Chapter 6: Minya the Cat Beastman
<t/n I completely whiffed posting this chapter… sorry for any confusion caused by posting ch 7 first (´;ω;) >
The city at dusk.
I came to the slums to cure Reno’s older sister. Reno, with her beautiful blonde hair but ragged clothes, led the way. Every so often she would turn around and give me a smile, her blue eyes warm.
“Please don’t get lost. Also, please don’t walk to close to the buildings!”
“Hmm? Why not?”
“Bad people try to rob people by dragging them into the alleys.”
“Seriously? Yeah, I’ll definitely be careful,” I answered while looking down the narrow passages between the buildings.
A few turns later, we came to a dilapidated hut. Reno entered first and I followed behind her. The hut consisted of only a single room. The back of the room had a bed made of straw, on top of which was a skinny woman, asleep under a worn sheet.
But as soon as I saw her, I couldn’t contain my surprise, “Huh? Cat ears?”
“Yes. My sister is a cat beastman. Her name is Minya.”
Minya opened her eyes a crack at the sound of our voices. Her hair and eyes were both black and a pair of pointy cat ears popped up from the top of her head.
Since Reno is human, I thought her sister would be too. Or maybe she’s like the Healer who saved me, who I thought of like an older sister, and therefore if they’re not related by blood, it isn’t weird for them to be different races.
I approached Minya so I could treat her. She looked at me with an expressionless face. Her emotions were hard to read, but her long eyelashes were quivering with apprehension. “What…?”
“Don’t worry. This will probably heal you. [Heal].” When I put my hand on Minya’s forehead and chanted, her body glowed. As she healed, she became less skin and bones. I took away the sheet and woke her up.
“Come on, you’re all better now.”
“Eh… Eh. I… can move?” Minya examined herself matter-of-factly. Her long black tail fluttered around her. I wondered if she struggled to express her emotions. Reno, with tears in her eyes, jumped at Minya with a bright smile.
“Big sister!”
“Lino, what happened? Why are you…?”
“Isn’t it amazing? Mister Lars cured me!”
Minya stroked Reno’s back and looked up at me with her big, round black eyes. “And you are Lars?”
“Yes, I’m glad I was able to help you too. I was a little scared because I could have made your condition worse.”
“Even my tail is healed, thank you, Lars.” Minya lowered her head, her cat ears pricked straight up. Reno’s crying continued to echo around the small hut.
When the sun had set and the darkness of night covered the city, Reno finally stopped crying. She was smiling as she wiped away her tears. “Thank you very much, Mister Lars. Now, I will do anything for Mister Lars.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes! Please leave it to me!”
Minya tilted her head. Her shoulder-length black hair fell like a silk curtain. “Is Lars an adventurer?”
“No, I’m not. I can only cast a low level [Heal] so I want to make money doing that some how.”
“I see… then I’ll feed you until you can find a job.”
“Huh? Are you serious?”
“It is to thank you for healing my body,” Minya said calmly while swishing her black tail. She spoke confidently. Reno, on the other hand, frowned worriedly.
“But… I might get tangled up with rogue adventurers again…”
“Next time, I will not be overwhelmed.”
I thought for a moment before asking, “But a B-rank adventurer is pretty strong, right?”
“Double swordsmen emphasize speed. That’s why they use blades that are as thin as feathers. When used against an axe, mace, or any swordbreaker with great mass, the sword will shatter. Therefore, my sword was of no use.”
“I see… Then it might be better for us to work together.”
“Lars will fight?”
“No, I don’t have any combat skills.”
Reno got up and ran to the far corner of the room, then came right back. “Here you go.” She was holding two slender swords that were broken at the base, both swords had curved blades. After I received them, I held them so the broken parts were connected.”
“[Heal].” My hands glowed and so did the swords. And then, the two swords were once again whole and had regained their brilliance as if brand new. Minya stared openly.
“That should be about right.”
“I can’t believe it! It’s amazing, Mister Lars!”
“I see… you used a [Heal] on the swords.” Minya picked up the sword and held it up in front of her face to examine the blade. “Even the old nicks in the blade have been healed, wait, is it sharper than it was originally? Awesome. Lars is amazing.” She looked at the sword with wide eyes, her tail flapping happily behind her.
With so much praise, I feel embarrassed. Even though I’d only cast a beginner level spell, they were making a big deal. My cheeks hot, I scratched my head and said, “Uh, I’m glad I could help.”
“I don’t think there’s anyone more useful in the whole world than Mister Lars!”
“Thank you… though my current living situation may prove otherwise.”
“That’s… I’ll do anything I can. Is there anything specific I can help you with?”
“Oh, well, what I need is a way to make money. I realized earlier that if Reno sold her clothes at a profit, why couldn’t I buy rags or cheap second-hand clothes, fix them with [Heal], and then resell them?”
“That’s a great idea! I think you will make lots of money,” Reno said, nodding in agreement. Minya also nodded.
“Hm. If that’s your current plan, you should search for garbage that once sold for a high price.”
“Are there places other than the garbage dump to look for that?”
“In the dungeon, adventurers will throw away their weapons when they break.”
“I see.”
When I said this, Reno shook her fist in front of her chest and said, “Mister Lars is amazing!”
“You haven’t realized your own potential yet. You will do great things.”
The two had complimented me with such serious expressions, I couldn’t help but feel even more embarrassed. “Thank you.”
“Yay!”
“I will assist you,” Minya said, standing up. Her breasts were larger than I’d expected and caused her clothes to drape attractively over her figure. The three of us returned to the inn, guided by Reno.
Hi! I’m Cleo. I do MTL!!
