I Picked Up a Cat and It Turned Out to Be the Emperor

‘I told you that the day we first met would feel like a jewel.’

By now, it was hard to imagine a day without Kailas.

I wanted to kiss that adorable little head and rub my face against his fur that looked pointy but was soft as clouds, but right on cue, a voice called from outside.

“Holy Maiden, it’s time for the 6 o’clock mass.”

“Just a moment!”

But it was time to go!

“Kailas, be good while I’m gone.”

I carefully placed Kailas in his bed. Then I hurried out of the room. I could feel those golden eyes following my back.

That night, I had a very strange dream.

In a dark bedroom, I sensed an unusual presence and opened my eyes to find someone lying beside me.

Despite the faint moonlight coming through the window, I could make out the contours of strong shoulders and well-defined chest muscles.

His thick eyebrows and hair made a bold statement even in the darkness. He was a man with such a powerful presence.

‘Who?’

Just as I blinked my drowsy eyes, a very warm, large palm covered my face.

“Go back to sleep.”

“…?”

While I was confused about whether this was a dream or reality, the man called me in a very deep, profound voice.

“Ran.”

A voice heavy like water-soaked cloth, low, and raspy.

Yet not frightening in the slightest.

‘Who could this be?’

As I remained dazed, darkness gently enveloped my body again. I slowly closed my eyes.

‘Someone called me by that name…’

I gradually drifted back into the valley of sleep.

Something warm and sweet like chocolate touched the bridge of my nose briefly, then disappeared.

* * *

When I woke in the morning, Kailas was lying next to me, perfectly straight like a soldier at attention.

‘My goodness! So cute.’

Why is he sleeping like that? Is it comfortable for cats to lie so straight?

‘And he keeps climbing onto my bed. Does he want to be near me?’

It was time for dawn mass. I knew I needed to get ready and leave quickly, but seeing Kailas sleeping soundly, I simply couldn’t get up. I rested my chin on my hand and watched his plump little belly rise and fall steadily.

‘He’s just too adorable.’

How did he climb up to this bed with such short legs? I poked his short, chubby front paw with my index finger. The slight trembling of his paw was so cute that I had to clutch my heart.

‘Oh deity! How did you create such an adorable creature!’

As I trembled with admiration for divine providence, my deity, never one to miss an opportunity, smugly said:

[‘The Dragon Trampler clears his throat, ahem, ahem.’]

Kailas’s cuteness was truly something to boast about. I tapped the back of my hand in applause, responding to the deity’s throat-clearing. I didn’t clap properly because I was worried the sound might wake Kailas.

‘I should hurry back from mass to watch Kailas sleeping again.’

I rose from Kailas’s side with a satisfied smile and forced my reluctant feet to move.

Sitting in my designated seat in the chapel and praying, I noticed people gradually entering. Some greeted me warmly, but I kept my eyes closed and continued praying.

After some time, Pope Incensino ascended the platform. His smooth, resonant voice read the last verse of Chapter 1 of the holy text.

“The beast had three horns, six heads, and nine tails.”

Chapter 1 was about the creation of the world. When the deity created the world, it wasn’t divided into land and sky as it is now, but was chaotic. In that world where everything floated about, a fierce and gigantic beast appeared.

“With scales like those of a fish along its spine, people called it a ‘dragon.'”

The name given to this being with its unimaginable appearance was ‘dragon.’

The deity trampled the fierce beast into submission, and the beast shrank more and more until it hardened completely.

‘That’s why the deity is called ‘The Dragon Trampler.”

The reason the deity’s name appeared as ‘The Dragon Trampler’ in the message window was because of this story from the first chapter of the holy text.

Thus, the beast became the land, and to prevent it from ever stretching out and rising again, the deity scattered beings in his own image upon the land to continue trampling the beast. These beings are humans.

“The deity trampled the dragon to create the solid ground we stand on. Beasts are beings born from the energy of the earth. They are beings we must trample and subjugate, just as the deity did.”

The creation story was as familiar to me as a lullaby, having grown up in the temple all my life.

But what followed was unfamiliar. The Pope’s lips did not, as usual, expound upon the providence of the deity who shaped the world and how we, made in the deity’s image, should live properly.

Instead, the Pope brought up a different topic.

“Then what about the beast-folk who bear the form of beasts?”

Beast-folk.

Beings who can transform into either humans or beasts.

Because they can transform into beasts, they can exert tremendous power beyond human capabilities. Their numbers are also quite substantial.

Since Emperor Kailas tried to liberate the beast-folk slaves and the Pope stood against it, the two were in sharp opposition. The Pope was now pointing this out to justify his logic.

“The current Emperor of the Empire is trying to treat the beast-like beast-folk as humans. This is clearly disregarding the holy text and defying the will of the deity.”

The Pope was arguing that the beast-folk freed by the Emperor should be enslaved again. But upon hearing this, I found myself jumping to my feet without thinking.

“But Your Holiness, they are not beasts.”

“Holy Maiden.”

The lukewarm atmosphere of dawn suddenly felt tense like needles standing on end because of my outburst. I bit my lip.

‘I know it’s not right for me to oppose the Pope.’

But are the beast-folk truly beast-like beings? Is it right for humans to disregard them, trample them, and enslave them?

[‘The Dragon Trampler says all are equal in his eyes.’]

My deity was saying otherwise?

‘And if you truly hear the voice of the deity, you would know that what you’re claiming is not right.’

Moreover, the Pope had even resorted to curses, something forbidden for clergy, to enforce his opinion. My conscience was telling me that I could no longer stand by.

If no one would stop him, then I, with the same authority to speak, had to express my opposition.

Pope Incensino stared at me intently. As I met his gaze without flinching:

The Pope smoothly reconciled our confrontation with a gentle smile.

“…As our kind Holy Maiden has said, they are not beasts. We should show more mercy than we would to beasts. Now, let us pray.”

* * *

After the service, only the Pope and I remained in the chapel. With an inscrutable smile, the Pope called to me.

“Cioranne.”

“Your Holiness.”

“Do you agree with the Emperor’s policy of liberating the beast-folk?”

To be honest, I believed Emperor Kailas’s policy was right. But at the same time, I thought it wrong to create division in the temple by opposing the Pope. I bowed my head.

“Your will is my will, Your Holiness. I just felt it wasn’t right to degrade them to the level of beasts, which is why I spoke up without thinking.”

“Kind and gentle Cioranne.”

The Pope lifted my chin with his index finger as I kept my head bowed. His voice remained gentle, but his words were ice-cold.

“They are beasts. Mere beasts no different from parrots that can speak.”

“But don’t they have emotions?”

“Do parrots not have emotions?”

“I…”

“I understand well enough that your kind heart extends equally to the beast-folk. One cannot fault goodness.”

“…”

Realizing my words weren’t getting through at all, I bit my lip. Perhaps sensing my feelings, the Pope took a step back.

“Different opinions can exist within the temple. However, for the sake of my authority, could you speak to me privately next time?”

“Of course. I was thoughtless.”