SWNOVELXO Chapter 187 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Talks with the Heroes
187 Divine Cat Mii-chan Talks with the Heroes
Inside the tent, a group of boys and girls who looked like high schoolers stared at us in surprise. I quickly gave a fast-acting sleeping drug to the soldiers who had been charmed by Lu-kun, letting them fall asleep.
“Well then, let’s get started.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Ren Nero. This is Mii-chan, and this is Lu-kun.”
“Mii~.”
“Growl.”
Greetings are important, right?
“You’re Japanese, aren’t you…?”
The handsome guy in the middle squeezed out the words.
“So there were others summoned besides us…”
The beautiful girl with long black hair, who looked like a top student, muttered to herself.
“Hey, sis! It’s a kitten!”
“So cute~! There’s a puppy too!”
The smart guy and the cute short-haired girl are probably siblings.
“He looks more like a half-breed than Japanese.”
The last guy, who had a rough appearance, probably dyed his hair blonde, though it was only barely visible.
“Would you like some dumplings?”
“We want some!”
The two girls rushed at me with intense enthusiasm. Mii-chan pulled out a portable stove from the bag and started grilling mochi.
“Who are you, and what happened to the soldiers over there?”
“They’re just asleep. I’ll make this quickly.”
“Can I pet the kitten and the puppy?”
“Please get their consent first. Also, Lu-kun is a wolf.”
“Hmm, can I pet them?”
“Mii~.”
“Growl.”
The siblings and the class rep started furiously petting Mii-chan and Lu-kun. The handsome guy and the rough-looking one didn’t seem too pleased about it. I always thought delinquents liked cats, but maybe this one just doesn’t want to show it in front of people?
I placed a large plate of dumplings on the nearby table and also brought out some drinks.
Everyone sat around the table. Naturally, I did too.
“Thanks for the food♪.”
The class rep started eating a red bean paste dumpling, and Mii-chan stared intently at her.
“Do you want some, kitten?”
“Mii~.”
“Just a little, okay?”
The class rep took a bit of the red bean paste and offered it to Mii-chan, who happily licked her palm.
“It tickles♪.”
“Aw, so unfair, Kaori! I want to do that too!”
“Hey, can you two be quiet for a bit? There are things we need to ask this person. I don’t want to waste time.”
“…”
“My name is Isami Endo. I’m Japanese and currently a hero. Let me ask directly: who are you?”
“A hero, huh? Unfortunately, you’re not actually heroes.”
“Mii~.”
“Don’t mess with me! We were summoned as heroes!”
“It seems our delinquent friend here doesn’t know the word ‘greeting’.”
“Pfft. Delinquent…”
“Tch…”
“I apologize. My name is Makoto Okumura. Why do you say we aren’t heroes?”
The siblings stopped petting and turned to look at me. Two of them were glaring, though.
“Where should I begin explaining?”
“Please tell us everything you know, Nero-san.”
“Got it. Also, my name in this world is Nero, not Ren.”
I began explaining how people come to this world: those summoned by the power of a god, those summoned by the power of this world’s skills, and those who accidentally fall into this world. I also explained how everyone passes through the heavenly realm and undergoes changes to their soul and body.
“Which of the three categories do we fall into? And what’s the difference between them?”
“You were summoned by the skills of people from this world. The main difference between the three is whether or not you receive divine protection. You and those who accidentally come here belong to the same group, only your circumstances differ.”
“Divine protection?”
It seems they weren’t told. I guess the people from Rotaringia couldn’t reveal the truth.
“Think of it as a kind of guarantee in this world. It shows that a person with divine protection is considered safe.”
“I’m Kaori Munakata. So, we don’t have that protection?”
“I’m Tojiro Munakata. What happens if we don’t have it?”
“Unfortunately, you don’t. In fact, the gods have issued an oracle denying any connection with you. That’s why you can’t call yourselves heroes. In fact, you’re commonly referred to as… false heroes.”
“Don’t mess with me! We were summoned as heroes!”
The delinquent doesn’t seem to be learning. He keeps repeating himself without even a greeting.
“Divine protection grants certain abilities. That’s why people in this world call those who receive it ‘heroes.’”
“What abilities?”
“The ability to protect one’s heart. It purges negative thoughts, maintains a pure heart, and prevents being consumed by desires like money, power, or pleasure. Someone like that can be trusted anywhere.”
“Mii~.”
“So we don’t have that…”
“What happens without it?”
“Weak-willed people will use their newfound powers for selfish desires. That’s what people call ‘falling into darkness.’”
“Falling into darkness…”
“Humans are weak to desire. Those who can resist it are true heroes. But do you think such people exist? That’s why gods give divine protection.”
“Will we fall into darkness too?”
“You have the power to defeat the demon king if you train, but if you don’t also strengthen your heart, you will surely fall into darkness.”
“What happens if we do?”
“If you fall into darkness, you will be no different from the demon king. Then, you’ll become the new target for others to defeat.”
“Mii…”