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Monday, January 19, 2015

Souen no Historia Story 28 - What Eu Held

Souen no Historia

Story 28 - What Eu Held







Author
十本スイ


Translator
Endo


Edited by
GhostlyEditor






After the two were left alone, Ninthe was enthusiastic about teaching various things to the newly hired maid.
This was the first time that Ninthe had a junior, and on top of that, she was a girl younger than her. That’s why she thought she will definitely get along with Eu.

“Excuse me; can I call you Eu-chan?”
“Ah, uh…… okay.”
“Hooray! Then, you can call Ninthe any way you want.”
“Eh…… umm………… Ninthe-...... -san?”
“Mu~ that’s somehow feels too formal~. If possible, can you call Ninthe with -chan too?”

Ninthe had already forgotten that she told Eu to call her whatever she likes.

“Uu…… Ninthe-...... -chan.”
“Ehehe~, then let’s go.”

Ninthe smiled a blissful smile. However, when she reached to take Eu’s hand,

“D-Don’t!”

the hand drew back quickly. Ninthe was dumbfounded.

“Th-That is, sorry….”

Awa awa, Eu was panicking because the shocked Ninthe’s shoulders were drooping from the rejection.

“Ah, th-that’s not it…… that is, it doesn’t feel unpleasant…… uu.”

Though she desperately tried to make up an excuse, tears had already started forming in Ninthe’s eyes.

“Ara? What is wrong with the both of you?”

The mansion’s current master, Yoyo, happened to appear at this time. She walked with a beauty and grace that would catch the eye of anyone who saw her.

“Ah, Yoyo-sama….”
“Is Ninthe going to guide Eu around?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Nn? You’re not showing any vigor. Ah, Eu, that uniform suits you.”
“Au…… th-thank you.”

Sensing their behavior and the bad mood, Yoyo guessed that something had happened.

“About that….”

Ninthe moved her mouth painfully. Judging from their appearance, she observed that the two did not have a physical fight, so she decided to speak to them.

“Eu, are you displeased that Ninthe is your guide?”
“N-No…… I-I am not displeased by it…… however....”
“However?”
“.............”
“Look Eu, aren’t you here to work?”
“Th-That is so.”
“If so, the people in this mansion are your family.”
“...... fa-...... family? Eu’s?”

Eu’ jaws dropped. She stared in blank amazement. Yoyo chuckled then smiled.

“Ee, me, Souji, Ninthe, and everyone here is your family. That’s why, even if it is just a little, try to get close to us.”
“Family…… Eu’s family…… b-but if it is Eu, that will surely happen again…… -o…… so…… it isn’t good to touch Eu.”

Large drop of tears began to burst from her big eyes. Like Eu from a little while ago, a dumbfounded Ninthe was, awa awa, panicking as she didn’t know what to do.
Yoyo was calm,

“I understand. Then everyone will not touch you against your will.”
“...... re-...... ally?”
“Ee, you have your circumstances, right? However, I have one thing for you to remember. The people in this mansion, all of them have their own difficult circumstances. Even so, they’re able to keep smiling. Do you know why?”
“Uun.”
“That is because everyone is doing their best to survive.”
“.............”
“Didn’t you also say that you will work hard? Well, part of that work is getting to know this girl and everyone here.”

Yoyo gently patted Ninthe’s head.

“I am sure that you will soon understand that what’s troubling you is just a small matter.”

She said so with a smile, then Yoyo said, “Take care of the rest,” to Ninthe and left. Ninthe replied with considerable enthusiasm. Beside her, Eu’s expression was also somewhat relaxed.



After separating from Ninthe and Eu, Yoyo walked around a corner.

“That was splendid, Yoyo-ojousama.”
“Peeping is not good, Souji.”

Worried about Eu’s attitude towards other people, Souji had been at this corner since he left her and Ninthe alone.
He heard from a maid that when she was waiting for the interview, she’d keep a certain distance away from others and became more surprised and frightened than was normal when someone approached her. Additionally, there was also her reaction to him patting her head.

“However, Ojou-sama’s words allowed them to become closer together. Unlike before, they now have such a good atmosphere between them.”

Ninthe is now smiling through her explanations while Eu nods. The two are still somewhat distant, but they were definitely becoming closer.

“Even if I didn’t happen to pass by, you would have done something about it, right?”
“We don’t know whether it would have gone well.”
“Fufu, let’s just leave it at that.”

Then, Yoyo’s smile changed for a moment.

“Souji, for now let’s try to investigate Eu’s identity.”
“Is it okay?”
“There must be some reason for such a young girl to climb up onto the land alone. There is also the possibility that she is looking for her family. It will be the best to hear it from Eu herself, but trying to force it out would backfire.”
“It is as Ojou-sama said.”
“But if we keep waiting for her to talk, there’s the high possibility that her family or friends will think she was kidnapped or something then leave the ocean to search for her.”
“If so, there’ll be a commotion.”
“Yes, that’s why before that happens, we must find out the circumstances of her situation and contact her family if they are alive.”
“I understand. Then, I will quickly gather information. Did Ojou-sama notice anything?”

If she knew something useful, he could narrow the search range.

“I did, and though it is only a guess, doesn’t that girl belong to the Star jellyfish tribe?”
“Star jellyfish is indeed the tribe that lives at the nearest sea. I heard it is a peaceful tribe.”
“Ee, that girl figure, and that raiment. Both are characteristics of the Star jellyfish tribe.”
“Indeed. I will follow your command. I will investigate based on this information.”
“Do it quickly. If we leave these girls to that pervert, well at the very least I think it won’t become something big.”

At the place Yoyo was pointing, with her head sticking out, stood the head maid who was watching the two cute girls with excitement.

“............ though in a way, I will be fine if it becomes a big matter.”


Feeling a slight unease due to his mother’s dangerous behavior, Souji immediately went out to search information about Eu.

Souen no Historia Story 27 - Eu’s Special Skill Ability

Souen no Historia

Story 27 - Eu’s Special Skill Ability







Author
十本スイ


Translator
Endo


Edited by
GhostlyEditor






“Uh~ th-that’s, umm…… does it suit me?”
“Ee, it suits you very well.”
“Ah…… uh….”

The person who looked downward while blushing was Eu, the one who passed the interview from before. She will work as an accountant, but honestly Souji still feels uneasy about when he looks at the girl who’s height doesn’t even reach his waist.

The girl was currently in a maid uniform, and she looked lovely just like he said. However, she appeared even younger than Ninthe, so it was a mystery whether she could keep up with the work.

At the interview, she displayed an excellent ability before the interviewers. She instantaneously answered the mathematical question Yoyo read out, and Yoyo gave her a pass.
Yoyo had a reason as to why she asked such a question. While Eu was being interviewed, several documents on the desk fell beside Eu’s feet, and Eu kindly picked them up and handed them over to Souji. These actions took only few seconds.

And Eu immediately said, “Three, are wrong.” At the beginning he didn’t understand what she meant, but later he understood after he asked Yoyo.
Seven sheets were used for answering the calculation question of the interview. The question itself was answered by each of the accountant applicants. Four people took their time and answered correctly. Only four. The other three were all wrong.

Souji and the others knew whether it was right or not just by looking because they already knew the answer. That’s why there was no need for them to check them manually with a red marker. What that means is that only the question and its answer were written on the papers.
If these seven documents fell and four of them had the same answer, then there was a high probability that the other three were wrong, and the possibility of Eu guessing correctly would then be high.

However, only four sheets fell next to Eu. Within them, only one was right while the others were incorrect. That meant that all of them had different answers. That’s why when Eu’s responded that there were three wrong answers and one right one, it caught Yoyo’s attention. That resulted in her giving that question, and it was demonstrated that Eu had a calculating ability that couldn’t be beat by anyone.

There were basic arithmetic operations in this world, Orb. However, only people with high positions like nobles and great merchants received the advanced education that allowed them to do it, while the ones called commoners didn’t. However, Yoyo could do it.

A convenient thing like multiplication table doesn’t exist here, and not even the nobles touched the complex arithmetic operations.
That’s why, even if it was simple problem like addition and subtraction, Souji could not believe that the little girl could find the correct answer for calculating with more than five digits, not to mention that it was all performed inside her head.

“E-Excuse me, Eu?”
“Wh-What is it?”
“That is, did someone teach you the calculation methods?”

Of course even if someone taught her, mental calculation was still a surprising ability.

“That’s…… I played make-believe as a merchant…… with everyone…… though I am now alone…”

The atmosphere somehow turned dark, Souji was in panic as he had stumbled upon something he shouldn’t have touched.

“M-Merchant? Ah, s-so that is! My~ Eu is smart!”
“...... eh? Smart? Eu is?”
“Ee, I can’t even match Eu in calculating ability. That’s why Eu is smart.”
“Ah…… ehehe…… s-somehow I feel happy….”

The appearance of her loosening her cheeks and covering her mouth with her hands certainly had the power to stimulate his desire to protect, unlike Kaina.

“Then, about your work, do you understand what accounting is?”
“Accounting?... uun”
“Thought so~.”

As expected, the word accounting didn’t appear in children Merchant make-believe.

“It is the process concerning the finance and salary, but….”

Looking at Eu, she was quietly looking at him with an anxiousness that seems to express, “Eu can’t understand it at all.”

“Ah. Well, the work involves calculating money, and knowing the inventory of the mansion to know in detail if we have enough.”
“Inventory?”
“Ah~, for example, ingredients, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. Well, it is a necessity for the accountant to know the things necessary for daily life. Can you do it?”
“Un, I will do my best.”
“Ahaha, I see. Well then, it is also a necessity for you to tour the mansion for the first time, so please wait as the one in charge will come soon.”
“Eh! I-It’s not...... Onii-chan?”
“O-Onii-chan? W-Well, that way of calling makes me embarrassed though I am happy…… that’s not it, umm, I am very busy even if I look like this now as I have a lot of work to do. That’s why I prepared the perfect guide for Eu.”
“Uh~ perfect? N-Not a scary one, right?”
“Ee, a really cute girl.”

Then someone came towards them with loud footsteps.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Souji-sama!”

It was Ninthe. Her sudden appearance made Eu tremble in surprise, so Souji quietly patted Eu’s head to ease her.

“Ah…… eh…… no way….”

Souji spontaneously put away his hand.

“Heh? ‘No way?’” Ah, I am sorry to suddenly touch your head! Do you hate being patted?”
“U-Uun! That’s wrong! That’s, touching Eu is…… dangerous.”
“Heh? Dangerous?”
“But…… somehow it came out alright....”
“Souji-sama! To casually touch a girl’s head is a nono!”
“I-I am sorry, Ninthe. I will keep it in mind!”
“That’s good! After all, hair is a girl’s life. That’s why it is a nono to casually touch it. This is what Kaina-sama taught me!”

Ninthe puffed out her chest with ehhem-like feeling. He wasn’t thinking of blaming his mother while he was obediently apologizing because this was the one time that what Ninthe said was correct.

“Then, I will leave it to you, Ninthe.”
“Yes! Please leave it to her senior!”

It looks like she was happy to have a junior from her, Mufufu~, giggling. She tried to extrude an air of seniority. Souji inadvertently smiled after seeing her so elated.
When he tried to leave waving goodbye, he felt something pulling on his clothes; it was Eu he saw when he turned around.

“Excuse me…… is something wrong?”
“Th-That’s……n-name.”
“Eh? Ah, aah, introductions huh. Now that you mention it, we still haven’t introduced ourselves?”

He recalled that he had forgotten to introduce himself because he was so busy.

“Though there will be a welcoming party soon, well I am this mansion’s head butler, Souji Alkasha. Please take care of me from now on.”
“Even if it is called head butler, Souji-sama is the only butler here.”
“Ninthe, don’t cut into a conversation.”
“Ahaha, sorry. Next is Ninthe. Ninthe is Ninthe. Though Ninthe is still a novice maid, best regards.”

Her radiant smile well suited her.

“U-Umm I am…… Eu…… Eu Sophia.”

Maybe because she was unaccustomed to introducing herself, she introduced herself while looking down with flushed cheeks.

“Fuwa~ what a cute girl~.”

Ninthe smiled as she was also defeated by Eu’s cuteness. Souji realized something and turned around. …… but no one was there.

(No, this is-!?)

He strained his ears and heard a person’s breath that sounded as if they had dashed for 100 meters from the other side of the wall.

“...... Ninthe.”
“What is it?”
“I will just say one thing.”
“O-Okay.”

Ninthe gulped due to Souji’s seriousness.

“Listen, if you encounter a red-haired, perverted maid, shout immediately, okay?”
“Eh, th-that is….”
“Understand!?”
“Y-Yess!”
“Okay, that is a good reply. Then, please take care of her.”

Then he once again turned to face the wall but,

(Tch, judging from the presence, looks like she had escaped….)

Souji thought about what would happen if he didn’t subjugate the elusive monster. Then he waved his hand again and left the place.

  1. Why did he wave his hand?

Souen no Historia Story 26 - A Young Interviewee

Souen no Historia

Story 26 - A Young Interviewee







Author
十本スイ


Translator
Endo


Edited by
GhostlyEditor






Although Souji was surprised when the first interviewee was hired, after interviewing a few more, the rest did not have talents that were judged to be suitable by Yoyo and they were all rejected.
When an Ikemen appeared, Kaina said, “Ara, an ikemen!” and her cheeks loosened. Yoyo however didn’t judge from the face and performed the same question-answer session which resulted with the ikemen immediate rejection. It was a secret that Souji felt good when he saw the ikemen’s depressed face.

“How many are left?”
“Hmm, according to this information…… only one left.”
“Well, hiring is not restricted to today only ~, so isn’t it an okay even if we only found one person?”

Souji shrugged his shoulders when Kaina said that.

“Mother, please say that after we are done interviewing the final person.”
“Ah, sor~ry. I slipped that out because current flow made it seem like it’s decided already~.”
“Good grief…… next person, please.”

When the last person entered the room, all three of them were taken aback. Anyone would have had the same reaction. The one who walked in was barefooted, pechi pechi, had a strange appearance, ―――――――――――― and was a little girl.

“...... e-excuse me…… that is…… I should give up after all!”

The girl said that and tried to leave only to be called back by Souji. Thus the girl halted and turned towards Souji. She blushed and said, “Uh~.”

“F-For the time being, please sit in that chair. Okay?”

He was perplexed about whether to be formal, but in the last statement he displayed his radiant smile to make the girl feel at ease. The girl’s eyes wandered around suspiciously. She nodded and sat in the chair.

Even though they had interviewed many “unique” people, this girl was the most extreme. She wore clothes with shells attached to it and wore transparent raiment over her head. Moreover her expression that just like how a lost puppy was accentuated by her bare feet.

(I certainly told them to let in any applicant, but there should be a limit….)

Regardless, Yoyo said she wanted to see all of the interviewees, so Souji told the maids to let in anyone that had come, but he wondered about such a girl.

“Umm, for the time being, may I hear your name?”

Though there was awkwardness, it was necessary to continue the interview. When Souji said that, the girl twitched and had a frightened expression, with her mouth trembling.

“I-I am here…… that is…… because I hear can live here….”
“Eh? Living here? Ah~ well, if you are accepted you can work as a live-in employee because there are excess rooms in this mansion.”
“I-Is it really okay for Eu to live here?”

The girl’s eyes were filled with a tiny hope for the first time.

“Eu? Is that your name? Umm, there should be no problem for you to stay here if you are hired.”

He said so with as gentle tone as he could muster to the girl with a radiant smile, but then a shadow immediately formed in her expression.

“Uu…… but, but, what can Eu do?”
“Huh?”

He received a shock because he was the one being questioned, and he looked at Kaina for help, but her eyes glittered in excitement.

Ah, that symptom is the one where she wants to hug the girl due to how cute she is.

Therefore Kaina was useless, so he looked at Yoyo. Yoyo was gazing at the girl called Eu with seriousness. Then Yoyo began to speak.

“Hey, you, are you from the Aquatic race?”
“Eh, ah, it is so.”

Aquatic race? Though the transparent feeling coming from Eu is certainly a trait of the Aquatic race, why did she leave the sea and come on to the land? Moreover, I can’t guess the reason she wants to live in this mansion.

“Basically, the Aquatic race lives in the sea, and I heard they can easily obtain food and dwellings there. So why did you come on to land?”

As expected, Yoyo was also intrigued by this question and asked the same thing Souji was thinking of. Eu shoulders drooped and a tearful expression can be seen on her face.

“Eu is…… Eu is…… even Eu didn’t want that…… but…… sniff.”
“It’s okay. You don’t need to say it if you don’t want to.”
“Eh? Is that okay, Ojou-sama?”
“Souji, how can you easily stick your head into a woman’s problem?”
“...... haa.”

He could not say that rather than a woman she was just a little girl. Yoyo ignored the puzzled Souji and continued.

“Well then, let me change the question. Are you alone?”
“Uh…… that is right.”
“Then, can I interpret that you came here because you are looking for a place to live in?”

From what Eu said, when she wandered around in town, she saw one of the leaflets that were pasted on the wall, and she was charmed by what was written and about the possibility to live in the mansion.

Apparently, after she came on land several days ago, she wandered around because she didn’t know what to do, and she was hungry. Although she asked for food in the town, she was refused as she didn’t have any money.
She asked how could she earned money and naturally was answered that she needed to work. And the girl, who thought she could not live on land without doing that, wondered how she could work, and she saw the leaflet when she walked in the town.

“I see. I understand your situation now. But we are not offering a charity here. And even if we thought of doing that right now, you will surely come upon the same wall later and return to the sea. You don’t want that, right?”
“To return to the sea…… I don’t want to.”

She said those words strongly and clenched her fists. Yoyo could guess that something might have happened in the sea, but just as Yoyo said before, she should not easily meddle in it.

“However it was just like I had said before, we are not offering a charity. We won’t look after someone without any capabilities in this mansion.”

What Yoyo said was obvious, but probably because she witnessed the severity her words, Eu once again had a tearful expression.
Souji, who’s weak towards such an expression, was driven by the impulse of wanting to do something, but he knew in his current position he must not doing anything that selfish. All decisions rested on Yoyo’s shoulders.

“...... I see, then I wonder what can you do?”
“...... eh?”
“Tell me about yourself. I will decide whether to hire you or not after that.”
“Uh, that’s…… I am not being driven out?”
“Ara? I don’t see any reason to drive you out because I still haven’t heard anything about yourself.”
“But, I was immediately told to get out when I asked for a job before.”

That was natural. No one would want to hire an obviously suspicious-looking little girl.

“Is that so? However I won’t do such a foolish thing. After all appearances are a trivial thing.”

That’s right, Yoyo was such a person.

“What important is whether that person can serve under me or not.”

What she meant was everything depended on the person’s ability.

“And of course the personality is also important.”

Eu became dumbfounded when she heard Yoyo’s words.

“That’s why tell me about yourself. The things that you are capable of.”
“The thing Eu…… can do….”

Her figure as she groaned, U~n, and inclined her head to think was so adorable. Souji felt Kaina panting “Haa Haa,” beside him as an annoyance.

I wonder since when…… did mother become this dangerous….

He felt tears accumulating in his eyes while he waited for Eu to open her mouth. Then, a wind from the window blew several documents from the desk towards Eu’s feet. Eu got off the seat with an, “okay,” picked up the papers, and brought it to Souji.

“Thank you very much, Eu-san.”
“Ah, th-that is…… j-just Eu is fine.”

When she received his gratitude, Eu looked down due to her face becoming completely red due to embarrassment. Seeing such a fresh reaction, he could hear a voice that was just like the breath of a dog in heat.

“Eh? Ah, wh-what are you doing, Souji!”

Kaina was lifted and carried like a cat, and thrown outside with the door closing behind her. Of course he locked it too.

“Aah geez! What is with thiss~! Please open itt!”

That could not be done. It was for the sake of his master’s virtue as a girl. Souji returned to his seat as if nothing had happened, though the shouts from outside could still be heard.

“Aa, please don’t mind it. It is best to ignore that.”
“Eh, ah, is…… that so?”

Though Eu restlessly looked at the door, she slowly sat again on the chair. Eu not very sneakily glanced at the documents on the desk.

“What’s wrong? Aah, these? These are the documents used for the interview….”
“I think that is wrong?”
“...... heh?”

He could not understood what she suddenly said and,

“Umm, what do you mean?”
“Those, some are wrong.”
“Those… these documents?”

What Eu pointed at was unmistakably the documents that previously fell at her feet. And now Yoyo sharply narrowed her eyes.

“Can you tell us what is wrong?”
“That’s…… umm, not all of them…… there are three that are wrong.”

Realizing something, Yoyo said, “Let me see the documents, Souji,” and Souji responded by handing over the documents on the table to her. Following that, Yoyo seriously looked over them, and then returned her eyes to Eu.

“...... nee, did you say your name was Eu?”
“Y-Yes.”

Because Yoyo was staring at her, Eu was puzzled.

“I will make a question and you will answer it.”
“O-Okay.”
“Ojou-sama?”
“Be silent, Souji.”
“C-Certainly.”

Souji kept silent as he felt that she was serious. Yoyo took out her pen, began to write something on the paper, and then proceeded to read it out when she finished the writing.

“This is the question. Currently, there are five employees in the mansion. The salary is paid every month, one person is 148,000 Dras, another one is 122,000 Dras, next is 237,000 Dras, then 86,590 Dras, and the last one is 245,700 Dras.”

Dras was the currency in Orb. Basically it was at the same value as Japanese yen.

“The first three people have a 20% increase due to hazard pay. Moreover, 15,000 Dras was given to all five of them as a bonus. Now, how much total salaries have these five received?”

Apparently, she was writing the question on the paper, and by no means was it a difficult question. A similar problem was also written on the documents from before and given to the applicants that wanted to be accountants to solve within a time limit.
However no one gave a satisfying result. Almost everyone took too much time to calculate it, and within them were people that got the answer wrong.

It would be reasonable to hand over the paper and let her slowly think about it, however to have her answer it with only a listen was indeed too cruel but,

“It is 1,024,690.”

………… come again?

Souji stared at Eu who promptly answered without any hesitation. However, Yoyo giggled and,

“Fufufu, Souji, this is good. We found the best accountant.”
“Eh? O-Ojou-sama, don’t tell me that answer...?”
“Yes, this girl is the real deal.”

  1. I wonder what it implies when someone’s cheeks become loose. Is it awe?
  2. Souji is such an asshole. He feels happy for the misfortune of others.
  3. The author must really have something against popular guys since he always chooses to give the ikemen the worst possible image.
  4. And how is Souji not an ikemen. Wait it all makes sense now. He hated the other ikemen because he didn’t want any competition!
  5. ?????
  6. How does Kaina lusting after Eu affect Yoyo’s “virtue as a girl?”
  7. All these Japanese novels I read recently about going to a different world, they always tell you the exchange rate. That makes no sense. I don’t expect one person to be able to easily calculate the exchange rate. But when it is not even a connected economy, all costs would be completely different and the exchange rate is meaningless. How did he determine such a thing? Why is a Yen equal to a Dra? Did he compare how much coffee a Yen would buy versus a Dra? But then maybe coffee is unusually expensive because you would have to transport it slowly with horse drawn carriages instead of fast ships or planes. However, a sword might be cheaper since they would make so many of them. If coffee is priced at 1000 Dras and 1000 yen, and swords cost 5000 Dras but 20000 Yen, then what is the exchange rate? With no basis of comparison, these exchange rates are always dubious. Besides, this is only how one would infer the exchange rate. The actual exchange rate is calculated from differentials in inflation, interest rates, public debts, terms of trade, and other factors, none of which Souji is likely to know and isn’t even worth the effort to calculate since he has no plans to return or trade with Japan. It always annoys me so much when an author says something like this because it means he either doesn’t know how exchange rates work or think the readers are stupid. An easy method to avoid this would have been to write something like “these salaries are ten times what a normal person makes” or “buying this would take a month’s salary.”

Souen no Historia Story 25 - Shorthanded

Souen no Historia

Story 25 - Shorthanded







Author
十本スイ


Translator
Endo


Edited by
GhostlyEditor






―――――――――――――――――――― I don’t need this power!
That is my only wish. I won’t wish anything but that. That’s why God ―――――――――― please grant this wish of mine.
To be alone ―――――――――――――――――――― I don’t want it anymore!



The bottom of the cold, dark sea. Different from the shining surface that sparkled as it baths in sunlight, everything is shrouded in darkness.
No life can be felt here, but that is a mistake. There are numerous creatures inhabiting the deep sea. Marine animals that could endure the pressure of the deep sea.

Within them, the Blade Shark with its big jaws and sharp, blade-like figure was the predator of all living things in the deep sea and thus is crowned as the King. No matter how big a fish it ate, its appetite only calmed for a few second for it had unparalleled appetite and ferocity.

And now a strange light was right before the Blade Shark in this deep sea. There was only one thing it would do when it found its prey. It straightened its body and swayed left and right to prepare its attack.
It rushed and opened its wide mouth towards the small mass that was sunk at the bottom of the sea. It advanced at the speed that was impossible underwater and the mass would enter its mouth in a moment… or so it thought.

―――――――――――――――――――― BACHIBACHIh!

Despite being under the sea, an electrical discharge phenomenon was generated from the mass. It was a faint light that looked like very weak static electricity.
It moved straight and contacted the Blade Shark’s body. However, the Blade Shark didn’t notice it as it was just like a mosquito bite and it kept advancing, but at the moment its wide mouth was about to touch the mass――――――――――

―――――――――――――――――――― PIKIiiih!

The Blade Shark, with its mouth wide open, suddenly hardened like a stone. It was not a metaphor. It literally hardened. Even its sturdy body was changed into rock and rolled into the bottom of the sea.
The small mass rustled and a face appeared out of it. It seemed the body had been completely wrapped in seaweed.

“Uh~ I am sorry… but to be attacked all of a sudden is something beyond me.”

The young face distorted in sadness. Her face was just like that of a ten year old girl. Skin that was as if it was transparent with pure, innocent eyes. The yellow-green hair was styled into short cut, but it was swaying in the sea.

In addition, her clothes had shells attached to it and she wore a transparent beautiful raiment on her head that moved and swayed like waves.

“This is the third time today….”

If one looked carefully, in a location slightly away from the girl lay fish that similarly had turned into stones.
Tears flowed as the girl gazed towards the surface of the water.
She reminisced for a while, and a curiosity sprang inside her.

“I wonder … can the land cure this…?”

She lost her friends and family because of her condition. She recalled that she must not let anyone come close to her because she didn’t want to experience it again.
Without approaching anyone … no one would be hurt if she was always alone. No one would like the Blade Shark from before the girl believed.

Even so, she was still a child after all. The loneliness had broken her heart. When she thought the sea was not the place where she belongs to, she had a slight hope that there’d be a place for her on the land, an inevitable wish.

As if manipulated by something, the girl swam towards the surface. She desperately stretched out her hands as if trying to grasp something and her body was launched towards the light.



Souji Alkasha was a reincarnated person. Originally, he was Japanese and lived by the name Asakura Souji, but he noticed a female student about to fall off a roof as he was walking up the stairs. As he tried to save her, they both fell off. Next thing he knew, he had already been reborn as a baby in this world, named Orb.

Inside this fantasy world where magic and races other than human exist, Souji became the butler that he had always yearned to be and the joyous fact that he was capable of using magic made it so that his life has been smooth sailing since then on.

However he shrunk back as the duty of a butler was far more than what he thought when he was in Japan.

“Haa, I will be able to deal with the things here after I hand over this document to Ojou-sama. Furthermore, this…”

With such a mood, Souji frantically arranged the mountain of documents, but this was not originally a duty for a butler. No, even if it was a butler’s, it was not something to be done alone.

“U~n, as expected I can’t finish it alone.”

Naturally, Souji’s jobs wasn’t not only this one, there were also taking care the personal needs of the current master, Yoyo Yatsugi Crowtail, and her requests, and confirming the employees’ jobs and calculating their wages. Furthermore, it would make one faint to think about if the housework, work on kitchen garden, etc. were also included.
Though he somehow makes it through with the maids’ help, there were some that always dragged on to the next day. Actually, recently the obstacle became harder to overcome because several maids had resigned due to family circumstances.
As was expected, Ninthe and even his mother, Kaina, who’s usually lazing around, were also busy.

“Should I hire capable people or educate the current employees… u~n.”

Souji basically wanted to focus on housework and serving Yoyo. If possible he wanted to let the maids take care of the other things, but that was truly inefficient as in fact some things might be misplaced, and in addition Souji would be more certain if he did it himself.

If so, should he hire specialists that could do the jobs, or should he educated the current employees? But time would be necessary for the education and Souji didn’t have time to spare during such a busy period.
Besides, it was necessary to be patient for those to finish with the education. Then, there was only one answer.

“Hiring capable people, is it? I should ask Ojou-sama for permission.”

Souji, crack crack, moved his shoulders and went out of his room. His destination was Yoyo’s room.
When he met Yoyo, he explained the present situation and the proposal that he just thought of.

“I see, you certainly will die due to overworking if this keeps up.”
“Haha, please don’t laugh at that, Yoyo-ojousama.”
“Fufu, I know. Well then, let’s issue an official notice. Offer suitable salary for the competent ones, and I don’t mind if they live here because there are empty rooms.”
“Certainly.”

Souji made recruitment leaflets and distributed them into the town that same day. The details for recruitment were that they were looking for people good in accounting or gardening.
The recruitment of accountants was especially urgent, at the very least two people were needed.
There was also the case where several maids had left so it would be hitting two birds with one stone if they also have the ability to do maid work, but he didn’t really expect it.
Besides, Kaina had worked reliably due to the situation, so Souji thought it was fine as it is.

Having finished distributing the leaflets, the results were known the next day. And a considerable number of people came to the mansion for interviews.
The interviewers were Yoyo, Souji, and somehow Kaina got included. At the time she asked whether she was trying to slack off again, Kaina exclaimed an odd motivation as she said, “It is unbelievable if I am not participating in such an amusing event!”

Because he also wanted to judge their ability as maids, he decided to allow Kaina who was the head maid to take a seat. The drawing room was used, and the interview would be done one by one.

“Well then, please enter.”

The one who entered the room was a tanned man in his late 30’s. With his head wrapped in a bandana, along with a running shirt and short pants, his appearance was quite rough for someone coming for an interview.
Though the clothes weren’t specified, the excessively casual man made them smile bitterly.

“Th-Then, please introduce yourself.”

With Souji urging him, the man smiled with his white teeth shown and,

“I am Demick Lannerway! You can understand my specialty just by looking, right?”

Though Souji could see what he suggested,

“No, I don’t understand, so what is it?”
“How rude. Can you still not understand after seeing these bursting muscles?”

He boasted while his log-like arm that wore muscular armor twitched.

“... do you want to be a gardener?”
“No, the accountant.”
“The heck is that! Ah, s-sorry….”

He unintentionally forgot himself and became the straight man. After all, gardeners needed physical strength as they worked even in a hot day. Furthermore, gardening was not only that, it was written in the leaflets that the work including the farming, so physical labor was a necessity.

That was why Souji judged that those muscles would help as a gardener.

“Buhahaha! That’s a good one; you play the straight man well! Don’t worry, I wish to be the gardener!”
“... excuse me, but do you understand that this is an interview?”
“Hah? Isn’t that an of course? I came here for that after all.”

Then don’t make fun of the interviewer! Although he wanted to shout that out loud, he only let out a cough.

“Then you want to be the gardener and of course you have experience for it, right?”
“Aa, even like this, I have appeared in Gardening Fiesta.”
“Hee, did you mean the tournament to decide the number one gardener that’s held once a year in the central continent?”

Central continent a.k.a. Ougon was the location of the palace where the Emperor lived, and a lot of tournaments were held there every year. One of them was the Gardening Fiesta.
Famous gardeners from all over the world gathered and competed with their abilities. And the winner was given a chance to be employed as the palace gardener.

“That event certainly only has around 100 participant. Isn’t that mean you have quite the ability to be chosen as one of the 100?”
“Buhaha! No need for the praise! It makes me embarrassed! Ah, but, regrettably I didn’t win the tournament, you know?”
“I can tell. After all, the winner can work in the palace, so there’s no way the winner would purposely come to the East continent just to serve in a humble noble’s mansion.”
“Ara, Souji, sorry that it’s just a humble mansion.”

Though she wasn’t angry, Souji straightened his back due to his verbal slipup.

“Please pardon me, Yoyo-ojousama.”
“Fufu, it is okay. Anyway, why do you want to work here?”
“Ah? That is of course because I liked the garden when I took a glance at it, you know?”
“That so, then you are hired.”
“Wa-, Ojou-sama!?”

He could not help but to be surprised. Though he also thought of hiring him, he was aghast because Yoyo decided that just after a few minutes of conversation.
Frankly, the only reason he could think of for hiring him was that he appeared in the Gardening Fiesta. However, he still didn’t know whether that was the truth.

Simply put, there’s also the possibility she was just jumping the gun by hiring him. He certainly looked capable, but Souji still thought it was too much to promptly decide to hire him.
Not only Souji, Demick had similar thoughts and became slack jawed.

“Is something the matter, Souji?”
“W-Well, if I am allowed to speak. Even if he is said to be hired, he is still the first interviewee. Isn’t there’s the possibility that there are other more capable people?”
“Ara, if so then it won’t be a problem to hire them too.”
“Uh… though that is correct, but…”
“... do you want to hear why I made a prompt decision?”
“C-Certainly.”

The others also wanted to hear it. Yoyo, with her beautiful smile, started to speak.

“It is because he said he likes the garden.”
“... come again?”
“I questioned him. About the reason he chose this mansion. And he said he liked the garden after he glanced at it. That’s why I decided to hire him. Understand now?”

Silence covered the room. Apparently, rather than his capability, her passing criterion was if he liked the garden.
Though he wanted to say a lot of things in response, Yoyo was the master of this mansion, so he gave up as he thought it was futile to object to her decision.

“I understand. Then Demick-san, please ask the maids about the details of your work.”
“Eh, ah, that’s, is it really okay to hire me? Of course I am happy. But as expected, I never thought it can be decided easily like this.”
“The answer is yes, so work hard. After all you will immediately be dismissed if you work half-heartedly.”

After receiving Yoyo’s words, Demick scratched his uniform short haired head and grinned.

“Okay then, little miss! I will take care of the garden so that it will be the best no matter who sees it.”
“Fufu, I will expect that. Ah, also because you are going to work for me, bear in mind to use honorifics when you speak even if it is a clumsy one, especially when you are in public.”
“‘nstood! Ah, no, I understand, Master!”

He gave a thumbs-up in acknowledgement, and then was lead out of the room by a maid.

  1. LOL it was originally “half-assedly.” Imagine a stereotypical Japanese ojousama saying that!