Banquet
In no time, the great hall of the priest’s residence filled with the singing and bustle of a feast.
A large table was piled high with food, though none of it was particularly extravagant. Vegetable soup simmered in a pot, crusty black bread browned over a flame, and heaps of roasted meat sat on platters. Simple fare, all of it.
“Alright! A toast to the captain’s safe return!”
“Yeah! Drink up, drink up! Bring more booze!”
Laughter rang through the hall as barrels of liquor were cracked open one after another without restraint. The mercenaries grabbed meat with their bare hands and gulped down alcohol in big swigs.
By the way, there was a small plate piled high with meat in front of me too.
“Here, Al, eat!” Valdo had said with a grin as he cut it up for me.
The mound of meat on the plate looked like it was twice my height.
Ahh… a true meat paradise…!
It felt like a lie that I’d been shivering in the snowy forest, starving and freezing just yesterday!
I plunged my face straight into the pile of meat and bit down.
With every bite, hot juices spread through my mouth, so good I could die!
Before I knew it, happy little “nyaa~ nyaa~” sounds were spilling out on their own.
The mercenaries around me burst out laughing when they heard it.
“Haha! The captain’s fluffball’s singing!”
“H-hey, Captain… can I hold it too after all?”
Voices flew everywhere, and the hall grew even livelier.
Lit by the firelight, every face was smiling, you could tell they were truly happy Valdo had made it back.
And maybe because of that…
One young man sitting off to the side on a wooden crate, apart from the others, stood out to me for some reason.
He alone wore a gloomy expression, not touching his drink or the meat at all.
His name was… right, Korn.
The guy who’d come looking for Valdo in the winter forest.
I kept munching on meat while staring at Korn.
It seemed like none of the other mercenaries had noticed how down he looked.
… Then, after a while.
Korn stood up quietly, making no sound, and slipped out of the hall.
I glanced up at Valdo beside me, but he was busy talking to another mercenary.
No one seemed to have noticed Korn leaving.
I gulped down the meat I’d been chewing and dashed off on my short legs.
I weaved under the table so I wouldn’t get stepped on.
I just couldn’t ignore Korn. Not now.
I made it out into the hallway, but when I looked around, Korn was nowhere to be seen.
I padded along the chilly corridor and let out a “nyaao~”.
No response.
I twitched my ears and listened carefully to the still, silent air.
Then, from beyond the door ahead, I heard faint footsteps crunching in the snow.
I ran toward the sound without hesitation.
The front door of the priest’s residence wasn’t fully closed; there was a narrow gap. I squeezed through it, and a blast of cold night air hit me all at once.
“Nya~…”
I called out once and looked around.
Outside, snow fell steadily, and moonlight softly illuminated the white world.
There were no streetlights like back in my world. The scene, shut in by darkness and snow, felt lonely.
The lively noise spilling faintly from the door behind me even felt like it was coming from somewhere far away.
And there, in that silver world, sat a lone figure on a stack of firewood by the wall, gazing up at the moon.
Snow piled up on his body, but he didn’t seem to care. He just stared silently at the night sky.
… Korn!
I ran across the snow on my stubby legs toward him.
… Cold!
I didn’t think this through before coming outside, my paw pads were freezing numb!
Unable to stand the cold, the moment I reached him, I leapt with my whole body.
And, plop, I landed right on his lap.
“Whoa!? W-what the…!?”
“Nyan.”
Heheh, sorry, Korn!
The snow was cold, so I kinda just, yeah!
Also, mind if I stay here on your lap?
Korn stiffened in shock, but soon realized it was me who’d jumped onto him.
He frowned bitterly and glared down at me.
“What, it’s you… don’t scare me like that.”
“Miya~n.”
“Where’s the captain? Did you come out here alone?”
Korn looked around restlessly.
But of course, I was the only one here.
“… Did you run away from the hall? In that case… if I kill you here now, before you can hurt the captain…”
“Miya~n.”
At his dangerous-sounding words, I deliberately flopped over on his lap.
I rolled onto my back and showed off my plump little kitten belly.
“Miu~”
“Ugh…!”
Heh. I’d just stuffed myself full of meat, so my squishiness level was at an all-time high. Cute, right?
I also stared up at him with my big round eyes and let out an extra sweet, needy cry.
Faced with my full-on charm offensive, Korn finally gave in.
After a moment, he let out a long sigh and relaxed his whole body.
“… Forget it. The captain already made it clear in front of everyone. If I killed you here, I’d be making him lose face.”
“Meowrr~”
I rolled around on his lap.
Yeah, yeah, glad you dropped the dangerous ideas!
Well, I kinda knew from the start you didn’t really mean it.
Even when I jumped onto your lap, you didn’t reach for the dagger at your waist.
More importantly, I never felt any killing intent from you in the first place.
What do you think about this chapter?
