Chapter 26

Today marks one month since the serial began.

I'm still very much an amateur with many areas to improve, but I would be delighted if you could continue to watch over me.

Around evening, Tristan returned to the mansion.

When we met in the living room, Tristan asked about what had happened in town.

It seems he already knew to some extent, as he had stopped by the knights' guild on his way back from the castle.

"Thanks to Sol and the others, I didn't get hurt."

"Is that so?"

The beastman who attacked me was apparently a resident of the Third Ward.

It is currently under investigation why he was able to enter the Second Ward.

In the Third Ward, there is a section where beastmen live, and some of them, unable to find work, turn to crime.

The beastman didn't look like an adult.

If I were a hero, I might have picked up that beastman and tried to take care of him.

Even if I could do that, I don't feel like helping someone who tried to hurt me. I shook my head and decided not to think about it anymore.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'll be more careful next time."

Wrinkles formed between Tristan's eyebrows.

He might have thought I was slow.

"In that case, meet my sister."

"Sure, I should greet her."

Tristan said he would change and left.

I asked the butler if I should dress formally, but it seemed fine as I was.

I had heard that nobles care about their attire when meeting people, and it seems to be true.

Especially women, who don't appear in public unless they are dressed appropriately for the occasion.

Chris is an exception.

Like her uncle, she values practicality.

Since my sister is ready, I moved to the parlor with Tristan.

I had heard she was frail, so I wondered if it was okay for her to get up, but she probably couldn't show her bedroom to anyone.

My sister was already waiting in the parlor.

She was small and had pale skin.

She probably hadn't been out of the mansion for a long time.

Her hair was black like Tristan's, and her eyes were a clear green.

Her hair was braided on both sides, making it look like cat ears, which was very cute.

"I'm Izu. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Noah Ignis."

Her voice was childlike, like a bell.

When introduced by Tristan, we exchanged greetings. My impression was that she seemed surprisingly energetic.

I didn't feel the same fragility from her as I did from my mother.

If this is just a facade, it would be sad.

Izu smiled and asked me innocently.

"I heard you are my brother's friend."

"Yes, we get along well."

"Oh, really? This is the first time I've met one of my brother's friends."

"Izu."

Wrinkles formed between Tristan's eyebrows.

Tristan must have friends, but he has a blank expression while Izu is smiling.

They look similar, but they have different personalities.

"Noah, use your skill to check Izu."

"Huh, sure. I don't mind..."

Using the appraiser's skill, I might find out about her weaknesses.

For example, if her poison resistance is extremely low, or if her health is below average.

If her fire resistance is low, it means she is weak to heat.

By identifying and addressing such weaknesses and deficiencies, her frail condition might improve.

Izu is still young, so it's worth a try.

"I don't mind. Please do as my brother says."

"Understood."

Tristan nodded.

I activated my skill.

Hmm? It's just normal.

There are no particularly skewed numbers. Her resistances aren't low, and her health is decent.

The numbers are similar to Tristan's.

When I looked at Tristan in confusion, he said,

"Can you see Izu's race?"

"Yeah, I can. It's just the average for humans. She doesn't seem to have any special skills."

Tristan thought for a moment and then said,

"If she were a beastman, she would have special resistances, right?"

"Right. The status screens for humans and beastmen are different."

For example, some bird beastmen can fly, which would be reflected in their status.

"Would that be true for half-beastmen or quarter-beastmen too?"

"Yes, but... could she be..."

A child of a beastman?

I thought, but Tristan shook his head.

Apparently, her frailty is a lie told to the public.

Why would they go to such lengths to isolate her in this mansion?

"Izu, your hair."

"...Yes, brother."

Izu seemed to be trembling slightly.

"Wait, hold on."

I didn't want to know the duke's secrets. I started to say.

Izu's hands stopped.

When I came to the capital, I thought I would try to change a bit.

Tristan said to me, who was changing my expression,

"It's fine. The late king knew about it. I won't cause you any trouble."

"...Alright."

Izu's hands undid the braids on both sides.

There were cat ears of the same color as her hair.

"Why?"

"I don't know. But because of this, Izu has never been able to leave the mansion."

Her status was definitely that of a human.

Even for half-beastmen or quarter-beastmen, there would be some differences.

Tristan and Izu have different mothers.

Izu's mother was a mistress, and when Izu was born, she was suspected of being a beastman pretending to be a human, and was confined and eventually died.

The Stel family is not a follower of the Frater religion. Izu is half of the duke's blood.

For the sake of appearances, Izu's birth was not buried, but it could not be made public, and she was quietly isolated in this mansion.

"I don't care if Izu has beastman blood, but there are noisy relatives."

"Brother..."

"I got permission from the late king. If Noah sees, the suspicion will be cleared."

Tristan's expression was the same as always, but his eyes seemed a bit brighter.

Izu put her hand on her chest, looking relieved but also sad.

"This way, my brother won't have any complaints. Izu can stay here forever."

I placed my hand on Izu's, trying to reassure Tristan.

The current head of the Stel family is Tristan's father, Neusch.

Tristan has an older brother, who is the next head.

Apparently, this brother was planning to send Izu to a distant rural area before he became the head.

Neusch doesn't know my true identity, but he will receive a report about Izu from the late king.

Since the people who come and go from this mansion are limited, Tristan said there's no need to worry about the information about me and Izu leaking out.

"Noah, I have a request."

"...If it's something I can do."

I still don't know Tristan well.

But he respects my will, not just because the late king asked him to.

So I want to help Tristan a little.

"Occasionally, it's fine. Be a conversation partner for Izu."

"Brother!"

Izu's ears perked up as she looked at Tristan.

What? If that's all, it's fine. He's really a kind brother.

"If I can, I'd be happy to."

"Noah..."

I smiled, and Izu's ears twitched as she fidgeted with her hands.

Her conversation partners were probably limited to a few people who knew her true identity. So being a conversation partner is a small favor.

"Please call me Noah."

"...Yes, Noah. You can call me whatever you like."

That day, the three of us had dinner, and I fell into a comfortable sleep.

The next day, I was taken to the guild headquarters by the Stel family's carriage.

The decorations and emblems are kept low-key, but those who know will recognize it.

I thanked the driver and got off just before the headquarters.

"Well, let's get to work."

The guild headquarters was fully operational from the morning.

I told my name to a staff member who was carrying documents and was led to the second floor.

I knocked on the door marked "Headquarters Director's Office" and entered when I got a response.

"Welcome to the Albion Kingdom Guild Headquarters. You must be Noah?"

I nodded and gave the usual self-introduction.

My new superior was an elderly gentleman with kind eyes and a white beard. His name is Mars.

"I've heard about you. You seem to be quite a capable appraiser. However, you're assigned to the headquarters instead of the Third Ward."

"Yes, I'm assigned to the reception desk."

The branch in the Third Ward mainly deals with appraisals and information.

The headquarters in the Second Ward mainly handles reception duties.

The headquarters also has a department that consolidates vast amounts of information from various regions, but it is handled by specialized staff, so I won't be involved.

The appraiser's office is in the Third Ward for practical reasons, but why can't the reception desk be there too?

I thought so, but the logistics center is in the Second Ward, and due to security issues, people and goods tend to gather there.

"Hmm. Personnel decisions aren't made by my opinion alone. It must be a strong recommendation from the Albus branch chief and the Earl of Essex. The reception in the capital is different from that in Albus, but do your best."

"Yes, thank you."

The director probably wants to assign me to the appraiser's office.

To him, it probably looks like I got the reception desk position through connections.

I can't openly talk about the late king or my skills.

Since it was decided by the personnel department, they will observe me and consider a reassignment if I'm not suitable.

"I'll assign a guide to you."

"Thank you."

The door knocked, and a man entered at the right time.

The director introduced him as the person who had guided me to the headquarters.

"He works in the information department but is familiar with both the headquarters and the branches. You can ask him anything."

"Thank you."

I thanked the director and left the office with the man.

"Um..."

"I've heard about you. I'm Luke. I'm your collaborator."

Luke winked.

The collaborator the late king mentioned is this charming guy, Luke. He has long brown hair tied up high at the back.

His casual manner made me a bit uneasy.

"Don't be nervous! Don't worry, I'm tight-lipped, you know."

It doesn't look that way, but since the late king chose him, he's probably reliable. Hopefully.

The information department apparently verifies rumors among the citizens, so his personality might fit the job.

"I'm Noah Ignis. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you!"

He shook my hand vigorously. I felt uneasy about this high-energy person, whom I hadn't interacted with much before.

2015/01/11 Correction