Chapter 6

“Um… Miss Ansbach. Exactly how long is this going to take?”

I asked, my tone shifting completely.

It was better to be crystal clear about the labor period, wages, and working environment right now. I really wanted to avoid ending up in some “black”¹ workplace.

“Th-The duration, you say?”

Ansbach-san seemed taken aback by the sudden change in my attitude.

“Yes. If we don’t decide on a contract period beforehand, there’s a risk of problems arising later on.”

“I-I see. You are quite right. Departure is scheduled for three days from now. The journey to the Royal Capital will likely take about a month.”

“And after that, I’ll be entering military service in the capital, correct?”

“Indeed. You would likely serve as part of the Royal Capital Garrison for a period of six months.”

That’s way too long!

“Am I expected to serve as your attendant for that entire duration?”

“N-No. You do not have to be with me at all times.”

Ansbach-san added hurriedly, perhaps sensing that I was about to refuse.

“You may return when there are no pressing matters. I shall simply summon you again when needed… And of course, I will provide you with days off while you are here!”

This person is pretty desperate.

Still, being summoned multiple times was actually a plus for me. It meant my skills would keep increasing.

The only issue was that active duty in both worlds might drain my stamina. In those cases, I figured I could just rest in the “room in the gap.” Since time didn’t flow there, it would make for an excellent break room. It might even be a chance to laze around for hours reading web novels.

“Understood. We can iron out the finer details regarding working hours later. Now, about the compensation…”

“Compensation… You mean wages? Or do you require something else, like a sacrifice!?”

What am I, an evil god?! Should I just go ahead and demand twelve virgins or something?!

“No… No sacrifices are necessary. Just receiving a wage is plenty.”

That handsome god-guy did say there was nothing wrong with seeking compensation for labor, after all.

“Understood. However, it is a bit embarrassing to admit, but the Ansbach family is not a wealthy noble house. I hope you can understand that.”

Uh oh. I have a bad feeling about these low wages.

“So, how much would the pay be?”

“I was thinking 600 Marques a day…”

600 Marques? That’s only 600 yen!

600 yen a day? That’s not per hour, is it?!

No matter how you look at it, that’s way too cheap! Back in Japan, the Labor Standards Inspection Office would have a field day with this!

“I intended for this to be a generous offer. I have heard that this is the average income for a laborer in the Royal Capital.”

Wages in this world must be incredibly low. I suppose that means the cost of living is cheap, too.

As I stood there brooding over the numbers, Ansbach-san peered into my face with a worried expression.

“Sir Summoned Beast, would these conditions be acceptable?”

…That’s playing dirty.

Damn it, she’s actually cute! Seeing that anxious look on someone who usually seems so stern… is this… “gap moe”?²

“Ria introduced you to me, and I performed this summons as a last resort. Please, I beg of you, grant my wish.”

Sigh. She’s cute, and she has Ria’s recommendation. Plus, I really wanted to secure that “Paralysis (Beginner)” skill this time.

While I remained silent, still weighing my options, the mansion suddenly became noisy. Did something happen? Ansbach-san also looked puzzled.

“Lady Clara! It is a disaster!”

Egon, the butler, burst into the room without even knocking. His face was pale.

“We have a guest present!”

Ignoring Ansbach-san’s reprimand with a wave of his hand, Egon gasped out the words.

“Monsters! There are Goblins at the east gate! A child from the village has been snatched away!”

The moment she heard that, Ansbach-san surged to her feet.

“Excuse me,” she said curtly before rushing out.

From the hallway, I heard her shouting at the top of her lungs, “Bring me my horse!” She was undoubtedly heading straight for the scene.

I wonder if she’ll be okay?

I was a little worried.

“You mentioned Goblins… Did monsters actually appear?”

I asked Egon, who was still panting nearby.

“Yes. Every year when winter arrives, they form packs and come to snatch away our livestock and children. Usually, they don’t appear until it gets much colder, but I suppose the poor harvest this year left them with little to find in the mountains.”

As expected, another world was full of danger. Taking on Ansbach-san’s request was going to require some serious resolve.

“The poor things… I only hope they can be rescued safely…”

Egon seemed deeply concerned for the kidnapped child.

“Was it a small child who was taken?”

“Yes. A young girl named Noel, only seven years old.”

Noel! Was that Ria’s younger sister, Noel?!

“Wh-Where? Where were they attacked?!”

“The east side of the village.”

I confirmed the direction Egon was pointing from the window and dashed out of the room.

When I first heard that monsters had appeared, it still felt like I was watching a fantasy movie. Even though a major incident was unfolding, I couldn’t perceive it as something actually happening in reality.

But the moment I heard a child I knew had been kidnapped, the world that had been mere fantasy until then suddenly took on a vivid sense of reality.

As I ran toward the east, I found the villagers fighting the monsters. There were over ten humans, but the monsters far outnumbered them. There were about thirty green imps, each roughly 150 centimeters tall.

So these were Goblins.

While the Goblins used primitive stone spears and axes as weapons, the villagers were fighting back with crude spears and farming tools. Each individual Goblin’s combat power seemed low, but their numbers made them dangerous.

In the midst of the battle, I spotted a girl with blue hair who stood out even from a distance.

It was Ria!

I pulled a machete out of my Spatial Storage and rushed to her side.

“Ria!”

“Kota-san!”

I reached Ria just as she skewered a Goblin with her spear.

“What about Noel?”

“They took her. I want to go after them, but these things are in the way!”

Goblins blocked the path as if to thwart any pursuit. If I wanted to save Noel, I had to harden my own resolve as well.

My basic skill, “Courage x6,” give me strength!

Terrified that my first use of magic was happening in a real battle, I gathered magical power in my hands. In three seconds, the mana reached the required amount, and a “Paralysis Ball” was born above my left hand. It was a white orb of light about the size of a ping-pong ball.

I thrust my palm vigorously toward a nearby Goblin, and the light orb flew off, hitting its mark without fail. Instantly, the Goblin stiffened as if numbed by an electric shock.

I approached the immobilized Goblin… and swung my machete down with all my might toward the top of its head.

A sickening sensation traveled up through my hand, but I forced myself not to focus on it as I searched for the next enemy.

A short distance away, I saw a villager about to be surrounded by Goblins. I channeled mana into my hand once more.

Caught between a clear murderous intent directed at me for the first time in my life and my own murderous intent directed at another for the first time, I lost my sense of reason. The only thing in my mind was the destruction of the opponent.

That day, I learned for the first time that I could be this cruel.

Suddenly, I realized the villagers were raising a victory cry.

What? What happened?

Startled, I looked around to find that the Goblins were gone. It was over…

The fear I hadn’t felt during the heat of battle suddenly washed over me. My knees shook so violently I couldn’t stop them. Just as I was about to collapse, someone spoke to me.

“Where did you come from? Well, it doesn’t matter, you really saved us back there!”

It was the villager who had been surrounded by Goblins.

“I-I was called here by Ansbach-san…”

“Ah, so you’re the guest from the Lord’s manor.”

I gave a half-hearted reply and looked around. Ria was nowhere to be seen. Had she been taken down by a Goblin?

“U-Um, Ria… have you seen Ria?”

“Ria? Come to think of it, I saw her running toward the forest earlier.”

This was bad! She had gone after the kidnapped Noel all by herself.

As I stared blankly toward the forest, something shimmered in my field of vision. It was a knight with silver hair that glinted in the faint winter light. Little Noel was perched in front of the saddle. She looked a bit frightened, but she appeared to be uninjured.

Walking beside the horse was Ria, a smile on her face. Ansbach-san must have chased after Noel without even putting on her armor, carrying nothing but a spear. And she had successfully rescued her.

For a moment, I was captivated by the majestic and dignified beauty of Clara Ansbach.

After seeing Ria and her sister safely home, I returned to the mansion with Ansbach-san. We had to continue our contract negotiations. It was only after being served tea in the drawing room that I finally managed to calm down.

“I heard you struck down a great many Goblins. Let me thank you once again.”

“No… I was just desperate. More importantly, I’m glad you were able to save Noel.”

“Hmph, I was desperate as well. One cannot call themselves a Lord if they cannot protect their people.”

Clara Ansbach… If she had been an arrogant noble, I wouldn’t have wanted to sign a contract with her, but…

“Now then, let me ask once more. What do you say? Will you grant my wish?”

If I signed a contract with this person, battles like the one earlier would likely happen many times in the future. There would be risks to my life.

And yet…

And yet, what was this feeling of exhilaration?! I couldn’t suppress the excitement welling up from deep within my chest.

My marriage hadn’t been going well, and the feelings that had been smoldering for months were now suddenly cleared away.

I see! I’m starting to enjoy this world!

“Understood. I will enter into a contract with you.”

I formed a master-servant contract with Clara Ansbach.

When I returned to my original world, Yoshioka was in the middle of speaking.

“Are tsundere or cool beauty types no good? It’s lonely knowing you have no interest in female knights, Senpai. I was so sure you’d prefer the cool types over the healing types.”

That’s right, I had been summoned right in the middle of talking to this guy.

“Yoshioka.”

“Yes?”

“I retract my previous statement. Female knights… aren’t so bad.”

At the very least, the female knight I knew was a dignified, yet kind and wonderful woman.