The Darkness was Comfortable for me
chapter-148-30041322

The next day, I left the inn (the money I paid in advance didn’t come back), and headed to the house we rented.

The rent is high, but it has a garden, a second floor, and is close to the dungeon. If we are going to rent one in this city, there’s no place better than this one. It also gets points for being far from the church.

At the time when I came to this world, I took the Gift Affection of Spirit which has the merit of being able to get Spirit Energy from outside, but I have the demerit of being loved by Great Spirits…eaten by them. If I enter their detection range, the Great Spirits come out from their church.

It actually got dangerous once, and so I make sure not to get close to the churches that have Great Spirits in this city as much as possible.

I arrived at the residence and the window of Jeanne’s room was closed.

It is a timeframe that can’t be called early morning anymore, but is she still sleeping?

I unlock the door and enter the house.

In a world where there’s no fluorescent light or LED, the inside of the house is really dark. I have the Night Vision Gift, so I am fine, but you would normally feel stress from this, right? They apparently sell Spirit Tools that serve for illumination so, depending on the price, we could buy those too.

Jeanne really was sleeping, so I woke her up and asked her what we will be doing today.

“Shopping, right?” (Jeanne)

“Well, I do, yeah. I also have business in other places, but I will finish those real quick.” (Hikaru)

“I will go, too. There’s quite a bit of time before the dungeon opens, right? If only I had games, 5 days would go by in a flash though…” (Jeanne)

It is true that 5 days pass way too fast in our original world.

But in this world, if we don’t use our time proactively, there’s too much of it you don’t know how to use. Well, just checking the city around is plenty enough to kill time though.

After I wait for Jeanne to get ready, we go outside.

“I have business with the building at the side of the guild.” (Hikaru)

“At the side of the guild?” (Jeanne)

“Yeah, the Lynx Mutual Aid Association. I really will only be going in to check things out.” (Hikaru)

I caught too many fish from fishing the other day.

Lynxes are cats, so they should like fish -it might just be prejudice though.

We walk for a bit and arrive at the slightly old building.

A number of Lynx were basking in the sun and dozing off in front of the building.

“Hello. Is Grapefull here?” (Hikaru)

“Hnah? Full-chan? I think she is-na.”

“Right nyaw is break time, you knyaw? The dungeon is on break nyaw.”

“I know. I had some food for her.” (Hikaru)

“Food? I will go call her at once-na!”

The black and white Lynxes enter the building with swift feet.

It seems the Lynxes live in this building. Of course, it is not all of them, but renting an apartment takes money too. They must be lowering their expenses by living together until they can make a contract with a Great Spirit.

“…Oi, Kuro.” (Jeanne)

“Hn? What’s the matter?” (Hikaru)

“What was that creature just now?” (Jeanne)

Her cheeks were flushed and she had a really serious expression.

She has never seen a Lynx?

“Are they rat humans? Their ears were big, but their whiskers weren’t that big, so they aren’t rats. Weasels? Or dogs…not that one. They do look cat-like. Anyways, it looks like a mix of mammal and human—” (Jeanne)

“C-Calm down. Lynxes are most likely catkins.” (Hikaru)

“Cats, huh! Cat… Cat humans… There’s something like that too…?” (Jeanne)

She seems strangely excited.

Well, I was also pretty surprised when I met them for the first time though.

Or more like, I think Lynxes are pretty cat-like, but did they look like rats for Jeanne…? Is it a difference in the environment we were raised in?

“What-nya, what-nya? I am so hungry I feel like I am dying here, so I don’t want to move that much…” (Full)

“Seems to be an acquaintance of yours, Full-na. Here-na, here-na.”

“My eyes are spinning from the hunger-nyan. Nya nya nya…nna? Hikaru-shan!” (Full)

Grapefull came outside grumbling, but the moment she saw me, her face brightened up.

She couldn’t enter the dungeon for the Demon Lord subjugation, and we haven’t met once since then, so it feels like it has been quite a while.

It was actually just a few days though.

“I heard about it-nyan! You were the number one contributor in the Demon Lord subjugation, right?! That’s Hikaru-shan-nyan!” (Full)

Grapefull gets merry going nyan nyan. I think a lot of stars aligned for me to be chosen as the number one contributor in the Demon Lord subjugation, but it makes me happy when it is celebrated like this.

“Full-chan, you are acquainted with such a good prospect boy-na? I would like you to introduce me to him too-na.”

“I also want to graduate from being a scout exclusive for the 2nd Floor-nyayo.”

“I was simply lucky that I met Hikaru-shan-nyan.” (Full)

The sight of Lynxes going nyan nyan talking to each other is pretty healing and cute.

Jeanne’s eyes going bloodshot by my side must be my imagination.

“Full, do you guys eat fish?” (Hikaru)

“Eh? Why all of a sudden? I love fish.” (Full)

“I fished too many the other day, so I wanted to share.” (Hikaru)

“Really-nya?! I am hungry to the point that I feel like I am dying here, so that makes me really happy-nyowawawa!” (Full)

Full suddenly makes a weird shout.

Is what I thought, but then I noticed that Jeanne had hugged her from behind.

“Fugofugofugo… W-What’s with that nyan? This cat…she is all soft and fluffy…you…fugofugofugo.” (Jeanne) <The fugofugo is probably Jeanne motorboating Full>

“Nya nya nya nya nya?! What’s with this person-nya?! So strong-nya! Get off-nyaaa!” (Full)

“Our place didn’t allow pets… I wanted to get a pet for the longest time… Fugofugofugo. What’s with this creature…? Is it a cat…a big cat-chan…? This is… Fugofugofugo. Cat-chan…” (Jeanne)

Jeanne hugged Grapefull, buried her face in her fluffy fur, and seemed to be muttering something. Looking at it objectively, this is a really fearsome sight.

The Lynxes close by seem to be shocked too.

“Nya nya nya nya! Get her off me~. Get this person off me-nya~~.” (Full)

“Come on, Jeanne. Let her go already. I haven’t even introduced you to each other, you know?” (Hikaru)

“Fugafugafuga. J-Just a bit more…” (Jeanne)

I somehow managed to tear off Jeanne who continued petting Full with outrageous strength, and she finally regained her senses.

“Sorry about that. It was the backlash from living a long stressful lifestyle, you see… Please forgive me. I am Jeanne, Jeanne Collet.” (Jeanne)

“J-Jeanne-shan, are you also an explorer?” (Full)

“That’s right. Though I am just a newbie that registered yesterday.” (Jeanne)

“I see-nya, I see-nya. I am the scout Grapefull-nyan. If there’s the chance, hire me please-nya.” (Full)

Maybe it wasn’t that displeasing to be petted all over, Grapefull spoke business like normal.

She is mentally tough.

…Is what I want to say, but she is doing so while hiding behind my back, so she really must be pretty scared.

Of course she would be scared. I was scared too. Jeanne is an earthling like me, but she does have an eccentric side to her where common sense doesn’t work.

“That said, I don’t have anywhere to put the fish in, so I would like to go to the kitchen or somewhere where I can leave them though.” (Hikaru)

“I will receive them inside the building then-nyan. Things are a bit hectic inside right nyaw though.” (Full)

After being told this, we enter the Lynx Mutual Aid Association, and there’s a whole ton of Lynxes.

Moreover, they are all lazing about and sleeping.

“Fuoooo! Cat residence!” (Jeanne)

“Calm down. Lynxes are not cats, you know. Don’t go mofumofu on them without permission.” (Hikaru)

“B-But! How can I stay calm with this?!” (Jeanne)

“Where did your steel mental strength go…?” (Hikaru)

Well, it is true that all the Lynxes are cute. This feeling might only be shared between us Chosen, but it is not like I don’t understand why Jeanne would want to mofumofu them.

But it is a bit unexpected that Jeanne likes cats.

She really is a normal 17 year old girl.

I take out the fishes I got the other day from the Shadow Storage into the sink that I was guided to.

They are not alive, but it didn’t feel like their freshness had dropped, and they don’t give out a weird smell. They should be able to eat it without any issues.

There’s 57 in total. I fished this many?

“Nya nya~. This many garuru-nyan. That looks tasty-nya. Is it okay for us to have this many-nyan?” (Full)

“I fished them while I was killing time, so it is okay.” (Hikaru)

So this fish is called garuru.

So it is not horse mackerel… They do look exactly like one though.

“You should fish if you have the time, Full. I managed to fish them really easily, you know?” (Hikaru)

“Lynxes are all bad at swimming, so we hate the sea-nyan. If we fall, we are dead-nya.” (Full)

“I see.” (Hikaru)

It really might be a bit risky if they can’t swim.

There’s also the option of coming along with her to fish, huh.

There’s such a convenient fishing spot nearby. It should also serve to reduce the food expenses.

“Everyone~, Hikaru-shan has given us garuru-nya~~~” (Full)

Full said in a loud voice and the Lynxes that were relaxing woke up and gathered around.

“So many! We are having a garuru party today-nya!”

“Fish♪ Fish♪ Today we can eat a full belly of fish♪.”

“We can eat them just as they are. If it is now, we could eat them just as they are.”

“I am so hungry, they look like they are shining-nya… To show such kindness to us-nyan. You are like the Spirit King-sama-nya…”

It seems they really were drying up from the dungeon being closed.

If they are fine with this much, then I don’t mind bringing more again. Fishing itself helps me relax and the sea is nearby.

“Fufufufuuu. Kuro, sorry but I would like you to tie me up with ropes. I don’t think I can endure any longer…” (Jeanne)

Jeanne says this while breathing roughly.

Tying her up would be way too deranged.

“I’m already done with what I came here to do, so I will be leaving now.” (Hikaru)

“I-I see…” (Jeanne)

“Then, Grapefull, once the dungeon is open again, I will call you.” (Hikaru)

“R-Really-nya? I am so happy-nya. I will study about the 4th Floor as I wait-nyan.” (Full)

“Right, counting on you.” (Hikaru)

Once the dungeon opens again, Jeanne and I will be going. Of course, it would be easier to have a scout, so I plan on hiring Grapefull.

3 people is low and it does prove worrisome, but it was the same at the time with Rifreya.

There shouldn’t be any problems if it is the 2nd Floor and the 3rd Floor.

As for the 4th Floor, once Jeanne has gotten used to things and it feels like we will be able to, we could try challenging it.

I set the dungeon conquering at 5 years which is a decently long time, so there’s no need to hurry.

After leaving the Lynx Mutual Aid Association, we went around the city again to buy things necessary for our living.

There were mattresses for exhibit at the mattress artisan, so I bought one of them as it is.

With this, I will be able to live at that house from today on too.

It is not like I don’t feel a bit shy about living with a girl my age, but Jeanne shouldn’t have that intention.

In that case, I should try to not worry too much about it because it would make things awkward.