Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 80

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 80   The maid, the guard, and the master

I, along with Rafi, Captain Goht, and a few soldiers, stand side by side, gazing up. It seems the other soldiers have already moved to the barracks in the royal capital.

In front of us is a house.

“It’s a house, huh.”

“A house indeed.”

“It is a house.”

Undoubtedly, it is a house.

The issue lies in the fact that we are “looking up” at it.

It’s larger than my own home.

Looking to the left, there are three windows.

To the right, there are three windows.

Looking at the upper left and upper right, three each.

In other words, just from the front, there seem to be that many rooms.

Spacious.

Insanely spacious.

It may not compare to Duke Balkh’s residence, but for a single noble, especially just mine, it’s too large.

I hear there are around twenty rooms.

Of course, it’s fully equipped with a kitchen, bath, and even a toilet.

Well, not a flush toilet, though.

No, that’s not the point.

The issue is that the house is too big.

What should I do?

I had expected a house with only a few rooms.

I never thought it would be such a mansion.

“Well then, Shion. We’ll take our leave here.”

“Yes. We were tasked with escorting Shion-sama back to your residence.”

“What!? You’re leaving!? Am I really going to live alone in this ridiculously huge house!?”

Rafi directed a serious gaze at me and firmly grabbed my shoulders.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen from now on! But if it’s you, Shion, you can surely overcome it! I believe in that! It’s not like I think dealing with the complications that come with receiving the position of a dual marquis and acting together with Shion, who got more than I expected, would be troublesome or anything! It’s true!”

Lies! Her eyes are wandering! It’s troublesome! I understand the sentiment, but I understand!

“Well then! Shion! Unfortunately, we have royal capital security duties to attend to! From now on, please act on your own! Farewell!”

“I apologize, Shion-sama. We serve the country! We cannot go against orders! So, here!”

Rafi and Captain Goht raised their hands abruptly, followed by the other soldiers. How heartless. What was the point of the exchange along the way? Rafi and the others left in an instant. What speed. What swift change. Rafi, I’ve revised my opinion of you. You’re colder than I thought!

“Sigh, but it’s appreciative that they accompanied me this far, right? Can’t rely on Rafi entirely. I have to do my best on my own, I guess.”

Forcing my thoughts to be positive, I gazed at the unnecessarily luxurious entrance. In front of the house was a courtyard, larger than my family home. Examining the lawn, plants, and the overall condition, it was clear that the place was well-maintained. I wondered who took care of it. Pondering this, I hesitantly opened the door.

The door wasn’t locked.

I slowly pushed the door open.

And…

“Oh, wel-wel-welcome back, Mas-master!”

As if waiting at the entrance, a girl bowed deeply. She had black hair in a side ponytail and was somewhat petite. Wearing a maid outfit, despite the modest attire that didn’t emphasize her figure, her chest was highlighted. She undeniably had a good figure. However, her face retained a strong resemblance to that of a girl, probably around fifteen or sixteen. My physical age is thirteen. Although she is older than me, she looks quite young, creating a sense of similar age. When she lifted her face, for some reason, her shoulders trembled.

“I-I’m s-so sorry!”

Watching her in bewilderment, the girl hastily lowered her head again.

“Huh? Uh, no, why are you apologizing?”

“N-no, um, I-I thought maybe you were angry, s-so…”

She said while trembling. I wondered why she was so frightened. Even if she looks at me with those scared eyes, it’s troubling.

“No, I’m not angry—”

“I-i-introductions! Uh, I-I apologize!”

Completely overlapping with my words, she seemed apologetic once again. It’s awkward timing or rather, suspicious behavior. Even though I’m not angry, for some reason, it seems like I am. Anyway, the conversation won’t progress like this.

“Um, I’m Sion Ornstein. And you?”

“I-I’m Winona… I-I’ve been tasked with taking care of Lord Ornstein. From now on, I will serve Lord Ornstein as a maid.”

“A maid!? Taking care of me!?”

Come to think of it, the queen mentioned something like that. Titles, houses—it was all too overwhelming, and I didn’t really pay attention. She mentioned giving me a maid. Oh, what a situation. A maid, it’s going to be troublesome.

“N-no, I’ll be fine on my own.”

“P-please! P-please let me stay by your side! I-I’ll do anything! A-anyt-anything! So, please let me stay by your side! I beg youuu!”

Winona desperately bowed her head multiple times. Unexpectedly met with such a reaction, I became flustered.

“W-wait. E-even if you bow your head like that—”

“P-please! Please have mercy!”

She’s crying. Crying uncontrollably. Almost on the verge of sobbing. She begged so desperately. I don’t know why she’s so desperate, but thinking about it, she must be here by the queen’s order. What would happen if I sent her back? It would be rejecting what the queen had given. That would be disrespectful to the queen’s generosity. I don’t intend to overly humble myself, but I also don’t intend to disrespect the queen. I’m just a human who happens to be able to use magic. If I make some kind of mistake, there’s a possibility it could harm my family. I’m not alone, and there are limits to what I can do. Selfish actions shouldn’t be taken. Besides… I can’t just leave a girl in this state. It’s simply pitiful. Oh, but having a maid means I’ll have someone like a subordinate. It might feel suffocating, and above all, I feel sorry for her. From the position of a maid, she might not want to be seen that way, though.

“Ugh, please, I’m begging you!”

Winona had reached the point of sniffing and wiping her runny nose with her sleeves. Without the luxury to enjoy the sensation of Winona clinging to my waist, I unconsciously covered her face.

With a mix of sympathy and a somewhat intimidating approach, I had no choice but to yield.

“I-I got it! I got it, so… Sorry, my bad! P-please, just let go!”

“W-why won’t you liiisten! Why won’t you liiisten!?”

“I-it’s true! So calm down! Okay!?”

Hearing my plea, Winona finally seemed to calm down, slowly distancing herself from me. While wiping away tears and sobbing, she straightened her posture.

“S-so, then… I-I’ll be in charge from now on, sooo.”

“Y-yeah. Please take care of me.”

Not exactly what I wanted, but oh well. Can’t be helped. I compromised while carrying a great deal of anxiety. I wondered how my life would be from now on. It didn’t seem like it would be a peaceful existence. I knew that, but with so many unexpected things happening, it was exceeding my tolerance.

“So, uh, let me tell you about the plans from now on. Lord Ornstein will be here from now on, here, here, here…”

Winona’s face turned bright red. Was it nervousness? Fear? Perhaps both? Watching Winona’s eyes wander, shoulders shake, sweat drip down, and eventually, seeing her upper body sway left and right, I felt a strange resignation. Ah, she’s just that type of person. Maybe she has an extreme nervous disposition. Or maybe she’s scared of me. Anyway, I need to get her to calm down.

“First, let’s calm down. Okay, take a deep breath! Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.”

I opened and closed my hands repeatedly, and Winona began to mimic the same movements.

“Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale… Ah, I-I’m starting to calm down.”

“Good. Now, take it slow and tell me your plans.”

“S-sorry for the trouble! Thank you for your patience.”

“It’s okay. Seriously, take your time and tell me about the plans. Okay?”

“Ugh, you’re… you’re angry, aren’t you? Y-you’re mad, right?”

“No, no, I’m not angry at all.”

I just wanted her to speak quickly. No anger or frustration, just a state of perplexity. However, it seemed she didn’t think so, as her eyes welled up with tears once again.

“P-please have mercy! F-forgive me for my sins! Please, please!”

“I’m not going to punish you! I’m not angry! I just want to hear about the plans!”

Despite my desperate explanation, Winona sat down on the ground and began to sob. From an outsider’s perspective, it might have looked like an arrogant master scolding a maid.

“A-are you really not angry?”

“I’ve said multiple times that I’m not angry!?”

“N-no, you must be angry! G-gonna be whipped a hundred times, huh? O-or maybe given some indecent orders… I-I’ve never even been touched by a man… U-uu, uu.”

“I’m not doing any of that! I said I’m not angry!”

Towards the girl named Winona, I had already formed one impression.

This girl.

Troublesome!

I realized it within minutes of meeting her. The difficulty of dealing with this maid became apparent.

Oh, I just want to go home.

But there are many patients waiting, and there’s a lot to be done.

I want to go home, but I can’t, and I can’t just leave.

Knowing all this, I can only resign myself.

I firmly grasped Winona’s shoulders, almost begging.

“Huh!?”

“Please, can you talk about the plans? Even if you think I’m angry, just talk… please.”

In a short amount of time, I had become quite exhausted. I said, dropping my gaze while feeling drained.

Whether it was due to that action or not, Winona, though still frightened, began to explain.

“Ugh, y-yes. From here, Lord Ornstein will be moved to a specialized facility where patients are gathered, and then, uh, afterward, you’ll undergo treatment for lazy syndrome. It’s within the royal capital, but just to be safe, about ten soldiers will come as an escort. You’ll be moving with them from now on.”

Inside the house, outside, under surveillance everywhere. What a stressful environment. And I’m even told me not to use magic. It’s torture. Does the queen hold some grudge against me?

“I have no problem with the treatment, but I’d like to know the specifics. I want to know the deadline, the duration of treatment, the environment, the personnel… and most importantly, how many patients are there?”

“W-well, the deadline is two weeks from today. After that, you’ll be dedicating your time to preparing for a training seminar on lazy syndrome treatment. There’s no specific duration. As for the environment and personnel, we’ve arranged everything based on information from Istria, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“How many patients are there?”

“A-a-at the current moment, it’s around ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand!?”

In Istria, there were about three thousand patients. Even that took about a week. Now it’s ten thousand, and the deadline is two weeks. Simple calculation shows that only six thousand can be treated. The remaining four thousand won’t receive treatment.

“… What happens if there are still patients left?”

“They will be rescheduled for a later date… lazy syndrome itself is not an immediately life-threatening condition, so the priority is to postpone it…”

“Let’s go.”

I left my bag there and headed straight for the entrance. Winona hurriedly ran to my side.

“A-are you leaving already? Shouldn’t you wait for the escort?”

“There’s no time. I want to treat the patients as soon as possible.”

“But, lazy syndrome is not an immediately life-threatening illness.”

I stopped and turned to face Winona.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“Huh!? I-I’m terribly sorry, I’m sorry! Please don’t be angry! Forgive me! Have mercy!”

I wasn’t really angry, I just asked a question, but Winona suddenly shrank back. Maybe my words were a bit sharp. I’m genuinely not upset; I just wanted clarification.

“No, I’m not angry… It’s true that lazy syndrome isn’t an immediately life-threatening illness. But considering the feelings of those who have family members bedridden for a long time, it’s better to cure them as soon as possible. The burden, both financially and mentally, is significant. If we could treat everyone immediately, it would be different, but if there’s a possibility of postponing some, it’s even more reason to act quickly. I understand because I had a family member who got lazy syndrome. Watching someone you care about live like a doll, without laughing, getting angry, or crying… it’s painful.”

Winona had a surprised expression and quickly bowed her head.

“I-I’m sorry. I said something thoughtless without considering anything.”

Maybe she’s a good person. It’s not easy to apologize immediately like that. She seems to be considering the other person’s feelings and changing her perspective. There’s a bit of self-consciousness or quick apology and shrinking back, but overall, she doesn’t seem like a bad person.

“It’s fine. I don’t think you can understand unless you’ve experienced it yourself. But you see, that’s why I want to cure them as soon as possible.”

If time is limited, all I can do is allocate as much time as possible. Despite getting somewhat used to the treatment, the efficiency hasn’t significantly improved. Healing simply takes time. I didn’t expect such a time limit. I thought they would let me treat everyone. I was overly optimistic.

“Also, could you call me Shion instead of Lord Ornstein?.”

“Y-Yes, understood. Sh-Shion-sama.”

It’s still awkward, but she’ll get used to it eventually. Let’s hurry and head out. With that thought, I opened the front door.

“Oh my, is this the Marquis Ornstein himself welcoming us?”

A sarcastic voice was directed at me. At the entrance, there was a dandy-looking man. A sword hung at his waist, and he wore armor over his neat clothes. A coat of arms on his shoulder indicated that he was undoubtedly a knight. Drooping eyes, a sarcastic expression, and oddly long hair. They say most of a person’s evaluation is decided by the first impression, and the impression I had of this man was not particularly good.

He’s probably in his early twenties. Behind him stood about ten knights. They seemed to be my escorts. The man performed an ostentatious bow while delivering his remarks.

“I am Fritz Emerich, the Deputy Commander of the Royal Capital Guard Knights, Unit Twelve. I have come in response to the mission to serve as the escort for Lord Shion Ornstein. You are Lord Ornstein, correct?”

“…Yes, I am Shion Ornstein.”

“My, my, you’re more of a child than I thought… Well, a petite one. I’ll tell you upfront, we are knights, and we can’t babysit. So, take care of that on your own, okay?”

I couldn’t help but marvel at the masterfully sarcastic tone. Being assigned as the escort for an unknown child was probably not something he welcomed. However, it didn’t make his attitude any more agreeable.

Aside from Fritz, the other knights also sent disdainful glances my way. For knights, they seemed surprisingly immature in their behavior. They should learn to be more understanding. Maybe it’s because they are still young.

Intentionally ignoring Fritz’s sarcastic remarks, I replied, “Yes, no problem. Outside of the escort duties, I don’t think we’ll trouble you with anything.”

I didn’t really need an escort, but they couldn’t just leave me unattended, given that I was here by the Queen’s order. Both Fritz and I had to compromise. In response to my answer, Fritz maintained his smile but subtly twitched his eye. It seemed like something bothered him. I didn’t mind being thought poorly of by someone harboring hostility.

“I see. That’s a relief. I suppose dealing with a cheeky child trying to act older is better than a high-maintenance one. Well then, shall we go, Lord Ornstein?”

With polite impoliteness, Fritz urged me toward the main gate. I headed in that direction without showing any concern. Winona followed us, looking timid. It seemed like she was supposed to come along, being a maid. As if the pile of problems wasn’t enough, it felt like new troubles were being added. I let out a deep sigh internally and continued walking to distract myself.