"Holy shit!"
Alistair jumped backward in alarm. Seeing lively eyes on a cat can be endearing, but eyes that look exactly like a human's are unsettling and cause a loss of sanity. This was not a movie, a comic, or a novel; it was a reality he was witnessing.
But in the blink of an eye, the cat's eyes returned to normal, and she cocked her head, as if confused by Alistair's sudden movement.
Alistair stared motionless at Little Black for a long time before confirming that Little Black's eyes held no pretense. Based on this, Alistair had a theory: Little Black was someone's 'mobile camera.' That situation might have been caused by that person using some technique or their innate ability to manipulate Little Black.
It looks like I can't keep Little Black. Alistair thought. He couldn't risk having someone else's 'camera' near him. Given her intelligence, it was likely cultivated by that person. Alistair might not be their target, as they couldn't have predicted he would bring the cat home to raise.
Furthermore, if the goal was surveillance, they wouldn't expose themselves now; that would be too reckless.
Another issue was: if Little Black had an owner, why was she crouching in the bushes on campus? And why didn't she struggle when Alistair brought her home? The owner seemed completely uninvolved. This owner must have some major issues, so the 'dedicated camera' hypothesis wasn't very reliable either.
There was another possibility: it was a coincidence. The entity behind it might be looking for someone, and their ability was possession. They just happened to possess Little Black. After all, Little Black was the only one acting strangely, while the seemingly equally human-like white cat remained sprawled on the sofa like a useless cat. Both cats seemed very intuitive, apart from their fur color. They couldn't possibly belong to two different families... could they?
Wait! Let me check if the scent remains!
Alistair stepped forward and picked up Little Black, burying his face in her fur for a deep sniff.
No! No sweet fragrance!
"Alistair, are you seriously sniffing the cat?!"
Chiaki, who walked in at that moment, was stunned. She couldn't believe her brother was literally 'sniffing the cat.'
Alistair wanted to explain but stopped himself. Chiaki might not have smelled the sweet fragrance. It was very faint even for Alistair, and Chiaki, coming from the kitchen with the smell of food, probably couldn't smell it. Any explanation would only make Chiaki nod and secretly laugh inside. It was better not to explain and save the effort of thinking up an excuse.
"Alright, time to eat. Go wash your hands. I also made a little food for these two kittens, but I'm not sure if they'll like it." Chiaki chuckled, her apron adding a touch of a wife-like feeling.
"Okay."
Alistair agreed and walked toward the sink. As for the two kittens, Alistair temporarily decided not to discard them, not because he was okay with being monitored, but because...
[Source Tracing Talisman]: Can trace the individual who left behind traces of supernatural power and leave a mark. Single-use item.
Although the description was simple, this item was extremely powerful in the right context. There was no time limit specified, meaning it could be used on traces left by a supernatural practitioner decades ago, and if the person was dead, it could even pinpoint the location of the corpse.
Unfortunately, it could only be used on supernatural traces. Without any sign of supernatural power, the talisman was just decoration and completely useless.
'Traces' referred to the marks left after supernatural power manifested, including damage and aura. Unless the practitioner was incredibly skilled, some mark would inevitably be left.
At least according to Alistair's understanding, using supernatural power must leave some kind of fluctuating trace. If someone was skilled enough to leave no trace, they could easily defeat Alistair, barring special circumstances. The probability of such a circumstance was very low, so he dismissed it.
"Alistair, what's wrong? You've been spacing out."
Chiaki looked at Alistair, who was occasionally distracted and had a troubled look on his face. She asked worriedly. She rarely saw Alistair with this expression. Something must have happened to him.
"Nothing, I'm just annoyed that we have to go back to the countryside. There's nothing fun there."
Alistair vaguely dismissed it. Even if he told her, Chiaki probably wouldn't believe him. It was better to give a vague answer. Besides, the matter was indeed annoying. It had only been a few weeks since school started, and they were already preparing to go back to the countryside. Although it wasn't immediate, it wouldn't be long either. Maybe they would leave shortly after the exchange student program.
"Is that so? I can accept it as long as there's internet and air conditioning, which we have at the old house. And we won't be gone for long. I don't know why we have to go back, but Mom said it's necessary."
Chiaki recalled the old family home in the countryside. Although it was called the 'old house,' after several renovations, it was similar to a small modern villa.
Furthermore, being back at the old house meant fewer girls for Alistair. That is, Chiaki could use this opportunity to get Alistair to discharge a lot. With fewer girls for Alistair to mess with, he would have to come to her for release.
Hehe, going back to the countryside is a great idea!
Chiaki wasn't worried about her studies. Although her academic performance wasn't outstanding, her attendance was very high. A short period away could easily be made up later (attendance was based only on the total number of classes attended). The school only cared about attendance. If all else failed, Alistair could help her.
"I don't get it. It seems inexplicable. Why do we absolutely have to go back for a while?"
Alistair muttered. He had sent a message to his grandfather on the sofa, asking for clarification, but there was no response yet. He was probably busy.
Honestly, although Alistair had absorbed most of the memories, there were still some gaps. For instance, he had no memory of what the old house looked like or where it was.
But that wasn't urgent. The priority was how to deal with these two little creatures.
Turning them into food was the easiest method, as it would eliminate any potential future trouble. If the worst-case scenario was true, it meant both kittens were someone else's 'cameras.' Even if they couldn't harm him currently, they were still a hidden danger. Alistair didn't have a habit of keeping ticking time bombs around.
Alistair looked at the two kittens, and the subtle malice flickering in his eyes made them tremble.
"Aren't they eating? Do they want fish?"
Chiaki was still thinking about the future lustful time she would have with Alistair and didn't notice the two kittens' abnormality, simply thinking they were being a bit picky.
"Perhaps."
Alistair shifted his gaze back to his meal and began to eat.
He could keep them for one night to see if the person behind this would come to retrieve their 'cameras.' The eye contact meant not only that he had discovered them but also that they knew Alistair was aware of their existence. Alistair wasn't sure what action they would take, so he decided to wait one night. In the human district, only those with bizarre powers or extremely skilled psychics could genuinely eliminate Alistair.
If nothing happened afterward, it would at least suggest that the entity might be neutral, perhaps using Little Black for some unknown purpose. In that case, he could use the [Source Tracing Talisman] to find them. If possible, recruiting them to his side would be a huge gain. That ability was very useful for finding things within a certain range, and it might just be a derivative ability, with the main power being much greater. If he could bring them into his camp, he would profit greatly.
However, everything required patience. At least, he would have an initial theory by tonight.