ALL NOVEL chapter 71 - Divine Cat Mii-chan is Asked for Help.
71 Divine Cat Mii-chan is Asked for Help.
While shopping at the bazaar in the town of Forte, I inquired about the local alcohol.
It seems that ale is quite delicious around here, and the wine from the mountain villages is famous. I made sure to buy a little of everything being sold at the bazaar. I heard that selling them in Hildenburg would fetch a high price. Ten barrels of ale and five barrels of wine.
It appears that if you want really good products, you need to go directly to the villages to buy them. I’m not sure if they’ll sell to us, but I plan to visit a village tomorrow.
The next day, we left town early and headed to a village where they brew ale. This area is said to be relatively safe with few monsters. However, the mountain side has many monsters, and the sturdy stone walls built during the time of the Demon Lord’s battle still remain at the base of the mountain, serving as the village’s defense.
In the ale-making village, I was able to purchase ten more barrels of high-quality ale, but unfortunately, the very best quality wasn’t for sale. Too bad. The man who sold me the ale asked where we were headed, and when I mentioned we were crossing Mount Brocken to reach Hildenburg, he advised against going to Mount Brocken.
Apparently, there’s some kind of monster conflict happening on Mount Brocken, and trading caravans are avoiding the mountain, taking a longer route to reach Hildenburg. That’s troublesome. For now, let’s head to the village at the base of the mountain.
When we arrived at the village at the mountain’s base, the atmosphere was tense.
It seems that while the village hasn’t been attacked yet, the mountain itself is in a state of tension. The villager who sold me the good-quality wine mentioned that anything could happen. Hunters are constantly guarding the village, keeping watch over the mountain. When I mentioned we were heading to Hildenburg, they recommended taking the detour route around the mountain.
Hmm, we don’t really have the luxury of time for that. It’s time for a strategy meeting.
“Boom boom, pa-pa-pah! Let’s start the meeting.”
“Mii~”
“Bruru.”
“What’s up, nya?”
First, let’s check on Sumire’s condition. I had Pero ask about Sumire’s status.
“She’s fine, nya. She still has plenty of energy, nya.”
In the worst-case scenario, we might have to keep running without sleep. For us, Sumire is our lifeline.
“It seems like a day of running won’t be a problem, nya.”
“She’s not pushing herself too hard, right?”
Sumire gave an affirming shake.
“Let’s try to take it easy as much as possible. Sumire, I want you to hold back a little more than usual when running. We might need to run at full speed at any moment. As for setting up camp, we’ll decide based on the situation. If we do need to rest, Pero and I will take turns keeping watch.”
“Understood, nya!”
“Mii~”
Alright, let’s get moving.
As we entered the mountain, an eerie silence greeted us. There were no bird calls or signs of small animals.
“It’s so quiet, nya…”
“Mii…”
Even though Sumire was running much slower than usual, we didn’t encounter a single monster or even any animals.
We eventually made it safely to the campsite along the highway, but the unease was overwhelming. We decided not to set up the tent, only gathering firewood to start a small fire. Just in case, I set up the cat litter kit and mixed Mii-chan’s shampoo with warm water, sprinkling it around the area.
No one said a word. By the time we finished preparing and eating dinner, it appeared.
Pero was the first to notice.
“Something’s coming, nya!”
We quickly packed up our belongings and had Mii-chan store them in the bag. Sumire still had her saddle on, ready for us to ride at any moment.
Whoever—or whatever—was approaching seemed to deliberately make its presence known, but my intuition skill hadn’t picked up on anything yet. With Sumire behind us, Pero and I drew our swords, ready. I had Mii-chan safely in the carrier bag, which I held.
The grass in front of us rustled, and then it appeared—a black panther, over two meters long. Its jet-black fur blended seamlessly with the night, and its golden eyes gleamed. Instead of feeling fear, I was struck by its beauty.
The panther approached us, then lowered itself near us, purring softly.
“It’s asking for help from the princess, nya.”
“You can understand it!?”
“We’re both cats, nya.”
I see, the black panther is indeed a feline. I let Mii-chan out of the carrier bag.
“Mii~”
The black panther lowered itself even further, pressing its body flat against the ground.
While Mii-chan and Pero listened to the black panther’s story, I didn’t have much to do, so I removed Sumire’s saddle and gave her a good brushing.
Soon, it seemed the conversation was over, so I asked Pero what they had discussed. Meanwhile, Mii-chan was climbing up and sliding down the black panther’s back repeatedly. A natural slide—she seems to be having fun…
Apparently, there’s a descendant of a monster who was the right hand of the Demon Lord during the Demon Lord’s reign residing in this mountain. This descendant, now that the Demon Lord is gone, has started to expand its power, intending to become the new Demon Lord. In response, the black panther tribe and the wolf tribe have formed an alliance but are being overwhelmed.
The enemy is the bear tribe, which has gathered the surrounding rock monkey tribe, insect tribe, goblin tribe, and others under its banner to launch attacks.
So, what do they want us to do?
“Defeat the bears, nya!”
“Mii~”
“Bruru.”
And how exactly are we supposed to do that?
“That’s for Nero to figure out, nya!”
“Mii~”
“Bruru.”
Even Mii-chan and Sumire are looking at me… What do they expect me to do… Sigh.
Well, for now, let’s head to where their comrades are.
We followed the black panther for about thirty minutes through the mountain, eventually arriving at a place that looked like a natural fortress with exposed rock faces. As we climbed up from one section, we came upon a large gathering of wolves, a few black panthers, and several other species.
“These are the Kobold tribe, nya. They’re fairy folk like Pero, nya.”
Little doggies walking on two legs. Cats are cute, but so are dogs.
“Mii~”
Once we were brought to the center of the group, everyone bowed deeply.
It seems the elder black panther, a white wolf, and a cute kobold are the representatives who will speak with us.
“Thank you for coming, esteemed servant of the gods.”
Oh wow, the elder black panther spoke.
“Mii~”
“We are deeply honored by your presence. I am Rodem, the elder of the Black Panther tribe. This here is Lord Kiba, the elder of the White Wolf tribe, and this is Lord Pato, who has come to support us from the Kobold tribe.”
“Kiba-Oh.”
“I’m Patrasche, woof.”
P-Patrasche!? I suddenly feel a strong bond for some reason. Why is that?
“I’m Nero, and this is Mii-chan. And this—”
“I’m Pero, nya.”
The enemy leader is Granbear, an advanced species of the monster known as Forest Bear. They say that if we defeat him, the rest will scatter. Although the enemy forces consist mainly of monsters being forced to fight, the Rock Monkey tribe and Insect tribe are still formidable threats.
The situation is dire—they’re completely outmatched and have been forced to hole up here just to survive. However, they have many wounded and are on the verge of being pushed into a corner with no retreat.
This is serious, Mii-chan.
“Mii…”