Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 255

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 255 – Selection and Preliminary Inspection Preparations

Tigre mounted his horse and left the mansion with Elena and several guards.

Suppressing his excitement, he urged his horse to move faster than usual as he headed for the port town.

There was a contradiction here, but he was careful not to show it on his face.

He dismounted at the town’s entrance and looked at the townscape, which was different from before.

There was information that probably hadn’t reached Ain yet.

It was about the townscape of the port town of Roundheart.

“…As usual, it’s a strangely open road.”

In the past, Roundheart had a large mansion at the end of its main street.

That was the house where Ain was born.

So, what was there? Tigre’s words were related to that.

The long main street was not an open space in the past.

So why was it a neat, straight road now? It all started with Chris.

Tigre had mentioned this before.

When the reconstruction of the port town of Roundheart began, Chris arrived with a demonic expression and destroyed everything.

The mansion, already more than half destroyed by Princess Olivia’s cannon, collapsed bit by bit.

Many people wondered if a new building would be constructed there.

However, they all remained silent and did not speak of it.

This was because the people of Ishtalika strongly disliked the location of the former mansion.

It was only natural; the people read the atmosphere and did not voice their dissatisfaction.

Of course, Tigre and the other high-ranking figures felt the same way.

In the end, the site was now nothing more than a flat piece of land.

“As always, the old capital seems so shabby,”

He sighed.

The cobblestone streets, cleanliness, and magic devices that light up the streets were examples of this.

Even the smallest details were a far cry from the former port town of Roundheart.

Thanks to Ishtalika’s technology, people’s lives were now very prosperous.

The only thing that hadn’t changed was the sea breeze.

“Your Highness, you’ve arrived.”

The one who addressed him was a former knight of the Kingdom of Heim.

This knight had often been close to Tigre in the past.

For example, he accompanied Tigre on his expedition to Euro and served as his bodyguard when he first met Ain.

He was called a former knight because the Kingdom of Heim no longer existed and was now struggling to survive as an autonomous territory.

“I am not Your Highness. If you must use a title, call me the Duke of Heim.”

“…I-I apologize.”

“Good grief… Don’t mistake who you should call Your Highness.”

In other words, it should be used for royalty.

“But… Tigre-sama is also a member of the royal family of Heim!”

“I’m glad you said that, but I don’t really care.”

Tigre’s face lit up, and the wrinkles between his eyebrows, which he often displayed during his days as a royal, disappeared.

“The moment you abandoned your country and fled, you lost the right to call yourself a member of the royal family.”

“T-That’s… It was the situation at the time…”

“…Well, I’ve experienced countless regrets for abandoning my responsibilities, and I lost my sense of purpose. But…”

Then, he placed his hand on the knight’s shoulder.

The knight was surprised by this gesture, as it was unlike the Tigre he had known before.

“I don’t hate the present. That’s why you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Ti-Tigre-sama…”

“A man who fled from fear finds something new through a new opportunity. It’s a common theme in old tales, but I suppose such banality suits me well.”

“…”

Had he ever spoken like this before? The knight wondered silently.

He couldn’t remember ever seeing him like this, so he decided this must be another side of Tigre.

“But you know, even if it’s banal, if it’s not bad, then it’s not bad. Why is that?”

Tigre was very talkative today.

Actually, he was always like this with certain people, but today, he was with the knight.

The knight had never seen him act like this before.

“There’s no need for pretentious pride. We can joke around and tease each other as equals. We can eat steak without worrying about what the other person thinks. Even if we get sauce on our mouths and get laughed at, we won’t get angry. Now, how should I describe this feeling? That’s it.”

He had apologized and regretted it many times before. But now, he had let it go.

Surprisingly, the situation that awaited him afterward felt strangely comfortable.

Perhaps that was all there was to it.

“But don’t worry. As Duke Heim, I will devote my life to the prosperity of this land.”

The pressure he had felt before was gone, and he was ruling as himself.

Unexpectedly, Warren and the others also had a high opinion of Tigre’s abilities.

“…Ha. I will continue to serve you as I have until now.”

“You are truly reliable.”

Tigre smiled and patted the knight on the shoulder.

Then, he parted ways with the knight and headed toward the pier where the ship was docked.

Nearby stood a small mansion where Ishtalika and the people of Heim worked together.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The exterior walls were white, and the red roof stood out.

This architectural style was common in the port city of Magna, and the house looked different from before.

“Elena, We need to call some craftsmen.”

“In that case, let’s contact Birdland.”

“That’s probably best. Warren-dono came up with this plan, so there’s no need to haggle too much. Make sure you choose craftsmen who will do a satisfactory job.”

With that, Tigre stopped his horse and entered the mansion.

The spacious entrance hall had high ceilings and was covered with thick carpets.

The white pillars scattered throughout were as beautiful as the exterior walls.

Lively discussions about the progress of the new capital city were underway.

“Well, let’s get to work before they arrive,” Tigre said.

He slapped his cheek lightly to motivate himself. When he glanced out the window, he saw the World Tree of Gluttony.

“What a huge tree,” he thought with a wry smile.

He continued walking and climbed the stairs to the back room.

“If anyone comes, don’t let them in right away. Ask me first.”

“Yes!”

He told the guards he had brought with him, ordering them to guard the door to the room.

This was Tigre and Elena’s office, and only a select few were permitted to enter.

There might be unexpected visitors, but this was a measure to ensure confidentiality.

When he opened the door, he saw furniture that wasn’t made by Heim.

The difference in comfort was striking, and even Tigre, who was already accustomed to it, was impressed.

“I need some documents.”

“I’ll choose. What kind?”

Elena replied, heading for the bookshelf.

“Since it’s called a dragon’s egg, it can’t be found in a city where other cities are nearby.”

It needed to appear as if it was found here and not on the continent of Ishtar.

It was necessary to select a region and convey that information to Warren, who came up with the plan.

“Ideally, it would be an area where adventurers could earn money, but unfortunately, it’s smaller than Ishtalika.”

“Hmm… Then how about using some old legends or something?”

Tigre looked at Elena after hearing her suggestion.

“There is an ancient ruin. Among adventurers, there’s a story about it.”

“What is it?”

He slowly sat down in his chair and urged her to continue.

Then, as if remembering something, Elena put her hand to her mouth and began to speak.

“Apparently, only insects and small animals are found there. However, in the deepest part, there is an altar that monsters avoid…”

She took a book from the bookshelf and brought it to Tigre’s desk.

It appeared to be a map. She opened it to a certain page and handed it to him.

“South of Rockdam and northwest of us. I think this area used to be a humid, tropical region.”

“That’s right. The ruins are located here. The altar also has another name.”

Elena continued her explanation.

Casually sharing this information with Tigre, who was looking at the map with great interest, she said,

“It’s called the Altar of Descent and Bestowal.”

“…So, what descends and what is bestowed?”

Tigre asked, propping his cheek on his hand.

“Actually, I don’t know that part,”

Elena just smiled awkwardly.

“I see. It’s probably just a meaningless nickname that adventurers started using.”

Still, it wasn’t bad. That’s how Tigre felt.

Any anecdote or condition that could be used was fine.

The important thing right now wasn’t whether the story was true.

“Then, for now, what was it called? The altar of descent and bestowal?”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s make the surrounding area a candidate site. We can say that a god descended and bestowed dragon eggs.”

Was that too far-fetched? Then again, dragon faith itself had similar elements.

Even if an egg were found in an ancient ruin, it wouldn’t be rejected outright.

“By the way, if God exists, what do you think would have happened to Heim?”

Tigre asked with a sly smile.

“…This is what I think: If God existed, Heim would have disappeared much earlier.”

Considering his past deeds, if there had been divine punishment, it would have come sooner.

Then, Tigre laughed loudly.

“Hahahahaha! That’s right, Elena! Then surely that altar has no meaning.”

After laughing to his heart’s content, he continued, speaking with a cheerful expression.

“We need to check out the site. Elena, please arrange the schedule.”

“A-Are you going, Tigre-sama?”

“Of course. I’m in charge.”

Elena wished he wouldn’t take the initiative here.

She sighed inwardly and realized something at the same time.

In this respect, he was just like her daughter.

“Warren-dono’s letter said he would check out the location. That means Leonard and Batz will be going. It would be rude of me to stay here and wait while they go out of their way to do that.”

“Tigre-sama? Even though you’re the head of the autonomous region now, you still have a position to uphold, don’t you?”

She told him to please refrain from doing so, but…

“Ah, yes. If Elena can say that to Ain, then I’ll stop, too.”

How about it? He said with a sly remark.

Of course, Elena wouldn’t stop him.

It was a matter of mental strength, power… and authority.

She couldn’t stop someone that that girl couldn’t stop.

“…I’ll ask the Knights of Ishtalika for backup.”

In the end, she gave up and tried to ensure Tigre’s safety.

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