Kathe’s Business
Kathe’s face was smug as she happily slapped her tail on the ground repeatedly.
It was actually kind of loud.
“Kathe. How about you calm that tail down for now.”
“Oh, sorry.”
She said, swinging the thing around her and catching it in front with her arms.
It wasn’t a beast tail, but a dragon tail.
It was long and thick and covered in scales.
“Well, we can’t talk out here. Come inside.”
“Oh, do you mean it?”
“We’re drawing too much attention out here.”
And so we all entered the mansion.
“Ohhh. So this is your house.”
“Yes. But you can’t slam your tail around in this room either. It will break the floor.”
“I know that.”
Kathe was looking around, clearly curious about everything in sight.
I led her to the living room. There was also a drawing room, but we weren’t ready to receive guests at the moment.
Serulis and Shia were there.
“Oh? Are you a guest of Mister Locke?”
“…No. I think that is Kathe? It sure smells like her.”
Serulis didn’t realize it, but Shia was quick.
“Shia and Nia are so quick! How impressive.”
“We beastkin have a good sense of smell.”
“Gahaha! How wonderful!”
Kathe laughed boisterously.
“Still, Locke here did not realize it was me! I am truly sad.”
“Well, most humans depend on what they can see. You can’t change this much and expect people to know.”
“Hmmm. How inconvenient.”
And so I called Milka over and introduced her to Kathe again.
It was the first time that Luchila, Milka, Philly and Tama would be seeing Kathe.
Once that was all finished, Milka said,
“So you really were an acquaintance of Mister Locke!”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, I’m very sorry then!”
I patted Milka on the head.
“No, you were right, Milka. You did a good job.”
“Really?”
“Lord Geberga lives in this house. We can’t let strangers inside.”
“Alright. Then I will continue as before!”
“Good.”
Lord Gerberga and Philly lived in the mansion now.
And there was a secret passage and alchemy machine.
You never know who might try any get in.
Serulis and Shia were here today, but there would be many days when it was just Milka.
So it’s better that she didn’t open the gate.
Philly watched this and then added,
“But, Milka. I do not think it is good to talk like that as a member and apprentice of a nobleman’s household.”
“You think so? I had a feeling that might be the case. But this is the only way that I can talk.”
“Then leave it to me. I shall teach you every from tomorrow on.”
“Really? Thank you, teacher!”
The way Milka talked to her teacher was also a little lacking.
“Yes, it should be very satisfying teaching you.”
Philly said with determination.
After that, Nia and Luchila brought some tea and snacks.
They had probably decided that it was their job as apprentices.
“Oh! Thank you!”
Kathe said as she threw the snacks into her mouth.
I was surprised she could eat so much after devouring 30,000 rucks worth of food and drink.
“Kathe. I have so many questions I want to ask you…”
“Hmm?”
Most great dragons were not able to turn human in shape.
What was Kathe? I wanted to know.
But the thing I needed to know the most, was why she was here.
We had promised to meet during the day tomorrow, and yet she seemed to have come here in a hurry.
“Did something happen?”
“That is right.”
Kathe explained.
After we had left, she had gone around to the other ruins and cast her magic on them.
“Ah, that is very good.”
“Yes. It is because you told me that magic barriers were not enough, and they had to be disguised visually as well.”
There had originally been such magic to trick the eye on these dragon ruins.
That’s why human Adventurers had not discovered them. But that was no longer the case.
I wasn’t sure if there was much point in redoing it with the same magic again.
Still, it was good that Kathe was going around and checking on all of them.
Because she would notice if anything was wrong.
Besides, the intruder detection magic she was casting now was very useful.
“Did the dark ones invade one of the caves again?”
“Oh, it is much worse than that…”
“Worse? Worse than invading the ruins…”
What would the ruins-obsessed Kathe consider worse?
It must be huge.
But then again, she wasn’t so agitated that she could not waste time stealing food from restaurants.
Her priorities were a little messed up.
“Hmm. I had visited all the ruins around the capital before returning to my own palace… But it was filled with the worst sorts.”
I hadn’t known she lived in a palace, but these enemies definitely piqued my interest more.
“What do you mean? Were they vampires?”
“Yes. A group led by a High Lord. And there were many dark ones there as well.”
“Dark ones? Not goblins?”
“There were goblins as well. But goblins are nothing to me.”
“I guess.”
“The problem is that there were also many Evil Dragons and magic machines.”
“Evil Dragons?”
“A dragon of the dark ones. I say dragon, but they have nothing to do with us, alright?”
“Really?”
I asked, and Kathe nodded.
“It is most annoying that they look so much like us. However, they were made by a different god. They are the dregs that the god of the dark ones dropped into this world.”
“I see…”
“It is no wonder you did not know about this, Locke. I myself have never seen them before.”
Apparently, Evil Dragons were very rare.
“So, what about these magic machines?”
“As you would think, they are automated machines that use magic to operate. Not only are they strong, but they have no souls. And so they are not truly dark ones.”
“But if they are not dark ones…”
“Yes. They should not be affected by the barrier around the city.”
It seemed that something very dangerous was about to happen.