episode_0020

It took about 5 days.

You might wonder what could possibly take 5 days.

This was the time needed to finish maintenance and enter the gate into the guild.

The reason it took a full 5 days was that Meonyangi’s living conditions were so poor that it was necessary to address that first before starting the maintenance.

On that day, or rather the next day when Ograd arrogantly spewed out emotional appeals and bold statements, even thinking back now.

I forced my way to Meonyangi’s house.

“Meow… A-are you really going?”

“Of course. We’re partners now. Checking on your lifestyle is essential not as a supervisor but as a colleague!”

“Me, meow…”

Meonyangi scratched her head awkwardly with a gaze full of embarrassment.

She had rushed out to greet me upon receiving my message.

A side note, but the moment I saw her again, I felt the same intense heartache as yesterday.

“G-Gah…!”

“Meow?! Are you okay?!”

Why?

Nothing much.

‘So, so adorable.’

Cute. Lovely. Adorable.

These three diseases combined to randomly attack my heart.

‘Ah, this perverted guy is at it again…’

I could say that, but hey! Listen without skipping over it!

‘In casual attire… actual casual wear! Our Meonyangi’s casual wear that she wouldn’t even give in-game, despite dying!’

There must have been a time when I mentioned it before.

Meonyangi is a mine character who comes out abundantly when you spin the gacha.

Already disliked by supervisors, her popularity was low compared to the various memes and image macros due to her ambiguous performance.

So, even though she’s clearly the same person, changing just her clothes didn’t result in her being released as a new character with additional scam skills.

She didn’t even receive costume support.

Her default appearance was always in stiff armor with a shield.

‘Our first encounter was the same.’

Back then, clad in cunning leather armor, shield in hand.

Even objectively speaking, Meonyangi is undeniably cute.

If she weren’t a pretty girl to begin with, she wouldn’t have appeared in “Gosla.”

So, I really hoped she would wear pretty clothes…

‘And now that has become a reality right before my eyes!!!’

As a supervisor, I wanted to cheer and celebrate immediately.

But instead of doing that, even for just one more second!

I had to quietly observe her to capture her appearance.

“Um, are you looking at me weirdly?”

‘…Haha, nice outfit.’

A light pinkish hooded coat.

Underneath, a cute winter ensemble with an argyle pattern knit.

And the highlight was the cat-faced muffler around her neck!

Not expensive clothes, but there couldn’t have been a better-fitting fashion choice.

‘The person who picked these must be a benefactor.’

According to the setting, Meonyangi lacks fashion sense, so she wouldn’t have chosen such a cute combination herself.

*Sob…*

It’s touching. Truly touching.

I should ask her later if we become close to see her secretly held “Meonyangi Collection.”

“Um, do I really have to go too? It’s a bit showy…”

“Oh my!”

“Meow…”

I understand the sentiment.

It’s only been two days since we met, so a sudden visit isn’t quite proper etiquette.

‘But it has to be done.’

According to the setting, Meonyangi is energetic but far from cleanliness.

More accurately, she didn’t care about it.

With a decreasing balance in her bank account.

The small amounts earned daily from dungeon runs had to be used to repair equipment and heal injuries.

Naturally, there was hardly any money left to invest in her lifestyle.

During the time when I decided to raise Meonyangi in “Gosla.”

I, as a supervisor, was shocked.

The in-game screen displayed scenes reminiscent of a haunted house.

Unfolded blankets and scattered clothes everywhere.

A refrigerator devoid of proper ingredients.

Even the rooms felt cold with most utilities cut off.

It was practically like a place where wild cats lived.

Sure enough.

“Hehe.”

Upon entering the house, the scene before me did not deviate from my expectations.

“…As expected.”

“…Hehe.”

Hearing that someone was coming, I hurriedly started cleaning.

“Have you paid all the overdue bills?”

“Yes. Let’s see… water bill, heating bill, electricity bill—all paid.”

I quietly tapped the floor at her words.

This place is completely frozen.

“Is that a sleeping bag in the corner?”

Seems like it’s enduring this cold winter shivering.

I sighed and felt around the wall to turn on the lights.

“Oh! Wait a moment.”

The persistent cat said there was no need to waste electricity unnecessarily and brought something from the kitchen.

“…A candle?”

“Yes, a candle.”

Examining it with suspicion.

What kind of candle is this?

It has quite a pungent smell.

Should I say it smells metallic?

Or maybe it’s the smell of burning pig fat.

Its appearance, all lumpy and uneven, was definitely not a typical candle sold in stores.

“Where did you get this? Did you pick up some discarded item-”

“-I made it myself.”

“…Oh, really? The ingredients?”

With a sense of foreboding, I asked as if prying for details, and the answer I heard was absurd.

‘…Monster fat?’

They gather fat from different parts during butchering to make it.

It may seem illegal, but apparently it’s not.

“If you hunt it yourself and have the necessary permits, it’s fine. It’s essentially a worthless byproduct… so I don’t pay much attention to it.”

She emphasized its advantages, claiming it lasts longer and is much cheaper than regular candles.

Despite highlighting its benefits, she didn’t anticipate my reaction.

‘…This is not okay.’

There’s a risk of fire, and the smell when this fat burns.

I’m not sure about the exact composition, but it’s probably not good for health.

“Let’s get rid of these. And from now on, let’s use proper electricity and hot water. Understood?”

“…Meow?”

“There! Don’t try to hide the ingredients! Hand them over; we’re going to throw them away!”

“…Meow, meow!?”

*

“Your health seems fine. Just be mindful of possible malnutrition symptoms and eat properly.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

I nodded gratefully, holding the hand of the catgirl I had just consulted and walked outside.

“…”

She still looks a bit down.

It seems not everything has been resolved.

About 30 minutes later.

After convincing (forcing and threatening) the catgirl to dispose of all the monster candles.

Just to be safe, it took me this long to get to the hospital.

‘Anyway, thankfully she’s healthy…’

Naturally, in Gossra, suffering is commonly referred to as CC syndrome, caused by abnormal states.

There are no diseases involved.

But this is reality.

Even if you awaken your ‘status window’ as a superhuman, there’s no guarantee against illness.

I got tested just in case, but there doesn’t seem to be any issues.

“…Meow. I told you not to worry unnecessarily.”

“Oh! You can’t afford to be careless as a hunter. Make sure to get checked regularly, at least once a month.”

As I spoke, the catgirl seemed displeased, her eyes slightly narrowed.

She puffed up her cheeks, not fully grown, and playfully kicked her foot once.

“…I’m a year older than you, though?”

“Oh! Stop throwing a tantrum!”

“Meow!”

Next is mealtime.

I went straight to the store to buy healthy ingredients and filled the fridge.

‘I also bought some soup…’

For dessert, despite being a brat, GM, the food connoisseur, sent over some sesame leaves and perilla mint Mentos.

‘I wish I could cook for her myself…’

I’m just a guy who sits in the corner broadcasting… I don’t know how to cook proper meals.

What can you expect from someone who only knows how to order delivery?

‘I should learn.’

[Cooking] skill.

In Gossra, it’s a category with various utility functions, so I thought it would be worth learning.

Fourthly, the place I was forcibly taken to was a comprehensive beauty shop.

Initially, a bath.

Due to its intricate nature, I entrusted three renowned ladies with the task on this floor.

“Please take care of me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Young man~”

“Wow, what a handsome fellow~ Is he your girlfriend or little sister? Either way, lucky you?”

“…M-meow!”

Realizing the seriousness of the situation like a cat, Meonyangi attempted to escape but was caught by the three formidable mothers and literally ‘cat-washed.’

“Oh my, Junsuni. You’ve got a great look!”

“This is serious; don’t go out today.”

“…I’m not Junsuni, I’m Mahana!”

“Sure, sure, Junsun.”

“Meow!!”

After completing the grooming, Meonyangi looked so neat and cute that it seemed like a different person even to me.

“…Embarrassing.”

Of course, despite her sulking in a corner, she had undergone a significant improvement in her lifestyle.

Lastly, there was equipment repair and replenishing consumables.

*

Using some of the money earned, Meonyangi repaired torn leather armor and a dented shield.

Naturally, I entrusted the repairs to Im Hyeja.

As she worked diligently, clearly distinguishing between work and personal life, she efficiently repaired the items.

By the way, she never did acknowledge me.

“Well, that’s expected.”

After all, she’s on par with Nopia and Kakao.

What I need to do for Im Hyeja is not just talk but prove myself through actions.

“I’m confident.”

I will show her decisively.

The unbelievable growth of our Meonyangi.

“…Talent?”

It’s not necessary.

I am a strategist.

Having maintained my position as a top ranker for five years, I can assert:

“I will make Meonyangi the world’s best tank.”

…Oh, well.

Thinking again, becoming the world’s best might be challenging… Anyway, I’ll make her a skilled tank who achieves her dreams.

However, an unexpected proposal came from Im Hyeja.

She offered to craft a Normal-grade sword.

“What do you want?”

“…Excuse me?”

“What kind of sword do you want? Aiming Sword? Kopesh? Estoc?”

“Um, I prefer something along the lines of a Katana. Or maybe a Hwanduda.”

“…Katana?”

Im Hyeja’s expression turned sharp at the mention of Japanese swords.

After scanning up and down, she continued nonchalantly.

“It seems like a Samurai class. Or perhaps a Swordsman. Well, if you’ve teased our innocent Meonyangi with that wicked tongue, you should at least reach a mid-tier class. You probably think both classes have strong attack power but come with significant delays-”

“-I-I’m sorry for interrupting, but… neither of those. Didn’t I show you the status window yesterday?”

“I wasn’t interested in your parasite status window. Anyway, what is it then? It’s not something like Swordsman, the lowest class, right? If it is, I’ll smash your head with a hammer-”

-Sensing the rising tension, I decided to reveal it again.

Only the class, that is.

‘With multiple reveals, cutting and showing seem possible.’

“…Insane, Sword Saint…?”

Im Hyeja stared at me in disbelief.

Then, she looked me up and down, muttering as if struck by something.

“A parasite like you, who teases our angelic Meonyangi with a split personality, is a Sword Saint…? Someone who seems like they’d strip and devour our innocent and kind Meonyangi… is a Sword Saint…?”

“Hey! I can hear everything!”

Anyway, thanks to that, I could purchase a Normal-grade Katana and the ‘Acute Acidic Venom (N)’ I had requested.

And so, five eagerly awaited days later.

“I’m sorry!!!”

Meonyangi’s booming voice filled the guild hall in front of me.