Nayle's hair was trimmed in Aldis's unaccustomed hands, and like the twins, her hair was short enough to show half her ears.

'They're matching, Nere!

I'm with you. I'm with you!

　The twins happily spluttered at the sight of their cool female guardian, who had the same haircut as they did.
　Blue, almost white, and gold with a hint of white. If the three of them were similar in coloration, they might look like sisters their age.

'Well, it's not my day job, so please don't make me look a little awkward.

No problem. Very good, my Lord.

　Nere responds to Aldis's words, which seem like an excuse, in a good mood.
　The squire doesn't usually show much emotion, but today she has more smiles than usual.

It's a good time to be in moderation. I shall begin to prepare for dinner. My master is resting comfortably.

　Nayle's steps were light as she walked into the house.
　As she said, the sun was beginning to set as she looked up at the sky.
　There would still be some time before dusk, but it would be just right to relax while waiting for dinner to be prepared.

　With young twins in the house, they were not in the habit of staying up late.
　I took a bath to wash off the fatigue of my trip and waited for dinner on the living room sofa with the twins who were clinging to me.

I'm going to sing a tune.

　At Nere's call to the end, Aldis and the twins arrive at the table where the food is laid out.

'Thanks to the Lord's purchase of condiments, we've made a satisfying meal today,'

　It would be easy to go shopping every day at home in the city, but there is no such thing as a grocery store in the middle of the forest.
　However, there is no way that Nere could go out to the capital without leaving the twins behind.

　Fortunately, in the forest, it is possible to hunt beasts and procure meat, and it is also possible to gather a certain amount of wildflowers.
　We haven't been able to harvest them yet, but eventually we should be able to get some fresh vegetables from the vegetable garden in the garden.

　However, we need to buy wheat for bread in town, and above all, it is difficult to be self-sufficient in seasonings and spices.
　In addition, although not essential, we had no choice but to buy dried seafood and eggs in the city.

'Eggs or ....... Even if you buy them when you return from King's Landing, they won't last much longer. If you keep chickens in your garden, though, you'll be able to get them consistently .......

　Ardis murmurs as she hears Nere say that eggs would enhance her diet even more.

'Do you keep chickens?　How many animals do you want to keep?

Hi-ah-hihi, niha-to-hi-san's oh-hi-hiwufuru!

Liana, stop eating and talking. That's bad manners. And, Filia, count the chickens as one or two, not one or two.

You're an animal and you're not alone?

　I guess all animals were counted in units of animals. Filia asks Nere with a question in her blue-tinged, shallow green eyes.

'How many birds do you count in a bird's company, not how many? Remember that.

Hmm, that's so weird. You should have joined us.

　Filia replies with a feeling like, I don't understand.
　At that moment, Liana, who finally swallowed the food that was in her mouth, belatedly entered the fray.

''Liana and the others, I'm going to take care of the chickens!

Hmm. I shall ask you to help me look after the chickens. That's it, my Lord. If you get a chance, could you get us some chickens?

'That's fine, I don't mind, but ....... Wouldn't that bring out the predators?

　I have no objection to keeping chickens, but I don't want them to be a threat to my safety.

But I don't want that to be a threat to my safety. "Don't worry," he said, "we can build a sturdy stone henhouse and keep them there for the night. If the beast should ever come near, I will not let it touch the children.

　After all, Aldis is a confident-looking Nere, and "Mr. Chicken! Encouraged by the excited twins, I decided to buy a chicken for my next visit to King's Landing.

I will start building the chicken house tomorrow. Don't worry, my Lord. I will make it strong enough to withstand the attacks of the demons.

　In front of the strangely motivated squire, Aldis returns a wry smile.

'No, it doesn't have to be that sturdy: ......




　After a good night's rest, Ardis was sent off by Nere and the twins to the royal capital, Gran, to meet up with the members of the Byakuya no Meisei. This is because they are going to meet up with the members of the Byakuya no Meisei.
　I've been told that Ted and his friends are on their way to Leitin, the city-state federation, on business, so it was agreed that we should do the same.

　After passing through the gate first thing in the morning, we entered the capital and walked straight to the Sesame Street Pavilion where Ted and his friends were staying.
　In the cool, clear air of the early morning, you can see many residents going to the morning market and merchants pulling carts on the main street of the capital.

　The gates that separate the inside of the capital from the outside have just opened, but people's lives are already in motion.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with the help of a few of your friends.

　The first floor of the inn, which serves as a dining room, is bustling with mercenaries and peddlers who have already finished their preparations for departure. However, strangely enough, I didn't see anyone having breakfast.

''Welcome!　Oh, it's not Mr. Aldis!

　As soon as she spots Aldis, the sign girl, Meryl, calls out to her cheerfully.

''Thank you for bringing our guest yesterday!

　After saying goodbye to Aldis, Ted and his friends ended up staying at the Seseragi-tei.
　From the inn's point of view, it was as if Aldis had brought a new guest with him.

I'd like to have a word with them: ....... Are they by any chance still sleeping?

No. I'll be sitting at that table over there.

　After confirming the whereabouts of Ted and the others, Meryl pointed to a table in a corner of the dining room.
　Shifting his gaze beyond that, Aldis found the three figures sitting around the round table.

　But why are all three of them propped up at the table?
　With a question mark on his mind, he thanked Meryl and approached the table where the three of them were sitting.

'Yo, Ted. What's up?　Too much to drink?

　The first thing that comes to mind is a hangover from drinking too much alcohol last night after a night off.
　But then, even Norris is not in a position to see the situation in which he is lying down.
　Unlike Ted and Orphelia, who drink a lot without thinking about the consequences, Norris is well aware of the amount of alcohol he drinks.
　I've never seen him go back and forth from drinking, and I didn't think he would drink so deeply that it would interfere with the next day.

'Oh, oh ....... Aldis or .......

　When he got up, Ted's complexion was pale.

'You look awful, but it doesn't look like you're hungover, does it?

Yeah, I'm not drinking.

Then what the hell are you--

Shit.

What?

　Ted's response to Aldis's question was an unexpected word.

'Not good, is something wrong?'

I don't think so. The food is bad. The food is bad! The food is so bad!　This is as bad as you can get away with!　What is this, a food?

　Blue-faced and forceful, Ted's focus was on the breakfast on the table.

　Bread kneaded with some obscure object. An oddly colored salad. And a white soup that smelled rather sour.
　Looking over the lineup, Aldis finally understood the cause of the problem.

'Oh ......, I see that's what you mean: ......'

　At first glance, the menu looks decent, but if you pay close attention, you may have sensed that something was not quite right.
　It's hard to imagine that those who are also known as "Byakuya no Meisei" couldn't detect this level of discomfort.

　However, they didn't think that the food at the inn where they were doing business by taking money would have such a terrible problem lurking in it.
　I'm sure it's not because of the fact that they trusted the inn that Aldis introduced to them, but it seems that Ted and the others ate the doomsday weapon (Meryl's breakfast) at the Seseragi-tei without even knowing it.

'Uppu ....... The nausea ain't subsided yet.

　Ted holds his mouth and endures.

'Haha. It's just Aldis's regular lodgings, after all. It was strong. ......'

　Norris laughed dryly and then gave some distant look.

''Ugh ....... That's as good as it gets in King's Landing. It's a wonderfully bad idea with a lot of punch. I'll have to treat everyone to it next time .......

　Orphelia, who could be said to be a bad food hunter in a sense, was mouthing off her boisterous plans while admiring the taste of the food.

''Hey, Aldis-san!　Isn't that terrible!　Let's have a good time and enjoy our creative cuisine!

　Meryl, who was listening to the exchange between Aldis and the others, shouted in protest.

It's a terrible thing, that's my line. It's almost a crime to take money for this.

　Ted's voice was weak.

'It's awful!　This is still delicious, Aldis says!　Hey, Mr. Aldis!

　In fact, there are only a few people in the entire city who can eat Meryl's food without complaining about it, although I don't remember ever once calling it delicious.
　To Merrill, that alone is probably enough for him to feel that he has received a 'good' rating.

''Ah, Aldis-san, you haven't had breakfast yet, right?''

No, I've already eaten...

Sit here and I'll be right with you.

　Without hearing Aldis' reply, Meryl ran to the kitchen.

　Apparently, eating her special breakfast had become an inevitable stipulation.
　With a light sigh, Aldis sat down at the same table as Ted and the others.

'Hmm?　What's going on?

　As Aldis sat down, he looked at Ted and the three of them as if they were looking at some bizarre object.

'You ...... are awesome. What kind of a brave man are you ...... to take on this yourself?

That's great, Aldis. I have a little respect for Aldis now.

Aldis, even his tongue is off the charts. That's very impressive.

　It's not that I'm happy to eat it," Aldis said, inwardly raising her eyebrows as she silently accepted the strange praise from the three of them.

　Eventually a set of Meryl's special breakfast set was laid out on the table, and Aldis began to eat the meal that was served to her in silence.
　In the short time it took to finish the meal, Meryl gave her a happy smile and Ted and the others looked at her with a form of incomprehension.