NOVEL NEXT chapter 16 - Divine Cat Mii-chan, Peeks into a Maiden’s Secret
16: Divine Cat Mii-chan, Peeks into a Maiden’s Secret
Seven days have passed since I started working at the Hunter’s Guild.
I’ve gotten used to the work, and I even had a day off. It’s customary to have a day off after working for five days, though it’s not always the case. For instance, this inn doesn’t have days off—if they did, it would be troublesome. It seems that small businesses don’t take days off unless something significant happens.
I spent my day off just lazing around with Mii-chan, doing nothing. The landlady was exasperated, saying, “What a waste for a young man….” But I was tired…
Today, I discovered that I can summon more cat items. One of them is a cat teaser, a classic staple. It’s a stick type with a fluffy end, and it even has a laser pointer attached. I wonder how it’s powered? But since it’s a divine item, there’s no need to think too hard about it.
This cat teaser has other effects too. If you wave the fluffy part at a monster, it forces the monster’s attention toward it, and if you point the laser at a monster, it annoys them—it’s a cheat item. But when used on Mii-chan, she just enjoys it.
After finishing the morning work at the guild, Pamille called me. I wonder what she wants?
“I need you to run an errand to the neighboring town.”
The neighboring town is a five-day walk away. Even with a stagecoach, it takes two days.
The neighboring town, Quint, is home to many craftsmen—it’s like an industrial city. The Hunter’s Guild in this town has placed an order with a workshop in Quint, and since the deadline is approaching, they want me to pick it up.
Why me? The reason is simple: I’m the newest member and have appraisal skills. My job is to check if the ordered items aren’t defective and to ensure I understand how to use them properly.
Departure is set for the morning after tomorrow. I’ll be traveling with a merchant caravan heading to Quint, and they kindly gave me a day off tomorrow to prepare. They’ve even provided a small preparation fund.
Pamille mentioned that if I’m considering becoming a hunter, it’s beneficial to observe their work closely.
The caravan will be protected by two parties of hunters. It’s a fairly large caravan with four wagons, which is apparently the norm.
The caravan will provide food, but I was advised to bring my own preserved food. I was also given a list of other necessary items to purchase. Very helpful.
For now, I’ll head back to the inn, have breakfast, and then go shopping. What should I do with my belongings in the room? Especially the mountain of PET bottles. Maybe I can burn them somewhere? In this world, there’s no worry about a public health officer coming by.
Returning to my room at the inn, I placed my bag on the table. Mii-chan started pawing at the bag. What’s up? Is there something inside? When I opened the bag, Mii-chan pulled out a “How-To” book just like before. I thought I had read it all, but is there something new?
Mii-chan skillfully opened the book, revealing a new page. It seems to be a message from the deity.
The message detailed how the god was severely scolded by the goddess managing this world after sending me here and altering my skills. The transfer of my soul to this world wasn’t an issue, but giving me skills that don’t exist in this world was problematic. Well, the god did mention at the time that only skills from this world were allowed. In a way, they brought it upon themselves.
But was this page added just for a complaint? As I continued reading, I found a method for disposing of PET bottles. It explained a skill called “Restitution,” which allows me to convert summoned items back into spirit energy. I had been discarding empty cat food cans as scrap metal, but it turns out they can be converted too.
So, I tried summoning a PET bottle and then using the Restitution ability. I felt a bit drained. I managed to convert about ten empty bottles and felt slightly better. The efficiency of this skill isn’t great, but it solves the garbage problem.
At the very end of the page, written in unusually small letters, was a note suggesting I appraise Mii-chan. It also mentioned that the deity wouldn’t be able to send any more pages unless something significant happened.
Using most of the page for complaints… I won’t comment on that.
“Mii-chan, can I appraise you?”
“Mii~”
Of course, it’s only right to ask before peeking into a girl’s secrets. Though for others, I might just look without asking. What?
Mii-chan
Gender: Female
Age: Eternally 5 months
Skills:
Immortality
Mii-chan Bag (Infinite capacity)
Affection Up
Pain Reduction
Divine Concealment
Titles:
God’s Familiar
“…”
There’s so much to question that I don’t even know where to start.
The standout skill is probably not “Affection Up”… It’s “Divine Concealment.”
“Mii-chan, could you use Divine Concealment?”
“Mii~”
When I appraised Mii-chan, the only result was “Cute kitten.” So, even those with appraisal skills can’t see her true nature. I had no idea!
“What exactly is ‘Mii-chan Bag’?”
“Mii~”
The pet bottle in front of me disappeared.
“Huh!?”
“Mii~”
Then, the pet bottle reappeared in front of me.
“Could it be that the ‘Mii-chan Bag’ has infinite storage?”
“Mii~”
This is a major cheat! The ultimate item storage ability, often referred to as the “Item Bag” in games. It’s an incredibly powerful ability that fundamentally changes the logistics of transporting goods. With this, making money would be a breeze. Not that I’m planning to use it for that. Doing so would definitely attract unwanted attention, so first I need to find out if this skill exists in this world.
“If you had such an amazing ability, you could’ve told me.”
“Mii…”
Mii-chan looked downcast.
Oh no, I’m not mad at all, really.
To show her I wasn’t upset, I picked Mii-chan up and nuzzled her cheek with mine, giving her lots of affection.
“Mii~♪”