Dinner hall inside Victor's mansion.
At a long table, Victor sat opposite Jack and TIME's Twin; the head chair was left empty.
Jack's side was filled with plenty of food, from chicken to beef, to salads and other vegetables and fruits.
This was because he already wore the ring he just made; his right hand had two rings.
It was a feast. TIME's Twin (T2) was eating a salad and a pre-cut chicken; Victor only had a schnitzel with some sauce.
Unlike the previous time, there were actually servants in this mansion. Victor apparently went alone to hire a temporary butler from a servant guild and had him hire temporary servants like maids and a few chefs.
The process was easier due to the fact that Victor already hired a temporary carriage driver and stable staff from them and even rented a high-end carriage.
This was done a few days ago since Jack repeatedly came to the mansion, and unlike Victor, who probably had artifacts to deal with hunger and self-maintenance, and T2, who was an Independent Spirit and didn't need food or maintenance to survive, he actually needed those servants since he sometimes ate and bathed at the mansion.
Victor looked at Jack, who was eating; the food on his own plate was left untouched.
"Jack, have you thought of a name for the ring?" —Victor
"A name?" —Jack
"Yes, artifacts on this level need some sort of name; it's like naming weapons." —Victor
"I haven't thought about a name." —Jack
"Take your time, then." —Victor
After a while of silence, Victor raised his right hand, snapped his fingers, and gestured towards the door; this was to tell the servants to leave the room.
After they left, Victor spoke again.
"What do you think about moving to this mansion until I leave?" —Victor
Jack didn't expect this question, so he didn't respond immediately. Seeing this, Victor explained his reasoning.
"You see, since you wear that ring, you will have to eat a lot." —Victor
"It's not like I'm not aware of your financial situation; wearing that ring for a month will probably bankrupt you." —Victor
"It's also the matter of training you; the work you will have to do at the Count of Lut requires you to at least know how to kill creatures mutated by instability." —Victor
That does make sense, and living in a luxurious mansion even for a short while is something I want.
And I can finally take a hot bath on the daily; the bathhouse is also awesome as well... if only they used that plumbing to make a modern toilet...
Better clothes as well... Saying yes too quickly does seem a bit impolite.
"Do you need an answer immediately?" —Jack
"You can take your time, but the next two weeks I will be very busy; I doubt we will see each other often." —Victor
Victor looked at T2 before he spoke.
"And since her sister left, she also needs someone to socialize with, otherwise she will just end up locking herself in her room." —Victor
Hearing this, T2 looked at Victor with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, staring at him. It was a face that easily spoke for her.
And that face said 'Stop using me as an excuse.'
Well, if he puts it that way...
"I accept." —Jack
...
At a warehouse outside Port Bravo, near the Lut Mansion.
Outside, it was raining heavily; the great airship of Count Aurus of Lut was hovering in the air, slowly descending onto some strong wooden support blocks.
The people that returned back were not many, as this airship only needed 10 people and a lot of mana to operate.
Those people included 3 grand mages with high mana ranks, and along with Aurus, they were just enough to constantly maintain the ship's flight.
Six navigators decided the route they should take, and the rest were twelve personal knights that acted as guards and maintenance crew.
A while later, inside a blue high-end carriage with an eagle crest in gold, much different from the black one Farma used to go to the Lut Mansion, this was the Count's personal carriage.
It was escorted by armored knights on black horses.
Inside the carriage, Aurus and his butler, a lean man with slick brown hair and silver-rimmed round reading glasses, were talking.
Aurus was furious; his tone was annoyed.
"...and you had the right to veto." —Aurus
"So why is it that you allowed that girl to come back?" —Aurus
"Your Excellency, that's because..." —Butler
"Don't even speak. You gave her funds, you gave her good social perception, and from what I heard, she probably got converted by that Salvation believer she is without a doubt sleeping with." —Aurus
"And you guys hired that Hildegrade or Hildegard, or whatever her family name was, just after Farma came back." —Aurus
"Is this what you want? To have someone who can't have descendants and be a puppet of a foreign church rule you?" —Aurus
"I allowed the Salvation's Church in to balance Mardrago's, not to take over my land!" —Aurus
Aurus opened the compartment below and took a wine bottle, removed the cork, and began to drink directly from the bottle.
After a few sips, he spoke again.
"You had Matilda, my woman, to do this for you, even if she is not good at politics and a Knight's daughter, she can memorise the responses, yet you chose the worst possible option." —Aurus
"Can't even come back victorious with you inept fools around; how am I to meet with Vast Lehatot with you guys?" —Aurus
The butler just stood there and took the barrage of insults on behalf of other vassals; it was expected of him, since he was the one to take most responsibility if the Count was pleased, and he was the one to take most responsibility if he was displeased.
Aurus exhaled.
"What are the news on the dedicated police force? Did the Church of Mardrago pull something while I left?" —Aurus
The Dedicated Police Force was a bill that would drastically reduce the power of the high-ranking nobles who currently benefited by having their private armies act as police, even if this caused a lack of security when there was a war.
The Church of Mardrago would immediately become the dominant influence in the kingdom if it was enacted, since almost all men that could become an officer were believers of Mardrago.
"So far they have been busy opposing Salvation's Church." —Butler
"The low-ranking nobles that would benefit from this are still placated by your Excellency; the regent in charge is still neutral." —Butler
"I see..." —Aurus
"I expect a report on my desk by tomorrow evening." —Aurus
"Yes, your Excellency!" —Butler