- Episode 20
The Viscount placed a small flowerpot on the window sill and looked at it silently. Estio bowed his head toward him first.
"Hello. I have received a request."
"Do you know anything about cacti?"
Viscount Fabien omitted the greeting and asked, pointing at the flowerpot out of the blue. A small cactus was growing in the flowerpot. It was a cactus with thorns sprouting like feathers that looked quite fresh.
Estio, who only knew that it grows mainly in the desert, shook his head lightly, as it was the first time he had seen a cactus.
"I do not know."
"How can a green plant grow in a desert where it is difficult to get a sip of water? Isn't it amazing?"
Before Estio could react, the Viscount continued to speak while gently stroking the flowerpot of cactus.
"These are also plants, so it doesn't mean they don't drink water at all. But if you water them like normal plants, the sheep will rot and die."
"......"
"The moisture should be neither too little nor too much, and enough soil and sunlight should be provided. At first glance, it seems that it grows roughly in a barren desert territory, but it is a more difficult plant than you think. The size and condition all depend on the person who grows it. If the owner doesn't know about it, he can simply kill him."
From what I heard, it wasn't a cactus story. The Viscount looked at Estio with sharp eyes. But when he saw Estio with his head bowed without making eye contact with her, he touched his chin.
"Hmm, yes."
"?"
"Do you know how to read the inside of plants?"
I asked the question as a joke, but the Viscount had a genuinely curious expression. Since he had never been curious about plants, Estio slightly raised his head and looked at the cactus. He had no eyes to meet and felt nothing for a cactus full of thorns.
As he was about to shake his head, he heard a small wave of thoughts from the cactus.
"Hey, hey. It's noisy."
"......"
Estio, who could not tell the Viscount 'Shut up' at last, stiffened awkwardly. Fortunately, the Viscount misunderstood his reaction.
"Well, it's hard to see that plants have a will unlike humans or animals."
"Really, a lot of dirty talk."
"It's fortunate for you. I can't stand the noise to read even the thoughts of plants and objects. Maybe I'm mentally ill."
"Wow, I think I'm going to get really sick."
Estio chose to remain silent in the face of this ridiculous situation.
"The cactus has no choice, but in your hands you have the opportunity to choose the owner to grow it."
Viscount Fabien finally brought up the subject.
"Estio, come under my control."
"If you do."
"I don't mean just to hire you. It means to be Fabien's man."
"Are you saying that you want to become a soldier under the Viscount?"
"'Soldier'? Is that possible? There's no fool to call you a soldier."
The little boy laughed bitterly. Even if you don't read your heart, you can see that it's not a smile with a good intention.
"I appoint you as a staff member. You will be in a position where no one in this mansion can treat you badly. Only this Remil de Fabien can give you orders. You can have the highest honor you can have as a commoner. have."
"...what will you do?"
"You will do what only you can do."
When Estio didn't look like he was going to fall over easily, Viscount Fabien turned around softly.
"It's very simple. All you have to do is read the thoughts of the people you designate."
"It's a trap. It's a trap."
The cactus, who was listening quietly, grunted like a neighborhood woman talking behind the scenes next door.
"You're trying to use that shit to eat!"
If they had hands, they would have applauded. Thanks to that, Estio, who had been contemplating how to respond, was able to calmly express his will of refusal.
"Thanks for the suggestion, but I am satisfied with the guild I am currently affiliated with."
"It's a suggestion. You're misunderstanding something."
Estio was born and raised in a remote country village, and he had never seen a single hair of a nobleman. Therefore, although he knew that the status of aristocrat was an overwhelming position to coerce commoners, he did not know how much influence he had in reality.
The Viscount pointed out his ignorance.
"I am ordering you now."
"What if I don't follow?"
When Estio asked a question, the Viscount answered indifferently without changing a single expression on his face.
"It won't happen right now, but it will eventually follow."
"Show me your courage. Anyone who sees it is a prophet."
"......"
Seriously, thanks to the cactus that cuts the flow, Estio was able to adjust his pace. He bowed his head and finally answered.
"I am currently a member of the Ignis Guild. If you want to change my affiliation, please consult with the guild first."
"Hmm, I won't come to the end on my own feet...?"
"sorry."
The Viscount did not lose his composure, even when the commoners dared to reject the proposal of the nobility. Rather, he smirked and stroked his chin.
'Actually, it is difficult for him to be a person who can easily pass on conditions. I'd rather be good You have to have that kind of will to use it properly.'
There were many people in the world who had higher status and were wealthier than the Viscount. Considering that, Estio's character, which is not easily swayed by temptation, was a plus factor for the Viscount.
"Okay. I'll give you some time to think about it."
"God, put a thorn in this bastard's mouth and let him go to heaven."
After finishing the story he was about to tell, the Viscount lightly motioned for the butler. The Viscount added an order to the butler who was going to take Estio out.
"Put away this too. Instead of needlessly picky plants, bring a vase with beautiful flowers."
"Yes, Master."
The butler who received the order gently lifted the small flowerpot.
「Hey eh? Where do you touch me! Let go, human! Let go!」
"Then I hope you make a good choice."
The flowerpot didn't even move, but Estio was about to get the illusion that a cactus was struggling with its limbs.
The butler rushed to Estio, who looked back at the closed door.
"Come this way."
"what! What. am i abandoned? I haven't even hit a thorn yet!"
The cactus, who was suddenly caught in the hands of the butler and left the room, was terrified and trembled, but soon got tired of the grass and drooped.
"Oh, I don't know… But it's nice to be quiet."
I didn't even have eyes, but I felt like I was staring at you. Estio followed the butler while staring at the sharp thorn.
"Lady Serarin has asked me to wait, so please wait here for a while."
"I."
"It's class time, Ms., please don't run around and wait in your seat."
When Estio tried to catch him, the butler coldly cut off his words and insisted on waiting again. Estio, who blinked, turned and opened his mouth again to the butler.
"That cactus."
"......?"
"Where are you taking me?"
The butler responded with annoyance to the words of treating the cactus as a human being.
"Didn't you hear about cleaning up earlier? If you put it in an incinerator, it will take care of it, so don't worry about it."
"Oh, no! Born as a cactus, unable to bloom any flowers, being tortured like a vicious person next to a man who talks too much, and eventually gets dragged to an incinerator. What do you mean by this, butler? I, I am the incinerator. Uh-huh."
The cactus wept bitterly and sadly. Estio, who was dazzled by the cactus's ideological ideology, who had no eyes and was crying freely, put her forehead on her head and sighed.
"...If you're going to throw it away anyway, can I take it with you?"
"You're taking me?"
The butler looked at Estio with a puzzled look.
"It's thorny, it doesn't bloom, and it's a very difficult species to raise."
"You don't know yet whether a flower will bloom or not."
The butler, who was going to burn the potted plant anyway, said, "Hmm," and glanced down at the cactus. The Viscount just told them to get rid of it, but didn't give any specific instructions on how to dispose of it.
In the end, the butler left the place with a request to hand over the flowerpot to Estio and wait.
"I'm cold kid. I will freeze to death before I burn out."
The hall on the first floor of the mansion was chilly for the cactus who was accustomed to the warm temperature. The cactus, who did not know that Estio was still listening to him, muttered blankly.
"Well, at least it hurts less to die from freezing than to die from burning."
"It doesn't kill."
"Ah, thank you……?"
Dtuk, the sectarianism has been cut off. Seeing the sudden silence of the cactus, Estio spoke again in a serious tone.
"It neither burns nor freezes. But it's the first time I've seen a cactus, so I don't know how long it's going to be cold. You have to tell me when you want to drink water."
The cactus was still quiet. However, Estio read the shock and fear emanating from the little green plant and calmly comforted him.
"I can hear what you have to say, so please let me know if you have any problems."
"Wow! really? Are you a god?"
"This is Estio."
Upon hearing Estio's name, the cactus introduced herself with a look of excitement.
"I'm ahh…"
"Too long."
"sorry. Plant names have long pronunciations."
Estio resolutely cut off the introduction of the name of the cactus that was almost endless. Eventually, after compromise, the name of the cactus was reduced to 'Ahur'.
"Does Estio even talk to plants?"
Neju, who quietly squatted next to him, looked at Estio and the cactus alternately with curious eyes. To Neju, that was even more unusual than talking to animals. Estio looked back at Neju with the flowerpot in her arms.
"I didn't even know I was going to be."
"It's amazing!"
Neju was genuinely admiring. Estio felt a sense of security in her red eyes, who always looked straight at her.
"My name is Ahur."
"Hello. Neju."
"Nice to meet you."
Ahur replied coolly, but Neju couldn't hear it. Instead, she shoved her face closer to her flowerpot with a cheerful expression on her face.
"It's small and cute."
"thanks! You look cute too."
Estio said with a slight smile as he saw an animal and plant that showed affection for each other even though they couldn't communicate properly.
"Both are cute."
"Hehe."
"It is not. Say I'm cuter, come on!"
Ahur, full of unfounded confidence, grumbled. Estio considered it to be like a baby bird flirting with a mother bird. He put his hand slightly on the sharp thorn.
Then the thorns curled softly like animal hair.
"...it doesn't sting."
"Because it's Estio, you look after me. If stabbed properly, it will be very painful."
"Is that even possible?"
"Gorum! It is still impossible to move freely, though."
Estio, who was nodding his head, suddenly mumbled a word that stuck with his mind.
"yet?"
- Episode 20
The Viscount placed a small flowerpot on the window sill and looked at it silently. Estio bowed his head toward him first.
"Hello. I have received a request."
"Do you know anything about cacti?"
Viscount Fabien omitted the greeting and asked, pointing at the flowerpot out of the blue. A small cactus was growing in the flowerpot. It was a cactus with thorns sprouting like feathers that looked quite fresh.
Estio, who only knew that it grows mainly in the desert, shook his head lightly, as it was the first time he had seen a cactus.
"I do not know."
"How can a green plant grow in a desert where it is difficult to get a sip of water? Isn't it amazing?"
Before Estio could react, the Viscount continued to speak while gently stroking the flowerpot of cactus.
"These are also plants, so it doesn't mean they don't drink water at all. But if you water them like normal plants, the sheep will rot and die."
"......"
"The moisture should be neither too little nor too much, and enough soil and sunlight should be provided. At first glance, it seems that it grows roughly in a barren desert territory, but it is a more difficult plant than you think. The size and condition all depend on the person who grows it. If the owner doesn't know about it, he can simply kill him."
From what I heard, it wasn't a cactus story. The Viscount looked at Estio with sharp eyes. But when he saw Estio with his head bowed without making eye contact with her, he touched his chin.
"Hmm, yes."
"?"
"Do you know how to read the inside of plants?"
I asked the question as a joke, but the Viscount had a genuinely curious expression. Since he had never been curious about plants, Estio slightly raised his head and looked at the cactus. He had no eyes to meet and felt nothing for a cactus full of thorns.
As he was about to shake his head, he heard a small wave of thoughts from the cactus.
"Hey, hey. It's noisy."
"......"
Estio, who could not tell the Viscount 'Shut up' at last, stiffened awkwardly. Fortunately, the Viscount misunderstood his reaction.
"Well, it's hard to see that plants have a will unlike humans or animals."
"Really, a lot of dirty talk."
"It's fortunate for you. I can't stand the noise to read even the thoughts of plants and objects. Maybe I'm mentally ill."
"Wow, I think I'm going to get really sick."
Estio chose to remain silent in the face of this ridiculous situation.
"The cactus has no choice, but in your hands you have the opportunity to choose the owner to grow it."
Viscount Fabien finally brought up the subject.
"Estio, come under my control."
"If you do."
"I don't mean just to hire you. It means to be Fabien's man."
"Are you saying that you want to become a soldier under the Viscount?"
"'Soldier'? Is that possible? There's no fool to call you a soldier."
The little boy laughed bitterly. Even if you don't read your heart, you can see that it's not a smile with a good intention.
"I appoint you as a staff member. You will be in a position where no one in this mansion can treat you badly. Only this Remil de Fabien can give you orders. You can have the highest honor you can have as a commoner. have."
"...what will you do?"
"You will do what only you can do."
When Estio didn't look like he was going to fall over easily, Viscount Fabien turned around softly.
"It's very simple. All you have to do is read the thoughts of the people you designate."
"It's a trap. It's a trap."
The cactus, who was listening quietly, grunted like a neighborhood woman talking behind the scenes next door.
"You're trying to use that shit to eat!"
If they had hands, they would have applauded. Thanks to that, Estio, who had been contemplating how to respond, was able to calmly express his will of refusal.
"Thanks for the suggestion, but I am satisfied with the guild I am currently affiliated with."
"It's a suggestion. You're misunderstanding something."
Estio was born and raised in a remote country village, and he had never seen a single hair of a nobleman. Therefore, although he knew that the status of aristocrat was an overwhelming position to coerce commoners, he did not know how much influence he had in reality.
The Viscount pointed out his ignorance.
"I am ordering you now."
"What if I don't follow?"
When Estio asked a question, the Viscount answered indifferently without changing a single expression on his face.
"It won't happen right now, but it will eventually follow."
"Show me your courage. Anyone who sees it is a prophet."
"......"
Seriously, thanks to the cactus that cuts the flow, Estio was able to adjust his pace. He bowed his head and finally answered.
"I am currently a member of the Ignis Guild. If you want to change my affiliation, please consult with the guild first."
"Hmm, I won't come to the end on my own feet...?"
"sorry."
The Viscount did not lose his composure, even when the commoners dared to reject the proposal of the nobility. Rather, he smirked and stroked his chin.
'Actually, it is difficult for him to be a person who can easily pass on conditions. I'd rather be good You have to have that kind of will to use it properly.'
There were many people in the world who had higher status and were wealthier than the Viscount. Considering that, Estio's character, which is not easily swayed by temptation, was a plus factor for the Viscount.
"Okay. I'll give you some time to think about it."
"God, put a thorn in this bastard's mouth and let him go to heaven."
After finishing the story he was about to tell, the Viscount lightly motioned for the butler. The Viscount added an order to the butler who was going to take Estio out.
"Put away this too. Instead of needlessly picky plants, bring a vase with beautiful flowers."
"Yes, Master."
The butler who received the order gently lifted the small flowerpot.
「Hey eh? Where do you touch me! Let go, human! Let go!」
"Then I hope you make a good choice."
The flowerpot didn't even move, but Estio was about to get the illusion that a cactus was struggling with its limbs.
The butler rushed to Estio, who looked back at the closed door.
"Come this way."
"what! What. am i abandoned? I haven't even hit a thorn yet!"
The cactus, who was suddenly caught in the hands of the butler and left the room, was terrified and trembled, but soon got tired of the grass and drooped.
"Oh, I don't know… But it's nice to be quiet."
I didn't even have eyes, but I felt like I was staring at you. Estio followed the butler while staring at the sharp thorn.
"Lady Serarin has asked me to wait, so please wait here for a while."
"I."
"It's class time, Ms., please don't run around and wait in your seat."
When Estio tried to catch him, the butler coldly cut off his words and insisted on waiting again. Estio, who blinked, turned and opened his mouth again to the butler.
"That cactus."
"......?"
"Where are you taking me?"
The butler responded with annoyance to the words of treating the cactus as a human being.
"Didn't you hear about cleaning up earlier? If you put it in an incinerator, it will take care of it, so don't worry about it."
"Oh, no! Born as a cactus, unable to bloom any flowers, being tortured like a vicious person next to a man who talks too much, and eventually gets dragged to an incinerator. What do you mean by this, butler? I, I am the incinerator. Uh-huh."
The cactus wept bitterly and sadly. Estio, who was dazzled by the cactus's ideological ideology, who had no eyes and was crying freely, put her forehead on her head and sighed.
"...If you're going to throw it away anyway, can I take it with you?"
"You're taking me?"
The butler looked at Estio with a puzzled look.
"It's thorny, it doesn't bloom, and it's a very difficult species to raise."
"You don't know yet whether a flower will bloom or not."
The butler, who was going to burn the potted plant anyway, said, "Hmm," and glanced down at the cactus. The Viscount just told them to get rid of it, but didn't give any specific instructions on how to dispose of it.
In the end, the butler left the place with a request to hand over the flowerpot to Estio and wait.
"I'm cold kid. I will freeze to death before I burn out."
The hall on the first floor of the mansion was chilly for the cactus who was accustomed to the warm temperature. The cactus, who did not know that Estio was still listening to him, muttered blankly.
"Well, at least it hurts less to die from freezing than to die from burning."
"It doesn't kill."
"Ah, thank you……?"
Dtuk, the sectarianism has been cut off. Seeing the sudden silence of the cactus, Estio spoke again in a serious tone.
"It neither burns nor freezes. But it's the first time I've seen a cactus, so I don't know how long it's going to be cold. You have to tell me when you want to drink water."
The cactus was still quiet. However, Estio read the shock and fear emanating from the little green plant and calmly comforted him.
"I can hear what you have to say, so please let me know if you have any problems."
"Wow! really? Are you a god?"
"This is Estio."
Upon hearing Estio's name, the cactus introduced herself with a look of excitement.
"I'm ahh…"
"Too long."
"sorry. Plant names have long pronunciations."
Estio resolutely cut off the introduction of the name of the cactus that was almost endless. Eventually, after compromise, the name of the cactus was reduced to 'Ahur'.
"Does Estio even talk to plants?"
Neju, who quietly squatted next to him, looked at Estio and the cactus alternately with curious eyes. To Neju, that was even more unusual than talking to animals. Estio looked back at Neju with the flowerpot in her arms.
"I didn't even know I was going to be."
"It's amazing!"
Neju was genuinely admiring. Estio felt a sense of security in her red eyes, who always looked straight at her.
"My name is Ahur."
"Hello. Neju."
"Nice to meet you."
Ahur replied coolly, but Neju couldn't hear it. Instead, she shoved her face closer to her flowerpot with a cheerful expression on her face.
"It's small and cute."
"thanks! You look cute too."
Estio said with a slight smile as he saw an animal and plant that showed affection for each other even though they couldn't communicate properly.
"Both are cute."
"Hehe."
"It is not. Say I'm cuter, come on!"
Ahur, full of unfounded confidence, grumbled. Estio considered it to be like a baby bird flirting with a mother bird. He put his hand slightly on the sharp thorn.
Then the thorns curled softly like animal hair.
"...it doesn't sting."
"Because it's Estio, you look after me. If stabbed properly, it will be very painful."
"Is that even possible?"
"Gorum! It is still impossible to move freely, though."
Estio, who was nodding his head, suddenly mumbled a word that stuck with his mind.
"yet?"
