Chapter 3 -
I landed on the ship's deck with the kitten that fell from the sky in my arms.
"Welcome back, Majou-sama. What was the thing that fell?"
"A kitten."
"A kitten-nanodesu?"
Teto looked at the kitten in my arms with a puzzled expression.
The leader of the adventurer party whom I had cut off before when I went out alone to check on the falling creature approached me when I was back.
"Good grief, you know how to surprise me with your antics, a storm isn't something to be scoffed at even if you're an A-rank Adventurer."
"Sorry."
"Well, I won't say much to our MVP but I do hope that you refrain from doing anything that doesn't concern the escort request, to be honest."
He may have already sensed that my power was anything but ordinary from the barrier that could fend off the wind and rain from the storm and the magic that pulverized the falling rocks from the floating island.
I was able to help out that much, the floating island that posed the danger of dropping rocks already went past us into the distance and the storm was also subsiding.
However, it was still careless of me to leave the ship in a situation where he hoped for everyone to stay on their toes for a while more since there was no telling when the storm might get rough again.
"Anyway, what did you see in the storm?"
"I picked up this kitty. It's wet so I'd like to take a break if possible to tend to it. Don't worry though as the windbreaker won't be dispelled."
"The thing that fell was a cat, huh? Really bizarre. But wait, I really don't know if I can allow it even if you show me that kitten......"
I barely had to concentrate if it was just to keep the windbreaker magic up.
But it seemed like he still wants me to remain alert一ー
"No?"
"Majou-sama can't? Then Teto will also do Majou-sama's share of the work!"
«Meow--»
"Argh, what's with that combo of expectant looks from a cat and two A-rank Adventurers that look like children! It's as if I'll be the heartless overseer if I don't give out permission!"
As a matter of fact, the adventurers and sailors around us were watching the situation to see what decision the leader would take.
Just then, the merchant that had been taking shelter inside the ship to not become a hindrance came out as the storm had abated while the leader was hesitating if he should go easy on me and comply or not.
"I guess a little bit of a break wouldn't hurt anyone, don't you think so too? The ship was saved from drowning thanks to them. That's not even saying that we're almost dry thanks to her magic too."
"Haa, well if the client doesn't mind. Alright, I'll allow you a 10-minute break."
"Thanks."
I went to our cabin with Teto, filled up the big basin with hot water, and gave the kitten a warm bath since it was cold after getting wet in the rain. Once the kitten was warm enough and spotless, I wiped it dry with a towel and hugged it after covering it in a warm blanket.
"What should I do about the food? Kitty seems like it's at the stage of weaning off of milk so I wonder if it'll be alright to feed it boiled fish or chicken broth?"
The kitten should be hungry as it nibbled on my index finger and began to suck on it.
"Majou-sama, Majou-sama. Kitty is sucking your mana. It seems the kitty is like Teto and feeds on mana."
Hearing Teto's observation, I focused my gaze back on the kitten in my arms to see it looking kind of satisfied, apparently having its fill of my mana. Not just that, a pair of wings had also appeared on its back.
Unlike a bird's, these wings looked like translucent spirit wings composed of mana.
I immediately used my appraisal to check the kitten's identity when, to my surprise, it even began to emit light.
"一一Cat Sith...... Mythical Beast. 12 years old huh."
I unconsciously stiffened upon realizing that the kitten in my arms was actually a mythical beast, also called a spirit cat.
Mythical Beasts 一 sometimes called sacred beasts 一 are highly intelligent beings who can also use magic.
They may have fleshy bodies unlike spirits or fairies who were magical lifeforms but since they also feed on mana, they were raised in places abundant in both mana and nature.
They were capable of generating on their own mana so their dependency on mana lessens as they grew up but I felt that the Cat Sith in my arms would just get weaker if not enough mana was provided to it.
"Pardon me. How's the cat you pi...... Oh, a mythical beast just as I thought."
The owner of this merchant ship and the one who recommended we take a break gazed at the kitten and muttered so.
A surprised expression appeared on his face when he saw the black cat with translucent wings emitting light that was impossible to hide but he immediately returned to normal as if he was already convinced.
"So you knew this kitty was a mythical beast all along?"
"I did think of that as one such possibility. There's an old legend concerning mythical beasts in the Lovile Kingdom. Would you like to hear it?"
With those words, he began to speak of the legend of the floating island that was passed down in the Lovile Kingdom.
The legend narrates the story of a nation in a bygone era, a time predating the establishment of the nation known as the Lovile Kingdom.
A huge peninsula used to be the place where the royal capital of the Lovile Kingdom was established.
During that era when the continent resembled a wild and untamed wilderness, a huge dragon lived in that peninsula where all kinds of mythical and sacred beasts sought the dragon's protection.
So thus it birthed a place called the sanctuary. However, the greedy appeared there looking for mythical or sacred beasts and so they laid waste to the grounds.
This brought upon them the wrath of the owner of that peninsula, the dragon, who began the slaughter of the foolish intruders. However, this action escalated the level of strife as the nation dispatched its troops to subjugate the dragon.
But the cornered dragon and the mythical beasts eventually managed to slip away by making their home, the peninsula, float into the sky.
The abandoned land then attracted people who built a town there and the nation flourished from there.
Since then, the floating island that was home to the dragon and the mythical beasts have been moving over the sea on the eastern part of the continent ever since that incident for around 1000 years.
The place where the peninsula used to be gave birth to the capital city of the Lovile Kingdom from where one can see the floating island once every few dozen years.
"And that's the story."
"So there's such a legend, huh?"
The Cat Sith in my arms had begun to get sleepy, apparently having eaten enough mana. Looking at such an adorable tiny creature, everyone present had their cheeks slackened.
"So that means this kitty was caught up in the storm and fell from the island."
"That's what I believe."
Sure enough, the kitten just accidentally fell, eh? I really want to return it to its home if possible.
"Thank you for your explanation."
"That's nothing really, it's such a commonplace story you would have come to know about it in no time. It's just that, can I ask you for a favor?"
Teto and I tilted our necks upon hearing that the merchant had a request for us.
"If you may permit, can I hug that Cat Sith?"
"Well yeah, here."
The merchant took the soundly sleeping kitten covered in a towel so cautiously as if he was carrying his own child, and his face was trembling with delight.
He even slipped his finger below the kitten's chin and gently rubbed it.
The Cat Sith looked like it was enjoying that too even as it continued to sleep.
"Ohoho, truly...... Thank you very much. I got to have a good experience."
"Was it something that great?"
"Yes. Cats are like a lucky charm for thriving businesses, you see. The effect increases exponentially when the said cat is a rare mythical beast. Besides, it's a miracle to encounter it when we're on a boat, where coming into contact with such an animal shouldn't be possible."
With those words, the contours of the middle-aged merchant's eyes lowered, dying his face with a loving expression.
He was right, it was usually tough to bring an animal to a ship on a trip and if you want to count rats that snuck in as one, they were not targets of affection since they were harmful animals that spoiled the foodstuff.
"Then I'll be returning to the deck. Oh, and here is my advice. Try to hide its real identity as, in the end, mythical beasts are pretty rare. You'll be targeted by greedy bastards or collectors regardless of whether you're an A-rank Adventurer or not."
"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind."
We saw the merchant off as he returned to the deck and then shifted our gazes to the kitten sleeping in my arms.
"Indeed, rare beings are more often than not the target of hunting."
"What are we going to do, Majou-sama? Are we going to keep the kitty with us all the time?"
I quietly shook my head when Teto asked me so.
"Mythical beasts have high intelligence and mana so I would like to return it to its group on the floating island if the situation permits. We'll be protecting it until then."
"So we're not going to have this kitty with us forever...... that's a pity."
Teto, who said so while gently rubbing the kitten, looked slightly sad.
"Don't make such a long face, Cat Siths have high intelligence so let's ask the kitty if it would like to stay with us or go back to its group when the time comes to part with it."
"That's right! Teto will work hard then!"
Teto's expression regained her usual carefree look when I gave her hope, though that hope is quite uncertain.
The various shades of Teto's expression were a funny sight.
"Step one, let's think of a method to stop it from being targeted. Though I can only think of disguising it to hide its identity as a Cat Sith. Then we can add a barrier for any unexpected situation and a spell to pass its location to us at the same time 一一 «Creation»!"
I produced a red choker with a tiny bell on it with my «Creation Magic».
I bestowed the red leather choker with false appraisal and illusion 一 to hide the spirit wings 一 effects and as for the decoration bell, I bestowed it with the ability to erect a barrier during emergencies and another that transmits its location to us.
The bell made a chime sound as I hung the choker on the neck of the sleeping kitten.
"It's so cute."
"Yeah. Well, that's enough for now, let's have lunch. Dealing with the storm has tired me out."
I laid the sleeping Cat Sith on the basket padded with a towel as a makeshift bed for it and then left for the dining hall to prepare lunch. And while we were at it, I also created enough for the rest of the adventurers and sailors who were still guarding the deck for any unexpected situation.
Then the people who took turns in shifts to rest looked at us in bafflement, their expression saying 'aren't you going to take a rest?' but they eventually forget about everything as they enjoyed their meal after their hard work.
In the meantime, the kitten woke up and trotted inside the cabin freely wherever its curiosity led it to under the warm and delighted gazes of the adventurers and sailors.
