Once it was decided that Zozo would be entrusted with guarding the Birth Tower, Daskar was pleased.
As for the Birth Tower itself, leaving it in the hands of the Lizardmen would pose no problems, and with Zozo present, there would be no difficulty in communication when bringing them food and other supplies.
Additionally, the fact that the Lizardmen currently living in the Lord's Manor would be relocating to the Birth Tower was significant.
Until Gaga had arrived, the Lord's Manor had a reasonable amount of space to spare. But after Gaga came... or more precisely, after the large number of Gaga's subordinates arrived, the situation changed.
Gaga's subordinate Lizardmen numbered quite a few, and considering that, Daskar had received reports from his subordinates that accommodations were starting to get tight.
Which was precisely why this arrangement was, for Daskar, as convenient as killing two or three birds with one stone.
For that reason, he wanted to send all the Lizardmen to the Birth Tower immediately... but there were not enough carriages.
Also, among the Lizardmen, there were some who were beginning to learn the letters and language of this world, and those who were producing results in that area would continue to live in the Lord's Manor as they were.
"So then, Lord Daskar. What about the logging in the Treant Forest? Gilm is in the middle of the Expansion Construction right now, and there's no such thing as too much building material, right? If so, today aside, I think we should resume as soon as possible."
In response to Rei's question, Daskar nodded with a troubled expression and fell into thought.
From Daskar's perspective, steering this situation was quite challenging.
If they dispatched the Woodcutters to the Treant Forest, they would undoubtedly discover the Birth Tower.
If that happened, the Woodcutters would naturally be curious about what it was.
Even so, since they had seen with their own eyes that Lizardmen were teleporting into the Treant Forest, it might not become that big of a problem. However, there was a possibility that someone might succumb to curiosity and try to enter the Birth Tower.
"Perhaps we could have the Guild instruct the Woodcutters to stay away from that area and not go near the Birth Tower... That would be better than me carelessly saying something myself."
At Daskar's words, Marina nodded. "That's probably for the best."
Since the Woodcutters took their jobs through the Guild in Gilm, those who would outright defy the Guild's words... well, it wasn't that there were none, but they were few in number.
Few did not mean zero, however. Among the Woodcutters, there were some who were hot-blooded and rebellious, so it was certain that caution would be needed with such individuals.
As the Former Guild Master, Marina could also understand that Daskar's choice was by no means a mistake.
"In that case, even if it's impossible today, we might be able to resume logging tomorrow... So, what about Gaga?"
Rei turned his gaze toward Gaga, who had been silently listening to the conversation translated by Zozo while single-mindedly eating sandwiches, and asked.
Gaga, in terms of sheer ability, possessed more than enough... no, more than enough was an understatement—he had the power to defend the Birth Tower.
But at the same time, it was also a fact that Daskar harbored hesitation about whether it was acceptable to have Gaga, who was also the Third Prince of the Gran Dragonia Empire, do something like guarding the Birth Tower.
Gaga himself probably wouldn't mind, but if the Imperial Capital or a castle of the Gran Dragonia Empire were to teleport over later, or if members of the Imperial Family teleported in, making it public knowledge that Gaga had been made to guard the Birth Tower could potentially become a problem on a national level.
That said, considering Gaga's massive frame, having him study inside the Lord's Manor like the other Lizardmen would also be difficult.
In that case, he would end up studying in a place like this knight training ground or the garden, but...
(I wonder.)
From Daskar's perspective, Gaga clearly preferred moving his body over studying.
He knew that Gaga was smarter than he looked, but even so, what he favored was physical activity.
"Could you ask Gaga-dono what he intends to do?"
"He says that since it seems interesting, he wouldn't mind going to the Birth Tower. However, he says he would like to sleep in the same place he stayed last night when evening comes."
"The place he stayed last night? That would be..."
At Zozo's words, Daskar... no, nearly everyone present turned their gaze toward Marina.
Marina, receiving their gazes, nodded without any particular sign of surprise.
"Me? That's fine, but... he won't be coming inside the house, so he'll be sleeping in the courtyard, you know?"
"Wait, before that—if Zozo isn't there, won't Gaga have a language barrier?"
"In that case, they'll just have to communicate through gestures, won't they?"
"Hold on a moment."
Daskar cut into the exchange between Marina and Rei almost reflexively.
"I feel like I just heard something I can't afford to miss from Marina just now... Having Gaga-dono sleep in the courtyard is some kind of joke, right?"
"Unfortunately, it's the truth. To begin with, if you look at Gaga, you can immediately tell he can't fit inside my house, right?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
What Marina was trying to say, Daskar understood.
But even so, having a prince of a nation sleep in a courtyard struck him as nothing short of outrageous.
"Of course, I didn't just let him sleep as he was. First, I used Spirit Magic to make a comfortable bed for him, I prepared blankets and the like, and above all, I created an environment in the courtyard where he could sleep peacefully."
"Even so... well, if it's what Gaga-dono wished for, then it can't be helped."
Gaga had wanted to be with Zozo, wanted to talk more with Rei who had fought him on equal terms, and enjoyed the mock battle with Vihera that took place after the welcome party. Without a doubt, Gaga's life at Marina's house—though only for a single day so far—had been an enjoyable one.
Daskar didn't know exactly what kind of life Gaga had led at Marina's house, but even so, seeing Gaga's absolutely unyielding demeanor on that matter, he could predict that it must have been a considerably fulfilling time.
"Ah... assuming it's fine for Gaga-dono to go to Marina's house, what about transportation? Should I prepare a large carriage?"
Ultimately deciding to leave everything regarding Gaga to Rei and Marina, Daskar asked the question.
Carriages came in various sizes, and while it might not be impossible for Gaga to fit in a small one, it would undoubtedly be a cramped situation.
In that case, they would need to prepare a large carriage where Gaga could sit comfortably even after boarding, but there were not many large carriages available.
No, to be precise, they undoubtedly possessed a considerable number, but they had been loaned out for the Expansion Construction, and the number of carriages currently available for free use was not large.
Even so, since they had to handle Gaga's transportation no matter what... or so Daskar was thinking when Rei spoke up.
"Instead of a carriage, why not just have him walk through the city streets?"
"...Hah? Are you serious?"
After a momentary silence, Daskar replied to Rei's proposal.
But Rei nodded, saying he was indeed serious, and then spoke.
"I don't know how long Zozo and Gaga will be in this world, but depending on circumstances, it could be for a long period... possibly months or even years."
"That's true. That's a fact I can't deny."
"In that case, are you going to keep Gaga from walking through the city for years... at worst, decades? That's quite unreasonable. Besides, right now, with Zozo and the other Lizardmen around, even when people see Gaga, many would probably accept it, figuring he's just another Lizardman like them."
At Rei's words, Daskar looked at Gaga.
He was probably hearing the conversation between Rei and Daskar through Zozo, but Gaga didn't seem particularly inclined to say anything... though perhaps he was simply savoring his sandwich.
"But conversely, as Rei says, there's also the possibility that someone will become frightened of Gaga-dono and start feeling afraid of other Lizardmen as well. What about that?"
"Honestly, for that part, there's nothing to do but leave them be. In fact, even now, there are people who get scared when they see Set, right?"
"Gruu?"
At Rei's words, Set purred while turning his gaze toward Rei.
That movement caused Ielo, who had been perched on top of Set's head, to tumble off, but before Ielo even hit the ground, it flapped its wings and landed safely.
Set was extremely endearing and had become a mascot-like presence in Gilm, but even so, among Gilm's residents, there were some who simply could not reconcile with Set... with monsters.
If even Set was like that, it was only natural that there would be those who simply could not accept a being with the overwhelming presence of someone like Gaga, who stood three meters tall.
"In that case, I think it would be better to just let Gaga walk around normally and force people to get used to him. Gaga is also more thoughtful than his appearance suggests, so he wouldn't do something like attack or startle someone who is simply afraid of him."
Hearing Rei's words, Gaga looked as though he wanted to retort, but after Zozo said something to him, he fell silent.
See? Looking at Gaga's reaction, Rei turned his gaze back to Daskar.
Daskar fretted over Rei's extremely bold... or to put it less kindly, rough suggestion.
In reality, it was certain that things would go well if they followed what Rei said, but there was no doubt that there would be a lot of confusion at first.
(No, I suppose I just need to issue a decree as the lord for that part? In that case... I see. There are several issues, but it's still easier than hiding Gaga-dono and having it become a problem later. At the same time, continuing to conceal Gaga-dono would make people think we're plotting something strange.)
Beyond that, he also felt that endlessly transporting Gaga by carriage was impractical.
"There are various things I need to consider, so I can't do it immediately. But since it's undoubtedly a useful opinion, I will consider it positively."
Rei thought that "consider positively" was a somewhat politician-like statement, but he understood that Daskar's words here were not an attempt to deflect his proposal but a genuine intent to consider it, so he simply nodded.
"Understood. Then, I leave it to you. ...However, since that hasn't been decided yet, please provide a carriage for today. It would be troublesome if a commotion broke out when taking Gaga to the Birth Tower or bringing him to Marina's house."
"I know. I'll have that prepared right away, so don't worry about it. Whether or not we'll implement Rei's proposal, I'm not sure, but that part is important."
Upon hearing Daskar's words through Zozo, Gaga nodded in satisfaction, knowing that his actions would not be as restricted as he had feared.
Objectively speaking, even the contents of Rei and Daskar's conversation imposed a certain degree of restriction, but for Gaga, that much was probably within acceptable limits.
Even so, it was still somewhat restrictive, but considering the current situation, even that was more than enough for Gaga.
"Brother Gaga also says that if he can sleep in the same place as yesterday and go to the Birth Tower, he has no issues."
At Zozo's words, Daskar felt relieved.
If Gaga had declared that unacceptable right here and now, it would definitely... truly have turned into all sorts of trouble.
Understanding that, Daskar could also comprehend that Gaga had acquiesced... or rather, compromised in this way.
"Then, it shall be so. ...We will decide on what to do as soon as possible as well."
With Daskar's words, the matter regarding Gaga was settled for the time being.
With that done, the next topic of conversation was the Birth Tower.
Daskar must have taken a deep interest in the Lizardman Children said to be at the Birth Tower.
Seeing Daskar like that, Rei thought it was understandable.
From what Rei had seen, the Lizardman children were quite adorable.
One could tell at a glance that they were Lizardman children, but they could still be adequately described as endearing.
In fact, among those who had come to the Birth Tower, many had smiled warmly upon seeing the Lizardman Children.
(I don't know how long it takes for a Lizardman child to become an adult, but if it's an adventurer who likes cute things, they might go to the Birth Tower as a guard... no, depending on the case, maybe someone to protect the Lizardman children from those very adventurers would be necessary too.)
An adventurer to protect the Lizardmen from the adventurers guarding the Birth Tower.
Thinking that, Rei found himself at a loss for words to describe the highly complex situation.
That said, the majority of the Lizardmen currently in Gilm were male.
If so, once the eggs currently in the Birth Tower hatched, no new eggs would be laid after that...
(No, the caretaker Lizardmen were female, weren't they? If so, there's a decent possibility that new eggs could be laid. ...Though, since there are overwhelmingly more males, the number of eggs would probably be small.)
Thinking such thoughts, Rei proceeded to explain to Daskar what kind of place the Birth Tower was.