Chapter 49: Conditions for an easy life.

After Rudy and the others finished devouring the pho, Franz raised his hand and volunteered to wash the dishes.

Rudy didn’t want Franz to touch anything in the house, but he couldn’t just bring out the drone in front of them, so he decided to let Franz do the dishwashing.

Franz was surprised that simply turning the faucet not only produced water but hot water as well. He was also amazed at the effectiveness of the dishwashing detergent.

In reality, there was an automatic dishwasher, so there was no need to wash the dishes by hand. However, Rudy kept it a secret from Franz because the automatic dishwasher was considered over-the-top technology.

Rudy apologized silently to Franz in his mind, saying, “Sorry, Franz.”

With Franz taking care of the dishes, the three of them sat on the living room sofa and discussed the room arrangements for the night.

“Let’s have Franz use the guest room on the first floor, and you can stay in the basement,” Rudy suggested.

“Yeah, if possible, I’d like to be near Nina,” Franz replied.

“Is that okay with you, Rudy?” Noemi asked.

“I’ll lock the other rooms. Feel free to sleep wherever. I’ll lend you a blanket,” Rudy said.

Upon Rudy’s approval, Carl bowed his head.

“I’m really grateful to you for everything, Rudy.”

“As long as you keep it a secret, I won’t say anything. And besides, it’s all magic,” Rudy replied.

“Hey!” Noemi couldn’t help but interject at Rudy’s response, but he calmly shook his head from side to side.

“That’s the way it is,” Rudy replied.

Noemi sighed, thinking to herself, “So this is what it means to provide me with food, clothing, and shelter.”

“There’s a limit to using me as a cover, too,” she added.

“It’s good that you understand,” Rudy nodded, but Carl, who had been listening to the conversation, thought it might be too much.

After finishing washing the dishes, Franz returned to the living room, and the topic of conversation shifted to the events in the village.

“Alfred, huh…” Carl’s remark made Noemi frown.

“Do you know him?” he asked.

“He’s the lord of Dead Forest, including this forest. So, yeah, I know him. I’ve never met Alfred himself, but I’ve heard he’s just as arrogant, selfish, and tyrannical as his father,” Carl replied.

“That’s true. If I hadn’t been carrying Nina at that time, I would have done something,” Carl chimed in.

“What would you have done?” Noemi asked, and Carl made a joke, making her laugh.

“I had a chance to meet the previous lord once before entering the forest. For a noble, he was a decent person. It seems he failed at parenting, though,” Carl explained in response to Franz’s question.

“The old man died about a year ago, I think. Taxes have skyrocketed since the change in leadership. Well, I’ve never paid them,” Noemi said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Truly the magic of shisho!” Rudy exclaimed.

“Wait, you’re praising her now? But isn’t not paying taxes bad?” Franz tilted his head, not understanding the reason.

“Franz, what are you saying? Not paying taxes is like living the dream of a lifetime!” Rudy explained.

“…Sigh,” Franz sighed, unconvinced.

As Rudy insisted, Franz backed away, while Noemi and Carl burst into laughter.

“In my opinion, that brat Alfred isn’t going to just sit back and do nothing,” Carl said, his laughter turning into a serious expression.

“It’s going to be troublesome,” Noemi sighed.

As Noemi expressed her exasperation, the front door slammed open, and Solaris entered the house.

“I’m back.”

“Solaris? Didn’t you say you would be back in two days?”

“Yes. I just came to get supplies.”

In response to Noemi’s question, Solaris answered and quickly headed towards the basement.

“What kind of supplies?” Noemi tilted her head, perplexed.

Franz, who was preoccupied with something else, spoke up.

“More importantly, what happened to my brothers?”

“That’s right. They’re my children, so I don’t think they’ll die easily, but I’m concerned,” Carl added.

While the three of them worried about Dominic and Shawn, Rudy remained silent, listening intently to the urgent report he received from Hal.

“…That’s the situation.”

“That Alfred is truly despicable. Is it normal to kill someone out of spite?”

“I only know human psychology based on data, but his actions would undoubtedly result in a labor sentence of over ten years in the Galactic Empire.”

“This planet is beyond the jurisdiction of the law, so that doesn’t matter. What’s more important is why he’s in such a hurry.”

“I don’t have the audio, but based on the direction, it seems he’s headed towards the largest city in this vicinity.”

“A city, huh? How big is the population?”

“Estimated to be around 10,000.”

“…That’s not small.”

“It’s relatively densely populated for this planet.”

“Yeah, I guess so. He’s the lord’s son, so he’ll probably run to his father for help. Well, let me know if anything happens.”

“Yes, Master.”

During the conversation with Hal, Rudy thought that it was becoming troublesome, just like Noemi mentioned earlier.

After a while, Solaris returned with a bag on her back.

“Solaris, why did you come back alone? What happened to Carl’s sons who went to help? And what’s in that bag?”

As Noemi bombarded Solaris with consecutive questions, she stopped in her tracks.

“I’m in a hurry, so I’ll answer briefly. Dominic-sama and Shawn-sama are currently resting about 60 kilometers away from here, but they have stopped their activities due to a lack of supplies. I came here to secure supplies, and the contents of this bag are the supplies.”

“So you’re saying you only care about retrieval. Are you an idiot to forget about water and food?” Noemi snapped.

Rudy let out a sigh upon hearing Solaris’ explanation and interrupted the conversation.

“Solaris, it’s not that she forgot. She just deemed them unnecessary based on the mission requirements.”

“Emotions sometimes lead to flexible thinking. You’re going to run back there anyway, right? Since you’ve come this far, use the Aero Bike to transport them.”

“The Aero Bike is designed for two people.”

“You’re being stubborn. If you push it, three people can ride on the Aero Bike. You saw it yourself when I brought Carl and Nina,” Rudy insisted.

After Rudy’s words, Solaris pondered for a moment before nodding.

“…You’re right.”

“Enough already, just go quickly.”

“Understood. Excuse me then.”

Solaris bowed and prepared to leave the bag she was carrying before heading out of the house.

“Wait!” Rudy called out to stop her, but Solaris questioned, “Is there something else?”

“It’s not just ‘something.’ Why are you leaving behind the supplies?”

“If we’re going to transport them on the Aero Bike, aren’t they unnecessary?”

At Solaris’ retort, Rudy let out yet another sigh.

“You lack kindness. They’re waiting there hungry, so take the supplies with you.”

“…I understand. I apologize for that. I will take them this time.”

Solaris said so, picked up the bag she was carrying, and finally left the house.

“Rudy, don’t you think you went a bit too far just now?” Franz spoke up, concerned, and Rudy shook his head.

“That’s the result she desired. I can’t say anything more. She truly is an idiot.”

As Rudy made that remark, there was a hint of frustration on his face.

“Sigh…”

Seeing Rudy become silent, Franz and Carl looked at Noemi, seeking an explanation. However, she just shook her head and gave up, showing signs of resignation.