And so, three months passed.
As part of class, the children had started farming. Because the planting season is already halfway done, we’re focusing on planting wheat and soybeans.
However, if I were to free the children that were slaves, I’m afraid there would be various problems. So, for the time being they’re still technically slaves.
That being said, it’s merely for convenience. The standard of living here is probably much higher than any of the surrounding villages.
Give them a scholarship to attend school, and then give them a job after they graduate. They are paid for whatever contributions they make, and eventually will earn enough money to free themselves from slavery.
Everyone has been doing their best in their studies so far. Thanks to everyone learning how to read and write, we had reached our goal of teaching them agriculture.
But, not everything has been going so smoothly —
When winter was about to start, in front of the wheat fields the children had been using for practice. The children all looked confused.
It’s because I had told them to go around and step on the wheat they had been growing.
“Um….Leon-sama, why are you stepping on the wheat we worked so hard to grow? Did we not grow it correctly?”
A girl asked me the question on all of the children’s minds.
Her name is Tina.
Black hair, black eyes, and a Japanese-looking face, but she is not a reincarnator. She is twelve, one year older than me. She is also the oldest girl in my first-year class.
There were eighteen first-year students, consisting of the children that were slaves and Sophia. Sophia is still awkward, but somehow she has managed to interact with everyone so far.
By the way, all of the slave children were girls. It seems any children that could not do farm work or hunting, which seems to be only girls, were sold into slavery.
Also, I taught some servants basic knowledge to prevent repeated cultivation damage and sent them to various villages in the territory.
Well, would they be called zero-year students?
“Leon-sama?”
“Ah, umm….there was nothing wrong with how you were growing them. Rather, they are growing quite nicely.”
“Then, why are you stepping on them?”
“There are a few reasons, but mainly it is because if you step on them regularly they will become stronger and yield more when it comes time to harvest.”
It’s also common to move the crops from the frozen ground, but since the area we’re in is rather warm, I doubt we need to worry about that.
“The more you step on it, the stronger it becomes?”
“Well, that’s mostly correct. To be honest, I don’t fully understand the reasoning either. Everyone, let’s experiment. Everyone just needs to step on the wheat.”
“I’ll step on it if you say so.. —–Everyone, form a line and begin stepping on the crops~”
Tina gives instructions to everyone, and they begin stepping on the wheat.
At first, everyone was cautiously stepping on the wheat, but everyone gradually started having fun and some girls were even happily jumping around.
When I first bought them from the slave traders, they all looked depressed. But, they’ve all been gradually smiling more and more. I think it was good that this school was created.
“Fumi~, fumifumi~”
But, are we not stomping on them too much? No, we’re still small children so this may be enough.
……Well, I can just test different amounts of stomping and see how much the wheat grows in the future.
“Ha~! Hey, hey, hey~!”
Eighteen girls stomping on their hard work. If someone from the outside were to see this I bet they’d cry.
“Leon-sama, thank you very much.”
“Eh!?”
Michelle had been learning on her own by watching us, when she suddenly thanked me. Thank you very much……Impossible, is Michelle a lolicon that’s into yuri?
No, of course not. She was very upset when she first heard about the children being sold into slavery. If I think about that…
“I’m sorry. Did I surprise you?”
“N-no, I’m fine….why are you thanking me?”
“For this sight.”
“So it is for all of these girls!?”
This is bad. What should I do?
If I think about it properly, there are many lolicons and shotacons in this world. It seems like the difference in age between two people that get married is usually 10 or more years. Not to mention, rich people usually have very young slaves…
When consulting with Alice, it was decided that teachers should not be allowed to date any students.
“The children that were sold into slavery are laughing so happily. If it wasn’t for Leon-sama, this would never have been possible.”
“….Oh, so that’s what you meant.”
Was it just a misunderstanding….I’m sorry Michelle. I was seriously worried about you.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to see something like this ever again.”
“What do you mean? Aren’t you exaggerating a bit?”
“I’m not exaggerating at all. Because if it wasn’t for Leon-sama, I would have been burned to death that day.”
I understood her meaning immediately. The time when the influenza outbreak occurred years ago.
“It’s a very nostalgic story.”
“For me it only feels like yesterday. Ever since that day, I have never forgotten my gratitude to Leon-sama and Claire-sama. And…..”
Michelle finished speaking and kept watching the girls stepping on the wheat. It looked as if she was watching a member of her family. So, that’s how it is.
I finally understood why Michelle cared so much for these girls.
“By any chance, is Tina….?”
“She is my youngest sister. To be honest, my hometown is between here and Milli-san’s hometown. So, when I went to pick her up, I found out that Tina had been sold into slavery.”
So that’s why she seemed so desperate. She should have said something. What if Tina had been sold to someone before we were able to save her?
…..Maybe, she didn’t want to bother me with personal matters? Or she thought I wouldn’t care even if she did say anything.
“Michelle, if there’s ever anything similar that happens in the future, please talk to me about it.”
“That’s….No, I won’t bother you with my personal problems.”
“Michelle is like a mother to Claire. So, to me you’re like family. There’s no reason for you to hold back.”
“……Thank you very much, Leon-sama. I will try to repay your kindness for the rest of my life.”
“That may be going a bit far, but….I see. If that’s true, then please continue to care for Claire.”
“That’s also something I want to do, but was there something else?”
“When Claire was a child, she said there was something she wanted to accomplish on her own. Do you remember?”
A dream from her childhood. She never mentioned it again after her political marriage was decided….She’s been trying her hardest recently. She certainly hasn’t given up on her dream even now.
Recently, Claire’s growth has been tremendous.
In just a few months, Claire learned many things from Alice and I. She grew enough to be able to supervise the work being done that was using more advanced technology from another world.
I think that her ability as a politician is already above Alice and I.
“Claire will soon become an indispensable person to this territory. So, until that time comes I want you to support her.”
“I understand. I swear that I will stay by her side until the day she becomes independent. I will stay unmarried until that time.”
….No, it’s fine if you want to get married.
After that, time flowed into March.
Just one year has passed since we decided to start a school. At last — No, rather than saying at last, I should say already? Anyway, the school building has been completed.
I look up in awe at the three-storey building.
“That was quite last minute.”
“The work wasn’t really that late, was it? There are other buildings that need to be completed, but we just gave priority to this.”
As I was talking to myself while looking at the school building, a voice could be heard from behind me.
“Alice —”
I turned around and was left stunned. Alice was wearing the uniform I had designed.
“….The uniform has been completed.”
“Yes, it’s just the sleeveless summer design for the time being.”
It was a gothic styled, red and black dress. The uniform had a pleated skirt with a checkerboard pattern and a corset-style blouse with a ribbon tied around the waist. The shoes are like knitted boots, and it looks quite fashionable. With this design, it should be easy to move around in outside.
In addition, the absolute territory seen in the area between the knee socks and skirt is dazzling. (TN: Absolute territory = Zettai ryōiki the fact that there is a detailed wikipedia article for this amazes me)
“How is it? Does it look good?”
Alice spins her body around causing the pleated skirt and her pink hair to gently fan out around her.
If I think about the fact that Alice is Saya, I’m rather embarrassed about the way I feel looking at her….No, Saya had a smaller chest……But, that’s only natural considering she would have just been entering junior high.
“Leon? Are you thinking something rude?”
“Of course not, I was just thinking that it looks really good on you.”
“Thank you. But, isn’t it strange if a teacher wears a uniform?”
“…..As for that”
I honestly hadn’t even thought about it until Alice just brought it up. Will it be confusing if the teachers and students wear the same uniforms?
“Well, I waited so long to wear one, if it’s just for today it should be fine.”
“Are you saying you’re not going to wear it anymore?”
“Yes. It’s also strange if I’m the only teacher wearing a uniform. Can’t the other teachers wear uniforms as well?”
“That’s….well.”
I picture Milli and Michelle wearing the cute uniforms.
Even though they are both over the age of 30, they are still cute…..Though, it is somewhat strange imagining my mother wearing a schoolgirl uniform.
It’s also a waste that Alice waited so long to wear a uniform, but now is only able to wear it once. Besides, I think her dream of wearing a school uniform, also means she wanted to go to school….
That’s right. Alice probably wanted to go to school one day — once I thought of this, I looked back at Alice.
The uniform worn by Alice is cute, but the normal clothes of this world are rather plain.
“Even though the student’s uniforms are cute, the teachers would lack dignity if they just wore the normal clothes of this world…..Or, maybe a better way of saying it is the clothes are plain.”
“That’s fine. As I said before, I’m making various types of clothes.”
After saying this, Alice took out an off-shoulder white top with frills and a black tiered mini skirt.
Honestly, the design is probably at the same level as modern Japanese clothing. It’s also made of silk, so it’s probably of an even better quality.
“I think it’s as good as the uniform. I think it’s perfect.”
“Isn’t it~? I designed it to be cute and elegant. It was a lot of hard work making it using pattern paper.”
“I see. If walking around town, it may not seem out of place….Where did the elements from our previous world go? Truly this is the Alice cheat. I feel like you’re not showing enough prudence.”
“Eh, what kind of shameful name is that? If you say something like that, Leon is more of a cheat. The Leon cheat.”
“Excuse me? I act with discretion.”
“…..Hee~”
Alice scornfully looked at me with her blue eyes.
“Wh-what is it? I behave properly, right?”
“Can you say that again, after you look at these city streets you’ve helped develop?”
I look around at my surroundings after Alice said this.
The first thing I see is the three-storey school building. The outer wall is made of brick, but the foundation is made of reinforced concrete.
And then there’s the windows. The technology used to make glass in this world is rather primitive, yet there were crystal clear glass panes fitted into these spaces.
Furthermore, there are bricks laid out creating roads in the city. Even in the capital city most of the roads are unpaved.
And in this world there is no water supply system for towns or villages. Yet, in this town, not only is there a water supply system that carries well water throughout the city, there is also a hot spring, and a sewer system that carries waste to the nearby river.
I finished looking at my surroundings and looked back at Alice.
“……..D-did I overdo it?”
I never really meant to go this far.
However, using Alice to ask the spirits to make fire bricks was rather easy. The technology of this world makes it nearly impossible to make them by normal means, but with Alice, mass-producing these bricks becomes simple.
We also ordered a large amount of iron ore. It was relatively cheap because in this world it is difficult to process iron. So, we were able to mass-produce iron in the kiln, similar to the fire bricks. And so, we had iron tools and products.
Honestly, this city is ridiculously advanced.
“W-well, maybe I should show a little more prudence.”
As expected, I will be able to get the results I want within a few years. I will soon have the power I need to protect Sophia from Patrick.
“…..Did you just raise a flag meaning you definitely won’t be more prudent?”
“It’s just your imagination…..probably.”
