READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 33 - Divine Cat Mii-chan asks for help but gets kidnapped for some reason.
33 Divine Cat Mii-chan asks for help but gets kidnapped for some reason.
As I was taking care of the horse, it was already lunchtime. Instead of going out to eat, I decided to grab something from the tavern inside the guild.
“What would you like?”
“I’ll have the recommended set meal, please.”
“Do you have any dietary preferences?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Master! We have a new test subject!”
Wait, what? A test subject? What are they going to feed me?
Despite my anxiety, the cat beastkin waitress was playing with Mii-chan, who seemed quite content after her meal with the horse.
Soon, the burly man from yesterday, who had given me a scary look, brought something over. Isn’t the waitress supposed to be working?
“Here you go.”
He placed a large plate on the table.
W-what is this… could it be… fried rice?
It definitely looks like fried rice. Appraisal confirms it’s fried rice, but the taste is listed as “mediocre.”
I decided to give the fried rice a try. Unfortunately, it was rather bland—mostly salty with unremarkable ingredients. The presentation was also lacking, which didn’t help make it any more appealing. Even the tastiest food can seem subpar if it doesn’t look appetizing.
The only thing I could do was pull out some garlic oil from my bag and drizzle a bit over the rice. It made it slightly better.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!”
Huh? What did I do?
“Give me that!”
Oh no, my fried rice!
“Damn, this is actually pretty good! Give it to me!”
Noooo! Someone help me!
“Mii-chan!”
“Sykes! That’s enough!”
Oh, thank goodness. Eva came to my rescue.
“But, but this guy did something!”
“Haa… Nero, could you explain what happened? And while you’re at it, tell me about the battle horse in the stables.”
Why is she looking at me like that? It’s the look you give to someone who’s disappointed, Eva.
Eva looked a bit taken aback when I explained the situation.
“So, the bouncer was almost put down, but now it seems like it’s on the mend?” she asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “The potion bottles were from the grandmother who makes a unique all-purpose medicine. She agreed to keep it a secret, of course.”
Eva sighed and rubbed her temples. “Well, if it’s working, that’s good to hear. But it’s a bit close to deceitful, don’t you think?”
“I understand. But if I hadn’t intervened, that horse would have been put down.”
“True, but couldn’t you have just offered the all-purpose medicine instead?”
“That might have been a possibility, but considering the circumstances, it seemed too risky. I explained that each bottle cost ten gold coins, which Gaise paid for.”
Eva glanced at the bottle and then back at me. “You’ve definitely got a knack for finding unusual solutions. I’ll make sure to look into this further and discuss it with the guild. For now, I guess I’ll have to let you off with a warning. Just be more careful with how you handle these situations in the future.”
“Understood. Thanks for the help,” I said, feeling a bit relieved.
Eva gave a small nod. “And let’s keep this between us for now, okay?”
“Of course.”
As Eva went back to her duties, I turned to find Mii-chan, who had been watching the exchange with curious eyes. “Looks like we’ve got to be extra careful from now on, Mii-chan.”
“Mii…”
With the situation settled, I decided it was best to focus on preparing for the next steps, including the tasks ahead and ensuring the well-being of our new equine friend.
The man glared at me with frustration as I handed him the empty plate with just a hint of garlic oil left on it.
“Cheapskate,” he muttered.
“I didn’t expect it to be so… let’s say, bland,” I replied. “If you want a more flavorful dish, maybe it’s better to adjust the seasoning yourself next time.”
He grumbled and walked away, clearly not satisfied.
Eva had left to return to her work, leaving me to deal with the aftermath. Mii-chan hopped onto my shoulder, offering a comforting purr.
“Thanks for being here, Mii-chan,” I said, stroking her fur gently. “Seems like we’ve had quite an eventful day.”
“Mii…”
As I gathered my things, I couldn’t help but think about the upcoming tasks. It seemed like there were always new challenges around the corner, but with Mii-chan by my side and a bit of determination, I felt ready to face whatever came next.
The situation had escalated quickly. The burly man, still glaring at me, was now surrounded by a group of women who were clearly not pleased with his behavior. They were all intensely focused on the argument, which had turned into a small commotion.
“Hey, cut it out!” one of the women shouted, her hands on her hips.
“Yeah, you should’ve figured it out yourself!” another chimed in, her arms crossed.
The man, clearly intimidated by the sudden arrival of reinforcements, tried to backpedal. “Alright, alright. Just tell me what you used!”
I looked around at the growing crowd of agitated people. Mii-chan, who was still perched on my shoulder, gave a soft, worried meow. I could tell she was uncomfortable with the scene.
“It’s just a bit of garlic oil,” I said cautiously. “I didn’t mean to cause a problem.”
“Garlic oil?” the man repeated, looking more puzzled than angry now.
“Yes, and that’s all. I didn’t mean to upset anyone,” I assured him.
One of the women stepped forward, her expression softening. “Alright, we understand now. But maybe you should be more considerate next time.”
“Yeah, we’re all just trying to enjoy our meals,” another added.
With the crowd starting to disperse, the man, though still grumbling, nodded reluctantly. “Fine, fine. Just don’t do it again.”
“Understood,” I replied, trying to defuse the tension. “Sorry for the trouble.”
As the situation settled, Mii-chan snuggled closer to me, clearly relieved. I gave her a gentle scratch behind the ears, grateful for her support.
“Thanks for sticking with me, Mii-chan,” I said softly. “Let’s just try to enjoy our day, okay?”
“Mii…”
With the commotion winding down, I decided it was best to finish up and head back to the horse stables. Hopefully, the rest of the day would be quieter.
It looks like things calmed down a bit, though there was still a lot to sort out. The muscular man, now identified as Sykes, seemed genuinely distressed over the recipe. The sight of him breaking down and shedding tears was unexpected and a bit unsettling.
Mii-chan, having been taken away by the guild’s ladies, seemed to be in good hands. At least she wasn’t caught up in the commotion anymore.
Following through on the promise, you were led to the kitchen to see the ingredients used for the dish. As suspected, the rice was indeed Indica rice, known for its long, slender grains, unlike the short, round grains of Japonica rice commonly used in dishes like sushi or stir-fry.
While examining the ingredients and the preparation process, Sykes seemed to calm down a bit, his earlier frustration giving way to a more focused demeanor.
“If you use these ingredients,” he said, looking over the list you had given him, “and follow the steps more carefully, you should be able to avoid the problems you encountered.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” you replied, trying to be reassuring.
Sykes nodded, looking more composed. “Thanks for your understanding. And sorry about the scene earlier. I suppose I was a bit too… intense.”
“No harm done. We all learn from these experiences,” you said, trying to smooth things over.
With the situation more or less resolved, you had a chance to briefly discuss the proper use of ingredients and methods with Sykes. It was a valuable learning experience, and you were glad to have managed it without too much trouble.
As you left the kitchen, you found Mii-chan being lovingly petted by the guild ladies, looking content and relaxed. You gave her a gentle pat and prepared to head back to check on the battle horse, ready to move on from the chaotic morning.
Your impromptu cooking adventure with the Indica rice turned out to be a hit! The transformation of the bland rice into a flavorful, hearty dish must have been a satisfying achievement. It’s great that your effort was appreciated by everyone who got to taste it.
The fact that you had people eagerly watching and waiting for a taste shows that you successfully captured their attention. It sounds like tomorrow might be busy with all the potential customers coming to check out your cooking.
As for Mii-chan, she seems to have wandered off. You might want to check around the guild or the nearby areas where she might have gone. Given her knack for finding interesting places and people, she might be having an adventure of her own or simply enjoying some extra attention.
If she’s not in any of the usual spots, asking around or checking with the guild staff might help you locate her.