Picking Up A Furball, After 10 Years Chapter 1

T/N : I was searching for new novel and found this. It’s very short so I just tried it ahahaha~

Translator : KuRuuRuu
UNEDITED

After picking up a mofumofu furball that was left by the roadside and took care of it, 10 years pa.s.sed and it changed into a mofumofu girl.

Cat ears and cat tail, her whole body was thinly covered in soft fur with golden stripes. Standing on her two feets, the half-human cat-like beastman Niam was a slender, nimble, and pretty little girl.

As expected, she didn’t cry “nyaa”, but when she was relaxing she would still purr, her pet.i.te body was light, and her curiosity was really strong.

And then, right now, even while she pout and making a face as if she wanted to have nothing to do with him, she plopped down beside Ewen who was sitting on the floor and kept on pressing her back onto his body; this  appearance of her really resembled that of a cat.

“Niam”

Even so, when Ewen called her name while thinking what made her became so grumpy, she turned her face away, with only her ears reacting to him.

“Niam, what’s wrong?”

Her tail that was beating the floor showed that she was listening to Ewen’s words.

“……nothing”

“Is there something wrong?”

While holding his laugh, Ewen stretched his hand and tickled the back of her ear, then her ears twitching as if feeling good. Her tail also beat the floor faster than before.

“Because, Ewen won’t pay attention to Niam”

Having been said that, he looked up at the window, the sun seemed to have almost set.

“Aah, it’s almost evening. Sorry. Are you hungry?”

“Niam is fine”

Still facing away, she pressed her head while sticking close to Ewen’s back.

While feeling the weight and warmth on his back, Ewen put on a bookmark on each book that was scattering on the floor and closed them. He piled them up in one place, then stretched and twisted his body before turning around.

“Niam, look, come here”

When he lifted her up, Niam obediently sat down on Ewen’s lap.

“I seemed to have strained myself…… Un, today’s Niam also smell like sun”

When he buried his nose in her hair and smelled her, Niam squinted her eyes and her ears tilted to the back.

“Ewen smells like paper. Besides, you’re a little dusty. Niam’s nose itches”

“Because I kept on staring at the book for the whole day today”

“Your work, is it hard?”

“Nnn……since I already have the aim, I guess the rest is only to make it”

“Fuun?”

Niam took a look at the piled up books and poked them with her finger.

“Being a magician, seems hard”

“It’s not that much”

Being petted there, there, Niam squinted her eyes pleasantly even more, and tilted her ears.

“But, I’m going to confine myself in the workshop during the day for a while, so I won’t be able to give much attention for Niam during that time”

“Niam is not a child anymore, it’s fine mon”

When he said even though you were pouting just now because I didn’t care for you, she hissed, saying Niam did not!

“Well, after I finish making and deliver them I’ll get money for it and won’t need to work for a while, so be patient, okay?

And, let’s have whatever Niam wants to eat for today’s dinner”

When Ewen said it to smooth things up, Niam’s eyes sparkled.

“Chicken! Niam wants Saul’s place’s whole roast chicken!”

“Niam really likes that chicken, doesn’t you?”

“Because, the outside is crispy and smells good, the inside is mellow and very juicy when chewed. The spice also made it more delicious. Even the cartilage is crunchy and soft! And the chicken fat really soaks into the stuffing of its inside, and that’s also very delicious!”

“I got it, I got it. Then, let’s have that today. That chicken is very popular, so let’s get there earlier”

“Un!”

Niam was is great joy, she seemed like she’s going to drool any moment. Her tail was waving and jumping about fidgety. In a hurry, Ewen put a stone weight on the surrounding papers to prevent them from being scattered.

“Then, go and change your clothes. We’re going to the town after all”

“Un!”

Niam got up and immediately went to her room.

“Ewen, Niam has finished preparing. Let’s hurry up and go”

“Aah, come here”

Niam jumped and grabbed Ewen’s held out hand.

It only took around half an hour by foot to reach the town. There’s no need to teleport for that. They would become weak if they didn’t walk with their own feet like this sometimes, thus when they went to the town, they made sure to walk there by themselves; this was the implicit rule that Ewen and Niam had.

The cool refres.h.i.+ng wind after the summer had past swayed the soft hair.

“Ewen, when it gets even more autumn, let’s eat that red mushroom”

“Niam only thinks about food”

“Because, red mushroom is delicious, you know. And, deer!”

“Aah, when it’s almost winter the deers will put on some fat and become more delicious”

While dealing with Niam who was in high spirit as she sw.a.n.g on his arm and ran around in circle, Ewen walked through the main road leisurely.

“Un. Niam also wants to be able to hunt. And then, Niam will bring deer home every day. Like that Niam can eat a feast together with Ewen everyday”

“Is that so, soon Niam should also be able to hunt huh……”

Properly speaking, a beastman should have been taught about hunting and how to survive outdoors earlier, however there was no beastman settlement around here, and Ewen did not possess the knowledge about hunting to teach it to her.

“If only there is a beastman living around here, we can ask that beastman to teach Niam how to hunt though”

“Ewen cannot hunt?”

“Since I’m a magician, I think it’s impossible?”

“Niam wanted to be taught how to hunt by Ewen though”

To the pouting Niam, Ewen laughed ahaha.

“If it’s magic I’ll teach you, but for Niam magic may be a little difficult”

And then, he thought a little.

“But, how about we find a teacher for bow or sword? You must at least remember that, right?”

“Un!”

When they arrived at the town, the sun had just set. Surely it would be pitch black when they finished their meals. As expected it was not good to go home walking through the darkness, so they decided to use teleportation magic when going back.

“Good evening”

“Good Eveniiing!”

When they entered Saul’s store, or at least that’s how Niam called the restaurant, half of the tables were already filled with customers. Saul’s wife, the proprietress returned their greeting “Ara, welcome”.

Over here, the ground floor was an eatery while from the second floor it served as an inn, which was an form of establishment often found in this town. Most of the customers that were filling the seats too, were probably the customers that stayed at the inn tonight.

“It’s been a long time, isn’t it? Please sit wherever you like”

“Un. I’d like the usual chicken. Also, some of this season’s special”

“Okey-dokey. If it’s for Niam-chan, then I guess a larger one would be better, right?”

“A very large one, please!”

The proprietress smiled seeing Niam’s full smile as she ordered.

“Of course”

They seated themselves on at the corner of the restaurant, Ewen then slowly removed his mantle starting from the head.

Every time he did this, he’d always be nervous.

……he felt the sharp glare saying what is a demon race doing here?

“Ewen, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing”

This country, just until ten years ago treated the demon race as monster. Under the guidance of the church, demon race was a corrupted race that worked together with evil spirit thus it must be eradicated.

However, ten years ago, that said church summoned the evil spirit, and it was exposed that they tried to overthrow the kingdom. It wasn’t like the whole member of the church supported the crime, however the main section of the church  was corrupted, and nowadays they were said to have been seized by some ‘evil being’.

But, with the cooperation of the kingdom’s knight that was the descendant of the great hero, as well as none other than the demon race, the ‘evil being’ that manipulated the church was subjugated. The false accusation that had long been directed towards the demon race was dispelled, and their dishonor no longer existed……or so it should seem.

Unfortunately, since it was only heard from rumors, in reality, to what extent was the truth and which parts were dramatized, the line was really vague.

Furthermore, the start of exchange between this country and the east demon country also backing it up. After all, that country was governed by demon race. If this country planned on having relation, then the people must change their treatment towards the demon race as well as other races and regarded them as equal.

Nowadays, even if just several, the magic division of the royal capital had members belonging to demon race. Even though until a little while before, this kind of thing couldn’t even be imagined at all.

Thanks to that, even without fabricating their appearance, demon race could now walk outside without being attacked suddenly. Of course, people who scowled or blatantly avoided demon race when they see one were still a lot. Even so, when he thought about how he had lived his life in hiding, doing nothing but to erase his presence as not to be conspicuous, it was like a dream.

Despite saying that, the habit from many years was hard to change, and just like this, he tended to be worried about people’s gaze.

“Niam, do you want to drink something?”

“Ummm,  apple, the bubbly one”

“Un, I understand”

Ewen called out to the proprietress and asked for carbonated apple juice. While he’s at it, he also asked for apple cider for himself.

When the proprietress brought the drinks and stew, Ewen and Niam started their meals leisurely.

Niam’s long-waited-for roast chicken had finally come.

Niam immediately cut it up into an easy-to-eat size, even while thinking that it might be a little rude, she still sank her teeth into the chicken vigorously. Thoroughly chewing today’s chicken which was as delicious as she had expected for, Niam savored the umami that spread inside her mouth.

……and then, they appeared.

It was a group of beastman.

When it turned autumn, before winter came, beastmen would come to the town to prepare for winter. Although this town was small, it was the place where various things from this area gathered. Besides being the starting town of the highway connecting to royal capital, it was also a town with lots of merchants.

That’s why, they probably foresaw that and came here.

While staring at one of them, who had soft fur covering his face, Ewen thought it’s a pretty golden fur just like Niam’s. Perhaps he felt Ewen’s gaze, as he also seemed to notice Ewen and Niam.

Their eyes unintentionally met, and Ewen somehow slightly nodded to him. As if losing his interest, he immediately looked away……before once again looked at Ewen and Niam with amazing vigor. After he observed the two carefully, his expression again changed into surprise.

He called out to his friends while still fixing his gaze at Ewen and Niam, then coming at them with a frightening vigor.

That menacing look left Ewen petrified, while Niam, “Ewen, eh? what?”, tilted her head in wonder.