Chapter 93

After that, I chatted a bit with Enrique and gathered some information about the demand for dragon tools before leaving the store.

When I stepped outside, I saw Louise sleeping soundly just outside the store, and a group of children gathered around her.

The children seemed very interested in the sleeping Louise.

However, they didn’t come any closer.

They were watching Louise and me from a distance.

I smiled at the children and approached Louise, shaking her gently.

“Louise”

“Mnya… Master?”

“Yeah, I’m done with my business, let’s go back.”

“Hwai…”

Louise, who had been lying down, got up and stretched.

Then, skillfully, she removed the custom-made eye mask I had made for her.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah…? Hey, are we being watched?”

Louise looked around.

It seemed she noticed that she was attracting attention from the children and others around her.

“I think everyone is curious about Louise’s eye mask.”

I had been observing the children and the people around us, and it seemed that the curious gazes were mainly directed at Louise’s eye mask.

“I see. Hehe… It’s because Master made it for me, after all.”

Louise smiled happily when she realized the eye mask was getting attention.

I climbed onto Louise’s back.

“Where to, Master?”

“We’ve accomplished our goal, let’s head back to Persolone.”

“Understood.”

Louise responded and was about to start walking with me on her back… when suddenly,

“Excuse me, are you Cyril Arrows?”

“Hm?”

Someone called out to me.

I turned to the voice and saw a middle-aged man looking up at me.

I was on Louise’s back, and the man was standing on the ground, so he naturally had to look up at me.

“Who are you?”

“I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Cesar Santana, the representative of ‘Cheek Peas.’”

“Hmm.”

I patted Louise and jumped down from her back to the ground.

Cheek Peas… from the sound of it, I guessed they were merchants dealing with dragon-related business.

And I was right.

“We supply dragon feed to several dragon knight guilds.”

“I see… What do you want from me, Santana?”

Dragon feed—while it might be convenient to have, we don’t need it right now.

“I wanted to express my gratitude first.”

“Gratitude?”

“Yes. Recently, many guilds have been upgrading the quality of dragon feed. I suspect it’s to appease the dragons who were dissatisfied.”

“Hmm?”

“This is thanks to you, Mr. Arrows… I believe.”

“…Ah.”

A moment later, I nodded in understanding.

This was part of the recent series of events.

Because I, Dragon-First, had treated the dragons well, they had silently demanded better treatment.

And the guilds had responded by upgrading the quality of the feed.

Indeed, since other dragon knights can’t understand the dragons, it makes sense that they would take this approach.

And—

“Have the dragons been satisfied with the upgraded feed?”

“Yes!”

Santana nodded clearly.

Well, that makes sense.

If a dragon’s daily meals are clearly upgraded and taste better, they would probably be willing to endure a lot more.

By treating the dragons in Dragon-First well, I had indirectly improved the meal situation for other dragons.

That’s—yeah, quite heartwarming.

“So, I thought I should express my gratitude…”

“Hmm?”

“I would like to offer the highest-quality food from our guild to Mr. Arrows’ guild.”

“I see.”

I turned to Louise and asked,

“It’s delicious food, what do you think, Louise?”

“A soft bed is better.”

Louise gave a completely consistent, typical response.

“But, it’s a bit nice that the food is delicious too.”

“I see.”

I nodded and turned back to Santana.

“Alright, I’ll accept it gratefully.”

“Thank you.”

Santana bowed deeply.

After raising his head, he still looked at me with a gaze that suggested he had more to say.

“Is there something else?”

“I might be presumptuous, but… if Mr. Arrows’ dragons like our food, I would like to supply it regularly…”

“Regularly?”

I frowned.

That’s… a different story.

If it’s just a one-time thank you, I could accept it without a second thought, but regular supply is a different matter.

Merchants don’t do anything that would result in a loss.

There must be something in it for him…

“Oh.”

I noticed the gazes of the onlookers.

They had been watching Louise when I came out of the store, and they were looking at her eye mask.

The custom-made dragon tool, the eye mask for dragons to sleep, is probably something only Louise has.

It’s rare, so it’s attracting attention.

This inadvertently became an advertisement for my brand of dragon tools.

Realizing this, I had an epiphany.

“Would it be good to advertise that we use it regularly?”

“Indeed, your insight is as sharp as ever. However, there’s no need to trouble you. If we can have the fact that you receive regular deliveries from our guild, that would be sufficient.”

“I see, so that’s how it becomes an advertisement.”

“Yes.”

“Alright. It’s a fact, so I don’t mind.”

“Thank you.”

Santana was overjoyed and bowed to me.

Thus, in an unexpected way, the meal situation for the dragons improved—no, evolved.

… I need to figure out my own meal situation soon.