Chapter 297: Unique Personalities
“The contract will be in a separate room. If Soleil collapses, Kiel will be a nuisance,” Auro said, opening the door that led to a small room.
This room was prepared for organizing documents and materials for meetings, adjacent to the conference room. On the table lay the contract documents, and Auro handed me the first sheet.
Attached to the contract was a paper that resembled a character introduction. Normally, it would be a letter of introduction for influential figures, but I had never seen such a thing among job seekers on this island.
Soleil was being calmed down by Faramia. “If we resume the discussion about work, it will come to the surface,” she said, but is Soleil relieving stress through work? Isn’t it usually the other way around?
“Excuse me,” came a voice after a knock, and an elderly man entered.
The character introduction document contained his name, which type of Changeling he was, and his specialties or occupation, along with a brief note.
“I am Fada. I would like to obtain permission to relocate to this island as a doctor.” Fada was on the human side. The note read, “Refused to treat royalty in Shulm and was exiled.”
Hey, stop attaching bombshell notes! Kiel must have written this!?
“Is it alright for me to contract with you? From the documents, it seems you are not the type to curry favor with authorities,” I said.
“If I can obtain permission to reside in this castle, I will ensure the lord remains free from illness with monthly check-ups,” Fada replied, bowing his head in submission. He seemed somewhat desperate?
“Why come to our island?” Are you escaping from pursuers, or is it because the food has flavor…?
“If you are worried about pursuers, there is no need. To be honest, I am extremely germophobic and cannot endure any town, people, or environment… After my exile, I secluded myself in the forest, but even there, I couldn’t stand the bugs or the need for a change of clothes…” Fada confessed, his gaze downcast. He has long eyelashes for an old man.
However, I completely understood his feelings. If he was being asked to treat royalty, he must have some skill, probably. Otherwise, he would have been rejected by Auro and the others.
“I don’t need your medical services. However, if there are other doctors wishing to open a practice or sell medicine, I will ask Pamela, the pharmacist, to review them. I’ve heard there are those who sell temporary relief medications that merely mask symptoms. The sale of medicine and the practice of medicine are regulated here,” I explained. I had heard from Pamela that some drugs are close to narcotics, making people high and dulling their pain, creating the illusion of recovery while overcharging.
There are no medical licenses or pharmacist certifications, and reputation is everything, but those with a bad reputation often have a good one. If such things hit the market, it would be a problem. I can’t have the town turning into an opium den without me knowing.
With no issues, the contract was established. Even for a Changeling, the gods would not appear unless they were on the Spirit side and not a retainer, so it was peaceful.
Next was the baker, or rather, a couple. The husband was a Changeling on the Spirit side, while the wife was an ordinary human. The note read, “The baker’s daughter is eloping because her marriage to a tasteless man was opposed.” Seriously, is our island only attracting problematic individuals!?
The husband had a remarkably gruff demeanor, but it seemed he was under his wife’s thumb. How did he manage to woo her and reach the point of eloping…? Changeling often have good looks, but this guy was intimidating. He looked like a character drawn to be tough.
I was used to Ash, but is this really okay for a sales business? Well, will his wife handle the customer service? But can someone who can’t taste their own bread really be okay? Making large quantities of bread without machines is hard labor, so maybe it is possible?
Questions arose, but I accepted them as well. A regular bakery wouldn’t attract pursuers, and the town’s bakery was already operational and reputedly good. I should check later to see who is baking.
Next was the innkeeper. A muscular man with a beard tied back, he looked just as intimidating as the baker. He seemed to be a match for the baker. He was on the Spirit side, and the note read, “Flower Spirit.” …I won’t comment on that! I won’t!
His motivation for applying was the taste of food. Apparently, only Flower Nectar has flavor, but he claimed to dislike sweets. I won’t comment on that!
The innkeeper signed the contract without incident. He seemed to be from a lineage of spirits unrelated to the gods who were protecting me. The gods are powerful, and there should be many retainers within the area shown on the map I received, but not all of them.
Although he wouldn’t be directly serving me as the innkeeper, he was treated like one of Auro’s subordinates, a “grass person.” Grass people blend in with the common folk while spreading propaganda, conducting espionage, sabotage, and assassination—something akin to spies.
He hoped for a meager salary. As a token of our acquaintance, I handed him a bag of freshly made fried rice cakes. With his tough appearance and role, it felt oddly out of place to see him so moved by fried rice cakes.
Next, I was handed documents by the goldsmith, Austaniss. He was on the Spirit side, and true to his nature, he had a handsome yet suspicious appearance, giving off the impression that he had ulterior motives. Thank goodness he looked like a typical Changeling.
Ignoring the scheming vibe, I proceeded with the contract. The oath document created by the butler was designed to prevent the spirit from causing harm to the contractor. The resulting contract was even more intricate. It had a rare wording that imposed stricter conditions on spirits than on humans.
“Are you a retainer of Haralfa?” I asked.
Well, all that was blown away when Haralfa appeared and vanished.
“N-no way…!” Austaniss exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.
“Nice to meet you, Austaniss,” I said, deciding to contract without waiting for a moment of clarity like I did with Auro and Kiel.
Forgive me for treating my employees with such carelessness…! It’s just that only weirdos keep showing up…!