A Late Lunch

  We entered the dining hall and food was brought to us immediately.

  It was Danton who brought us the food.

  Mors and the young beastkin stood up frantically.

  “Mister Danton. You shouldn’t have.”


  “No-no. It’s really nothing! I was bored.”


  Danton said with a laugh and gestured for Mors to sit down.

  The young beastkin tried to move towards Danton.

  “I’m very sorry. Please, let me help you!”


  “Don’t bother. You were standing by the door all of this time, weren’t you? It’s time to rest now. Take a seat.”


  “But…”


  “Just do it.”


  “Yes. Thank you.”


  He finally sat down.

  Danton nodded with satisfaction.

  “Danton. Thank you.”


  “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about eating some bread myself. As a snack, you know.”


  I thought that I should probably tell him that we had essentially forced the young beastkin to sit with us.

  I doubted it mattered, but perhaps someone might scold him later.

  “He didn’t want to, but we kind of forced him to eat with us.”


  “I see. Well, that’s nice. It’s not every day you get to eat with a great hero.”


  Danton said with a pleasant laugh.

  “Ye-yes! It is an honor.”


  The young beastkin said happily.

  After that, we had a late lunch.

  Food had been prepared for Grulf and Lord Gerberga as well. And they ate it happily.

  As Lord Gerberga was a God Fowl, he ate on top of the table.

  Grulf ate noisily at my feet.

  Danton stayed with us and ate some bread.

  “So, what are Shia, Nia, and Serulis doing?”


  “I think they might have gotten carried away during their training. They and the children are now sleeping.”


  “That’s good. They should get plenty of rest.”


  “Aye. Shia has really gotten stronger in a short amount of time.”


  “Yes, she is much stronger now compared to when I first met her.”


  “You think so too, Locke?”


  “Yes. It’s quite clear to me.”


  Nia was still a newcomer. But Shia was a B-Rank Adventurer.

  B-Rank Adventurers could go out on their own. Usually, it was at this point where growth became a little slower.

  And so this meant that Shia and Serulis’s sudden growth was a little abnormal.

  “Perhaps they are just that age now.”


  “There is that too… But I think it’s mostly because of you, Locke. Thank you.”


  “I don’t see how I had anything to do with it.”


  “No, you definitely do. Being able to watch a first-rate Adventurer fighting would have contributed a lot. And they also get to fight stronger enemies when they are with you.”


  You got stronger if you fought strong enemies.

  It was best if you could deal the finishing blow, but just fighting against them also led to growth.

  And Shia, Serulis, and Nia had all fought pretty strong enemies.

  “That’s true, I suppose. But it’s mainly because Shia worked very hard. You should tell her how proud you are.”


  I said to Danton. He laughed happily.

  We continued to eat and talk until Danton seemed to have suddenly remembered something.

  “Locke. How are things going with the magic tools?”


  “Ah. We’ve made a lot of progress.”


  “I knew you would, Locke. But if there is anything that you need. Just tell me.”


  “We have what we need. We even finished one.”


  “You did!”


  Danton’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Indeed, it should have taken longer to make something so complex.

  And we had developed it from scratch. It should have taken us weeks.

  Kathe stuffed meat into her mouth as she said,

  “It was all because of Locke. I learned a lot while watching him.”


  “As did I.”


  Mors agreed. He was carefully tearing his bread and eating it.

  Luchila also nodded.

  “Yes, it was very interesting. I learned a lot from you all.”


  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Lord Gerberga stopped eating and walked up to Luchila.

  And then he gently pecked at her hand.

  “Lord Gerberga is saying you did a good job too.”


  “Thank you. Lord Gerberga.”


  Lord Gerberga looked satisfied after being petted. He then returned to me and hopped on my shoulder. His plate was already empty.

  “Have you had enough, Lord Gerberga?”


  “Cluck-cluck.”


  “What about bread?”


  I tore off a piece and held it close to him.

  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Lord Gerberga ate it from my hand. He looked very cute when he did it.

  And so I fed him another piece.

  “Cluck-cluck.”


  Lord Gerberga ate the bread and flapped his wings happily.

  I was glad that he was enjoying himself.