Large without looking disproportionate, attractive without breaking the elegance of her lines.
Now I understand why Mr. Whiskers was so fat, his brain thought hysterically. It all makes sense. She was... keeping all that in there. Definitely, from now on I am going to rescue as many fat cats as I can. Fat cats are my new rule. My new favorite animal. Fat cats are sacred.
"Are you done staring?"
Lysandra's voice held a touch of mockery.
Renn's eyes flew to her face as if he had been slapped.
His cheeks BURNED with enough heat to cook eggs.
"I wasn't...! I mean, I was just... you are...!"
"Yes?" That eyebrow again. She was enjoying this.
"You are... human."
"Demi-human," she corrected, taking a step toward him. Every movement was fluid, graceful, feline in ways that caused a mental short circuit. "And how observant of you to notice."
"But... but..." Renn waved his hands vaguely. "You can SPEAK! All this time you could speak and just... meowed!"
"The feline form has limitations." Lysandra tilted her head, a gesture he had seen a thousand times when she was a cat but that now, with that long elegant neck, was completely different. "Human speech is one of them. Technically I could force it, but why bother when Valeria translates perfectly?"
"Because... because..." Renn struggled to find words. "Because it's weird! Having someone else speak for you when you can speak!"
"Is it weird?" Lysandra looked at Valeria. "Is it weird?"
"Slightly unconventional, Your Highness," Valeria replied, visibly struggling not to smile.
"Hmm." Lysandra returned her attention to Renn. "I suppose you have a point. Although I must say, Renn..." She took another step closer. She was shorter than him, maybe five foot five, but her presence made her feel taller. "You never complained when I was a cat."
"Because I thought you couldn't speak!"
"And now that you know I can..." Another step. She was less than a yard away. Renn could smell something like flowers and spices, warm and sweet. "What do you think?"
"I... uh..." Words. What were words? "You are... very..."
"Yes?"
"Very... tall. I mean, taller than as a cat, obviously, but not super tall, just... a normal height for a human, but..." He was rambling. Why was he rambling? "You have... ears."
"Very observant."
"And a tail."
"Also correct."
"And you can speak."
"We are having this conversation, aren't we?"
"And you are..." Don't say beautiful. Don't say sexy. Don't mention her chest. "...different."
Lysandra smiled.
It was a small smile, barely curving her lips, but it was real.
"Different," she repeated. "Well, I suppose that is... accurate."
"Can I... can I ask a question?"
"You can ask several. In fact, I expected you to." Lysandra moved toward the flat rock where she used to sit to judge him. She sat with perfect grace, legs crossed, hands in her lap; a posture that screamed royalty. "This is typically the part where humans ask... specific questions."
"Specific questions?"
"Yes." She looked at him expectantly. "In all the fantasy novels I have read during my travels, there are patterns. Moments like this. And there are always questions."
Renn blinked. Then something clicked in his brain.
Oh.
OH.
All the light novels he had read. All the isekai manga. All the web fantasy stories.
This was the moment.
The moment where the protagonist discovers his TRUE purpose.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
"Okay. So." He took a deep breath. "Am I... am I the reincarnation of your lost lover?"
Silence.
Lysandra looked at him.
Valeria coughed. It sounded suspiciously like suppressed laughter.
"What?" Lysandra finally said.
"You know, like... we were together in a past life, and destiny brought us together again across dimensions and time and..."
"No."
"Oh." Renn perked up anyway. There were more options. "Then am I the reincarnation of a super powerful god?"
"No."
"Chosen by destiny to fight evil?"
"No."
"A hero of the Infinite World with hidden powers waiting to awaken?"
"No."
"The...?"
"Renn." Lysandra raised a hand, stopping him. She looked at him as if he were particularly dense. "You are not the reincarnation of anything. You were not chosen by destiny. You are not a hero. You are not special in any cosmic sense."
Renn's enthusiasm deflated like a popped balloon.
"Oh."
"You are simply..." Lysandra tilted her head, ears twitching slightly. "Renn Blackwood. A struggling Lord who gave me a can of tuna."
"...tuna."
"Yes. Tuna."
"That's it. That is the whole reason."
"Should there be another?"
"But... but all those stories...!"
"They are stories. Fiction." She waved a hand dismissively. The movement made her hair shine and Renn had to force himself to focus. "I left the Celestial Court because I wanted to experience the rise of a Lord firsthand. I wanted to see how someone grows from nothing to something significant. A... project, if you will."
"A project?"
"Yes. I traveled for months, observing various Lords, determining who would be worthy of having me as their ally during their ascent in the Infinite World." Her expression darkened. "And they were all terrible."
"Terrible how?"
"Arrogant. Cruel to their summons. They treated their troops like disposable tools, resources that could be spent without thought." Lysandra looked him in the eye. "I saw Lords beat their summons for failing. I saw Lords abandon wounded troops because 'they could summon more.' I saw Lords treat living beings like... objects."
Renn felt a coldness in his stomach. He had seen some of that too at the academy. Lords who talked about their troops as numbers on a spreadsheet.
"Then," Lysandra continued, softening her voice, "I arrived at your pathetic pet shop."
"Hey..."
"It was pathetic. Do not lie." But there was warmth in her voice now. "It was dirty, it barely had customers, and you were trying to find a home for a one-eyed rabbit."
Renn remembered that rabbit. "Patches. An old lady adopted him eventually."
"Yes. And I watched how you spent three hours making sure she knew exactly how to care for a visually impaired rabbit. No charge. Out of pure kindness."
"Well, I wasn't going to just... give him to her without making sure he would be okay."
"Exactly." Lysandra leaned forward. "So, when I was looking at your shop one night, deciding if it was worth staying or continuing to search, you opened a can of tuna, put it in a bowl, and asked no questions when a random 'stray cat' started living there."
"Well, you looked hungry..."
"You gave me food and shelter and asked for nothing in return. You treated me with kindness when you thought I was simply a stray." Her ears flattened. "That is rarer than you think, Renn. Especially among Lords who have power."
Silence fell between them.
Renn processed all of this.
"So... I'm not special."
"You are not COSMICALLY special. You were not chosen by gods or destiny." Pause. Lysandra looked at him with those amber eyes that somehow felt gentler now. "But you are... adequate. In the ways that matter."
"Adequate."
"And occasionally competent."
"Wow. Effusive praise."
"Don't be sarcastic. It suits you ill." But she was smiling again. "My point is: I chose you, Renn. Not destiny. Not the gods. Me. Because when you thought I was just a fat cat with attitude problems, you still took care of me."
Renn didn't know what to say to that.
"Besides," Lysandra added with a lighter tone, "the tuna was of very good quality. Extra premium. You clearly spent more than you could afford."
"It was the last thing I had in the shop..."
"I know. That is why I stayed."
Valeria, who had been observing this entire conversation in silence, finally spoke:
"Her Highness has finished her explanation, Substitute Lord. Do you have more questions?"
Renn had approximately a million questions, but what came out of his mouth was:
"Can you... can you still turn into a cat?"
Lysandra tilted her head. "Of course. I prefer the feline form for resting. This form is for..." She gestured vaguely. "Occasions."
"Occasions."
"Yes."
"Like?"
"Like rewarding Substitute Lords who negotiate favorable contracts and don't die fighting goblins." Her tail curled in a satisfied pattern. "And for moments where speaking directly is more... efficient."
"So... are you going to speak more now?"
"When necessary. The feline form remains more comfortable for daily use." She stood up, stretching, an extremely feline movement that in humanoid form altered Renn's blood pressure. "But yes, I will speak. Directly. Without Valeria as an intermediary."
"Which," Valeria interrupted, "will be a relief for me. Translating meows is more exhausting than it seems."
"You never complained."
"Because it is my duty, Your Highness."
"And you do it admirably." Lysandra walked toward Renn and stopped less than half a yard away. "So, Renn Blackwood. Now you have seen my true form. You have heard my true voice. Any final comments?"
Renn opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"You are... really beautiful."
Lysandra's ears twitched forward, surprised, and the slightest blush appeared on her cheeks.
"I... well. Yes. Obviously." She recovered quickly, but Renn had seen that reaction. "I am royalty. Beauty comes with the territory."
"No, I mean... really beautiful. Like... the most beautiful person I have ever seen."
The blush deepened.
"You are being ridiculous."
"I am being honest."
"Well." Lysandra looked away, her tail moving with what Renn was learning to recognize as embarrassment. "That is... appropriate. I suppose."
Valeria coughed again. She was definitely laughing.
"If Her Highness and the Substitute Lord have finished with their mutual compliments," she said, "perhaps we should discuss practical matters. Like the fact that you have ten days before your formal expulsion."
The bubble of the moment burst.
"Shit," Renn muttered. "Ten days."
"Ten days," Lysandra confirmed, returning to her serious tone. "Which means we need a plan. Valeria, current assessment?"
"Substitute Lord is at level three. He has accumulated significant resources. He has established contacts with potential allies." Valeria raised fingers as she listed. "However, he remains vulnerable. Marcus Steelheart is interested in me. Other Lords will start asking about my 'contract.' And the neutral territory is..."
"Dangerous," Lysandra finished. "Yes. That is why we need to prepare properly."
"Prepare how?" Renn asked.
"First," Lysandra raised a finger, "you need to level up."
"Okay. How do I level up fast?"
"Clearing your territory of remaining threats," Valeria replied. "You have two Points of Interest unexplored. There are more opportunities."
"Second," Lysandra raised another finger, "you need to decide: do you show up to the formal summons or resign voluntarily?"
"What is the difference?"
"Showing up means facing public judgment. Humiliation. But it keeps a clean record for future alliances." Lysandra crossed her arms under her chest. "Resigning means avoiding shame but admitting defeat. It burns bridges with the Eastern Alliance permanently."
"And what do you recommend?"
Lysandra stared at him for a long moment.
"Resign," she said finally. "You owe them nothing. The Eastern Alliance failed you first. Why give them the satisfaction of publicly humiliating you?"
"But you said it burns bridges..."
"The bridges are already burned, Substitute Lord." Her voice had an edge. "They expelled you without offering real help. Without resources. Without support. They left you to die in a swamp." Pause. "I say: screw them."
Renn blinked. Hearing the elegant celestial princess say 'screw them' was... surreal.
"She has a point," Valeria added. "And, frankly, the Eastern Alliance does not deserve your respect."
"Okay. Then... I resign." Renn nodded slowly. "And then?"
"Then we move to neutral territory. Specifically, the Gray Zone." Lysandra began to walk in a small circle, clearly in planning mode. "It is the most civilized of the neutral options. It has structure. Rules. Protection if you pay."
"And do I have enough to pay?"
"With the iron and my allowance, yes. Temporarily." She stopped, looking at him. "But you will need to generate consistent income. Which means missions. Contracts. Possibly..." She looked at Valeria. "Mercenary?"
"Substitute Lord does not have the level for mercenary work."
"Not yet. But with training..."
"Wait, wait." Renn raised his hands. "Are you telling me I need to be a mercenary?"
"Or find another source of income." Lysandra shrugged. "The Gray Zone requires monthly fees. Protection is not free."
"How much?"
"Approximately two thousand points a month for a basic territory."
Renn did mental math. With Lysandra's allowance of five thousand, that left three thousand for everything else. Food, equipment, upgrades...
It was tight. But manageable.
"Okay. I can work with that."
"Good." Lysandra approached him again. "Because there is one more thing you need to understand, Renn."
"What?"
She looked him straight in the eye.
"Once we enter neutral territory, there will be no safety net. There will be no alliance protecting you, not even nominally. It will be dangerous. Difficult. And some days..." Her voice softened. "Some days you are going to want to give up."
"I've already wanted to give up like a thousand times."
"I know. And you haven't." Something resembling pride crossed her face. "That is one of the reasons I stayed."
Renn felt warmth in his chest again.
"So... plan?"
"Plan," Lysandra confirmed. "The next ten days: you level up, sell the iron, prepare supplies. Day ten: you resign formally. Afterwards: we move to the Gray Zone and start over."
"Start over," Renn repeated. "With a celestial princess, an absurdly powerful purple cat, and me."
"Don't sell yourself so short," Valeria said. "You are level three now. That is... progress."
"Slow progress."
"Slow progress is still progress."
Lysandra suddenly yawned and stretched again.
"This form is exhausting," she muttered. "I require rest."
"Do you want to return to cat form?"
"Momentarily." She began to glow again, that golden light enveloping her. "But Renn..."
"Yes?"
The light intensified, obscuring her silhouette.
"I will be in this form more often now. Get used to it."
"Why more often?"
"Because..." The light pulsed. "Because I can speak directly."
Something in her tone suggested that 'efficient' was not the only reason, but before Renn could ask, the transformation completed and the familiar Mr. Whiskers was sitting where Lysandra had been standing, looking at him with those same amber eyes.
She meowed once.
"Her Highness says she requires food," Valeria translated. "Apparently, transformations make one hungry."
"Tuna?"
Another meow, more insistent.
"Extra premium, if possible."
Renn smiled despite himself. "Of course, Your Highness. Extra premium for the most beautiful princess in the Infinite World."
Lysandra purred and rubbed against his leg before walking toward the tent with all the dignity a fat cat could muster.
Valeria waited until Lysandra was out of earshot before speaking.
"Substitute Lord."
"Yes?"
"You handled that... surprisingly well."
"Handled what well?"
"Seeing Her Highness in her true form. Most men become... incoherent. Clumsy. Or worse, disrespectful." Her golden eyes studied him. "But you were honest without being inappropriate. Respectful without being servile."
"I just... said what I thought."
"Exactly." Valeria smiled. "That is why she chose you."
Renn looked toward the tent where Lysandra had disappeared.
"Valeria... why now? Why show me her true form now?"
"Because she trusts you. And because..." Valeria paused, choosing words carefully. "Her Highness can be difficult to read, but she has been with me for centuries. I know when she is... content."
"Content?"
"Content with her choice. Content with your progress. Content to..." Valeria looked toward the swamp sky. "Be here. Her Highness is someone unpredictable."
"I treat her like a cat," Renn pointed out.
"Exactly. Without expectations of greatness. Without demands for power." Valeria looked at him again. "Just... kindness. It is refreshing for her."
His bracelet beeped again.
[NEW MESSAGE - LILY THORNWHISPER]
Renn opened it.
> Renn > I've been thinking > About your situation > And I think I should visit you > Before your expulsion > Would that be okay? > I could help you prepare > And honestly I just want to see you > What do you say?
Renn looked at the message for a long moment.
Lily. Visiting. Here.
Which meant Lily would meet Valeria in person.
And Lysandra.
And she would see his pathetic swamp.
And...
"Problems, Substitute Lord?" Valeria asked.
"Lily wants to visit. Before the expulsion."
"Ah." Valeria smiled in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. "The girlfriend wants to inspect your territory."
"She is not my girlfriend."
"Yet?"
"No... it's not like that." Renn felt his cheeks heat up. "We are friends."
"Friends who send messages every day. Friends who clearly care deeply about each other. Friends who..." Valeria tilted her head. "Shall I continue?"
"Please, don't."
"Then invite her. It will be good for you to have allies visiting. And..." Valeria smiled more broadly. "It will be entertaining to see how she interacts with Her Highness."
"Why would it be entertaining?"
"Oh, Substitute Lord. You are adorably dense sometimes."
Before Renn could ask what that meant, Valeria turned around and walked toward the tent, leaving him alone with his bracelet and Lily's message.
He took a deep breath and wrote:
> Lily > Yes > Please come > I would love to see you > I have... a lot to tell you > Weird things > Really weird things > Can you get here in the next few days?
The reply arrived almost instantly.
> REALLY? > Yes yes yes > I can be there in three days > Get ready Renn > I'm going to hug the life out of you
Renn smiled despite his nerves.
> Looking forward to it > Travel safe > See you soon
He put away his bracelet and looked around his territory.
A depressing swamp with greenish water and rotten trees.
A troop tower that barely functioned.
A tent that leaked when it rained.
And somewhere inside that tent, a celestial princess in the form of a fat cat waiting for extra premium tuna.
His life had become completely absurd.
And he wouldn't change a thing.
THAT NIGHT
Renn was sitting by a small campfire reviewing his resource allocation options on his bracelet.
Lysandra was curled up in his lap, purring while he absentmindedly scratched behind her ears.
Valeria had adopted her feline form too and was grooming herself nearby, occasionally looking at them with what might have been approval or amusement. With Valeria, it was hard to tell.
"Okay," Renn muttered, more to himself than to the cats. "With the iron sold, I will have approximately 5,348 points. Plus Lysandra's allowance of 5,000, that is... 10,348 total points."
Lysandra had rolled over in his lap, exposing her belly, paws stretched out in total relaxation.
"Uh... Your Highness?"
"She wants you to scratch her belly," Valeria said with barely contained amusement. "It is obvious."
"But it's... she is a princess."
"A princess who wants you to scratch her belly. Are you going to refuse?"
"No, but..." Renn looked at the orange cat in his lap, completely vulnerable, completely trusting. "It feels weird now that I know she can turn into..."
He made a vague gesture with his free hand, trying to encompass the concept of 'incredibly beautiful woman with impossible figure.'
Lysandra opened one eye, looking at him with what was clearly impatience.
She meowed. Insistently.
"Her Highness says," Valeria translated, her amusement now obvious, "that her form is irrelevant. Scratches are scratches. And she requires them."
"She requires them?"
"Yes. It is crucial for... energy recovery."
"Energy recovery?"
"Absolutely. Very important. Scientifically proven."
Lysandra meowed in agreement.
Renn sighed, but began to scratch her belly gently. Lysandra immediately closed her eyes again, purring so loud it vibrated against his hands.
"You are ridiculous," he told the cat. "You know that, right?"
"Her Highness says ridiculous is a relative term," Valeria translated. "And that you are one to talk, considering you negotiated your first contract while internally panicking."
"I wasn't panicking!"
"You were completely panicking."
"Okay, maybe a little panic."
"A lot of panic."
Lysandra purred louder, clearly amused.
They remained like that for a while: Renn scratching his celestial princess's belly, Valeria watching with feline satisfaction, the fire crackling softly in the swamp night.
It was peaceful. Comfortable. Normal in ways his life hadn't been in a long time.
"Valeria," Renn said eventually, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Lysandra. "Can I ask something?"
"You can."
"When Lily arrives... how do you think she will react? To... all this." He gestured vaguely. "To you two. To my situation. To..."
"To the fact that you have a celestial princess living with you?"
"Yes."
Valeria considered this for a moment.
"Honestly, Substitute Lord, I think Lily Thornwhisper is smart enough to understand that your situation is... unique. And loyal enough not to ask uncomfortable questions."
"But..."
"But," Valeria continued, her golden eyes shining with something that might have been mischief, "I also think she is going to ask a lot of questions about me and why I live with you."
"Oh, god."
"And she is definitely going to notice when Her Highness transforms into humanoid form."
"Oh, god."
"And she is going to make comparisons."
"Comparisons of what?"
"Oh, Substitute Lord." Valeria purred in a way that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "You will see."
Lysandra chose that moment to stretch completely, pushing her paws against Renn's stomach, before curling up again in a perfect ball.
She meowed once, soft and satisfied.
"Her Highness says everything will be fine," Valeria translated. "That Lily is a good person and will understand."
"And do you believe that?"
"I think..." Valeria paused. "I think the next few days will be very entertaining."
"That is not comforting."
"I wasn't trying to comfort. I was being honest."
Renn looked at the stars above the swamp, barely visible through the perpetual mist.
In three days, Lily would be here.
In ten days, he would have to resign from the Eastern Alliance formally.
And after that... neutral territory. A fresh start.
"My life is a mess," he said aloud.
Lysandra purred, a sound that vibrated with something that might have been agreement or affection. Hard to tell with celestial cats.
"Yes," Valeria agreed cheerfully. "But it is your mess. And that counts for something."
"Counts for what?"
"You will see, Substitute Lord. You will see."