Therion’s eyes widened at my suggestion. It seemed he didn’t expect to be assigned a task.

“Why, don’t you like it?”

Smirking, I asked, and Therion quickly nodded.

“Alright! I’m not sure if I can do it well… but I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t worry. In the Imperial library, there is a librarian named Charles. You can discuss and compile a list of books to bring in together.”

Charles, the librarian. I wonder if he’s applying fragrant oil to his fancy beard today.

Phaibel, who was taking notes on my orders, noticed my gaze and nodded in acknowledgment.

It roughly meant that he would handle it himself.

“We should make it bigger and more magnificent than the Imperial library. So that scholars would be so eager to visit the Empress’s palace.”

“Right, without thinking about the budget. If you’re going to do it, make it as splendid as possible.”

Come to think of it, I found out that the Emperor, Enrique, was in the damn Imperial library.
“After that, I met Merm.”

Thinking about the day I met Merm and saved him somehow lifted my mood.

Abandoning the plan to take a nap, I reached out to get up, and promptly, Suckrell supported me.

“If this government is like this, it might be fun to squeeze out something expensive.”

That is until I demand a change of subject.

“Phaibel, check if Charlotte is outside.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Then, tell her to bring some refreshments. We should have tea with our new family members.”

“Is it okay if I drink what Charlotte is holding?”

“Sure.”

Opening the door wide, Phaibel chuckled and snatched the glass from Charlotte. Then, Charlotte subtly glanced at me…

“Hmm?”

Doesn’t she seem displeased?

I raised an eyebrow.

As Charlotte and Phaibel passed each other, it was clear that they were playfully teasing each other.

“Oh, this is an unexpected encounter.”

Charlotte was a maid I cared quite a bit about. While Lady Bertholdt was somewhat strict and serious, Charlotte was bright and positive. So, when Lady Bertholdt tightened the reins, Charlotte flew around like a sparrow, soothing and binding the servants, playing the role of a unifying force in the palace.

Undoubtedly, she was an essential axis in the Empress’s palace.

“If Charlotte marries, she’ll provide a decent house in the capital, and if she has a daughter, a promise certificate will be given for a good marriage.”

With such thoughts, I began to engage in pleasant conversations with the officials.

Everyone spoke freely, like tongues in the mouth, and it couldn’t be more comfortable than this.

“Hey, did you hear? The Empress has brought in three new concubines!”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Living long enough to witness such a scandal.”

After a tiring day, people gathered at the tavern. They shared unjust things that happened at work, talked about their worries, but, in fact, more than anything, the most interesting was the gossip.

Especially the stories about the nobles, who ordinary people rarely saw in their lifetime, allowed them to drink without appetizers.

“I wonder who got chosen. They seem like lucky guys.”

“True. They’ll probably eat something more impressive than this dry snack.”

“Maybe they’ll roast a dragon or something.”

As people chatted away, drinking beer without reservation, their intentions were clear. If only they knew what the officials looked like, they would enjoy chewing, tearing, tasting, and savoring with great delight.

And in the corner of such a tavern, there were two customers boasting unusual height and physique.

As the story continued, the man who had been clenching his fist eventually loosened it and, with the wooden mug he was holding, let out a loud crash.

“Oh!”

“Did that person just break the mug with his hand?”

“Wow, his strength is incredible.”

As people turned around in surprise at the sound of something breaking, the man who broke the mug sat down and raised his hand, laughing heartily.
“It’s nothing. It seems this friend has had a bit too much to drink; I’ll take him outside.”

As I spoke so nonchalantly, people quickly lost interest.

Perhaps the topic of the Empress’s government was so amusing that they had no room to pay attention to anything else.

“Let’s go, Deputy Commander.”

The nonchalant guy was none other than Chedeff Kye, the elite of the Astaroth Knights.

The person responsible for making the wooden mug unusable was Derek Noert.

He was the Deputy Commander of the Astaroth Knights.

After roughly organizing the area where the chaos with monsters broke out and before returning to the palace, there was a situation where they decided to stop by a tavern for a drink.

Knowing well how much the Deputy Commander respects the Empress, Chedeff felt a chill down his spine.

The problem was not only in the tavern but also in front of street stalls, vegetable shops, and parks… The only topic everywhere was this story.