The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
“Happy…”
“““New Year!”””
It was New Year's Day.
We welcomed the new year together this morning.
The sky outside the window was a clear, uninterrupted blue, as if to promise a good year ahead.
"Nyaa, so warm~♪"
Kanade seemed to have taken a liking to the kotatsu, her tail swaying gently.
It's a heating appliance used in the Eastern Continent—Kagune, if I recall correctly. It really is cozy.
It's not just warm; it’s soothing. I might fall asleep if I let my guard down.
“Oh? Whose foot is this?”
“Hm? Then this must be Tania’s foot?”
“Oh, it’s Luna. Such tiny feet.”
“Hmph! Unlike Tania, I am slim and graceful!”
“Heh…”
“Shiver…”
“Tremble…”
“Tania, just ignore the words of my foolish younger sister. Also, please stop giving off that murderous aura. Nina and Finia are getting scared.”
Even though the kotatsu was supposed to be warming us, Nina and Finia looked pale.
It was probably because Tania was glaring at them sharply.
Commenting on a girl’s leg size is apparently a forbidden topic.
It's clearly something best left unsaid.
I should keep that in mind, too.
“Haaah… You're so warm and fluffy.”
“It’s perfect.”
“Mmm….”
Sakura was squished between Rifa and Iris from both sides.
They had their upper bodies buried in her fluffy fur, and their legs tucked under the kotatsu.
Warm above and below—it was pure bliss.
Sakura looked slightly troubled…
But in the end, she seemed like a caring type, staying still without moving.
She was like a loyal dog being doted on.
“Phew…”
Relaxing in a kotatsu and spending New Year’s lazily.
What a luxurious way to start the year.
“Everyone, sorry to keep ya~!”
Tina floated over lightly.
Floating around her were various dishes she had prepared in the kitchen.
She set them in front of everyone.
“What’s this…?”
The bowls resembled rice bowls, but were a bit smaller.
A beautiful glossy black with intricate gold designs.
They were clearly made with great care.
Inside the bowls were lots of vegetables and chicken.
Simmered in a golden broth, a delightful aroma wafted out.
And in the center, there was a white, unfamiliar substance.
I poked it with my chopsticks—it stretched myooon.
“Nyaa… unyaa!”
“Hey, Kanade. Don’t let your hunting instincts get the better of you.”
“But, but, the way it stretches like that—it’s just too tempting to watch!”
“Strange… but kind of fun.”
“Is this… mochi?”
“Oh, Rifa, you know about mochi?”
“It’s a food made by kneading rice. Mostly distributed in Kagune. Am I right?”
“Correct! Here, have a candy as a reward.”
Lately, Tina was starting to act more and more like a local auntie.
“Come to think of it, Clios is on the Eastern Continent, right? Since it's close to Kagune, I guess they get a lot of goods and information from there.”
“It’s hot, but… haff-haff… delicious!”
Sora and the others were eating the stretchy mochi with happy little haff-haff sounds.
I took a bite too.
The sweetness and flavor of the rice were concentrated…
And the texture was enjoyable as well.
“Wow, I didn’t know food like this existed.”
“When simmered with veggies and chicken like this, it's called ozoni. A merchant from the Eastern Continent taught me recently. How is it? Tasty?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
“It’s hot but… that’s part of the charm. Sakura-chan, are you okay?”
“Kyuuun…”
Sakura had been served some ozoni, but it seemed like she didn’t handle hot food well. She looked uncomfortable.
“I’ll cool it down for you. Fuu, fuu… here.”
“Woof!”
I cut the chicken and mochi into small pieces and cooled them down before offering them to Sakura.
She happily bit into it.
It seemed to be okay this time—she swallowed it down and…
“Woof! Woof woof woof!”
She wagged her tail and snuggled up, begging for more.
Honestly, it was adorable.
This time I offered her some vegetables…
“Wait… Finia. Is there anything Sakura shouldn’t eat? Like how citrus is bad for cats?”
“Eh? Um… I don’t think so. Sakura-chan is dog-like, but she’s also a top-tier species, so…”
“Ah, that makes sense. Then no problem.”
Relieved, I handed over the vegetables.
Sakura, without being picky, ate them happily too.
“…Hey, hey, Rain. Can I do the ‘aaahn’ thing with Sakura too?”
“Sure, but what’s gotten into you?”
“I mean, she’s eating the food I made so happily! It’s too cute!”
“In that case, I want to do it too. I prefer dogs over cats, after all.”
“Good girl, good girl.”
“Kuuun~”
Sakura was being spoiled by everyone.
“Why do I feel like my position is in danger!?”
Kanade, sensing an odd kind of crisis, looked uneasy.
――――――――――
After finishing the meal, I stepped outside.
We were about to go for our first shrine visit of the year.
It’s a tradition from Kagune—apparently, you go to greet the gods during New Year.
I’ve never done it before, so I was a little excited.
Everyone inside was changing into a certain kind of outfit.
That outfit was...
"Rain, thanks for waiting!"
When I turned around, I saw everyone dressed in that certain outfit... kimonos.
"Hey, hey, Rain! How do I look in a kimono?"
"This is my first time wearing one, and it's kinda tight..."
"But it's beautiful and cute."
It was my first time seeing a kimono, but I thought it was really nice.
I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
They were adorned with all sorts of colorful patterns, festive yet elegant.
Their usually bright and bubbly images had shifted into a graceful, refined look.
Also, the hair ornaments—kanzashi—they wore added a really nice touch.
They were ornate pieces that made everyone shine even more than usual.
Since their hair was done up, they also gave off a very different vibe from normal...
"Yeah, I think it looks amazing. You all look great."
"Hehe~! Rain praised me~♪"
"W-Well, it's not a bad feeling or anything? You can compliment me more, you know?"
"Hey, hey, Rain-sama? What about me? Do I look cute?"
Tina, sitting atop Nina’s head, was wearing a doll-sized kimono.
It had been custom-made for her.
"Yeah, I think you look cute too. It’s a different feel from usual—kind of... captivating."
"Aww, Rain-sama, you’re such a smooth talker~"
Maybe embarrassed, she started slapping me lightly.
It kinda hurt.
"By the way, you mentioned greeting the gods—but where are we going exactly?"
"If it’s gods, then is it the church?"
"No, apparently there's a shrine on top of a hill. We’ll go there and offer our greetings. I heard there are all kinds of food stalls too."
"Ooh! Food stalls! I wanna eat all the yummy stuff!"
"Feast... eat!"
Luna and Nina were already fired up about the food.
Smiling at their enthusiasm, we made our way toward the hill.
A wide path stretched straight ahead, with the shrine visible at the end.
It had a different architectural style from a church, giving off a calm, serene vibe.
On both sides of the path were food stalls, with happy faces everywhere.
"Oh my. This feels more like a festival than a solemn prayer spot."
"Festive."
"H-h-have I really earned the right to be in a place like this!?"
"It seems like the whole idea is to make it easy for anyone to come and say hello to the gods. Just like Iris said, it’s more of a festive event."
"I see. I’m more interested in the stalls, though."
"I-It smells so good..."
"Oh! They even have hot dogs!"
Everyone seemed more interested in the food.
Which, honestly, was very on-brand for them.
Chuckling, I nudged them to move forward.
"Let’s check out the food later. First, we need to greet the gods."
"Okaaay!"
We all gathered in front of the shrine.
After waiting our turn, it was time to pray.
We tossed in some copper coins, pressed our hands together, and offered our prayers.
Apparently, at this moment, you're just supposed to think of your wish.
If this were a proper religious ceremony, it might seem off in a few ways...
But like I said, it's more of a festival, so anything goes.
“““……”””
After everyone finished praying, we left the shrine.
"What did you all wish for?"
"Hmm… I guess I wished to become stronger."
"Such a martial-arts-y wish… I wished to get better at cooking."
"I think that’s impossible even after reincarnation… I want new cooking tools."
"I… wished for good health."
"I wished to improve my maid skills~"
"Same as Tania—I wanna get stronger too."
"I-I-I wished to become… um, a little more confident…"
"Woof! Woof woof!"
"I wished to eat lots of delicious food~"
"Fufu. I wished to find a new hobby."
Everyone’s wish was different.
But all very them.
"Hey, hey, Rain, what did you wish for?"
"Me? I wished… that I can keep being with everyone, just like this."
――――――――――
After that, we climbed up to the hilltop.
From the hill overlooking the town, we could see the lively city celebrating the New Year.
And there it was—the sun shining in the blue sky.
It was the first sunrise of the year, and it was so beautiful that just looking at it felt like it cleansed the soul.
I turned to everyone and said with a smile:
"Well then, once again..."
"""Happy New Year."""
"""Let’s have a great year together!""
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