Chapter 107 - Chapter 106: There Is No Labor Standards Act
"Heh heh heh, how is it? Yaroibarov, my dear. Can you stand it?"
"Yes, yes, I can't stand it. I'm about to drool."
Yaroibarov wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Mika and Yaroibarov's gazes were fixed on that smoothly moving hand.
That delicate movement stimulated Mika and the others' desires, disturbing their hearts.
It was polite yet sometimes bold; she knew exactly how to present it to capture the viewer's heart.
It was a presentation only an expert could do, not a novice.
"Ah, um... it's done..."
Kistil's face was slightly flushed, and beads of sweat like pearls formed on her forehead.
Though slightly confused by Mika and Yaroibarov's reaction, she wore an expression that was shy, embarrassed, and all those things.
■■■■■■
[Kistil's Perspective]
"Hey, Kistil-san, are you good at cooking?"
When Mika-kun asked that, I was brought to an inn that hadn't started business yet.
The exterior was run-down, but the interior was clean, and it seemed they were preparing to open.
"The owner here, Mr. Yaroibarov, was looking for someone who can cook. Mr. Yaroibarov!"
Mika-kun walked into the inn without hesitation and called out to the owner in a loud voice.
"Oh, isn't it a little monk? What's up?"
A huge man came down the stairs.
He had tanned skin, muscular build, and a shaved head. On that scary face, there was a large scar running from his forehead, over his left eye, to his left cheek.
I was so terrified that my legs felt like they were going to give out right there... he-na-he-na...
"You were looking for someone who can cook, right? You found them already?"
"No, not yet. ...Could it be that young lady over there?"
Saying that, the big man glared at me fiercely.
His gaze was so intense that I was scared and instinctively clung to Mika-kun.
"Ahahaha... He's scary, isn't he? But it's okay. He won't bite."
"Hey, what does that mean?"
"What do you mean? You should be aware that your appearance is scary."
Mika-kun was talking to the big man normally, but I was too scared to look up.
I could tell Mika-kun was troubled by my reaction.
But...
"What should we do? Go back now?"
When Mika-kun asked that, I snapped out of it.
(No!)
If I go back now, how will I survive the next week?
I can no longer go to the usual place to gather herbs.
If I don't find another source of income, how will the three of us—my younger brother, Mother, and I—survive?
He's scary, I want to run away, and my body still won't stop shaking...
I mobilized all my courage and slowly lifted my face.
■■■■■■
Mika saw the strength return to Kistil's eyes and let out a small sigh of relief.
Until they reached Yaroibarov's inn, Kistil looked like she was about to die.
A face as if she had given up, with no hope left.
But it seemed the fear of Yaroibarov had temporarily made her forget her desperate situation.
Kistil was now struggling just to suppress her fear.
She didn't seem to have any room to think about anything else.
"This is Mr. Yaroibarov. He is the owner who runs multiple inns and restaurants. He looks like this, but he is not dangerous."
"Hey. What is th—"
"And this is Kistil-san. She usually goes to gather herbs, but she's in trouble because she was told not to enter the forest for a week."
Yaroibarov tried to say something, but Mika ignored him and briefly explained Kistil's situation.
"Not allowed to enter...? Who told you that? Is it Modesse Forest?"
"It was the Kingdom Army's knight unit. I don't know the name of the forest, but it's a forest a few kilometers south."
"Then it's Modesse Forest. Why is it not allowed?"
"They didn't tell me the details, but something about it being dangerous and needing investigation or whatever."
When Mika explained simply, Yaroibarov went "Hmmm," thinking for a moment.
Kistil watched the exchange between Mika and Yaroibarov with an anxious expression.
"Kistil-san, you usually help your mother with cooking, right?"
"Eh!? U, um..."
Suddenly spoken to by Mika, Kistil answered with a bit of surprise.
"Oh, helping with cooking? How much do you help? Do you at least peel skins?"
Reacting to Mika's words "helping with cooking," Yaroibarov asked.
Perhaps because Yaroibarov's gaze was scary, Kistil looked down and fell silent.
Mika and Yaroibarov waited patiently, but Kistil couldn't answer even after waiting for a while.
She glanced at Yaroibarov, and Yaroibarov was looking at Mika.
Is it okay?
Those eyes seemed to ask that.
Kistil was gripping her hands tightly.
Her hands were trembling slightly.
Surely, Kistil was gathering all her courage right now.
Mika gently held Kistil's hand.
Kistil, startled for a moment, looked at Mika.
But Mika said nothing, just smiled.
Mika could only do that.
He couldn't serve as an interpreter forever.
In the end, Kistil had to handle it herself.
Indeed, Yaroibarov's appearance was scary.
Mika was ready to die at first... quite seriously.
But Mika also thought there was no one kinder to children than Yaroibarov.
Hiring and employing children from disadvantaged environments is not as simple as it sounds.
If it were about exploiting them in terrible conditions, sure, that would be easy.
But the children here are not experiencing that.
When I stayed at Yaroibarov's inn with Ninetiana, I saw the children working.
When I met him last week, Yaroibarov had children on both shoulders and was being spoiled by them.
That is why Mika can introduce Yaroibarov with peace of mind.
Kistil, who had been looking down with a frightened expression, slowly lifted her face.
And her expression changed to one that felt full of strong determination.
"I peel skins and do prep work every day... When Mother isn't feeling well... um... I cook."
Though her words were broken, it seemed she managed to convey what she wanted to say, and Kistil let out a sigh of relief.
Listening to Kistil's story, Yaroibarov went "Hmm," thinking for a moment.
And then,
"Come here for a moment."
He walked into the dining hall.
(When Yaroibarov says that line, it sounds like 'Get out of here!')
As Kistil and I exchanged glances, such a foolish thought popped into my head.
Quietly following him, we went through the dining hall and were led to the kitchen.
"For now, try making two dishes."
Saying that, Yaroibarov quickly explained the equipment, utensils, location of seasonings, and ingredients that could be used.
Standing next to Kistil and listening, I couldn't understand a thing.
But Kistil seemed to understand; she occasionally asked questions herself and listened seriously.
"Alright, go ahead."
Saying that, Yaroibarov observed Kistil's movements from a distance inside the kitchen.
With arms crossed and standing firmly, his posture was exactly like a demon instructor.
He watched Kistil's every move with sharp eyes.
Under these circumstances, the pressure on the one being watched must be terrible.
"Even if you tell me to do it in an unfamiliar place right away, isn't that difficult?"
Mika quietly asked Yaroibarov.
He implicitly hinted that mistakes might happen due to nervousness.
"It's not that you can't fail. I want to see how much you can do now and if there's room for growth. That's what I'm looking for. You can't understand this no matter how much it's explained verbally. But if you see someone doing it even once, you can get the general idea."
Yaroibarov answered Mika's question without taking his eyes off Kistil.
I wondered why there were ingredients in the kitchen before opening, and it turned out this was for the staff meal.
Since it wasn't good material for serving customers, it seemed fine even if there were some mistakes.
Kistil was confused at first, but soon she began to concentrate, and her movements became smooth.
Even with a knife she wasn't used to, she peeled potatoes and other vegetables cleanly, chopping vegetables briskly with a ton-ton-ton sound.
She was also familiar with lighting the stove fire and quickly cooked grilled and stir-fried dishes.
The good smell stimulating appetite floating around the place made my stomach rumble, even though I hadn't eaten breakfast long ago.
The sizzling sound of the stir-fry was unbearable.
Just watching made me want to drool.
Looking over, Yaroibarov was also swallowing saliva at Kistil's cooking.
"Heh heh heh, how is it? Yaroibarov, my dear. Can you stand it?"
Seeing Yaroibarov's reaction like that, Mika couldn't help but speak in a joking tone.
Kistil seemed to be conscious of the presentation as well; she seemed to understand well how to plate it to make it look more delicious.
"Yes, yes, I can't stand it. I'm about to drool."
Yaroibarov, who originally loved eating, seemed to greatly enjoy Kistil's cooking.
He was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Could it be that he actually drooled?
That's gross.
"Ah, um... it's done..."
Though slightly confused by Mika and Yaroibarov's reaction, Kistil placed the just-finished dish on a tray and showed it to the two of them.
Sweat floated on her forehead, her face flushed slightly shyly, but she had a nice smile of having finished the job.
"...Alright, let's eat over there."
Saying that, Yaroibarov left the kitchen.
"You're amazing. I was really surprised that you're so good at cooking."
"I always do it at home."
Perhaps due to tension, she seemed a bit tired, but Kistil smiled brightly at Mika.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Yes, coming right now."
"S-sorry!"
Hearing the voice calling out to Mika and Kistil who weren't coming out of the kitchen for a while, they hurriedly replied and laughed together again.
■■■■■■
"Pass."
At Yaroibarov's words, Kistil's expression relaxed with relief.
Kistil's cooking was quite simple.
There were various seasonings in the kitchen here, but Kistil seasoned mainly with salt and pepper she was used to.
Not touching things she didn't understand was the correct judgment in this case.
"It was very delicious."
"Ah, thank you."
When Mika praised her, Kistil got shy, blushed slightly, and looked down.
"There's no problem with the taste, but the most important thing is that all the ingredients are thoroughly cooked without burning. That is quite difficult unless you are very experienced."
The way ingredients cook differs depending on the item.
Of course, you start with the ones that are hard to cook, but to get a sense of how big to cut them and how long it takes to cook, you need considerable experience.
Naturally, it changes depending on the heat level.
It's not just a simple sense of time; you need to make fine adjustments relying on changes in the color and sound of the ingredients.
"You'll need to learn our restaurant's taste for the flavor, but with this foundation, you'll pick it up quickly. You seem to understand plating too."
Saying that, Yaroibarov looked at Kistil.
"If it's like this, I'd rather ask you to work here. Ah... you said Kistil, right?"
Yaroibarov straightened his posture and bowed his head.
"Please work for us. I beg you."
"O-of course! Please————!"
"Wait."
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
I interrupted the agreement between the two parties.
At Mika's "Wait," the two of them looked stunned.
"............Hey. What is that 'Wait'?"
"Um, Mika-kun...?"
The two were confused by Mika's sudden interruption.
"No, basically agreeing is fine, but let's confirm the conditions properly. Salary, working hours, shifts, days off, and so on. Various things."
No black companies allowed.
I'll run to the Labor Standards Office?
Well, no matter how much you check beforehand, a black company is still a black company!
Also, going straight to the Labor Standards Office doesn't make much sense, so it seems smoother to get a medical certificate from a hospital first?
Make sure to secure things that can verify attendance and departure.
Mostly, there is no Labor Standards Office in this world, and attendance isn't managed properly anyway.
Or rather, is there no Labor Standards Act to begin with?
For that reason, since I introduced her, I will confirm the basics here so that Kistil doesn't regret it.
Kistil expressed a preference for a daily wage system, and that was fine.
But when I heard the amount of the daily wage,
"!!"
Mika and Kistil couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"That much??"
"Can I earn that much!?"
Huh?
Kistil's voice drowned out Mika's "Is that all?"
Mika was surprised by the small amount, but it seems Kistil was surprised by the large amount.
(Huh? Seriously...?)
Is Mika's sense of money broken, or was Kistil too poor?
It's hard to judge.
Could it be both?
Regarding working hours, it seems to be longer than the previous herb gathering, but earning more is preferable.
Regarding days off, it's one day off per week, but that is common in this world.
Well, I also worked with one day off per week in the past, so I have nothing to say about that.
Two days off a week is a system that came later.
In this way, Kistil's job was safely decided.
Not having income today is a bit painful, but since earnings will increase from tomorrow, life should stabilize soon.
"Mika-kun, thank you. You introduced me to a really good job. I was really helped."
"No. More than that, I think it will be tough starting tomorrow, so please do your best."
"Yes!"
Seeing Kistil's brightened expression, Mika also sighed with relief.
(I thought things might go badly for a moment, but she seems to earn more than herb gathering. Is it okay?)
For a while, I thought I'd drop by Yaroibarov's inn occasionally.
Thinking such things, I walked back holding Kistil's hand.
Still, Kistil treats me like a child too much!
■■■■■■
Month 3 of Wind, Week 2, Day of Water.
After finishing school, Mika hurriedly returned to the dormitory.
Now it was time to investigate the cause of the "Curse-type" again.
Arriving at the dorm entrance, it felt a bit noisy, but he entered anyway.
"Don't mess around!"
Splash!
"Gurk!?"
As soon as he entered the entrance, something was splashed on him.
Wiping the liquid on his face, there were the dorm mother Paraleira, several maids, and two unfamiliar men and women in the entrance.
"Oh my, oh my, this is terrible! Are you okay, Mika-kun?"
"Eh, yes, well..."
What is this, alcohol?
Ale?
It got in my eyes a little and stung a bit.
(It would be a terrible stain if it were Red Wine, but if it's Ale...)
Putting aside the unclear situation, Mika looked at his whole body for now.
His jacket was completely soaked.
His pants were also quite wet.
"It's better to go to the bath now. The maid will bring you clothes to change into."
"...Please."
He answered that, but should he enter the dorm like this?
This situation is what you call a battlefield, isn't it?
He had no idea about the cause, but the structure was Paraleira versus the unfamiliar man and woman.
Were the maids the mediators?
(A love triangle? Something even dogs wouldn't eat?)
It seemed Paraleira was the one who splashed the ale on Mika.
Perhaps she was trying to splash it on the unfamiliar man and woman, but they dodged.
And then Mika, the world-ranked number one on today's "Bad Timing Man Ranking," walked in.
That's probably it.
"Never come back!"
Shouting that, Paraleira retreated into the dorm mother's room.
The door was closed with such force it seemed like it would break.
Bang!
The man and woman who seemed to be the cause looked at each other and left without saying a word.
No one even tried to apologize to Mika.
(T-these guys...!)
As Mika clenched his fists, trembling, the maid apologized.
"Mika-kun, I'm sorry. Come on, let's go to the bath quickly."
"Ah, yes..."
Carrying something unresolvable, Mika headed to the bath.
It seemed the bath was already fully prepared, so Mika took a warm bath to wash away the sweat.
(What was that? Really.)
I thought about going to investigate the "Curse-type," but should I stay quiet on a day like this?
Bad things tend to pile up.
"Mika-kun, I brought your clothes."
"Ah, sorry. Thank you."
He replied to the maid's voice in the changing room.
But it seemed the maid stayed in the changing room even after that.
(What? Is she peeping?)
Thinking such foolish thoughts, the maid spoke to him again.
"Mika-kun. Don't be angry at Paraleira."
Hmm?
The maid seems to be on Paraleira's side.
(Well, if Paraleira got angry because of those two, then the bad guys are them.)
Paraleira splashed the ale on Mika, but the one who caused the reason should bear greater responsibility.
I understand that line of thinking, but...
(Anyway, since I don't know the reason, there's no way to answer.)
Seeing that Mika didn't reply, the maid seemed to think he was angry and began to explain the situation a little.
"The two who came just now were people from the Court Magic Institute. And... Paraleira is also at the Court Magic Institute."
Court Magic Institute?
Does "also at" mean she is there now?
Dorm mother and Court Magic Institute?
What is this?
"They chased them out themselves and pushed her into a place like this, and now they say 'Please come back.' ...Ah, you shouldn't say 'a place like this,' sorry."
"No..."
Paraleira was at the Court Magic Institute but was expelled.
Demoted?
But did the situation change, and now they are telling her to come back?
(Well, if I were in Paraleira's position, I'd be angry too.)
If they are telling her to come back, does that mean Paraleira still belongs to the Court Magic Institute?
Even so, if she was made a dorm mother of this academy, specifically the boys' dorm, she would surely lose her temper.
Is that why Paraleira doesn't do her dorm mother duties?
Indeed, in that case, it's understandable that she would throw in the towel and say "I can't do this!"
(Killed by kindness? I think she should quit quickly, but is there a reason she can't?)
For now, I vaguely understood that Paraleira had sufficient reason to be angry.
Here, Mika should swallow it.
Because I'm an adult!
"Thank you for telling me. For now, I'll stop being angry."
"Mika-kun... I'm sorry. And thank you."
The maid's voice showed she was relieved.
Mika splashed water on himself several times, warmed his body thoroughly, and then left the bath.
(But... should I be able to dodge such surprises too?)
Should I be more alert usually?
I was made aware of my own immaturity by unexpected things.