115 What should I learn next?

The chirping of birds announcing the morning echoes in your ears.

You open your eyes to awaken your consciousness and slowly raise your body.

Stretch out and get out of bed.

You open the window and check the weather for the day.

It's a beautiful sunny day, it's going to be another good day.

You walk down the stairs and wash your face.

The cool water helps to separate my body from sleepiness.

It's my day off today.

On such days, there is no one in charge of breakfast, and everyone is free to eat.

Perhaps that's why there's no one downstairs at the moment, I wonder if he's still sleeping.

I wonder if he is still sleeping.

I'm going to make breakfast for everyone. ...... Hmm.

I could cook it by myself, but that would be a bit lonely.

I want to make a satisfying meal for everyone, so I'll wake him up and make it with him.

I went to his room and knocked on the door, but there was no response.

He didn't go to bed that late last night, maybe he's just a good sleeper.

It's been a while since I woke him up, and it's been a while since we cooked together.

It's been a while since I've woken him up, and it's been a while since I've cooked with him. I'm feeling a little carried away inside, but ...... this kind of thing isn't so bad sometimes.

I'm coming in, are you awake?

I opened the door and entered the room. ...... He was not there.

Observing the room, it seems that he left before the sun rose.

There was a chain on the bed as a sign that he had taken Ecdysium with him as a polite escort.

I've missed this development too ...... haha.

Breakfast was ...... something of a de-motivator.

When Lakra and the others wake up, we'll eat something together.

I decided to go back to sleep on my day off.

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I'm going to go back to sleep. ......

I took the Equidox taxi through the city in the early morning sun.

Because it is early in the morning, the bird man flying in the sky on chain wings is inconspicuous.

Even so, I'm sure there will be some eyewitness accounts soon, but please forgive me for not waking up any earlier.

"Considering the physical strength of my people, it's not unreasonable that I'm getting so little sleep and it's so early in the morning.

"Today's schedule is rather hectic. I want to finish what I can quickly.

The first place we went to was "Dog Bone", Godz's store.

Godz came out of his store just as I arrived.

"Hey, there's my brother. I thought I'd sweep the outside before I came in, but you're up pretty early, aren't you?

Gods, you're up early.

There's a difference between having Mrs. Dmitri Kovkon wake you up and waking up by yourself.

You've been working out very hard, haven't you?

Your face also looks more dignified than it did in the beginning, as if you were a knight.

If you've been mentally trained by the wives of the Ragdolls, who are among the most talented in the Order, it's not surprising that you've become this way.

I've seen that chain brother of yours in the store from time to time. ......

Oh, I didn't introduce him. I'm Exoik, his bodyguard.

I'm Ecdysiac. I'm indebted to you for your meals.　

That's very nice of you to say. You look like an adventurer by the looks of you. You've got a big face.

You must be one too, if you say so.

It's nice to meet you.

I walked into the restaurant and handed over the ingredients I had brought to Godz.

Butter from a device I made as part of my magical research, and spices from faraway places like Quama and Mejis from Mr. Van.

"So this is it, huh? Let me give you a little taste. ...... Well, this is what it tastes like. ...... This is great.

I'll tell Mr. Vann that if there's a variety of spices he likes, he can get more of it. As for the butter, if it's well received, I'm hoping to make a larger device and start a small industry.

I'm sure the bastards would love it if we could cook some meat with it. I'll try to make something while I'm paying for it.

With that, Godz made a quick meal using the ingredients he brought in.

There was no trace of the time when he had wanted to ask for water, and his hands were those of an artisan.

Soon, a meal that was a little heavy for breakfast was laid out on the table.

I'll have to try it. ...... It's really good!

Even though I cook for myself and have some knowledge of cooking, the food prepared by a chef is nothing compared to that.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will make you happy.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

Yeah, I'm sorry you have to cook for me, but I don't like meat. ......

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, I guess.

This soup is very good. I'd like a refill if you have one.

Oh, yeah, sure.

Godz brings me another bowl of soup with a salad on the side.

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you.

I'm a cook. It's my job to be considerate of what people want.

Well, that's good to know.

Oh?　Well, okay. But you don't like meat. That's unusual for a man.

I've had a few bad experiences with meat in the past. I haven't liked it since.

It's unusual for an ecdysiac to talk about his past.

I wonder if this means that he has some tolerance for Godz.

"Haha, did you almost die from eating rotten meat?　After what you've been through, you'll never want to eat meat again.

"No, it was fresh. It was fresh, just a little ......

What are you talking about? There's no need to be shy.

They made me eat human flesh, and they showed me before and after.

The air froze as he suddenly dropped a bombshell.

I felt the taste of the meat in my mouth drop, and I wanted to hate my imagination.

I had forgotten that he had been raised by a demon who had raped and humiliated humans.

It's no wonder he's been through so much.

It's not something you want to talk about at dinner.

Oh, yeah. I'm sorry too. I'll get the rest of the meat from .......

Gods, give me some of that. I'll help.

Because we were eating while chatting, it was almost time for Karaji's wife to arrive.

So the three of us finished eating and washed the dishes together.

I'll talk to Mrs. Dmitry Kovkorn about it later. I'm always sorry.

"It's a small price to pay for a good meal.

You're right, the food here is good. It's a shame it's only in this country.

Yeah, I agree with you. I agree. Thanks to you, this place has changed forever.

The Dog Bone was originally a two-man bar run by Godz and Sila.

The food was bad and the drinks were good.

The food was bad, the drinks were good, but the wives of the Knights did a lot of the serving, and it became one of the best restaurants in Taze, serving good food and drinks for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The wisdom I have given you is just the beginning.

It was the efforts of Maja and Kara's wives, who are excellent cooks, and Godz, who was willing to train them well, that made it possible for them to grow to this level.

But to be honest, isn't it hard for you to spend less time with Saira?

"Geez!　What the hell are you talking about?

No, I know you guys are dating.

"Saira's guy .......

She's rather talkative, she can handle a lot of guiding questions.

I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

Godz's clothes are obviously custom-made.

And they are made with great care, so good that you can see the feelings of the people who made them.

If you don't like to be messed with, I won't force you. If you don't want to be messed with, don't mess with it. You're getting mental training from Grandpa Kara's wives.

Please do. ....... I'm not feeling bad about the fact that our time together has diminished. He's able to follow his dreams now. It's a lot better than letting him waste his youth and talent by slaving away on the dole. Plus, I'm making more money, so I can give him a nice severance package when he's ready to stop working here and start his own clothing store.　

The average age of the employees will go up a lot in this store.

We'll have to hire some young ones, though. ...... He's pretty jealous, you know. ......

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

Well, that's okay, I'm the one who stepped in, so let's have a little love talk.

After that, we left the Dog Bone and headed to Mr. Van's trading post.

I greeted the receptionist and was shown to my usual room.

"Sorry to bother you this morning, Mr. Van.

No, of course not. I'll have a cup of tea prepared for you, and you can sit down, Mr. Ekduk.

"No, I'm escorting--

It is the duty of an escort to be vigilant at all times, but it is also important to show dignity and dignity to the escort.

"...... has a point.

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

Mr. Ban seems to have a good grasp of Exoik's character.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

Exoik's activities have brought new resources to Taze.

Salt, ore, and even gemstones have been found in the deep mountains.

Eckdœk has been helping us in various ways, such as clearing the way to the place and creating a base by cutting rocks.

Here is the reward for Mr. Eckdruk. I have prepared a detailed statement for you. Would you like to see it?

"No thanks. As an adventurer, I know the approximate price. I understand that this is a sufficient reward. It's a waste of time.

As a merchant, trust comes first, so this is a necessary step.

I don't know how you can keep up a profession that requires such effort.

It's fun once you get used to it. Do you want to keep it?

No, I'll take part of it. You can keep the rest.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Vann also moonlights as a moneylender.

Not like a black market money lender, of course, but more like a bank that only lends to legitimate customers.

If you deposit money, you get a little bonus, like interest at the bank, and more importantly, you don't have to pay the fee for shopping at Mr. Van's store.

Merchants are very versatile and find other ways to make money besides buying and selling.

After that, we proceeded with some of our own business negotiations, and left the store when we had reached an amicable agreement.

We bought some snacks at a stall and moved on foot.

There were already more and more people on the streets, so Ecdysius had to pull himself together.

If he wanted to, he could hide himself, but some of the more experienced knights and clerics could sense him, and he didn't want to cause unnecessary alarm.

I haven't seen Gladna, by the way.

"He's just parading around random taverns. He's probably asleep in some back alley by now.

"If it's just booze, 'dog bones' will do.

He's probably sleeping in the back of a random alleyway right now.

"He's more of a professional drunkard than a 'saint', isn't he?

I'll be running an errand soon, and if I can find him, I'll call out to him.

The next stop was the Order's barracks at Tarz Castle.

Not Raggedy's, but Léanor's.

I greeted the knight of Léanor's squadron briefly and asked him to show me to the room where Sir Léanor was.

"Oh, it's you. Welcome to ....... I believe that man is--

"I'm Exoik, I'm guarding my people.

Yeah, I've already heard about you. I'd like to complain a lot about your rampage in Tarz, but I'm not too busy to bite someone who hasn't caused too much damage and has been pardoned by His Majesty.

"Well, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. I'm going to devote myself to this man from now on.

Hmmm... Ecdysium's trust is sober.

But Lord Léanor nodded his head at those words.

"Well, that's a good mindset for a former criminal. Whether you are a knight or an adventurer, the firmness of your convictions is a clear indicator of a man's worth. --So, what brings you here?　You seem a little late to be asking me to lunch.

I would have invited you, but my business meeting with the merchant dragged on. That can wait for another time. This time, I wanted to thank you for what you did before.

Sir Leanor is the leader of the Knights of Tarz, who played a prominent role in the dispute with the Purple Demon King.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

Thanks to him, we were able to proceed smoothly.

That was my reward for all those things.

The feud between the Iliad and Lord Léanor has eased somewhat, but if you include the knights of Léanor's corps, there will still be some resistance to the Iliad.

That is why Ecdysius has come to escort him.

"You behave like a nobleman. It's an honorable thing to do.

It would have been a disaster if we had been surrounded by the Knights of Tarz as well as the Holy Order.

Your Majesty told me the general situation about you. You are a traveler from a different world, born on the same planet as the brave Yugra. The more I learn about you, the more I regret that I was not able to recruit you at the beginning. The more I learn about him, the more I regret not having promoted him in the first place.

It's true that I was grateful for your generosity.

"I'm a Yugoslav, but not a devotee. My true devotion is to you and the future of this country. I'm not going to deny outright those whom you approve of. However, when I heard that you had the Demon Lord as your ally, I was quite shocked.

I would have loved to have seen your face.

I'm sorry. ...... I can't judge now whether your actions to eliminate the threat of the Demon Lord in a different way than the brave Yugra will be appreciated later or passed down as a great sin. But I have high hopes that it will turn out well.

"Thank you very much. Oh, here's a little something for you. You can have it as a snack later.

It's too small to be a bribe. If you've left it behind, I'll take care of it while it's still intact.

He is a person who adds subtle sarcasm here and there. The Iliad may feel that the sarcasm is relentless because it sticks in your mental cavity, but he is an interesting person once you get used to it.

"There, that's Exduk. I've heard about your skills. I've heard about your abilities, and if you're not too busy, you can come along to our training sessions.

"...... Oh, I'm always in need of training partners. I'll take advantage of it.

Thus, I left Léanor's quarters and checked the time.

Good, that's a reasonable pace.

Let's take a break, we have some time before our next appointment.

The next step is to meet with Marito and Pope Eupharo to discuss the Colorless Demon King, but let's get some rest.

Oh. But you've been very busy, flying all over the place.

It's a piece of cake compared to mining in Exyke.

If you're talking about physical exhaustion, then yes. But you're in constant contact with people, and I'm sure your compatriots have more mental fatigue than you.

Not really. They've been good to me.

That's not quite true. You're just trying to make sure that your people are treated well, aren't you?　The Gods we met in the morning, the van, and Lord Reynaud. Everyone has a different personality, occupation, and position. Obviously, being liked the same way is not a natural development.

That's because it would be boring if we were all the same. But it's not that hard to do, Exduk.

"It looks like a difficult technique to me. There is no set pattern, no precise accuracy that can be produced. It's like walking in a fog.

He was a little strange, but it seems that he was trying to learn more about us and analyze us.

This is a good sign for him, so I'll give him some advice.

The easiest way to get along with people is to understand their good points. It's easier to forgive someone who appreciates your strengths.

I'm telling you, it's not easy to do.

It doesn't have to be easy, it can be difficult, but the result is the same.

...... You're absolutely right.

The expression on his face had some undertones.

Perhaps he had made a comparison between Lakra and himself.

But if he was satisfied, there was no need to dig deeper.

The three people you've met today are easy to get to know, and you should try talking to them when you're free. I'm sure you'll pick up some skills you don't have now.

"Well, ......, if my people say so, I'll take your word for it.

"Oh, and if it doesn't work, you can hate me. I'll be very sorry.

Exduk has not spent most of his life with humans.

If you ask him about his past in detail, it may be as tragic as that of Ulfe.

But that's why he can change, he can grow.

He may not be able to shake off the feeling of inferiority to his sister, Lakra, but if he can get rid of it, he'll be a great guy.

Well, I'd better get going. I'm not a big fan of Pope Eupharo.

"Don't worry, compadre, I'm not good with most humans. I'm not good with most humans.

Well, that should give you some confidence.