NOVEL NEXT Chapter 197 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, Trust is Important.
197: Divine Cat Mii-chan, Trust is Important.
That night was a banquet… It can’t be helped. With the success of this mission, the defeat of the rebel army, and the welcome party for the Munakata siblings all overlapping, this was bound to happen.
“Mii~”
As night fell, when Yuri-san returned with Sera, the atmosphere became even more lively with the beautiful return.
“Nero-san, are you a harem guy? How pathetic…”
“Sis, what do you mean by harem? Just having Letty-san and Yuri-san doesn’t count as a harem, does it?”
“Too naïve, Toshi. Look at all these cute girls, including Mii-chan!”
Well, aside from Mii-chan and Sera, they’re all guys…
The banquet continued late into the night. I ended up going to sleep in my room partway through. Of course, Mii-chan did too. Staying up late is the enemy of beautiful fur.
“Mii~”
The next morning, no one from the banquet group woke up. Well, that’s fine… After having breakfast with Pero and the Yan family, I’m now squishing Mii-chan and Kai.
It seems that Pero and the others are not taking on any guild requests today, as they’ll be receiving training from Jin-san and the others. Yan-kun has been fidgeting with a bow and dagger since he woke up, but are the instructors still in dreamland? So it feels like his enthusiasm is going to waste.
Ilze-san and Kaya-chan went out as usual with their stall drawn by Balo. It’s still early morning, but apparently, the regular hunter customers are already waiting. Good, good.
Mii-chan and I plan to go to the palace to report to the queen and then visit Guild Leader Zest to get the Munakata siblings their Hunter Guild certificates. I need to bring the Munakata siblings along, but I’m actually anxious about it… in various ways.
After that, I’ll need to report to King Reitoh and Duke Hildenburg. If we teleport to Hildenburg, we can get there quickly, so it can wait until tomorrow. I don’t plan on bringing the Munakata siblings; if they ask to meet, I’ll think about it then.
I also want to take them to Ayane-san. I’ll have Letty-san arrange an appointment. It looks like things are going to get busy.
Huh? What? Mii-chan, am I always busy moving around? Mii-chan, if you say that, then it’s over. Even if I’m busy, it feels fulfilling, like I’m really living, and instead of being hard, it makes me happy. I wonder if you can understand that?
“Mii~”
Mii-chan looks at me and nods. Kai imitates her, nodding as well, which is quite heartwarming. I want to give them both some love. Just then, Lou-kun and Ral-kun come over and start a play attack. So, I take Mii-chan and Kai outside to the terrace, placing them on a sunny table to bask in the sun, while I throw a handmade fabric ball for Lou-kun and Ral-kun to fetch. My throwing skill has improved, so it’s quite good.
Lou-kun and Ral-kun energetically run toward the ball. I wonder if I could make a flying disc; I think they’d be thrilled. Maybe I could carve a wooden plate thinly to make it, or a boomerang might be fun too. Making a leather ball could also be a good idea. I heard that the inflatable part of old soccer balls used to be made from cow bladders; could I use something from a monster in this world as a substitute? If I could, I’d love to spread soccer in this world! There’s not much entertainment, so it might catch on.
Speaking of lack of entertainment, classic transfer items like playing cards and reversi already exist in this world. It seems they were spread by predecessors who came here. Chess and shogi don’t exist, so I might try making those. It sounds difficult, but I bet the Chancellor would get hooked. Should I create custom ones and sell them at an inflated price? That would be great.
Now that the Munakata siblings have joined the Divine Cat Association, it’s not a bad idea to kick things off in earnest. With their knowledge added, we should be able to create things that sell in this world. We have capital, knowledge, and we can figure out sales channels. This is… going to be great. I should consult with Katia-san.
By the way, Lou-kun and Ral-kun are monsters! My arms are already tired… Speaking of which, they both are monster monsters…
When the ninth bell rang, the banquet group finally came down. They smelled of alcohol, so I sent them straight to the bath. By the time the tenth bell rang, everyone gathered in the living room. It seems we’ll be heading to the palace in the afternoon.
“Ugh, my head really hurts.”
“Well, it was fun, so it’s fine, right?”
“Ah, it feels good to have slept so well for the first time in a while!”
“Sis, you always sleep like a log, don’t you…”
The banquet group has a late breakfast and seems to be planning a mock battle outside with Pero and the others. Yuri-san and Letty-san went back to bed. Since the Munakata siblings are participating in the mock battle, I’ll tell them not to overdo it since we’re heading out in the afternoon.
I’m having a chat with Lucas-san and Katia-san. I’ve brought Mii-chan and Kai to the office, which I rarely visit. We’re just having tea and chatting, but Katia-san is making the tea for us. I served Mii-chan and Kai some mineral water.
“So, what’s the discussion about?”
“The two who came this time will work at the Divine Cat Association.”
“Is that alright? I’ve heard they’re the hero…”
“They just have the potential to become heroes. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“But will the country let that slide?”
“I’ll make sure they’re not involved in matters related to the country.”
“Mii~”
“Is that possible?”
“If it’s not possible, we’ll just have to leave this country.”
“…”
“I’ll manage things regarding everyone. If possible, I’d like you to come along, but if you don’t want to, I’ll help you find other jobs.”
“I’m not sure about the others, but we’ll follow you, Nero-sama.”
“Just like Lucas said, we owe you a debt we can never repay, Nero-sama.”
“I’m relieved… I was worried you’d say to do as you please.”
“Mii~”
“Nero-sama is our master. Just a single command to follow you is enough for us.”
“We serve you, Nero-sama.”
I’m almost in tears…
“Thank you. So, can we drop the honorifics from now on?”
“That’s not acceptable. It wouldn’t set an example for others, and people might look down on you, Nero-sama.”
“Then it’s fine if there are no others around, right?”
“That’s not acceptable. You never know who might be listening. Nero-sama, you often come up in conversations, both good and bad. There are many who would try to take advantage of you.”
Is that so? Oh dear, that’s scary…
“Well then, could you please at least call me that when we’re in this room?”
“Sigh… It can’t be helped. If you say that, I can’t refuse. Is ‘Nero-san’ acceptable?”
“It’s fine to just call me Nero… but I’ll compromise.”
I got a glare from Lucas-san and Katia-san… It doesn’t really suit me to be called that. But it feels like this has brought us closer together. I feel like our mutual trust has deepened because of this.
“Mii~”