The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
"Meow... meow, meow. Meow? Meow meow meow, meooow!"
In the town square, Kanade was talking with a cat.
Apparently, because they shared the common trait of being feline, they were actually able to communicate.
"Mrrrow... meow! Meow meow, meow!? Meowrr!"
...Though, from an outsider's perspective, it was a rather strange sight.
It just looked like a cat-loving girl playing with a cat.
As for why she was doing this...
"Rain, sorry to keep you waiting!"
"How'd it go?"
"Yep, all good! They said they spotted Fuuko just up ahead."
"Then let's go check it out."
We were in the middle of completing a request.
Not the kind where you defeat monsters or gather rare materials.
We were looking for a lost cat.
Normally, this would be the sort of request an F-rank adventurer would take.
However, the missing cat, Fuuko, was extremely wary of people, and no one had managed to catch her.
The client was also a little girl.
She had convinced herself that Fuuko hated her and was on the verge of tears...
So I decided to take the request.
"Hehe."
Suddenly, Kanade, walking beside me, smiled happily.
"What's up?"
"Mm-mm, it's nothing. I was just thinking... that's so like you, Rain."
"Like me?"
"You're an A-rank adventurer, so you can choose whatever requests you want, right? But you still accepted this one just to help a little girl. You're really kind."
"Well, it may not be urgent... but requests like these matter too. Adventurers are supposed to be jacks-of-all-trades, after all. Besides, if there's something I can do for this town, I'd like to help."
This was a beautiful, lively place.
And the people here were kind, making it a very comfortable place to be.
I was attached to it enough that I could call it my second hometown.
"Hehe... hey, Rain?"
"Yeah?"
"You know... that's one of the things I like about you."
"!?"
Her sudden confession completely caught me off guard.
Kanade's face turned red, but unlike me, she wasn't flustered.
Instead, she wore a slightly mischievous smile as she looked straight at me.
"You're making me wait for your answer, so it's okay if I do this much, right?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"Besides, if I want you to notice me someday, I have to keep making little appeals every day."
"...You've got me there."
Girls really were strong.
Compared to her, I felt rather pathetic.
Maybe because I'd never had any experience with this sort of thing, I just couldn't figure out the answer.
Putting aside what I should do going forward...
At the very least, I wanted to understand my own feelings.
What should I do...?
"Meow."
Just then, I heard a cat meow from a short distance away.
It was a high-pitched cry—one I didn't hear very often.
It was probably Fuuko.
"All right, sounds like she's just ahead."
"Good luck, Rain!"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she gets back to her owner."
Time to do my best as a Beast Tamer.
Kanade and I stopped for a moment, waiting for the right timing...
Then we headed into the park beyond the street.
What we found there was...
"There, there. You're such a cute kitty. Where did you come from?"
A cat that appeared to be Fuuko was happily being petted by a girl.
That girl was...
"Chiffon!?"
"Ah, Rain, Kanade. Long time no see."
The new Hero smiled brightly at us.
────────
After returning Fuuko to the little girl who had requested the job, we headed to a nearby restaurant.
We sat around a table and each ordered a drink.
"I never imagined we'd run into you here in Horizon."
"Yeah, me neither. So Horizon is your home base, Rain?"
It had been quite some time since we parted ways, but Chiffon looked as energetic as ever.
Her bright, sun-like smile hadn't changed.
Just talking with her made you feel more energized.
Still, there was something different about her.
The atmosphere surrounding Chiffon felt sharper than before.
Not that she'd become more aggressive...
It was more like she had become refined.
She had clearly grown a great deal during the time we'd been apart.
"I never thought we'd meet again in a place like this. Have you been doing well?"
"As you can see."
"Being full of energy is my only redeeming quality!"
"Hehe, that's true."
"You admitted it so honestly!?"
"Sorry," Chiffon laughed.
Kanade puffed out her cheeks, but she wasn't genuinely upset, so the atmosphere remained warm.
Both of them seemed genuinely happy to see each other again.
"Hey, hey! Aren't Chocolat and Millefeuille with you?"
"We're separated at the moment. We're planning to meet up later, so when we do, let's all have a meal together."
"Yeah, sounds great... drool."
"Haha. You haven't changed at all, Kanade."
"Neither have you, Chiffon."
"And Rain hasn't really changed either... Hmm? Actually, maybe you have?"
"Huh? You think so?"
"Yeah. It feels like you've gotten way stronger than before... And you didn't have that weapon back then, did you?"
"Oh, that's what you meant."
Kusanagi had become my primary weapon, and I'd also trained in the village of the Cat Spirit Tribe.
Those experiences were probably why I seemed different now.
"By the way, what brings you and the others to Horizon?"
"Hmm... I guess it's okay to tell you, Rain. Actually... if possible, I'd like to ask for your help too."
Comments
Post a Comment