Chapter 1
"As I said, Professor, our Phase 1 of "Wake up the Goddess using the Saintess" grand plan have gone awry already," I yelled as I entered a cafe. "It''s not like it''s a bad idea to make a back-up plan, right?"
The bell chimed as I stepped into Café Gentiane, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries greeted me like an old friend. The place had a modern yet rustic feel—polished wooden tables, soft lighting that cast a gentle glow, and large windows that let in just enough of the late afternoon sun. A slow jazz tune played in the background, blending into the quiet murmur of conversation.
A waitress in a neatly pressed uniform approached with a polite smile.
"Welcome to Café Gentiane, Sir! Do you have a reservation?"
I adjusted my phone down, covering the mic, and gave her a warm smile. "Yes. Under Nashchor Meir."
She tapped on a small digital pad, scanning the list before nodding. "Ah, yes. Right this way, Mr. Meir. We''ve prepared your table at the back, as requested."
Following the waitress, I weaved between occupied tables, catching glimpses of patrons immersed in their own worlds—some working on laptops, others engaged in hushed conversations. The farther back we went, the quieter the atmosphere became. Finally, in a more secluded corner near the rear wall, I spotted a young woman sitting alone.
She looked to be in her early twenties, dressed in a sharp yet professional outfit, her jet-black hair neatly pulled back into a low ponytail. She didn’t fidget, didn’t check her phone—just stood up immediately there with an air of composed patience, her eyes briefly flicking up to assess me as I approached.
"Good morning...ummm... Mr. Meir?"
"Yes, are you Yamamoto Aiya? The one applying for Human Resource Management position?"
She immediately reached out to accept my offered handshake. "Yes, I am. Please to meet you, Sir Meir."
The waitress gestured toward the seat opposite her. "Your guest has arrived earlier, sir. Would you like to order first, or shall I give you a moment?"
I tapped the waitress'' shoulder and gave her a small tip. "Thank you."
Sliding into the chair, I took a quick glance at the menu but didn’t bother reading it. "Bring me today’s best selection. And a coffee, black."
The waitress nodded, now noticibly brighter than earlier, before turning to the young woman. "And for you, Miss?"
Before I can even hear her answer, the voice on the phone spoke again. "Are you even listening, Meir?"
"Yes, I''m listening, Professor," I answered with calm voice.
"Listen to me, okay?" Professor continued, her voice obviously trying to be patient with me. "We don''t have any time for any side plans or back up plans or whatever plans you call that—"
"Oh, actually we do," I interrupted her, "In fact, I have been stucked in Nagoya for a week already!"
I rolled my eyes. Then I caught Yamamoto-san staring at me. I gently smiled at her and stretched out my hand to gesture her to wait.
"Oh my, then are you perhaps bored, huh, my dear disciple?" She answered sarcastically. "Didn''t I gave you your temporary mission? What happened to the dream pearl? Did you find it already?"
"Sighs, Professor. Didn''t I already sent a report? It''s hard to schedule with Seikishi-dan Guild. I already told you, I was lucky enough to get a slot for a meeting two days from now." I massaged my temple.
"You should have prostrated in the lobby back then."
"Professor, didn''t I already told you. I even cried crocodile tears in front of them but doesn''t work here. I was nearly reported to the JNHA, you know?"
I heard the professor sighed excessively followed by rhythmic tapping of fingers by a table.
"In any case, Meir, if you want to form a team, just make a small group of raid party. You don''t need to build a normal domain like a you''re a domain lord." She sounded exhausted.
"But I''m a domain lord, Professor," I replied firmly on which Yamamoto-san''s attention was even caught. "What''s wrong with a domain lord building and managing a domain?"
I noticed that Yamamoto-san has been trying her best not to eavesdrop at my call. She can''t hear professor anyways, though hearing my replies seems rude behavior for eavesdropping.
"Sighs... Meir. In case you are forgetting, we sent you twenty years to the past to help save the future. Not to dilly-dally doing domain lord play as if you''re playing house," she replied, a hint of stressed tone. "Nothing''s gone right of phase 1. This is a tough phase to correct. Please cooperate a bit, Meir."
I gestured Yamamoto-san to buy me a castella by tapping its picture by the menu. Seemingly understanding it, she stood up and went to the counter.
"I am, Professor. I''m doing the most logical decision that I can think of. Aren''t you the one that taught me how important back-up plans are? What''s wrong with applying what you taught to me? And it''s not like I''m ditching my mission, right? For your information, I have successfully linked my domain to the mana crystal depot hidden underneath Mount Fuji. Won''t you congratulate me? I have successfully secured source of our funds. Just treat me like a walking bank."
There was a pause and then a heap of sigh before I heard the professor answered again.
"Do what you want then. I can''t really win at your logical arguments, Meir... Sighs... You''ve always been like that."
This professor, really? Guilt tripping me won''t solve any of our problems anyways.
"Wait a minute... Why are you grilling me so hard anyways? I thought Deir landed in Jilin Province at China and was on hot track of the saintess, going to Korea?"
"Sighs... The Korean Hunters Association is much stricter than we thought. They have successfully organized all the domain lords inside Korea and established a unified association... It''s tough to go inside as an outsider on this era before the great storm."
"At this rate, we will need to wait for the quarterly domain transfer system. Maybe one of us can successfully transfer our domain inside Korea. The next one I think is on March, which is two months from now..."
"Guess, we will need to wait a bit. Just update me when you had progress about the dream pearl." She said as the phone call ended with beeping sound.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax a bit. When I opened my eyes, the ceiling stared back at me. It has a strange design of messy brush strokes. I thought it was like mocking me and our plans which gone awry and messy just like those brush strokes.
"Ehem... Sir Meir, this is our order." Yamamoto-san grabbed my attention away from the chaotic ceiling. She handed me over my castella, a black coffee, and a.... duck shaped pastry.
"It''s just like what I saw on advertisements." I murmured as I took a picture of it with my phone. "Though it''s a bit smaller right?"
Yamamoto-san glanced at me. Her hand is stirring her spoon on the tea since she came back. "A-Ah, yes. I also saw their advertisement yestersay... I thought it will be as big as a basketball."
"Right? I thought so too, hahaha." I stabbed the duck pastry with my spoon and had a bite already to taste it. It tasted like a red velvet cake.
"So you''re Yamamoto Yuriko, huh?" I swiped down my finger and an interactive UI system appeared out of thin air. It is the Oriya''s Goddess Blessing System given to all humans of this world after the first fall arrive.
From the UI, it showed Yamamoto Yuriko''s application to my domain as an HR Manager which I posted three days ago.
Stolen novel; please report.
"To be honest, I had strict qualifictions. But you are the first candidate to pass all those pre-qualifications." I gently smiled at her as I review her profile window.
[ Human Profile Window
Name: Yamamoto Yuriko
Age: 23
Alignment: Lawful Good
Job: Non-Awakened
Level: N/A
Basic Skills:
Administration Governance Lvl. 2
Talent Appraisal Lvl. 2
Negotiation Mastery Lvl. 1
Resource Optimization Lvl. 1 ]
"This is my resume also." She slid a document across the table. Examining it, the document extends information as to her former domain work and educational background. Though I don''t mostly care about this because I am someone not from this era.
I don''t know which university background or past domain work is famous for getting experience and worth taking consideration when checking an application.
[ Work Experiences:
Domain Name: 13 Royal Knight Blood Guild
Position: Junior Hunter Assistant
Date: April 2022 – November 2024
Managed mission schedules, resource allocation, and supply chain logistics for guild members.
Assisted in guild recruitment, onboarding, and administrative tasks for new hunters.
Provided support in emergency operations, handling documentation and logistics.
Working Student Experiences:
Company: Nagoya Logistics & Transport Co.
Position: Intern – HR & Operations Assistant (OJT Experience)
Date: January 2021 – December 2021
Assisted with employee scheduling, payroll processing, and recruitment paperwork.
Handled shift coordination for warehouse workers and transport staff.
Helped streamline logistics for deliveries and goods transport.
Company: FamilyMart – Nagoya Branch
Position: Cashier & Store Assistant
Date: April 2020 – December 2020
Operated the cash register, managed customer transactions, and restocked inventory.
Provided customer service and assisted in maintaining store cleanliness.
Handled basic bookkeeping and reconciled daily sales reports.
Company: Hanamura Ramen Franchise
Position: Dishwasher → Kitchen Assistant → Cashier (Promotion Over Time)
Date: March 2019 – March 2020
Started as a dishwasher before being promoted to kitchen assistant and later to cashier.
Assisted in food preparation, stock management, and kitchen maintenance.
Learned customer service, order management, and cash handling at the counter.
Company: Local Cleaning & Maintenance Service (Freelance Part-Time)
Position: Housekeeping & Office Cleaner
Date: June 2018 – February 2019
Performed cleaning services for offices, dormitories, and small businesses.
Managed bookings, schedules, and customer service for regular clients.
Gained experience in maintaining hygiene and sanitation standards. ]
I raised my brow reading over her experiences.
Flipping through the pages, I scanned each entry carefully. Dishwasher, convenience store cashier, ramen shop assistant—then a slow climb to HR and operations. A far cry from the usual pedigreed managers or career professionals. Yet, it wasn’t the job titles that caught my attention. It was the pattern.
She had worked constantly. Nonstop.
Most people with ambitions in administration would’ve taken a more straightforward route—a university degree, internships at high-end firms, maybe even a cushy job handed down by connections. But she ground her way up from nothing. A series of jobs that smelled of sleepless nights, barely making ends meet, scraping by while pushing forward.
I tapped my finger against the paper, glancing up at Yamamoto Yuriko. She sat straight, hands clasped together in practiced composure, but there was no mistaking the slight stiffness in her posture. Waiting. Gauging my reaction.
I exhaled softly and leaned back. This will be a problem... do I really need to take a fledgeling like her just to start my domain works immediately?
"Quite the history you’ve got here," I remarked, keeping my tone neutral. "Hardworking. Resourceful. Not exactly what I expected, though."
A flicker of something passed through her eyes—annoyance? No, restraint. Like she’d heard that before.
"I take it you were expecting someone from a corporate background?" she replied smoothly with a tone of disappointment.
"Not really. I was expecting but not that much," I admitted shifting the papers. "But yours not necessarily a bad thing. Someone who’s used to grinding from the bottom up tends to understand how people actually work. They’re less about theories and more about reality." I tapped the resume again. "And I think... that is what I need to make my domain work."
Her fingers curled slightly in the edge of the table, the only sign of tension breaking through.
"What… do you mean, Sir?"
I smiled slightly. "Do you live in Aichi Prefecture? My domain is located in southern part of Nagano Prefecture though."
Her posture relaxed just a fraction—just enough for me to notice. "No, Sir... I live, err my family lives as unaffiliated in a domain by Kanazawa..."
I tilted my head, "Kanazawa, huh. That''s too far. That''s a problem... I don''t have any housing unit yet in my domain."
"Huh?"
"Well," I scratched my cheek ", just what I said on the job recruitment, I''m just a new domain lord. Just think of my domain as a wide plain with a single house. My house, of course." I chuckled.
Yamamoto blinked, clearly caught off guard. Her fingers twitched slightly against the table’s edge before she leaned back, brows knitting together.
"Wait, Sir Meir… are you saying your domain doesn’t even have any worker''s housing yet?" Her voice carried a mix of disbelief and concern, as if she had just realized she might be signing up for something far more unstable than she had anticipated.
Her gaze flickered to the resume I had placed on the table, then back to me, as if reconsidering whether she had misread the job description entirely. "Then… where exactly do your people stay? Where is your administrative office? Or—wait—do you even have one?"
The questions came faster, her usual professional demeanor faltering under sheer confusion.
"You," I pointed at her, "and me." I smiled gently before continuing. "We are the founders of this guild."
I saw a trinklet of sweat ran across Yamamoto-san''s temple. Oh goddess Oriya, I hope she is not backing out now.
"Well, about the shelters, that is what we will discuss next. For now, I need workers and engineers. Mining Engineers and miners to work in a mana crystal cave. Then I also need civil engineers and workers to build houses. Lastly I need mechanical and electrical engineers to build special buildings. The faster you can get, the faster our domain can start working. Ahh, also cooks and administrative support you might need. Well, you can just hire families as one set so like they can be motivated to work, right? For now, how about we hire the first fifty members and see how it goes?"
Yamamoto let out a slow breath, rubbing her temple as if trying to process everything at once. "So, let me get this straight Sir Meir," she started, her tone measured but laced with lingering disbelief. "You''re telling me that—right now—your domain is just open land with a single house. No infrastructure, no administration, and no workers… and you want me to recruit fifty people to basically build everything from scratch?"
"Yes, is that a problem?" I asked.
She exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "Sir Meir, do you realize how insane that sounds?" But even as she said it, I could see the gears turning in her head. She wasn’t rejecting the idea outright. "And how about our combat force? How about hunters? No one''s going to apply on an unstable domain like this..."
"Don''t worry about the hunters. I''ll handle that. I just need a workforce immediately. Can you handle it or not?" I asked straightly as I rest my chin on my hand.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the table as she shifted in her seat, her previous confusion giving way to something more calculating.
"Well, Sir Meir," she started, bringing out a recruitment window of the goddess blessing system, "If we implement the family package deal, I guess I can find more willing workers."
"Just remember that both parents needs to be working okay? Or half of the family is included in the workforce. I don''t mind taking in children, but it would be good if they can contribute something also to the domain..."
I sipped the last drop of my coffee before accessing my system. "So... Miss Yamamoto... are you in or not?"
Yamamoto-san stared at me for a long moment, her fingers still tapping against the table—a steady rhythm that betrayed her inner conflict. She wasn’t the type to rush into decisions, that much was clear. And right now, I had just dropped a proposal so absurd that any reasonable person would have walked away already.
She exhaled through her nose, shifting her gaze to the recruitment window hovering before her. Her brows furrowed, her teeth grazing her lower lip in thought. "This isn’t just hiring people for an office job, Sir Meir. This is relocating entire families into an empty domain, into a place that barely qualifies as livable yet. It’s risky. Hell, it’s borderline reckless."
Her eyes flickered back to mine, searching for hesitation—doubt—anything that might indicate I hadn''t fully thought this through. But when she found none, she sighed again, slower this time. "If I say yes… this means I’m staking my own reputation on this gamble. It means that if things go south, those families are going to look at me, not you, because I’m the one who convinced them to take this chance."
She leaned back, crossing her arms, her jaw tightening as she weighed her options. I could almost see the battle in her head—the part of her that craved stability and order, warring against the part that saw potential in the madness I was offering.
Then, after a long pause, she took a deep breath and asked, "Sir Meir… would it be possible for my family to come as well?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Your family?"
She nodded, sitting up straighter. "My father used to work construction jobs—he’s got experience with foundation work, framing, and some minor masonry. My mother worked as a cook in a school cafeteria for years. And my younger sister is still in elementary." She hesitated for a second before adding, "None of us are affiliated with any domain yet, so we can move without any legal trouble."
I tapped my finger against the table, considering it. "Hmm… a construction worker and a cook. That’s already two useful additions. I don’t expect kids to work, but…" I glanced at her, "your sister—does she help around at home? Any particular skills?"
Yamamoto blinked, then let out a small, uncertain laugh. "She’s eleven. She’s good at organizing things, I guess? And she helps my mom with prep work in the kitchen. Not exactly a specialized skill, but she’s not lazy."
I nodded, satisfied. I answered with a gentle smile as I reached out for my coffee, "That’s enough. Your family qualifies to what I need. I’ll make sure there’s a place for them."
Her hand hovered over the recruitment interface for just a second longer before she finally pressed "Confirm."
"Alright, Sir Meir. I’m in. And so is my family. But don’t make me regret this."
I chuckled, "Now, now. It''s not like the end of the world choice, isn''t it? But please, I just have one general criteria for those that will come inside my domain."
"What is it, Sir Meir?"
I answered as I allowed some authority settings to Yamamoto on recruiting followers to my domain. "Please, don''t recruit any evil-aligned or chaotic-aligned persons. I have enough trouble on my plate."
Due to Oriya Blessing System, we can surely check the alignment of any person. Like for example, Yamamoto Yumiko is a lawful-good aligned person.
"Yes, Sir Meir." She brought out a laptop and another goddess blessing system interface. Somehow, the look of the two of us starting the groundwork of a domain in a cafe looks pitiful.
But then again, a great place always starts somewhere.