The Adventures Of The Black Cat Nyango – I’ve Received A Rare Attribute, So I Aim To Be A Carefree Adventurer - CH 5

After returning to Atsuka village and spending busy days preparing for Horacio’s departure and organizing a village-wide send-off party, Horacio departed, wearing the fire magic tool around his neck and the new shoes I had bought him in Ibouro.

That day, we walked around the stalls until we got lost that day, browsing the stores, and bought only a sturdy backpack with lots of pockets and a file for sharpening my nails.

I had plenty of money after selling the prone mushrooms, but I had planned from the start to save it for my future departure from the village.

I had been reborn in a world with magic, but I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in a village deep in the mountains.

The status of catkin in this world is low.

The law prohibits discrimination based on race, but in reality, discrimination exists.

There are many races, but the greater the magic, the stronger the power, the smarter, and the more evolved, the more superior they are considered.

For example, the average adult male wolfkin is about 6 feet tall, with a face and body hair similar to that of humans, and only traces of wolf in the ears and tail above his head.

We catkins, on the other hand, look like cats walking upright, with an average height of about 120 centimeters, even for adult males.

In terms of magical power, physical strength, intelligence, and degree of evolution, catkins are considered to be no match for wolfkins in every respect.

There are other races, such as the rabbitkins and foxkins, whose physique is similar to that of catkins, but their body hair is closer to that of humans, and for that reason alone, catkins are said to be inferior.

However, I do not think that catkins are truly inferior.

Many catkins are poor because of discrimination, and many of them are forced to help their families and cannot go to school.

As for physique, there is nothing I can do about it, but as for intelligence, it is probably the difference in the opportunity to receive an education.

“Grandma Carisa, I picked some medicinal herbs.” (Nyango)

“Welcome back, Nyango. Did you run into any monsters?” (Carisa)

“No, I’m fine. But the red spider lilies are not growing well.” (Nyango)

“Oh, that’s probably due to the lack of rainfall in early spring.” (Carisa)

In the Kingdom of Schrendl, children are required to attend primary school from the spring after completing the “Nest Leaving Ceremony” until the spring of their fifteenth year.

These five years are a kind of preparation period for becoming an adult, and at the age of fifteen, they are treated as adults.

However, children from poor families often work instead of attending school so that they can register with the Adventurers’ Guild after the “Nest Leaving Ceremony” is over.

In my family, I have two older brothers and an older sister, but only my second brother attends school.

My oldest brother is in a position to eventually take over the family farm, so he is forced to help with the farm work, and my sister, who will eventually marry into the family, is forced to work as a weaver’s assistant.

As I will eventually be forced to leave home to make ends meet, I have been living in my grandmother Carisa’s apothecary since I was five years old, earning coins by picking medicinal herbs.

To gather medicinal herbs, you have to go into the steep mountains and have specialized knowledge.

I told grandma that the reason I was in the apothecary’s shop was to gain knowledge of medicinal herbs and that I would eventually leave the village and become independent.

“I see, I have the herbs you asked for.” (Nyango)

I delivered a basket full of medicinal herbs and received a reward of five copper coins.

In Japanese yen terms, that would be about 500 yen for a half-days of work from the morning.

If I were to be paid an hourly wage, it would be less than 100 yen, but it is still a normal reward for a child in Atsuka village.

The village itself lacks industries to earn foreign currency, so the peddlers buy animal pelts, textiles, medicinal herbs, etc. Most of the money they receive is used to purchase goods and goes back to the peddlers.

Compared to the town of Ibouro, life here is poor, but the entire village is poor, with the exception of the village chief and his family, so they do not feel particularly poor.

“I’m going to go catch rats. If I catch any, I’ll bring them to you.” (Nyango)

“I see, I’m looking forward to it.” (Carisa)

Besides collecting medicinal herbs, my other job is to catch Forest Mouse.

As the name implies, Forest Mouse lives in the forest and is about 15 centimeters long, or nearly 30 centimeters if you add their tails.

They are vermin that devour crops in the fields and stored grain, and if you catch one and cut off its tail, and take it to the village chief’s house, you will receive a reward of one copper coin for five mice.

Even though the bounty is paid, it is difficult to catch them because they are quick and smart enough not to be caught in traps.

I am capturing Forest Mouse because they are good for training in void magic.

After leaving the apothecary, I headed for the border between the field and the forest.

There is a path around the field, and outside of the path is a grassy area about 5 meters long, beyond which is the forest.

This path and grassland are designed to make it difficult for the wary Forest Mouse to enter, but once they get a taste of the crops in the field, they will repeatedly invade.

I lay down on the grass and waited for a while, and then the Forest Mouse appeared.

It appeared at the edge of the meadow, stood up on its hind legs, and began to carefully watch its surroundings.

It is about 30 meters away from my position, which is as close as I can get to it.

Right now, they are not showing any signs of running away because I am still hidden, but if I move my body even a little, it will run away immediately.

Normally, I cannot get within 30 meters of a Forest Mouse, so I basically have to use a trap to catch it.

The Forest Mouse keeps staring at me, but, conveniently, I don’t move.

“[Cage].” (Nyango)

Using void magic, I solidify the air into a cage-like structure over the head of the Forest Mouse, large enough for its body to fit snugly inside.

Then, I put it on top of it and hold it down, and the capture is complete.

When I ran up to it, the mouse was squeaking and squealing and furiously digging in the dirt.

“[Knife].” (Nyango)

While maintaining [Cage] that trapped the Forest Mouse, I solidify the air into the shape of a knife.

[Cage], which a month ago was as strong as Styrofoam, is now about the size of a sheet of plywood.

This was the result of his continued training to increase the compression rate when solidifying the air.

Aiming at the target, I thrust the air-filled [Knife] between [Cage].

The [Knife] sliced through the neck of the Forest Mouse, but it was not strong enough and shattered.

The Forest Mouse, which had its neck slashed open, screamed and flailed about in the [Cage], splattering fresh blood, but it soon began to weaken and died.

Even though they are vermin, it is hard to get used to the rawness of taking a life.

I stuffed the blood-drained Forest Mouse into a bag and covered the blood splattered around it with dirt before moving on.

The reason is that the screams and the smell of blood waft through the air here, and no other Forest Rat will come near this place.

While moving, I continue to use magic.

The only way to increase my magic index, which indicates the parameter of magic available, is to keep using magic.

When I use magic, I feel something circulating in my body.

It seems that people in this world have an organ called a magic vein that circulates magic elements.

When I try to expand the range or increase the strength of the solidified air, I feel resistance inside my body because there is a limit to the amount of magic element that can flow through my magic veins.

To use an analogy, it is like trying to have a large amount of water flow through a narrow hose.

The limit to the amount of magic element that can flow is also the limit to the magic that can be used.

By loosening this resistance and continuing to use magic, the magic vein becomes thicker and stronger magic can be used.

The magic used during the movement is called [Case].

[Case] is made of air and surrounded by a bag containing a Forest Mouse.

This way, the scent of blood will not alert other Forest Mice.

I am conscious of the increasing strength of the [Case] as I continue to activate it.

After this, moving from place to place, I killed a total of five Forest Mice.

Before heading to the village chief’s house, I stopped at the store Viktor, the dogkin, the village’s sole purveyor of everything.

“Uncle, please take care of my loot!” (Nyango)

“Oh, how many do you have today?” (Viktor)

The meat of Forest Mice, which mainly eat grains, is delicious, and their fur can also be used for handicrafts, so I bring the tail to the village chief and have Viktor buy the body parts.

Each mouse costs two copper coins, so if I catch five and sell them all, I get one silver coin and one copper coin as a reward.

“I will sell three.” (Nyango)

“Then, six copper coins. If you can catch more, I’ll pay you as much as you want.” (Viktor)

“I can’t catch that many.” (Nyango)

“That’s right… Well, good luck with that.” (Viktor)

Viktor processed the Forest Mouse he bought from me, selling the meat and using it to feed the innkeepers’ guests.

I brought the tails I had cut off to the village chief’s house for a bounty, and on my way home I stopped at Grandma Carisa’s apothecary.

One Forest Mouse was exchanged for five small potatoes and rock salt.

The rest of them will be at our table.

Since I started catching Forest Mouse, we have been able to save money little by little, and our food situation has improved.

Today was another peaceful day in Atsuka village