Chương 9: Cats and Milk

I kept about my business over the next few days and put the incident with Haita out of my mind. Idiots were bound to be stupid, no matter what, and so I tried not to dwell on it. And as the farm continued to grow, so did Smoke. He had gone from an ankle biter to a shin biter and would doubtless keep growing, but I was a little concerned that meat and water alone were not enough for such a beast. Giant or otherwise a cat was a cat, and milk would probably be in demand.

The door to the general goods store creaked open as I pushed inside, and Mikan glanced up from the scroll in her grasp. She had been behind the counter every time I visited and in truth I had no idea where her father was. She talked about him as if he were alive, but... Well, it was ultimately none of my business.

"Oh, Amon. It's good to see y-" She noticed Smoke in my arms and took in a sharp breath. For a wild animal, Smoke was oddly calm. He barely stirred, even being held aloft like this. Maybe he trusted me that much, or maybe the cat just appreciated the unnatural warmth of my body. Whatever the case, he was purring gently.

"That's.. that's a hellcat cub!" she said breathlessly.

"Wha.. how did you...?" I shrugged.

"He appeared on my farm one day. Guess he took a liking to me," I said.

"I call him Smoke" Mikan let out a small, anxious laugh while staring wide eyed at him.

"They... usually live in mountainous regions. That one must have strayed from Mount Gruai. You're... you're very lucky it's only a cub, grown hellcats can be vicious!"

"Oh. Well, I had a feeling he would grow big and mean. But he's sweet for now, and I'll hope he stays that way," I said. I had had a dog in my younger years, and it was rather different to raising Smoke. For one thing, the cat was much more self-reliant despite his youth.

"Just... keep a watch on him. People might get scared if they see him out and about when he's bigger." She made her way over, smiling slightly.

"May I pet him?"

"If you'd like. He's friendly enough for it." Her hand reached out, slow and tentative, and soon she was stroking Smoke gingerly behind the ears. The cat leaned into the touch, his purrs slowly growing louder.

"Gosh," Mikan said.

"His fur is so soft. Never thought I would get to pet a hellcat... even if he is just a cub."

"He's the reason I came here today. I've been thinking about getting him some milk, might help him grow big and strong. But..." I scanned the shelves, the corners of my mouth shifting into a frown.

"It seems you don't sell it here." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Back home the dairy farmers had been keen to bottle and sell their milk onto passing traders. The richest men I'd seen before my ascension had been the men who made their money selling their dairy on.

"Er... milk? From cows?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes...?" I asked, wondering if I'd said something offensive.

"Why would we sell that?" I lifted a brow.

"Goodness. So you don't take in milk? Butter? Cheese?" Mikan stared at me, blinking a few times.

"Those... words, the last two. Usually your qi makes it so I can understand you. But those last two mean nothing to me." Well, that was interesting. Perhaps I could take advantage of a gap in the market, if I could make my own churn and get my own cattle. Still, the thought that the east hadn't bothered much with dairy, at least in the ways I was used to... Truly, a strange land.

"I suppose, if you're in need of it for Smoke here, Tado has a few cows on his farm. Usually he uses them for breeding, and beef, but... you could get milk if you ask. And, pay for it too I imagine."

"My thanks, Mikan. You've been good to me." Frankly, it was more than I deserved. She shrugged, a simple smile on her face.

"Some folks don't like westerners in these parts, it's true, but... well they've never given me any reason to dislike them, and you seem like an alright man." I suppressed the bitter grimace that threatened to break out across my face. No, I was about as far from alright as a man could get. But, ideally, nobody would ever need to know that. I scratched Smoke behind the ears, seeking to distract myself.

"It's the farm north of the village, I take it?" Tado was a portly man with a balding pate of grey hair and a clean shaven jaw. He looked at me warily as I stood outside the gate to his farm, while members of his family tended to the rice paddies that dominated his acres. His hawkish eyes shifted from me, to Smoke, and then back again.

"Leave it to a westerner to try and tame a damned hellcat."

"I wouldn't say I tried. He seems fairly tame to me." Tado snorted, flexing his broad nostrils.

"If my cattle or my birds get preyed upon, that beast will be the first suspect I look at." I rolled my eyes. Perhaps I couldn't fault him too much, if hellcats were as vicious and dangerous as Mikan had made them out to be. But I got the distinct impression he chose to focus on Smoke because of my status as an outsider.

"He'll be well behaved, trust me. Now, about the milk?" Tado stroked his flabby chin, seeming to consider this.

"Suppose I could give you a bucket for about five gin?" The house had a basement, cold and dry, but even there the milk wouldn't last long. Novos had had a storehouse back west enchanted with some magic that rendered the interior perpetually chilly. I lacked the means for that but potentially some wizard... or, cultivator to use the local term, in Tsukio could do the same. Something to consider for the future. Though I really had no idea where to even start looking.

"Two gin for a bucket," I said.

"Fine," Tado said, holding a broad palm out to me.

"But you best keep a close eye on that beast. He might look cute an' cuddly now, but he'll be taller than your waist before you know it!" I fought the urge to scoff at the big bastard. Odds were I'd be looking to buy cattle from him at some point in the future, so I had to at least try and be civil with him. How odd that was, trying to be civil with people as opposed to simply terrifying them into compliance. Back in the old days I'd scarcely had to ask anything.

Most of Novos' men bent over backwards in my presence, such was their desperate fear. But... being feared, for as many things as it got me... was not something I enjoyed. I stroked Smoke's head, and the cat splayed his mouth wide in a massive yawn. Those fangs of his were starting to get mighty big.

"I'll keep that in mind."