There was no doubt that this little kitten, once taken away by Kanon Kanase, had come looking for Kaiser.
Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps because Kaiser had used an Authority on it yesterday, leaving traces of his magical power within its body, it subconsciously sought out Kaiser and eventually found his classroom, arriving at the seat still lingering with his aura.
"You really have a talent for missing me at the perfect time, huh."
Kaiser picked up the little kitten meowing cozily on his seat, looked into its round eyes, and said with a wry smile.
"If you had shown up before I left the classroom to find Kanase in the middle school section, that would've been perfect, wouldn't it?"
Kaiser didn't care whether the kitten could understand him or not and just started voicing his complaints.
Beside him, Asagi Aiba and the others also spoke up.
"This little one appeared not long after you left the classroom," said Asagi Aiba, hands on her hips. "It jumped in through the window, landed on your seat, and wouldn't budge no matter what."
So even though she didn't know the whole story, Asagi Aiba had always thought this kitten must have something to do with Kaiser.
"You really ought to thank Asagi," said Motoki Yaze, slinging an arm over Kaiser's shoulder and grinning. "If she hadn't stopped them, the girls in our class would've taken it to Natsuki-chan's office. If she found out you were keeping a cat on campus, you'd definitely get an earful again."
This guy clearly knew the whole story—after all, he'd been eavesdropping on everything in Saikai Academy and was already aware of what happened between Kaiser and Kanon Kanase.
"And Kojou, too. Before you got back, he even spent his own money to buy milk for this little guy."
Everyone immediately looked toward Kojou Akatsuki upon hearing that.
"I just lost at rock-paper-scissors, that's all," Kojou scratched his head, looking annoyed. "Damn it, why did it have to be me? That was some of my rare allowance money."
Kojou actually got a decent allowance, but because he had a thrifty and overbearing little sister at home who always managed his spending strictly, he couldn't carry too much pocket money on him.
Thanks to that, he was probably going to have to settle for a cheap lunch set today.
"I'm really sorry. This is all my fault." Kanon Kanase bowed deeply to Kojou and said, "It's all because I didn't watch the little one properly and made senpai spend money."
Kojou immediately forgot his irritation.
"Uh… no, it's not really your fault."
Kojou, uncharacteristically nervous, stumbled over his words a bit.
This made Asagi Aiba very displeased.
"Hey, Kojou, what are you getting all nervous for?" She gave him a look of disdain. "Even if you're trying to play it cool in front of a cute underclassman, there's no need to be so flustered."
Motoki Yaze burst into laughter.
"Well, I get it. She's the saint of the middle school section, after all. I heard the boys in Kanase's class get fined if they even try to talk to her."
Motoki Yaze slung his other arm over Kojou's shoulder, teasing him. "By the way, Kojou, Kanase is close friends with little Nagisa, you know?"
"Huh?" Kojou was stunned and looked at Kanon Kanase in surprise. "You know Nagisa?"
"Yes." Kanase seemed to have heard of Kojou before and answered politely, "Nagisa and I were in the same class until last year. Back then, not many classmates were willing to talk to me, but she always came to chat with me and helped me a lot. I'm really grateful to her."
"Yeah… That's something Nagisa would do." Kojou gave a wry smile. "It's not that she's oblivious to social cues, she just doesn't like seeing classmates left out. Just think of her as a bit of a busybody."
"That's not true." Kanon Kanase quickly shook her head. "I really appreciate that Nagisa was willing to talk to someone like me. I don't think she's a busybody at all."
"That's just Nagisa-chan's charm." Asagi Aiba shot a glance at Kojou. "Compared to a certain useless older brother, she's really amazing."
"But she can be scary sometimes too." Motoki Yaze, perhaps remembering some painful memory, shivered and muttered, "Best not to make Nagisa-chan mad. Keep that in mind, Kaiser."
"Oh…" Kaiser squinted and said, "I'd love to thank you for the advice, but why are you directing it at me?"
"Because you're already pretty close with Nagisa-chan, right?" Yaze said meaningfully. "This morning, Kojou wouldn't stop whining about it, saying you two were practically inseparable already. That's why I figured I should give you a warning."
It wasn't Kaiser who reacted to that statement, but Kojou Akatsuki.
"What do you mean, inseparable?! I never said anything like that!" Kojou practically shouted, as if someone had stepped on his tail. "And I was just speaking casually! I wasn't complaining to anyone on purpose!"
That panicked and revealing reaction left everyone speechless—and Kanon Kanase looked at him in disbelief.
"Siscon…"
Asagi Aiba muttered the insult softly, making Kojou panic even more.
After that, the scene devolved into Kojou desperately trying to argue—no, defend himself.
Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to explain, Asagi's disdainful stare remained unchanged, and Yaze kept up his smug "yeah right" expression, nearly breaking Kojou entirely.
Seeing this, Kaiser and Kanon Kanase didn't disturb the trio's antics and quietly left the classroom with the kitten.
Neither of them knew that the sight of them entering and exiting classrooms together, moving between the high school and middle school buildings side by side, had already been witnessed and spread by many, quickly becoming the talk of the entire Saikai Academy.
"A high school transfer student who just arrived yesterday and the saint of the middle school might be unusually close"—such rumors spread through the academy at a terrifying speed, and with it, Kaiser's name was gradually becoming widely known.
...
After finding the lost kitten, Kaiser didn't even hesitate and prepared to hand it over to Kanon Kanase.
But once again, something unexpected happened.
"Meow! Meow meow meow!"
Just like the day before, the little kitten that had been resting quietly in Kaiser's arms suddenly started struggling fiercely when he tried to pass it to Kanase.
"Stop it!"
Kaiser uttered just one command, and the kitten obediently calmed down again. But Kanase no longer dared to take it.
"It seems like it really doesn't want to leave senpai."
Kanase looked troubled.
"No worries. I'll make it obey you," said Kaiser without concern.
But Kanon Kanase didn't think it was that simple.
"Even if it listens to you and stays quiet for now, it might run off again tomorrow." Kanase looked into the kitten's eyes with a pitiful expression and said, "I just feel like it'll come looking for you again."
This time, Kaiser didn't know how to respond.
Because he, too, felt her words made sense.
He couldn't understand the language of animals, but as someone bearing the Authority of the King of Beasts, Kaiser could still grasp the thoughts and feelings of beasts.
If he wasn't mistaken, this kitten, having never seen its mother, likely regarded him as family.
And the reason it chose Kaiser instead of Kanase was because he had left some of his magical power within it, triggering its animal instincts to seek him out.
So unless Kaiser used his Authority to command it to never seek him out again, it would certainly escape again and come looking for him.
The solution was simple—just give the order—but that felt a bit cruel...
After all, the kitten had only come looking for the family it had never known. Forcing it to stop felt wrong.
"What should we do?"
Kanon Kanase looked quite troubled too.
"No helping it now." Seeing the little thing lying comfortably in his arms, Kaiser scratched his face and said, "Since it's already come to this, I guess I'll just take it back with me."
"Huh?" Kanase was stunned. "Senpai, you're going to adopt it?"
"More or less." Kaiser shrugged. "There's not really any other option now, is there?"
"Is that okay?" Kanase said worriedly. "I thought pets weren't allowed in your apartment?"
"Well, that rule was set by the building owner, and it's not unchangeable." Kaiser gently stroked the kitten and smiled at her. "I'll get in touch with them and negotiate the terms."
Now was the perfect time to make use of the Lion King Agency and his status as a national attack mage.
As long as he explained it was necessary for his mission, the other party would surely fill in the blanks and assume this was part of Kaiser's duties.
"That's a relief."
Kanase looked like she had been released from a heavy burden, her smile a bit airy, but still extremely beautiful. If Kojou had been here, he'd probably have been stunned speechless.
"Oh, right. Kanase, don't you have a lot of cats already?" Kaiser suddenly remembered. "Can you manage them all by yourself?"
"…Honestly, it's a bit tough." Kanase lowered her gaze and whispered, "But with Nagisa and a few classmates helping out, it's manageable for now."
"For now… huh?" Kaiser understood what she meant. "So you can't care for them long-term either?"
"Yes." Kanase gave a slightly sorrowful smile. "Where I live now doesn't allow pets either, so until they get adopted, I'll do my best to look after them."
The cats Kanase kept behind the academy were all abandoned strays, and there were many of them.
If her current family weren't fairly well-off and somewhat willing to accommodate her wishes, she probably wouldn't be able to feed them all.
She didn't know how much longer she could care for them, so she just did what she could until she no longer could, while trying to find them new homes.
It was hard work. Kanase always felt she wasn't well-liked, often excluded by others. Her personality was shy and reserved, and even if she did manage to strike up conversation, others might not be friendly in return.
That's why she had been racking her brain to find good homes for the cats, even planning to ask for help from Nagisa and others who had supported her all along.
She didn't like bothering people, but when there was no other way, she had no choice.
"Seriously, what is up with this island? Why are there so many abandoned stray cats?" Kaiser sighed, then turned to her and said, "If you trust me, why not let me take them all in?"
Those words made Kanase freeze again.
"All… all of them, senpai?" she asked in surprise and confusion. "Are you saying you'll raise them all yourself?"
That was more than a dozen kittens. Kanase knew firsthand how hard they were to care for.
It was hard enough to manage them outside—let alone bringing them home. Only pet shops had dedicated staff to handle that kind of thing.
And Kaiser's apartment didn't even allow pets. Even if he convinced the owner, once they found out he wanted to keep over a dozen cats, they'd surely oppose it even more.
Thinking of that, Kanase couldn't help feeling anxious.
But Kaiser wasn't joking.
"Don't worry, I have it way easier than you." Kaiser grinned. "You've seen it, right? I'm not just some ordinary person."
Kanase instantly recalled the Kido arts Kaiser had used in the atrium.
"I have my own special methods for raising cats, and I have the means to care for them." Kaiser winked. "If you're willing to trust me, then I'll be the one to take them in."
Kanon Kanase immediately began to hesitate.
"Of course, if you're not willing, that's fine too." Kaiser added quickly, "This is only our second time meeting. It's only natural that you wouldn't trust me yet."
Those words made the kind-hearted saint panic.
"N-No, that's not it. I do trust you, senpai!" she said hurriedly. "You're a good person. I know that very well."
Now that's where you're wrong.
Me? I'm definitely not a good person.
Kaiser chuckled silently to himself.
(End of Chapter)