While Karon-san’s uncle asked that question in a wary tone, Chicken replied in a calm voice.
「Actually, Merida has a life threatening problem right now and the only one who can solve it is your young lady.」
「Life threatening problem?」
Chicken petted Merida’s tail as Karon-san continued to spoil her. Then, she turned to the uncle with a serious look on her face and a lower voice too.
「Actually, this little one has become too attached to your young lady that it has stopped receiving food from others.」
「Food? Don’t cats eat food if you leave it near them?」
「This little one is no ordinary cat, she’s a magic construct. Our magic construct can only receive food from human hands.」
This is one of the safety features I added when I created these magic constructs.
To prevent them from accidentally becoming wild, they can only receive magic crystals from human hands.
Since I carved it to their foundation magic formation, no magic crystal driven magic construct can violate it. If there will come a day when magic constructs will act on their own, they wouldn’t try to exterminate the only ones who can feed them…..I hope.
「That’s pretty hard to believe……」
「Go ahead and try it.」
Chicken held out a small magic crystal in front of the still suspicious old man and nodded slightly.
「Then……」
He brought the magic crystal up to Merida’s nose as she rubbed her face against Karon-san’s hand but she only glanced at it and gave him a short meow.
「Merida-chan, here’s your food.」
He continued to bring the magic crystal closer but Merida only meowed to him.
「Mou……here you food desu yooo～Merida-cha～n」
The unfazed meowing of the cat, which echoed through the store and something I didn’t want to hear, discouraged the old man. She didn’t eat the magic crystal and just pawed his hand a little like an idol giving a fan service.
Looking somewhat unhappy, the old man pulled his hand back but still petted her.
Maa, I’m the one who made it but Merida is a beautiful cat.
Even with a salty response, her fans will still grow on their own like that.
「Chicken, why don’t you try feeding her too?」
「Ah, yes.」
Chicken also got up from her chair and tried to feed Merida with a magic crystal but as expected, she did not eat it.
Finally, Karon-san tried and Merida ate the magic crystal that she fed her. The old man seemed to be finally convinced.
「Now, then……what do you want my niece to do?」
「We would like her to become Merida-chan’s foster parent.」
「Are you sure that’s all?」
「She’s not a normal cat so she must bring her to us periodically and she must not give her to anyone else……」
「I won’t do that!」
Karon-san, who hugged Merida tightly, said that while looking at Chicken with reproachful eyes.
Looks like she really won’t.
「Understood then, please keep loving her forever.」
「So, about the cost……」
「That little one is a magic construct so you don’t need to take any special precaution when keeping her. All you need to do is give her magic crystals the size of a pinky fingernail three times a day.」
「No, that, I mean how much is Merida-chan’s transfer fee……?」
Chicken glanced at me so I guess it’s time for me to take over.
「Let me tell you this first. Even at the Magic Academy, magic constructs are still a subject of research. Its lifespan and ecology have not yet been determined and although this might sound like a bad way of putting it, it is something that can’t be priced.」
「Haa……then, is there any danger?」
「It’s still under research but……the materials used in making it won’t make it suddenly explode and the fangs and claws are rounder than the real thing so even if it does turn on someone, it won’t hurt them unless it’s a surprise attack.」
「Is that so?」
「And just in case, this cat shaped magic construct has an emergency stop button installed in the middle of its tail so if you feel danger, grab its tail as hard as you can. Even if it managed to escape, it would stop moving after a few days since it can’t feed itself.」
「I see……by the way, about the magic crystals……」
「Let me tell you about it.」
Chicken, who took over the conversation from me, placed the magic crystal for food on her hand and started explaining.
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