NOVEL NEXT Chapter 221 - Divine Cat Mii-chan worked hard today.
221 Divine Cat Mii-chan worked hard today.
What an awkward atmosphere…
“What kind of food did ‘Grand Wilhelm Nord’ serve?”
“Hmm, here it is.”
Oh, okonomiyaki?! I take a bite. It’s topped with a sweet and savory soy sauce base, instead of the usual sauce, and the mayo is drizzled in a lattice pattern. This is a refreshing take on okonomiyaki… and delicious. The chef at ‘Grand Wilhelm Nord’ is formidable.
“This is delicious. It seems like the same sauce that comes with Nero’s fried dish.”
“What I serve is a slightly modified version of it.”
“I see. Your shop’s food pairs well with ale, Nero.”
Of course, of course! Fried food and ale are a perfect match! Though, I wish I had some edamame… Wait, edamame? That’s it! Why didn’t I think of it earlier? We have soybeans, so we should have edamame too, right? I could even make zunda like I had at my grandma’s place. Oh, I’ll go look for some tomorrow! They should have it in the village where they make miso and soy sauce. This is exciting.
…But these two are still sulking, aren’t they?
“It seems that the Demon King from the west and the Goblin King in Lumière have started a conflict.”
“What?!”
The western highway connects Lumière and Hildenburg. It’s currently blocked off, but it’s still close to Hildenburg. With no fortress between the two cities, if the fighting spreads, things could get bad.
“Don’t panic. This won’t escalate right away.”
“But we must hasten the construction of a fortress now that this has happened.”
“It’s still just a skirmish. What we need to worry about is the eastern forces. They seem to be smoldering, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they moved soon.”
It’s all unfolding as King Fang predicted.
“Quickly make contact with the Lord of Brocken Mountain. With Nero involved, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Do you think we can hold them off?”
“They’ll hesitate a bit. It should buy us some time.”
“Will you lend us a hand?”
“Do you think I would?”
“…”
“You have flying dragons at your disposal. Deal with it yourselves. Or have you grown so complacent that you can’t win without help? Hildenburg has certainly fallen from grace. If he heard about it, he’d lament the incompetence of his descendants.”
“Grr…”
Haha… this is giving me a stomachache.
“…Let’s go back.”
The Grand Duke left.
“Did you really have to go that far?”
“No, that was just right. This country hasn’t faced a major battle since its founding, thanks to the flying dragons. Like I said before, they’ve grown complacent, thinking I’ll save them if something happens. But a Demon King isn’t so easy to defeat with such half-hearted resolve. Since there’s no hero summoned right now, we have to defeat him with the people of this world. Well, we’ve got Nero, though.”
“No, no, I’m not a hero, okay? How many times do I have to tell you!”
“Then ask the gods to summon a hero.”
“And how exactly would I do that?”
“I don’t know.”
Of course, you don’t… I wonder, under what circumstances do gods summon heroes? It feels like we’re in a pretty precarious situation, but would they only intervene if there’s massive damage?
King Flame seemed eager to visit more food stalls with a mug of ale in hand, so I handed him some small change. I’m sure he’ll come back once he runs out.
“Big trouble, nya!”
Perro came running over. Did something happen?
“Everyone’s hungry, nya!”
Sigh… Hungry? Aren’t you always hungry, Perro?
“No, nya. It’s the kids, nya.”
After hearing the story, it turns out some lost children are starving. Well, that’s a problem. The children left at the daycare are fine since their parents paid for their care, but what about these lost kids? Should I consult with the head of the Commercial Guild?
I asked Perro to bring the guild master over, and while I waited, I kept working as usual.
“Understood. We’ll handle it on our side. I’ll ask the food vendors to help. They shouldn’t refuse.”
So, the plan is to ask the food vendors to provide food instead of money. Nice idea, guild master!
“Perro, go to Mii-chan and tell her to set up the Divine Cat Trading Company.”
“Got it, nya!”
I’d considered the problem of lost children, but not the fact that they’d be hungry. I’ll have to keep that in mind for next time.
According to the guild master, the daycare is completely full. It’s half children and half “moflers” (fluffy creatures). I feel conflicted knowing the moflers are snuggling with Lu-kun and the others along with the children. But I’ll let it slide since the guild master is making money off the moflers. It’s kind of like a cat café in this world, isn’t it? Hmm… could this work?
The Ale Garden ends when the eleventh bell rings. As the tenth bell chimes, fireworks are launched from the harbor. Compared to Japanese fireworks, the colors and size aren’t impressive, but the Grand Duke paid for them out of his own pocket. I’m grateful for that. Watching the fireworks marked the end of the first day of the Ale Garden.
I’m exhausted…
“Mii~”