Chapter 564

I let myself doze off as Ellen sat me on her lap and petted me after returning to the base, and when I woke up, I found myself trapped in a cage. Ellen seemed to have decided that it was better for me to be raised at the temple rather than on the dangerous battlefield. However, if I am left at the temple, the cat operation will no longer be available. Ellen returns to the temple with me, and it becomes a problem because if I am left there, the cat operation cannot be used. Ellen covers her hood to avoid being recognized and heads to the Royal Class dormitory, accompanied by Ludwig who has lost his arm and now has to wait in the rear. Ellen returns to take care of the cats. Although it may seem like Ellen is acting foolishly, no one can blame her for her actions. Ludwig and Ellen are not close friends, but they are not enemies either. Ellen feels guilty about Ludwig losing his arm, as she believes it is her responsibility. Ludwig suggests staying at the temple and finding work there. Ellen agrees but warns him not to push himself too hard. The protagonist realizes that the cat operation is permanently sealed and wonders if they should try a similar operation with dogs. He also worries about Ellen's interest in other animals and the potential impact on their information gathering. However, he sees the current situation as an opportunity to go to the Royal Class dormitory and potentially encounter Anna de Gerena. Even the B-class guys who are here now often cross paths with me.

So if I think about collecting the information I need right now, there is no better situation than this.

In the long run, we won't be able to spy on the Allied Forces' base, so the situation will become frustrating.

But if we stay at the Royal Class dormitory for a few days and then sneak out to some temple, it won't be difficult to leave.

But then, when Ellen comes back to see the cats, I won't be there.

What if someone tries to keep me at the Royal Class dormitory by force?

It's starting to give me a headache.

But what can I do?

It's my fault that animals are locked up in cages as a result of becoming friendly with humans.

I have no choice but to go with the flow.

The temple is far away, and the magic train is not running, so Ludwig and Ellen walk quietly towards a distant temple.

"Earlier, the Holy Knights were gathered with a very serious expression... even the head of the Holy Knights."

"Ah."

"Do you know what happened?"

Ellen shakes her head as if to say she doesn't know the story.

Ellen's level of information is different from Ludwig's because she can easily access the stories coming and going from the headquarters.

"I don't know the details... but it seems like something happened at the Holy Knights headquarters."

"What happened?"

"Yeah, I heard that the Holy Knights' headquarters cemetery was robbed... something similar."

The rumors will spread to the Allied Forces' camp, and of course, they will have reached Ellen's ears.

No one knows what specific event is related to the incident.

Ludwig stares blankly at the unexpected robbery story.

"Why did they do that? Who did it?"

"I don't know. So the Holy Knights probably returned to Huangdo to investigate the incident."

"I see...."

Ludwig nods quietly.

Our Death Knights have already been replenished, including Ilion Bulton.

We won't know how the missing remains were used for us, and even if we know, nothing will change because the Holy Knights can't find us anyway.

"Why did they rob the tomb in the first place? Is there treasure there?"

"I don't know."

I couldn't tell if Ellen really didn't know the situation or was pretending not to know.

And I couldn't tell if she knew about what the Empire was doing right now or not.

"...."

"...."

Another awkward silence flows.

Ellen and Ludwig didn't talk much to each other.

By the time the main gate of the temple approached.

"I wish I was as strong as you."

"...."

Weakness lost.

Weakness got hurt.

Weakness.

In the end, Ludwig seemed to hate his own weakness and was saddened by not being able to have Ellen's strength.

"You...."

Ludwig looks at Ellen.

"You're planning to take revenge on Reinhardt... right...?"

At that cruel question, Ellen opens her eyes wide. "I wonder if Ellen wants me to do her role since she can't do it herself. I shouldn't say that. I wanted to say whatever Ludwig needed to hear, but revenge is something she thinks she has to do someday... I'm sorry. I have no right to say anything to you... But my weakness and the fact that I want someone else to take revenge for me... It makes me hate myself even more." "Anyway, I fell for Ellen's plan. I couldn't sleep because of all the petting, and when I woke up, I was locked in a cage and brought back to the Royal Class dormitory. I don't know if Ellen came up with this plan alone or if it was decided by someone else in the Royal Class dormitory, but no one objected to the decision. Even though it may be dangerous, it's better to grow up in a safe environment than a dangerous one. There may be problems with information gathering in the future, but there are no problems with me getting out as long as no one locks me up. I have a teleport scroll just in case. However, I was mistaken again. I thought Ellen was leaving me at the Temple Royal Class dormitory, but she actually came back to the temple with me and stopped at the temple gate. "Is that the cat the hero is raising?" "Yes? Ah... yes." Anyway, Ellen did take me to the Royal Class dormitory, but after Ludwig went back to the B Class dormitory to pack, Ellen arrived at the Royal Class 2nd year, A Class dormitory. "Is this the cat?" "Yes." Ellen carefully opened the door with the cage in her hands. "Take care of it." In front of me was Emperor Berthus. It seemed like we had talked about it beforehand. "It's not difficult." No. This is too safe even though it's safe! Did they plan to keep me in the palace, even in Tetra? This is too safe to the point where I can't go anywhere! This is not okay! -Meow! Ellen jumped and hugged me as I meowed and clung to her chest in surprise. -Meow meow meow! "Wait, it's okay." Ellen carefully took me off and tried to put me on Berthus' lap. -Meow meow meow! "I think he doesn't like me." "..." Berthus chuckled at me throwing a fit, and Ellen didn't know what to do. This is not okay! From the moment I entered the palace, I knew I wouldn't be able to leave and that chaos would ensue if everyone in Edina found out the demon king was missing! I am not a temple cat. Ellen was trying to turn me into the emperor's cat. If I were a stray cat who accidentally infiltrated the Allied Forces, I wonder what would have happened. A baby cat who accidentally infiltrated the Allied Forces would be adored by the heroes and eventually become the emperor's cat. This is the kind of social advancement that only animals can achieve. There may not be history in the animal world, but if there were, it would be a topic of special interest in the animal media. Anyway, I'm not really a cat, just a demon king who transformed into a cat for information gathering purposes... This is even more of a topic of interest, isn't it? Anyway, I appreciate the thought, but this won't work. I don't know what will happen to the temple, but being the emperor's cat is what's important. I'm sure my feet will be tied up. Ellen is trying to keep me in the safest place in the world. Even Berthus seems to have no intention of refusing Ellen's request. What can't be done can't be done. I did everything I could. If Ellen tries to force me to Berthus or make me sit on his lap, I'll go crazy and start crying and biting. "I didn't know I was a person who couldn't be loved by animals like this." That's why Ellen can't pass me on to Berthus because I hate her so much. If she tries to force me to cuddle, I'll have to use force to escape even if I have to return to my original form. Whatever happens after that, whether it's a fight or something else, is terrible to imagine. By the way, this is also a rare sight. I accidentally ended up being able to witness Berthus and Ellen's confrontation, and there is no doubt about the situation. "I could have gone to the palace." The emperor is not someone who calls people to meet him, but someone who goes to meet them. Even if Ellen is special, it would be easier for her to come to the palace if she is bringing a cat, but Berthus came himself. "Oh, I had something to check on the Temple side, so I stayed here for a few days." Is the thing he needs to check related to the experiment I'm thinking of? Is it really true that there is an experiment going on at the temple and Berthus is checking it? But even this conversation is a clue. If Ellen knows about this topic, Berthus doesn't need to talk around it by saying he has something to check. "I see." Seeing Ellen speak as if she's not curious about what's going on, it seemed clear that she didn't know anything. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but it seemed clear that Berthus had decided that Ellen shouldn't be involved in this matter. Berthus suggested that Ellen stay and rest during the winter, and that she take care of the protagonist instead of leaving him with Berthus. Ellen had been working tirelessly to clean up the monsters around the area since the Serandia battle, but now that it was mostly finished, there was no need for her to stay at the palace. Berthus suggested that Ellen rest and stay at the dormitory for a while. Ellen felt guilty for not being able to rest and blamed herself for everything that had happened. Berthus reminded her that she was only human and needed to rest. "There's no such thing as a human who doesn't get tired, and now is the time for you to rest."

"....Okay."

If you throw yourself into fight after fight without thinking ahead, your humanity will be worn away, and Ellen is no exception.

What the alliance needs is not a vulnerable hero.

A hero who will rest and rejuvenate their body and mind during the winter and return in top condition.

As if unable to refute Berthus' words, Ellen nodded her head while holding the talisman.

It had been a long time since she had heard Berthus' words directly.

She knew he had changed, but seeing him like this in person was a strange feeling.

Berthus, who had been a villain, had become someone who couldn't be called that no matter how much she thought about it.

From the beginning, during the time they spent together at the temple, Berthus was hardly ever a villain from my perspective. If there was a moment close to that, it would be just before the Gate incident, but that wasn't something that happened because Berthus was a villain.

After the Gate incident, Berthus felt like he was living with his mask always off.

From Berthus, one could feel self-blame, guilt, and a sense of responsibility.

But what's even more terrible is that the Berthus who became not a villain is estimated to be doing even more terrible things.

"Rest, I need to talk to Ludwig."

"Okay."

Berthus got up from his seat, leaving those words behind.

Thankfully, there was no need to be dragged to the Imperial Palace.

Ellen looks at me with her head down.

"That's how it is."

Ellen speaks in a depressed voice.

"I... can't keep staying with you."

It was a statement that contained several meanings.

Even if she took a break for a while, she would eventually have to return to the alliance's base.

It also meant that Ellen didn't have much time to take care of even one small animal.

And finally, it meant that her very existence would disappear.

She couldn't keep staying with me, so Ellen was looking for someone to stay with, and that was Berthus.

-Meow

"...What should I do?"

Ellen finally sighed and hugged me.