Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 260

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Chapter 260 – First Step in Bringing Something to Light

Like Olivia, dryads were able to live in human form.

The World Tree, however, was literally a giant tree and did not exist in human form.

Ain existed in human form due to the strong influence of evolution and demonization.

In other words, Ain’s species was like a new human race with no precedents.

In other words, everything that Ain displayed was an unprecedented event in history.

The mansion bustled at night.

A group of servants looked over Ain with smiles, and Olivia exchanged joyful glances with him.

Chris, who seemed to want to say something, peered out from behind a pillar. Katima let out a curious “Hmm.”

Martha stood up with a relieved expression and said, “Finally,” while Dill’s eyes welled up with emotion.

Finally, Chris emerged from behind the pillar, having made a decision of some kind.

Everyone had gathered in the great hall, with the main characters sitting on the large sofa in the center.

How did this happen? There was no intention to make a grand announcement; this was an unavoidable result.

This was because the race column on Krone’s status card contained words that no one understood.

“But… I’ve never seen this race before-nya.”

Not even Katima, the most intelligent cat and the first princess, had ever seen this before.

She held Krone’s status card in her palm, fiddling with it idly. Then she read the word aloud again.

“Driad, what is this? How is it different from dryad?” [T/N: The first one was (ドリアード) Doriado, and the latter was (ドライアド) Doraiado.]

Instead of “Dryad,” it simply says “Driad” in the race section.

Is it a typo? Ain wanted to ask about it, but he didn’t know who to ask.

“W-Well, I don’t know…”

“Hmm. Well, if you don’t know, there’s no way to find out-nya. Krone, come here for a moment-nya.”

Krone approached Katima, who was standing next to Ain, after being beckoned with her paw.

There were no visible roots or vines on her body, and she looked like her usual self.

In fact, she seemed to exude a little more sensuality.

It was as if Olivia’s sensuality had been superimposed on Krone’s innocence.

“Try to be aware of it. Can you bring it out-nya?”

“…N-No, I’ve tried many times, but I’ve never been able to do it.”

Krone smiled in confusion, unable to do it on her own.

“Is there anything unusual about your body-nya?”

“Nothing in particular. But…”

“But what-nya?”

“I feel Ain’s presence more strongly than usual…”

“I see… You’re in love-nya!”

Katima stood up on the sofa and pointed her fingers—her paw pads—with more force than usual.

It’s perplexing. Why? Does she have pent-up frustration, too?

Her voice has more power than usual.

“Th-That’s not it! It’s really Ain’s presence…”

“Huh… What kind of presence is it-nya?”

Katima sat back down and crossed her legs haughtily.

She had the air of a seasoned senior woman.

(I don’t understand. She’s helping me, but I want to kick her.)

Ain couldn’t do that in front of Dill; he was still able to control himself.

He sat back deeply and took several deep breaths.

Chris, who had been about to say something earlier, laughed dryly and tried to calm Ain down.

“It’s kind of warm… It’s the usual gentle Ain, but…”

“Ugh, yes, you’re just bragging, aren’t you-nyaaaaa?”

Katima rolled around on the sofa, holding her head in her hands.

Krone was not the type of woman to spread sweet air around.

But now, with her face looking more languid than usual, she was doing so with even more power.

“Nyaaaaa! Overflowing youthfulness-nyaaaaa!”

To begin with, not having anything maked Ain sad.

The two of them had always been naturally affectionate, but now they were openly showing their love, which was too strong.

The sweetness Krone showed contrasted sharply with her usual self.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

While it couldn’t be said that it’s irrelevant, it was still too vague.

Since there was no precedent, they had no choice but to investigate little by little.

The people involved aren’t in trouble.

It’s just difficult to investigate… that’s all.

The sweet atmosphere came to an end, and preparations for Warren’s plan proceeded steadily.

Carpenters and artists were crafting egg-like objects.

They were being finished in Heim, and the plan was finally being put into action.

This occurred about a week after the incident involving Ain and Krone.

As December began, rumors finally started to spread.

“By the way, Your Highness, did you know?”

“What is it?”

Ain went to the adventurers’ guild branch in Strohm, a gathering place for adventurers.

Naturally, the guild had been informed of the previous commotion.

Ain came to the guild to hear the report.

After hearing the report, the guild master said casually, as if it were small talk:

“Apparently, a dragon’s egg was found across the sea in Heim. It’s said to be enormous and surrounded by a flame-like aura. It was discovered in an ancient ruin on the other side of the continent.”

“…I see. That’s news to me.”

The guild master seemed very interested, his eyes shining slightly.

Meanwhile, Ain tried to suppress a smirk.

It was impressive how efficiently information had spread this far in just a few days.

“I hear that preparations have begun for the Duke of Heim to present it to His Majesty. It seems that it will develop into a small festival.”

“Well, when you hear ‘dragon,’ it’s natural to get excited. This is a different dragon than my twins, so people will probably flock to see this rare sight.”

“You’re right. The nobles and merchants are all excited.”

(Hmm, if something happens, it’ll be easier for us.)

Then, Ain thought.

As a last resort, what if I spread the rumor that we’ll break the egg or feed it to the twins?

He couldn’t stand it anymore and felt compelled to take action.

Spreading such cruel information felt a little wrong, though.

He knew he shouldn’t worry about such things, but he decided to wait and see what happened.

“By the way, there is something I would like to tell you…”

“…Me?”

The guild master said hesitantly but with firm resolve.

“Have you heard of the Ist Trading Company?”

“No, I’ve never heard of it.”

However, from the way he said it, it seemed that it might be a trading company related to Ist.

Ain silently urged him to continue.

“It is a group that mainly operates in the Ist area and was once considered one of the major trading companies.”

“Once? Is it different now?”

“Yes. Due to the downfall of the Oink Viscount family, its parent organization, it quickly fell from being a major trading company to a small-to-medium-sized one.”

Ain’s eyebrows rose slightly.

He was surprised to hear a familiar name.

Sage Oink—the corrupt noble he had encountered in Ist at the beginning of his investigation into the Red Fox.

The issue between Sage and Ain had never been made public.

All that was known was that Sage, the viscount, had committed a crime, been punished according to the laws of Isthalika, and been dealt with.

The guild master did not know about the connection between Ain and Sage, yet he still spoke of it.

“So, what’s going on with the Ist Trading Company?”

“They’re trying to make a comeback. Apparently, when the dragon’s egg was to be presented to His Majesty, they asked us to let them participate in the surrounding stalls and events. They also sent word to our guild.”

“I see. So, you want to consult with me directly to see if they can get involved?”

“Yes, that is what I am afraid to say.”

“I’m sorry, but…”

All business involving such trading companies was entrusted to the August Trading Company, the most trustworthy company.

Even the trading company connected to the Baltic Strawberry case was handled through the August Trading Company.

Therefore, Ain basically had no say in the matter.

The guild master knew what Ain was doing.

Despite knowing the circumstances, he bowed deeply.

“The Ist Trading Company has made many donations to the guild. Therefore, we sincerely hope that you will consider our request…”

“I see. I understand. I’ll contact the August Trading Company later.”

“Shouldn’t Your Highness’s permission be enough?”

“That’s enough. Asking for more than that would be rude, even for me.”

This was the limit.

If you go any further, you know what will happen, right? He warned him sternly.

“First of all, this is different from the story about the Baltic strawberries. I had nothing to do with that commotion.”

He’s involved in something much deeper: a different plan.

“No, I’m sorry. I was a little hasty. I apologize for my rudeness.”

(Ha! No, no, no. That’s too obvious in more ways than one.)

Ain wondered if they really wanted to make a comeback.

As the guild leader said, he understood that this was a good opportunity.

But he wondered if they would show their faces after staying quiet until now.

(Are they really stupid enough to make such a clear statement and fall into the trap?)

The whereabouts of those wearing dragon-worshipping robes were still unknown.

In other words, they were intelligent and acting accordingly.

Still, Ain couldn’t fathom why they would foolishly walk into a trap at this point.

If that’s the case, then the Ist Trading Company might be innocent. However, there’s another troubling issue.

He wondered if they held a grudge against him.

If Viscount Sage was their leader, then Ain was also responsible for reducing the trading company to a small business.

Viscount Sage was the cause, but no one had a perfect life.

Although it was not public knowledge, Ain couldn’t help but wonder if there was any evidence to support this theory.

“By the way, wasn’t the Ist Trading Company on good terms with Viscount Sage?”

“Yes, I heard that the chairman and the viscount were very close.”

(Ugh… that stinks. They were probably connected by money, but now that money is gone…)

He didn’t want to get involved. It’s too smelly. He wanted to cover it up and throw it away.

However, he also wanted to avoid any trouble that might arise later on, and that he had nothing to do with.

“Well, then. Actually, I have work to do this afternoon, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Is that so? Then let me walk you out…”

“No, it’s not necessary today. I’ll head home with my subordinates.”

He stood up, as if remembering something, and hurried outside.

When he opened the door, two women were waiting for him.

“Lili, did you hear that?”

“I heard it loud and clear! I was nodding along!”

“That’s why I was so worried! What happened? I asked you, but you wouldn’t tell me!”

It was easy to guess what was going on.

Chris had been teased again today.

Lili, who was a secret agent, had much better hearing than Chris, even though she was an elf.

Ain smiled wryly, patted Chris on the head, and started walking ahead.

“Come on, it was a perk of the job.”

“Um… Th-That’s different, and besides, we don’t have enough people…”

“Lili? Could you send a few more people?”

Smiling wryly at the two of them, Ain gave Lili instructions, and…

“Yes, yes, leave it to me! I’ll arrange for personnel to be sent to the Ist area by today.”

“W-Wait, why the Ist area? Ain-sama! Explain it to me, too.”

“I’ll explain when we get back to the mansion, so wait a little while.”

When he got back, he’ll have more work to do. It’s tiresome, but there’s no way around it.

Then, Lili disappeared without a trace to do her work.

“Come to think of it, is Marco coming back tonight?”

“Yes, he should be bringing back the information he got from Sylvia-sama.”

Marco had gone to the Demon Lord’s castle to ask around.

It would take several days, but there were a few things he needed to ask Sylvia.

Having received official orders, he remembered how determined he was as he made preparations.

“Perhaps we should ask the three of them for help after all?”

“Cain-san, Sylvia-san, and… Arche-san?”

Chris nodded quietly.

“The three of them have been through a lot and deserve a rest. But, given the situation, I think they’re the ones we can rely on the most. To be honest, I think they’re the ones we can rely on the most…”

“I know what you’re saying, Chris. But we can’t rely on them completely. Those three are strong and knowledgeable, so we should rely on their knowledge only. If something happens and we can’t do anything ourselves, then I don’t deserve to be king.”

Finally, Ain said what he had to say.

However, if a situation arose where the people were likely to suffer great harm, then he would humbly ask for their help.

Nothing major had happened yet, and borrowing their power in this situation could lead to serious consequences.

“I’m not trying to be cool by saying I’ll manage on my own. It’s just too early to rely on them completely. I think we should try a little harder.”

“I understand. Then I’ll do my best too!”

Chris clenched both hands in front of her chest. Her beautiful appearance contrasted with her adorable demeanor.

Seeing her determined expression, Ain smiled slightly and tightened his resolve.

However, life in Strohm was restless—or rather, chaotic.

No matter how hard he tried to avoid it, trouble always seemed to find Ain.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

This was the story of what happened when Ain returned to the mansion that evening.

In the town of Strohm, a girl walked down the main road, which was lined with food stalls.

“Hahahaha! How’s that, miss? Isn’t it delicious?”

The stall owner laughed loudly as he spoke to the girl, enjoying the skewered meat.

She was smiling broadly and stuffing several skewers into her mouth. The stall owner found her amusing and kept giving her extra servings.

Her mouth was filled with fatty seafood.

As a result, she could only smile and nod happily in response.

“This town is going to get big! I used to run a food stall in Magna, but when I heard the hero was going to become the lord, I hurried to speak with the merchant guild. I managed to set up this stall. You must have come here for that, right?”

The girl nodded vigorously.

“Right? You said earlier that it had been a long time since you’d been somewhere with so many people. You’re from the countryside, aren’t you?”

The girl nodded again.

“Do you have a place to stay? If not, it’s getting late. You’d better decide quickly!”

“…”

“Oh, you’ve already decided? Then that’s settled. Be careful on the road at night. Don’t walk down any back alleys by yourself!”

The girl waved goodbye to the stall owner and left.

The skewered meat she held in both hands was steaming, and the aroma of fish sauce filled the air.

Looking up at the sky, she saw that the dark night stretched out endlessly.

It was about time to find a place to stay. The girl ran off with light footsteps, making little noise.

She had told the stall owner that it had been a long time since she had come to a city like this, let alone Strohm.

It was no surprise that she got lost.

“…!”

Was it that way? As she ran toward her destination, she found herself on a back street.

Taking the main road would mean going out of her way. After thinking it over, she decided to take the back street.

Assuming it wouldn’t be a problem, she skillfully ate her skewered meat while running through the night.

These back roads had streetlights because Ain was determined to illuminate the night streets.

This was, of course, for crime prevention.

Regardless of the severity of the crime, those with something to hide tend to prefer places with fewer people.

Increasing the number of streetlights has naturally been effective, and other cities are following suit.

However, that didn’t mean everything had been solved. It seemed there were still people who want to do bad things.

“Good evening, miss.”

“Where are you going? It’s dangerous walking down this road. Why don’t you go to the main street with us?”

The men who called out to her were not rough adventurers or men in robes.

They were just drunk men, too old to be called “brothers.”

If this were Katima, she would have called them out without hesitation: “Hey, you drunk old men-nya!”

“…”

No, the girl shook her head.

It’s okay, don’t worry. See you later.

She tried to run past the two men, but…

“Come on, it’s okay. You’re a little small, but… Are you selling it? You’re alone on a street like this, so I thought…”

“How much?”

The girl whose arm had been grabbed turned around, looking sullen, and wrinkled her forehead.

No, let go! I’m not a prostitute.

She shook her head and tried to run away, but the man was strong and wouldn’t let go.

“Come on, come on… If that’s the case, it’s fine! We’re traveling, and we’re bored. Let’s go talk for a bit.”

He pulled her toward the main street.

At least they weren’t trying to take her to a hotel, so maybe they weren’t that bad after all.

The two men tried to grab the girl’s hand in a familiar manner, perhaps because they were drunk.

“Ouch! Miss, that hurts.”

Hmph! Her smug expression only served to provoke the two men.

“Come on, it’s okay. Just a little. By the way, what’s your name?”

“Right, let’s be friends.”

In the end, they were just drunken bums.

The girl who took the back alley was partly to blame, but getting drunk and bothering strangers is even worse.

When asked her name, the girl chewed on a piece of meat on a skewer in her mouth.

Should I tell them my name? Just as she was thinking that, the man holding her hand changed his expression.

“Ah… Ahhhhhhh!? Hey, stop it! It’s hot! It’s hot!”

The drunken man let go of her hand, wrapped his arms around himself, and ran away in a panic.

The other man looked at the girl as if he had sobered up.

“Huh?”

His voice, full of foolishness, was that of a drunkard.

Eventually, unsure of what to do, he ran after the man who had run away.

The girl finished chewing the meat on a skewer in her mouth and called out to the backs of the men leaving.

“…My name is Arche.”

Was the nightmare she showed him—the nightmare of jealousy—something special?

Her anger at being interrupted while eating the meat had long since subsided, so she stuffed the rest into her mouth.

“Sniff… sniff…”

She sniffled and searched for the scent of her destination.

“Hmm, Chris… Chris is over there…”

She ran down the back alley.

Her long, silver hair swayed as she ran through the night, leaving a honey-like scent in her wake.

Then, she came across the person who had been looking for her.

“Haa… haa… Th-There you are!”

It was Ain who took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Ah, it’s been a while.”

“It hasn’t been that long! I’ve been looking for you.”

The boy with lustrous brown hair was Ain, and the person he had been searching for all over town was Arche.

She was the original ancestor of the Ishitalika royal family. It wasn’t strange that Ain had come looking for her.

What was strange was that she was walking alone in town.

“Why did you get separated from Marco, hide from him, and go to the trouble of hiding your presence?”

“…I didn’t mean to hide. I just liked the smell. I was just concentrating on that.”

She must have unconsciously displayed some mysterious stealth ability.

There was no point in asking any more questions, so Ain gave up.

“…I see. Let’s just leave it at that.”

She followed Marco home and went with him to Strohm.

However, by the time he noticed, she had disappeared into the town.

She said the reason was that it smelled good and she couldn’t help herself.

“Marco rushed back to the mansion and said that Arche-san had left, so we were all looking for you.”

“Hmm. I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

“…Let’s go to the mansion first. On the way, we’ll tell the knights that we found Arche-san.”

Ain turned around and walked down the back alley at night.

Then, Arche started walking after him.

“Marco was in a hurry, so I didn’t hear why Arche-san came. Did something happen?”

“…Hmm! Leave that to me!”

“…Huh?”

She slapped her chest to show how reliable she was, but Arche’s physique made it look cute.

“Ah, my skewered meat…”

When she slapped her chest again, the remaining meat fell to the ground. She looked at Ain with teary eyes.

She pursed her lips tightly, then opened her mouth with a pained expression.

“Ugh… Sy-Sylvia-neechan told me to help you.”

Just hearing that a sister can give orders to the Demon Lord sounds terrifying.

(Maybe I should go buy some skewers…)

It’s only natural to think that.

Arche’s tearful expression was so pitiful that it hurt Ain’s heart.

“I…I also… I also want to make amends. If I can help, I’ll do my best! That’s why I came here.”

There’s probably no precedent for a demon lord dropping skewered meat in an alley.

In other words, there’s probably no precedent for a demon lord crying like this, either.

But enough of that.

She’s probably talking about when she went on a rampage in the past.

Although she was under the control of the red fox at the time, she regreted her actions and was eager to help now that she has the chance.

The current situation involved a small criminal organization, dragon worship, and the emergence of a radical faction within it.

If it came to all-out war, Ain’s side had the advantage.

However, they didn’t have enough manpower.

In this situation, where they would borrow even a cat’s paw if they could, the demon lord Arche was sent.

She was responsible for a disaster more than 500 years ago, and will cooperate.

Although Ain had said he wouldn’t rely on her too much, he felt a strong sense of reliability after hearing her reason for coming.

Rather than being reassuring, having two demon lords together felt excessive.

After all, they both had a history as rampaging Demon Lords.

“If we head to the main street, we should easily meet up with Marco and the others. Shall we buy some skewered meat and wait there?”

“What!? You’re a demon lord with such an unpleasant trait, yet you’re so kind…”

(That’s completely unrelated. Well, I guess it is a difficult trait, but…)

This was going nowhere.

Shaking his head and scratching his temple, Ain led Arche back to the main street.

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