Patrolling With My Daughter

Just after finishing my patrol of Eros Lane, Soto came to see me.

Apparently, she'd already heard about what happened on Eros Lane in the Karisoto Ward… She's got sharp ears—or rather, it's her domain, so she might've just seen it directly.

"There's a nice little place right over there. A private café called [Puppeteer]."

"Sounds like a good spot for confidential talks. Why is there a place like that here?"

"Because it is a good spot for confidential talks?"

It was technically within the boundaries of Soto's dungeon area.

So she's letting people have private conversations and then using dungeon functions to eavesdrop and extract information? Ruthless…

"Well, these days it's mostly used for business meetings. But couples use it for dates, and it's great for tea with kids too. So there's definitely a demand."

"I see. Then let's go with the 'tea with kids' cover."

"Sounds good!"

Led by Soto, we entered the private café located in the commercial district.

Besides private rooms, there were normal seats, and it looked decently busy. Soto, clearly used to the place, casually said, "Private room please—an inside one," and we were guided to a four-person private room on the second floor. It had no windows, just magical lighting devices.

Apparently, there were rooms with windows too—those were the "outside" ones. Probably better for dates or tea parties.

"Then I'll have the server's socks."

"That's not on the menu. Two apple pies."

Looking at the menu, it seemed they served things like meat pies and apple pies.

Now that I think about it, apples were sold normally in Tsuia. I figured their sourness made them perfect for pies.

"By the way, this is my shop, so the socks are a secret menu item. I mean, technically it's Papa's shop too."

"Hey, Soto. Don't do that outside the house. If people start thinking you're not human, it's a hassle."

"Ahaha. It's a takeout-only menu item, so it's fine."

That's not really the issue here. And the fact that my daughter's a business owner now just makes my feelings complicated.

"Anyway, if you're going to Eros Lane, you should give a heads-up first."

"Well, I was going for a surprise inspection, you know? If some shady group had moved in and I gave notice, they'd just hide."

"True enough. But didn't Suira already report to you about it?"

…

Thinking back, when I saw her at the mass, she did say, "By the way, Eros Lane seems to be thriving." I thought it was just one of those lewd succubus small talks…

"Still, things got pretty interesting over there."

"Yeah. Who would've guessed it was a church affiliate? Just one of the downsides of growing into a town so fast."

"If there were a statue of Papa, everyone would be like 'Papa is the greatest', and your face would be well-known too."

"… Huh. So that's what statues are for."

She just casually suggested a countermeasure for the future.

In a world without social media or even photographs, unless you see someone in person, the only way to know what important people look like is through portraits or statues.

… Should I try making one out of iron? Nah, it would rust. Bronze, maybe? But making a statue of myself sounds kinda embarrassing.

"You should've called yourself the lord from the beginning."

"I did say I was the village chief. And technically, I'm not even the lord."

".. .Oh, right. Officially, you're still 'Chief of a Pioneer Village'. You should get Haku oba-san to formally appoint you as the lord of the Golen territory."

"Hold on—so in the future, that does happen?"

"Yep, one thing'll lead to another."

One thing led to another, huh…

I might be just a figurehead as village chief, but I can't imagine anyone else being able to manage Soto.

Actually, I'm not even sure if I can manage her, to be honest.

"Won't me becoming the lord just bring more trouble like having to deal with local nobility?"

"Don't worry. The Golen territory's nobility will just be shifting the village's elders as-is. And there's already exchange with our neighbors in Tsuia and Pavuera. I'm really looking forward to Niku and Mai-chan's wedding!"

Huh???

Oh, right—Tsuia's lord's daughter, Maiodoru, is still engaged to Niku…

"Wait, seriously? They actually got married in the future?"

"I can replicate the gender-swapping potion infinitely using [Minor Duplication], so there's absolutely no problem. And if needed, Leona-san can make the ultimate, permanent-effect version."

Right… She's got strong connections with the founder of Chaos Pharmaceuticals.

"They built a happy home together, so there's no reason to stop them."

"Really?"

"Details are a secret."

Maiodoru's aristocratic education will probably shine once the village turns into a proper town. She's likely to be a great help in governance.

Yeah. No reason to get in the way.

"Oh, right. Back to the topic of the statue—you don't even need one if you just do regular inspections. That's how people remember my face! There's no one in Karisoto who doesn't know me."

"Soto, you've been inspecting Eros Lane too? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Hmph. You think some average human could take me on?"

"… You sound confident, but aren't you restricting your Dungeon Core powers?"

"I'm officially 'a girl learning magic from her Papa', remember! Besides, I bring attendants with me on inspections."

Yeah, having a secretary or bodyguard with her would make it hard for anyone to mess with her—even if she's a kid.

A child being followed by adults just screams VIP, and anyone messing with her would be asking for trouble. Definitely intimidating.

"If anything, kidnapping would be the concern—but even then, I can return from anywhere instantly."

"You haven't been kidnapped, have you?"

"Other than my heart by Leona-san, nope!"

Right. She's the one who kidnapped Leona and held her captive. Guess I didn't need to worry.

"Anyway, since we're on the subject, let's go on an inspection together now, Papa. You can do a meet-and-greet."

"Sure, sounds good. Want a piggyback ride like a proper Papa?"

"Eh, you can carry me? You won't fall over?"

"I've got golem assistance, so I'll be fine. Wouldn't offer if I didn't."

Soto's about the size of a third grader, and I'm not exactly built for heavy lifting.

"Yes please! Piggyback rides are super parent-y!"

"Right? Thought it was a great idea."

"Oh—but later you'll probably have to piggyback Mama too, or she'll get jealous!"

"… Yeah, I can probably manage in her DP-saving form."

I could already imagine her pouting, so I'll offer her a ride when we get home.

Thus, after eating our apple pies, I gave Soto a piggyback ride and toured the Karisoto Ward.

… At every stop, people were like, "Oh, Soto-sama! Is this your hired adventurer for mobility assistance?" over and over. But we corrected them, and I think we managed to build some recognition.