Dinner with the Beasts
I watched Tama and Grulf eat as I ate my own dinner.
“Wuf-wuf-wuf-wuf…”
“Guf-guf-guf-guf…”
They were eating quite fast. Their plates were on the ground near my feet.
On the other hand, Lord Gerberga ate on top of the table.
As he was a god, it did not feel right to make him eat on the floor.
Besides, he was small enough not to get in the way.
“Clu-cluck.”
He was also eating away happily.
Lord Gerberga’s food was leafy vegetables, corn, and meat.
Grulf mostly ate meat. Tama had meat and potatoes.
By the way, the order in which they ate was always Lord Gerberga, Tama and then Grulf.
As they ate, I petted Tama on the back.
“Wuf-wuf-wuf…”
He continued to eat obliviously.
“He seems to have gained some weight?”
“Yes, I am very relieved to see him fatten up.”
Philly said happily.
Everyone had been worried about how skinny he was.
“Tama, there’s more if you want some.”
“Woof!”
If Tama ever looked like he was still hungry, Grulf would share his own food.
But Grulf was still growing, so it was important that he ate a lot too.
“You eat more too, Grulf. There’s still a lot left.”
I petted Grulf as he ate as well.
After a while, they both finished eating.
Today, they were both satisfied with their first serving.
“I’ll get them some water.”
I was about to stand up, but Milka got up first.
“You stay in your chair, Mister Locke! I’ll fetch the water!”
Milka brought over a pitcher and poured Grulf and Tama some water.
They both drank it as if it were incredibly delicious.
“Cluck-cluck.”
Lord Gerberga finished his meal and walked across the table to jump on my lap.
“Don’t you want any more, Lord Gerbera?”
“Cluck.”
Apparently, not.
Lord Gerberga started to wriggle into my clothes.
“What is it? Lord Gerberga.”
“Lord Gerberga wants you to coddle him.”
Luchila said.
“I see.”
And so I gently petted Lord Gerberga.
“Cluck-cluck.”
He cooed comfortably.
Once dinner was eaten and we had finished cleaning up, Eric and Goran arrived.
“Eric and Goran. Did you both eat? I can prepare you some if you haven’t.”
“Oh, thank you. Gladly!”
“Leave it to me!”
After Goran replied, Milka ran to the kitchen before I had finished standing up.
“And you, Eric?”
“I’m grateful for the offer, but no thank you. Refi wouldn’t like it.”
“Ah. That’s true.”
Eric’s wife, Refi, was very worried for his health.
And it was true that eating dinner at the palace and then at my mansion, was a little too much.
And she had personally asked me to make Eric stop.
“Well, I will put on some tea for Mister Eric. And everyone else as well.”
Nia and Luchila stood up to make the tea.
“Thank you, Nia and Luchila.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Cluck-cluck.”
Lord Gerberga poked his head out from my shirt.
Eric saw him and smiled.
“Lord Gerberga seems like he’s having fun.”
“Cluck.”
I don’t know if it was just me, but Lord Gerberga looked rather smug.
“Eric. How have you been dealing with things in the city?”
“Aye. I sent all my knights out to investigate every area. Their work completed this afternoon.”
“That’s fast.”
“Speed was very important.”
It had happened on the same day that we attacked the enemy’s main base. An attack on the royal capital.
But it was small in scale compared to the attack on the water dragon settlement.
It was a group of lesser and arch vampires that were led by a single Vampire Lord.
In all, there were about forty of them.
Goran said,
“If we hadn’t had a few beastkin wolves working as knights here, who knows how much damage the enemy would have done!”
“Aye. The measures Eric took really paid off. It’s amazing.”
I said. But Eric shook his head slowly.
“If anything, it was probably the magic bracelets that you and Philly made and gave to the guards that had a bigger effect.”
And so Eric thanked me and Philly.
“Locke. Philly. We owe you a lot. I thank you as a representative of the kingdom.”
“I barely did anything. It was mostly just Philly.” “No-not at all.”
“Woof.”
She was very humble. It was because she was trained as a noble of the higher ranks.
Tama must have sensed that she was nervous, and he seemed to become nervous as well.
I asked Eric,
“So the archs and the Lord were able to break through the barrier with magic tools?”
“Exactly.”
“They must have a lot of them now. This is bad.”
“Of course, we cannot be too careful. However, that is not the thing I am the most afraid about right not.”
Eric said with a severe expression.