“There will be much to prepare.”

Aspeiran raised his long, straight fingers and drew a small magic circle in the air.

“A room must be arranged for you to stay in, and new clothes need to be tailored.”

“Tailor clothes?”

“None of the clothes prepared in the castle will fit you. You can’t keep wearing children’s clothes like you are now.”

I lowered my head to look at the blue dress I was wearing.

I had thought the delicate floral embroidery was quite adorable, but it turns out it was children’s clothing.

‘I knew that in , Asne’s country… that is, the Roakin Kingdom had a very tall average height, but.’

I never expected to face a situation like ‘I’m of average height in South Korea, but in this other world, I’m a super ultra tiny person?!’

Seeing my dejected face, Aspeiran spoke in a tone of utmost seriousness.

“If you go around dragging oversized clothes that don’t fit your body—”

‘Huh?’

I lifted my head abruptly. Perhaps he was going to say, what if I trip and get hurt?

Oh my, is our As worrying about me right now?

However, the elation didn’t last long.

“They’ll become worn and dirty, and there won’t be any clothes left.”

The sparkle in my eyes quickly faded.

Regardless of my reaction, Aspeiran continued speaking without paying any attention.

“Actually, Rumel’s cloak that you wore and rolled around in looks beyond salvaging.”

“Hup.”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words. Come to think of it, that cloak I wore for the walk was borrowed from Rumel.

The things I did while wearing that borrowed cloak flashed through my mind like a panorama.

Jumping around without realizing the long cloak was dragging on the ground, playing with dogs, rolling around on the floor…

Hmm. It must have become like a rag.

‘Damn it, damn it!’

I’ll have to kneel and apologize first, then buy him a nice one later when I get my salary.

While I was lost in self-reflection, Aspeiran finished the magic circle he had momentarily neglected while conversing with me.

“It’s me.”

He muttered as if speaking to someone in the air. It seems that was some kind of communication magic circle.

After a moment, Aspeiran terminated the communication magic and said to me.

“I’ll send someone later, so go with them to get measured.”

“Yes…”

“Tell them to make it sturdy enough to withstand rolling on thorny vines. From now on, you can run wild as much as you want without worrying about ruining your clothes.”

Aspeiran’s specialty: sarcasm wrapped in layers upon layers.

When reading it in text, it was so amusing and enjoyable that I fell backwards, but hearing it in person makes me want to fall backwards from irritation.

What’s more frustrating is that I can’t really argue back since it’s true that I wore the clothes in a messy way.

I secretly glared at Aspeiran with a puffy face.

But unfortunately, my eyes met directly with Aspeiran’s. He pulled up one corner of his mouth menacingly.

‘I’m, I’m going to die!’

I squeezed my eyes shut and trembled.

I waited for a moment, but I didn’t hear Aspeiran’s order of “Throw that insolent one in the dungeon immediately!”

When I cautiously opened my eyes, I saw Aspeiran’s face had already changed back to an expressionless one.

I let out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness. Maybe he’s letting it slide since I just became his subject.’

In the meantime, Aspeiran asked Canis, who was quietly standing guard behind him.

“Canis, what about Kiara?”

“As you ordered, she is waiting with the researchers.”

Aspeiran nodded at the answer and stood up.

He looked down at me.

“Now then, shall we go meet those you’ll be working with from now on? Follow me.”

I also got up awkwardly. As he passed by my side, Canis whispered with a bright smile on his face.

“I’m glad to be working with you. I look forward to our future together, Miss Shuria.”

“!”

The greeting we had already exchanged once before coming to talk with Aspeiran.

But somehow it felt different this time. Was it because I heard it along with my new name? My heart swells.

I responded to the greeting with a bright smile.

“Yes. I look forward to working with you too, Sir Canis!”

The place Aspeiran headed was the room right next to the reception room we were in.

When the door swung open, a large dark green room with a slightly warmer feel than the reception room appeared.

I looked around the room. The first thing that caught my eye was the massive bookshelf in the center of the room, reaching all the way to the ceiling.

Because of it, the room that was originally one was divided into two. It was an interesting structure.

The other side of the bookshelf was hidden from view by countless books, and right in front of the door, there were only two long sofas and one table.

And in front of those sofas stood a woman.

Ashy purple hair braided long to the side. Dark black eyes without a trace of gap.

I could immediately recognize who she was.

She was Kiara Gordo, the chief aide in charge of ‘intelligence’ among Aspeiran’s three closest confidants.

Kiara greeted Aspeiran in a calm voice.

“You’ve arrived, My Lord.”

“Yes, good work. Those guys?”

“They’re over there.”

Kiara pointed beyond the bookshelf.

From the atmosphere, it seems ‘those guys’ refers to my future colleagues, but who could they be? Even though I had entered the room, I still couldn’t see well what was over there.

As I was looking around curiously, Aspeiran pushed me in front of Kiara.

“Greet her. This is Shuria, who will be taking charge of the monster caretaker job from now on.”

“You’ve achieved what you wanted. Congratulations.”

After saying that and looking at me, Kiara suddenly made a strange expression. I just blinked, not knowing why.

Soon, Kiara erased her expression and held out one hand.

“I am Kiara Gordo, the chief aide to the Lord.”

“Ah, I’m Shuria. It’s nice to meet you!”

“Soft…”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

I scratched my head. I’m sure she said something.

But there was no time to think deeply about it. Aspeiran, who had turned towards the bookshelf, nodded his head at me.

“Come this way. I’ll introduce you to the researchers.”

“Yes!”

It seems the people behind the bookshelf were indeed my workplace colleagues. I hurriedly followed Aspeiran past the bookshelf.

What appeared before my eyes, which were full of expectation, was a strange sight that made me doubt my own eyes.

“Hiiing, I’m dying of exhaustion, Director. At this rate, I won’t even be able to repot today.”

“Don’t whine because you’re in a bad mood, Sek. And are you the only one who’s tired?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. This is all because of my incompetence…”

“…”

Two men and two women wearing what looked like researcher gowns were lying face down in a row.

Not only that, but all four of them were holding a pen in one hand and fixing a paper with the other, busily scribbling something.

They didn’t seem to notice that someone had entered the room, and kept whispering among themselves.

“Who’s finished writing their reflection?”

“I have two pages left~”

“I have 20 pages…”

“20 pages? The Lord said to fill 10 pages, how can you have 20 pages left?”

“No… I’ve written over 20 pages…”

“Wow! Titira, that’s amazing. Just give me those two pages.”

“If the Lord finds out…”

“Don’t worry~ I’ll adjust it appropriately.”

A secret crime scene was unfolding before my eyes.

At that moment, unlike the others, a woman who had been quietly bowing her head all along made a small sound.

“Snore—”

It was clearly the sound of someone snoring. The man who had been speaking condescendingly to the others raised his voice in anger.

“Snoring? She’s snoring? It must be that Kiri fellow. What are you doing, Sek! Wake her up!”

“Ai, Director~. You know how hard it is to wake up Kiri when she’s asleep~. I can’t do it~.”

“Stop being slick! Then you wake her up, Titira!”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to wake her up, but she won’t get up. It must be because my voice is too quiet. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Snore—”

“This is driving me crazy, there’s not a single useful person here!”

The four people started arguing loudly. Aspeiran, who had been looking down at them for a while, finally intervened.

In a somewhat violent manner.

Bang!

“Oh my goodness!”

The four people who had jumped up in surprise simultaneously raised their heads. Immediately after, upon identifying the source of the loud noise, they turned pale and tumbled to the floor.

Receiving their astonished gazes, Aspeiran lightly dusted off the hand he had used to strike the wall.

“You all seemed to be having such a lively chat… Bring me your reflection papers. This was the punishment I gave instead of beheading you, so I’m sure you all did your best?”

An overwhelming aura that made even me, who had done nothing wrong, involuntarily shrink.

Gulp, the four criminals swallowed simultaneously.

* * *

“Greet her. This is Shuria, who will be in charge of monster management from now on.”

I awkwardly looked at the four researchers, each with torn pieces of reflection papers stuck to their heads.

Perhaps because they had just heard Aspeiran’s terrifying shout head-on, they all seemed a bit dazed.

Aspeiran spoke once more.

“Greet her.”

“Yes, yes!”

The researchers flocked to me. Seeing them all properly adjusting their crooked glasses, it seemed their scattered wits had returned.

The man with uniquely sky-blue hair that looked like a cloud, standing in the middle, spoke first.

“Ahem. Nice to meet you, Shuria. I am Prom, the director of the Beltraum Research Institute.”

“I’m Sek, Shuria. By the way, do you like plants?”

“I’m Titira… It’s an insignificant name, but I would be truly grateful if you remember it…”

The other researchers also finished their self-introductions. Except for just one person.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the woman who had been dozing off earlier.

“Ki, Kiri…!”

“Snore—”

Despite Titira’s careful shaking, the woman didn’t wake up. In the end, Prom clicked his tongue and introduced her instead.

“That rascal’s name is Kiri.”

“Eh, Director~ It changed, you know~”

“That Kiri’s name is rascal.”

After correcting his words, Prom suddenly became extremely angry and started hitting Sek.

“I know! I know! Do you think I don’t know? I’m a genius!”

“Ouch, ouch, ouch.”

Dust flies everywhere. They just got scolded so badly by As, and yet they’re fighting like this again. These people are really out of their minds.

‘Will I be able to get along well here?’

I tried to calm my anxious heart and responded to their greetings.

“I’m Shuria. I look forward to working with you all.”

“I am! I am! I am the director! Your superior!”

“Ouch, ouch. Stop it, Director~ It hurts~”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. This is my fault, that is my fault…”

“Snore— Zzz.”

However, no one was listening.