Black Iron Magician

Chapter 5 Becoming A Disciple

Canon went back to the castle to report to Joseph that I will temporarily accept her.

Well then, there’s only me and Haruna at home. She’s just arrived in this world, so there are many things to explain. After having a quick lunch in the living room, I face Haruna again.

「I want to start the training right away, but first I want to secure your room. There is a room used by a freeloader before, so you can use that.」

「Yes! But Shishou, the entrance to the room is blocked…」

「Haru.」

「………?」

「No, I mean you. It’s a hassle to call with your full name, so I shorten it to the minimum and call you Haru.」

「Ah, I see. It’s a nickname, I understand!」

I tried to say it with quite a sarcasm, but she accepts it obediently, huh. She really is a positive girl. She’s so refreshing that makes her complicated motive power hard to believe.

「Well, about the reason for this disorder state. I’m not very good at tidying up and cleaning. I can grasp where I put things, but I can’t put it into action when I try to tidy up. Just think this as a trivial trash house.」

「So it means that Shishou’s housework is catastrophic. That’s exactly what Canon-san said.」

「Ugh…! You are saying that pretty straightforward, huh.」

「Because I’m thinking of getting in touch with you straightforwardly. I won’t hide anything!」

Yeah, I’m happy about that. But, I will be happier if you can hold back it a little.

「We will start the full-scale training from tomorrow. Since it is a good opportunity, devote yourself to cleaning today. Haru, show me your power!」

「Shishou, are you going to help me?」

「I guess it hurts my heart to leave all of this chaos to you. I’ll help you today. C’mon, give me instructions.」

Just what kind of master being instructed by his disciple, eh? I’m sorry, but this is outside my jurisdiction.

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A while after the cleaning started. Although we started at noon, the sun was setting when I noticed.

「We did it.」

「Yes, we did it.」

Still, I never thought it would be so clean. The messily placed book towers were sorted by type, rearranged, and placed in a bookshelf. The accumulated dust was removed and wiped off until it sparkles.

It seems that Haru is more familial than expected. All the instructions she gave were accurate. I even got carried away and got out of the room to clean the whole house. Look, even if I trace the window with my finger like a mother-in-law, it is not dirty.

The tiredness is horrible, but it’s somewhat pleasant.

「Okay, you’ve passed the tidying up and cleaning. You did well, Haru.」

「If your surroundings are clean, so is your heart. With this, Shishou can concentrate on your work and I can concentrate on training! Oh, what about dinner?」

「… There are preserved food.」

「Shishou, did you perhaps think that cooking is a hassle and you’ve been endured it all this time? Come to think of it, I felt that the food at lunch are only that kind――」

「………」

「Shishou, are you catastrophic at cooking too?」

Is this my imagination? I feel that my honor as a teacher has fallen sharply.

「W-well, it’s because the sun has set today. Even if I go to town now, the shops are closed. Let’s get through with what we have today. For now, I’ll tell you how to use the tools in the kitchen, we’ll buy the ingredients tomorrow.」

「Um, you have cooking tools?」

「Those are personal belongings of the previous freeloader. Well, it’s okay to use those.」

「Is that so, I understand. Please look forward to your meals tomorrow. I’ll do my best!」

「I’m looking forward to it.」

Okay, let’s request the consumable goods to the castle as a necessary expense. Canon will bring the necessary items for Haru tomorrow, so I will gather all the insufficient items at tomorrow’s shopping―― It seems that I will train Haru from about noon. In preparation for tomorrow, let’s rest early today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, I open a blank book and put a pen on the table in the living room. From the kitchen, the good smell of the dishes made by Haru is drifting.

「Now, Haru-kun. We have done the shopping we have a little time left before lunch. Until then, let’s do some lectures.」

「Training is something you do by moving your body, isn’t it …!?」

「Haru, your job is a magician, right?」

Why do you look so desperate? Well, I feel somewhat happy to be soaked in a sense of superiority after a long time, so it’s not the place for me to say that.

「Are you not good with lectures?」

「N-no, I’m always studying hard. It’s not that I’m not good with it, but it’s more fun to move my body …」

「I see, Haru’s weak point is study, huh. Kukuku.」

「Waa, Shishou makes an evil face… I’ll tell you, even if I look like this, my grades are about in the middle rather than the bottom!」

What’s with that smug face. It depends on the high school, but that’s not something to brag about, okay? Also, it is basic to know the weak points of others. In fact, Haru did it yesterday.

「Well, setting aside the joke, let’s finish it right away. It’s wasteful if the meals get cold.」

「Yes, I also want to eat it while it’s warm.」

「Don’t worry, it’s just a little difficult today, so it’ll end soon. So, what I need to explain to you is about level and status. It’s a common sense in this world, so remember that first.」

「Yes!」

Haru switches her posture to takes notes while holding the pen in hand. Smoke already about to come out from her head, but please cover it with efforts.

「Let’s explain it while looking at your status. Haru, imagine in your head to see the status.」

「Is it like this? ――Ah.」

「From your reaction, it seems that the status was perfectly displayed right in front of you.」

「Yes, it really looks like a game.」

「Even if there is no stone plate like what was used by the old geezer Joseph, you can always see your own status like that. On the other hand, I can’t see the display that Haru is seeing. The stone plate is meant to show others’ status to the public. The status information is a lifeline, so be careful not to show it to others.」

Haru adds letters to the blank page. The old geezer Joseph probably told the students to show their status with Sacred Stone without explaining this. Well, it’s easier to control them like this, so it was not a mistake. Although with that policy for a long time, there will be some who lose loyalty someday. Summoning one class will just make things difficult to control. That old geezer sure has a strange taste.

「Next is how to look at status. What you should pay attention to is job and skill slot.」

「My job is a magician. Is it decided from the beginning?」

「No, nothing is set at first, but it seems to be a side effect from being transferred to this world. Normally, it is decided at the guild that corresponds to the job that you want to be. But then, it seems it works as a blessing for your friends.」

That must be the reason why their job’s level and status are unusually high from the beginning. Well, I think it will be difficult later though. I don’t think Joseph can manage everyone, the way to find strength in this world is a bit unique after all.

「Is it possible to change jobs? Ideally, something like a brawler.」

「… Too bad. Once the job is decided, it will follow you throughout your lifetime.」

Listen, your master is a magician here. That’s not something you can say in front of me, right?