READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 32 - Mii-chan, the divine cat, helps a sick horse
32 Mii-chan, the divine cat, helps a sick horse
At the edge of the bazaar, I noticed a horse that caught my attention.
The horse was extremely emaciated. Upon appraisal, it was identified as a Battle Horse, with severe illness, severe mental distress, and severe loss of appetite.
Battle Horses are mentioned in the books from the guild’s library. They are elite horses given to top knights of the kingdom, known for their intelligence and fierce temperament, only allowing those they recognize to ride them. They are also powerful enough to handle even strong monsters.
This horse had the characteristic short, hard horn on its forehead, typical of Battle Horses.
Why is such a horse here?
As I approached, Mi-chan, perched on my shoulder, stared intently at the horse.
“What’s the story with this horse?” I asked.
“Oh, this horse…,” the person next to the horse, who seemed to be its owner and trainer, began to explain. The horse had been captured from the plains when it was young, though it was actually hunters who did the capturing.
They had tried to raise it, but it ended up in this state, and they didn’t know what to do. The horse, being a Battle Horse, possessed a special skill called “Swift Wind,” which only the best Battle Horses have, along with an exceptional ability called “Strong Legs.” They had thought of giving it one last chance to breed, but the horse showed no interest in the stud horse. Incidentally, this Battle Horse is female.
So, the owner was at a loss as to what to do with her.
“Mii-chan is tapping my shoulder frantically, trying to tell me something. Well, I guess she’s telling me to help.
‘What are you planning to do?’
‘In this condition, she can’t have foals, so she’s worthless. I might as well…’
‘W-wait a minute! It’s too cruel to kill her!’
‘Then what do you want me to do? Even keeping her like this costs money!’
‘…Could you give her to me? If she’s going to be put down, at least respect her wishes. Maybe she wants to spend her last days running free in the grasslands.’
‘Damn it… It’s hard to hear that… As her trainer, I’m responsible for ruining her life…’
‘…’
I don’t have any words to comfort the trainer…
‘Alright. I’ll give her to you for free. But, brother… can I ask you to take care of her? I have an assignment in another town. Please, let her run free one last time. I’m begging you!’
‘If I can, I will. But if she gets better, don’t expect me to give her back, okay?’
‘Hahaha… If she could get better, I wouldn’t have struggled this much. And if she does get better, it’ll be a way to atone for my sins!'”
The trainer seemed like a good person. He went over to the battle horse, patted her head, and said:
“Alright, brother. I’ll leave her to you. I really owe you one!”
With that, he left.
Now then, Mii-chan, we’ve got this horse. What should we do?
“Mii…”
It seems she didn’t have a plan… For now, let’s take her to the stable behind the Hunter Guild.
We arrived at the Hunter Guild with the battle horse, and I asked Eva-san to let us use a corner of the stable at the back.
I put some feed in a bucket, but she didn’t seem interested. I even filled a bucket with five bottles of mineral water for Mii-chan, but the horse didn’t touch it. If she could drink, there might be a chance of recovery…
“Mii!”
Mii-chan, concerned about the horse, let out a call and dipped her face into the water bucket, taking a few sips. It seems she’s trying to act as a taste-tester.
“Mii.”
The horse brought her face close to Mii-chan’s. Maybe there’s some sort of communication happening?
Mii-chan touched her nose to the horse’s, and then the horse began to drink the mineral water from the bucket. Nice job, Mii-chan!
Mii-chan was making gestures towards me. She seemed cute, but then she tapped my foot…
What does she want? She was tapping the ground vigorously and opening her mouth wide at me. Now she’s mimicking eating in the air. Is she hungry? I guess it’s time to feed her. Since it’s past noon, I put some cat food on a plate for her.
“Mii!”
“Is it cat food?”
“Mii!”
Mii-chan grabbed the plate with the cat food and tried to pull it towards the horse. It seems she wants to feed the horse.
This cat food only shows up as “cat food” when appraised. Since it’s provided by the gods for Mii-chan, it must be nutritious, but will the horse eat it? I’ve heard that some cat food contains horse meat, so I hope it’s not cannibalistic.
I placed the plate with the cat food in front of the horse.
“Mii!”
Mii-chan ate some of the food to show the horse, and soon enough, the horse started eating. Seeing this, Mii-chan tapped the empty plate. Alright, alright, I’ll get more. I brought out two more cans of food.
Mii-chan and the horse were eating together happily. Eventually, the horse also started eating the feed. Wow!
I appraised the horse again. It now showed “mild illness” and “slight mental unrest.” The power of the gods is truly amazing. Although there’s still no guarantee, it looks like daily mineral water might help the horse recover. It’s going to be tough for me, though… Five bottles of mineral water at once!
Mii-chan, being a guardian is hard work…
“Mii!”