Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Villain and Cat Mom
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Darkness and White King sniffed around.
Today's mission was clear.
Finding the culprit behind the trash piles and severed wires at Crown Villa.
And tracking down the "Cat Mom" behind it all to deliver judgment.
"Delinquent cats and Cat Mom! Tremble in fear, for the great villain Grimoire approaches!!"
The moment I stepped out of the villa, the neighborhood ladies I'd run into by chance spotted me and swarmed over.
"Oh my, Grimoire! You're looking so cute today~"
"Where are you off to? What's with the ones next to you? Real mice?"
"Where'd you get mice like that? They look really well-trained!"
Calling this body "cute"! How many times do I have to tell them before it sinks in? And referring to my subordinates as just "mice"!
I infused my voice with as much dignity as possible and thrust my chin upward.
"These aren't just any mice—they're this body's loyal subordinates! Darkness and White King! The ultimate informants for the first step toward world conquest!"
The ladies' eyes widened even more as they exchanged glances. They couldn't hold back their smiles.
"Aww, such a vivid imagination~ Kids these days are something else."
"Yeah, having big dreams is a good thing!"
My grand plan dismissed as mere "imagination"! Heat rushed through my entire body.
"Hmph! Just you wait! Someday you'll all kneel before this body and pledge your loyalty!"
I hurried away, leaving their laughter behind.
Right now, hunting the Cat Mom came first. I'd bring judgment to those invading this body's territory!
There are always clues at the scene of the crime.
Turning the alley corner, fresh claw marks on the building wall caught my eye. And below them, a few strands of fur. Clear evidence.
I placed a hand on my hip and stroked my chin. Grimoire detective mode: activated!
"Hmm... Most intriguing. These are unmistakably the traces of a D-rank or higher monster... no, a cat!"
I examined the claw marks from every angle. Spacing about five centimeters, depth around two millimeters? Probably adult cat claws.
"Three claw marks, tilted slightly to the right... This is the attack pattern of the left front paw! The cat was clearly scratching the wall to mark its territory!"
I could feel Darkness and White King exchanging glances. They seemed to be sighing or something.
"What? You think this body's deductions are lacking? Just a few days ago, I visited the library and boosted my INT a bit! I've gained the power of knowledge essential for a villain!"
Sherlock Holmes, Professor Layton, even Conan—they'd all have to bow to this body's deductive prowess! After all, this body is a genius villain!
"Now, my loyal subordinates! It's time to track the culprit's trail! Follow this body!"
We followed the claw marks and fur up the alley.
New clues appeared in every alley. Toppled trash cans, fur snagged on branches, faint paw prints... All uncovered by this body's detective senses!
Of course... Darkness and White King helped a little... But subordinates helping their master is only natural!
That fur on the branch, the tiny paw print in the puddle... All the evidence pointed the same way.
"Behold! The marks from this toppled trash can! From the angle and the direction of the scattered contents... it's clear the cats moved from this side to that! Ka-kak! All the evidence is revealing the truth to this body!"
It felt like the whole world was aiding me. Of course it was! This body is the center of the world!
Squeak-squeak-
Darkness suddenly stopped and pointed ahead. White King stared sharply forward too.
"What is it? Did you find something?"
Following the mice into a narrow alley and taking a few more steps, a small clearing came into view.
Cheap feed bags in plastic, bedding made from old clothes, ramshackle cat houses from styrofoam boxes scattered everywhere. Water bowls and sand boxes used as makeshift litter trays all around.
And above all... Over ten cats of all kinds had taken over the clearing.
Orange, black, white, tabby... Big and small cats lounging together, playing or napping.
"I've found the culprit's hideout! This body's deductions are always spot on!"
At my words, the startled cats whipped their heads around to glare at me. Their yellow eyes gleamed.
"You pathetic creatures! Are you the ones who dumped trash in Crown Villa and chewed through the wires?"
The cats just stared lazily, unmoved by my shout.
Meow-
A black cat yawned hugely.
These insolent beasts! Daring to greet the great villain this body with a yawn!
Then a voice came from behind.
"Yes, Chairman. I'm volunteering for the poor kitties again today. Of course, the donation receipt... What? You want to know what I bought with the last donation? It all went to vet bills for the cats, naturally... Ah, time to feed them. I'll hang up now."
The voice belonged to a plump middle-aged woman with heavy makeup and a fake designer coat.
She was heading into the clearing with a big bag of feed.
"My babies~ Hungry, huh? Mommy brought something yummy~"
Sniff sniff... A weird perfume scent stung my nose.
Was that the Cat Mom? The one disrupting Crown Villa's peace?
I cleared my throat and stepped forward boldly.
"So you're the Cat Mom defiling this body's territory!"
The woman spun toward me in surprise. For a moment, she just stared piercingly.
Of course! Overwhelmed by the great villain's majesty!
"Oh my, what a cute little thing! Horns and all!"
Wh-what? Did she just call this great villain "cute"?
"This body isn't cute! I'm a fearsome villain! Your eyes must be bad!"
I put every ounce of effort into a terrifying glare. Narrowed my eyes, bared my teeth, and growled.
But the woman only grew more interested and approached me.
"Are those horns real? What... are you, like a little cow?"
Cow...? How dare she compare this body to livestock!
"What? What? You call this body a cow? This body is the great villain Grimoire! Ruler of this world, bearer of the King's DNA!"
She ignored my protest and smiled warmly.
"I'm Park Ji-young. Mommy to these kids. I'm a stray cat protector."
Her gaze shifted to the mice at my feet.
"Oh, taking them for a walk? You must love animals too!"
Treating this body's grand subordinates like pet walkies!
"These are this body's loyal minions, Darkness and White King! Not mere pets!"
"Your minions? Mice...?"
"Yes, this body's intelligence unit! The foundation of the world conquest plan! Their abilities surpass the imagination of a lowly human like you!"
"Ah... so that's your setup? Then let me introduce our cats too."
Park Ji-young reached out and gently petted a black cat.
"This is 'Night.' Found him in a dumpster three months ago. Neutered and fully vaccinated. The tabby next to him is 'Tiger.' Hurt his leg, treated him, and he's stuck by me since. Vet bills alone were 380,000 won."
I waved it off like I didn't care, but for strays, they were pretty cute.
What, had this woman only gathered the cute ones? Nah, no way.
"That one with the white patches is 'Coco.' Someone dumped him on purpose. Left in a box on a freezing winter day. The calico is 'Mimi.' Orphaned in a car accident. One by one, they add up—feed alone costs over 100,000 won a month now."
100,000 won? For over ten cats? That's not much. Hmm... shouldn't they be eating better food?
"So what? What does that have to do with this body!"
I crossed my arms irritably. What did this lady want? Sympathy? Villains don't need that!
Park Ji-young's eyes sharpened suddenly.
"Yeah, people like you have no interest in strays. They hate cats until a sad video pops up, then pretend to care with their fake pity."
Her voice dripped with bitter anger.
"These kids have nowhere to go. Without someone looking after them, they'll starve or get abused. They're our neighbors too!"
One small cat approached. One eye was blind and unfocused, ear torn.
"This is 'Lucky.' Kids bashed his head with a stick and he lost the eye."
Lucky...? Didn't seem very lucky....
He rubbed against my hand. The touch felt strangely warm.
"The fur... it's so soft..."
"Of course! I brush them every day with a special tool."
Park Ji-young suddenly closed the distance, like we'd bonded.
"People don't understand cats. How special they are..."
The Cat Mom pulled a weird-looking treat from a paper bag.
It was fluorescent-colored—questionable if it was even edible.
"Perfect timing. This is a special treat for my kids. I made it myself after researching. Wanna try giving one?"
"You feed them this...?"
"Why not? It's my homemade special. They love it. Come on, babies~ Time for yummy treats~ The best in the world~"
But something strange happened.
Instead of going to Park Ji-young, the cats started gathering around my feet one by one.
"Wh-what? What are you doing? Ignoring Mommy right now?"
Park Ji-young's face twisted in confusion.
The cats ignored her treat.
"Come to Mommy? Listen to Mommy? Yummy treat~?"
The cats kept coming to me.
Soon they were all rubbing against my feet. Some even rolled over, exposing their bellies.
"Hmph, submitting to this body, are you? A villain's charisma can't be hidden!"
"This is weird. My kids don't warm up to strangers like this... What are you...?"
Her voice grew oddly sharp.
"Perfect! How about adopting one? Maybe...?"
The topic shifted abruptly.
"What? This body raise a cat?"
"Exactly! With a special kid like you, they'd be happy."
She switched to business mode.
"Adoption fee is 300,000 won per cat. Includes neuter, vaccines, and treatment costs."
"What? Pay to adopt?"
"Of course! Know how much it costs to raise them? Feed, treats, vet bills... I cover it all myself."
Her fake designer bag and heavy makeup suddenly stood out.
"I was looking for responsible adopters. I'll discount to 250,000 won. But responsibility fee of 100,000 won extra."
"What? That's 350,000 total! Not a discount!"
"Responsibility fee is mandatory. Ensures you care for them properly—no abandoning later. Like a deposit."
"Uh... so if I raise the cat well, I get it back?"
"Get it back? No, not like that..."
"Wait, fulfilling responsibility means no abandoning. If I raise it right, shouldn't I get the fee back?"
Her eyes wavered in panic. My logical strike exposed the flaw!
"Th-that's... just industry lingo. It's the cost of commitment, so we call it 'responsibility fee.' If we didn't charge, irresponsible people might take them. It filters for those serious about cats."
"Ah, so the fee measures responsibility? More money means more responsible?"
Pure contradiction. Everlin's courtroom logic tricks from questioning White King yesterday came back.
"Got proof that more money equals more responsibility? Poor people might cherish them more."
Park Ji-young was speechless. Confusion spread across her face.
"That's... um..."
"Isn't the responsibility fee just adoption fee with a fancy name? Double charging!"
My question sliced through her argument like a sharp blade.
In pro terms: a killer one-liner! Logic is my weapon of murder!
Grimoire's evolved intellect! I was proud of my growth.
"A-anyway! It's for the cats! This is normal for raising them! Oh, and home visits once a week to check on them."
Home visits? Spying on this body's hideout?
"This body is a villain! No plans to raise pets! Subordinates, maybe!"
"Oh, need a contract too."
Ignoring me, she pulled a thick stack of papers from her bag. Way too much for cat adoption.
"What's this?"
"Adoption contract. Sign here, and Lucky's yours."
I skimmed it. Tiny print everywhere, some parts faded and illegible.
"Hold on, I need to see what it says first..."
"Sign first. Then you can read. It's to protect our kids."
"This body won't fall for that! Always read contracts first! Everlin said check every clause before signing! How dare you try to scam this body with cheap tricks!"
Park Ji-young's face twisted. Her friendly smile vanished, replaced by a cold glare.
"So, no interest in adopting?"
"Obviously! This body is a world-conquering villain! No need for cats! Besides, Darkness and White King are already at my hideout!"
"Then why are you here? You wasted my time! Don't touch my babies if you're not serious!"
Why I was here... Right!
"Your cats dug through our villa's trash and chewed the wires! How do you take responsibility!"
The word "responsibility" made her face ice over instantly. All warmth gone.
"My kids wouldn't do that. Got proof?"
"Clearly... uh... paw prints..."
"Probably other cats. Mine are well-trained."
She whistled, and the cats gathered around her.
"See? My kids are obedient like this. They don't rummage trash or chew wires. Besides, you can't judge cats by human standards. They're neighbors too. Cats have freedom."
"What?"
Anger surged. Her claims had a fatal contradiction!
"Earlier you demanded adoption and responsibility fees—money! Now freedom? Isn't feeding them raising them? Why dodge responsibility?"
"That's... to protect the kids..."
"Protect? Or make money?"
This body's genius brain spotted the hole!
The rat villain trial had been useful.
Everlin said it: "Find contradictions in the opponent's argument to win!"
"Anyway! Stop bothering my kids and leave? They'll get stressed."
"Throwing this body out?"
Logically defeated, now running away. Cowardly refusal to admit defeat!
"Manage your cats better! Invade this body's territory once more, and no mercy! Darkness, White King! We're out!"
I declared boldly and left the clearing. Glancing back, Park Ji-young was whispering to the cats. Seemed suspicious.
"Something off, right?"
Darkness and White King nodded.
Squeak-squeak-
"That lady's hiding something? I think so too. But she's just a weird Cat Mom hoarding cats for cash."
Yeah, a money-grubbing scumbag Cat Mom.
"This body gave her a stern talking-to, so she'll be scared straight and manage them properly!"