Chapter 389 Cat Boss Story from the Past

Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out another rag, dunking it in the cool water before placing it on his swollen face. The relief was minimal, but it was all she could offer. The swelling was grotesque—one of his eyes was swollen completely shut, and his lips were split and cracked.

Finally, she grabbed a thin, tattered blanket—barely more than a scrap of fabric—and draped it over his frail body. He let out the faintest sound, something between a sigh and a whimper, curling ever so slightly into its warmth.

Olivia sat back and glanced up at David, who was staring at the goblin with an unreadable expression.

“You still think they’re just mindless pests?” she asked quietly.

David didn’t answer. He just turned away, arms still crossed tightly over his chest.

A few days late, back at Luminesia, Suzuka was lounging in her chair, going over some construction plans when Jacob pushed the door open. His usual calm demeanor was intact, but there was a hint of excitement in his voice as he spoke.

“They're here.”

 “Who? The lizardmen? Zalthar showed up?”

Jacob nodded.

 “Just arrived. They’re waiting at the gate. I thought you’d want to greet them yourself.”

 "Took them long enough. How many?" she asked, setting her cup down before standing.

Jacob leaned against the doorframe. 

"A good number. Maybe fifty, give or take a few. More might come later, depending on how things go. Their leader with them—a big one, scarred up, looks like he’s seen his fair share of battles. They’re camped near the river, just like we planned. They’re waiting for you."

Suzuka rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck as she stepped away from her desk. 

"Alright, let’s not keep them waiting then."

As they approached the edge of the town, Suzuka caught her first glimpse of the newcomers. The lizardmen were an imposing sight, their scaled skin glistening in the sunlight and their eyes sharp and observant. They stood in a loose formation, their postures relaxed but alert, as if assessing the town and its inhabitants.

At the front of the group was a tall, broad-shouldered lizardman with a crest of spines running down his back. His eyes locked onto Suzuka as she approached, and he stepped forward, his voice deep and resonant.

 “You must be Helen, the ruler of this town. I am Kethar, right hand of Zalthar and leader of this group. We’ve come as promised.”

 “Welcome, Kethar. I’m glad you made it safely. We’ve been preparing for your arrival. But I don’t see Zalthar. Where is he?”

Kethar let out a slow exhale through his nostrils, his tail flicking once behind him before stilling.

“Our leader is still gathering more of our kin. There are smaller, scattered tribes who have yet to decide if they will follow him. Zalthar believes they will listen if given time. If he succeeds, there will be more of us.”

“So, you’re telling me this is just the first wave?”

Kethar gave a slow nod.

 “Yes. We are the first, but we will not be the last. Others will come.”

 “Good. Then let’s get you all settled. You’ll be staying near the river. We built the foundations already, but there’s more work to be done. I trust your people don’t mind getting their hands dirty?”

A deep, rumbling chuckle escaped Kethar’s throat. 

“We are warriors, but we are not strangers to labor. We will help as needed.”

“Good answer. Then let’s get moving. I’ll show you where you’ll be living.”

As she led them deeper into town, the goblins working nearby stopped to stare at the new arrivals, their wide eyes filled with curiosity and no small amount of awe. The lizardmen, in turn, moved with quiet confidence, their keen gazes taking in every detail of the settlement.

The town was changing—growing into something more than just a goblin hideaway.

It took the entire day to properly introduce the lizardmen to their new home. Suzuka, alongside Jacob and the dwarves, guided them through the settlement, showing them where they would be staying, where food and supplies were stored, and the areas still under construction. The lizardmen took everything in with quiet attentiveness, their sharp eyes assessing every detail.

By the time the sun had dipped behind the horizon, the lizardmen had begun settling into their new district. Some immediately started reinforcing their shelters, adjusting the structures to better suit their needs, while others set up simple fire pits, preparing to cook their meals. They worked with efficiency, and despite their gruff warrior-like nature, there was a strong sense of community among them.

For the next few days, more lizardmen trickled in, arriving in small groups, each one further swelling the ranks of their growing district. With each new arrival, the settlement expanded, and it became increasingly clear that this was no longer just a goblin town—it was turning into a true multi-race settlement.

Then, finally, the cat people arrived.

Unlike the lizardmen, who had arrived in organized, militaristic groups, the cat people made a much more relaxed entrance. Their arrival was heralded by the sound of light, agile footsteps, playful chattering, and the occasional argument over whose turn it was to carry supplies. Unlike the disciplined march of the lizardmen, the catfolk came in scattered clusters, each moving at their own pace. Some strolled leisurely, while others climbed trees to get a better view of their surroundings.

At the front of the group was none other than Cat Boss himself. A tall, lean figure with sleek black fur and piercing golden eyes, he moved with effortless grace, his long tail flicking behind him as he surveyed the town.

Unlike Kethar, who had waited at the town’s edge for Suzuka to come to him, Cat Boss took it upon himself to walk directly to her office to greet her personally. He had no interest in waiting around or dealing with formalities.

Larry, who had been keeping an eye on the new arrivals, took it upon himself to escort Cat Boss. 

“You sure you don’t want to wait like the lizard folk did? Maybe let Helen come to you?”

Cat Boss let out a lazy chuckle, flicking an ear.

 “Nah, I prefer to handle things my way. Besides, I made her wait long enough.”

Meanwhile, Jacob took charge of the rest of the cat people, leading them toward their designated district. The area had been prepared with structures that could be expanded upward, giving them access to elevated homes.

Back at Suzuka’s office, the door swung open before she even had time to look up from her papers.

“Knock, knock~,” came a smooth, teasing voice.

Suzuka sighed.

 “You didn’t knock.”

“Well, well,” Cat Boss purred, his golden eyes glistening.

 “I have to say, Helen, your town has a certain... charm to it.”

Suzuka exhaled through her nose, already sensing the dramatic nonsense she was about to deal with. 

“Cut to the chase, Cat Boss. I know you didn’t come here just to throw compliments around.”

A sly grin spread across his face. 

“Straight to business. I like that. Fine. Let’s talk about my people.”

The conversation turned to the future of the cat people in her town—what land they would use, what trades they would bring, how they would integrate with the lizardmen, goblins, and dwarves. Cat Boss, naturally, had plenty of opinions, most of them centered around ensuring his people lived in peace while doing the least amount of actual labor in exchange for acting as her warriors.

Then, just as Suzuka was about to agree, a hesitant knock came at the door.

Knock-knock.

It was soft. Weak. Almost... apologetic.

Then the door creaked open, and in shuffled Hermit.

He looked even more pitiful than usual. His ears—long and floppy—dragged along the ground, his head hung low, and his entire posture screamed ‘I don’t want to be here, but I have to.’ His hands were clasped nervously in front of him, his fingers fidgeting as if they were trying to shrink into themselves.

“Uhh... h-hello, Master... Hello, C-Cat Boss...”

Suzuka turned to Cat Boss and got straight to the point.

“So, I know you two go back, and from what I understand, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant history. I need to be absolutely sure—for good—that you two can work together. I’m not budging on my ideals of everyone coexisting here peacefully. That means no lingering grudges, no backstabbing, and definitely no ‘accidents’ happening between you two. So, if you have some beef with goblins, Cat Boss, I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Like I said before. I, and the cat people, do not harbor any hatred for these goblins—for his kind, I mean. We only despise the evil ones. As long as you only shelter goblins like Hermit, the good ones, we have no problem with them.”

He took a step closer to Hermit, who flinched but didn’t retreat. Cat Boss’s tail flicked once, then stilled, as if he were forcing himself to remain calm.

“Hermit, a lot has happened since our last encounter. I did many stupid things—things that not only hurt me but others too. Back then, I was blinded by rage and only looked for someone to blame. I blamed you. But after... well, you remember Koji, don’t you? Koji Yuji? You and he became friends, at least he told me so.”

Hermit’s ears twitched at the name, and he gave a small, hesitant nod.

Cat Boss continued, “After losing Lyn, I was in a dark place. I didn’t listen to reason or warnings. Koji tried to help me, but I was too far gone. We ended up in some... unfamiliar place. I begged him to use his Kobito No Otoko magic to try and bring Lyn back, to get my little girl back. But we failed. The magic swept us away, and we were lost.”

He paused, his gaze distant, as if reliving the memory. 

“For a long time, I wandered in despair. Koji and I got in a fight over stupid thing, I tried to drown my sorrow in cat nip, but he hid it from me. For my sake. As time passed, Koji... he fell in love with a human. I’d never seen him so happy before.”

 Cat Boss glanced at Suzuka, a faint, almost wistful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 “She kinda reminds me of her—the hair, the eyes, even her voice a little. Though she was lean and fragile looking, unlike Helen.”