The entire council chamber was swallowed by azure lightning.
The scoundrels who had been shouting moments before now trembled in terror. Several lost control of their sphincters on the spot.
Later, the official story would be that an electrical malfunction in the council hall caused a number of councilors to experience temporary excretory failure, requiring hospitalization.
According to one human doctor's recollection. "That was a very, very smelly day. A smell I will never forget."
Later still, the official investigation report from the High claw Group was released.
All councilors unanimously concluded that High claw Group was a responsible and trustworthy company.
That King Garfield was a paragon of virtue and talent. A cosmic role model. A guiding light leading the universe into a new era.
Tens of thousands of words of praise.
Garfield felt a little embarrassed. It was too much for a cat.
(^❔^)
After gaining a new understanding of her boss, Jean decided to change her strategy.
She moved from simple cat-petting to full-blown worship.
And lately, she had zero interest in going to work. She kept pestering Garfield to take her as an apprentice.
"Boss! Please take me as your disciple!"
Garfield told her for the hundredth time, as she knelt beside him. "You can't learn this. Your bloodline can't control lightning."
Jean frowned. "Bloodline? What do you mean?"
Garfield explained: "My direct blood relatives. Ideally, my offspring or something similar."
Offspring were obviously out of the question. "Does a goddaughter count?"
"No."
"Then why don't you just give me some of your blood, boss?"
Garfield shook his head. "A direct transfusion. Eighty percent chance you won't survive the erosion of my bloodline. You'd explode and die."
Jean's eyes lit up. "Isn't there a twenty percent chance?"
Garfield continued to undermine her. "Eight percent chance of becoming a monster. Ten percent chance of becoming an idiot."
"The remaining one percent? Either mutation or if the stars align success."
"Even if you succeed," he added, "you might not perfectly inherit my power."
Jean flopped onto the ground in frustration, wailing with resentment. "So there's really no chance? I want to be that cool!"
"I want to electrocute those scumbags into the hospital!"
Garfield watched her roll around for a moment. Then, after some consideration, he thought of a way.
This method was... ingenious. And complicated.
It involved granting Jean the right to use his power in his name. That required Garfield to possess sufficient divine power in this universe to guide her.
He leaned on her head and sighed. "Alright. There is a way for you to wield lightning. But you should be prepared for the price."
Jean looked up. She was already a cat lover. What price couldn't she pay?
"Boss, look at me. I'm a lifelong cat slave. What price can't I pay?"
Garfield's expression turned serious.
He tried to scare her. "You need to understand. This path is not simple. You must serve me as your master."
"And even after death, your soul will belong to me. Through countless lifetimes."
Jean hesitated. Then, cautiously. "Boss... do souls really exist?"
Garfield nodded. "Yes. There are gods in this universe. Not powerful aliens. True gods."
"And what about you, boss?"
Garfield blinked innocently. "I'm just a cute, kind, and weak orange cat."
(^❔^)
*How terrifying.* (ﾟ◇ﾟ)
"Boss, to be honest? I've never seen anyone so shameless in character. You're the first."
Garfield pointed a paw at the door. "Get out, you round thing."
Jean grabbed his tail. "Boss, no! It's not like we're in some love triangle! We're just your human servants!"
She saw her boss's paw crackling with summoned lightning and immediately changed her tune. "No! Just cat slaves!"
Seeing her change of heart, Garfield withdrew the lightning.
"Since that's the case, I'll accept you as my follower. My name is Garfield-Pando-Godzilla. Also known as Garfield-Odinson. Each name represents a different power system."
Jean's jaw dropped. "Wait. Boss, you have *two* names with *two* different power systems?"
Garfield gestured for her to sit up straight. He pulled out a small blackboard.
"To ordinary people, a name is just a label. But in the mystical realm, a name represents your body and your soul."
"Gods and demons can use your name to track your soul. To seize your body."
"A god's name carries divine power. When you insult it, humiliate it, curse it, or pray to it, all of that reaches the god directly."
"Based on their own nature and your devotion, the god will decide whether to help you through difficulties, grant your wishes, change your fate, or bestow power."
Garfield drew on the blackboard as he spoke. "Gods also have different systems based on the magnitude of their power."
"The general categories are Life, Death, Light, and Darkness."
"Then there are elemental systems. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, and Thunder."
He wrote and drew, explaining carefully to help Jean build a deeper understanding.
By the time he finished explaining the power systems, it was lunchtime. Garfield set down the chalk.
"That's enough for today. This afternoon, I'll explain the development of religion, how believers should conduct themselves, and the basic rules."
"Okay!"
Jean happily followed Garfield to lunch.
She was thrilled.
Having her own boss here meant no tedious company chores, no worrying about meals, and best of all the occasional opportunity to scratch that orange belly and indulge in some serious cat-petting.
They arrived at the restaurant. The food had already been delivered.
Braised pork ribs. Kung Pao chicken. Stir-fried chicken gizzards. A large bucket of rice. Seafood soup.
Garfield was quite satisfied, even if there weren't many vegetables.
He gestured for Jean and Qui-Gon Jinn to take their portions of rice, then began to devour.
Though the dish names were original, the ingredients had been carefully sourced from across the universe.
That was why Jean lingered here.
Qui-Gon quickly slurped down a few bites.
He knew that once he'd eaten his fill, the rest would be swallowed whole by the orange cat's bottomless stomach.
They ate in silence.
During lunch, the two humans and one cat never spoke.
If you did, you'd miss several bites of food.
After lunch came naptime.
Garfield lay contentedly on his soft mattress, enjoying the warm sunshine and plush cushions.
It would be even better if Jean, who was snoring like a cargo ship taking off, weren't nearby.
A grown woman snoring like that. He wondered if she'd ever get married.
After naptime came afternoon tea.
And finally, just before dinner, Garfield found a small window of time to share a prayer with her.
Religious beliefs...