Chapter 37

The four of them headed towards the stagecoach stop.

A small maid.

An even smaller werewolf girl.

A wizard of the "Fifth Rank" and a reincarnated person from Japan.

A lazy genius inventor.

Although their backgrounds and circumstances of birth were completely different, they had indeed come together through Nina, who was at the center of it all.

Their bond had grown even stronger during the month-long mine restoration work.

"Hey, Nina."

When they could see the stop, Emiri stopped.

"What is it?"

Nina turned around with her usual bright expression.

No matter how tough the job, she never lost her bright smile.

She only looked troubled when someone else was suffering.

(Why?)

Emiri found this mysterious.

How could Nina, who was younger than her, suppress herself so much and fully commit to being a maid?

Was it due to training?

Or a natural talent?

(I don't think so.)

Nina is just an ordinary girl.

She gets happy when she eats something delicious and her eyes light up when she sees something unusual—though her interest in "visiting mines" might be a bit different from others.

But she is peculiar.

She has incredible maid skills but says, "It's only natural for a maid."

It's not natural at all.

If Nina's level were average, the world would be full of people who can't do anything without maids—like how Astrid's cleaning ability keeps getting worse.

(Astrid and I thought about it. How can we make Nina... show us her true self? How can she talk to us honestly?)

At first, Emiri thought about it alone, but then Astrid joined in, and now Tien might also join their discussions.

The answer they came up with was:

"This... from Emiri and Astrid. For Nina."

"?"

What Emiri held out was a silver metal plate.

It was a type of magic tool that couldn't be counterfeited or replicated.

It read: "Adventurer Party Registration Certificate."

The plate listed the names of Nina, Emiri, Astrid, and Tien.

"What is this...?"

"We registered as a party. Tien will be with us for a while, right?"

"Um... but why?"

Nina looked confused.

After all, she wasn't an adventurer, and the only one who could be considered an adventurer was Emiri. Tien might also be able to fight.

They had registered as adventurers, but only to use it as an ID, not to actually engage in adventurer activities.

So why a "party"?

"I thought about it. How can we be equals... and true companions? This is the answer. A party is a group of companions. We risk our lives for each other and respect each other. The only system like this is in the Adventurer's Guild, so we registered there."

This was Emiri and Astrid's answer.

It was a kind of "plan" they had been working on.

"I respect all of you, even without being in a party—"

"Nina, Emiri didn't say it, but there's another meaning to this."

Astrid spoke from the side.

"This 'Party Certificate' is not only proof of a party but is also seen by some adventurers as a 'pledge' or a 'family bond.'"

"Family...?"

"It's just a silver plate, but with this, we are a party. Wherever we go, this party is our home and our place to return to. For Tien, it's her second home."

Tien nodded, her tail standing up, indicating she was happy.

"Emiri and I were worried about you, Nina. You keep traveling, but this journey has no end. Wandering aimlessly isn't bad, but it doesn't suit you as a maid. But what if you had a party? You might find a wonderful place to work in the future. Until then, Emiri and I... we want this party to be your home."

"...I wanted to give you a place to belong."

"———"

Nina gripped the silver plate, staring at Emiri and Astrid in shock.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Nina!?"

Flustered, Emiri asked, and Nina replied,

"Ah... that's strange, why am I crying?"

She hurriedly wiped her eyes.

She didn't understand her own emotions.

"...Maybe you're happy?"

Astrid smiled.

"Chii also thought you sacrifice yourself too much. Emiri and Astrid are honest and straightforward with their desires."

When Tien said this, Emiri narrowed her eyes, asking, "Is that a criticism?" but Astrid said, "Well, it's true."

"...Thank you. I'm happy. I must be... happy."

"That's right. It's okay to cry when you feel this way. Be more honest with yourself."

"Honest—"

Then, tears started to flow again.

Emiri offered a handkerchief, Astrid patted Nina's head, and Tien looked flustered.

"...Nina. From today, we are a party. Wherever we go, we'll go together. We'll talk about everything. This is our 'home.'"

"Yes... Yes!"

Emiri felt truly relieved.

She wanted to create a place where Nina could speak her mind, where she could be herself without holding back, and where she could express her emotions.

She wanted to give her a place to find solace.

"Emiri, Astrid, Tien... please take care of me from now on."

"Of course. You can rely on me, Emiri."

"I think I'll rely more on Nina."

"Chii can't do much, but I'll try my best."

And so, in the mining town, an adventurer party was formed.

More than a party, it was a gentle family, or perhaps sisters.

"...But, Emiri."

Nina said,

"Isn't the party name 'Maid' a bit strange!?"

Emiri was silent for a moment,

"I'm happy you're being honest with me."

"Then, let's think of a new name—"

"We won't change it."

"Wh-what!?"

"Oops, the stagecoach is starting to board. Let's hurry."

"Hey, Astrid!?"

"Chii thinks 'Maid' is fine."

"Even Tien!?"

Leaving behind a bewildered Nina, Emiri, Astrid, and Tien hurried to the stagecoach.

To head to the next town.

Because the journey was still continuing.

The journey of the maid continued, but for the maid, it was a day of a new beginning.

Thus, "It's Only Natural for a Maid. ~ A Versatile Maid Who Took on All the Mundane Tasks and Set Out on a Journey After Being Falsely Accused" comes to an end.

Thank you for following along, even for this short time!

If you would like, I would appreciate it if you could rate this work using the rating options below "★★★★★".

I will be working on existing serialized works, and I would be happy if you could read the new serialized works as well (which are also completed)!