Chapter 49

The next day.

I hugged the warm object beside me and pulled it closer.

With its fluffy texture, I leaned my cheek against it, but something poked me. It hurt a bit.

"Kwee~"

Hearing the drawn-out, breathy cry, I snapped awake. It was morning.

It seemed I had used Amelia as a pillow while sleeping. The thing that poked me was her beak.

Today is a day off. When I opened the curtains, the sky was clear.

Looking at the clock, it was ten minutes before the cafeteria closed. If I rushed now, I could make it, but I couldn't prioritize my meal over Amelia's.

Looking outside the room, new fruits had been delivered. As expected, the幻獣保护局 (Phantom Beast Protection Bureau) works fast.

The box contained about three types of seasonal fruits. I gave her two of each.

"Kwee~"

"Did you enjoy them? I'm glad."

Amelia, wagging her tail, seemed to be in a good mood. I wiped the fruit juice from her mouth.

Still, she seemed to have grown again. Sleeping together on the small dorm bed was becoming difficult. The dorm room would soon feel cramped.

Finally, it seemed the time had come to move out.

While lost in thought, my stomach growled. I was supposed to go to Zara's house for a consultation, so I needed to prepare.

Yesterday, Liette told me about a café that allows phantom beasts, so I decided to go there for a light breakfast.

I took out clothes from the wardrobe and put on a beige dress. I tied my hair into a high ponytail. I washed my face and brushed my teeth in the bathroom.

Amelia, who seemed to be concerned about her appearance, chirped "Kwee kwee" at my feet, asking to be groomed.

I combed through her feathers. When I asked if she liked the citrus-scented essential oil, she wagged her tail, so I diluted it with water and rubbed it all over her. Her feathers shone brightly, and the lion part of her fur looked better too.

A high-femininity, eagle-lion hybrid was complete.

I was thinking about drying the peels of the fruits Amelia ate and using them to make essential oils.

I had once asked a village medical practitioner about how to make them.

You put the materials in a distillation pot and apply steam from below. When the steam containing the components is cooled and separated from the water, it's complete. When I heard the process, it seemed quite troublesome, so I had never made any.

Special equipment like a distillation pot is needed, but the practitioner said it could be done with a steamer at home. Since the steam needs to be cooled rapidly, snow or ice is required. With the current cold, if I left water outside, it might freeze by morning. I decided to try making it next time.

After getting ready, I chose a hood for Amelia.

She seemed to choose based on her mood that day, so I asked which one she wanted.

There were only three options, though.

A white one with yellow flowers, a plain red one with frills, and a green and white geometric pattern. She seemed to want the red one today.

After putting on a coat, I was ready to go.

"Well, shall we go?"

"Kwee~"

It was a clear, refreshing day. The central street of the capital was bustling with merchants, tourists, patrolling knights, and adventurers.

Since I was with an eagle-lion hybrid, I always attracted attention.

First, I went to the shopping district to choose a gift to bring to Zara's house.

The store selling food items seemed to have just opened.

The smell of freshly baked bread and sweet pastries filled the air. Honey-coated bean snacks were being stir-fried outside. As I passed by, they offered me a taste of the freshly stir-fried snack.

"Ah, hot...!"

The outside was caramelized and crispy, and the beans inside were fragrant from being stir-fried. It had a simple, rustic flavor.

Apparently, it was a new store that had just opened two days ago. Since Zara probably hadn't tried it yet, I decided to buy some.

With the gift in hand, I decided to have a late breakfast at a café that allows phantom beasts.

It was located up a staircase in a hidden alley off the main street.

The building was made of red bricks with an orange roof. It was a cute little place.

I entered the store and showed my Phantom Beast Protection Bureau permit. The staff smiled and led me to a private room, which seemed to be a VIP area.

The menu for humans and phantom beasts was handed to me.

I ordered warm water with honey for Amelia.

The phantom beast menu seemed to be free. I wondered how much subsidy they were getting. The rich do things I can't understand.

The human menu was also priced at less than half the usual. The discount was surprising.

I was indecisive about what to order. Since I had to go to Zara's house soon, I didn't have time to choose carefully.

Egg sandwich, cucumber sandwich, fruit sandwich, butter toast, cheese toast, vegetable toast. Chocolate pancake, forest apple pancake, honey pancake.

After some thought, I decided on the simplest butter toast and coffee.

The view from the window showed a beautiful cityscape and a clock tower. I could see people walking busily. Since the store was on a high floor, I could overlook the city. The view from above was fresh and new.

Soon, the food I ordered was brought to me. I took the honey water from the staff and gave it to Amelia, who was at my feet.

She drank it, thumping her tail on the floor. She seemed to enjoy it.

I immediately started on the butter toast.

Two rectangular slices of toast and a side salad were served.

The bread was thickly sliced, and butter was already spread on it. There were cuts on the surface, and the butter had soaked in.

I picked up one slice and took a bite.

When I chewed, the rich flavor of the generously spread butter spread in my mouth. The thick slices were soft and fluffy inside.

This was my first time trying coffee. I took a sip nervously.

...It was bitter!

Thinking I couldn't drink it as is, I added sugar and condensed milk. It became a pleasant bitterness, but... it was an adult's taste.

I didn't have time to savor it. It was almost time for my appointment.

I paid the bill and left the store.

I went down the stairs, through the shopping district, and headed to the residential area of the central street.

I managed to arrive at Zara's house on time.

"Amelia, there's a mountain cat at Zara's house. Be friendly, okay?"

"Kwee~"

She tilted her head. She didn't seem to understand what a mountain cat was.

"Um, it's fluffy like Gar, with snow-white fur, and goes 'nya~'"

"Kwee?"

No good. She didn't understand at all. I would have to introduce her to it directly.

I knocked on the door, and Zara appeared immediately.

"Welcome, Mel. And Amelia too."

I bowed. Amelia raised one foot and chirped "Kwee!" as a greeting. I praised her for doing well.

Trying to gauge the mountain cat's mood, a white cat poked its head out from the gap in the door.

"Meow"

It meowed, narrowed its eyes, and looked back and forth between me and Amelia.

Amelia quickly hid behind me.

"Amelia, it's okay. This is Zara's cat, Blanche."

"Kwee?"

"It's not scary."

Zara was also introducing Amelia to Blanche. Blanche didn't show any signs of fear; instead, she looked at Amelia with great interest.

Amelia took a step forward.

"Kwee"

"Meow"

They seemed to be greeting each other. They were looking at each other. Would they get along?

As I watched, Blanche took a surprising action.

She licked Amelia's beak. At that moment, Amelia puffed up her feathers in surprise.

When Zara scolded, "No!" Blanche backed away.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Amelia's eyes were moist, and she was stiff.

When I asked if she was okay, she seemed to come to her senses.

"Kwee~"

She looked at me with teary eyes, as if to say she was surprised by the licking.

"Good job, good job. You were brave for holding it in."

I patted Amelia's head.

This was how Amelia's first encounter with the mountain cat, Blanche, went. I wondered if they would get along in the future.