Episode 31
Contrary to her expectation that they might use teleportation to go to the city, they ended up riding a large carriage.
Erina looked around the inside of the carriage with the same curious expression as the children who found it fascinating.
It was her first time riding a carriage as well.
As she was quietly observing, the horses started moving, and the carriage began advancing forward.
At that moment, the children exclaimed in awe, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Erina! What is this called?”
“Erina! Look, there’s a spider here too!”
“Erina, oh no, I feel dizzy! I feel queasy!”
The reasons for calling Erina varied, and with her name being called from all directions, she had no chance to mention that it was her first time on a carriage too.
It was Dylan, sitting opposite Erina, who finally managed to calm the children down.
“That’s just a cushion. It doesn’t have a special name. Don’t even think about eating the spider—just let it out the window. You’re feeling dizzy because you keep turning your head all over the place. Sit still.”
Although Dylan answered the children’s questions one by one, his tone was so cold that it felt like frost might form in the air.
Erina, who had been thinking the same as the children, felt like she was being scolded alongside them and kept her mouth shut.
Unlike her, however, Resen, Lia, and Poi ignored Dylan’s words entirely and scrambled to climb onto Erina’s lap.
Dylan, seemingly accustomed to such disregard, didn’t seem to care at all.
Erina sighed quietly, watching the tense atmosphere between the uncle and his niblings.
While Dylan and the children ignored and bickered with each other, the carriage moved steadily forward and soon reached the bustling downtown area.
It was far more splendid than the place Erina had lived in. As expected of a nation that used magic, every shop enticed passersby with dazzling effects.
Food stalls displayed cooking processes in continuous loops through glass windows connected to their kitchens, drawing attention from onlookers.
Nearby, a weapon shop showcased monster hides enchanted to look alive, attracting potential buyers.
Across the street, a flower shop displayed blooms swirling around the storefront, capturing the hearts of passersby.
“Wow,” Erina exclaimed in pure admiration.
Everything she had imagined while reading books was unfolding before her eyes. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red with excitement, making her appear even more enthusiastic than the children.
“Erina is so cute.”
The exact same words came out of the mouths of Resen, Ria, Poi, and Dylan at the same time.
The awkwardness of having spoken in unison was brief, and as they watched Erina’s delighted expression, they couldn’t help but smile.
“Shall we start by looking at furniture for the kids?” Dylan suggested.
“Yes!”
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Haruben Street, and Dylan was the first to get off.
He then skillfully assisted Erina in descending. Erina, overwhelmed by his gentle and polite manner, could only bow her head repeatedly in gratitude.
She had no knowledge of elegant gestures to express thanks, like the refined ladies she had read about.
Dylan, however, didn’t seem bothered by her clumsy display of gratitude and ensured she was safely on the ground before letting go.
The only flaw was that this kindness didn’t extend to his niblings.
The children, unsurprisingly, didn’t expect any help from their uncle. They energetically clambered down from the carriage on their own, then beamed proudly at Erina.
“Resen, Lia, and Poi all got down by themselves—so brave!”
“We’re brave!”
“And Lia is the best!”
“Right?”
“Yes, yes, my little ones are the best!” Erina crouched down and ruffled the triplets’ hair.
However with three of them, even using both hands wasn’t enough to attend to all of them properly. So the children, huddled together to receive her praise, eventually turned toward Dylan with satisfied expressions.
“Buy us the same bed as Erina’s!” they boldly demanded.
***
The bustling Haruben Street in the Sylvian Empire was so diverse that there was even a furniture shop dedicated solely to children’s furniture.
Following Dylan’s guidance, Erina looked at various pieces designed for the kids’ safety.
“Welcome! Are you looking for furniture for these adorable young ones?”
The shop assistant approached with a warm smile.
He exuded the confidence of a seasoned professional, seamlessly introducing the latest popular furniture sets and listing their advantages at length.
The recommended series included a desk, a cabinet, and a bed as a set. The bed’s headboard and the cushions of the chairs were made of premium Owlbear leather, claimed to be resistant to damage even with rough use by children. The assistant emphasized this feature several times.
While Erina had no idea what an Owlbear was, Dylan seemed reasonably satisfied, nodding slightly.
The children, however, were too excited about being out with Erina to pay attention to selecting furniture.
“Alright, we’ll take three of those.”
“It will take about a week to produce. If you provide the address, we’ll deliver them directly to you.”
“Please deliver them to Harrison Mansion in Ritten.”
The assistant’s eyes widened in surprise at Dylan’s response.
Harrison Mansion?! Could these customers be from Harrison Mansion?
He took a closer look at them, astonished by their origins.
Judging by their clothes and accessories, they didn’t seem like mere servants.
From the moment they entered the shop, the staff had sensed they might be high-profile customers, and their intuition was spot on.
“Pardon me… Are you perhaps Dylan Harrison?!”
At the question, Dylan raised and lowered an eyebrow, signaling affirmation. Realizing this, the clerk instantly adopted a far more respectful demeanor, bowing deeply.
“My apologies for not recognizing you sooner! I promise to ensure the beds are delivered no later than tomorrow afternoon!”
“Oh, would you? The sooner, the better for us.”
“Yes! It’s an honor to have your patronage!”
Though the clerk had initially been polite, his attitude now bordered on extreme reverence, unable to meet Dylan’s eyes directly.
Erina watched the sudden shift in behavior with astonishment.
So this was the influence of the Sylvian Empire’s Duke…
The name ‘Harrison’ seemed to carry immense weight, not to be underestimated.
Of course, given the enormous size of their mansion, it wasn’t surprising. Compared to it, her own home would probably look shabbier than a garden shed.
The clerk’s reaction, however, wasn’t merely due to the power of the Harrison name—it stemmed from fear of Dylan, the current head of the family.
The previous heads of the family, Jin Harrison and Rysell Harrison, were well-known for their gentle and human-friendly nature, earning the trust and reliance of the empire’s citizens.
But everything changed a few months ago after a tragic event.
When Dylan Harrison became the new head, his reputation as a dragon who loved war and possessed a ruthless streak was no longer just a rumor but a verified fact.
Within a month of assuming his position, he had already made it clear. He showed little interest in extending the family’s traditional blessings to the empire’s people, only reluctantly fulfilling his duties after repeated pleas from the emperor. Even minor mistakes by his servants were met with harsh punishment.
The capital of the Sylvian Empire, Heriove—once renowned for its prosperity and vibrant lifestyle—had been shrouded in an air of unease ever since Dylan’s ascension.
Nobody could predict when his temper might flare, and even the emperor maintained constant surveillance over him.
That’s why it was utterly unexpected to see the fearsome head of the Harrison family personally shopping for children’s furniture.
The clerk couldn’t stop worrying about whether they had inadvertently upset him.
Fortunately, Dylan didn’t seem to care much. Instead, he was preoccupied with the children, who appeared to be his niece and nephews, as well as the young woman accompanying them.
He even smiled and chatted with them, an unsettling contrast to his reputation, leaving the clerk drenched in nervous sweat.
“Shall we go pick something out for you next, Miss Erina?”
Dylan asked, seemingly oblivious to the clerk’s distress. He was keen to buy something for Erina, as were the children.
“If Erina gets something, we want it too!” Resen shouted, with Lia and Poi chiming in enthusiastically.
They tugged at Erina’s hand, declaring that they would get something for her as well.
Even as the children dragged her along, Erina couldn’t take her eyes off the dazzling streets, utterly mesmerized.
It felt as though she had stepped into a dream.
