Chapter 19

Crunya-san was permitted to live in a vacant room in exchange for cleaning the office. Since the building was massive, cleaning it took a significant amount of time. Her part-time wages seemed to be enough to stabilize her life; this company had always been a good payer, after all.

When I told Crunya-san about the live-in job, she wept with joy.

“Was the offer really that good? It makes me feel a little embarrassed.”

“No, it’s just… I was so happy to find out that there are still people who would go that far for someone like me.”

Ah, I guess that makes sense. Knowing someone is moving for your sake means realizing you aren’t alone.

“I probably shouldn’t ask a woman her age, but I’ll go ahead and ask. Crunya-san, how old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

We were the same age.

“If that’s the case, you can make a comeback. In fact, having experienced such a failure at the age everyone is just entering society could be considered a huge advantage, depending on how you look at it.”

“Thanks for the positive spin. Yeah, I think I’ve finally been able to move on.”

I could tell just by looking at her face that her heart had turned toward a better direction. When she was about to jump into the swamp, there was no life in her eyes. Now, I could see the light in them.

“Um… Franz-san… Asking at a time like this might make me seem like I’m taking advantage of you… but I’m asking in the purest sense… Um…”

She was taking a long time to get to the point. Crunya-san was twiddling her fingers, looking restless.

“Franz-san, do you… have a girlfriend right now?”

Whoa, that was more direct than I expected!

“Jumping into a swamp for a total stranger… you have such a beautiful heart, Franz-san. I wondered if maybe this time, I wouldn’t be deceived…”

“That would be difficult,” Cerulia chimed in from behind.

“Wah! The Succubus familiar!”

Crunya clearly hadn’t expected Cerulia to walk in.

“As Master’s familiar, I take care of all his needs. I won’t stop the two of you from drowning in carnal desire, but I imagine you would find it difficult to have me around, Crunya-san.”

“R-right… Having a Succubus constantly by your boyfriend’s side would be a massive problem… It’s beyond the level of whether he’s cheating or not…”

It was likely a situation where a girl likes someone who already has a girlfriend, and that girlfriend says, “You can date him if you want.” Usually, nobody can say yes to that.

“Franz-san, I’m sorry… I wish you and the Succubus-san much happiness…”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“But it’s true that I look up to you, Franz-san!”

Just hearing that made me happy. Honestly, since joining the Dark Magic industry, I felt like I had suddenly entered a “popular phase.” I thought that was just an urban legend, but apparently not.

●

And so, for a while, I continued managing the swamp alongside Senior Farphistanya. Since there were quite a few swamps around the Capital, the plan was for me to handle others on my own once I got used to the work.

The job itself was, to be perfectly blunt, incredibly boring. Since, in principle, we were just sitting there.

However, I felt that if I just spent this time idling, it would bite me later. So, I decided to read books on Dark Magic while keeping watch. People might say I should be focusing entirely on the swamp, but I could communicate with the imps, and Cerulia was helping me keep watch as well.

“You’re quite the studious one,” Senior Farphistanya remarked.

She was watching the swamp from a chair that was more like a lounger. Senior was likely a master of idling.

“It’s just a hunch, but I think being given this job first is a sign to study independently during the downtime. I feel like I’m being tested on how much I can grow in the first month.”

“Knowing the President, I think she just wanted to start you off with the easy work. But I appreciate the mindset of wanting to grow.”

Senior didn’t show it much on her face, but she was a mild-mannered and very kind person. This was likely her way of praising me.

Since Dark Magic is a complete system of magic, there is a mountain of things to learn. While only a small fraction of it has practical use as a job in this society, the difference between knowing that vast background and not knowing it changes the meaning of the magic entirely.

“You have a high awareness, Junior-kun. In that case, I’ll teach you a secret technique.”

“Wait, I’d love that, but what exactly is it?”

When someone mentions a “Dark Magic secret,” I still feel a slight sense of danger.

“Look at my hands.”

On Senior’s lap sat several balls of yarn.

“Knitting…?”

“Here I go.”

Senior’s hands began to move at ultra-high speed! It was so fast that my eyes could no longer track them clearly!

“What is this!?”

With terrifying momentum, something that looked like socks with complex patterns was being constructed! Furthermore, Senior was still looking toward the swamp the whole time; she was performing her lookout duties perfectly. In other words, she wasn’t looking at her hands at all!

“Is this the secret technique!?”

“Yes. High-speed knitting. With this, you can make all sorts of things while keeping watch.”

In the time we were talking, what appeared to be a right-foot sock was finished. This was definitely a skill on a level you could brag about as a party trick.

“I mean, it’s an amazing skill, but I was hoping to learn something related to Dark Magic…”

“Junior-kun, this is legitimate Dark Magic.”

“Eh…?”

A full pair of socks was already finished. They looked fluffy and very warm. Even though they weren’t a simple flat knit, complex sigils were woven into them with various colored threads.

“Here. Recovery Socks. Try them on.”

Doubtful, I tried on the socks.

“I don’t really feel anything.”

“That’s because you aren’t tired yet. Put your shoes on over them and run a lap around the swamp.”

Gah! The perimeter of the swamp was quite a distance…

But since it was an order from my superior, I followed it obediently. If she told me she was lying after I got back, this would definitely be power harassment… though I didn’t think Senior was that kind of person.

By the time I made it back, I was drenched in sweat. The ground near the swamp was muddy in places, so it took a lot of physical strength.

“Master, are you alright?”

I was exhausted to the point that even Cerulia looked worried. My legs were wobbling like a drunkard’s.

“Senior Farphistanya, this kind of thing isn’t real—Wait?”

The fatigue in my legs was being rapidly sucked away into the socks!