Still back at the manor, Furni's nose twitched.
“I get the feeling someone is talking about the great guardian dragon,” she muttered.
Looking at the brightly lit tavern in the distance, Furni's powerful perception immediately picked up Karl's aura.
“Looks like that old boy has finally arrived.”
A look of joy at Karl's arrival appeared on Furni's otherwise listless face.
“Lady Furni, is there something to be happy about?”
The maid whom Furni had healed was currently standing by her side, keeping her company in the cold wind.
“Indeed, there is something to be happy about~”
“From now on, your good days are truly beginning.”
“Wait here at the manor. In a few days, I should be back with the new leader of the border.”
“Ah, and if anyone in the manor wants to leave, just let them go.”
Furni spoke as if it were a matter of complete indifference, as though it didn't matter at all if the new leader had no one to look after him.
“Camillaya does not permit the existence of slaves.”
“If you guys still consider yourselves slaves, that new leader is going to be very angry.”
Though, she herself had rarely ever seen Karl angry.
Furni turned to look at the maid and gently patted her on the shoulder a few times.
“Living as a slave must have been very hard. Don't worry, nothing like that will ever happen again.”
With that, Furni's draconic eyes swept past the maid.
These words were not just for this maid, but also for those who were eavesdropping behind her.
Snap—
A series of crisp shattering sounds echoed across the empty rooftop of the manor, one after another, as contracts broke.
“Our slave brands... shattered?”
By the time everyone snapped out of it and looked back to where Furni had been, she was gone, leaving behind only a note written in crooked handwriting.
“I never joke. Anyone who wants to leave can do so at any time.”
The maids who had been eavesdropping in the shadows stepped out and looked at the note on the ground.
“This lady's... handwriting is so ugly.”
“Pfft...”
“Haha. Hahahaha.”
Joyful laughter echoed across the quiet rooftop. This was probably the first time they had laughed out loud like this since arriving at the Baron's mansion.
“Ha— Achoo!”
“Why is someone talking about the great guardian dragon again?”
Flying through the air, Furni rubbed her nose and looked back in the direction of the manor.
“Leaving these people for Karl should be more than enough.”
Wait, did they also need a few soldiers?
Aside from the gatekeepers, this manor didn't seem to have any soldiers stationed at all.
It was a miracle this baron had survived until now—though that was probably because the demons had been too hungry to bother attacking him.
But now was not the time to think about that. A few drops of drool escaped the corner of Furni's mouth.
Where on earth did Karl find such fragrant alcohol? The scent was almost identical to the treasures hidden in her own dragon nest.
With her perception fully active, the rich aroma of alcohol wafting from the tavern spurred Furni to fly even faster.
— Meanwhile, Inside the Tavern —
“Do we really have to open this?”
Ichikawa's hands were being pinned by Karl onto a bottle that was radiating a powerful aroma of alcohol.
Some dried drool could even be seen on the bottle, and that drool emitted a potent draconic pressure.
It was obvious that this bottle of alcohol was something a certain giant dragon cherished deeply.
“Oh, come on! Can a grand Hero not even do something like this?”
Karl was still wearing those sunglasses he had found from who-knows-where, his robust frame pinning Ichikawa's hands down with absolute authority.
“No! I don't want to open it!”
Ichikawa cast a desperate SOS signal toward Lin Ling, who was standing nearby.
“Oh no, why is he looking over here?”
Lin Ling muttered to herself, instantly turning her head away. She grabbed Ivelia's hand and began walking toward the second floor.
“My Lord Demon King, we still have things to do, don't we?”
“Hmm?”
Hearing Lin Ling's sudden words, a question mark popped up over Ivelia's head.
Since when did they have unfinished business today?
“Hey! Don't run away at a time like this! Hey!”
“Can't you see the look on the Demon King's face has already betrayed you?! You bastard!”
Ichikawa screamed at Lin Ling as she headed upstairs, all while struggling to break free from Karl's iron grip.
Lin Ling didn't reply. She merely tightened her grip on Ivelia's hand.
Then, she looked back at the struggling Ichikawa with a profound, solemn expression.
“There are still many unfinished things in this world, just like that unopened bottle of alcohol before you.”
“How is that any different from saying absolutely nothing?!”
“No, no, no.”
Lin Ling wagged her finger at Ichikawa.
“Who could possibly refuse a double-slit experiment?”
Although Ivelia had no idea what a double-slit experiment was, judging by Ichikawa's shocked expression, it must be something of monumental importance.
She wanted to ask, but Lin Ling was already pulling her firmly toward the second-floor rooms.
Seeing Ichikawa freeze in shock, Karl seized the opportunity and put all his strength into his hands.
“An opening!”
“No! Stop! Don't!”
By the time Ichikawa snapped out of it, it was too late. Everything was too late.
A rich, intense aroma of alcohol instantly filled the entire tavern.
“Fine alcohol! It truly is fine alcohol!”
Karl's face beamed with deep appreciation. Free from the burdens of his bishop duties, his retirement was clearly doing wonders for his peace of mind.
Meanwhile, Kainster, who had been acting like part of the scenery, furrowed his brow slightly upon smelling the aroma.
“Um, Mr. Karl, may I ask... where did this come from?”
In Kainster's experience, alcohol carrying such intense draconic pressure had to be from a giant dragon's personal collection.
And with the dragon drool on the bottle, could this be a certain dragon's most prized vintage?
“Oh, this? This is, of course, from Fur— cough, cough—I found this back when I was at the Holy See.”
“Is that so?”
“O-Of course!”
Wait. The smile on Karl's face froze the moment he heard another voice.
In the next instant, Karl felt a devastating blow to his waist.
A blue figure, eyes filled with tears, flew through the tavern door and kicked Karl flat onto the floor.
“My five-hundred-year-aged, draconic-pressure-nourished, fire-roasted, distilled, ultra-high-precision-magic-controlled, perfectly matured fine wine!”
Furni, who had suddenly burst into their field of vision, had tears streaming down her face as she clutched the bottle Karl had brought like her life depended on it.
“Cough, cough... Long time no see, Furni.”
“I am NOT doing well!”
Furni let out a beast-like growl from her throat, shielding the bottle in her arms as if protecting her own cub.
“I mean, since it's already open, why don't we...”
Karl rubbed his hands together. His sunglasses had shattered when he was kicked, but the shameless old man was still eyeing the bottle in her arms.
If Kainster hadn't been standing right there, Furni would have happily reverted to her giant dragon form and ripped the old man to shreds.
Seeing that the dragon was on the verge of tears, Karl decided to stop teasing her.
He reached into his storage bag and produced another identical bottle, placing it right in front of Furni.
“This isn't the one from your collection.”
“The Demon Realm has really opened my eyes.”
Seeing Karl produce another identical bottle, the tears on Furni's face evaporated instantly.
Karl's storage bag was suddenly in her hands.
“Heheh~”
Somehow, she had put Karl's shattered sunglasses on her own face. Radiating a wildly arrogant aura, the dragon dumped dozens of "treasured" fine wines out of Karl's storage bag.
“Tonight, all these drinks are on me, Furni!”
With that, Furni picked up several bottles and began chugging them frantically.
She was completely oblivious to the smug, triumphant grin on Karl's face behind her.
Oh, Furni, if I hadn't seen that bottle of yours, how could I have replicated so many bottles with the exact same taste?
As for why he brewed them?
This stuff was an excellent commodity for trade.
Karl looked over at Kainster, who was currently stroking his chin in deep thought.
The prince had likely already figured it out.
Rate on N.U.
