Chapter 4 – Landlady and Flower Seller

 

 

 

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When Chrono opened his eyes on the next day after they had held the auction, Layla was already gone. Last night he had taught her the alphabet and then they had slept together. Of course they didn’t have any sex.

“I wonder whether I showed off a bit too much there. No, that was the right thing to do.”

Just as Chrono sat up, he heard a drumming from the door. He had a very bad feeling about this, but the option to ignore it altogether didn’t exist.

“Juuuust a moment, I’m going to open up in a sec!”

Once he got out of bed and opened the door, he found Tilia standing in the corridor.

“…”

“Don’t close it!”

As Chrono was about to silently shut the door, Tilia thrust a foot across the threshold like some pushy, ill-mannered solicitor.

“NO! I’m going to close it! I’m definitely closing it!!”

“Hey, what are you doing!?” Tilia roared at him with a bright red face as Chrono attempted to force the door shut.

“So, what’s your business with me?”

“I thought I should praise you for a job well done in regards to the auction. Good job. But,” Tilia went on, “still, what’s the deal with you bringing a half elf into the marquis’s mansion!?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The cat is out of the bag!! I saw how the half elf left your room!”

“Eh?”

“It’s your own fault for not having stationed any guards!” Tilia threw out her ample chest in apparent triumph.

“You’ve been watching this room the whole time?”

“Of course!” Tilia answered Chrono with a rough nasal breathing.

“I’ve told you that love between people of different social standings is a bad idea, haven’t I? My reputation would take a hit if weird rumors started to spread. So please, get your act together, will you?” Tilia glared his way with an eyebrow lifted. “Where’s your reply?”

“I shall tread carefully.”

Tilia groaned lightly.

“Is that all you wanted from me?”

“Of course not. I planned to ask you how things were proceeding.”

“Proceeding? What?”

“Why are you asking the obvious!? Your recruitment of personnel!” Tilia spat out while rolling her eyes. “Or have you possibly not started to work on it yet?”

“I kinda had to earn some money first, so there’s no way I could have started on that, is there?”

“Uuggh, i-it’s certainly true that I’m partly at fault for this, but…” Tilia groaned, her fists trembling.

“What kind of personnel should I recruit?”

“Anyone except for administrative officials, I’d say.”

“Meaning maids, cooks, accountants…oh, I have to also build a workshop, don’t I?”

“Why a workshop?” Tilia cocked her head in confusion.

“Well, I considered building a workshop to produce weapons and armors.”

“I don’t mind that, but what are you going to do about the craftsmen?”

“Goldi mentioned that he had some prospects.”

“Prospects would mean that it’s not set in stone yet, right?”

“…Probably.”

“Got it. Tell me once you’ve managed to secure the craftsmen. I’ll order Sitter to build a workshop then.”

“Thanks. By the way, what would be the best way to recruit maids, cooks, and accountants?”

“Don’t ask me.”

“Yeah, figures.” Chrono sighed.

“Won’t it work out one way or another as long as you head out for starters?”

“What a questionable advice that is.”

“Taking action is always better than pointlessly racking your brain over stuff.”

“I feel like it’ll end at being no more than a stroll.”

“Isn’t that just fine since it’s good for your health anyway?”

How’s caring about my health going to help with anything? Chrono wondered, but then reconsidered that getting a change of pace might not be that bad an idea.

 

※

 

“…If one could come up with ideas by just going outside, walking would immediately become a boom, wouldn’t it?” Chrono mumbled under his breath while roaming through Harschel.

How am I supposed to find the necessary personnel? In my previous world running an advertisement would have been enough, but the number of applicable methods is limited in this world.

“Would a billboard do?” Chrono stopped in front of a notice board set up at a plaza.

Just as one could watch in historical dramas back on Earth, a soldier with a spear stood next to the notice board. The soldier opened his mouth, but immediately closed it again after examining Chrono.

“Ah, the literacy rate, huh?” Chrono muttered quietly.

In short, the soldier had been stationed next to the board because the number of people capable of reading was low.

“An illustration wouldn’t be able to describe the finer details, so yeah… I guess I’ve got no choice but to rely on the news spreading from mouth to mouth,” he looked up to the sky.

Just at that moment――

“Oh my, isn’t that Marquis Erakis right there?”

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

Looking in the direction of the voice while denying, he spotted an unfamiliar woman. She had a skin so pale that you’d suspect she had never been exposed to sunlight. She was wearing her long hair up, and her alluring body was covered by plain clothes.

“Even if you deny it, I know for a fact that you’ve become the new Marquis Erakis.”

“Then you don’t really have to call out to me in such an unnatural way, right?”

“Should I have dropped my handkerchief instead?”

“Wouldn’t that be even more unnatural?”

“I’m pretty sure it’d have gone well?”

“With how much of a probability?”

“That’s something only the gods know.” The woman giggled.

“What’s your name?”

“Elaine. Elaine Sinner.”

“Are you a noble?”

“No, I’m only calling myself like that to add some dignity.” Elaine shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“What kind of job are you doing that would require this?”

“I’m a prostitute.” Elaine pushed up her breasts with both arms, and leaned forward. “Well, that was the plan at least, but since I’ve started to run my own shop, my opportunities to entertain customers have decreased. I’m also doing other jobs, so I’ll be troubled if you ask me for a precise answer.” Elaine said with a sigh while straightening herself up.

“So what kind of job are you doing right now as you stand in front of me, Mrs. Elaine?”

“I love that kind of retort.” Elaine blessed Chrono with a sweet smile. “Right now, I’m an information broker.”

“And why did an information broker like you call out to me?”

“You’re the man who let General Igniz taste defeat, so it’s only natural for me to be interested in you, isn’t it?”

“Well, thanks then.” Chrono scratched his head. “I’ve understood that you’re an information broker, but I haven’t paid you anything yet…”

“I’ll give you a freebie this time.”

“Thank you very much.”

I’m sure she doesn’t plan this to be free of charge, but rather an opportunity to get me indebted with her for our next trade.

“What do you want to know?”

“What are the proper steps to follow when hiring people?”

“That depends on the situation.”

“Okay, that makes sense, I guess.”

“If it’s a brothel, things would get wrapped up quickly by heading into the back alleys.”

“You can recruit people so easily over there?”

“If you don’t look for quality, yes.” Elaine flashed a snakey smile. “Usually you’d use an employment agency.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s the procedure when hiring people is what I’m saying.” Elaine repeated with the same expression from back when they met. “In short, I’m telling you to ask someone whose job it is to handle employment.”

“I don’t know any such people, so it’s impossible for me.”

But, Chrono believed that it was a good idea to rely on others for this.

“If you like, I can help you out, you know?”

“Since it looks like my privacy would become part of your trade, I must decline.”

“I do keep the private information of my customers confidential.”

“And how should I trust you with that, seeing how we only met moments ago?”

“How about you take me as mistress then? Even though I may act like this, I’m a faithful woman.”

“Since you look like you’d take over my home, no thank you.”

“I really hate highly cautious boys.” Elaine puffed out her cheeks, obviously sulking.

Her expressions are ever-changing, but it might just be a means to distract and deceive me.

“By the way, what kind of personnel are you looking for?”

“…” Chrono silently stared at Elaine.

Explaining the internal situation of my new household to a person I met moments ago would be anything but smart.

“You don’t really need to be on your guard so much. But well, considering the circumstances of how you came to be a marquis, I’d say you’re looking for people capable of accounting?”

“You have a good insight.”

“I’m an information broker after all.” Elaine giggled. “If former prostitutes are okay with you, I can introduce you right away.”

“Anyone but former prostitutes, please.”

“Oh my, isn’t that discrimination?”

“It’d be scary to hire your former subordinates, so I cannot do that.”

“It was just a joke. I wouldn’t send my own people to the place of a guy whom I haven’t assessed yet. I plan to get some information out of you, but it wouldn’t be funny if my information was to be extracted instead.” Elaine shuddered artificially. “How about slaves?”

“You can get slaves with a proper education?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm,” Chrono groaned.

“Something wrong?”

“I can’t quite get used to it.”

“You can’t?” Elaine quizzically lifted an eyebrow. “Well, such people exist as well. But, slave trade is a business that’s officially acknowledged by the country. Though I wouldn’t know whether to call it decent.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“It helps for you to be so quick on the uptake. Anyway, about the slaves with proper education: They do exist, but their numbers are quite limited, I think.”

“I see.”

In this world only the rich can receive education. If you turn that around, educated people are usually of rich descent. The probability for such people to fall all the way to slavery is low.

“So, how about it?”

“About what?”

“Sheesh, you’re so slow. Going by the flow of our conversation, it’s clearly about the question whether you’re going to buy slaves or not.”

“You were an information broker, weren’t you?”

“Sure, but I still have some connections with slave traders. I could at least contact them for you to see if they have any slaves meeting your conditions.”

“Just contacting them?”

“I don’t mind reserving them for you, but then the slave traders will go even as far as kidnapping humans meeting your conditions, you know?”

“Just like criminals.”

“If you confronted them like that, they’d probably tell you that they won’t get involved in this. That’s why I said I’d contact them for you, to avoid such a possibility.”

“But, it’s going to be expensive, no?”

“The market price is around 20 gold. Since the slaves are sold on auctions, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll be able to buy them at such a price though.”

“20 gold, eh?”

It’s quite the sum of money, but if I can obtain a reliable chief accountant in exchange, it’s not such a bad deal, I think.

“It’s not bad, right?”

“No doubt.”

Elaine showed her snakey smile once more.

“How about I contact you if I find a slave meeting your conditions? Of course, you won’t need to participate in the auction if you have hired someone to handle the accounting for you by the time I contact you.”

“Okay, then let’s go with that.”

“Sure.” Elaine smiled sweetly.

 

※

 

“…I don’t have any acquaintances at the employment agency, but I have a reliable adjutant.”

Chrono walked along the city wall while recalling his conversation with Elaine.

A short time later, the parade ground came into sight. Although they called it parade ground, it was no more than an empty lot of land, except for the few places where earth had been piled up.

Over there, his men had split up into groups, and were currently performing one-on-one sparring sessions. The training itself didn’t fall short of real battle with all the angry bellows and slaps of flesh being hit filling the air.

The sparring sessions with the highest intensity took place between minotaurs and lizardmen ― the big demi-humans. They swung their arms, which resembled logs, punching each other. While receiving blows that would have killed any normal human, they shifted to counteroffensive in the next instant.

“Captain, somethin’ the matter?” Mino had approached as Chrono was getting overwhelmed by the force of their sparring.

“I came to take a look at the situation. How’s everyone doing?”

“As ye can see, they’re in perfect shape.” Mino answered with a rough snort of his nose. “I mean they’ve eaten n’ slept plenty the last few days, so it’s only natural.”

“They ate plenty? Ohh! I see, the provisions have already been delivered, huh?”

“Aye, I was totally baffled when a ridiculous amount of food was delivered to our place early in the mornin’.” Minor bared his teeth, apparently recalling the sight from back then. “Some of our folk even cried ’cause they could finally stuff their bellies. But…”

“But what?”

“Is it really alright to have the men eat three meals a day?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not trying the impossible here.”

“I’m terribly sorry fer doubting ye.” Mino scratched his head, looking ashamed.

Well, if you consider that they ate two meals a day ― with the portions being lacking on top of that ― up until now, it’s only reasonable for him to doubt me.

“Leaving that aside, Mino, there’s something I’d like to consult you about.”

“Anythin’ as long as I can be of help to ye. Havin’ said that, the things I can do are very few.”

“What should I say if you tell me something like that, Mino?”

At present, it was Mino who was basically running the whole battalion. If a man like him couldn’t do much with his own abilities, it’d mean Chrono couldn’t do anything at all.

“Spendin’ lots of time in the army, I’ve become capable of handlin’ ’round this much. So, what do ye want me to do?”

“I was planning to recruit maids for the mansion.”

“I can help with that. Or rather, I’ve been plannin’ to talk ’bout it with ye ‘nyway, Captain.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Aye. Ye see, some of our folks are healin’ up slowly or had their heart broken altogether.”

“They had their heart broken?”

“I’m talkin’ ’bout losin’ the ability to fight after sufferin’ a grave, life-threatenin’ injury.”

“You mean PTSD?” Chrono cocked his head.

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) was a psychological impairment which was caused by events where your life was exposed to danger.

“PT?”

“No, it’s nothing, forget it.”

Chrono let his eyes wander, wondering whether he should participate in the sparring.

“Such folks are sent on leave. Forgive me for reportin’ in late on this.”

“That’s no problem.”

It was something Chrono had left to the discretion of the battalion’s command.

“How many people are we talking about?”

“Combinin’ elves and dwarves, we’ve got thirty such cases. Though, ten of ’em are dwarves with knowledge in smithin’ so I was thinkin’ ’bout getting yer permission to have ’em employed at the workshop.”

“Sure, I’ll hire all of them.”

“Really?”

“We cannot afford to let capable personnel go. However, there’ll be a difference in wages between the maids and blacksmiths.”

“‘Tis only normal to pay people skilled at craftin’ jobs differently from those who aren’t.”

“It’s a big help for you to say so.” Chrono felt relieved. “Hmm? Are you possibly going along with Goldi’s aim…?”

“Aye, with the ten people I just mentioned.”

“What about the remaining twenty?”

“Please have peace of mind. They’re women.”

“Okay, well, it’s true that I wanted to ask about the ratio between men and women, but still…”

‘I cannot help but feel like there’s a difference between me and Mino about what’s meant with peace of mind here.

“Anyway, with this I got all the maids, and craftsmen won’t be any problem anymore either. Next is a cook, huh?”

“Captain, yer not goin’ to meet Layla?”

“You’re in the middle of training, and I think it’d be bad if I treated her specially,” Chrono answered while looking for her.

“She’s over there.”

Once Chrono followed Mino’s finger, he spotted Layla drawing a bow. She kept planting arrows into the target, which was several dozen meters away, at a rate that gave the term “rapid firing” a visual representation. Judging from the fact that she was doing her target practice away from the other elves, Chrono assumed that Layla was an outstanding archer.

“Layla is quite good at archery.”

“She’s also the cream of the crop when it comes to magic skills. Her ability would more than justify her bein’ a centurion.”

“Gotcha. We’ll promote her to captain of the archer unit. Going by numbers, she’s going to lead a good fifty people rather than a hundred, but her rank will be the same as that of a centurion.”

“Thank you very much, Captain.” Mino bowed his head deeply.

After watching the training session for a while, Chrono left the parade ground.

 

※

 

“At this rate, it looks like I’ll find a cook soon enough, too.”

Chrono headed in high spirits to the landlady’s inn located in the residential district. He believed that she’d be able to introduce him to a good cook after having run her business for many years in Harschel.

“Oh my, Lord Chrono, welcome.” The landlady called out to him as soon as he entered her inn.

The place was deserted despite it being lunchtime right now.

“You’re open for business right now, aren’t you?”

“Are you trying to be sarcastic with me?”

“I just wanted to confirm.” Chrono shrugged, and sat down at the counter.

“You’re fine with lunch, right?”

“What else would I be here for?”

“Maybe you just felt like checking whether the cuckoo is singing?”

“So, things aren’t going well.”

“A cuckoo’s singing refers to hard times in business.” The landlady spat out with a fed-up voice, and came out from behind the counter.

Just when Chrono wondered what she was planning to do, she sat down next to him.

“Though things might improve a bit after we’ve got a new lord.” She breathed out lightly, and then leaned herself seductively against Chrono.

“Hey,” she said flirtatiously, “Right now you’re the lord, aren’t you? Won’t you support me a bit as fellow strangers from the same province?”

“The same province?” He asked while being quite aware how his heart was racing.

“I’m also from the southern borderlands. Well, ten years back when I was still there, the Chrofords had no child, though.”

“Are you planning to threaten me?”

Chrono had become the biological son of Baron and Baroness Chroford with an entry in the family register. His foster father had decided so, no matter what means he had to use. Chrono himself had never been told to keep it a secret, but he knew that it’d be bad if it came out.

“No, I don’t have any such plans. I just would like you to become my patron.”

“You’re in debt?”

“…Yes, I am.” The landlady answered with a low, subdued voice, and immediately thereafter sank into silence.

Chrono’s heart jumped when she had brought up his relationship with his foster parents, but it looked like the initiative lay on his side this time. The instant he comprehended this, he felt like a stone was lifted from his heart.

“How much of a debt do you owe?”

“…100 gold.” The landlady sat back up, and pursed her lips, making her look sulky.

“That’s an amazing amount of money.”

Chrono looked around him wondering whether this building was even worth this much. Or…, he looked at the landlady.

“…Won’t you become my patron? At this rate I’m going to be sold off to a brothel. Of course, I’m not telling you to do it for free. You can do as you like with my body――”

“For real!?”

“Y-You really jumped at that, didn’t you?”

The landlady drew her body back when Chrono leaned himself forward. Her still smiling probably came from having found a potential means to protect her inn.

“Doing as I like means, you wouldn’t mind if I do, for example, ×× and ×× with your butt, or even if I △△ with ●●, right!?”

“I do mind! Obviously! You skunk!” She screamed with her face bright red. “Just what’s going on in that head of yours!?”

“I think that much is normal, though.”

“…Normal…” The landlady muttered full of doubt, and then shook her head violently. “It’s not normal! It’s abnormal!”

“Then, what would be normal for you?”

“T-That’s, normally…”

 

 

Her voice gradually became smaller, just for her to hang her head in the end.

“I didn’t quite catch what you said, but don’t you think something of this extent enters well into the range of allowing me to do as I like? At least, if we’re talking about the return value for 100 gold, something like letting me do ×× with ○○――”

“T-Th-There’s no w-way I’d allow you to d-do something like t-that, is there!?”, she yelled after lifting her face. “So, are you going to become my patron?”

“○○――”

“I’m telling you! I can’t do something like that!” The landlady loudly interrupted Chrono. “I want to protect my inn!”

“Isn’t your resolve kind of lacking considering that?”

The landlady gave Chrono a death stare, “I want to protect the inn of my husband. It’s the place we finally obtained after going through so many hardships. My husband has died, and if I now lose everything and everything…isn’t that too cruel!?”

“…I have a suggestion. If you’re going to work at my mansion as a cook, I can shoulder your debt.”

“If I worked as a cook at your mansion, I’d need to close down my inn.”

“If you rent out your inn in the meantime, it’d speed up your repayment of the debt.”

The landlady glared at Chrono, chewing on her lips.

“I don’t think it’s that bad a deal for you.”

“Is it no option no matter what? As long as you shoulder my debts――”

“You approached me about becoming your patron because you believed it to be impossible, didn’t you?”

“…”

The landlady remained silent, but she had no other way out other than accepting Chrono’s proposal.

“…I understand.” She squeezed out after staying silent for a long, long time. “So, when should I start working for you?”

“Ideally, I’d like you to start right away…”

“Since I have to decide what to do about this inn, that’s not an option.”

“Okay, I’ll go along with your schedule.”

“Thanks. I’ll make sure to start working as soon as I can.” She said with a sigh.

 

※

 

“…I’ve somehow managed to get things done, yup.”

Chrono was walking through the residential area while satisfied with his own work. As he continued onwards while thinking that he had only to wait for Elaine’s contact for things to be completely settled, a girl passed in front of him.

It was the flower seller girl from the other day. She was trying to sell her flowers with her gait looking somewhat unsteady, but the passersby paid her no heed at all. But that could only be called natural, Chrono guessed. The flowers she was selling were seedy at best, and the residents had no financial leeway because of the heavy taxation either.

The girl headed for the center of the road as if being beckoned by something. At the same time, a box-shaped carriage drew closer with a loud rattling. Neither girl nor carriage showed any hints of stopping.

The carriage drew near the girl, and―

“Watch out!”

Chrono pulling the girl to himself and the carriage passing the place where she would have been in the next moment occurred at almost the same time. If Chrono had taken a few more seconds before taking action, the girl would have likely been run over. That’s how close his rescue had been.

“Are you okay?”

“――gh!” The girl’s body jumped with a start when Chrono called out to her.

“M-My flowers!” The girl raised her voice in what was almost a scream while staring on the road. On the ground lay a broken basket and squashed flowers.

She tried to shake her hand free from Chrono’s hold, but her thin arm didn’t possess enough strength to do that.

“The flowers! I must sell my flowers!”

“I’ll buy up your flowers and the basket.”

The girl stopped struggling, and looked up to Chrono. What you could maybe call hope flickered in her eyes.

It’s probably not that she’s delighted over having her losses covered. Rather, she’s relieved of having escaped the heavy burden coming from her basket and flowers having been spoiled.

Suddenly, the girl’s face darkened.

“I am terribly sorry, Sir.” She bowed her head deeply, apparently believing that she had done something inexcusable.

“Why?”

“There is no reason for me to accept charity.”

Chrono’s eyes widened as he wondered how she had been brought up to become such a proper girl.

“How about my duty as a noble?”

“I have never heard of such a duty.”

“Me neither.” Chrono shrugged. “How about we do it as follows: I’ll pay for the flowers and basket in advance, and you…”

“Allison is my name.” The girl ― Allison muttered.

“You’ll pay me back bit by bit. Of course I won’t demand any interest, and I won’t put any pressure on you to hurry with the repayment either.”

“…But…”

“If possible, I’d like you to go along with this proposal for the sake of saving my face.”

“I understand, Sir. Thank you very――”

“――nh!”

Chrono put power into his hand as Allison’s body heeled over.

“I am very sorry. Since earlier this morning, my health…”

“I’ll bring you back home.”

“It would be preposterous of me to trouble you to such an extent.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Then allow me to apologize once more for all the troubles I am causing you.” Allison mumbled under her breath.

 

※

 

Allison’s house was to be found in the outer district of Harschel. Probably because the outer district didn’t receive much sunlight as the wall blocked most of it, it was chilly over here despite it already being May. The humidity in this area was terrible, too. The buildings were darkened, or overgrown with layers of mold. Allison’s house was one of an assembly of buildings which merely waited for the day they’d completely rot away.

She opened the door while looking completely exhausted. Beyond lay a small room. A woman resembling Allison was doing needlework as she lay on a bed. Her skin was pale like a sheet as she was apparently sick.

“…I’m home.”

“Allison, what’s wrong!?”

The woman jumped off the bed, just to immediately twist her face in pain. And yet, despite that, she still struggled all the way to Allison.

“Sorry――”

“She seemed to feel unwell, so I got her to let me send her back home. Even though it might not have been any of my concern.” Chrono interrupted Allison, explaining things to the woman.

“Go sleep in your room.”

“…Okay.” Allison nodded lightly and headed deeper into the house.

“I do not know who you might be, but allow me to thank you. I think it might be better for you to go back before it becomes dark outside since the area around here is not safe.”

“Would it be impossible for me to have a little chat with you?”

Chrono let his eyes wander. Dirty walls, a roof with traces of water leaks, and a lack of the least necessary furniture. Just that allowed him to understand that both of them were poor. No, anyone not realizing their poverty from this would be an idiot.

“…What kind of chat?” Allison’s mother asked while holding her abdomen.

“If it gives you pain, I won’t mind even if you lay down on your bed.”

“…No, that would be rude towards you as our guest.” Allison’s mother answered after a long spell of silence.

‘She probably considered which to prioritize, manners or comfort.

“My name is Chrono Chroford.”

Maybe I should have introduced myself as Marquis Erakis, Chrono immediately regretted.

“I am called Alyssa.”

“Excuse me for the sudden question, but do you have experience in working at a noble mansion?”

“…I have served for around fifteen years under Marquis Erakis.”

Alyssa chewed her lips while continuing to hold her abdomen.

“What kind of work did you do?”

“I was a simple maid. I…I ended up hurting my body, and thus was allowed to take a vacation.”

“Is that so?”

While giving a suitable confirmation, Chrono let his thoughts wander as to whether he should employ her as a maid. His sympathy also played a role here, but she was accustomed to the work as maid, and he wondered whether he wouldn’t need someone capable of giving instructions ― a head maid.

“Just the other day I became Marquis Erakis.”

“――nh!” Alyssa quickly lifted her head. “What about the previous Marquis Erakis?”

“He was indicted for embezzlement, and killed himself before he could be deported to the capital.”

“I…see.” Alyssa muttered sadly.

“Then again, the one who indicted him was me.”

“For what purpose did you do something like that?”

“I just confirmed a little something.”

He thought that she’d blame him as the enemy of Marquis Erakis, but that worry proved to be unfounded.

“Since I dismissed all the people working at the marquis’s mansion, I’m currently looking for new personnel. If you have fifteen years of experience working there, won’t you let me make use of that?”

“…I am grateful for your offer, but as you can see, I am not healthy.”

“I know that. But, I’m asking you despite that. I’ll take care of you until your body heals up. Of course I won’t demand any fees for the treatment either.”

“Why would you do something like that for me?”

“It’s because you are the person who brought up Ally to be such a polite girl. For that reason I think that you might be suitable to work for me as head maid.”

“Umm, I…with an appearance like this…”

“Here you go.” Chrono took off his mantle, and handed it to Alyssa.

“…Master, I shall humbly accept this while thanking you for your kindness.” With those words, Alyssa bowed very deeply.

 

※

 

Once Chrono returned to the mansion with Alyssa and Allison in tow, he explained the circumstances to Tilia. Moreover, he decided that they would create a workshop by reconstructing one of the towers surrounding the marquis’s mansion.

 

 

 

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Translation Notes: