Chapter 163 The First Step
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After seeing off ‘Archangel’ – who kept glancing back over their shoulder as they left – I headed back to the living room with ‘Yohira’s other sister.’ Since we were out of spare rooms, it was decided she’d be crashing here, which meant I had to at least get some bedding ready for her. The sofa in the living room was a piece my parents bought when they first moved into this house; it was one of the few mementos I had left of them. I obviously couldn’t go modifying a piece like that, so I decided to just build a brand-new one from scratch.
I used some leftover Mithril¹ for the frame and Orc Material² for the exterior. For the cushions, I prioritized softness and a pleasant texture, using a fabric-wrapped interior stuffed with sponge padding and springs. To top it off, I rigged it with a folding bed mechanism. I shifted the living room layout slightly so the sofa-bed could fully extend, and just like that, ‘Yohira’s other sister’ had a place to sleep. Adding a hanger rack next to it made the setup perfect.
”This should do for a bed,” I said. “Stay put, I’ll go grab some blankets.”
(Um, Tatara-kun, aren’t you working a little too fast?!) she asked, her voice cracking.
I heard her startled yelp behind me but ignored it, heading instead to the guest room we were currently lending out to the Part-time Leaders. Fortunately, they were still awake. After getting their okay, I grabbed a spare blanket from the room and brought it down to ‘Yohira’s other sister.’
(Ugh, is it really okay for you to go to all this trouble for me…?) she muttered.
”It’s not ‘trouble,’” I replied. “Right now, I’m not even meeting the bare minimum requirements for a host.”
Normally, I should have provided a private room, but since the house is at capacity, she’s stuck sleeping in the living room. If anything, I’m the one who should be apologizing for the inconvenience.
”We’re starting first thing tomorrow, so get some rest while you can. Got it?” I said.
(…Yes, I’ll do my very best desu.)
Her eyes were watery, yet filled with resolve. I gave her head another pat before I (Ore) left the room. First things first: tomorrow, I’d have to analyze ‘Yohira’s other sister’ thoroughly before coming up with a real training plan.
* * *
The next morning, after finishing my daily routine with the ‘Sky Rift’ and sketching out the action figure designs I’d discussed with the ‘Chef,’ I headed down to the kitchen. Even though my brain wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders yet, I’d completely forgotten about our new guest until I actually stepped into the living room. The sight that met me – ‘Yohira’s other sister’ having kicked her blanket halfway across the room, her funky monster-print underwear peeking out for a morning “hello” without a shred of elegance – made me let out a massive sigh.
She was sleeping in nothing but a pink camisole and panties – an outfit that should have been suggestive, but somehow, she didn’t feel s*xual in the slightest. I honestly wondered if that weird creature print had some kind of “Anti-Charm” magic on it designed to kill a man’s libido. I shook the thought out of my head and grabbed her by the shoulder, giving her a shake.
”It’s morning. Wake up,” I said.
(Mmph… five more minutes desu…)
”Don’t give me that ‘five more minutes’ crap. Get up,” I told her.
I was half-exasperated by her weird sleep-muttering and half-annoyed that she wouldn’t budge. My irritation was just starting to simmer when a voice called out.
(Good morning, Tarashi-sama.)
”It’s Tatara. Good morn – wait, Seisouchou?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
I almost let the greeting slide past, but I spun around to find Seisouchou standing there. I couldn’t help but hurl a tsukkomi³ at her. Didn’t you go home yesterday?
(I had a feeling this might happen given how difficult she is to wake up. It seems she stayed true to form,) Seisouchou remarked.
”…She’s a heavy sleeper?” I asked.
(Yes… though, to be fair, basically everyone except for Elder Sister is a nightmare in the morning,) she added.
”…I see,” I replied.
The way she said it implied Seisouchou was a disaster in the morning too, but I decided to steer clear of that particular jab. Right now, the priority was getting ‘Yohira’s other sister’ started on her chores. Seisouchou placed a hand on my (Ore no) shoulder and gently nudged me aside.
(Listen, Tarashi-sama.)
”It’s Tatara.”
(This girl won’t wake up with such a ‘gentle’ touch. Therefore…)
My correction fell on deaf ears as usual. Seisouchou raised her hand high into the air.
(You have to wake her up like this… GET YOUR ASS UP ALREADY!)
(Hyoh?!)
With a sharp command, Seisouchou’s hand whipped down, delivering a resonant smack right to ‘Yohira’s other sister’s’ backside. The sound was incredibly satisfying. ‘Yohira’s other sister’ practically levitated off the sofa with a scream. Honestly, even in that thin camisole and panties, she still lacked any sense of allure.
(Wh-wh-what was that?!)
(Get up already,) Seisouchou scolded. (It’s bad enough waking up after your Master, but when your Master is the one waking you up, you’d better snap to it immediately.)
(Wait, what?! Why is Middle Sis here?!) she stammered.
”…I don’t remember ever agreeing to be her ‘Master’ though,” I muttered.
She was so disoriented from the sudden wake-up call that Seisouchou’s words weren’t even registering. It wasn’t just that she was a heavy sleeper; her brain just seemed to stall out under pressure.
”Morning,” I said. “Once you’re dressed, shall we dive into your maid apprenticeship?”
She gave a tiny flinch at my voice and hung her head. I reached out and gave her a pat. I’d noticed yesterday that she really seemed to lean into the affection; even now, despite her surprise, she tilted her head up to meet my hand.
By the time I looked up, Seisouchou had vanished. It seems she really only stopped by to show me the proper way to wake her sister up. She must be incredibly busy, yet she made the trip… I guess she feels that much responsibility for dumping her sister on me.
”Alright, for today, I want you to work like you normally would. I need to see exactly where you tend to trip up,” I said.
(Y-yes, desu!)
Her voice was full of fire the moment I gave her a goal. She’s always been high-energy, but her fatal flaw was never being able to rein in that excitement. I summoned a Golem from my Inventory to act as a backup. I realized I hadn’t built a custom Golem for her yet; I’ll have to do that tonight. Having a dedicated support unit by her side should help smooth things over.
Leaving Ichika and Mitsuha-san to sleep in, I started on breakfast. I planned to triple the usual portions today. I was debating the main dish – soup was a given, but what else? I decided to cook a mountain of rice for plain onigiri⁴. No fillings; we’d just grab the rice balls and eat them alongside the main dish. That meant the soup would be miso, but what about the ingredients? The main dish had to be something easy to mass-produce, because if she tripped and sent everything flying, I needed enough spares so that everyone could still eat. The Hinode crew and I would be fine with just rice and miso soup, but the ‘Whirlwind’ group wouldn’t be satisfied with that.
Plus, the exploration team needs their calories or they’ll hit a wall, and Ichika needs to keep her strength up for the baby… I mean, in a worst-case scenario, I could always just use Sex Sorcery⁵ to provide her with my ‘essence’ as nutrition, but I’d rather keep things normal for now.
”Good morning, Tatara-san,” Mitsuha-san said.
Mitsuha-san’s voice came from behind me while I was lost in thought. As I turned to greet her, I saw ‘Yohira’s other sister’ lose her footing and take a total header right into Mitsuha-san. She’d tried to pull a quick turn and completely ate it.
(Myapu?!)
”O-oh my,” Mitsuha-san said.
She was buried face-first in that generous cleavage. Mitsuha-san just stood there, looking bewildered. The scene unearthed a distant memory of a similar moment from an old game. Regardless, I stepped in and fished the thrashing girl out of Mitsuha-san’s chest. Her bust is definitely smaller than Ethelena’s, but I was still impressed a head could actually get wedged in there.
”Anyway, I was thinking of having her handle the serving today,” I told Mitsuha-san.
”I-I see,” Mitsuha-san replied.
”The thing is, she’s a bit of a klutz, as you can see. There’s a high chance she’ll flip the trays before the food even hits the table.”
Mitsuha-san’s gaze drifted away. She was too polite to say anything, but I could tell she was worried. As a fellow cook, I know the pain of seeing a dish you worked hard on end up on the floor.
”So, I’m going to make a ton of plain onigiri and a main dish that’s easy to scale up,” I explained.
”I understand. And the leftovers can be used for lunch, right?” she asked.
”Exactly. Glad we’re on the same page.”
It’s a huge help having Mitsuha-san around; she catches on quick. Of course, there are two other people who handle the cooking in this house, so I’ll need to check with them too. ‘Yohira’s other sister’ stood there listening to us, looking incredibly guilty. She probably thinks she’s being a burden, but the truth is, I’m the one putting her through this because I need her to learn. If she feels bad, she should direct that energy toward making things easier for Ichika and the others later.
”Do you have any ideas for a main dish that’s easy to make in bulk?” I asked.
”In that case, I’d suggest a nimono⁶,” Mitsuha-san suggested.
True, a simmered dish would work perfectly. Maybe nikujaga, or even some simmered fish?
”Morning, I reckon-degozaru… oh, we have guests-degozaru,” Ichika said as she walked in.
(Ah, good morning desu!)
”…Ah, I forgot. It’s a one-way conversation-degozaru,” Ichika realized.
Ichika arrived and greeted us; ‘Yohira’s other sister’ responded enthusiastically, though Ichika realized (likely through lip-reading) that no sound had actually come out. Since I can hear her voice, I tend to forget, but I’m relieved they can communicate well enough.
”Morning, Ichika. Sorry for the early start, but I need your help with something,” I said.
”Master being this serious so early is a rare sight-degozaru,” Ichika noted.
”Ichika-sama, I would also like to offer my assistance,” Mitsuha-san added.
And so began the breakfast menu summit. Usually, whoever gets to the kitchen first starts cooking and the others just follow their lead, but today we needed a strategy. We had to over-prepare on the assumption that she would inevitably screw up. I considered getting a bigger rice cooker for takikomi-gohan, or maybe making a massive batch of fried rice with day-old grains so the meal would be filling even without a side, but we’ll save that for tomorrow. For now, we settled on simmered fish.
I asked Ichika to handle the tamagoyaki⁷ as usual. If those ended up on the floor, I knew I’d be in a foul mood for the rest of the day, so I quickly forged a massive rectangular pan, four times the usual size, and handed it to her.
”Truly, your crafting speed is breathtaking-degozaru,” Ichika said.
”It’s what I do best,” I replied.
Then, I portioned out the fish the Part-time Leader had brought and sprinkled salt over the fillets. I prepared a poaching liquid⁸ with thin slices of ginger, water, sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar, bringing the mixture to a rolling boil. After dabbing the moisture from the surface of the fish with a cloth, I laid them into the liquid alongside the ginger. I set the burner to low and covered the pot with a drop-lid⁹. The fish is technically done once the heat reaches the center, but I prefer to kill the flame just before that point, letting the residual heat finish the job.
While the fish simmered, I stayed busy pressing rice balls. For the record, mine are shaped into incredibly sharp triangles, while Ichika’s are a bit more rounded at the corners. Mitsuha, on the other hand, presses hers into traditional, bale-shaped¹⁰ cylinders. Our different personalities really shine through in the rice.
I had prepared three times the usual amount of food for the household, just to be safe-but I still wondered if it would be enough. Normally, it would be better to serve everything on large platters or just set the pan on the table for everyone to help themselves, but there was a high risk that Yohira’s younger sister would ruin the entire spread. Instead, I plated the portions individually and set them on a tray, delivering them one at a time to start.
”Alright, take these to the table,” I said.
”Y-yes, sir! desu” she chirped.
Full of pluck, Yohira’s sister took a confident first step.
”Whoa-!?” she cried.
”Watch out!” I yelled.
She wiped out the second she started. She tried to steady herself against a Golem, but she ended up shoving the poor thing aside and eating dirt right there on the floor. Ichika, who is likely the fastest person in the room, was busy slicing the rolled omelets and couldn’t move in time. Mitsuha didn’t stand a chance of reacting, either. Gravity did its grim work, sending the tray and the plates crashing into the floor. The ceramic shattered into a thousand pieces.
It went even worse than I had imagined.
”Uh… you okay?” I asked, looking down at Yohira’s sister.
”Ugh… hic…” she whimpered.
As she began to leak tears and a nosebleed from the impact of her spectacular failure, I tried to sound comforting. Physical pain aside, her mental state was likely in the red zone. By the way, the Golem she’d shoved was currently embedded in the wall. I wondered just how much raw power she’d put into that accidental push.
”Master, about that…” Ichika began.
”No, it was only the first try,” I interrupted. “It looked like she just lost her footing. Let’s start over and have her walk as slowly as possible.”
I helped her up and handed her another tray with plates. Since one helper wasn’t enough, I summoned an extra Golem from my Inventory¹¹ and stationed the Leader as a backup. I told her to take it slow-no rushing-and let her try again. This time, she made it to within three steps of the table before she tripped, scattering the Golems-the Golem Leader included-like bowling pins.
”…Ichika, can you tell why she’s falling?” I asked.
”I couldn’t get a close look-degozaru, but I have a hunch. You, Master?”
”I’ve got a theory,” I said.
Maybe it’s my perspective as a Crafter, or maybe I’ve just spent too much time watching high-level martial artists, but something about the way she moved felt fundamentally wrong.
”From my perspective, the issue lies in her footwork-degozaru,” Ichika noted.
”Right. And I think the issue is the legs themselves,” I added.
Ichika and I were on the same page; it was a physical issue. At first, I thought the weight of the tray was the problem, but her upper body was actually perfectly stable. Even in those two short bursts, she never lost her balance with the tray itself; she only went down while she was in motion. I’d have to take a closer look at her legs later.
”Wait there for a second,” I told her.
”Uuu… yes, sir…” she muttered.
I felt bad for her, especially since she was already crying, but I called a halt to her efforts and we carried the food ourselves. We had her wait by the table and passed her the plates one by one to set down. Since she didn’t have to move her feet, she handled the task perfectly.
”The plates go here,” I directed.
”Actually, Lady Sister, that one belongs over here-degozaru,” Ichika corrected.
”And the tea goes here,” Mitsuha added.
Starting with me, then Ichika and Mitsuha, we all jumped into “teacher mode” because we simply couldn’t bear to watch the train wreck anymore. Even if she couldn’t speak our language well, she was eager to learn and kept asking for guidance. The other two seemed happy to teach her, seeing how hard she was trying. She had been labeled a klutz, but she clearly had the drive for housework. She looked overwhelmed, but she was absorbing the instructions step by step. She might actually be a fast learner.
”Hmm. So, this is how we’ll be eating from now on?” the Part-time Leader asked.
”Well, we have a lot of mouths to feed,” I explained. “If I really get lazy, I’ll just serve everyone rice and a raw egg.”
”Now that would be the pinnacle of lazy bachelor cooking,” Yohira joked.
That was the conversation over breakfast. Both of them took massive bites out of the oversized triangles I’d made, looking perfectly content as they slurped their tofu and seaweed miso¹² soup.
”Mother-in-law, I have a quick favor,” I said.
”To me? That’s a rarity,” she replied.
”Yeah. Since you teach dance, do you think you could give her some pointers on etiquette? Specifically, how to walk?”
”Certainly. I actually hold a few certifications in that area,” she said.
Just as I suspected. My mother-in-law, who was currently munching on one of Ichika’s rice balls, gave me the answer I wanted. I did an internal fist pump.
”I’m sorry to add to your plate, but could you give her some walking lessons?” I asked.
”Wait… what?” the sister stammered.
I ignored her confusion for the moment. As my mother-in-law gave me a questioning look, I explained my analysis.
”I haven’t done a full exam yet, but I’m pretty sure her legs are slightly different lengths. It makes her unstable when she walks, which is why she keeps tripping.”
”I see,” my mother-in-law mused. “So she falls because her gait is fundamentally flawed. You’ve determined that her core strength and balance aren’t the problem?”
”Exactly. After seeing her go down twice, I figured this was the best way to fix the root cause,” I said.
It was the first step in the improvement plan Ichika and I had brainstormed. I knew you couldn’t fix a lifetime of walking incorrectly in a single day, but I believed it was never too late to start.
After breakfast and the dishes were finished, we saw everyone off for the day’s exploration. Then, the sister and I tackled the laundry. To play it safe, I only let her handle my clothes. I don’t really own anything fancy or colorful, so we could just toss everything into the magic washing machine and pour in the detergent without worrying about colors bleeding. I’ve calibrated the house supplies to match the measurements from my previous life, so I started training her to check the markings on the detergent cup against the size of the load.
Though, according to her, the Cleaning Bird¹³ back home is a laundry pro. Apparently, if you give her some homemade soap and a washboard, she can knock out an eight-kilogram load in ten minutes flat without a single shrink or stain. I don’t think even the most high-end washers from my old world were that efficient.
Anyway, ignoring the bird’s freakish skills, I focused on teaching her how to use the magic devices. If she could just master the basics of being a maid, maybe she’d stop crying over her mistakes. She deserved to feel a little proud of herself.
”Alright, last step. Press this button, and the machine starts,” I said.
”Um… Tatara, I know you’re worried about me, but…” she began.
”Yeah? What is it?”
”Lifting me up by my armpits so I can reach the buttons makes me feel like a toddler!” she complained.
”Look, if I didn’t, I was worried you’d fall into the machine and accidentally launch yourself,” I joked.
Truth be told, I was picturing her accidentally pouring in the whole bottle of detergent and drowning the room in bubbles. The only way to prevent a disaster was to support her from behind. I’d even braced myself for a stray kick if she panicked, but I managed to avoid any injury.
While the laundry ran, my mother-in-law took over the walking lessons. They started with the basics-just walking normally so she could spot the bad habits. Both of them looked deadly serious. By the time we’d walked from the laundry room back to the living room, I was actually pretty beat from catching her about fifteen times. She was focused, checking every single step. Every time she stumbled, my mother-in-law caught her and set her back on her feet. With gritted teeth and tears stinging her eyes, she kept at it, desperate to believe that she could stop falling. She’s got real grit.
After thirty minutes of training, the laundry buzzer went off. I excused ourselves and took her back to the laundry room-though my mother-in-law tagged along for some reason. She still almost tripped a few times, but the training was already working; her actual falls were down significantly. Man, this girl’s body has some insane physical adaptability… so why was she ever this clumsy?
I carried the basket up to the second floor, and we started hanging things out on the balcony. We shook them out to get the wrinkles out, slid them onto hangers, and hooked them onto the pole.
”Gah!” she shrieked.
A sound like a sharp pop went off, followed by her scream. I whipped around to see a shirt in her hands, completely shredded.
”A bit too much power there,” I said.
”I’m… I’m so sorry,” she whimpered.
”It’s fine. I figured I’d lose a few shirts today,” I replied.
Ethelena had picked that one out for me, and now it was a rag. Still, maybe Dahlia or the sister could sew it back together. Since she didn’t have many clothes of her own, maybe I’d just let her keep it after it was fixed.
”Let’s try to find the right balance of strength for the rest, okay?” I encouraged.
”Yes, sir…” she replied softly.
She looked totally dejected, so I gave her a pat on the head to cheer her up. By the end of it, seven out of ten shirts were casualties, but she seemed to be getting the hang of it. I told her we’d aim for only five rips next time, and she gave me a tearful nod.
Yeah, I bet nobody ever gave her a “good job” or a second chance after she messed up before. She walked slowly, looking at the floor and fighting back tears, while her hand gripped the hem of my shirt. She was so focused on her feet that she couldn’t even look ahead; she was basically using me as a guide dog. Well, if it keeps her from face-planting, I’m not going to stop her.
Returning to the first floor, I watched as Mother-in-law resumed her walking drills with Yohira’s sister. The girl was still stumbling, but her gait was slowly becoming more refined. I stayed back, analyzing her every move. She primarily tripped over her left foot, and I had a nagging suspicion her legs were uneven. She was likely catching her left toe because she was trying to maintain the rhythm of her shorter right leg.
”Mother-in-law, mind if I borrow her for a second?” I asked.
”Oh? Did you find something?” she replied.
She turned to me with an intense, almost piercing gaze. I got the distinct feeling I was being scolded for interrupting her lesson, but if I could fix the girl’s walk, it was worth the risk.
”I want to do a quick physical workup,” I explained. “The tripping might be a mechanical issue rather than a lack of technique.”
”I see… In that case, I’ll assist you,” Mother-in-law said.
”I’d appreciate that. I’ll need your help brainstorming a fix once I have the numbers,” I added.
Mother-in-law considered this for a moment before nodding. Yohira’s sister just stood there looking dazed, clearly failing to grasp the situation. I had her sit upright in a chair and began the measurements. Sure enough, her left leg was nearly an inch and a half longer than the right, and the foot was wider too.
It made sense why her balance was a mess, but it was bizarre for a “Poster Girl”¹⁴-a literal masterpiece of the World Laws-to have such a glaring physical defect. I suppose one could just say “she was designed that way,” but if she possessed the ‘Perfect Body’ skill, her form should have been automatically adjusted.
”Hey, kid. What’s your skill loadout look like?” I asked.
(“Phai!¹⁵ Me? I… I only have my starting kit,”) she stammered.
”Are you serious?”
The answer was worse than I thought. She had been surviving at Level 90 without a single Special Ability. Had this version of her never crossed paths with a protagonist?
”Sorry, but I’m going to run a full Appraisal. Don’t move,” I muttered.
(“Um, okay,”) she whispered.
I triggered the scan. The status readout was a disaster.
**Level:** 90/90
**HP:** 500 (900) / **Mana:** 300 (900)
**Phys. Atk:** 100 (450) / **Phys. Def:** 100 (450)
**Speed:** 100 (450) [+1] / **Luck:** 100 (100) [+40]
**Skill Slots:** [Combat Aptitude I], [Mobility Boost I], [Vocalist I], [Agility Boost I], [Dance I], [Good Luck IV], [Empty]…
It was a total waste of potential. Her stat growth was bottom-tier and ‘Good Luck’ was her only redeeming factor. Without a ‘Sublimation of Existence’¹⁶, she was a glass cannon with no cannon.
”Can you even trigger a Sublimation?” I asked.
(“Eh? No, I can’t,”) she replied quietly.
That settled it. To fix her permanently, I’d have to drag her to the 100th floor of a dungeon and kill the boss-a nightmare scenario given she was already capped out. I’d need top-tier catalysts just to nudge her stats. It was a massive headache.
Seeing me sink into thought, her face filled with anxiety. After weighing my options, I came up with a stopgap.
”Could you use your empty slots to take ‘Stealth Step’ and ‘Etiquette’?” I ordered.
(“Au,¹⁷ ‘Stealth Step’ and… ‘Etiquette’?”) the girl asked.
”Tatara-san, why on earth ‘Stealth Step’ for a waitress?” Mother-in-law questioned.
”The name is misleading,” I explained. “It’s not just for sneaking; it’s about movement optimization. It strips away redundant motion. If we kill the ‘noise’ in her gait, she stops tripping.”
”I see. Grace through efficiency,” Mother-in-law mused.
”Exactly. This is how we Crafters solve problems. We eliminate the ‘maybes’ until only the solution remains.”
I didn’t have a miracle cure for being a klutz, but I had Magic Devices. I pulled some Giant Bat membrane from my inventory and started measuring her feet again.
”Don’t move a muscle,” I commanded.
(“Phai!?”) she squeaked.
Mother-in-law held her shoulders to keep her from bolting. I wasn’t just making shoes; I was making orthotics. I shaved the leather to varying thicknesses to compensate for the three-centimeter gap. These were strictly indoor flats-the balance was too delicate for the street. I felt like I was cobbling shoes for a newborn puppy.
Thirty minutes later, the prototypes were ready. The Mana Stone coating gave them a polished, reflective sheen.
”Mother-in-law, put her through the paces with these,” I said.
”Understood. It’ll take time for her to find her center…”
”I’m not expecting a miracle overnight,” I replied.
Training resumed. It wasn’t as if she magically stopped falling over-far from it. But the number of stumbles seemed to be decreasing, if only slightly. I felt a flicker of hope that she might manage the dinner service a little better than lunch. It was probably just wishful thinking, but I wanted to believe in her effort.
* * *
By dinner, she had shattered eighteen plates in total and was currently bawling her eyes out in the corner. After I finally managed to calm her down and tuck her in, I went back to the forge.
I needed unbreakable dishes. I spent the night forging Mithril plates, reinforced with defensive enchantments disguised as engravings. If she dropped these, they’d probably crack the floor before they chipped.
But as I worked, my ‘Swallow’s Reversal’¹⁸ skill kept misfiring, pulling my hammer off-target. If I couldn’t control the recoil, I was going to ruin the batch. To honor the hammer my Master gave me, I had to master this. I spent hours pounding ingots, fighting the skill’s natural drift.
I tried a dual-cast, triggering ‘Crafting’ and ‘Swallow’s Reversal’ at once. It was a slog-like walking through chest-deep water-but the corrections held. The blades were coming out at a consistent +7 quality. The Merchant Guild would probably complain about me flooding the market with “God-tier” kitchenware, but I didn’t care.
I was so deep in the zone I didn’t hear her come in. A pair of soft hands began kneading my shoulders.
”…’Archangel’?”
I recognized the touch from before. But before I could even turn, exhaustion hit me like a freight train. My eyelids were lead. I needed to get the dishes to the kitchen, but the world was fading to black. Just before I went under, I felt something soft brush against my forehead.
===
Author:
**[Item: Yohira’s Other Sister’s Shoes]**
Shoes crafted by the master smith Tatara Julon. Primarily constructed from Giant Bat flight membrane. They possess no magical enchantments or stat boosts; they are simply a pair of shoes perfectly tailored to her unique proportions. For a girl who was looked down upon even by her own kin and had never known the kindness of a gift, they were her first true treasure. Though the day eventually came when she no longer needed them, she could never bring herself to part with them. She continues to maintain them with the utmost care-lost in the memory of the one who vanished, her heart drifting back to the echoes of a first love.
—
Summary:
Tatara begins the ‘Maid Apprenticeship’ for Yohira’s younger sister in a household already crowded with women. After a chaotic morning wake-up call involving Seisouchou, the group gathers in the kitchen to plan a ‘fail-proof’ breakfast. The focus is on mass-producing food to account for the new maid’s inevitable clumsiness.
Tatara attempts to train Yohira’s clumsy younger sister in basic maid duties. He discovers that her frequent falling is likely due to uneven leg lengths rather than simple lack of care. With the help of his Mother-in-law, a dance expert, they begin corrective walking training while managing household laundry.
Tatara discovers that Yohira’s sister’s clumsiness is due to a physical leg length discrepancy and a lack of proper skills despite her high level. He crafts custom orthotic shoes and Mithril dishes to assist her while mastering the ‘Swallow’s Reversal’ skill for higher precision crafting. The chapter ends with a mysterious visit from ‘Archangel’ while Tatara collapses from overwork.
—
Trivia:
- Tatara built a new sofa out of Mithril and Orc materials because the original was a family memento.
- The ‘Poster Girl’ (younger sister) is mute to everyone except Tatara, requiring others to lip-read.
- Seisouchou refers to Tatara as ‘Tarashi-sama’ (Lord Playboy), hinting at her perception of his harem.
- Tatara mentions ‘Sex Sorcery’ as a biological backup for Ichika’s pregnancy nutrition.
- The protagonist is forging kitchenware (a giant frying pan) on the fly to mitigate disaster.
- The sister has a nosebleed after her first fall.
- Tatara lifts the sister by her armpits to help her reach laundry buttons.
- The Cleaning Bird (Seisouchou) mentioned is significantly more efficient than modern washing machines.
- The sister shredded 7 out of 10 shirts due to excessive strength.
- She is using Tatara’s shirt hem as a guide because she is too focused on her feet to look up.
- The girl is Level 90 but has Level 1 stats and no Special Abilities.
- Tatara is using Giant Bat flight membrane for the shoes, which is lightweight and flexible.
- The Mithril plates are engraved with defensive spells to prevent warping.
- The future-set item description reveals the girl keeps the shoes as a memento of her first love (Tatara).
- Sublimation of Existence requires clearing the 100th floor of a dungeon
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Character Insight:
Tatara shows a mix of pragmatic detachment and soft-heartedness; he’s willing to forge legendary-tier equipment just to save a breakfast. Yohira’s sister is desperate for approval, evidenced by her reaction to head-pats, despite her physical incompetence.
Tatara shows his ‘Master’ and ‘Crafter’ qualities by analyzing a physical ailment (leg length) instead of scolding. The sister shows immense ‘grit’ and a desire to be useful, despite her repeated failures and emotional fragility.
Tatara shows his ‘Crafter’ identity by solving social/physical problems with technical engineering. The sister shows deep emotional vulnerability, crying ‘real tears’ (gachi-naki) after her failure at the restaurant.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘breast-dive’ scene is a meta-reference to common visual novel (VN) CG tropes, which the protagonist remembers from his ‘previous life’/game knowledge.
The ‘Poster Girl’ (看板娘) body type implies high physical stats, which ironically causes the laundry to rip when she doesn’t know her own strength.
The ‘Poster Girl’ trope often refers to static characters in RPGs, but here it is treated as a literal biological category with World Law implications.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Yohira – Torakuma’s first name. Oni warrior.
• Seisouchou – The Middle Big Sister of the Angel race, known as the Purifier. She is a Poster Girl and Head Maid-General. She wears wings and a halo. She loves cleaning.
• Mitsuha – Second daughter of the Torakuma family (Yohira’s sister). She is quiet, awkward, surprisingly deadpan, and possesses a gentle, nurturing side (shown with Cornremu). Hair so long it trailed across the floor like Tomie Kawakami (Junji Ito), face half-hidden by hair, single dark horn (above brow), loose violet robes.
• Ichika – The fox girl. Kunoichi. Virgincest⚠️, becomes pregnant immediately.
• Dahlia – The automaton.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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