SWNOVELXO Chapter 135-3 - Mii-chan's Journey in Another World, Part Six
Mii-chan’s Journey in Another World, Part Six
The Hunter Guild was bustling with noise.
Considering the number of guild staff and hunters present, it was only natural that everyone would be in an uproar when their beloved fluffy idol suddenly went missing.
At first, the women were busy pointing fingers at each other, but they soon calmed down and began to analyze the situation systematically.
“So, Kaneria-san was the one who petted Lu-kun after you?”
“Yes. I thought she was here to show her face after getting married.”
“Who saw Lu-kun after that?”
“……”
“So, it’s Kaneria who’s suspicious.”
Nero explained that Kaneria was a former receptionist at the Hunter Guild who had recently resigned after getting married.
“Would Lu-nyan just let himself be taken without any resistance?”
“The carrier bag is missing, so they must have put him inside and taken him away. The godly anti-shake, soundproof design backfired on us this time.”
“Mii…”
“Nya…”
For now, they had a suspect, so they decided to head to Kaneria’s address.
When Nero and his group arrived at the location, they found it empty. It seemed she had already moved out.
“Hmm. Was this a planned crime?”
“Mii?”
“Who took Lu-nyan?”
“Nya?”
“Probably the noble who visited recently.”
“Oh? Nero-san, what are you doing here?”
A boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, spotted Nero and his group and called out to them.
“Hey, Yan-kun. We’re looking for someone.”
“Mii~”
This was Yan-kun, a boy whom Nero had previously saved from being burdened with a huge debt due to the Hunter Guild’s regulations.
“Who are you looking for? I can help. This area is near my house, after all.”
“Do you know a former guild receptionist named Kaneria?”
“Kaneria-san? Of course, I know her. She recently moved, though.”
“Do you know where she moved to?”
“Hmm. I don’t know, but someone around here might. I’ll go ask around. If I find out, I’ll come to the inn where you’re staying.”
“That would be a great help.”
Nero’s group was unfamiliar with the layout of the royal capital and had few acquaintances there. Yan-kun’s offer was a big relief. They decided to wait at the inn until Yan-kun reported back.
In a room in a certain noble’s mansion…
A well-dressed man, a butler-like figure, and a bodyguard with a grim expression were present.
“Is this the monster we’ve heard about?”
“Yes.”
“Heh heh heh… With this, we can claim Brocken Mountain as ours.”
“But we’ll need more funds…”
“We can borrow as much money as we need. Once we control Brocken Mountain, the wealth will flow in. Dusk, you will lead this operation. Make sure we seize the mountain and show them what we’re capable of!”
“Leave it to me. Don’t forget your promise once we succeed…”
“I know. Once I become the Marquis of the frontier, I’ll do as I please. Wahahahaha!”
“……”
While waiting at the inn for Yan-kun’s report, Nero noticed something.
“Oh! There’s a new item. What do we have here? A remote-controlled mouse with stealth mode, equipped with a reconnaissance camera. It’s indestructible, so it would make a great toy for Mii-chan…”
When Nero summoned it, out came a gray mouse that looked just like the real thing, along with a monitor-equipped controller. When Nero turned it on and operated the controller, the mouse moved as if it were alive. The monitor displayed the mouse’s point of view, and you could even control its gaze. For some reason, it even had a button that made it squeak—an unnecessary but high-tech feature, thanks to divine design.
“Mii~!”
“Nyah!”
“Nya!”
Whap! The mouse was swatted into the air by Sera’s paw. Normally gentle, Mii-chan made a spectacular leap and caught the airborne mouse in her mouth.
With a graceful landing, she presented the mouse to Nero, a proud expression on her face.
Nero was bewildered.
“Wow, the princess really knows how to hunt, nya~”
“Nya.”
“It’s a toy… but it’s not just a toy.”
After that, Nero practiced operating the mouse, while Mii-chan, Perro, and Sera, their hunting instincts awakened, chased it around.
In the midst of the commotion, a boy came to visit the room.
“H-Hey, Yan-kun, thanks for coming.”
“Mii…”
“Tired… nya…”
“Nya…”
“A-Are you all okay?”
“W-Well, more or less… So, what did you find out?”
“Yes, I found her. Shall we go now?”
“Please.”
“Mii~”
Nero’s group followed Yan-kun to a residential area in the western district. It was a well-to-do area, and the residence was located on the third floor of an impressive building.
“Thanks, Yan-kun. You can leave the rest to us.”
“Understood. If you need anything else, just call me.”
“Yeah, we’re counting on you.”
“Hehe… See you later!”
“Mii~”
Nero and his group prepared themselves to handle any situation before ringing the doorbell. After a short wait, the door slowly opened, and a woman peeked out.
“Who might you be?”
Before answering, Nero slipped a small sword into the door’s gap to prevent it from closing and then smiled warmly at the woman.
“Ah, we’ve been looking for you, Kaneria. How about you return Lu-kun to us?”
“Wh-why…?”
As the woman stammered, Sera slipped through the door’s gap, sneaking behind the woman and reverting to her black panther form.
“Eek!”
The woman noticed Sera behind her, let out a small scream, and collapsed to the floor in fear.
“Mii~”
“Lu-nyan, where are you?”
“Nya.”
Mii-chan and Perro entered the room, searching for Lu-kun, but they couldn’t find him.
“Mii…”
“He’s not here, nya.”
“Nya…”
“Kaneria. I know you kidnapped Lu-kun. Where is he?”
“I-I was just following orders… sob…”
The woman, named Kaneria, began to cry, making it impossible to question her further. Nero had no choice but to wait for her to calm down before continuing the conversation.
Once Kaneria stopped crying, she resigned herself to the situation and confessed everything. She explained that after she got married and left the guild, she discovered her husband had enormous gambling debts. They managed to scrape by, using her savings to pay off the debt, but eventually, it became impossible to maintain a normal life. In desperation, she followed orders from the mafia, who had lent her husband the money. They promised to erase the debt if she successfully completed the task, knowing full well it was wrong but feeling she had no other choice.
Kaneria revealed that Lu-kun had already been handed over to the mafia, and she had no idea where he was now.
“Sigh… Let’s go see Jin.”
“Mii…”
“Torture, nya!”
“Nya!”
When Nero and his group arrived at the Hunter’s Guild, they found that Jin had also been looking for them.
“Nero! I heard what happened. Did you find him?”
“No, but it seems the mafia is involved.”
“And there’s someone pulling the strings behind them.”
“Is it the noble family, the Zolmuths?”
“Oh, you knew?”
“They already approached me, asking to hand over Lu-kun.”
“So, what now? You know it’s not easy to go after a noble.”
“We’ll sneak in…”
“Whoa, are you serious?”
“We’ll do it tonight.”
“Sigh… Fine, I’ll go with you.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Mii~”
Afterward, Nero and Jin planned their strategy and agreed to meet at the entrance to the noble district after sunset.
As night fell, Nero and his group gathered at the gate to the noble district.
“So, how are we getting in?”
“We’ll walk right in.”
“Walk right in, huh…?”
Nero approached the guards at the gate and showed them something while talking to them. After some back-and-forth, they granted him permission to pass through.
“Are you kidding me… Did you bribe them?”
“No way. I have a pass issued by the royal palace.”
“Whoa, wait a second. That’s even stranger! How do you have something like that?”
“Don’t sweat the details. Come on, let’s go.”
“Mii~”
Perro had already used his connections in the capital’s NNN (Neko Neko Network), also known as the ‘Nyetwork,’ to pinpoint the location of the Zolmuth family estate.
“There are quite a few guards.”
“Ten in the front, fifteen in the back, nya.”
“It’s not just the mafia; there’s also some shady guild members. This could get tricky. We should assume there are more inside.”
“For now, let’s scout the inside of the building. Perro, turn into a cat and place this inside.”
Nero pulled out a special item—a god-tier remote-controlled mouse called the ‘Sneak-In Mouse.’ Once Perro transformed into a cat and held the mouse in his mouth, it would look like nothing more than a cat carrying a mouse. Plus, Perro had a lockpicking skill, making him a pro at opening back doors or windows.
“Leave it to me, nya.”
With that, Perro confidently walked into the mansion’s garden. Naturally, the guards spotted him, but seeing the mouse in his mouth, they didn’t think he was an intruder. Instead, they found it endearing and let him pass, with some even petting him on the head.
“What a sneaky move… Even I’d let him go.”
A little while later, Perro returned, this time with a piece of dried meat in his mouth.
“They gave me a treat for catching the mouse, nya.”
“……”
When Nero turned on the remote control, he saw that the mouse was near the back door.
“Nero, what is that thing?”
“It’s a secret reconnaissance weapon.”
“Why do you have something like that? Just who are you?”
“It’s an Artifact I found in a labyrinth.”
“Oh, I see…”
Nero thought to himself, thankful that Jin was a straightforward person.
Nero controlled the remote-controlled mouse to investigate the interior of the mansion. Despite the difficulties, like being chased by the mansion’s servants several times, he managed to complete the search on the first floor.
“It seems that no one is on the first floor, but there are several people who appear to be guards.”
“Should we go in?”
“Not yet. We need to find Lu-kun first. I’ll start searching the second floor.”
The mansion was one of the largest in the noble district, making it time-consuming to search using a ten-centimeter remote-controlled mouse.
During the search, a group dressed in black entered the mansion.
“Those are from the Dark Guild.”
Nero followed the men with the remote-controlled mouse as they ascended to the second floor.
“It seems there’s a hidden room. It’s around that area on the second floor,” Nero said, pointing to a corner of the mansion.
“What are they talking about?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t pick up the sound. But I can see a carrier bag.”
“Mii.”
“Bingo, nya.”
“Nya.”
“But what do we do now? There are too many of them for us to take on alone…”
“Hmm, we don’t have a choice. Perro, Sera, go to the royal palace and inform the Queen or the Chancellor about this and ask them to send troops.”
“I don’t like the Chancellor, nya…”
“Just go, quickly!”
“Mii.”
“Going, nya…”
Nero handed a seal to Perro. Perro, still in cat form, rode on Sera’s back, who had returned to her black leopard form. Sera ran off silently.
“Do you really think the royal troops will move?”
“Lu-kun is the son of the ruler of Brocken Mountain. If something happens to him, they won’t stay silent. Brocken Mountain is a critical point between the Lumielle Kingdom and the Hiltenburg Grand Duchy. When it comes to national interests, the choice between a noble and the country’s benefit is obvious.”
“That little guy is more important than I thought…”
“To me, he’s just an important friend.”
“Mii.”
While they were talking, more people who didn’t seem like regular citizens started gathering at the mansion.
“Even the mafia is here. Looks like they’re trying to cover up their failure from earlier. Nero, you’re popular.”
“I’m not happy to be liked by a bunch of rough men.”
“Mii.”
When Nero checked the time, it was midnight. In the half-clouded night, as the nobles slept peacefully, no one could predict the big raid that was about to happen in their district.
“We’re back, nya.”
“Nya.”
“And?”
“Nia-san arranged for us to meet with the Queen, nya. I explained everything, nya. The Chancellor will be here soon with the troops, nya.”
“The Chancellor himself is coming…”
“The Queen said it’s because the opponent is a noble, nya.”
About an hour later, Chancellor Adelbert von Hildenberg arrived with his guards.
“Are you trying to work me to death?”
He adjusted his glasses, a habit of his, as he looked at Nero.
“That wasn’t my intention… but since we’re dealing with a noble, we had no choice. And if something happens to Lu-kun, it would be a disadvantage for the Lumielle Kingdom.”
“Hmm, so it couldn’t be helped?”
“Don’t you agree?”
“I do. Then let’s get this over with quickly. I can’t afford to lose any more sleep.”
“We’ll rescue Lu-kun, so please handle the others.”
“Are you sure you can do it on your own?”
“We have Sigmund from Dragon Claw with us.”
“Oh. So you’re Sigmund from Dragon Claw. In that case, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Y-yes.”
As the Chancellor raised his hand, the hidden soldiers surrounded the mansion.
“Let’s begin. Capture the ringleader and their family alive. If anyone resists, there’s no need to keep them alive. Go!”
The guards inside the mansion seemed to notice something was wrong, though they probably didn’t realize it was the royal troops. They prepared themselves as the soldiers, on the Chancellor’s command, began firing arrows and soon drew their swords to attack the mansion’s guards.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Nero and the others fought their way to the back entrance and infiltrated the mansion. Most of the Dark Guild and mafia members were distracted by the soldiers outside, so there were surprisingly few enemies inside. Those they did encounter were no match for Jin, Perro, and Sera. With Nero’s support fire, they safely made their way to the hidden room on the second floor.
“What’s happening?!”
“It appears we’re under attack by some unknown force.”
“Who are they?!”
“We don’t know, sir.”
“Useless! I never want to see your face again!”
“Understood. Finally, I can take my leave.”
“You… disappear! Dusk! What’s going on?!”
“The situation is dire. We need to leave immediately.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you know how much we’ve invested in this?!”
“As long as we have that wolf in our hands, we can manage anything.”
“Grr… do we have no choice…”
Just then, the door to the hidden room was kicked open.
“Who’s there?!”
“Well, well. If it isn’t Dusk. You’re still alive, huh?”
“Sigmund! Why are you here?!”
“Dusk… I don’t know how you survived, but this time I’ll make sure to kill you… for their sake.”
The man called Dusk, with a grim expression and clouded eyes, unsheathed his sword and took a stance.
“Nero, sorry, but this is as far as I can help. You’ll have to settle the rest yourself.”
“Jin, be careful. I can’t see his skill. He seems to have some kind of concealment ability, so he might have a trick up his sleeve.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m well aware of what he’s capable of. Right, Dusk?”
“…”
Dusk remained silent and launched an attack at Jin. Jin parried it effortlessly, but it was clear that Dusk was highly skilled. Jin deliberately took a defensive stance, guiding the battle outside the room.
“Now then, could you return Lu-kun to us? Or will you resist?”
“Mii~?”
Perro aimed his Kotetsu at the butler-like man, while Sera bared her fangs and growled. The man raised his hands to shoulder height, shaking his head to indicate he had no intention of resisting.
“Y-You! Do you realize who I am?”
“No, and frankly, I don’t care.”
“How dare you treat a noble like this! You won’t get away with it!”
“Do you know what this is?”
Nero showed the man a seal in a way he could clearly see.
“A special envoy of the Chancellor…”
“N-No way! Forging something like that is a grave crime!”
“It’s real. You can confirm it yourself; the Chancellor is downstairs.”
“Who… who is here?”
“The Chancellor himself. Who else could have sent soldiers here at this time? How many people could deploy troops to this location in the middle of the night?”
“……”
As Nero approached the carrier bag on the desk, the head of the Zormus family grabbed it before Nero could and pulled out Lu-kun, pressing a dagger to his neck.
“Grr…”
“Mii…”
“Lu-nyan…”
“Nya…”
Nero gazed steadily at Lu-kun.
“What do you plan to do in this situation?”
“If you come any closer, I’ll kill this wolf cub! If I kill it, the parent in Brocken Mountain won’t stay silent. Are you sure you want that?”
“Hmm, I don’t know where you heard that, but that cub is a fake. The real one has black around its eyes. I wonder when they got switched?”
“Don’t lie to me!”
The head of the Zormus family peered into the wolf cub’s face. Suddenly, he dropped the dagger and wore a silly grin. This was the moment when his ambitions crumbled.
“Well done, Lu-kun.”
“Gau.”
“Mii~”
“Lu-nyan.”
“Nya.”
Lu-kun slipped out of the Zormus family head’s arms, leaping into Nero’s embrace, where he happily licked Nero and Mii-chan’s faces. Nero then placed Lu-kun and Mii-chan back with Perro and Sera and addressed the butler-like man.
“What will you do?”
“This man committed the crime, but I also participated. I will atone for my sins.”
“…”
After binding the Zormus family head, who was still staring vacantly at Lu-kun, they went downstairs, where the sounds of battle had already ceased, and stepped outside.
“Damn… he managed to escape from me…”
Jin, with his head bowed, wore a bitter expression and clenched his fists.
“That was the head of the Zormus family. What’s his condition?”
“He’s under some kind of abnormal status. He should recover shortly.”
“Hmm, then it’s fine. I’ll need to question him later.”
“I will explain everything.”
“And you are?”
“A former servant of the Zormus family… let’s leave it at that.”
Some of the kingdom’s soldiers were injured, but there were no casualties. On the other hand, most of those who sided with the Zormus family were killed. The only one who escaped was the man called Dusk. During his battle with Jin, a sudden dust storm swept in, obscuring the vision of both Jin and the soldiers. When the dust settled, Dusk was gone.
“Leave the rest to us.”
“Thank you very much. You’ve been a great help today. Please convey my gratitude to the Queen.”
“Tell her yourself.”
“…Alright. Let’s go home, everyone.”
“Mii~!”
“I’m hungry, nya~.”
“Gau!”
“Nya!”
And so concludes the sixth chapter of Mii-chan’s Otherworldly Wanderings… or does it?
…
…
…
Later, before heading to Quint, Nero and his group visited the royal palace to express their gratitude. They made and delivered a large batch of ohagi (sweet rice balls) to the Queen, Lady Lene, Nia, and the other maidservants.
During this time, Mii-chan reportedly wore a deeply resentful expression.
It was also revealed that the Zormus family was drowning in debt and on the brink of bankruptcy. When they heard about Lu-kun, they plotted to seize Brocken Mountain for their own greed. The Queen personally bowed her head to Nero and his group, apologizing for the information leak about Lu-kun, which she acknowledged as their fault.
As for the Zormus family, the head was sentenced to death, and the family estate was confiscated. The remaining family members were placed under the care of a margrave branch family in the frontier. Of course, this matter was not made public; it was officially announced that the head of the family died suddenly of illness and that the rest of the family was in seclusion due to severe illness.
As a side note, Nero reportedly gifted ten small bottles of mineral water to the Chancellor.
The End.