Life in Another World as a Maid Mage

After mid-February. By this time, the sun rises just before 7: 30. Although there was still a lot of snow, the hearts of the people floated during the day that gradually grew longer, and as the time to play increased, many children were seen running around.

"It's so cold, the kid's fine."

I see.

The children cheering up in the street and playing with demons were scolded loudly by a woman who was like a mother. The two of them looked at each other and laughed as they saw their shoulders shrugged down to a small figure who ran away even though she replied energetically.

Louis, who was hanging by the window, trembled jealously.

After a brief smile, there was a slight anxiety and expectation on the side of Shiori's face, who turned his gaze outside the window again. I'm sure it's nice to meet your friends, but I'm also worried about welcoming strangers. Even if that's a visitor from a place that might be "home."

(--hometown, huh)

The figure has the characteristics of a far eastern nation, but it is doubtful whether it is really from the east. Theori once said that his hometown was far from reach. The east is certainly far away. But it's not that hard to reach. The Oriental merchants we are meeting today travel to and from their home country frequently once a year. In other words, it's a distance that must be far away, but you can't go if you care.

(Besides, it's falling... I may not be Oriental in the first place)

When I pointed out the word, I would have poked my mouth out, and it was just fainting and not corrected.

Knowing God's Perspective - Falling, woman.

Outside, perhaps afraid of being known not to be Oriental - and thinking that there was no such benefit, Alec raised his face to the sigh of the horse and the sound of the carriage stopping. A little excited cheer rises behind me.

There are two carriages parked in front of the guild. One of them is a fine snow carriage without a crest, but you can see that the wealthy are on it.

The other is a large wagon. A rare design crest resembling a large flower was printed on the front cloth, and a man in a strangely shaped jacket with a relaxed exotic vibe sat on the podium.

A man raised his face. My eyes meet. The black eyes under the blackened eyebrows were sharp, and the thin lips were dragged as if they represented the strength of the will. Compared to the kingdom, the facial shape is less undulating and flat, but the black eyes, hair color, and sharp expression produced a dark shadow, making the overall impression stronger.

--Oriental. So that man is the merchant.

I thought so, but he was wearing a knife. It is a sword that is not used for decoration or self-defense, but can be seen to have been used. There is no gap in my body, and it is more like a skilled swordsman than a merchant.

Almost simultaneously with the men coming down from the podium, men of similar style showed their faces from the inside of the cover. I wonder if the guards have a few adventurers in the kingdom.

When they started lifting up the cover and unloading the load, the coworker's giggles became even bigger. I'm excited about the expectation that I might get something rare.

In fact, apart from the letter to Ciori, a sealed letter from the Rovnell family was delivered to the Tris branch master a few days late. A joint letter with an Oriental merchant said he wanted to hold a special sale for adventurers. They wanted to increase the number of items handled in Tris, which were particularly selling well, as they had excellent reception of Oriental liquor and ornaments in the Kingdom.

Though surprised by the unexpected offer, Zack was pleased that it would distract the adventurers.

"I can't help it. When we're done talking, we'll take a look around."

"... hmm? Oh, yeah, that's right."

With a grinning smile stroking Shiori's back, Alec looks out the window again.

A passenger was about to get off another fine snow carriage. A familiar red-haired man appeared from the open door and grabbed the hand of the woman who loosely tied up the platinum blonde to help her get off. Dennis and Annelier. Both were disguised as young couples of wealthy merchants whose identities were unknown. There is nothing to hide until elegance or standing up behavior, but the atmosphere is subtly altered by unusual hairstyles and makeup. You won't be able to see who you are unless you're in close proximity.

(--During Silveria's journey, a man who was reluctant even to let the mistress in and out of the inn's cafeteria would change if he changed.)

While thinking so, another appeared from the inside. Oriental like a man and a woman in a wagon.

"... boy... no... woman?

"... yeah. It looks like a samurai, but I think it's a woman."

I didn't even know what Samurai meant, but if Shiori, who calls himself Oriental, said so, there's no doubt about it. The style was not so different from that of the man of the Emperor, but at first glance he looked like a boy with long, sharp eyes with a gorgeous, small body, and strong light, as seen from his relaxed clothes.

However, an oriental-style jacket with a large floral pattern scattered from shoulder to chest in a deep, beautiful red area like wine, and a plenty of dark blue hem visible at its feet, with fine leaf edges, can be seen as a woman from the color pattern. The long dark hair, enclosed in a single piece at a high head position, was still decorated with a hair clasp resembling an oriental flower. The sword stabbed at the waist is also decorated with an ornament with a string woven into a flower shape.

Calm down, she's certainly an adult woman. However, depending on the outfit, the boy also looked confused.

"... the Orientals really look young..."

I see. Looks like twenty or so, but from standing there, you might be as old as Ciori. "

Nadia and Clement, who were just outside looking the same way, roared small.

The easterners in front of me now are both small women and men, with a slightly rounded, less undulating face, and I don't know the original age. The man you mentioned is shorter in height than you think. Whether it finally exceeds 170 or not.

As passers-by stops and watches as something rare happens, a woman stands on a snow cobble with Dennis's help. The man of the mighty fell on his knees and hung his neck. I thought it might be a little too much to think about the difference between the position of the mistress and the lord, but the woman nodded to the eagle as a matter of course and walked out side by side encouraged by Annelier.

Maybe he is. He wants to see me. "

"I guess. Like their representative."

An oriental merchant who became a martial arts woman.

Zach, who was waiting with care to open the door, invites guests in.

"--Thank you for agreeing to our project today, Mr. Zach."

Annelier, dressed as the merchant's mistress Annie Robeen - who had previously been rescued by a party led by Alec on a trip - smiled softly. Dennis, who dresses up as the husband, naturally refrains from polishing his face. I was not surprised to be good at acting, but they are in a position to be part of the art and, if necessary, to be part of each other. I may be accustomed to being an outsider.

The line of sight of the Oriental merchant, who was very shy behind her, wandered and stopped at one point. This is Siori. Unlike faceless expressions, she couldn't read her emotions.

Theoli instantly drowned herself, but she made a small confession to the merchant. And he held his shoulders, and drew them together, and brushed his arms in forgiveness. Your shoulders were stretching and relaxing.

The black eyes of the merchant who was looking at it were narrowed. The lips with the thin red insertion become a loose arc shape. He smiled. Alec thought it was very similar to the look that Shiori sometimes showed.

Annelier, who had finished her greeting with Zach and a light chat, looked back. As she walked in with the merchant, she gently hugged Shiori.

"Siori, long time no see. It's good to see you again. So do you."

"I'm glad you both look well. How's the other one?

"Yes, as always. Yes, he said he wanted some of Siori's portable food. Can you accommodate me? He wants to have dinner."

"... if possible, I can ask for something that accumulates in my stomach but has little fat."

"... ah, yeah. I'll choose plenty of vegetables...."

Judging from this interaction, it seems that the young man in the answering machine remains the same. Alec laughed bitterly with Siori and Clement, and Nadia burst out joyfully. Lori, who had a strange feeling with him, trembled with joy.

"Let me introduce you. He said he'd love to see you."

After a brief greeting, the merchant stepped forward prompted by Annelier's words. The strange fragrance of exotic fragrance floats with a hint of rubbing.

"I'll see you at first. My name is Yae from Mizuho."

White hands covered in dark grape nails are offered to Shiori. Theoli grabbed the hand.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Shiori. Um...."

You must have noticed how awkward it was, the merchant named Yae loosely narrowed her sliced eyes and smiled, softly gripping Shiori's hand.

"I may have surprised you, but I missed you when I heard from Annie. I heard that there are compatriots who live in good health far away from home. What's more, you're a soy sauce lover. I heard that we cook Oriental Kingdom food with seasonings from our country, and this depends on how much we have to meet."

"Yae-san wants to know the recipe using soy sauce."

"Of course not. I'm prepared to pay a guide fee."

Unlike alcohol and ornaments, many condiments don't suit the taste if the country is different. I knew that the soy sauce that was sold at the place where it was no good, but was unsatisfactorily popular, was acceptable depending on the cooking method, and I would definitely do it.

"... that's right. If there's anything I can do to help."

Apparently, I didn't come here to see you. Siori nodded comfortably as she stroked her chest down.

"... that's not all. Siori, could you give me a moment?"

Yae whispered in a slightly stiff tone and saw Annelier in a twinkle. She nodded bewildered and gazed at Zach. Though Zach glanced at him for a moment, he immediately instructed the clerk to guide the merchants before pointing in the direction of the master's office to "speak here."

Some of my colleagues were concerned about the conversation or something, but when the Orientals started unloading in the corner of the conversation room, they moved there with me first.

Clement, who greeted Annelier and the others, hesitated to leave with Nadia and her colleagues, saying, "Let's see."

"--please."

Sitting on the sofa in the master room, which also served as the reception room, Zack cut off his mouth when tea and tea confectionery went all over the place.

Well, let me ask you something. With me... please don't talk so much about stimulating cicadas. I don't care if it's just a deal. "

"... brother"

Even if it's not tough, Theori is embarrassed by a bitter smile at Zack's controlling words. But as Alec, I have to agree with Zach. Over the past few days, I've noticed that Ciori has become a little unstable. I didn't put my hand on the tea that was still served, and I saw that I was worried about something.

"I'm sorry, Theoli. Yae, I thought we were just going to talk about the recipe, but if it bothers my friends, we're going to have to cut the conversation down here."

Yae, told by a slightly puzzled Annelier, smiled slightly lower her neat willow eyebrows.

"Of course I'm not going to bother you. I just need to check a few things out. But it might be very personal, so I asked someone to pay me."

Yae, who wetted his lips with a sip of tea at hand with a refined technique, put it on a beat and then cut it out.

"Actually. Our Yang Mei Chamber of Commerce is not an organization whose sole purpose is to trade. It also serves to protect our compatriots scattered all over the world over the past decade."

"What role? Are you acting under the direction of that Mizuho country?"

"No, I'm glad I got the financial aid - unfortunately, my clan... Oh, no, excuse me, my Chamber of Commerce is just on its own. As I traveled around the world, I noticed that there were not many of my fellow countrymen in distress in other countries. It was the beginning that I felt pitiful about bringing my ancestors home."

Oriental countries, including Mizuho, have been traditionally closed regions, with the exception of some large countries. Inter-ethnic cultures and religions, as well as reluctance to invade, restricted national traffic to a very limited number of neighboring countries and built their own culture. In the last few centuries, there has been little record of countries from the east and the northwest of the continent coming and going.

But about twenty years ago, driven by the wave of modernization, many Orientals traveled across the continent yearning for rich exotic lands. The country of Mizuho did not mention the example.

Some for business, some for study, some for adventure in the new heavens and the earth, and many daughters were begged by exotic gentlemen to travel as adoptive daughters and wives.

But they lived in a country that had been shut down for a long time, and in the world they were as ignorant. Very few succeed. Most of them were either returning home without much success or eating with a job that allowed them to talk without even being able to do so.

"Some of the gentlemen on the continent really loved their Oriental daughters. But it seems that a lot of people brought it back because of the rarity of things. After all, some of them were thrown out early because of differences in language and culture, or jumped out on their own, but in any case... a lot of them lived in unhappy lives. We are protecting them and sending them home."

It seems that there are not many people who have been sold as human beings, and those who do not even have a place to go back may offer their services in their home country or be hired by the Chamber of Commerce.

"I see...."

Alec roared. Yae avoided making it clear, but many foreigners would have taken out their young Oriental daughters for a miserable purpose if they were small and young and bad. In fact, the Langwald Lumbek who tried to reach Ciori was one of them.

--What about Shiori after all? She said she had fallen, but is she still one of the daughters who left the country in childhood just because she can't remember? I hear that many daughters were sold before they realized what was going on.

However, there is confusion about her saying that she had a warm family.

Her glittering side face was a vague expression that looked somewhere far away and could not read her emotions. I just kept dropping my gaze on the business card that Yae handed me.

"Lord Theori. I don't think it's different from Mizuho's country of origin in terms of appearance and name, but what do you think? I'm ready to take you to your country if you want. If you ask me, I think I'm in love with my homeland."

It was also said that Shiori was from an exiled country. She didn't dare deny it herself, and I remember explaining it to Annelier and Silveria on their journey.

Mizuho's country was devastated by chaos at its inception, and many territories disappeared from the map. Some of the people and privileged classes are scattered all over the place, and they don't know how to get there. Is Shiori one of them?

But...

"- No"

Siori, who had been silent for a long time, opened her mouth.

"Unfortunately... I was born in a country called Japan. I remember living in Japan until I was 27 years old when I came to the Kingdom, so that's for sure. More importantly, this business card I received....."

Turn over the Yae business card I gave you. The reverse depicted Oriental characters of a unique shape, probably from the Mizuho country. It is said to be the name of the Chamber of Commerce and Yae written in Mizuho.

"I can't read the letters written here. It is similar to Japanese, but different. So....."

Unfortunately, I said so clearly that I was not from Mizuho.

"Nihon...."

Yae roared. The man named Shaunosuke, who was looking at him as a sidekick, also quietly shook his head.

"There was no such place in Mizuho. I don't think there was such a name in the neighborhood. Well, not as small a country as that, but..."

"... Shiori"

Theoli was looking straight at Yae. But her pale shoulders are trembling little by little.

Alec understood clearly when he saw it. I still don't want to reveal my origins. Alec thought it was a big secret in itself. Yes - just like myself.

To say that Yae is no different from Mizuho's country of origin, Siori must clearly have the characteristics of the Mizuho people. But he denied it. He said he was from a country that wasn't on the map.

But it would have taken a lot of effort to talk about it here.

Except for Yae and Shaunosuke, all the dignitaries are here now. Though Siori may already have noticed the lord of the prestigious Rovnell family and his fiancée, he gives his name to the royal family. And if you're familiar with it, you can barely imagine that Zach is not just a civilian.

And I'm not just a dignitary. In the presence of lovers and brotherly men who are dear friends, they come from a country where they are not known to exist on the map - in other words, they risk losing their credibility. Maybe she'll lose where she wanted it most and where she finally got it.

--A long silence dominated the scene.

Without leaning, he quietly hugged Shiori's shoulders as he stared at Yae. Lori rubbed her feet carefree.

"... I'm sorry. I should really talk to you, but I don't have the answers to how to explain my hometown...."

"Shiori. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. At least not now."

Though persevering, the bloody Shiori was too painful.

"... I'm sorry, Annie. I've gotten along so well, but maybe I've alerted you. When I think about Annie's identity, I don't know who she's dealing with."

"It's okay. It's okay. Never mind."

Annelier squeezed the words out of her mouth.

"I've come to like your personality. It has nothing to do with who you are. Some of the ancient lords of the Rovnell family married vagrant painters of unknown origin. I'm bleeding too. So, Theoli, you don't have to worry about that."

"That's right."

Dennis succeeded in his words.

"It's not like I don't have a lot to think about. But I'm similar. Anyway, I don't know anything but that my father was an Imperial four generations ago. In that sense, it's not much different from Shiori."

"Dennis...."

Alec thought it would change if it changed. Regardless of the rudeness of the water and the friendship, I didn't think that the man who once said to Theoli "a strange immigrant" would be able to say all this.

It will be their good character that will make sense. But there is no doubt that the trust and trust Siori has built up with desperate effort has helped her.

"... Yae-san. I know exactly how you feel about helping your people. But he's denying it. I'm sorry, but your offer...."

Zach says, and Theori lowers her head, "I'm sorry."

"... no. I'm sorry to hear that. I don't want to forcibly take things that aren't people of Mizuho. Besides..."

Yae laughed.

"It seems to be cherished a lot. If there are a few people who can think of each other, it would be nice if we didn't have to help."

A black-haired woman like Theoli smiled beautifully. It turns out that my compatriots who are desperately trying to live in exotic lands, no, I was heartfelt and relieved by Shiori who has the same appearance as my compatriots.

"No, I'm sorry I didn't get a very good response from you because you cared about me..."

Theoli was still pale, but still smiled.

To be honest, there are still some points that do not fall into my heart. But for the first time, this place was completely closed. The air in the tense area relaxes.

"... I apologize for the disturbance, but please don't accept some misho condiments. Miso, black sugar, sesame oil, powdered wasabi, yuzu pepper... oh, there's sea salt too. Rock salt seems to be the mainstream around here, so it's probably valuable."

Siori opened her eyes to Yae's offer.

"Eh... ah, okay? But that's not enough for you to do..."

"It's good. Take it as if it were my feelings. I'll give it to you at a later date as a guide to cooking."

As for Shiori, I couldn't refuse if she told me so. She nodded honestly.

The date of the guide was decided two days later. Annelier and the others were going to stay for a few days this time. I would have liked to talk to them a little more slowly, but I was still worried about Shiori, who didn't look pale, and I quickly retreated from the room.

--Silence returns to the room. I heard a lively voice in the conversation room from the other side of the door. I'm sure my colleagues are enjoying the Oriental Merchant Sale.

"... I'm sorry. It made me feel weird."

Siori, who had been silently staring at the door where the two Rovnells and the Oriental subordinates had disappeared for a while, said that it was stubborn.

"Never mind. There's something no one wants to say or know."

Zach stroked Shiori's black hair like a brother. Lori also stuck her back with her tentacles.

That place has settled down, but I'm sure her heart is still rippling. The glossy hair was black and the whiteness of the complexion appeared more prominent.

"... Shiori. Are you okay?"

That was the moment I called out.

I managed to keep my cool face twisted. Tears overflowed as if the weir had been cut.

"Theoli!?"

The body was trembling in a hurry. I wonder if that meeting that was explored in the past was badly endured. Are you worried that you could only return vague answers in front of those close to you that might lose their trust?

But Shiori shook his head sideways.

"Yeah, it's not. That's true, but it's not."

She snorted and said.

"... I was actually expecting it somewhere. It's just not on the map - I didn't know it, and I was hoping somewhere in my mind that there might actually be Japan. Ever since I learned that there was a cultural place close to Japan - and that there was a flavour that I was used to eating in Japan like soy sauce and sashimi - I was hoping that there might be Japan there. But!"

The eyes that looked up at themselves had a color of deep disappointment and intense grief along with tears.

"I didn't! I assured you there was no Yae. Japan was said to be a small country, but it wasn't really as small as it was said. It was a very rich country to be called the third largest economy in the world. It is impossible not to know such a country. That's why I knew it wasn't there - it wasn't there in this world!

The tremendous crying hidden in the body of a quiet woman whom she loved from the bottom of her heart burned Alec's chest. But more than that, you feel the core of the word and breathe deeply.

"Shiori, you..."

Her eyes wet with tears penetrated Alec straight through. Obsidian's mysterious eyes shook fiercely, reflecting his appearance.

"... Alec, brother. I'm sorry I kept quiet till now. I'm not really a human being in this world."