#107 The Moment She Thought She Didn't Want It Even a Little Bit
The instant she thought she didn't want it even a little bit.
Boom.
A deafening roar echoed as the central clock tower of the Holy Agrippa Papal Court snapped in half.
Wait a second. This gift was...
"The clock spire of the Papal Court itself!"
The dragon's massive tail coiled around the upper half of the severed clock tower. While Catherine stared blankly at the scene, Lucifer shouted in a proud voice.
"A relic of the Papal Court that's a whopping 200 years old! For the record, it's only 200 years old because I demolished it once before, 200 years ago!"
Another hearty laugh boomed out, and the vanished blue magic circle reappeared high in the sky. The dragon carrying Lucifer soared toward it—still clutching the broken clock tower spire tightly in its tail.
"Leave your address, and I'll deliver it right to your door! Don't forget your contact info, little sis!"
With that, Lucifer vanished without a trace, as if he'd never been there. But the sky he'd swept through was now a chaotic mess, like a battlefield.
The Papal Court's intruder alarms blared noisily, and Behemoth choked back tears as he gathered his torn-up flesh from all over. In the midst of it, Catherine sensed guards converging on their location one by one.
The Papal Court had noticed them. As if he'd been waiting, Chezare rose to his feet.
"Let's end the banquet here."
Not a single demon objected to Chezare's declaration.
"A fitting finale."
"What? We've stuck around pretty long already, all things considered."
Is it really ending this abruptly? She understood the situation, but this banquet felt way too slapdash. She wanted to complain, but there was no time, so she quietly slipped out from Belial's embrace. Straightening the cloak that had fallen below her shoulders, Belial smiled.
"I like the new Lilith. No emotional outbursts like Behemoth, and she's not noisy. She's my type, you know?"
Plant-speak agreement.
The banquet table that had been between them had already vanished without a trace. Asmodeus, who had donned his coat, looked down at Catherine with an inscrutable gaze.
"Beings who seem too inhuman often hide dangerous blades in their hearts."
"Oh my. Speak for yourself, thief protesting too much."
Plant-speak agreement.
"Mammon, when are you going to stop with that pathetic act?"
His little skit never ends, does it? As if by prior agreement, they all gathered in a circle. Asmodeus smirked down at the collapsed spire, Belial eyed the fragmented Behemoth with pity, and Mammon rustled his leaves contentedly beside her. Chezare was...
Where's Leviathan? Did he already leave?
Belial tapped her crimson-painted lips with a finger and replied.
"Beats me. He always stuck around at least for goodbyes, though. Got something urgent?"
It's because of me! He's avoiding me so much he's even doing things he wouldn't normally do. Should she be happy about that, or hurt?
Asmodeus lightly adjusted his monocle and licked his lips.
"Well then."
"Yeah. You guys with contractors? Let's play nice and not cause each other too much trouble."
Plant-speak farewell.
All eyes turned to Catherine. A bit dazed, she raised a front paw.
Meow. Goodbye.
With her farewell as the finale, the vast night sky held only a river of Milky Way stars and a huge full moon.
Catherine reflected on the immensely valuable lesson from the banquet: even a gathering of archdemons was no different from any ordinary pack of lunatics.
Huh?
And she realized something else. Her body was plummeting helplessly.
Wait...!
In her sulk over Chezare's coldness, she'd forgotten to use the teleportation magic. The problem was, for a novice demon like Catherine, casting spells while falling was next to impossible. Using magic without composure was tough even for seasoned experts.
Too busy trying to control her own body, she flailed uselessly in midair.
Don't worry, Catherine. You won't die from a fall like this anymore.
Demian would nag endlessly if he knew. Fueled solely by the will to escape his meddling, Catherine landed safely.
And then an even bigger problem arose.
"What's a baby kitten doing here? Aww, poor thing. Lost your momma?"
She'd landed smack in the middle of the Papal Court—surrounded by girls in priestess robes.
"Kyaa! So cute!"
"Look at those paws. So squishy~"
"You two... This is really the time to pet cats?"
They were kids, maybe twelve at most. Facing dozens of sparkling, curious eyes, she couldn't muster the courage to use magic.
Damn it. I should've known when they chose to hold a banquet in a place like this.
"You little rascals!"
A middle-aged priest pushed through the girls. He scanned the area sternly and scolded the huddled group.
"Out gawking, are we? All novice priestesses, back to your rooms immediately! Anyone who doesn't will be punished!"
The kids scampered to the priest, whining.
"B-but it's scary inside..."
"What if the dragon comes back?"
"The clock tower collapsed too."
Catherine glanced at the clock tower's grotesque, headless stump. With Lucifer having ripped off the top, the surroundings felt utterly desolate. Soon, the priest hugged the children and soothed their tears.
"It's okay now. The cardinals have deployed powerful holy barriers. No demon or dragon can breach this place."
What? Talk about rotten timing. As the priest spoke, a transparent golden dome began forming over the Papal Court's skies. Chezare would've scoffed and slipped out effortlessly, but not Catherine. She had no idea what catastrophe her novice magic might unleash. Best case, she'd get home. Worst case, irreversible disaster.
Guess I'll have to walk out.
At least transforming into a baby kitten was a stroke of luck. Catherine wriggled to escape the girl's arms.
"Come on, back to your rooms. We'll protect you. Sleep tight."
But the girls encircling her showed no intention of letting go. Instead, they passed her around, hugging her tiny body like a treasure.
"Kitty, it's dangerous here. Hide in our room tonight."
It's more dangerous for me! But no matter her superhuman strength, she couldn't break free from their grasp. In the end, Catherine suffered the indignity of being confined to a room in the Pope's domain with the novice priestesses.
Where did it all go wrong?
Catherine buried her face between her front paws in despair. The girls were sweet, but their endless attention was pure torment.
"Meow-meow, have some milk."
Maybe transforming into a cute kitten was the mistake. If she'd been a green mantis, they wouldn't have brought her here "to take care of her."
When Catherine ignored the milk, the novices grew worried.
"Why won't she drink?"
"Is she sick...?"
Papal Court Confinement Log: Day 2. Another day of nothing but milk, just like yesterday. They scold her for not drinking even as they keep refilling it. They don't seem to grasp that her belly's full. They overestimate a baby kitten's stomach capacity.
"This won't do. Let's show her to a priest. He can heal her."
"But we'll get in trouble for bringing a cat..."
"Still, her health comes first."
The kindhearted girls thought the glossy, well-fed kitten had health issues. Yes, please, let's go out. She never wanted to play dead and get buried again.
The novices dashed down the long corridor, carrying the box with Catherine inside. Dragged along blindly, she soon heard the priest's scolding.
"You lot! I told you no animals in the rooms!"
"S-sorry!"
Feeling her body lift, she guessed they'd handed the box to the adult priest. Peeking out, it was the same one supervising the novices two days ago.
"But you did the right thing. Can't just abandon an injured animal. I'll take the kitten to a vet."
The girls' voices brightened at his words.
"Thank you, Priest Dain!"
"Be good, meow-meow!"
"Bye!"
So cute. They say you find kids cute when it's time to marry, but sadly, Catherine's marriage would only matter on the brink of death.
...But maybe we could try it once?
She wondered about Chezare. After centuries in Eden, had he ever had a family? A wife and kids to build it with?
Maybe a lover he adored madly.
It drove her crazy with curiosity. But she probably wouldn't ask him, even on her deathbed. A positive answer would shock her too much.
After parting with the kids, Catherine was carried through the Papal Court in Priest Dain's arms. The Holy Agrippa Papal Court was as beautiful and grand as the Imperial Palace. Perfectly manicured trees and spotless paths wafted a floral fragrance. Truly the continent's safest, most peaceful land.
"Priest Dain! Perfect timing. Come this way."
Suddenly, a bald priest appeared, shoving Dain and diverting their path. Dain looked flustered.
"What's so urgent?"
"Cardinal Bellacups has returned. We need your testimony on this incident."
Cardinal Bellacups—the shady old man who'd tossed a suspicious business card along with Percival's "god"?