Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Why do you want me to help you buy a cat?"
Newton admitted that he was a cat person; he loved all kinds of cats and enjoyed petting them. However, it felt quite awkward to accompany a grown man to buy a cat.
"Because you own a shop, right? You should know how to choose a cat better."
Gajeel said this as if it were obvious.
Newton tugged at the corner of his mouth, thinking that just because someone owned a shop didn't mean they were good at picking cats.
Cats could be considered playthings. If you wanted an ordinary one to alleviate loneliness, that was fine. But if you wanted to take it seriously, raising a cat was much like raising a bird; there were many breeds to choose from, and the guiding book was the time-honored "The Cat Selection Manual."
"Cat Garden," written by Huang Han during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, could be regarded as the first work about cats in China. This book is divided into seven sections: "Types," "Appearance," "Fur Color," "Supernatural," "Famous Items," "Stories," and "Appreciation." It collects various anecdotes, fables, and legends about cats throughout Chinese history, with the most valuable part being the compilation of many ancient texts that have long been lost.
It is evident that selecting a cat is as much of an art as selecting a horse. So what does it mean to gamble on a cat? The process of raising a cat involves constant changes; the cat food you provide and the grooming products you use will influence the cat's growth, resulting in different fur colors and patterns. Sometimes, an adorable kitten might grow up to look like Garfield, though Garfield is cute in his own way.
Getting sidetracked, Gajeel wasn't really planning to play with cats; he intended to treat them as family members, just like Natsu and Haru or Wendy and Sharlulu. These details were naturally unnecessary; the author wouldn't admit this was filler text—after all, it didn't cost anything. Just consider it trivia.
"Why don't you just look for a stray cat?"
Newton was somewhat curious. Stray cats and pet cats were essentially the same in his view; as a staunch cat person, he believed that all cats were justly deserving.
"I..."
Gajeel sighed helplessly.
"Come on, I'll take you to see some."
Gajeel arrived at an alley with Newton, and immediately, four or five wild cats attempted to flee.
"Hey!"
Gajeel quickly grabbed one of the cats, but the cat, startled, puffed up its fur in alarm.
"Meow!"
Unlike a gentle meow, it let out a sharp cry, and then its two paws began to flail wildly, claws swiping at Gajeel's face.
"Look."
Gajeel didn’t harden his body to block the cat’s claws; he didn’t want to hurt the little creature.
Newton chuckled and shook his head, picking up the now-fluffed-up cat from the ground. He gently scratched under its chin, helping the cat relax as it gradually closed its eyes.
"You must be feeling the pressure of dragon might too strongly. Although you’re not a real dragon, your body has transformed enough to carry some of that draconic aura. Ordinary cats simply can’t handle the pressure you exude."
Newton took out some treats, but it seemed the feline wasn’t interested in eating. At that moment, another cat called out from the alley entrance, and the one in Newton's arms jumped down and scampered away.
"What should I do now?"
Gajeel looked at Newton as if he were a divine dragon, hoping he could help him fulfill his wish.
"Well, let’s check out the Beast Shop. Ordinary pets definitely won’t satisfy you, and finding a rare one isn’t that easy either. It’s best to see if there’s a suitable pet for you at the Beast Shop."
The two made their way to the Beast Shop. While it was indeed a beast shop, it certainly wouldn’t sell terrifying magical beasts. Most of what they had were young creatures and harmless magical beasts—some were meant as gifts while others were for nurturing bonds, making it easier to truly tame them.
"Hello, may I ask what you two would like to order?"
The clerk quickly approached them.
"Well, he wants to get a pet, but he's quite fierce. Do you have anything suitable for him?"
Newton pointed at Gajeel.
"Alright, please follow me, sir. We should have quite a few domesticated magical beasts that might meet your needs."
The clerk led Gajeel away to look at the pets.
Although Newton enjoyed petting cats, he had no intention of buying one. He sat on a sofa in the waiting area, observing the shop and glancing around at the magical creatures.
However, it wasn't long before the clerk returned with a frustrated Gajeel in tow.
"What happened?" Newton asked, puzzled.
"Were you unable to find a suitable pet?"
"No, as you said, we really don't have any magical creatures that would satisfy your friend," the clerk replied apologetically.
"Alright, thank you for your help."
Newton politely thanked the other person and walked out with Gajeel.
"Let's go check the shop. Ordinary cats and magical creatures can't hold up, so let's see if there's anything that meets your requirements in the Celestial Spirit section."
The constellation of cats should be the Cat Zodiac, referring to Lynus. Lynus possesses the sharpest eyesight in the world, able to even see things from the underworld, with vision like that of a night owl. It should be summoned as a cat rather than a human.
Newton wasn't very confident, after all, Lucy's Zodiac summons were mostly humanoid. Perhaps he could ask Lucy; she should know about the Cat Zodiac.
"Celestial Spirit?"
Gajeel really wanted a cat now; it didn't matter how he got one, as long as Newton could find him a cat.
"Then let's go find Lucy."
Unexpectedly, Lucy was shopping with Erza. They were both picking out items they wanted.
"Lucy, do you know about the Cat Zodiac Celestial Spirit key?"
Gajeel was quite proactive.
Newton smiled as he watched Lucy's bewildered expression, stroking his chin with amusement.
"What's going on?"
Erza was also surprised and nudged Newton with her elbow.
"Well, Gajeel wants a cat..."
Newton roughly assessed the situation, feeling a bit helpless himself.
"Being a Dragon Slayer Mage is really not easy."
"That's not the point here."
Newton made a sarcastic remark.
"How did you end up coming with Lucy?"
"We came to buy some things. It's time to head out on another mission. After defeating the Six Demons, we earned quite a bit of money, but Lucy needs her keys, and I need my armor and food. I'm fine with just S-Class missions, but Lucy isn't an S-Class yet, and there are still plenty of people competing for regular missions."
Erza looked quite serious as she spoke. Newton nodded, then reached out and patted Erza on the head. She reacted like a startled cat, jumping back several steps.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing, nothing at all."
Newton chuckled and shook his head.
Comment 0 Comment Count