Chapter 58: Fanna
As I left the Earl’s Residence, I called out, 《Bee-chans, are you there?》 and asked them to gather above my head.
The Bee-chans replied and began to assemble, and I asked them to converge about ten-odd meters above my head and not come down.
At first, there were only a few dozen, but they continued to gather, forming what looked like a small haze above me.
“My lord, it appears bees are gathering above that man’s head.”
“Close the window!”
Startled by the Earl’s shout, the butler hurriedly closed the window, but Shinya’s figure could be seen exiting the service gate and passing in front of the main gate.
He could tell that what looked like a slight haze above Shinya’s head was Killer Bees, but it gradually thinned out until nothing could be seen.
“…It seems the bees have disappeared.”
At the butler’s murmur, both the Earl and the man sitting opposite him looked relieved.
His insides were churning with rage, but he couldn’t lay a hand on Shinya, who possessed a god’s Divine Protection.
As if to shake off his thoughts of Shinya, he yelled at the butler, “What happened to the whereabouts of the Healing Magician and the man!”
“It seems they clashed with Shinya at the Adventurers Guild, but no one has seen them since.”
“Are they dead?”
“No, it’s said they disappeared, leaving behind the corpses of their five companions.”
“Damn those detestable adventurers! Find the whereabouts of the two who disappeared, and bring the woman here!”
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I’d finally gotten my hands on the long-desired Magic Bag with a time delay of 360. With Rank 8, it probably wouldn’t overflow with prey either.
I could have asked for something with a larger capacity, but it didn’t seem necessary for me, and if I got too greedy, there’d be no end to it.
Even without that, I now had two Magic Pouches, a 1-5 and a 3-60, and two Magic Bags, a 5-90 and an 8-360, for a total of four.
I planned to store mainly food in the 8-360 one. When I got more money, I intended to increase the time delay on a Rank 3 or 5 item and use that for food preservation.
For now, Hirokun didn’t seem likely to appear, and with spring approaching, I decided to return to Zandra once to collect nectar before setting out again.
I released the two Fang Cats, then stabbed to death all the tamed beasts I had for perimeter alert and security, and tossed them into a Magic Bag.
I could have just released them, but unleashing 11 Carrions, 8 Black Wolves, and 15 Gray Wolves was too dangerous, so it couldn’t be helped.
I headed for Zandra but decided to make a detour in Emden. I left Hoo-chan and the others in the grassland and entered the town.
Entering the town at dusk, I went straight to the Adventurers Guild, headed to the dining hall, and, ale in hand, looked for the party I was seeking.
A woman by a large table waved at me, so I greeted her for our reunion and she let me sit down.
“It’s been a while. Where have you been?”
“I was having some fun in Holm. Were you able to Tame anything?”
“I tried what you suggested, and as a result, I managed to Tame a Goblin, and some other things too.”
“And, were you able to control them as you wished?”
“The Goblin, I confirmed it and killed it right away. It stinks when that thing is nearby, you know. It’s really unpopular. I don’t need something like that either. Slimes were impossible.”
“Anything else?”
“Horned Rabbits, Howl Dogs, and Goats. I can control them to some extent, but not as well as you. Hey, won’t you teach me how to capture a Fang Cat?”
“I don’t mind, but it will take all day, so it will affect your earnings.”
“That’s fine! If it works even half as much as Mii-chan, we’ll more than make up for it, and Mii-chan is nagging that she wants one,” Ork immediately agreed, and the other members nodded.
With this, I could confirm my hypothesis, so I gladly offered my cooperation.
That night, I decided to stay at a hotel in town, and we parted ways after promising to meet at the town’s entrance early in the morning.
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Early in the morning, I met up with Glacial Shield and we left the town. We headed for the forest, but first, I had Hoo-chan find some Goblins, and we started by capturing two of them alive.
“Why are you capturing Goblins alive?”
“Because I want to see Linna-san’s Tame and compare it to my abilities before we make plans to search for a Fang Cat.”
Linna faced a Goblin and chanted, (Tame, Tame). It looked as if they were connected by a faint thread of light.
Next, I punched the other Goblin to weaken it and then Tamed it.
“Ho, there’s quite a difference between you and Shinya.”
“That’s right. The light when he Tames is stronger than mine.”
“Then, try giving the Goblin a name.”
“A name?”
“Yes. I believe that by giving it a name, a stronger bond is formed.”
“Giving a Goblin a name to make the bond stronger…”
Linna was looking at the Goblin with a disgusted expression, but for the sake of the experiment, I needed her to do it.
“Even ‘Gob’ is fine. We’ll dispose of it after the test is over.”
“How do you do the naming?”
“In my case, I just say, ‘You are Gob.'”
With a disgusted face, she said, “You are Gob,” and then looked puzzled.
“Unlike my Tames until now, I feel like the bond has somehow become stronger.”
“Alright then, try Taming the Goblin I’m currently Taming.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just do it. Try chanting Tame as it is.”
With a puzzled look, she muttered (Tame, Tame) as I told her, but no change occurred.
This time, I mentally instructed (Tame, Tame) to the Goblin Linna had Tamed, and I was able to Tame it as [Goblin 2].
“No waaaay!”
“Hey, how can you Tame something that someone else is Taming?”
“I’ve never seen that before! Or rather, I just learned about it now!”
“I think this is also something I can do because I’ve been granted Divine Protection.”
I believe it’s possible precisely because I have Tina’s Blessing and the Divine Protection attached to my Skill, but I have no intention of telling them that.
I released the Goblin I had Tamed without naming it and stabbed it to death.
Linna also tried to release hers, following my example, but since my Tame had overwritten hers, she couldn’t release it. So, I released that one too and stabbed it to death.
With this, I had a plan: Tame a Fang Cat, release it, and then have Linna Tame it. So, I began searching in earnest.
However, since I was relying on Mii-chan, I chased after her, making sure not to lose sight of Mii-chan’s tail.
If I were alone, I could use Jump or Sprint, but I had no intention of showing my abilities to that extent, and they probably wouldn’t be able to keep up anyway.
Chasing Mii-chan, who was sniffing scents and darting through grassy patches and under bushes, was tough, and everyone except me quickly grew exhausted.
Taking this as a good opportunity, I had them rest, left Hoo-chan and the others as guards, and chased after Mii-chan alone.
After reaching a distance where my telepathic connection with Hoo-chan broke off, I confirmed they couldn’t see me and then showed my true abilities.
I carried Mii-chan and jumped from tree to tree, continuing to jump in the direction Mii-chan indicated while she searched for lingering scents.
Around the time the sun was directly overhead, Mii-chan reacted. Facing that direction, I chanted (Tame, Tame), and on the third (Tame), I successfully Tamed it as [Fang Cat 2].
Without naming it, I put it in the Medicinal Herb Pouch and hurried back to where Linna and the others were waiting.
“Sorry to keep you waiting~”
“How far did you go?”
“So, did you find a Fang Cat?”
“Yeah, I caught one, but wait a sec.”
I took it out of the Medicinal Herb Pouch, tied its limbs, covered it with the Medicinal Herb Pouch again, and then mentally commanded (Tame Release).
“Linna, you said your Tamer ability was 36, right?”
“Yes, that’s right, but…”
“I’ve released my Tame, so I think you can Tame it as is. Try it.”
She looked at me doubtfully, but since I had removed my Tame, Linna should be able to Tame it.
Urged by her husband, Linna chanted (Tame, Tame). I saw the Medicinal Herb Pouch and Linna connect, so I removed the pouch.
“Linna, give it a name.”
“Eh, um… I hadn’t thought of one. Since it’s a Fang Cat, Fanna, then.”
She untied the purring Fang Cat and picked it up, but it looked heavy.
“Wait a sec, keep it standing like that.”
Using the Divine Protection of two gods, I cleaned it with Cleanse, and then gave the final lesson.
“Place your hand on the tamed beast’s back and wish for it to become smaller. I think Mii-chan’s size is about the limit for it to still be able to move reasonably well even when small.”
Linna, her face alight with excitement and anticipation, placed her hand on the back of the Fang Cat she had named Fanna and muttered, “Become smaaaall.”
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s a mysterious thing.”
“This shrinking is really something.”
“With this, can she control it freely like your cat, Shinya?”
“I wonder. I’ve been granted the Tamer God’s Divine Protection, so I think it’s different from the skills one receives at the Rite of Endowment.”
“How do you teach it things like hunting?”
“I don’t know how well you can control it right now, so we’ll have to check that first.”
As far as I could see, it didn’t seem like she was communicating via telepathy, and if I asked the wrong way, there was a risk my own abilities would be exposed.
I started by investigating to what extent Linna could communicate her intentions, such as which side of her body to make it walk on, or making it go left, right, or back up.
As a result, it seemed Linna could give verbal commands and be understood to some extent, but detailed instructions were impossible.
As a Fang Cat, Fanna was naturally good at hunting, but Linna would have to teach her to hunt prey that could be sold.
I decided to teach Fanna how to hunt small animals and bird-type creatures, to give the prey to Linna, and also how to support Linna and the others during combat.
“I’ll teach you the hunting methods, and how to fight as an Ice Wielder, tomorrow.”
“Well then, shall we look for a suitable place to camp?”
“You can just stay in my Camping Barrier.”
“You have one that big?”
“Well, yeah. I also have plenty of food, so don’t worry.”
“I thought you were earning a good amount, but this is beyond my imagination.”
“Well, if Mii-chan alone hunts even two Chiki-Chiki Birds, it’s over 100,000 Dahla, you see. If you save up a bit, you can buy one. Supporting with bird-type creatures and Beast hunts is Mii-chan’s job, after all.”
“Not wolves?”
“I take the front, wolves the flanks, and Mii-chan aims for the legs from behind, slashing them to slow their movement. She can’t handle large prey, but if it’s something like an Orc, she’ll slash the back of its legs with her claws.”