Chapter 17

The place they arrived at was a dim alley.

Without a care for Sora, who looked around anxiously, Thor quickly moved forward.

Thor continued until the noise of the street was barely audible, then took out a leaf-wrapped package of monster meat from the bag he was carrying.

He placed it on the ground and clicked his tongue softly.

Almost immediately, there was a sense of movement from the depths of the alley.

Sora, with a frightened face, clung to Thor's back in a panic.

Sniffing the air, two cats, one with tiger stripes and the other with black fur, appeared.

The cats, who had been watching, seemed to recognize Thor as the visitor and ran over with great enthusiasm.

Ignoring Sora, who took a small breath, the two cats pounced on Thor's leather boots and bared their teeth.

"Thor-kun, you're being attacked!"

"Sorry, I'm late."

Thor, apologizing for leaving them for five days, took off his leather gloves and slowly stroked the rough fur of the two cats.

The cats, which had been gnawing angrily, gradually shifted to gentle nibbling as he petted them.

Seeing the cats' excitement subside, Thor gently pushed the pile of meat toward them.

"Here, eat. It's good meat."

The two cats, tails standing straight up, buried their noses in the meat and started eating.

They must have been very hungry, as they began eating right there, which was unusual.

Thor's cheeks lifted slightly as he watched the two cats tear into the meat.

Beside him, Sora, who had finally grasped the situation, crouched down and began to observe the cats' meal with interest.

"Those are the ones you were talking about, right?"

"Yeah, I often feed them here, but it's been a while."

"Is that so? Hey, is it yummy? I helped carry it too."

As she said this, Sora reached out to the back of one of the cats that was devouring the meat.

"Hey, don't touch them while they're eating. They don't like it."

"Huh? But they're happy."

"What?"

Thor couldn't help but let out a small sound at the sight of the striped cat lifting its bottom while eating and purring loudly.

There was no trace of the cat that had bristled and growled when Thor tried to pet it before.

"Hehe, not bad. Not bad at all."

"Hey, don't be too persistent, Sora."

"Huh? Do you want to be petted too?"

"What?"

Thor let out a sharp sound again as the black cat approached the girl's feet.

The black cat, touched by Sora, began to purr affectionately.

Thor, with a blank expression, recalled the day he had finally won their trust after feeding them for more than half a year.

Ignoring Thor's state, Sora touched the back of the cat that was eagerly eating and chuckled.

"Hehe, hey, they look really yummy, don't they?"

The purring of the two cats stopped abruptly.

Thor, silent, stared at Sora.

Realizing the change in atmosphere, Sora finally seemed to notice her slip of the tongue and tried to cover it up.

"Hehe, just kidding. ...Fatter ones taste better, you know."

To the country girl, there wasn't much difference between cats and goats.

The two cats, gently removing Sora's hand from their backs, moved to Thor's feet, still holding the meat, as if to put some distance between themselves and the girl.

Hiding his inner joy, Thor waved his hand, signaling Sora to move away.

The girl, pouting, stood up and walked aimlessly into the depths of the alley.

"Hmph. Skinny ones don't taste good anyway."

With the intruder gone, Thor crouched down and reached out to pet the black cat that was devouring the meat.

He was slapped.

Reaching out again, the cat reluctantly let him touch it.

Nodding, Thor made sure not to disturb the cat's meal and gently stroked the tips of its fur with his fingertips.

"Hey, Thor-kun, it feels weird."

"Later."

"Okay."

Thor, absorbed in the black cat, ignored Sora's idle chatter.

Feeling emboldened, Thor reached out to the striped cat.

The striped cat, seemingly enjoying the meat, let him pet it without any fuss.

"Hey, Thor-kun, this is kind of fun. It feels like someone is watching us."

"Later."

"Okay."

Thor, enjoying the interaction with the two cats, suddenly looked up at a scene that caught the corner of his eye.

It was Sora, pulling something out from the depths of the alley.

"Hey, Thor-kun, look. I caught something."

"What?"

In Sora's hands was a dark, wriggling mass.

It was too big to be a cat.

And it had long limbs.

It was also wrapped in dirty rags.

It was clearly a human child.

"I found it crouched in the back. Is it from around here?"

The child was trying to escape from Sora's grip, but it looked more like it was playing around.

Each time it struggled, its messy, overgrown hair shook, and the faint light from the street illuminated its purple eyes.

Recognizing those large, familiar eyes, Thor couldn't help but let out a sound.

"Are you the third one?"

The last one that never showed up no matter how much he called.

Petting that timid cat was a small wish Thor had.

But the fact that it was a dirty child disappointed Thor.

Held by Sora, the child raised its voice with a serious face.

"Moo doesn't taste good!"

"I'm not going to eat you. Is your name Moo?"

"You just said they looked yummy!"

Reacting to her own words, the child's stomach made a small sound.

"Are you hungry, Moo?"

"Let him go already."

Thor, sounding exasperated, took an apple out of his bag.

It was something he had saved for Sora, who often got hungry.

Holding out the apple, the child, once freed, sniffed it and then suddenly bit into it.

It devoured the apple enthusiastically without taking a breath, finishing it down to the core in no time.

Then, on all fours, it tried to join the cats in eating the raw meat, so Thor picked it up by the scruff of the neck.

"Have you been eating cat food all this time?"

"This is Moo's food!"

"At least cook it first. Where are your parents?"

Shaking his head, the child, who didn't understand the question, emitted a foul smell from his unwashed head, which hadn't been washed for months.

Frowning, Thor tried to put the child back but noticed Sora's pleading gaze.

Being in the alley at this time of day, sharing food with cats, unable to say their parents' names, wearing tattered clothes, and having a body odor from not bathing for a long time—this was clearly a homeless child, not an uncommon sight.

It would be endless trouble to take care of such a child, but the girl, who was not yet accustomed to city life, wouldn't understand these things.

To Sora, everyone in the village was a familiar face, and helping those in need was a given.

After holding the child's neck for a while, Thor sighed deeply, as if giving in.

"...We'll ask the landlord first."

"Okay! Nice to meet you, Moo!"

"What are you going to do with Moo?!"

"Um, do you want to eat something better?"

The child's stomach answered for him.

"Alright, it's settled. I'm Sora, and this cool person is Thor-kun."

"Sora!"

"Right, call me Sora-onee-chan."

"Sora-neechan!"

"Good, good. Then, this is Thor-kun."

Looking up at Thor, the child slowly opened its mouth.

"......To-kun?"

"Why? Why drop the 'r'?"

"To-kun!"

"No, it's Thor. Don't call me that."

"To-kun, I'm hungry!"

"Hey, don't get so close. Back off."

Held by the dirty child, Thor sighed deeply again.

At his feet, the satisfied cats, having finished their meal, began grooming themselves.