NOVEL NEXT Chapter 205 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, Kind as Always
205 Divine Cat Mii-chan, Kind as Always
I wanted to visit the village where they make miso and soy sauce, but it’s not feasible time-wise, so I’ll postpone it until tomorrow.
Alex and Claudia decided to keep the store open a bit longer, so I told them I was heading home and returned to my place. Sumire pouted, saying, “If you’re not going, then just say so!” Afterward, I made sure to give her plenty of attention. Yes, indeed.
When I walked into the living room, a sense of déjà vu washed over me.
“Nya! The princess and Nero are back, nya!”
“Stop standing around, come on, sit down and drink! Drink!”
“Nero-san! We earned money on our own!”
“Nyan-sensei is so strong, it’s amazing!”
“Oh, you can praise me more if you’d like, nya~.”
“The party’s definitely stronger now. I think we could even explore a labyrinth. All we really need is a tank.”
“W-Will you take me along too?”
“Once you’ve trained a little more, Yan, we’ll take you.”
“I’ll do my best!”
“A labyrinth, huh… should I go too?”
“Jin-chan, are you serious?”
“If we don’t have a tank, I’ll fill that role. It’s our duty as veterans to guide the next generation.”
“Jin’s saying something reasonable… is it going to rain tomorrow?”
“Shut up!”
It seemed like they were using the occasion to celebrate the Mukata siblings becoming hunters… but honestly, they just wanted an excuse to have a party. Even Letty-san joined in this time.
“Boy. Tomorrow, the Lady Grandmother wishes to meet with you. A carriage will arrive to pick you up in the morning. Understood?”
“Yes, please. Both of you, we’ll be heading out early tomorrow, so be ready.”
“Got it!”
The party lasted late into the night… though I went to bed quickly after finishing the proposal I needed to take to the Commercial Guild.
In the morning, after having breakfast, I kicked the sleepy Mukata siblings out of bed and got them dressed in new clothes. We boarded the carriage that came to pick us up, with Letty-san joining us.
Rather than heading to the noble district like last time, we were taken to a different location, blindfolded as we walked. Honestly, with my map skills, this was pointless… but we arrived at the same room as before.
Ayane-san looked much better; though she was still in bed, she sat up, waiting for us.
“Thank you for coming. I am Ayane Kanzaki. I am from the same homeland as you.”
“I am Kaori Mukata.”
“I am Saizo Mukata.”
“You look well, Ayane-san.”
“Yes, thanks to the divine water from Mii-chan’s kin, I’m feeling much better.”
“Mii~”
Mii-chan rubbed up against Ayane-san and licked her gently. It seemed like Mii-chan’s way of showing concern. Her expression seemed to ask, “Are you alright?” as she gazed up at Ayane-san.
“Your familiar is truly kind.”
“Mii~”
Three chairs had been prepared by the bed, and Ayane-san gestured for us to sit. Letty-san leaned against the door, keeping a watchful eye to ensure no one approached.
Before we started talking, I pulled out baked pudding and dorayaki made by the royal chef from Mii-chan’s bag and handed them out. Since Mii-chan only cared about the red bean paste, I gave her the filling from my dorayaki. The outer layer was delicious…
“Mii~”
Everyone enjoyed the familiar flavors from our homeland, especially Letty-san, who had a particular fondness for sweets.
“Sigh… you’re lucky to have Nero with you. In this world, spices and seasonings are both expensive and rare, so they’re hard to come by. The food is tasty, but the flavors are quite monotonous. For someone from Japan like me, it’s been a struggle.”
“I felt the same when I was in Rotalingia. I always wished for more distinct flavors.”
“Even though I was in the royal palace and had access to sweets, they would sometimes sprinkle sugar over fruit… honestly, I couldn’t believe it.”
Sugar is expensive, so it’s definitely a luxury. I don’t know much about the food culture in Rotalingia, but the royal chef in Lumière sure knows how to make a variety of dishes. Maybe it’s just the difference between countries?
After finishing the sweets, I handed out mineral water to Ayane-san and Mii-chan. I regularly give Ayane-san some of Mii-chan’s special mineral water.
“It’s like nectar…”
“Mii~”
“Is the water really that delicious?”
Ayane-san glanced at me, but I shook my head.
“This is precious water that’s very hard to come by. Nero goes out of his way to get it for me, knowing I’ve been unwell.”
“Oh, I see…”
The siblings and Letty-san looked curious, but I told them, maybe next time. For now, I gave them fruit-infused water instead.
After a moment of relaxation, we began discussing the current situation.
“I see… so they’ve been harboring darkness from the start. That’s incredibly dangerous.”
“Do you think they’ve fallen to the darkness?”
“If that were the case, divine revelations would have been given to more than just me.”
“So, it’s up to the individual now?”
“Yes… if someone can support their heart, perhaps they can avoid falling into darkness.”
“I’ve heard that those seniors were childhood friends.”
“In that case, they might be alright.”
I hope so. But childhood friends are still just people, and from what I’ve seen, they don’t seem particularly close. Relationships change a lot, especially during adolescence. And Endo-kun, the one with the darkness, even kept his engagement to the princess a secret.
I’m not too worried about the yankee guy, but Okumura-san is a concern.
“Mii…”