Old Men Taking a Bath
Danton sat up straight again.
âLocke. This may sound like a most insolent request...â
âPlease donât hesitate to ask me.â
âCould you you allow Shia and Nia to lodge in this mansion?â
âI donât mind.â
Danton looked happy at this reply.
âThank you. Of course, I shall pay for their rooms.â
âYou mustnât worry about that.â
We continued to talk until Milka announced that dinner was ready.
And so it was decided that Danton would join us.
While we were eating, Goran also dropped by.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAh, Goran. Good evening.â
âAye, good evening. Something smells good!â
Goran visited as if it were the most obvious thing.
And it felt completely natural to me as well.
Milka turned to Goran.
âWill you eat here, Mister Goran?â
âOh, can I?â
âOf course! I will bring some right away!â
Milka then ran off to make him a plate.
Then Goran approached Danton.
âAh, Lord Woolcott. What a pleasant surprise.â
Danton and Shia had found it necessary to have a family name when being knighted.
And so Eric had given them one.
And that was Woolcott.
âLord Morton. It is an honor to meet you.â
âWhat business did you have today?â
âI came to make a request towards Locke concerning my daughters.â
âI see! My own Serulis is often helped by Locke. So we are in similar positions.â
And so Goran and Danton began to talk about their daughters.
âI heard that Serulis is always helping themâ
âNo! I am sure it is the other way around!â
As they talked excitedly, Serulis, Shia and Nia looked incredibly uncomfortable.
Once dinner was over and the girls had finished taking their bath, I, Goran and Danton decided to take one as well.
âWhat about you, Luchila?â
âNO! I do not need a bath!â
âYou really donât like bathing, do you? Well, you should take a bath, anyway.â
âI-I have a cold!â
âI see. Then maybe itâs better that you donât.â
âYes!â
âCluck-cluck.â
Lucila picked up Lord Gerberga and retreated to his room.
âGroof.â
âIâm with guests today, so youâll have to wait outside.â
âGrr....â
Grulf looked at me with sad eyes.
âIâll wash you next time, okay?â
I said and then petted him.
And then I went to take a bath.
As all three of us entered, Danton said,
âThis is a grand bathing room.â
âThis mansion was formerly owned by a noble.â
âIt seems extravagant even for a noble.â
Well, it was really a mansion for the lover of the former, former king.
So it must have been built with the king in mind. Even I thought that it was incredibly fancy.
Goran stretched comfortably in the pool.
âItâs nice to be able to stretch to your heartâs content.â
âIâm glad that you approve.â
Then Goran lazily said,
âLord Danton, are you not going to have Nia apprentice for Locke?â
âOf course, I would be most relieved if such an arrangement could be made. But Iâm sure it would be too much trouble for Locke.â
If she was my apprentice, I would be like a substitute parent. You were both guardian and guarantor.
It was understandable that Danton would hesitate.
âNo, it would not be too much trouble for me. I already have Luchila and Milka here, anyway.â
âIf it really wouldnât bother you, then I would like it if Nia could apprentice for you.â
âI do not mind at all. In fact, I welcome the idea.â
âThank you.â
Danton said with a bow.
âHowever, is that what she wants?â
âI will ask her. But I donât think you need to worry about it.â
âWhat makes you say that?â
âWe beastkin wolves have a tremendous respect for those who are strong. And you Mister Locke, are clearly strong.â
âI see. So thatâs how it is.â
âI respect the strong as well.â
Goran said with a nod.
We finished our bath after that.
Grulf was waiting right outside.
âGroof-groof.â
He started to sniff at me.
âWhat is it? Can you smell something?â
âGroof.â
Then he started to lick my hand.
After that, we went to the drawing room with Grulf.
And the three of us drank wine.
As we drank, I asked Danton a question.
âLord Danton, is there anyone in your family who has started to work for the king?â
Employment at the palace had been one of the many rewards that Eric had bestowed on them.
Besides, having many beastkin at the palace would help them ward off the vampires.
âThree of the sharpest in our tribe have been sent to work under the king.â
âThatâs wonderful.â
âLocke. I heard that you killed another High Lord.â
âWhere did you hear that?â
âThere are meetings between the beastkin chiefs and His Majesty. It is there that we share information about the vampires. His Majesty told me about it there.â
âI see.â
The beastkin wolves were professional vampire hunters.
They gathered information about them every day, and they hunted them every day.
And so it was a great advantage to the king to be able to share information with them.
âIt is incredible that you were able to do it by yourself.â
Danton said with a nod.