Summoned and Unwanted

346 Meeting a guest with a bad reputation

[I wonder if this place would become a zoo if everyone brought their familiars here.]

-I think it would become hectic.-

[Yeah, I think we are understaffed. Lilith’s mother can’t greet the guests as she is leading the event.]

Vincent didn’t need to stay near the entrance all the time as the old butler would announce arriving guests. “Well, why don’t we visit the garden? My little fox familiar is waiting there.” He said before leading Vopor to the garden.

Vopor approached a small table covered in cushions and a hobgoblin maid beside it. She was watching over Plow, Tusk, and Nix. He became excited to hear Plow talk and the cheeky fox acted proudly when she was being praised to the sky.

“Announcing!...”

Vincent overheard the old butler announce new guests. He left Vopor in the company of Plow, boasting how she was better than wolves and trying to convert the wolf owner into a fox owner.

Vincent went to the entrance. He saw Leonis shaking hands with Ben, and beside him was his wife. She looked older than him and acted as if this was her first time in a noble’s wedding. She looked a bit shy and nervous.

Vincent greeted Ben and his wife. Ben spoke as if it was any other ordinary day and introduced his wife. It made his wife more nervous than she was.

.....

Kazumi suggested saying a few words of praise as an icebreaker, and her suggestion worked better than both expected. Ben’s wife quickly brightened up when Vincent mentioned her husband’s helpfulness and kindness. It appeared she loved hearing people praise her husband.

A hobgoblin butler later led them to the gift room, and as requested by Vincent, the hobgoblin butler led the couple to meet with the twins, Lian, and Fabio, in one room and Yula, Tula, the girls, and the brides in the other.

Vincent went to spend some time in the garden until the remaining guests arrived. He headed to see what the cheeky Plow was up to, but he stopped in his tracks the moment the previous small table filled with cushions was surrounded by Vopor and the five BABBO team members.

“Plow swing her stong tails and whoosh. Plow beat bad wolf easy.” *Pho* “Plow is little, but foxes are the best.” *Pho!*

“Hahahaha”

*Pho!* “Plow not funny.” Plow puffed her cheeks and continued, ” Plow very very strong.” *Pho*

[It looks like Plow is grabbing all the attention, and the more she acts tough, the more cute and hilarious she is.]

-Well, they don’t know she can grow stronger by eating.-

[Gambling food growth like you gambling promised quests stat growth, hehe.]

Vopor noticed Vincent looking at them. He approached Vincent and said, “Your suggestion of building a friendly relationship with our familiar was truly profound.”

Vopor looked back, but the five BABBO team members remained laughing or giggling in front of Plow. “The nice strange woman with the funny named snake have a bond I now decided to strive for. Cyke and I will become best buds, and we will grow stronger together.” He whispered.

“That’s a good goal. People should attract friends instead of pushing them away. A good bond will not disappoint is a sentence I heard many times.” Vincent said. He spoke from the heart as pushing people away was his specialty back on Earth.

*Sigh...* Vopor showed a sad expression. “A profound sentence indeed...” *Sigh* “My friend chases skirts away from him. No noble lady wants to be involved or marry him...”

[Ask him! Ask him! I want to know about this mysterious friend.]

Kazumi suddenly became curious to hear all about the friend who shoos women away.

“Why does he do that?” Vincent asked and what followed next made both Vincent and Kazumi feel as if they opened pandora’s box. The moment the question ended, Vopor talked nonstop about his friend.

His name is Nikolai, and his surname is Graymoon. His parents own the Graymoon Auction House, and it is the only legal auction house in the kingdom. Legal slaves, rare items, you name it, and if it is legal to be sold you will find it there.

Vopor and his friend Nikolai had a lot of marriage proposals. Byron didn’t want to force his son into a marriage with a partner he didn’t like. Their family wasn’t in need of money, thus Vopor has a fiancee from a Barron family.

Similarly, Nikolai had a fiancee chosen for him as many wanted to marry their daughters into the famous Graymoon family. However, an incident happened, and all the wedding proposals were canceled after the many slanderous rumors.

Only a few families in need of money tried to marry their daughter to Nikolai even with the rumors going around in the noble circle. However, each fiancee forced to meet and marry Nikolai for money declined him harshly, and the slanderous rumors became worse. In the end, Nikolai received no more marriage proposals.

[What did happen to receive no more marriage proposals? I am curious to know since Vopor is a good person. I don’t think he would stay friends with Nikolai if he wasn’t.]

Vincent became intrigued as well. “What slanderous rumors are everyone saying about your friend?” He asked for himself and the curious Kazumi.

*Sigh* “A few are about how he slapped his fiancees and mocked them. Others are how he beat and hurt them badly.” Vopor stopped and looked around. “...a few said how he raped them.” He continued when there was no one near them.

Vincent and Kazumi became shocked to hear the R word. How can Vopor, a teenager who doesn’t look like a bad person be friends with such a rumored malicious teenager.

Vopor noticed Vincent’s expression was similar to when they first heard about this rumor. “That’s why everyone stays away from him... but I never saw him get mad once, so I decided not to believe them. I remained in touch with Nick, but he never told me the truth... ” Vopor explained how he wasn’t sure if the rumors were true, but he felt Nikolai was too kind, honest, and respectful to be such a degenerate person.

“What about his parents?” Vincent asked.

“Well, Nick told me they don’t let him out. They fear Nick might not be able to attend the academy if the slanderous rumors escalate even further.” *Sigh* “It’s been two years already. Nick never left his home. Fortunately, The Graymoon Auction House only lost some noble customers, and it didn’t affect them too much.”

[Could Nikolai have a split personality disorder? Either way, you should keep an eye on the girls. You don’t want to kill a noble, do you.]

Vincent took this as a warning as he continued chatting with Vopor. Half an hour later, the butler announced the arrival of new guests.

“Announcing! Members of the Graymoon family, Lord Victor Graymoon, Lady Vikki Graymoon, and Lord Nikolai Graymoon have arrived.” The old butler announced.

Vopor went with Vincent to meet his friend. They saw a luxurious carriage and a large wagon parked behind it at the entrance. Many slaves exited the wagon, and they started unloading it.

A few were crates, while the rest were cages with animals in them. There were about a dozen chickens with different colors, two roosters, four sheep, two mountain goats with large curved horns, and a bluebird.

The slaves all wore maid or butler outfits. None of them had an iron collar, but the black collar tattoo was on their neck. They looked well mannered and well treated.

“Some of the animals are of uncommon breeds, and some could breed a familiar if lucky. However, such familiars aren’t sought after since they have low combat power. Furthermore, they are considered commoner familiars. Nobles would be ridiculed to have common familiars.” Vopor explained before he felt inadequate. “I feel ashamed our wedding gift can’t compare to theirs.”

Leonis rushed to greet the Graymoons. He shook their hand and thanked them for their attendance and their gifts.

Vincent and Vopor approached them.

Vincent greeted Victor and Vikki Graymoon. Then he looked at Nikolai, and as Vopor mentioned, he didn’t look like a bad person at first glance.

However, Vincent and Kazumi knew it could all be an act. Kazumi decided to keep an eye on him in case he tried to do something bad.

Victor and Vikki Graymoon spoke with a refined tone. Unlike Byron, the Graymoon couple could be immediately identified as nobles. Regardless of their tone, they spoke kindly and congratulated both Leonis and Vincent.

Leonis took the Graymoon couple inside while Nikolai remained outside. The old butler ordered the hobgoblin butlers to help as he was too old to help carry such heavy objects to another place.

“Nikolai, my friend, you arrived.” Vopor greeted Nikolai. “This is the friend I wrote you about. Vincent is a profound person. Cyke wouldn’t be my familiar if it weren’t for his help.”

“Nice to meet the Vincent I heard in many many letters.” Nikolai made a short bow and introduced himself, “I’m Nikolai Graymoon, the only heir of the Graymoon family.”

Nickolai extended his hand for a handshake. Vincent shook Nikolai’s hand.

“Do you have slaves? Aren’t they fun to play with? So, how do you play with them?” Nikolai suddenly asked.

“Nick?” Vopor felt embarrassed to hear his friend ask this question.

[Is this a trick question, or are the rumors true, and he is what the people are saying?]

-I hope not.-

Vincent smiled and ended his handshake. “I have slaves, but I treat them well and like live-in workers. I would remove their slave curse if I could, but don’t know how. So, they work for me as maids after they had no where else to go.” Vincent replied in a friendly tone.