"Wait a moment, Otto. Take these lovely little round biscuits with you."
Grin pushed the tray, sending it to the end of the long table.
Otto was a bit dazed. "Green-kun, what do you mean by this?"
Grin pulled a small slip of paper from his robe, tossed it into Otto's hand, and explained:
"Introducing some business to you, of course. Purchase some supplies for me according to what's written there; the commission won't be small."
Otto was overjoyed and said gratefully, "Your trust is truly heartwarming, my friend. Don't worry, I'll definitely give you a big discount."
"Suit yourself, as long as it's not some big kickback."
"Geez~ Please don't say such hurtful things when I'm being moved!"
Otto pouted and picked up the tray.
"Heave-ho! This trust is truly heavy!"
Ram watched Otto walk away and asked in confusion, "What are you buying, White Rat? To think you'd need so much money?"
Grin placed a finger against his lips in a shushing gesture.
"It's a secret. But if you want to earn some extra cash too, you can add some stakes. Profit is guaranteed!"
"No way. Ram has no interest in a rodent's nut business."
With that, Ram stopped bickering with Grin, took the rag from Rem's hand, and joined in the work of cleaning the dining room.
Emilia raised her hand to brush back a stray strand of silver hair, her violet eyes filled with a gentle smile.
"Green-kun, let me show you around the Mansion. It's a good chance for you to get familiar with where you'll be working from now on."
"Sure, then I'll leave it to you, Emilia."
"Please follow me, Green-kun."
Emilia seemed to be in a good mood as she turned and led Grin out of the dining room.
The corridors inside the Mansion were spacious and deep. Sunlight filtered through the high stained-glass windows, casting dappled spots of light that moved slowly across the carpet.
Grin was very interested in the new things before him: the half-elf, the Count's Mansion, and the conspiracies and dangers hidden in the shadows. A sense of mission washed over him.
"This is the main corridor, connecting the hall, the dining room, and several main reception rooms."
Emilia's voice was soft, like a whisper, as if she were afraid to break the silence.
She introduced things as they walked, occasionally pointing to a closed door and briefly explaining its purpose.
Grin followed half a step behind, his gaze inconspicuously scanning the exquisite tapestries on the walls, the ancient-styled candlesticks, and the spotless decorative armor.
Though he looked casual, he was actually memorizing every corner and every possible blind spot.
As a guardian (at least in name), familiarizing oneself with the terrain was a basic skill.
Clatter, clatter!
The faint sound of a dragon carriage driving reached Grin's ears.
Gazing out from the windowsill, that fellow Otto had already set off.
The man's waist was bulging.
He had received 100 Common Gold Coins as payment himself, gained 120 gold coins from selling all his stockpiled lamp oil, and adding Grin's 180 coins, it totaled 400.
This was a quite massive sum of money. He wouldn't get robbed on the road, would he?
"Ouch, Emilia, my stomach really hurts. I need to hurry to the restroom. Let's end today's tour here!"
Grin suddenly clutched his stomach, his face showing discomfort.
Emilia immediately said with concern, "Are you alright, Green-kun? I'll take you to the restroom right away."
Grin quickly waved his hand and declined, "No need, Emilia. I know where the restroom is."
...On Otto's side, he had already driven the dragon carriage into a smooth stretch of the forest road.
After soothing the Earth Dragon to proceed on its own, he took out the note Grin had given him and gently unfolded it, revealing characters twisted like earthworms.
"Mr. Green really should practice his calligraphy..."
[My friend Otto, I hope this letter finds you well.
A chance divination one day led me to discover that a military operation is secretly unfolding.
This is an opportunity to make a fortune. The prices of relevant supplies will skyrocket, so I hope you can purchase a large quantity on my behalf.
Such as: Earth Dragon saddles, leather armor, shields, and so on.
Of course, medical supplies are also included.
Gold coins are limited. How to purchase is entirely up to you. Once it's done, I'll give you thirty percent of the profit.
I know that you have always been an underrated, exceptionally brilliant investment genius. I'm entrusting my money to you, Big Brain!]
"Big Brain? Genius? Green-kun, really, always saying such mushy things. Don't worry, my dear friend, I definitely won't let you down!"
Otto was moved to tears. The feeling of being trusted and recognized was truly wonderful.
On a large tree not far away, a Raven transformed from Grin was watching the dragon carriage speeding along the road.
Even higher and further away, another pair of eyes belonging to a red-eyed Owl was also staring intently at Grin.
"What the hell is this guy crying for? Why is he acting so weird? Hurry up and speed up, the Menzies Territory is not a peaceful place."
The journey was long, and one might encounter bandits or robbers along the way.
To protect Otto, Grin escorted him for dozens of miles.
By the time he returned to the Mansion, it was already getting dark.
Like a husband returning late, Grin quietly flew back into the Mansion in his Raven form.
After undoing his Transformation Magic, he tiptoed along the corridor with silent steps.
As he brushed past a corner, Grin poked his head out to the right and happened to bump right into a certain maid's broom.
"Ah, my eye!"
Rem innocently pulled back the broom, looking in confusion at Grin rolling on the floor.
"Green-kun, please do not appear and disappear like a ghost in the Mansion. You will scare everyone."
"Dust got in my eye! Quick, quick, blow on it for me."
Grin fumbled like a blind man until he found Rem, pulling at his eyelid as he pleaded for help.
Rem hesitated for two seconds, and feeling that she was the cause of this result, she chose to lean in and gently blew a breath into Grin's bloodshot eye.
Instantly, the speck of dust flew away, and the pain in Grin's eye eased. He lightly rubbed his eye and said:
"It's so late, why are you still cleaning, Rem?"
Rem ignored the resentful tone in Grin's voice and instead lowered her head to continue her work.
"It just happens to be general cleaning day today."
"Where's that guy Subaru Natsuki? Isn't he coming to help?"
Grin finally remembered a certain person who hadn't appeared for half the day.
A trace of disgust appeared in Rem's eyes, as if the name Subaru Natsuki were something repulsive.
"Subaru got injured while learning magic with Emilia this morning and is still lying in bed. But it does not matter; Rem did not expect him to be of any help anyway."
In Rem's eyes, Subaru Natsuki was a very suspicious person, his body always emitting the miasma of the Witch.
The hatred of the Witch Cult destroying her village and massacring her kin was forever etched in Rem's heart.
If she were to encounter Subaru Natsuki in some unknown shadow, she wouldn't mind snapping his neck with her own hands.
"Oh, as long as that guy isn't dead."
Grin pulled out his magic mirror and leaned against the windowsill, checking the condition of his eye in the mirror.
Aside from being a bit red and swollen, it no longer affected his vision.