Chapter 12

"Ah, this is Owl reporting from the scene. I'm currently in the grand mansion of Lord Randolf, who governs this entire area.

And the current situation is that Lord Randolf, who is happily being stepped on by Mrs. Mule... I mean, Lord Randolf, is right in front of me.

'I'm sorry, Lark, Owl. It seems that the pervert in our family has been terribly rude. He's usually very reliable, but sometimes he gets ahead of himself and misunderstands things, causing a big mess. He really doesn't have any ill intentions; it's just for the sake of the Randolf territory. Please understand that. Now, shall we have some tea to calm down?'

To explain how we got here, we need to go back about three hours.

After being led by the knights and riding in a carriage for about ten hours, my buttocks were just about at their limit when the knight informed us that we were almost there.

'Just a little further and you'll be able to see Lord Randolf's mansion. Get ready.'

And indeed, we arrived at the mansion very soon after. To put it mildly, it was a grand mansion. The mansion alone was probably thirty times the size of our house. In fact, I feel like even the buildings that look like pet houses are bigger than our house. ...This is what they mean by living in a different dimension.

It's not that I'm envious. Not at all. Not one bit.

Following the knights, we entered the mansion, where several maids were working.

'My job ends here. Wait here for a moment.'

Looking closely, some of the maids had cat ears and dog ears. Seeing my first-ever beastmen, I almost got excited, but I maintained a poker face with a steel will, given that this was the mansion of a border lord.

...I want to pet them.

Huh?! Dangerous, dangerous. Quinn's neck is fluffy, but it's different from those ears that twitch. Something inside me is being stirred. Poker face.

...It must feel so good to pet them.

Huh!!!?

Hmm, it seems I still can't maintain a poker face. Besides, I'm only six years old. At this age, anything is forgivable. I'll take full advantage of the situation and observe.

I casually glanced at my father, and his gaze was wandering. In front of him were cute ears and a tail.

This is what they mean by 'like father, like son.' Genetics are truly terrifying.

I just used a word I don't understand. I need to calm down.

'Hehehe, are the beastmen rare to you?'

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, and I turned around to see a person who looked like a butler standing there.

He looked like a kind old man, but there was a discerning will in his eyes. As if sensing that I had noticed, his scrutinizing gaze disappeared.

Or did he stand behind me without making a sound? Despite having activated spatial awareness and presence detection, I didn't sense him at all.

If this were a battlefield, I would have died without knowing why. Despite feeling cold sweat on my back, I maintained a calm demeanor.

Both my father and I were surprised, and the butler smoothly introduced himself.

'My name is Jimon Laurent. I am the head butler and the master's secretary. Please remember me.'

...He's not Sebastian. I was a bit disappointed, but I felt betrayed.

'Um, my name is Lark. This is my son, Owl. Nice to meet you.'

My father greeted on our behalf, but I also greeted out of caution.

'Thank you for inviting us today. I am Lark's son, Owl. Please remember me.'

...The butler and my father looked stunned. Did I do something wrong?

After the greetings, the butler suddenly directed a pressured gaze at me. Not knowing what to say, I just smiled childishly. My father, standing next to me, turned pale and trembled. Was he that nervous?

Led by the butler, we proceeded through the mansion and were shown into a room that looked like a reception room.

'Please wait here for a moment.'

As the butler left, a maid came in and served tea and cookies. I was surprised that the cookies were actually cookies, but I remembered to act childishly, knowing that several people were watching us from the shadows.

'Father, this tea and these cookies are delicious!'

'Huh? Oh, yeah, they are. Still, Owl, you're so composed... I'm so nervous that my hands are sweating...'

We continued to drink tea and eat cookies while waiting. About forty minutes later, a well-built, dashing man entered the room. He looked to be around thirty-five, but his presence suggested he was older.

'I apologize for the delay. I was dealing with the aftermath of the stampede. As you may know, my name is Randolf von Arlistel, the border lord. I've heard a rough outline of the story. You are Lark, and the boy next to you is Owl, correct? I don't like formalities, so let's get to the point. I called you here to discuss the recent stampede. The village chief told me that you two were the first to discover it. Is that correct?'

'Yes, that's correct.'

'Is that so... By the way, how did you know that a large number of monsters were approaching? Can you tell me?'

Despite the sharp gaze, my father answered smoothly, as we had decided beforehand.

'Yes, in that forest, only Tree Deers, which are relatively weak, should appear. However, I saw many aggressive monsters like Stealth Bears, Orc Knights, and Gray Wolves deep in the forest, so I thought it wasn't a minor issue and reported it to the village chief.'

'Hmm... The story is consistent, but something doesn't sit right. You are a farmer, right? Why were you in a dangerous forest with your son?'

'Yes, I realized that we were running low on emergency herbs, so I took my son to gather herbs and entered the forest.'

The story was consistent, but Randolf, who was not entirely convinced, suspected that this father and son were hiding something.

(Should I try to shake them a bit?)

'You didn't cause the stampede, did you?'

'Absolutely not! That's impossible! I swear by the Creator!'

(It seems they really didn't. ...Could the son be hiding something?)

'By the way, the report says that the damage from the stampede was almost zero, which is unprecedented. It seems that strategic-level lightning magic was used where the most monsters gathered. Boy, do you know anything about that?'

My father looked surprised and glanced at me. Yes, he saw it.

(You idiot, brainless gorilla...!)

(It seems the son, not the father, knows something. ...Could it be this child? No, that's impossible... Wait, Mule mentioned a mysterious child recently. That was in Oren Village... Is it this kid?)

'No, I was too scared and was trembling in a corner.'

'That's strange, I heard no one saw you at the village chief's house?'

'I was hiding in a corner.'

(Should I try to pressure him a bit?)

'Boy, I heard that you were in the forest, not at the village chief's house.'

What!?

'You know something, don't you?'

Suddenly, I felt an unprecedented pressure. It was the same level of pressure I felt when facing that incredibly large Stealth Bear (actually an Assassin Bear). My father, who was turning blue next to me, was useless. This is when you need to be strong, brainless gorilla.

Just as I was about to give up and confess, the door suddenly opened. There stood the stunning beauty, Mrs. Mule, who had visited the village with Lebrant.

'Now, Mule, we're in the middle of an important conversation, "be quiet"... Yes.'

'What do you think you're doing, intimidating a child like this?'

'Well, I thought this boy might know something...'

His voice trailed off, and the last part was barely audible.

'You were probably just trying to pressure him, weren't you?'

He flinched.

'Is this just your baseless intuition?'

He flinched even more.

'...I'll step on you, so go over there.'

The lord, who had been lying on the floor like a river without a ripple, was happily being stepped on by Mrs. Mule. All the dignity he had just moments ago was gone, and there was just a pervert.

This brings us back to the beginning.

'Anyway, it's really good that the damage from the stampede was minimal. There are many mysteries, and it will take time to investigate, but at least we can be relieved that it's safe. It's good, isn't it, Owl?'

'Oh, ah, yes! It's good!'

(This woman... She probably suspects that I did it... Yet, she doesn't seem to want to tell the border lord. What is she thinking?)

'By the way, Owl, can you use magic?'

'Um, yes, a little.'

'Hmm... I see. By the way, are the cookies delicious? They're very popular in the capital, but they're extremely rare, so it was really hard to get them.'

...She's clearly talking to me.

She might not be completely sure, but she's almost certain. Otherwise, she wouldn't be asking such specific questions.

I raised my hands slightly in a surrender pose and continued the conversation.

'So it seems. I heard Lebrant complaining that he can't get more cookies. But it's really hard to get them.'

'Hmm, it seems so. I wonder if there's a way to get more. It would be nice if we could get more.'

'If we could buy them directly, it might be possible.'

'Perhaps I should go with Lebrant next time.'

To summarize the conversation:

Mule: 'I want to eat more cookies. Can you make more?'

Owl: 'I can't make that many.'

Mule: 'Can you sell them to me directly?'

Owl: 'Okay.'

Mule: 'I'll go with Lebrant.'

It felt like that.

...I might have been noticed by a troublesome person, but Owl decided to use this opportunity to build connections with the nobility. Mrs. Mule also decided to keep Owl close and silence her husband to ensure their relationship.

I would be grateful if you could rate and bookmark this."