Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 93 The Goblin King’s Magic Stone and Audience

During the Goblin Stampede, Melun-san and Gīd-san, who were equivalent to B-rank adventurers, discreetly waited at the new east gate to avoid attracting attention.

It seems they quietly struck down enemies who sneaked through the rear of the front lines.

Although they couldn’t engage in overt and noticeable combat, they fought with all their might.

As a result, there was no damage whatsoever in the slum district inside the new east gate.

However, there was some damage near the northeastern gate, which is in the middle of the elementary school.

Since the knight order, mercenaries, and Mark were present at the new north gate, they were able to handle the fight easily.

The three elven sisters wear lightweight armor and equip staffs during combat because they are mages.

Their lightweight attire emphasizes evasion.

There’s a saying that goes, “If you don’t get hit, it doesn’t matter.”

I imagine dressing Minya, Lania, and Ciel in dress armor myself.

Hmm, well, they would look a bit disproportionate with their current figures.

They lack a chest, and their torsos are stout, resembling childlike proportions.

They are cute, but let’s reconsider once they’ve grown up.

Now, as Mark-san and the Rapunzel Sisters were having an audience with the Lord, we also had to wait for our audience since we managed to kill the Goblin King.

This time, we walked towards the Lord’s Manor.

It’s been a while since we last came to return the pot, but walking along the South Grand Avenue in the noble district makes me nervous.

The Grand Avenue runs in the east-west and north-south directions, and the south side is relatively shorter.

Furthermore, the Merlia River flows on the southern side, making the noble district slightly narrower.

Nobles line their houses in large plots of land, creating an impressive sight.

Our party is the one invited.

Minya, Lania, Ciel, and me, a group of four.

Gīd-san and the others, who had formed the final defense line to prevent the defeated enemies from entering Lanierda, were not invited.

In the first place, Gīd-san and Melun-san, who are also like guardians, could have been invited without any problem.

This is probably because it wouldn’t be good to invite the Elf-sama with a questionable background.

The Lord must maintain the appearance of being “unfamiliar” with outsiders.

Now, we arrived at the impressive Lord’s Manor at the end of the South Grand Avenue.

We introduced ourselves to the guards and were allowed to enter.

A maid came out and guided us to the waiting room.

“Here’s some tea. Please make yourself comfortable.”

A tray with tea is brought in. The color is red. It’s black tea.

This is an imported product, undoubtedly a high-quality tea.

In noble tea parties, they serve expensive black tea.

It’s completely different from health teas or herbal teas, targeting a completely different clientele. What we have been dealing with mainly targets the general public and below.

The general public and below have had little to no tea-drinking culture until now.

The black tea is already sweetened from the start, and I can taste a gentle sweetness.

“It’s delicious.”

“Yes, this tea is delicious.”

“It’s yummy, Meow.”

Everyone is observing this intriguing tea.

The tea snack is honey cookies.

Honey, alongside sugar, is also considered a luxury item that the general public rarely indulges in.

The butler enters.

Since we already received prior notice, we know the general outline.

“Do you have the magic stone?”

“Yes, it’s stored in the magic bag.”

“Very well. May I ask you to take it out for confirmation?”

“Yes.”

I retrieve the Goblin King’s magic stone from my item box and place it in the palm of my hand to show it.

“It is indeed a large magic stone. Is everything in order? You may put it away now.”

“Yes.”

I make a motion as if putting it into a bag and store it away.

In reality, I could store it even while it remains on the palm of my hand, but that wouldn’t be very magical.

And so, the time for the audience with the Lord arrived.

Led by a busty and beautiful maid, we move through the mansion.

The maid is wearing a miniskirt that sways and occasionally reveals glimpses.

Even from behind, you can catch a glimpse of her thighs and garter belt, creating a seductive atmosphere.

It’s quite something that I have the luxury of thinking about such things even during an audience.

We pass by the entrance of the lower-ranking Second Audience Room from before.

Then, at the end of the corridor, the door to the official audience room is opened by the guards.

“Lord Ed’s party, please enter.”

As the maid enters the audience room, she turns right and waits on the side, extending her hand in the direction we should proceed, giving us instructions to move straight ahead.

She then bows her head in respect.

While thinking about the maid’s ample bosom, I pass by her.

Among all the maids I’ve seen, hers is particularly large.

Now, unbeknownst to me pondering over breasts, the Lord stands up at the back with a cheerful smile, welcoming us.

On the left side, the Lady, the eldest daughter, the second daughter, and the female knight stand together with the vassals.

On the right side, there are pompous-looking aristocratic gentlemen waiting.

“You’ve come well. Ed-kun, and the young ladies as well.”

“Yes.”

We all bow simultaneously.

It’s a simplified standing bow, but apparently, it’s good enough.

“Now, make yourselves comfortable.”

We shift our attention forward after the bow.

“Ed-kun, you did well with the tomato soup incident. I’m grateful. I never thought it would turn out to be the Goblin King. It was formidable.”

“Yes, well, it was just a coincidence.”

“Why did you fight? Explain it to me.”

“There were no other capable fighters in the vicinity. Behind us, there were only children’s parties, and if we hadn’t fought, the children would have become sacrifices. So, we fought desperately.”

“I see. Understood. Next time, although it’s unlikely, I’ll make sure to distribute the fighting force a bit more evenly. This time, I placed too much emphasis on the northern gate due to the attack from the north. It was a command mistake. Let me apologize on behalf of everyone.”

“No need for that, Lord. The enemies mostly came from the north, so it wasn’t a significant issue. It’s just that the appearance of the King coming from the east was unexpected.”

“I see, hmm. In that case, the magic stone here.”

“Yes.”

I pretend as if it’s a magic bag and retrieve the magic stone, raising it up.

The butler takes it from my hand and delivers it to the Lord on the podium.

“Indeed. It’s large. And it has a beautiful color.”

It’s purple, but when you look closely, there are various colors scattered inside, resembling the universe. It’s truly stunning.

It doesn’t exude the ominous aura one would expect from a crystal of dark magic.

“Indeed, we have received it. Now, the reward.”

“Yes.”

The butler hands me the reward as payment for the magic stone.

“It’s fifty gold coins.”

“I have indeed received it.”

Out of courtesy, I don’t bother to count, but there are ten gold coins stacked in each tower, and there are five towers, so there should be no mistake.

“When Eleanor mentioned the idea of a groom, I was flustered. But maybe it’s not a bad idea after all.”

“Oh, Lord, you jest.”

“Hahaha. Ed, there’s no need to be so anxious. It’s just adding one more bride. I’m not asking you to succeed as the Lord. It’s just one possibility to consider. Besides, you’re still young, with your whole life ahead of you.”

“Yes.”

“Alright then, you may take your leave.”

“Thank you, Your Lordship.”

We perform another standing bow and turn around before making our way back.

Whew, that was nerve-wracking.

The Lord’s seat was reminiscent of a proper throne, exuding a commanding presence. I couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.

I’d prefer to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, but it seems I’ve already been noticed quite well.

And so, with somewhat drained expressions, we returned home.

The gold coins were decided to be pooled as shared assets in the Ed Trust Bank.