I am in Talc today. It isn’t the season for the Spirit Festival, but I have a backlog of errands involving Diane-san, Cosmos-san, and the others to settle, and I figured I’d use the opportunity to interact with Cosmos Trading and the Onyx Maid Corps. During festival season, everyone is too busy to focus on anything else. It is much easier to give them my full attention during peacetime. Additionally, this trip doubles as a search for Kei-chan’s mother. The Head Maid won’t tell me anything, so I have no choice but to investigate the surrounding area and interrogate people directly. At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that a mother-child relationship would be kept a total secret even in a place like Talc. I want to officially declare my intent to recognize her, and I also want to discuss Kei-chan’s education. Though, it might be a waste of time. If I take a completely hands-off approach, I might end up producing another string of biological daughters who have been indoctrinated by strange ideologies. For the sake of the future, I need to make my intention—that I desire a proper education—known firmly.
With that resolve in my heart, I was walking through Carlos-san’s garden when I was stopped by Diane-san’s daughter, Janet. “Father. There is something I wish to ask.” “Wh-what is it?” I have nothing to hide; in fact, I am taking steps to correct questionable stories into wholesome ones, so I should be able to stand tall. Yet, being cornered by his daughter while searching for a maid caused me to lose my composure. Janet stared up at her father with an unreadable expression, then slowly pointed to the side. At the tip of her finger stood a sandy-colored tower, about fifty meters tall. “I thought that tower had been there for a long time, but I heard you built it, Father.” “I—I’m no stonemason. I merely gave the order.” “Why did you build it? The Tower Emblem is supposed to be a single-horned organization. It is illogical for you, an ally of Onyx, to build such a thing.” That tower is named the “Horn of Talc.” It serves as a new landmark for Talc and has effectively become the new symbol of the Tower Emblem; their offices are even located within it. As for the reason it happened… it was simply because Minister Ashton told me to do so. “If you ask me why, even I don’t quite understand. I suppose… a deal was struck. With Onyx.” ”…Is that how you build things like that? Just by chance?” “I think it was also intended as a show of force. For Lyra and the others, it wasn’t actually a long-term project.”
That’s right. It was built using a dragon. More accurately, it was built by Lyra and the surrounding lizardmen who follow her. Lyra, in her dragon form, handled the heavy lifting, while the lizardmen performed the detailed construction under Diane-san’s precise instructions. By pooling the architectural and processing skills of elves and dark elves, they produced something as sturdy as the “Tower Emblem’s” collapsed tower that once stood in Talc—a structure so robust it wouldn’t break even in an unprecedented earthquake. Diane-san remarked that if an earthquake strong enough to break this occurred, the sun-dried brick buildings throughout the entire city would likely be annihilated long before the tower. Since buildings of any other sort are rare around here, that would effectively mean the end of Talting. …But above all, having a dragon build this sent an incredibly powerful message. In short, it was a way of asserting dominance—showing that Onyx can easily execute construction projects that surpass the capabilities of the “Tower Emblem.” By generously “gifting” it to the Tower Emblem, we demonstrated full support on the surface, while simultaneously emphasizing absolute superiority by saying, “This is merely the level of value we possess.” Furthermore, by parading the dragon, we issued a declaration: “If you defy us, we can destroy everything at any time.” …I suspect Minister Ashton was even more incensed than Carlos-san, knowing how the Tower Emblem members had acted out previously. While Carlos-san merely demonstrated the “stature” of a hidden ruler, Minister Ashton chose to instill a more intense sense of terror. He is, after all, the man who instilled the family creed of “protect allies, provide to friends, host guests, and kill enemies.” Though he currently leaves the pillar of the family to Carlos-san so he can support the national administration, his true nature is likely much more radical.
…This is the scattered explanation I gave to Janet. It was scattered because the sources of my information are somewhat vague. Minister Ashton continues his pattern of getting angry over strange things when he meets me, only to be talked down by his family and exit the scene. I received the request for the tower’s construction through Diane-san. Since Carlos-san is basically the same way, it is difficult for me to gauge how serious they are or to what extent. “So, Diane-san did the design, and I didn’t do any of the actual labor. I just said, ‘Please do it,’ and then, because it was hot, I stayed inside drinking alcohol… and before I knew it, it was just there. I’m not even sure if ‘I built it’ is the right way to put it.” ”…It is typical of you, but you truly are formidable, Father.” “How is any of this formidable?” “You speak of being the linchpin of a grand plan that intimidates all of Talc as if it were nothing more than a side job. This is the kind of work one should boast about for a lifetime.” “Truly, at the time, I was just drinking alcohol; it wasn’t even a side job… Besides, no matter how much massive construction a dragon does, it is people like Carlos-san or Minister Ashton who give it meaning. Only when that is achieved can great power be used to make people happy. I’m not very good at that kind of thing.”
I still frequently borrow the power of the dragons, but I am keenly aware that it doesn’t always yield the results one might expect from the sheer scale of it. Of course, if the goal is merely to slaughter monsters, a single command of “Go” will achieve the intended result. However, that is not how things work in the human world. One must meticulously consider things like, “Who exactly does this benefit?” or “Couldn’t part of the problem be managed through other means?” or “How will the terror caused by the dragon’s movement be redirected?” Without deep knowledge and experience, unexpected negative consequences tend to erupt. Fortunately, since Diane-san and Irina handle the heavy lifting for me, I rarely make any fatal blunders. While I stand there in awe of the skill of those capable of such intricate planning, I simply tell the dragons, “I’m counting on you.” I can’t really bring myself to consider it my own achievement.
“I often hear of your great deeds in many places during my travels. My mothers often boast, ‘It was Father who did it,’ but you never tell me anything yourself.” “Eh? No, I’ll explain properly if you ask me—just like I’m doing now.” “In truth, if I do not ask, do you not simply fail to remember to whom you attributed which achievement?” “Ugh, ah, well, no…” Well, I can’t deny that when there are a hundred people involved, some details inevitably slip my mind. As I faltered, Janet looked away with a huff. ”…Forgive me. That was a spiteful question. Since this is the only way I can approach you, I suppose you find me burdensome.” “Wait, what?” Hold on, hold on. Janet, that is a massive misunderstanding. “I have never once thought of you as a burden!?” ”…It is clearly apparent that you try to keep your interactions with me to a minimum. I was not even invited to the recent camping trip.” “Ah, well, I thought you might not be interested… and the purpose was to avoid bringing small children since we’ll be using fire and blades…” “Floria and Lyle are the same age as I am…” ”…No, really, if you wanted to go, I’m sorry.” ”…To be honest, I am simply dissatisfied that I wasn’t called. It is not that I particularly desired to go camping.” “Hey, you could phrase that a bit more delicately… I’m sorry, okay?” Even at a young age, Janet is as dignified as Diane-san, and though she excels in both studies and athletics, seeing her pout so much like a typical child is, how should I put it, both troubling and utterly adorable. …Though, part of me thinks it would have been a disaster if I had taken her. Floria has been a bit distant ever since the shock of witnessing her father and sisters’ intimate encounter; if I had suddenly exposed Janet—who shows no sign of seeking out such things—to that, we might not have been able to speak to each other until she was grown.
When I spoke to Diane-san about this, she simply laughed. “I don’t believe there is cause for such concern. She is not a girl lacking in intuition. She already knows that Elenia and Frena are head-over-heels for their father.” “I don’t think ‘being head-over-heels’ is the same thing as watching them having sex.” “I have never told that child to stay away from the Palace. She is a curious child. I suspect she has seen just about everything you do there.” ”…!?” “I have only one thing to say. Please do not treat her harshly. To you, she may be just one among hundreds, but to me, she is my only daughter. I do not wish to see her suffer because she feels unloved by her parent.” “How can you say that when several of those children have already crossed the line of ‘loving’?” “If that is what she desires, then I am on her side.” Despite her calm and collected appearance, Diane-san has been quite influenced by Selene and the others. I don’t quite understand why she allows things on our end, given how much she dislikes Minister Ashton making lewd faces at her daughters’ naked bodies.
Later, while I was prowling stealthily through the estate to gather information regarding Kei-chan’s mother, I happened to discover Kei-chan talking to Janet. “I see. You wish to become closer to your Master.” “He is your father as well. Why not call him ‘Father’?” “No, before I am a daughter, I am a maid and a human toilet.” At that point, I desperately wanted to jump in with a retort, but since I was trying to remain stealthy, I couldn’t.
“Demanding that answer from me leads me to conclude that you wish to join our ‘Daughter Onaho Collection’.” “Onaho…? What, exactly, is that?” “It is a tool used to stimulate your Master’s genitals and induce ejaculation.” This is surely the end. Thinking that, I tried to stop acting so suspicious and approach them with a confident stride, but halfway there, I was restrained by several maids and shoved into the servants’ quarters. “Wha—What are you doing?! As her father, I have a duty to protect Janet from ideological corruption!” “Lady Janet is brilliant. There is no need to worry; she will be able to distinguish between knowledge and ideology.” “And besides, we are on Kay’s side.” “I wish you’d take my side once in a while!” “With all due respect, Master… Given that Polka and Talc already share her roots, isn’t it already impossible to block off sexual knowledge?” “No, it’s not that I want to block it off… I just want her to grow up while being able to take care of herself…” I know that the fact I’m being steamrolled by Ele and the others proves my words lack any real persuasive power. I know that, but I still want you to listen. I just want to be a normal father. That’s all.