ALL NOVEL chapter 68 - The Divine Cat, Mii-chan, Flees in Terror
68 The Divine Cat, Mii-chan, Flees in Terror
The next morning—or rather, it’s not morning anymore. Looking at the watch given by the prime minister, it’s already eleven o’clock. We went to bed late last night, so it’s this time now.
“Mii~”
“Good morning.”
Mii-chan seems to have woken up as well. But where’s Perro? The carrier bag is on the table, but Perro isn’t inside. I checked under the bed too, but he’s not there. Has he already gotten up and gone outside?
“Mii~”
Mii-chan is on the sink, calling me. Did he get bedhead or something? When I checked, I found Perro curled up in his cat form on the sink. It’s impressive—how did he move from the carrier bag to here?
“Mii~?”
Mii-chan looks just as puzzled.
“Good morning?”
Perro still doesn’t realize where he is.
“What’s this? Why am I here? Nero, you’re terrible! To make a poor Perro sleep in such a place! You’re a devil!”
“It’s not like that…”
“Mii~”
“Hmm? Is that not the case?”
I had to explain the truth and the ordeal to Perro, and after hearing it, he sulked in a corner of the room.
“Mii~”
Mii-chan is patting Perro’s back to comfort him. Mii-chan is such a kind soul.
When I mentioned going out for lunch, Perro bounced back to his usual self. Isn’t he a bit too easy to please?
When I went to the stables to take care of Sumire, she was quite cross again. It was because I didn’t attend to her morning needs. Well, we were out late last night too, right? Give me a break, Sumire. If it was that important, you should have told me. Fair point, indeed.
At the inn’s dining area, they offered to make lunch free of charge since I missed dinner and breakfast. That was a relief.
While eating lunch, I pondered about Mii-chan’s necklace with the red gem.
When I first appraised it, it was identified as a key but not as an Artifact (AF). However, now it appraises as an AF. What exactly is an AF? One possible explanation is that the divine power associated with it might have been waning, but since Mii-chan has been carrying it, the divine power could have been replenished. This seems like the most logical explanation, though the truth is unknown. It would be interesting to verify this if the opportunity arises.
Next, I’m heading to the royal palace to deliver the mafia documents to the queen. It’s best to act quickly in such matters to avoid giving the other party time to prepare.
I rode Sumire to the royal palace, and upon showing the seal, Lady Nia quickly came to meet us. Sumire, too, strutted off to the stable with a sense of pride. Our womenfolk are quite the big shots.
“Oh, Nero. I’m so glad you came so early.”
“Not ‘cat-chan,’ but Perro-chan.”
“…Perro-chan.”
“That’s right.”
“Perro-chan!”
Perro is being cuddled, petted, and licked by Lady Reine and Luka.
Lady Nia, understanding the unspoken cue, swiftly took Mii-chan from me and brought him to the queen. I wonder why…
“Mii-chan is so adorable today, too. The blue ribbon suits you perfectly.”
“Mii~”
Lady Nia gestures for me to take a seat in the chair opposite the queen. It’s always nerve-wracking being in front of royalty.
After Lady Nia pours the tea and we settle down, the queen begins to speak.
“It seems you were quite active yesterday, Nero-kun.”
“Do you already know about it?”
“Hehe… Even so, I have my personal sources of information.”
“I see, so the queen’s title is not just for show. In a way, that’s reassuring.”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of guild staff picking a fight with the guild itself, but it was quite refreshing and uplifting.”
“Well, from a third-party perspective, it might seem that way, but there’s someone here who might end up losing their job because of it…”
“Oh, Nero-kun, are you thinking of quitting the Hunter Guild?”
“I’m not sure yet, but it’s almost like declaring war on the Hunter Guild headquarters.”
“In that case, I’ll hire you. If I hire you, Mii-chan and Perro-chan will come along as well, won’t they? Hehe…”
It seems like the main intention might be to hire you, but it could be a good opportunity. If that happens, I look forward to working with you.
“So, is there anything else that brought you here today?”
Mii-chan retrieves the documents from yesterday’s stash and presents them to the queen.
“Do you want me to look at this?”
“Yes, it’s something I found at the mafia’s hideout.”
As the queen examines the contents, her beautiful face becomes increasingly stern. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Mii-chan makes a beeline for Luka, away from the tense situation. Clever move, Mii-chan!
“If you hand this over to the Hunter Guild headquarters, it will surely lead to a high-ranking official being involved.”
“Unfortunately, I’ve already had a confrontation with the headquarters and don’t know what kind of people the higher-ups there are. From what I’ve experienced, I’ve judged that only Her Majesty the Queen can effectively handle this.”
“You’re complimenting me, aren’t you?”
“Of course. My intuition tells me, far more strongly than it would with the Prime Minister, not to oppose Her Majesty. I’m cautious, but not foolish. If I’m to be swept up, I’d prefer to be swept up by something even greater.”
“Call Adelbert immediately. It’s a royal command.”
Nia-san is giving instructions to the waiting maidens.
“What kind of reward would you like? It seems you didn’t accept the one for Luca-chan. Was money not to your liking?”
What a sly way of putting it. She’s smiling, but her eyes aren’t. It’s clear she’s doing it on purpose… Is she testing me?
“Luca is not for sale. He’s a poor child who lost his mother and has no idea where his siblings are. I thought he and Lady Lene, who also has few friends in the palace and must feel lonely, could bond as they both understand loneliness. So, I don’t need a reward. Please take good care of Luca.”
“I see… then what should the reward be?”
“I leave that to you. However, I want the people named here to receive proper justice. They have caused much suffering and death to those without power, exploiting and feeding off them. Death would be too light a punishment.”
“I will do my best, but how much I can accomplish is uncertain… Is that acceptable?”
“If it’s impossible for Her Majesty, then it’s impossible for anyone.”
“I will strive to meet your expectations.”
Indeed, this person is intimidating.
I need to be careful…