Episode 11 — A Living Room Meeting Where Misunderstandings Accelerate

Bartos and Elishua sat neatly at the edge of the sofa.
Backs straight, hands folded on their knees—
their tension practically radiated into the air.

(This is way too formal. I’m the one getting nervous here…)

Bartos spoke first, explaining his background.

From a young age, he had shown talent with the sword and was raised as a candidate for the lord’s personal guard.
Monster subjugation, bandit suppression, border defense—
he had survived countless dangerous missions, becoming vice‑captain in his mid‑twenties and captain before turning thirty.

(That’s… a full elite career path…)

And the role of Knight Commander was far heavier than I imagined.
Maintaining public order, military command, diplomatic contact, handling unknown entities—
he was responsible for all of it.

(Why is someone like that sitting nervously on my sofa…?)

Next, Elishua introduced herself.

She was from a branch family of the lord’s house, gifted with magic from childhood.
She majored in mana theory and barrier arts at the Magic Academy, graduating at the top of her class.
Now she served directly under the lord, maintaining magical safety—monitoring mana anomalies and maintaining protective wards.

(Another elite… what is happening in my living room…)

And these two were calling me “Master.”

Elishua spoke softly.

“Master, the flow of mana around your manor cannot be explained by natural law.
The structure itself seems to reject the outside world.
That is why we wish to know who you truly are.”

(I want to know that too… why does it look like that?)

Tama flicked her tail on my lap.

“Meow. (Your turn now.)”

I straightened my posture and met their expectant gazes.

“…Before that, I want to confirm something.”

Both of them leaned forward at once.

“Yes, Master.”
“Please ask anything, Master.”

Tama nudged my hand.

“Meow. (Go on, ask what you wanted.)”

I cleared my throat.

“First… is it okay for my house to be here?”

Bartos nodded seriously.

“This land was originally an uncharted forest, forbidden for entry by the lord’s decree.
Thus, the existence of a residence here is unprecedented, but…”

Elishua continued.

“However, regarding this manor, we have judged it to be something that must be protected.”

(I don’t need protection though…)

I pressed further.

“Then… do I need to pay something?
Like… taxes?”

Both of them tilted their heads.

“T‑tax…?”
“Master, is that some form of levy?”

(Ah. So this world doesn’t have “resident tax.”)

I rephrased.

“I mean… is there any money I need to pay to live here?”

“It is unthinkable to demand compensation from you, Master.”
“Your presence alone brings stability to the territory.”

(…Huh?)

I blinked twice.

(So the house stays?
No taxes?
And they’re basically saying ‘thank you for living here’?)

Memories of modern Japan flashed through my mind.

(No property tax?
No resident tax?
They’re thanking me for existing?)

I couldn’t help but pump a fist internally.

(…This is a win, right?)

Sure, I still didn’t understand the situation.
But at least they weren’t trying to evict me or charge me money.

(Maybe this otherworld life is actually easy mode…)

Unaware of my inner celebration, Bartos continued earnestly.

“Master, your presence stabilizes the mana flow.
Even the monsters nearby have grown quiet.”

Elishua nodded.

“Your existence functions almost like a barrier itself.
If anything, we should be offering *you* compensation.”

(I HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING THOUGH!?)

Tama flicked her tail again.

“Meow. (You still have more questions, don’t you?)”

I took a breath and asked the next one.

“Then… the lord of this land… what does he think about me living here?”

At my question, both Bartos and Elishua straightened their backs.
The air tightened.

Bartos spoke solemnly.

“Master. To be honest… we have already reported everything to the lord.”

(Yeah… that makes sense.
A mysterious house appears—of course they’d report it.)

Elishua continued quietly.

“The appearance of your manor and the changes in mana flow are major events for the territory.
We had no choice but to report them.”

(You didn’t have to make it THAT big of a deal though…)

Bartos raised two fingers.

“The lord has given us two directives.”

“One: determine who the master of the manor is.”

“Two: confirm whether you bear any hostility toward Felsen.”

Elishua added:

“Your manor greatly alters the flow of mana.
It is beneficial, but as an unknown entity, the lord must act with caution.”

(…Well, when you put it like that, I guess it makes sense.)

Bartos placed a hand on his chest.

“However, the lord does not consider you a threat.
Rather, he believes you may be a great blessing.”

Elishua nodded.

“Thus, we have been strictly ordered to avoid any disrespect and to prioritize your wishes above all else.”

(…This is getting out of hand.)

Tama’s tail stood straight.

“Meow. (So? What are you going to do now?)”

Holding my head, I searched for the next words.