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Chapter 411: The People Who Work on the Island

「I’m planning to appoint knights for appearance’s sake. 」
Soleil raised her head.

「Hm? 」
Uh, even if you say that, I don’t get why we had to do that for appearance’s sake? Ah, no, I do get it, I get it somehow, alright?

「Many people treat Changelings as scum. 」
Auro beamed.

「That’s actually because they’re frequently hired as assassins. 」
Kiel snorted.

Please stop saying that yourself. So all my employees were black bellies, huh…

「 『Azure Spirit Island 』sounds good, but some folks are secretly calling it the 『Assassin Island』. 」
Soleil tilted her head and leaned her cheek on her hand.

「That’s troubling. 」
Setting those death battles for snacks, did somebody see the fierce fight over the garden veggies?

ー But now everyone is behaving themselves well, right?

「Yes, that’s why I’m thinking of hiring knights. A stage is usually prepared so that the knights can demonstrate what they got through a showdown. Image and appearances are a big deal for the knights, after all. 」
Soleil’s explanation reminded me of Chris’s little brother. We did talk about that at some point. But ー

「Stage? 」
No way, are they really gonna do it on stage? Well, the theater’s ready, though.

「Well, that actually depends on the personality of the knights. Some of them crave the high they get from the thundering cheers of the crowds, while some prefer a solemn atmosphere. Some even challenge their masters ー Since we’re on an island, I don’t want to hire warfreak knights. Our guests are mostly tradesmen, after all. 」
Soleil shrugged.

「If possible, it would be great if we employ a famed and distinguished knight, even if his glory was all in the past. 」
「It’s better if we get someone who’s aware that he is pretty much useless and powerless and that his heydays are over. It’d be a pain in the neck if he decides to stage a comeback. 」
Auro and Kiel.

So they were serious when they said they needed a knight just for show, huh?

「At any rate, we still need the fief lord to appear and personally do the knight investiture ceremony, so we’re counting on you. 」
Soleil smirked.

「What a hassle~ Can’t Fief Lord Soleil (T/N: as in the woman) do it instead? 」

「MiLord? 」
Ack, what’s this pressure from Auro…

「Don’t speak nonsense. 」
Soleil seemed exasperated.

「Just give up. 」
Kiel.

Ugh, rejected. I ran away amidst the trio’s strange stares. Since I have to aimlessly wander around the town, I passed through the plaza by the fortress and continued walking until I reached the town plaza.

Seems like the townscape facing the main street is almost completely finished? Many of the folks passing each other as they walked through the town were people carrying materials, so construction must be ongoing still in the alleyways.

It looks like the pavement has changed colors since I was last here, but when I took a closer look, I saw spirits sticking a thin, film-like thing over the stones. Uh, is this one of those things? Like, are magic circles drawn under the pebbles too?

Gramps, aren’t you being way too diligent?

I turned my gaze towards the 『Fae’s Bough』 that stood in the center of the town plaza. One of the corners is filled with greenery, and water gurgled as it passed through the canal leading to it. The other corner was filled with verdure, designed by the landscape artist ー I mean, the gardener, it’s Charles the gardener.

A short staircase with 5-6 steps leads to the entrance of the building, and there’s a membrane-like spirit sticking to it.

Uhm, is it okay to step on that? Is that an entrance mat or something?\
Guards stood on both sides of the entrance. They were wearing the same design as the guards standing in front of the citadel, but the color of the fabric ーuh, is that an apron? or maybe a sash? ー draped on them are different. The citadel guards’ base color is blue, but here it’s green. It’s a vivid ーuh, no, not really ーmoss green shade but it’s beautiful.

「Ah, Ny-sama! 」
I thought I heard a voice coming from the tiny reception space, then a little girl jumped out.

「Hello! 」
「Ou, hello! 」
I’m pretty sure this kid is one of the children who gathers around me excitedly waiting for the little somethings that I bring.

I remembered her because she generously let a younger kid get his turn first, but I didn’t see her soon after that. I just shrugged it off thinking that since she’s the oldest among the kids, maybe she grew up so she doesn’t hang out with them anymore.

「Are you here to see Paulor-sama? 」
I thought she’s gonna happily rush out, but I was surprised when she took a deep breath smiled at me all prim and proper.

「Yup. Is he here? 」
「Yes! I’ll bring you there! 」
But she instantly broke into a toothy grin.

「Are you okay working like this? 」
「Guiding people is also one of my jobs, you see. People can enter and leave the Spirit Garden anytime they want during daytime, and if there are people from the castle or if they give lots of offerings, I also take them to Paulor-sama or Orlando-sama. 」
The little kid kept on looking over her shoulder as she walked.

「It’s dangerous so look where you’re going, okay. 」
「Ye~s 」
She energetically replied, stepping on the staircase that had a spirit plastered on it.

『Ahng 』

Alright, gotcha, I won’t step on you!

I jumped to the top of the staircase and waved at the dumbstrucked guards. Both of them acknowledged me, so that means I’ve spoken to them before. I wonder when?

「Daddy, if guests come then I’m counting on you! 」
The lass called out to the guard on the right side.
The guard turned to look at me with an awkward, troubled smile on his face. I see, if he’s one of the original residents then he knows who I am. When I first gathered them to talk, all of them looked quite worn-out. But now that he’s all clean and refreshed, it’s as if years had been shaved off his age.

I can’t remember everyone if they’re wearing clothes! Huh, I just realized that I have this tendency to remember people by symbols such as glasses or beards, huh.

Anyway, Gramps, what kind of spirit did you put on the stairs and what sort of effect were you expecting from it? ー Oh, I nearly forgot that Gramps can’t See spirits.

So, does that mean I’m the only one who can hear those ‘ahng, ahng’? Ehhh….