EX: Tifaleeza
Work is suffering. That’s what I thought in my old hometown, at least. But the Echigoya Company is different. Here I have a job worth doing, colleagues I respect, and most of all, Lord Kuro…
“Tifaleeza, we’ve finished interviewing the factory workers. What should I do with these documents?”
As I was sorting paperwork in the Echigoya Company office, Merina brought in a stack of papers.
“Leave them there, please. I’ll sort them by name and specialization, then pass them on.”
“I can sort them if you want?”
“No, it’s all right. I’d like to draw up a list to attach so that it’ll be less work for the manager.”
“Wow, you’re really thorough, Tifaleeza. No wonder Elu depends on you so much.”
Referring to Eluterina by a nickname, Merina patted my shoulder and left the room.
I looked over the documents, which contained neat lists of information and important points from the interviews.
The Echigoya Company’s top brass all studied at the royal academy in the royal capital, so they were far more talented than their gaudy appearance might imply.
“Tifaleeza, we’ve secured a jeweler and an engraver.”
While I was sorting through the interview documents, Louna, a small-statured noblewoman riding on a stone wolf, came into the room next.
“Do you mind taking care of the contracts?”
She handed me some papers, still attached to a clipboard.
From a glance at their credentials, the jeweler and engraver both seemed to meet all our requirements.
Though Louna looked like a child, she actually excelled at sweet-talking moody artisans.
As unsociable as I am, I had to envy her talent.
“Certainly. Is it all right if I pass them on straight to the manager once I’ve drawn them up?”
“Yes, please.”
With that, she rode the stone wolf out of the room, gleefully declaring, “Work is over! Snack time now!”
I smiled a little to myself.
I did have a tendency to work without taking any breaks, so I could probably stand to learn from her example.
“All right, just a little longer…”
While I kept working away at the documents that continued to pile up, the sun began to set, the room growing dark.
Just as I was questioning whether to charge the stone-based candlestick with magic to get some light, a gentle wind drifted into the room.
“…You’ll strain your eyes.”
At the same time, the room suddenly grew brighter.
It was Lord Kuro.
Though his tone was a little cold, he was a kind man who was constantly looking after us.
Before I peered from behind the mountains of paperwork, I quickly checked my reflection in a hand mirror and fixed my hair.
“Welcome back, Lord Kuro.”
I stood to great him.
I would’ve liked to welcome him with a warm smile like Eluterina and the others, but that was simply too tall of an order for someone like me.
Cursing myself silently for always being so businesslike, I retrieved some documents from a drawer.
“Hmm. Tifaleeza, you look a little pale. Are you taking enough breaks?”
“…Yes.”
I’m sorry. That was a lie.
I didn’t want to worry Lord Kuro, so I told a little fib without thinking.
Fighting back my feelings of frustration, I turned my attention to the work that needed doing.
“I’d like you to take a look at these, please, Lord Kuro.”
As I handed Lord Kuro some paperwork that needed his approval, I heard frantic footsteps racing down the hallway.
The footsteps stopped in front of the door to the office, and after a short pause, Eluterina entered the room wearing a composed expression.
Her hair and clothes were neatly in place, but her flushed cheeks told the real story of the footsteps from before. It was impressive that she was able to catch her breath so quickly, considering she must have run all the way up from the first-floor parlor to this office on the top floor.
Finding it strange that she was always able to detect Lord Kuro’s return from the first floor without any prior contact, I once asked her how she did it, but she replied that it was “the power of love” with a perfectly straight face. I had since given up on questioning her about that sort of thing.
“Welcome back, Lord Kuro!”
Eluterina gave a beaming smile as she greeted Lord Kuro.
“Thanks. Glad you seem to be doing well. Any news?”
“Yes, there were some local residents who objected to the building of the factory, but we managed to convince them with sincere reasoning. We can begin construction as soon as tomorrow.”
“Great job, Miss Manager.”
Eluterina’s smile got even brighter at Lord Kuro’s praise.
I’ll admit, I was a bit envious that Lord Kuro had complimented her. His hand on her shoulder only added fuel to the flames of jealousy.
“Thank you very much, Lord Kuro. But I couldn’t have done it on my own. It’s thanks to all the other executives as well, especially Tifaleeza here.”
“Yes, of course. Good work, Tifaleeza.”
“Not at all.”
Eluterina was kind enough to give me some credit, too.
I was ashamed that I’d been jealous of her over something so silly.
“Lord Kuro really is here!”
“I knew it. His visits are the only time Elu goes speeding down the hallway like that.”
Louna rode into the room on her stone wolf, followed by the other executives, and they all started cheerfully speaking to Lord Kuro.
“Lord Kuro! We found a jeweler and engraver to produce the rune light gems!”
“…Rune light gems?”
Lord Kuro looked at Louna uncertainly.
“Lord Kuro, it’s the product name we chose for these.”
I showed him the light stone engraved with a rune that he had made.
“Ah, I see. A good name.”
“Eh-heh-heh, thank you… I’m the one who came up with it!”
Louna puffed up her chest proudly, still sitting on the stone wolf. When Lord Kuro patted her on the head, she scrunched up her face in a childlike display of happiness.
“That’s perfect timing, then. We can test the craftsmen’s skills by having them make IDs for the Echigoya Company. I’ll leave this sample and these stones to use as the base.”
Lord Kuro placed an elegant brooch inlaid with a gemstone on the table, along with slightly more gems than the number of executives at the company.
“So pretty…”
“…Huh?”
“There’s a rose inside the gemstone?”
“And the Echigoya crest is in the middle of the rose.”
Everyone but Louna exclaimed in surprise as they looked at the stones.
Inside the transparent gemstones were roses made from blue gems, and in the center of each rose was a white gem forming the crest of the Echigoya Company.
It had probably been modified with magic, but even if a spell existed that could refine such small gems into the shape of a crest, I had never heard of any magic that could encase a smaller gemstone inside another one unless it was made of glass. Judging by their surprised reactions, Eluterina and the others hadn’t, either.
“L-Lord Kuro, what is this?”
“I had it made by the same artisan who created the rune light gems. If you charge it with magic, the light stone in the shape of the Echigoya crest will glow, making the crest appear on the surface. It should be fairly difficult to counterfeit this,” Lord Kuro said nonchalantly. “They should make perfect identification for all of you, right?”
We certainly wouldn’t have to worry about anyone reproducing it, but I couldn’t imagine wearing something that seemed like it’d be worth hundreds of gold coins as identification.
“Tifaleeza, could you hold onto these until we can pass them on to the artisans?”
“No, I think you should be in charge of such valuable objects, Miss Manager.”
Eluterina held out the brooch and gemstones to me, but I pressed them back toward her, trying to maintain my composure.
“Oh, really?”
“Eluterina! Me, me! I’ll take care of them!” Louna waved her hand eagerly.
Ignoring her, Eluterina agreed to take care of them herself, and stored the gems and brooch in the office safe.
Lord Kuro watched her finish, then looked around at all of us.
“…Listen carefully, ladies. I’m giving you a special task tomorrow night.”
Eluterina and the others murmured in surprise for a moment, then fell silent.
Did everyone but me know what he meant by “special task”?
“We’ll start at the first cycle of night and wrap up by the second, but there’s a good chance you won’t be able to work the next day. Try to finish up your duties for that day early. If any of you won’t be able to make it that night, let me know, and we’ll make other plans.”
It was very unlike Lord Kuro to give us nighttime duties, but as his slave, it was of course not my place to refuse.
Looking around, I saw that the executives seemed to feel the same way, even if they weren’t slaves.
“L-Lord Kuro. Is this special task for all of us?”
“That’s right. Any and all executives who are able.”
Just as I thought that I was likely excluded from this as a non-executive, Lord Kuro looked at me and added, “That includes you, too, Tifaleeza.”
Maybe Lord Kuro can read minds.
I tried mentally sending him some advances, but he gave no reaction.
“V-very well. What sort of clothing would you prefer us to wear?”
Eluterina drew oddly close to Lord Kuro as she asked the question.
Perhaps a little too close, hmm?
“Whatever you want to wear is fine.”
As he responded, Lord Kuro tactfully distanced himself from Eluterina.
That’s Lord Kuro for you.
I felt a little sorry for Eluterina, who looked mildly disappointed, but our manager ought to set an appropriate example by not mixing business with personal matters.
Yes, that’s all. I’m certainly not saying this out of jealousy.
“Sorry, but I have to take care of something.”
While my thoughts ran wild, Lord Kuro abruptly excused himself and teleported out of the office.
The paperwork I’d given him was stacked on the desk, somehow already filled out with his seal of approval, although I have no idea when he did it.
As proof that he had looked them over properly, there were even a few forms with notes attached, explaining the reason they needed to be revised or rejected.
When I looked up from the returned paperwork, I heard gleeful shrieking fill the room.
“So, was that what I think it was?”
“It’s gotta be. Lord Kuro is a man, too, after all.”
“Elu, what are you going to wear to capture his attention?”
“I—I… I’m going to go all out.”
What in the world are they talking about?
I was mystified as one executive asked me a strange question as well. “Tifaleeza, what kind of outfit are you going to wear to seduce Lord Kuro?”
“Seduce…?”
“Oh, come on, now! We’re all ladies here, so there’s no need to play innocent! You have feelings for Lord Kuro, too, right?”
“Wh-what are you…?”
What in the world are you saying?!
I covered my mouth to stop myself from exclaiming.
“Tifaleeza, if you don’t have anything to wear, would you like to borrow something of mine?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
Eluterina offered to help, but I shook my head.
“But this is the first time Lord Kuro has requested our company. You’ll need some cute underwear and nighties, too, won’t you?”
At this point, even I realized what they were getting at.
They must have misunderstood Lord Kuro’s words as an invitation to a nighttime affair.
But I knew the upstanding Lord Kuro was the last person who would ever do such a thing. Even when Neru and I approached him in the nude with some of the other girls, he just looked uncomfortable and made us put on coats.
I raised my head to clear up their misunderstanding, but then I was struck by the bright smiles and womanly voices of Eluterina and the others.
Maybe if it was them, instead of a surly-faced girl like me…
“Tifaleeza, what’s wrong?”
“I’m a little tired, and I’ve worked past my allotted time for the day. If you’ll excuse me.”
With that, I practically fled from the office.
“…Everything I have is so plain.”
Back in my room, I stared down at the underwear and nightgowns I had taken out from my closet and dresser drawers in disappointment.
“Underwear like this won’t make Lord Kuro hap—”
No, no. Don’t think about it like that.
I was planning to go to bed in a huff as soon as I got back, but I couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Instead, I paced around my room until I ended up trying to choose underwear and nighties.
“What in the world am I doing…?”
I threw myself down on top of the clothes in despair.
They’re going to get wrinkled.
Realizing that, I sprang back to my feet.
For now, the underwear I bought when I went shopping with Eluterina and the others a while back was the nicest, so I picked that and the nightgown I got in the Ivy Manor, putting everything else back in the closet and dresser.
I wasn’t getting my hopes up, but I at least wanted to make sure I didn’t look shabby next to Eluterina and the other executives.
“With these, maybe Lord Kuro will…”
I was too embarrassed to finish that sentence, so instead I burrowed into my bed and closed my eyes.
“S-sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Kuro.”
I stood next to Eluterina and the other executives, who were all dressed in highly provocative outfits, to greet Lord Kuro.
…No, I suppose my getup wasn’t much different from theirs.
“Miss Manager, you’re all very…boldly dressed today.”
“O-of course. Since you asked for us, we all did our best to get gussied up.”
At Eluterina’s response, Lord Kuro pressed a hand to his forehead.
“…It seems I wasn’t clear enough. I would never force any of you to join me in the bedroom. The special task is something different. Go change into more normal clothing, please. And wear shoes that are easy to walk in.”
I watched as the girls reacted to Lord Kuro’s words with silent screams and fell to their knees.
I knew it. That’s just the kind of man Lord Kuro is. Honestly…
After we changed clothes, Lord Kuro teleported all of us to a place that looked like a dark cavern.
“A-are we in the labyrinth?!”
“That’s right. This is an unexplored section of the Upper Stratum.”
My legs nearly gave out from beneath me.
Lord Kuro might be superpowerful, but for someone like me who had never even been in a fistfight, the monster-filled labyrinth was a terrifying place.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already gotten rid of any dangerous monsters.”
Lord Kuro’s words reassured me just a little.
Eluterina and company let out sighs of relief, too. Even those who were former explorers seemed to be afraid of this place.
We accepted the magic weapons Lord Kuro gave us, and began the strange work he assigned: forming a line to attack monsters in the bottom of a pit, one at a time.
The squirming mass of gleaming black monsters was viscerally disturbing to see by the light of the magic weapon, but since we only had to stand over the pit for a few seconds at a time, I managed to avoid screaming or vomiting.
“Tifaleeza, are you all right?”
My face must have been remarkably pale, because Lord Kuro looked at me with concern.
“Y-yes, I’m… I’m fine.”
Forcing myself not to focus too hard on Lord Kuro’s hand as it touched my face, I barely managed to respond calmly.
“Lord Kuro, we’ve all had a turn.”
“All right. This’ll be dangerous, so everyone step back a little.”
Hearing Eluterina’s report, Lord Kuro pulled his hand away.
While I was turning red at the realization that my eyes had desperately followed his hand as he left, Lord Kuro walked to the front of the hole and used some incredible magic.
There was a blast of cold wind that set our hair and clothes aflutter.
Lord Kuro really is the follower of a hero.
That belated realization made me freshly aware of the distance between us.
It was like I’d been left all alone in the dark.
“Tifaleeza, are you okay?”
“…I feel a bit woozy.”
As my feelings sank, I began to get dizzy and nauseous.
“Yes, I feel strange, too…”
“My body feels heavy.”
The other executives all began to complain of symptoms as well.
Lord Kuro explained that it was a phenomenon called “level-up sickness,” a temporary illness that occurred when one’s body couldn’t keep pace with rapid leveling up. So it wasn’t just my feelings, then.
“That will be all for the special training today.”
Lord Kuro brought us all back to the Echigoya Company headquarters in the royal capital, explained who had gotten which skills and how much we’d leveled up, and dismissed us.
“You’re lucky, Tifaleeza. It seems you learned the rare ‘Item Box’ skill.”
“Thank…you.”
I still felt nauseous and faint, and my eyelids were so heavy that I felt I might pass out on the spot at any moment.
Shamefully enough, I even gave a short response to Lord Kuro’s praise.
“Can you get back to your rooms all right?”
“Not for a while.”
Eluterina responded on behalf of the group.
“I’ll carry you all, then.”
Lord Kuro ended up lifting each of the executives in turn and carrying us to our rooms.
The handful who had actually fallen asleep went quietly enough, but…
Stop! Surely it’s against the rules to press your face into Lord Kuro’s chest!
Hey! It’s improper to use this as a chance to grab onto him so tightly!
Merina! Don’t touch Lord Kuro’s bottom! You lucky—I mean, you lecher!
Eluterina! I don’t think it’s very maidenly to pretend to be asleep so you can sniff Lord Kuro’s scent.
As I protested in my mind, I must have drifted off to sleep, until there was no one else left in the room but me.
“Looks like Tifaleeza is the last one…”
I heard Lord Kuro’s voice, sounding a little tired.
Through my barely opened eyelids, I could see him looking dignified and distant, as always.
Perhaps it was just my imagination, but his clothes looked a bit ruffled.
I’m sure some of the more proactive girls must have tried to forcefully seduce him in their rooms.
As Lord Kuro came closer to me, the scent of his cologne tickled my nose.
Then he lifted me in his arms.
They were thinner than I expected, but I could feel his firm muscles beneath.
A feeling of contentment filled me as I leaned against Lord Kuro, who walked gently as he carried me so he wouldn’t wake me.
But that happiness didn’t last long.
Slowly, I was lowered onto my bed.
“Lord Kuro…”
The disappointment I felt as his warmth drew away from me was so much that I murmured his name without thinking.
For a second, I was afraid he’d realize I wasn’t really asleep, but he turned away without a word.
I couldn’t try to seduce him, or even stop him from leaving.
All I did was watch as he left the room.
“…you spineless coward.”
I quietly cursed myself for not being as assertive as the other girls.
“I can’t do it yet. But someday, surely…”
Once I have enough confidence in myself to state my feelings clearly…
…then I’ll forget about my position as a slave and step onto the battlefield called love.
Just like my beloved colleagues!
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