It was the night of my first day at school. I had been up late last night, so it felt like mid-day to me—I think that's why the sun was shining so brightly in my bedroom.

"Morning, Touya."

Touya-senpai was standing by my bedside when I woke up. He gave me a gentle smile and said, "Good morning, Nana."

Nana-san is my maid. She came with us on our journey from the capital city to this place. Right now, she was dressed in her normal maid uniform.

We had found an inn after we reached the village last night, but since it wasn't far off the highway, we made camp near the roadside instead. Since we were traveling light, we didn't have any luggage for her to carry, so she ended up sleeping outside under the stars.

As soon as I saw her this morning, my heart skipped a beat. Her short hair and cute face are just too adorable! And her body... It's such a shame that she has no chest, because those long legs would look fantastic wrapped around me. If only I could...

My mind wandered into dangerous territory and I started to panic. My breathing grew ragged as I stood there completely frozen. Thankfully, Tama noticed my distress and tried to calm me down.

"Heeey, Touya. Wakey wakey."

The moment he spoke, Touya-senpai's eyes shot open.

"Huh? What happened?"

He looked at Tama and then back at me before his cheeks turned red.

"Sorry about that, Touya. Nana thought you might be having some problems getting up, so she came to help."

"Oh..."

I had totally forgotten that I was still naked. That's how embarrassed I am right now.

Touya-senpai cleared his throat and made a fake cough sound.

"Ahem. You're probably not used to wearing clothes yet, but you should wear them anyway when you go out. Especially if it's cold outside."

He must've seen me shivering in the cold air, because he just added fuel to the fire. I glared at him while my face got hotter and hotter.

"Ahaha, sorry. But do take care of your own hygiene, okay?"

"Hygiene?!"

No matter how hard I tried, my voice couldn't hide the embarrassment I was feeling.

"Umm, you know, washing yourself, brushing your teeth...stuff like that," he explained.

I wanted to ask what kind of person doesn't brush their teeth, but I decided to play along instead.

"Okay, I'll remember that. Thank you very much."

I bowed my head to thank him. Touya-senpai smiled awkwardly and began to stand up.

"Don't mention it. Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"When you get home, don't forget to tell your parents about this."

He flashed me another awkward smile before disappearing through the doorway.

I watched him go for a few moments before I heard the door close behind him. Then, I let out a sigh.

Maybe I'm overreacting. I mean, I did come here without telling anyone and ran away from home, so I can't really complain. But the fact that he even mentioned that I need to keep this a secret made me feel guilty all the same.

I tried to shake it off as best I could, but thinking about it made me feel depressed.

I sat up slowly and pulled on the clothes I'd left lying next to the bed earlier.

Next, I went to the bathroom attached to the room and took a quick shower to wash myself clean. The warm water felt great, and I enjoyed the sensation of the soap running down my skin.

Afterward, I ate breakfast.

Since we had a little time to spare, I decided to eat something other than bread. After all, I didn't want to run out of energy halfway through the day. I picked out some vegetables and fruits from the basket we'd brought along.

I placed the food back in the basket and set it aside. Next, I grabbed the book I was reading yesterday and opened it again. It was a collection of fairy tales that I'd borrowed from the library in the capital.

I read until the sun rose high in the sky.

Once it was noon, Touya-senpai returned. He was carrying a large bag over his shoulder.

"What's that?"

"Oh, that's where I put your luggage."

He pointed at the bag I was referring to and puffed out his chest proudly. I just rolled my eyes.

"Thanks, Senpai."

I hurriedly took the bag from him.

"If you're done eating, we should leave."

"Yes, sir!"

I followed him out of the house and onto the road.

"So what exactly is the plan for today, Senpai?"

"Well, the first thing is to find a job."

"A job...?"

I tilted my head curiously.

"You see, the only way for us to live here is to work. We can't rely on the money from selling our weapons or equipment, so we need to find a proper job. That's why I brought these papers and this map."

Senpai handed me two items, each of which was folded into a square.

"These are maps of the area. There's also a list of the available jobs. They're written in the local language, so I'll translate it for you, okay?"

"Okay."

I took the documents from him and unfolded them.

"Here we go. There's a lot to choose from. You see that one there?"

My eyes fell upon a paper with a picture of a horse on it. I nodded and kept reading.

"That's the name of a place called 'Horse Farm'. I guess they raise horses for the military or whatever."

"Doesn't that require skills or experience?"

I asked him as I continued flipping through the pages.

"Not necessarily. As long as you're willing to work, you should be fine. Anyway, let's go pick a job together."

"Sounds good to me."

He smiled and slapped my back.

The Horse Farm was located in an area of the village that was surrounded by fields.

"This is it."

Senpai stopped in front of a small building. It was just a wooden shack with a roof made of straw, but it seemed like the kind of place where you could learn new things.

"Hello, I'm looking for a job."

Senpai entered the building and I followed him in.

Inside, there were two men who looked to be around the same age as us. One of them wore a green hat and the other was wearing a dark blue one. Judging by their appearance, they were probably the owners of the farm. Both of them immediately jumped to their feet.

"Welcome! Welcome, welcome!"

They both greeted us at once.

"Who might you be?"

"My name is Touya and this is Nana."

Senpai introduced us to the two.

"And what brings you here today?"

One of them asked in a gruff voice as he scratched his head. His face looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Why, we're looking for a job, of course. Do you have any openings?"

The man narrowed his eyes and squinted at us suspiciously.

"Hmm... Hmhm. What sort of work are you looking for?"

"Anything that pays well. Is there anything suitable for someone who knows how to use magic?"

Senpai answered the question with a confident smile.

"Well, yes. Our stable boy quit recently, so I suppose there's an opening, but..."

"How much does it pay?"

"Nothing, unfortunately."

His answer disappointed me. I guess this isn't the kind of place where you can get rich quickly.

"But we're desperate, so we'll do anything you ask of us."

"Hmm. Well, it seems like I have no choice but to hire you then. Let's talk business later."

"Thank you very much!"

I bowed my head to express my gratitude.

The man motioned for us to follow him, so we headed toward the back of the building.

"Right this way."

We entered a small room filled with straw mats and tables. On one side was a big pot full of water; on the other was an assortment of tools. A young girl was sitting in front of the table in the middle of the room.

he was about my age, with long black hair tied in a ponytail. She was wearing a white dress that looked more like apron than clothing.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Oh, it's you again."

She stared at us blankly for a second before she finally realized who we were.

"Wha... You're...?"

Her mouth opened wide as she stared at me. I timidly turned around.

Senpai was standing next to me. He was staring at the girl as well, but I couldn't tell if he was impressed or concerned.

"N... No, wait... You're Nana, aren't you? I remember you! You're the maid that came with Touya-senpai!"

Her eyes widened even further and tears appeared in her eyes.

"Y-You remember?! Oh, that makes me happy! I haven't been able to see him for so long!"

"I see... So that's why you're crying."

"I'm... I'm not crying!"

"It's okay. I don't mind if you cry."

I smiled at her warmly and nodded. Then, I turned back around.

"I'm sorry for bringing you to a place like this, Nana."