Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 55 - Daily Life

Two days later, Aisha and I moved into the new house.

I'll say this much: I was genuinely surprised that just two maids could get a place this size spotlessly clean.

So this is what money buys you.

"Brother, I want to grow flowers in the yard! And the saplings I bought!"

"Whatever makes you happy."

Aisha scooped up her armload of flowers and plants and headed off to the yard, practically beaming.

The two maids treated Aisha and me with the full deference reserved for nobility, heads lowered, never interrupting, standing by as if waiting for their master's next command.

Fine. I wasn't going to say anything like "no need to be so formal." That's just the nature of their profession.

"Go prepare lunch for my sister and me."

They nodded in unison, mechanical as clockwork, and made their way toward the kitchen.

Now that we'd actually settled in, I should arrange to bring over that horse Aisha had been thinking about. Shouldn't take long. Maybe it'd even arrive around the same time as Norn and the others.

I wandered out to the yard. Aisha was crouched over a patch of dirt, working a small trowel, carefully lowering a sapling into the hole she'd just dug.

"Aisha, why not just use magic?"

She looked up at me like I'd said something monumentally stupid.

She shook her head and sighed.

"Brother, plants have souls too. Using magic — some insincere outside force — would make them unhappy."

"Uh... can't you at least use magic to dig the hole?"

"Of course not! The plants would cry. And besides, I really enjoy the digging~"

"Alright."

Watching her just now, she really did look like an ordinary ten-year-old kid.

Maybe I should buy a larger plot of land for Aisha to turn into a proper garden. She clearly loves it.

"Oh, right."

"What is it, Brother?"

"Mm... the horse is called Domi, right? How about I have one of the maids go to the horse market this afternoon and arrange to bring Domi over?"

Aisha froze.

A long moment passed. The trowel slipped out of her hand and hit the dirt.

Then, like something out of a horror movie from my previous life, she launched herself at me, full-speed, full-force bear hug.

I had absolutely no time to react.

"Brother actually remembered Domi! I love you! Bring Domi over, right now!"

"I got it, I got it... get off me first."

It took real effort to peel her off.

Is this what it means to be a swordswoman? The moment she closes the distance, I'm completely useless.

Even a bear hug. The second Aisha decides to put strength into it, I can't break free.

But I've been training too. Where exactly is the gap coming from...

"Brother, are you starting to think I'm heavy?"

"A little. You're ten years old."

"My figure is perfectly proportionate for this age! It's Brother who hasn't been training properly!"

"I got it, I got it... can we just eat first?"

"Brother's changing the subject~"

I'm absolutely certain of one thing.

Training won't fix this.

At eight, I could hold my own against Eris in unarmed combat without much trouble. But after Eris's swordsmanship developed, I wasn't in the same league anymore. I'd written it off as something specific to her constitution. Now Aisha was turning out exactly the same way, once her swordsmanship grew, close-range combat became completely hopeless for me.

Maybe it's not everyone else's constitution that has issues.

Maybe it's mine.

That might be exactly why my swordsmanship has never improved.

Forget it. If the sword isn't going to work, I'll put that effort into magic instead.

After Aisha finished planting everything, we headed back inside.

Lunch was already on the table. The two maids stood in respectful silence on either side of it.

It was a bit... hard to get used to.

Aisha, for her part, sat down without a second thought and patted the chair beside her.

"Brother, sit next to me~"

"Got it."

The food was genuinely good. Easily among the best I'd eaten since coming to this world. I'd eaten alongside the servants back at Eris's house, and their cooking was decent enough, but this was another level.

After the meal, as the maids moved to clear the table, I stopped them.

"Did you prepare your own lunch?"

"No, Master. Miss Aisha's contract did not include lunch."

"Then what do you eat at midday?"

"We hold out until the Master and Miss Aisha are asleep, then eat."

That would be nighttime. If I slept late, it could push past midnight.

That's really... a bit exploitative.

I glanced over at Aisha. She was watching me with a smug little expression, clearly waiting to be praised.

I sighed.

"From now on, prepare an extra portion of lunch and dinner for yourselves. After my sister and I finish eating, you can take care of your own meals in the kitchen."

"This..."

"Don't worry. Your salaries stay the same."

"Th-thank you, Master."

"One more thing. This afternoon, go to the horse market. Use my name and have them arrange to bring over a horse called Domi."

"Understood."

Aisha looked mildly puzzled, but she didn't ask why in front of the maids.

I went back to my new room and lay down on the bed.

The first and second floors were for family. The third floor was for the maids.

When I'd first laid out the arrangement, they looked almost alarmed. Confused, certainly.

In this world, the higher floors apparently belong to those of higher status.

I don't care about that. The lower floors are more comfortable, so that's where we live.

"Hmm... if Paul, Zenith, Lilia, and Norn all move in... and Eris too... the rooms might not be enough."

Forget it. If we run out of space, I'll buy another house.

Besides... right now I don't even have a single lead on Zenith...

"Brother~ what are you doing?"

Aisha's voice, right above my head.

"Aisha... you startled me."

"Brother is so easily scared. Though honestly, you don't look startled at all."

"Knock before you walk into someone's room."

"Brother's door wasn't closed."

"Fair enough..."

I sat up and looked at my cheeky little sister.

"What's up? Done with your flowers already?"

"I just finished watering them. Nothing left to do."

"So you came looking for me?"

"Can't I come find Brother when I have nothing to do?"

She said it with a huff, cheeks puffing up just slightly.

"Of course you can~ Are you here to ask why I treated the maids so well?"

"A little. Though I have a guess."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"Brother... their ages are close to Mother's, aren't they? So you went soft."

I reached over and gave her a knife-hand chop on the head.

"What kind of things are you thinking about all day?"

"Then what was the reason..."

Aisha held her head, looking thoroughly wronged.

But...

What was my reason?

Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure myself. Maybe it was values carried over from my previous life. In this world, servants don't even seem entitled to the freedom to eat a meal on time, and yet they're human, same as anyone.

Maybe Aisha was right. Maybe their ages did make me think of my mother, whether the one from before or the one now.

"Alright. You've got a point. I just went soft."

"So gentle."

"Right? Anything else?"

"Yes — I have some questions about magic I wanted to ask Brother."

"Of course. Magic is about the only thing I can actually teach you."

"It's just..."

Aisha started to set up a chant right there in the room.

"Stop, stop, stop."

"Huh?"

"Go to the yard."

"Oh, right..."

"Though I think I already know what the problem is. Shortening your chant isn't producing results?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"Let's go to the yard. I'll walk you through it."

"Brother's the best!"

➤ Next: Some Daily Life 3