NOVEL WEB chapter 92 - Divine Cat Mii-chan leaves the stage, much to everyone's regret.
92 Divine Cat Mii-chan leaves the stage, much to everyone’s regret.
Mii-chan, though reluctant to part, must eventually leave. For now, I head to the inn, “Restful Lodging Tree Pavilion,” to secure a room. The dining hall, which doubles as a tavern, is packed to the brim. I look around for the innkeeper, Anna, but a woman I don’t recognize is serving the customers instead. Perhaps they hired someone new?
I decide to ask the server to call for the innkeeper.
“Well, if it isn’t Nero and Mii-chan!”
“It’s been a while. Do you have any rooms available?”
“I’ve got a room for two, if that’s alright?”
“That’s perfect, actually. Can I also stable a horse?”
“You bought a horse, huh? You can use the barn out back if that works for you.”
I lead Sumire to the barn that the innkeeper mentioned, removing the saddle and taking care of her needs. The barn is clean, so Sumire seems satisfied.
Afterward, I head back to the inn, collect the key, and briefly settle into the room. I let Perro, Sera, and Lu-kun know that Mii-chan and I are going to the Hunter Guild and that they should stay behind to watch the room. Everyone is so tired that they’ve curled up on the bed.
To keep Mii-chan dry, I tuck her into the carrier bag, pull up the hood of my coat, and make my way to the Hunter Guild at a brisk pace.
Inside the guild, it’s chaotic, likely due to an influx of hunters from the north. As expected, one reception counter is free, so I head over.
“Hey, take off your hood, will ya!”
Sigh… Is this guy really the head supervisor? It must be some kind of mistake. I removed my hood and greeted him properly.
“Long time no see, Gais.”
“B-Boy! You’re alive!”
“Mii~”
Mii-chan replied for me, as if saying, “Of course we are.”
The people in the guild all turned their gaze toward us when they heard that. But what does he mean by “You’re alive”? Was I supposed to be dead or something?
“I’m perfectly fine… Is there a problem?”
“I was sure the headquarters had gotten rid of you…”
A few of the staff members nodded in agreement. Seriously? Now that I think about it, it’s not entirely out of the question. Life here is cheap, and an organization as big as the Hunter Guild could easily have people handling such dirty work.
Looks like I’m still not fully over the peaceful mindset I had in Japan. I need to be more careful…
“Nero! Mii-chan!”
It’s Pamir. So she’s still here.
“You two, come with me!”
We were taken to a room in the back.
“Long time no see.”
“Mii~”
“Don’t ‘long time no see’ me! Mii-chan, you’re always so adorable.”
“Mii~”
“That’s not the point… Nero, what have you been up to!”
“Congratulations on your promotion to Deputy Chief Supervisor in the royal capital.”
“Oh, thank you… but that’s not the point either!”
If you get too angry, you’ll get wrinkles, you know.
“Sigh… this is starting to feel ridiculous.”
“So, you’re not going to the royal capital?”
“Yes, exactly! How did you two get here?”
It turns out that due to the goblins, trade caravans between Quinto and Quarto aren’t running at the moment. There’s some movement between villages because of the wall reinforcement work, but beyond that, no one’s traveling. The caravans are only moving through the northern route, so Pamir has been stuck.
“Well then, how about heading back to Quinto together?”
“Is that even possible?”
“We’ll have to check, but it should be fine.”
“How many days do you think it will take?”
“It took us just one day to get here by ourselves, but since there will be two of us, it might take about a day and a half.”
“Are you serious, Nero?”
“I’m serious. Right, Mii-chan?”
“Mii~”
“Alright, I’ll trust Mii-chan on this.”
“Mii~”
Why is that the deciding factor? Can I just go home now…?
“When are you planning to depart?”
“I have things to do tomorrow, so we’ll probably leave early the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s quick. Alright, I’ll be ready.”
I went to greet Solas, who had helped me a lot. Mii-chan also went to say goodbye to Pamir and the other ladies. They really adored her, after all.
“Mii~”
I went to the buyback counter and informed Solas that I was leaving the guild.
“I see, that’s a shame. You were a promising candidate for a successor.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“But, compared to when you left, haven’t you become a bit tougher?”
“Maybe. A lot has happened.”
“So, what are your plans for the future?”
“For the time being, I’ll be working in Quinto. Once that’s done, I plan to operate from the royal capital.”
“That sounds like a good plan, especially if you’re making use of your skills. It’s not an easy place to reach, but if you’re ever in the area, drop by. I’ll treat you to a meal.”
After saying goodbye to Solas, I also made sure to say farewell to Gais.
“Yeah, make sure not to die, okay? You’ve got a life that was saved, after all.”
It was a rather blunt way to put it, but I decided to see it as his way of showing concern.
The receptionists were having a hard time. One by one, they shook Mii-chan’s front paws and hugged her, expressing their farewells. It was quite a surreal sight…
“How can this be?”
“To think I won’t see Mii-chan anymore…”
“What will I have to support me now?”
Sigh… My stomach hurts just thinking about taking Mii-chan away from that place. But it must be done. We have famished monsters waiting for us back at the inn!
“Noooo!”
“Don’t take her away!”
“My comfort…”
I truly apologize, everyone, but this is goodbye for now. Until we meet again! Mii-chan, let’s go home.
“Mii~”