Chapter Seventy-nine: I Will Cuddle and Nuzzle You
The area beyond the light we dove into has an odd structure for a temple’s main hall. The vast area we are standing in is the bottom of a bowl-shaped circular space.
Perhaps calling it a circular arena would be the most fitting. The exterior was square, so why was the interior so strange? I thought it might have some magic similar to the inside of the Camping Car, making it look much bigger on the inside.
Despite the supposed absence of anyone or anything, I feel like I could hear ominous laughter coming from what looks like spectator stands… This is probably meant to be the boss room, isn’t it? A room designed by the boss where “the audience enjoys watching adventurers being mercilessly tormented and killed by a very strong boss,” and the boss appears when adventurers reach the center of the room.
Mr. Ville and the rest seem to be on guard too. Without discussing formations, everyone bunches together and cautiously advances toward the center, staying wary in all directions.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything here…”
“No reaction.”
“Indeed… Even My Survival Skill hasn’t noticed anything… Huh?”
‘Nya!’
Suddenly, I felt something soft bump against my shin. When I looked down quickly, I saw it was…
“…A cat?”
‘Nyaaa…’
“A winged lynx cub…? What’s it doing in a place like this…?”
What had bounced off my leg, rolled around, and finally flopped limply onto the ground was a basketball-sized sphere… no, a cat-like creature with wings on its back. It had a light brownish fur coat with dark brown spots and stripes… Its tail, which had puffed up as if to cover up a blunder, was dark brown as well. Its head and cheeks also had similar dark stripes. It looked a bit like a tabby cat but with a bit more wildness… Its front and hind legs were also quite stout!
However, the way it grumbled and groomed itself, looking annoyed, was just like my family’s old cat when it tried to cover up a mistake.
Winged lynx… And this one is more like a wildcat… Ah, is that why it looks so wild?
…Well, the size of a basketball is huge for a kitten…!
Thinking its parents or siblings might be nearby since it’s a kitten, I looked around, but saw no signs of anything like that… Also, Survival indicated it was "Not suitable for eating"! Even if it’s a monster, killing a harmless kitten that didn’t attack us with hostility is a bit much… And it’s just a kitten too…
“I don’t see any parents around… Is it a dangerous monster?”
“Grown wild ones can be quite a threat, but kittens aren’t much of one. They become quite tame around humans, so many tamers keep them. However, with no parents around… It must be a stray then.”
“Ah… I wonder if it can survive on its own…”
‘Nyaaan! Nyaaaaan!’
“Eh, what? It’s super friendly!”
A stray, huh… Did its parents abandon it here? Even stray cats sometimes abandon kittens they think won’t survive… But it seems energetic from what I can see…?
After grooming itself from head to tail, it seems to calm down and proudly puffs out its chest. I glance at the winged lynx and our eyes meet. Its large almond-shaped eyes blink at me.
The kitten waddles over, tail sticking straight up, and rubs against my leg. Its perked-up tail and whiskers, those sparkling eyes looking up at me—how adorable! When I reach down to pick it up, it shows no signs of wariness or resistance, leaping right into my arms. If they really do warm up to humans, I guess kittens are just naturally friendly. Cradling it so it wouldn’t fall, it made no fuss, contentedly squinting its eyes and purring away. Scratching under its chin and behind its ears made the purring even louder.
When I stop, it presses its head against my hand and pushes with its front paws, demanding more petting… Indeed, this cat is just like the one I had at home.
‘Nyaaaaan, nya-myan?’
“Oh, you have coloring just like my house cat Gomamitsu!”
“Gomamitsu… That’s the name of your family’s cat, Rin?”
“Yes, that’s right. Our cat has richer coloring, so Gomamitsu (Sesame-Honey). For this one, more like Gomamiso (Sesame-Miso).”
‘Nya-an?’
“Yup, Gomamiso it is.”
The light brown base coat with sesame seed-like spots and stripes does remind me of the thick, savory miso-sesame sauce made by mixing traditional barley miso with black sesame. Petting around its mouth area makes its whiskers perk up as its mouth cinches, the purring growing even louder.
The kitten squirmed in my arms, showing its belly and meowing. I petted its belly too.
So fluffy and cute.
…And then.
‘Nya, nyan-myan? Gomamiso nyan?’
“Huh?”
‘Nyan-naa-nya you can just call me Gomamiso!’
“Huh? Eh? A c-cat!?”
“Hey, what’s up Rin? Something wrong?”
“Eh… Can’t you hear it, Mr. Ville? This cat is talking to me!?”
“Huh? No… It just sounds like normal meowing to me…?”
“Ehhhhhhhhh!”
The kitten’s meows were clear in my ears, but alongside them, as if dubbed, its voice reached my brain in clear words. Mr. Ville called out to me, noticing my confusion, but the shock of a talking cat delayed my response.
Despite it speaking so clearly, to Mr. Ville it just sounds like normal meows… Looking at Ms. Aria and the rest, they just tilt their heads in puzzlement as well.
Could it be, that only I can hear this…? Ehhhhhhhhhh!?
“…Rin… That winged lynx seems to have become ‘Named’… Did you do something?”
“N-Named?”
“It means in addition to the species name, it has gained a nickname or been given a proper name.”
“No way… Is Gomamiso its name!?”
‘Nyaan, nya-aan, yes, I’m special! Nyaaan!’
“Special huh… So, Gomamiso is fine, little boy… Though I’ll probably just end up calling you ‘Miso’?”
Mr. Xenon, who had been intently watching the kitten, looked up with a troubled expression. After his words, Mr. Ville’s gaze went back and forth between the carefree slumbering kitten and my bewildered self before letting out a sigh, as if drained.
“…Suddenly I feel exhausted… Since no boss-like monster seems to be appearing either… Rin, would you mind manifesting the Camping Car here?”
“Eh, ah, yes! Let’s take a break too.”
‘Nya, nya-an I’m really hungry nya-aaan!’
“Wow, you even ask for food…? We don’t have milk anymore, but I can give you some meat at least.”
Mr. Ville rubbed his temples, sighed, and asked for a break. Yes, right. I’m also confused, and with no boss around, let’s take a short break!
The Translator’s Corner
I pondered for a while whether to translate Miso’s meowing as “meow” or “nya”. In the end, I decided that “nya” would be lovelier. I was also deciding between "Miso" and "Omiso" for his nickname (because in Japanese version his nickname is "おみそ"—"Omiso"), and I chose "Miso".
Thanks for the chapter!
ReplyDelete