Chapter 10: Meows Shouldn't Be That Hard

"Argh!"

A small creature appeared from the door, screaming. It was tiny, barely tall enough to reach Trad's knees.

The creature was covered in white fur, resembling a cat. On its head was a thick black fabric, shaped like a cap, and around its small neck, a thin red scarf was awkwardly tied close to its chest.

Its large, expressive green eyes gleamed like a cat's, and honestly, its entire face was feline. Aside from a pair of black shorts, the creature was shirtless.

Right after its outburst, it grabbed a handful of sticks and started throwing them at Trad, who raised his arms to shield himself.

"Hey, what's your problem?"

"Get away from my home!"

"Wait! I'm not here to do anything bad!"

"Don't lie to me! I can smell that disgusting human stench all over you!"

"What? Do I smell that bad?"

"Yes! Now get out!"

"Hold on! At least hear me—"

Before he could finish, the creature ran out of sticks and hurled a pan at Trad, smacking him right on the head.

"..."

Trad stood there silently as irritation began bubbling inside him.

"So that's how you want to play it, huh..."

"W-wait," the creature stammered, raising its tiny fists in a defensive stance. "You said you didn't have bad intentions!"

"Guess what..." Trad smirked. "I was wrong."

Trad lunged forward to grab it, but the creature was surprisingly fast, darting away on all fours and disappearing deeper into the forest.

"So... he attacked me and then just ran away?..." Trad sighed, dropping his bag to the ground. "Well, if he cares about this house, he'll come back."

Night was starting to fall, so Trad decided to squeeze through the small doorway the creature had left open. It was a tight fit, forcing him to crouch just to get inside.

The interior was simple. A bed made of dry straw lay on the floor, and in one corner sat a small lantern beside an assortment of tools—saws, knives, and other metal scraps. Nearby, a worn red carpet covered part of the floor.

Trad was exhausted. Without thinking much of it, he collapsed onto the straw bed and shut his eyes.

The forest outside was alive with sound, but strangely, it wasn't unpleasant. There was something peaceful about the natural hum of the night.

Some time passed before the small creature returned. Slowly, it nudged the door open, sniffing the air, clearly aware that Trad was still inside.

Instead of attacking him directly, the creature crept quietly toward the corner, eyes locked on one of the knives. It grabbed the handle gently, trying not to make a sound.

But just as it turned to face the bed...

"Hello..."

Trad was standing right behind it, bent over with his hands resting on the creature's tiny shoulders. Startled, the creature dropped the knife on the floor.

"I gotta say, I'm a little offended," Trad said. "Here I was, trying to be friendly, and you were already plotting to kill me? How's that fair?"

The creature didn't reply. It just stood there, frozen in shock.

Trad wasn't sure if the little guy was overreacting or if he was just genuinely that weak. Either way, it was kind of pathetic.

"But don't worry," Trad continued. "Lucky for you, I'm a humble and generous person. I wouldn't hurt someone like you..."

"Really?..." the creature asked cautiously.

"Of course! As long as you're willing to cooperate."

"Cooperate? I thought you were humble, not a freeloader!"

"So you're saying no?"

"N-no..."

"Good choice."

Trad released its shoulders, but the moment he stepped back, the creature bolted for the door again.

This time, though, Trad was ready. Thanks to his athletic reflexes, he snatched the creature by its red scarf before it could escape.

"You really thought I'd fall for the same trick twice? What do you take me for?"

"S-so..." The creature struggled to breathe as the scarf tightened around its neck. "What do you want from me?"

"It's simple."

Trad loosened his grip and let the creature fall to the floor, gasping for air.

"You're going to help me escape from here."