'Mr. Crye, I have a thank you note from the Gladys family: ......'

'Hmm, yeah, leave it there.'

'......, please open it later, okay?

Eva places a lavishly bound envelope on the desk.

Unlike hunters, nobles and merchants are quick to send letters. On the desk in the Clan Master's office, there were several letters that I hadn't even read yet.

I check the wax seal with Gladys' crest on it and look away.
There is no reason for me to receive a thank you letter, but isn't it coming too soon to begin with?

As my accreditation level rose, the number of letters I received increased day by day, and the volume was astonishing.
Especially since I became a Clan Master and almost never left the Imperial Capital, the number of letters begging for help, invitations, thank you letters, letters of fulfillment, resumes, and other letters that I was neither happy to receive nor could do anything with were piling up.

I know I'll have to open them at some point, but I just can't seem to get around to it. I'm the kind of person who tends to put off unpleasant things until later.
Recently, because I've been neglecting them so much, Eva has been opening some of them for me, and even responding to them. I guess I did the right thing, because my reputation has improved.

'You see, I'm busy, too. ......'

'......I don't think it's a good idea for me to open a letter addressed to a private individual, let alone one addressed to a clan or party. ......There's a possibility that it contains confidential information... ...'

There isn't. I'm not hiding anything from Eva. Just look at me as usual.
If there's one thing I'm good at, it's not keeping secrets. Eva sighs a little, looks down at the stack of letters that have accumulated even after careful selection, and says quickly.

'Apparently, Miss Eclair liked the cake ...... that Mr. Kry served her very much.

Yes, she did. She had one more thing in common.
I nodded loudly and confidently at Eva's words.

'I'm sure you do.

'......'

I'm not proud of it, but I know all the sweet shops in the capital. I've been to every single coffee shop and confectionery store in the city on my own. The only ones I don't know about are the stores in the [Decadent City District] that Eva told me about before, and the cake I prepared for Ark is one that I can recommend with confidence.

The cake I prepared for Ark is one that I can confidently recommend. It is a new product from a confectionary store that I first entered when I first came to the Imperial Capital.
Because of its remote location, the store was deserted when I first visited, but now there is always a line, and it is a store where you can hardly buy anything even if you stand in line. I give it three stars for service and taste. I know the owner very well.

If you ask me what kind of weapon shop, dojo, or information shop I recommend, I will be at a loss for an answer, but I can give you any number of answers for a cake shop.
Miss Eclair is a noblewoman, but that's why she eats only high-class food and is probably not familiar with the tastes of the city. It's not enough that the ingredients are high quality.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can't afford to pay for it. ...... It's not easy to get the agreement of the hunters, because they seem to have dull taste buds due to the fact that they have eaten so many deleterious foods.
Realizing that Eva was watching me, I hurriedly cleared my throat.

'Oh. I don't really like sweets, but there's nothing I don't know about this city.

Hard-boiled, right?

'............ I'm sure you're right.'

But, yeah. I guess I'll be making a new cake friend. I thought she was a troublesome aristocratic young lady, but it seems she has an excellent tongue.
I'm sure you can't take Tino's place, but I'd like you to introduce me to some of the aristocrats' favorite restaurants.

Well, that's a different story.

I decided to deal with all the letters on my desk.

'Well, just reply to them in an appropriate and bland manner. Decline all requests and invitations. ...... I'm busy too, you know.'

Ava looks at me with white eyes.
I'm sorry to return the letter without opening it, but reading it makes me sleepy, and most of the letters from powerful people and merchants are so stiff and roundabout that I honestly can't understand them. It's best to leave it to this talented deputy clan master.

I'd like to see all the letters handled without having to send them to me, but Eva's sensibilities seem to say 'no' to that.

'......I don't have any plans,' he said.

'............ You need to keep your body open. I mean, don't you think everyone is sending too many letters to just one hunter? I wonder if the other level 8s are also this busy. ...... A hunter's main task is to search the treasure hall.

I don't want to get caught up in a messy power struggle, and I'm afraid of dealing with a thousand merchants from all over the world.
When the letters first started coming in, I thought that if I didn't do anything, the number would dwindle rapidly, but there was no sign of that. But there's no sign of that. I'm too busy with my own affairs.

As I was sighing, I suddenly saw a blank puzzle hanging on the wall in a frame.
I asked Eva to complete it with me. Actually, the puzzle was supposed to be painted by me at the end, but I was too lazy to finish it.

'Oh, that's right. And ...... I should draw a picture soon. Hmm, but I don't know where to start. ......'

I don't have an artistic mind, and my imagination is poor. First of all, I need to buy some art materials. I don't know why I bought such a blank puzzle, and the more I look at it, the more I want to chastise myself for the past.

The more I look at it, the more I want to blame myself.

'...... Speaking of which, Cry, there's still some left over from the cake you served Ark-san.

'Eh? Ah, I forgot. How many slices were there?

'Two slices. I put them in the fridge.

My thoughts instantly go to the cake. I'll do the puzzle another time. ...... It's not like I need to draw a picture.
But two slices ...... is a halfway decent number. I entertained Ark and the others and Miss Eclair and I had a slice too. I shared it with Eva and had two slices left.
These are the new autumn products. We don't know when we'll get them again. This is a serious problem. I don't have time to read letters.

I'd give them to Lise and Citrie, but they don't like sweets. Or rather, hunters generally don't have the palate for delicate sweetness.

I was seriously troubled, but as usual, I got tired of thinking and gave up.

'Tino. Tino's choice.

'Is it ............ Tino's choice ......?'

It's a gentle master. And hard-boiled.
Tino is one of the few hunters who can taste the sweetness in the cake.

I have two slices of the new cake left over. It's no longer an exaggeration to say that there were two slices left over for Tino to eat.
Two slices for me and Tino. Perfect timing. Tino will be happy, and I'm happy to be able to repay Liz and the others for all the trouble they've caused me. I've been giving that junior a lot of trouble. I'm sorry about that.



I'm--I'm brilliant today.

'Eva, I'm sorry, but can you wrap this up for me? I'll take it to Tino's house.'

'What? Right now, sir?

Good grief, Eva doesn't understand.
If you don't take it to Tino's soon, the cake won't taste as good as it should!

'! Yes, sir. Please wait a moment.

Perhaps realizing that she was being taken aback, Eva straightened up her appearance as if in a panic.
No, you don't have to be in such a hurry. ...... Eva is excellent, but her reactions are always too serious.

It's been a long time since I've been to Tino's house, but I remember where it is because it's close to the clan house, and for some reason I have a duplicate key. Yeah, that's because Lizzie's making it personal: .......

I'd like to have a bodyguard if possible, but there's plenty of traffic on the way to Tino's house, so I think I can handle it.

I got ready to go out for the first time in a long time and left the clan house in high spirits, with Eva seeing me off with a quizzical look on her face.
I've been looking so pathetic lately. It's been a while since I've shown off my witty side.