The story of the struggle in another world of the divine cat Mii-chan and the cat supplies summoner

143 Divine Cat Mii-chan, Busy with Store Opening Preparations

I bought some pastel-colored fabric at the fabric shop, but it ended up being more expensive than I expected. Apparently, it’s material used for dresses.

When I mentioned that I wanted to draw pictures or write letters on the fabric, the clerk recommended a special paint, so I bought it. They said it was “special,” so… I hope I didn’t get tricked?

“Mii~?”

Mii-chan tilted her head, as if wondering if it was a good idea. Well, it’s all about the mood with these kinds of things, right? Let’s stay positive.

After finishing my shopping, I returned to the inn, requested lunch from the manager, and went back to the room. When I arrived, everyone was being brushed by the maids.

“How did it go, nya?”

“I made sure to finalize the contract. Divine Cat Trading Company’s First Store is official.”

“Mii~.”

“Ooh, nya.”

“When will we be able to move in?”

“It’s going to take about two months to complete everything, but the renovations for the living space are being prioritized, so we should be able to move in within a month.”

“So, we can’t do anything until then?”

“I thought of that, so I bought the necessary tools for a food stall.”

“Food stall?”

“I’ll explain after lunch.”

As Lar-kun approached my feet, I picked him up and gave him a nice fluffy hug. After being brushed, his coat was shiny, fluffy, and felt amazing to the touch.

When I asked the two maids if they could sew, one of them said she had sewing skills, so I asked for her help, and she happily accepted. While I’m not terrible at sewing, my skills are about the level of stitching a rag, so it’s best to leave it to someone more skilled.

After lunch, we gathered around the table for a meeting. I drew a picture of the food stall and explained to Alex-san and Claudia-san what we would be doing.

“So, I’ll be making and selling frozen treats and popsicles?”

“And I’ll be grilling and selling rice cakes, right?”

“How big should the popsicles be, nya?”

Uh… I completely forgot about that. Right, they all need to be the same size. I’ll have to get special molds made.

I asked the maids to make the banner and noren curtains. After handing them the drawings and measurements, they quickly got to work with their own sewing tools.

The food stall will be ready in two days, so after that, we’ll paint it together.

“I’m excited, nya.”

“Nya.”

“Grr.”

“Kyu~.”

You all want to help with the painting too, huh…? That makes me a little nervous.

As Perro pointed out, we need to have molds for making popsicles. I went to the kitchen and asked the head chef about a shop that deals with cooking tools, but apparently, all the kitchen tools here are custom-made. While the head chef didn’t know a place, one of the other cooks did, so I’ll check it out.

The rain has stopped, and the sun is starting to peek through. It doesn’t look like we’ll need raincoats, so I carried Mii-chan and headed to the store that was recommended.

The shop was filled with cooking tools, and Mii-chan looked around curiously. As I browsed, I realized there were a lot of things I still needed, like measuring cups, bowls, and spatulas. But I couldn’t find anything suitable for making popsicle molds. It seems like I’ll have to get them custom-made too.

I gathered the tools I bought and asked Mii-chan to store them for me. We then went to the custom tool maker the head chef had told me about.

I handed the craftsman a paper with the dimensions I wanted and requested copper as the material. I also asked for a mechanism to secure the popsicle sticks. It’ll be ready in two days. I think we’ve almost got everything we need. Whatever else comes up, we’ll handle as it arises.

“Mii~.”

When we returned to the inn, the banner and noren were finished. As expected from someone with sewing skills, they were flawless.

Meanwhile, the others were lined up by the window, taking turns playfully punching at the raindrops falling from the roof. Is that really fun?

Alright, first, I’ll spread the noren across the table and write the store name on it. Since the fabric is navy, I chose the white special paint. My writing is clumsy, but I managed to get it done in one go. Lastly, I drew a paw print at the corner, modeled after Mii-chan’s, and framed it in a square. It’s a makeshift stamp.

“Divine Cat Shop, nya?”

“It’s the mobile branch of the Divine Cat Trading Company.”

Next is the banner. On one, I wrote “Popsicles” and drew a cute, simplified illustration of one. On the other, I wrote “Dango” and drew a simplified illustration of that too.

“Isn’t it rice cakes, nya?”

“Well, yeah, it’s supposed to be rice cakes, but I’m shaping them like dango, so I labeled it as such. I’ll make real dango one day too.”

“Ooh, looking forward to that, nya.”

Looking at the completed banner and noren, I could already imagine the food stall. In this world, they don’t have banners or noren, so it’s sure to stand out.

Once people try the popsicles and rice cakes, they’ll definitely become repeat customers. The first impression is key, so I need to think about that.

That aside, I also need to plan the menu. Tomorrow, we’ll probably go around the bazaar, and I shouldn’t forget to teach Alex-san and Claudia-san how to make red bean paste and other treats.

“Mii~!”

Mii-chan… Unfortunately, the treats aren’t for you.

“Mii…”

She looks sad, but you still have plenty of red bean paste, don’t you? Or… have you been sneaking some?

“Mii~♪”

“Oh, I haven’t been doing that~,” huh? Where did you even learn that phrase? It must be Perro… that’s a bit worrying.

Well, almost everything is ready for the opening. Let’s keep up the hard work.

“Mii~.”