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The town of Consul was located in the center of the Western Frontier Zone (ex-Domiziano Fief) and was a major transportation hub.

With a population of about 1,500, it was one of the largest towns in the frontier zone. It was a bit too desolate to be called a big city, but to call it a rural town would be disproportionate to its bright and lively townscape with elegant streets.

As a town that originally flourished as a post town, most of its population was concentrated along the main road. Perhaps due to the fact that the population density was higher per unit than in rural areas, and the buildings had a sophisticated imperial-style design, the town was clearly ‘urban’ from the perspective of the surrounding villages.

Situated in the eastern part of the town, the official residence of the ruling governor, which doubles as a private residence, was of an unprecedented scale and site that it was hard to believe that it was built in just a few months. Incidentally, the mansion was built in rapid succession with the help of nearby migrant workers, skilled dwarf craftsmen, and brawny laborers who could build a hut in a single night.

The backyard, which also housed an annex, a separate building for servants, and a stable, had a vast forest expanding behind it. There was even a small lake nearby. Well, housing of this scale was only possible because it was a remote area with a huge surplus of land.

Within such a vast site, Eren, a lady attendant (or apprentice attendant), was holding a picnic basket with both hands, with Vier the familiar walking alongside her and Lana, the not-really-attendant, following behind them with a rucksack on her back. Whenever she moved, her fox ears peeked out from between her golden…or rather, golden brown hair, while her bushy tail, which extended from the skirt of her navy blue maid’s uniform, bounced around.

She was a fox beastfolk and was currently 10 years old —although she looked about 7 or 8 years old due to her poor nutritional condition, her cheeks had been gradually plumping up recently— and she wore a red collar around her neck. The collar was not a fashion feature, but rather a magical tool called a Stigma, which proved that she was not a commoner but a slave under the name of free laborer.

She became my slave by chance about a month ago and was now acting as my attendant, but perhaps due to the emotional scars she bore from her time as a slave, she really wouldn’t open up much to people other than me and Vier. She would stick with me wherever I went, but she wasn’t playing, just doing her best to be useful.

The reactions of the other servants to Lana, who was acting as if she was my attendant, could be roughly divided into three: Actively thinking she was an eyesore, wilfully ignoring her, or…

“Uugh, so cute! Lana, can I stroke your ears and tail a little?” Eren, who seemed unable to bear it any longer, put down her basket and began to touch Lana.

“…” Lana became stiff, dead in the water, whenever she faced such a direct skinship like this. Perhaps, receiving affection so candidly like this was much stranger to her.

“Your cheeks are so puffy and your tail so fluffy! I love it!!!”

Whilst glancing at Eren, who was lost in rapture treating Lana as her stuffed toy, and Lana, whose eyes were swimming around and her face completely expressionless, I smiled as I began to bury the warding stakes I had taken out.

“…I don’t think you should be doing such a labor yourself, Lady Jill.”

Hugging Lana to her chest like she was a stuffed toy, Eren commented discontentedly.

“I’m not really comfortable leaving work to others. Besides, I especially made these stakes myself. I want to see the minute adjustments for their effective range on my own.”
“They don’t look much different than the usual stakes, though?”
“Well, their basic features are pretty much the same with the usual stakes. But, I’ve devised a way to make certain stakes resonate with each other when the time calls for it, temporarily boosting their power. It would be best if the time for that never comes, though.”

Incidentally, this was basically an applied idea based on the triangulation method the imperial magicians used.

“And walking on my own feet like this gives me a good idea of the terrain, it tells me about the variation of animals, demon beasts, and the vegetation around the area, so it’s all good.”

“Is that how it is?” Eren questioned.

Later, once our picnic lunch by the lake was finished, we walked around while I occasionally plucked the odd medicinal herbs in the area and handed it to Lana so she could put it in her backpack.

Storing them in my Close magic art would be an easier alternative (since I can now carry several times the weight and mass I used to), but I decided to give her some kind of work to do. I want to promote self-awareness in her since this is also going to become her salary.

“Come to think of it, Lady Jill. Do you remember that idiot Bruno?”

Eren suddenly asked me as we were walking.

“Yes, of course. What about him?”
“He comes to this town’s branch of Adventurers Guild practically every day and keeps nagging to be registered as an adventurer, that idiot. Caldina grumbled to me about it.”

Eren raised both hands, one of them holding the now-lightened basket, and spoke in a tone of surrender.

Incidentally, Eren and Caldina had just met the other day, but for some reason they both checked each other’s chests first thing and nodded to one another, instantly on the terms of smiling at each other — and that moment, a mysterious friendship formed. Sometimes, a friendship between women can be a bit incomprehensible.

“Heeh. That does sound like Bruno alright. But, doesn’t it take quite a while to get here on foot from the western pioneering village?”
“That’s the thing. That cheeky brat somehow got his own emu all by himself, that must be why he’s getting carried away and wants to become an adventurer, thinking he’s an adult.”
“Hmm. You sure know a lot. …Well, I suppose you two have always been good friends.”

When I jeered at it, trying to poke at her, Eren showed an exaggerated frown. “Please, no way. It’s just that idiot keeps making a ruckus every time I go downtown, he can’t be not in the center of attention…”

Hmm~~ well, despite their perception of each other, I do think that they get along really well with each other, though…

“That means it is likely for us to meet Bruno if we go to the town or the adventurers guild, doesn’t it? I haven’t met him in a while, so why don’t we visit the town on our way back?”
“I don’t see a reason why we should meet him, though. Well, I’m sure he’d be on cloud nine to see you. Lady Jill, you should scold him well. Tell him that he should wait until he’s the appropriate age if he wants to be an adventurer. He’s always doing some kind of ridiculous things, it irritates me how dangerous his actions are.”

Despite what she claimed, I could tell that Eren was concerned for Bruno. A smile formed on my lips as I looked back at Vier and Lana who followed behind us.

“We will be going to the town, then. Lana, have Vier carry you to the mansion if you’re tired.”
“It’s okay. I’m going with you, Lady Jill.”

When I was sure that she wasn’t just bluffing and was actually taking firm steps, I lightly warned her; “just don’t overdo yourself.” Then, with a slight bounce in my step, we proceeded to the town of Consul, where a familiar face would surely be waiting for us.