262 - - The End of the Greetings

"Uh. Christina, what's the story with this Lengard and his interaction with the priesthood and royalty?"

I put my hand on my forehead, close my eyes, and ask Christina.

"I don't know the details, but the heads of the six temples in Arsuna have received an oracle about Lengard, but it is top secret. But secrets leak out, don't they?　The rumors of interaction with the priesthood are predictions pieced together from stories that have leaked out."

I had no idea about this at all!!!!　Neither His Eminence Kyle nor Ekaterina had anything to do with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!　

"I understand that you have regular dinners with the royal family. He's the winner of the tournament, and some of us have actually seen Lengard in Fagat's palace and have tasted his food, so we're pretty sure."

I am not at all sure. The reason for the misunderstanding was that time when I went to see the dragon and that time I gave a dish to the perverted captain!　

If it weren't for what happened to Cal, I'd think he was a different person. I feel as if the remnants of Kal's leaning days are erupting this time...or not. ....... No, I'd like to think it's the remnants of his knightly days in the empire.

"I managed to clear up the misunderstanding since Lengard's store in Fast doesn't deal in jewelry, but I was troubled when he started digging up roots of a relationship that never existed and then demanded that I give him the < that I exchanged with Homura.

No, you're the only one I've interacted with on the topic. Oh, by the way, I can't use the design of Garganos, so I've only put a few of my possession charms on display in my store, the workmanship is embarrassing. In the end, what they consistently offer are <, , medicines, and food, mainly lunchboxes.

"I was trying to hide it, but my feathers flew off--I'm sorry you told me not to tell anyone."

> is for mental protection and a substitute for curses and mental attacks, and feathers fly to the target of the attack, or something like that.

I'm going to cry a little, Duchess!　I never thought I'd look so weak. No, but war is about to break out, and I could be unstable. When I met Christina, I didn't have a store yet, and I hadn't even been to the labyrinth.

Christina

inhibits recognition of the same person before and after the mask is put on, regardless of whether one hears the voice or can see half of the face. The condition for removing the mask is either "putting on and taking off the mask in front of you" or "saying your own name while wearing the mask".

"If you are Lancelot's master in the general store, then I am Lengard."

He puts on the mask in front of Christina. She doesn't change her clothes, but fortunately she is dressed well enough to enter an expensive restaurant (here). Oh, can I invoke [awe] just for the fun of it?　--No. Well, the <> alone is divine enough. But I can't get rid of the suspicion that only the face is floating in my mind.

"Lenguard ......, sir ......?"

Christina freezes with a stunned look on her face.

"Any direct interaction with royalty or the priesthood of Arsuna is a hoax. The only people in the country I consider close are the head chef here, the owner of the wholesale store near the temple of Dur, and Christina."

I'm a little embarrassed, but perhaps we should try this exchange again after the event?

As a result, he froze. I am not sure if I was able to follow up with him as he seemed to be in a state of shock. ...... Christina's loyalty to the royal family seems to be higher and straighter than I expected, and when I told her that I was a rengaard, she was troubled about the <>.

She had refused to tell me because she thought I was not the Rengaard, but she felt that she had lied unintentionally and that she would have to lie to the royal family if she was questioned again, even if she kept quiet about it.

If I told him that I didn't mind telling him, it would be hard for him to let go of something that he exchanged with his friend for the first time. .......

Christina didn't give me the core because we weren't close enough, which is normal since I wouldn't want the duchess to give it to a man she's only met twice. Her brother is going into battle for the first time, and all the dukes have offered their cores to the king as a token of their loyalty via the head of the family.

He also gives Christina a sign and some healing potion, and they part ways.

I'm sorry if I'm making you feel like you're going to have to go through this again after the event!　Let's not divulge it next time. Long live the do-over!　With these thoughts in mind, I moved to < as the meeting time with Paltin was near. I guessed that Reno and Black would go first, and then Paltin and Mistiff and the others would be having a good time.

Thanks to the water attribute of Narn, the blue dragon, Sir and Isle near the Narn Mountains are rich in water and forests, while the Baron side, where the roost and hunting grounds are located, is rocky mountains thanks to Paltin's metallic nature. Galahad and his friends said that the empire has mineral resources but not much greenery, which makes me suspect that the empire on the other side of the isle is not so green because it bypasses the isle side where the cavalrymen live. I like fluffy things, but I have a tragic constitution that my fluffy things turn into wire-like body hairs after being in contact with them for a long time.

"I want to live here."

The beautiful blonde girl with the tragic constitution appeals to us without even a moment's pause to greet us. Although it is not a full moon, the mystiff appears even when there is no moon since it is known that no one comes to the island. They do not come close to me, let alone let me touch them, but this faint interaction is quite nice, even when we are not attached to them.

"I think it's fine. It's all right... I've got my attributes, so I'll just surrender to this guy and we'll be all set."

Paltin is blissfully surrounded by fluffy fluffy things, and White is on my shoulder looking at him with a dazed look.

"What a thing to say to Mr. Paltin!

And black punches white from my chest.

"How dare you take up arms against the dragons of the material world!"

White fires back.

"You're owned by this man, too!"

A barrage of black blows.

"I have never been a slave!　You're the one who's always trying to get into my pockets whenever you can!"

White parries, dusting off black's hand and boom....

"Can't you do that somewhere else?"

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

I got a double paw poke in the face, but I don't know why. Leno, the guy next to me, gives me a handkerchief with a pitying look in his eyes. Is there a footprint on the handkerchief?

After all that happened, I got the core from Parthin, and it seems that Leno's has arrived automatically too. Also, in the confusion of the moment, a gift from Black came. I have a feeling that more people will be staying with me when I meet Partin after the event. Personally, I don't mind if he stays with us or not, but I wonder if it will be easier emotionally for Leno if Paltin officially joins us.　If I see a humanoid, I would rather be a friend than a hierarchical relationship.

Mistiffs thanked me via Partin for making the forest more comfortable for them. <, but it's my island, so I've been working hard to plant trees and make it a nice forest. In a natural state without human intervention, the plants that make up the forest will take 600 to 1,000 years to thrive and be selected, slowly establishing themselves as a species unique to the area and creating a forest.

However, a forest can be created more quickly with human intervention, although it takes a few years of work such as planting a variety of plants of 50 to 100 different species that suit the environment, clearing branches so that the sun shines on the forest ground, and applying fertilizer and water.

Well, in the case of this island, the trees are already thick, so we just remove the branches when we feel like it and add fruitful plants that suit the climate or oaks that Liddell likes.

I leave Paltin, who is having fun with Mistiff, thinking that no one will come if I stay on the island without leaving the core... I return to the fast. Then I stop by the Adventurer's Guild, which is open at night, though it's not a gag. I'm no longer strategizing, or even laying the groundwork, I'm just walking around handing out charms to my friends and acquaintances. Well, I hope you're safe and sound during this event.

"Good evening. Can I ask you a question?"

Good evening. Yes, of course.

Emel and Nana's place is kind of involving a pick-up guy or a core man, but during the conversation, they are being forced to deliver more and more goods. During the event, the deliveries are not worth any points and the consumables are not returned. ....... Stay strong. A few minutes ago, a young girl who gave me a core was having the same conversation at Plum, but when she saw me stop for a moment at the entrance, she quickly removed me from the room. So these guys here are not customers of the guild, I understand.

"Basically, the guilds are supposed to be close to the inhabitants of the city, but some guilds are close to the state, others are close to the commercial guilds, and so on. Some guilds give priority to the favoritism of those in a certain position. Fast (here) is financially profitable and is completely neutral, but if the city is in danger it will cooperate with the guilds and the state."

My question to Plum was the position of the Adventurers' Guild during the event.

Unless there is a major war in the city, the guild will remain open. The guild will be open as long as there is no major war in the city. The guild will be selling goods on behalf of the retail stores that will be closed during this period, and the core is entrusted to the guild master Abey.

The guild is staffed by a former SSS-ranked assistant mass, and if he were to attack the guild alone, he would be beaten back and barred from entering or leaving the guild.

Adventurers' guilds also vary, some of them leave their cores to the state, and some of them give priority to the big merchant guilds that hold their wallets above all else. At any rate, the Adventurers' Guild headquarters here in Fast, in Baron where the labyrinths for adventurers are located, and in Isle where demons often appear from the northern forests, are said to be financially and politically sound. If the time comes, they are neutral, so they can be rushed into.

Pram explained in a loud and friendly voice for the others in the guild to hear. There are other measures, though, he said in a whisper. It seems that the Adventurers' Guild is doing fine.

I'm done with my business, but I'm going to pay Al a visit. He seems to have everything and food for a siege without my help, but I'll drop off something sweet while I'm here. We have moved well today, even if we have not had much time to prepare.

"My Lord, you have a summons from the Adventurers' Guild, Lord Marcos..."

When I shifted to the general store in a deserted area, Cal told me that the Adventurers' Guild had called him. Who's Marcos? I mean, I've just been there.

"I'm low in rank and I don't remember being summoned.

Is this an event-related call?　If everyone in the clan wanted to raise their ranks, there would be a special quest for them, and I would be happy to do so, but I have other things to do and am putting it off to the back burner.

"I don't know whether to think it's strange that Homura's rank is so low, or if it's just natural since he hasn't been an adventurer for so long."

Galahad looks like he's about to sigh.

"Well, I guess I'll go."

"I'll go with you."

Uh, no. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop being so obvious. I was perplexed by Cal's offer, which was unusual for me since I'm always at home.

I end up walking down the main street with Cal and Galahad, masked as they are calling me to a grocery store. There are some people following us at a distance, but we can just transition back home. I don't think masks and eye patches are unusual, but since they are equipped with masks and eye patches, they are probably being evaluated.

I also think that the cool looking handsome guy next to me shouldn't stand out. The big guy next to him is also manly and handsome, though he gives me an impression of him when I talk to him because he has a lot of silly expressions. Can you guys please not stand in line?

And I'm going to destroy a part of the royal city of Faina on the first day of the big battle.