SWNOVELXO Chapter 146 - The Divine Cat Mii-chan Becomes a Lucky Cat
146 The Divine Cat Mii-chan Becomes a Lucky Cat
Under a clear blue sky, it felt as though the weather was blessing the opening of the Divine Cat Trading Company’s stall, Divine Cat Shop.
Preparations were perfect, and I had even set up a little gimmick. Time to set off.
“Mii~”
Alex and Claudia still seemed nervous, but they’d get used to it eventually.
The fountain in the central plaza was the perfect spot, thanks to the commercial guild officer who gave us a great location. Since we weren’t selling hearty food, this ambiance suited us well. Plus, there were no competing stalls nearby, which was reassuring.
After setting up the stall, raising the banner, and hanging the curtain, I announced:
“Alright, the Divine Cat Trading Company’s stall, Divine Cat Shop, is open!”
“Mii~”
Today, all items were half price, and Mii-chan sat atop the counter, posing as a maneki-neko (lucky cat). She was beckoning passersby with her right paw—absolute perfection. However, foot traffic was still slow. Understandably, people in the plaza probably weren’t sure what kind of shop this was yet.
After two hours, I decided it was time to deploy the prepared gimmick. I quickly returned to the inn, gave Perro instructions as planned, and then hurried back to the stall.
Not long after, Perro appeared, casually browsing the stalls in the plaza. As a Kettoshee, Perro stood out naturally. The sight of him strolling and peeking at various stalls was bound to attract attention.
“One dango, please, nya.”
Perro approached our stall and ordered a dango. Alex skillfully prepared a mitarashi dango and handed it to him. After paying, Perro deliberately showed off the dango to the surrounding crowd before starting to eat.
“Nya nya! This is so delicious, nya! Do humans always get to eat such tasty food, nya?”
What an obvious, wooden delivery… was Perro always such a terrible actor?
“I’ll try the ice candy, too, nya. One azuki ice bar, please, nya.”
Claudia, barely holding back laughter, handed Perro the azuki ice bar.
“Nya nya nya! This cold, sweet treat is perfect for hot days, nya!”
At this point, I didn’t even care anymore. Some onlookers were starting to snicker, clearly realizing Perro was a plant.
“Four more mitarashi dango sticks and one of each flavor of ice candy, nya!”
Perro went off-script… or so I thought, until I noticed Sera, Lu-kun, and Lul-kun peeking from behind a building across the street. It seemed Perro was buying snacks for everyone, though he was definitely getting his share too… oh well.
“Mii~”
Despite Perro’s obvious act, it worked somewhat. As the temperature rose towards noon, ice candy and frozen treats started selling well, though the dango was less popular.
Just then, a rather sturdy, yet elegant, carriage arrived at the plaza and stopped near our stall. Upon closer inspection, it bore the emblem of the Grand Duchy of Hildenburg. No way…
Karl from the palace guard stepped down from the carriage, followed by the butler and the Duke himself. A buzz spread through the plaza. Of course—when the nation’s leader shows up, everyone pays attention.
“This stall is quite colorful. Now then, Nero, what do you recommend?”
With a sigh, I had them sit at the chairs we’d set out. Considering the Duke’s status, dango seemed appropriate, so I had Alex prepare two skewers each of anko (sweet red bean) and mitarashi dango.
Claudia served cold tea to the Duke, while Karl and the butler received citrus-flavored frozen treats.
The crowd in the plaza—and even those passing by—watched in suspense as I presented the food.
“Please, enjoy.”
“Mii~”
The cold tea and a plate of dango were placed before the Duke. The butler took one of each and tasted them first. Once he finished, the Duke began eating the remaining dango. After finishing the last one and drinking the tea, he declared:
“Delicious. I’ll take ten of each to bring home.”
I signaled to Alex. We didn’t normally offer takeout, but it’s not like I could refuse the Duke. Mii-chan fetched a larger plate.
“Is this also a preserved food?”
“Yes.”
I showed the Duke some uncooked mochi.
“It can’t be eaten as is, but it can be grilled or boiled. It’s a preserved food, though I recommend eating it before mold forms.”
“I see. I’ve never seen anything like this…”
“All of the ingredients are locally sourced.”
“A descendant of the Hero, I see…”
Once the dango was ready, the butler took it. The Duke offered to pay, but of course, I politely declined. After all, I couldn’t take money from him.
“Mii~”
Besides, let’s be honest—the Duke’s visit was fantastic publicity.
“I’ll take these gratefully. Are those two acquaintances of yours?” The Duke glanced briefly at Alex and Claudia.
“Yes, they are part of the Hildenburg branch of the Divine Cat Trading Company.”
“They’re trustworthy, then?”
“Their identities are clear, and they come highly recommended by a reliable source.”
“I see. Very well, I look forward to the future success of the Divine Cat Trading Company.”
“Thank you.”
“Mii~”
The Duke gave Mii-chan a gentle pat on the head before returning to his carriage and heading back to the royal palace.
And that’s when things really got hectic. With the Duke’s visit, we were swarmed with customers. We ran out of the ingredients we had prepared for the day, and Mii-chan had to fetch more.
Honestly, I was worried about jealousy from the other stalls, but they seemed to benefit from the influx of customers we brought in. It’s not that there wasn’t any envy, but with the Duke’s approval, nobody would dare cause trouble. And if they did, well, we’ve got a dragon on our side, so we’d handle it… though I’d prefer not to.
Still, having the Duke as a surprise guest was the best kind of promotion.
“Mii~”