The story of the struggle in another world of the divine cat Mii-chan and the cat supplies summoner

38 Divine Cat, Mii-chan, begins the labyrinth exploration.

The labyrinth is located less than an hour’s walk from the city. In the middle of a grassy plain, there is a single mound of earth. As you approach, you can see stairs leading underground.

Under the guild staff’s direction, workers start their tasks, unloading wood and other materials from the wagons. The horses that pulled the wagons are tethered to several stakes driven into the ground.

“Sumire, you’re free to wander, but come back before you get too tired. And stay around this area as much as possible.”

She gives a little shiver of agreement and happily trots off.

“Is it okay? What if she doesn’t come back?”

“That’s fine as long as she’s well. As long as she’s healthy, I’m not worried.”

“…”

I’m getting some strange looks here…

“Alright, let’s set out. Today, we’ll advance one bell’s worth and return in the same amount of time, as we’ll be evaluating Nero-kun’s abilities.”

“「Oh」”

The Azure Dragon Roar party consists of six members, a mix of genders: one dragonkin, one dwarf, two beastkin, one elf, and one human.

I put Mii-chan into the carry bag, adjusting it so it hangs around my neck and rests at my left hip. I also secured the lamp to the bag. My right hand remains free in case of any emergencies. Mii-chan’s front paws and head peek out from the bag, and she’s looking around. She mustn’t get out of the bag.

“Mii…”

Once inside, it’s quite dim, so I quickly light the lamp. The interior is stonework, with a square passage about three meters wide and three meters high.

It’s clearly an artificial structure. I wonder how it’s been maintained? It’s odd for me to be saying this, considering I summon godly cat accessories.

“Mii…”

“Still, there are so many flying insects, it’s quite unpleasant.”

“This labyrinth must have been closed off for a long time.”

“The opening of the entrance probably triggered a mass hatching.”

There are insects swarming everywhere. No matter how much I try to swat them away, they keep coming.

“Should we do something about this?”

“Do something?”

“Do you have any plans?”

I ask everyone to step back and use a larger version of the air cannon technique I once used.

Boom!

The compressed air flows through the passage, visualized by the dust and flying insects. What’s left is a cleaned passage and the distant sound of monsters’ cries, “Gii-gii.”

“W-What was that just now!”

“The spirits are startled…”

“Hey, monsters are coming from over there!”

As warned, five goblins covered in dust and insects are approaching, making a racket. They look rather… no, extremely filthy. I wonder who’s responsible for that?

Mylar steps forward and swiftly dispatches the goblins with his sword, each strike taking down a goblin. He’s impressive—his strength is certainly equivalent to two hundred goblins.

As I observe the defeated goblins, they suddenly disappear.

“What did you just do?”

“Oh, I have a storage skill.”

The storage skill, or item box as it’s also known, is one of the top five coveted skills among hunters. Unlike Mii-chan’s bag, it has a capacity limit, but according to books, with high proficiency, it can hold quite a large amount.

I didn’t disassemble the goblins because, apparently, goblins have no waste, so it’s better to store them as they are.

“Was that a skill just now?”

“Yes, it’s an air skill. It doesn’t have any killing power, just enough to create a shockwave.”

“Still impressive. An air skill, huh?”

Everyone seems to think air skills are useless, so I need to validate its effectiveness quickly to improve its reputation.

After a bit of progress, we come to a fork in the path, with a heap of dust and dead insects blocking the way straight ahead. The air must have split to the sides when it hit here.

“Which way should we go?”

“Choose whichever you like. We’ll explore the outer perimeter today.”

“Then let’s go left.”

As we continue exploring, we encounter occasional monsters—mostly goblins and, rarely, large-ant-sized insects.

There are also scattered, worn-out swords, likely goblin weapons or items from past hunters. Occasionally, there might be an AF, though they’re usually found deeper in the labyrinth.

My map skill displays a translucent map of the area, showing about a five-meter radius around me. I later discovered it can also be used to make notes.

Just as we approach the one-hour mark, I find something. The visible range is five meters in radius, but the passage is three meters wide, so the map shows up to about three meters fifty centimeters ahead.

On the left side, the map reveals a hidden space.

“Um…”

“Hmm? What is it, already tired?”

“No, it looks like there’s a hidden room here.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, there’s a room here…”

“W-Wait a moment! How do you know that?”

“Because it shows up on the map.”

Everyone is staring at me in disbelief. Why do you think they’re so shocked, Mii-chan?

“Mii?”