4 Gods Cat: Mii-chan, Relaxing in the Bath

After returning from the communal bath to the inn, I asked the landlady to fill a bucket with hot water before heading back to my room.

Upon entering the room, Mii-chan leapt at me, rubbing affectionately against my legs. I almost dropped the bucket. Maybe she felt lonely while I was away?

“Mii-chan, let’s get you clean and enjoy a bath too,” I said.

“Mii~” she meowed in agreement.

With Mii-chan’s consent, I placed the bucket on the table and gently lowered her into the warm water. She seemed perfectly at ease, resting her head on the edge of the bucket, clearly used to this. It’s wonderful to see that Mii-chan enjoys baths too.

While Mii-chan relaxed, I massaged her body in the water to remove any dirt. Surprisingly, the water remained mostly clean, with only her paws showing a bit of dirt. I wiped her face with a damp cloth, lifted her out of the bucket, and wrapped her in a bath towel.

“Mii~,” she purred contentedly.

After drying her off, I let her groom herself, marveling at the sight of a cat so close. It’s like a dream come true. I could watch her forever without getting bored.

I think I understand how the goddess felt. A kitten like Mii-chan certainly evokes a protective instinct.

But I should finish my tasks. I washed the bucket at the outdoor well and returned it to the landlady. Then, I brushed my teeth at the washstand. That’s about all I could do, as there’s no TV or games, and my room only has a lamp for light.

The dining hall below was still bustling with customers. Since there’s nothing else to do, I decided to go to bed. Tomorrow, I need to figure out how to make some money.

“Mii~,” she mewed softly as I settled down to sleep.

As I settled into bed, Mii-chan climbed in with me. I had to be careful not to squish her in my sleep. Just as I was thinking about it, sleep overtook me, and I surrendered unconditionally.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the bell. It rang six times, so it was probably six o’clock.

As I got up from the futon, Mii-chan woke up too, giving a big yawn before greeting me.

“Mii~”

“Good morning,” I replied.

After washing my face and fixing my bedhead with a brush at the washstand, I gave Mii-chan a thorough brushing. Her fur became glossy, making her cuteness increase by thirty percent… no, threefold.

With our appearance in order, we headed downstairs for breakfast, finding the dining area already bustling with people having their morning meal.

“You’re up. Grab a seat wherever you can,” the landlady said.

“Good morning, ma’am,” I greeted.

“Mii~”

“Oh, good morning to you both,” she replied.

We exchanged morning greetings before I found an empty seat and waited. While waiting, I observed the people around me. They all looked quite sturdy, even the few women among them seemed stronger than me.

Out of curiosity, I used my appraisal skill on the most robust-looking man in the room. It showed he was moderately strong with skills in enhanced strength and spear techniques. If someone like him is considered moderately strong, I wonder just how powerful the truly strong people are.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the landlady said.

“Not at all. Thank you,” I replied.

“Mii-chan is looking particularly pretty today,” she remarked.

“Mii~” Mii-chan flashed a beaming smile at the landlady. I guess the brushing had an immediate effect. It looks like brushing Mii-chan daily will be a must from now on.

I summoned a can of cat food and some mineral water, placing them on a plate for her. As expected, it made me feel a bit weak.

“Let’s eat.”

“Mii~”

Today’s breakfast menu was black bread, ham and eggs, potage, and salad. Unfortunately, there were no sauces or soy sauce. I guess that’s to be expected. The food was tasty, but the seasoning was just a light sprinkling of salt, emphasizing the natural flavors of the ingredients. It looks like I’ll have to figure something out to adjust to this new diet.

By the time I finished my breakfast, everyone else had already left.

“Aren’t you in a hurry, Nero?” the landlady asked.

“In a hurry? Is there something going on?”

“Mii~?”

“Something going on? Work, of course. If you don’t get moving, all the good jobs will be taken.”

“I see… Where should I go?”

“Where should you go… to the Hunter’s Guild, of course. Don’t tell me you don’t know about it?”

“Uh… I didn’t.”

“Ha! I see,” she laughed.

“Well, where did you come from, Nero? Goodness gracious,” the landlady said, playing with Mii-chan while explaining.

The Hunter’s Guild, as its name suggests, primarily focuses on hunting monsters. The kingdom’s soldiers and town guards can’t handle everything, so think of the guild as a contractor that handles these tasks for the kingdom. However, the Hunter’s Guild doesn’t allow interference from the kingdom and has publicly declared that they won’t participate in wars.

It’s an old organization, and now it also offers various other job opportunities besides monster hunting.

“I see. I’ll check it out later. I have somewhere to go today.”

“That’s right. At least get registered.”

“Mii~”

I returned to my room, grabbed my bag, and headed out. Today, I planned to look at weapons. Even though I lost my skills, I still needed to train. For that, I wanted to check out weapons I could use. I intended to stick with my original plan of using a bow.

Holding Mii-chan, I left the inn. I had noticed a weapon shop on my way to the public bath yesterday. The only question was whether it would be open this early. As I approached the shop, I saw it was indeed open. The people of this world seem to be hard workers.

When I opened the door and stepped inside, I was met with the distinct smells of leather and iron.

“A customer, huh?” a gruff voice called out.

“Mii~”

“Yes, I’m looking for a bow,” I replied.

“Then come this way,” the shopkeeper said, leading me to the bow section.

At the back of the shop, I was led to a shelf lined with various bows.

“Which one is a standard bow?” I asked.

“Well, this one should do,” the shopkeeper said, handing me a longbow typical of Western designs.

I tried pulling the string. Having previously pulled a 40-pound archery bow, I was fairly confident. But this… this was way too heavy. I could pull it back, but aiming was out of the question. Wasn’t there a lighter bow available? I noticed the shopkeeper looking at me with a disapproving expression. Why?

“You should give up,” he said flatly.

“Huh?”

“If you’re going to hunt monsters, that’s the minimum requirement. It’s beyond you. Train and come back later.”

Gaaah! Seriously? Yes, seriously…orz.

I left the shop, dejected. How could this happen right from the start?

My life plan crumbled like a sandcastle at high tide.

“Mii…”

Mii-chan’s sad meow echoed around me, and I found myself at a loss.