Mythical Creatures Strategy Guide

Chapter 29 The Dust Settles

After a devastating battle, the restoration of the monarch's palace in Cat Territory is progressing very quickly.

The cat-people craftsmen displayed an efficiency rarely seen on ordinary days. In just three days, the ruins of the Sunlight Hall were mostly cleared away. Although the dome couldn't be repaired anytime soon, at least the mahogany flooring had been replaced.

Of course, it was mainly thanks to the celebration. The market in Cat Territory attracted dwarven artisans from several surrounding territories. They had originally come to sell weapons and jewelry, but Audrey kept them there with three times the wages.

These dwarves were indeed efficient workers; they could juggle two tasks simultaneously, pipe in mouth and hand. The lady-in-waiting privately calculated that they had completed at least 80% of the restoration work. It wasn't that the cat-people craftsmen were lazy; the dwarves simply worked too fast for the cat-people to keep up.

Audrey sat in the high-backed chair; this new throne wasn't as luxurious as the old one. Chu Sheng had secretly sat on it yesterday while she was away, and when he stood up, a large patch of undried wood lacquer was stuck to his bottom.

He wore those trousers all day in the monarch's palace, telling everyone he met that it was the latest trend in the empire.

The morning sun streamed down from the open-air dome, making the Sunroom even more deserving of its name than before, though it was rather hot. Audrey had to move her throne back half a foot, hiding in the shadow of the pillars.

"Your Majesty, the obituary and official documents have been drafted. Please take a look."

The tortoiseshell lady-in-waiting who had once received Arthur respectfully presented a parchment scroll with both hands as she ascended the steps.

Audrey did not take it immediately.

She looked out of the hall, where she could see the newly raised flag in the city square. Around the square, the people gathered in twos and threes, some whispering to each other, others looking up in the direction of the monarch's palace, their tails drooping and their faces full of grief.

"Read it." Audrey withdrew her gaze.

The lady-in-waiting unrolled the scroll, cleared her throat, and read aloud:

"To all citizens of Cat Territory: Three days ago, a demon infiltrated the monarch's palace. To protect the safety of the territory, our late monarch, Levi Paladin, fought the demon to the death in the Hall of Sunlight. Although he managed to defeat it, our late monarch was also severely wounded and died."

"On his deathbed, the late emperor discovered the truth behind the assassination of the previous king, which was all caused by demons, thus clearing Princess Audrey Paladin of the injustice. In gratitude for the princess's benevolence, he bestowed the throne upon Audrey Paladin, hoping that the new emperor would carry on the legacy and protect the Cat Kingdom for generations to come."

After the lady-in-waiting finished reading, she cautiously raised her head to observe the new emperor's expression.

Audrey listened quietly, her white cat ears tucked down slightly.

It's all a lie.

All that talk about slaying demons or uncovering the truth on the verge of death is fake.

The truth is that the thing sitting on the throne is actually a monster that eats kittens. The truth is that her father, mother, and real brother were all killed by that monster long ago, and their remains could not even be found.

If she were to expose the shapeshifter's atrocities to all the cat people in the city right now, and show them the orphans in the sewers who were almost eaten by the shapeshifter, she could completely nail that "brother" to the pillar of shame in the history of the cat territory, and she would become a hero who revealed the truth and was praised by everyone.

But she didn't do that.

She sat in the cellar for a long time last night.

It wasn't until Chu Sheng asked that question: "How do you plan to explain this to your people?"

She didn't know how to answer at the time.

"If I were you, I'd lie," Chu Sheng suggested. "The truth is too heavy a burden. Cat Territory just experienced a celebratory frenzy. If you tell them now that the new ruler is a monster, do you think they'll be furious, or will they descend into chaos due to the collapse of their faith?"

Chu Sheng patted her shoulder one last time: "You are a queen now. A queen must make her people feel that there is still hope for the future. Giving them a heroic story of a glorious sacrifice is much more effective than giving them a cruel truth."

"Let's send it this way." Audrey finished reminiscing, closed her eyes, and said, "Erect a monument for...the late father in the cemetery, and give him a grand funeral of the highest honors."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The female official breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully withdrew.

The hall fell silent again, and Audrey raised her hand to cover her face.

If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.

All the disgust, hatred, grievances, and resentment will be buried forever underground, along with the remains of that shapeshifter.

A side courtyard of the monarch's palace.

"Don't run! You, the one in orange! I'm talking to you!"

Ella rolled up her sleeves, revealing two fair and shapely arms, and was chasing an orange kitten as it ran around the yard.

The cat-man was as agile as an eel, its limbs moving swiftly, dodging left and right. Ella pounced twice but missed both times. On the third attempt, just as she was about to catch it, the cat-man slipped under a pile of white sheets drying in the sun.

The bed sheet was bulged up in a bulge, and that bulge was moving rapidly.

Chu Sheng looked at this scene and felt a sense of familiarity.

Isn't this just like Tom and Jerry?

"I've got you!"

Yinye suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the bulging bed sheet.

Then a breath came from under the sheet, followed by a "rip" sound, and the sheet was torn open, and the cat-like person crawled out from the other end.

"That unlucky kid!" Yinye jumped up and down in anger, her emerald green braids swinging back and forth.

There were five or six large wooden basins in the yard, filled with hot water and soapy foam.

Dozens of kittens who have lived in the sewers for years are facing the biggest crisis of their lives: taking a bath.

Anyone who owns a cat knows that bathing a cat is as difficult as drinking iced tea that hasn't been chilled.

With lightning speed, Ella grabbed a cat-like creature by the scruff of its neck as it tried to crawl away from the edge of the basin. The black and white cat-like creature let out a shrill hiss, but Ella remained unmoved, grabbing a sponge with her other hand and starting to frantically rub it.

"You can only eat grilled fish if you wash it clean!" Ella threatened and coaxed as she rubbed it, but the cat people clearly didn't believe her this time, because they hadn't seen the grilled fish king that was promised that day.

Chu Sheng stood under the eaves of the corridor and looked at the other end of the corridor. Little Gray had finished washing and was one of the few cat people who was willing to cooperate obediently.

She changed into a brand new light blue cotton dress with a small sunflower embroidered on the neckline. Her gray hair had been washed to reveal its original silver color and lay softly beside her ears.

Little Gray didn't run around in the yard. She moved a small stool and sat obediently next to Chu Sheng, with her hands on her knees, sitting upright like a little adult.

But she was still holding the mouse doll in her arms. The side of the doll missing an eye was turned inward, revealing only the intact side, the remaining eye glistening in the sunlight.

Her eyes were fixed on the outside of the courtyard wall.

Outside the courtyard wall stood a tall sycamore tree, where several brightly feathered birds hopped and chirped among the branches. One of the bolder birds landed on the wall, tilted its head to peek into the courtyard, and then flapped its wings and flew away.

Little Grey was so engrossed in watching that he didn't even blink.

This was the first time in her life she had ever seen a living, flying animal, instead of those grimy rats in the sewers.

"She asked me a few days ago if all birds in the sky are like mice, with bald tails," Chu Sheng said quietly, turning his head away.

Arthur stood to the side with his eyes closed, then opened them upon hearing this: "Now she knows."

"Yes, I understand." Chu Sheng felt the sunlight was just right, and his knees were warm from the sun. He reached out and touched Xiao Hui's head.

"Elbow! Let's go steal bird eggs. How can a cat do that if it doesn't know how to steal bird eggs!"