The return to my territory was very smooth. Wasn't this the first time I'd returned from a business trip without any incidents? Inside the swaying carriage, I surrendered my body to the peace I hadn't felt in a long time. Life is enjoyable when things wrap up as planned.
"Cleric. What will we do when we get there?"
"Well. We'll have to think about it once we arrive."
"Where is my mother's tomb. I'd like to stay near it if possible."
"That's a good idea. Amori would be happy to hear that."
"Cleric. Were you close with my mother?"
"Pardon?"
"Why do you keep calling my mother by her name?"
Elsi stared at me with a curious expression. Roy nodded his head as if in agreement. We were currently riding together in the same carriage. Elsi's and Roy's ears and tails swayed gently with the carriage's movement. I met their movements with my gaze and spoke.
"Well. I, for one, felt a sense of closeness, but I'm not sure how it was from Amori's perspective. As you know, we hadn't known each other for long, and due to my inexperience, Amori ended up dying."
In the original work, it was never revealed who Elsi's parents were. However, Elsi was a character who deeply cherished her family and comrades, and in the original work's quest, she wouldn't join you as a companion unless you purchased and liberated all three beastfolk the lord had taken as hostages, or helped them escape.
If you liberated all the beastfolk, she would join you, saying that a defeated warrior is not needed by the tribe. Though there wasn't a guy named Roy meddling in things like now.
In that sense, Amori's appearance was an unexpected incident. In a way, Amori's death might have been a good thing for me. In Roy and Elsi's relationship, Elsi held the initiative, so even if he pestered her to leave, the possibility of her being persuaded was almost nil, but Amori was Elsi's mother. If she suddenly got a whim to leave for somewhere, or suggested visiting the tribe, Elsi would have no choice but to leave.
There's a saying that beastfolk are simple and can be trusted in this regard. After meeting the two biggest psychos among the mermaids, who were known to be very peaceful by nature, I had decided to break free from such racial prejudice.
If Amori were alive, she could make Elsi leave at any time and could also bother me. But if Amori is in her tomb, Elsi won't try to leave the territory as she'll be guarding the tomb. Anyway, only I know how Amori died. If I take good care of Elsi, wouldn't the Amori in the sky watch over me favorably?
"We're here."
In the distance, I could see the border office leading to our territory. The guard seemed surprised by the fact that I had brought a beastfolk with me. I gave a nod to the surprised guard and had the carriage move on. Until we reached the mansion, everyone we met had a look of surprise at seeing the beastfolk.
In this region, beastfolk could usually only be seen as slaves, but since I was the High Priest, there were no slaves in our territory. With no slaves, the chance to see beastfolk, who were rare even among slaves, was even slimmer. From beyond the murmuring crowd, Eve and Sieri were running over. Eve was waving at me, even while stumbling slightly.
Eve, who had been admirably fulfilling her role as the acting lord at the mansion, seemed to have jumped right out of the mansion as soon as she heard I had arrived. Because Sieri, beside her, was saying this to Eve.
"Ms. Eve. Even so, you shouldn't jump out the window from the mansion's second floor. If you get hurt..."
"No... well... I don't get hurt..."
Eve, unable to swear at Sieri, just looked away with an awkward expression. Through the carriage window, I watched their banter with a pleased smile. Cellu peeked her head out from beyond the swimming pool, looked at me, and waved.
"What is this. This place."
Elsi asked me after scanning the mansion's scenery through the window. With a mermaid and a human together, the mansion's scenery must have felt strange. After looking around the mansion for a while, she asked me.
"Where is my mother's tomb."
"Please guide them, Robin."
I entrusted Elsi and Roy to Robin, who had just come out to greet me. Amori's tomb was outside the mansion. After all, placing a dead person's tomb inside the mansion was a bit much. What if a ghost attached itself to it? That would be scary.
Robin seemed very fascinated when the beastfolk emerged from the carriage. Since I was an Archdeity Church High Priest who didn't keep slaves, seeing a different race in this territory was a very difficult thing.
Robin disappeared with an awkward face to guide Elsi and Roy, and as soon as the two beastfolk were gone, Eve asked me.
"What are those things? You said you were bringing a beastfolk's daughter, and I get that you'll... do whatever with one of them. But what's with the other guy? Fuck, you have that kind of preference?"
"Fuck what?"
Eve asked, looking at me with a disgusted expression. I retorted, looking back at Eve with my own disgusted expression. Cellu asked.
"Is it related to that beastfolk you brought last time?"
"Yes. She's that beastfolk's daughter."
"Heh... Interesting."
Cellu was the sharp type. She wasn't the type to say troublesome things in front of Elsi, like how we did laundry with Amori or that I killed Amori. So I didn't bother to remind her about it.
Sieri seemed a bit flustered now that I'd brought beastfolk to the mansion. She was mumbling, searching for words, clearly having thought it would end with the mermaid. I just stroked Sieri's head and let it pass. If she asked troublesome and realistic questions like how many more people I was going to bring, I had no answer.
As Han Xin told Liu Bang, in matters like this, the more the merrier.
Elsi's dwelling was decided to be an empty house near the tomb. From the start, I had placed the tomb there with the intention of putting Elsi in that spot. Roy said he wanted to live with Elsi, but Elsi coldly refused, asking since when were they family that lived together.
She was a fucking iron wall. In the game, she seemed to be quite open-minded towards the hero, but she was merciless to other men. After their dwelling was decided, Elsi and Roy returned to my mansion. Elsi couldn't take her eyes off Cellu swimming in the swimming pool. I asked.
"Do you want to swim?"
"No. Is that mermaid a slave?"
"She is a freeman. The story is a bit complicated, so I'll tell you next time."
To tell the whole story, from Pirate Island to the pardon and the trial, would be endless. When I said Cellu was a freeman, Elsi seemed slightly impressed. I could feel her affection rising without me realizing it. I cleared my throat to change the subject and began my talk.
"Then, let's get down to business. Elsi, and you. Roy. I will assign you your jobs. Roy. Have you ever done any farming?"
"Farming? Never."
Name: Roy
Race: Marimba Tribe Cat Beastfolk
Level: 13
Stats
Strength: 18
Agility: 43
Intelligence: 2
Luck: 0
For a human, these were high stats compared to the average, but for a beastfolk, they were very cripple-like stats. If I used him as a soldier, he'd be an ace among our soldiers, but he was lacking to be an aide or a knight. Humans have a low basic average, but the stats of trained knights or named characters could rise endlessly.
This beastfolk didn't seem like he'd follow the orders of a knight or a guard commander well. So, I decided to just make him do farming.
"I'm going to teach you some farming."
"I refuse!"
Roy said resolutely. All the while, he kept glancing at Elsi. His pride seemed to have been hurt from being told to do farming in front of Elsi. So I asked.
"Then what kind of work do you want?"
"Warrior! I want to fight! Cleric. Give me a warrior's job!"
"Are you asking me to give you a rank like a knight?"
"Yes!"
Bullshit. There was no precedent for making a beastfolk a knight, and the opposition from my territory's knights would be immense. Besides, Roy was too weak to be a knight in the first place. I called Robin.
"Robin!"
Robin, who was having some small talk with the knights off to the side, came running at my call. Robin was on duty, so he was walking around in full armor. Roy had already met Robin once, so he showed no signs of being intimidated or unfamiliar.
"If you can beat Robin, I'll consider letting you start as a soldier."
"A soldier? I have the right to become a warrior immediately!"
"Robin. Please deal with him."
"Understood."
Robin straightened his back and placed his sword on the ground. Roy saw this and questioned him.
"Human warrior. Why don't you draw your weapon?"
"Because if I do, you'll die."
Robin said so in a very kind tone, then tensed his whole body. On his listless, salaryman-like face that seemed content with just collecting a paycheck, a beastly ocular glow flashed. Then, his limp body tensed up, and his muscles swelled as if they would burst his armor.
Robin's eyes shone as he let out a fighting spirit yell.
"Uraaaaaaah!"
"Uh, aah..."
Roy was intimidated by the sight and took a step back. At that, Elsi shouted.
"Roy! You said you wanted to be a warrior, so why are you running away!"
"Th-this... ugh...!"
Roy snapped back to his senses and glared at Robin. No, he tried to glare. While Roy's eyes had wandered, Robin had already moved into Roy's blind spot. Roy's eyes darted around, trying to find Robin. But Robin's fist landing a blow on Roy's stomach was faster than Roy finding Robin.
Pang!
With a sound like air bursting, Roy was launched into the empty space.
"Keoheuk!"
Roy flew through the air, tumbled a few times, and sprawled out on the ground. Elsi showed no sign of worrying about such a Roy. Elsi said to Roy.
"You cannot be a warrior yet. So I will protect you."
"Sob... sob..."
Hearing that, Roy made a sound that was hard to tell if it was sobbing or moaning. Robin dusted off his hands and said to me.
"He's not of the caliber to be a knight or a soldier."
"I see. Good work."
As expected of our Robin. He didn't win the Knight Commander title by gambling. Robin picked up his sword again and returned to the knights. The knights were asking Robin what happened, and Robin was explaining the situation. I looked at Elsi. Elsi asked.
"Do I not take a test like that?"
"A test, you want to take one? Then, should I call Robin again..."
"No."
Elsi pointed at me and said.
"I will be tested by you."
I nodded my head. There was no reason why not.