SWNOVELXO Chapter 116 - The Divine Cat Mii-chan Officially Recognized as a Princess
116 The Divine Cat Mii-chan Officially Recognized as a Princess
After wiping Mii-chan’s face, which had a look of utter despair, I presented the map to the Queen.
“Um, Nero, what is this?”
“It’s the map you requested, showing the situation on the front lines.”
“Did I ask for that?”
The Queen looks at Neia, who shakes her head. Huh?
“I thought you asked me to check out the front lines…”
“I did, but this looks more like information from deep within enemy territory, not just the front lines…”
“But I did receive 200 gold coins for the preparation money, right?”
“Nero, I believe I mentioned that 150 of those were your reward, and 50 were for preparation.”
“…Wait, the reward was 150 gold coins? I thought it was 20 for the reward and 180 for preparation… That’s impossible for a commoner to comprehend…”
We all exchange glances in silence, realizing the huge difference in our financial perspectives.
“Hohoho… Nero, I’m just glad you returned safely. I was about to lose a dear friend.”
“I’m terribly sorry for failing to explain things properly and putting Nero in danger. Please, don’t blame the Queen; I will accept any punishment.”
“No, no, it’s my fault for the misunderstanding.”
“But Nero, did you gather all this information yourself?”
“I hired an excellent hunter with a mapping skill.”
“Let’s call Adelbert and the captain of the First Knight Order, Willibald.”
“Adelbert is currently entertaining a guest.”
Neia gives me a sideways glance.
“A friend of yours, Nero?”
“It’s Siegmund from Dragon Claw.”
“Oh, in that case, I’d like to meet him. Neia, invite everyone for tea. And His Majesty too, of course.”
“Understood.”
Sigh… The Prime Minister and even the King? Are they serious?
“Oh, didn’t I say I’d like to meet you slowly before?”
That was His Majesty’s request, not mine.
“Well, that’s fine. This is valuable information. You can expect a reward.”
I do want the reward, but now my stomach hurts.
The maids are hurriedly setting up tables and chairs.
The first to arrive is the King himself, accompanied by a knight and a butler. This is the handsome man I met in the bath before… I mean, the King.
As I was about to kneel, he said I didn’t need to since I’m a friend of Anneliese. If he says so, I won’t worry about it.
“I’m Willibald, the head of the First Knight Order.”
He’s an older gentleman, the epitome of a military man—a dandy old man, really. We shook hands. His hands are rough and strong, clearly the hands of a seasoned warrior. I can sense that even though I can’t see it.
“I’m Nero. This is Mii-chan. The ones over there are Perro, Sera, and Lu-kun.”
“Look, Julius, this is Mii-chan.”
“Mii~”
The Queen takes Mii-chan from me and shows her to the King.
Mii-chan is being extra cute today, either out of her usual charm or maybe because she likes handsome men. She’s licking and rubbing against the King’s hand.
“Such a cute kitten. Luca is cute too, but this one feels different somehow.”
My heart skips a beat. Some monsters recognize Mii-chan as a divine being, like Fang King and his group, but could there be people who sense something too?
“She exudes a certain elegance, like a cat princess.”
“Mii~”
Mii-chan blushes. She’s now officially titled the Princess of Cats. Or something like that.
Neia and the butler prepare tea, and we all chat about Mii-chan. Willibald also seems to find her adorable, watching with a smile. He looks like he’d like to pet her but is holding back since the King is playing with Mii-chan.
Just then, the Prime Minister and Jin arrive. The Prime Minister takes a formal bow, but Jin is frozen, not understanding what’s happening.
“Lord Siegmund, you’re in the presence of His Majesty.”
Snapped back to reality by the Prime Minister’s voice, Jin quickly prostrates himself. Even someone like Jin gets like this… What should I do? Well, it’s too late to worry now.
“I see, so you’ve returned.”
The Prime Minister gives me his usual piercing stare over his glasses. It’s intimidating…
We managed to get Jin into a chair, but he’s still in shock, his eyes vacant. Is he okay?
“So, we weren’t called here just for tea, were we, Anneliese?”
“Hehe… Would you be disappointed if it were just a tea party, Julius?”
“You summoned the Prime Minister and Willibald as well. Is it about that matter?”
“No, this is a different issue. Today is to introduce Nero and to reward him for the information he brought back.”
“Is this about the investigation?”
“Yes, there was a little misunderstanding, but he brought back very important information.”
The maids clear the tea and spread out the map I drew on the table.
“What’s this?”
“Nero, please explain.”
So, I start explaining.
Mii-chan is happily being petted by the King.
And I’m surrounded by the nation’s leaders, feeling my stomach ache.
“Mii~”