15 Divine cat Mee-chan is given mercy.

Back at the inn, I wet a towel at the well and used it to wipe off my body. The coolness felt great on my warmed-up body from running.

I went inside, got some hot water from the landlady, and went to my room. I removed Mii-chan’s ribbon and put her in the bath. Meanwhile, I changed clothes, put the dirty ones into the laundry bag, and planned to drop it off at the designated spot when heading to the guild.

I thoroughly washed Mii-chan, removing all the dirt. I was thinking that it would be great if I could summon Mii-chan’s shampoo next time. But there was no time to dwell on that. I wrapped Mii-chan in a bath towel and took her downstairs.

“What’s the hurry?”

“Sorry. I’m a bit rushed, so could you please watch Mii-chan for a moment?”

I handed Mii-chan over to the landlady and went to drop off the laundry bag and wash the bucket. When I returned to the dining area, it seemed the landlady had been drying Mii-chan, who was now grooming herself.

When the innkeeper walked by me on his way to the landlady, I caught a faint scent of what seemed like perfume.

“Mr. Doga, are you wearing some kind of perfume?”

“Yeah, I am. After all, we’re in the hospitality business. I make sure it’s subtle enough not to interfere with the food.”

“Where can I get that perfume?”

“Where can I get that?”

“You can find it at the local general store.”

“Thank you!”

I picked up Mii-chan and headed towards the general store. I hoped I had enough time…

I entered the general store near the Hunter’s Guild and asked the clerk.

“Do you have any men’s perfume?”

“Yes, we do. It’s right over here.”

“May I check the scents?”

“Of course.”

I opened several small ceramic bottles and had Mii-chan sniff them. I selected the ones that didn’t make her wrinkle her face, and from those, I chose one with a citrus-like fragrance. It was 1000 ret per bottle. I asked the clerk for instructions on how to use it, paid for it, and hurried back to the guild.

The fourth bell hadn’t rung yet. Made it just in time!

“Mii~”

In the morning, I applied the perfume in the room where I was staying. I had been concerned about the sweat from the day before. It would have been ideal to take a shower, but I couldn’t do anything about that right now.

I tied a blue ribbon on Mii-chan and went around to the back of the buying counter.

“Good work today.”

“Mii~”

“Hey, Nero-kun. I’ve been waiting for you.”

There were already several hunters lined up at the buying counter. I quickly started helping. Mii-chan walked over to Pamir-san by herself. It seemed like she was in high spirits after her bath.

I couldn’t let Mii-chan outshine me. I’m going to give it my all too!

However, today was as busy as ever. Unlike yesterday, there were fewer noisy or angry people. It must be the effect of Gais-san. In fact, no hunters approached Gais-san’s counter. I wonder if that counter is even necessary? Why is no one saying anything?

When the seventh bell rang and the number of hunters waiting to sell items decreased, the attached tavern started to become lively. At that moment, a hunter came up and asked a strange question.

“Sorry, but could you appraise this ring for me?”

The receptionist glanced at me, seeking Solas-san’s judgment.

Generally, the Hunter Guild does not buy anything other than cores and materials. Edible meat goes to the butcher, and sometimes weapons or armor worn by monsters are either taken directly to weapon or armor shops or picked up on-site if the quantity is large.

However, the item brought in this time was a ring. Normally, such items would be taken to an accessory shop that deals in jewelry.

“Do you think there’s something special about this ring?”

Solas-san asked the hunter who had brought in the ring.

“This ring was worn by a goblin. And not just any goblin, this one was unusually strong compared to the others. The only difference between it and the other goblins was this ring, so I thought maybe it’s something important. Could you check it out?”

“Tch, there’s no way a goblin would have an Artifact (AF) or anything like that!”

Artifact (AF)? Now that you mention it, I do have one. It’s been sitting in my bag.

“Just as a test, you never know what you might find, right? Please, give it a try!”

“Alright. Nero-kun, could you handle this?”

“Sure. But I can’t guarantee I’ll find out much.”

“That’s fine. Just knowing whether it’s an Artifact or not will be enough.”

I accept the ring and start the appraisal. It reveals as “Artifact of Strength.”

“It’s an Artifact, a ring of strength. I can’t provide any further details.”

My statement causes a brief silence in the guild, which quickly turns into a commotion. The hunter who brought the ring is crying. What’s going on?

“I can’t believe it! Pamir, get over here!”

The surrounding conversations are filled with astonished comments like “It’s an Artifact!” and “I’m so envious!”

“Like I’ve said a hundred times, Gaise, I’m busy too. Besides, Neiro-kun did the appraisal, didn’t he?”

“How can I trust a kid like that?”

But I’m not a kid! And why is it so hard to believe?

Pamir takes the ring from me and begins examining it more closely.

“The Ring of Strength increases the wearer’s muscle power by 50%. Congratulations, it’s a genuine Artifact!”

“Yes!”

The hunter raised both hands, expressing his joy. Increasing muscle power by 50% is indeed impressive, but is it worth such excitement?

“So, what will you do? You can present it to the country and become a knight, sell it for a fortune, or equip it yourself if you prefer.”

I see, presenting an Artifact to the country can make you a knight. Not something I aspire to, but earning a fortune is intriguing. I should ask later what kind of price it might fetch. If my Artifact has good abilities, it might be worth a lot too. If it has useful abilities for me, using it is also an option. I’ll make sure to have it properly appraised later.

“I need some time…”

The hunter seems to be struggling with his decision. If he’s not in financial trouble, he could use it himself, and if he wants to become a knight, he could present it. Personally, I’d use it with such abilities. After all, tools are meant to be used.

After the commotion, time passed without any further issues.

When I returned to the inn, I looked for Mii-chan and found her surrounded by colorful ribbons and scarves… what’s going on?

“Mii~”

Mii-chan has a proud look on her face… but even so, she’s adorable. It seems that the gifts are from the ladies for Mii-chan. Let’s accept them without hesitation.

Mii-chan, I’m glad for you.

“Mii~♪”