Chapter 83: The Cost of Protecting the Village!
"Truly, you are..."
"Well, sorry for something, I guess."
I didn't quite understand, but I felt like I should apologize.
"Who are you, the Demon Lord's master?"
Togul looked at me as if I were something otherworldly.
"Takuto is truly fascinating! I'm even more interested now!"
Laura had completely designated me as a research subject.
"For now, we know there's no harm."
"Yeah, but I can't believe that little one is the Demon Lord... more importantly, Takuto surpasses my common sense!"
"Well, I've had my fair share of struggles too..."
"Anyway, just being the Demon Lord's master makes you an outlier among humans!"
Well, that's true...
As we were discussing, there was a knock on the door, and Shikibu answered. Fran and Marie entered.
"I am Shikibu, the master of this guild. I apologize for summoning you so suddenly."
After exchanging greetings, Shikibu encouraged them to sit. Shikibu then asked Fran and Marie some questions, confirming their account of the previous events.
Fran and Marie described in detail the few days they spent in Gondo Village since meeting Al. Everyone, despite it being just a few days, seemed surprised because they had coexisted with the Demon Lords and the village.
"Lord Alcione and Lord Nero were very kind to us."
"Yes, at first, I was so shocked that I almost died of surprise!"
There was no lie in their laughter-filled responses.
"It's difficult to say this, but until now, Gondo Village has never received protection from anywhere, and we always lived in fear of the demon races. Due to the difficulty in growing crops, we faced constant hardships and lived a tough life."
Shikibu and Murasaki looked apologetic. Since Gondo Village falls under the jurisdiction of the defensive city of Zig, the adventurer's guild has to cooperate with the lord to ensure the village's safety.
"Thanks to Lord Alcione, Lord Nero, and Takuto coming here, the entire village has been reborn into a place where everyone can live with smiles. Not just me, but all the villagers are truly grateful."
Fran's words carried weight. The villagers who had struggled just to survive now had hope for a better future.
"So, as compensation for being protected by the dragon, what is the village offering?"
Shikibu asked about the compensation for the protection. Was it because they were Demon Lords that they deemed it necessary for the guild to take action if their demands were unreasonable?
"Nothing at all."
"Huh?! Nothing?"
"Yes, nothing. If I had to say something, it would be playing with the dragon's children for now."
"Huh?! Wait a minute, you're saying that protecting the village's cost is playing with the dragon's children?"
"Yes, everyone's having fun!"
Shikibu was shocked beyond belief. Murasaki seemed to be in a daze too.
"Was all this happening while I wasn't around?"
"Yes, at first, a young dragon got lost and flew here, but then other young dragons started coming to play frequently!"
"Yeah, and even the parent dragon came once, it was quite a surprise! Everyone was amazed when they got a ride on its back!"
"Wait, wait! Did you just say you rode on a dragon?"
Iria was surprised and asked Fran and Marie.
"Yes, now several large dragons come to the village to play!"
"Since only Lord Alcione can understand their language, communication is difficult!"
"That's right!"
"The children seem to understand them a little bit, though."
"Adults find it hard to understand because they're so stubborn."
"And next time, they said they would build a resting place in the village to make it easier for the dragons to stay!"
Fran and Marie spoke with nostalgia, but their faces were lively. Watching their expressions, I was convinced that what I had done was not a mistake.
"Thank you both. We'll contact you with more details later."
I think they had a vague idea of why they were called, but I wanted to let them know the outcome even if just the conclusion.
I thanked Fran and Marie and asked them to leave the room.