SWNOVELXO Chapter 185 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, It's Been a While Since We Camped Out
185 Divine Cat Mii-chan, It’s Been a While Since We Camped Out
Early in the morning, I ate the sandwiches Katia prepared and got the horse ready.
It might be time to replace Sumire’s saddle soon, as she’s gained a lot of muscle. Jin and the others placed saddles on the horses they had prepared, while Letty saddled the best horse we had.
“Are we ready?”
“Mii~”
All of our belongings are in Mii-chan’s bag, so we’re traveling light as usual. Letty is fully wrapped in a robe with her hood up, but isn’t that too hot?
Since Jin and the others were ready as well, we decided to head out.
Everyone from home saw us off at the entrance. I asked Lucas to take care of things while I’m gone, patted the heads of Kai and Tera, who were being held by Kaya, and mounted Sumire.
Mii-chan perched on my shoulder, Laru sat in front of me, and Lu rested his front paws on my shoulder from behind, placing his face on the opposite shoulder to Mii’s and huffing. It’s a bit ticklish.
“We’re off.”
“Mii~”
“Please return safely.”
“Take care, Princess, nya!”
“Nya!”
The west gate is closer to our house, but since we’re heading east, we rode toward the east gate. As we passed by the Hunter Guild, Guildmaster Zest was there and waved us off. How did he know we’d pass by at this time? As expected of a guildmaster.
After leaving the east gate, we headed east on the highway, but as I suspected, there wasn’t a single person in sight. Isn’t this a bit too conspicuous? Wouldn’t it be bad if we were spotted by rebel scouts?
“All enemy scouts have been eliminated, disposed of. Rest easy, kid.”
Ah, I see… disposed of. The king’s spies and the Thieves’ Guild are apparently taking care of enemy agents, making sure no information reaches the rebel forces. They said they’ve cleared out the area up to two days from the royal capital.
I heard from the queen that the kingdom’s army plans to make their stand a day’s ride from the capital, at a vast plain slightly off the main highway, an old battlefield. It seems like the perfect place for a direct confrontation with the rebel forces.
The forested areas would hinder the Dragon Knights and the First Knight Squadron, so it looks like they’re aiming for an open, straightforward battle without any tricks.
I heard the kingdom’s army is sending an advance force today and that the main force will depart tomorrow. That means I only have three or four days to persuade the summoned ones. Factoring in travel and infiltration, I probably have only about a day of actual time.
We rode without stopping for lunch, but there are limits to what the horses can handle. We should be able to reach the rebels’ location by tomorrow without pushing ourselves too hard. As the sun began to set, we decided to look for a campsite. We found one used by merchant caravans along the highway and set up camp there.
It’s been a while since we camped out. I struggled with setting up the tent, and Glenhart ended up helping me. Letty went out to meet our guide and check the situation. Jin gathered firewood, and Rosalinde took care of the horses.
I finally managed to set up the tent and let Mii-chan, Lu, and Laru rest inside. It was quite a tough march, after all—except for Sumire.
As I soothed Sumire and washed her, she snorted in dissatisfaction. Well, it can’t be helped. Even at a regular pace, no other horse can keep up with her.
As the sun went down, Jin lit the firewood he had gathered. We didn’t need to cook dinner since Mii-chan’s bag had everything prepared. I wonder when Letty will return?
While I was thinking about that, Jin and the others started drinking wine. Is it really okay to drink while camping? I set up Mii-chan’s cat litter set behind the tent, so weak monsters shouldn’t come near, but we still need someone to keep watch, right?
“Nero, this isn’t alcohol. To us, it’s like water.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t slow down from this.”
“In fact, we wouldn’t mind if you brought out some distilled liquor~”
No, no, I do mind…
I let Mii-chan, Lu, and Laru eat their dinner first. I’ll wait until Letty gets back. These heavy drinkers will probably wait for that too…
After Lu and Laru finished eating, Rosalinde started cuddling them while chatting with me. Mii-chan curled up on my lap.
“Hey, Nero-kun, why did you bring these two? Wouldn’t Perro-chan or Sera-chan have been better for combat?”
“You three are enough for combat. I brought Lu and Laru for a different purpose.”
“A different purpose?”
Rosalinde leaned in to look at Lu and Laru’s faces. They tilted their heads, as if asking, “What is it?” Their cuteness made Rosalinde forget her question, and she started showering them with kisses.
“So, what’s the other purpose, kid?”
“Whoa!”
I was startled. Please don’t just appear out of nowhere, Letty.
There was a sharp-eyed man standing behind Letty. He must be the guide.
“That’s a secret for later… But for now, let’s have dinner.”
I asked Mii-chan, who had been dozing off, to bring out dinner. While Mii, Lu, and Laru enjoyed their dessert, we started eating.
“This is incredible! I can’t believe we’re eating such good food while camping!”
“It’s honestly unbelievable.”
“Nero-kun, you don’t slack off even when camping~”
Letty and the guide ate silently, though the guide was wolfing down his food with fierce intensity. Was he that hungry?
Mii-chan seemed satisfied with her special azuki ice cream. After she finished, she let out a cute yawn. Since we have a watch rotation, it’s okay for her to sleep with Lu and Laru. Tomorrow is going to be tough.
“Mii~”