My family runs an adventurer's guild.

Therefore, even if some adventurers did come to the guild right now, Phili couldn't offer them any quests to do.

Then, it's no wonder that no one came to the door all morning, since everyone in Totoro Town obviously knew about the situation.

In short, due to some unforeseen circumstances, ever since Phil was entrusted with the important task of managing the shop by the silver dragon mistress, Miss Lulutia, the business of the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town has been consistently slow and dismal, and it seems to be continuing to decline...

While Totoro Town enjoys prosperity and wealth under the warm sun, the town's Adventurers' Guild is becoming increasingly desolate.

This wasn't due to fierce competition within the adventurers' guild industry, or because Philie, the cat, mismanaged the business—there's only one adventurers' guild in the entire Totoro Town, and the law prohibits the opening of a second one. Rather, it was an unfortunate outcome resulting from changes in the overall environment.

—In Totoro Town these days, adventurers have almost nothing left to risk…

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Based on the chatter of several talkative old ladies in Totoro Town and by reviewing the old records stored in the guild, Phil discovered that this currently deserted adventurers' guild had once enjoyed a long and prosperous period of glory when it was first founded three hundred years ago.

At that time, the colonization and development of the New World were just beginning. The Golden Dragon Kingdom, to which Totoro Town belonged, had only been established for a few short years. Totoro Town, just a day's journey from the capital, Thousand Sails City, was already the border between civilization and barbarism. Even with the deterrent presence of a Brass Dragon Lord, only a small area within the town's wooden walls could be barely guaranteed safety. As for the farms, ranches, fishing villages, mines, and lumberyards scattered outside the town, as well as the caravans traveling along the roads, they were almost constantly under the risk of monster attacks.

Therefore, for the Totoro Town Adventurers' Guild of that era, the area surrounding Totoro Town was a great place to do quests and grind monsters:

To the east of the town lies the Siren Bay, which, while producing beautiful corals and expensive pearls, is also home to a tribe of ferocious fish-men—not beautiful mermaids, but four-limbed fish-like monsters that frequently leap from the sea to attack passing merchant ships and fishermen.

To the west of the town lies the rugged Dragon Roar Volcano, teeming with countless goblins, trolls, and kobolds who frequently descend to steal and plunder the townspeople.

To the north of the town lies a vast, untamed forest. For the residents of Totoro Town, this is both a natural treasure trove providing timber, food, and herbs, and a paradise for various monsters to breed and inhabit. The goblin tribes that roam the forest are one of the biggest problems for the outskirts residents. Especially when the monster population grows to a certain level, it can even ignite a terrifying monster horde, launching a siege on the town!

To the south of the town lies the capital of the Golden Dragon Kingdom, and its largest seaport, Thousand Sails City. However, between Totoro Town and Thousand Sails City lies a sparsely populated swamp, not only inhabited by lizardman bandits but also rumored to be frequented by evil necromancers. Although the journey between the two places is only a day's travel, caravans traveling between the capital and the town always require a full complement of guards before setting off.

In this resource-rich yet perilous town, adventurers who make a living through combat naturally thrive.

To survive and stay safe, the poor settlers had to spend a fortune each year hiring adventurers to hunt monsters until they ran out of their last gold coin. If it weren't for the abundance of resources and low taxes in the area, and the fact that monster pelts, claws, magic crystals, and ores and herbs gathered in the forest could be sold for a good price in big cities, the earliest cat-like residents of Totoro Town would probably have gone bankrupt long ago.

The adventurers who flocked here from all directions gained both fame and fortune, making the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town increasingly prosperous.

During those "good old days," the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town was always the liveliest place in town.

In order to compete for quests within the guild, there are usually several or even a dozen adventurer teams of varying sizes that reside in the inns of Totoro Town, or even buy houses in the town as their long-term residence. Their members come from all over the world, even from the Old World across the ocean.

Every day, a large group of adventurers of all kinds, good and bad, gather in the guild hall, busily choosing or waiting for quests while happily raising their glasses and boasting about the exciting stories of their adventures, enticing young people who dream of glory and wealth to embark on an adventure and create their own miracles...

The guild hall, now deserted and dilapidated, was once bustling with people every day. From morning till night, adventurers, entertainers, vendors, and prostitutes roamed the area, filling the air with the pungent smell of alcohol and tobacco. Occasionally, the simple, robust, and rough songs of adventurers would echo through the air, along with the coquettish laughter and playful complaints of female receptionists being teased...

Every month, lucky adventurer teams earn great wealth and fame through heroic means such as defeating monsters, saving villages, and slaying thieves. Finally, amidst cheers, they kneel at the feet of a beautiful woman, offer her precious gifts, and win her heart.

Of course, there are also many more unfortunate adventurers who, after confidently accepting a quest, never return, bearing countless wounds, forever lying in some muddy swamp, barren plain, or rugged mountain, where they will be devoured by wild dogs, gnawed by insects, and eventually turn into a skeleton unknown to anyone...

There's no way around it; being an adventurer is inherently a high-risk profession where you risk your life, venturing into deadly dangers to complete missions and earn fame and fortune. If you're not even prepared to die in the wilderness and become goblin food, what kind of adventurer are you?

Illustrations—Those adventurers from those years and months:

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Unfortunately, those lively and bustling times (for the Adventurers' Guild) are now gone forever!

Since the establishment of the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town, three hundred years have passed. During this time, the territory of the Golden Dragon Kingdom has expanded fifteen times inland, while the population has increased two hundred times! The area around Totoro Town, which was once located on the wild frontier, has become a densely populated heartland of the capital. It is no longer the place where "monsters roam, bandits are everywhere, danger is everywhere, and fighting never stops".

The fish-man tribe in the Siren Bay to the east of Totoro Town was wiped out two hundred years ago. Unfortunately, the pearl oysters that originally produced pearls in the bay also became extinct due to over-exploitation. The swamp that stretches between the town and the capital to the south has long been drained by windmills. Some parts have become fertile rice paddies, while others have become various garden landscapes, villas and flower gardens for the capital's dignitaries to enjoy.

The vast forest to the north of the town, once teeming with goblins, ogres, and acid slimes, has been transformed into the Golden Dragon Kingdom's most fertile farmland and vital grain-producing region after three centuries of relentless logging by generations of settlers. It's now dotted with expansive fields, orchards, and vegetable gardens, along with over a hundred thriving cities and towns. The few remaining patches of forest have become the private property of lords and nobles. Any adventurer daring to venture into it now would undoubtedly be arrested as a poacher by the forest rangers.

The Dragon Roar Volcano to the west of the town is no longer a treasure-hunting and monster-hunting spot for adventurers. Instead, it has become a world-renowned scenic spot, famous throughout the New World for its hot springs and pine forests. Not only have the monsters that once roamed the volcano been eradicated, but even the ancient ruins that once attracted adventurers have been looted. Now, the foothills and valleys are filled with hot spring hotels and manor villas. It is said that even His Majesty the Dragon King of Thousand Sails City has fenced off a large area of ​​forest here, preparing to build a royal palace.

In short, no matter which direction you go in Totoro Town, it's now a highly developed, orderly, and prosperous place. There are no more monsters to hunt, so there's no place for adventurers. Even the town's wooden walls have long been demolished.

Of course, for adventurers who were already far from home and without a fixed abode, this was simply a matter of finding work elsewhere. The vast New World still offered plenty of wildlands teeming with monsters and rich in resources; they were just a few steps away. The problem was, while adventurers could leave Totoro Town to continue hunting monsters, taking on quests, and building their future elsewhere, the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town couldn't relocate!

As a result, the business of the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town naturally became less and less popular, until it was almost completely ignored.

Faced with such an irreversible trend, even as a time traveler with modern Earth knowledge and experience, Phil felt helpless.

Besides, Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Adventurers' Guild had been on the verge of collapse for years, but it didn't seem to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Rather than worrying about the guild's business, he figured it was more realistic to think about what to have for lunch.

However, the Adventurers' Guild was now practically empty, with no food at all. So, after thinking for a while, Phil looked down at the empty purse in her pocket, rubbed her even flatter belly, and finally jumped off the chair, preparing to push open the door and go out to get something to eat.

Attached image: Map of Totoro Town

If you can't see it clearly, below is a simplified map of the Totoro Town area without the frills and decorations.

Chapter 3, The Cat in a Skirt

As soon as Phil stepped out of the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town, he was immediately greeted by a cacophony of hawkers' cries and the enticing aroma of food.

—Although the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town is currently struggling financially, when it was first established, it was the most vibrant and influential "semi-official social organization" in the entire town, and a vital safety guarantee for the town's survival.

At that time, the Adventurers' Guild's presence and influence in the town were second only to the Lord's Mansion. Almost every village and farm had to frequently post quests at the guild, hiring adventurers to solve various monster-related problems in order to maintain normal production and life. And if anything happened to the Adventurers' Guild, the safety of the entire town would collapse in an avalanche-like manner.

Therefore, as such an important institution, the Totoro Town Adventurers' Guild was naturally located in the most central and prime location in the entire town.

Even today, the area outside the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town remains the busiest commercial square in the entire town. Stepping outside the guild gates, one is greeted by rows of shops and vendors, a constant flow of traffic and people, a vibrant and bustling scene. Vendors hawk their wares, shopkeepers solicit customers, and passersby stroll by, with the occasional acrobat performing under the shade of a tree – truly a scene of bustling prosperity and tranquility.

At the same time, a refreshing sea breeze blew in from across the square, instantly making Phil feel a cool sensation under her skirt.

Hmm? Wait a minute, something seems off?

skirt?

Did I make a mistake?

No mistake, the kitten Firi is currently wearing a white shirt and red short dress, similar to the outfit of a modern Earth flight attendant. This is his "standard work attire" when he works at the Adventurers' Guild in Totoro Town.

Moreover, under Phil's red dress, she was completely naked, not even wearing panties. It was fine when she was sitting in the guild, but as soon as she went outside and was exposed to the wind, she couldn't help but feel a little chilly.

—Even though Phili was transported to another world and became an adorable cat, he was still a boy through and through. However, ever since he arrived in Totoro Town, he had always been wearing various kinds of dresses or robes, and he hadn't worn any underwear.

The reason things turned out this way was not because he developed a cross-dressing fetish or exhibitionism after transmigrating, but because he had various unavoidable circumstances.

First and foremost, the most crucial issue is that Phil's stingy mistress, Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia, refused to spend money on men's clothing for him from the very beginning.

"...What? You don't want to wear my old dresses and want to wear pants instead? Oh, my little Phil, as a mere pet, you shouldn't be so picky! You should be thrifty and frugal, you know? Look at other magical pets, it's perfectly normal for them to go out naked, why are you so difficult to please? Anyway, these old dresses I wore when I was little are yours. Wear them if you like, or don't wear them and never wear clothes again!"

Looking back at the houses of other people nearby, where slimes, owls, rattlesnakes, and toads were indeed running around naked from head to toe, Phili still firmly disagreed with Lulutia's opinion: How could a handsome and intelligent life like me, a dignified transmigrator destined to fight my way through the heavens, be compared to these stupid and ugly native inferior animals?

However, as the saying goes, you can't fight city hall, and pets can't fight their owners either.

Since the stingy mistress refused to spend money on new clothes for herself, the cat Phil was at a loss for what to do.

Secondly, based on Phil's experience, for a cat with a long tail, wearing pants in public is incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable, especially for protecting its precious tail. This is definitely not a problem that can be easily solved by simply cutting a hole in the back of the pants—you see, for cats, the tail is arguably one of their most sensitive body parts!

Based on Phil's experience, if you were to have your tail confined at the base by something, like a pair of ripped pants... well, how should I put it, it would feel about as uncomfortable as a human wearing a chastity belt, but a "male version" of one...

Even worse, even if the cat endures the discomfort of its tail and wears pants with holes, this also means that its most sensitive parts are directly exposed outside the protection of the clothing. In the event of an emergency, there is no way to retract the tail back into the pants.

In contrast, if you choose to wear a skirt, the choice becomes much easier. Normally, you can let your tail dangle outside the skirt and wag it freely. In crowded places or narrow spaces where you might bump into something, you can tuck your tail under the skirt, just in case.

Therefore, in Totoro Town, at least nine out of ten cat people and other tailed races, regardless of gender or age, wear skirts with bare legs, or wear long robes that are even looser than skirts, and then wear two extra-thick knee-high stockings on their legs to keep warm.

After Phili racked his brains and managed to modify an old curtain from the Adventurers' Guild into a pair of lantern pants with a hole in the back, he happily went out wearing them. However, after several nightmares, such as "having his tail pulled and his fur plucked by naughty children," "having his tail caught in a door," and "having undried paint on his tail that he couldn't wash off," he finally came to a deep understanding of the deep malice that pants hold for all creatures with tails.

From then on, Phil had no choice but to abandon his dignity as a time traveler and his integrity as a man, putting away his pants and wearing a skirt for safety...

Although it may seem a bit awkward for men to wear skirts, strictly speaking, there are customs on Earth where men wear skirts.

Just imagine you were reincarnated on the island of Great Britain and became a kilted man in a Scottish military band!

Furthermore, when Hawaiian natives on Earth wear grass skirts and dance the hula, it seems that it's not just girls who dance it!

As for why I ended up dressing up as a woman and essentially becoming the mascot of the Adventurers' Guild, that was purely accidental! Accidental!

Anyway, with such a deserted adventurers' guild, it's rare for even a few people to come all year round, isn't it?

But... it still feels a little embarrassing!

Wagging its tail, the kitten sighed silently in its heart.

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Fortunately, the kitten's destination for this foraging trip was not far away, just next to the shop to the left after leaving the Adventurers' Guild.

It was a shop nestled among lush green vines and vibrant flowers, exuding a sweet aroma—"Forest Fairy Pastry Shop".

Although it's a pastry shop, the entire store, inside and out, is covered with lush vines of a beautiful color, as smooth and translucent as jade, giving the whole shop a striking emerald green hue. Among the vibrant foliage, there are also many colorful and brightly colored flowers and buds, and the fragrance of flowers mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees wafts through the air, making you feel as if you are in a vibrant forest.

Right in front of this pastry shop, which resembles a garden, a petite and adorable shop assistant is gracefully dancing among the vines and flowers.

This is a beautiful creature about the size of a palm. At first glance, it looks no different from a human. Its delicate features are as exquisite as a porcelain doll, and its blue eyes are as sparkling as gemstones. With its long golden hair and snow-white skin, it is like a pure princess from a fairy tale.

If you disregard her mere 15 centimeters height, pointed ears, and the pair of translucent butterfly wings on her back…

—This is a classic adorable creature from a fantasy world, a little fairy who spends her days flitting among flowers and making honey!

At this very moment, she is wearing an adorable dress made of colorful petals, flapping her semi-transparent wings, holding a small magic trumpet in her hand, and flying around with a beaming smile, serving as the mascot of the "Forest Fairy Pastry Shop," calling out to attract customers outside the shop.

"...Come and buy now! Our brand-new Rainbow Jam brings you a refreshing taste like a rainbow after the rain! Only seven silver coins per jar!"

"...Shrimp-flavored breadfruit just picked from the vine! It couldn't be fresher! Absolutely no impurities!"

"...Freshly cut and brewed honey fruit tea! Bringing you a dreamy and sweet taste!"

"...Midsummer Special Offer! Purchase five silver coins or more of our products today and receive a free honey drink!"

"...Today we also have a brand new mint-flavored refreshing jelly... Oh no! Whose naughty kid is taking pictures of me!"

Suddenly, the little fairy hawker girl, who was hawking her wares, leaped up, barely dodging a sweeping cat claw. She then jumped onto the pastry shop sign, put her hands on her hips, pointed at a bewildered little cat girl below with her outstretched hand, and scolded, "...This is very dangerous! Don't you know that?"

"...Mary!! What trouble have you caused again? Apologize to them right now!" A cat-eared woman in a long robe rushed out from the shop next door with a basket, hit the bewildered little cat girl Mary hard, and scolded her by pulling her ear.

"...Meow! Mommy, I'm sorry, I was wrong, meow! But I don't know why, I just couldn't control my hand, meow!"

"...What kind of excuse is that? Your dried fish is canceled tonight! Oh, and this young lady from the pastry shop, I'm really sorry! My child is so naughty! I'd also like one of those shrimp-flavored breadfruits that you were advertising before!"

"...Ah, madam, please wait a moment...Here you are, your shrimp-flavored breadfruit, three silver coins a serving! Thank you for your patronage!"

……

—Well, how should I put it? Hopping and leaping out to catch butterflies, just like chasing a ball of yarn and torturing birds and mice, seems to be one of the instincts engraved deep in the souls of all cats.

So when the adorable little fairy mascot flutters her translucent wings and flies around in front of them, many cute little kittens can't take their eyes off her at first, and then they can't control their paws.

Then, to apologize to the frightened little fairy, the cat owners who accompanied their mischievous kittens, if their wallets allow, would often come to the "Forest Fairy Pastry Shop" to buy something as compensation, and also to make the shop even more popular...

Perhaps this is a unique customer-attracting technique used by "Forest Fairy Pastry Shop" to fully leverage its strengths?

Hmm, it must have been an accident. Otherwise, this adorable little fairy shopkeeper would be risking her life to attract customers to the store.

—Given the little fairy's petite and delicate appearance, if she were to be struck squarely by that cat's paw, she would likely lose half her life, even if she didn't die!

As Phili thought this, she straightened her clothes, then forced a warm smile and waved to the still-shaken little fairy signboard girl, "...Hey! Good afternoon! Flora! How's business today? Give me a shrimp-flavored breadfruit too!"

Unexpectedly, the little fairy signboard girl named Flora, as soon as she looked down and recognized Phil's face, immediately changed her expression to a disgusted and sullen one: "...Tch, who do we have here? It's just that good-for-nothing cat from the poor family next door, coming here again?"

For a moment, Phil's smile froze on her face, and after a brief pause, she forced a laugh and said...

"...Hey, little sister Flor, you can eat these pastries, but you can't say whatever you want! When have I ever eaten for free at your shop? It was just a regular purchase on credit, there's no need to give me such a hard time."

"...Oh! You freeloader cat, you dare to talk back? Tell me! Since our pastry shop opened, how much have you eaten here? And how much have you paid? If you can settle all your debts right now, I, Flor, will personally kneel down and apologize to you!"

The little fairy Flor pouted unhappily, put her hands on her hips and struck a "super fierce" pose, glaring at Phil with a menacing look.

To outsiders, because the little fairy was so cute, her gaze was less intimidating and more likely to make them want to bully her.

But in the eyes of Phil, the cat who was already feeling guilty, the gaze of the little fairy mascot Flor was truly as sharp as a bayonet, making his whole body seem to shrink instantly...

There's no way around it. As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding." Who can blame Phily, this poor cat who is both greedy and penniless, for not being able to control her spending desires lately? She ate and took things away at the "Forest Fairy Pastry Shop" and ended up in debt.

Hmm, why did Phile eat and take things away at the "Forest Fairy Pastry Shop" and still owe money?

This is a sorrowful story that makes Phil want to cry out even more...

Chapter 4, Phil is a poor cat

What's it like to be a magical pet of a beautiful and powerful silver dragon lady?

According to Phil's personal experience, it felt no different from working for a heartless boss.

Huh? Why is this happening?

In general, what common characteristics do dragons typically share in Western fantasy literature?

A reasonable answer that aligns with mainstream opinion is: huge, powerful, greedy, and lazy.

Whether benevolent or malevolent, almost no dragon dislikes those cute, glittering little trinkets, and almost no dragon is unwilling to try to acquire a large pile of gold and silver jewels, then comfortably lie on the pile of treasure and sleep soundly until it wakes up hungry.

Not to mention Phili's owner, Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia, who is an extremely lazy dragon who worships the god of sleep, so her sleep time is ridiculously long.