ALL NOVEL chapter 48 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Brightens the Mood
48: Divine Cat Mii-chan Brightens the Mood
It seems the stable staff will take care of Sumire, so I left it to them. I can’t remove the horse gear myself. After giving Sumire a pat, I asked the stable staff to look after her.
Inside the guild, things were bustling. Hunters equipped with weapons and armor were preparing, and some guild staff were being helped into unfamiliar gear by the hunters.
“Thank you for your hard work, Nero-kun.”
“Really, I almost died. It would have been dangerous without Sumire. I ended up pushing her too hard, considering she’s recovering from illness.”
“Yes… I’ll make sure to thank Sumire later.”
“I think she’d appreciate that.”
“Since there’s nothing else for us to do right now, please rest. Also, I’m sorry, but you’ll need to be on morning duty as well. We’re short on staff.”
“Understood.”
There’s no helping it. Many guild members have already gone out.
When I went to the stable, the staff had just finished washing Sumire, so I gathered water with my Water Skill and blew it away with my Air Skill, saving even more time than before.
I filled a bucket with water and prepared the feed. I didn’t forget to add a bottle of mineral water to the bucket while the staff weren’t looking.
After patting Sumire, I went to the guild’s tavern and managed to get some rest. I was exhausted…
After a few hours of napping, I woke up, but it seemed no one had returned yet. Since I was awake, I decided to handle the bulletin board tasks that were done in Quarto. By the time I finished copying the previous day’s unprocessed notices, Eva arrived.
“Oh? Nero-kun, you can do this work too?”
“Yes. I do this in the morning and work at the purchase counter in the afternoon.”
“Well, Nero-kun, you’re quite the hard worker. Are you being paid properly?”
“I get a thousand Ret per hour, plus a thousand Ret for Mii-chan’s allowance. Though, I haven’t received any payment yet…”
“That’s a reasonable amount. Are you managing with your money?”
“Fortunately, the earnings from labyrinth exploration were good, so I’m fine for now. I don’t have to worry about lodging and meal costs at the moment.”
“Good, remember to let me know if you need anything.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I received a request form from Eva and started writing it on the bulletin board.
Before I knew it, Mii-chan had woken up and was peeking out of the bag, looking at me with a puzzled expression. She seemed to be wondering, “Where am I?”
“This is the Hunter Guild. An emergency happened in the middle of the night, so I’m helping out here.”
“Mii…”
She looked like she was apologizing for not noticing. I patted her head and poured some mineral water into a dish for her.
The day was relatively calm since most of the experienced hunters were out, leaving behind only those handling city-related tasks and new hunters.
When the reception started, it was as leisurely as expected. It wasn’t until later that we received the first update.
The battle at the village was still ongoing. Hunters managed to push back the goblins from the village gates and enter, but they were soon surrounded again. It seems they managed to drive the goblins back from the labyrinth, but there were many injured and seven casualties, including five workers.
Is there a connection between these events? If so, what could be the reason? It got me thinking—are labyrinths really just for the benefit of humans?
Could goblins really be crafting their own weapons and armor? There was that case in Quarto where goblins had an Artifact. Considering that, might the goblins be receiving some benefits from the labyrinth too? I can’t rule out the possibility that labyrinths and their monsters might be interconnected in ways we don’t fully understand.
If the goblin attacks are a diversion, the intelligence of goblins is indeed quite frightening. Maybe I’m overthinking it, but I might bring this hypothesis up with the guild master next time.
“Nero-kun, thank you for your hard work. You can go home and rest now.”
“But, not everyone has returned yet.”
“There are people around during the day, so it’s fine. The ones who went to the labyrinth will be back soon, and the Apothecary Guild is also arranging for help. Plus, we’ll need you in the evening.”
“Understood.”
After saying goodbye to Sumire at the stable, I returned to the inn, had breakfast, and went to bed.
Mii-chan stayed at the guild to help lift the gloomy atmosphere with her charm. I left her with some cat food, mineral water, and a dish for her to use, asking her to do her best.
The alarm went off, and I woke up to find it was evening—setting the alarm was a good call. I must have been in a deep sleep.
I got ready and headed to the Hunter’s Guild. As I entered from the back, Mii-chan jumped on me.
“Good work. Did you eat properly?”
“Mii~”
“Let’s do our best for a little longer.”
“Mii~”
The injured who returned from the labyrinth were being cared for at the Apothecary Guild, and the rest rested before heading to support the village. I felt a bit embarrassed for sleeping through everything.
The lord took the situation seriously and added some of his own soldiers and city guards to the support team. Since then, no updates had come in, so we didn’t know the current situation.
The buyback counter was quiet. No hunters were present in the guild, and the novice hunters had gone home in preparation for the next day. Only Mii-chan’s area was lively. Thanks to her, the guild didn’t turn too gloomy. It’s amazing how Mii-chan alone can brighten up the atmosphere.
“What’s going on over there?”
“The guild master went there too, so it should be fine.”
Henry seemed to trust the guild master a lot. I had checked the guild master’s strength before, and it was as strong as five goblins.
“Is the guild master really that impressive?”
“That person is one of the heroes of this country.”
According to Henry, the guild master was one of the heroes who fought against the Demon King’s army in a great war many years ago. The guild master has earth skills and was among the top five heroes in terms of achievements. He earned his position as a guild executive due to his contributions and is also known by the title “Rage of the Earth.”
So, the strength seen through appraisal must be the base power without skills. The effectiveness of skills can vary based on their usage. I wonder if there’s research on this. Revealing one’s abilities could be risky, so maybe it’s kept secret. There are also abilities considered as otherworldly powers.
The next morning, I was asked to work again by Eva. I wonder if Eva ever sleeps? She seems incredibly tough. Maybe I’m just too weak…
Should I stop by the communal bath with Mii-chan before heading home?
“Mii~”