Chapter 10

And then.

The young magician with dark brown hair and eyes left Shilun, accompanied by his servant and the adventurer.

Verine had much to do.

First, she needed to contact nearby branches and gather those skilled in forest surveys and capable of dealing with the monsters that were expected to appear. By demonstrating the high demand, people would naturally gather.

Moreover, once that happened, she would need to appropriately verify not only the adventurers' abilities but also their character. If any major problems arose, it would damage the credibility of Verine and the others at the Kennel.

While she had built a certain level of relationship with the Kennel, he might still lose his patience if she took it for granted. Considering this, the situation at the Shilun branch was still far from stable. Therefore, she needed to skillfully manage the adventurers.

However, the prospects for the lord of Shilun were relatively bright. Although it did not directly involve the guild's operations and was not directly related to Verine's work, if the good people involved with the guild and her work did not suffer, it was something Verine could wholeheartedly welcome. The times when she felt a sense of accomplishment in her work were such moments, and she could say that she was striving for that very reason.

...Despite being in a busy and leisureless situation, in the afternoon, Verine was drinking tea in the parlor of Ashley's mansion, facing Kennel.

Of course, she was not there to play. She wanted to confirm the proposal she had made.

"So—has Lord Ashley's will been confirmed?"

"Aye. He agreed without hesitation. He has never had friends of the same age, so he must have been quite delighted."

Kennel narrowed his eyes and looked somewhat melancholic.

"I feel like this old bone is no longer needed."

"Don't be so disheartened. You have a mountain of work to do. You play a very important role in ensuring Lord Ashley can live comfortably there. Your job of supporting Lord Ashley from behind remains unchanged. Moreover, with the arrival of adventurers, there will be more food and money for the town. There is also the reorganization and re-education of the guard, and—"

"Ah, I get it. No need to say more. It's just a grumble."

Kennel waved his hand dismissively, but seeing his spirits lift, Verine's smile deepened.

"...Don't worry about me. Rather, when discussing Lord Ashley, shouldn't we be more concerned about that Theodore? What do you think of him?"

Asked for his opinion, Verine placed her hand on her chin, tilted her head, and said:

"Hmm, well. He's quite twisted, I think."

"Is that...alright?"

"It should be fine. Many children who become adventurers out of necessity are in similar situations, and I've seen many of them. He has a relatively normal kind of twist. He is outstandingly capable and quite sharp, which makes him somewhat dangerous to watch...but I don't think he has the makings of a villain. In fact, I'd say he's a good catch. I highly recommend him."

This is how Verine viewed the boy Theodore.

It felt like there was more to it, but even Verine couldn't fully understand. A child who excels in a particular skill and has a high level of technical ability in their field. A child who is intelligent and eloquent. They likely have talent, but they also have reasons for becoming that way.

When looking at Theodore from this perspective, there are both understandable and completely mysterious aspects mixed together.

The understandable part is...that boy keeps almost everyone at a distance, drawing a clear line and not letting them in easily. Yet, he is oddly friendly towards adventurers, perhaps out of youthful admiration or because he had a good experience with one in the past.

Still, this is probably because adventurers can be contracted, and he trusts them through the contract. Even if betrayed, he can deal with it without feeling hurt. The same applies to himself.

Therefore, he is highly wary of others. He gives the impression of a wild wolf that has been hurt by humans in the past. However, his gaze towards that Grace girl is often gentle, suggesting he is very tolerant of those he considers family. Conversely, his attitude towards enemies of his family is fierce. The look Theodore gave to Oslor made even the experienced Verine shudder.

Imagining the background that led him to this state, Verine can't help but frown.

Therefore, he is dangerous. His high abilities make him think he can do anything, leading him to push himself to his limits. The reason he is going to Termwillis is obvious.

Verine doesn't want that boy to be unhappy. He should lower his guard a bit more and be more like a child. She doesn't think he should live like that.

She is glad that the servant girl is with him, but since she is someone he has trusted from the beginning, her presence alone is not enough to lower his guard towards the outside world.

Therefore, the question is who can penetrate the high barriers he has built and how. Ashley would be perfect for this. Unlike Verine, she doesn't play games, and Theodore seems to have some emotional connection with her.

Ashley's character is also pleasant, and considering her health and lack of social connections...she is the right person for the job.

"Really...you are a fox woman..."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Verine laughed, her shoulders shaking, at the exasperated expression on Kennel's face.

Kennel couldn't help but be impressed by Verine's tactics.

In other words, this would also benefit Verine herself.

If things went well, it would improve the relationship between the lord of Shilun and the guild, aligning with her original work. Her evaluation within the guild would also rise.

If Theodore found out about her manipulation, he would frown, but by then, he would be in Termwillis, and Verine would be in Shilun. Even if Theodore was unhappy, it wouldn't affect Verine at all.

She was confident that Theodore wouldn't vent his frustration on Ashley, who knew nothing about it, and she had already told him that she welcomed his involvement with Ashley.

This was essentially a declaration that she would use him if he got involved, and he must have understood that. There was no reason for Verine to hesitate.

Of course, it would also benefit Ashley and advance Kennel's work. In other words, it would be a win-win situation.

Verine believed that if her plans and the use of others did not make anyone unhappy, then it was fine.

She was slightly looking forward to how Theodore would react when they met again.

This was an interlude.

From the next chapter, they might be able to go to Termwillis.