I Want Aqua to like the Water Cats!
“This building is really beautiful.”
Aqua, having apparently mastered the use of the magic camera, was already photographing a water-made building with an unusual shape.
However, every printed picture was out of focus.
Each time, she and Milfie would exchange glances, but since Aqua herself seemed to be enjoying it, there wasn’t really a good chance to tell her.
It’s a well-known fact that you praise someone and let them grow, and I agree.
After all, having fun is the most important thing.
The technical side can come later.
Also, this camera runs on mana.
The easiest way to think of it is that each shot consumes MP.
When Milfie or I use it, we’re completely worn out by the end of the day, but Aqua seemed perfectly fine.
So, today, I figured I’d just let her fully enjoy the act of taking pictures.
“Oh, this is a wonderful object.”
Snap, snap snap.
“Hm, and this river’s reflection is beautiful as well.”
Snap, snap snap.
Yeah, she really does look like she’s having a great time.
Maybe I can tell her just a little…?
“Aqua, actually, your pictures are just a little bit out of focus—”
“No, meow! Right now the correct move is to smile gently like you’re watching over your own child.”
Milfie grabbed my right hand tightly.
Oh, that’s the Milfie I know.
The way she was looking at Aqua was full of motherly affection, like she was watching over her child.
“Phew, now, let’s see how it turned out.”
The moment the printer whirred to life, Milfie moved like she’d teleported and snatched the photo.
Amazing. Now she looked like a hunter.
“What’s wrong, Milfie?”
“It turned out really nice, meow! So I wanted to be the first to see it!”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’d like to see it too.”
After checking the photo, Milfie turned to me as if wondering what to do.
Even if we were going to tell Aqua today, it was still the first half of the day—no, more like the very beginning.
Was there some way to cover it up…?
“Meowon?”
At that moment, I spotted an animal.
My lips relaxed and I murmured “Cute.”
Then I suddenly realized and called out to Aqua.
“It’s a water cat! Aqua, take the picture quickly!”
I’d read in reviews that Rivana had water cats.
They weren’t made of water, but they had a beautiful watery blue color.
I hadn’t seen them in the royal capital, so it felt refreshing.
If anything, their whiskers seemed longer than in my original world.
And come to think of it… they looked a lot like Milfie.
Squishy and soft-looking… bouncy, too.
“Fumeow~go.”
But the water cat slipped into a gap in an alleyway.
The streets in Rivana were narrow, so it disappeared from sight quickly.
“Too bad. Hey, Aqua?”
Aqua, who had been gleefully snapping photos just a moment ago, was now frozen like someone had hit a pause button.
Even when Milfie waved her hand in front of her face, Aqua didn’t move at all.
Wait—could this be a sudden case of mana depletion!?
“Tabito, Aqua is!”
“Ah—o-okay, are you alright!?”
“She’s shaking really badly, meow!”
“… Huh?”
When I got closer, I saw she really was trembling.
No—shaking way too much.
She was vibrating so much that her finger kept pressing the shutter over and over.
“Tabito, it’s printing endlessly!”
“Quick, get her hand off the button! And wait, since when could you speak English!?”
The two of us moved her hand off the button, but dozens of printed photos had already come out.
Close-ups of Milfie and me looking panicked.
And for some reason, none of them were blurry.
What the heck!?
But more importantly—what happened?
If the pictures were turning out fine, then it wasn’t mana depletion.
“… I-I was scared…”
“Huh? Scared? Of what?”
“W-well… I feel really bad saying this in front of Milfie, but… cats… scare me…”
Milfie is a cat beastkin—she has fluffy ears and a tail.
Animals and beastkin are different, so I doubted she’d take offense, but still… cats? Scary?
“Haha, don’t worry about that. But why are cats scary?”
“Um… please don’t laugh, okay?”
Aqua looked up at us with a serious expression—a rare reaction from her.
To me, it felt like a massive buildup to the punchline, but Milfie just patted her shoulder with a hearty “Of course!”
That’s fine… right?
“When I was little… my favorite snacks were stolen from me every day…”
“… Snacks?”
“Yes. They were called ‘Boroboro,’ a snack made from condensed milk, but no matter where I hid them, they’d always get eaten. It was so, so scary.”
That’s both a sad and adorable story.
The name “Boroboro” is a little odd, but to Aqua, cats must have been like a mortal enemy.
But when I checked the reviews again, it turned out water cats were essential to Rivana.
They not only brought comfort but also forecasted the weather and took care of small pests.
The royal capital’s guidebook leaned toward adventurers, but for Rivana, I planned to make one more suited for tourists.
Which meant the water cats had to be included.
“I see… losing your snacks… that’s rough.”
Milfie nodded sympathetically and patted Aqua’s shoulder.
But she was smiling brightly the whole time.
Well, just imagining little Aqua having her Boroboro stolen is pretty adorable.
“Fumeow~go.”
“Eek!? C-catttttttttttttttt!”
A water cat appeared and hopped onto Aqua’s shoulder.
She shook in fear and pressed the shutter wildly, but the resulting picture was, for some reason, a perfectly focused shot of Rivana’s streets.
… Wait. Does this mean… they might actually be a good match?
“Hyahhh—M-Milfie, please help me!?”
“So cute…”
“Milfieeeee!”
Aqua and the water cat—both flustered—were undeniably cute.
Still, it looked like she was having a hard time.
I really do want them to get along.
Maybe I should think of something…
---
Aqua
★★★★☆
Cats… c-catty cats!?
Milfie
★★★★★
Water cats are cute, and so is Aqua.
But if possible, I want her to like them, meow!
What do you think about this chapter?
