My family runs an adventurer's guild.

"...Meow! Is this the legendary 'princess who never grows up'? She's so cute, meow!"

"...So cute, meow! I really want to hug her and lick her!"

"...Ahem, you little kittens, show some respect! It's pitiful that the princess ended up like this. She was born a premature dragon egg, very small, and her development was extremely slow after hatching. Then, when she was still a young dragon, she and her parents were ambushed by enemies, resulting in a curse that hindered her growth. So even though she's over four hundred years old now, she's only this small..."

"...Meow, she's really pitiful, but the little princess is still cuter, meow..."

"...Uh, although something feels off about what I'm saying, it certainly seems to be true..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Princess Catherine, sitting gracefully in her sedan chair and enjoying the attention, was in a very good mood, looking at the fluffy cat people all around her.

—Especially when she saw with her own eyes that almost all of the cat people in the town were indeed shorter than herself.

Hahaha! Finally, finally I don't have to be treated like a short person anymore, and I don't have to look up at others when I talk to them!

Princess Catherine Ingram was delighted to see her subjects, who were much smaller than herself.

As a "princess who never grew up" and a rebellious young dragon, Princess Catherine has always been very concerned about her height. Especially after her younger siblings were born one after another, and quickly grew taller than her as if inflated balloons—even the youngest brother in the Ingram family, a young dragon not yet twenty years old, was already as big as her, the eldest sister!

However, no matter how much Princess Catherine pouted and tried to project an image of "big sister authority" in front of her younger siblings, the fatal difference in height and size was enough to make her actions as adorable as a kitten's whining, utterly devoid of any intimidation.

The subtle looks that the noble ladies and ministers in the court gave her each time they met, as if they were looking at a doll or a pet, deeply hurt Princess Catherine's sensitive pride: Why does everyone treat her like a child?

She hates looking up at people, hates being patted on the head, and hates being fed food and candy like a child.

Hey! He's clearly the eldest among his siblings! He's the heir to this kingdom!

How can you all talk to people with your noses in their noses? It's one thing to look down on them, but to even touch their heads without any regard for their dignity is quite another!

Get your filthy hands off me! How dare you, my subjects, touch my precious head so casually?

However, her father laughed it off, even thinking it was a good thing that his daughter was very popular.

This clearly upset Princess Catherine Ingram.

So when her father, King Alaric Ingram, recently decided to assign territories to the dragon princes and princesses to train their management skills, Princess Catherine immediately decided to find herself a place where she wouldn't have to look up at people.

Then, she silently weighed the looks of the dwarves, dog-headed people, and cat-people in her mind, and then decisively chose Totoro Town.

Compared to the dwarf with a beard and reeking of alcohol and the slovenly dog-headed man, the furry cat-man is obviously much cuter.

Chapter 11, Offering an Explosion to the Petite Golden Dragon (Part 2)

Next, after pestering her father, Alaric, to issue the decree of investiture as quickly as possible, Princess Catherine, overly excited, slipped out of the palace before the officials of the capital had even finished going through the official procedures. She then excitedly rushed to Totoro Town with only a few maids and guards.

Upon arriving in town, Princess Catherine was overjoyed to find the town teeming with tiny cat-like creatures, none of whom were as tall as herself.

Hmm, I'm sure we'll see even more interesting things at the welcome banquet held at the city hall.

So, although Princess Catherine maintained a serious expression on her face while in the sedan chair, her mood was as cheerful as a bird.

However, her joy and happiness did not last long.

Before Princess Catherine's palanquin could even be carried into the city hall, the crowd gathered in the square felt the ground suddenly tremble beneath their feet, sending up a cloud of dust like smoke. Then, before anyone could react, a deafening roar, like a landmine exploding, filled the air. A twisted, deformed cast-iron manhole cover flew straight into the sky from the center of the square, a bright tongue of fire flashing briefly at the manhole opening!

To Phil's astonishment, countless black, yellow, and brown viscous substances followed closely behind, shooting jubilantly into the sky like a fountain! Then, these viscous mixtures that gushed out of the sewers poured down like a torrential rain, making a soft, pattering sound as they hit the ground!

In an instant, accompanied by screams, an extremely pungent stench spread throughout the crowded square.

Although the cat-people are known for their agility and nimbleness, the plaza was simply too crowded to move around freely. Many unfortunate onlookers were caught off guard and drenched in the "stinky rain" that fell from the sky. They became hysterical and suffered mental breakdowns; some knelt on the ground vomiting repeatedly, while others raised their tails and howled hysterically. The two court ladies in the open carriage who had been scattering flower petals were particularly affected; after being drenched in excrement and urine, they fainted on the spot from rage.

Naturally, the one who was most furious about this was the protagonist of the ceremony, Princess Catherine, the new lord of Totoro Town.

"...Ugh—I'm so angry! Who did this?! I'm going to... Waaah—"

Bright dragon breath and deafening dragon roar erupted simultaneously from Princess Catherine's cherry-like mouth, causing even greater chaos—the sudden burst of dragon might from the Golden Dragon Princess's body startled the eight dog-headed palanquin bearers, causing the Golden Dragon Princess herself to lose her balance and fall, rolling several times on the sewer-sludge-filled ground, soiling her pink dress.

The small puff of dragon's breath she exhaled unfortunately ignited the light sedan chair made of paulownia wood, which then spread to the robes of the surrounding crowd. In an instant, flames erupted, screams filled the air, and the already chaotic crowd in the square completely collapsed. Some ran, some screamed, some pushed and shoved, some fell and were trampled, and thieves took the opportunity to steal. The entire square was in chaos, filled with cries of despair…

Meanwhile, after the initial shock, Ferry, as the middleman for the sewer cleaning business in Totoro Town, had already guessed the reason behind the explosion and was immediately terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat—Oh no! It must be that kobold slave sorcerer Quark again, who was unreliable and ignited the swamp gas that had accumulated in a clogged section of the sewer while cleaning it with a torch!

In fact, the last time Phil rented Quark from Boss Ernest to clean the sewers, this careless kobold warlock had already caused a methane explosion. However, that explosion was relatively small and failed to breach the heavy cast-iron manhole cover. So, apart from the unfortunate Quark being covered in excrement, it didn't cause any other problems. The city hall didn't pursue the matter much at the time, and Phil simply brushed it off. But this time… how could he possibly get away with it? This mess has completely blown up!

Suddenly, Phil's tail stood up abruptly, and his mind went blank, completely at a loss for what to do.

A moment later, seeing the filthy kobold slave sorcerer Quark struggle to emerge from the well and onto the surface, only to be knocked down by an angry guard and shackled; and then looking at the horrified and twisted expression on the face of Quark's master, the gladiator tavern owner Ernest, under the shade of a tree not far away, Phil, who was also responsible for this incident, felt his vision go black and collapsed weakly to the ground.

Oh no! On her first day in Totoro Town, Princess was given a "warm welcome" with a sewer explosion and a fountain of excrement!

To make matters worse, the perpetrator was caught red-handed!

What's worse, this mess is inextricably linked to the Adventurers' Guild!

This morning, marked by the "stinky sewer fountain" in the square, the Adventurers' Guild was absolutely courting disaster!

What should I do now? Faced with the princess's overwhelming rage, I'm also desperate!

—Glancing one last time at the still chaotic square, Phil, drenched in cold sweat, seized the opportunity while he wasn't being noticed and scrambled to his feet, fleeing back to the Adventurers' Guild headquarters as fast as he could. He then frantically hung a "Closed" sign outside, locked the door from the inside, and crawled into his cat-like bed, shivering under the covers for a full day and night.

Unfortunately, whether it's a person or a cat, when suddenly faced with such a major disaster, their first instinct is to escape reality.

However, there are always some disasters in this world that have already happened, and no matter how much you tremble and fear, you simply cannot escape them.

The following morning, a dark-faced official led soldiers into the room and announced to Phili the official final punishment for the Adventurers' Guild.

"...Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that there are currently no active registered adventurers in Totoro Town. The Adventurers' Guild is barely surviving on government funding and has repeatedly violated the law by assigning tasks to unqualified individuals, ultimately leading to a major accident with a negative impact. As per His Highness's instructions, the organization is no longer necessary. Therefore, in order to save expenses and reduce redundant staff, the Adventurers' Guild of this town is hereby dissolved, and the land and buildings where the guild is located are reclaimed. All relevant personnel are to be dismissed and laid off on the spot, and must relocate within ten days..."

Upon hearing this stern and urgent final announcement, Phil's head seemed to explode with a "bang," and everything in front of her lost its color.

Oh no! The Adventurers' Guild is closing down! This cat and its owner are going to be homeless!

Chapter 12, The Golden Dragon Princess's Massive Layoff Plan

Unlike most lazy, carefree, and capricious intelligent dragons, the Golden Dragon belongs to the absolutely lawful good alignment.

From birth, a golden dragon is taught by its inherited wisdom to obey the teachings of its ancestors and live an orderly life. This is a racial trait etched deep within its bloodline. Each golden dragon's daily life and way of doing things are extremely orderly, even to the point of being difficult for many mortals to comprehend. For example, when they hibernate, they try to fall asleep at night, and then, regardless of how many days or years they have hibernated, they must wake up at dawn on a certain day. Except for a very few rebellious individuals, most golden dragons usually live strictly according to their schedule.

—Of course, it's according to the schedule they set for themselves, not the schedule set for them by others.

It's not so easy for ordinary mortals to restrain a golden dragon with laws and regulations.

In short, although her inauguration ceremony as the lord of Totoro Town was turned into a farce by the sewer explosion, and she herself was covered in disgusting feces and urine in front of everyone, Princess Catherine became hysterical and lost her composure, even spewing out dragon breath. Fortunately, as a "dragon princess who never grew up," her dragon breath, if not enhanced by magic, was only slightly more powerful than firecrackers and basically wouldn't kill anyone.

However, after calming down, Princess Catherine suppressed her anger and frustration. Instead of tearing the kobold sorcerer who had defecated in the sewers to pieces on the spot, she followed the procedures arranged by the town hall, quickly changed into clean clothes, and went to attend the welcoming banquet arranged by the town hall. She also received the town's prominent figures, such as key officials, temple priests, and wealthy merchants and nobles, in a very proper manner.

Although she was still very depressed.

—Why did it turn out like this…? First, I escaped the rigid cage of the palace, then I had a territory where I could display my talents, and a group of people even smaller and cuter than myself. These three happy things combined should have brought me even more joy, a dreamlike bliss… But why, why did it inexplicably turn out like this…?

However, as a law-abiding golden dragon, no matter how bad his mood is, he still has to act according to the rules.

Therefore, Princess Catherine suppressed her anger and waited until the handover process was completed before dealing with the morning's explosion.

In fact, the matter was not complicated at all. Long before she was still drinking and socializing with the local elites at the banquet, her half-elf housekeeper, Jenny, had already investigated the whole story with the full cooperation of the local officials.

Honestly, the Totoro Town Hall was on the verge of collapse after such an embarrassing mess at the inauguration ceremony: having already incurred the princess's wrath was beyond repair. If they dragged their feet and made excuses during the investigation and cleanup, giving the king the wrong impression that the town officials had deliberately created this trouble to deliberately make things difficult for the princess and give her a hard time, then they might as well all die!

Fortunately, there was no hidden agenda behind this incident. The perpetrator was caught on the spot and, in a panic, confessed everything without any need for interrogation. When Princess Catherine inquired about the matter, the half-elf housekeeper Jenny directly handed her an investigation report.

"...Part of the town's sewer system collapsed in the explosion and will require at least a month of repairs. A stampede occurred in the central square, where a welcoming crowd had gathered, resulting in minor injuries to twelve citizens, but no fatalities. Additionally, five citizens suffered burns..."

The report begins with a damage assessment. Overall, the incident wasn't too serious; at least no one died and no buildings were demolished. "...The cause of the explosion was that the city hall issued a sewer cleaning task through the Adventurers' Guild yesterday, which was then assigned to a kobold slave sorcerer named Quark. Due to his inexperience, while using flaming glue to burn the slime in the sewers, he accidentally ignited the methane gas clogging the pipes, causing the sewer sludge to rush to the surface... Wait! When did slaves become qualified to accept adventurer tasks?"

Princess Catherine was reading aloud when she suddenly remembered something and abruptly looked up, asking—Although the profession of adventurer doesn't discriminate based on background, and people from all walks of life, races, and social classes come from all walks of life, if someone wants to register as an adventurer, the most basic prerequisite is to be a free citizen. Because even if a slave wanted to register as an adventurer and fight monsters, they would still need their master's permission.

“…Well, this kobold slave naturally doesn’t have the qualifications of an adventurer. The guy who accepted the mission from the Adventurers’ Guild is his master, the owner of the Gladiator’s Tavern, the pseudo-dragon Ernest. He used to be an adventurer…” the half-elf housekeeper Jenny explained.

"...You used to be an adventurer? That means you're not anymore?" Princess Catherine frowned and asked in confusion.

"...Yes, Ernest has not paid the guild registration fee for twenty years, which is equivalent to automatically retiring from the adventurer profession."

"...That's strange. Since he has lost his legal adventurer qualifications, why would the guild still dare to assign him a quest?"

"...Because there are currently no monsters around Totoro Town, the adventure industry is extremely depressed, with perhaps only one quest being posted a month. Therefore, registered adventurers have all gone elsewhere to look for work. According to our interrogation of Ernest himself, there isn't a single registered adventurer remaining in the town. Only some local adventurers who have gone elsewhere to make a living occasionally take on one or two small quests when they return home to visit relatives. If no adventurers happen to be home, the guild will assign the quest to Ernest, asking him to find someone to complete it."

The housekeeper, Jenny, replied, "...Of course, we can't find any active registered adventurers, so we'll just have to make do with random numbers."

"...Huh? That's even stranger! Since there are no registered adventurers living in the entire town anymore, how come the Adventurers' Guild is still operating so openly, and even taking funding from the town hall? Isn't that as absurd as a temple without priests or a tavern without food and drink?"

Hearing that the Adventurers' Guild of Totoro Town dared to engage in such irresponsible and illegal operations, Princess Catherine, who always valued order, became even more furious. "...As the Adventurers' Guild that manages adventurers, you openly lead the way in violating the law, making vagrants who have no adventurer qualifications do the tasks, creating such an ugly mess! What's the point of keeping such a wasteful and useless guild?"

At this point, Princess Catherine's eyes suddenly lit up, "...Jenny! Please investigate all the public institutions in Totoro Town that need government funding as soon as possible, and then, according to Father's instructions to streamline the government and reduce expenditures, fire all those good-for-nothings who do nothing! With such achievements, Father will surely be very happy, and my younger siblings will truly treat me as their older sister..."

"...Yes, Your Highness!"

Chapter 13, Totoro Town Adventurers' Guild: This is doomed!

His Majesty King Alaric Ingram of the Golden Dragon Kingdom did not assign territories to his dragon sons and daughters to provide them with a secret base for playing games, but rather in the hope that they would achieve something in their territories and become his powerful allies.

As a nation with a history of over three hundred years, the Golden Dragon Kingdom is still under the rule of its first founding king, Alaric Ingram, despite the fact that dragons often live for thousands of years. However, the problem is that the majority of the country's population consists of various short-lived species with lifespans of only a few decades or a hundred years. Many of the nobles who serve under the Dragon King have held their positions for over a dozen generations.

Therefore, more than three centuries after its founding, the various problems within the Golden Dragon Kingdom became increasingly serious.

From noble rebellions and foreign invasions to popular unrest, religious strife, and ethnic conflicts, all sorts of problems that could arise in medieval feudal states began to emerge in the Golden Dragon Kingdom. Although the Dragon Royal Family's formidable military might could temporarily suppress these disturbances relatively easily, the ever-increasing expenses and growing financial difficulties proved to be a complex problem that no amount of dragon breath or violence could solve.

Especially since, not long ago, the Golden Dragon Kingdom had suffered a major defeat on the battlefield in its expansion into the wild frontier regions. More than fifty settlements of immigrants were destroyed by barbarians, and tens of thousands of armed immigrants were killed. Although the kingdom defeated the enemy afterward, the villages and farms burned to the ground could not be restored instantly with the news of victory. The enormous military expenditures, along with the subsequent resettlement of refugees and reconstruction of villages, resulted in a severe deficit in the national treasury. The finance minister nearly suffered a mental breakdown, and in the end, it was only through the king's personal savings that the hole was barely filled.

However, asking a dragon to use its treasure to subsidize the country's expenses... one can imagine how painful this would be for the dragon.

As the kingdom's eldest princess, Catherine naturally witnessed her father's worries about money. Therefore, as soon as she arrived in her territory, she set about devising a plan to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, attempting to prove her abilities and win her father's favor.

However, raising taxes rashly is not easy. Directly increasing taxes could easily cause unrest and scare away businesses and citizens, resulting in a decrease in tax revenue instead of an increase. On the other hand, cutting the salaries of those who are not properly paid by the government seems much easier, and the effect of reducing expenditures is more direct.

And so, upon assuming her new post, Princess Catherine embarked on a massive layoff plan. And the Adventurers' Guild of Totoro Town, one of the culprits who had ruined Princess Catherine's inauguration ceremony, naturally became the first target for elimination.

So, the next day, the city hall sent someone to—or rather, banged on the door—to deliver the devastating notice that left Phil feeling utterly heartbroken:

"...Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that there are currently no active registered adventurers in Totoro Town. The Adventurers' Guild is barely surviving on government funding and has repeatedly violated the law by assigning tasks to unqualified individuals, ultimately leading to a major accident with a negative impact. As per His Highness's instructions, the organization is no longer necessary. Therefore, in order to save expenses and reduce redundant staff, the Adventurers' Guild of this town is hereby dissolved, and the land and buildings where the guild is located are reclaimed. All relevant personnel are to be dismissed and laid off on the spot, and must relocate within ten days..."

sex

What does it feel like for an ordinary office worker to suddenly find out that they are about to be laid off?

Yeah, it's probably that feeling like the sky is about to fall! Even if it's only for a brief moment.

Although she always complained that the job was boring and didn't pay well, Phil felt like she had been struck by lightning when she actually lost her job.

To make matters worse, the disaster Phili is facing is not just about layoffs—as a mixed organization with complex ownership structures, operating as both a public and private entity, while the Adventurers' Guild can be passed down through generations as an inheritance from its owner, the land belonging to the Totoro Town Adventurers' Guild is state-owned property. If the lord orders the guild's dissolution, the guild's headquarters will be directly reclaimed by the town hall!

In other words, Firi and his master, the current president of the Adventurers' Guild, the silver dragon Lulutia, are about to become homeless!

Although the Adventurers' Guild's status in Totoro Town was roughly equivalent to the Party History Office in modern China—a super-obscure department among obscure departments—the loss of this haven, which at least provided shelter from the storm, still filled Phil with boundless horror and fear: with his small frame, he would probably have trouble even supporting himself on the streets, let alone raising such a huge female dragon!

Given that Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia sleeps for an average of eleven months a year, it's hard to imagine where she could find a job.

However, as a magical pet, Firi and his mistress share a fate that is intertwined; he cannot simply abandon her!

Besides, Phil hasn't lost much of his integrity yet, and he wouldn't do something as despicable as betraying his master unless absolutely necessary.

After all, he also benefited greatly from Miss Silver Dragon, such as the long lifespan he gained from the dragon contract.

How to do?

How to do?

What to do? What to do? What to do?

Phil felt like he was doomed!

Sigh, there's nothing I can do. This is something that a mere cat like him can't handle on his own. I can only ask his female owner for advice!

So, clutching the dismissal notice from the city hall, Phil sprinted through the hall, rushed into the mistress's bedroom, and with a powerful leap, jumped onto the large pink bed, intending to wake the still-sleeping Miss Lulutia. But he suddenly crashed into an invisible barrier and was bounced back even more violently, his head slamming into the wall. The pain was so intense that his ears rang and he saw stars.

"...Meow! I almost forgot, there's a barrier around the mistress's bed, I can't get in at all!"

Phil rubbed her swollen head and belatedly sighed, "...Looks like I'll have to find her in my dreams!"

Then, he turned and walked into his cat's bed, took out a holy emblem carved with a dormouse from under his pillow, and carefully pinned it to his chest. He then muttered a difficult incantation, causing the emblem to glow faintly under the influence of a mysterious power.

The next moment, Phil's body collapsed into the cat's bed with a "thud," while his soul entered an indescribable, mysterious realm.

—The kingdom of the god of sleep and the sleepers.

Chapter 14, The Kingdom of Sleep Goddess Momo

This is a wondrous space that seems like a dream.

There were no sun, moon, or stars overhead, nor earth or ocean beneath one's feet.

The entire world is filled with an endless bright sky, with white clouds drifting slowly in the wind, like an ocean of clouds.

A series of floating islands of varying sizes are scattered and appear and disappear amidst the misty sea of ​​clouds, forming a somewhat irregular circular island group around the largest central floating island.

In general, these floating islands all look like truncated and upside-down mountain peaks, but each floating island is not very large. The largest island can only fit a castle, and the smallest island can barely fit a carriage.

Although the islands are generally small, each has its own unique characteristics. Some floating islands are covered with lush green grass and bloom with colorful flowers; others have barren tops paved with smooth marble or granite, resembling a plaza; still others have been carved into aerial swimming pools, with shimmering waves rippling in mid-air, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, creating a unique and charming scene.