We entered my territory through the pedestrian entrance next to the main gate. We walked through the garden and made it to the front door, which I opened to find Lapis and Cecile cleaning the entrance hall.
“Oh, what a welcome surprise, sir! It’s rare for you to use the front door.”
Ohhh? Who is this?” Cecile looked at Renne, her stare almost boring holes into the little girl. Renne hid herself behind me, likely out of embarrassment.
“Her name is Renne. She’s gonna work here from now on, so try to get along with her. Go on, Renne. Introduce yourself to them, they don’t bite.”
“Errm... I-I’m Renne. It’s a great p-pleasure to meet you!”
Wow, she turned so meek and formal. Guess she’s nervous. Not unreasonable, given the gaudy place I brought her to.
“Where’s Laim?”
“He went to the living room to give Miss Yumina her tea.” Lapis pointed the way, so I took Renne along with me. I let the little girl sit on a comfy chair while I explained the situation to Laim.
Yumina silently listened to what I was saying, staring at Renne all the while. It didn’t take a genius to tell that she was using her Mystic Eyes. Soon enough, Yumina adopted a light smile. There, I knew it! Renne isn’t a bad girl!
With a sidelong glance, Laim confirmed it himself.
“Very well, sir. I understand the circumstances. However, I need to be certain she was serious about working here. I cannot have our efficiency as a team hampered by anyone. You there, your name is Renne?”
“Y-Yup...”
“Do you truly intend to work here? We won’t mind if you fail or cause a bit of trouble for us servants at first. However, you must promise to learn from your mistakes and not to flee from your responsibilities.” Laim glared at Renne with the sternest expression I’d ever seen him adopt. I thought it was a slightly harsh thing to do to a child no older than ten, but it didn’t seem like I had any business intruding, so I held my tongue.
“...Yeah. I wanna work here. I wanna be where Touya is.” Renne stared right back into Laim’s stern eyes. After staring at her for a good moment, the butler softened his expression and stood up with a smile.
“Cecile. Take young Renne to the bath. I want her scrubbed down until she’s spotless.”
“Okaaay. Come with meee, little Renne. It’s bath tiiime, eeheheh.”
“Uh?! What?!” And so, Renne was taken to the bathroom. Though it might have been more apt to say that Renne was dragged into the bathroom.
“Lapis, go buy her some fitting clothes. Oh, and order a custom-made uniform for her.”
“Understood, sir. If you don’t mind, I will use the bicycle.” Lapis hurriedly went outside. She and Cecile learned to ride the bike in just a few hours. I wasn’t too surprised, given that they were this world’s equivalent of the ninjas.
Yumina suddenly spoke up after hearing us speak.
“When she’s done bathing, she can wear my clothes, for the time being at least. They’ll probably be too big for her, but it’ll only be until Lapis returns.” Yumina got up off her seat. She was probably headed to get some clothes to the dressing room. Once she left, I spread myself out on my chair and drowned myself in thoughts for a while. Soon enough, Laim came over and placed some tea on the table in front of me.
“...Should I have just handed her over to an orphanage? Did I do something uncalled for?”
“That is for Renne to decide, sir. For now, if you’ll permit me to say... you should only accept the truth. The truth is that you have saved a young girl from poverty.”
Guess you’re right about that, Laim... I shouldn’t overthink it. I did exactly what I wanted to do, anyway. That’s all there is to it. Man, I can see why Laim used to work directly under the king. He’s got a way with words. Putting all that aside, though, Renne is still a criminal. I’ll have to make her atone for whatever it is she’s done. Maybe I should consult someone about that? Well, whatever. I’ll just talk to the king or something.
...Hm? I could hear someone running through the corridor. Suddenly, the living room door flung open, and Renne ran in, wearing nothing but a bath towel. In her arms, she held my dear little white tiger.
“T-Touya! Bruv! There’s a little tiger over ’ere!” Kohaku looked at me with an annoyed expression on his face. I could totally understand why.
“Master... who is this child?”
“You wot?! It can bleedin’ well talk!”
...She’s noisy, and that way of talking came back pretty quick, too. She should really put on some clothes, honestly. Doesn’t look very proper at all. As I started to think about just how lively my home would become with her, I noticed something strange. There was something hanging on her neck. It looked like some kind of pendant.
“Renne, what’s with that thing around your neck?”
“This? Dad gave it to me. Said it was to remember my mum by. It’s the only thing I ever had for myself.”
“Can I take a look at it?” Renne took it off and gave it to me. Moments later, Cecile, with her sleeves rolled up, came and dragged her back to the bathroom. Things got way too chaotic, way too fast...
I shifted my gaze to the pendant in my hand. From what I could tell, the thing was gold... It would clearly fetch a considerable price on the market. Since Renne kept it around despite the fact that she could feed herself by selling it, the pendant must’ve been very dear to her.
The design was a pair of spread wings, in the middle of which was a gem in the shape of a downward triangle. Is this... an emerald? No, it’s a wind spellstone.
There was a crest on the back.
“Laim, do you recognize this crest?”
“A griffin, a shield, two swords, and laurels... I cannot say I do.”
“If this is really a memento, could it mean that Renne has some blue blood in her?”
“I would not be so sure. It might be something her parents or grandparents merely happened upon.”
And it went from generation to generation until it ended up in Renne’s hands, huh? That’s definitely a possibility. But usually something so gaudy would’ve been returned or sold, right? Well, with Renne’s dad gone, there’s no way to know for sure...
“As far as I am aware, there is no such crest among the ones used by Belfastian nobles. Though, I do know that griffin crests are quite popular in the Empire...” The Empire... which is that again...? Oh, the Regulus Empire? I think that was to the east? The one that isn’t on the best of terms with Belfast. Was Renne’s father a fallen noble who escaped from that place? Whatever the case, this doesn’t seem like something I should talk about more than necessary.
I made a mental note to ask about the crest if I ever met someone from the Regulus Empire.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Yep, it looks good on you.”
“R-Really?” Renne slightly raised the skirt of her new maid uniform and did a little spin. The pendant hanging around her neck swayed along with her.
“That thing might get in the way of your work, so you should put it under your clothes.”
“Ah, gotcha. No prob, Touya!” While I wasn’t lying about it obstructing her work, it was better for it to be hidden away from those who’d like to steal it.
Laim, who was standing at my side, looked straight at Renne.
“Renne, from now on, you are one of us. You are among the servants. When referring to the one you serve, you must use ‘sir.’ None of this ‘Touya’ or... ‘bruv,’ as you put it.”
“Ah, erm... Got it! I’ll do my best, Mister Laim!”
“Excellent, young lady. Your job right now is to help the servants working here. Go to Crea to learn about how we prepare our meals. The rest you can learn from Lapis and Cecile.”
“Gotc— l understand.” Renne’s answer was proper and straightforward. Even so... I couldn’t help but worry a bit.
“Okaaay, Renne, let’s gooo!”
“Alright. I’ll be off, bru— sir.”
“Do your best out the
re.” Renne left the dining hall, led off by Cecile. All she needs to do is get used to it.
“Don’t think you have to worry about her, Touya,” Elze said.
“Y-Yes, I feel the same way...” Linze muttered. As they drank their post-breakfast tea, the twins expressed their approval of my decision. I had told them everything that led up to me employing Renne the day before.
“Yes. She has a very strong heart, and I am certain she properly considers everything, I am.” Yae was still eating breakfast. Her hunger was as great as ever. I couldn’t even imagine how many croissants she had consigned to the void within her this morning.
I heard the door to the dining hall open and turned around to see Yumina walking in. She was holding a piece of paper in one of her hands.
“It’s from my father. He requests that you pay him a visit today, if you have the time.” The Gate Mirror through which we kept in contact with the royal palace was in Yumina’s room. The letter probably came through there. The royal palace was only a thirty minute walk away, but the Gate Mirror was useful nonetheless.
“The king? What does he want from me?”
“He said something about uncle boasting to him about his bicycle, so I think it has something to do with that.” Yumina smiled wryly. I had predicted this a few days ago, and now it had come true.
Well, guess I better make another one. At least this’ll be a good excuse to talk about Renne.
I walked out to the garden and used [Storage] to take out the bike materials. Since I had made so many of them already, I had the king’s order done in a mere ten minutes. Using [Storage] again, I took the bicycle with me. Man do I love this spell.
“Alright, I’m off.”
“I’ll come with you.” Yumina walked out into the garden. Well, I can’t freely walk around the castle without her, so her presence will be a big help anyway.
“Hold up there! I’m coming too. I wanna fight the general again.” Elze ran out, her asymmetrical gauntlets dangling on her side. General Leon, the supreme commander of the royal army, had fought her countless times by this point, making their relationship sort of like that of a master and apprentice.
It just hit me that this country has both an “order of knights” and an “army.” What’s the difference? If I remember right, Reflet was being protected by the knight order.
So, are they responsible for policing duties, while the army are the ones handling monsters and outside threats? With those thoughts in my head, I opened up a [Gate].
“Well, you know, Al... No, ah... Duke Ortlinde showed me a most peculiar vehicle. He also said that you were the one who provided him with it. So, er... I was wondering if you would be able to give one to me, as well.” The king told me why he called me over, acting strange all the while. It was just as I had thought.
He and I were having a little talk in one of the smaller palace rooms. Since Elze went to see the general, and Yumina went to meet the queen, the king and I were alone together. Well, alone if you ignored the guards.
“I thought that was why you called me over, so I prepared one before coming here.”
“Oho! How considerate of you, my boy! So, where is it?!” I cast [Storage] and created a magic circle on the floor. From it, I summoned the bicycle I had prepared earlier.
“As always, you do the most unexpected of things, Touya my boy... Is this different from those [Gate] things of yours?”
“This one’s a storage spell. It allows me to keep many things on demand, so I use it a lot.” The king simply sighed before shifting all of his attention toward his new bike. I figured he was out of things to say about my spells at that point. He stared at it from every direction and touched it all over to see how it felt.
“Did Duke Ortlinde let you ride his bike?”
“He did, but I was unable to grasp the proper technique... Al told me that it requires practice. How much, exactly?”
“It took the duke about a day, but my maids got the hang of it in just three hours. I’d say three days should be enough for anyone.” The king was a busy guy. He probably didn’t have any days he could dedicate entirely to bike practice. But it was still a fact that he’d be able to ride it sooner or later.
As the king joyfully hopped up on the saddle, I began talking about my own business.
“Now that we’ve settled this, there’s something I’d like to ask... or maybe just discuss with you.”
“Hoh? It’s rare for you to ask for my help, Touya.” As the king raised his brow slightly, I told him about Renne. He was intently listening to me, and when I finished, he began speaking in a highly serious tone.
“Crime is crime. She must pay for what she has done. However, we must take her circumstances into account as well. If you, Touya, are able to properly look after her and turn her into a proper member of society, we will let her off with only a hefty fine and a warning. However, she will not receive a second chance. Be sure to inform her of that fact.” His words made me feel relieved. I was definitely serious about protecting Renne. I couldn’t be more thankful for the king’s rationality.
Moments later, the king turned ominously silent. D-Did I do something wrong?
“Hmm... I just cannot understand it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are there so many vagrant children? The funding I direct to the capital’s orphanages should be more than enough. Could it be that...” The king clapped, and a masked figure clad in black silently fell down from the ceiling. Whoa, that caught me off guard! For a moment, I thought it was one of my maids — Lapis or Cecile — but then I noticed that the symbol on the forehead of the mask was different. Lapis’ was a hexagon; Cecile’s was an oval. This one was a pentagon. Whatever the case, it was clearly another member of Espion — the intelligence officers who answered directly to the king.
“Who is responsible for the funding of orphanages?”
“Baron Sebek... There are rumors that his influence has been growing unusually strong over the last few years.”
“Thoroughly examine the flow of money and have anyone clearly guilty of embezzlement dealt with accordingly.”
“Yes, my liege.” He disappeared through the ceiling just as swiftly as he appeared. A ninja if I ever saw one.
“My apologies, Touya. The circumstances of the child you took in might be the result of my own carelessness. Forgive me for my negligence.” He bowed his head.
So the money meant for the orphanages was probably laundered by someone who managed the flow. Which means the orphanages couldn’t operate at full capacity and weren’t able to take in all the kids. So people like that exist in this world too, huh...? Scumbags who get fat and fill their own pockets by exploiting positions of power...
Still, the king sure was a person of good moral character. Not everyone would bow to another over something like that. The public might disagree, but I couldn’t help but think that this country was blessed to have such a ruler.
“You sure have it hard, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. If only there was someone who could take my position and allow me to retire.” The king grinned broadly.
...Are you referring to me and Yumina, old man?! Even if I do marry her, I have absolutely no intention of being king! I had a great amount of respect for King Belfast, that much was true, but it was completely unrelated to me succeeding him.
I should meet up with the head chef of the castle and give him a recipe for a dish that gives a hearty boost to stamina. Maybe then the king can just make another baby. Garlic, yam, turtle... do those things even exist here? That doesn’t matter, I need to get them, and fast!
“We’re back.” Yumina and I walked out of the [Gate]. We arrived just outside our front door. Elze said she’d come back on foot as soon as the training was over.
We walked through the door and into the main hall, where we were welcomed by Laim.
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Good to see you too, Laim! It all worked out with Renne.”
“Most excellent. Oh, and you have a visitor.”
“A visitor...?” I nonchalantly looked down the corridor beyond Laim, where I saw something strange bobbing over to us.
Fifty centimeters tall. A red ribbon around its neck. It was a stuffed bear with round, cutesy eyes.
“Paula?!” The bear heard her name and greeted me by raising her right hand. She came up to me, so I picked her up.
“Did you come all the way from Mismede? By yourself?”
“Of course not, you silly little man. She came with me.” The door to the parlor opened, and out came a girl in gothic lolita clothing. Her long white hair was in twintails.
“Leen?! What’re you doing here?” Well, I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Paula wouldn’t have just been here without her creator.
“I’m just here for research. Oh, and I had to punish Charlotte, too. I slapped her already, so that’s done and dusted.”
Man, she sure is one to hold grudges... Kinda immature. Aren’t you over six hundred?
As I stared at her with slight disappointment, Yumina pulled on my sleeve.
“Touya? Who might this be?”
“This is Leen, the Clan Matriarch of Mismede’s fairies. She doesn’t look it, but she’s way, way older than us.”
“Fairies? But...” Yumina looked at Leen with a puzzled expression.
Wait, where’d her wings go? Sh-She didn’t cut them off, did she?!
“Oh, I concealed my wings with Light magic. They attract far too much attention in this country.” She removed the spell, causing a set of see-through wings to gradually appear behind her. The sunlight coming through the windows made them gleam and shimmer. I couldn’t help but wonder whether fairies and avians had trouble sleeping because of their wings.
“Why are you in my house, though? How’d you even find out where we live?”
“Charlotte told me. I had something I wanted to ask you. Specifically, I wanted to ask you about that ‘crystal creature’ you defeated some months ago.”
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 2 Page 16
