The day we moved to the capital arrived. We said our goodbyes to Silver Moon’s Mika-san and Doran-san, Parento’s Aer-san, Fashion King Zanac’s Zanac-san, Bear-Hachi’s Weapons’ Baral-san, and the others who’d looked after us, and left Reflet.
The first town I’d lived in this world. Plenty of feelings about it. I can come back any time with [Gate], but it still tugs.
Doran-san said something about turning this town into the shogi town. With the king himself hooked, that gambit might surprisingly succeed.
To Zanac-san, as a parting gift, I handed over papers printed with all sorts of clothing designs. Maybe nurse outfits and sailor uniforms will surface eventually. …I didn’t recommend them — Zanac-san jumped at them.
To Aer-san at Parento, sweets recipes and several handy tools made by [Modeling]: an ice cream scoop, round/heart/star cookie cutters, a torte cutter. I’ll come back to eat the new items.
Same for Mika-san: a slotted knife, peeler, juicer, grater, and a stack of recipes. Silver Moon’s meals will gain even more destructive power.
Saying goodbye and getting back to the capital, I found several carriages stopped in front of the house, hauling in furniture. Yumina, who’d been directing the load-in, spotted us in the garden and came running over.
“Touya-san — perfect timing. There’s someone here who’d like to be hired as the steward of the house. Would you meet him?”
“Eh? Now?”
While I stood surprised, an elderly man in fully black formal wear, white-haired and white-bearded, came over from the terrace. Hm? I’ve seen him somewhere… Ah — when I got the house, he was the one who brought the money and the deed.
“A pleasure to meet… no, our second meeting, was it. Lime, my name. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Lime-san bowed deeply. Late sixties, maybe. For his age, his movements were strikingly youthful.
“Granddad served as Father’s caretaker for many years. As steward — beyond reproach.”
“Eh!?”
So he was the king’s personal attendant!? Another monstrously over-qualified hire pulled in!
“Why would someone like you come work for us…”
“No — the years catch up to a man. I’ve passed the post to my son this time. And then her Highness invited me. Spending the rest of my life in the service of my brother’s life-saver — I find the idea not bad.”
”…Brother?”
“Reim, my name. I serve Duke Ortlinde.”
“Ah! Sue’s Reim-san!”
Right, he reminded me of someone — it’s Reim-san. The royal brothers served by brothers themselves. Butler-brothers.
“How is it. Will you take me on?”
“No — no objection on my end… is it really all right? Surely there are positions with better terms…”
“No. Here is where I would serve. I am in your care.”
Lime-san bowed once more. No reason to refuse, so I asked him to take charge of the house and supervise the staff. The whole management of the house, on his shoulders.
“Then, without delay, Master.”
“Drop the Master*!?*”
“As long as I am in your employ, the master-servant relationship must be properly upheld. Now then, Master, there are several others I’d like to hire. Would you meet with them?”
I tried — somehow — to get Master dropped, but no use. He wouldn’t budge an inch. Pro butler, this guy. In any case, he said he’d bring them, and Lime-san strode briskly out. Fast acting…
“You found a great butler, eh.”
Elze took her bag inside. Linze and Yae followed; Yumina got back to directing the furniture.
I headed for my own room to drop off my luggage and help with the load-in.
My room is the largest on the second floor, but apart from the built-in bed and closet, it has nothing. Bed yes, bedding no. A dresser, desk, chair, and bookshelf are due to arrive today as furniture. Bedding too.
Hm? Just realized — I could’ve made the chairs and dressers with [Modeling], couldn’t I? Could’ve saved the money… No, then I’d have been roped into making everyone’s. That, I pass on. Tedious. Calling it a win as-is.
Right — go help with the unloading. They’re probably struggling with heavy furniture. I’m the only male hand here. Got to show I can be relied on once in a while.
— I thought, but Elze was using [Boost] to whip heavy furniture around like nothing. Huh? I’m… not needed?
Tch — can’t lose to that. Fine — male pride at stake. I fired up [Boost] too and started hauling on momentum.
When the load-in was done, we took a breather — gathered on the terrace for tea.
For now, our rooms, the living room, kitchen, parlor — the main spaces had furniture moved in. Just clothes and books to organize next.
Elze and I had hauled furniture in a [Boost]-fueled contest, and the verdict went to Elze. Even with the Null spell [Boost] amplifying physical capacity several times over, when both sides use the same spell, base strength wins. Losing to a girl in stamina is a sad story. Maybe I’ll train more…
Or rather — physically I lose to Elze, in magic knowledge and practice I lose to Linze, in swordsmanship I lose to Yae, and in archery and etiquette I lose to Yumina… no, I’m getting depressed.
“Finally settled.”
“Still much to buy in detail, indeed…”
”…Let’s pick those up little by little, gradually.”
“Yes, that’s enough for today.”
True, lots of small stuff still missing. Tableware, soap, daily goods. Bath bucket… ah, cleaning stuff too? We’ve only got one or two of any of those. No trash cans either. Quite a list.
We talked over what we needed and made a list. Buy it all in one trip later. While we tossed in opinions, Lime-san returned through the gate with several men and women.
“Master, these are the people I mentioned. All with verified backgrounds — would you take them on?”
Master still doesn’t sit right… Can’t I get the form of address changed somehow? Being called Master makes me feel ancient. Ten more years and it might fit, but…
“From the Maid Guild. Lapis, my name. I am in your care.”
“Same, from the Maid Guild~. Cécile, I am~. Pleased to be in your care~.”
The two in maid uniforms bowed. The black-haired bob-cut, serious-looking one is Lapis-san; the bright brown-haired, soft-smiled one is Cécile-san. Both about twenty. Both in maid uniforms, with the standard white-brim headband.
Maid Guild, huh… Apparently, because of theft and crime by maids, guild-certified maids — with strict background checks and training — are valued.
The two would handle the cleaning and management of the house under Lime-san.
“Frio, gardener. This is my wife Claire.”
“Claire. Cook.”
Next to introduce themselves were a couple in their late twenties.
A good-natured young man with dusty blonde hair, and a likewise good-natured red-haired woman. Matching couple. Both seemed easygoing.
Frio-san was apparently the son of a friend of Lime-san’s. From flower-care to the kitchen garden, garden management would be his. Wife Claire-san would be our personal cook.
She’d been apprenticing under a cook serving a noble in the capital, supposedly. I’ll show her the recipe collection I gave Mika-san.
“Thomas. Former Royal Heavy Infantry.”
“Hack. Former Royal Light Cavalry.”
Oh — heavy and light. Their builds match the names too. Both fifties or so. Both recently retired from the Royal Knights, and Lime-san reached out. They’ll handle gate duty and security in shifts. Night-shifts for the gate too — alternating, then.
Won’t two be tough, though? Maybe one or two more should be hired. Leave it to Lime-san.
Thomas and Hack… Tom and Huck. No way they weren’t pranksters as kids.
No real complaints — I went with all of Lime-san’s hiring picks.
“Thomas and Hack live in the capital, so they’ll commute. The other four, and I, would live here — would that be acceptable?”
I accepted Lime-san’s request. Plenty of rooms; no problem.
Frio-san and Claire-san said one room would do — being a couple — but I had them take the annex instead. Annex — but back in my old world it would’ve passed for a full house. I want them to have their couple-time.
I gave each a stipend and asked them to buy what they needed. Separate from that, I gave more to Lapis-san and Claire-san — the dry-goods on the list to Lapis-san, food and kitchenware to Claire-san.
The others left for shopping right away; Lime-san wanted to inspect the house and went inside. Now that he’s working here, he wants to verify the details himself. I genuinely respect this.
“Things just keep getting decided.”
Haven’t even gotten used to the house yet — and we have seven new staff. Money-wise, OK? We have what the king gave, so for now, fine.
No use stewing.
“With Granddad in charge there’s no problem. He’s served Father since childhood — that’s not for show.”
“To think we’d hire the king’s caretaker, of all people.”
“That’s how much he sees in you, Touya-san.”
Yumina sipped her tea with a naturally face. Which is its own pressure…
”…But we couldn’t have managed alone anyway. Honestly — having a competent butler is appreciated.”
Linze was feeding cookies from the tray to Kōhaku, sprawled on her lap. True enough. We’ll be in his debt for a lot from here.
Hm? Sound of a carriage stopping at the gate. Maybe Lapis-san and the others? Lots to carry, so they took a carriage.
While I was thinking that, Lime-san came toward us from inside the house.
“Master, His Grace Duke Ortlinde and Lady Sushie have arrived.”
“Eh, the Duke and Sue?”
The first formal guests of this house. Hm — what brings them?