Chapter 41

There is a little girl. She's like an orange preserved in honey.

Her dress flutters, and her eyes sparkle with curiosity.

She asks, "Who are you?" ... I would rather know who she is first...

"... I'm Togo. I'm a guest... I guess? Well, I made a contract with someone here and came to this room..."

I bend down to her eye level and answer, and the girl's expression brightens.

"Really...? That's amazing!"

Then she jumps up... and then, as if realizing that such exuberance is bad manners, she quickly straightens her dress and composes herself. She seems a bit of a tomboy.

Then she asks again, more formally,

"Hey, hey. Are you Santos' summoned creature?"

...Huh?

"No, I'm not."

"Really? Then, Father's? You did make a 'contract,' right?"

...Huh? Something, something... a huge misunderstanding has occurred.

"Um... I'm the one who summons creatures, not a summoned creature."

"I'm sorry! I thought you were a fairy or something! I'm sorry!"

And the girl frantically apologizes.

"It's okay. I'm not angry."

Probably, to her, 'guest' means 'a creature before the contract as a summoned creature.' Maybe there was a summoning of a creature in this room before.

"I said something rude..."

The girl looks completely dejected, and it's so pitiful to see. Hmm... I shouldn't let a little girl look like this.

"... Do I really look like a 'fairy'?"

So, to distract her a bit, I try to change the subject.

"Yes, you look exactly like a fairy in the encyclopedia. ... Are you really not a fairy? A human?"

"Yep. A human."

"Really? But I've never seen anyone with an aura like yours. You really do look like a fairy."

... What kind of creature is this 'fairy'? I can't even imagine.

Then, after a while, the girl suddenly looks up.

"By the way, I asked your name, but I forgot to introduce myself!"

Yeah, that's right.

She quickly pinches the hem of her dress and bows.

"My name is Carnelia Lily Joren!"

She smiles and raises her head, and a large ribbon on top of her head sways softly.

"Joren? A young lady of the Joren family?"

Before I could, Laocrates asks the girl. Yeah, judging by the last name, that's right...

"Yes. I'm the daughter of the Joren family! I'm nine this year!"

I see. So Santos has a younger sister. Santos looks older than me, probably around 19 or 20. So, a sister about 10 years younger.

... The coloring is similar, but the facial features don't seem to match much. Her eyes, like candied tangerines, and her honey-colored hair, don't resemble her father or brother.

"I see. Santos has a sister."

"Yes! Officially, I'm his sister! But we only share half the blood of ordinary siblings!"

... Huh.

For a moment, it felt like a very heavy topic, but Carnelia is smiling without any particular concern, so I won't worry about it either.

"Please be nice to me! Brother who looks like a fairy!"

Then Carnelia says this with a smile... but I've been given a pretty unusual nickname. A brother who looks like a fairy...

"Um, Togo is fine. Everyone calls me that."

"Really? Then, Brother Togo. Nice to meet you!"

Come to think of it, I haven't been called 'Togo' since I came to this world.

... Mainly because of Fay, or rather, thanks to Fay, I guess. He has always called me Togo from the beginning.

"Hey, Brother Togo. Can you talk to me for a bit? I don't have many people to talk to, so I won't let a guest like Brother Togo slip by!"

"... Um, Carnelia. The 'Brother' part... it makes me a bit uncomfortable."

Well, Carnelia says this with shining eyes, but I have to stop her. After all, 'Brother'... I don't get called that often. It's not just about the 'fairy' part.

... But Carnelia looks a bit embarrassed and says,

"Really? If it bothers you, I'll stop. Togo, okay? Got it. ... This is my first time using such a title. I call all older men 'Brother' or 'Sir' to avoid thinking about whether Santos is my 'real brother' or not."

... Yeah.

Does that make it a heavy topic?

It didn't turn into a heavy topic. She seems to have some awareness that 'you shouldn't talk about such things with people you don't want to.' But she doesn't seem to mind it herself... Hmm, it must be a complicated family situation.

I don't want to ask a 9-year-old girl I just met about such things, so I won't ask now.

"Hey, Togo. Can I stay here a bit longer?"

"As long as your father or brother doesn't mind. I don't have a problem with it."

"Great! Then it's fine! Ah, I don't think Father or Santos will mind where I am. I'm usually left alone. ... The only one who cares about me in this house is Interia."

Carnelia says this and looks a bit sad.

... Oh, right, Interia said she was Carnelia's guard when we entered the house. So, Interia is her guard.

That means... Yeah, probably, the lord of the Joren family, who recognized Laocrates, thought, 'If so, there must be a former colleague among the originally hired staff, so let's use him as a hostage.'

If that's the case, it was bad luck, or good luck... Yeah.

... Then Carnelia left after some light conversation.

She seemed to enjoy having someone to talk to. She asked if she could come again, and I said yes.

Then she said, "Next time I come, I'll bring my treasure! I'll show it to you!" and left looking very happy.

Since she seemed to have a good time, I felt a bit happy too.

"... About her."

"Yeah."

Then, in the basement after Carnelia left, Togo and Laocrates take out the drawing paper again. We need to start preparing for the drawing.

"Probably an illegitimate child."

"Yeah."

Laocrates says this and sighs slightly.

An illegitimate child. I understand the meaning. In other words, not the child of the legal wife. Probably. So, she and Santos only share half the blood of ordinary siblings.

"That's why she's left alone. If there's any use for her, it's probably as a tool for a political marriage."

"... I see."

That's why she looked a bit sad. I don't think it's right to meddle in other families' affairs, but... somehow, I feel a bit sad too.

"I'm worried about the situation in this house."

I was surprised by Laocrates' words, thinking I shouldn't meddle in other families' affairs.

... But then I understood when I heard what he said next.

"They are too hasty."

Yeah. That's right.

They rushed in like burglars to the Redgard house. I think they didn't have to do that. Yeah. I think they could have done it a bit differently.

"And now, there is almost no surveillance. If anything, Carnelia Lily Joren is the only one, but... that's not surveillance, is it?"

"Yeah."

I can't imagine Carnelia as a surveillance agent. If she were, she'd be a great actress.

"... The fact that they tried to kidnap you and the lack of surveillance... something doesn't add up."

"Yeah. Maybe they had an urgent matter?"

Did they need a Red Dragon immediately? For what?

Hmm... I can't figure it out. Maybe it's better not to know. But I am a bit curious.

That day, I only finished the water stretching of the drawing paper.

Ideally, I wanted to finish the underdrawing before the water stretching, but this time, I haven't decided what to draw yet. So, I decided to finish the preparation of the drawing paper first.

"The problem is what to draw..."

"Something other than a Red Dragon, right?"

"Yeah."

I've decided to draw something other than a Red Dragon. Yeah. The Red Dragon belongs to Fay. It doesn't seem to suit Laocrates, and it definitely doesn't suit Santos.

"... What should I draw?"

To begin with, I don't know what kind of creatures exist in this world.

I know some creatures that were considered 'mythical' in my world, but that's it. That's why I'm struggling to decide what to draw.

"It would be best to draw from a real creature."

"But there is no real creature to draw from."

Yeah. I'm stuck.

If I could at least know what kind of creatures exist, that would be helpful.

While I was thinking about this,

"... Hey, they're coming."

I move when I hear Laocrates whisper this. I can hear footsteps from the other side of the door. They're not Carnelia's light steps. They're heavier and approaching in large strides. I hide the water-stretched drawing paper under the bed.

Then, I move to the center of the room and sit in a squat before the door opens.

... When the door opens, Santos looks puzzled to see me sitting in a squat.

"... What are you doing? Is this some kind of ritual?"

"It's not a ritual, I'm just sitting."

Since I was doing nothing but sitting, I answered confidently, and he didn't ask any more questions. Nothing was said. That's good.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you're doing... but I need you to perform the summoning as per the contract. By the way, how long will it take until the summoning?"

Santos says this while showing signs of impatience. He might be anxious because our preparations haven't progressed at all.

"Do you have something to do?"

"The one asking questions is me. Answer."

I think there must be something, and after thinking for a moment, I answer.

"Hmm... I need about three days."

Then, Santos... clearly looks surprised.

"... I thought it was fast when you said it at first, but is it really that quick?"

Oh, three days is fast. Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

"Preparations are underway."

"Is that so... Well, if that's the case, it's fine."

When I explained the reason, Santos understood.

... Yeah, preparations are underway. Water stretching and such. So, I'm not lying.

"Then, do you have something to do?"

"That's..."

Now that I've answered his question, it's his turn to answer. I ask again.

"... Next month, there will be a party at the royal castle."

I don't know about that.

"I'm invited to it. Naturally, the evaluation there will affect the Joren family's evaluation."

I see.

"... That's the reason."

"I don't understand at all."

Since I don't understand, I say so honestly, and I get scolded, "You're so clueless!"

But I still feel like he's hiding something. Yeah.

That day, since the drawing paper won't dry, I can't do anything more. I tried to jot down some ideas on a memo paper about what kind of creature to draw, but it didn't feel right.

... While I was doing this, it was time for dinner, and we were treated to a meal in the dining room. The food in a noble's house is always delicious.

But... while Santos, the lord, and a beautiful woman who seems to be Santos' mother were at the table, Carnelia wasn't there, which I found odd.

That night,

"... If it's not progressing, go to sleep."

"Hmm... It's not too early, is it?"

While being scolded by Laocrates, I was facing the memo paper.

I can't decide what to draw at all. This is bad.

I need to draw a creature that suits Laocrates, but I can't think of anything.

"Hey"

"No, just a bit more..."

"Will thinking solve it?"

... No.

Yeah. I don't think thinking about it will lead to a solution...

"Yeah, I'll sleep. I'll sleep..."

I felt it might be bad to go to sleep without deciding, but I was already being dragged to the bed by Laocrates. Yeah, I'll give up. I can't win against him in strength. So, I move to the bed on my own.

... I might not be able to sleep because of the anxiety of not deciding anything.

I lie down on the bed. I thought the bed in the basement might be uncomfortable, but it was surprisingly soft and comfortable. It must have been brought in recently.

I roll around on the bed. Fragments of imaginary creatures float in my head, but they don't form a proper shape.

What should I do? If I can't decide, what will I do?

This is a creature for Laocrates' summoned creature. I want to draw something proper.

And it must not violate the contract with the Joren family.

... Hmm.

I can't fall asleep while lying down. Just then,

Light footsteps approach quietly. Hearing this, I jump up.

"... Hey"

Laocrates looks exasperated, but for me, this is a welcome visitor.

If I can't sleep anyway, it wouldn't be bad to be a conversation partner for her.

"Good evening. Can I stay for a bit?"

Carnelia, who came in secretly, peeks in hesitantly.

"Of course!"

So, I happily invite her in. Yeah. It's still too early to sleep.

"Thank you! ... I thought I shouldn't visit a guest at this hour, but I really wanted to show you!"

Carnelia comes in happily... and then shows me what she was holding in her chest.

"Here! My treasure!"

It was a book. A thick, very old book. ... And the title on the cover, as expected, I can't read.

"I'll show you! If you look at this before sleeping, you might have a nice dream!"

But when Carnelia opens the page... I understand what this book is.

The pages are filled with illustrations of various creatures, and there are detailed descriptions next to them.

... This is probably an encyclopedia of creatures in this world.