TL Notes: Hello! I’ve decided to pick up this novel because honestly everyone needs our weekly dose of hamster and hamster otaku Duke of the North!! It’s a pleasure to meet you all!!
I’ll do my best to release twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays so please look forward to them!
Also begging you all to please DO NOT REPOST THIS TL ANYWHERE. ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Because honestly guys KR novelists are nazis and they are terrifying. I really really hope to not have to take this down and dash any hopes of further translations FOREVER because the author found out and doesn’t like it, because seriously I love this series and you all do too if you’re here so PLEASE.😭😭
Also please note that this is all edited MTL (via at least 3 different MTLs and 2 dictionaries) so please do excuse me for any mistranslations, and if you spot any errors then please feel free to let me know and I’ll fix them right away!
As soon as I arrived at the village, I stopped by a merchant stall, carefully packaged some goods and the money, and had them shipped off towards the imperial palace.
I wanted to have one of the top workers personally handle it even if it meant paying extra, but then It’d be troublesome if I run into Kyle early later on, so I chose the next best option.
[The Castanets merchant group is responsible for moving items from point to point. You can choose any destination!]
Thanks to the system’s guidance, I didn’t have to use up the money Kyle gave me. Although it seems he gave me quite a lot, one still shouldn’t waste hard-earned money!
[By the way, this is their specialty.]
It’s just like a delivery service!
Afterwards, as I diligently wandered around, the duration of ‘Summon’ came to an end. Like this, I’m reminded that time really is money.
–Chichiik.
The replica hamster I left behind had also run out of time. As I watched the other Cashew Nut disappearing like the melting snow, fatigue washed over me like a flood and I fell asleep.
How much time passed since then?
When I opened my eyes, I was on a rickety carriage. Since the surroundings were dark, it seems they kept the cage covered…
―Chiik. (Hrngh.)
And thus my motion sickness returned with a vengeance.
As I pressed against the wall and retched, the black cloth over me moved. It seems like Kyle had been hugging the hamster cage while sitting in the carriage.
“Are you okay Cashew Nut?”
―Chichiiik… (Do I look okay?)
“Do you get motion sickness too? You seemed fine when he was holding you earlier though… Anyway, this part of you really resembles Shu.”
Well, what can I say? We’re the same person.
Kyle reached into the hamster cage and I decided it would be better than staying on a cold hard surface, so I quickly climbed onto his palm.
Although there were a lot of calluses, it still felt warm and soft as he held me in both hands
‘It definitely feels a lot better.’
I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes.
The Grand Duke probably wouldn’t be able to hold a hamster the whole time till we arrive at the imperial palace, so I thought I should get as much sleep as I can now that I’m lying in his palm.
Rattle, rattle.
The carriage shook. And so it went, moving from the north to the south, from winter to spring.
***
By the time we arrived at the Imperial Palace, to my surprise, my Miracle Value had risen up to nearly 30%.
–Chichiik… (Is this really okay?)
“Don’t worry too much, Cashew Nut. “They value their lives so they wouldn’t commit banditry again.”
―…chiiik. (If you say so…)
The full story went like this.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Unfortunately, it was a small, poor village between two territories, so they couldn’t ask for help. To make matters worse, the bandits’ tyranny became more and more severe every day as they ran out of items to plunder.
As a result of this situation, the village people naturally became less welcoming to outsiders.
Food was already scarce, and they were getting tired of the bandits forcing them into asking outsiders for help.
But when Kyle found out what happened, he solved this whole problem almost instantly.
With his fist.
“This is the fastest way to the imperial castle, and Shu might also encounter trouble when he gets here.”
―Chikiik. (I’m actually here already.)
Literally. Kyle took down the group of bandits who were swarming the village with just his fists… … pulverized them all as cleanly as they come.
The bandits, who had been beaten to just within an inch of their lives, surrendered all the wealth they had stolen to Kyle and immediately fled back to the mountains.
I heard that it was quite a sight to see them groveling after threatening how they wouldn’t let the village off nicely, but unfortunately I was stuck in my hamster cage and could only hear the details after.
Well, it would have been okay even if he did kill them, really. Honestly speaking those kind of guys are not only prone to robbery but also murder, so there’s not much that can be done.
“You can even say I helped them out.”
-…chichiik. (…to each their own I guess…)
He seems worried even though he just casually gave me so much money. Well, if I heard that there were robberies happening around, I would also be concerned.
Anyway, it was a good thing one way or another.
It’s good that the villagers are now safe, it’s good that Kyle no longer has to worry, and it’s also very good that my Miracle Value rose thanks to something that didn’t happen in the original novel.
No one really knew what happened when he was kicked out of the imperial castle and sent to the north, but it seems that Kyle Jane Meinhardt was indeed feared by the people outside the Blake domain.
But as news of this incident began to spread via word of mouth, that baseless fear slowly turned into awe, and so it was only natural that the Miracle Value increased significantly.
Moreover, the way he carefully prepared food for his hamster whenever he stopped by an inn seemed to have created a rumor that he was a warm and just person towards small animals and the poor.
“It’s gotten a lot warmer out now, so we can get some air.”
Kyle slid the carriage window wide open, and I stood close to the bars of my hamster cage and took a deep breath.
The wind got warmer as we headed further south, and as it got closer to the castle, the sounds of the rustling in the wind started getting stronger, carrying with it the scent of flowers.
It is said that spring comes quickly to the Meinhardt Empire, and even in March, it seemed like flowers were already in full bloom.
Isn’t it nice to get engaged during this flower-blooming season?
Although considering the other person, there doesn’t seem to be much romantic feelings involved.
“Are you bored?”
Kyle suddenly asked kindly, and I kicked the guy who was now trying to kiss me hard on the lips.
Of course not, man. I haven’t been able to use ‘Summon’ for several days now, so I’m can only stay a hamster. If this keeps up, I might forget that I was even human.
“When he was holding you, you were calm and didn’t whine the whole time…”
Am I whining? Don’t say such cute things. Do you know how old I am?
“Don’t worry too much. He’ll be here in a few days. In five days maybe? No, he’s a diligent guy, so he might even get here in four days.”
Even if I pretend to be diligent and say I’d travel straight for three or four days like Kyle is guessing…. it still means that I have to live as this 100% pure hamster for three more days!
‘… … ‘I’m sick of this, I’m sick of this!!’
As I was grumbling irritably, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Finally, we’d arrived at our long-awaited destination.
I craned my head and looked out the window.
Pure white bricks paved a road wide enough for two or so carriages to pass easily, and a garden filled with spring flowers surrounded the whole area.
There were lights and structures here and there, and they seemed to have been lined with gold and sparkled brightly in the sunlight.
‘It’s the Imperial Palace.’
It’s too flashy. Too flashy.
Of course, the thing that caught my eye the most was the palace itself, which was more extravagant than any fairytale palace I had ever seen in my life.
Although the Blake Estate wasn’t small either, this majesty was truly unique as it was the home of the Imperial Family.
‘But it’s still too far to see clearly from here.’
Let me out too! Me too!
I quickly grabbed Kyle’s fingers with both hands and clung on as tightly as I can. Don’t put me back in the hamster cage! Just keep me in your palm. It’s a little awkward, but… Argh! So frustrating!
“Okay then, let’s go together.”
Kyle gazed at me as if he was dying of cuteness and gently cupped me in his hands.
Fortunately there were a lot of people waiting outside, so instead of kissing or nuzzling me, he gently placed me inside the front pocket of his coat.
I stuck my head out and finally got a good look around.
“Greetings Grand Duke Blake.”
Sen came out to meet us in person, leading a group of maids.
She originally looked neat and tidy, but now wearing even a simple dress with no frills made her look like a lady from a noble family.
When Sen, who had her brown hair tied up high, raised the hem of her skirt and curtsies to show respect, Kyle also slightly bowed his head.
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Your Grace.”
“Yes.”
Kyle’s expression was quite soft.
“How are you?”
Sen responded with a small smile.
“How many people are there who wouldn’t be doing well in the imperial palace? It’s a place where everything is abundant.”
Sen’s expression as she said that was so calm that it gave off a cool vibe rather than warm happiness.
Kyle shrugged his shoulders instead of answering, as if he understood. Is it because he had a bad time in the imperial castle and was kicked out to the cold northern lands?
“Well, seems you’re doing better than I thought.”
Sen covered her mouth with an expression of regret and quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry…”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Sen must have seen me while lightly rubbing the back of her neck with her fingertips, and she smiled slightly with recognition.
“So you also brought Cashew Nut?”
“I was thinking of getting him examined by some of the castle’s magicians.”
“Oh my, is he hurt?”
“He’s not.”
“Then that’s a relief. And what about Shu?”
She looked around. Of course, she would have thought that I would be accompanying them, but her face fell in disappointment when she saw that I was not among the people unloading the wagon.
“He decided to stop by his hometown along the way. He should also arrive in a few days. It would be nice if you could set up a room for him next to mine.”
“I already did that. But I wasn’t able to set up a place for Cashew Nut… I’ll have it ready by tomorrow though, so don’t worry.”
“Then please.”
Sen lead us into the castle with a calm, graceful stride.
Her mastery of leading guests around the halls or utilizing the maids for some simple tasks was quite smooth, and the maids themselves seemed to have no difficulty following Sen either.
‘You sure adapted quickly.’
Well, she’s a smart girl, so that’s to be expected.
Afterwards, we parted ways with Sen and entered the prepared room.
The luxurious furniture and open design really felt like the opposite of the North. Maybe it was because I’ve become accustomed to the North, but right now it felt like I was in a foreign country.
Should I say it gives a more delicate and sophisticated feeling? Really amazing. It’s also somewhat strange that there’s no snow outside the window.
“You must have had a hard time on the way, so eat some of this first.”
Kyle set me down on a neatly folded handkerchief and rummaged through his bag. Sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, pollack cubes, shredded duck meat… … . No, did you even bring something like this?
As I was eating this and that, a hand continued to stroke my forehead and spine. This is kinda burdensome, man.
Still, I didn’t have the heart to refuse, although I was afraid of getting used to it. It seemed like his affection, which he expressed with his whole body, had already become natural.
After filling my stomach enough, I looked up at him, and Kyle lifted me up and kissed my forehead about five times before setting me down in the exact center of the bed.
“Sleep here today. Your necessities will be provided tomorrow morning.”
–Chichiik. (It doesn’t matter to me because I like beds actually.)
Should I ask for something like a bed for hamsters? There’s no need to use a bed this big for myself, just one as big as the palm of your hand is…
‘wait a minute.’
Why am I on this bed alone?
CLATTER.
Kyle released the sword from his back and held it in his arms. Then there was the sound of armor clanking… Is he just sitting with his back to the bed and holding his sword?
You can sleep like that? Really?!
“Sleep well.”
He spoke quietly and closed his eyes.
―… … .
I looked at him with a slightly confused gaze as he slept motionlessly.
…I get it.
Kyle doesn’t trust anyone here. This is the place where his mother was tragically killed and where he was driven out to the cold lands as a child. Not only was his life threatened, but he must have had to overcome many dangers of death.
Because of those countless memories, he is no longer as weak as he was then, and even though no one can treat him carelessly anymore, he still cannot relax.
Because the things engraved in one’s mind still eat away at a person longer than one might think. Even if you think you have overcome everything, I know very well that bad memories would still resurface without you knowing. I’m so sick of it.
‘… I can’t wait to get back.’
I want to be by his side as Shu, not as Cashew Nut. That way, at least, he wouldn’t have to feel alone in this spacious imperial palace.
I looked at Kyle’s cold, hard, and lonely face for a long time and then closed my eyes. I prayed that time would pass a little faster.
Thank you for picking this up! 😁 I can’t wait for more dose of our cute little hamster and his hamster otaku grand duke. 😘😘
Thank you for reading! We all need hamster otaku cuties
Does anybody know where you can find ch15 through 40, I don’t know how to use novel updates?
You have to make an account there for the links to show up.
Ok thanks
Thank you for picking it up, this one of my favorites
What perfect timing! And I just finished the previous 40 chapters a few days ago XD Thanks a lot for picking this up! Also, Shu is 100% catching feelings, he just doesn’t realise it yet. Hehehe…