The moment my hand touched the feather next to the beak, I screamed unconsciously.
"It's really warm and soft. It feels like touching hot ice cream? I thought my hand was melting!"
Then Isar let out a hollow laugh and acted foolishly.
"Ah, right? Apricot has been taking good care of its feathers since it was young. It's in the top 1%."
"By the way, Apricot doesn't just breathe fire anytime, right? Linea is touching it, so I was just being cautious."
Isar paused at the sound of those words.
"...Do you know that too?"
"Hey, it's the Phoenix, isn't it?"
I asked while gently scratching near its beak.
Then, Apricot closed his eyes as if it felt refreshing and leaned in as if asking to be scratched more.
However, no matter how cute it looks, the species of monster Isar raises is a phoenix.
When fully grown, it becomes as big as a house, and the red color flowing from its exhaled breath is truly close to a disaster.
However, I know that because its basic nature is introverted and gentle, it usually lives hidden away in deep mountains where there are no people.
Nevertheless, the reason it is classified as a monster is solely that it consumes magic stones. After all, it is a creature that relies on an important resource for the Empire as its staple food.
"S-so, are you going to run over to Carcel and tell him everything?"
"No? And even if I did, what could Carcel possibly do with such a tiny bird?"
"...He’ll definitely kill him."
"Don't speak ill of Carcel like that! He's a kinder and better person than he looks. Right, Linea?"
When asked, Linea, who was hiding, the child nodded vigorously.
"See? Children are honest."
"You don't know how that guy acts in front of other people."
Isar muttered while avoiding my gaze.
"Anyway, what you know isn't everything. I've raised my kid so he never acts cold in front of people. You can touch it because I'm not pulling it out."
Relieved, I turned to look at Linea and asked.
"Want to touch it? It's as soft and warm as a sparrow's chest feathers."
“Is that okay?”
Since his reaction wasn't particularly bad even when I touched him, Linea mustered up the courage and stepped forward. Isar stared down at Linea for a moment, then knelt on one knee.
A plump bird suddenly entered Linea's field of vision.
"His name is Apricot."
"It really is an apricot color. But it’s not really big; it’s round."
Linea was about to say it was big, but changed the subject after receiving a cold glare from Isar.
Soon, the child gently scratched the docile Apricot, starting from the side of its beak and going up to its head.
Linea's expression brightened as she seemed relieved to see Apricot comfortably closing its eyes and enjoying the touch.
"It's really pretty and cute. It starts as apricot and turns red towards the bottom, making it incredibly..."
"Hmmm, hmmm."
Linea smiled brightly at Apricot's proud dad and said.
“It’s like a big chicken!”
"...Chicken?"
Unlike Isar, who was dumbfounded, I bit my lip tightly.
The child had an expression that conveyed genuine, pure praise.
“That’s it.”
Isar let out a low sigh, as if he had absolutely no intention of scolding her in that face.
"By the way, Mr. Isar, where is this place?"
Isar's light green eyes narrowed as he watched Linea enjoy touching the soft feathers for a while.
He put Apricot down on the floor.
"Play together."
"Yes! Apricot, come here!"
As Linea stepped back first and gestured for Apricot to come, Apricot was seen swaying back and forth and following the child closely.
"Kaaak!"
Apricot also cried cutely out of excitement.
The inside of the nest was quite spacious, so I gave Linea a warning.
“Don’t go far!”
"Yes!"
I was so flustered by Apricot's appearance earlier that I didn't realize it, but contrary to my expectations, the place Isar teleported to was like a dense forest.
"This is... a magic tower."
"Is there a forest like this inside the magic tower?"
"It's magic. This is just an ordinary room."
“This?!”
The distinctive scent of grass, characteristic of a huge nest made of polo, is wafting out so explicitly, as if inside an egg.
On top of that, the soft feel of grass on the soles of the feet and the high mountain range visible through the hole of the nest.
None of them seemed fake.
"It's all fake. Of course, the grass laid for Apricots is real, but everything else is fake."
"That's fascinating. It's so spacious, it really feels like a nest deep in the mountains."
"Shouldn't you be more surprised that someone who isn't even a wizard entered the Magic Tower?"
"Can I go out and look around the Magic Tower?"
Isar cast a glance at me as I smiled sweetly.
“Is that okay?”
Even in the midst of this, Linea was playing hide-and-seek with Apricot, who was chasing her.
It was a lovely sight that brought a smile to my face.
"Anyway, thank you, Mr. Isar. Even though it is for the sake of Apricot, everything proceeding so quickly is entirely thanks to you."
"What..."
"If it weren't for Mr. Isar, paying the 100% interest next year would have been out of the question."
As I laughed and spoke brightly, Isar gave me a look that asked if I was serious.
"...Are you crazy?"
"Yes?"
"The Duchess borrowed money from a moneylender paying 100% interest? To put it bluntly, do you know what that guy is going to do to you?"
"I wasn't the Duchess back then, and I was confident in my investment, you know?"
Isar trembled slightly upon hearing my simple and clear words.
"You seem like quite the lunatic yourself. I thought Carcel was the only crazy one, but it turns out you were just a similar person who met."
"Don't worry, I borrowed the money because I have a pretty good idea of that person."
Isar pressed his lips together for a moment at me, who still hadn't lost my smile, then let out a deep sigh.
Then he soon waved in the air.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
“Take it.”
I opened my eyes wide at Isar, who suddenly tossed something at me.
"W-Why are you giving this to me?"
"Don't... don't get sold off somewhere. Just pay back the money quickly."
What Isar threw at me was a blank checkbook.
I don't have this type of personality.
I looked up at him in surprise.
"Mr. Isar, is it really okay for you to give me a blank check like this? What are you planning to do if I spend thousands of gold on this and transfer it to my account?"
“Are you rich?”
"...No, it's almost."
"If a few thousand gold is the best amount you can think of, you can keep it."
I couldn't hide my astonishment at the sound of someone muttering, "You're so small-minded."
"How much money do you have?"
"It’s probably an amount your small head can’t even imagine. Let’s go now."
Isar nodded toward Linea.
"Before your daughter becomes the great chieftain of the Northern Mountains."
"What do you mean...?"
I turned my head toward Linea.
The child's blonde hair was full of feathers.
I couldn't help but burst into laughter at Linea, who wasn't even an Indian tribe member, with long, flowing apricot-colored feathers stuck all over her hair.
"Ah, so cute! Mr. Isar, have you ever seen Apricot act like that?"
"People try to dress up the person they like like that. It must mean he likes your daughter."
Even now, Apricot was diligently rummaging through Linea's hair and sticking his feathers in it.
"Ah. And before I go back."
I returned the checkbook to Isar, who was staring at me with a bored expression as if I were a bother.
"This is fine. I don't mean to disregard your sincerity, Mr. Isar; it's just that I think I can fully afford it."
"You don't even have a few thousand gold."
"Excuse me. For some people, a few thousand gold is an amount that might be barely enough to save up over a lifetime."
Isar took the checkbook coyly and answered.
"Do as you please. Whether you get dragged away by loan sharks and end up looking like a slit-open piggy bank, it's none of my business."
"Were you worried about me?"
When I asked Isar, who was striding ahead, he replied as if he were dumbfounded.
"No?"
"Wow, I didn't know Mr. Isar was kind enough to worry about others!"
Isar rolled his eyes, as if he was tired of listening to me any longer.
"I will definitely remember today's kindness and make sure to supply Apricot with enough Mutation Magic Stones to live on for the rest of his life."
"...Something like that.”
As soon as Linea approached me, he teleported immediately.
“Aaaah!”
"Boss, here is my business card."
Amusingly, perhaps because the teleportation location was set to the sofa, Linea and I simultaneously slumped onto the sofa in the drawing room.
At the same time, Isar placed his business card on the table.
Surprised, I gave him a hard time.
"Linea is here too, so could you at least be a little more careful from now on?"
"I told you we should go. My time is gold. Can you pay 200 gold per hour?"
"No..."
Come to think of it, that guy's annual salary is at least 40,000 gold.
"I'm leaving. And Apricot feathers."
Isar continued speaking as he looked at the feathers stuck in Linea's hair.
"Don't throw it away; keep it safe. You might already know this, but it's effective."
"Okay, goodbye!"
When I greeted him, thinking he was going to leave just like last time, Isar just nodded once.
He disappeared again with a blue light.
Meanwhile, Linea was whimpering and plucking feathers from her hair.
I let out a small laugh at the sight.
"Linea, Mommy will do it for you. Just a moment."
I pulled out the feathers stuck in her hair and carefully put them in my inner pocket.
"I'll go comb your hair again."
"Okay!"
I smiled, looking down at Linea's hair, which had become fluffy like dandelion seeds.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked.
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