Book 4: Chapter 8

Growing Family

“So yummy!” Shiro shouted while eating the curry.

It’s already his third plate.

“Hey, don’t scream while your mouth is full.”

“Sorry, sorry, can’t help it. This is so yummy!”

Shiro said with curry stuck all around his mouth. He then buried his face on the plate and kept on gobbling curry. Tina’s curry is popular not only with Shiro but with others, as well.

“This is so delish-meow!”

Merdie also came to visit my house. Just like Shiro, Merdie smacked her lips in satisfaction with Tina’s curry. Her tail also wags when highly excited.

Merdie is a Beastkin. When Divine Beasts awaken, the Beastkin in this world tend to them, and their role is to serve as the Divine Beasts’ hands and feet. That’s why she insisted that she must take care of Shiro, and so she followed us back to the mansion. She’s supposed to care for him, but ended being in Tina’s care, instead.

Merdie’s on her third plate, too.

“I intentionally made a large batch, but it seems it’ll all be gone soon.”

Oops, that’s bad.

“Tina, I’ll have another one.”

“I also want more!”

“Please give us, too.”

“Oh, it’s sold out.”

What a close call. The remaining curry was just enough for the extra helpings for the four of us.

“Eh!? T, there’s no more?”

After polishing off his third plate completely, Shiro was totally upset.

No, you ate so much, so be satisfied already.

Shiro gazed at Merdie, who was still eating.

Merdie is a Beastkin.

They are the caretakers of the Divine Beasts.

The beast that Merdie’s supposed to care for is peering covetously at her curry.

Merdie noticed his line of sight.

She alternately looked at her curry and Shiro—

“W, would you like to have some, meow?”

“Can I!?”

With that, Shiro guzzled the food Merdie offered with no hesitation whatsoever. Merdie looked really complicated. Quite pitiful.

“Merdie, do you want to have mine?”

I offered the curry Tina just served to me toward Merdie.

“Is it okay, meow!?”

“Well, I can eat it whenever I want.”

“Yes, I’ll make it again next time.”

Merdie also thoroughly enjoyed the last portion of the curry upon hearing my and Tina’s words.

“That was so tasty~”

“So delish, meow~”

Looks like Shiro and Merdie became fond of Tina’s cooking. Leaffa, Youko, Mai, and Mei also love Tina’s cuisine. The dishes made by Tina, who obtained the pinnacle of ability as a maid, are, of course, excellent.

“Halt, I’ve decided. I’ll live here.”

“Huh?”

Eh, you don’t mean to say you’ll be staying here until your next slumber?

Wait, when does a Divine Beast sleep?

“If Shiro-sama opts to stay here, then I also want to live here, meow!”

But Merdie, there’s the dormitory that you have to return to…

Hmm, but wait.

I suddenly came up with a condition.

“Merdie, you must end your sentences with ‘meow’ while you’re lodging here. Aside from that, you have to join Leaffa, Youko, and the rest in helping Tina. If that’s fine with you, then you can live here.”

Back when I was in the modern world, there was a period of time when I adored cat-eared maids. I’d been satisfied by having Tina, who is an Elf maid, beside me, so I didn’t bother to go out of my way just to hire one. But since there’s a chance right before me now, I’ll grab it.

“I got it, meow! Please take care of me, meow!”

She easily agreed.

Yes! Got a cat-eared maid! I started formulating a plan on how to make Merdie wear maid outfits. I felt someone’s eyes on me. Leaffa was staring intently at me.

What might it be?

Leaffa came closer and whispered, “Ahm, you won’t sleep with Merdie, right? That’s… the rotation for my turn will become longer, and that’s a bit…”

Leaffa’s ears were bright red.

When we sleep, Tina normally occupies my left side, while Leaffa, Youko, Mai, and Mei have a rotation schedule for sleeping on my right side. If Merdie also gets involved, her next turn will be extended. Seems like she doesn’t like that.

Aren’t you cute?

Well, Merdie doesn’t have any interest in me since she’s just lured by Tina’s food. Thus, there’s no way she’ll be sleeping beside me.

Besides, Leaffa officially became my wife, so I want her to be a little more willful.

I feel bad for Youko and the others, but I plan to increase Leaffa’s days.

“It’s alright. I like Leaffa, so I won’t lessen the days of your turn to sleep with me.”

I patted Leaffa on the head while saying that. Leaffa seemed to be satisfied with that. At this point, Shiro went to the sofa, curled into a ball, and started sleeping.

What a free guy.

But as I looked at the puppy-like little wolf sleeping so peacefully, I felt my heart warm.

A Divine Beast will vanish once it accomplishes the will of the gods, so I think he’s just sleeping normally in his curled form. A lot of things happened, and somehow Shiro became accustomed to my family, so I’ll be lonely if he were to disappear suddenly.

I don’t want him to disappear.

One more person added to the list of those I want to protect.

I don’t know if there’s a need for me to protect a Divine Beast, but I want to safeguard all that fall under my influence.

As I watched Leaffa, Merdie, and the rest help Tina while cleaning up the dishes and utensils, I suddenly recalled my own family back in the modern world.

My elder sister also helped my mother like that.

My gentle mother… 

My father, who was strict but raised me uprightly… 

And my elder sis who loved sticking to me… 

Is everyone doing well?

Maybe my sister cried when I died. We were close, after all.

I stroked Shiro gently as I looked at Tina and the others.

They are my family now. Through the natural course of events, my family expanded with more people and pets, but I don’t dislike the liveliness.

At the time of my reincarnation, I had wondered what would happen. But now, I’m quite happy. I want to protect this happiness from now on. That’s why I needed to get stronger no matter what. Tomorrow, we’ll receive further lessons from Sage Luarno. I won’t let anyone else rob me of the things that I need to protect. 

I decided to attend the lecture tomorrow with these thoughts in my heart.

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T/N: Happy New Year, everyone!! Cheers to 2021! ???????????? Can’t believe it’s been half a year since I picked this project. Thank you so much for reading Level 1 Strongest Sage. Posting two chapters today as my new year’s gift to you all! Please take care of me this year, too????????????????