"It is Satou, open your eyes."
I place a small baked confectionery in Mia's mouth, who waits with it open like a baby bird.
The wolf problem at the ranch has been resolved, and with Mia having recovered, we decided to finish up our work at the ranch and resume our journey towards the labyrinth city.
Nana had specified the labyrinth city as the place to meet up with her sisters, so we decided to accompany her to the labyrinth city.
Of course, Mia, being guarded by Nana, is also coming.
"Master! Favoritism is not good! So, ahhh."
Arisa protested with a desperate look on her face, then opened her mouth wide.
If I put some baked goods in it, she might nibble on my hand too.
"Pochi is here too nanodesu."
"Tama too!"
"Master, I'd like to inform you that I'm interested as well."
Pochi, Tama, and Nana lined up on either side of Arisa and opened their mouths.
As requested, I put baked goods into the mouths of all four.
I don't know what's so fun about it, but the kids love it.
"Do Lulu and Liza wants some too?"
"Um, um."
"I'll enjoy having this"
Lulu blushed in embarrassment, and Liza, who was driving the carriage, quickly held out her hand as well so I place some baked goods in her outstretched palm.
Of course, you wouldn't ask a middle school kids to open their mouths.
Well, Nana looks like a high school student.
"So, next stop is Kagesu City?"
"That's the plan."
Arisa asked with her mouth open, so I nodded in agreement.
"Satou"
Mia pushed my hand away and sat on my lap.
I wonder why she is so attached?
"Oh, that's unfair! It's my turn!"
"Pochi wants to sit on your lap too, nanodesu!"
"Can Tama use your shoulders?"
This time they started making a fuss about where to sit.
The journey to another world is quite lively.
◇
"Master, the city is in sight."
As we were happily driving the carriage like that, Liza, who was in the driver's seat reported.
The city walls can be seen in the distance.
--Kagesu City.
The carriage got closer and we could see it better, but unlike the border town of Stare, there were no refugees or people living outside the city walls.
"There's a line out the door."
"It seems carriages and people are separate."
Our carriages also line up.
Many of the carriages in the procession were wagons that had come from rural areas to sell crops.
"The line moves pretty quickly."
The ones that get stopped occasionally are merchant carriages or passenger carriages.
The people who came to sell their produce were probably regulars, so they were probably there early.
Our carriage was also being stared at by soldiers with suspicious looks, but when we showed them the passes issued by Countess Kagesu, their attitude did a complete 180-degree turn and they respectfully allowed us to enter the city.
As expected, in a feudal society, connections with important people are what matter.
As I sat in the driver's seat and drove the carriage around, searching for a place to stay...
"Hey! It's Satou!"
A powerful beauty called out to me in a spirited voice.
I know her.
"It's been a while, Your Excellency."
Yes, she is Chrisverna Kagesu. The Countess of this Kagesu Earldom.
She was wearing the same high-quality riding gear she had worn the last time we met, with a blue cloak over it. As always, her eyes were a little scary.
"Stop calling me Your Excellency. I'm incognito right now. Chris is fine."
"Then Chris-sama."
"It's a big group today."
"They are all my friends."
"It's rare to see an Ear Tribe--"
The Countess froze mid-sentence.
The person in front of his gaze was Mia.
"--Could it be an elf?! It's been a while since I last saw an elf, since I saw Lord Seberkea the Mountain Collapser in the labyrinth city of Selbira."
When the Countess asked, "Do you know him?", Mia shook her head.
"I see. Even though they're elves, if they're from different clans, it's hard to tell them apart."
The Countess nodded, then looked at me as if she had just realized something.
"You're staying in the city tonight, right?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
"In that case, the castle's guest house is currently vacant. You can stay there."
That's appreciated, but--
"Isn't that a nuisance?"
"I don't mind. Besides, discrimination against demi-humans is still deeply rooted around here. Elves aside, I think any other demi-human would be refused accommodation at any inn."
Oh, that's right.
"Thank you for your generosity, Chris."
"Don't be so intimidating. Thanks to the dragon scales you sold us, we were able to reduce the damage to our territory. Without them, our territory would have been ravaged by the hordes of monsters."
"A horde of monsters?"
"Yes. It seems that monsters, fueled by the evil aura emitted by the greater demons that appeared in Seryuu City, have left their lairs and are heading towards human settlements."
"I wonder if the Seryuu Earldom is okay?"
The faces of Zena-san and the other magic soldiers I met in the Seryuu Earldom and the general store managers came to mind, so I asked.
"It seems that the mining town over there was also hit hard."
"Were there any casualties among the territorial forces?"
"That's fine. That strong army wouldn't have vacancies just because of an influx of monsters."
Good, Zena and the others seem to be safe.
◇
I follow the beautiful woman who said she's going back to the castle.
"So, Great?"
"The castle is so amazing nanodesu!"
I can understand why Tama and Pochi are so excited.
The castle is quite impressive when seen up close.
I've seen many larger structures than this, but unlike them, this one is purely a military facility, so maybe that's why I think so.
"The guest house is over there."
The Countess handed her cloak to the maid who had come to greet her and pointed in the direction of the guest house.
"These people are my guests. Please treat them well at the guesthouse."
The Countess commands the butler-like person and whispers something in his ear.
"Sorry, but I have to go to work now. I'll see you at dinner."
With that said, she briskly headed towards the mansion in the center of the castle.
We are guided by the butler and head to the detached palace.
It was quite far away. Perhaps because they were overwhelmed by the castle, everyone was nervous and there was no conversation.
The path to the villa is separated by tall hedges, so you won't see anyone on your way there.
"Hey, Mr. Butler, does the lord often invite guests like this?"
Tired of the silence, Arisa asked the butler with her usual friendly nature.
"No, it's rare. I've heard from the lord that the young man is a benefactor of the territory."
That's an unexpected answer.
I thought she was a friendly person who would invite merchants and entertainers over.
When I arrived at the guest house, the butler instructed the maid who was waiting for us at the gate to "treat them with great care as they are a benefactor of the teritory," and he even bowed to me before leaving, showing great courtesy.
"Please, come this way."
Guided by a maid, we passed through the gate and found ourselves in a courtyard filled with beautiful flowers in full bloom.
The castle itself had a simple and sturdy feel, but the guest house is filled with a spirit of hospitality.
While enjoying the hospitality of the Count Kagesu household, we arrived at the main gate of the guest house.
It is an elegant gate that matches the beautiful courtyard and elegant guest house building.
And it was here that the incident occurred.
As I passed through the door the maid had opened for me and looked around the entrance hall, I heard the maid's sharp voice ring out.
"Slaves, go around to the back gate. How disgusting."
Those words made me feel annoyed.
Apparently, she is a demi-human racist.
I stepped in between the frightened beastkin girls and the maid.
"In that case, please guide us to the back gate as well."
"I was just warning the slaves."
The maid was put off by my words, but perhaps she couldn't forgive herself for being frightened, as she continued to make excuses, compounding her resistance.
"In that case, I can't get through either."
Arisa said in a sarcastic tone.
"Your lady is a slave?"
"That's right. I'm of the same social status as these kids."
The maid must have been very surprised because she was frozen and unable to react.
"Either way, if these children can't get through, then I don't need a main gate either."
I told the maid and called out to my companions, "Let's go to the back gate," and started walking.
Hearing the grumpy maid muttering in a low voice, "How nasty," behind us, we went around to the back door.
After knocking, I opened the unlocked back door and found a maid who seemed to have arrived earlier, waiting for me with a displeased look on her face.
"You can't complain if it's from our side."
When Arisa said that, the maid coldly gave her permission with a "Go ahead!"
Just as Pochi and Tama were about to follow Arisa through the back door...
"Wait. The demi-humans stay outside."- she yelled.
"We have a barn, I'll let you use it."
I'm annoyed by the maid's attitude of looking down on the beastskin.
Even if I protested normally here, she would never back down in order to protect her pride.
Yeah, I'll use my power here.
"The lord invited us to stay at this guesthouse because they are not human and would not be allowed to stay in the rooms at the inns in the city."
"Such nonsense! You demi-humans should be grateful that they can sleep in a place with a roof. I'll even give you leftovers for dinner."
Just as Arisa opened her mouth to retort to the maid's insulting remark, the butler from earlier returned from the door behind the maid, bringing with him some male and female servants.
"Just wondering, I went back to check, what's the fuss?"
The butler casts a stern look at the maid.
"Nothing impor--"
"We are protesting because the demi-human slaves were were told to sleep in the barn."
Arisa cuts off the maid's excuses and tells him the problem succinctly.
"Hey Tina?"
The maid became silent when the butler called her name.
"What did I order you to do?"
"Since he's a benefactor of the territory, I told you to treat him with the utmost care..."
"Yes. You told you to treat him with respect. Do you think his attitude is worthy of that?"
"..."
The butler send the maid packing.
"Whatever your beliefs are is none of my business."
The maid suddenly looked up, but the butler's expression as he looked at her was cold.
"But what you did is unforgivable."
"Why not?! Everyone says that demi-humans are filthy!"
The maid ranted on in a fit of anger.
"Who do you mean by everyone? No, there's no need to say. They're probably just like you."
The insulted maid groaned.
"You're mistaken in the first place."
"but!"
The maid tried to argue again, but the butler's stone cold face stopped her.
"Your greatest crime is disobeying your lord's orders. Despite being ordered to treat him as an honored guest, discriminating against him to satisfy your own petty ego is not something that can be tolerated." 軽(Kei) LIGHT (TR I think it was meant to be 軽犯罪(Keihanzai)—misdemeanor, minor offense)
I see, that's the point the butler can't forgive.
"The crime of disobeying the lord's orders is severely punished."
"No way! I have no intention of defying my lord!"
The maid desperately clings to the butler.
Yeah, it's embarrassing, so I'd like the maids' training to be done somewhere else if possible.
"Go back to your room and await my decision. Normally, this would be a serious crime that could result in the dissolving of your family status or even beheading, but--"
The butler glances my way.
Seeing Pochi and Tama silently pleading with teary eyes for forgiveness, he let out a small sigh.
"---Since this seems like it would hurt the feelings of the young ladies, I will suggest to the lord that they limit it to a light punishment such as whipping."
Well, whipping isn't a light thing, right? Depending on how many times you get whipped, you could die.
It might be okay in a world with potions, but I'd like the punishment to be something appropriate for the harassment, like cleaning the toilets for a week.
"I apologize for showing you something so unsightly."
The butler bowed his head and apologized, prompting the maid to apologize.
"I apologize for my rude remarks."
The maid rubbed her forehead on the ground and apologized.
It's kind of scary how desperate she is. Pochi and Tama are so scared that they hide behind Liza.
"I accept the apology."
I answered formally and watched as the maid was taken away by the servant.
"I'll send a replacement maid immediately--"
"Not need."
Also, I wouldn't like a maid like that.
"We are commoners. We can take care of ourselves, and if you only let us use the kitchen and well, we can prepare meals and so on."
"That would be going against our lord's orders. Please, give us another chance."
At the butler's request, I agreed to have meals prepared in the castle's kitchen brought in and the maids waiting in the waiting room.
Well, if there are fewer opportunities to meet, there will be less trouble.
Just to be on the safe side, I asked everyone except Mia to have the same meal. Mia's race seems to be unable to eat meat, so for her it's a special menu centered around vegetables.
"I understand. However, it seems that the lord is planning to invite Satou-sama to tonight's dinner party, but have you heard anything about it?"
"No, this is the first time I've heard of it."
A Countess would probably invite me as a surprise.
"Besides, I don't have the right attire to attend the lord's banquet, and I've never learned the etiquette of this country, so--"
"I see. Then I will have the maid bring you some appropriate attire for the dinner party later. I will teach you the proper etiquette, so don't worry."
I see makeshift etiquette as nothing more than a waste.
Still, increasing my knowledge isn't a bad thing, so I expressed my gratitude to the butler.
"Then, I will show you to your room. Please come this way."
The butler guided us to a luxurious guest room.
I should make it clear that the rooms assigned to the beastkin girls were also lovely rooms with rows of fluffy beds.
Yes, if I were to be greedy, I would have liked the butler to show me around from the beginning.
◇◇◇◇[Bonus]◇◇◇◇
"Yay!"
After confirming that the butler had left the room, Arisa dove into the soft and fluffy bed.
"Pochi will also be yelling, nanodesu!"
"Can Tame do the same?"
Inspired by Arisa, Pochi and Tama dived into another bed.
"It's so fluffy nanodesu! Liza jump in too, nanodesu!"
"So fluffy~"
The bed is so fluffy that Pochi and Tama jump on it like a trampoline.
Yes, kids love to jump on the bed.
However--
"You two shouldn't jump on the bed because it will damage it."
"I'm sorry, desu. Pochi is going deep Introspection nanodesu."
"Tama also apologizes~"
Liza immediately grabbed the two by the collar and stopped them, and the two who had been scolded put their ears down and apologized.
Yeah, it's good to be able to reflect on things quickly.