Demi-human Girls Completion Manual-Chapter 11 - . City Lord Mansion

"I'm terribly sorry, if possible I would have preferred to host you in the Saint Nali Elegance Restaurant... This city was built in such a short time, and there are many aspects that are still not perfected."

Fisher and Rafael followed Keken onto his carriage, which took them towards his "City Lord Mansion." It was a building more completed than others, situated at the center of the city streets, flanked by some banks and government offices of Saint Nali.

The distance from where Fisher had been shopping was just a few streets away, so there was time for a little chat on the carriage.

"It's alright, this is already considered a good city on the South Continent."

Fisher had traveled south from Cal Port and had passed many cities built by West Continent people. Keken's city was among the best. He remembered staying in some small cities where shootings occurred, and residents were killed; the perpetrator still wouldn't have been caught the next day, with the police giving up after a fruitless search.

Fisher's praise made Keken somewhat embarrassedly scratch his head,

"That is too kind of you... May I ask where Mr. Fisher is planning to go now? Will you continue exploring southward, or..."

"My destination this trip is Cal Port, planning to return to the Western Continent from there."

Upon hearing Fisher's words, a look of disappointment crossed Keken's face, but he quickly thought of something and reminded Fisher,

"Ah, Cal Port likely hasn't had any ships returning to Nali in the past few months. If you want to leave from Cal Port, you have to go ashore at Schwali first, then head back to Nali from Schwali... I've heard that the port's contract with the Nali Government expired, and the Council members aren't very satisfied with the annual fee Cal Port is asking for, both parties are still discussing how much the fee should be for this year."

Fisher was momentarily stunned, then sighed helplessly.

It wouldn't surprise him whatever shenanigans the Council members were up to. It reminded him of a proverb passed down from student to professor at the school,

"The Council's..."

"Put together, all members of the Council don't equal one complete brain."

He was just about to utter the words, but Keken had already beaten him to it. Then, seeing Fisher's reaction, Keken chuckled,

"Indeed, the tradition of the Royal College is such—to criticize the Council."

"It's based on the premise that the Council always provides something to criticize."

Beside them, Rafael, who didn't understand the conversation, leaned close to the window nearer to Fisher, looking out. Suddenly seeing something, Fisher noticed out of the corner of his eye her pupils become slit-like and her scales stand on end.

This sudden action startled Keken inside the carriage; he looked towards Fisher,

"Mr. Fisher, is this the slave you purchased here?"

"Ah... a research subject, you needn't mind..."

Fisher didn't say much more, following Rafael's gaze outside, he saw several cages erected along the street. Outside the cages, a bandage-wrapped man was soliciting customers. Inside the cages, as expected, were a few demi-humans, likely captured by local hunters.

In the topmost cage, a young male Dragon-man Species cowered in a corner, his body covered with wounds.

Fisher saw Rafael's claws tightly gripping the window frame and understood what was going through her mind. However, Fisher merely took note and without a word turned his head back to Keken, continuing with the previous subject.

"If Mr. Fisher still wishes to go directly by ship to Nali, I suggest heading in the direction of Philone City to the northwest after leaving from here. Krit Port, to the north of Philone City, still has a contract with the government. And..."

A hint of envy appeared on Keken's face,

"Philone City is the most bustling city on the entire South Continent, and it doesn't fall short even when compared to Saint Nali."

Saint Nali?

Mr. Fisher felt a wave of doubt arise in his heart upon hearing the other's description.

No matter how early one arrived, Philone City had been constructed in no more than five years, and yet its reputation allowed people to compare it with Nali's capital, Saint Nali.

Should one say that the Council's governance was just too poor, or that Philone City's governance was simply too good?

"I see, I understand now; thank you for the heads-up."

Keken nodded with a smile, gesturing that there was no need for politeness.

The carriage had already passed the street where demi-humans were sold, so Rafael withdrew his gaze. However, his pupils remained contracted, and his entire dragon demeanor seemed ready to leap into action, causing Keken to shift uncomfortably toward the coachman. Would he have jumped out of the carriage had he known that the article on Rafael's slave status had been revoked by Mr. Fisher?

"We've arrived, Mr. Fisher."

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The carriage slowed to a halt at the gate of the City Lord Mansion, where the somewhat lazy-looking guards with rifles stood up straighter.

Leading Mr. Fisher and Rafael into the mansion, a woman with black hair and black eyes dressed in a cream-colored long dress stood gracefully at the entrance. Upon seeing Mr. Fisher and his company, she curtsied with ladylike grace,

"Welcome."

Mr. Fisher also gave a gentlemanly bow, while Keken walked up to the woman and introduced her with a lift of his hand,

"This is my wife, Dora... This gentleman here is Mr. Fisher, a distinguished gentleman renowned in Saint Nali. I am hosting him for lunch; would you kindly let the chefs know to prepare a bit more? Ah, and also tell your sister."

"No problem, I'll go right away."

Dora smiled shyly, gave a slight curtsy, and then left.

Mr. Fisher glimpsed the two rings on Keken's hand and couldn't help but ask with a smile,

"Is she from Kado?"

Kado, along with Nali and Schwali, was one of the three major nations of the West Continent and was known for its nearly ascetic religious atmosphere. The source of the religion currently worshiped in Schwali and Nali originated primarily from Kado, but they had made some adaptations, which led Kado to not recognize their religious orthodoxy.

However, Schwali and Nali didn't really care; after all, not everyone can endure praying daily and bathing in Holy Water, nor choosing specific days for conjugal relations with their spouses, with separate sleeping arrangements on other nights to prevent the "inversion of sun and moon"...

In short, it was an extremely conservative nation, but, surprisingly, it was also the birthplace of Magic. After reforms several decades ago, Kado had changed a lot; otherwise, Mr. Fisher wouldn't have been able to learn from the "Magic Books Complete Explanation" compiled by Kado scholars at the Royal College.

Black hair and black eyes were characteristic of its residents, and Dora was just like that.

"Ah, yes, both Dora and her sister are," he said with a gentlemanly smile, glancing at the rings on his hand. "Back then, Kado's theological college exchanged students with our school, heh heh..." his voice trailed off. "Although the South Continent has many faults, it still has some advantages. For example, its virtually non-existent marriage laws."

Here, there was no legal committee to pursue whether you were practicing polygamy. As long as you paid the Council, they would grant you permission to establish a city—although the Council had never actually declared sovereignty over this continent, nor did anyone know why they presumed to do so. However, Schwali and other minor nations did the same; the Council might not be proficient in many matters, but it surely knew how to follow by example.

This resulted in a rather confusing territorial situation in the South Continent. For the most part, people considered cities the boundary markers, with the wilderness beyond being deemed public... along with the demi-humans living there, all regarded as a public resource.

Mr. Fisher glanced at Rafael, who was standing behind him, vigilantly surveying the opulent decor inside the City Lord Mansion as if trying to spot poison spikes or traps with her eyes. After a thorough search and finding nothing, she began to yawn, fighting off sleepiness.

"Lunch will be ready soon; please come this way, Mr. Fisher, and rest awhile."

Keken respectfully approached, took the hand cane and hat from Mr. Fisher's hands, and hung them on their designated coat rack before leading Mr. Fisher toward the direction of the dining room.