We just crushed the sixth slave business and returned to the Earlâs mansion.
ăWe successfully took down another slave business today!ăthe young lady reported happily.
ăI see. Good to hear that.ăthe Earl answered with the usual reply, smiling a little.
What was different from usual is that after this, I will have a once every 10 days âreporting sessionâ with the Earl. The young lady was taken away by Sebas, the chief butler.
Only the Earl and I were left in the office.
The walls of the room were made of wood planks with beautiful grains. From those grains alone, you can guess each plank was costly even though it was a simple wall. I felt a certain pressure even though it was a simple room with no artistic decoration such as paintings and vases.
ăUnfortunately, the search for the individual named Lulushaâăthe Earl started, taking out the report as usual.
There wasnât any notable information about the search for Lulusha-san and skill orbs with five or more stars. The Earl was bound by contract magic, so I donât think he was lying.
After the Earlâs report was over, I told him that the name âSlave Business Crusherâ was circulating around. However, the Earl just replied, âIs that so?â in a monotonous tone as ever.
ăâŚIsnât this a bit strange, Earl? If we go around destroying Human Resource Centers, this society will face problems.ă
ăThatâs an interesting thing to say, Reiji-san. Do you have a clear grasp on everything about the Holy City?ă
ăIt becomes apparent if you consider the economy of the city. Someone as wise as you, must have surely noticed.ă
ăI see that you have special knowledge, Reiji-san.ă\n
ăPlease donât dodge the question. What about the guardâs investigation on the slave merchants we arrested?ă
The Earl handed me a report consisting of five pieces of paper, which he seems to have prepared beforehand. In this world, papers made from plants are in circulation, but the quality of the paper is non-uniform and the printing technology is not good enough, so it is all handwritten.
âŚThe document reads âForbidden to take outside the departmentâ on the top right corner, though?
ăI brought it out with the proper permission.ăthe Earl said, as though having anticipated my question.
A quick glance through the papers revealed that the heads of the resource centers gave the same testimony, as though agreed upon beforehand â such asăI knew that slave-like treatment was illegal, but this job is a necessary evilă,ăI deeply apologize for calling human resources as slaveă, and together with,ăWe didnât know it was the young daughter of Earl Sillys.ă
(âŚThey had been allowed to operate until now because it is a necessary evil. However, since the word âslaveâ came out directly out of their mouths, we incapacitated them and called the guards.)
I unconsciously heaved a sigh.
Even if we went around crushing human resource services, as long as there is a need for people to âsellâ themselves, another one will pop up. And those ones will be more cunning.
What the young lady and I are doing is just a waste of work. Maybe the Earl already knows all these and simply lets us do it so that the young lady can feel satisfied?
When I looked up from the documents, the Earl was staring at me intently.
Is he curious? No, this is more like heâs searching for something.
Since the Earl naturally has a pretty emotionless face, it was even more difficult to read him.
ăYour Excellency. Are you perhaps just letting the young lady do as she pleaâă
ăReiji-san. I will answer any questions regarding escorting, but wonât accept any personal questions.ă\nThis personâŚ
ăIf so, I would like to be present at the investigation of the slave merchant.ă
ăâŚNo problem. I shall inform the guards.ă
Oh, he gave me permission quite easily. HmmâŚ
And then I left the Earlâs office, feeling like I was missing something.
(Letâs contact Zerry-san.)
Zerry-san, who watches over from the shadows when we crush slave merchants, usually works as an adventurer. Itâs been 4 years since we came to the Holy City, so she seems to know a few places where you can buy information.
âŚLetâs have her search information about Human Resource Centers.
***
The young ladyâs schedule covers a wide variety of tasks, such as studying, private lessons, and slave business crushing, but today there was a different task.
It was an evening party. Not another event where she accompanies the Earl, but she herself was the main guest. She, who used to be an âaccompanimentâ of the Earl until the age of twelve, will be, from now on, a full-fledged noble in the noble society.
The âSprouts and New Moon Banquetâ sponsored by His Majesty the Holy King will be held with boys and girls of noble families who will turn 12 years old this year. In this world, where there are no school entrance or graduation ceremonies, for noble parents, the âSprouts and New Moon Banquetâ is the first and last big moment of their children. Affluent nobles order a dress to be made for this event from one year prior, and even a poor noble will rent a dress even if they have to take out a loan.
For daughters, it is a dress, but for sons, it is a treasured sword which hangs from the waist.
Despite being a gaudy, overly decorated weapon, it is a sword with a genuine blade and a genuine killing ability. By learning it, they will take the first step as an âadult.â\n\năReiji-san.ă
ăOh, yes. What is it?ă
The chief maid glared at me.
ăFrom now on, the lady has to prepare for the banquet.ă
ăYes. Of course I know.ă
ăThen?ă
ăâŚWhat do you mean?ă
ăAre you just going to stay and peep!? Please leave!ă
And so, I hurriedly rushed out of the room.
Thatâs right. Even if Iâm an escort, I canât just look at the young lady changing clothes and putting on makeup.
In such cases, normally escorts have to be on standby outside the room, right?
âŚI guess, Iâm also a little restless. Well, it is a banquet, so Iâm interested in the kind of food they would serve.
When I walked out into the hallway, I ran into Maxim-san, who was wearing armor despite being within the premises, seeming to be on guard at all times since the assassination attempt on the Earl.