ALL NOVEL chapter 70 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Sets Out on a Mission from the Royal Capital
70: Divine Cat Mii-chan Sets Out on a Mission from the Royal Capital
Off to the bazaar for shopping! Since the journey ahead seems long, I’m stocking up on supplies. We have a hungry demon in our party, after all.
I’m buying plenty of fruits, dried fruits, and feed for Sumire, and storing them all in Mii-chan’s bag.
Of course, I haven’t forgotten to look for weapons and armor. Since we’re heading to a neighboring country, we should buy as much as we can and profit from it. If necessary, I could even join the Commercial Guild in the future. I wish I had time to explore the local specialties and famous products of each city.
When we arrived at the royal palace, everything was ready. I packed letters, a seal, twenty gold coins, maps, and other essentials into Mii-chan’s bag. Checking the maps, it seems that with Sumire’s speed, we can reach towns and villages within a day, but there’s one location where we’ll need to camp overnight.
The Brocken Mountains, which were the site of the Demon Lord’s fortress during the era when the Lumière Kingdom fought against the Demon Lord, now mark the current border. This mountain pass will take us two days even with Sumire’s speed. The path is well-maintained and free of bandits. The absence of bandits suggests it’s a monster’s domain…
There is an alternate route, but it would significantly increase the travel time. This is the shortest route available.
Lastly, I received a dagger from the Queen, adorned with the Hildenburg Duchy’s crest.
“Show this to the soldiers when you arrive at the royal palace. It will allow you to meet my father directly. Until then, don’t show it to anyone else.”
When I asked if there was anything else I needed, I mentioned I’d like some ingredients from the royal palace. I was granted permission. Lucky!
As a joke, I asked what would be a good souvenir for the return trip.
“Fish!”
“Indeed, fresh and delicious fish would be ideal. Fruits are also hard to resist. Pearls or coral ornaments would be nice too.”
I’ll do my best, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll meet all your expectations…
“It’s going to be a tough journey, but I’m counting on you. No need for souvenirs; just make sure you come back safe and sound. That’s a promise.”
“Yes. I will definitely deliver the letter to the Duke and return.”
“Be careful.”
Mii-chan and Perro are hugging Neere-sama and Luka, bidding their farewells.
“Perro-chan, Mii-chan…”
“Mew…”
“Mii…”
“I’m so hungry…”
Perro, you’re… The Queen and Nia-san are also trying hard not to laugh… You’re ruining the mood!
“Perro-chan, you really are something. Seeing you makes me strangely feel like everything will be okay.”
Nia-san is nodding, but that’s just a feeling. There’s no doubt about it.
“Leave it to me!”
Alright, let’s get moving quickly. We’ve got a long way ahead of us.
We’re now in the palace kitchen. It seems everyone is very busy preparing lunch.
“Where are you headed?”
The head chef asked me. Not sure how to answer, I looked to Nia-san, who nodded, so I answered honestly.
“I see. To the Duchy of Hildenburg, a country known for its delicious fish dishes. Go and learn from it. Speaking of which, the Duke likes wine from the Forte region. I remember he used to drink it often with the late king… Take whatever ingredients you want.”
Thank you. I’ll just store everything in Mii-chan’s bag… Just kidding.
So the Duke likes wine from the Forte region, huh? Since it’s on the way, maybe I’ll pick some up as a souvenir.
I entered the food storage and received some luxurious ingredients that aren’t normally available. I’m looking forward to eating them. I also got some freshly baked white bread, which is too expensive to buy in the city.
With everything prepared, we set off. We leave the palace with Nia-san seeing us off.
After having lunch at a restaurant, we started our journey. The route to Settimo is just retracing our steps. We exit the south gate of the royal capital, Beruna, and let Smire run freely.
“So fast!”
“Mii~”
Smire is running with such speed it seems like she’s letting off steam. It’s kind of scary. I saw a few goblins in front of us, and Smire just jumped over them and disappeared from sight. I’ve heard there are monsters that can catch up with battle horses, but seeing Smire now, it’s hard to believe such monsters exist.
A few hours later, we arrived in Teruzo. Smire seems to have gotten even faster, doesn’t she? She made a little shiver and a gesture as if asking, “How about it?” Haha…
We booked the same inn we stayed at before, took care of Smire, and then headed to the bazaar. There wasn’t much of interest. Mii-chan yawned on my shoulder, clearly indicating there was nothing here. Only Perro was fascinated by the food stalls. Please, hold on until dinner.
Overall, the three-day journey to Settimo was uneventful. We even stopped by the place where we encountered the bandits before, but there was nothing and no sign of them. From here to Quint is a day’s distance for Smire, but I stifled the urge to return and continued toward the southern Forte.
By the afternoon of the fourth day, we arrived in the city of Forte. It’s a peaceful town compared to the others we’ve seen so far.
The south of the Lumiere Kingdom is a major granary region. It’s a relatively easy-going area with less rain. Once we cross Mount Brocken from here, the climate is said to change drastically to a subtropical one, so the coat I’m wearing will likely be too hot to use.
Mii-chan, are you okay with the heat?
She looked at me with a troubled and cute expression.
“Mii…”