Chapter 359:
News
I looked at Druid as he walked beside me. Everything felt indescribably bizarre. Nothing was different from the day before, and all we had done was turn in an adoption form…but something had changed. It was just so surreal.
“Hm? What’s wrong?” Druid asked.
“Nothing. Do you think the application will be accepted?”
We had turned it in, but we didn’t know yet if the adoption had been approved. What if it hadn’t? Just the thought made me sad.
“Don’t worry. We have so many guarantors, it’s bound to go through.”
He was right: all my guarantors, starting with Lord Foronda, were heroes.
“Are guarantors really that important?”
“Yeah, they want to make sure kids aren’t trafficked. Your guarantors will be fine, but they’re heavily vetted in most cases.”
Trafficked?
“In the past, people used to adopt kids so they could use them to commit crimes. That’s why they started requiring guarantors.”
“Oh, that explains it.”
That sounds horrible. How dare they betray the children who were just happy to have parents!
“All right, want to go pay our respects to Lord Foronda?”
“Sure. Do you know which inn he’s staying at?”
“I don’t know which one exactly, but it’s bound to be the best one in the village, knowing Lord Foronda.”
That made sense. He must have been staying in the finest inn that catered to the nobility. I wonder what sort of inn that would be?
“It’s over there.”
I looked where my dad was pointing to see a building dripping with extravagance. There was somebody standing at the front entrance. Was it a guard?
“Is it okay that we’re dressed like this?” I looked down at my clothes. I was dressed for adventuring. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t be a problem, but it didn’t feel like the right thing to wear into an inn where the nobility stayed.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” My dad gave my back a little push, and we approached the inn.
“Wow…even the front door is glittering.”
I looked at the inn’s entrance, which was adorned with expensive decorations. Even the door was ornately engraved. Isn’t this excessive? What a pain it must be to clean.
“What’s this… Miss Ivy and Mr. Druid?” Lord Foronda’s bodyguard stepped out of the inn’s entrance.
“Good afternoon,” my father and I greeted him. He smiled brightly and opened the door for us.
“Are you sure it’s all right for us to come in?” I asked.
“Of course. You wish to speak with my master?”
“Yes, sir, we have some news for him. Is he in his room?”
“Yes, he is. I’ll just go tell him you’re here. Wait a moment, please.”
After I watched the bodyguard run upstairs, I looked around and noticed the huge paintings on the walls.
One in particular caught my eye, and I silently stared at it.
I don’t understand art.
“What’s wrong?”
I pointed to the painting. “What’s that supposed to be?”
It was a painting of…something…in green lines. If I had to give it a title, it would probably be Green Swirlies.
“Hmmm… I have no clue.”
“Well, if it’s on display here, it must be expensive.”
“Probably.”
My dad is just as clueless about art as I am.
“I apologize for the wait. Allow me to escort you to my master’s room,” the bodyguard announced.
“Thank you very much.”
We climbed up to the fourth floor. It had only two doors, both of which appeared to lead into a spacious room. This was an inn for the nobility all right.
“I’ve brought your visitors, Master.”
“Come on in.” The maid I’d met just once when I went to Lord Foronda’s mansion opened the door. “Lady Ivy, so good to see you again. Lord Druid, a pleasure to meet you. Please come in.”
His maid always called me “Lady Ivy.” I had told her it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted that she called all her master’s guests Lord and Lady. I knew it wasn’t something I could change, but it still made me feel self-conscious to be called that; it felt so unnatural to me. Even now, my spine tingled a little.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Ivy, Druid, congratulations. I assume you’ve filed already?”
“Yes, sir. We did that just now,” my dad answered.
Lord Foronda smiled proudly at him, then walked over to me and gave my head a gentle pat. He really has done so much for me.
“Thank you so much, sir. For the form, and for signing it…”
“Oh, don’t thank me. It was in my own interest as well.”
Everyone in my life is just so kind. I’ll need to repay them all someday.
We were offered chairs, so we sat. The maid soon brought out some tea and sweets and set them on the table in front of us.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If there’s anything you fancy, feel free to take it home with you.”
His maid is always so nice to me. Do I really deserve all this?
“Druid, how much longer will you be staying in Hatahi?”
Hm? Lord Foronda’s tone seems softer around my dad now. He used to be a lot stiffer. Does sharing a drink really make people friendlier with each other?
“We’re going to start packing to leave really soon, but we’re waiting for something to be resolved before we go.”
“And what might that be?”
“We’re friendly with one of the watchmen here, and he has a tamer friend we’re interested in.”
So he meant Ashley’s friend. Come to think of it, I wonder how that turned out?
“A tamer? Oh, is this about the retraining?”
“Yeah…you might say that.”
“I see. So, where are you headed next? Hataka?”
“Yes. And we don’t have any plans right away, so we’re going to have a nice, leisurely trip to the capital.”
Hm? Is it just me, or did he emphasize the word “leisurely”?
“When do you plan on leaving, Lord Foronda?” Druid continued.
“My party and I will depart in two days. My work has likely piled up to an alarming height by now, you see.”
Lord Foronda sure is a busy man. The other nobles I’ve seen in towns and villages always just look bossy and bored.
“Ivy…is something wrong?”
“No… Life sounds awfully busy for you, Lord Foronda. I was just thinking that the nobles I’ve seen in towns and villages so far look, um…bored.”
“Bored nobles, you say? Ah, yes, well, they’re all idiots, so nobody trusts them with work. They’re just biding their time.”
Ha ha ha ha! Now I get it.
“Um, we’ll come and bid you farewell, sir,” I promised.
“Thanks. Oh, Ivy, I just remembered something.”
“Yes?”
What could it be? Lord Foronda’s smile looked a bit cryptic to me.
“When you come back to Otolwa, I want you to meet my sons.”
Meet his sons? I thought he said they were living in the capital for their safety?
“Are your sons back in Otolwa, sir?”
“Yes, now that the threat has been taken care of. My firstborn is going to school in the capital, though, so he can be my heir. I only get to see him when he has long vacations. My youngest is back in Otolwa, and I would love it if you and he…”
“Master.”
“Lord Foronda.”
Hm? Both my dad and the maid cut him off? Must be my imagination. I glanced at them both, and their eyes seemed quite stern to me. Er…why? I mean, Lord Foronda is the highest-ranking person in this room by far… Is it really okay to glare at him like that?
“Master…I will be sure to provide everyone with all the details about this.”
Who does she mean by “everyone”?
“Huh?! Er, Amari…you are my maid, aren’t you?”
“Of course, my lord. I have served you all your life.”
“Indeed you have.”
“Yes. However, my former master gave me permission to stop you by any means necessary, should you veer onto the wrong path.”
“Arrrgh…”
Whoa… Lord Foronda’s hanging his head in shame. Aha, so his maid is just like Rattloore. She looks harmless, but she’s ruthless. I wonder if the “everyone” she mentioned is Rattloore and his men?
“But I don’t think I’m on the wrong path…” he grumbled.
“Lady Ivy?”
“Yes?!”
Did I do something wrong? I can’t think of anything.
“Was there any sweet you particularly liked?”
“Oh, yes. I liked this black one.”
“The chobar? Then please take some home with you.”
Huh?!
“Oh, but I couldn’t…”
The maid set a small basket on the table. “We cannot eat all of these ourselves, so you would be doing us a favor.”
It’s hard to say no… I glanced at my dad next to me.
“Go ahead, take them.”
If my dad says it’s okay…then I guess it’s okay?
“Thank you very much.”
Taking the basket, I peeked inside and saw it was filled with chobars. I was actually quite pleased.
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