Chapter 837 The Life of the Townsfolk <TOC> Chapter 839 Music and Fine Wine
Translator: SumTLMan
When Angel arrived at George’s residence, he found him in a state of apparent agitation, fervently drafting a letter. Jordan, the knight, stood to one side, his face a mask of helpless frustration.
“Angel, give me just a moment,” George muttered, barely looking up from his work. After another couple of minutes, he sealed the hastily composed letter in an envelope and handed it to Jordan, “Ride as swiftly as you can to Watford and make sure this reaches the hands of Sheriff Baine.”
Jordan accepted the missive with a nod, departing at once. As he passed Angel, he made sure to offer a respectful knightly salute. Angel watched him go before turning his attention back to George. “Uncle George, you seem troubled. What has occurred?”
George sighed heavily, “Those above us have their eyes set on Watford, which clearly can’t accommodate all the refugees. They have decided to distribute them among the various towns under their jurisdiction. Even our small town has been assigned to take in some of these displaced individuals.”
“It’s not that we are unwilling to help. In fact, we’ve been sending provisions to the nearby refugee camps every day. But some amongst them are not satisfied with this. They sneak into town with their families, causing mischief. How can we possibly welcome such people?”
“Most importantly, our town of Grud Town doesn’t have sufficient housing to accommodate these refugees.” George’s frustration was palpable. “Those in power make these decisions so lightly, unaware of the burden they place on us. The letter I was writing was a protest against this unfairness.”
Angel, having just returned and unfamiliar with the current situation, felt at a loss for advice. These matters were typically handled by the sheriff and the local lord, and it wasn’t his place to interfere. He could only offer, “Let’s do this: I’ll have my brother come and discuss this matter with you when I get back.”
“That would be good. After all, this issue affects the entire town and requires the intervention of a Viscount.” George finished speaking, then quickly changed the subject. “Angel, I trust nothing unusual happened on your return home? I noticed some rumbling noises from the Pat Manor a few days ago.”
Angel recalled that the rumbling noise George referred to must have been caused by Eureka’s operation to level the small hill. He replied casually, “Do I look like I’ve been in trouble?”
“Not at all.” George stroked his chin thoughtfully before his curiosity got the better of him. “So, do you know what’s been happening at the Pat Manor these past years? Why is everyone who comes out so tight-lipped, and why is the manor off-limits?”
Seeing Angel hesitate, George quickly added, “If it’s a sensitive topic, you don’t have to say anything. The situation in town is pretty much the same as before.”
“It’s not a sensitive issue, per se,” Angel replied after a moment’s thought. “Simply put, the manor has a new guest of honor. This guest, however, isn’t fond of visitors or interruptions.”
A look of understanding flashed in George’s eyes. He didn’t press for more information about this mysterious guest, instead steering the conversation towards the reason for Angel’s visit.
“Seeking Drew? He’s just next door,” George stated as he rummaged through a drawer, procuring a small pouch that he handed to Angel. The pouch was filled with silver coins, left behind by the Head Maid Mana a week ago as Drew’s living expenses, signifying his temporary abode at George’s place.
“Uncle George received this from Head Maid Mana, so you can hold onto it. If you wish to return it, it should be to Mana, not me,” Angel said, putting the pouch back on the table, and subsequently followed George to the next room.
Drew had been living temporarily with Jordan these days. As Angel pushed open the door, he found Drew dozing off, seated cross-legged on a plush animal skin rug.
The opening of the door startled Drew awake. With a bewildered look, he glanced around. It took him a while to focus his gaze on Angel at the door, and after a moment of confusion, he remembered the face as Lord Pat’s true visage, which scared him into leaping up and hurriedly putting on his shoes to salute Angel.
Angel conversed with Drew for the better part of the day, mainly explaining that he might be staying in Grud Town for an extended period, and inquiring whether Drew planned to stay in town or return with him to the Pat Manor.
After some thought, Drew decided to accompany Angel back to the manor. The town was crowded, and the refugees were disturbing him from time to time. It seemed impossible for him to find the peace needed to practice his guidance techniques.
Angel gave it a thought and agreed.
When Angel returned to the manor with Drew, he briefly explained the situation in the manor, warned him not to go to the stilt house area, and to be careful not to provoke Eureka. The rest could be left to Head Maid Mana.
In the past, if outsiders entered the manor, the Owl Watcher hidden among the branches would probably explode with anger.
But when Angel brought Drew in, it cowered on the side, not daring to make a sound. Especially since it felt that the grey little bird in Angel’s pocket was looking at it with malicious intent, making it even more afraid to move.
Angel introduced the Owl Watcher to Drew, then continued on their way with Drew.
In the main castle corridor, Angel ran into Head Maid Mana. He handed Drew over to Mana to arrange his accommodation, then headed to the main hall himself.
Ollie was waiting outside the hall, and her eyes lit up when she saw Angel, and she hurriedly followed him.
Leon was already waiting in the hall. He gave Angel a big hug as soon as he saw him, then curiously looked towards the direction of the door.
“Huh, where’s Mana? Didn’t I ask her to wait for you at the door?”
“I asked Mana to arrange Drew’s accommodation. He might be staying at the manor for a while.”
Leon was taken aback. A few days ago, when Angel asked him to arrange a place for Drew, he had also considered inviting Drew to the manor, but the thought of Lady Eureka made him hesitate.
“Will Lady Eureka object?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken to Lady Eureka.”
Upon settling in with Leon, Angel didn’t immediately disclose his intentions but instead relayed the concerns of George.
After listening, Leon too revealed a troubled expression, massaging his temples, “These refugees have already begun breaking and entering, haven’t they?”
“I heard from Pasha that his cow was taken by the refugees to be cooked.”
“Last time I went out, I only heard about a group of displaced people causing a stir at the town’s entrance, I didn’t imagine it had escalated to this point.” Leon mulled it over for a moment, “I’ll pay George a visit later.”
“How do you plan to deal with these refugees?” Angel looked towards Leon, fully aware of what the refugee problem signified for the entire town of Grud. How to effectively manage these refugees was an issue Leon had to confront head-on.
Leon pondered for a moment, “I have some ideas, but I might need to discuss with George, and we may have to gauge the attitude of the people at Watford.”
After a pause, Leon looked curiously at Angel, “My dear brother, if it were you, what would you do?”
Angel, without much thought, responded directly:
“From the perspective of the extraordinary, this matter is not really a problem.” He could even construct a bustling small town for the refugees to settle in within a short period of time. He could also strike directly at the source, resolving the issue with the Sea Wave Dynasty swiftly.
“But if not employing extraordinary measures, I would lean towards… a swift resolution. Eliminate the troublemakers, pacify the rest of the refugees. Once these instigators are gone, others will quickly surrender, and the situation would be easier to handle.”
Upon hearing this, Leon looked deeply at Angel, after a long while he said, “I feel that the way you handle things has changed, you wouldn’t have said something like this before.”
Angel responded, “Rather than saying I’ve changed, it’s more apt to say I’m adapting.”
“But that’s good, I’ve always been worried you’d suffer due to your kind-heartedness while outside, but now it seems my worries were unnecessary.” Leon stretched lazily, “Actually, my thoughts aren’t that different from yours. The troublemakers among the refugees are fearless, thinking they have nothing left to lose. I’d like to see if they’re truly prepared to lose everything.”
As they were discussing the refugee matter, the hall’s curtain was pulled back and the head maid, Mana, walked in.
After exchanging pleasantries, Mana stood off to one side.
“Now that Head Maid Mana has arrived and everyone is present, there are some things I can say.” Angel’s words captured the attention of everyone present.
Leon too looked towards Angel, awaiting his statement. But after waiting for quite some time, he didn’t hear Angel speak, instead, he saw Angel lightly wave his hand, and a tiny person appeared on the table.
This was a little person whose appearance and dress were similar to theirs, except for the fact that this figure was smaller than a palm. Judging from the figure, it was a chubby middle-aged woman.
Upon her release, she initially found herself in a state of disorientation. It took a moment before she pivoted towards Angel, inquiring, “Lord, where are we…?”
“Kumumu, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this will be your home henceforth,” Angel replied indifferently.
Kumumu was the mother of Kudou. She was the third individual, after Babaya and Kudou, to pledge loyalty to Angel in the Living Soul Garden.
In the Living Soul Garden, Kumumu served as the chieftain of the Blue Crescent Village, demonstrating remarkable acumen in human resources and organizational management. Once Babaya departed, Angel appointed her as the interim leader of the Kulakuka clan’s branch.
Kumumu’s response was understandably emotional. Despite having food and water in the bracelet, the lack of freedom was stifling. The news of returning to the outside world brought her immense joy.
“Angel, what’s going on with her? Why is she so small?” Leon pointed at Kumumu in astonishment, a look of bewilderment etched across his face.
It wasn’t just Leon; Head Maid Mana, and Ollie were all agape, eyes wide in surprise as they stared at Kumumu.
Although the Wizarding World was home to various species and the populous continent was accustomed to an array of humanoid tribes, it was a different story in the Old Land Continent. Here, the majority of the population were descendants of homo sapiens, and humanoid tribes were an uncommon sight. Especially for the isolated and secluded Grud Town, this was a novel encounter for all.
Ollie’s eyes sparkled with intrigue as she exclaimed, “So small, she’s just like a fairy from a children’s tale.”
Upon hearing this, Angel chuckled and responded, “In fact, you are not far off the mark. Her tribe has another name, known as…”
“The Fairies of the Attic.”
Chapter 837 The Life of the Townsfolk <TOC> Chapter 839 Music and Fine Wine