Chapter 316: Sense of Companionship?
“What should we do with the Ex-Staff? It looks like the discussion will take a while. Should we poke around the rocky shore for crabs or something?”
“Poke, poke!”
When I asked the Ex-Staff, it responded cheerfully.
What should I do about Arina? She was wearing some pretty nice clothes, so it wouldn’t be right to go play by the tidepools without the two of them. But then again, a trip to the market would probably bore the Ex-Staff.
Normally, the Ex-Staff is a bit of a recluse. It’s friendly enough, but being a Spirit of Wood, it doesn’t move around much.
The Zabuton slipped through the Door and stuck to my back.
“I’m not leaving you behind, I promise. We’ll all meet up at the dock in the end, so you can stay with the Old Man for now, okay?”
I was also worried that the Zabuton might get damp from the sea.
I tried to soothe it, but since it wouldn’t detach from my back, I decided to let it be. Maybe I should have said something more.
The corridor I was walking through had high ceilings, adjusted to match the lofty height of Soleil’s Office. The reason for raising the ceiling in the office was to make the window behind Soleil, who was seated at his desk, larger when the door was opened.
Naturally, the conference and reception rooms also had high ceilings, though not as high as the office. Visitors seemed to be surprised by the interior design.
The reception room had a typical chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and I couldn’t help but think that it might fall at any moment. It was said to be a high-end piece made from highly transparent glass, so I figured it was best not to mention that it might make someone cry if they tasted it.
“Oh, Master! I heard you kidnapped a little girl?”
Marlu, the red-haired maid holding a Feather Duster, asked while cleaning. She was likely the first victim of the chandelier.
“She’s with her guardian, and the capture was meant for the guardian.”
The Ex-Staff seemed to be curious about the Feather Duster. It had a fluffy peacock tail attached, something that would drive a cat wild, but it looked quite fancy for a broom.
Maidens cleaning were generally not meant to be seen by guests, but in case of sudden movements or schedule changes, the areas where guests entered were to be kept tidy with the use of Feather Dusters. If they wanted to create a dreamlike atmosphere, they might as well dance.
“Ah, that Old Man. Soleil and the others are gathering information, and he was a promising candidate for the management of the Spirit’s Branch, right? Did they move things up?”
Marlu lightly tapped the Ex-Staff with her Feather Duster, her movements playful.
With a bounce in her upper body, she tilted the Ex-Staff, which was eager to engage in a playful duel. I was just holding it lightly, allowing it to move freely.
“Ah, is that so? I thought about bringing it along as a backup to shout with Soleil.”
“Ah, that older sister is taking stomach medicine, right? Isn’t it dangerous to bring her without checking her background?”
Marlu’s gaze remained fixed on the duel with the Ex-Staff. It was hard to tell, but she seemed to be worried and came over to talk.
“Faramia seemed fine, so it should be okay.”
“I see. If she’s not changing color after checking her potential job offers, then she must be promising.”
Faramia was a bit of a misunderstanding, but she was quite well-known in Naruadeid as a Changeling mixed with a Black Spirit.
She originally lived in Naruadeid and was an old acquaintance of Soleil. I hadn’t asked too many details, but it seemed she had left Naruadeid due to discrimination and suspicion, engaging in some shady work here and there until Soleil called her to this island.
Soleil wouldn’t bring Faramia out in front of someone he didn’t trust.
“Hmm, hmm. Impressive. Who is this?”
The duel between the two had developed into something fast and intricate, yet still precise. Marlu was one thing, but the Ex-Staff was quite skilled.
“Wa-ha-ha-ha! I am the Konkon Staff EX! Call me Ex-Staff!”
“Got it, Ex-chan!”
“No, no, the ‘Staff’ is my identity!”
“Then how about Staff-chan?”
What kind of name is that, like a little boy?
“Ah, could you go to the office and call Orlando for me? I’ve left Arina waiting for too long.”
Even though it was a bonus, I felt guilty for leaving her alone.
She was probably either sparkling at the furnishings or gazing out at the flowing waterway from the window, so I didn’t think she was bored. Plus, she likely had some snacks.
“I don’t want to get close to a stuffy meeting room. I’m going back to my fun cleaning!”
Marlu spun halfway around, humming as she walked away. I couldn’t understand her love for cleaning.
“I left the bag of sweets with Auro.”
“I’m on it! I’m on it!”
She dashed back with incredible speed and then took off running.
But she didn’t make a sound.
The people working here are all quite unique, but I wonder if the Old Man and Orlando will get used to it. Well, I’ll just have to rely on them to do their best.