As Hiro Company falls under suspicion, I hide Ivanna, Selene, Sekrit, and Sylvia. It's because my instinct tells me it is dangerous to expose these four girls.

Therefore, we become short handed in the area of customer service. 

"It is time to open the shop… But we have a customer…" Mirai is the one tending the front.

Interesting. While it is high noon, my shop isn’t the kind to attract customers during the day. I get up, and brush my teeth, de-wrinkled my clothes. My outfit isn’t unfit for a shopkeeper, but I am worried about some sweat odor since I had slept in it. If I have changed, I would have made them wait. So, I decide to deal with the customer before changing.

"I’ll be right there. Mirai, could you boil us some water? I don’t know if they’ll be long, but if we get caught up talking we’ll need some tea."

"Well, it’s Lyla, and someone else with her…"

Oh, Lyla. She would be the one to come at this time of day. Although it has been the third time since war at Dioral's border.

"Oh, I see."

Lyla must have spread the word about my shop like we have discussed. I assumed that she has brought a coworker after her night shift.

"Um, there’s someone else, who I don’t recognize."

Huh.

…Mirai’s sounds worried. And normally, I would have picked up on it. However, I am only half awake and rushing to get out… And I must have had my guard down, hearing that Lyla is there.

"Lyla-san, I apologize. We don’t exactly have rigid hours of operation…"

I come out into the store, and stop dead in my tracks. There is a man in the entrance. He is beefy, but very toned. His blue hair is short and orderly. His outfit is flashy but definitely expensive. His expression is devoid of wary, but filled with confidence and knowledge that, although he is used to looking down on people physically, he don’t need to do so mentally. Everything about this man exudes power. I have never met such person in my previous world. I nearly fall to my knees, by keeping my legs unbent.

Behind the man, there is Lyla… And a woman, who wears a cap covering her eyes and an androgynous outfit, like Selene often wears. Immediately, I recognize her as the sorceress. But I couldn’t let them on that fact.

"Welcome. Are you… Lyla’s… Boss?"

Our eyes met. His eyes are powerful, in a different way from the sorceress’s Eyes. They don’t contain any magic, but I feels like a powerful force of will is crashed against me. To pull me in, or to shoot me down. Then, his eyes crinkles all of a sudden.

"Guilty as charged. Lyla must have told me about you. Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lubreo. Lyla’s master."

"…It’s an honour to have you. You may have heard from Lyla already, but I… My name is Hiro. I handle household items here. But please come in."

As soon as those words left my mouth, Lubreo steps into the shop without hesitation. He moves with efficiency. Evidently, his prowess and combat is superior to most. Lyla gives me an apologetic glance. The sorceress holds her eyes on me as if to appraise my worth.

I don't dare to use my ability to read their status to avoid their suspicion.

…I don’t expect them to dig so deep so quickly. Luckily, I had hidden the four girls. I am so distracted by that sorceress, that I have forgotten an important piece of information: Lubreo, who is Great Noble of Abram, is the very man who employs the sorceress as his subordinate.

"Hiro, I’m sorry to cut our pleasantries short, but I have questions for you."

…It looks like I have a long afternoon ahead of me.