Chapter 413 - Chapter 365: Showing Deference
Well, it seems super effective, so that's good, I guess.
First, a taste test…
"Mm, it's sweet and tangy, and really delicious. Sweee, Pan, Raz, you guys try some too."
"~~~♪" "Lyuu~♪" "Kuru~♪"
They seem to be enjoying it, so it should be fine.
No, maybe it's better if everyone tries it first.
"Lupi."
"Woof~"
I offered Lupi a slice she took in her paw.
Leda and Roy, wagging their tails beside us, got theirs served on their lunch plates.
And for the Fairies, whose eyes were sparkling, I dished some into small bowls and placed them on the table.
"I wanna eat too!"
"Oh, right. Here you go."
With both my hands full, I popped a piece into Azure's open mouth.
"Mmm, it's so good!"
Ugh, that's not fair…
Mion sounds frustrated, so I'll quickly make some for her before we leave. I bought tomatoes for the pizza, and there should be some honey left.
"Here. You try it too."
"Nyaah…"
Perhaps it was because everyone else had eaten, but even the boss cat seemed curious.
"Here. Don't bite my finger, okay?"
As I held it up to his mouth, he sniffed it with a sniff sniff before… taking a bite. His eyes widened in surprise, and after savoring it carefully, he let out,
"Nyaai!"
Huh? Did he just speak? No, it must be my imagination, or maybe I just heard it that way.
"Well, it seems okay, so that's good. Here, feed this to them."
"Lyu~" "~~~♪"
I handed it to Pan, who, accompanied by Sweee and the Fairies, headed towards the lounging Cait Sith.
"Meow…"
"Ah, Azure-san. You can let go of him now."
"O-Oh, right."
The boss cat looks pretty dejected. I think he's fine now.
The boss cat, released from his restraint, hung his head. It was almost a little pitiful…
"You're worried about your companions, aren't you? Come on, you should go check on them."
"Nyaahhn…"
I lifted him by his sides—he's surprisingly light—and brought him over to where Pan and the others were.
The Fairies were feeding the Cait Sith the Lycos Fruit in Honey with the small spoons they usually used.
They weren't immediately better, of course, but they seemed to like it, nyaah-nyaahing as they ate.
I have a feeling we're going to run out, so I should make a bit more…
It's probably best to leave the nursing to Pan and Sweee and the Fairies.
As for the boss cat… well, he probably wants to be near them, so I'll let him be.
"Ah, Shou-kun. Can I take some of that as a souvenir for the White Dragon Princess?"
"Oh, yes. Go ahead."
"Sorry. If she finds out I came here today, she'll definitely ask, 'Where's my souvenir?'…"
A souvenir for the White Dragon Princess is fine, but I can't have her taking all of it. A reasonably sized portion… but before that,
"Sweee, Pan, can I share some of this with the White Dragon Princess?"
"~~~♪" "Lyuu~♪"
After getting their okay, I portioned some into a small jar.
The rest, I figured, should go to the Fairies and Urisks who had worked so hard.
Now that I think about it…
"Cait Sith are fine with meat and fish, right?"
"Yes. They love it."
"Then they should be able to eat dried Oranjack."
I prepared some for Lupi and the boss cat for now.
It would be good raw, but since we're here, I'll lightly grill it.
"It smells so good!"
"Want some?"
"Ugh, no, I'd want alcohol with that, so I'll pass…"
Azure mumbled regretfully. Is this considered work for her today?
Well, I don't have any Grapeful Wine in stock right now anyway, so I couldn't offer it even if I wanted to.
Shou-kun. If you heat it too much, the cat might…
"Ah, that's right. They have sensitive tongues, I'm sure."
The one I put on the far end should be okay, right?
I don't want them burning their paws, so I'll stick a bamboo skewer in it and put it on a wooden plate.
"Lupi, Leda, Roy. Come here."
"Woofun!" "Bao!"
As I served each of them their special lunch plates, they happily munched away. Lupi and the others are fine with hot food, huh…
"Kuru~"
"Oh, sorry. Raz, do you want Regucorn?"
"Kururu~♪"
Raz loves Regucorn.
It's adorable how she neatly eats it from the end after I hand her a piece cut into a manageable size.
"I'll take these home with me."
"Sorry about that, as always. Oh, also, Argenta said the Small Magic Boat is fine too, so just let me know whenever you want it."
"Ah, yes. Haha…"
It feels like 'are you sure?' but I could use it as a fishing boat, so I kinda want it.
"Now, how are they?"
Returning to the storeroom… Ah, they're recovered enough to get up already.
The Lycos Fruit in Honey that Pan took was completely empty. Yep, that wasn't enough.
That's good…
"I'll make more refills, so I'm collecting the bowls."
"Lyuu~"
But before that,
"Here. Eat this."
I placed the dried Oranjack in front of the boss cat, who was gazing at his recovering companions.
"Nya!?"
"It's for you. Be careful of the small bones, okay?"
Do they need forks or knives or something?
I think it'd be most delicious to just bite into it with the bamboo skewer, though.
"Woofun."
"Bao!"
I can't shake the feeling that Lupi and the others next to me are putting on pressure, but if he eats it, it's fine.
He cautiously picked it up and brought it to his mouth, then,
"Nyaai!"
Yep, I definitely hear "Delicious!"
He then devoured it heartily, oh, he actually left the head and bones.
Shou-kun. You're planning to look after the cats, right? There's still time, but what should we do after you log out?
Yeah, that's what I'm thinking about.
With Lupi, Leda, and Roy around, keeping them confined in the storeroom should be fine, but…
"Um, is it okay if I look after these guys for a while?"
"Yes, that would be a great help. If they go back now, they'll probably relapse…"
"Understood. Ah, what about this boss cat…?"
"What should we do? Should I take him back with me?"
Hmm, I'd like to let him do as he pleases.
There are other Cait Sith companions in the Necropolis, so I'm wondering if they're okay.
"Ah! Sweee, got a moment?"
"~~~?"
If I can't talk directly to the boss cat, I can ask through Sweee.
I called Sweee, and once she settled in her usual spot, I explained about looking after the Cait Sith and asked her to find out what the boss cat wanted to do.
Sweee nodded understandingly and flew over to the boss cat.
"Nya?"
"~~~?"
"Nyaa!"
The boss cat is kneeling on one knee towards Sweee… What's going on?