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chapter 144




As I looked through the personnel of the Ancient Ruins Protection Committee, Milka brought in our breakfast.
“Thank you, Milka.”
“Don’t mention it!”
“Milka, you’ve apparently been appointed as Secretary-General. Did you know?”
“Miss Kathe told me about it!”
“Do you mind?”
“I don’t know what these Secretary Generals are supposed to do, but it is supposed to be an honor!”
Milka looked happy. Well, I guess it was fine then.
As we talked like that, Eric came in.
“Mister Eric. Welcome! Will you be eating breakfast?”
“Thank you, Milka. But I have already had breakfast.”
“I see. Well, I’ll put on some tea then.”
“Thank you.”
I handed Eric the paper.
“Kathe made this for the committee.”
“Oh, how thoughtful.”
“What do you think?”
Kathe looked a little nervous.
“Hmmm. It’s wonderful.”
“Isn’t it! Isn’t it!”
After that, Goran and Serulis woke up as well.
And so we ate breakfast along with Shia, Nia, Milka, Luchila and Lord Gerberga.
At the table, I said to Eric,
“About the matter concerning Luchila’s tribe…”
“Hm? What matter? Do you mean the council that only males can attend? Or about the land?”
I hadn’t actually told Eric about it.
And yet he somehow knew.
Perhaps Goran had told him.
I thought as I glanced over to Goran.
He was preoccupied with a sausage he was biting into.
“Both of them.”
“Ah, then you need not worry. I have already taken care of them.”
“…Taken care of them?”
Eric took a sip of tea and explained.
“The place where Luchila’s village was located is now under my direct control.”
“How did you manage that?”
“It was easy. The landlord came crying to me over issues of money, and so I allowed a partial tax exemption in exchange for that land.”
“Huh. How lucky. Does that happen often?”
“It rarely happens a lot.”
“…What?”
Eric ignored me and continued.
“As for the councils, I applied some pressure. If they do not change by the time Luchila is of age, then I will have to apply even more pressure.”
This was all much better than I had been expecting.
Which was all the more surprising because I hadn’t even told him about it.
“Eric. Did you know that Luchila was a girl?”
Goran looked surprised. So that meant that it hadn’t been Goran who told him.
“Of course, I did. I mean, you didn’t notice? That is most shocking to me…”
Eric looked at me with exasperation.
He was speechless.
“Well, there you go. Luchila.”
“Your Majesty. Thank you so much for everything.”
“Cluck-cluck!”
Luchila and Lord Gerberga bowed.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Luchila, if there is anything else still worrying you, you should tell Eric about it.”
“Indeed. I don’t know if I will be able to help you, but it won’t hurt to ask.”
Eric said with a gentle smile.
“Your Majesty, I have nothing left to wish for.”
“That’s fine then. Well, it doesn’t have to be now, either. Let me know if you think of something later.”
“Thank you.”
“Or you can tell Ruck, if that’s easier.”
Eric said with a laugh.
When everyone was finished eating, the mansion’s door bell began to ring.
It was just as I was washing dishes with my apprentices.
“Oh, a guest. I will go answer it since I’m not doing anything!”
“Don’t open the gate, alright?”
“I know!”
Milka went running.
Milka’s main role was to cook the food.
And so she didn’t have to wash the dishes.
As we washed the dishes, Nia said,
“I wonder who it is?”
“Well, since it is morning, it could be urgent.”
“That would be very troublesome.”
Lord Gerberga rested on Luchila’s shoulder as she washed the dishes.
Milka quickly returned.
“Mister Locke! Mister Locke!”
“What is it? Calm down.”
Milka looked a little frantic.
“Someone with wings and a tail has just arrived!”
“…Uh, someone like Kathe?”
“Exactly! But this one is an old gramp!”
“You shouldn’t call someone that if they are a guest.”
I left the rest of the dishes to Nia and Luchila and headed for the gate.
I could see that there was a man standing on the other side.
He was dressed like a noble and was very tall.
Even taller than Goran, who was much larger than average.
And I could also see his thick tail and small wings. Just like Kathe.
(He’s probably a dragon. But then again, dragons who can become humans are incredibly rare.)
I thought as I reached the gate.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I am the lord of this house. Locke.”
“I am truly sorry to disturb you at this early hour. I am Kathe’s father, Dorgo Celestia.”
“Ah, Kathe’s father!”
“You have been most kind to my daughter.”
“No, it is we who have been helped.”
I opened the gate.
“Please come inside. Then we can talk.”
“Thank you.”
Kathe’s father was surprisingly modest.
He was the previous Wind Dragon King.
And what business could he have with me?
I was just a little bit nervous.