「Huh, ‘Professor’ Slayra, you have a day off tomorrow?」
「Yeah, it’s my children’s birthday tomorrow, and there’s a bunch of other stuff going on… so I’m taking the day off.」
Even though the midsummer sunlight streamed in, the room was pleasantly cool thanks to the refrigeration magic construct.
This is the magic construct research lab at the Torquiva Magic Academy. Ever since Professor Marino went to the royal capital a few years ago, this room has become my domain, where I’ve been spending my time rather casually.
It was thirteen years ago, at the end of that year, that I made the decision to dissolve the organization. Time has flown by since then, and both the town and the magic academy have changed completely.
「Professor, I always wonder… don’t you need to prepare for your classes or something?」
「Huh? Why would I? Teaching is just talking about what you already know.」
「Is that how it works?」
「That’s how it works.」
These days, I’ve found myself on the teaching side at the Magic Academy.
My promotion from assistant professor happened a few years back.
It was when we completed the super-behemoth class magic construct designed to carry a frontline base on its back…
My wife, Laura-san, became the lord of Torquiva, which now has the largest magic construct workshop in the country.
And then, my former boss, Professor Marino, was pulled away to the Royal Army Headquarters in the capital as a specialist in the operation and maintenance of the super-behemoth magic construct.
As a result, I ended up being appointed as a professor in his stead.
Magic constructology has seen rapid technological advancements over the past decade or so.
There aren’t many scholars who can keep up with these changes.
But probably the biggest factor is that Laura-san became the lord of Torquiva.
My brother-in-law mentioned something about how it would look bad if the lord’s husband didn’t rise in status…
And so, as a result, I, still under surveillance as a provisional state traitor, ended up making a massive, serendipitous leap up the ranks, becoming a so-called ‘rising star of commoner origin’.
「Also, here’s a letter that came for you.」
「Oh, thanks.」
「You should check the mailbox yourself sometimes.」
「I always check it in the morning.」
「Check it in the afternoon too.」
The woman who nagged me was a daughter of the Holden Barony of Torquiva. Her aunt, Chris Holden, was the senpai who taught me the basics of magic constructology.
Still… it’s hard to believe that the day I created my first homunculus was more than ten years ago.
「Life really flies by… Oh, it’s from the capital.」
The back of the letter I received from Holden bore the signature of Frank Marino.
I opened the seal with a letter opener and took out the stack of papers.
They were densely packed with tiny writing, far from the usual single-page seasonal correspondences.
It looks like something has happened in the capital.
「I see, I see… Ah, so it’s come to this after all…」
「Professor, did something happen?」
「Well, it’s a letter from Professor Marino in the capital. He says they’ve decided to remove all basic restrictions on future magic constructs.」
「Is that so? Well, we didn’t really need those restrictions anyway, did we?」
The restrictions were the bindings Professor Marino and I placed on the magic constructs. They were designed to be safeguards to prevent any potential magic construct rampages by incorporating various protections into the magic circles.
One of the primary restrictions was that ‘a magic construct cannot replenish its magic crystals by any means other than a human hand’.
This was to ensure that, even if a magic construct gained intelligence, it wouldn’t turn against humans.
However, despite these safety measures, they’ve now decided to remove such restrictions from all manufacturing processes, and instead, use the freed-up space to incorporate features for improved efficiency.
「Holden, do you also think it’s unnecessary?」
「Yes, I do. Besides, there’s already a higher-level compliance order woven into the Kraunia military regulations… and even if a malfunction does occur…」
「It wouldn’t pose much of a threat….is that what you think?」
「Exactly. With the current magic constructs, there’s no significant danger. And for Kraunia’s soldiers, the goal of magic constructology moving forward is to create magic constructs that are powerful enough to be a threat.」
「Well, I suppose that’s one way to look at it…」
I can understand her perspective, dismissing safety measures as unnecessary.
Mages are just too p.o.w.e.r.f.u.l.
Even if a super-behemoth magic construct the size of a whole town were to revolt, it would likely take less than a minute to suppress it.
Given that, it makes sense that the military would want to allocate resources toward improving performance rather than on what might seem like excessive safety measures.
As an engineer, I can’t help but feel a bit apprehensive about it…
But, well, it’s the job of technicians to build things; operations are the military’s responsibility.
There’s no point in dwelling on it too much.
It’s about time for me to wrap up my work as a technician and prepare for tomorrow.
「Well then, I’ll be heading home. Lock up, will you?」
「Understood.」
Leaving the rest to the junior staff—Holden—I quickly exited the school, hoping not to get caught by anyone.
After passing through the gates of the academy, where I’ve been coming for over twenty years, my centaur bodyguard, Pickles, was waiting for me.
Handing my bag to her, who’s grown about three times bigger over the past twenty years, I began to walk through the town of Torquiva.
「The young master and lady have already headed home ahead of you.」
「I see, both of them?」
「Yes. Noah-sama ran off somewhere with his friends, Lacus-sama brought her gloves, so I assume she’s at the baseball practice field, and Zion-sama and Phil-sama mentioned they were going to get some hayashi rice.」
「Well, I guess none of them are staying back to study…」
Unlike my days as a commoner where failing to maintain minimum grades could get me expelled, it’s different for them.
Even though their parent is the lord, the kids seem to be living quite freely…
My eldest son, Noah, is into theater; my eldest daughter, Lacus, is into baseball; my twelve-year-old second son, Zion, and eleven-year-old third son, Phil, are all about food; they’re all passionately pursuing their hobbies.
As their father, I’m relieved they’re not saying things like ‘I want to be a soldier!’ but their mother, Laura-san, seems to wish they’d show a bit more discipline.
While I was thinking about that, a familiar face came rushing from afar at an incredible speed and swiftly passed by.
「Ah, Master! Pickles too! Thanks for your hard work!」
「Oh, Kak… she’s gone…」
It was Kakra, the catkin from the mail department, known for her lightning speed.
I found myself staring at the alley she dashed into.
Thinking that tomorrow I would no longer be addressed as ‘Master’ by them brings a sense of nostalgia.
Now that I think about it, today’s the last day for the bodyguard duty assigned to me.
Well, I’d been telling Chicken for some time now that ‘I don’t really need it’.
「Where will you be working after tomorrow, Pickles?」
「Um, starting the day after tomorrow, I’ll be working at the dispatch center, helping with cargo handling.」
「I see, do your best.」
The food cart that Pickles and Vongo started after retiring as adventurers eventually faded away.
Or rather, Vongo got married and suddenly had triplets, so he couldn’t keep up with it anymore.
Soon after, Pickles also had a child, and now both of them, while raising their children, are working the jobs assigned within the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) to make a living.
「It’s about time Pickles’ kids start saying they want to become adventurers too, isn’t it?」
「Well, they’re already doing things like that in a pretend way… Like saying there isn’t enough food and going out to hunt for more…」
「Well, they do have big appetites.」
Even without the food motivation, the legend of Pickles, Torquiva’s strongest adventurer, is well-known.
It’s not surprising that her children would be inspired by her stories.
I’ve also seen them hanging out with Vongo’s kids…
If they can coordinate as well as their parents did, maybe they could handle being adventurers themselves.
「Oh, right, I needed to talk to Moimo. I’ll swing by Gemini Theater real quick.」
「Understood.」
Gemini Theater, which I built, is still going strong.
Honestly, without bragging, Gemini Theater is probably the most famous theater in the South now.
What set it off was the time, over a decade ago, when the Schenker Opera Troupe was invited to perform at the National Theater.
A rural troupe attempting a play about baseball—a super-minor sport—at the National Theater.
It seemed like a reckless idea, but somehow, Princess Kariya’s promotion of it…
The all-female opera troupe reportedly took the capital by storm.
I wasn’t there to see it, so I wouldn’t know.
Anyway, that performance caused the troupe to gain immense popularity, and soon, people all over were emulating them.
And that’s how our theater became famous as the birthplace of it all.
「Have you been to any plays recently?」
「My kids begged me to take them to see ‘Artificial Monster Ron-Ron vs. the Golden Dragon’…」
「That one was great, wasn’t it? A new playwright came and pitched it to us…」
「My kids were over the moon about it.」
Anyway, the theater business has been a huge success.
Even after discussing slave emancipation, no actors wanted to transfer to other theaters… so things should be stable for a while.
「Hey, by the way, I’ve noticed a lot of people wearing the Fireball Corps uniforms today. Was there a game?」
「I think there was a game between the academy and the Zarkudo-style second team today.」
「Oh, a second team game, huh.」
As for the baseball stadium business adjacent to the theater…
Honestly, it’s been a huge success too.
Like with the all-female opera troupe, baseball culture couldn’t be contained within Torquiva and has become a national movement.
That also started with that play at the National Theater.
There’s a rumor that it was greatly encouraged by the heir to the next head of a count in the northern frontiers…
After the play became popular, the nobles in the capital decided to try this ‘game’ themselves.
The game, initially played in small squares, quickly attracted more participants, leading to the formation of teams, the construction of makeshift grounds, and before long, leagues were established.
And whatever becomes popular in the capital eventually spreads to the regions.
Not only in the capital, but there were also requests from various regions for the ‘Noble Baseball Rulebook’ and baseball fields and teams were established.
Naturally, with this country’s nobles being so competitive, it soon became a matter of which team was the strongest…
As a result, every year at the Great Baseball Stadium in the capital, the champion teams from various regions gather for a final showdown… or so I’ve heard.
I’ve never been there, so I wouldn’t know.
「Are Pickles’ kids interested in baseball?」
「They’re not really interested since they can’t actually play…..」
「Yeah, that makes sense. I suppose.」
Being half-human, half-horse, centaurs are physically different and can’t participate in team sports.
「They seem interested in the Winter Gemini, though.」
「Well, that’s more of a festival.」
While not as popular as the noble league, baseball is also gaining decent traction in the commoners’ league across various towns.
It was inevitable that the commoners’ league would follow the noble league’s example by holding a final showdown to determine the strongest team in Kraunia.
And as the birthplace of baseball, our stadium raised its hand to host that final showdown.
The name of this decisive event is Winter Gemini.
It’s a competition where representative teams from baseball-loving towns gather and play in a round-robin format to decide the champion.
It’s somewhat like the high school baseball championships from a previous life.
Now a winter tradition, it has become Torquiva’s largest festival, drawing tremendous excitement every year.
Managing this event has become a major source of income for the Magical Schenker Group (MSG).
「We had to renovate the stadium and build a big dormitory when we started that, which was a real hassle.」
「Chicken was happy about it, though, since it created new jobs for the adventurer crew.」
「Well, the dungeon has calmed down, and the contract with the special zone has ended.」
Over the past thirteen years, we’ve managed to organize the group in various ways.
Chicken, the other managers, and I prepared as much as possible to prevent the organization from becoming dysfunctional if a large number of people suddenly left the Magical Schenker Group (MSG).
We stopped taking on manpower-heavy work for the long term and reduced as much individualized work as possible.
Then, the management team and I conducted interviews with everyone to clearly sort out those who would stay and those who would leave.
All of this was to preserve as many viable businesses as possible and to provide employment opportunities to prevent chaos after the slaves were freed.
However, in the end, all this turned out to be more of a precaution than anything else…
After conducting the interviews, very few people expressed a desire to leave the organization.
As a result, the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) remained intact as a company, continuing to employ former slaves and maintaining its influence in Torquiva.
Or perhaps, it’s more than just remaining intact.
In these thirteen years, we’ve expanded enough to have branch offices in Ruefuma and Torcus, and we are continuing to grow.
Our Astrobucks and Late Night Stores have already branched out beyond Torquiva and opened in other towns.
「Oh, by the way, Hunt is in Ruefuma now, right?」
「He’s the person in charge over there, isn’t she? Of Astrobucks and Late Night Stores?」
「Do you think she can make it tomorrow?」
「She’ll probably close up shop and come here. It’s something she’s known about for a long time.」
「Yeah, that’s true.」
But even though things are stable now, people’s hearts are always changing.
One day, people will leave the Magical Schenker Group (MSG), and it will come to an end for real.
Our job as the leadership of the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) is to ensure that we can greet that day as gently as possible.
「I wonder what this town will look like in ten years.」
「Huh?」
「No, it’s nothing.」
I’m sure that the future me will think about the future when it comes.
It’s something I’ve realized after living through two lifetimes…
If you don’t enjoy the present, life will pass by in the blink of an eye.
I give Pickles a few pats on her horse body and look ahead.
Torquiva’s main street, which was once just bare earth.
Laura-san, after becoming the feudal lord, was the first to have it paved with cobblestones, and though uneven and winding, the road stretched straight ahead.
-0-
The next day, Noah and Lacus’ coming-of-age ceremony arrived.
Finally, the last day had come for the Magical Schenker Group (MSG).
…If I put it that way, it might sound like the fall of an evil noble, but in reality, it was more of a town-wide celebration.
After all, there are now nearly two thousand people associated with the Schenkers.
Schenker Street couldn’t possibly hold all those people, so entry was restricted to just members and their families.
「Noah-sama! Lacus-sama! Congratulations on coming of age!」
「Thank you, Mince.」
「Thanks a lot〜」
In the middle of the street, Noah and Lacus take their places on the guest of honour stand.
Mince, accompanied by her son and daughter, who had a similar look in their eyes, as well as her lanky husband, came over to offer their congratulations and handed over celebratory drinks.
She is still an active adventurer, working on the front lines.
Mince’s party consists of seasoned veterans, reputed to be the best in Torquiva.
Even now, with the situation in the dungeon special zone, which had been under thinning orders from the Magical Schenker Group (MSG), having calmed down, her party still occasionally dives in for investigations.
Her son seems to be pursuing a career in cooking, while her daughter has expressed a desire to become an adventurer.
Following the Mince family, my second brother and his wife arrived next.
「Noah and Lacus are fifteen already? No wonder my belly is getting bigger.」
「Your belly is big because you drink too much.」
「Uncle Shishiriki, Aunt Lina Lina, thank you for coming.」
「Thanks~」
「Our kids went off to get some of the free drinks, but they should come by later.」
Shishiriki, my second brother, and his wife casually handed the kids a bag of pocket money.
The kids also received pocket money from my eldest brother Jerstan and our father, so they must be getting a decent amount of extra cash.
By the way, Laura-san’s elder brother, Alex Slayra, who is my brother-in-law, also made the trip from the royal capital… He handed our kids a fancy-looking leather wallet earlier.
To think the uncle who gave them clothes as babies is now giving them wallets… They’ve really grown up.
While watching the two of them from the family seats near the guests of honor, I was feeling sentimental when Laura-san tugged at my sleeve from beside me.
「Hey, don’t you think it’s about time?」
「Huh? Do you think so? There are still people waiting in line to give their congratulations…」
「It’s endless. Besides, they’re all family, right? It’s hot today, and we should wrap things up before anything happens.」
Well, it’s also about preventing heatstroke…
Even though they’re all family, not everyone here is part of the Magical Schenker Group (MSG), and some people might have other plans later.
I turned around and beckoned to Chicken, who was waiting in the back.
「What can I do for you?」
「Let’s get started.」
「Understood.」
Chicken, dressed sharply in a formal suit, weaved through the crowd and made her way to the two guests of honor.
Alright, time for me to go as well.
As I rose from my chair, I felt a pat on my back.
When I turned to look, Laura was smiling and nodding.
I know, I know.
I’ll make sure to wrap things up properly.
I nodded back to Laura and headed towards the guest of honor seats.
There, the children, looking a bit nervous, and Chicken, holding the microphone part of a broadcast magic construct, were waiting.
When I gave a signal with my hand, she turned to face forward and began to speak.
『Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending the coming-of-age celebration for Noah, the eldest son, and Lacus, the eldest daughter of the Slayra family, lord of the Torquiva territory. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to all our honored guests who have taken time out of their busy schedules to be with us today. 』
Originally, a speech like this wouldn’t have been necessary for a gathering of just family…
Well, I suppose that’s one of the drawbacks of becoming a noble family.
If we don’t adhere strictly to formalities, we’ll be looked down upon by other families.
While Chicken droned on with her formal speech, I watched for the right moment to step up onto the stage where Noah and Lacus stood.
Alright, after this speech, I’ll make my address… then transfer the rights over the slaves to Noah and Lacus…
The world of nobility is all about protocol and procedure, after all.
Even for the emancipation of slaves, it’s not just a matter of saying, ‘Okay, you’re free.’ and that’s it. Everything must be done with proper decorum.
It might feel suffocating, but it can’t be helped.
『Now, we will hear a few words from Sawadi Slayra. 』
『…… 』
Taking the microphone from Chicken, I looked out over the gathered crowd from the stage.
There before me were nearly all the people I’d ever crossed paths with.
My father, my brothers, and the members of the Schenker Company, including people like Pickles, Vongo, and Roast, were all part of the group.
Even Pickles, Vongo, and Roast were mixed in with everyone here, but I guess they were part of the Schenker family too.
Then there was Laura-san, her brother, my beloved children, and the household staff from the Slayra family.
From the ranks of the slaves, those who worked in administration like Chicken, Jiren, Isuka, and Trolis were also present.
Representing the adventurers were figures like Mince, who took on a leadership role, Mamu, who had made a name for herself as a martial artist, and Rafi, who was still actively adventuring.
Those involved in cooking included Hunt, who had come all the way here, Seele, who now ran a shop with her husband, and Chidol, who had become the head chef of the main headquarters’ dining hall.
The theater group was represented by Moimo, the theater manager, Shiro, the company leader, and Yomanes, who was still a top star.
The construction crew, who always had work, the painting crew, now busy making prints of baseball players, and the music group, in high demand at theaters and ballparks, were also here.
Truly, seeing this scene made it clear just how many people had been involved in my and my family’s lives…
I couldn’t help but realize that.
『Ahem, today’s weather is quite nice… 』
I started to say, but then I stopped.
Formality is important, but… just this once, let’s go back to how things were.
This day, which marks the end of a significant chapter, isn’t something I want to handle in such a distant manner; my relationship with the slaves has been too long for that.
『No, well… has it really been twenty years since I first bought Pickles? I’ve gotten older, but so have all of you. 』
When I said that, a burst of laughter erupted from among the slaves.
I glanced over at Chicken and Laura-san, who were both smiling wryly… I’ll apologize later.
『These past twenty years have been full of ups and downs, haven’t they? But I still vividly remember when the organization was first starting out. Like when Pickles got to eat until she was full for the first time in her life, and then she was so surprised she thought she got sick and asked me to cure her… or when Vongo fell through someone else’s roof, and I had to go apologize… 』
As I spoke, I looked over at Pickles and Vongo. They were covering their faces, clearly embarrassed.
『Or when Mince got into a fight, and I had to go apologize to the adventurer she injured… or when we found out Roast was drinking on credit, and I had to rush over to pay her tab… 』
At the time, I probably had mixed feelings about those incidents… but looking back now, they’re all fond memories.
『Then there were those who joined later—like the ones who built a slide in the pool without permission, or the ones who almost became fish bait of gehageha after falling into the fishing pond, or the ones who got food poisoning from eating something rotten… Really, a lot has happened, a lot indeed. 』
Chicken had a nostalgic look on her face… Back in the beginning, she was the one who handled every problem that came up.
『But I was just a foolish kid back then, not thinking about anything, so I made a lot of mistakes and caused trouble for everyone. I made reckless plans that kept Chicken up all night… and bought a run-down pickle factory, thinking it was fine as long as it was cheap. 』
As I spoke, I pointed with my thumb to the building behind me, the headquarters of the Magical Schenker Group (MSG).
『Then I got married and had children, but still did some ridiculous things that weren’t funny… Built a theater and made everyone do things they weren’t used to. I wasn’t the best master, and I’m sure there are many of you who have complaints. 』
Even in this second life, I’ve made countless foolish mistakes.
And though I’d prefer otherwise, I’m sure I’ll continue making plenty of mistakes in the future.
I know I’ve imposed a lot on everyone and caused trouble.
Like insisting on introducing rice, which wasn’t a common food, and pushing everyone to eat it.
Or dragging everyone into my nostalgia from my previous life with things like baseball and convenience stores.
I feel bad about it and wish I could have handled things better.
But well, I’m not a very adept person, which is probably why I needed the help of so many people.
I’m sorry, but the past is the past, and I hope you can forgive me.
『However, as of now, I am still your master. So, I can’t listen to any complaints regarding that. If anyone really wants to complain, they can take it up later with our steward, Chicken. 』
When I said that, laughter and whistles erupted from the crowd.
I’ve said quite a lot—maybe Chicken will be mad at me later?
Yeah, she’ll probably be mad.
Well, I’ll just apologize properly afterward.
『I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed running the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) with all of you. I’m truly… truly grateful for everything, for having been able to live with you all up until now. So, I think it’s time to bring the curtain down on the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) for now. 』
With those words, I turned toward Noah, who was on the same stage.
He stood up straight, clicked his heels, turned around, and faced me.
I also turned toward him, and in as clear a voice as I could manage, I declared:
『As a celebration of my son Noah Slayra’s coming-of-age, I transfer all rights to the slaves owned by Sawadi Schenker to him. 』
When I said this, Noah gave me a formal military salute.
I returned the salute and handed him the microphone.
Noah clicked his heels, faced forward… slowly looked around at everyone, and said:
『In the name of Noah Slayra, I hereby free all slaves. 』
After a moment of silence… Schenker Street erupted.
A thunderous cheer echoed, loud enough to shatter every glass window on the street, causing a ringing in my ears.
I hope no one falls ill… Just in case, I cast a regeneration spell within the range of my magic.
「Sawadi-sa,a! Noah-sama! Thank you so much!」
「We’re free, we’re free! To celebrate becoming commoners, I’m going to drink till I drop today!」
「Hey, don’t forget to throw a farewell party for Opika at the hospital group!」
「Huh? Is she leaving?」
「Yeah, she’s going back to her hometown with her husband to become a doctor.」
As the crowd continued chatting and enjoying the festive atmosphere, I returned the microphone I had received from Noah back to Chicken.
『Attention to all members of the Magical Schenker Group (MSG). As previously announced, the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) will be reborn under a new form with Sawadi Schenker-sama as its president. 』
Well, from now on, it’s possible that people who were not former slaves of the Schenkers might join.
The business will change a bit before and after the emancipation of the slaves, so we decided it would be better to change the name.
『Starting today, the Magical Schenker Group (MSG) will be known as the Magical Sawadi Group (MSG). Please make sure to refer to it as such from now on. 』
「It’s practically the same!」
「Does changing the name even matter?」
A few voices chimed in with quips from nearby, but it couldn’t be helped.
Changing the name to Magical Slayra Group (MSG) might also cause some issues, so using the founder’s name, mine, seemed like the most reasonable option.
Having completed my part, I listened to Chicken give the closing remarks as I slowly stepped down from the podium.
「Good work.」
「Oh, Laura-san.」
There, waiting for me, was my wife Laura-san, who patted me on the shoulder in appreciation.
Come to think of it, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have made it this far… or rather, I probably would’ve died.
「Thank you very much, Laura-san, for everything up until now.」
「It’s me who should be saying that. When I came here, I never imagined I’d live to this age.」
Oh, that’s right, Laura didn’t have a magic organ because she used too much magic.
Thinking we were even, we laughed together as I looked at her face. Suddenly, a shadow fell over us.
Following the shadow’s source, I saw Pickles the Centaur and Vongo the birdkin, who had been in the family seating area earlier, standing there.
「Master, thank you so much for everything up until today… and we look forward to your guidance from tomorrow onward as well.」
「…Th…ank…」
It seemed the two of them had come over to express their gratitude.
「Hey, Pickles, I’m not your master anymore, right?」
「Huh? ehto… then, how should I address you…?」
Hmm… calling me Sawadi-sama doesn’t quite fit… I guess there’s only one answer.
「President. From today on, you two are no longer slaves; you’re employees of our company.」
「President, huh?」
「……..pre…s..ident…」
As we were having this conversation, it seemed like a bunch of others had gathered around as well.
Among them was Roast, a red-haired fishkin holding a half-empty bottle of liquor, who placed a hand on my shoulder with a grin.
「President, huh? You could still pull off ‘young master’, you know.」
「No, no, I’m already past thirty, that’d be a bit much…」
「President! From now on, I’ll serve you diligently as just another employee!」
For some reason, it seemed like Mentz the Scalekin, who was standing on the opposite side, also got competitive and put his hand on my other shoulder.
Why do I have to have both shoulders held down by my own employees?
As I was thinking that, Chicken, who had just finished wrapping up the ceremony, joined the circle, fuming.
「President! It’s a problem if you change what we’re supposed to talk about without permission!」
「Oh, if it isn’t Vice President Chicken. Good job on your duties.」
「Roast, you’re on the board too, so it’s not someone else’s problem.」
「I told you I’m fine staying a regular employee…」
「Think about your position, your position. There’s no way you can just stay a regular employee.」
Well, as a few key figures started chatting, more and more people began to gather around…
Perhaps because the ceremony was over, the crowd around us just kept getting larger.
「Sawadi-sama, please come to our restaurant again. We’ve developed a new dish called Chicken Hayashi Rice.」
「Seele’s restaurant is always full.」
「Oh! Sawadi-sama! Chicken and the others are here too! Let’s have a toast! Cheers!」
「Ah, well, I need to greet the guests…」
「No, I’ll take care of that. You should focus on getting to know the employees better.」
I tried to make my escape from the growing crowd, but Laura-san managed to block my way.
「Oh, Laura-san, wait a minute…」
「Sawadi-sama! Opika says she wants to greet you!」
「Chicken-san, the chief of security, Rubika, is asking if it’s okay to swap people around.」
「It’s fine now. If we need more people to guide them, have Isuka and Jiren take care of it.」
The flow of people around the podium showed no sign of stopping at all…
People were squeezing in to greet Noah and Lacus, or to crowd around me.
「Don’t push, don’t push!」
「By the way, remember when we did the first sports day, we did a toss-up at the end, right?」
「Oh yeah, that’s nostalgic… Pickles, you really remember that kind of stuff.」
「Why bring that up now?」
As I said that, Roast, who had been talking to Pickles in the crush of people, looked at me and grinned.
「Today’s a special day, you know. How about we do it again for old times’ sake?」
「No need to do that!」
「Young master, we’re not slaves anymore, you know? You can’t order us around. Besides, this is our way of showing gratitude.」
Before I could say I didn’t need that kind of gratitude, Pickles hoisted me up, lifting me into the air.
「Ano… I just wanted to celebrate with Sawadi-sama after so long… Is that okay?」
With Pickles looking at me with pleading eyes, it was hard to say no.
Well, if it’s going to happen anyway, might as well get it over with before more people gather.
「It can’t be helped then…」
「Alright, let’s do this! Clear some space, everyone! We’re tossing up the president! It’s been ages since the last sports day!」
「Oh! This brings back memories! I couldn’t do it last time because Pickles beat me!」
With just one call from Roast, space opened up in no time, and all the strong folks gathered around…
Before I knew it, I was airborne.
「Wa-shoi! Wa-shoi!」
With the cheers of the drunken crowd, my body was thrown up into the air, and I could hear the voices getting louder and louder.
When you’re the one being tossed up, all you can see is the sky.
Even as I was thrown higher, all I could see was the summer sun peeking through the gaps between the buildings.
The bright sun shining down on the southern region.
It’s been 31 years since I was born into this world.
The town, the people, and even I have changed rapidly…
But surely, that sun and the moon with its eyelids will still be floating up there unchanged, even after another 30 years.
And by then, what will have become of this town I love?
It’s a mix of anticipation and uncertainty I feel…
And as I wished for this toss-up to end soon…
I just let myself go, surrendering to the endless toss-up, feeling the summer wind of Torquiva against my entire body.
-0-
AN: This concludes a serialization that has lasted for about five and a half years.
Thank you very much for your support throughout this long journey.
TN: Let’s start the month with an ending. Thank you for supporting this series for two and a half years.
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