Chapter 331 The Interview Begins
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Commonly known as “Project Harvest.¹” In other words, our recruitment plan-born from the shop’s chronic shortage of “experimental collaborators”-seemed to be progressing smoothly with Her Majesty’s support… or so I thought. Apparently, it had been delayed under the authority of my beloved love-slave, Lily.
I sort of get it, but then again, I don’t. Well, if Lily said the delay was necessary, it probably was. Now that the so-called “final concern” had been cleared, we were finally moving into full-scale execution. That was all well and good, but…
”Hey, isn’t this a bit… overkill?”
”Not at all. You’re aware of the risks involved in this project, aren’t you, Master?”
Lily gave me a look that clearly said, ‘There he goes again, being hopelessly naive…’ We had arrived at a detached house owned by the Royal Family to conduct the “Project Harvest” interviews.
Calling it a “house” was an understatement; since it was royal property, it was appropriately sized and lavish. While not quite a ducal manor, it wasn’t the kind of place a commoner could ever live in. To put it in perspective, you could probably fit four or five of my houses inside it.
Location-wise, it was on the west side of the main thoroughfare, an area where land prices were relatively cheap. However, further north, near the palace, it turned into a district for the wealthy. More specifically, it was near the house that served as the exit for that secret tunnel during our “Social Studies Field Trip.”
The primary reason we were using this place was security. They had apparently performed background checks on the applicants, but we couldn’t risk a “what if” scenario. Our shop’s “Laboratory” is actually a treasure trove of classified data; if a spy managed to sneak in, it would be a nightmare to secure.
”But still, people must know this is a royal property, right? It feels like we’re… I don’t know, too ‘in deep’ with the Crown. Like a shady backroom deal…”
”Is that not simply the truth? You aren’t just ‘in deep’ with the Royal Family, Master-you’re ‘deep in’ the Queen herself…”
”Hey, that’s a bit too much for a dirty joke… When did you become such a girl?”
”When? Master, this is entirely your fault. Please take responsibility.”
”I’m in the middle of taking it right now, aren’t I…?”
”Yes, yes, that’s enough of the ‘happily married couple’ routine. I’m going to get jealous, you know? Spectacularly so.”
Interrupting the banter between me and Lily-who seemed unusually high-spirited (likely because she felt this interview would mark the end of her heavy lifting)-was Muse, the Queen’s maid. She was the one who handled all these arrangements, and she had already put in a request for a “magnificent reward” at a later date.
”Shall we confirm the process one more time? What we are about to conduct is the second stage: interviews for those who passed the initial document screening. Since Lily-san and I performed the screenings separately, there should be no one left who would oppose Cecile-sama’s wishes, nor anyone likely to cause trouble regarding Lord Harvest’s relationships with women.”
Muse explained the interview process. Mind you, I was the one who suggested this corporate-style “resume check + interview” system from my old world. The issue was the “adjustments” they had added to it.
”Those who pass today’s interview… to put it bluntly, those who match Lord Harvest’s tastes… will move on to the third stage: a practical exam. The room for the practical exam is already prepared, and you’ve inspected it, correct?”
”Yeah. Everything we need is there, and the bed was plenty comfortable.”
The third stage was, in essence… a nighttime interview. Naturally, the job description had been explained at the time of recruitment, including the fact that they would be sleeping with the shopkeeper. Still, as a precaution, we had to confirm they could actually perform the duties.
If someone got to the moment of truth and started wailing, ‘I can’t do it after all!’ it would be a disaster for everyone. I swear, this isn’t just my hobby. It was Lily and Muse who suggested, ‘Well, obviously we’re doing this, right?’
”As for future plans, please continue to use that room as a ‘Laboratory’ even after the interviews are over. The security is perfect, and we can provide anything you need immediately.”
”Right, thanks. I guess the original ‘Lab’-the house next door-is scheduled for demolition soon?”
”Yes. To make way for the construction of the ‘Ddo-Buddy Palace.²‘”
This was the second reason for borrowing this house. Our shop had been using the neighboring building as a warehouse/lab for a while, but we decided to build something new for a new purpose: the “Ddo-Buddy Palace,” where the women and the children soon to be born would live.
I had originally asked Her Majesty for this after the war with Coalmine, and we were finally breaking ground. Or rather, Her Majesty was the one nagging me to get it built quickly. Apparently, she wants to hurry up the opening of the secret passage to the Royal Palace.
The reason, of course, was so she could have me perform my duties as her paramour more frequently. Yeah… regardless of how it sounds, it’s a cute reason if you think of it as “she wants to see me more,” but I have to wonder if it’s okay for a Queen to blur public and private matters this much.
”Well, you’ll see how it goes as we proceed. We will handle the bulk of the questioning, but please feel free to chime in if there’s anything you wish to ask, Lord Harvest.”
And so, the second stage of “Project Harvest”-the interviews-began. Following the style of my old world, the venue featured the three of us sitting behind a long table, with the applicant in a single chair in the center.
However, since this world has no interview handbooks or prep schools, the applicants had no idea what to expect. The first one was led in by Muse’s subordinate, looking at us with a face that said, ‘I wonder what kind of ritual this is…’ as she took her seat.
”Thank you very much for coming to our shop’s experimental collaborator recruitment exam today. Please, don’t be so nervous. We’re just going to verify the contents of the questionnaire you submitted and ask a few questions.”
”Y-Yes, sir…”
The first applicant was actually someone I knew well. She was one of our regulars-a hardcore fan who had been coming to buy aphrodisiacs since before “Ddo-Buddy” was even developed.
But this was the first time I’d learned her name… I checked the copy of the questionnaire I’d been handed while listening to Lily and Muse start the questioning. She was a little younger than me. Originally from a village near the capital, she left her house full of siblings to earn her own living and managed to find work in the Royal City.
She had intended to find a good man and get married quickly, but she found her work fun and kept putting it off until she encountered our shop. With “Ddo-Buddy” around, she figured she didn’t really need a man anymore-until she heard about “Project Harvest.”
Her occupation… a maid at the Royal Palace? I reflexively glanced at Muse, but she didn’t seem bothered. Was she a general maid, different from Muse’s subordinates? Yeah, looks like it. She was even saying things like, ‘I’m great at laundry!’
”But are you sure about this? If you become a collaborator for our shop, your chances of marriage will likely drift even further away…”
”Eh?! I thought the Shopkeeper was going to take us in!?”
”…Well, knowing Master’s personality, that is a possibility, but we can’t give you a guarantee, you know?”
”I-I see… But that’s fine. I’ll do my best! To be honest, a ‘normal’ marriage is pretty much impossible for me now anyway…”
”Oh? And why is that?”
”Well, working as a maid in the Palace… you develop a bit of an ‘eye’ for things. There are nobles coming in and out, brilliant civil servants, sturdy soldiers. But all the good ones are snatched up by the sharp, aggressive girls, so nothing ever comes my way.”
”I see. That sounds tough…”
”I mean, if you look, they’re out there. Nice guys who are a bit dim, or people unrelated to the Palace. But I end up thinking about it… Thankfully, I’m paid quite well, so when I meet a normal guy, I can’t help thinking, ‘This guy doesn’t even make as much as I do…’ “
””Ah…””
The voices of Muse and the maid waiting at the entrance overlapped. Yeah, this person is being incredibly blunt… Since there are no “interview techniques” in this world, she’s just answering everything honestly. Or maybe she’s just that kind of person.
”I see. I understand perfectly. Let’s change direction slightly. Do you have a favorite product from our shop?”
”E-Etto, that, the Shopkeeper probably knows this already, but… it’s the ‘Bean Numbness,’ desu…”
Yeah, I know. She’s been buying it every month since the early days. Sometimes she even comes back for a refill in the middle of the month. People don’t usually go through it that fast…
”And then there’s that other one, the ‘Nipple Clamper.’ ‘Ddo-Buddy’ is amazing, but the shock I felt when that was released… though, I think it would be even better if the clamping force was a bit stronger…”
Blushing beet-red, the regular didn’t hold back. This is actually pretty useful feedback. It’s an opinion from a high-level user, but I’ll make a note of it. I scribbled with my pen while listening to the rest of the Q&A.
”Byure, byururu!” I could almost hear the effects of the items she was describing in my head. “By the way, do you have any s*xual experience?”
”Eh!? A-Ah, um, i-it’s just as I wrote in the documents…”
”Yes, of course, we’ve checked that. However, to ensure there are no discrepancies, we must hear it from your own lips.”
”Ugh… I-I see… T-To my shame… not even once…”
”Thank you. Following up on that-is your hymen still intact?”
”Wha-!? You’re asking that too!? U-Um, it’s… not… there anymore…”
Correction: this is very useful feedback. The regular was exposing her maidenly secrets with a face like a tomato. Lily continued her relentless questioning after that, and with Muse joining in, the poor regular looked like she wanted to shrink away and disappear.
Since those two were handling it, I didn’t really need to ask anything. I just kept writing down the valuable testimony on my notepad. But I did have one concern. Before the next applicant arrived, I leaned over to Lily.
”Hey, if we dig this deep into their secrets and then end up rejecting them, isn’t that going to be a problem…?”
”It’s fine. We told them beforehand that you would be reviewing the questionnaires and sitting in on the interviews. Plus, all participants are being paid a fee. Well, I don’t think we should be failing people who are meant for the third stage anyway, so please, pick the ones we definitely should fail. …Unless you want to suffer from Jinkyo³? In which case, feel free to pass everyone.”
”Ugh… n-no, I definitely don’t want that. I’ll pick carefully…”
”Yes, please do.”
It seemed this interview process was going to be a much more important and difficult job than I had anticipated…
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Summary:
The protagonist begins the ‘Project Harvest’ recruitment phase to find more collaborators for his adult goods shop. Using a royal property for security, he conducts interviews alongside Lily and Muse. The first candidate is a palace maid and regular customer who provides unexpectedly blunt feedback on his products.
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Trivia:
- The interview is taking place in a royal house near the secret tunnel exit.
- The ‘Third Stage’ of the interview is explicitly a s*xual performance test.
- The Queen is pressuring the MC to build the new palace primarily to facilitate their secret meetings.
- The applicant is already a loyal customer of the ‘Bean Numbness’ product
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Character Insight:
The protagonist is increasingly aware of how his ‘harem’ and business are becoming deeply entwined with national politics, though he still struggles with the ethical weight of the invasive interview process. Lily and Muse show a more pragmatic, ruthless side in securing the MC’s interests.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author notes that their motivation is high due to recent celebrations from the readership, though their upload schedule remains erratic.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Ray – A Viscount with flaxen-gold hair in a men’s wolf cut. Possesses a sweet mask and a prince-like aura. It is revealed at the end that Ray is actually a woman. She has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district.
• Soi – An old professor from Ajire seminary, the first to raise a question. Looks like wizardly.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
• Cecile – A queen in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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