Volume 4 - CH 25

Chapter 4-25 : Career Counseling Ⅰ

「Say, Lorea-chan, why don’t you move here and live here with us from now on?」(Sarasa)

「C, Can I!?」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan looked surprised but somehow I could tell that she was expecting I would say that.

「Yeah. If you’re going to continue working for me for a long time, it’ll be more convenient if you live with me.」(Sarasa)

It reminds me of Master and Maria-san. They have been working together, supporting each other for years. Leonora-san and her worker, Filione-san, also have a similar relationship.

I hope I can work together with Lorea-chan for a long time just like them, but it’s all up to her.

Once they get a job that suits them, commoners normally will continue to do that job until they get old and retire. Especially if you get a highly-paid job that requires special skills that only some people can do. You don’t want to throw it away and change jobs.

Being a clerk at an alchemy shop requires skills. Therefore, that occupation is classified as a highly-paid job.

It would be awesome if Lorea-chan can continue working for me. But…

「But I’m not sure if I can stay in this village forever. I might leave and open a store in a big city in the future…」(Sarasa)

I love this village. It’s a good place to live. However, I don’t think staying here is a good idea. After all, in order to become a bigger alchemist, I need to open a store in a big city.

Well, I’m not planning to leave anytime soon, but when I leave this village someday, will Lorea-chan come along? That’s the question…

Of course, I will raise her salary if I’m able to open a store in a big city in the future, but does she think that it’s worth leaving her hometown?

When I had all those questions in my head, Lorea-chan smiled at me.

「Sarasa-san, actually, I’ve already discussed this matter with my parents. They told me that if you want to continue to hire me, then I should continue working for you. I think they will be happier if I continue working for you than if I take over the general store.」(Lorea)

「Is that so? Of course I want to continue to hire you as long as I can, so… will you…」(Sarasa)

「Un! When you leave this village someday, I will go with you wherever you go!」(Lorea)

Lorea-chan answered all the questions in my head in an instant.

I’m really happy.

I’m glad that her parents are not the type of strict parents who force their children to take over their business.

「That’s great! But you don’t have siblings, right? How about the grocery store then?」(Sarasa)

「Don’t worry. We have relatives in this village. My parents can ask my cousin to work in the grocery store. He doesn’t seem to want to leave this village, so I think he will gladly accept the job.」(Lorea)

Because making money in this village is a bit hard, young men in this village will usually leave and work in other places when they are mature enough.

Michael-san who works in my herb field is an example. If he didn’t leave this village and worked in South Strugg, he wouldn’t have met Izu-san and married her.

However, not all of them actually want to leave the village just like Lorea-chan’s cousin.

「Besides, my mom and dad are still young, so they might give me a brother or a sister in the future. Who knows?」(Lorea)

「Hee… It would be great if that happened before Iー no, we left this village.」(Sarasa)

「That’s right! I can just ask them to ‘make’ a sibling for me. I think they will gladly do it.」(Lorea)

「Lo, Lorea-chan!?」(Sarasa)

I blushed a little when she said that with a calm face.

I’m aware that I lack knowledge when it comes to seー I mean, matingー No, I mean, making babiesー No… Arrgh! I don’t know how to express it. It’s so embarrassing!

When I was at school, I spent most of my time studying. Moreover, my friends were all daughters of nobles, so I’ve never had a talk about… that kind of thing…

When I worked at Master’s store, no one talked about that topic either. At most, they asked, “Sarasa-chan, do you have someone you like?” Of course, I always answered, “No” back then.

「Sarasa-san, why are you blushing? Are you not good at this kind of topic?」(Lorea)

「W, What are you talking about? I’m an adult, you know!」(Sarasa)

「Hmm~?」(Lorea)

When I answered while awkwardly looking away from her, Lorea-chan put her index finger on her lips and grinned for some reason.

As an adult, I tried to look calm in front of her, but then she said something that shocked me.

「By the way, my mom gave birth to me when she was around the same age as I am now.」(Lorea)

「Eeeehhh!? A… Ahem. I see.」(Sarasa)

Daruna-san! Marie-san! What the heck were they thinking!?

They had… had seー… Khh! I can’t say it! Anyway, they ‘did it’ at a very young age!?

Had they lost their minds!?

No. I should calm down… It’s probably a normal thing in the countryside. Perhaps I just don’t know about it.

*/TL : Lorea’s mom’s name is Marie, if you forgot.

「My mom and dad were childhood friends and they liked each other since they were little. It was decided that they would get married soon, but it seems that they couldn’t wait any longer. My grandma scolded them good when she found out that they already ‘did it’ before they got married.」(Lorea)

I’m surprised that Lorea-chan knows about it.

Did her parents tell her?

No. It must have been her grandma.

「W, Well, of course, they would get scolded for that… Is having a child at a young age a common thing in a remote village like this?」(Sarasa)

「Yeah, kind of. But in my mom’s case, it was a bit too soon for her to get pregnant.」(Lorea)

「”A bit too soon”, huh…?」(Sarasa)

「Sarasa-san, you’re only a few years older than me, right? Having children at your age is not a weird thing for people in small villages like this, you know?」(Lorea)

「H, Hee…」(Sarasa)

Seriously…?

I can’t even imagine myself having a baby… No, Kurumi doesn’t count. She’s a Homunculus.

It seems like the culture in the countryside is completely different from big cities.

When I was still in the royal capital, no one asked me, “When will you get married?”

Even Master is still unmarried now. Well, in her case, I’m sure she just doesn’t want to get married because she’s too busy with her job.

「Come to think of it, the old lady who lives near my house once told me thatー Aa… Nevermind.」(Lorea)

「Eh? Why did you stop? What did she tell you?」(Sarasa)

I felt like I was given a delicious cake but then she took it back from me. It’s a bit annoying.

I thought she was teasing me, but the grin on her face turned into an awkward smile.

「No. You don’t want to know.」(Lorea)

「I DO want to know. Come on, tell me!」(Sarasa)

「Umm… Can you promise me not to regret it later?」(Lorea)

「Uhh, I can’t promise you that but please tell me! I’m super curious!」(Sarasa)

I felt that I wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight if she didn’t tell me, so I urged her.

She told me not to regret it later but I’m sure I will feel more regret if we continue the conversation without me knowing what the old lady told her.

「Alright. I warned you. The old lady told me that… Back then, my mom and dad ‘did it’ in this house.」(Lorea)

「’Did it’…? You mean…」(Sarasa)

「Umm, to be exact… ‘making me’?」(Lorea)

「……….」(Sarasa)

I was speechless.

「This was an empty house back then, so my mom and dad sneaked into here at night and then theyー」(Lorea)

「ーH, Hold on, hold on! Lorea-chan, wait! You don’t have to continue!」(Sarasa)

「Eh? I thought you wanted to know what happened.」(Lorea)

「No, no. You said more than enough. Really.」(Sarasa)

I didn’t want to hear any further, so I hurriedly stopped Lorea-chan.

Oh, god… I learned something that I shouldn’t have…

At first, I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep well if I missed the chance to learn what the old lady told her, but now I feel like I won’t be able to sleep well because I learned about it.

Hahh… Lorea-chan warned me. I should have listened to her…

Seeing my blushing face, Lorea-chan opened her eyes wide as if she just realized something. She then awkwardly shifted her gaze.

Perhaps she realized that she shouldn’t tell someone else about her parents’ secret.

「Umm… Lorea-chan, let’s change the topic, shall we?」(Sarasa)

「Y, Yeah. I agree…」(Lorea)