The Search Is Over

Chapter 130

"Piper may show the others around the manor, and fill them in on everything that Kreacher has already told him," Kreacher announced. Piper stood between the parlor and the spot in the front hall where Kreacher and Regulus were gathered with the other elves. He wore a strained expression on his face as he looked from Kreacher and Regulus to the three new elves.

"Yes Master Kreacher. Do each of the others get their own room as well and should Piper help them to choose one or does Master wish to do that for himself?"

Regulus blinked. Master Kreacher? He and Kreacher had decided to free the elves once all four were chosen, so why? Before he could speak on the matter, Kreacher was already responding to Piper.

"Yes they should have their own rooms. Indeed Piper may show them the rooms available so that they might select their own."

Piper nodded, bowing before gesturing for the other three elves to follow him.

Regulus waited until the four were out of sight before speaking.

"Master Kreacher?"

He arched his brows.

"If you noticed, I didn't introduce myself as Master Regulus to Piper last week."

"Hm,"Kreacher murmured, putting on a distracted expression.

"Kreacher indeed did not notice."

"I did not present myself as a master because we plan to free them."

"Yes, yes," Kreacher murmured, gaze sliding away from Regulus in a disinterested manner.

"Kreacher simply feels they will respond to their training better if they are trained, then freed. Free elves do not take instruction well at all. Why that Mira was never receptive when Kreacher suggested improvements to her cooking or cleaning methods!"

Regulus laughed, shaking his head at Kreacher's comment concerning the Westcraven elf.

"I can't imagine why."

Kreacher nodded enthusiastically.

"Kreacher knows! He can't either."

Regulus wondered if Kreacher didn't understand the sarcasm or pointedly ignored it. Considering that the elf could be the king of sarcasm at times, he was guessing the later.

"So when does the training begin," Regulus asked, hoping to free the elves as soon as possible.

"Today," Kreacher said, an eager smile on his face.

"Kreacher wishes for the manor to run smoothly as quickly as possible, after all."

"Good," Regulus said.

"You are brilliant so training them shouldn't take that long, and they'll be free before they know it."

Kreacher frowned doubtfully.

"Kreacher may be a good teacher, but his charges must be capable at learning."

Regulus arched his brows.

"You chose these elves! Didn't you select those that you believed were the best and brightest?"

Kreacher shrugged, nodding.

"Well yes, but as Kreacher has already explained, no elf is going to be Kreacher, so they shall take longer to learn."

At that, Regulus remembered to ask the thing he'd wondered when Kreacher was summing up the new elves earlier. He hadn't wanted to interrupt the process then, or to ask Kreacher to explain anything in front of the newcomers, but now they were alone, so he was free to speak.