4 A Job?

As they were walking, Tanya asked. "Where are we going?"

"Hm? Well, first, we are going to get some clothes for you and then have lunch… for now." Noah said. He was quite hungry after walking for such a long time, aimlessly.

'This girl has ambition. She will be perfect for my partner.'

From the world he came from, every soldier would be paired with another soldier who had the same battle strength as others. He was thinking of having her as his partner.

'And doing everything alone is quite boring. It's good to have a partner in crime.'

After walking for a while, they both reached the same clothing shop from where Noah brought his clothes.

'At least, they will—by seeing me—will not kick us out.'

They walked in as a clerk approached them. "How can we help you, sir." She asked, looking at him. it was obvious that she didn't register Tanya. Not that it is her fault, seeing as how worn-out clothes—no, they can't even be called proper clothes. It was just a piece of cloth covering her body.

Tanya brows twitched but she didn't say anything. She was aware of her appearance and the fact that she looks nothing like a customer but more of a beggar.

"I want some clothes and shoes for this girl. Anything within 100 Mark would do." Noah said. He had only 400 Marks left on him.

'Need a Job…'

He sighed as he saw Tanya leaving with the clerk.

He went and sat on the bench at the side. Waiting for them. As he was waiting for them, he looked at his side and saw a newspaper. He looked at the title at the top of the paper. [Job Offers]

Intrigued, he started to read through it.

---

While Noah was reading the newspaper, Tanya was having the worst time of her life.

"As I said, don't you have something…less girly," Tanya said to the clerk.

'I can't wear these girly clothes. I still have dignity!'

"Sorry, miss. But these are the only clothes available at our store of your size." The clerk said with a troubled face. She was thinking of how such a cute girl can act in such boyish.

Tanya looked at the clothes in the clerk's hand. It was Lolita Dress with a white shirt and a blue long skirt and a blue waistcoat. It had a white cavat/jabot.

'I can't wear this. I am a man dammit!'

In the end, left with no choice. Tanya wore the clothes; If one had to say, then she looked like a vampire princess.

The clerk had stars in her eyes as she watched Tanya. 'Kyaa~, such a cute child. I want to cuddle her.'

Tanya, annoyed look at herself in the mirror. Looking at herself, she had to say that she looked really good in the dress.

'What the hell I am thinking?! This should be the last time I will wear these clothes.'

"Let's go," Tanya said as she left the changing room and went towards where Noah was waiting.

Noah was reading the newspaper when he heard the sound of footsteps from his side. He looked there as his eyes went wide, 'Cute~ She looks like a doll and here people said I looked like one.'

Smirking he said, "You look cute, Tanya-chan."

Tanya who heard his frowned.

'Dammit! This brat… I will have my revenge.'

"How much would it be?" Noah asked the clerk who gave him the bill.

Paying the bill, they both left the shop and went towards the nearest stall.

'Here I am again… The Scammer Burger Shop!'

Noah looked at the shop as if it was the final boss. Tanya was looking at him with confusion. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Listen to him, he looked at her as if pitiful soul, "Listen Tanya-chan, this world is filled with mysteries and wonder. In this wonderful world, there are being called human. They are the most illogical being to ever exist. Some of them may look like us but in reality, they are devils! Who will take everything you have earned with your hard work! Everything!" he said as he puts one of his hand on her shoulder while with the other, points toward the horizon.

'This guy has mental issues…' is what all Tanya could think.

Coming out of his imaginations, Noah said. "Anyway, let's go. We will have a burger party!"

"Cheap."

"Look here, Tanya-chan. I have already spent all the or most of the money on you. So it's your fault that we are having a burger party. And it's not cheap! For some, it is their heaven!"

Tanya rolled her eyes though the action only enhances her cuteness.

"Yo! Old man. We met again." Noah said to the old stall keeper.

The old man looked towards him with a surprised expression.

'This kid still has guts to come to my place.'

"Yo! Kid. It seems like you are on a date, huh. Nice to be young." He said looking at Tanya, who, when she heard him, already was thinking of erasing his existence.

'Just you all wait. Once I get enough strength, you all will be grooving at my feet.'

"Huh? Date? Nah old man. I prefer older women than a pipsqueak." Noah said. He felt something coming from his behind as he ducked his head. A stone pass from the position where his head was. Sweating he looked towards Tanya, "What was that?! Do you want to kill me, pipsqueak?!"

Tanya looked towards him with fire in her eyes, "I am not pipsqueak. My height is just small. In the first place, scientifically I am still in my growth period." She said.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you Are small," Noah said.

Tanya hearing him gritted her teeth since what he said was the truth.

'Damn you Being X! Couldn't you send me in an adult body?'

Ignoring Tanya, Noah looked towards the old man, "We will have 10 burgers." And said to him.

Just as one said: The first rule of the War and Business is to know your enemy.

After knowing the currency, Noah went and did his research about the economy and commerce of this world.

And found out that per burger was 5 Mark. After found out about that, he wanted to come and kill this old man who sold him a burger for 50 Mark.

'Ten times expensive than the normal price! Even the school's canteen and the store don't scam that much!'

The old man looked at him, "It seems that you have done your research kid." And said.

"Damn you are right, I did it. I don't want to get scammed by another two-faced bastard."

"Oi! Who are you calling bastard?!"

"The 'scammer', obviously. Why are you so hype?" Noah said, looking towards him with an innocent expression.

"Cough* Of course, the scammer. The scammer." The old man said as he started to make burgers.

Sitting on an empty seat, he beckons Tanya to sit. After both of them sat, Noah asked. "So, little Tanya. Where are you from?"

Tanya looked towards him, "From an orphan." And said.

'I can't tell my address to a stranger and to this guy who is giving me dangerous feelings.'

"Hm, from an orphan huh… there are only two orphans in this capital or to be exact in this area. Knowing the place where I have met you and the distance of it from the closest orphan, you are from the orphan at the north=side of the capital!" Noah said in surprise.

'She is from the same orphan? But why I haven't seen her. Well, probably because it has been only a day and I have spent it in the Library.'

Tanya looked towards him as a glint of suspiciousness passes from her eyes.

'Sus', his intellect is way greater than a normal 5-year-old kid. He can be a genius but suspiciousness remains. Is he related to Being X?'

"You are right; I am from that orphan." She said nodding,

'For now, follow the script; even if he is somehow related to Being X, I cannot do anything.'

"Well, that is surprising as I am from the same orphan, or should I say I joined it yesterday," Noah said.

Tanya again looked towards him with surprise.

'Even the orphans are the same? And he is that injured guy from yesterday?'

"Oh~, so you are the one who pissed his pants this morning." She said. She heard it from other children. Though she didn't know if it was true or not.

'But since children don't lie…'

Noah had his brow twitched, "I never peed, it was sweat. The little guys in the orphan thought that I peed." He said. He can't have his reputation being destroy like this. What would people from his previous world thing? The person who didn't get scared in front of death, peed?

"Here is your order!" Said the Old Man, placing burgers in front of them.

Looking at the burger, Tanya had saliva leaking from her mouth. Since coming to this world, she has never had a decent meal. And now the smell of burger was stimulating her taste buds.

"Go on. You can have half if you can eat that much." Noah said as he started to eat his burger.

Though he looked like gluttony, by no chance he was. The reason he was eating this much was that he was using a certain spiritual training method that was created in his world. According to it, the food that is term waste by the body is turned into energy and use to increase one spiritual energy. For this reason, fatness was removed from his world as no waste material is left inside the body. The biggest advantage was that one doesn't have to go or use a bath.

Tanya hearing him also started to eat her burgers. She has to say, burger party or not, she loved the taste of the burger.

'Probably since I haven't eaten a decent thing since coming to this world.'

They both eat to their full before releasing a satisfying sigh.

"That was tasty..." Tanya said, patting her stomach.

"Yeah, it was satisfying," Noah said.

They sat on the table for some time when Noah speak, "Say little Tanya, what is your dream or what is it that you want to achieve?"

Without thinking, Tanya answered. "Laid back peaceful life."

Noah who listened to her went into deep thinking. He looked towards the sky.

'A peaceful life, huh.'

***

"Say, Pluto, what is your dream, or what is you want to achieve?"

"Hmm, a peaceful life maybe? I am tired of constant fighting. I just want to live a laid back life now."

"Laidback life, huh. That is going to be impossible seeing as how valuable asset you are considered to the country and the army."

"And the fact that my partner is you."

"Come on~, you are embarrassing me."

"That was not a compliment but a sarcasm."

"Don't be shy~ I know you love me."

"Who would love you?!... Stop it! Don't sit on me! Oi!"

***

"OI!"

Noah heard a loud shout that brought him back from his memories. He looked towards Tanya who was leaning forward and moving her hand in front of his face. "Sorry I didn't catch you. Did you say something just now?"

"Nothing. I was asking what is your dream." Tanya asked. Though she was suspicious of him, she still thought having him near her was not that bad since he was, at least, more intelligent or looked more intelligent than the people around her.

"My dream?" Noah went into deep thinking.

'Now that I think about it, I never had a dream.'

"Is to have fun maybe."

"Maybe?" Tanya asked. She could tell by looking at his expression that he was confused by something but she couldn't pinpoint it.

Noah smiled and answered, "Yep, my dream is to have fun. Since life is boring without any fun."

Tanya looked at him and thought that he looked more like a child right now.

"But… with how the things going on between Empire and its surrounding nations, I don't think your dream of normal life is going to come true," Noah said while looking at her.

He has seen many people since coming to this world but none could match her mana reserve. She had the biggest one he has ever seen. And if he is not wrong, then she was in Advance Rank almost about to break into Saint Rank. In short, she was Half-Step Saint Rank.

'A natural-born genius, she is. I will have to spend, at least, five years to reach Saint Rank that she reached without doing anything. But if I am not wrong, magic is not that developed in this world. Seeing as how they are not using it in their daily life. I can use that to my advantage. They also don't seem to have any ways to increase one's mana pool. They just go with the pool one is born with. If I gave a method to increase mana, then she will increase at a tremendous pace.'

"What do you mean by that?" Tanya asked, confused. She still hasn't known that she, probably because of Being X intervention, possessed a bigger mana pool than comparing to other people. And because of that, she would be sent to war, sooner or later.

"Oh! You don't know? Well, don't worry I will explain but on one condition." Noah said smirking.

Tanya had a bad feeling but she still asked, it was related to her life and future. "What condition?"

"Heh, it's simple. From now one, you will call me Onii-chan!"

"What?! Impossible! I and Onii-chan? Never!" Tanya said, denying it vehemently.

'I am a 30 years' dude, God Dammit! And you want me to call you, someone more than a decade younger than me, Onii-chan? Never on my grave!'

"Then you can forget it. I will not tell you then as to how your life is going to change. And will probably become hectic." Noah said. He didn't think she would be this much against the idea of her calling him Onii-chan.

Hearing it, Tanya gritted her teeth 'I have decided. Before Being X, he will be the person I will kill.'

"O…Oni-Onii-chan!" Tanya said with such a hideous face that It would scare a child and send him to oblivion.

"Please tell me, Onii-chan!"

Noah who heard her wanted to scream that she—instead of being cute—was looking scarier.

"Good girl. Onii-chan is happy… Anyway, back to the topic. Do you know about magic?" Noah smiled and pats her head before asking.

Tanya who heard him looked at him and nodded, "I know. I heard it from the sister that everyone possesses magic but some are exceptionally talented." She said.

She was surprised when the first time she learned that magic exists in this world. Who would not? It was something like a childhood dream of every person. But the fact was that she was sent here, in this world, by Being X that made her think twice about magic. Since with every power comes chaos equal to the power. And knowing the fact that she was sent here to become a believer, by throwing her in dangerous situations. She was sure that magic would play a certain part in it.

"Well, congratulations then! You have the strongest mana of all the people I have met. And if I am not wrong, during Army Selection Program you would definitely be selected as a Mage." Noah said while patting her head.

Tanya was too distracted by his news that she forgets to stop him.

'I have the strongest mana than all the people he has met by far?'

"How do you know that?" She asked.

"I have a special ability or it's like a skill that let you see other people mana and energy," Noah said.

Tanya hearing him gritted her teeth. 'I knew it! I knew it that Being X wouldn't let it go this easily. Big mana pool? It's plain to see that Being X has a big part in it.'

After thinking for a while she couldn't come up with any solution. She looked towards Noah who was smiling happily.

"Do you have a way to hide my mana pool so that no one finds out about it?"

She thought since she already possessed it then she can try to hide it. And Noah seemed knowledgeable on this subject. Though that did arouse her suspiciousness.

Noah hearing her thought. There were many ways to hide once mana but those were only to hide from the person or alive individual. But what he gathered, Army uses machines to stimulate once mana, if they—child—produce certain results like levitating subjects around them, they are selected. In short, even if she hides her mana, she still can't hide it during the test that stimulates your mana externally. It's like trying to hide once existence through a thermal detector.

"You can hide it from other individuals but not from the machines. To make it more understandable, it's when dogs are used to sniff the hidden target. Machines are the same, they can sniff and stimulate your mana."

Tanya went into deep thinking.

'If I leave orphan…no. I have no place to go…can only join the army than. But if we look at it with a different perspective, it's not bad. First, there exists literal gender equality in the military. Second, I can get myself a position in the rear and live my slow life from there. I mean, they are not going to send a child to the battlefield, right? As long as Being X doesn't put a prank.'

She could only sigh.

"Well, no need to be sad as I, your Onii-chan, shall join you on your adventure of leaving your name in history!" Noah said, raising and pointing his finger towards the sky.

"Yah…"

"Anyway, let's leave this topic and talk about something that we can do right now."

"Something we can do right now?" Tanya asked confused. What can she do with her four years old body? Become a bait in catching pedos?

"Yes, right now. I was looking for a job when I found something interesting in the newspaper."

Tanya leans forward indicating that she was interested.

Nodding Noah said, "It's… Child Modeling!"

"…"

"What is with that deadpan expression?! I am being serious here. With you and me, we can rock this entertainment industry! You and me, no narcissism attended, but we are above average. With you doing girl and me boy, its perfect couple!" Noah said with enthusiasm. Though he didn't get any reaction from Tanya.

'This brat wants me to wear girl's clothes and do Photoshoot? Never will I! What about my pride as a man would go if I did it?'

"I will never do such a thing; you have to go over my body!"

---

"Are you two the ones applying for Modeling?" The receptionist asked, looking at a five-year-old boy whose face was beaming with a bright smile filled with nothing but innocence. And a four-year-old girl whose expression was of dead people who has lost hope in humanity.

'What a wired duo of children.'

"That's right. We would like to apply." The bright boy—Noah said.

Tanya just humped and looked sideways.

'It's all for a better life. All for a better life.'

The receptionist looked at them and asked, "Where are your guardians?"

Hearing her, suddenly tears started to fall from Noah's eyes, "Mother and Father sniff* both were in the army. Sniff* they went but never came back. After that, we sniff* we were taken in by an orphanage."

Tanya who was looking at him was thinking how good of a liar he was. Even she thought that this guy must have lived a hard life.

The receptionist who heard him went into an awkward silence.

'Such poor children. They lost their parents at such a tender age and now has to live as an orphan. I definitely should help them. Just like how their parents died serving our nation!'

The receptionist bent down and cleans tears from his face, hugs him. "Forgive me. Onee-san didn't know that you had such a hard life. Don't worry, Onee-san will help you as much as she can!" she said to him while also hugging Tanya.

Noah and Tanya were looking at each other whole Noah was giving her thumbs up.

"You two wait there at the table, I will take care of your papers."

Noah and Tanya went and sat on the table as Tanya said, "I didn't know that you were an actor too."

"You still don't know me, Little Tanya. I am Jack of all Trades and Master of all." Noah said pulling his hair back.

Tanya just rolled her eyes.

As they were waiting, the receptionist came back with a slightly fat man. He had short black hair with a small mustache. He looked towards them as start shone in his eyes.

"Marvelous! Such beautiful children! They are perfect for my clothes model!"

Noah and Tanya felt a chill running through their spine. 'Pedo!!'

"This is the designer of the clothes that you are going to wear, Mr. Wazo Essertg," The receptionist said, introducing the designer.

'Wazo Essertg? To go? Where are you going man; I hope you don't go in a direction from where there's no return.' Noah thought as he smiles and does a polite greeting.

"I am Noah Pelagon and this is my sister Tanya Degurechaff. I received the name from our father while she from our mother. We are here, after watching your ad at a newspaper about Child Modeling. It is our honor meeting you, Mr. Wazo Essertg."

Tanya also did a small bow to greet him.

Wazo nodded seeing their greeting, "Good! You both know normal etiquette. From now one, you will be our new Child Models with some others."

"We will be in your care then," Noah said.

Wazo nodded. He was quite satisfied with both of them. Since Child Modeling was a new trend, most people didn't give it much attention. That's why finding a Model was a great hurdle. Though they could use their connections that would make them own others that most businessmen prefer to avoid if they are not practically close to each other.

"You take them to change room; we will start our first photo session of today," Wazo said to the receptionist who nodded and led them to the changing room.

'I will be famous with these guys as my model. Both of them have a doll-like face.'