SWNOVELXO Chapter 178 - Divine Cat Mii-chan’s beckoning gesture with her right front paw is always on point, never missing its mark.
178 Divine Cat Mii-chan’s beckoning gesture with her right front paw is always on point, never missing its mark.
Over the past five days, I’ve been helping Kaya-chan train her water skill, while asking Ilse-san to prepare ingredients like mochi and red bean paste.
I also finished the stall application at the Commercial Guild and managed to rent a spot in front of the fountain in the central plaza. Normally, it wouldn’t be this easy to secure such a prime location, but thanks to our success during the last fresh fish sale, they made an exception for us. Lucky!
With everything ready, we decided to open Kami Neko-ya tomorrow.
This time, I’m planning a regular opening without using any tricks involving Perro. Instead, I’ve asked Yuri-san and Pamil-san to promote our stall to the guild ladies. They could become loyal customers.
On opening day, I had Baro pull the stall toward the central plaza. Behind me, I carried a bag containing Mii-chan and Kai, while Lu-kun and Lar-kun followed behind.
Once we arrived at the plaza and completed the preparations, I informed Pamil-san from the Hunter Guild that we were ready, and she came over carrying Tera. Today, both Tera and Kai will be helping out at Kami Neko-ya.
Even though it was early morning, the area around the stall was already lively. Mii-chan took her place as the beckoning cat, while Kai, Lu-kun, and Lar-kun enjoyed being petted by customers.
As usual, Mii-chan’s beckoning gesture with her right front paw was flawless, attracting the hunter ladies to the stall.
“Mii~.”
With the addition of Tera to the fluffy lineup, even more people gathered. Surprisingly, Baro was quite popular too.
“We have lots of customers!”
Kaya-chan, excited and dressed in a pink frilled apron, was giddy with excitement. The ice candies weren’t selling much yet, but I expected the sales to pick up as the day got warmer.
Thanks to the ladies from the Hunter and Commercial Guilds, the dumplings were selling steadily. Of course, everything was half-price today.
I placed bite-sized dumplings on plates and handed them out as samples to the male hunters. It’s rare to find men brave enough to venture into a place dominated by the ladies, but once they taste the food, I’m sure they’ll buy some.
“We’ll take four sticks of each dumpling type, nya!”
It turned out to be Perro and the others, who had just accepted a request from the guild and were heading outside the city. Ilse-san wrapped up the red bean, mitarashi, and the new kinako-flavored dumplings in large leaves commonly used in the royal capital and handed them to Perro.
“Thank you very much.”
“Mii~.”
“We’ll be back, nya!”
Ilse-san maintained a professional demeanor even when dealing with Perro, and Mii-chan flashed them a polite customer-service smile, telling them to take care. Such great staff!
“I’ll take one of each variety.”
Zest, the guild master, also came to make a purchase.
“It’s best enjoyed with the guild master’s special blend tea.”
“Hoho, that sounds delightful.”
As Ilse-san wrapped Zest’s dumplings, a fancy carriage entered the plaza.
“A royal carriage, huh?”
The person who stepped out was Nea-san. Of course, it wouldn’t be the royal family themselves coming into town—this was a special case, probably thanks to the Grand Duke.
“I’ve been asked by the Queen to bring flowers in celebration of Kami Neko-ya opening a stall,” Nea announced.
The two maids who accompanied her placed orchid-like potted flowers on both sides of the stall. They were truly beautiful flowers.
“Mii~.”
Mii-chan thanked Nea-san.
Now I’ll have to send a gift in return. I asked Ilse-san to prepare ten sticks of each type of dumpling.
“With royal endorsement, you’re set for life now,” Zest commented with a slight smirk.
Hahaha… It’s true, while this is an exciting surprise, I also worry about drawing resentment from others. People in Wilhelm were generally kind, but Beruna can feel a bit more cutthroat. Nea and her companions have dragons, so they can handle themselves, but Ilse-san and the others are ordinary people, so we need to be cautious.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out, being close by. Besides, if hunters become regular customers, they’ll protect you too.”
“For the time being, I’ll count on you.”
“Leave it to me.”
While waiting for the dumplings to be prepared, Nea and the others indulged in petting Mii-chan and her fluffy companions. They were especially thorough with Tera and Kai, since they’re siblings to Lea and Noa.
Once the dumplings were ready, I pulled out a fancy plate from Mii-chan’s bag, placed the dumplings on it, and handed them to Nea-san. I didn’t accept any payment for them.
After Nea and Zest left, we continued to have a successful day at the stall.
For the next five days, Mii-chan and I helped with the stall. But just as I was about to hand over full responsibility to Ilse-san, Jin approached with a mitarashi dango in his mouth. Was he looking for some cold tea?
“They’re planning to rise up in two days.”
“In two days?”
“Yeah, the Vittelbach family’s forces are already near the royal capital. Tomorrow, the First Knights will leave the capital under the guise of military exercises. They’ve fallen right into our trap.”
The First Knights are leaving the capital… Are we going to be okay?
“Make sure you’re in the palace starting tomorrow.”
“Eh? Why?”
“Why? Because you’re a target, obviously.”
“I am?”
“The nobles allied with the rebels are after you. The aristocrats funded by the Zolm family, as well as the mafia and dark guild that lent them money, all want a piece of you. Their grudge is strong.”
“Is this really my fault? They attacked me first, and then they just… disappeared.”
“Well, yeah. But to them, it’s like a dragon snatched away their prize. You’ll just have to tough it out. Once this is over, they’ll quiet down. Well, assuming they survive, that is. Heh heh heh…”
A rebellion, huh? That means the Hero will come, right? I’ll have to do my best to convince him.
“Mii~.”
Chapter Two: The Demon King Descends. So, what will you do? The end.