Sarah says “No, thank you. I think being Governor will be enough for now. Maybe once I get bored of that.”

  “Alright. If you think of anything that you want, just tell me. Basically, if it is within my power, it is yours.”

  Sarah says “Actually, after hearing about them I have been thinking about getting a tattoo or two.”

  “No problem. Actually, I was thinking that all those going back might want some tattoos to improve their odds of surviving.”

  Sarah says “That’s a great idea!”

  “Alright, I will discuss it with Bella. She shouldn’t have a problem with it.”

  Sarah says “I still find it hard to believe that you summoned another person from our world. Are you planning to summon more?”

  “No, not really. I only summoned her because I needed a tattoo artist. I was planning to send her back, but so far she is happy here.”

  Sarah says “Tell me honestly, are you really okay with her relationship with Lin?”

  “Most of the time I am. Occasionally, my insecurity gets to me.”

  Sarah says “That’s perfectly understandable and proof that you are still human.”

  “Am I? Sometimes I wonder.”

  Sarah says “Yes, you are. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t worry so much.”

  “That makes no sense, yet is reassuring at the same time.”

  Sarah says “I’m glad that I could help. How was the food? Do you want some more?”

  “It was great, as always. Sure, I could eat a couple more servings.”

  Sarah leaves to go fetch more food and while I wait I think about what she said. I didn’t say it to Sarah, but I really don’t think of myself as human most of the time. It is hard to, considering that when I am in my normal form I spend most of my time on all fours.

  How you move and stand has a really large impact on your self-image, at least it does on mine. The more time that I spend in my normal form, the more I feel like a beast and the less I feel like a human. I have noticed it affecting my attitude, but I don’t think it has affected me too much.

  If I have changed, no one else has mentioned anything about it, including Lin and Myria. The two of them should be the first ones to notice if anything is wrong with me. Neither one of them would be shy about saying something to me if they noticed something.

  Having the two of them is very reassuring for me, they will notice if anything escapes my notice. I don’t mean just any changes, some changes can be good and lead to growth. Considering everything I have been through, there is no way my personality hasn’t changed.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Although, I may feel like I haven’t changed, but there is no way that is possible. I just hope that the changes that have already happened are good changes for me. Considering that so many people are willing to follow me, I would have to say that they are.

  If I was turning into a monster, which is possible, then I doubt so many people would follow me. Or at least, it would be a different kind of people who would be willing to follow me. Lin, Myria, and all the others give me some confidence that I am growing as a person.

  Sarah returning with my food manages to draw me out of my thoughts before I spiral any further. As I eat, Sarah chats with me and explains the full situation of the city. While a lot of beastmen have moved to live in the surrounding area, not many live in the city.

  That isn’t too surprising, they are used to being nomadic and living in tents, not houses. It is going to take a while for them to adapt and get used to all of the new ideas. I already knew that was going to happen and that the city would be mostly empty for a while.

  That will probably change now, partly because of the gate, but mostly due to the humans from the empire. Between the refugees that we are taking in and the slaves we have freed, the city will gain a lot of population. Most of them will be used to living in towns or cities, so this won’t be a big change for them.

  With the humans leading the way, I expect that more beastmen will move into the city. When I explain all of this to Sarah, she agrees with me even if she doesn’t think it will happen too soon. However, I think she is underestimating how quickly people can adapt when it is in their own best interest.

  “Thank you for the food. It was delicious as always! Speaking of, is your husband happy or would he want to try doing something else?”

  Sarah says “He is happy. He only cares about cooking. It is his one and only passion.”

  “Do you think he would be interested in something like visiting the southern empire to study their cooking?”

  Sarah says “Oh, absolutely! He might even kiss you! Haha!”

  “Um, no thanks. I will talk to the emperor while I am there and see if he will allow your husband to come study with his chefs.”

  Sarah says “Thank you, he would really love that!”

  “No problem. If he isn’t happy, then you won’t be either. Besides, I am expecting him to cook my wedding feast.”

  Sarah laughs and says “Myria already came and talked to him about it. He considers it an honor to cook for your wedding.”

  “That’s great! So, me getting him new recipes and spices is just a selfish desire for more delicious food.”

  Sarah says “Whatever the reason, thank you.”

  “Considering everything you have done for me, you don’t need to thank me.”

  Sarah says “You have done plenty for me as well. Now, if you don’t need anything else, I am going to give my husband the good news and let you get back to work.”

  “Alright. No, I don’t need anything else at the moment.”

  Sarah gives me a hug, then heads into the back of the inn, and I leave the inn for the merchant quarter. Once I am outside the inn I return to my normal form, but I don’t fly to my destination. I walk so that those in the city can see me and hopefully be reassured by my presence.

  In my opinion, leaders tend to keep themselves out of sight too much, they need to be seen. Especially in this sort of primitive situation where there is no TV or newspapers. That means people can only see with their own eyes, so I want to be seen by them.

  Not everyone will be able to see me of course, but those that do will talk to others. Word will spread, I am convinced of that, but whether or not it will have an effect is less certain. Still, it only wastes a few minutes and it could have an effect that is beneficial.

  When I reach the square in the center of the merchant square it is not hard to spot Pol’s building. Sarah was right, you can’t miss it, it takes up one entire side of the square and is very imposing. Since Pol is the one making all the money for me, I am not going to comment on the size of the building.