Wataru's home was a rented apartment. It was a 2DK, relatively spacious for a single person, and due to its distance from the station and its age, the rent was quite affordable. He had lived in a 1K apartment before, but after realizing how difficult it was to cook for himself in such a small space, he decided to rent a slightly larger place. Having room to breathe gave him peace of mind.
The apartment complex housed a mix of single people and couples, but it was mostly occupied by individuals living alone. Wataru liked the sense of distance this arrangement provided—it meant fewer nosy neighbors, which was particularly convenient now that he was bringing two new people into his home.
After all, it would be a disaster if anyone found out how they had come into his possession. Saying something like, "These are my slaves," would be unthinkable in modern Japan.
What kind of crime would slave ownership fall under? Would they be considered illegal immigrants? The very thought was enough to make Wataru anxious.
The communal mailbox was kept tidy by the management company, and there were no stray flyers cluttering it. Wataru led the way up the stairs to the third floor.
"It's so bright here…" Marielle remarked, looking around in awe.
"The stars are nowhere to be seen," Air added, her voice tinged with surprise.
The landscape was completely different from the city they were used to, and it was clear the new environment was both fascinating and bewildering to them. Wataru pushed open the door to his apartment.
"Please take off your shoes. No shoes are allowed inside," Wataru instructed.
"Oh, I understand. We've been bought by someone extraordinary, haven't we, Air?" Marielle said with a mix of curiosity and respect.
"Hehe, I don't mind! It's better to have a great master!" Air replied cheerfully.
The sound of a young girl's voice echoing in his apartment felt strange to Wataru. He hadn't had much interaction with women outside of work since becoming an adult, so this was a refreshing change.
And now, he would be living with these two women. If he wanted, he could even share a bed with them. Maybe it was time to consider moving to a larger place.
But then again, Wataru wasn't exactly swimming in savings. Buying two slaves had been a considerable expense, and maintaining them might prove to be even more costly. Perhaps it would have been wiser to invest in gold or jewels first, and then sell those for cash here.
But if he had done that, someone else might have bought Marielle and Air. Wataru's thoughts were in disarray as he led the way down the corridor and into his apartment.
"It's a bit messy, but try not to touch anything you're unfamiliar with," he advised.
"There's magic for lighting and even for cooling! Master, are you an alchemist from another world?" Marielle asked, her eyes wide with amazement.
"My master is incredible! In my village, the only magic users were an old fortune-teller and a herbalist. We didn't have any real wizards," Air added, clearly impressed.
"It's not like that…" Wataru tried to explain.
As he turned on the air conditioning to lower the temperature, Marielle gasped in astonishment. Wataru wondered if he would have had a similar reaction if he had suddenly been transported to a futuristic city.
Probably not to this extent, he thought, but then again, Wataru was familiar with fantasy through light novels, manga, and anime. If Marielle and Air had never encountered anything like that in their world, their surprise was understandable.
"Sorry, but I don't have a guest bed. I'll get one as soon as I can, but for tonight, you'll have to sleep on this sofa," Wataru said apologetically.
"Thank you. It's much better than sleeping on the floor," Marielle replied gratefully.
"This is amazing, Marielle! It's so soft! So soft!" Air exclaimed, pressing down on the sofa's cushions with childish glee.
"Air, don't be rude," Marielle scolded.
"Haha, it's fine," Wataru said, smiling at Air's innocent enthusiasm.
Air's playful exploration of the sofa cushions made her seem like a child, but her mature figure was anything but childish. Wataru's eyes were inadvertently drawn to her bouncing chest as she leaned forward, creating a deep, inviting cleavage.
Air was a beastkin, and her physical prowess was evident. Her body was more voluptuous than any human's, with a chest that seemed to defy gravity. Even CGI with advanced physics simulations wouldn't do it justice.
Any man would be captivated. Wataru told himself it wasn't improper to stare—he was only human, after all.
Noticing Marielle watching him closely, Wataru quickly averted his gaze. He decided to explain the things they would need to know first, starting with the household appliances and basic facilities like the kitchen and bathroom.
"Oh, Marielle, can you cook?" Wataru asked.
"I can prepare basic meals, but I'm no professional, so please don't expect gourmet flavors," Marielle replied modestly.
"That's fine. I'll need your help with household chores, but I know the tools here are different, so I'll show you how to use them."
"Thank you for taking the time. Air, you should pay attention too."
"Got it! I can cook too, so leave it to me," Air said with enthusiasm.
It seemed like there wouldn't be any problems. Cooking for himself was time-consuming and often led to shortcuts like instant meals. Having them handle the cooking would be a great help.
Now, where should I buy groceries? Wataru wondered. Should he shop here or in their world? If it was cheaper there, it might be worth it. He made a mental note to check out the markets in their world.
Wataru then gave a brief overview of the household appliances, explaining the gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, oven, washing machine, and vacuum cleaner. Marielle and Air listened attentively, their eyes wide with wonder.
"And that's about it," Wataru concluded.
"...Wow…" Marielle sighed, clearly overwhelmed.
"This is amazing! Truly amazing!" Air exclaimed, her enthusiasm undiminished.
"Is something wrong?" Wataru asked, noticing Marielle's lingering astonishment.
"No… It's just that your life is so convenient, Master. I'm at a loss for words at how amazing it is," Marielle admitted.
"I'm not the one who's amazing… Well, you'll understand more as time goes on. I can't use magic, so I'm curious about your world's ways too," Wataru replied.
"Even the king couldn't live with such conveniences, I think," Marielle mused.
"Well, a king wouldn't cook his own meals or handle household chores, so maybe it's not a fair comparison," Wataru said, trying to downplay her admiration.
Marielle thought for a moment and then nodded. Good tools and efficient workers both served to reduce personal labor—at the end of the day, it was all about managing costs and returns.
"There's a lot to learn…" Marielle murmured.
"Take your time. I plan to live in your world and shop there too, so we'll learn as we go," Wataru reassured them.
"I'm very curious about this city… I mean, about this place!" Air corrected herself quickly.
"If you find it hard to speak, just talk in a way that's comfortable for you. You'll pick up the language as we go, and I won't get mad or upset. Marielle, I hope you can help Air with that," Wataru said.
"Leave it to me. I'll make sure she's well-educated," Marielle responded with a serious tone.
"Ah! Marielle's scary!" Air teased, prompting Wataru to chuckle.
After explaining the basic functions of the appliances, Wataru decided to make tea as a first practice. Since he hadn't prepared ingredients for three people, he quickly placed an order for delivery.
He was curious to see how they would react to the food from his world.
As they waited for the food to arrive, Wataru decided to share something that had been on his mind since he purchased them.
"Alright, I'd like to talk about why I bought you two as slaves and what my goals are. When I was purchasing you, I mentioned to Maso that I needed Air for protection and Marielle for household management. Of course, I won't deny that your beauty was a factor too—I am a man, after all," Wataru admitted with a chuckle.
Marielle and Air nodded, acknowledging his words. But Wataru wasn't finished—there was more to say.
He took a sip of water to moisten his throat before continuing.
"But that's not all. I also want to learn about your world."
"We're not scholars, so I'm not sure how much help we can be," Marielle said, sounding uncertain.
"I understand that. I won't get mad if you don't know something. But, as you've seen, there are many differences between our worlds. What's ordinary for you might be extraordinary for me, and vice versa. If you notice something like that, I want you to tell me."
"Understood," Marielle said.
"Got it," Air echoed.
"I want to sell things from my world in your world, and if there's something better in your world, I'd like to bring it here. By sharing the best of both worlds, I hope to make life a little better for everyone."
"So, Master, you're a merchant who travels between worlds?" Marielle asked, clearly impressed.
"It's not that grand… but I guess you could say that. For now, let's focus on getting used to living together. If you notice anything useful or interesting, let me know when you can."
Wataru wanted to learn more about their world and, more importantly, get to know Marielle and Air better.
Marielle, with her refined beauty, and Air, who was both beautiful and adorable, captivated Wataru. He found himself staring at their perfectly sculpted faces, almost lost in admiration.
These two were now his. He didn't know what twists of fate had brought him to this point, but Wataru couldn't help but feel grateful that he had been able to cross into another world.