Scott, the head of the Duke of Cardigan, received a report about two months after hearing the story from Kousuke.
“Oh, that was faster than I thought,” Scott muttered aloud, causing his reporter to look at him with a puzzled expression.
Although this was the kind of matter that would normally be handled through official documents, it had spread through the town so rapidly that an early response was deemed a necessity, leading to a direct report.
The reporter’s face clearly showed his confusion as to why the Duke was aware of the town’s gossip.
Noticing this, Scott chuckled as if to brush it off. “Is that so? Such rumors are circulating in town, are they? …And what do you want me to do about it?”
The reporter, addressed by his lord, replied in a slightly flustered manner. “N-no. The town is abuzz because of these rumors. Some people are even running around trying to ascertain their truth… They’ve even sent in a petition requesting that we use soldiers to investigate!”
It seemed this reporter had come to Scott to request the use of the lord’s soldiers to verify the truth of the rumors.
Scott, understanding the situation, sighed inwardly. He, of all people, likely knew more about the rumored shop than anyone else in town. Therefore, he knew there was no need to mobilize soldiers for an investigation. However, to simply ignore it as it was would be problematic for him as a ruler.
The reason for this was… “Are the people investigating the rumors doing anything reckless? For example, are there any injured people…?” As the lord, it was also his duty to ensure that the residents were not unjustly harmed by the commotion in the town. If this led to a decline in the town’s atmosphere, it would reflect poorly on Scott’s abilities as a ruler.
“N-no. There hasn’t been that much of a commotion… For now, adventurers are out on patrol where the shop’s entrance is said to be located.”
Upon hearing this report, Scott visibly relaxed. Such a minor commotion wouldn’t cause any problems even if left unattended.
“If there have been no casualties among the townspeople, then it’s probably not worth our intervention. Just leave it as it is.”
“Eh…!? Ah, I see…” The reporter’s face fell with disappointment at Scott’s decision. Noticing this, Scott inwardly sighed, realizing that this person also seemed to be among those curious about the truth of the rumors.
Of course, Scott was not one to display such thoughts on his face. As he was about to dismiss the reporter, another person barged in.
“F-father! Look!”
Holding something aloft in her right hand, his beloved daughter, Renka, spoke. Scott frowned at the slender rod-like object in his daughter’s hand. “Renka, what is that?”
“I bought it at a peculiar shop earlier! They said it’s a whistle that can make your familiar obey commands from afar!”
“W-what!?” Scott, astonished by Renka’s words, almost jumped out of his chair. He had never seen or heard of such a magic tool. For Scott, who prided himself on being a monster tamer enthusiast, to not know of it meant it was exceptionally rare.
Scott, about to burst with joy at his daughter’s achievement, suddenly recalled her earlier words. “…Hmm? A ‘peculiar shop’? Where exactly did you buy it?” He asked, thinking she might have been swindled with a shoddy product while out in town. However, Renka’s answer exceeded his expectations.
“While I was playing with the wolves in the garden, a strange cloth suddenly appeared before me! It was a shop located beyond it.”
Both Scott and the reporter burst into laughter at Renka’s words. What a timely coincidence. Scott was also flustered for another reason. While he had received a general overview of the shop from Kousuke, he never imagined an entrance would appear in his own garden.
“I-is that so. And what was the shop like?” To his father’s question, Renka tilted her head. “The selection was unlike anything I’d ever seen, but I don’t think there was anything particularly strange about it.”
“I see. I understand.” Scott nodded thankfully at Renka’s words. Logically, a shop entrance that appears and disappears is highly suspicious, but Renka didn’t seem to find it particularly strange. This alone suggested she might become a significant figure. Regardless, Scott decided to use his daughter’s words to his advantage and turned his gaze to the reporter.
“My daughter also says there’s nothing unusual. As long as there’s no actual harm, it’s fine to leave it be. And if harm does occur, we don’t need to investigate from our end.”
“…Understood.” The reporter nodded again, his face etched with disappointment at the lord’s renewed decision. Scott recognized that the disappointment was feigned, but he ignored it and told the reporter to leave.
Renka, who had been observing, looked at Scott, tilting her head. “Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”
“No. On the contrary, you did very well.” Scott, shaking his head and smiling at her, confused Renka further, and she looked at her father with even more bewilderment.
Scott didn’t answer and instead asked his daughter about what had been bothering him more since earlier. “More importantly, what sort of effects does that whistle have? You did get the full story, didn’t you?” Scott knew that Renka was not the type of child to simply buy things because a shop staff member recommended them. He also knew who had prepared that particular shop. Therefore, Scott, who certainly didn’t think she’d been sold a faulty item, looked with hopeful eyes at the whistle Renka held.
Renka gave a slight bitter smile at Scott’s gaze and began to explain the effects of the whistle she had acquired. Normally, if a familiar was nearby, it could be made to obey with just a voice command. In fact, failing to do so would be a sign of immaturity for a monster tamer. Therefore, this whistle was a magic tool for use when the familiar was too far away to hear commands. In short, it had the same effect as a dog whistle. Renka had already tried it on the wolves and proven its effectiveness.
After hearing Renka’s explanation, Scott looked at her with some excitement. “C-could it be that I can make them obey if I blow it…?”
“Unfortunately, that’s impossible. I had one of the maids try it, but it didn’t make her move at all.” Renka stated it so easily that Scott’s face fell in disappointment. Although Scott had given up on keeping a slime before, he had not given up on becoming a monster tamer.
After finishing his conversation with Renka, Scott returned to his regular duties. Several days after Renka had entered the shop, while strolling through the garden with Renne, Scott was truly surprised to find a suspicious entrance. Upon entering the shop thinking it might be the one, he was even more astonished by the items for sale. Renka rejoiced, having obtained a monster whistle, not a dog whistle. Scott, realizing he couldn’t use it, grumbled indignantly. However, later, Scott and Renne were able to enter the shop and left with beaming faces.
This marks the end of the story of the nameless shop. The next chapter will begin a new arc.
