Charlot's ret achievements were truly extraordinary. Venie Arsenault was very eager to know just how much potential this Meburg gentleman truly possessed.

  The speed, performance, as of learning Cat Spirit Magic could reveal many things—such as spirituality, prehension, and ialent.

  Furthermore, although the Cat Detective Agency was Strasb's promi detective agency, it was still primarily focused on female-oriented services. Seventy pert of its employees were women, which oftehem iively weaker positions. The agency wasn’t known for its bat prowess. Venie Arsenault had long been w to pull iernal reinforts, so that in times of crisis, they could summon powerful batants.

  Although Charlot was still a low-raransdent, his potential was limitless. Venie wao i in him early.

  The third reason was more plex—she always felt that Charlot was hiding mas...

  Charlot had previously fronted Evil Gods twice. His spirituality was already parable to high-raransdents, and learniry-level magic was an effortless task for him. Soon, with the aid of the Three Cat Hand Seals, his spirituality heightened, and he sehe unborn lives of three Clever Cat cubs.

  Following the ceremonial rites of Cat Spirit Magic, Charlot soothed the three Clever Cat cubs. It didn’t take long before he seheir relian him. They opeheir spiritual shields, allowing Charlot to explore their tender minds freely.

  After a brief unication with the three Clever Cat cubs, Charlot withdrew from the Spirit eling spell.

  When he opened his eyes, the three Clever Cat cubs were indeed more affeate toward him. They could even faintly uand some simple instrus.

  On the Old ti, Spirit eling was divided into hundreds of schools.

  The Cat Spirit Magic, passed down by the Elven God, was an orthodox art. Though this school’s Spirit eling was merely entry-level magic, it possessed qualities that her Evil God magior ordinary spells had. It included a yer of prote: any cat under Spirit eling would gain the caster's prote, rejeg any subsequent attempts by others to use Spirit eling on them.

  Charlot’s success on his first try delighted him. He said to Venie Arsenault, “Cat Spirit Magic truly is an adorable form of magic.”

  Venie Arsenault smiled, but in her heart, she was utterly astonished. Charlot had mastered Spirit eling with the ease of a casual stroll. Such talent and prehension were nearly on par with the Empire's most renowned prodigies.

  “He could cast Spirit eling successfully on his first try. His spirituality is parable to mid-raransdents, or perhaps even higher. His prehension and natural talent are exceptionally rare. I had already overestimated Mr. Meburg... but even so, I uimated him.”

  “He’s far more talehan I imagined.”

  Although Charlot had exited Spirit eling, he could still vaguely sehe emotions of the three Clever Cat cubs. They were hungry. Smiling faintly, Charlht out some goat milk. The three little cats immediately began pping it up adorably.

  After pying with the cats for a while, Venie Arsenault tempted Charlot to try the Cat Transformation Spell. Charlot didn’t refuse and gdly gave it a shot. About half an hour ter, his spirituality quivered slightly, and a Clever Cat sigil posed of tless pure white runes appeared on his forehead. Charlot's entire body abruptly shrank, transf into a young Clever Cat.

  Clever Cats were born with faint spiritual power. Out of every few thousand Clever Cats, one might, through some unknown opportunity, dense a irituality. Such a cat could be sold at an incredibly high price as a premium spiritual pet.

  If discovered by practitioners of Cat Spirit Magic, these spiritually gifted Clever Cats could potentially, uhe blessing of Spirit eling, embark oh of Transdence.

  As Charlot transformed into a Clever Cat, he suddenly uood why Venie Arsenault had been encing him to learn Cat Spirit Magi his feline form, his spirituality had advanced another level.

  “In this cat form, I ’t use Blood Glory!”

  “The Blood Vortex is gooo.”

  “All my abilities…”

  “No! Eye of Insight is still there.”“Why is Eye of Insight the only o?”

  Spiritual energy surged through Charlot’s entire body, gathering at his forehead, where it formed a faint golden stripe that made him look adorably silly yet endearing.

  “Wait, Swiftstep Teique is also still usable!”

  “It’s just... different somehow.”

  Charlot leapt with all his might, his small body s gracefully into the air. He nded soundlessly on the roof, took another nimble step, and effortlessly jumped to the er of the room. The entire process was smooth as flowing water, without making the slightest noise.

  In his Clever Cat form, the Swiftstep Teique was even lighter and faster, with vastly enhanced jumping ability.

  Venie Arsenault excimed in shock. She hadn’t expected Charlot to master the Cat Transformation Spell even more easily than Spirit eling. Moreover, the momeransformed into a Clever Cat, he had immediately asded into Transdence.

  It was worth noting that when Venie had learned Cat Spirit Magic, her feline form only asded a month after mastering the Cat Transformation Spell. At that time, she herself had just advao Transdence. Unlike Charlot, who was already at Rank Four.

  Of course, Venie had no idea that Charlot had just advanced another rank and was now Rank Five.

  Even so, Venie Arsenault realized that this Mr. Meburg’s foundation was far from ordinary and that he must be cealing moal secrets.

  She refrained from further probing. After Charlot had gleefully leapt around the room in his cat form and transformed bato human form, Venie prepared to leave.

  Charlot tried to persuade her to stay for dinner, but Venie deed.

  Venie Arsenault had arrived by carriage. As Charlot escorted her out, he spotted the same calico fat cat he had seen previously. The zy cat had been lounging on the carriage roof, but upon seeing Charlot, it suddenly perked up, leapt off the carriage, and circled Charlot a few times, meowing softly before following its owner bato the carriage.

  Venie Arsenault smiled as she hugged her spiritual pet. After waving farewell to Charlot, she sat quietly in her carriage. For a long time, she brooded in silehen, in a low voice, she murmured to herself, “Mr. Meburg will bee a great figure one day.”

  ...

  Charlot, excited to have mastered both Spirit eling and the Cat Transformation Spell, spent the rest of the eveniedly practig these two spells, pying with them tirelessly. The m, he woke up te.

  Just as he got up, Mrs. Nancy brought breakfast to his room and pced a bck-sealed envelope oable.

  Charlot was momentarily stunned. In the Fars Empire, only obituaries for friends aives used bvelopes. Opening it, Charlot sighed softly. It was the obituary for Mrs. Pascal, the receptionist at Kilmainham Prison.

  Recalling the news Mrs. Nancy had brought back the previous day, Charlot was now almost certain that Mrs. Pascal had been killed by Magru Trell. Such timing could not be tal.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Charlot said to Mrs. Nancy, “In three days, a friend of mine will be holding a funeral. I won’t be able to attend. Please go on my behalf and deliver one flor as a funeral gift.”