William's easygoing attitude made the eleven little elves rejoice. "Thank you, thank you, sir! We will do our best to complete our work."
As for the house-elf that had accompanied them as a guide, William merely nodded at him before ignoring him.
Taking out eleven grouse from his storage space, William smiled and said, "I allow you to hunt in my forest as needed, as long as you do not reveal yourselves to ordinary people.
Of course, if you don't wish to hunt, Sunday will provide you with food, clothing, and other necessities according to your needs."
"Thank you, thank you, sir."
Bell nodded excitedly. "If possible, you only need to provide us with fruits and grains. We don't have a high demand for meat.
We can hunt for ourselves, or if there is any extra meat left from feeding the Thunderbirds each day, we can consume the leftovers. Also…"
Bell hesitated for a long time, glancing at the house-elf in dirty, ragged clothes before finally saying, "Mr. Flashgold can also help us search for nature's gifts in the forest. He… he…"
"No need to be nervous, Bell. You are my servants now, aren't you?"
"Of course, sir," the ten magical elves, except for Flashgold, nodded repeatedly.
Bell firmly stated, "From the moment we moved into the beautiful house you provided for us, you became our master, and we will serve the Devonshire family for generations."
"Very good. Since you are my servants and have done nothing wrong, you should respect me, not fear me."
William gave Bell a big smile. "So, you can make reasonable requests of me, and I am willing to listen to your suggestions. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes," Bell stammered. Encouraged by William's gaze and Flashgold's expectant look, she spoke softly,
"Mr. Flashgold is a pitiful soul. His master passed away several years ago, leaving him to live alone on your estate.
After arriving in this world, we used magic to ask some house-elves for directions and found a rough idea of your territory. We then sought help from the house-elves within your lands.
Without any work of his own, Mr. Flashgold kindly and tirelessly came to fetch us.
On the way here, after learning that we were coming to serve you, he begged us to plead with you on his behalf, hoping to gain the opportunity to serve the Devonshire family. Please, please…"
Having a native like Flashgold helping the magical elves adapt to life in England was beneficial to William.
However, he wasn't one to trust a wild house-elf living alone so easily. Casting a Cleaning Charm on Flashgold, William looked into his eyes and asked,
"Who was your previous master? How did he die?"
"R-r-respected sir, my master was Claude. He… he…"
At the mention of his master, Flashgold's unusually large eyes quickly filled with tears.
But after a moment, he noticed the expression on William's face and was immediately filled with fear. As soon as William narrowed his eyes, the little creature hastily said,
"M-my master was killed by werewolves! H-he was the magical advisor to the late Earl of Devonshire."
At this, Flashgold trembled under William's intense gaze. "Y-you were in the manor when you wiped out those werewolves?"
"Yes, yes, sir."
Not only did Flashgold sense a shift in William's demeanor, but Bell and the others also felt the danger in the air.
"If your master was a wizard, why did he turn into a werewolf? If he was outmatched, couldn't he have escaped?"
"Well…" Flashgold wiped the cold sweat from his brow. "S-sir, not everyone is a genius like you. My master was just an ordinary wizard."
"Oh?" Hearing this, William immediately understood. That wizard, Claude, was probably a Squib. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen to the point of seeking refuge with the old Earl of Oxford.
"If you were there, why didn't you stop me?"
Flashgold stammered, "W-without my master's command, I-I couldn't attack you. Besides, I knew you weren't the villain but the one who freed my master."
"Very good."
William was very satisfied with this answer. No command meant no attack, but conversely, with an order, Flashgold would have acted.
Moreover, this little creature had lived on his estate for several years without seeking revenge, simply living quietly in the wild.
"You have earned the opportunity to work for me. Assist Bell in handling external affairs. You will be provided with food and lodging, along with an annual salary of one gold coin."
William tossed a Devonshire gold coin to Flashgold, ignoring his bewildered expression, unsure whether to take it or not.
Grinning, William asked, "Your name is Flashgold—did your master name you in hopes of finding a gold mine?"
"N-no, sir. No, wait," Flashgold smacked himself on the head. "M-master, I was named Flashgold because my father hoped to own a gold coin one day."
Ding…
With a flick of William's finger, another gold coin, slightly too large for the little elf, flew into his hands.
"This is a gift for your father."
"Th-thank you, Master."
Holding a gold coin in each hand, Flashgold was overwhelmed with emotion and could only kneel, loudly swearing eternal loyalty to the Devonshire family.
William chuckled and nodded. "Mm, I accept your allegiance."
"Alright, I'm heading back to rest. If you have any requests, ask Sunday. If he can grant them, he will. If not, he will report to me. In a couple of days, once you've settled in, you'll start your work."
"Yes, Master."
Once William left, Bell and the others surrounded Flashgold, bombarding him with questions. When they heard about William's ruthless extermination of the werewolves,
the ten magical elves couldn't help but recall the god-like presence he had displayed in Magic Town.
They shuddered.
With that, William's deliberate display of kindness had gone to waste.
Back at the castle, feeling a bit hungry, William was about to grab some pastries when he suddenly remembered that house-elves were renowned for their household skills.
He asked Sunday, "See if Bell and the others know how to cook roasted meat. If they do, have them roast a grouse for me."
Sunday quickly replied, saying that Bell and the others were already preparing roasted chicken. It would be ready in about thirty minutes, and Bell would personally deliver it.
"Mm."
Hearing that they could cook, William teleported the remaining grouse from his storage space to them.
Half an hour later, Bell and Flashgold, guided by Sunday, appeared before William using Apparition.
"Master, please taste it and see if it suits your palate."
With just a few bites, William could tell that Bell and the others had followed Sunday's instructions, preparing the roasted chicken in the style of Chinese cuisine.
"I'm very pleased," William said with a smile, handing them a keg of beer. "Go celebrate. Goodnight, little ones."
Bell didn't seem too interested in the beer, but Flashgold clutched the keg—which was nearly as big as he was—like a treasure, unwilling to let go.
"Praise be to you! You are the kindest and most benevolent master in the world! Goodnight, Master."
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