“Alright, here.”
“…Hmm. Profits are up again this month.”
“Of course! With so many people lining up to make reservations, it’s no surprise. Johann’s prosthetic arm has been getting a lot of attention lately!”
It was only natural.
It wasn’t just anyone proving the performance of the prosthetic arm I crafted — it was Kalintz. The fact that a top-tier inspector from the continent was able to return to the front lines thanks to its performance was a strong selling point.
Plus, Kalintz’s connection with the nobility likely helped appeal to many nobles and knights.
“Here’s the reservation list.”
I took the stack of documents from Sif and reclined comfortably on the sofa, reading through it slowly. Three nobles and four knights? After careful selection, it looked like I’d be crafting seven prosthetic arms this month. Not too little, not too much — just right.
Did they pick these based on my schedule?
I could trust Sif in this regard. Although the problem was her obsession with money.
“Sif. Good work. I’ll pass them over to you once they’re completed.”
“Make sure to give me a fat reward!”
If this were a comic world, she’d probably have stars in her eyes by now. I took a moment to watch Sif, who was still greedy for money, before gathering up the documents. I intended to read them carefully in the workshop.
“Ah, Johann, there’s something I need to tell you…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Sif suddenly called me over, looking around cautiously before gesturing for me to come closer.
“Can you come here for a moment? It’s kind of a secret…”
What could this be about? I walked over to her as she instructed and leaned in closer. Sif whispered in my ear.
“…I debated whether to tell you, but the atmosphere at the guild has been a bit tense lately.”
“Hmm? Tell me more.”
“So…”
I listened to Sif’s long and convoluted story. She worked in an office at the guild and shared that lately, the guildmaster Dern’s condition seemed unusual.
Moreover, the mood among the executives was getting serious. And the guildmaster’s son and the executives were gradually expanding their influence.
“…Is it an internal power struggle?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I’m just an outsider, so it’s hard for me to grasp the internal situation…”
Ugh… Just when I thought I had enough annoying tasks, now there was trouble at the guild too. I figured it would be best to meet the guildmaster later to understand the situation. I assessed the new hassle added to my schedule.
A month had passed since the semester started, and exams would be approaching soon, so it seemed unlikely something major would happen before the finals. I was planning to gather enough funds before any incident, but now the guild was in turmoil.
Should I intervene?
If things go south, it could affect the prosthetics business too.
Still, getting involved in Dern’s guild matters didn’t seem like a wise choice. After all, I already had a mountain of work—crafting weapons in preparation for outsiders, researching items brought from the royal family, escort duties, and more.
If I had any more tasks added to my plate, how much time would I have to squeeze?
“For now, can you gather more information? If possible, about the guild heirs too.”
“With how busy I am…”
“I’ll add an extra 3% to your bonus.”
Was this intentional? I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw Sif’s eyes light up at the mention of ‘bonus.’ I could easily toss some over if she just did her job well.
“I’ll be back in three days, so gather the intel by then…”
It was then I heard the door swing open and loud footsteps echoed from behind, cutting me off. I turned around.
What’s going on? Why is no one here?
“Big sis!”
“We’re here…?”
“Lulu! Terry!”
Are they Sif’s siblings? I took a slow look at Sif’s younger siblings, whom I was seeing for the first time. They beamed at Sif but stepped back with scared expressions when they saw me.
“U-uh, uh, uh…”
“B-big sis! Run away! It’s a monster!”
…It’s a bit sad to be called a monster by them.
I sat back on the sofa and spoke to clarify the misunderstanding.
“I’m your sister’s boss. I’m not a monster.”
“But your face is scary!”
“Exactly, exactly!”
“Lulu, Terry. This is Sir Quartz, the one I told you about before. You should show some respect since he’s the reason you get to live in a nice house!”
“Ow!”
“That hurts!”
“I hit you because I want you to feel pain!”
After receiving a smack on the head from Sif, the two little ones glanced at me nervously, bowed their heads, and shouted.
“I’m sorry!”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not offended.”
What cute kids! I didn’t mind children that much, so I smiled at the little kids who were peeking at me with their little cat ears perked up.
“Big sis, I think the uncle looks angry…”
“Don’t be scared, I’m not angry.”
Is my face that scary? I thought it wasn’t bad if Karina liked it.
“Is the uncle a good person?”
“A good person?”
“He’s a good person, so you shouldn’t be scared. Got it?”
“But he looks scary like a big blob…”
What’s with the big blob comment?
“A big blob?”
“There’s this guy who was demanding money. He’s probably strutting around a back alley shaking down folks right now.”
“Is that guy still causing trouble?”
I might need to keep an eye out for anyone messing with Sif, my cash cow.
“He can’t now. He’s under the protection of Dern’s guild, so a petty thug wouldn’t dare touch me.”
“Really?”
“…Though, my neck’s been feeling a little itchy lately…”
“If it seems dangerous, run straight to me. I’ll make it right.”
She’s been around the academy a few times, so she’ll know how to open the door, and if anything goes wrong, she can just use the underground passage I made. I figured that should be enough for Sif’s safety.
Besides, it didn’t seem like there were any folks around who would want to target her.
At the very least, as long as she remained in this guild, there was no threat to Sif. If there was an enemy inside, that would be a different story, but I seriously doubted anyone would dare to touch her.
I’m backing her up, so what benefit would there be in messing with my people?
“Thanks. This is why having a solid backer is necessary.”
“Big sis, can we go play outside?”
“No, I told you it’s dangerous.”
“But we’re bored…”
Sif’s voice was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
She seemed genuinely worried about the kids playing outside together.
“You guys are going to hang out in the slums, aren’t you?”
“But Tommy and Jerry live there…”
Having lived in the slums all their lives, I guess all their friends are there too.
While it’s a sad story for the kids, it was wise to keep them from meeting those kids again.
Anything could happen in the slums.
It would be different if Sif had been a regular kid from the slum, but the issue was that she had made something of herself. Making something of herself meant she had come from the slums, which also meant she could become prey for those kids from the slums.
In the worst-case scenario, there was even a chance they could kidnap her for ransom.
“You said it yourself: if you two go to the slums, the bad people will take you away.”
“Yeah, but…”
If that happened, it would be troublesome for both Sif and me.
But since they didn’t even look like they were ten years old yet, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that if I kept them locked up too long, they might run away. After contemplating for a moment, I finally spoke.
“Sif, if it’s okay, I can play with your siblings.”
“Uh, that’s not necessary…”
“Really?”
“Yay! Uncle is the best!”
No need to feel sorry about it. I faced the joyful kids staring at me as if they were glad they could play. The kids rushed toward me, hopping up and down with excitement.
“Uncle! Let’s go to James’ candy store! There’s a ton of candy there!”
“No! The doll store is more fun to visit!”
“The doll store is boring!”
“Stop fighting! You can both go.”
“Uh, I feel a bit sorry…”
Sif seemed troubled that I was going to babysit the kids.
“Don’t feel too burdened. Since I have the time, it’s just a little fun on my part.”
Of course, I wasn’t purely looking out for the kids’ well-being. No one eavesdrops or overhears stories quite like kids do, and making friends with them wouldn’t hurt.
“I’ll go play with them for a bit.”
“Okay, then I’ll leave it to you. Lulu, Terry, you have to listen to Johann, okay? Stick close!”
“Okay!”
The kids grabbed my hands and waved at Sif. Watching their innocent gestures made me feel strange. This really felt like family.
“We’re off!”
“Alright, have fun.”
“Let’s head to the doll store first.”
“What about the candy store?”
“You should always eat after you buy snacks so they last longer.”
“Got it!”
I felt like a dad as I left the guild building with the kids.
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