Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement Vol. 2

A village girl getting to work for a noble was a real-life rags-to-riches story. That night, the village threw a lavish party to celebrate Colette rapidly rising up in the world. Mitsuha was also ascending into the local pantheon as a goddess of earth-shattering changes. During this extremely unusual event, simple villagers partied alongside the lord of a neighboring county.

It should also be mentioned that the villagers had heard of the battle at the capital, but they only knew that the star of the show was someone called the “Lightning Archpriestess”. They hadn’t the faintest idea that the Archpriestess had gone on to become a noble—a viscountess, at that—or that her land was right next to theirs. The people of Yamano County were just as clueless, despite serving the Archpriestess herself.

“Hey, wanna take me as a servant, too?” asked one of the villagers.

“Ahaha, well...”

“To think Colette’s gonna serve a noble,” marveled another. “Life sure is full of surprises!”

“Huh? Uh, I’m not hiring her as a servant. I’m thinking of teaching her all sorts of things so she can become my vassal.”

“Your WHAT?!”

◇ ◇ ◇

After leaving Colette’s village, Mitsuha gathered people in the capital. She didn’t mention her name, however; she merely said there was a demand for tradesmen in a rural county. She needed skilled blacksmiths, carpenters or shipwrights who could build at least small fishing ships, healthcare personnel, and so on.

She even went to Yorck the scientist’s teacher, Platidus. Pushing Yorck’s general aura of failure aside, she noted that his teacher seemed insightful and had an agreeable stance on matters of science. Platidus turned out to have keen senses when it came to inference; by now, he had already concluded that the Archpriestess and Viscountess Yamano were one and the same. He went out of his way to speak with her personally. His people were wary of her, likely because of whatever Yorck may have told them.

“That’s why the moisture levels in the air change a lot depending on temperature.”

“I see.”

“As you go higher, air pressure decreases and so does temperature. That causes this to happen...”

“What about when conditions are...”

“Oh, then it goes like this, and...”

“Mhm, mhm.”

Mitsuha and Platidus hit it off within minutes. She was impressed with how much the scientists of this world could observe and discern without any advanced equipment. She even donated ten gold coins to aid their research, telling them to contact her if they planned to use their findings to develop something practical.

As word spread of Mitsuha seeking new hires, the amount of confused buffoons and scheming swindlers who aimed to become a vassal or treasurer increased. She dismissed the former by asking for recommendation letters from the king, and chased away the latter after testing their math skills.

Sigh. They couldn’t solve a single one.

Luckily for her, there were no such offenders among those who came in for technical positions, and she even held a few interviews. However, each came with their own problems. Some were blatantly unskilled, others didn’t take the interview seriously because the interviewer was a little girl, and others still were aware of who she was and couldn’t control their giddiness. In the end, she didn’t find a single person who was fit for the job.

Well, if you think about it, experts who are both skilled and likable wouldn’t be looking for a job in the first place. Guess I’ll try my luck in my own land. Oh, and I should open up the store and sell some shampoo.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days after she returned from the capital, her butler approached her with a complicated expression.

“Lady Mitsuha, you have a guest.”

“Who is it?”

“Erm, it is August, the first son of the previous lord.”

Oh, jeez. That sounds like a headache and a half. I can’t just reject him without meeting him, though.

“Take him to the reception room.”

Once they had assembled, her unwanted guest introduced himself.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am August von Tomsen, Baron Tomsen’s firstborn.”

“Huh?”

He can’t be serious, she thought.

“What brings you here?”

Mitsuha looked thoroughly unimpressed, catching the composed August a bit off guard.

“Right. You see, I caught word that our land had been inherited by a young lady, so I made my way here with the intent of showing you the ropes. It must be difficult without vassals, after all.”

Oh, I get it. He wants to become a vassal, then marry into the family to become a noble again—a viscount, at that—and bring his family back to their former glory.

“I mean, I don’t really need your help. I get more than enough from my servants.”

“Erm, pardon me, but you must be mistaken. There are some who have proved quite useless, no? Surely you need to learn how to use the trustworthy ones, like Gunther, to control them properly.”

“Huh? You trusted that snake? See, this is why your family was so hopeless. That guy was so blatantly corrupt, it’s not even funny. I fired him with the five other undesirables a long time ago.”

“You... what?” August was at a loss for words.

“Also, the Tomsen family lost their rank. You’re just commoners now. Why are you calling yourself a baron’s son and putting ‘von’ in your name? Falsely claiming to be a noble is a crime, isn’t it?”

“Oh, I merely said that to help you understand my role as the previous—”

“Silence!” Mitsuha cried. “Willem! Arrest this treasonous faker! He’s a criminal who has willfully wronged His Majesty the King and all the nobles of this country!”

August tried to fight back, but a pampered noble boy like him stood no chance against a seasoned mercenary. He was quickly captured and tied up.

“Let go of me! Who do you think I am?! Anton! Do something!”

The butler replied to him with a tone as cold as ice. “You must be confused. You are but a commoner named ‘August’. I am a loyal servant of Her Excellency the Viscountess Mitsuha von Yamano.”

“Huh?” August’s eyes darted around the room. What he saw were the people who used to serve his family, looking down at him with no expression at best, and outright disdain at worst.

His body went limp, and the servants dragged him out.

“Hmm, I don’t have any soldiers yet,” murmured Mitsuha. “What should I do with him? Oh, I know. Anton, send a messenger to the Bozes. Tell them we have a treasonous commoner who needs soldiers to escort him to the capital.”

“It shall be done. But...”

“But what?”

“Would the count really do something like that without compensation?”

Oh, he still doesn’t know.

“No need to worry. He and I are close acquaintances. Just send a messenger.”

“Certainly. I apologize for my impertinence.”

The messenger returned two days later, reporting that the escorting soldiers would be here the following day. The count had also offered to send some of his people to act as her bodyguards to prevent future unwanted visitors, but she politely refused.

“Lady Mitsuha, you have a guest.” Anton looked exhausted.

I have a bad feeling about this.

“Who is it?”

“He claims to be the previous lord’s second son, Burckhardt von Tomsen. And he certainly is.”

My head hurts.

“Willem, let’s skip the formalities. Just go tie him up.”

The mercenary flashed a smile. “Well, at least we’ll get to send both of them off at once.”

In that moment, it occurred to her to ask one particular question.

“Hey, Anton, how many children does the previous lord have?”

“Three sons and two daughters, milady.”

You’ve gotta be kidding me!

◇ ◇ ◇

At last, Sven’s group arrived. Mitsuha had assumed that they would have sold their bike trailer by now, but they had actually dragged it along with them the whole way. All things considered, however, this feat wasn’t nearly as impressive as Count Bozes’ army traveling to the capital and back in full battle gear.

Mitsuha began by introducing them to Willem. She then gave them the names of the first thirty-six recruits.

You guys can handle the rest! Good luck!

She didn’t really believe that a bit of training would be enough for the villagers to win against bandits. Her makeshift army of two hundred might’ve been able to defeat a few dozen thugs, but it would be a Pyrrhic victory resulting in numerous casualties with the potential to destroy the morale and economy of her entire county. While arming them with guns could prevent this outcome, ammo and maintenance would depend solely on Mitsuha, and the guns would soon become useless if she was no longer present.

Mitsuha decided to teach a select few how to handle SMGs and change their magazines. They would only use the guns as learning tools; she would withhold them otherwise unless they became necessary. She already had an emergency arsenal inside Wolfgang’s base, so she would simply have to transport it. Mitsuha even considered hiring the mercenaries again if circumstances called for it. She decided to consult the captain about such possibilities in the future.

Crossbows were also an option. Mitsuha wondered whether it would be possible to make simple ones in this world.

Man, I want a skilled blacksmith. I need farming implements, ship fittings, and tools to be made in-house. That’ll definitely help us develop. I could probably get iron by bringing it from Japan. I don’t need all that much, and I don’t wanna harm the environment. As usual, I’ll go with quality over quantity. I’ll definitely want that Japanese steel that’s made of iron sand. I’m also gonna need a tatara furnace and lots of wood, right? Hmm, what about titanium? Nah, you probably can’t work with it in this world.

◇ ◇ ◇

Soon, Colette arrived in Yamano County. To be specific, Mitsuha herself had been her escort. The girl could have easily been attacked by wolves or bandits, so Mitsuha couldn’t allow her to make the journey all by herself. Instead, she had taken Willem along with her to Colette’s village to pick her up.

As for Sven’s group, they were busy training the villagers.

“Wow, so you really are a viscount!” Colette chirped, eyes shining.

What the hell, Colette, you didn’t believe me?!

Their county now had guards that doubled as trainers, plenty of recruits, and an innocent smile to cheer them all up. Satisfied with this, Mitsuha shifted her attention to cheating her way into reforming her land.

Should I use the three-field system? Crop rotation? Norfolk four-course system? The three-field system is better for transitional periods, so maybe I should just start with Norfolk? No, no, no. I’ll just ask a professional. Greenpeas, was it?

Mitsuha was quite sad that they hadn’t found any natural resources worth digging for. She also had the fishing industry to consider, but they needed proper ships to improve in that area. Right now, her top priority was acquiring knowledge and information. She decided to dedicate more time to reading books and scouring the internet.

Before I make any real moves, I’m gonna need more servants.

Mitsuha was thinking about who to get for her county and how. Bribes and forgeries were rampant in this world, so referrals and recommendations were generally unreliable. As far as she could tell, she could only rely on recommendations from trusted parties and her own judgment during interviews, but even that could be subverted if the interviewee had good acting skills.

The count offered to lend Mitsuha his own vassals, but she refused. He already had Alexis to support, and Mitsuha was likely to do a number of things the vassals would find... unorthodox. Additionally, while she did trust Count Bozes, she didn’t feel entirely comfortable letting him know everything about her territory.

Mitsuha needed a treasurer, an overseer for fishing and agriculture, a welfare manager, and two maids. She assumed Anton and the other servants would know one or two promising maid candidates, but didn’t want to miss out on potential applicants from the rest of her county.

The treasury, fishing, and agriculture had been managed by three of the six servants Mitsuha had discharged and one of those still remaining. However, they had all primarily focused on taxation, liquidation, and illegal activities; they had known nothing about how to make industries grow. It was quite difficult to find the right person for those jobs.

She had hoped she could find candidates among the craftsmen in the capital, but her search hadn’t proved fruitful. She needed people who weren’t just skilled, but also had an open mind and a wide perspective, and she knew full well that no one like that would be out of a job.

I wouldn’t care even if they were kind of weird. There could be some really talented people out there who’re a little too strange to be hired by normal establishments. If only there was a place where I could find people like that... Wait! I know exactly where to look! A real hive of well-rounded wackos—Platidus’ school of scientists!

Their research space may have been peculiar, but it was legitimate, and Mitsuha was certain they would know where she could find people as keen and kooky as they were. “Birds of a feather”, and all that.

I’ll go talk to them right away. I’m already on good terms with the old man in charge, so it’ll be a cinch.

Like lightning, her findings were almost instant. Her first candidate was a metalworker who had been kicked out from his apprenticeship for not listening to his master in favor of conducting some off-the-wall activities. He was now half-broke, working day in and day out to make ends meet while attempting to do research on the side. Platidus had told her he often came to order things he needed for his independent studies.

He showed Mitsuha the man’s inventions and told her a little about him. She quickly concluded the metalworker was a stereotypical tech fanatic—skilled and with some actually good ideas. Mitsuha asked Platidus to arrange a meeting between them.

The other person Mitsuha felt would be useful was one of Platidus’ disciples. The girl stood out among his students due to her interest in sociology over science. She didn’t quite fit in because of it, but she was good with numbers and would definitely make a good advisor. According to Platidus, she wasn’t a bad disciple, but it often seemed like they weren’t on the same wavelength, and he believed Mitsuha could help her shine. Nothing had been said yet to the girl in question, but Mitsuha requested an interview with her as well.

The day of the interviews came quickly. The metalworker was Randy, twenty-three years old. Platidus’ description of him was accurate, and Mitsuha had no problems with his personality. He was just a bit of a tech maniac who didn’t work with others well. Most importantly, he was genuinely good at what he did.

This one’s a definite hire, Mitsuha thought.

While she didn’t feel she could trust him with management roles, he was bound to excel as a craftsman. In fact, he seemed completely open to new ideas, perhaps making him an even better pick for Mitsuha than the average master craftsman. She could even count on him to make products using Earth’s technology.

Next up was Platidus’ disciple, Miriam. She had an infectious personality and was a fast thinker with great perception. With her interest in sociology, she would be a good candidate for a political role. Her proficiency in mathematics didn’t seem to fit with the rest of her personality, but it made her a perfect treasurer.

Yep, she’s got the job.

Platidus was as happy about their hiring as the two interviewees themselves. They had been at a stagnant point in their lives, and though they would now have to travel to the countryside, they would be using their best skills under the employ of a viscountess. Their joy was to be expected. Mitsuha told them to head to Yamano County as soon as possible, and the two of them rushed off to prepare.

They probably have to explain everything to their parents, Mitsuha thought.

Platidus suggested she also take Yorck, but she immediately refused. He was unsure as to why, however; Yorck had told him he was kicked out because Mitsuha hadn’t been able to understand what he was saying. Platidus mentioned this to Mitsuha, and implored her to give him another chance.

Oh, no he didn’t, Mitsuha thought before telling him the truth.

She explained everything from what had happened in the carriage to all the theories Yorck had brought up, noting just how basic they were and assuring Platidus that she already knew them herself, and she could’ve elaborated further if she so desired.

Mitsuha also couldn’t trust a scientist who distorted reality for personal gain. No matter how rich she was, she wouldn’t give him a single piece of silver. Also, if he had tried to sell out his fellow man to save his skin once, he would definitely do it again. In a bandit raid, he’d be more dangerous than the bandits themselves.

Additionally, Platidus had revealed that he hadn’t sent Yorck to become a guest lecturer, but to simply ask that she become a patron and donate to their school. Upon realizing that the viscountess was just a little girl, Yorck had decided to take advantage of his position.

So, he also misrepresented his teacher’s intentions and lied to a noble... That’s a double yikes.

Mitsuha asked Platidus not to use even a fraction of the money she had donated on Yorck’s research, and the old man, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, simply nodded in response.

After their conversation, she world-jumped back to her county, proud of the progress she was making in her hiring endeavors. She was beginning to worry that careless use of her power would eventually lead to someone finding out about it, but it was just too convenient.

Also, with there being a whole week’s worth of distance between her land and the capital, it was hard for anyone to keep track of where she was and when. In all likelihood, no one gave it much thought beyond “Oh, she’s here again” or “Oh, she’s back”.

I’ll just try not to think about it too much.

Even if someone realized she had traveled instantly, she had ways of brushing it off. She could simply say something along the lines of, “Going the normal way was a pain, so I just used traversal.” On the other hand, Count Bozes and Lady Iris would inevitably scold her for not taking care of her life force.

Was that lie a mistake? But if I didn’t say something like that, I’d have nobles and merchants all over me asking for access to my country every waking hour. That would’ve been way worse.

◇ ◇ ◇

By the time Mitsuha returned to her county, the servants had made a huge list of maid applicants, along with their own recommendations. People from all over had heard what a good ruler she was. Attracted by the prospect of being a viscountess’ maid who wouldn’t have to deal with a lord’s abuse—or worse, become his mistress—they had applied for the role.

In a large county with tens of thousands of people, getting to work in the ruling lord’s home would be like winning the lottery, but that wasn’t quite the case when there were only a few hundred. While a typical viscount’s land would host several thousand citizens, this land had previously belonged to a mere baron. With a comparatively small pool of people, chances of becoming the viscount’s servant were much higher, and so people had flocked to apply.

Even some people from Colette’s village wanted Mitsuha to hire them. However, she couldn’t allow herself to take too many people from other counties. Colette was her lifesaver and a dear friend, and Mitsuha had actually gone to Count Bozes personally to ask if she could take the girl under her wing, although she kept Colette’s true talents a secret. Any leader would want to keep talented people for the betterment of their own territory. After all, who would want to see valuable human capital leave their borders?

Heheheh. Count Bozes, a few years from now, you’ll really regret letting go of Colette!

Anyway, Mitsuha had a ton of candidates to choose from. The maids she had discharged included the head chore maid and ex-lord’s personal attendant. The latter had thought her role was proof of being an “elite maid”, and that it gave her impunity. Her transgressions had included taking home food and supplies as though they were hers, as well as acting as though she was above Mitsuha. She had once even gone so far as to say “I’ll let you off with a warning!” before leaving.

According to the other maids, she had been a favorite of the baron and baroness. They had even allowed her to scold and discipline their children. But under Mitsuha’s rule, none of this mattered, and the baron’s housepet had earned her eviction.

Hell, I’m the real ruler here, not a kid! She thinks she can look down on me?! Damn it! Well, at least I got to enjoy the look on her face when I fired her. It was priceless.

Mitsuha contemplated hiring two standard maids. She also considered doing away with maid specializations. Simply put, she didn’t see the point of splitting them into attendants, chore maids, and whatnot; the system only seemed to create a needless hierarchy among them. It wasn’t a very specialized trade to begin with, so it seemed best to get rid of the differentiation and let all of them do various tasks.

As Mitsuha had no family, she had no need for an attendant. If anything, she wouldn’t be able to have peace of mind with someone taking care of her all the time. The attendant maids would be upset to lose their “superior” positions, but Mitsuha saw no reason to maintain the illusion that maids taking care of the ruling noble and their guests were better than any others.

Mitsuha assumed that the prettier maids had been assigned as attendants so they could double as the lord’s concubines. If this had been a viscount’s land to begin with, the role would’ve been filled by barons’ daughters or girls from major merchant families to “learn high society etiquette”. However, this had merely been a rural baron’s land, and commoners were the best he could do. There weren’t even any major merchants to be found.

Anyway, I need two or three “normal” maids. I’ll see if anyone seems good enough for the job.

Soon, the day of the maid interviews arrived. Some had been recommended by those already working for Mitsuha, but she had no intention of showing favoritism. She asked that the referrers screen these applicants’ documents for any false information. Naturally, it would be bad for them if they ended up recommending someone who had lied on their application, so Mitsuha felt she could trust the integrity of these applicants a bit more than the rest. It was nothing more than that.

Unexpectedly, there weren’t all that many recommendations. While the current servants likely wanted to help their friends get a good job, they would be responsible if said friends committed wrongdoings after their hiring. The only upside if all went well would be the new hire’s gratitude. There was also the possibility that the recommended person could rise above their status, which would be unpleasant at best. Beyond their own siblings, they weren’t likely to recommend anyone else.

There were a total of 47 applicants. Yamano County had 676 people in total, 322 of which were men, and 354 of which were women.

Are there more women because men tend to get into accidents or die while hunting? Was there a war recently? Are the local women stronger, and so they’ve come out on top? Or did it just happen to end up this way?

Man, is every single woman between her teens and her late thirties here, or what? At that age, they should already be working or helping out with the family trade. Are they really willing to quit for this? I guess working for a viscountess is just that attractive. Hmm, now I feel like there was no point in asking my servants for recommendations. Time to weed out the no-gos!

“I wish to learn many things here, become the best me I can be, and—”

That seems commendable at first, but I’m not paying you to polish your maiding skills. Colette’s an investment that’ll probably benefit me in the future, but I’d gain nothing from investing in a maid. Are you planning to get better here, then just switch to a better place? You’re supposed to show off what you can give to the employer, not what you might gain. You gotta make hiring you seem worth it. This isn’t a job training program or some school.

“I’ve heard enough. Next!”

“Please, wait! I’ve got so much more to say about myself!”

You’re supposed to do that while the interviewer’s asking you questions, and answer them in the best way possible. To say whatever you want after the questioning ends is against the rules, like throwing out rock, paper, or scissors a second late. I don’t need anyone who wants to talk when things have already ended.

“I want you to know how ambitious and motivated I am.”

Hey, I don’t need anyone who comes to an interview without those things! Everyone here wants to be hired! Do you seriously think you’re special?

“I once had an important role working for a merchant family in the capital and—”

“Huh? Then why did you quit? If there was a reason to release you from an important role, don’t you think it would be difficult to get hired here?”

“Err, what? No, I mean... A count’s family once summoned me to work for them!”

“Oh? Then why come to a viscountess? You should accept that offer, no?”

“Well, um, I turned it town.”

“Really? Well, if you’re not satisfied with working for a count, a viscount would surely be devastating. Here’s hoping you’re summoned by a marquis next time. Next!”

Mitsuha felt she would soon have a database of every woman in Yamano County along with their traits, such as “liar” or “untrustworthy”. She was taking notes, as well as recording every single interview.

“I’m Noelle, number twenty-six.”

The girl who stood in front of Mitsuha looked to be Colette’s age, but she must have been older, given that the minimum age to apply was ten, and Colette was eight. The girl even looked slightly smaller than her. She had silver hair and an aura of meekness about her.

“Why do you want to work for me?” Mitsuha asked.

Noelle’s answer was brief but impactful.

“I’d be sold off if I didn’t.”

Whoa, that’s heavy, thought Mitsuha.

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time later, the interviews were over and all the candidates had left. The results would come at a later date. Mitsuha still had to check if they were all telling the truth.

All the candidates’ interview techniques left Mitsuha thinking there must have been some sort of maid interview crash course she hadn’t heard of. She had encountered a variety of responses over and over again, including—but not limited to—”Please hear me out one last time”, “I want to convey my enthusiasm”, “I used to do this and that”, “I’ve done charity work”, “I already quit my job”, “I want to improve myself”, and so on.

Every time she had heard one of these stock replies, she’d had to hold herself back from saying something along the lines of, “You’re the sixth person to use this technique!” Anyone could pick such low-hanging fruit, and it was to be expected that a proper interviewer would see repeats of them after speaking with dozens of people.

Personally, I don’t want to hear their shabby techniques and strategies, but their own, honest words, no matter how awkwardly they come out. Fronts and lip service won’t help you get a job from me. I’m gonna choose from the ones who spoke with nothing but honesty. I mean, that could be a character flaw, but I prefer ’em all the same.

In the end, Mitsuha hired four maids: Noelle, who was ten years old; Ninette, twelve years old; Paulette, seventeen years old; and Rachel, twenty-seven years old. The majority being in their teens was easily explained—most above seventeen were married, and most of the applicants had been in their teens.

Mitsuha had contemplated hiring five in total—a lot more than originally planned—as she wanted all the good people she could get. However, during the post-interview investigation, one of them turned out to be lying and had instantly been dropped. The truth she hid wasn’t something that Mitsuha couldn’t tolerate, but she failed just because she’d tried to lie to her.

While Mitsuha did feel sympathy for Noelle, it wasn’t the only reason why she had chosen the young girl; Noelle had shown she had the skills the job required. Even if she hadn’t, Mitsuha would have stepped in to deal with the girl’s problem as the local ruler. Noelle was quick-witted, perceptive, and had an excellent memory. She clearly had the makings of a good maid, and Mitsuha hoped she and Colette could become friends.

Additionally, Noelle’s words about being “sold off” had spurred Mitsuha into a frenzied investigation, looking for potential human trafficking within her territory. However, she discovered that Noelle wouldn’t have been sold as a slave, but rather shipped off as an apprentice to a merchant in a county some distance away, her parents receiving twenty years’ worth of her salary in return.

Honestly, that’s pretty much human trafficking. I can understand why she said that. Noelle’s a smart girl.

In Yamano County, even children had ownership of themselves and the fruits of their labor. Parents couldn’t simply sell them off. Thus, the money from the apprenticeship contract would be due to Noelle, not her parents, and trying to take it away would be a crime which warranted arrest. Once Mitsuha explained this to her parents, Noelle’s apprenticeship was miraculously called off. Of course, there was also the fact that she would earn more if she worked in this county.

Whether the money she earned from Mitsuha would go to her parents was an entirely different matter. Mitsuha wondered if the girl would really give her hard-earned money to people who tried to sell her. Her servants had their own deposit system, and their money could even gain interest. If Noelle’s parents tried to take it by force, they would have to get through the Yamano defense corps.

Ninette was a blonde twelve-year-old who looked her age. In Japan, people might have guessed she was in her mid-teens; here, she was assumed to be eleven or twelve... much like Mitsuha.

I think she’s a bit above me, though... in all the places that matter. Ugh!

She was Mitsuha’s only servant who hailed from the fishing village, so Mitsuha was interested in her input on the improvements she was considering in that area. She also hoped that Ninette would get along with Colette and Noelle.

Seventeen-year-old Paulette had come from a mountain village. Despite how it may have sounded, there was much more going on there than hunting and gathering. While her father was a hunter, Paulette, her mother, and her siblings actually worked in a field.

As Paulette was approaching adulthood, she had run into a problem: there were no men in her small village she liked enough to marry, so she wanted to try her luck while working in a larger town. The offer to work as a servant for the viscountess had been a godsend.

She’s basically a modern young girl, really. I’ll chat with her when I’m improving the mountain villages.

Then there was Rachel, the twenty-seven-year-old. She was a widow from the nearby town whose husband had passed away from an illness. Now, she was raising their four-year-old daughter on her own. Now that she no longer had to struggle to make ends meet, her plan was to leave her daughter with her late husband’s parents during her shifts.

Mitsuha had selected her because of her personal history. Rachel was the third daughter in her family, and her parents owned a medium-sized shop in town. From the time she was a child until her marriage, she had helped manage the store, take care of day-to-day business, and purchase stock to fill the shelves.

What a gem, Mitsuha thought.

Mitsuha didn’t want to separate her from her child, so she offered Rachel a position as a live-in employee, meaning she could bring her daughter along with her. Rachel was dumbfounded by her offer, and burst into tears before accepting.

Pity? Favoritism? Whatever. I do what I want!

She also gave Rachel the option of making her daughter an apprentice maid, a position that would come with a small salary. After a bit of thought, Rachel agreed. Mitsuha felt it was the right choice; both mother and daughter would be together, paving a secure future for themselves. If the girl wanted to move out once she became of age, all doors would be open for her. No employer would turn down a fifteen year old veteran maid who had worked for a viscountess—Yamano, at that—since she was four. Working for, say, a count in his capital manor would be no mere dream.

I’d write down a recommendation, when the time came. She’d have to swat potential employers and suitors off like flies.

With the twelve original servants, Colette, the army folk, the two Platidus had recommended, the new hires, Rachel’s daughter, and Mitsuha herself, the viscount’s household now had twenty-six people, and that was without counting the specialized blog advisors.

Now it’s time to make this county shine... via shortcuts, of course!

Mitsuha felt as though she had gone off track somewhere on her way toward a peaceful retirement, but the life of a retired viscount could prove just as relaxing. In order to get there, she needed to increase her county’s wealth and stability.

Y’know, it just hit me: now that I’ve got so many people, I should assign another chef. If I don’t, the one we have is gonna have to work so hard he won’t have any time off. He couldn’t even rest if he got sick. That’s exploitation of labor!

Guess I’ll have the maids take turns helping him out. It’ll prepare them for the homemaker life, and the chef can catch a break. Imagine the market value of a maid who knows how to make Yamano Cuisine! Not that I’d want anyone to take them.