Chapter 907: Early Winter Steps
After thoroughly enjoying Polka’s bath, we headed to the Baron’s mansion. There, I reported various matters to Irina and the others, checked on how my children were growing, and introduced myself to my mother. ……And, as expected, the main topic of conversation was Charlotte.
“I see. Is she really that highly regarded by Dianne……? Perhaps it would be worth considering using her as a secret agent?”
Irina folded her arms.
“I’m not sure about using her for rough work……we’ve got people who are good at that sort of thing”
Like 100-man Commander Becker, or Luna, or Tetes.
“No, no. There are all kinds of spies. For example, in the Northern Forest, the sort of people you’re talking about, the ones suited for rough work, can’t exactly roam around freely”
“Do elves really spy on each other that much?”
“It happens. Especially the Purple Clan, they’re a stubborn bunch”
“Ah……”
The Purple Clan, from which Apple’s mother hails. I’ve heard they’re particularly well-versed in the secrets of magic arts, and as a result, they’re quite insular. Just as the clan leader, Old Woman Alma, fits the image of a fairy-tale witch, they’re often treated with suspicion even among other elves, it’s a clan that tends to be viewed with the unspoken implication that no one really knows what they’re up to behind closed doors. But if we were to steal whatever secrets they’re hiding, that would be a whole other kind of trouble.
“If you absolutely must, taking it up with Charlotte is an option, but first, save face for me. I’ve already told her I’d make her my female slave”
“I understand. That’s a matter for the future. If she has talent, we’ll have to find a use for her eventually; otherwise, she’ll end up content to be a burden on the household”
As long as she is my female slave, she is also under the protection of the dragons. Her talent is rare, but I cannot allow it to be squandered on trivial skirmishes.
“However, for Dianne, she’s a delightful card to hold. As a planner, it’s irresistible to have even one thing made possible that no one else could achieve”
I really hope it doesn’t come to a situation where we have to make use of her talent. ……But when I think about Princess Ran’s future, I can’t help but feel that the day Charlotte’s presence proves useful is not far off. Princess Ran, who found herself in a difficult position in Saint Gardo and lived with the expectation that she would die of illness. For her to reestablish her position in Saint Gardo, she will have to overcome the conflicting interests of many around her. If she doesn’t subdue them through the Dragon’s brute force, there will undoubtedly be many opportunities for covert operations. ……To get through that safely, maybe I should have Charlotte undergo proper intelligence training. After all, we have 100-man Commander Becker and Tetes, who excel in that field.
And when I went to see my mother, she looked truly happy, holding her two grandchildren, Elenia and Peter, in both arms.
“Ah, the weight of happiness……I wonder if I should have made another one myself”
My mother’s face was completely relaxed as she sat in her rocking chair. Since Peter is no longer at the age where he needs a swaddle that looks like a bagworm, she held him on one knee, while she held Elenia lightly on the other, gently rocking her with her fingertips. ……It feels kind of nostalgic. I think back in the day, before I went to sleep, I used to have someone pat my chest like that along with a lullaby.
“For some reason, both Ele-chan and Peter-kun are such good kids whenever they’re with Grandma”
Selenium gave a helpless laugh. Peter is one thing, but it seems Elenia is quite the little wild child too.
“I guess it’s because, unlike us, she’s got generations of babysitting techniques passed down through her family”
Jeanne looked thoroughly impressed. ……Come to think of it, Jeanne’s mother passed away early too, didn’t she? They say a lot of childcare know-how is passed down from parents, after all. It’s true that a girl from a tough home environment might not be able to match a mother who grew up in a normal family.
“That’s not true at all. ……Even I was completely flying by the seat of my pants when it came to childcare when I was young, and Andy gave me quite a hard time. I was helped a lot by the other wives around me, my mother-in-law……and the woman who would become Andy’s grandmother”
“Grandma……I never got to meet her, did I?”
“She passed away before Andy turned three”
I heard she got lost on a blizzard day and froze to death. No matter how much of a spiritual spring she was, death comes when it comes. I suppose it means that our current happiness isn’t something we can just leave alone, we have to look out for each other and protect one another. I think I need to cherish this.
“Ah, right, Mom. We’re going to have another one”
“…………”
I casually tried to mention Tetes, but my mother’s smile froze.
“……What?”
“What do you mean……”
“…………You aren’t going to happily report to your mother that we’ve got another female dray, are you?”
“A, Ah……no, that’s going to……increase……emm, there are plans for that to happen, but that’s not what I meant?”
With Princess Ran and Charlotte’s situations, saying they wouldn’t increase would be a lie, so I tried to phrase it gently, but it was impossible. My mother began radiating murderous intent while still smiling as she held her grandchild. I saw Peter flinch and cower. Elenia is asleep. She’s tough.
“Y, You idiot son……!”
“W, Wait! You shouldn’t make scary noises when the kid’s sleeping!”
“Besides, Andy-san still only makes female slaves out of those who volunteer! They’re harmonious slaves!”
What the hell is a harmonious slave, Selenium? The whole concept of slaves is something ordinary people just don’t get. Not that I’m one to talk, though. Wait, why were they slaves in the first place……? Was it my fault……? Just as I was deep in thought, my mom, still holding both her grandchildren, deftly stood up and smacked me with her fist. Ele, she really doesn’t wake up, does she……?
——————————
I’d actually only been away from Polka for a few days, but things had changed in that time. Or rather, the pirate girl Galatia had suddenly turned into a princess.
“……Eh? Who’s that?”
“It’s Gal-chan”
At 「Leslie House」, where I’d stopped by on a whim, I was suddenly face-to-face with Galatia. She had snow-white skin, her silky, beautiful hair gracefully braided, and to top it all off, she was wearing a glamorous evening gown. It seemed she’d been decked out by Isabel and a few other prostitutes working together.
“It’s because you were so careless with your hair, you know. It’s such a shame to waste something so lovely♪”
Said Cathy. According to the other prostitutes, treating your hair roughly, even as a girl, is apparently unthinkable at the brothels in Talc. They said things like, there are plenty of men who’ll be fooled just by beautiful hair, even without breasts or a butt. Well……yeah. I can kind of see their point. Once you’re naked, it might come down to size, but your hair is a key charm that speaks to you long before that. Even if you have a pretty face, if your hair is a frizzy mess, it does make you look a bit less appealing. ……And while Galatia is a lion-shapeshifter, so her hair is naturally thick to begin with, she’d been living surrounded only by men, so apparently no one ever taught her how to properly care for it. Apparently, the reason she only ever wore thick braids was simply because that was all she knew. After getting called out on it by the ladies of the bathhouse following a soak, she apparently underwent intensive lessons in feminine grace.
“H, Hey……d, does this……look better?”
“……W, Well, I like your usual look too, but this is actually pretty nice……”
But she really was that tanned, Galatia……since coming here, her tan must have faded little by little every day, but seeing her again after a few days, my impression of her has changed drastically; she suddenly looks as if she’s turned completely white. That pale skin, with light makeup. Galatia is still young and doesn’t really need makeup, but the courtesans of Talc, where there are plenty of young courtesans and dark elves, understand that point all too well. It’s clear that this makeup, subtle enough not to look garish, yet gently emphasizing her femininity, is the result of careful consideration of Galatia’s 「Innate charm」 and the 「Charm she wants to project」. While Galatia’s charm lies in her carefree liveliness, she’s also a girl with a strong desire to reach higher, to pursue the 「Feminine side of herself」 that never had a chance to develop among the pirate men. I can’t help but marvel at the skill of the women who brought that out so brilliantly. While some of the female slaves enjoy dressing up, there aren’t many who possess the insight to go beyond their own fashion boundaries and actually transform others. That must be the power of professionals. So.
“Emm……well, then, that……”
Now that we’ve been introduced, the question is: what do we do next? Since she’s dressed up so beautifully, I should react somehow, but this is just a snack bar. I should compliment her, but what should I do after that? ……It’s already nighttime, so maybe I should have her pour me a drink……? No, but is it really okay to have a princess pour me a drink? Well, I guess there are plenty of real-life princesses who’d do that without batting an eye.
“We’ve got no choice but to dance!”
“Yay!”
And just then, Cima and Lukino, who had been in the kitchen until a moment ago, came in with instruments they’d apparently snagged from somewhere. With a guitar and a tambourine in hand, the two of them started playing a passionate song all on their own……they look like they’re at odds over boob jokes, but these two really are close. And since the people in the shop were mostly the Celesta group, starting with the ladies of the night, and since Cima and Isabel, who were effectively running the place, were taking the lead in having fun, the shop quickly turned into a dance floor. I can’t keep up with their tempo at all, not even with the basic dance steps I was taught a while back, but since the space between the tables is so tight, nobody cares about proper dance form. Galatia and I just go with the flow and dance too.
“Ahahaa……♪”
“I love this kind of thing, it’s so Celesta!”
Thanks to this impromptu dance party, the lonely winter night passes by in a lively blur.