Shade and Mr. Bernhardt were indeed startled when the cat spoke, and its voice sounded like that of an underage girl.
Mr. Bernhardt looked to Shade for an explanation, but Shade did not know either:
"Sorry, so you knew what we were doing here from the start?"
He asked the cat.
"This is the strangest place nearby. Weren't you looking for this place?"
The cat looked up at Shade and said.
"So you actually have nothing to do with this place? You aren't one of the victims here, nor are you an accomplice of these people?"
The cat licked one of its paws:
"When my corpse entered the sewers, you probably had not even been born yet, and the person beside you was probably not even twenty. I only know about this place. I have nothing to do with them. You are capable people and should be able to help me, so I led you here. Can you help me now? Let's leave at once."
Shade exchanged another look with the Bloodkin Viscount:
"Sorry, I'm not quite sure how to put this. Let me ask this instead: do you know what your current situation is?"
The cat nodded:
"I do. I'm already dead, and I'm very powerful. I've wandered through the sewer pipes for over twenty years."
It answered crisply, then lowered its head to lick its fur again. The fur shifted direction with each lick. Such changes in a body's fur were perfectly normal for an ordinary cat, but for a soul, they were another sign that a powerful vengeful spirit had materialized.
"How did you become like this?"
Shade asked again, while the cat in his arms became somewhat impatient:
"Humans are such a bother. I helped you, so you should help me. Isn't that only right? If