SIAW Vol. 2 Chapter 21 Part 2

Full title: I Became the Strongest in Another World in the Tutorial During My Lifetime.

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Dario

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After waiting a while at the entrance of the orphanage, I was taken to a guest room.

Inside, an elderly, gentle-looking lady was sitting in an armchair. The girl from before was standing next to her, fidgeting restlessly.

I sat across from the lady, who looked straight at me and started talking.

“I am Lycia, director of this orphanage. I heard you are looking to hire little Zizi, here.”

I already knew her name, thanks to Appraisal, but I didn’t mention it — of course.

“Yes, that’s right. My name is Tenma, I am an adventurer. I do hope you will let me hire her.”

When I mentioned I was an adventurer, the director tensed up slightly. She managed to keep the smile on her lips, but her gaze was sharp.

“In that case, you would need to pay her a salary. Are you capable of that?”

I didn’t see any problems with that. How much was the market average, though?

“Yes, I am fairly sure I can. Could you tell me how much the salary is expected to be?”

“Let’s see…at least ten gold coins a month if she will live out, or five if you will have her as a live-in maid. In the latter case, you will have to provide for her rooming and meals, of course.”

Ooh, that’s a lot cheaper than I expected!

I leaned forward and eagerly replied.

“I am ready to hire her immediately as a live-in! I will pay ten gold coins a month, providing for rooming, meals — and clothes too!!”

Wait, did I see wrong or did the director just twitch…twice?

I was going to provide for more than she asked for a live-in maid, with double the salary…I thought she was going to be happy?

“With such conditions, Zizi should be satisfied too. Can you really pay such a salary every month, Sir Tenma?”

What, ten gold coins? I just need to deliver five guinea fowls to the guild…that’s nothing difficult.

“Certainly. We can make an agreement with Contract magic, if you wish. I am ready to pay her six months’ worth of salary right away too, if necessary.”

I took out sixty golden coins from the Item Box. That’s how badly I wanted Zizi.

“Storage…”

The smile faded from the director’s lips.

“I see you possess the Storage skill. Now I understand how you are capable of paying so much. Why are you so interested in this child, though? I do not see how she could assist you in your adventuring endeavors. Perhaps you have some other objective in your mind?”

The director was clearly suspicious of my intentions.

I decided to answer her in complete honesty.

“I will not hire her to go adventuring with me. She will be doing house chores and other errands. I do plan to have her study and train all sorts of things, though!”

The director reflected for a moment, then turned to Zizi.

“What do you say, Zizi?”

Zizi looked at me straight in the eyes and asked a question.

“Will you let me stay in this town? Or will we be moving somewhere else?”

“I plan to stay here for a while, but will move eventually.”

Zizi replied as soon as I stopped talking.

“In that case, I refuse!!”

The director seemed relieved to hear that.

I couldn’t back down just yet, though.

I stood up, walked in front of Zizi and crouched to her eye level.

“Can I ask you the reason why you don’t want to leave this town?”

“I have to stay at my little sister’s side, until she becomes of age.”

“Your little sister is the bunny ears girl that was with you outside?”

“Bunny ears…? Ah, yes, she is a Rabbit Beastkin.”

I recalled that Misha once explained to me how the children of a mixed marriage between Humankin and Beastkin were born inheriting the characteristics of either the mother or the father.

Misha’s father was Humankin, while her mother was a Fox Beastkin: Sasha and Misha had inherited the mother’s qualities, while her brother had inherited more Humankin qualities instead.

In other words, there was nothing strange about the Humankin Zizi having a Beastkin little sister! Or rather, I was pretty psyched about it! Bunny ears, come on!!

I kept such cheers inside me and continued, calmly.

“Well, that’s solved then. I just need to hire your sister too, right?”

“Eh!?”

Both Zizi and the director reacted with surprise.

“I will provide a room and meals for her too, of course. She will need to help around the house a little, though.”

Just having a bunny girl around the house is enough for me! She just needs to be there, and I’ll be healed!!

“Do you really mean it!?”

I smiled at Zizi.

“We can use Contract magic, if you want.”

“Yes!! Please take care of us!!”

I felt like I could jump in joy.

The director didn’t seem to be as enthusiastic, however, and hurriedly stopped Zizi.

“You can’t decide so quickly, Zizi!! There are more things we need to discuss and confirm!”

“What would those things be, ma’am?”

The director staggered a bit.

“A-Anyway, you’re so young anyway, we need to ask the opinion of a proper adult…”

I’m too young? I’m supposed to be of age already though, so technically I should be an adult already.

Right at that moment, the woman who had led me to the guest room came running inside.

She whispered something into the director’s ear, and the elderly lady almost jumped up from her armchair.

“L-Lady Dorothea came to visit!? Sir Tenma, we have a very important guest, I’m afraid you will have to come back another day.”

Dorothea!?

I didn’t expect to hear that name here.

I was far more concerned with Zizi, though.

Who cares about Dorothea…anyway, I need to find an adult of good standing in this town, so they can vouch for me…wait…right!

“If you need the approval of an adult of good standing, what about Dorothea herself?”

The director looked at me sternly.

“I have no time for jokes, young man! Such disrespect to our Lady Dorothea…please leave, right now!”

“I assure you I am not joking, not in the slightest. Please, just let me see Miss Dorothea.”

“Enough of you!!”

I tried explaining the circumstances, but the director wouldn’t listen.

“What is the ruckus in here!?”

Then, Dorothea entered the room.

“M-My deepest apologies…this young man was demanding us to let him hire one of our orphans, for nefarious purposes…”

“What!? Nefarious purposes!? Who could ever…”

As soon as she noticed my presence, Dorothea froze in place.

“Hello, Miss Dorothea. I have offered to make an agreement with Contract magic to hire this young lady, yet they still doubt my intentions. The director said they need approval from a proper adult. You arrived exactly after that, so I asked them to let me talk to you, but they wouldn’t listen…”

Setting aside the fact that my desire of training Zizi could probably be classified as a “nefarious purpose”, I put up my best “woe is me” act.

“W-What! Is that true, director!?”

The director, perplexed by our exchange, muttered a reply.

“...L-Lady Dorothea…? Are you perhaps acquainted with this boy…?”

“Acquainted! Tenma is a master of the arts, he —”

“Miss Do-ro-thea!”

I interrupted her before she could blurt out anything unnecessary.

“O-Oh! I’m so sorry! Please pretend I said nothing!!”

Dorothea kneeled on the ground and started apologizing profusely.

I couldn’t help but think she was kind of adorable.

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