A string of wind chimes rang beside the inn's entrance.
"Meow, meow, meow. So cold, so cold."
As the inn's ancient wooden door was slowly pushed open, a chill swept inside, but there was no sign of whoever had opened it.
Only by lowering their gaze could one discover that a Little Black Cat had walked in.
Several paper bags tied around ingredients floated behind it.
The grocery bags, packed full of goods, seemed to be held up by invisible hands. They hovered in midair, maintaining nearly perfect synchronization with the kitten.
A little crystalline snow clung to its back. It gave itself a light shake, scattering the unmelted snow onto the floor.
As all four paws stepped into the inn, the spacious lounge held only a few guests. They sat near the fireplace, driving away the cold.
Although some of the guests in the hall noticed the magical spirit cat, no one found it strange. In the Protos Empire, having a familiar by one's side was perfectly normal.
The weather was still in a season when the cold could be felt in one's bones. Even residents accustomed to the bitter northern chill sought the warm embrace of fire.
Spring had technically arrived in the Protos Empire.
Yet it still brought hardly any warmth.
Who could say whether spring had truly come?
If the north really broke into war in the near future, this snowy wasteland would become a place with no peace at all.
Conversations like this occasionally drifted through the spacious sofa lounge on the inn's first floor, reaching Cat Boss's ears.
The faint glow from the furnace made its fur look even softer and more lustrous. Its ears twitched now and then.
As it passed the front desk, the inn's clerk, who was sitting behind the counter