Picking Up A Furball, After 10 Years Chapter 3

Translator : KuRuuRuu
UNEDITED

Mias came for Niam two days later.

While soothing the gloomy and sulking Niam, Ewen prepared the necessary things for her journey, and as expected had a troubled face as he laughed and sent her off.

When Mias brought Niam home, the whole clan was surprised, and also delighted.

Immediately upon being embraced by her mother whose fur was exactly like hers, Niam somehow remembered a nostalgic feeling, however when she realized that it meant her separation from Ewen was final, she cried and wailed.

Thus two months pa.s.sed and Mias was going to the town for the last time before winter came; Niam request earnestly and was able to accompany him to the town. At least, she wanted to report that she was able to properly meet with everyone.

However.

“Ewen’s home, is gone”

Standing still dumbfounded, before Niam’s eyes was nothing but a vacant s.p.a.ce. Even though the house should have been here, but it had disappeared without leaving any trace at all.

Even Mias lost his words and could only stare at the empty lots filled with weed.

“This should have been the place though……”

“Even though the tree is here, only the house, is gone”

Niam gripped the cuff of Mias’ clothes while trembling. Could it be, that she’d never be able to meet Ewen again?

“There’s no smell. The smell of Ewen’s house too, all of it is gone”

As Niam snorted and burst into tears, Mias then held her up in his arms. While patting her curled up back, he tried to say it’s alright, you’ll surely be able to meet him again, however, how to search for demon race if they truly tried to hide themselves, moreover without any lead……in the end, he couldn’t say anything and just kept on caressing her back.

“Is this all of your order?”

“Yeah…… Un, it’s been made finely this time too. This is the payment”

“Un, I’ve certainly received it”

Ewen received the bag filled with gold coins in exchange for the lined up magic items. The shopkeeper said “This is the order we have right now” and gave out a paper; receiving it, Ewen looked over the contents before giving out a rough estimation “for this I think I’ll be able to do it in around 20 days”.

They negotiating how much money would it worth, and after both parties agreed was when Ewen finally signed the contract. Thus, the sequence of exchange ended, and Ewen put his hood up again until it cover his eyes and exited the shop.

The sunlight in summer was dazzling and strong, were it not for his magic, Ewen who had low physical strength would have long be done in by the heat.

He took a peek at the sun that blazing down on him, and thought at this kind of time I’m glad that I’m a magician. He didn’t think that he’d be safe just by being lightly dressed like the townspeople.

Ewen had often stayed indoors and rarely went out, typical of a magician, thus he didn’t have even an ounce of confident about his own physical strength.

Right after Niam had gone, he created a barrier of illusion that surrounded the house, in order to prevent Niam from coming back.

He realized that she had come several times, nevertheless he didn’t undo the barrier.

After a while, perhaps having given up, Niam stopped showing up, and since then he had completely stopped counting the years.

How long had it been since that time, he didn’t even know himself.

Today, the owner of the shop he brought his magic items to was still the same as before, so it meant the lapsing time was not that long enough for a human to die yet.

But, this summer too, how many summer had pa.s.sed since Niam had gone, he didn’t know it anymore.

From then on, he had always thought that he was living aimlessly.

But, it was like this before he picked up Niam. He was just returning to be like he was before.

Once again he looked up to the sun, haah, breathing out, he thought for the first time in a while let’s eat first before going home.

“Oh, Ewen, it’s been a long time! Are you well?”

“Ah, un. Mistress too……has it been that long?”

Come to think of it, when was the last time I came here? he thought, and realized that he couldn’t remember it. The proprietress looked at Ewen astoundingly.

“You haven’t come here for several years, you know. Did you use magic too much you turned into an idiot?”

“Saying I used magic too much……I just didn’t count the seasons, okay?”

When he replied awkwardly, the proprietress looked even more astounded.

“……as expected a single man[1] really ended up unhealthy. Well, anyway, you seem to have become quite thin, are you eating properly? If you’re like that surely Niam will also get worried. Just eat well today, kay?”

“Mm……you’re right”

I see, so people like me is called a ‘single man’, while having a weird admiration, Ewen started eating the lunch set meal.

“That’s right, Ewen. Niam-chan have come here several times since then, you see, and she asked for your new address. Since when did you move?”

“Eh? A, aah……I felt like changing the mood”

“Then, you should tell Niam properly about it”

“Mm……that is, I wonder”

Seeing proprietress knitting her brows, Ewen just laughed foolishly.

“Niam has already returned to her family, so I think it’s better not to thoughtlessly tell her my address”

“Ewen, really, you……”

Good grief, the proprietress sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “You have a disadvantaging disposition” she said as she shook her head.

“Even though by doing that, you would never come to a clean decision”

“That’s not true”

“I’ve heard that demon race has very long lifespan, I wonder if is that why you’ve become this twisted?”

“Saying I’m twisted, that’s horrible”

To the proprietress who seemed to have given up on him, Ewen showed a bitter smile uncomfortably.

.

When he exited the town, it was still early and the sun was still high in the sky.

Come to think of it, I’ve really become a shut-in, he thought before deciding to walk home. Which reminds me, since Niam went away I haven’t really walked much.

As he leisurely walked, the distance which should only take half an hour, felt like an extremely long journey to him

……Why do I become this nervous just by walking on the road?

Unexpectedly, have I been enduring at how Niam is not by my side all this time? But, from the start it was something that will come, and wasn’t it just being moved forward several years?

As he walked while not being able to stop his train of thoughts, he suddenly realized that he was being watched. He felt that someone was erasing their own presence while looking his way.

──Is it thief?

Certainly, because he had just delivered the magic items in the town, his purse was quite filled with gold coins. Nevertheless, was there any idiot who wanted it so much to dare attacking an independent magician of demon race?

Magician of demon race, even when they’re not independent, put a mountain of defense magic on themselves. Ewen was not an exception either.

Ewen kept his walking speed as it was, but still being careful towards the hidden presence as he walked. I don’t plan on being followed until home, but let’s wait until we’re further from the town before taking him on, he thought.

……rather, should I just use teleportation? nevertheless, he thought that overlooking that person just like this felt uncomfortable, and he ended up hesitating about it.

For some reason, since the townspeople treated him well, he somehow felt a dent of grat.i.tude towards them.

If I were to let go of a thief, wouldn’t it trouble the townspeople? he thought, and the aftertaste is bad too.

Worrying endlessly and thinking about what’s the best thing to incapacitate the thief, he walked slowly. In the first place, he was not that good at fighting, although it didn’t prevent him from thinking lots of way about it.

“……Eh?”

When he felt that the presence moved, he unintentionally turned around. Although he knew that something was coming, but it was too fast he couldn’t catch up with it.

All of a sudden a big clump came charging at him and leapt upon him with full strength, whomp he ended up falling over behind. That something was on top of him, pinning him down firmly, this may be bad, he thought.

──however.

“Ewen!”

The one who was on top of him, who was so surprised he couldn’t even let out a voice, was a big golden cat.

Her hands and feet had all grew longer, and her body had also grew bigger, her golden eyes were moving around, as her tail flapped restlessly hitting Ewen’s body.

“Niam, found Ewen!”

“Eh, Niam?”

Rubbing her head against him like a spoiled child, was the grown up Niam. She tightly hugged Ewen’s body, “Ewen , Ewen” and sniffing his scent.

“Niam, why?”

“Because Niam has become an adult, Niam came to be Ewen’s bride”

“No, Niam, didn’t I say that it’s impossible?”

Good grief, wanting to raise his body, Ewen tried to lift Niam’s arms, however they didn’t move even an inch. How strong has she become?

“It’s alright”

Niam grinned. Her ears stood straight, and her tail swayed around.

“Onee-chan all said, if you can’t make a child, you can just adopt one, and if you’d like onee-chan will even let their children be adopted so it’s fine even if you don’t mind it”

“……ha?”

Hearing that inconceivable words, Ewen was dumbfounded.

“Is that, being, a solution……?”

“That’s why, it’s alright. Ne, Ewen, make Niam your bride!”

I definitely won’t let you go until you make Niam your bride, she clung onto him, while Ewen, “In other words, it means I have no right of veto, doesn’t it?”, as he laughed wryly.

“When it comes to Niam’s declaration, one just can’t say anything other than ‘yes’, though”

Towards Ewen who was laughing with troubled face, Niam’s face was full of smile.

“That’s right! Because, Niam has decided that Niam will definitely become Ewen’s bride mon! 

That’s why, Ewen, hurry up and say it!”

Haa, Ewen let out a single sigh.

If he were to run away here, probably Niam would kept on chasing after him anywhere. Anyhow, beastman would never let their prey got away, they were such brilliant hunters after all.

……moreover.

“Will you catch deer, and make a feast for me every day?”

“Of course! Niam has become skillful in hunting. Niam will catch big deer and make lots of delicious food for Ewen!”

Her tail stood up straight as Niam boastfully said so, seeing her like that, Ewen ended up chuckling.

I give up.

“I understand……Then, Niam, come to my place and become my bride”

Seeing Niam coming back, he was very very happy he couldn’t helped it. Saying “no” was out of the question.

To Niam whose eyes were sparkling and tail was jumping about, Ewen gave her a kiss and tightly hugged her.

“From today on, Niam is my bride”

A little while after that, Ewen the magician of demon race, moved his residence further North, on the foot of Mountain Ettalar , and lived as a magician and doctor of a certain beastman clan

……Even though it’s the house of a magician, but everyday kittens are rolling and running around in the garden, and rather than a magician he seemed more like a babysitter. Every single day, Ewen was chasing after the mischievous kittens and did nothing but running around.

After picking up a mofumofu furball that was left by the roadside and took care of it, 10 years pa.s.sed and it changed into a mofumofu girl, and when one realized she had become a mofumofu bride.

Ewen was happy every day.

 [1]男やもめ otokoyamome, it can also mean bachelor, widower or divorced man but hasn’t remarried yet↵