SWNOVELXO Chapter 192 - Divine Cat Mii-chan Is on Nero’s Side
192 Divine Cat Mii-chan Is on Nero’s Side
Well, that was a moment of carelessness. Even though Ayane-san warned me to abandon any soft feelings, I still naively thought that since we were both Japanese, we could understand each other just by talking. I was a fool to think that way.
If things had gone worse, I could have not only lost myself but also everyone who was with me. I regret it deeply…
I’m not sure how long I was unconscious, but when I opened my eyes, I was greeted by two large mountains in front of me.
“Mii~”
Mii-chan peeked out from between the two large mountains. Mii-chan, when did you grow so huge?
“You’re awake, boy?”
Further beyond the two mountains, Letty-san’s face came into view. Wait… are these beautiful twin mountains… breasts? Could this be the fabled lap pillow that men dream of?
“What’s wrong? Your face is red. Are you still not feeling well?”
“Mii…”
No, I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine now. But… I don’t want to get up just yet.
However, seeing Mii-chan’s concerned face, I couldn’t just stay like this.
With some reluctance, I forced myself to sit up.
“Where are we?”
“Somewhere between the rebel army’s camp and the rear supply unit.”
“Is everyone safe?”
“Thanks to you, no reinforcements have come. A few scouts showed up, but the members of the Bandit Guild took care of them.”
I looked around and saw that we were surrounded by thick trees. It seemed like we were hiding in a forest. Lu-kun and Lal-kun were by my side, looking worried, while Sumire and Letty-san’s horses were tied to a nearby tree. I wonder where the others went.
“They went scouting with the members of the Bandit Guild. They should be back soon.”
While I was fluffing Lu-kun and Lal-kun to reassure them, I saw some people leading horses emerging from behind the trees. It was probably Jin and the others.
“Hey, Nero, you’re awake.”
“The Bandit Guild guys are keeping watch over the other side.”
“It’s fine to start a fire.”
“Nero-san, are you okay?”
We gathered wood to start a fire, boiled some water, and had tea together.
“That guy, Endo, he’s dangerous.”
“Mii~”
“I was shocked too.”
“That’s probably his true nature.”
It seemed even the Munakata siblings didn’t know about it. I can’t tell if he’s already fallen into darkness or if that was his true self all along, but one thing is clear: he’s not normal.
“The guy who appeared halfway through… I feel like I’ve met him somewhere before.”
“Grr.”
“Hey, that’s the guy who kidnapped the dog!”
I remembered… He used to serve the Zolmuth family. But why is someone like him in Rotaringia?
“That guy, Dusk, is our assigned supervisor.”
“He’s got a scary look and sickly complexion, but he’s strong.”
“Tell me more.”
Apparently, in Rotaringia, a man named Dusk was in charge of their combat training. He was introduced to them as a noble of Rotaringia.
“A noble, huh… I did hear that he was born in Rotaringia, but still…”
It seemed Jin had some kind of grudge against this Dusk fellow. Now that Jin’s grudge has intersected with ours, we’re bound to deal with it in the future too. Plus, we still need to settle the score for kidnapping Lu-kun.
“Mii~”
“Grr.”
No way someone who trains heroes is just an ordinary noble. And the fact that such a man was in the Lumière Kingdom… something’s off.
“A Rotaringian in the service of a Lumière Kingdom noble… There’s definitely something going on behind the scenes.”
“Probably infiltrating to spread rumors among the nobles. Want me to look into it, boy?”
“We should report it to the Chancellor and leave it to him. But this means Rotaringia is seriously targeting us, right?”
“The Chancellor must have his hands full.”
“What do you plan to do next, Nero-kun?”
Hmm… What should I do? My original goal has been achieved. I wanted to recruit Okumura-san, but that wasn’t possible in that situation. Still, I’ve sown the seeds. The rest is up to him. I sincerely hope he’ll come visit someday.
“Let’s regroup with the Kingdom’s army. I haven’t used my trump card yet, so I’d like to give the rebel army a little surprise. Right, Lal-kun?”
“Kyu~!”
“Mii~”
“Nero-kun, what’s this trump card?”
“It’s a secret.”
“Muuu.”
Rosalinde puffed her cheeks in frustration, grumbling. Well, to be honest, even I don’t know what it is.
“Uh… Can I ask something?”
“We’ve been following you, Nero-san, but how exactly are we supposed to return to Japan?”
The King of Rotaringia was hiding the fact that the person who summoned them is dead, and they said that the path can’t be connected again for several years. I couldn’t keep this from them, so I told them the truth—there’s no way back.
“So that’s how it is…”
“I kind of had a feeling, but hearing it for real stings…”
Seems like they had already suspected they couldn’t return.
“Well, there’s no point in sulking over it, Toshi. Let’s move on!”
That was a quick recovery!
“By the way, Nero-san… What exactly are you? You seem younger than us, but you’re talking about reporting to the Chancellor…”
Did he just say I look younger than them?
“I’m older than you. I’m over 18.”
“You’re joking~♪”
“Mii…”
“No, I’m serious. I’ve already graduated from high school.”
“Seriously…?”
“Seriously.”
“Mii~”
No one’s backing me up. Looks like Mii-chan is the only one on my side.
“Nero is an amazing guy. Yeah, amazing. You two are lucky to be with him.”
“Mii~”
“Yeah, Nero-san’s a winner!”
“We’re part of the winning team too now!”
As I fluffed Lu-kun and Lal-kun, they casually remarked how in this otherworld, even dogs have wings. Well, Lal-kun is a dragon, not a dog. Sorry!
“May I ask you a question as well?”
“What is it, Glenhart-san?”
“That man, Dusk, called these two ‘heroes.’ What’s that all about?”
Dusk just had to say something unnecessary. I wanted to keep this under wraps for a while longer.
“Can we pretend you didn’t hear that for now? The Chancellor will explain it later.”
“Why can’t you explain now?”
“I trust all of you, but please, for now, let’s keep this quiet until the battle is over.”
“Are you worried it would cause confusion?”
“Yes.”
If word got out that even a fake hero was fighting for the rebels, it could cause unrest among the royal army. In a battle that must be won, it’s best to avoid any seeds of doubt. As for what comes after, I’ll leave that to the King, Queen, and Chancellor.
I should introduce the Munakata siblings to the Queen at some point. Their personalities… make me a bit uneasy.
“Mii~!”