At night, on the southern slope of Iowa, outside the cave on the western side of the castle that had originally been prepared for the Magic Pattern Tiger and the pet Big Cat, a small crowd of assorted felines had taken over the space.
Beside the animals, the Magic Pattern Tiger crouched and introduced them to Landen.
"These are the little ones who helped me clear out the rats before. This one's a Lesser Phantom Leopard. He often lies in wait at the edge of the forest to keep me informed."
Following the tiger's paw with his eyes, Landen saw a patch of leaves ripple. Shimmering light gathered into the shape of a three-meter-long leopard.
"Ha, you've worked hard!" Landen pulled out a large piece of Magic Beast Meat and held it to the leopard's mouth himself. As he watched it eat, he couldn't resist rubbing its head with both hands.
"Yip, yip~" Lesser magic beasts had no ability to resist a High-Rank Mage. The Phantom Leopard simply made a fawning sound, hoping for more food.
"Aw, what a good listener!" The leopard's cooperation delighted Landen, and he fed it another piece of meat.
"This Lynx hasn't yet advanced into a magic beast, but it works tirelessly every day, keeping watch for us from the treetops..."
Like a captain, the Magic Pattern Tiger went through the accomplishments of every feline present, while Landen fed and petted them one by one. By the end, cats of every size had gathered around him. Some licked his hands, some rubbed against his legs, and some pushed against him, making Landen feel like he was handing out cans of cat food at a cat café.
With cats of all sizes pressing against him, Landen was over the moon. "Hahaha, don't mention it! Just keep