Avoid Yandere Constellation

Ch 13 - Harvest (2)

"......"

"......"

A silence fell over us. It was as if time itself had stopped, with the three of us frozen in place. Meanwhile, Kage's tail made a subtle swishing motion.

After three long seconds, the quiet was shattered.

Gurgle~

The source of the noise was Kage's stomach.

"Gasp!"

Liche seemed to snap back to reality, gasping for air. Just as she was about to speak, her face hardening,

"That's right, Liche. Why did you open the door without asking?"

"Ah... I sensed something strange inside the room. I'm sorry, master."

Liche apologized, bowing her head.

Damn. A pang of guilt washed over me.

But that doesn't mean I'm to blame, right?

Of course, Liche isn't likely to threaten me like a yandere, but I can't help but feel a sense of dread. In situations like these, it's always better to act first.

"That's right. The intruder you sensed is probably this fellow I brought."

"Yes. It seems so, young master."

Liche turned her gaze towards Kage, observing his tail and ears.

But Kage, showing no interest in Liche, was busily gobbling down the food in front of him.

Hey! Damn. Save some for me, you jerk!!

She ate so quickly that, in the short time I was speaking with Liche, half of the food on the table was already gone.

-Thud!

"Are you going to keep eating while your master is talking?"

"Eek! Master, you were eating just like this a while ago."

She rubbed her forehead where I had just slapped her.

"That was before Liche arrived. Now, introduce yourself first."

"Okay. I understand. I am Kage, the princess of the dog-human tribe."

The little girl's confidence seemed to reach the heavens.

Upon hearing her introduction, Liche held her skirt, took a step back, and bowed.

"Yes. I am Liche, the personal maid of the young master."

"Yeah. The master told me about you. I look forward to working with you."

Kage extended her hand to Liche with a confidence that didn't falter.

-Thud!

Struck by my hand again, Kage let out a single tear and a cry.

"Ah! Master, why do you keep hitting me?!"

"Hey. Why are you acting so high-and-mighty towards Liche, your senior?"

"What, what?!"

She stared at me, confusion in her eyes.

Why is she reacting like this? Does she not understand?

"Hey. Who's your master?"

"Of course, it's you, Master."

Kage pointed at me as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Now, Liche, who is your master?"

"It's you, Master."

"See? Since Liche joined me before you did, it's only natural, isn't it?"

At my question, Kage's ears, already red from her fur, reddened even further.

"Eek!! But I'm the princess of the dog-human tribe!!"

"Yeah~ In my group, there's no such thing. Whoever joins first is the senior. So fall in line."

[The Goddess of Fate says it's childish to deal with a child like this.]

Sure, the deity might say I'm acting childish. But what can I do? This is how you think after you've been in the South Korean military.

The winner in the military is always the one who joined first.

"So, with that said, Liche, let's eat first and then we'll talk. And don't spread around Kage's identity."

"Yes, I understand. Then, I will step out for a bit. Enjoy your meal, please."

With that, Liche bowed and exited. Of course, before she left, she looked at Kage's ears and tail with curiosity, but it's probably best to pretend I didn't notice.

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Raei  Translations

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Once she had finished eating, Kage patted her belly, her face filled with contentment.

"Whew... I could die now with no regrets, Master."

"You talk like you've just had some extraordinary meal."

-Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Come in."

Upon hearing me, she cautiously opened the door and stepped in.

"Master, what are these?"

Liche tilted her head, looking at the three potions and one gold seed I had brought out from the Aether-space ring.

"My first money-making scheme."

"Excuse me?"

Liche blinked, looking clueless at my statement. Not just her, but Kage too, had a puzzled look and asked,

"Master, how are you planning to make money with these?"

"Well, I'll explain that tomorrow. Before that, and unrelated to this, Liche, what do you think of Kage?"

"Are you asking about her suitability as a maid? Or... her combat abilities?"

Naturally.

"The latter."

After briefly examining Kage, Liche spoke calmly,

"I'd need to observe more to be certain, but honestly, I think she has a lot of potential."

As expected of an assassin turned maid, she has a keen eye. I know about Kage's abilities, but Liche spotted her potential with just a quick glance.

What did she see that led her to that conclusion?

For an average Joe like me, it's quite remarkable.

Kage stared at me, her eyes shining as if she had made up her mind.

"Judging by your look, it seems you're ready. What do you think, Liche? Can you train her?"

"...However, without knowing her exact abilities, it might take some time at first."

Ah, that makes sense.

No matter how skilled an assassin Liche is, it's understandable that without knowing Kage's exact abilities, training her could be difficult at first.

But.

That's only if she doesn't know.

"Don't worry, I know her abilities. Teach her stealth and combat skills."

The combination of abilities may seem a little strange, but apart from stealth, Kage's combat skills are nothing short of extraordinary within the game world.

She's such a prodigy that she becomes one of the strongest characters in the world with her basic combat skills alone. A true talent.

Is it because she's the daughter of the elder of the dog-human tribe? It seems that lineage matters everywhere.

Ah, probably not. Cain, that kid, unlike Thomas, is hopeless.

[The Goddess of Fate marvels at your informational prowess!]

Both of them stared at me, their faces asking, 'How on earth could you possibly know that?'

What's that?! You don't believe me?!

Well, I suppose if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't believe it either, but there's no need to look at me with such disbelief.

"......How on earth do you know that?"

"That's a trade secret. So, Liche, can you do it?"

"Yes. Even if the talents you mentioned aren't there, I'll forcibly bring them out."

At Liche's ominous smile, Kage, who had been watching, shuddered, her face turning pale.

That's fine. It's not me who's going to suffer.

"Let's end this discussion here. Let's get back to the main topic. Liche, how are the fields I manage doing?"

"Um, well, about that......"

Liche, seemingly uncomfortable, avoided my gaze, instead looking at a distant mountain.

Seeing her reaction, I could tell.

Well, anyone could have predicted it, regardless of her reaction.

Would a man who spends all his time drinking excessively and squandering money manage his fields and lands properly? It's pretty clear he probably didn't bother with them at all.

"I see. Your reaction says it all. Then, what about the other brothers' lands?"

"Yes...... The others are not in harvest season yet, so I believe they're still growing."

Okay. Then, I can definitely make money.

"In that case, Liche, let's meet separately at the field I manage. Bring Philip with you. Ah! And inform Philip about Kage."

"Yes. I understand. I'll go to the field with Philip right away."

Liche quickly left the room at my command, off to summon Philip.

Well, as long as it wasn't an order from Thomas, Philip usually obeyed me. He won't recklessly spread the news.

"Let's move then. Just for reference, you'll transform into a puppy."

"Okay. Master."

And so, the two of us, carrying a bag of seeds and a bottle of potion, headed towards the field.

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Raei  Translations

---

From the side, Kage, concealing her tail and ears, looked at the field before her. Her eyes wide open in disbelief.

"Wow...... Master. It's just... completely barren."

"Hmm..."

It feels strange to have the reality of the situation pointed out by a child.

Of course, it's not like I was managing it, but still...

Wait, this isn't my fault, is it? Why should I feel responsible!!

Around the time I was feeling unjustly blamed, the Yandere Goddess sent a message.

[The Goddess of Fate says she wants to applaud at the sight of the empty field.]

I'd like to give her a punch, but that's a realm I can't reach.

And, frankly, the fact that Cain's field is barren is also true.

On the other hand...

"The fields of the other brothers are incredibly lush, unlike yours, Master!!"

"......"

She hit me twice in a row with reality. It's not easy to hurt someone with a heart as vast as the ocean.

Therefore, it's not a crime to hit back.

-Thud!

"Ahh!! Why did you hit me, Master!!"

"Quiet!! Who told you to hurt people with the truth."

Kage, who had been punished by me for justice's sake, rubbed the bump on her forehead.

"Ugh! But Master, how exactly are you planning to make money right now with these seeds? It seems too late to plant them now, doesn't it?"

Not just her, but the eyes of the other two also turned to me.

"As I said earlier, I'll explain it tomorrow. Now, let's plant all the seeds."

""Understood, Master.""

"Okay, Master."

Upon hearing my command, the three of them nodded and took a quarter of the seeds from the bag.

Each of them dug up some ground and planted each seed one by one.

Then, I guess it's my turn to try.

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Raei  Translations

---

Is this really something a noble's child should be doing? Cain, why am I cleaning up the mess this fool has made?

[The Goddess of Fate says she can hear your heart from just looking at your expression.]

I'm not sure what my expression is like now, but honestly, it's obvious even without looking.

I mean, let's be real. It would be strange if I wasn't frustrated about the current situation. As if dealing with Cain's nonsense and getting hit twice wasn't enough, now I'm being forced into manual labor.

What's more, bending over to plant seeds is making my back feel like it's going to break.

This feels entirely like being a slave.

So, thirty minutes have passed.

"Ugh! Finally, it's over. My back is killing me."

"......Master is really weak."

"Keep it down, kid."

"Eek!!"

Hearing the truth, Kage puffed up her cheeks like a balloon.

Now, let's get the potion out.

The three of them looked puzzled at my action.

""Master?""

"Master?"

Ignoring their reactions, I opened the lid of the potion. I dropped exactly one drop into my field.

"Master, is that all?"

"Yep. That's it."

"·····Do you make money with what you just did?"

"Yes."

Hearing my answer, Kage nodded her head with a pitiful look on her face.

"Master... It's difficult for me to say this, but really... it is."

"Master... No, it's okay. Even if you've lost your mind, I'm always on your side."

"······."

What's this? Why are they being so vague? And who said I've lost my mind? Philip, why aren't you saying anything?

[The Goddess of Fate begins to question your mental state.]

Not only the three of them, but even the Yandere Goddess acts as though they pity me.

"Alright. Let's see if you all have the same reaction tomorrow after looking at this field."

With that, the three of them and the Yandere Goddess continued to look at me with sympathy-filled eyes until the end of the day.

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Raei  Translations

---

The next day.

"This is... impossible."

[It's impossible!!]

"Yes. It's possible."

Seeing Cain's field, which was much more lush than the fields of the other brothers, the three of them and the Yandere Goddess gaped in astonishment.