NOVEL WEB Chapter 104 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Begins Goblin Investigation
104 Divine Cat Mii-chan Begins Goblin Investigation
We entered the forest and formed a Y-shaped formation, with two scouts positioned on the front left and right and two at the rear. Those without detection abilities were placed in the center.
The two groups in the front are handled alternately by members of Blue Dragon’s Roar and Darkness Fang. The rear is covered by Perro and Sera, who has returned to her black panther form.
Mii-chan is being held by Yuri, while Lu-kun is in the arms of Anya, a feline beastkin. Anya has been smitten with Lu-kun ever since she was charmed by his bewitching eyes during a mock battle. It’s to the point where I wonder if she’s still under his spell.
“Was that really okay, Nero-kun?”
“We had no choice. Mii-chan was on the verge of losing her temper.”
“Oh, Mii-chan got angry too?”
“Mii!”
“Hmph, of course. Anyone would get mad if spoken to like that!”
“…”
Laura, the tiger-eared woman from Darkness Fang, is fuming, but honestly, she was worse at the start. I won’t point it out, though.
“So, what’s the plan? We’re not just going to search aimlessly, are we?”
“We’re aiming for the foot of that mountain to the south. Whether they’re building a settlement or a fortress, that’s the most suitable place. On the other hand, I don’t think they’ll cross that mountain.”
“Even so, it’s a vast area. Yuri, can you get any information from the spirits?”
“Nothing so far. Spirits only talk about things that interest them.”
By the way, the spirits around here seem to be interested in Mii-chan and Lu-kun. Mii-chan might be giving off some kind of divine vibe since she’s a divine cat. Lu-kun sometimes gazes off into the distance, so perhaps he can see the spirits with his bewitching eyes.
When I asked Lu-kun, who was being held by Anya, if he could see the spirits, he responded with a “Grr.”
Yuri looked surprised.
“Can you talk to them?”
Lu-kun tilted his head in confusion, so it seems he can’t.
As we moved, the front scouts spotted goblins several times, but we managed to avoid them. Around noon, we discovered a goblin settlement.
It’s not a large settlement, but I was surprised to find one so close to the White Labyrinth, just half a day’s journey away. This could be the goblins’ forward base.
I recorded the surroundings and landmarks on my map skill.
“We could take them down ourselves.”
Kevin, the leader of Darkness Fang, muttered while scouting the goblin settlement with us.
“Maybe, but if we alert them, we lose everything.”
“You’re right… Sorry, I almost forgot our objective.”
Kevin’s reaction might be normal… From a young age, monsters are seen as enemies to be defeated. Hunters fight monsters, witnessing attacks on caravans and villages, and it becomes ingrained in their bodies and minds. But I know that’s not always true. Some monsters want to coexist with humans. Sera has never harmed a human, and Lu-kun enjoys interacting with people. I believe the same goes for the flying dragons.
I want more people to understand that some creatures labeled as monsters can become good neighbors to humans.
“Let’s head back.”
“Roger.”
We returned to the others and continued onward. As I checked my map skill, I noticed some paths here and there. When I asked, they told me these are goblin paths.
This means a considerable number of goblins are on the move. If we follow these paths, we might find more settlements, I suggested, but the idea was rejected because we’d be spotted by goblins immediately. It was a shallow thought. Sorry about that.
As evening approached and the forest began to darken, we started searching for a campsite. There were no goblin paths near our location, meaning we weren’t in goblin territory. However, that also means there could be monsters more dangerous than goblins around, so we need to be cautious.
We found a cave by a small cliff and checked it out, but there were no signs of monsters. Just in case, I used my atmospheric skill to send a breeze through, but there was no response. That was a relief. We gathered nearby branches and foliage to camouflage the entrance. As expected from hunters, they were skilled at making it blend with the surroundings.
Before entering the cave, I scattered Mii-chan’s shampoo dissolved in water around. Better safe than sorry.
Once inside, Müller and the others started a fire. Normally, we wouldn’t light a fire outside, as it might attract goblins. We were lucky to find a cave today. Honestly, I’m exhausted. Keeping up with everyone has been thanks to the mineral water.
I laid out sheets and blankets deep in the cave, and Perro and Sera immediately lay down.
“I’m hungry, meow~”
“Meow.”
Since we were in a hurry, we skipped lunch. But I gave Perro some dried meat and fruit earlier.
“That’s just a snack for Perro and Sera, meow.”
“Meow.”
These two are the types who’d break the ‘300 yen limit on snacks for a school trip,’ no doubt.
Actually, Mii-chan and Lu-kun are munching on cookies. This morning, when I summoned mineral water and cat food as usual, there were new items.
Mii-chan Cookies: A snack for Mii-chan that restores stamina, available in soy milk and carrot flavors.
I tried them too, and they were delicious. With more treats now besides red bean paste, Mii-chan is delighted.
When Lu-kun saw Mii-chan eating the cookies with a crunch, he wanted some too, so I gave him one, and he happily ate it.
“Mii~.”
“Grr.”