I let Hetty go back to town by herself, and Marina and I decided to stay at the mansion. I promised to meet you at the inn tomorrow morning, and I think we're done for the day. We have to do what we have to do on our own.

　First of all, we have to install the key to the mirror room before construction can begin, but that room has a key inside ...... which means it's an internal lock. It's fine while I'm over there, but it has to be properly locked ...... while I'm over here. It's not a joke that my family and I have to be on the other side of the world.

　I'm going to make Marina wait in her room for the time being, and once I return to the other side, I'm going to go get a thank-you gift for Shero-san that I hadn't given her yet. It's a thank you for all the help you gave me when I was competing with Efta to give the mayor a gift. I gave Rebecca a garnet ring as a thank-you gift, and I also gave Shero a bottle of sake. This time I chose sake, and I already bought it.
　If I give it to him, I can go to Shero's house, leave Marina there, and return to the house, then I'll have half a day's work to do.

　So I quickly returned with a bottle of sake and headed for the Sheroes' house with Marina. It took us about 20 minutes to walk straight from the mansion. With a horse, it's really only far enough away to get there in a few minutes. It's a mansion in the middle of the woods like that, but it's reassuring to know that the people I know are immediate neighbors.

　Rebecca-san was just out front hanging out the laundry. She was back to her usual rough, everyday clothes today after being dressed up the other day. As you run up to her, she notices you and waves at you. The other day's outfit is good, but a boy can't help but be comforted by his sister in a casual, homely outfit.

What's up today?　Do you miss me?

'Of course, that's part of it, but I hadn't yet thanked Mr. Shero for his help the other day, so...'

Oh my. You didn't have to be so careful. I'm on a hunting trip right now, but I'm sure you'll be back in a little while.　You want to wait inside?　By the way, what happened to the other slave girl today?

"Deanna is out for a little while today because of the day of the elf thing or something. And I have to go back to the house for a bit too, so ......, would you mind if I waited here for Marina alone?

'I don't mind that, but ......, are you sure?　I didn't take her with me. You bought her to protect you, didn't you?

'It's right there in the mansion, and Marina won't be useful as an escort yet, so ....... Ah, yes. I'd like to ask Shero-san and Rebecca to teach me how to fight at some point, if that's okay with you?

'What?　Yeah. Okay, but I'm tough, okay?

　If it's too tough, I'm afraid I'll fall behind, but it's my life on the line. I don't know how effective a swordsman's vocation is, but I'd like to start training little by little. I haven't even procured a weapon yet, though.

　I leave the drinks to Marina for now and return to the mansion. I have to go back while there's still daylight, so I don't have much time for every single thing. This time I have to go back to Shero-san's house to say hello, collect Marina and go back to the inn as well, so it's safer to be back at about 2:30 .......





　◇◆◆◆◆◆.





　I used the internet banking system to confirm the payment of the recent successful bids. Fortunately, all the money had been paid in, so all I had to do now was to ship it out.
　I spent quite a bit of money on the game with Efta, so I'm happy with this payment. I have a life, I bought a slave, and from now on, I'll have to earn money by selling items on NetOkku on a regular basis. I'm planning to live on my own sooner or later. ......
　But, well, that will all have to wait until after the new year. It's a bit of a hassle to ship and confirm payments during the New Year.

　I pack the items into the car and leave the house. I shipped the items from the post office and went to the home improvement store.

　I was expecting the key to fit the mirrored room to look like a heavy Japanese lock, but of course they don't sell such a thing, so I bought the biggest padlock I could find, with thick screws and stays. To be honest, it's not very good, but for the time being, I don't mind.
　I also bought a few other things that I thought would be sold at the flea market, and then went to a few other shops before returning home. The next step was to install the lock.

　I took the tools from the warehouse and installed the lock on the door of the mirror room.
　Fortunately, the door and the frame of the door are made of wood, so I was able to install the key easily. Well, that's about it for now.
　After that, I went around the mansion slowly. Actually, I didn't check the details yet. If I actually live there, I'll need a simulation of life in my brain.

　The size of the mansion is 3 bedrooms, and the rooms are about 12 tatami mats in size, and two 8 tatami mats in size. And there are two small rooms, which are probably storage rooms.
　If we're going to have one room per person, I could make the largest room my room and assign the 8-mat room to Deanna Marina, but I wonder if I'll need my own room when I can get to my room in Japan.
　Or I could make the 12-mat room for Deanna and Marina, and one of the 8-mat rooms for me, and the rest for the guest room. And the rest as a guest room, which would be nice.

　I think the living room is fairly large, about 15 tatami mats. The living room is about 15 tatami in size, with a large table and a flower stand, and the flooring is made of beautiful precious wood. It's small, but there's also a fireplace, and it would be a relaxing space if we put a sofa in there. I'll get one next time.

　In the dining room, or rather the kitchen, the most noticeable thing is the stone oven. It's the kind of thing you can see in a restaurant or bakery that serves a real pizza. If we baked pizza in that oven, it would be delicious, wouldn't it?

　The bathroom, which has a wood-heated stone bath, is quite large, probably about 4 tatami in size. And then there is a toilet (a metal toilet with no lid) and a western style toilet. There is a well and a stall outside. The well and the stables are half-rotten, though.

　The rest is a mirror room in the basement. Maybe I can use this room for my own storage, I don't know. Since there is nothing in here but mirrors, it would be good to store wine. It would be a good place to store wine.

　Finally, there is an attic in the place that I have not checked yet, but I am pressed for time, and I will save this for tomorrow. It's dusty, so I'll just have a contractor come in and check it out myself from the back, already.

　When I returned to Mr. Shero's house after finishing my errands, I found Marina teaching Rebecca how to ride.
　Marina's calling is to be a "knight", you know. I wonder if Marina asked Rebecca-san to teach her. I'll ask her to teach me too next time.
　Marina seems to be quite focused and doesn't seem to have noticed me coming back. She can't seem to run her horse yet, but she can at least walk her horse by herself.

　When the horse walks, her tits shake.

　When a horse walks, her tits shake.

　...... Let's just watch this for a while.


　After a few minutes, it became a break, so I call out to the horse.


Good job Marina, you're really good at this. I'm going to be able to learn from Marina if she keeps up like that.

Oh, my Lord, welcome back. I was learning to ride a horse because Tycho said he would teach me. It's very fun to ride a horse!

　Well, that's good to know.
　I mean, which one is Tycho?　I think it's Rebecca. Did I call her that?

You were in the same room with me when I stayed at the inn, remember?　We talked about a lot of 'stories' at that time. And then for some reason I called him captain, that boy.

A "story," huh? ....... I don't know why it brings up scary images, but I guess it's just my imagination.

　While thanking Marina for teaching me to ride, I pick up a bottle of sake that she left with me and give it to Shero-san, who was returning home, as a thank you for the other day.
　'Sake!' And, as expected, Shero is happy to see me. He's a real drinker, isn't he?
　Well, I'm done with my business, and I should get home.


Rebecca, I'd like to stay a little longer, but I have to get back to the inn before it gets dark, so I'll go home now. Thank you for looking after Marina today.

Oh, you're leaving?　You could stay the night if you wanted.

'It's a tempting proposition, but Deanna should be back at the inn, and I'm meeting Efta's deputy at the inn tomorrow morning, so I have to leave today. ...... I'll be stopping by again in the next day or so.

I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to follow you.

'What?　What?





　◇◆◆◆◇





　And then the three of us came back to the inn in good company. How did that happen?

　When Rebecca said, "Well, I'm going to be going," she left with me, but Shero looked away with a normal smile. I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Is this normal in terms of otherworldly quality?
　It's just like going out for a drink with a friend: ...... It's just a matter of having dinner together with them, but it's still .......

　It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to get away with it. She bowed her head to me and said thank you for today. She was red in the face this morning, but she's normal now. I don't know, but I guess I'm refreshed.

　Then we all ate dinner together, had a few drinks and slept in separate rooms. I guess I'll have to leave the erotic events until the mansion is ready.


　The next morning when we all went down to the lobby, Hetty was already there, waiting in the lounge, sipping tea. I guess I made her wait. You should have said a word to her.


Good morning, Miss Hetty. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

'Good morning, Jiro. I've just arrived too.

　Hetty stands up and greets me gracefully, saying, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do. Today, she's dressed in the same maid's uniform as yesterday, but she has a grace that makes it hard to believe she's a servant.

　Come to think of it, this is the first time Deanna and Rebecca-san have met, and when I turned around to introduce them, Rebecca-san leaned forward with great interest.


'Nice to meet you. I'm Rebecca ......, huh?　Hetty?

'What?　Well, well, well. It's not Becky. ............ You're alive. I'm sure of it.

'That's my line!　In general, you were even called Farley's War Maiden, so how come you're a maid of honor?

It's what it's called: ....... I'm changing jobs at .......

Hetty's vocation is to be a maid of honor, and you've got three fighting types lined up in a row, so how can you be a maid?　Don't you think you'll break all the dishes you wash?

'Excuse me. If you have a background as good as mine, you can do most things even if you don't have a vocation! If you say so, even Becky is ....... ...... Becky, I never thought I'd see you here, but what are you doing now?　...... I've heard about Isaac through the grapevine, but ......

'I'm no longer a ...... mercenary. The group was disbanded when the leader died. I'm living here now, slaying monsters and such.

Alone?　I'm sorry about the Commander, but you're still so young.

Stop, Hetty. And it's mutual.

............ Hmmm. Well, I'm not going to pry, though.

　Then we both look at me.
　I can't think straight because of the sudden turn of events, but I wonder if they are acquaintances from their mercenary days. They seem to be good friends, but I wonder if they are friends.
　By the way, Hetty-san War Maiden is ...... and I'm curious about her previous job. ......


'So you two knew each other? I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell, how about tonight?　A drink.

　Old man or I am .......
　But I'm interested in the story of Rebecca's time as a mercenary, and I'm also interested in Hetty's past. I can't help it.


You know ....... I'm sure we know each other very well. Well, it's good to talk about the past once in a while...

'An old story is ....... I'm sure it's not that long ago.

　He seemed to get into it, so we promised to have dinner together. I thought it would be better to eat at the inn, but Hetty-san offered to take us to a restaurant she recommended, so we asked her.

　Afterwards, Hetty said hello to Deanna, but it seemed we hadn't seen each other before, and she said it was nice to meet you. I thought we knew each other, but that wasn't the case, was it?
　Well, that's just the way it goes.