The next day. It was Monday, and I had to go to work. I got up early, had the bread I bought the day before, and got dressed. Then, from the corner of my room, Miriam popped out of the cardboard box that we used for moving yesterday. "Yawwwn... Yamada, you're up early..." As Miriam stretched and yawned, she turned to watch me tie my necktie. "It's because of work." "Work... Oh, right. You have a job, Yamada?" "Yeah. How much do you actually know about our world, Miriam? And how much does Ruri know?" It seemed like she knew quite a bit. "Ruri and I are familiar with it in theory. Though we've never been here or seen it ourselves. That's about it... ah, I mean meow." The groggy cat recalled her persona. "I see... And Ruri? Is she still sleeping?" I had given Ruri one of the spare rooms. Miriam had taken a particular liking to a cardboard box, insisting, "This one's purrrfect!" "She's sleeping, meow. She's not used to waking up so early, you know, meow..." I wondered what their usual routine was. What about school? Then again, I don't even know if schools exist in their world, not to mention the whole homunculus situation... "Well, I'm off to work and will be back in the evening. Feel free to do as you please, just try not to cause any commotion." Don't talk infront of people, okay? We don't want rumors spreading and attracting streamers or TV crews. "I get it, meow. Oh, but could you leave me some money, meow?" "Money?" "For groceries and stuff, meow." Fair point... "Alright, take this." Saying that, I laid a 10,000 yen note on the kotatsu table. It might seem much, but that was the only bill I had in my wallet. "Sorry bout that, meow. I'll make sure to have Ruri prepare dinner, meow. Give it your all at work, meow." I wonder if everything will be alright? Well, considering yesterday, it should be fine... "Thanks. I'm heading out now." With a wave, I left the house. After boarding the train and arriving at the office, I began my work. Today, like any other day, involved enduring the section chief's grumbles and looking after my juniors amidst my tasks. It's been a hard start to the week, but I finished my work and returned home. The first thing I noticed upon arriving was how bright it was. Of course, with Ruri and Miriam present, the lights were already on. "I'm home." As I said that, I stepped into the living room. "Welcome back, meow!" "Welcome home. Dinner will be ready shortly." I noticed a pleasant aroma and glanced at the kitchen to see Ruri in an apron, perched on a stand and cooking. "Is that alright? That scene looks a bit worring..." "It's fine, meow. More importantly, you're pretty late." At her words, I checked the time, yet it was only 7 o'clock. "I'm actually early..."

I replied with a wry smile, then went to my room to change. That evening again, I had dinner with the two of them and we practiced magic. The week flew by like this, progressing with with the move and updating my address, among other things. Still, having Ruri take care of the housework was a relief, and spending time with the adorable Ruri and Miriam was soothing. During my commute, I also experimented with the magical power I had learned to control. It wasn't anything elaborate, just focusing magical energy in different parts of my body. For instance, when I concentrated it in my legs, my strength increased, and the same happened with my arms. Concentrating on my eyes allowed me to see afar, and focusing on my ears let me hear distant sounds. It turns out that channeling magical power can not only be used to cast spells, but also enhance my physical abilities. I found that to be incredible. And so, the week passed until finally, it was Friday night. "*sigh*... " After having the dinner Ruri made for me, I breath a heavy sigh. "Yamada... I've been observing you for the past week, are you sure you're not overworking yourself?" "I agree. You wake up so early and work till late at night... It could ruin your health." Miriam and Ruri look at me with eyes full of concern. "This is pretty standard... During peak seasons, it's common to work past midnight." "Eh? Really, meow? Are you some kind of slave, meow?" Slave... That word seems so alien here, yet it resonates with me. "It's more like I'm society's livestock. There's even a term for it here: 'corporate drone'." "Lower than a slave..." That stings... I need a beer... I head to the kitchen, grab a can of beer from the fridge, and return to the living room to drink. "There's no choice. I can't pay the bills if i don't bring in money like this." "I get that, but..." "But Master Tadashi didn't work, right?" Now that I think about it, that's true. "Grandpa, how on earth did you make money?" "He might have been using magic, meow?" Magic, huh...? "Is there such a thing as magic to make money multiply?" "Umm, yeah no, meow..." Figures. "How did he manage then?" "Well, I guess he's been selling medicine to the villagers, meow." The village? "What's that?" "There's a village near that other house, meow." "It's not too far away, meow. There's a single road leading out from the front door, and you'll find the village along it. You can see it as soon as you step outside, meow." Seriously? "Hmm... I wonder what it's like. They won't start throwing stones at me if I go there, will they?" "It's not a village of savages, meow. It's merely a colonist village, meow." "Colonists?" That sounds like a term from history class... I can't remember. "Didn't you see the forest from the window? That whole area is a vast forest, but we're clearing it to make farmland. It's that sort of village, meow. It's sanctioned by the state, so you can claim the land as your own."

Interesting. "But logging sounds tough. It'd be a breeze with a backhoe..." "Yeah, meow. We don't have heavy machinery like that in this world, but with magic it's still pretty easy, meow. Still, there aren't many magicians around, meow. Even if there were, they'd have more lucrative work than joining a pioneering project." If one has the skills, would they take a glamorous job in the city? It's the same everywhere, isn't it. "Why didn't grandpa do it?" "You probably know better, but that old man was quite the curmudgeon, meow. He barely communicated with the villagers and was holed up studying magic most of the time, meow. I think the only person he really spoke to was the village chief." Ah... That does sound like him. He was a man of few words and hardly ever left his home. He only came out occasionally when accompanying my grandmother. "Hmm... So the village chief was the one buying the medicine, huh? Is that really okay? Considering grandpa's gone now." So, was the medicin not usefull enough for him? "... That might be a problem actually, meow?" "Now that you mention it" Miriam and Ruri look at each other. "Hey... Don't just forget something important like that!" "We have no choice, meow. We can't leave that place." That place... you mean that house? "Is that an order too?" "Exactly, meow. Neither homunculi nor familiars can disobey their master's orders, meow. By the way, you're our master now, meow." I see. "Well then, you're free to go out. Cats need to roam outside, after all." "You're pretty easy-going, meow..." Is there an issue? Ah... "There's no need to boast about the prey you've caught." I recall cats tend to have that kind of behavior. "I won't, meow. If I brought back a griffon, you'd just faint, meow." Griffons... Aren't they like mid-bosses in games? "Tatsuya-san, you should probably deliver the medicine to the village chief tomorrow." "Should I be the one to go?" "Yes. Considering you're Tadashi's heir, a greeting would be appropriate..." A village in another world, eh... "Living a slow life in such a village might be quite nice." "Slow life?" "Yeah, living slowly and peacefully in a countryside village. The city's colorfull but exhausting." Seriously... If I concentrate my magical power, I won't tire physically. But no matter how much magic I muster, my spirit still wearies. "It seem like an average life to me, but it's something people from this world aspire to have?" "It's not so much an aspiration, just that I'm worn out, mentally and emotionally. I want to fix that. But I need to earn money to survive, so it's just a dream." Farming in another world might provide food, but I've got other expenses like utilities to cover. Money is needed for just about everything. "It's tough, isn't it... I wish I could assist you with your job somehow..." That's not going to happen. "Your help with the chores is already a big relief. So, the plan is to visit the village chief tomorrow. Got it." I set my plans for tomorrow, then decide to learn some more magic from Ruri. Consequently, Yamada leveled up and mastered spatial magic.