“There’s no doubt about it. The first thing to pop out was the subjugation job at the northern mines that have been abandoned for a long time… You partic.i.p.ated there with an ooze of eccentric slimes that could use weapons, right? And despite it being your first job, you were admitted to an E Rank team. The day before you also ended up in a scuffle with a group of no good adventurers in order to save some children. You fought them alone, but despite one of those delinquent adventurers being C-Ranked, you were able to instantly finish them off. Ahh, if you’re wondering why I know so much… It just so happens that that C Ranker had been sentenced to slavery and was registered here as a ‘criminal slave’.” [Orest]

“I see. The world sure is small.” [Ryouma]

“Indeed… After registration he was to be sent to a coal mine, but in the few days until then, we had the opportunity to talk. He told me these things about his defeat. ‘I had no idea what happened’ ‘By the time I knew it, I had already lost’. And yet his skill board clearly showed a Battle Axe Mastery skill level of 3. Although a level such as that falls under the ‘normal’ category, it still doesn’t change the fact that he’s plenty skilled. It would have been one thing if you had merely defeated him, but to think that you defeated him so easily that he didn’t even have the time to understand what was going on… It is evident that you are far above him. It’s doubtful that he had merely let his guard down. And even if he did because of your appearance, he should have been strong enough to still win. Oh, and speaking of which, there was this story too.” [Orest]

“…” [Ryouma]

Mr. Moulton excitedly spoke about the stories surrounding me. He spoke about them one after another.

He generally spoke about the rumors going around in Gimuru or the Founding Festival or that time when I worked as a teacher to instruct the new recruits.

Apparently, I was secretly famous for being an adventurer that brought weird slimes with him.

“I’ve also heard about your success in hunting a man with a bounty on his head. The famed ‘Melzen the Red Spear’. You also recently succeeded in subjugating a group of 15 men. Oh, but that last one was with Fei-sama, yes? It seems Fei-sama is also plenty skilled.” [Orest]

…He even got intel on the most recent happenings. The way he’s leaking information is basically stalker level at this point.

“Ahem! Mnn…” [Reinhart]

“Oh! Excuse me. I got too excited there.” [Orest]

“You sure did well to have investigated so much…” [Ryouma]

“Not really. The only things I was able to find out were those regarding your activities while in Gimuru. Other than that the only thing I found out about you is that you ‘lived in isolation in the Forest of Gana’. It was almost as if you just popped out of nothingness into the forest. I can’t find any information about your past at all. It is really humbling.” [Orest]

Well, if you were actually able to figure it out, I would be really impressed. Is this the reason Reinhart-san and the others are so wary of him?

“Ever since I was a child, I have always loved to hear stories from slaves and guests… It didn’t matter whether they were a man or a woman, a child or an adult, or even an elder. It didn’t matter whether they were human, a member of the beast tribe, an elf, a dwarf, or even a dragon newt. Be it the work they do, their body type, there are simply so many different kinds of people. And I just can’t help but wonder what every one of this different kinds of people are thinking or doing in their lives. It makes me want to know about the different paths they walk. And I don’t mean this in the carnal sense, mind you. I know there are those that start thinking that when I bring this up, but really it’s not. Although to be honest with you I wouldn’t really mind it either way. Men, women, humans, non-humans… I’m fine with anything really.” [Orest]

No one’s asking! Besides, isn’t that plenty to pa.s.s you off as an eccentric!?

Well, as long as they’re legal age-wise, I guess it doesn’t really matter, but…

Dang. Seriously, his strike zone is way too big.

I’m used to the otaku culture back at Earth, where way more varied characters appear in anime and manga.

Cat-ears, beast ears, maids… All that stuff is pretty normal there. And nowadays even normal people know about tsunderes too. If you go deeper, there are all sorts of genre like traps and BL. And if you go off the deep end, there are even robot girls.

Honestly, I don’t really care about those kind of hobbies or gay relations.h.i.+ps as long as I’m not a target.

As long as I’m not, then…

‘There are no problems with Mr. Orest Moulton’

That’s the conclusion I have for the person known as Orest Moulton.

But is this really what everyone is so wary of?

Frankly, rather than say he’s a mysterious person, I think it would be more apt to say that he’s simply difficult to understand.

“…By the way, if I may ask, Takebayas.h.i.+-sama, what is the level of your battle-type skills?” [Orest]

“Orest. Don’t ask go digging into that stuff outside of your work. Ryouma isn’t your slave or anything.” [Pioro]

While I was thinking, Pioro-san suddenly spoke with a quiet but heavy voice that was unlike his usually bright-toned voice.