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"Master…"
"Hmm? What is it, Sayuriko?"
"Master, my Guardian Home—it just leveled up!"
"Leveled up? Your Guardian Home can level up? Wait, seriously? Does that mean its defenses got stronger or something?"
"Yes, Master. The Guardian Home's defense has become much stronger. I think… even Lord Saitama's punch couldn't break through it now." Sayuriko nodded, though her eyes darted away a little, as if she were hiding something.
"Really? That's great news! That means the house is even safer now. No more worrying about random monsters barging in. Huh? Sayuriko? Upgrading the Guardian Home sounds like a good thing—why do you look so uneasy?"
Sayuriko hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers. "Because… the Guardian Home gained another name when it leveled up."
"Another name?"
"Yes… it's now called the Space-Time Odd Jobs House."
"The Space-Time… Odd Jobs House?" Ethan frowned. "That name already sounds like trouble."
"Um, well… the Odd Jobs House is basically… a place that accepts requests."
"Requests?" Ethan's tone turned more serious. The more he heard, the worse it sounded.
"Yes, Master. It takes on commissions from… different timelines and worlds. And since you're registered as the owner, all of those requests—um—will be assigned to you."
Sayuriko lowered her head even more, her voice small and guilty. She knew her master too well. Ethan hated hassle more than anything in the world. And this? Jobs from other timelines? This screamed trouble.
She had become his maid to reduce his burdens—not create new ones. And yet, somehow, her power had turned into one big headache for him.
"Wait, wait, wait—you mean I have to complete all those requests? Are you kidding me? That's way too much trouble!" Ethan groaned dramatically.
"I—I'm sorry, Master! It's all my fault! If… if I died, the Space-Time Odd Jobs House would disappear too! Then you wouldn't have to deal with this anymore! Yes, that's it, I'll just die! Even though… even though I really don't want to leave you, Master… we've only just started living together and—"
"Sayuriko! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!" Ethan stood up and flicked her forehead lightly. "Who said anything about dying? Sure, this Space-Time Odd Jobs House thing sounds like a pain, but come on—could it really be worse than the daily monster attacks we deal with? At least with this, I might actually get a full night's sleep without being woken up by some freak smashing through the wall!"
He gave her head a gentle pat. "Besides, if those requests come in, I'll just reject them. Problem solved."
"Um… Master," Sayuriko said softly, "the requests… can't be rejected."
Ethan froze. "…Wait. What?! You're telling me I can't turn them down?!"
"I'm really sorry, Master!" Sayuriko bowed deeply, her voice trembling.
"…Ugh. Fine, whatever. If they can't be rejected, they can't be rejected." Ethan slumped down onto the table, sighing. "But what do you mean by 'different timelines'? Are we talking about other worlds? Like, people from different universes sending us jobs? Does that mean I can actually go to those worlds?"
"Yes, Master." Sayuriko nodded quickly. "Different timelines are just different worlds. The Space-Time Odd Jobs House connects to all of them. People from any world can come here to request your help. And when you accept, you can travel to their world to complete the task."
She paused, then added, "Because of that, the Odd Jobs House is protected by the time-space barrier of every connected world. It's surrounded by absolute defense—no attack can destroy it. The only way it could ever be broken is if all the connected worlds are destroyed."
"Huh. So it's got crazy defense and I can world-hop? That actually sounds… kinda cool. Hmm, not bad, not bad." Ethan rubbed his chin and finally smiled. "Maybe this Space-Time Odd Jobs House isn't such a bad deal after all. At least it might be fun."
Seeing him smile, Sayuriko finally relaxed, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips.
"So, Sayuriko," Ethan asked, "what do we do next? When does this Odd Jobs House officially open?"
"Actually, Master," Sayuriko said, "it's already open. All we have to do now is wait for our first client to show up."
"Oh, that's easy enough. Just waiting, huh?" Ethan leaned back lazily. "Sayuriko, who do you think our first client will be? I bet it'll be a cute girl—someone as adorable as you." He grinned teasingly.
Sayuriko blushed. "M-maybe. If that's what Master wants."
Just then, ding-dong!—the doorbell rang.
"Huh? Already? We were just talking about this!" Ethan sat up, scratching his head. "Think I should put on a suit or something? You know, look professional?"
"If Master wants to, you can," Sayuriko replied.
"Nah, forget it. Changing clothes sounds like too much work. If they walk away because I'm not dressed up, even better—less trouble for me."
Sayuriko giggled softly at his laziness and went to open the door.
When it swung open, Ethan peeked from behind her—and sure enough, their first visitor really was a girl.
Unfortunately… she was flat-chested, just like Sayuriko.
Ethan sighed, rolling his eyes. "I said I wanted a cute girl like Sayuriko, not one as flat as Sayuriko…"
"..."
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