You Can Look Forward To It
You can look forward to it. On the cart rumbling back toward the outpost, I sat beside Patricia at her insistence, and we chatted about all sorts of things during the ride.
“Nyahahaha! You used the slinger’s thread that way, nyang?!”
Patricia doubled over, clutching her stomach as laughter exploded out of her.
“It’s not that they couldn’t think of it. If they’d known, wouldn’t everyone have used it like that?”
“Nyahahaha! Say something that makes sense, nyang!! What kind of lunatic uses a slinger like that, nyang!!”
Hmm. Was it really that weird? When Reina first gave me the slinger, I remembered her explaining that the hook on the front could be used to swing across terrain. But the moment I heard that the thread was made of the same material as monster-capturing nets, the idea hit me—this thing could be a weapon, not just a way to get around. Of course, it only worked because my greatsword was famously, ridiculously heavy.
Patricia finally lifted her head, eyes still glistening with tears of laughter. My reflection shimmered in her amber pupils.
“You. I like you, nyang. Yeah, this is exactly how a hunter is supposed to go crazy, nyang.”
I felt a little wronged, but the cart had already reached the outpost entrance and the moment to speak had passed.
“We’re here, nyang!!”
Patricia suddenly spotted something and stood up, scampering to the front of the cart. Tap tap tap.
“Huh, nyang? I see Recovery Team 1 over there, nyang!! Looks like Manguls’s group finished capturing their monster and got back too, nyang!!”
“Faster than I expected.”
“Nyahahaha! Only you could say that so casually, nyang.”
Patricia, now perched at the front of the cart, swung her legs playfully.
“I can’t wait to see the look on Manguls’s face, nyang!! Nyahaha!!”
…This Felyne is more vicious than she looks. I could only shake my head at the sight of an overjoyed Patricia.
The cart stopped at the gate for inspection. Patricia immediately leaped down and scurried over to Recovery Team 1 with quick little steps. The Felyne who seemed to be their leader met her, and the two began whispering back and forth. Their eyes kept darting in my direction.
“Nyahahaha!!”
“Nya-nyanya!!”
Their overlapping laughter rang out. They were definitely talking about me.
What on earth are they saying…?
I rested my chin on my hand and watched the two of them swapping jerky like a pair of cats.
Maybe it’s because they look like cats, but it’s weirdly healing.
While I waited in the breeze for the inspection to finish, Patricia came trotting back to the cart.
Boing— She hopped lightly and landed on the cart.
“What were you two talking about?”
Patricia turned to look at me. The corners of her mouth were curled up in clear delight.
“Nyuhihi. I spoke with the leader of Team 1, and he said Manguls already went ahead to the Ecological Research Institute, nyang.”
Patricia bit into a piece of jerky that looked exactly like the one she’d received earlier and continued.
“Which means! That idiot Manguls still has no idea what kind of monster you captured, nyang!!”
Standing tall at the front of the cart, Patricia thrust her jelly-like front paw into the air.
“Now, let’s hurry to the Ecological Research Institute, nyang!! Joy is waiting for me there, nyang!!”
“She wasn’t always like this?”
I thought she’d been like this from the first time I saw her. A viewer answered my question.
I left the viewers to their chatter and looked at Patricia. She was waving her hands excitedly.
Lifeless, huh… I couldn’t picture it at all. Well, whatever. It was always fun to watch a cute creature full of energy.
Nyuat!
Maybe Nyua had read my mind. The little spirit king grumbled jealously from around my neck. I reached up and gently patted the black choker.
Calm down.
Nyuuu…
The little guy melted under my touch. While I kept stroking the trembling ball of fluff, the cart arrived in front of a building I had never seen before. It looked like someone had taken the bud of a giant flower and turned it into a structure. The softly glowing pale green building gave off a mysterious aura.
“The building is really unique, isn’t it?”
I turned my head, examining every inch of it.
“Nya? First time seeing it, nyang?”
I nodded at Patricia’s curious question.
“I haven’t been here very long.”
“Nyahaha!! And yet you already caught an Azureus…”
Patricia’s eyes sparkled.
“This is so much fun, nyang!!”
Her gaze toward me was filled with pure interest.
The cart headed around to the back of the building. There was a wide open space perfect for setting down captured monsters. I spotted some familiar faces there. Manguls stood with his arms crossed in front of a large cloth draped over something, and a short distance away Reina was nervously tapping her foot.
Is she worried I got hurt again?
She already knew how strong I was, so why did she worry so much? After briefly meeting Manguls’s eyes, I walked slowly toward Reina. She scanned me up and down with anxious eyes.
“I didn’t get hurt, so don’t wor—”
“You didn’t cause any accidents this time, right?!”
Huh?
Just what kind of image did she have of me? I frowned at Reina.
“I’m genuinely curious what kind of image I have in your head, Senior.”
“You already know, so why are you even asking?”
“Ha!”
I shook my head at her answer. Unbelievable. There were plenty of things I wanted to say, but it felt like it would never end, so the generous person I was decided to let it slide.
“Whatever. How long have you been here?”
I flicked my finger and gave the commenter a ten-minute timeout.
That should keep things quiet for a while. When I looked at Reina, she had taken out a pocket watch and was checking the time.
“A while. About thirty minutes? Sir Manguls probably arrived around the same time.”
“You got here fast.”
“He received the request first. He must have had a specific monster in mind.”
“Then why did you come early, Senior?”
Reina answered as if it were obvious.
“Because I figured you’d show up around the same time?”
“What kind of reason is that?”
Her answer made me laugh without meaning to.
“Weren’t you the one who said Manguls is better than me at capturing monsters?”
“So what?”
Reina turned her head to look at where Recovery Team 8 was waiting.
“Recovery Team 8 means Patricia is here.”
“You know her?”
“She’s famous. She’s always wandering around looking completely lifeless.”
“Hmm…”
Looked like the viewers had been telling the truth. I glanced toward Patricia.
“Nyuhihi.”
She was still grinning with sparkling eyes. Since I had only ever seen her like this, it was hard to believe.
“Anyway.”
I looked back at Reina when she spoke again.
“Did you catch something satisfying?”
“Something satisfying?”
“Yeah.”
Just as I was about to answer, someone walked out from the research institute. A man wearing a white lab coat unlike everyone else at the outpost. He was probably the one who had issued this request. As he approached, everyone’s attention shifted toward him. The man, now standing between us and Manguls, gave a small cough.
“Hello, everyone. I am Serapion Crodel, Deputy Director of the Biological Research Institute, the one who issued this request.”
Crodel adjusted his glasses slightly.
“I didn’t expect you to capture a monster this quickly. As expected of Sir Manguls and…”
He turned to look at me.
“…the person acknowledged by Sir Dante. May I ask your name?”
“It’s Haerang.”
“Haerang…”
Crodel murmured my name as if savoring it.
“An Eastern name. Very well.”
Nodding, Crodel took out a notebook from his coat.
“Then, may I check the monster you captured?”
“Go ahead.”
Manguls nodded at Crodel’s words. I glanced at him, then spoke to Reina.
“Senior.”
“Yeah?”
“You asked earlier if I caught something satisfying, right?”
“I did. I didn’t get an answer though… why?”
I gave a small smile at Reina’s anxious expression.
“You can look forward to it. You’ll get to see something really entertaining soon.”
“What did you do this time…”
Behind Reina, who was pressing a hand to her forehead, I heard Patricia’s laughter.
“Nyahahaha!! It’s finally time, nyang!!”