Fifteen minutes later, in the cafeteria.
With the curious gazes of the neighbors upon him, Nol piled up an entire large tray with breakfast. The massive amount of food cast a terrifying shadow, yet Mr. Nol walked to his room in a manner that defied the laws of physics.
Teest, not particularly interested in the soft pastries, casually picked up a pot of meat sauce and silently followed behind Nol. Just by the looks of it, the two seemed as if they were raiding the cafeteria.
It's amazing how people change. When the Lost Tower was first discovered, Teest could see confusion and fragility in Nol. Now, although Nol lacked the arrogance of a God of Creation, there was an inexplicable assertiveness in his demeanor.
'How interesting,' Teest thought. It seemed that Nol didn't need a hug this time.
Back in the room, Nol closed the door with a snap and quietly and quickly started eating his breakfast. Teest slowly took off his coat and, out of curiosity, handed a cup of water to him. "You're eating in such a hurry. Do you have a new plan?"
Nol: "Sleep."
Teest: "…?"
"I want to eat up and sleep early." Nol struggled to swallow the pie in his mouth. "People need to relax sometimes. You better get a good sleep too."
"Is that your takeaway?" Teest wiped the crumbs from Nol's mouth.
Nol shrugged. "Having been a monster for so long, I've gained some insights. Now that I've come to a conclusion, I'm actually happy—me, being a monster, saved my neighbors. At least I'm not a heartless, terrifying alien."
With that said, he took another satisfied bite of the pie.
"Moreover, the neighbors were brought here by me, proving that 'Paradise' is a force beyond the Star Stealer Sol's expectations. Don't you think it's safer here?"
Teest gave a long "Oh", his tone rising, not hiding the skepticism on his face.
He slightly tilted his head, his long hair sliding down his shoulders. Teest wore only a white undershirt, glowing in the morning light.
The corners of Nol's mouth slightly lifted as he drank water.
Mr. Teest, full of mischief, might never understand the impact of the "presence of the Mad Monk".
He had an inescapable evil knight, a difficult lover who had yet to confess, and a promise about the end. "Madness" wasn't an option, "sacrifice" wasn't either; his choices were diminishing, leaving only "victory".
When there were no choices left, people became stronger.
"Objectively speaking, the neighbors suffered undeserved misfortune because of me. But the main culprit is Star Stealer Sol. Should I run into your arms crying for a past I can't change?"
Nol spoke the truth earnestly without hesitation.
"Thanks to someone's teaching, my skin has thickened quite a bit."
"No, no, I'm just a bit curious. You seem to not care at all that 'you were once a monster'." Teest elegantly cut his meat with a knife.
Nol finished the pie like a paper shredder and faintly nodded at Teest across. "If you were a lover with normal tastes, I might care."
"Ouch, that hurts." Teest wiped away non-existent tears. "No wonder everyone says that the truth is often the most hurtful."
"Mm-hmm."
"…Honey, you've picked up bad habits from those dog-headed beastmen."
"Mm-hmm."
After wolfing down breakfast, Nol cleaned his hands, vigorously rubbed Teest's head, and said, "Good afternoon in advance."
With that, he flopped onto the double bed and fell asleep in half a second.
Teest sat down by the bed, looking at Nol's unguarded sleeping face. He brushed the stray hair from Nol's face and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
The beautiful vase he didn't choose to destroy in the past had become an indestructible, beautiful statue.
And when push came to shove, pushing turned into gentle caressing.
Teest pondered, automatically aligning himself with Nol's body.
He carefully untied the other's robe and gently covered Nol with the blanket. The vase on the bedside was empty, just right for bringing back some flowers, and in the interim, scared Perradat.
He left the room on tiptoe.
The beastmen pups were frolicking in the hall. They were so well-fed in the Tower that each one of them was a shiny, round furball. The dog-headed knights had new shiny armor and long swords, their tails wagging slightly.
During their absence, the neighbors kept up with their training. Various high-level monsters came and went, and if not for their busy cleaning, petting dogs, and gardening, this place really looked like a legendary Demon King's army base.
"Little Teest, want some candy?" A friendly giant cyclops scorpion passed by, its tail holding a basket of sesame-covered soft candies. Before Teest could open his mouth, the candy was already in his hand, brought by a gust of wind.
Teest looked at it for a while and casually threw it into the mouth of Gryphon Piel, blocking the eager greeting of the young man.
"Pet my head!" Just as Piel was pushed away, a bold Mastiff pup squeezed through. "Pet my head!"
It was too noisy. Teest helplessly patted the pup's head. In the past, he would have rented a room in a tavern by himself, with a book and a pot of tea, enjoying some alone time.
There were times when there were many people, but the looks they gave him were often filled with fear. He would dissect their innards bit by bit with a hunting knife.
Although he didn't care about these guys, their shiny eyes kept looking over, unstoppable, and their friendliness made Teest's skin crawl. On this short journey, he was stuffed with a full pocket of snacks by these bold monsters and even a gold wheel wrapped in red cloth.
Well, kindness was better than killing intent. Perhaps this was one of the prices of marriage. As Teest moved forward, his legs were grabbed by different pups.
"Perradat has already gone back."
After spotting the peeking Teest, Lynn quickly blocked the door with her arms defensively raised. "I will supervise the work, but I won't let her use my sister's body to stay up late."
Breathing finally smoothed. That was the attitude. Teest looked at Lynn with satisfaction, causing her to retreat half a step.
"I came to get something." Teest said, "You can't use all the spoils from the Old Duke, right? Give back the ones you can't use. They are ours."
He emphasized "ours".
Lynn breathed a sigh of relief. "That's easy. I had already sorted them out in advance."
She knew the meat in the Mad Monk's mouth wasn't easy to snatch. Nol merely conceded the right of first choice to Paradise. Teest wouldn't be generous enough to give all the spoils to them.
"And." Teest cleared his throat as Lynn tensed up again.
"I saw you decorated the hall with fresh flowers. Where did you buy those flowers? I need to requisition some."
Lynn relaxed again. "Oh…"
"And." Teest stepped closer, mischievously lowering his voice. "I remember. You can make 'skill props' that can be reused."
Now the real drama begins. She knew the Mad Monk wouldn't stay normal till the end. For the third time, Lynn tensed up. "What do you want to do?"
As a Doom Knight, Teest shouldn't need the piecemeal skills of monsters.
Teest smiled and pulled out a peanut-sized yellow diamond pendant from his pocket, tossing it into Lynn's hand. Its design was simple and rustic, making the yellow diamond especially striking, like a piece of solidified sunlight.
It was clearly a collectible of Duke Alva, probably sneakily pocketed by the Mad Monk.
Lynn put on her appraisal glasses and examined it for a few minutes. "'Light and Shadow Jewelry Box'. A locally made item with spatial storage capabilities, very rare."
She knew Teest had been using a homemade spatial pouch. Except for its sorry appearance, its functionality was similar to this pendant, so there was no need for an exchange.
Weird, the Mad Monk didn't seem to be the type to indulge in luxury?
"You can attach skills to it, right?" Teest ignored Lynn's puzzled look.
"Yes, but only one." Lynn weighed the pendant. "And to grant it specific effects, I have to personally modify it a bit, if you don't mind…"
"No problem. I want the Swamp Witch's transformation curse, just like last time." Teest placed his order on the spot.
Lynn: "Huh?"
"Star Stealer Sol is prepared for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. We need more diverse concealment methods." Teest declared confidently.
Why don't you go ask the all-capable Nol? Mr. Creator might give you ten unknown methods of concealment! …Lynn wanted to say this, but she dared not speak.
Teest clicked his tongue at Lynn's nuanced expression. "This is a personal commission. I will pay 2,000 gold wheels for the work—"
"Thank you for your patronage." Lynn quickly agreed, seriously adjusting her hat. "Half an hour will be enough."
Nol slept through the entire day, and when he opened his eyes again, the golden red glow of the sunset had replaced the morning glow. He didn't dream at all. Instead, the previous conflict with Star Stealer Sol felt more like a dream.
Nol turned over, embracing something soft next to him… Wait, soft?!
Mr. Demon King sat up abruptly, looking at the big white cat spread out beside him, blanket-like. The rough pouch was gone from the white cat's neck, replaced by a nearly concealed silver-white necklace and its yellow diamond pendant.
Teest's ring and wolfsbane tool were fixed in the slots behind the pendant, becoming part of the pendant's decorations, hardly noticeable unless looked at closely.
[Light and Shadow Necklace: Automatically binds upon use, includes adjustable storage space, and the Swamp Witch's curse that turns humans into cats. Normal cats wouldn't use such a luxurious collar, nor would normal people.
※Crafted with care by Supreme Domination Witch Lynn.]
Nol gasped and picked up the big cat. "Teest."
He tried not to look at the cat's soft paw pads.
"This is a great hidden form, very convenient for ambushes." Teest purred. "And personally, I like the feel of you as a magic pet. This way, we can occasionally trade—"
"Deal," Nol interrupted deeply.
Teest: "..."
Teest: "You and your neighbors are quite similar, you know?"
Nol didn't answer. He held the cat's head and kissed Teest's nose tip. He firmly hugged the big cat, turning to look at the bedside.
A cluster of blue roses bloomed under the sunset. Their beautiful blue tinged with a hazy purple glow. The cat's fluffy tail restlessly came over, feeling like a cloud.
"Teest."
"Hm?"
"Don't worry. I'm really okay."
"…Yeah, I just like the feeling of you holding me tightly."
"I don't mind holding you tightly if you turn into a human either." Nol chuckled, his finger touching the cat's forehead, and in the next instant, Teest reverted to human form, almost pressing Nol back onto the bed.
Nol extended his arms, tightly encircling Teest in front of him.
"We can hug anytime. It doesn't need to be a transaction." He listened to Teest's strong heartbeat, his voice filled with laughter. "It doesn't have to be when someone is mentally breaking down or turned into a small animal."
"I see."
Teest's hands finally rested on Nol's back. "I'll remember that."
"The original you feels good to the touch too."
"So do you."
...
"Kitty!" Colette Alva screamed, running towards the door.
"Daddy—!" Moore Alva's eyes welled up with tears.
"Where have you been recently?" Avra helped her husband take off his heavy coat. "The children have been very worried about you, and so have I."
"So I brought back gifts." Billy kissed his wife's forehead. "Sorry, darling. There was a bit of trouble in the Alva Merchant Group, but it's pretty much settled now."
Embilly Alva put down the cage in his hand—inside the cage lay two cats, one black and one white. The white long-haired cat wore a golden ribbon, while the black short-haired cat wore a blue ribbon. The beautiful ribbons were tied into exquisite bow knots at the back of the kittens' necks, looking extremely cute.
They were frightened by the strange environment and huddled in the corner, shivering.
"Daddy, I want the white one." Colette poked at the young white cat. "Let Moore take the black one!"
"I wanted the black one in the first place!" The little boy called out, eager to open the cage.
"Give way a bit, you two. Your target isn't going to disappear." Billy laughed, patting the children on the tops of their heads. "Remember, once you choose one, you must take good care of it."
The cats in the cage let out small, sharp cries.
"Okay, Daddy!"
"Yes, Daddy!"
The children joyously hugged the kittens.
"Kids, be careful. Watch out for scratches! …Billy, are you still busy afterward?" Avra asked with concern.
"I'll still be busy for a while. The consortium has been through many disasters lately, and this time, the opponent is quite troublesome."
Enbillick spontaneously hugged his wife. "Trust me, it'll be fine soon. Then I'll take you and the kids to the beach."
Avra was petite. Held in the arms of the tall Enbillick, she couldn't see anything but the fabric in front of her, including her children playing with the cats behind her.
In Enbillick's eyes, the frightened white cat was the first to show its claws, scratching Colette Alva's hand.
The little girl's mouth puckered, looking like she was about to cry. But before she could cry out, Billy moved his fingers, and the brightness in the girl's eyes disappeared—she closed her mouth and continued to quietly pet the kitten. The wound on the girl's hand was quite deep, revealing not flesh and blood but moist brown-red clay.
Billy sighed, and with a dull glow, the clay turned into normal flesh. After the magic dispersed, the wound was much shallower and no longer of concern.
"Kitty, kitty."
As if nothing had happened, Colette Alva whispered gently.
"Kitty, kitty."
As if he hadn't seen anything unusual about his sister, Moore Alva hugged his kitten tightly.
After all this, Enbillick deepened his hug to his wife. He gently patted his wife's back, his face wearing a smile that could be described as perfect.
"I love you, darling," he said.
"I love you too," she said.
The author has something to say:
Teest: Praise your touch!
Nol: Thanks, your touch is also good.
How is this not considered a confession? (...