Hiro needed to assign tasks to both of them. He couldn't possibly allow anyone to laze around in his realm—except for himself, of course…
He decided to start with Tara, who was nervously watching her father disappear into the woods.
She appeared to be around 19 or 20 years old. Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail that reached her waist. Soft red lips, a small, pinchable nose, and determined black eyes framed her face—a captivating mix of cuteness and beauty.
"What instructions do you have for me, My Lord?" she asked earnestly, noticing his gaze.
"It's great to see you so motivated, Tara. You're a Warrior, right? Level 6?"
Warrior referred to her class. Its rarity was 'Common,' which meant Tara only received 1 free stat point per level, compared to Hiro's 7.
"Yes, that's correct. How do you know this information?" she asked with innocent curiosity. "Do you have an appraisal-type skill, perhaps?"
It wasn't that hard to guess.
"Something like that. Anyway, let's discuss your role, shall we?"
Tara nodded enthusiastically and let out an affirmative, "Mmm!"
Furina glanced at her daughter with a hint of concern. Wasn't she being a little too casual with the Baron?
"Since your father has the Builder class, a non-combat class, he'll be the dedicated builder of the settlement for the foreseeable future. You, on the other hand, have a combat class, but your level is a bit low…"
Tara's face fell briefly at his words, but she quickly recovered.
"I can level up by killing the monsters out there!" she declared fearlessly.
"There's no way I'm letting you wander around looking for monsters in such dangerous territory, young lady!" Furina was the first to respond.
Tara stared back at her mother with a defiant gaze. "Mom, I'm not going to stand around after finally getting a Combat Class. Even if the Area Level here is high, there have to be lower-level monsters out there, which I can hunt to level up first."
"And what will you do if a high-level monster decides to make you its meal before you're strong enough?" her mother shot back immediately.
Tara shrank slightly under the weight of that perfectly valid question, but it didn't seem like she was ready to abandon the idea.
Hiro clapped his hands and said, "That's enough. Unfortunately, your mother is right, Tara. Going out alone in mysterious and unfamiliar territory like this is a terrible idea."
"But-"
"Calm down. I'm not saying you'll never get to fight; you'll just have to wait until the right time."
Hiro had plans of his own, ones he wasn't ready to share with them just yet.
Tara begrudgingly accepted Hiro's words. "But what will I do until then?"
"I do have another job I'd like to offer you," Hiro said.
"What is it?"
"I don't have a maid to take care of my needs right now. I think you'd be quite suitable for the job if you're interested. The starting salary is 30 silver per month."
To people like Tara and Furina, 30 silver was a significant amount. Most of the transactions they were accustomed to were conducted in bronze.
"No way! I refuse," Tara said, feeling as though Hiro was mocking her desire to become a fighter.
"Why not? Just because you'll be my maid doesn't mean you have to stop hunting monsters, you know."
In fact, Hiro could offer her opportunities she wouldn't otherwise have.
"Oh!? I can still fight?" she asked, realization dawning on her. Hiro simply nodded.
Tara sank into deep thought. Furina wanted to say something but held back, letting her daughter make her own decision.
Finally, with her head hung low and her face flushed with embarrassment, she asked Hiro with upturned eyes, "Do your 'needs' include se-sex as well?"
The latter part of her sentence was spoken in a particularly soft voice. She had heard rumors of masters often coercing their maids into serving them in the bedroom.
Furina, too, felt embarrassed that her daughter had asked such a question so openly.
Hiro, on the other hand, didn't even blink. "Of course," he said matter-of-factly.
Both mother and daughter were shocked by his straightforward, no-hesitation admission.
Tara's first instinct was to flat-out refuse the offer. After all, in her innocent mind, sex was something shared only with someone you loved—a notion which was entirely foreign to Hiro.
But then again, 30 silver wasn't a trivial amount. So, she decided to negotiate.
"Can you remove that part of the agreement? I'll be your maid, but we won't have… se-sex?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Hiro said flatly.
In fact, sex was his only true need, making its removal absolutely impossible. The Hiro who had transmigrated from modern times had no idea what tasks maids of nobility typically performed.
'I guess she'd be like a personal assistant or something?' he thought offhandedly.
After hearing his firm refusal, Tara hesitated again, though not for long this time.
"Then, I'll have to refuse. I want to save my first time for someone I love," she said.
Hearing those words, an inexplicable smile crept onto Hiro's face. Old memories surfaced momentarily before he pushed them back into the recesses of his mind.
"I see… It's a shame because I think you're very beautiful. But I'll respect your wishes," Hiro said.
But would he, really?
Tara found his response unexpected. Nobles were typically persistent and rarely accepted refusals so easily. So Hiro's words came as a pleasant surprise.
The way he nonchalantly called her beautiful—his flattery flowed so smoothly it caught her off guard. Many had tried to hit on her before, but she found Hiro's straightforward yet respectful approach undeniably attractive. She blushed lightly.
Furina clearly noticed this. For various reasons, she too had a favorable impression of Hiro.
"My Lord, would it be alright if my daughter took some more time to consider your offer?"
Hiro merely smiled and glanced at Tara. She was glaring at her mother like a schoolgirl embarrassed by her parent in front of friends. "Mom! Why would you say that?" Tara exclaimed.
Furina gave her daughter a serious look. "I'm not forcing you to accept the offer. I just think you should give it more thought, that's all."
Tara's angry expression shifted into a frown, followed by confusion.
Hiro interjected, "If Tara changes her mind, she can let me know anytime."
Although her expression showed some conflict, Tara chose to remain silent. After a brief pause, Hiro continued speaking.
"We've digressed long enough. Since you've refused to be my maid, we'll need to find a more ordinary job for you. For now, scout the surroundings. Remember, don't venture too far. If you can locate the water source we can hear from here, that would be ideal."
Shelter wasn't their only necessity. Food and water were equally important. Although he could buy supplies from the stone tablet's shop, the items were deliberately overpriced, making it an unsustainable solution.
Tara nodded at Hiro. Recognizing the responsibility placed on her, she headed off in a direction slightly different from Bob.
With that, only Furina and Hiro remained.
Hiro's [Citizen Appraisal] revealed more than just a person's Class, Stats, and Name. It was, after all, a version tailored for the Ruler of Lust.
A few details stood out from the results of appraising Furina.
For example, she had no Class—not even a Profession Class like Bob. The field simply displayed 'None,' just as it had for Hiro before becoming the Ruler of Lust.
Another notable detail was the label: "Sexually Frustrated."