The next day, approaching lunch time, Ren and Elza are both getting dressed, Ren finishing first and sitting on the couch. He watches Elza as she fidgets with her hair. Elza, as she's trying her best to fix her hair in the mirror, "you go on ahead, I'll tidy myself up and follow. The maids will show you where to go", it's been a while since I did this without any help, I've almost forgotten how to do my own hair. Ren, "I don't mind waiting", I've never seen a girl do her hair before. It's more interesting than I thought. Elza, "this is just tedious work, and I'm sure the other two are waiting. You should go ahead". Ren, seeing no reason to refuse and push the issue any further, rises and starts to walk towards the door, "ok, see you in a bit".
Elza grunts in response as she has a brush in her mouth now. Ren gives her a quick glance as he opens the door, isn't royalty meant to have attendants to do stuff like that or something? Oh, that would be the case for royalty from my world. It could be completely different here. Ren leaves the room, leaving Elza alone with her thoughts, it's been a while since I've even gotten dressed myself. They probably won't come in until Ren leaves, so I'll have to make do until then. I'm at least glad those snoops have enough tact to leave us alone the morning after...even though it's almost noon. If this was a regular day, Sphinx would have poured water on me by now.
Elza thinks back on what happened just minutes ago, causing a content smile to form on her face. She then sees the hickey on her neck, the darkness of her skin making it hard to see unless you're looking, it was worth the wait. I'm glad he had some experience already. It was a wonderful first time, but this is just the beginning of our relationship. We can get rougher as we get more used to each other. I could tell he was a bit hesitant, but I'm a Dark Elf. I can take far more that that. We're soulmates, so we'll get there eventually. He's probably more inclined to women taking the lead at the moment, since Liza said she does. He'd mesh well with Sphinx since she likes that. I wonder what she plans to do. Someone like Ren probably won't come along again for a very long time. She'll probably want to be his wife as well, as he is the only one capable enough to steal her away. I won't stand in her way, as long as it doesn't interfere with her work. If she can't even get over a hurdle that small, then there's no hope for her.
Elza gets up after finishing getting herself ready and heads toward the door, I was going to take her with me to fight the Demon King when the time comes, so they might be bound to happen anyway. But I've helped her enough throughout the years, so she can pursue him on her own without my help. If she's his soulmate like me, then it should work out. Plus, the less women in the harem, the better chances I have of getting pregnant.
Having left the room earlier, Ren started to descend the stairs. He is greeted by Sebastian and the maids on stand-by at the end of the stairs, "good morning, your Majesty". Ren is confused by Sebastian's choice of words, so he looks behind him, thinking Elza is there, but she isn't. The only people in the room are Sebastian and the maids in front of him. Ren feels an intense chill run down his spine, "em...what do you mean by 'Majesty'? I don't see Elza", I've got a really, really bad feeling about this.
Sebastian and the maids' eyes widen as they look at Ren, confusion evident on their faces. Sebastian is the one to say what's on all their minds, "his Majesty is his Majesty. I don't understand your question". Ren fervently rejects what he's hearing, "no, no, no. Your 'Majesty' is up in her room, so I don't understand why you're addressing me as 'your Majesty' at all", yep, I've got a real bad feeling about this.
Sebastian and the maids just look at each other in confusion once, unsure of what to say. Sebastian again decides to be the one to address the unusual situation before them, "sir, is it possible that do you not know of the Dark Elves' wedding ceremony?". Ren, without any hesitation or shame, "you should assume I know nothing about any type of ceremony at all. Ever!".
Sebastian is a bit taken aback by Ren's grandeur, but doesn't let it disturb his cool demeanour, "then allow me to explain. When a Dark Elf lays with an individual after making a clear showing of their intentions by dancing in front of friends and family at a formal gathering, they are considered husband and wife. That's what the ball from last night was for".
Ren is completely floored by this revelation, no...way...this can't be real. He slowly sits on the steps, putting his hands on the sides his head in shock. Lorilay's words from yesterday then flash through his mind, this is what she meant! They already knew!!! Who can just sit by and let their boyfriend become King of a nation Without him realising?????? Ren needs to take a minute to compose himself, but it still doesn't feel real to him. He slowly looks at Sebastian, it must be a joke or something, "so...what? I'm actually, 100% your King now?". Sebastian, without missing a beat, "Yes, your Majesty".
Ren's hopes are shattered into dust, Sebastian's seriousness showing that this no joke or mistake. Ren sits on the stairs in silence with his head buried in hands. Everyone else in uncomfortable with how distraught Ren is and are unsure what to do. Elza eventually leaves her room, her hair a bit dishevelled in places, why haven't they come yet? Ren's long gone... She spots Ren sitting on the stairs, something clearly wrong, "em...Dear, what are you doing sitting there?". Ren turns to face Elza, despair clearly evident on his face, "em...could you explain to me the current situation?".
Elza tilts her head, "what situation?", what on Ryzenguard is going on? Ren turns to sarcasm, clearly not wanting to face reality, "oh, nothing important. I'm just curious about the fact that I'm suddenly...I dunno, a King? You know, nothing major that impacts a country in any way what so ever". Elza takes few moments to think in silence, the pain in his words and expression causing her heart to ache. She then comes to a realisation, "AH...I forgot. They said you were from a different world, so of course you wouldn't know about our ways. I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind", I got too engrossed in my own desires...shame on me.
Ren feels something snapping inside of him, "so it's true...I'm a King...ha...haha...hahaha". His laughter is so self-depreciating that it makes everyone in the room feel like their heart is going to break. Sebastian and the maids all internally apologise to him over and over again. It's clear that Ren can't even fathom the thought of himself being a King, let alone actually be one, no one said anything about this. Who would leave out such an important detail for a tournament. As if becoming King means nothing.
Elza feels the need to straighten things out. She speaks to him as calmly and softly as she possibly can as she sits beside him, "you are King, that much is true. However, I'm still the ruling monarch. If you want to be the actual ruler of this country, you'd have to be a Dark Elf and challenge me in the Ruler's Tournament. Otherwise, the Demon King could just participate in the Ruler's Tournament and take over the Country in an instant".
Her words inspire little hope in Ren, as he's still a King, "so...what does this mean for me?". Elza, "Unless I'm not here, you basically have no power. Well, you have a certain degree of power, and I can assign you more, but you currently not capable of causing big changes without my approval. Probably the equivalent to a lower-class noble of your country. You can order the castle servants however you see fit. If you want to get involved in politics, you can, but we're going to defeat the Demon King, no? I'm leaving all the official duties to others while we travel and occasionally check-in to complete whatever I can".
Ren feels as if he has a second lease on life...or third because he's already on his second lease, "so...I...don't suddenly have all these important responsibilities that would come with being a King?". Elza, "not at all. There's no law that you have to get involved in my work, dear. The spouse of the Monarch would usually just take care of the palace and the kids". Ren lets out what feels like the biggest sigh of relief in his life, "that's a huge load off my shoulders", thank God. I honestly thought everything was over for me...I guess Liza and Lorilay wouldn't have allowed this to happen if that wasn't the case. But again, warning...please.
Elza sits down beside Ren, gently grabbing his hand, "I'm really sorry. I asked the girls beforehand and they said they were fine with it, but I should have properly talked to you once I heard you weren't from this world", I messed up...bad. Now that everything seems to be ok, Ren finally starts to calm down, "it's fine, I figured that you would've asked them something so important. Can I have a few minutes to myself so I collect my thoughts?", this is a lot to process. Elza, "do whatever you need to. I'll go to the girls, so join us when you're ready, dear". She kisses his cheek and stands to leave, signalling the maids to follow her.
After she leaves, Ren contemplates things for a minute in silence, that really made me panic. But thankfully I'm just a figurehead. I have no business being a King. I don't know the first thing about it. The Kingdom would probably fall...maybe not, but it would certainly go through hardship because of me. But I don't need to think about that any more. I need to face the problem in front of me. Ren, having come to a conclusion, addresses the only person to remain behind, "I've got a big problem, Sebastian". Sebastian, "what might that be, sir?", probably better to call him 'sir' than anything else. Ren, "I have no money".
An unsurprising moment of silence follows, Sebastian naturally not knowing how this came about, "...I don't see how that suddenly became relevant, but you can use the money from the treasury as you see fit, sir...within moderation of course". Ren, "I can't do that. The country's money should be used for the country, not my personal affairs", it's not like I'll be doing anything for them as their King after all. I have no right to take their money.
Sebastian, "I understand, sir. If that's the case, how about this?", as he takes out something from his inner pocket that's wrapped in expensive cloth, "her Majesty entrusted this to us yesterday". What Sebastian unveils is Vall's Commander armband, "if you want money, you can turn this into the Adventurers Administration branch here and collect the bounty". Ren, "oh...I didn't know you could do that. How much would it be worth?". Sebastian, "a hefty sum".
Ren, "alright, let's go ask Liza and Lorilay if it's ok to split it three ways", we are a party after all...even though Lorilay's the one who beat him. It was a 3-on-3 fight though. I should be entitled to some of it, but a three-way split would be easiest...for me. Ren stands up to leave, but then just stands there for a second, not knowing where to go, "em, Sebastian, can I ask you to be my guide today?". Sebastian, "understood, Sir. Please follow me".
Lorilay was having lunch with Liza as this all transpired, "they're pretty slow. It's already lunch time". Liza, "they were probably tired, so they woke up late, and then there'd be the wake-up sex. They'll probably be here soon". Lorilay, "probably, Ren does seem to have a high libido after all. I heard normal human men get tired after one or two rounds". Liza, "you make it sound like Ren is the only one of us with a high libido". Lorilay, "we both know that's not true, so it can be left unsaid". Liza, "fair point".
Elza enters the dining room listlessly, her shoulders slumped. Liza, "speaking of the devil, good afternoon". Lorilay follows suit and greets her too. Elza responds, her voice clearly showing her dejection, "good afternoon". Liza, "I thought you'd have an afterglow, but you seem down. Were there any problems?", maybe their preferences didn't mesh very well after all.
Elza, "no, it was a nice first time, and I think we'll get more in-tune with each other over time. I want him to be less mindful of possibly hurting me...but that's not what this is about. Ren didn't know that we were having a marriage ceremony". Elza collapses into her seat, her face sullen, "It completely slipped my mind that he wouldn't know, so I feel awful about not making sure to tell him beforehand", getting lost in lust might be a problem I need to keep in mind going forward, but it is early days. It might have just been a one time thing.
Lorilay, feeling the guilt, "don't be, we...didn't tell him on purpose". Elza, genuinely confused as to why, "on purpose?". Liza is also feeling the guilt, "I told you about the agreement we made before, in the carriage. If we told Ren, he wouldn't have gone through with it because we met him before you...or that would be the excuse we came up with to tell ourselves. But if you wanted to sleep together, you would have had to wait until after he married us first if we did tell him", sorry, we just thought was funny at first...until we properly thought about it.
Lorilay avoids eye contact, "we thought it was funny at first, watching how clueless he was. But then we remembered that he really doesn't know anything about our world. So not telling him was...really cruel of us". Elza scrunches her eyebrows with her fingers, "he was really distraught earlier. It made me feel awful from the pit of my stomach". Her words weigh on the hearts of the three of them, all of them further internally reflecting on their actions.
Ren enters at this moment, causing Elza to be a bit startled by his sudden appearance behind her. He cuts through the awkward atmosphere created by Elza's words without noticing, "Liza, Lorilay, I have to ask you two something". The two can't help but feel relief as they look at him, his first action upon see them is to not berate them for what they did. They prompt him to ask what he wants to ask to escape the gloomy atmosphere. Ren, "is it ok if I claim the bounty on Vall and we split it three ways?". Liza and Lorilay look at each other in mutual understanding, "I don't mind".
Ren, relieved, "great, I have some stuff I need to do so I'll see you three at dinner", as he quickly turns to head back out the door, "Sebastian, I'm counting on you to be my guide". However, just before leaving, he pokes his head back into the room briefly, "oh, and please tell me about anything big happening beforehand. Like, I dunno, a wedding per say. Thanks". Sebastian closes the door after following Ren out. After he leaves, the three share a repentant look before Lorilay addresses the other two, "at least he he didn't look distraught at all". Elza, confused, "true, he looks completely different from five minutes ago". Liza, changing the subject, "we should count our blessings then. But what should we do until dinner?".
Lorilay wastes no time, "you girls can join me shopping if you want". This causes the two of them to give Lorilay a look. Lorilay is uncomfortable under their gaze, "w-what?". Neither of them answer, making Lorilay even more uncomfortable, "seriously, what?". Liza signs, "after your stunt yesterday, we can't let you go shopping alone". Elza, "let's continue on from yesterday and get some proper clothes...after lunch. I wonder why he didn't stay for lunch". The three look at each other, none of them able to come up with a plausible reason why he's skip lunch, especially after he missed breakfast.
Outside, Ren boarded a carriage with Sebastian, "thanks for your help, Sebastian. You're a real help". Sebastian, "no need to thank me, sir. I'm simply doing my job", as he hands Ren a box. Ren accepts the box, looking at it with confusion, "your job or not, I'd be troubled without you, so I'd like to thank you...what is this?".
Sebastian, "a lunch box. I had a maid fetch it. It was quickly put together, but I hope it will suffice". Ren opens it and is in awe of its presentation, "wow, you're the embodiment of the perfect butler. Thank you", due to the lack of taste in this world, everything I eat is on the "suffice" level. After finishing his boxed lunch, Ren consults with Sebastian, "Now, there is three, possibly four, things I would like to do before dinner if possible". Sebastian, "those being what, sir?". Ren, "one - cash in the bounty. Two - go to a jewellery store. Three and four depend on if you know about it or not".
Sebastian, "know of what, sir?". Ren, "do you know of rubber?". Sebastian raises an eyebrow, "hm...'rubber' you say. Nothing comes to mind, sir. Could I ask you describe it for me?". Ren, "hmm...that's very difficult to do if someone doesn't know it exists. The easiest way to get it would probably be through trees. It's like something that oozes out of a tree...AHHHH I don't know how to explain it", as he taps his index and middle fingertips against his forehead, trying to think.
Sebastian, "I don't know what you mean, sir, but I could take you to a well-known carpenter. They are the most likely to know if what you're searching for is related to trees". Ren, "please do. After the jewellers of course". Sebastian, "understood, sir. Are you planning to buy gifts for the ladies?". Ren, "I need to buy a wedding ring for Elza and engagement rings for Liza and Lorilay". Sebastian, "I understand a ring for her Majesty, but are you planning to propose to the other ladies?".
Ren, "I was avoiding thinking about how I would eventually propose to them, what order to ask/be married in, and much more. Liza and Lorilay are ok with my marriage to Elza", God, that is weird to say, "but they can't not be a little frustrated that Elza got the jump on them. I want to show that I'm properly thinking about them. Even if we aren't married yet, I plan to do the right thing. The order shouldn't matter, but everyone will think about it even if they don't want to".
Sebastian, "I see. You're very thorough, sir. I'm sure the ladies will be thrilled". Ren, "I hope so too", I have to do the right thing...although most people from my world would criticise me for seeing three women at once...or condemn me. The carriage stops, Sebastian opening the door and exiting so he can hold it open for Ren, "we've arrived at our first destination, sir. The Dark Elves' Capital branch of the Adventurers Association".
Ren exits the carriage and enters the impressive wooden building. He heads over to the receptionist, yep, I don't think I can get used to seeing muscles on most people outside the palace, especially girls with cute faces. Receptionist, "good afternoon, your Majesty. we've been expecting you". Ren smiles at her, but he can't help it from twitching, I'm not going to get used to being called that, "you were expecting me?". Receptionist, "yes, almost everyone in the capital was watching the tournament yesterday. Once we saw the armband, we knew you'd come to collect the bounty".
Ren, "I see, then let's get to it", as he hands over the armband. The receptionist takes it, "could I see your membership card please?". Ren obliges and hands over his card. Receptionist, "thank you. I have indeed received an item that could serve as proof of defeating Vall from Ren of Elemental Strike. Please wait as the item needs to be authenticated".
The receptionist walks through the door behind her after handing his card back, leaving Ren there to awkwardly tap his fingers on the desk. He tries to ignore all the stares on him by acting all nonchalant, mistaking all the gazes as simply curiosity about their new King. Luckily, he only has to wait a couple of seconds before she comes back through the door, "sorry about that, your Majesty. We don't doubt you but there are procedures we have to go through".
Ren, "no problem, you're only doing your job". Receptionist, "thank you for your understanding. I see that Elemental Strike currently has three registered members. Will her majesty be joining? If so, she would need to come here with the party leader". Ren, "I'm sure we'll drop by sometime soon".
A nervous man pops his head out from behind a door, calling the receptionist to him. After she finishes talking to the man, she returns to Ren, "thank you for waiting. The authenticity of the item has been confirmed. The bounty of 1,000,000 yero will be rewarded to Elemental strike". Ren, I have no idea about the value of money here, but it's a million, so it must be a lot, "great. Thank you for taking care of this. What should we do now?".
The Receptionist extends her hands towards him, "may I see your membership card again, please?". Ren obliges once again, why didn't she just keep it? The Receptionist takes the card and starts to do some work under the desk, out of Ren's line of sight, "you are the party leader, so it's your say on how the bounty is split, but if the association determines that you are abusing your position for personal profit, we will step in, even if you're a monarch, so please be weary", well, we could only seize your assets tied to us since you're so strong.
Ren, "spit it equally three ways please, with the remaining to be given to Lorilay", wow, to think that they can even intervene against a monarch. I have severely underestimated the association if they can do that. Receptionist, "understood. We do not have that amount of money on hand, but your membership card will allow you to withdraw money owed from any branch", as she presses some buttons on some type of apparatus that's holding his card below the desk. Glowing lines appearing in response to the inputs.
The receptionist hands his card back to him after a few more types on the apparatus, "please touch your card against your party members' cards to bestow their share, being careful to not touch any other cards before then. Also, be sure to not touch the same card twice. If either of these incidents happen, please come see us right away with the cards in question. If you want to withdraw any money now, the maximum we can give is 10,000 yero. We can allow you to withdraw more if you give us 3 days prior notice. We assumed you might come to do so, so you only have to wait 2 days for this instance if that is your intention".
Ren, so it's also similar to a bank card…I'm failing to see where the 'hunting' factors into these things, "I'd like to withdraw the amount you said". Receptionist, "understood, I'll take your card once more to make the transaction. Would you like a large gold coin or 10 big gold coins? We unfortunately can't give any currency lower than that due to the amount and needing it for other members' transactions". Ren hands his card over once again, "no problem. The 10 gold coins please". Receptionist, "understood, please wait a few minutes", as she takes his card and preforms some more inputs. After handing back his card, she enters the back room once again.
After about two minutes of Ren standing around awkwardly and still avoiding everyone's gazes, the receptionist returns with a bag of coins in her hand. She hands the coin bag over to Ren, "here is the amount you requested. Thank you for your patronage. Is that all for your visit today? Or is there anything else we can help you with?".
Ren works his way to the exit, not looking a single one of the women intensely staring at him, "nope, that's all. Thank you for your help. I hope you have a nice day", I want to get out of here as soon as possible. The receptionist smiles and waves at Ren as he leaves. Ren calls out to Sebastian as soon as they leave, "alright, next stop, the jewellers", wait...I'm glad they also have the custom of giving rings. Sebastian would've told me otherwise. It completely slipped my mind that they might not.
Ren and Sebastian arrive at the jewellers and enter the store, where they are awkwardly greeted by a member of the staff, "good afternoon, your Majesty". Ren sighs internally, it seems like everyone will address me like that, "good afternoon, and please just call me 'sir'. I'm looking to purchase some rings". The staff member's smile twitches at the request, "certainly...sir. What types of rings would you be looking for?". Ren, "a wedding ring and two engagement rings". The Staff member's smile stops twitching, seeming happy knowing there will be a big pay day, "my, your Majesty sure is popular. I assume the wedding ring is for her Majesty?". Ren is a bit put off by the big muscular woman's creepy smile, but does his best to ignore it, "indeed. I can go a maximum of 3,300...and 33 on each".
The staff member has to practically stop herself from salivating at the incoming income, "my, that's excellent. That amount means you can purchase these higher end rings here in this display.", as she gestures to a glass display case, "They are of our highest quality. The highest value ring in our store is 4,000 yero if you want to really splurge".
Ren, "highest value doesn't necessarily mean the best fit. The ring has to suit them". The staff member's smile twitches a little, "of course, you're absolutely correct...sir. Feel free to browse and ask me if you have any questions", men just usually go with the most expensive one they can afford, which is usually the right choice. I can't possibly accept the responsibility of finding a ring that suits her Majesty! This is just a part-time job to pay for my brother's medical bills. If it's not the most expensive thing, I can't sell anything. I usually deal with selling the cheaper rings. Come back from your business trip, owner!
After browsing for about 20 seconds of browsing, not asking the staff member anything, Ren decides on three rings, "excuse me, I'd like these three rings. Is it possible to get the wedding ring engraved?", Ultra Instincts. The staff member is so surprised he decided so quickly that it takes her a moment to register the question, "hm? Oh...of course, sir! What would you like to be engraved?". Ren puts some thought into it, "em, let's see…do you have a pen and paper? That's probably the easiest option". The staff member gets a pen and paper in response.
Ren, as he's writing, "I would like this. I know it might seem like a weird request, but is it possible?". The staff member looks at it, unable to hide her confusion, "...are you sure, sir? We should be able do it, but...". Ren, "yes, I'm sure. If it's possible, I want to get that". The staff member puts the paper under the counter, "Understood. Since the ring size you chose is available, it will only take an hour or so for the engraving if you want to come and collect it then. We can also deliver it to the palace if you'd prefer", even though we've never delivered there before. Ren, "I don't have a set schedule, so is it ok if I'm a bit late? I'd prefer to pick it up personally".
Staff member, "that's no problem at all, sir. Your total is 9,374 yero". Ren hands over his bag of coins in response. The staff member is initially disappointed by the weight, but stops herself from staring at the contents once she opens it, "thank you for your patronage, and here's your change. Do you want us to hold on to the other rings until you collect the other?", as she hands back the coin bag.
Ren, "yes, please. Thank you. I'll drop by again later". Staff member, "have a good day", as they walk out the door. Once they're gone, the staff member lets out a huge sigh of relief, "all for my brother. He just had to go and get in another accident yesterday. I wouldn't have covered this shift if he didn't". Ren, walking towards the carriage, "ok then Sebastian, onto the carpenter". Sebastian, "understood, sir".
They arrive in front of the carpenters not too long later. Sebastian holds open the carriage door for Ren to descend once again, "the owner of this business is under contract for any work regarding the palace. His work is top quality". Ren, "I hope that means he has a plethora of knowledge as well". Sebastian, "there wouldn't be anyone better". Ren, as they enter the store, "I hope we can find what I'm looking for".
Upon entering, the receptionist immediately starts to panic and hurries to the door behind her, sticking her head through and saying something that Ren just quite can't catch to someone in said room. Just before Ren reaches the desk, the receptionist sits back at her desk, practically almost jumping into it at lightning speed. However, her calm demeanour wouldn't give anyone the impression that she was so panicked a second ago, "good afternoon, your Majesty. The owner will be out to you shortly".
Just as she says that, a man comes from down the hallway. He makes eye contact with Ren and walks up to him. The man is so nervous that he can barely speak, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief, "g-g-good aftern-noon, your Majesty. I'm the o-owner, Z-Zolta. H-how may I h-help you today?". Ren can't help but feel a little pity for the man, "there's no need to be so on edge. I'm not here on any sort of formal business, strictly personal". Zolta starts to calm down a little, but still remains cautious, "excuse my behaviour. I thought the Palace had come to make a sudden request for renovations as there is a new King", I was dreading the amount of work that will take if requested.
Ren, feeling a bit awkward due to the comment, "em, I may be...King, but even I'd get yelled at for making such decisions by myself...right?", did I really call myself King? And it's true? I'm not delusional or anything, right? Zolta, "hahaha, your Majesty jests. The man who conquered 'The Cleaver' would have nobody left to fear bar the Demon King and Vampire Lord themselves". Ren chuckles awkwardly in response, "haha...are you married Zolta?".
Zolta, "no, not yet your Majesty. I've been told I'm married to my work. I just can't seem to get a wife for some reason", lots of girlfriends though. Ren, "then you'll surely understand one day that all men fear one thing, their partner's anger...and I haven't even been married a day…and please call me 'sir' if you insist on being so formal", I feel like making any woman angry is a bad idea in general. Zolta gives a hearty chuckle, "I see, sir. My girlfriends' anger certainly is a scary thing". Ren, "so you do get it. Now, onto business. I'm looking for a material that is produced by a tree. It's called 'rubber'. Ever heard of it?". Zolta can't help but raise an eyebrow, "sorry, 'rubber' you say? Not a tree itself?".
Ren, "no, not a tree. It's...hard to explain. I think it comes out of the tree as a liquid and turns kind of soft, maybe kind of firm. You can mould it and…make stuff with it. It kind of just oozes out of the tree", as he makes some awkward hand gestures. Zolta watches him with a raised eyebrow, "hm...a liquid that turns firm...I think I have an idea. Please wait here for a second". Zolta heads to the back of the shop, out if sight. Ren can't help but be dubious, I wonder if he'll actually have it. Even I didn't really understand my explanation.
Sebastian senses Ren's doubt, "if it comes from a tree, this is the best place to find it. These people deal with wood every day". Ren, "I suppose you're right. I don't know of any other place that would possibly know about it", like, literally zero. I know nothing of this world. I wouldn't even know where to look in my own world. The internet is a handy thing.
Zolta returns with a bowl in his hands, "is this what you're looking for?", as he shows Ren the bowl. Ren's eyes go wide in surprise as he starts to poke the contents of the bowl, "yes...yes, it is. I can't believe you actually have rubber", even if it's red and not white. Zolta, "we call this the 'blood of the trees' in these parts. For that reason, people tend to stay away from the trees that it comes from, thinking it's cursed or something. However, a few months ago, an Elven researcher started to request it. They recently opened up a shop that uses the blood of the trees, or 'rubber' as you call it, in their merchandise".
Ren, "really? They'd probably be the best to ask to help make what I'm looking for. Where is this shop?". Zolta grabs a pen and paper from the receptionist's desk and starts writing, "here is the address. I hope it helps", he says while handing it to Ren, but Sebastian takes it before Ren can lift his hand. This causes Zolta's heart to sink to his stomach, I may be allowed to be in his presence, but trying to hand him something is over the line it seems.
Ren, completely oblivious to what just transpired and why, turns back to Zolta, "thank...you? You were a great help. Now, please excuse us", as he turns and leaves, Sebastian following him. As soon as he leaves, the receptionist addresses Zolta, "...you know, you didn't tell him what type of shop it was. That's probably why the butler got angry". Zolta, "but everyone knows about that shop. It's been really famous since it opened. It's even become famous in the Human Country from what I hear". Receptionist, "if he knew that the shop was using what he wanted, he wouldn't have needed to come to you in the first place, would he?".
Zolta just looks at the receptionist with a blank expression, blinking a few times to process, "then why didn't you say anything?". Receptionist, "that's...a good question", not really. Who could interject into a conversation with a King like it's nothing? The both of them look at the door with a troubled expression...neither one thinking of going after Ren to tell him, surely the butler will tell him.