The Spearmaster and the Black Cat C378.1

“I'm Nemus!”

Nemus drums her massive torso with her huge arm. The roso consisting out of steel with a black luster and wood creaks, creating warped, unique 『Chords』. First the dull sound of a cylindrical container, and then a dry sound as if striking a wooden board with clappers. She makes those sounds reverberate in succession. It's a musical piece as if she's completely trying to match Moga who's taken a pose as you'd see it in kabuki. 1

“――Let me show you the dance I learned from Himika Danzo, the damsel I fell for heads over heels in Shijima Town!” Moga shouts.

It looks like he fell in love with someone in Shijima Town. Each time Moga whirls around as he dances, Nemus accompanies him with her clappers-like sounds.

――Nice tune. I guess this is a special skill of Nemus.

Moreover, the branches of the plants growing on parts of her torso and arms overlap. Thereupon, sounds similar to wavelets also occur as dry leaves flutter down. Those leaves add coloring to Moga's new poses. That and Moga's outfit are pretty cool.

For a short moment he stands still as if rooted the spot, just to finish up with pose of him standing on one leg, unlike before, on top of Nemus's left shoulder. Around the time when Moga is about to showcase his finishing pose alongside a series of drumming sounds, Nemus's swaying intensifies.

In the next moment, Moga tumbles down while squeaking. Truly the epitome of a simple penguin who can't fly.

However, while falling, he twists his body around, pulling off a clean landing in a penguin pose. At the same time, Nemus's drumming sounds stop, and the dry leaves are carried away by the wind.

…Their duo performance gave me goosebumps.

“――Haha, you woke the urge in me to applause, but are you actually okay over there?” I ask while laughing.

In response Moga whirls around with a momentum that makes the feathers flutter on the wings covering his hands, and then looks back at me.

“――Aye. Anyway, about what we talked about before…”

After performing a flashy rotation, Moga quickly straightens himself.

“What about it?”

“On top of having saved our lives, you even made a home for us. That's why we'd like to return that debt.”

“Nevermind, it's no biggie.”

“――Be a good boy and listen to me. We're wandering adventurers. At times we're at odds with other adventurers. But, I intend to be a virtuous person. And acting like it's nothing doesn't sit well with me as a man. Hence, I'll naturally assist in the reconstruction of Cydale which is also your wish. I'll also keep Muu company in her training, and…”

At the end he makes a pause.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. You see, this is just if you're okay with it, but…”

Moga's eyes are shifting around restlessly.

“What's with that vagueness now after all this time? Just spit it out man.”

“Aye. You're right. Alright…here it comes…”

Moga looks at Nemus. I feel like Nemus slowly nods at him, but she's definitely blinked her eyes several times. After nodding back at her, Moga faces me again.

“…Could we join your party, Shuuya? We're fine with all the loot being yours, too.”

Despite his penguin face, he looks serious. I guess he's brooded this over in his own way.

Well, I've got no reason to turn them down. It's Moga's choice based on his experience as an adventurer.

“Sure. Let's go together whenever I accept some requests at the adventurer guild, including labyrinth crawls, okay?”

“Ooohhh! So we're friends. You became our friend!”

“I am Nemuuus!!”

“…nh.”

Seemingly overwhelmed by joy, Moga caresses Muu's head after she's been listening while looking around restlessly. His hand with the fluffy, soft inner fur ruffles up her hair.

Muu glares at Moga as if yelling at him, 『Stop it, penguin!』, but he continues to stroke her head.

And Nemus also lets her joy free reign. She exhibits a weird dance by repeatedly swinging her huge arms up and down. While causing heavy lumbering sounds with her feet, she strikes the wall made out of evil domain trees from above.

Because she hits the wall several times with her huge fists, the wall dents in at the places she hits and the stakes below, which are buried deep in the ground, are driven even further into the soil at a section of the wall.

Considering what's hitting the wall, it might be smart to see it as some kind of art.

“…Nemus, please be careful when we challenge requests and labyrinths as a party.”

“I, a, m, Neeemus.”

Nemus has apparently noticed that her actions have become quite extreme as her movements suddenly become much smaller. Oh well, “Kaede” dwells within the giant, so yeah.

“Ahaha, Nemus, you've become so obedient after that pose I haven't seen you doing yet!” Mowa laughs out loudly.

He's stopped stroking Muu's head. After moving close to Nemus feet as if sliding quickly across the ground, and while gazing up to Nemus, who's stopped moving in a strange pose, he holds his sides in laughter.

It looks like it fully caters to Moga's sense of humor.

“Also Moga, assuming you enter Innocent Arms, there's also requests that don't go through the guild like the one from the Gramps Kistrin and the ghosts.”

“Ah, the one over there, huh…?” Moga turns his eyes towards the hill's back.

“Correct. Ahead of the holes in the hill behind my house that continue into the underground. I don't know how deep the tunnels run. I can hope to not get lost since I'll have a guide called Golden Path, but it might become a long journey. I'll also try to check my mirrors, but well, expecting things to be too convenient is, you know… Besides, the problem is the underground goddess. Challenging a goddess who stole a sanctuary…this won't be any ordinary request, for sure. Rather I think it'll become an extremely dangerous journey. But…would you follow me into such a reckless adventure?”

“Obviously. We entrusted our lives to you, no, Innocent Arms! Right, Nemus?”

“――I am Nemus!!!”

“――Guuaah.”

Nemus apparently tried to give Moga a high-five with her huge hand, but…Moga was caught by the hand and slapped away. Currently he's stuck in the ground around the edge of the training ground…head first. His penguin legs are trembling.

Pheew, so he hasn't died from getting blown away. However, it makes me happy to feel their dignity as adventurers. …They're my new friends and party members.

At this rate, the group might grow to a big party by the time I head into the underground.

Hankay should be interested in the whereabouts of his Budand Clan, too. Though I can't say anything yet since I don't know whether his clan has moved underground. I suppose it's also possible that Hankay won't come with me underground, and instead is going to travel eastwards while at the same time training up his skills.

Well, I think I'll try to invite him at a good time.

Afterwards, we checked the unknown stringed magic book for whether it was created by Zedel'Guo Sail, one of the Eight Geniuses of the Spirit World, together with Moga & Nemus.

I didn't know anything about it besides it being a magic or sorcery book formed out of many sturdy, manladen strings being tied together in various ways. It's just that Muu has a lot more mana than the magic book. Still, you can reliably feel a high-quality mana from the strings binding the book.

Just like on the first inspection, we could only find out that the strings and threads are very, very special. Kisara might know more about it, so I guess we have no choice but to wait for her to come back from her sky stroll.

A little later, the Rollo Squad returned to the training ground. At the same time, Moga & Nemus left. They headed over to the village office, where Quiche is currently at, to have a chat with her about various things, including the matter of being active as adventurers.

When Nemus entered the part of the earthen slope that isn't covered by a stairway as she heavily trudged downwards, a section of the soil there collapsed, causing a landslide at the hill's lower section. It'd have been better if I had reinforced the soil of the slope with a lawn.

I suppose I'll reinforce it with wooden boards and planks later on.

As I'm pondering about that, I look at Muu. Muu is staring at Baldok.

Grasping Baldok while sensing her eyes being focused on it, I tell Muu, “…Although I said we'd train, we need to get some groundwork done first. Once you can reliably use the strings of that magic book, they might serve as replacement for artificial leg and arm. But, for now I'm going to create an artificial leg and arm with while taking the structure of the wood for you into account so that you can do basic exercises. Got it?”

Muu has been expressionlessly staring at my lips.

“I think we'll do it inside. It's too cold out here, isn't it?”

“――mh.” Muu shakes her head.

It seems like she's alright with the training ground. Well okay, then I'll make them out here.

I kneel down so as to match eye level with the small Muu.

“――Alright, I'm going to try making them now.”

I focus on smiling as much as possible to give Muu a peace of mind.

“…tg.” Muu nods lightly after looking embarrassed.

She passed the magic book to me. And then, since she tried to take off her simple dress while silently raising both arms, I helped her with that.

“N, nya～”

“Rollo, you don't need to help.”

“Nyao.”

“Alray, you neither.”

Leaving the cats aside, I've got to hurry since Muu is going to catch a cold, now that she's naked, if I take too long.

I'll make the artificial limbs' ends in a shape matching with the triangular protrusions. I focus on . I create several axis, deciding to integrate holes that will allow the strings to pass through from the tips of the pyramids If you combine all the small axises, they'll also allow for the wrist to rotate

At the time when the strings freely flutter, Rollo kicks up a fuss by meowing excitedly. She apparently considers the strings to be prey.

“…Rollo, these strings are no prey. Now's not the time to play around. If you want to play with Muu, do it later.”

“Nnnn.” Rollo answers with nothing but a long growl.

It seems inevitable for her to regard the strings manipulated by Muu…as prey.

“Muu. I think Rollo understands now as well, but…better be careful for the time being.”

“…mh.” Muu nods after her body trembles with a start.

Well, it makes sense since she's seen Rollo fight after having turned into a huge divine beast from very close proximity.

In the meantime, I also created several holes in the artificial leg and arm to allow Muu to capitalize on the strings of her magic book. Considering its stability, I can't open up too many of those holes in the wood, though.

This might be my experience of me having built everyone's houses being at work here. I haven't obtained any woodworking skills, but the experience of working with wood has become a strength for me.

————- End of Part 1 ————-

Chapter end