I was just about to start making dinner when a letter arrived from Nestor at the Adventurers Guild.
Letters from him almost always meant trouble, so I made a point to open them right away. Not long ago, he’d sent word out of nowhere asking if I’d take in ten beastfolk children for him. Trying to care for ten children with no guardians was more than I could handle alone, so I’d spent some time agonizing over what to do before rushing over to the guild for more details.
The beastfolk children had been there, their eyes clearly filled with fear as they held their breath and sat completely still. It must’ve been the result of slave traders drilling that behavior into them.
They only answered weakly when I spoke to them, so I made my mind up then and there that I’d be the one to look after them by myself.
Still, all I could really do was prepare good food, offer them soft beds, and watch over them with kindness. Nestor had paid adventurers to heal all of their physical wounds, but the wounds in their hearts had hardly faded at all.
When it was time to eat, they’d started to smile a bit.
That was when I’d regretted that all I could serve were mild dishes that wouldn’t upset their sensitive stomachs. I wished I could’ve let them eat much more delicious food, but I was still glad they liked the cooking that I was best at.
I wonder how they’re doing now. I hope they’ve reached their destination safely without any trouble. Though I guess with Agito there, I probably don’t need to worry.
I read through the letter, thinking about those beastfolk children who’d left in the moonlight.
I’m curious what he wants this time.
“Oh my. Another case of taking in beastfolk children?”
Until now, I’d only had requests to care for beastfolk slaves like this once every few years—never as often as this.
“This time, the one who rescued them is coming along, too. So it’s a male adventurer and two former slave children. It’s probably best to have them all in the same room.”
I tucked the letter away and began preparing to welcome the three of them.
It says the children are quite frail, so I’ll make sure to prepare food that’s easy to digest.
Just as I was finishing the preparations, I heard someone at the front desk calling for me, so I hurried over.
“Yes, yes. I’m coming.”
I answered the door, and an adventurer greeted me politely.
“Hi there, I’m Zigel. Nestor, the guildmaster, sent me. I’ll be in your care for a while.”
Most people who met me for the first time made an unpleasant face, but the man didn’t react at all.
No wonder Nestor likes him.
“It’s nice to meet you, too. I’m Dahlia; I run this inn. Did you come ahead by yourself? Nestor said there would be three of you.”
“They can’t stand on their own yet, so they’re still resting in the carriage.”
After a brief explanation, I helped Zigel carry the two beastfolk children inside.
They’d already been carefully treated, so all that remained was to let them rest until their strength returned.
“Sorry to trouble you with all this,” Zigel apologized, but I told him not to worry. I was used to it.
I noticed he looked weary himself, so I invited him to sit down and have some tea.
Zigel told me his story while we drank.
“These kids were slaves at the trading company I used to work for. I took care of them for a while. I don’t hold any enmity toward beastfolk, though, so I couldn’t treat them poorly. That’s how we grew close.”
“I see. So that’s how you met them?”
“One day, a former co-worker told me the two of them were going to be disposed of. He said if I wanted to save them, he’d sell them to me. Not out of kindness, of course. That man always despised me. He probably just wanted to see me suffer, knowing I couldn’t afford to pay it.”
“But you managed somehow, right?”
“Yes, I paid what he demanded and watched him grind his teeth in frustration.”
Zigel laughed for a moment before going on.
“I was born and raised in a kingdom without slavery. So even when I worked at that company, I tried to treat slaves as equals to improve their conditions. I think that’s what got under my co-worker’s skin.”
“I understand.”
“Those two, they were always so kind to me. I had to help them, no matter what.” He made it sound like a simple decision, but I was sure it hadn’t been easy to bring them here. He’d stood his ground to save them, which wasn’t something many people could do. I admired that.
“By the way, Dahlia, is this sort of thing common at your inn?”
“Not exactly common, but just the other day, I took in about ten children.”
“That must be what they were talking about at the guild. There were rumors about a female knight from Gardir who all but gave the beastfolk kids away to Agito from Moonlight. People said it was reckless for him to take them in, and some even claimed she was Agito’s mistress and that his wife’s reaction was terrifying.”
“Oh, I doubt that. Agito and Saara are very close. They took those children in together. I don’t know what circumstances led to it, but—oh, Saara is Agito’s wife, by the way.”
Agito had decided to cover the lodging fees, medical expenses, travel funds, and everything else they’d need to survive. Whatever the reasons, it must’ve been serious.
“Before that, I looked after another adventurer here named Setsuna. He was very polite, just like you. He’d saved a beastfolk child who was about to be killed and taken him in as his apprentice.”
Zigel’s hand froze in midair as he reached for his cup. He fixed me with an intense stare. “A young man with brown hair and pale violet eyes? Very handsome?” He described Setsu’s characteristics with a serious look on his face.
“Oh, you know Setsu?”
“I do. He helped me once. Now that brings back memories…” He smiled and narrowed his eyes as if recalling something precious. “Setsuna truly is a kind person.”
“He is. He left little Alty here when he was so exhausted and went running around day and night to gather funds.”
“So they could leave Gardir as soon as possible?”
“Right.”
Apparently, Zigel had come to the same conclusion. He told me that he also wanted to get these children out of the kingdom once they recovered their strength. Gardir was simply too dangerous for beastfolk.
After that, he asked about Setsu, so I told him about the time I’d spent with Alty a few months ago. Every now and then, I’d hear him murmur, “Setsuna had it rough, too.”
I could see the realization dawn on him while we talked that Setsu had already done what he himself was trying to do. And somehow, that seemed to spur Zigel on and fill him with resolve. As our conversation wound down, he finally let out a long breath, as if all the tension had left him.
He must’ve been carrying everything on his own, protecting the children. No matter how much Nestor vouched for me, he wouldn’t have been able to trust a stranger so easily.
“It’s all right. I’ll make sure those two are safe. You should focus on what you need to do,” I told him.
Zigel straightened his back and gave me a deep, respectful bow. “Thank you. Please take care of them.”
“Of course. Leave it to me,” I said.
He looked so relieved as he bowed again and finally lifted his cup. Taking a sip, he murmured softly, “I wonder how Setsuna’s doing now. I hope he’s doing well and smiling somewhere.”
“I’m sure he’s traveling happily with little Alty.”
I pictured Setsu looking just a little exasperated beside a cheerful Alty.
“Yes, I hope so. I’d like to see him again someday. All this time, I’ve held onto the promise I made him in my heart. I’d like to meet Alto, too.”
Zigel smiled. He didn’t tell me what that promise was, but the kind way he narrowed his eyes told me that it was something he was looking forward to.