SWNOVELXO Chapter 113 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, Scattering Salt!?
113 Divine Cat Mii-chan, Scattering Salt!?
While traveling, we stopped in Settimo for lunch and then continued towards Sesto. On the way, we spotted a group bearing the flag of the Lumiere Kingdom. It didn’t seem to be an infantry unit, so I assumed it was the second division of the knights. I figured it would be unwise to just pass by, so I had Sumire slow down.
It seemed they noticed us as well, as three knights rode towards us.
“Excuse me, but who might you be? You don’t look like a knight.”
Well, of course not, since I’m not a knight. I handed them my patrol officer’s identification. They looked surprised.
“Could you meet with our commander?”
Since they asked, I decided to follow them.
“I am Wolfgang, in charge of the Second Knight Division. I’ve heard about you from Lord Adelbert. Are you on your way back to the capital?”
“Yes, I’ve done what I could. I’ve given the information to Lord Bernhard, the leader of the Third Knight Division.”
“Hmm. It’s embarrassing to admit, but there’s a bit of tension between our Second Knight Division and the Third. We’re not exactly on good terms. I can’t rule out the possibility of the information being tampered with. Could you share the information with us here?”
Factional disputes happen everywhere, I guess. But would they really go as far as tampering with it…?
“Well, I don’t mind, but how about we head to Settimo? I’ll need some time to prepare the information anyway.”
“If that’s agreeable to you, then it’s fine by me.”
So, we turned back to Settimo. It was just a short distance away.
After arranging a place to stay and taking care of Sumire, Wolfgang arrived with his entourage.
The knights were staying in various locations: the lord’s mansion, the guardhouse, and some inns.
I placed some paper on the table in the room and started drawing a map using my mapping skill. By the way, Yuri was sharing the room with me because there were no vacancies. Mii-chan and the others were keeping Yuri company, and they seemed to be having fun.
After finishing the map, I gave the same explanation as before. I also mentioned the new addition to the military regulations.
“The lack of information on the western side is troubling, but we’ll have to manage it ourselves. What do you think, Patrol Officer?”
“My thoughts probably won’t be of much use.”
“Perhaps, but I’d like to hear your perspective, which might differ from ours as knights.”
“Well, I think the nearest settlement should be taken quickly. At the same time, we should request reinforcements from the Grand Duchy of Hildenburg and use the dragon riders to bomb their headquarters. This should buy us some time.”
“And what would you do with the time gained?”
“Prepare the battlefield, I suppose.”
“Prepare the battlefield?”
“The current area near the White Labyrinth is overwhelmingly disadvantageous to us. The cavalry can’t be utilized effectively in such a situation. If we don’t change this, the White Labyrinth won’t hold for long.”
“Hmm. And how would you prepare the battlefield?”
“We’ll need to clear the forest up to the nearest settlement. Or we could abandon the White Labyrinth from the start and make a stand at Quinto or Quarto.”
“Abandon the village?”
He looked clearly displeased.
“That’s just one option.”
“Both are tough choices.”
“It’s just an amateur’s thoughts.”
“No, your insights have been very helpful. We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Ideally, we’d assign you a guard, but given the circumstances, I hope you understand.”
He spoke as if he agreed, but his tone said otherwise. It was starting to irritate me.
“I don’t mind. Even if you assigned a guard, they wouldn’t be able to keep up.”
Wolfgang looked puzzled.
“We’ll reach the capital by midday the day after tomorrow.”
“Are you serious?”
“I am.”
“Are you planning to kill that battle horse?”
“I’m just letting it run freely as it pleases.”
“I can’t believe it.”
Whether you believe it or not is up to you. We’re done here. Please, go back.
Wolfgang offered a polite farewell and left with his entourage, though he didn’t bother to hide his displeasure.
“Are all knights like that?”
“Aren’t they all like that? The Third Knight Division is full of nobles, the Second Division seems to have a strong sense of elitism, and I haven’t met anyone from the First Division.”
“Can they work together like that?”
“They’ll have to manage somehow. Hunters and mercenaries will be joining in as well.”
“Thinking of them as knights is disillusioning.”
“Mii~”
Even Mii-chan seemed to have had enough, looking as if she didn’t want them to come back. Was she actually angry?
“Mii~!”
“Are you going to scatter salt? Why?”
So, Mii-chan knows the phrase about scattering salt. Should we do it lightly, then?
“Nero-kun, why are you scattering salt?”
“Where Mii-chan and I are from, it’s a tradition to purify a place with salt if it’s been defiled. I wonder if it works on the undead as well?”
“What are undead?”
“Huh? Like skeletons or zombies…”
“???”
“What’s that supposed to be?”
Wait, what!? A world like this doesn’t have undead? Maybe it’s just a different word, so I’ll explain it properly.
“Nero-kun, do corpses walk around where you come from…? That’s terrifying.”
“How do bones walk? And they don’t eat food, do they?”
Wow… What a revelation. Apparently, this world doesn’t have undead, Mii-chan!
“Mii?”
Mii-chan tilted her head, looking like she didn’t understand a thing. She seemed uninterested.
From what Yuri and Perro explained, it’s believed that when people die, they are forced to go to the gods, where their actions in life determine their fate afterward. It’s similar to the concept of Enma in Japan.
As such, there’s no concept of ghosts here. No skeletons or zombies either. There are similar monsters, but they are classified as distinct species. There isn’t even a term for vampires, though there are some people among the demons who drink blood. The demon nation is said to be in the north of this continent, so they’re rarely seen around here. Apparently, they don’t like the heat…
I feel like I’ve just glimpsed a bit of this world’s reality.
“Mii~”