NOVEL NEXT Chapter 204 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, Knowledge of Grandma's Wisdom
204 Divine Cat Mii-chan, Knowledge of Grandma’s Wisdom
I helped out during the busy lunch hour, and after eating, I headed to the royal palace. Of course, I couldn’t just walk in, so I showed my handprint to the guard. Sumire seemed offended, giving a little shiver. Mii-chan, riding on Sumire’s head, comforted her by gently stroking her with her paw.
After a while, the usual butler, who serves the Grand Duke, arrived and guided me to his presence.
“I heard you scattered the rebel army. You did it quite spectacularly, didn’t you?”
“Well now, I wonder what you’re referring to.”
I hadn’t even finished my greeting in his office when he hit me with that line. Well, it was true…
“So, where are your usual companions today?”
“I hurried over, so they’re staying at my house in the royal capital.”
“Oh? You’ve got a house in Beruna? It seems the Divine Cat Trading Company is thriving.”
“Thanks to you.”
Since it was just Mii-chan and me today, the maids seemed disappointed. Mii-chan, noticing them, trotted over and gave a little meow.
“Mii~”
The maids, recognizing this as her signal for cuddles, rushed over and took turns holding her, grinning with delight. Mii-chan is quite the talented kitten-girl.
The Grand Duke chuckled. I handed him the letter the Queen had entrusted to me.
“Hmm, from Anneliese, is it?”
While sipping tea, the Grand Duke read the letter, and I watched as Mii-chan enjoyed being cuddled.
“I see… So it’s that country pulling strings behind the scenes. The letter says I should get the details from you. Will you tell me?”
“Is now a good time?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
With that, I began explaining what had happened since I returned from Wilhelm to Beruna.
“I see… So there were heroes involved. It’s fortunate that two of them agreed to be persuaded. Anything more would just be greed.”
“That might be true, but I regret not being able to convince them, especially with Rotalingia potentially using them.”
“Rotalingia… quite dangerous. The previous king wasn’t so ambitious. He wasn’t incompetent, but as he grew older, he became more preoccupied with romantic affairs. He pestered Anneliese to marry him more than once.”
Well, the Queen is beautiful.
“Toward the end of his reign, his sons died one after another from illness. That’s how the current Fifth Prince took the throne. Given the new king’s ambitions… wouldn’t you say?”
“It’s certainly possible.”
“I just hope nothing unfortunate happens to the remaining three princes.”
“Indeed.”
At this point, I shared my hypothesis, which I had discussed with the Guildmaster and the Queen.
“You think the Demon King is also pulling the strings?”
“More like he’s subtly guiding events.”
“Interesting… No Demon King has ever used such methods before. From what I know, they take pleasure in subjugating others by force… hmm.”
“People come in all types. Perhaps the same can be said for Demon Kings?”
“Perhaps even Demon Kings change over time…”
I’m not sure. I’ve never seen a book about Demon Kings. Maybe there’s something in the royal palace’s library, but it’s likely off-limits.
“I need to report to the Fierce King as well, but…”
“There’s a supply ship heading to the island the day after tomorrow. You can go with them.”
“Thank you. I was wondering how I’d get there.”
Should I leave one of the teleportation seals there? I’ve used three of them so far, so I still have two left, but I don’t plan on visiting often. I’ll ask the Fierce King for advice when I meet him.
After that, the Grand Duke asked me about Lady Leene, and we discussed what gift might delight her for her upcoming autumn birthday celebration. I simply told him that what she needs most right now is a human friend.
Back at the Divine Cat Trading Company, I helped Alex and the others while preparing something special. I wrote on a large sign: “Today’s Special: Ice-cold Ale and Frozen Ale” and posted it outside the shop. I also prepared skewers with three fried chicken pieces as snacks. I made sure to wash and dry the mugs thoroughly, since leftover dirt in the mugs would make the ale foam too much when poured. Did you know? After washing a beer mug, you should never dry it with a towel. That’s grandma’s wisdom.
“Mii~”
As I was thinking about that, the first customer arrived—a slightly tired-looking man.
“Is it really that cold?”
“Of course!”
“Then I’ll have one.”
“Coming right up!”
“Mii~”
He gulped it down in one go, like something out of a commercial.
“Ahh! That’s good! Another!”
The déjà vu from this scene wasn’t lost on me, and it seemed to affect not just the customers but also passersby.
“Give me a pint too!”
“Me too!”
Orders started pouring in, and the crowd grew bigger by the minute. We had to ask customers to move to the side of the store, but the demand for ale only increased, and soon, the fried chicken skewers were sold out.
This was far beyond what I had expected. Claudia even had to jump in to help, and despite the high prices, the orders kept coming. Wilhelm has a subtropical climate, so the ice-cold ale must have been perfect for this hot summer season. I’ve never tried it myself, though.
However, this situation wasn’t sustainable. Regrettably, I had to announce that we were sold out, which was met with some complaints from the customers.
This will definitely be a hit, but I need to make sure we’re better prepared next time. I’ve got some ideas. I’ll likely involve the Commercial Guild and will need people with water-related skills. Time to think this over.
But I’ve got a feeling this is going to get really interesting. What do you think, Mii-chan?
“Mii!”