Larksper (3)
What should I say to this kitten?
I decided to answer truthfully for now.
"That day, Deputy Tower Master Phoebe did a lot for me, so we had dinner together and looked around at the things in Imorun."
"…What about sleeping?"
"We used separate rooms."
Worried that Dolores might have some strange imagination, Reed firmly drew a line.
At that, Dolores looked up at Reed with a somewhat relieved expression.
"Deputy Tower Master Phoebe is quite a beauty and has a good style... so nothing happened, right?"
"She is beautiful. But she's just like a puppy when I see her."
"What about me?"
"You look like a kitten."
'Hmm... No, wouldn't a puppy suit her better? At first, she felt like a cat, but now she seems more like a puppy.'
Dolores smiled at those words.
"It's a pity that nothing happened."
"You seem happy about it."
"Of course not."
Despite what she says, her face gives it away too much.
This is why it's hard to tell if she's the tower master of the Wallin Tower or a young lady from some family.
"I heard that monsters attacked at night, was everything okay?"
"…There was no problem. When I asked, they said it was just an emergency situation and nothing happened, so don't worry."
"I see, that's a relief."
It seemed she hadn't noticed what Phoebe had done.
Dolores let out a sigh, twirling her hair.
"I wish I could go somewhere with you like Phoebe... "
"Where?"
"Somewhere bustling, or quiet, like a lake, or a royal road... "
Her appearance, sneakily glancing up while twirling her hair with her index finger.
It looked as if she couldn't choose one side and was pushing the choice to Reed.
"Take your time to think about it. I'll accompany you anywhere."
"Really? I'm not sure if it's okay in my tower if I take two days off..."
"What do you mean?"
"Without me, things wouldn't work properly, so I'm worried. My subordinates seem to rely on me a bit."
"…"
'She doesn't know.'
The reason why it seems like they rely on her is because if she doesn't like it, she throws it away and if it's not right, she gets rid of it. He thought that it was better to ask before making a decision that might hurt her feelings.
And the fact that a party is held every time Dolores leaves the Wallin Tower.
Dolores values discipline and only knows how to work, so she is more strict than other tower masters.
It felt like a single woman boss throwing a tantrum in the tower.
Although her intention was for the sake of the Wallin Tower, her strict control must have been suffocating.
Weekends when Dolores was out were the rare party time for them.
'If I tell her they sent a thank-you card, they would die, right?'
How desperate must they have been to write a card saying, "We are always grateful to the Master of the Silence Tower. - Wallin Tower Staff."
Feeling pity, he decided not to mention it.
"If you're busy, there's nothing I can do. Then just one day..."
"No! Two days! One night, two days!"
Dolores suddenly shouted, her eyes wide open.
The kitten-like impression instantly turned into a fierce glare of a wild cat.
I don't know why she said that.
"Alright, I'll look for a good place for staying a day."
"I got it. I'll be looking forward to it."
Dolores was sitting still, looking at Reed.
As she looked down at her nails without showing any sign of getting up, Reed had no choice but to open his mouth.
"Shouldn't you go now that your tutoring is over?"
"Why? Do you want me to go that badly? What are you going to do?"
"Isn't it because your tower people get anxious without you?"
"So what? Can't you be with me for an hour or two? It's a weekend today."
"Do I look like I'm just playing in your eyes?"
"I want to watch you work. As Rosaria's tutoring fee."
"Do as you please."
He couldn't stop her from mentioning the tutoring fee.
He tried to focus on his work without caring, but her faint smile bothered him.
Dolores didn't say a word.
She just quietly watched Reed and occasionally answered when he spoke.
It bothered him even more that she didn't seem to have any intention of interfering.
'I hope this time they repay me with something more precious than a card.'
Reed, for his part, wished for something to drink.
***
Larksper was an orc with excellent adaptability and the ability to learn.
Larksper's speech might make him seem like a low-intelligence being, but he was actually trying his best to combine the words he knew and make them sound as natural as possible.
Magicians who were interested in Larksper's intelligence began to approach him one by one, helping him correct his speech and vocabulary.
As he wanted to assimilate into human society, he knew how to respect them, and anyone without ill intentions could become friends with Larksper.
Perhaps that's why?
Magicians who talked with Larksper and found him interesting handed Reed this project proposal.
"We thought this research might be helpful while communicating with the orc Larksper you brought this time, so we came up with this idea. What do you think?"
-Customs and Expressions of Orc Tribe-
Type: Research
Authors: Mike·M, James·K
We research the customs, expressions, and language of the orc tribe to find ways to incorporate them into magic engineering.
Hypothesis established: X
Research progress: -
Success probability: 100%
<Upon success>
Orc race information is updated. (100%)
You can 'improve' magic engineering items. (100%)
One magic engineering item project is unlocked. (10%)
What they proposed could be seen as quite an impromptu research topic.
"What exactly do you have in mind?"
"Orcs are still a barbaric civilization, but they have a certain level of intelligence.
"Are you thinking of assimilation?"
"That's right."
'The improvement means that it will undoubtedly be something useful for the orcs. But it can also go in a good direction for humans.'
In some cases, it could also be convenient for humans.
The concept of magic is quite weak among orcs.
There are shamans who can use magic, but it's almost a different concept from human magicians.
'What if we bring the orc tribe to our side?'
What if, instead of just helping Larksper, he reached out to the entire orc tribe?
Reed thought about the benefits he could gain through this.
The empty list seemed to fill up in an instant.
'Then such a project is definitely necessary.'
Thanks to their support, Reed got an idea.
"Thank you."
"Pardon?"
"No, go ahead and start the project as you guys intended."
"Understood!"
The magicians, who couldn't be sure if this research itself would be approved, left the office with bright expressions.
'I guess it's okay to keep Larksper in the tower for the time being.'
There were no problems with his affinity, and he didn't raise any issues, so Reed thought it would be enough.
