225 9-5 Sand Country Roukaku, the guest ...

I'm sorry. It's been a long journey...

The old man came into the living room with a refreshed look on his face.

I finished grooming and cutting him while he was taking a bath, so he was perfectly ready.

By the way, I was still holding White in my arms until I finished getting ready, so I rolled him onto the sofa in front of me and he was still sleeping peacefully.

It's a good idea to be able to have a drink. We'll have some cold drinks for you.

Oh, you're not holding back.

Fruit and drinks on my desk that I can pick up in moderation.

Or rather, I feel fidgety if I don't do something.

He said it was a long trip and he must have come all the way from a long way away.

It's not that I'm normally in business or anything, but since such an old man came to visit me, I can't just disrespect him, can I?

Hmm, I guess your shoulders are stiff from the long trip, too.

I usually do this on a regular basis......... I wouldn't ask you to rub my shoulders like that!

No, no, he's an old man, so don't worry about it. Besides, if you want to unwind, you should do it after your bath.

But this is a formidable foe.

This stiffness........must have built up over a long period of time.

If you pinpoint the affected area, it might cause inflammation and be painful.

You are very good at this......... You are very good at this........

He had shown his willingness to be reserved, but a rub or two and he was a strawberry!

I can feel your body slowly relaxing.

'You look tired. I don't mind if you've fallen asleep.

'....Haha!　No, I can't do that..........

I shake my head and try desperately to stay awake, trying not to fall asleep, but to no avail.

Tiredness is the first thing on my face, and my hands have been honed by the high DEX and the numerous groomings to the beastmen that have given me the art of making them feel more comfortable.

'I'll wake you up as soon as I'm done. I'll wake you up as soon as I'm done, but may I cut it to length or something?

Oh.........................

The old man slowly fell into a slumber, raising a pleasant voice while already sounding very sleepy.

And the reason he fell in was probably because he was tired.

It's a good idea to give your body a break here, since you're on your way home, and you'll be able to untie your body with a lot of energy.

I can't do a bad job of cutting, so I'll just get the length right for now, and then my eyes will be obstructed from view if they're in their current state.

The scissors and spade scissors were already made during bath time.

I could hear the old man breathing in his sleep, so I guess I'll just wave my hands and finish my warm-up and then I'll start grooming him.

Two hours later.........

'Hmmm..........'

I'm done.........

Mmmm, I'm so tired!

Oops, White is asleep on the couch.

I pull him over to the edge and sit down, and he quietly puts his head in my lap to begin with, so I take on the role of pillow.

Then I take a sip of my drink, which is now at room temperature, while I watch the old man in front of me.

I did very well.

It's hard to believe that he was so sluggish just a few minutes ago.

The lustrous tail, the appropriately trimmed hair, the dignified beard, and the dignified yet drooping ears are unquestionable.

He even looks 10........maybe even 15 years younger.

Good work.....

Yes. I'm satisfied.

However, the old man's calling seemed to be quite good, albeit a bit twisted. Could it have been via Iris?

But if it's Iris, it's something that could be contacted with a guild card........

Well, as long as she visited me no matter who it was through, I couldn't just let that roughness go, though.

Excuse me. Master, what are you doing for dinner?

Yeah. In the meantime, when the old man wakes up, I'll eat with him.

On the way, Wendy and Mizella came over and told me that dinner was ready, but we were about halfway through, so I asked them to put it off and told them it was fine to eat first.

He was still hungry, but he decided to wake the old man up first.

''I'm home.......are you all over here?

Hey, welcome back, everybody.

Yeah, I'm home. My lord, I got some for you today.

Welcome back. Thanks.

It seems that Aina and the others have just returned from today's quest, and I receive the magic bag that contains the materials I obtained this time.

'We're home!　I'm hungry!　

'Yeah. Yeah, I made sure you were cleaned up as if you were here for grooming. I haven't had a chance to eat yet, so I thought the old man should join us.

''Oh, I didn't think your master's skills would be transmitted to non-adventurers...hmm?　Hmmm?

What's going on?

Renge looked into the face of the old man who was sleeping and tilted his head incessantly...could it be that he was Renge's acquaintance?

"...Huh?　Grandfather...?　Yah, he's a wreck and he doesn't look this stylish anymore... it's just my imagination!

I'm sorry....................

After the old man who was sleeping looked for me with his thin eyes, he stopped in a flash while looking at Renge's face and stood up in a flash, his eyes widened in a flash.

.........Princess?

Oh, I thought you were an old man. What's going on?　You just woke up all dressed up and came to your husband's place?

'What do you mean by that?　It's an emergency!　We have an emergency!　We have an urgent matter to attend to!　Or rather, I'm not a fan of anything fashionable!

Look out!　I spat at you!　What is it?　Don't start with me!　Where do you think we are?　Don't you think about bothering the neighbors by shouting so loudly in someone's house!

No, if it's just the volume of voices, Renge is definitely louder, so if you're thinking about disturbing the neighbors, it's you.

And in my neighborhood, one side of the house is empty, Iris's house, but the cute little girls who take turns guarding the gate are asleep, so be quiet either way!

What in the world is my old man doing here?　What have you done with Coren?　Ha!　Did you get fired?　But that doesn't mean I can't hire myself if you come over here, does it?

I'm not fired!　Master Coren is still at work in the castle, doing his duty!　

'See!　I'm taking the day off!　They don't like me because I bicker like that, every time!　I don't like that about my grandfather either!

Goo...!　They hate me!　Caretakers are the ones who get shunned, after all!　How dare you speak to a man who is supposed to be a princess!　I've told you a million times to fix it!　I'm trying to give the Princess of Lokak a more suitable education--

'Ahhhh!　That's what you say about people's personalities?　Do you have any idea how hard it is to develop your personality!

Nuh-uh!　Anyway!　Now let's go back to Lokakuk right away!

Renge's wrists are grabbed and she finally lets out a gasp.

I couldn't help but watch in a daze as they exchanged so much hollering, but all sorts of things wait a minute!

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute!

'Oh, Lord. Oh, my Lord, thank you for your help. I will speak to you later in a letter about my gratitude. Lokak is a land of jewels, so you can count on it!　Now if you'll excuse me!

'I don't need the jewels, so let go of Renge's hand first!　Because it's utterly confusing, right?　Explain to me first.

Explain... what?

All of them....

Nothing is from the ground up!

Princesses, somehow, their relationship, who's Koren, where's Lokak, why is he trying to take Renge home with him, and everything else!

''Huh..... Doesn't the Lord know all this and invited me in........?

'No I just thought you were the one who came to get groomed...'

When I think about it calmly, I'm not even an adventurer coming to my house to groom, so notice me........

''Grooming...?　What?　Come to think of it, I'm light-headed. I can see more than usual, and... oh, my shoulders are turning!

What's so special about you, old man?　Would you like to look in the mirror?

With these words, Wendy rushed into her room to get a mirror and reflect the old man's face so that he could see it.

''Who is this reluctant old man? ........Well, no way!　This.........this is me, huh?

'That's right!　Your husband's grooming is now the best in Ains Hale, or rather the kingdom!　There's a waiting list going on, so you should be more grateful!

No, wait, I didn't hear anything about waiting for my turn.

I just happened to go to the Adventurer's Guild when I was in the mood, and I went to the person I was interested in.

........Don't tell me that they were waiting for their turn to take their turn?

"Mmm. I've always thought of haircuts as a waste of time, but it's a pleasant one!　Oh my goodness. I never thought I would become so young.... You didn't think........that you were the one with the stiff shoulders we've been having for years?

While I was sleeping, it was a wonder. It's a godsend to recover from fatigue, muscle aches, stiff shoulders, bruises, coldness and even insomnia!

'To insomnia?　I'd love for you to do the same, Mr. Coren!　Master Coren has too much to think about these days, and he's an insomniac.......

'Yes Stooohop!　I don't think my doubts are going to be resolved again at this point, so why don't we really talk about it once and for all to really calm down!

If we don't stop the current trend, all I can see is the future when the old man gets huffy and tries to take out Renge again and we're back to square one!

I'm going to have to completely ignore the air and the promises!