After we finished lunch at home we returned to the village gate. Monika was already waiting for us yet again. "Sorry we're late." "Don't mention it. I couldn't let myself keep my lord waiting," she replied. How long did this girl been standing here? "Did you eat?" I asked. "Of course. As you can see, I'm not very strong, so I'd collapse if I didn't eat." Well, she certainly doesn't look particularly tough. "Shall we go then?" I suggested. "Yes, please. I'm ready," Monika responded. We returned to where we had teleported before noon and resumed our work of leveling the road. As we progressed, taking breaks along the way, the sky began to turn a deep crimson. "Tatsuya-sama, let's call it a day here," Monika suggested. "We've already passed the halfway point, and I believe we'll finish shaping the road to town by tomorrow." I stopped working at Monika's urging. "Hah... I'm exhausted. I don't want to get any older," I sighed. "You're still young, aren't you?" she replied. "I'm 35 years old, you know?" I countered. "That's still plenty young," Monika insisted. Is that so? "Come to think of it, how old are you, Monika?" I asked. "I just turned 21 recently," Monika replied. She's so young. "Monika, I think you're incredibly talented," I said. "To be honest, while your magic skills are decent, your intelligence and foresight are truly remarkable." "Thank you for your kind words, Tatsuya-sama. But I'm just a dropout who can't even use fire magic," she rebuked my praise. Ah, well... I didn't know what to say to that. "Not to echo what you said earlier, but are you really okay with staying in this village?" I asked. "I think someone like you could be successful anywhere." "Perhaps you're right. Claude-sama did invite me to join him, and my friends in the royal capital tried to convince me to stay," she admitted. Just as I thought... No matter how you look at it, she has the makings of a great leader. "You're not going to pursue those opportunities?" I asked. "No, I'm not," Monika replied firmly. "Do you really like this village so much?" "Of course I care for the village, but more importantly, I've sworn my loyalty to you, Tatsuya-sama. Your talent is incomparable to someone like me. You could become a hero or even a king if you wished." Yeah no. "Thank you, Monika. But my goal is to live a slow life," I reiterated.

Monika looked puzzled. "Slow...? Pardon me, but what do you mean by that?" It seemed the concept of "slow life" didn't exist in this world... "How to explain it..." I trailed off, staring intently at Monika's face. "......" She remained expressionless, patiently waiting for me to continue. "Do you think it's a good idea to involve her in this?" I asked the others while keeping my gaze on Monika. "There's your work in the other world and magical research to consider. It might be wise to leave most of the matters here to Monika-san," Ruri suggested. "It's up to you, meow. But this one will definitely never betray you, meow," Miriam chimed in. So they both agreed. "Monika, can you keep a secret?" I asked her directly. "Of course. I won't breathe a word even under torture," she replied without hesitation. Torture? That's a bit extreme... I'll make sure she won't have to go through anything like that. "Alright. Shall we head back?" I asked. "Yes," Monika nodded, so I used teleportation. However, instead of the village gate, we appeared in front of the house with my research lab. "Where are we?" Monika looked around, confused. "In front of my house. Look, that house over there blocking the road is where I do my work," I explained, pointing to the log cabin further down the path. "I see... Um, which house are you referring to? There's nothing there," she said, puzzled. Huh? "Yamada, there's a barrier, so Monika can't see it, meow," Miriam clued me in. "Without permission, she won't be able to see or enter it," Ruri added. Ah, that's right. I had forgotten about that. "Monika, you're allowed to enter this house," I proclaimed. "Huh? When you say 'this house'... Oh, I see it now," Monika first tilted her head in confusion, but then stared intently at the house that suddenly appeared before her eyes. "Can you see it now?" I asked to make sure. "Yes. It just appeared out of nowhere... Is this a barrier? It's so thorough," she remarked, amazed. "Well, the old man's research results are in there, and things better not seen by any outsider." After all it contains the door that shouldn't be seen, or rather, that shouldn't be known to people of this world. "I see..." Monika said softly. "Monika, follow me," I instructed. "Yes," she replied. We entered the research room. "Oh, Monika. Sorry, but could you take off your shoes?" I asked.

In this world, people wear shoes inside houses. Well, it's the same as in Western countries. "No shoes allowed indoors... It certainly is clean here," Monika remarked as she removed her shoes. "This is my grandfather's research lab. I believe he conducted studies on magic here." "There are instruments here I've never seen before, and so many books as well. It's incredible," she remarked. "To be honest, I still don't fully understand everything myself," I admitted. "I'm in the process of studing his inheritance." Though I didn't say it aloud, I found the study of magic enjoyable rather than burdensome. "It must be challenging," Monika said sympathetically. "Please leave the village matters to Daryl-san and me." I nodded. "That's the plan. Now, come this way," I gestured for her to follow me. I led Monika to the mysterious door and opened it. As we passed through, Monika suddenly stopped in the hallway. "Monika?" I called, turning back to look at her. "... It's nothing," she replied hesitantly. "This way." "... Yes." She seemed to have sensed something was different, but quietly followed me to the living room. "Have a seat. Ruri, sorry to trouble you, but could you make some tea?" "Certainly," Ruri responded and headed to the kitchen. I sat down. Monika, who had been staring intently at me, nervously took a seat as well. "Oh, did you not like sitting on the floor?" I asked, noticing her discomfort. "No... it's clean, so there's no problem. I'm just not used to it," she explained. Right, they do use tables and chairs back in the village. "I'm sorry for inviting you so suddenly," I said. "No, it's alright..." Monika's eyes darted around, looking at the room and out the window. As we sat there, Ruri brought us some tea, allowing me to take a breather. "Great work from you today. You could have stayed in the village if you wanted, instead of walking with us." "No, as your secretary, it's my duty to show you the way," she responded firmly. It's not like there was much guiding to do on a single road though. "Monika, do you know where we are?" I asked. "This is... Tatsuya-sama's home, is it not?" "That's right." "Everything is so different," she observed. "The lifestyle, the scenery outside. And above all, the air feels different. It's as if I've come to another world entirely. Was this a teleportation?" Wow... She's hit the nail on the head...