NOVEL NEXT Chapter 206 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, somehow I already understood...
206 Divine Cat Mii-chan, somehow I already understood…
After I finished my report, Ayane-san gently stroked Mii-chan and slowly began to talk about her life.
I wonder how long she talked for… I had her drink mineral water a few times while she spoke, and by the end, Ayane-san seemed quite exhausted. Mii-chan looked up at her, gazing with concern.
Previously, Ayane-san had said that her life was smooth sailing. Indeed, thanks to her oracle skill, she knew the path she should take. No, that’s not quite right. It’s more that, because of her oracle skill, she knew the painful truth—that in order to save many, she would have to sacrifice the powerless few. I can’t even begin to imagine the weight of that burden. Repeating this over and over, she created the current bandit guild. Rather than smooth sailing, it was more of a turbulent life, one that could easily fill the pages of a novel.
Sister Munakata had been crying non-stop since the middle of the story. When I handed her a handkerchief to wipe her tears, she blew her nose so vigorously that I decided to just gift her the handkerchief.
“You might have heard this already, but returning to Japan is likely impossible. I searched for a way myself, but I couldn’t find one. I even asked the gods, but there was no answer. If you properly train your abilities, you can surpass the people of this world in many ways. However, if you neglect to train your heart, you’ll easily fall into darkness. Those who do fall become enemies of the gods and are targeted for elimination by the bandit guild.”
“So, if we fall into darkness, we’ll become targets for elimination?”
“In the past, many people from other worlds without divine protection came to this one. Most of them fell to darkness, succumbing to their powers, but there were also those who lived happy lives until the end. I want you to be among the happy ones. So, train your heart. Choose good over evil, light over darkness, live humbly without drowning in your power. Never forget the ethics and morals you learned in Japan. This is very important.”
“What should we do specifically?”
“Deepen your bonds with many people and nurture love.”
Ayane-san lifted Mii-chan and turned her toward the Munakata siblings.
“You find this kitten cute, don’t you?”
“Mii?”
“Yes.”
“If you fall into darkness, you’ll start wanting to take everything for yourself instead of thinking it’s cute. And if things don’t go your way, you’ll want to destroy it. That’s more evil than any demon lord.”
“Mii…”
“…”
I’m not worried because I have Mii-chan, and I’m too much of a coward to do anything outrageous.
“Mii…”
Mii-chan is giving me a “Really?” kind of look. But isn’t it true that moderation is key in everything?
“Madam, it’s time for you to rest.”
“I’m fine…”
“No, it’s not. Let’s continue another time.”
“Yes, we’ll visit again. Next time, I’ll bring lots of delicious food.”
“Ayane-san, please tell us more stories.”
“After all, you’re our senior from the other world. We’re counting on you!”
“Hehe… ‘senior’ is such a nostalgic word. Yes, I’m a bit tired. Let’s rest…”
“Mii…”
At that moment, Mii-chan was persistently rubbing against and licking Ayane-san. Maybe Mii-chan understood… I never imagined that three days later, I’d hear from Letty that Ayane-san had passed away…
When I returned home, the Munakata siblings seemed fired up, as if meeting Ayane-san had given them something to think about.
After lunch, I went to inspect the village that makes miso and soy sauce. The Munakata siblings looked at me with eyes full of curiosity, wanting to come along even though they didn’t know where I was going. But this time, I wasn’t taking them. Sorry, no matter how much you look at me like that, you’re not coming.
I drove Sumire from Wilhelm to the village, and upon arrival, I found it bustling with activity.
“Mii.”
As we walked toward the center of the village, I saw the village chief directing everyone with a loud voice.
“It seems lively here?”
“What are you saying? You’re the one who ordered the construction of the warehouse, Nero-san!”
Ah, I see. The whole village is involved in building the warehouse. I later found out that even people from nearby villages had come to work here. They’re not only building the warehouse but also making large wooden barrels, so they’re short on hands.
“Still… Isn’t it bigger than planned? And it looks like they’re building two?”
“What are you saying! Of course, we’re building both a miso warehouse and a soy sauce warehouse!”
“But it looks twice as big as the other warehouses…”
“Well, we decided to match the warehouse size with the budget you allocated, Nero-san…”
They’re talking like typical bureaucrats—“Use up the budget by the end of the year.” Well, that’s fine.
“I don’t mind, but will you be able to ensure the production volume matches that scale?”
“Don’t worry about that. The Divine Cat Trading Company is going to buy up everything, so we’ve already reached out to nearby villages to gather raw materials.”
This village is close to Wilhelm, so we can get salt at a reasonable price. That wouldn’t be possible in inland cities like Beruna. It’s a geographical advantage.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Leave it to us. By this time next year, everything will be ready. Hahaha!”
We’ll only be able to start selling in earnest next year. Until then, we’ll have to manage with the remaining stock of miso and soy sauce in the village. Honestly, the inventory is running low. It’s a good problem to have, though. I’ve also asked the village chief to increase the production of glutinous rice. While this year’s harvest won’t make it in time, they’re planning to expand the planting area for next year. Of course, they’re also reaching out to nearby villages.
I’m excited to see the production increase since miso and soy sauce are key products for the Divine Cat Trading Company.
“Mii.”