Another World Fluffy Cafe

Chapter 17: Again, this many!?

The Fluffy Cafe is located on the outskirts of Lerim. There are a few farms and other buildings around, giving it a calm and peaceful atmosphere, although it’s a bit of a walk to get into town.

As Taichi approached the gate, the gatekeeper spotted him and raised his hand.

“Oh, it’s the Tamer! Long time no see… Wait, what is that monster?!”

“Hello, it’s called a Forest Cat, and—”

“I know what it is! I’m talking about how many there are!”

“Huh?”

Behind Taichi, there were ten Forest Cats, led by Ume, all neatly lined up in two rows, following him.

(They’re so well-behaved and adorable.)

Just seeing that sight made Taichi’s cheeks relax, no, actually, he smiled quite a bit.

“Seriously, you’re always something else… I haven’t seen you for a while—did you go all the way to the Kingdom of Azeln to tame Forest Cats?”

“Yes, I heard they aren’t found in this country, so I went with Luke.”

“With a Wolf King, huh? Then I guess the journey was safe.”

(Yeah, Luke always takes care of monsters in a flash when we encounter them.)

In that regard, the trip was indeed very safe.

“It was. Luke is a dependable partner.”

“No doubt about that. Anyway, let me check your ID.”

“Sure.”

Taichi took out his Tamer Card and showed it to the soldier. When entering the city, he had to present his ID to the guards.

“Confirmed. You may pass.”

“Thank you.”

Not wanting to hold up the conversation any longer, Taichi entered the town.

The town was just as bustling as before, making him feel like he had truly returned. He noticed a lot of people glancing his way, probably because of the Forest Cats following him.

(Maybe the townsfolk are already charmed by the Forest Cats?)

Given their cute appearance, it wouldn’t be surprising. However, in reality, it was just because it was rare for someone to be accompanied by so many monsters.

“Alright, now that we’re in the town, let’s head to the Tamer Guild and get you all registered. Be careful not to get lost with all these people around, okay?”

『Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on the others too.』

“That’s reassuring.”

Though there were many Forest Cats, Ume, acting as the leader of the group, was handling them well, so it wasn’t much trouble. Besides, all of them loved playing and were well-behaved.

Even now, as they walked through the streets, they followed him in perfect formation.

(They’re really such good kids…)

Since they were tamed monsters, they behaved much better than ordinary cats would. Watching the Forest Cats trotting behind him, Taichi soon arrived at the Tamer Guild.

As he opened the door to the Tamer Guild, he heard a voice from inside.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Shalti. Just a moment, please.”

“Huh? Wait, what… wh-what?!”

Taichi held the door open and let the ten Forest Cats in. The receptionist, Shalti, widened her eyes in surprise.

“Again with so many followers… No way, Taichi, what level is your Taming skill? Though it’s rude to ask about someone’s skills…”

She sighed, exasperated.

Shalti, the receptionist of the Tamer Guild, was frequently taken aback by Taichi’s actions. She had shoulder-length light blue hair that flipped outward, held in place by colorful pins. Her pink eyes and charming fang made her look like a girl in her late teens. She had helped Taichi in many ways, like searching for the location of his Fluffy Cafe. She was also one of those who had fallen in love with the allure of fluffy creatures.

“When you saw the Forest Cats in the encyclopedia, you were so eager… But I thought you’d only tame a few. I underestimated you.”

Shalti buried her face in her hands, and Taichi could only offer a dry laugh in response.

“After that time with the ten Berry Rabbits, I didn’t expect you’d pull something like this again… Well, I’ll get them registered.”

“Haha… Thank you.”

Shalti quickly registered the Forest Cats, stroking them gently and saying, “They’re such good kids.”

“I’ll be able to interact with these little ones at the cafe, right?”

“Yes, and I’ve prepared special toys for them, so feel free to come by and play.”

“Toys for monsters, huh… As always, Taichi, you’re thinking outside the box.”

Shalti had seen many Tamers in her time, but she’d never come across anyone who made toys specifically for their familiars. The most they’d create would be training tools, at best.

“Still, they’re so calm and well-behaved.”

When Shalti petted Ume, she responded with a soft ‘meow.’

“They’re all good kids. They listen to me well and even walked in perfect formation on the way here.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

『Of course. I made a deal with you, didn’t I?』

“Oh right, that was part of the deal.”

Although Taichi considered Ume a companion, it seemed Ume was still a bit shy about receiving too much praise just for being tamed.

『…But it’s strange to be walking around without being attacked by humans.』

“Yeah, that’s true. Humans and monsters are usually at odds…”

In fact, many adventurers hunt monsters to level up.

『Being safe by your side is a relief.』

“That’s good to hear. As long as you’re tamed, no one will attack you, so don’t worry. But make sure not to leave the cafe on your own or wander too far from me. You might get attacked by someone who doesn’t recognize you’re a familiar.”

『Got it.』

Watching Taichi and Ume’s conversation, Shalti curiously asked, “What are you two talking about?”

“She finds it strange that humans aren’t attacking her.”

“I see… I guess encountering adventurers would be scary.”

『I’d run away immediately.』

“She says she’d run away.”

Taichi relayed Ume’s words to Shalti with a chuckle. Shalti nodded in understanding but threw up her hands, as if to say there was nothing that could be done about it.

“Being able to talk to your familiars is a handy skill, but hearing things like that is a bit sad.”

“True… But I’ll do my best to make sure they’re happy.”

“Taichi…”

Shalti’s eyes teared up a bit as she looked at Taichi, who smiled warmly. There weren’t many Tamers who cared about their monsters as much as he did. Many quit because they could only tame weaker creatures.

“I’ll support you in any way I can!”

“Wow, that’s reassuring. I’m counting on you, Shalti.”

“Leave it to me!”