Chapter 28

-- KAWAII!

I took a deep breath as I looked at the cat monster. I had to stay calm; I wasn’t confident I could handle the situation coolly.

The creature didn’t resemble a ketshi-like half-beast but was a complete cat. However, it walked on two legs and wore shoes. It was a beautiful gray cat, equipped with a sword and a shield.

...I’ve never seen a monster like this before.

I took out the "Fragment of Star Memory" and pointed it at the cat monster. This disposable item could reveal the level and job of the target if it was level 50 or below. I had mainly used it on humans, but it could also reveal the name, attribute, and level of monsters.

<Neko Swordsman> Attribute: None Level 25

A front-line fighter who uses agility-based attacks.

The name was straightforward.

I was level 17, so the <Neko Swordsman> was stronger, but the fighting would be done by Frey and the others. They had said it wasn’t that strong, so it should be fine to leave it to them.

Still, it was our first battle. So, I cast <Body Strengthening> and <Regeneration> on the front-line fighters, Frey and Reina. <Regeneration> restores HP every 10 seconds, so I wouldn’t need to support them for a while.

"Take this opportunity... <Body Strengthening>!"

I also cast <Body Strengthening> on Luna, Torte, and myself. This would make movement easier, both in battle and while moving.

When I looked at the cat, it was just exchanging blows with Frey. I heard the metallic clashing of swords while keeping an eye on the surroundings. Situational awareness is also an important part of support.

...There doesn’t seem to be any sign of other monsters appearing for now.

As I was relieved, Luna fired an <Ice Arrow> at the cat. The cat’s feet froze, and Reina’s dagger finished it off. As expected of the hero party, it was quick. It’s a bit sad to defeat such a cute cat, but there’s no choice.

After the cat disappeared in a burst of light, a <Broken Sword Tip> was left behind. This is a common drop item from sword-wielding monsters, but it has no real value, so the best use is to sell it. Torte picked it up and put it in her bag.

"Hmm, it doesn’t seem to be a problem. There will be a few more battles before we reach the village... let’s stay alert. Reina, I’ll leave it to you."

"Okay!"

Everyone nodded at Frey’s words, and Reina started running again, checking the road ahead and the number of monsters.

"There are three <Neko Swordsmen> and two <Neko Archers> ahead!"

"Bowmen... we should take them out first, I think."

"Right. Luna and I will each take one, so Frey, please back us up."

"Got it."

Looking through the gap in the catnip, I could indeed see three <Neko Swordsmen> and two <Neko Archers>. As Frey said, it’s best to take out the ranged enemies first.

"I’m casting a skill. <One Strike of the Goddess> on Reina, and <One Strike of the Goddess> on Luna!"

"Thank you!!"

"Wow, that’s a skill that boosts attack power a lot! With that, we should be able to take them out in one hit without any problem."

Frey’s eyes sparkled as he saw the skill I used. He must be thinking about getting it cast on him again.

<One Strike of the Goddess> doubles the next attack’s power. So, it’s often used when casting powerful skills or when you want to take out a monster in one hit.

"Amazing, I feel so much power! <Circular Chaos Strike>!!"

"Here I come, <Absolute Zero Blizzard>!!"

"Whoa, that’s overkill!!"

I couldn’t help but shout as I saw Reina and Luna’s attacks. They were definitely overpowered... but, well, it’s fine since they took them out. The village is right there, and it doesn’t seem like there are any particularly strong monsters.

Incidentally, they didn’t just take out the <Neko Archers> but the <Neko Swordsmen> as well. Impressive.

"But both of you, manage your mana carefully. ...<Mana Regeneration>."

"Wha?"

"Meow?"

"?"

Everyone was surprised when I used the skill.

"Sharon, that <Mana Regeneration>... I’ve never seen it before..."

"I haven’t used it before. It’s a skill that restores mana every 30 seconds. Since my level is low, it doesn’t restore much... but it’s a bit of a comfort."

"No, no, it’s very impressive and reliable!?"

"Thank you."

I smiled at Frey’s praise. It’s nice to be praised as a support character. I have a good grasp of all the necessary skills for battle, so I can roughly keep track of everyone’s HP and mana.

In this world, there are no status screens, so HP and mana aren’t quantified. It’s a bit inconvenient, but you can get a feel for it with practice. Also, the enemies aren’t that strong.

After walking for a while, the village came into view.

"Could that be...!"

"Yep. The <Ketshi Village Catra>!"

The village of ketshis I had dreamed of seeing! My excitement soared.

The village was surrounded by a fence, and a ketshi guard was at the entrance. The buildings, with their rounded roofs, were slightly smaller than human-sized. Paw and fish designs were scattered everywhere, making it a truly cat village, even from a distance.

In other words, it’s an incredibly KAWAII village.

"Whoa, a human!!"

But to the ketshis, humans aren’t KAWAII. The guard exclaimed in surprise, and Torte clutched her head, saying, "We rushed back, so we didn’t have time to plan properly."

...Oh no, what should we do?

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