Chapter 188: Chapter 171 - Staying the Night
"We got completely absorbed, didn't we~"
It was already evening before I noticed.
"Will we make it before the closing of gates if Joule and others run at full speed?"
"But red~?"
"And pink~?"
While thinking of hurrying back, Allen and Elena were still set on catching the red and pink Pastel Rabbits.
(Let's stay the night!)
(That might be good!)
Joule and Feat were also suggesting making a camp.
(I will be a bed~)
(You won't be cold if everyone huddles together no!)
Vector declared that we can sleep on him when going to bed and Mile supported his claims.
We have already accomplished our objective, so there really is no need to camp here though.
"We may have equipment for the cold, but that doesn't change the fact that it will get even colder under the night sky, you know?"
(Then, I will look for a cave to stay in!)
Hearing my words, Bolt immediately flew away to search for a cave.
… Even before I could say "Let's return".
"Gee~ can't be helped~"
Bolt will surely return after finding a reasonable cave. It would be better than staying under the night sky and we can rely on the furs of Joule and others for the rest.
"We can't stay outside in current season, we are returning to the town in the morning, alright?"
""((((Yee~s))))""
The children gave a cheerful reply. When I peeked at the children's faces, they were making "We did it" expressions.
Were the children cooperating and aiming for this kind of development… or something? … No, surely not~
Bolt who returned after a while has really located a suitable cave.
"The depth and wideness are just right too."
(I am glad to hear that.)
It really was warm inside the cave and even Vector who sometimes returns to his original size to sleep fit without any problems. While that may be true, it wasn't too wide. I don't have to worry about the children catching a cold while sleeping here.
"We decided on the place to sleep, how about a dinner? Since we picked them today, how about eating hotpot with the Snowbelow Mushrooms~?"
""Hotpot~""
We have secured the place to sleep, so I decided to prepare dinner. The menu is a mushroom hotpot with many kinds of mushrooms.
How about the seasonings? Soy sauce?
(I am looking forward to it~)
(Niichan, put lots of mushrooms in it, okay♪)
Joule and Vector approached me who started preparing dinner and watched me cook.
I had to warn Vector who nearly put his face into the pot to smell once everything cooked together.
"N~"
""Delish~""
The Snowbelow mushrooms had a really mouth-melting texture.
(This is delicious~) Joule
(It's truly delicious~) Feat
(What an amusing texture.) Bolt
(I love this!) Vector
(It's delicious no!) Mile
Joule and others praised it highly. Since I could not say no to the children who wanted to pick Snowbelows on the way, we got quite a lot of them.
After chatting a little after the meal, I leaned against Vector who returned to his original size to go to sleep earlier than usual. Then, Allen and Elena clung to both of my sides. Joule and Feat cuddled to us and Bolt and Mile rounded themselves on top of my abdomen. On the occasion, I summoned Shiro and all of my contracted Pastel Rabbits.
""So warm~""
We really were warm being huddled together with everyone, so we immediately fell asleep.
And, the next day.
"… The hell is this."
I could only speak out in a daze at the spectacle before me.
""So many~""
(It seems they came while we were sleeping, huh.) Joule
(I have not noticed them at all.) Feat
(Their presence detection is apparently incredible, but erasing their own presence also seems to be their specialty.) Bolt
(Wow~) Vector
(Truly no! For us to not notice at all, they are amazing no!) Mile
When we woke up, there was a massive amount of Pastel Rabbits around us.
"Is this cave a nest of Pastel Rabbits or something?"
It was confusing so I immediately put Shiro and others back into my shadow, but even still, there was twelve, maybe thirteen rabbits.
Are the five rabbits we caught yesterday among them? Is what I thought, but the Pastel Rabbits we caught yesterday were obediently staying in the basket without running away.
There was no lid on the basket so they could have escaped if they wanted, but not a single one escaped. Far from that, two rabbits have apparently entered the basket so there's more than yesterday.
"Red child~"
"Pink is there too~"
"Indeed. Rather, they have all kinds of colors… so colorful."
Apparently, we were able to complete the Pastel Rabbit search we wanted to do today.
"Then, are we bringing back only the yellow, red, and pink ones?"
This time, we can bring with us only the Pastel Rabbits Lilika-sama and Sistina-sama wanted.
""(((((Eh?)))))""
Finding my words unexpected, the children looked at me with surprised faces.
""Why~""
(Three only? Only three?)
(There's so many though!?)
Allen, Elena, Joule and Vector couldn't understand.
(But, yeah. Unlike herbs and fruits, it won't end just with finding them, right~) Feat
(Yes, they are living beings after all.) Bolt
(That's right no!) Mile
Although surprised, Feat, Bolt, and Mile immediately nodded in consent.
""Won't give~?""
"This time, we accepted in the form of a request after all. We can't simply give them to this person or that person."
In case we caught Pastel Rabbits, they will be delivered to Lilika-sama and Sistina-sama through the Adventurer's Guild.
Of course, we are receiving an appropriate reward.
I was hesitating to sell off the Pastel Rabbits the last time, so I had Matthias-san help me to search for takers, but… it's not like we can do that this time too.
People will surely end up saying "Me too" if we irresponsibly give them away. It would be troublesome if it became like that, that's why I accepted it as a request through the Adventurer's Guild.
"Theodore-kun!"
"Latis-kun!"
"Correct. That's why I intended to ask if they would like the remaining rabbit."
"Larry-kun!"
"Helena-chan!"
"Eh?"
Either red or pink Pastel Rabbit would remain in our hands, so I was thinking whether the children of the Risner family would like to care after him.
However, Allen and Elena seem to want to give Pastel Rabbits to Larry-san and Helena-san of the McPherson family too.***
N~ it might seem like we are forcing the rabbits on them if approached untactfully. Well, I think that those two will surely accept them gladly though~
"… One more it is then. Allen, Elena, choose one more Pastel Rabbit."
If it doesn't work out with the McPherson family, I would be able to somehow manage with one more animal.
After I had Allen and Elena agree with it, the two were about to choose a Pastel Rabbit. But——
""Au~~~""
All of the Pastel Rabbits gathered around Allen and Elena's feet… as if saying take me with you.
"Do these Pastel Rabbits understand our words?"
(N~ I wonder?) Joule
(From the looks of it, they do.) Feat
(However, the intelligence of Pastel Rabbits shouldn't be that high, no?) Bolt
(Instincts?) Vector
(The stubbornness to move to a safer place nano!) Mile
As I thought, even Joule and others don't understand the language of Pastel Rabbits.
"We cannot keep you all and we cannot entrust you to people we don't trust. Therefore, even if you desire to come with us, you might end up getting sold off, you know?"
When I tried persuading the Pastel Rabbits with words, they swarmed us even closer.
Isn't that strange?
(Rather than living in the wild, they seem to prefer being kept as pets~ Well, they are weak, so it's only natural, I guess?) Joule
"Why are they running from the adventurers that come to capture them then? If they want to be kept, they should approach them instead, no?"
(N~ isn't it because the adventurers that come are dazzled with enthusiasm? That's why they are scared of them or something?) Joule
"..."
I was in agreement with Joule's words.
""Bring them~?""
"Let's see…"
Even if we leave them here, the Pastel Rabbits will surely follow.
Well, we will be able to shake them off if we ride Joule and others, but…——
"I don't want to sell living creatures much, but Grace-sama did say that there's a shortage of Pastel Rabbits. Let's take them."
""Ohh~""
I decided to take all the Pastel Rabbits here with us.
That being decided, we immediately went back. But, on the way back, the children did not forget to look for Snowbelow Mushrooms, so we returned to the town while picking mushrooms.
***These seem to be Light Novel only characters, like the Crown Princess Miranda from chapter 153.
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