Chapter 210: Red Jade Cat Shuri
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 210: Red Jade Cat Shuri
Murakan and Quicantel both recognized the creature’s name.
“I was wondering what was taking so long, but I never imagined you’d bring back something like this. Isn’t this Heluram’s Red Jade Cat? I can’t even remember the last time I saw one. It’s much bigger than I remember, so it must have been abandoned.”
“…So that’s why I couldn’t place it, even after hearing it was one of Heluram’s creatures. This thing isn’t a monster; it’s a spirit animal. Shuri, Heluram’s cat. It was a very famous spirit animal about two thousand years ago.”
The Red Jade Cat, Shuri.
The creature Jin had assumed was a monster was actually a spirit animal gifted to the witch Heluram by the Beast Demon King Orgal.
“It was given to her as a mount. Heluram couldn’t ride horses, and there were limits to flying around on a staff.”
True to her words, Shuri didn’t seem to have any aversion to carrying someone on its back. Jin had ridden Shuri just moments ago when returning to his companions after finishing the King’s Liquor.
There hadn’t been any grand reason for climbing onto its back. He had simply thought that since it was now his monster—though he now knew it was a spirit animal—he might as well try riding it.
Besides, it was a natural human impulse to want to hug or ride a large animal, and Jin was no exception.
[Meow.]
“But why is it called a Red Jade Cat?”
Jin tilted his head and studied Shuri. It had pitch-black fur with white spots and amber eyes. No matter how he looked at it, the name ‘Red Jade’ didn’t seem to fit.
“Uh, you haven’t seen its Red Jade yet? Didn’t it already recognize you as its new master?”
“I haven’t seen it. I only just learned its name, too.”
“Then you aren’t its master yet.”
“Is that so?”
At that, Shuri glanced around tentatively before opening its mouth and spitting something out.
It was a red gemstone about half the size of an egg—the Red Jade. Despite having just come from the cat’s mouth, not a single drop of saliva clung to it, and it sparkled brilliantly.
“Oh.”
“You have to infuse your mana into that gem to become the Red Jade Cat’s master. Not just anyone can do it; only someone the creature permits can infuse their mana.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jin asked Shuri.
[Meow… n.]
When Jin glared, Shuri avoided his gaze. Then, it subtly nudged the Red Jade on the ground with its front paw.
Letting out a short chuckle, Jin picked up the Red Jade.
As he infused his mana, the gem began to glow. Simultaneously, Shuri’s pupils turned a deep red. With their mana now connected, the Red Jade and Shuri seemed to resonate for a moment.
Then, something amazing happened.
“Huh?”
Shuri’s massive body transformed into red energy and was sucked into the Red Jade. As if it had never been there in the first place, not a single strand of fur remained where the great cat had stood.
“Now, lick the Red Jade once. Like a cat,” Murakan instructed.
“…Do I really have to?”
Looking to the side, he saw Quicantel nodding as well. Her expression clearly asked what he was waiting for. Reluctantly, Jin touched his tongue to the Red Jade.
“With that, the contract is complete,” Murakan declared. “Now, as long as you have the Red Jade, you can summon Shuri whenever you want. You won’t need a massive amount of mana like you do when summoning that fellow, Tess.”
“I like the sound of that.”
The method to summon Shuri was simple. By infusing just a tiny amount of mana, Shuri would pop out of the Red Jade.
Wuuuung!
Seeing Shuri reappear as the Red Jade glowed, Jin’s grin threatened to split his face.
“But… does it feel like it’s gotten a bit smaller?”
It was still large, but it was no longer the hulking mass that could have rivaled Murakan’s true form. It was now roughly the size of a carriage. Jin stroked various parts of the clearly smaller Shuri and looked at Murakan, demanding an explanation.
“A Red Jade Cat’s size changes depending on its contractor. Only masterless ones are as big as houses; those under contract usually shrink. It’s a survival mechanism of sorts, so they have an easier time living with their masters.”
“Ooh, congratulations, Young Master! I don’t know much, but it seems you’ve gained an incredible companion! It’s also worth noting that it’s another cat, following Nabi Runcandel…”
“Who are you calling Nabi Runcandel? Hey, you lowly creature! Aren’t you going to get your subordinate in line?” Murakan snapped at Jet.
“My apologies, Lord Murakan. Young Master, may I also try riding it once… hm, I guess not!” Casimir said, backing away.
[Hiss!]
As Casimir had approached, Shuri had bared its claws.
“By the way, Murakan, how do you know so much about this?” Jin asked.
“I once had a contract with a Red Jade Cat myself. It was about two thousand years ago. It lived out its full natural lifespan before crossing the rainbow bridge. Well, even back then, they weren’t common. You had to have some connection to the demons just to meet one.”
Murakan’s favorite transformation, the black cat, was modeled after the Red Jade Cat he had been with back then.
Currently, Red Jade Cats were virtually extinct following the decline of the demons.
While hardly any records of them remained in human society, the great powers had collected fairly detailed information on Shuri in particular, Heluram’s Red Jade Cat. Cyron had been able to identify Shuri because he had seized ancient Zipple documents when he took down their old Black Knights.
“It seems it was originally intended for Elder Sister Luna.”
“That sounds about right. He must have left it for whoever would become the next Patriarch. It means your father is starting to recognize you as a potential successor.”
“There was a King’s Liquor related to Shuri. When I drank it, I heard the story Father told the fairy descendants… I realized just how much he cherished Elder Sister Luna. I never imagined Father had that side to him.”
It was true. Cyron Runcandel brewing a King’s Liquor for his child… Even after experiencing it directly, it was still hard to believe.
“But in the end, Shuri ended up with you, didn’t it? Not your sister.”
“The moment even the sister he cherished so much gave up on the throne, Father completely lost interest. Even the King’s Liquor he brewed for her at least twenty years ago became mine. I, too, could fall out of favor just like that at any time.”
“Good grief, you’re worrying about nothing. How many of your siblings can even compete with you now?”
“Well, I’ll have to go back to find out.”
As Jin went on to explain the curse placed on Shuri, Murakan and Quicantel’s expressions darkened.
“Hah, typical of that witch. She placed a truly vile curse on it. It’s exactly what it sounds like: the Curse of Immortality. It’s a curse that only two types of beings can use: a human who has contracted with the God of the Moon, and the witch Heluram.”
“The catalyst for the curse requires at least a million human lives. In my opinion, one of the great disasters Heluram caused was likely a means to place this curse on Shuri.”
“Heh! Isn’t that woman completely insane?” Jet spat. “No matter how much she loves her cat, to use a million humans as a catalyst to make it immortal? Good heavens, even though I, Jet, have lived a dog’s life in the gutter, I could never have imagined such an evil bitch.”
At that, Quicantel shook her head with a heavy expression.
“The Curse of Immortality is never something you cast on a being you love. Think about it. How horrific it must be to live for eternity in a body that cannot die, no matter what happens to it.”
“A witch of Heluram’s caliber couldn’t possibly be unaware of that,” Murakan added. “Knowing her, it’s highly probable she placed the Curse of Immortality just for fun.”
“Furthermore,” Quicantel continued, “the fact that the curse is still active means Heluram is still alive. If she truly cherished Shuri, would she have abandoned it in the Black Sea after placing such a curse? And even terminate their contract?”
“Wow… if what you two dragon lords say is true, the fact that the witch is still alive is chilling. Look at my arm, I’ve got goosebumps all over.”
[Whimper…]
Suddenly, Shuri lowered its head and let out a sad cry. Realizing their mistake, Murakan and Quicantel cleared their throats.
“That… the kid will be a million times better than that witch. So don’t be so sad. Ah, hey! If you cry like that, what does that make me, huh? I’m sorry, so stop crying…”
“Nice going, Murakan,” Quicantel muttered. “Lady Quicantel, you went too far this time, too,” Murakan shot back. “Those are hurtful things to say.”
[Whimper, whine…]
“Phew, damn it. My big mouth… Kid, summon Lord Tess. That fellow has been an expert at comforting spirit animals since the old days.”
Fwoosh!
As soon as Tess was summoned, the phoenix flapped its wings joyfully upon seeing Shuri.
“I greet the Ruler of the Fire Realm!”
Quicantel bowed deeply, but Tess only looked back and forth between Murakan and Shuri, its intent clear.
“Ah, yes, yes! It’s been a while. And where did you find such a pretty creature? Well, the kid here… yes, yes. Of course. I didn’t make it cry. I’m telling you, it really wasn’t me! It was her, Quicantel!”
Then, without warning, Tess began pecking the crown of Murakan’s head repeatedly. Quicantel remained silently on her knees, and by doing so, avoided Tess’s assault.
[Meow!]
In any case, Murakan’s claim that Tess was good at comforting spirit animals was true. Though it must have been their first meeting, Shuri snuggled into Tess’s wings and let out a pleasant purr.
Moreover, they seemed to be communicating. Just as Murakan and Quicantel understood Tess’s will, Shuri did as well.
Tess comforted Shuri for a long time before returning to the Fire Realm. Before leaving, the phoenix didn’t forget to scold Murakan and urge him to treat Shuri well.
“Lord Tess said that if you bring Shuri directly to the Fire Realm later, the curse can be lifted,” Quicantel said, wiping away cold sweat. To her, Tess was still the most terrifying being in the world.
“That fellow really is good at making empty promises,” Murakan grumbled. “Honestly, by the time the kid can go there himself, he’ll be more than capable of finding Heluram and beating her up personally.”
[Meow—.]
Fortunately, Shuri had a resilient personality that quickly shook off sadness. It was how the cat had endured over a thousand years of loneliness in the forests of the Black Sea, but to Jin, that resilience seemed all the more pitiful.
“Anyway, let’s go back. Time to introduce our new family member.”
* * *
Traveling on Shuri’s back, the group left the Black Sea several times faster than they had entered. As a result, their dwindling food supplies never became an issue.
Of course, once they reached inhabited areas, Jin put Shuri back into the Red Jade and they traveled normally.
“Young Master, it is presumptuous of me to try and fathom the Patriarch’s intentions… but it seems the Patriarch did not entirely dislike Lady Luna’s gentle nature,” Gilly said as soon as she heard the story of Shuri.
“Why do you think so?”
“You said this child is under the Curse of Immortality. In that case, even if Lady Luna had received the map as planned, she wouldn’t have been able to kill Shuri. How would she have subdued it? Perhaps the Patriarch believed Lady Luna would have been able to embrace Shuri properly?”
Recalling the gentle smile on Cyron’s face when he drank the King’s Liquor, Jin felt her theory wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Well, it’s true that Elder Sister Luna received special treatment in many ways, even after giving up the position of Patriarch. That could be it.”
Jin and Gilly discussed the matter for a while. Since they could never know Cyron’s true thoughts, they couldn’t reach a conclusion, but it was an interesting topic nonetheless.
“Ah, and Young Master, I have something to report.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“There has been unusual movement regarding the Compass recently. A contractor has been consistently traveling back and forth between the Huphester Alliance and a deserted island in the North Sea. Upon investigation, that deserted island is registered as being owned by the family of a Runcandel Guardian Knight.”
“An island owned by the family of a Runcandel Guardian Knight?”
“The Guardian Knight in question was one of Joshua’s men. Essentially, there is a high probability that the island belongs to Joshua.”