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Upon entering Extalia, Noah noticed that most of the buildings here were warm-toned and cozy, not the haughty, cold hues he had imagined.
"Yellow cats, red cats, cats that play basketball... Noah, look, there are even cats completely on fire!"
"There really are so many, many cats!"
Cheese, with Shirayuki on his head and his magical wings flapping behind him, excitedly told Noah about the fellow Exceed he saw.
It was clear that this trip to the Exceed Kingdom had greatly satisfied the curious little snow cat.
Noah and Wendy, who had been "invited" into the Exceed Kingdom by the Royal Guard, also attracted the attention of the cats, and there was a cacophony of discussions on the street.
Noah generally understood that the cat residents were mostly discussing one topic: why the Queen would allow two humans into Extalia.
The cats did not display the aloof demeanor he had expected.
When in Extalia, Noah could feel that the cats here did not hold much disdain for humans as "superiors"; instead, they showed more curiosity about the arrival of strangers.
They had clearly spared no effort in human kingdoms to promote the idea of Exceed supremacy, yet these local Exceed, one by one, acted not diametrically opposite, but completely unrelated.
Saying one thing and doing another—this is false advertising!
Noah had originally planned to make a big splash in the Exceed Kingdom, but given what he now understood, his plan of military deterrence would probably turn into an anti-fraud operation...
Just as Noah was constantly complaining in his mind, Cheese landed on his shoulder, his small paw gently pushing his head. "Nah nah ~ Noah, look, there are two cats just like Cheese over there!"
Following the direction the little snow cat pointed, Noah looked sideways and indeed saw two Exceed in the crowd of cats to the right, with snow leopard coloring, fluffy and abundant fur, and a size or two larger than Cheese.
From their attire, they looked like a couple.
Noah thought it would be more appropriate to call them the Snow Cat couple.
Seeing the little snow cat perched on the human's shoulder looking back at her, the slightly smaller female snow cat immediately teared up, wanting to go forward but was held back by her husband.
"My dear, don't be impulsive. The Royal Guard are still here."
The trembling voice of the male snow cat made the female snow cat wipe away her tears. "I know, but that's our guild's child. I miss him so much..."
The Snow Cat couple's voices were very soft, so soft that only they could hear them, but for Noah, who had super hearing, their conversation was crystal clear in the gentle breeze.
Noah poked the little snow cat's head. "Cheese, do you feel anything about those two cats that look a lot like you?"
Cheese pondered for a moment. "I don't know. It's just that Cheese saw that cat crying, and suddenly felt so sad..."
"Then go find them, and help them wipe away their tears, okay?"
Hearing Noah's words, Cheese, who always loved making friends, hesitated for a rare moment.
As a kitten only a few years old, Cheese could only be considered a very young child among Exceed, and he didn't know why he felt the emotions in his heart.
It was Shirayuki, the magical hamster who had lived for hundreds of years, who had the insight and immediately understood the hidden meaning in Noah's words, anxiously patting the little snow cat's head.
"Squeak squeak squeak!"
He didn't know why, but with both his good friends urging him, Cheese had no choice but to spread his magic wings and fly toward the two snow cats, though before taking off, Noah also tossed Shirayuki to him.
Cheese, with the hamster on his head, passed through the Royal Guard and the chattering crowd of cats, landing in front of the Snow Cat couple.
"Hello, I'm Cheese, and this is Shirayuki."
"Let's be friends. With friends, you won't be sad anymore ~"
Looking at the innocent and adorable little snow cat in front of them, the Snow Cat couple's strained nerves finally gave way, and they hugged Cheese tightly, bursting into tears.
"Child, we are your mom and dad!"
Dad? Mom?
For Cheese, who had been raised by Shirayuki since he was young, these were two unfamiliar words.
Shirayuki had once told Cheese that he hatched from an egg, which made Cheese believe that he had no relatives and would live with Shirayuki from then on.
But now, two warm embraces made Cheese understand.
So this is what it feels like to have a mom and dad.
The crying Snow Cat couple was very conspicuous, but many of the surrounding cats watching also shed tears, as if they deeply empathized with the reunion of Cheese's family, and even many of the Royal Guard cat soldiers were like this.
This scene left Wendy and Carla at a loss. The reunion of Cheese's family was indeed touching, but the other cats shouldn't be reacting like this, should they?
Noah carefully observed all the cats around him and suddenly understood something; he had been wondering what was off about everything he had seen and heard since entering the Cat Kingdom.
Now, it seemed there was indeed a big problem.
On such a large floating island, besides the foreign Cheese and Carla, there wasn't a single young Exceed cat!
Thinking of Happy, Frosch, and Lector, who hadn't come along, they shared one thing in common with Cheese and Carla: they were all less than six years old, which, by Exceed standards, meant they were still children.
In an instant, Noah understood the reason.
"Nichiya, your Queen is still waiting for us."
At Noah's reminder, Nichiya, whose appearance was hard to describe, finally remembered his official duties and immediately signaled the team to continue toward the palace.
As for Cheese, Noah didn't call him, as Shirayuki was there and no one could threaten Cheese's safety...
After walking for nearly fifteen minutes, the center of power of the Exceed Kingdom appeared before Noah's eyes.
It was a massive palace for the cats, a pure white building majestically suspended in the clouds, its golden dome gleaming in the sunlight.
It wasn't as luxurious as I imagined.
Noah subconsciously compared the Extalia Palace to the royal buildings he had seen and found it less magnificent than his own prince's palace.
The palace gates were wide open, and a black and white cat, whose right hand moved up and down like a beckoning cat, walked out.
After a handover with Nichiya, he looked at Noah.
"Distinguished guest, I am Nadi, the Minister of State for the Exceed Kingdom. Welcome! Her Majesty the Queen has been awaiting your arrival for a long time."
Noah turned sideways, revealing Wendy and Carla behind him. "They are my companions; can they meet the Queen with me?"
Although it was a question, Nadi could hear the undeniable meaning in Noah's tone and said amiably, "Her Majesty the Queen has given instructions that your accompanying companions will not be hindered in any way. Please rest assured."
Oh, so easy to talk to, or was it already expected?
Noah was now even more curious about the Exceed Queen who had deified the Exceed and claimed to be a "god."