SWNOVELXO Chapter 135-2 - Mii-chan's Otherworldly Wanderings - Volume 5
Mii-chan’s Otherworldly Wanderings – Volume 5
One day, in the noble district of the royal capital, in a room within one of the particularly large mansions.
“Listen, you must obtain it at all costs. After all, they’re just commoners—they’ll sell it if you show them the money.”
“And if they refuse to sell?”
“Leave for the time being. After that, use any means necessary to take it, even if it means using the underworld to have them killed. Show those fools the power of our family. Our family won’t be brought down so easily!”
“Understood…”
That day, the sky was overcast, threatening rain at any moment.
A luxurious carriage, out of place for the inn it stopped at, came to a halt. From it, a man who appeared to be a butler and another man, likely a bodyguard, disembarked and entered the inn.
The butler-like man approached the receptionist at the counter.
“Pardon me, but there should be someone staying here with a wolf pup. Could you call them for me?”
“Excuse me, but who might you be?”
“My apologies. I serve the Zolmuth family. Please convey that to them.”
The Zolmuth family is a noble house with the rank of baron, a branch of a margrave family located in the northern part of the Lumière Kingdom. Though their territory is small, they are known as a well-off family, flaunting the prestige of their main house.
The receptionist went to a corner room on the second floor and knocked on the door.
“Master Nero, you have a visitor.”
“Okay, just a moment, please.”
The door opened to reveal a young man, who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old by this world’s standards. He was of average height, slender, and did not seem the type to be involved in rough matters.
In the arms of the man called Nero was a short-haired kitten with glossy, pure white fur. Its eyes were a deep, gem-like blue—an astonishingly clear sapphire blue that seemed to see through everything. The kitten’s name was Mii-chan, a beauty so charming that everyone would find it adorable. A pink ribbon was tied around its neck, adding to its cuteness.
“Who’s the visitor?”
“It’s from the Zolmuth family. Aren’t they acquaintances of yours?”
“Do you think I know any nobles?”
“…”
“Well, I suppose I’ll go meet them. Everyone, stay here.”
“Mii.”
Nero returned Mii-chan to the room, and from inside, other animal voices could be heard along with a “Got it, nya.” Hearing this, Nero headed to the dining hall on the first floor where the Zolmuth family’s representative was waiting.
“Is this our first meeting, or have we met before?”
“As you say, this is our first meeting, Master Nero.”
When Nero entered the dining hall, the butler-like man was seated at a table in the corner, with the bodyguard standing behind him.
The butler appeared to be in his mid-thirties, well-dressed, but with a somewhat fatigued look. The bodyguard, with his sharp gaze, did not appear to be an ordinary person. As Nero observed the two, he couldn’t help but find them suspicious—a clearly mismatched pair.
“So, what business do you have with me?”
“My master has taken a great liking to the white wolf pup you have with you and wishes to raise it themselves. We are willing to pay any price, so would you consider selling it to us?”
“I’m sorry, but Rudy was entrusted to me by someone. I cannot sell him. However, Rudy would be pleased to hear that you like him so much.”
“So, you won’t sell him?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Suddenly, the bodyguard began placing several leather pouches on the table.
“Each pouch contains twenty gold coins.”
With twenty pouches on the table, that would amount to forty million Let.
“If that’s not enough, we can double the amount. What do you say?”
“I don’t know where you heard about Lou-kun, but you’ve underestimated him. Even a hundred times that amount wouldn’t match Lou-kun’s value.”
“…”
“Don’t get cocky, kid.”
The bodyguard moved next to Nero, glaring down at him. Nero returned the gaze with a calm, unwavering look.
“Stop it. So, you absolutely refuse to sell him?”
“Indeed.”
“By the way, are you familiar with the Zolmuth family?”
“No, I’m not from this country.”
“I see… Let’s go.”
The butler-like man briefly looked at Nero with pity before standing up and leaving the inn.
“Tch, what a waste of time…”
The bodyguard gathered the pouches of gold coins, shot Nero a dirty look, and then left.
“This isn’t good. You’ve angered the Zolmuth family…”
The receptionist, who had been eavesdropping from the shadows, explained the Zolmuth family’s background to Nero.
“A typical foolish noble… I hope this doesn’t turn into a hassle.”
The luxurious carriage moved through the streets of the royal capital.
“Proceed as planned.”
“It can’t be helped…”
“Drop me off here. If you intend to take out that brat, the underworld will gladly lend a hand.”
The luxurious carriage stopped at the edge of the western district, dropping off the bodyguard before continuing on its way. The western district had recently been the talk of the town due to a shadowy financial institution being taken down by hunters.
Meanwhile, unaware that his life was in danger, Nero and his companions continued with their usual routine.
Perro, a male tabby cat from the Kettshie tribe, was curious and particularly obsessed with food. His agility, a trait unique to the Kettshie tribe, allowed him to wield his swordsmanship with such skill that even a human opponent more than twice his size would struggle against him. Combined with the power of the AF’s short sword Kotetsu, Perro was a formidable fighter.
Sera, a member of the black panther tribe, usually appeared as a black cat, but her true form was a sleek black-furred black panther over two meters in length with golden eyes. She was also the granddaughter of the black panther tribe’s leader in Brocken Mountain, and her prowess was such that few could match her.
Then there was Rudy, the youngest child of the white wolf tribe that ruled Brocken Mountain, affectionately known as Lou-kun. His pure white fur was fluffy and soft, unlike Mii-chan’s, and after spending time with her, he developed a habit of bathing, becoming so clean that people often mistook him for a dog rather than a wolf. Though still small and lacking the stamina for combat, Lou-kun possessed the powerful innate ability known as Charm Eye, which could render those who failed to resist it utterly infatuated with him.
Finally, there was Sumire, a battle horse Nero had acquired from a trainer at the bazaar in Quarto. When they first met, Sumire had been gravely ill, with no hope of recovery, but thanks to the divine mineral water, she had made a full recovery and was now full of energy. Among battle horses, she possessed the Gale skill, known only to the most exceptional of her kind, as well as the extraordinary Innate Strong Legs, granting her unparalleled speed that left other battle horses in the dust.
The group is currently in a meadow near the royal capital, where they have come to let Sumire run freely for exercise. Sumire and Sera, who has reverted to her black panther form, are running around the meadow, seemingly releasing their pent-up frustration.
Nero and the others have cleared the grass, which reaches about waist height, laid down a sheet, and are enjoying a sunny picnic. Mii-chan and Lu-kun are playfully nibbling on Nero, seeking attention and affection. Meanwhile, Perro is skillfully munching on dried fruit while rolling around on the sheet. It was a peaceful moment just before noon.
“Mii~”
“Grr”
“Munch, munch, munch~”
“Meow? Nero, this is bad. We’re surrounded.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, arrows rained down from all directions, and masked attackers appeared, launching an assault.
“Myaa! Nero, do something!”
“Do something…? Let’s give it a try!”
A powerful updraft suddenly erupted around Nero and the others, causing the arrows that were flying towards them to veer off course and fly off in different directions.
“Mii~”
“Grr”
“Wow, nice job, Nero!”
“Here they come!”
The masked attackers, now revealed, dropped their bows and drew their swords, surrounding Nero and his group. It seemed they had no intention of capturing them alive.
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
Even though none of the attackers were within sword range, one of the masked men suddenly collapsed without understanding what had happened to him. The remaining attackers were visibly shaken, but this seemed to be the trigger for them to charge forward.
“Mii-chan, get in the carrier bag! Lu-kun, use your Charm Eyes, and if it gets dangerous, hide in the carrier! Perro, don’t go too far ahead!”
“Mii…”
“Grr”
“Kotetsu thirsts for blood!”
There were twenty-five attackers in total, including the one who had already fallen. For a single young man like Nero, this seemed like an overwhelming number.
However, contrary to expectations, the attackers were taken down one by one. Some fell to Nero’s gunfire, others to Perro’s sword attacks with Kotetsu, and still others lost their will to fight due to Lu-kun’s Charm Eyes. For the attackers, it was like a nightmare.
“Retreat!”
When the number of attackers had dwindled to five, their leader gave the order to retreat, but it was too late. Sumire and Sera, having returned from running around the meadow, saw Nero and the others under attack and immediately joined the fight. They quickly dispatched the remaining attackers, leaving only the leader, who was pinned down by Sumire and unable to move.
“Let’s capture the survivors and take them with us.”
They tied up the three who had been charmed by Lu-kun’s eyes, the two injured by Nero’s gun, and the leader who was under Sumire’s foot, gagging them for good measure.
“What do we do with these guys?”
“We’re going to find out why they targeted us.”
“Torture, meow!”
“Mii…”
“If we take them to the Hunter Guild, there might be someone there who’s good at interrogation. Jin-san might be good at that…”
Without eating lunch, Nero and the others packed up their picnic set into Mii-chan’s bag, along with the bodies of the fallen attackers, and headed back to town. The captured men, perhaps resigned to their fate, offered no resistance and were quietly escorted.
Of course, the guards at the city gate questioned them, but after explaining the situation, they were allowed to pass and hurried to the Hunter Guild.
Upon arriving at the guild, the bored receptionists and female hunters who were not on missions spotted Perro, Sera, and Lu-kun and quickly started fawning over them, causing a lively commotion.
In the midst of this, a man approached Nero.
“Nero, who are those guys?”
“Perfect timing, Jin-san.”
“You need me?”
“These people attacked us outside the city.”
“What! Are you hurt?”
“We’re fine.”
“Mii~”
The man at the Hunter Guild named Jin was known not only in the royal capital but also among the hunters of the Lumière Kingdom as one of the top five in terms of skill. He even had the title ‘Dragon Claw Siegmund.’
Jin stripped off the clothes of one of the men Nero had brought in, revealing a tattoo on the right shoulder—a sword entwined with a snake.
“They’re mafia. I thought I had made sure no information about Nero would leak out…”
“Mafia… Is this related to the previous incident?”
“Probably. I’ll take care of them.”
“I don’t mind, but shouldn’t we hand them over to the guards?”
“I’ll take care of that too.”
“Alright then, I’ll leave it to you, Jin-san. What about the bodies?”
“Just dump them in the meadow. The monsters will take care of them.”
“R-right, got it.”
“Mii…”
Jin called over some nearby hunters and took the captured men away somewhere.
“Mii~”
“Alright everyone, let’s have lunch!”
“Been waiting for this, meow!”
“Meow.”
…………………………
“…Huh? Where’s Lu-kun?”
Nero looked at the women who had been fawning over Perro and the others, but none of them were holding Lu-kun. They all shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know.
“What’s going on?”
“Mii?”
Thus ends Mii-chan’s Adventures in Another World, Part Six.