Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Employee Counseling Sessions
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Though it would be nice if work eased up after finishing the vice captain's commission, with one position still vacant, the end-of-month rush remained as hectic as ever.
Excluding weekends, today was the last workday of October, making it awkward to start anything new—and after everything that had happened lately, letting the day slip by idly didn't feel right either.
So, I picked up where we'd left off with the employee counseling sessions that had ended so ambiguously last time.
Nobles already enjoyed plenty of freedom to speak their minds on a normal day, so I prioritized the commoners who hadn't had their turn yet.
"Which is why it's your turn for counseling this time."
That put Caterina next in line after Mari and Adelaide.
"Uh... Do I really have to say it?"
"Everyone has at least one thing they don't like about their job. It's just human nature."
"Well, that's true..."
No workplace was divine enough to be free of even petty complaints.
And I wasn't a god—or even a particularly good boss, for that matter.
I was capricious, charging headlong on gut instinct, blowing things up into major ordeals—the picture of a trash-tier manager.
Sure, I paid generously, but what people valued most varied from person to person.
Some chased dreams over money, while others preferred lighter workloads and more free time even if it meant less pay.
"Even something small is fine. Just speak freely."
"Hmm... Actually, up until a few days ago, I did have one complaint."
"What was it?"
"You kept dressing up mannequins or other people instead of me, your model."
"Ah."
"But then you finally dressed me up this time, so I figured I'd wait and see."
"......"
Caterina's glare had been so venomous that I'd suspected as much—and sure enough, that was the issue.
"There were unavoidable circumstances... From now on, I'll do my best to respect everyone's roles."
"I get that. I was just feeling a bit left out."
"Glad to hear it. Anything else?"
"Hmm..."
A deep furrow formed between Caterina's crossed arms and narrowed brows.
"Ah! I want to touch Mari's ears and tail, but she won't let me. Isn't it torture to have that fluffy stuff swishing around where I can't reach it?"
"......"
About a minute?
That wasn't a long deliberation, but the complaint that emerged was utterly ridiculous.
"I... get where you're coming from, but shouldn't that be something to take up with Mari directly?"
"Mari's in charge of employee welfare, right?"
"Yeah?"
"So if she won't let anyone touch her tail and ears, isn't that slacking on her welfare duties?"
"Oh..."
The more I heard, the more sense it made.
I'd caught myself staring plenty of times when she swished that tail around as she walked.
Tempting everyone like that and then denying access... That was practically interfering with work.
"No, wait—that's not right!"
I snapped back to my senses before my garbage thoughts could spiral further and shot down Caterina's idea.
But she pouted at my reaction, as if she couldn't comprehend it.
"Why not?"
"Asking to touch someone's body for 'welfare' reasons is just harassment."
No matter how charitably I framed it, it was harassment.
Even at 100% positive spin, it was still harassment.
Mari's job did include providing a relaxing environment, but that meant things like massages—not turning herself into a cuddle toy.
And sure enough, we occasionally got to watch her deliver a playful cat-punch to someone's back.
"Then how about my ears too..."
"Hey!"
I cut off Caterina before she could say something even worse, letting out a shocked yelp.
"No more weird talk like that. If we did something like that, I'd be the one going to jail—and I have no desire to go back."
A boss allowing employees to grope staff under the guise of welfare...
Even His Imperial Majesty couldn't defend that.
He might even lead the charge to take me down.
"For real?"
"Tch! No. You're free to get chummy with Mari on a personal level—that's none of my business—but on Atelier time, it's absolutely forbidden. Don't even bring it up."
"Hiiing..."
With that, I outright banned the disastrous proposal that could drag me—and the entire Atelier—into ruin. Caterina slumped, hanging her head with a gloomy expression.
Her acting was so convincing it tugged at my heartstrings, but I steeled myself by picturing prison bars every time I wavered.
"In that case, can we at least get a cat? It'd be a therapy pet to heal our hearts in Mari's place."
"Sorry, that's a no too. Shedding fur everywhere—think our customers would be thrilled to find cat hair on their clothes?"
"Huh? What about Mari then?"
"That's why her contract includes mandatory fur maintenance."
Mari was lucky as a beastkin; her fur was sparse enough that she could handle grooming herself.
If she'd been covered head to toe like a furry or had a fluffy back, she never could have worked with us.
"So that's why Mari's fur is always so sleek and shiny?"
"Yep."
"Ugh! That just makes me want to touch it more!"
Caterina, tormented all the more by that soft, fluffy fur, yelled at me.
"But we can't help it for the sake of work."
"Grgh..."
I did feel a little bad, but I hadn't done it to torture her on purpose.
Caterina knew that too, so despite her furrowed brow and pout, she didn't push further.
"Haa~ Fine, no Mari and no cats—how about we keep some plants?"
"Plants?"
"The Imperial Capital is so barren. There's just that one forest to the east, and the streets and squares are nothing but bricks and dirt... Moss and weeds wedged between bricks are the only greenery in this city."
"Yeah, fair point."
To an elf used to forest life, human cities must feel utterly desolate.
Humans obsessed over grand or fancy buildings and streets, but no one cared about managing weeds that were a hassle and brought no profit.
As someone who understood the value of urban greenery—unlike most humans—I sympathized with Caterina to an extent. But the problem was finding a place to put them.
"The front of the building is out, for starters."
"Why?"
"It's not our property. The roads are managed by the Imperial Capital authorities—we can't just do whatever."
"What about the roof?"
"Pointy roof up there. Can't put anything on it."
"Ugh..."
Every spot I shot down left Caterina letting out a hollow laugh, staring at me with a dazed, soulless expression.
"Not a single place to plant a tree? Don't humans go insane living like this?"
"Nobles can just retreat to their villas if it gets to them."
"Those wicked rich bastards!"
"Whoa, whoa..."
Whoa, she's turning red.
Might be my imagination, but I could swear I saw a red flag with sickle and hammer waving behind her.
Or maybe a blue-white-red tricolor as she shouted "Révolution!"
At least those folks tanked their national economy before getting revolted against—not for failing to plant trees...
"W-Well... If we want plants, it'll have to be indoors. But we can't do anything huge inside."
"A few pots would be fine."
Before my subordinate could go full revolutionary, I hurriedly offered a compromise.
A Count Hume retainer getting offed by an elf employee would complicate things in all sorts of ways.
Some shadowy political faction could spin a simple labor dispute into an interspecies conflict.
"Pots, huh..."
I wasn't big on plants myself—but that was only if I had to tend them.
If Caterina was in charge, the fresh vibe might not be a bad addition.
"Not a bad idea, but there are conditions."
"Conditions?"
"No pollen shedding, no weird smells, nothing toxic to beastkin, nothing that grows too big, easier to care for is better—and don't spend all your time on them instead of work."
"Hmm~ That's not too hard."
"Really?"
"Tons of pollen-free plants out there, plenty without strong scents. Worst case, I can just snip the flowers right away. And most only need about ten minutes a day."
"Hmm~ Sounds good."
If she's that confident, approving a few couldn't hurt.
We could always stop if they turned out poorly.
"Let's start by putting one or two in the break room, then. If you keep them thriving there, I'll allow a few more in the workshop."
"Yes! Thank you!"
_
After finishing with Caterina, I called Walter and Ellen—the sibling pair—into the break room.
Separate sessions might have been ideal for counseling, but given their personalities, splitting them up felt like a recipe for disaster. Better to handle them together.
"Uh... U-Um... D-Did we do something wrong...?"
"W-We didn't do anything..."
I'd only called them without explanation, but seeing them huddled together and trembling made grouping them the right call.
Separately, one of them might've fainted on the spot.
"I'm not calling you two to scold you. It's just your turn for counseling. Any complaints or suggestions?"
"None..."
"R-Right, none..."
"Even small stuff? Anything goes—like 'the snacks aren't to my taste' or 'give me less work'."
After Mari's session, I'd even created health leave policies. What couldn't I accommodate?
"Hmm..."
"Uuu..."
A look of deep thought settled on the siblings' faces.
Push too hard, and they might clam up entirely, so I sipped my black tea and waited patiently for them to gather their thoughts.
"U-Um..."
"Yes?"
Ellen spoke up first.
I nodded with a smile, and she swallowed hard before continuing.
"C-Can we... have something besides black tea during breaks...?"
"Something else?"
"B-Black tea... k-Keeps me up at night..."
"Ah, got it. I'll stock some alternatives soon. Let me know whenever you want something specific."
"Thank you..."
She agreed so readily that Ellen gave a shy smile and nod.
That couldn't be her only gripe, but voicing any opinion was progress.
With time, she'd speak up more confidently.
I made a mental note to import fruit syrups or herbal teas, then turned to Walter.
"What about you, Walter? Anything?"
"I-I... w-would like a stove in the workshop..."
"That's already planned for next week. Anything besides that?"
"Ugh..."
Walter's eyes shook like there was an earthquake—he'd clearly hoped to brush it off with something safe like Ellen had.
But requesting a stove was a bit... Heating was basic welfare, not a 'suggestion'.
"Uh, um... W-Well..."
"Take your time. Plenty of time to think."
"O-Okay..."
I smiled and gave him more leeway.
As he frantically rolled his eyes and racked his brain anew, his body suddenly jolted. His earlobes flushed red, and he finally met my gaze.
"S-Sir William... I-I have one request for... C-Caterina sis..."
"Go ahead, say it."
"C-Could she... not wear short skirts and climb on the windowsill...?"
"Windowsill?"
I tilted my head, not quite following, and Walter's face turned apple-red as his lips flapped wordlessly.
"F-From my workbench... uh... u-um... ughhh..."
His workbench?
Lots of us hated sunlight, so it'd be near a window...
"Hmm..."
Come to think of it, didn't Caterina always face Walter's direction when she climbed up there?
From his seat, that would mean...
"Ah! Got it. I'll make sure to tell her."
"Thank you..."
Having pieced together the horrifying truth, I nodded vigorously with a paling face. Walter relaxed into a relieved smile and bowed his head.
"And hey—from now on, if anything bothers you like this, speak up right away. Letter, through Herbert, whatever—just say it, okay?"
"Y-Yes..."
"O-Okay..."
I emphasized it once more to the siblings, then watched their responses before leaning back in my chair.
"Phew..."
I let out a sigh of relief, gently patting my chest.
Starting these sessions late was a blessing in disguise.
A young boy in his prime had nearly been ruined by that elf big sis...