BLACK CAT CHAPTER 60: SLEEP LEARNING

　Shure invites me to share her bed, but I politely decline and go back to my room.

　Even if I share a bed, it’s definitely not an erotic development, I’m just going to be used as a hot water bottle replacement.

　Olivier is the daughter of the village chief of Kidai village, so I’ve always tolerated a bit of fluffing, but I don’t like being petted by other people without my own volition.

　Instead, it is more important for me to have the fluffy futon all to myself, and to be able to have a good night’s sleep.

　I finish using the bathroom, take off my shirt and cargo pants, and crawl under the covers in just my underpants.

“Woohoo… it’s fluffy!” (Nyango)

　The futon dryer, which combines Temperature Control and Wind Magic, works so well that the futon, which seemed cheap, feels like a luxury item.

　At home in Atsuka village, in this season, I sleep curled up in a hammock, but today, remembering my previous life, I slept in a human-like fashion with my body stretched out.

　The door to my room is securely locked and the window is closed and bolted.

　Still, I deployed [Shield] on the inside of the door and window.

　I have been practicing this ever since I lost my left eye to a Kobold last year.

　That is to maintain void magic even while sleeping.

　With void magic, I started with [Thumbing] and [Step], and now I can make off-road bikes and so on.

　However, that is only while I am still conscious.

　If I fall asleep or pass out, the supply of magic power is cut off and the objects I have created disappear.

　If this can be maintained even after I fall asleep, my vigilance and defense during camping will be greatly improved.

　Therefore, I made a cushion with void magic and slept on it.

　When I fell asleep and the cushion disappeared and I woke up, I would remake the cushion again.

　At first, this did not go well at all, and after about five attempts, I gave up and went to sleep.

　Eventually, after a short sleep, the cushion would disappear, and the shock of the fall would wake me up.

　In other words, I was able to maintain my void magic after I fell asleep, but now the problem was how long I could keep it up.

　At first, it seemed to last only a few minutes, so much so that it was as if it had disappeared the moment I fell asleep, but little by little, I began to be able to extend the time.

　I was really happy the day I woke up with the shock of falling off from the cushion and realized it was time for the sky to start becoming bright.

　To be honest, it was hard to sleep when I woke up in the middle of the day because it was hard to sleep during the day.

　Compared to when I was a human in my previous life, catkins have a constitution that craves sleep, and it was a kind of torture to be in a situation where I was, even more, sleep deprived.

　Well, I did enjoy napping whenever I could find the time.

　Thanks to such practice, I am now able to maintain void magic even while sleeping, but it does not mean that all the problems have been solved.

　My concern is its strength.

　Soft materials like cushions don’t use much magic element to create and maintain, but sturdy materials like [Shield] use more magic.

　Since my magic power has increased by eating the orc’s heart, there is no problem in making it while awake, but I don’t know if it can maintain its strength even after sleeping.

　After all, I myself am asleep, so there is no way to check.

　Well, if something touches the [Shield] while I’m asleep, I’m sure I’ll wake up because my senses are connected.

　For the time being, I intend to install it as a security measure for the door and windows of the inn, as I did today, and when I encamp, I will install a thick and strong [Shield] in the vicinity and a thin shield or detection bit in a remote place.

　The fluffy futon helped me sleep soundly through the night, but the shields I had installed remained in place.

　Now, after waking up and having breakfast, I head to the guild to find work.

　As I get out of bed, I try to implement an idea that came to me last night.

　What I’m going to try is noiseless movement.

　For a short while, Shure, with whom I spent some time, hardly made a sound.

　A catkin’s ears are quite good, but even so, he hardly perceives any sound.

　I was observing her because I didn’t hear her footsteps going down the stairs, but rather than consciously trying not to make a sound, it seemed that such behavior had already become a habit.

　The most major activity as an adventurer is defeating monsters, and the best way to do that is to approach them unnoticed and attack before they are aware of your presence.

　To this end, it is effective to make one’s presence as faint as possible.

　I prepared myself so as not to make a rustling sound and was about to head for the dining room when I heard a loud creak at the door.

　Hmmm, as an adventurer, I guess I should carry some oil to stop the door from creaking.

“Good morning, Nyango.” (Shure)

“Fugya! Good morning…” (Nyango)

　As I was closing and locking the door, a voice suddenly called out to me from behind, and I heard a strange voice.

　When I left the room, there should have been no one in the hallway, but before I knew it, Shure was standing behind me.

“A girl is calling out to you, and you’re shouting and being rude…” (Shure)

“If you think so, please don’t approach me without making a sound. I was so surprised that I thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth.” (Nyango)

“I’m sorry. But Nyango hardly makes a sound either. You were quietly mewling at night, saying ‘yummeow, yummeow, yummeow,’…” (Shure)

“Eh… That’s a lie, right?” (Nyango)

“I’m not lying. I have good ears.” (Shure)

　It was quite embarrassing to hear myself say “Yummeow, yummeow” in my sleep, forget making a sound.

　Come to think of it, I think I was dreaming of Malur Meunier last night.

“Nyango is growing and eating a lot, so it can’t be helped.” (Shure)

“Uuuu… I’ll try not to say ‘yummeow, yummeow’ anymore.” (Nyango)

“Why? It’s cute.” (Shure)

“I’m going to be a manly man.” (Nyango)

“Hmm…” (Shure)

　Shure’s smirk and chuckle are a bit irritating as if I am being treated like a child.

　Well, I’m pretty embarrassed to say it myself, or I thought these remarks themselves were childish.

　This morning again, as I sat down at the counter with Shure, Mrs. Nerva brought me my breakfast on a tray.

　It was toast, consommé soup, sausage, and tender scrambled eggs.

　As soon as the tray was placed on the table, the aroma of butter wafted through the air.

“Yummeow! Melty, rich, yummeow!” (Nyango)

“Fufu, Nyango is really cute…” (Shure)

“Guu… Oh, it’s yummeow… No, it’s quite yummeow, isn’t it?” (Nyango)

“Manly men eat in silence…” (Shure)

“Kuu… You should also be quiet.” (Nyango)

　Shure is definitely older than me in looks, but if I add in the memories of my previous life, I must be older than her.

　It’s a pity that I’ve been treated so lightly.

　The scrambled eggs are really excellent.

　The eggs and butter are rich, and the softness of the eggs is exquisite.

　If the eggs were just slightly raw, they would have a distinctive raw smell, and if they were cooked slightly longer, they would lose their soft texture.

　The toast is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and when you put scrambled eggs on it, you can’t get enough of it.

“Yummeow! Melty, crunchy, chewy, yummeow!” (Nyango)

“Really, you’re a noisy child in the morning… No one will take it, so don’t be in a hurry and savor your food.” (Nerva)

“Mrs. Nerva, how did you manage to cook them so soft?” (Nyango)

“Well, it’s in the arm… the arm.” (Nerva)

“I see……” (Nyango)

　Rome was not built in a day, and the soft fluffy eggs may be a skill that cannot be mastered in a day or two.

“What are you going to do today, Nyango?” (Nerva)

“I’m going to go to the base of my acquaintance, and if he is not back, I’m going to try to find a job at the guild.” (Nyango)

“If your acquaintance is not back, will you stay the night?” (Nerva)

“Yes, but I don’t know if I’ll be making a reservation…” (Nyango)

“Right. Well, I think I have a room available, so if you have trouble finding a place to stay, come to me.” (Nerva)

“Yes, I will.” (Nyango)

　After finishing my meal, I returned to my room, cleaned the loose fur that fell on the bed, and went downstairs with my luggage and key.

　When I returned the key to the old man with the calm poker face and left the inn, Shure was standing there.

“Nyango, see you later…” (Shure)

“Yes, later…” (Nyango)

　She stroked my throat and left without the sound of a footstep.

　I was sure that she was a very strange woman, but I was sure that she was a very skilled person, and if I continued to be an adventurer in Ibouro, I would have a chance to see her.

“Now, have Chariot returned?” (Nyango)

　I put my backpack back on and, after confirming that there were no people around, I used [Step] to move vertically.

　Once on top of the roof, I would continue along the roof to Chariot’s base.

　While jumping over alleyways, I run through the city along the roof… Which I have longed to do since my previous life, seeing it in anime and other chase scenes from movies.

　When I jumped over the slightly wide street with momentum, only my shadow crossed the street on the ground.

　The view of the city looks so different from the view from the ground.

　I got lost in the city…