Chapter 110

“So you know about that place.”

Quilbion turned his body slightly to look at Flan.

“I know it, of course I know. I also know about the terrible things that sometimes crawl out from there.”

“Yes, they’re terrible.”

Quilbion spoke while recalling the dormitory.

“Once I understand the mental world and can recover my body, I’m thinking of returning. I also have things to do there.”

“Be careful when you go. When you twist open the door, those terrible things might slip out. They give me a headache every time I see them, so I hate them.”

The rabbit shook her head.

“What do you do when you meet goblins?”

“Beat them to death. Because those things shouldn’t exist here. Even our Mother, who views intervention in phenomena negatively, agrees with exterminating those things.”

“So the god of Barara also dislikes goblins.”

“Rather than dislike, it’s closer to the concept of organizing. If a teapot is sitting right on a bookshelf, what would you do?”

“I’d put it away. Return it to its proper place.”

“Exactly. Where each thing should be. This place as this place, that place as that place.”

Flan bounced down from the hammock.

“Follow me.”

When they walked toward a blocked wall, the wall instantly receded and a new space was created.

From the empty floor, metal cabinets rose up thud thud thud.

“Let’s see, let’s see.”

Flan, who’d been looking around while constantly adjusting her glasses, pulled out a small wooden horse from the cabinet.

It was a size that could be used as a children’s toy.

“Here.”

He stopped the hand he’d been extending to receive it thoughtlessly, flinching.

“That’s intense intent.”

“It reeks of thoughts. How about it, will you take it? I don’t know what kind of sorcery is contained here, but it’ll be more useful to you than me.”

“I’ll take it for now.”

“Do that. Dragons like coffee, mm. Very satisfying information.”

The wooden horse seemed to be compensation for revealing Winte’s preference.

An ordinary person would have no problem touching the wooden horse. The sorcery and intent contained here only react to those who possess nark.

He gently felt the intent.

All sides became dark.

Quilbion turned his body toward the intense energy felt behind him.

A crouching wild dog was glaring. Though its body was small, the power and tenacity it held were no less than the centipede, Pun.

The wild dog barked fiercely.

Quilbion raised his hand in greeting before briefly stopping the circulating nark.

The darkness receded.

He could see Flan standing still and staring.

“What did you see?”

“A wild dog is hiding. A very fierce one.”

“Can you tame it?”

“I don’t know. And even without taming it, methods of use exist.”

“That’s true.”

Flan, who’d perched on the hammock, pounded her knees.

“Looks like it’s going to rain.”

“Rain?”

“There’s that. Wake that disobedient kid and leave quickly. That one’s body is weak, so they’ll be groaning if they get rained on.”

It was a clear sky without a single cloud.

He shook Elcoco without saying much.

Lately, it seemed he’d been slapping the cheeks of passed-out people a lot.

When he raised his hand to slap with a smack sound, Elcoco’s eyes widened. She made a dazed expression before soon sniffling.

“It hurts.”

“I hit you so it would hurt. Get up.”

“Grandma, I hate this person.”

“I hate you too.”

Flan turned her head, signaling to leave quickly. The protruding ears folded and unfolded once each, looking like she was waving a hand.

“Heartless old hag.”

“That, that, that manner of speaking.”

“I’m coming again next week! I’ll come and lie around for days.”

Flan looked at Quilbion.

“Human, you……”

“It’s Quilbion.”

“Right, Quil. You take that rude kid and give her some character education. Tsk tsk, the world’s gone to the dogs.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Then Elcoco turned her body with a tsk.

“Anyway, I’m coming again next week!”

“Don’t come!”

“Hmph! I’m coming!”

Elcoco disappeared into the darkness following the blue line while huffing.

Quilbion bowed his head toward Flan.

“I’ll be going.”

“Yeah, go safely. If you later have something you want to tell me about Shy One, come visit again. I’ll welcome you anytime.”

Flan said in a very small voice “Take care of the kid too.”

“Looking at how well she moves around in the castle, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who’d touch that kid. The lord also seems to care quite a bit.”

“Because she’s a communication channel with me and people know I’m looking after her. Unless someone’s crazy, they wouldn’t harm the kid. Still, just in case.”

Flan buried herself in the hammock and closed her eyes. As if there was nothing more to say.

Quilbion also turned and came out following the blue line.

The vast space disappeared.

When he turned around, only a single bizarre house was visible.

“What did she says?”

“She told you to behave.”

“Liar.”

Elcoco brought the horse.

“That grandma feels lonely but hates having someone next to her. She’s really mean. No, is she just very shy?”

Quilbion could understand Flan’s feelings.

He’d heard the Barara Tribe lives for thousands of years. An immense time. How many humans had stayed by Flan’s side and disappeared?

Nevertheless, Flan was giving her side.

Should she be called a firm person, or a soft person? Ah, she’s not a person.

“Let’s go. She said it might rain.”

“Right. When Grandma says her knees ache, it rains a hundred times out of a hundred. Let’s hurry. If we rush, we can arrive before midnight. It’s curfew time for ordinary people, but Lord Quilbion can easily ignore it.”

Elcoco rode the horse.

And like a lie, rain poured down.

“Kyaaa! It’s coming!”

Quilbion looked at Elcoco making a fuss before looking up at the sky.

The pitch-black sky that had no clouds was pouring rain.

*

Kuhard closed the window. The study got slightly wet from the suddenly pouring rain.

“Whether it’s a good omen or a bad omen.”

The deaths with unknown causes that occurred at the frontier.

Mercenaries, whose lives were their business means, pulled out the moment they heard the request details, and the spirit mage was taken by a newly appeared tycoon from Nata who paid enormous fees.

He’d gone near the frontier with a mage residing in the territory, but there was no significant gain.

He’d gathered back-alley thugs who’d give their lives for money a few days ago and scattered them throughout the frontier, but no one died.

The burden was too great to believe it was a one-time accident and proceed with the work.

Because territory residents risked their lives to escape.

If he relocated them once more and the same problem erupted, talk would spread among the residents then.

He mustn’t give them ammunition. Stories of nobles killed by uprising residents were being heard quite often.

It was because the weight of bloodline had become lighter since becoming the Rainhence 17 Nations.

In Nata, they say even Nesim with lowly blood can enter if they just prove their ability.

Ability supremacy.

What a terrible thing.

He had to suppress the useless rumor that life changes just by entering Nata, and turn residents’ attention to new land.

To hold onto the historic land passed down from grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather and the residents bound to the land, he’d do anything.

Kuhard recalled Quilbion.

He was a figure like divine revelation.

Someone who uses magic freehand.

His son said he caught a blade with his bare body.

Moreover, he immediately discovered the clumsy assassins sent as a test, and even read the intent contained within.

A monster one could communicate with.

What a blessed encounter.

“Quilbion has returned.”

“Good. Keep watching while maintaining distance as before. Don’t irritate him.”

“Understood.”

Kuhard sat in his chair with a satisfied smile.

Let’s leave the deaths with unknown causes to the monster with unknown identity.

He was a monster that wouldn’t bite if not provoked. They could pleasantly use each other, promise a next time, and part ways.

Or……

“I wonder if he’s married.”

Accepting him as a family member wouldn’t be bad either.

*

“I’m Elcoco. Call me El or Coco, whichever is more comfortable.”

“I’m Idril. You’re very charming.”

“Oh my, saying that on first meeting?”

Elcoco smiled brightly.

“I like you very much. Let’s get along well from now on.”

“Of course.”

“You also seem reliable, Mr. Idril. Unlike a certain mean person over there.”

Quilbion stared at Elcoco who was about 10 meters away. When their eyes met, she startled and turned her head.

“Do you think he heard?”

“If it’s Mr. Quil, they probably heard.”

“Oh my, I’ll get scolded again.”

“Mr. Quil is a good person. So you should refrain from unkind words.”

“Good? That person? I can’t agree with that. He’s a very petty person.”

Ignoring her is the best policy. Quilbion turned his head once before looking at the inspection team.

Led by Ruki, soldiers were lined up. Five appeared to be elite soldiers, the rest seemed like ordinary soldiers who could only handle spears passably.

This wasn’t work requiring force, so the personnel selection didn’t matter either way.

Frankly speaking, it was work he could do alone.

“Please board the carriage.”

Ruki spoke. Since he’d attract attention running beside it, Quilbion obediently boarded the carriage.

“It’s soft.”

Idril sat across from him.

“Wow! This fabric is really expensive.”

Elcoco took a seat beside him.

“Depart!”

Ruki’s voice was heard.

Though nobody summoned them, territory residents stood along the road. Quite many people affectionately called Ruki young master and young lord.

“Seems he hasn’t lived harshly.”

“What?”

Elcoco tilted her head and asked.

“I’m talking about Ruki.”

“Ah, the young lord. He’s a bit arrogant so bad words come out sometimes, but the overall reputation is good. The lord calls him a lacking son but cherishes him.”

“The son follows his father, and the father trusts his son. Nice, it’s a good family.”

“After Lady Izel the matriarch passed away, the young lord also changed a lot. When he was young, he got cursed at quite a bit.”

“She died at a young age. Was it illness?”

“I don’t know. She was a healthy person, but one day she suddenly passed away. Since I happened to be at the castle following Lady Flan, I saw Lady Izel’s last moments…… she looked very peaceful. Should I say she looked satisfied? Now that I’ve said it, the expression is strange, but that’s how it looked to me.”

Quilbion finished the conversation with a nod.

He had no intention of digging deep, nor any desire to know.

They’re all people who’ll die soon anyway.

Elcoco humming beside him, Idril sitting across looking out the window—in about 60 years, they’ll be inside coffins.

If they meet with accidents, they’ll be buried in the ground even faster.

Even then, I’ll be wandering alone through the surface realm, the cracks, reality.

“Blend into human society. Reawaken that you’re human and recover your humanity. Now that I think about it, it was a difficult assignment.”

“Grandma’s assignments are always difficult.”

Idril, who’d been listening to the conversation, blinked and asked.

“I shouldn’t ask what you’re talking about, right?”

“Why not! I’ll explain everything.”

Elcoco chatted excitedly while Idril listened attentively in agreement.

Quilbion moved his fingers before lightly touching his ear. ‘Quiet for Now’ manifested and sound disappeared.

Mm, comfortable.

He closed his eyes while ignoring the two chattering humans.