The vehicle door opened.
Draven stepped out.
He was now dressed in new clothes beneath his cloak and gloves.
He reached up and adjusted his earring.
Done.
Draven turned—
And suddenly—
the black cat jumped out of the vehicle toward him.
Draven caught it effortlessly in his arms.
He glanced back toward the open door before reaching over and closing it.
**CLICK.**
Draven looked around the area.
The road stretched quietly ahead of them.
Nothing unusual could be seen nearby.
The cat rested comfortably in his arms.
For a moment—
Draven simply stood there.
Then—
he lightly jumped.
His body rose into the air.
He landed effortlessly on top of the vehicle.
**THUMP.**
Draven looked ahead before sitting down.
The cat climbed onto his leg and settled there.
Draven then reached into his ring.
He pulled out an object.
After turning it on—
**BEEP.**
A holographic map appeared above the device.
Draven stared at it.
He moved his hand across the projection, zooming in on their current location.
The map shifted.
Draven's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"So we're currently on the eastern side of the land of Earldom."
He moved his finger along the projected route.
"If we continue down this same path, we'll arrive at Soraeg City."
He shifted the map again.
"And after that..."
His eyes moved farther along the route.
"The land of Lanternmoor."
Draven leaned back slightly.
"That's going to take a while."
He stared at the route.
"After traveling for three days..."
The black cat looked up at him.
*"Papa..."*
It tilted its head.
*"If this vehicle was able to fly like an airship, it would be way faster."*
Draven nodded.
"Yeah."
"If it were an airship, it'd definitely be better."
He glanced toward the vehicle below them.
"But the one we managed to get our hands on was destroyed by that damn fucking elf."
The cat's ears perked up.
*"That fucking elf."*
Draven immediately looked down at it.
"Don't say that."
The cat stared at him in confusion.
*"What do you mean, Papa?"*
Draven looked at it seriously.
"I mean, don't say the F-word."
The cat blinked.
It tilted its head.
*"The F-word?"*
Draven nodded.
"Yeah."
The cat stared at him for a moment.
Then—
*"The F-word."*
Draven nodded.
"That's right."
The cat's eyes suddenly brightened.
*"F-word."*
Draven sighed.
"Yeah."
The cat continued staring at him.
Then—
*"Fucking."*
Draven's expression immediately changed.
"Yeah, that's it."
He pointed at the cat.
"Now don't say it anymore."
The cat blinked.
*"Why?"*
Draven stared at it.
"Because you shouldn't."
He paused.
"It's not something you should say."
The cat continued staring at him.
Its head slowly tilted to the side.
It clearly didn't understand.
Draven sighed.
*This is going to be harder than I thought.*
Draven looked at the cat.
After a moment—
he spoke.
"Can you tell me more about how you're able to speak?"
The cat stared at him.
Draven continued.
"I understand that it's through thoughts."
"But how?"
The cat blinked.
*"Huh?"*
It tilted its head.
*"I don't understand what you mean, Papa."*
Draven rubbed his chin.
"Hmm..."
"How should I explain this?"
He thought for a moment.
"What I'm trying to ask is..."
"Can you actually speak normal words?"
"Or are your thoughts somehow being translated into something I can understand?"
The cat stared at him.
Then—
its ears perked up.
*"No."*
*"I can speak normal words like you, Papa."*
Draven raised an eyebrow.
"So you can?"
The cat nodded happily.
*"Yes, Papa!"*
Draven looked at it.
"But how? Can you just do it?"
"Or did you somehow learn it?"
The cat's tail moved slightly.
It seemed happy to explain.
*"I watched Papa."*
*"And I watched the other people too."*
*"That's how I learned how to speak."*
Draven stared at it for a moment.
Then—
a small smile appeared on his face.
"So you learned after watching."
He reached over and lightly rubbed the cat's head.
"Not bad."
"It seems you're really smart."
The cat happily rubbed its head against Draven's hand.
*"Meow."*
Draven chuckled.
"Earlier..."
"You called Lucifer and Elenya brother and sister."
"Did you learn that by watching too?"
The cat immediately nodded.
*"Yes, Papa!"*
It seemed excited.
*"I saw it before."*
*"There was a family."*
*"There was a Papa like Papa..."*
The cat's tail swayed happily.
*"And there were children."*
*"The children called each other brother and sister."*
It looked toward Draven.
*"Just like brother and sister."*
Then it glanced toward the slime.
*"And Papa and slime too."*
Its eyes brightened.
*"We're a family like that too!"*
Draven stared at the cat in silence.
For several moments—
he didn't say anything.
The cat simply looked back at him.
Then—
a small smile slowly appeared on Draven's lips.
He placed his hand on the cat's head and gently rubbed it.
"Yeah."
His voice was quiet.
"We are."