"...and so, I brought along Hang and Bad!" (Kaoru)
"I don't understand what that 'so' is..."
Standing in front of the confused Mine and Aral were Hang and Bad, who had been left in the stables. If we left the horses in a stable and had them cared for at a ranch outside the city, we never had a chance to use them. If we just needed to go somewhere in town, it would be much quicker to walk to our destination or catch a horse-drawn carriage than to have Hang and Bad brought to the stables or for us to go directly to a ranch on the outskirts. That meant that unless we went on a trip, there would be no appearances from Hang and Bad— and at the moment we had no plans to go on a trip.
...Of course, Hang and Bad would cry...
So, I thought it would be okay to live here with Hang and Bad, who followed verbal commands and wouldn't run away. There were no houses nearby, and the area was covered with grass up to the edge of the forest, so I could let them graze freely— Plus, I can use them as a lookout.
Fortunately, there was also a shed that looked like it could be used as a stable, perhaps having been used for storage or something.
Of course, we took good care of them, but we were not experts, so we couldn't achieve the perfection of a regular ranch. But in return, Reiko and I could talk to Hang and the horses, and there were potions for injuries and illnesses. So, I didn't think there would be any problems, but I wanted to follow the horses' wishes.
So when I asked them if they would prefer to live with us or live a leisurely life on a horse farm run by a stable, they naturally chose to live with us. Both of them, of their own volition.
Hmm.
Then…….
"…And so, this is the end of my ‘work experience’. I think you now have a general idea of what kind of place we are, what kind of work we do, and what we aim to achieve. So, I’ll ask again. Decide whether you want to continue working for us or take your current salary and go somewhere else. However, if you choose to continue working with us, you must abide by the condition that you must not disclose anything unusual that you have seen or heard here. And, when you become independent and have your own store in the future, you can use everything you have learned here. Think about it carefully and reply within three days..." (Kaoru)
"I'm going to work here forever!!" (Mine + Aral)
"Immediately answer?!" (Kaoru)
So, Mine and Aral were now officially our employees.
Then...
"This is the entrance to the basement. We use it to take out supplies, to store the goods we make... and also to hide in case of an attack by thieves or other villains targeting our house and wait for help to arrive. If you close the door, it's hard to find because it's not very noticeable, and if you lock the door with a bolt on the inside, there's nothing to grab onto from the outside, so it should be very difficult to open. The handle you normally use to open and close the door is designed to come off easily if you pull too hard on it when it's locked. Then, after we've gone down, we'll undo the latches on the stairs so that if anyone tries to go down, they'll fall headfirst, and then we'll put a platform with poisoned bamboo planted on it where they fall. We'll use a different entrance, so you won't have to worry about that." (Kaoru)
"…………" (Mine)
I wonder why Mine is so silent with a distorted look on her face...
"Ehhh..." (Aral)
Aral, who was only six years old, has his eyes wide open.
Only the first floor was open to the two of them. There were currently no plans to open any lower floors.
Then after a few seconds, Mine, who had been silent, muttered.
"It's fine to hide or barricade yourself in, but can't we fight back and actively kill the bandits ourselves?" (Mine)
…Which archer are you?!
"I will use my body as a shield to protect Kaoru-sama and Reiko. So, after I have fulfilled my duty and died, please think of Aral..." (Mine)
The image of two other orphans flashed through my mind. They looked just like they did in the past, familiar to me.
"That's not what I wanted!" (Kaoru)
I suddenly yelled at them, startling them and scaring them.
...But maybe I'm being a bit too scared... But, I know, I know! Shit...
Relax your face, smile, and looks kindly... why should that make you even more scared?!!
Anyway, I'd say what I needed to say.
"We can at least protect ourselves! There's no need for children to sacrifice their lives to be protected, so don't make fun of adults! Children should just stay quiet and let the adults protect them, don't try and overreach yourself, you're 10 years too early!" (Kaoru)
Is that too harsh? No, it's not enough to say this much to these guys. I learned enough about that in the first season in this world.
This time, let's not create fanatics. Let's let kids grow up to be kids.
"...Eh? Adults?... Are there other people here?" (Mine)
...Shut up!
"Eh, you two are 15 years old? Well, Reiko-sama is a different matter..." (Mine)
That's why, shut up! My height probably isn't that different from Reiko! ...My height!!
Damn it!!
Ha ha ha ha...
*Glimpse!*
"Y-ye-yes! I understand, you're 15 years old, yes, 15 years old!!" (Mine)
…Okay, it's fine as long as you understand it…
"And take this." (Kaoru)
Saying this, I handed them both matching pendants.
"Put it around your neck and tuck it inside your clothes. If it’s visible from the outside, someone might think it’s valuable and try to steal it. …This isn’t an ornament, it’s for self-defense, so there’s no need to show it to others." (Kaoru)
"Is it a talisman?" (Mine)
Mine asked me that.
Well, that's what most people would think...
"No, this isn't some kind of decoration, it's a practical item. Just make sure you watch how you use it..." (Kaoru)
Saying that, I took out something I had made for educational purposes from my pocket. It looked the same, but this was just a sample for educational purposes. So...
"First, if you are attacked by a bandit, point this part at the attacker and press here. Then..." (Kaoru)
Pssh!
"Like this, a small amount of mist will come out with great force. You only need to press it for a moment. If there are many opponents, hold down the button and spray all around. This is just a sample, so what's spurting out is just water, but the one I gave you two will emit a poisonous mist that will cause excruciating pain if it gets in your eyes or is inhaled through your nose or mouth, so be sure to never use it except for emergency! ...Well, it doesn't leave any aftereffects, so there's no need to hesitate or be reserved when using it on bad guys!" (Kaoru)
"Uh...yeah..." (Mine)
"And if you pinch this part and pull it out..." (Kaoru)
It made a cute beep-beep sound.
"The real thing alternates between a really loud noise and a loud voice saying, 'It's a kidnapper, help me!' So if you're in danger of being kidnapped or you want to call for help, don't hesitate to use it! Mine explain it to Aral in detail later." (Kaoru)
"Y-Yes!" (Mine)
Hmmmm, this should be fine.
If they were to carry projectile weapons that shoot lead bullets, they could accidentally fire them or injure innocent people, or even themselves, due to a misfire or operating error. Therefore, we only gave them weapons that would not leave any lasting damage in the unlikely event that something happens.
Besides, I wanted to avoid these kids killing people if possible.
Given the world we live in, I didn't mean to sugar coat things, but it's best to put off such things until they're a little older and there's no other option.
Besides, if these kids were targeted, it was to turn them into cash cows, not to snipe them from a distance and aim for a headshot, a one-hit kill. So, as long as we could prevent them from being kidnapped, that's fine. Reiko and I could just take charge of eliminating the enemies later. So...
"The only time you should use this is if you feel you are in real danger. It's not something you should use for fun, as a joke, or as a practical joke. ...But when it's time to use it, don't hesitate! Do you think people who have money but save too much because they don't want to waste it, and end up getting sick or starving to death, are smart?" (Kaoru)
*Shake-shake!*
Hmm, you're shaking your head with all your might. I'm scared their head might get snapped off, so should I leave it at that?
Ok, that's all I have to say and you should be fine.
All that remained was to get this new business on track. Expanding the scale and starting other businesses could come after that.
For the time being, the first priority was to show the people in town that the business I started was profitable and that I was managing to get by. Companies that are in the black can be trusted. The most important element of any business is "trust."