--This chapter is written in Claire's POV--

Even though Miwen's list initially looked like nonsense, when we spoke with Lily and she explained to us how they often check the health of the farm animals, the fields, and the soil together to ensure that everything is going as expected, we learned that there was more to it than first meets the eye.

Although Lana also made sure to snitch on all the pervy stuff he does to Lily, who, in turn, tried to defend him as best as she could.

It was obvious that Lana was exaggerating a few things, but a dangerous aura started to form around Mia.

Seeing it, Lana started to become bolder, talking about herself as well, and how his actions defiled hers and Lily's dignity.

Lana: "Well, I don't really get mad since he gives me snacks. On that topic..."

And with these words, the truth about the dignity that it seemed they had lost was revealed.

She'd simply traded her and her friend's dignity for a couple of snacks.

Not only that, she extended her hand, asking us for some as well.

Apparently, it's a tax I had to pay for hugging Lily or something.

Mia: "Hm... I don't really walk around with anything, sorry. But I can promise to make him pay for what he's done to you, if that makes up for it?"

Lana: "If I get to watch, sure."

I had never seen the two of them with such evil grins on their faces before.

Whatever they were planning, it didn't seem good, and I could only feel sorry for Miwen.

Even if it was deserved.

Still, since I had candy on me by sheer coincidence, before leaving Lana and Lily, I handed them a little something to make their morning that much sweeter.

After that, we took another look at Miwen's list, trying to decipher what he meant by "teasing", "playing", and "checking".

Among everything listed, the most important ones that we could figure out instantly were Agatha's and Olivia's.

Miwen and Agatha keep tabs on the potions she produces, and he works as a bridge between her and Olivia, bringing to the Guild Office whatever materials Agatha needs so that Olivia can post a job request on the board with a reward to have the Snow White Wolves gather them.

This is one of the basic structures of the economy he's set in place, alongside the requests for gems and minerals that are "eternal" and used to build a treasury.

Even though there hasn't been much use for said treasury so far...

Claire: "Hm... This is more work than I thought..."

Olivia: "I appreciate the help. But as I said, even I think it's too much. I told him that missing a day or two won't cause many problems..."

Claire: "Nah, that's not gonna work... He likes to control things too much. If it feels like it's slipping away from him, he'll probably overcompensate."

Currently, it seems like the Guild is the brains of the Kingdom.

From the library tower to the church, everyone reports something to it.

It's a little scary how much information Miwen and Olivia manage here, but it's also somewhat reassuring.

Only because it's him, though.

Thankfully, even though this is his way of looking out for everyone, he has enough common sense not to pile up too many documents.

Most often, after a week, the daily reports are summarized, making it easier to find and organize things.

It also saves a lot of space.

The only problem was that this time it was up to us to make the summaries, which meant going through what felt like a mountain of documents...

A single day wasn't enough to do everything, but thankfully, Mia and I managed to reach Miwen's quota.

The hours we spent in the archives...

They were some of the most hellish I'd ever experienced.

After we were done, I couldn't even tell left from right.

But somehow, I was in a better state than Mia, who kept mumbling random numbers even after we had left the Guild.

Poor girl was traumatized...

The spirit she had just hours prior had completely vanished, and her eyes were so hollow that I worried she had died inside.

There were still things for us to do, though.

We had not even started to tackle Licia's list yet.

However, I thought a little break was well-deserved after the nightmare we experienced in that room.

Additionally, it was almost time for lunch, making it a perfect excuse to visit the cafeteria.

The dining hall was the largest single room in the entire Kingdom, and it was filled with TVs, games, comics, and all sorts of other interesting things from Miwen's world, as well as some items from our own.

At first, the idea was that we'd have things to distract ourselves with while waiting for them to cook, but soon enough, the place became more of a rest area, and it's not uncommon to find someone relaxing in it.

This time, Mia and I found Anna and Ellie playing games on the couch.

We greeted each other quickly so as not to interrupt their game. It was one of those shooting ones, and both of them seemed quite focused. Anna especially so since she was behind Ellie in points.

Claire: "Thanks for the help."

Mia: "It's no big deal."

Before we could start anything, we had to do the dishes.

This is supposed to be a job for the maids who came from Isabella's world, but they are still in training

There are too many things they don't understand yet, so Licia and Mei are teaching them about modern appliances together with Isa and Pamela.

For now, their work is limited to laundry and cleaning stuff. Until they've learned those, they are forbidden from using the dining hall's kitchen and instead use the castle's.

There may come a time when we fully rely on them for the daily tasks, but somehow, I doubt it.

Miwen and Licia love cooking together with the others. It's a cozy, family-like moment when everyone's reunited, talking and laughing out loud.

No matter how well they may try to hide it, I always catch glimpses of them gleaming with joy, watching the rest of us.

Claire: "Alright... So, are you ready?"

Mia: "Hm... Yeah. I think so..."

This was the first time Mia and I were in charge of cooking.

We didn't even know the other knew how to do it, but as we went at it, we surprised ourselves with our skills.

Not that we were that great, either.

We only knew enough not to mess up too much.

Mia: "You learned a lot from watching, huh?

Claire: "So did you..."

Mia: "Well... I've been paying more attention lately."

Claire: "I noticed."

She used to be so obstinate about getting stronger.

It reminded me a little of my past life.

I even wondered if I should act a little more like her in this second life, but I decided not to worry about it.

I was happy with how things were, and before I knew it, she had a change of heart.

Ever since we returned from Isabella's world, Mia's been slightly closer to everyone.

While lazing around, I make sure to watch how everyone is doing, and I always thought it was a little sad how she kept a distance from others.

It was as if she was hesitating, but I'm glad that she left her shell behind now.

Mia: "I always rely on him, but... I decided I want to become someone he can rely on, too. You know, as his... friend."

Claire: "Hmm... That's why you wanted to help, then. To be a good... friend."

Mia: "Y-Yeah... That's about it."

It's cute how she thinks she can trick anyone into believing nothing happened between them.

I wonder if it's just pride or if she believes anyone still buys it after she asked us for advice.

Whatever the case, even I had to admit it was cute to see her blush and struggle to come to terms with her feelings.

It's no wonder Miwen likes to tease her so much.

Claire: "Well, I'm happy for you. Although I'm sure you would've liked to have someone more dependable in charge. If you wanna blame someone, blame Miwen, though. I'm not sure why he and Licia insisted so much on putting me in charge."

There are so many other reliable girls they could've asked for.

Mia: "...Seriously?"

Claire: "Hm?"

She stopped for a second and looked me straight in the eye.

It felt like I had said something wrong, but after looking annoyed, she returned her attention to the cutting board.

Mia: "I'm only gonna say it this once, but... I think you are pretty reliable yourself."

The first words that left her mouth already shocked me, but she was far from done.

Mia: "I mean... You struggle with your own feelings when they are embarrassing, sure, but you're still an incredibly honest woman. You're very sensitive to others, and when you see them struggling or avoiding honestly tackling their problems, you cut right to its core."

Claire: "Ehehe? Is that so?"

Mia: "Yeah. If the girls think of Licia as their surrogate mother, you're like an aunt or something. She takes their hands carefully, while you just bluntly point out what you think is wrong. You'd think that would make you unpopular, but... Because you're like that, everyone thinks you're easy to approach. I kinda envy that..."

I didn't know that.

Well, I felt like it, but I find it hard to read how others perceive me.

Somehow, it was nice to hear her say it.

Because it was Mia, I knew she wouldn't compliment me if she didn't mean it.

It made me a little embarrassed, so I focused on what I was doing and didn't respond properly, but I think that was for the best.

She looked just as embarrassed to say it as I was to hear it.

Ellie: "Um... Do you need a hand?"

Claire: "You guys finished your match?"

Anna: "Yep. I got tired of being sniped from across the map..."

Ellie: "Ehehe... Sorry..."

I'm not sure if they were telling the truth or if they just saw us struggling, but any help was welcome.

Especially since these two had more experience in the kitchen than Mia and me.

They worked pretty well together, too.

Anna was taller than Ellie, and since they had experience cooking with Miwen and Licia, she was already aware of what utensils Ellie could and couldn't reach.

Before she could ask for it, Anna had already placed them close to her.

And well...

Those hands of hers might be small, but they worked incredibly fast.

I could've never gotten a sense without being this up close, and it made me imagine just how fast Miwen and Licia must be if Anna and Ellie were like this.

It almost made me want to help them one of these days.

Almost.

Claire: "Welp. That's as good as it will get, I guess. Should we call the others?"

Mia: "Already did. Lana was with Lily, so... I figured she was free as well."

Oh, that's right.

I ended up putting them in the same package and labeling them as busy, when Lily was actually the only one busy.

Lana only hangs around her when she's got nothing to do.

Claire: "In that case... I'll bring this to Agatha and the other two."

Mia: "Sure..."

While I wanted to bring it hot to them, I tried to be careful not to spill any, as we had decided on soup this time since it wasn't too difficult and should work well for their cold.

The trip ended up being pretty quick, but I couldn't help but laugh when I arrived at the room and saw everyone exhausted.

Everyone but Raella, that is.

She was still enthusiastically telling fables, while Licia listened attentively, although clearly tired.

Miwen and Agatha, though, seemed like they had been tortured for hours.

Of course, seeing this, I left them to rest and returned to the dining hall to enjoy a meal with the others.

Bea: "...I don't think it's that suspicious. Miwen relaxed, so of course, Licia did as well. That's love for you."

Interestingly, I arrived at a good time.

The news spread fast among everyone, so they were all sharing their thoughts about what happened to Miwen and Licia.

Bea's idea that the two might've finally relaxed, at the same time, was pretty spot on from what I could tell.

Claire: "You say that, but... Don't you feel the same way?"

Bea: "You mean love? Well... As a witch, I find him interesting, and as a woman, I have no complaints either. But I don't know if I can call that love... I don't think I ever felt that..."

Claire: "Uh-huh... Sure."

She's one of the girls who changed the most after meeting Miwen, so to me, she was just giving excuses.

Surprisingly, most girls are not that honest about how they feel, even when Miwen is not around, so there was pressure from various sides to change the topic, and it didn't stick long.

In the end, after everyone returned to their place, Mia and I stayed to clean everything and do the dishes, so that Miwen and Licia wouldn't have to worry the next morning.

Mia: "What's next on the list?"

Claire: "...Seems like Licia was going to help Angelica bathe in her dragon form."

Since Angelica can't reach her back or her wings in her dragon form, she sometimes asks for Licia and the Valkyries for help.

And this, surprisingly enough, is one of the tasks I actually often help with.

It's just really fun and something I never thought I'd do.

Mia: "Hm? I know she can't use the ocean for that anymore, but can't she create a lake or something?"

Claire: "No, that's... You know... You wouldn't consider it a bath if you just stayed under water a while, would you?"

Mia: "I guess..."

Claire: "Ah, but I think we can leave that for later."

There was something else I wanted to do.

So, I took Mia to an open field in the Kingdom.

As soon as I took out my sword, she understood what it was that I wanted.

Mia: "Are you sure? Do we even have time to train?"

Claire: "It's not a problem. Licia and I train together pretty often, too. Not to mention, we'll just use that one hour I'm assigned to watch you."

Mia: "Oh... I'm not complaining."

I know how much she hates to miss even a single day of training, and I also wanted to work out a little.

Since she was being unusually nice, I decided to do something in return.

I gotta confess, though...

After the battle against her mother, I was a little afraid of facing her.

It was obvious that she was now a cut above me and almost everyone else.

The two Gifts, her abilities when in her Beast form, that mysterious title, and the second part of her Gift...

I was barely an opponent for her now.

That is, unless I went in with the intent to kill from the start and used all of my mana in a single attack.

But obviously, I wouldn't do that to her.

So I had no choice but to accept this reality.

For now.

In the end, as expected, I struggled a lot to keep up with her pace.

One single attack of hers that landed meant she could either strengthen herself or weaken me, so I couldn't afford to even so much as be touched, which was hard to do considering she was slightly faster than me.

I had to rely on the reach of my sword and my fire magic to keep her away, but that wasn't going to last forever.

She's an opponent who understands the battle they are in, and it doesn't take long for her to adapt.

Thus, it was my total defeat.

But it was fun.

Mia: "...Thanks."

Claire: "It's no big deal. I just thought it would be convenient since we'd take a bath anyway."

Mia: "Eh? But I thought we were going to help Angelica?"

Claire: "Yeah? We'll be killing two birds with one stone."

Mia has been quite shy about it ever since Miwen implemented the bath groups to save time when we used to bathe only in the one at his house.

Since I knew this wasn't going to end well for me, I decided to have a little revenge.

And well...

My Gift only gets stronger with each level, and soon, I was going to flip the tables under her, so I thought it was only fair to let her enjoy it while it lasted.

As I was sure to do it when I was on top again.

In any case, we struggled here and there, but we managed to complete everything we set out to do.

We definitely cut corners compared to how Miwen and Licia do it, and there were probably a few mistakes, especially in the reports, but...

Considering how it started and who I was paired with, it was a surprisingly fun day.

I even felt like Mia and I became a little closer once everything was said and done.