The Top-Tier Butler of the Marquis Family

Chapter 031

For the time being, I returned to my quarters.

Just because I had become a witness did not mean it would be proper for me to go barging in to see His Excellency the Marquis. Once they had finished their preparations on that side, they would summon me. If I pushed myself forward unnecessarily, they might think poorly of it.

There was something I had learned not only from graduate school, but also from all the part-time jobs I had worked.

The truth that nothing good ever came from sticking your neck out.

I could simply stay quiet and ask only for what I needed. I had rendered service now. To some extent, they would probably grant my requests. If things went especially well, they might even ask whether I had a wish.

I removed my sword and mana pistol and put them into the wardrobe. Then, suddenly, I thought of Smith.

“Come to think of it, I owe Smith a great deal.”

The weapons I had used today had, in truth, all been born from his hands. And with that sword of his—defective though it was—I had still defeated my enemies. He had also made the mana pistol exactly according to my blueprint.

I could not help thinking that I needed to repay him properly.

I was not some kind of lowlife, after all.

“Since I happen to have money now, I should repay him, should I not?”

When I dealt with those two men of the Scorpion Gang near former Training Officer Cornel’s house, I had taken the money they were carrying. I had not counted it yet, but the purse was satisfyingly fat.

Would that not be enough to repay Smith? He had even made the mana pistol for me on credit.

First, I sat down at the desk and opened the purse I had taken as war spoils.

Clatterrr!

The coins spilled out and gleamed beautifully.

They were almost all silver coins. A few copper coins were mixed in here and there, but silver overwhelmingly dominated.

If this was a rational world, then silver naturally had to be worth more than copper.

I counted the coins.

The silver came to a total value of 53, and the copper to 15. In other words, in the terms used here, that meant 53 silver and 15 copper.

I have absolutely no sense of whether that is a great deal of money or a small amount.

Smith had asked for 30 silver to make the pistol, so judging roughly from that, perhaps it was worth a few hundred thousand won? Then again, it might vary depending on things like refining costs and how hard it was to secure the raw materials.

Well, I would come to understand that naturally if I lived here a little longer.

For now, I took out 30 silver, then added a little extra as payment on top of it and put that into a separate pouch. As for the rest, I shoved it carelessly into a drawer.

Then I picked up the old sword from the wardrobe and headed for the forge.

It was a little wasteful, but this was an item I had to return. And now that I had money to spare, there was nothing wrong with getting a proper sword. On top of that, with the mana pistol in hand as well, I was unlikely to be in danger for the time being.

I was just about to leave when I paused for a moment. Then I resumed walking. I had stopped because I wondered whether they might send for me in the meantime, but it would only be a short trip, so it hardly mattered.

I had rendered service, so perhaps it was time to indulge in a little petty privilege.

***

The forge was as busy as ever.

CLANG! CLANG! HSSSSSS!

It was full of the sound of iron being hammered and the fierce hiss of glowing metal plunged into water. Broad-shouldered men were striking metal bars with force. It was a very lively sight.

After stepping inside, I looked around. Perhaps because I had come here several times already, the men working there recognized me.

Of course, their eyes were not exactly friendly. More along the lines of, We are busy, so why are you here again?

In the midst of that, I found Smith and walked over to him.

“Smith!”

“Hm? You. What brings you here this time?”

“If you have a moment, would you step outside with me?”

As a master craftsman, he did not actually do much hands-on work himself. He made important weapons, of course, but mostly he supervised the smiths working below him and taught them as needed.

Today too, he was standing off to the side with his arms folded, overseeing the work. That made it easy enough for me to speak to him.

“You still have a talent for dragging people away when they are busy. You and your friend really are alike.”

“Have you not heard the news?”

“What news?”

It seemed the rumor had not yet reached the forge. Then again, this was a place where everyone was constantly busy working. It was not as though someone would dash straight up here carrying gossip.

Ah, no, there was one man who might.

Rohan, the famous source of information.

If even he had not come spreading the news, then this matter had probably not traveled as far as I thought yet.

“Was there not a festival in the lower village today?”

“That is right. It is held every year.”

“There was a bit of an incident there. Young Lady Sapiela went to give an address, and she was kidnapped.”

“......What?”

Smith frowned as though he had just heard something impossible. If we had not already established a relationship, it felt as though he might have punched me for saying it.

I calmed him first.

“She was taken hostage for a moment, but fortunately, the Young Lady is unharmed. The disturbance died down quickly as well. They are still keeping things quiet, so please let this stay with you alone, Smith.”

“Ahem. Naturally. Hoho, then what sort of madman would dare do such a thing? But where did you hear it?”

“I happened to be there. I used the Overnight Leave Pass I was given before and was enjoying the festival.”

“Ah! I see.”

Sharing a secret.

That was one way of earning a person’s trust. It made them think, This man gives me high-level information, so I should treat him well.

“But did you call me out here just to tell me that? It does not feel like that is the whole story.”

“Hahaha. I came to pay off a debt.”

I handed him the forty silver coins I had prepared in advance. No haggling, no fuss. A clean transaction was best.

“It is forty silver. Thirty is the cost of the commission I put on credit back then, and please think of the remaining ten silver as interest.”

“Huh?”

Smith took the money on instinct and stared at it in surprise. It was the sort of expression that clearly asked, Where in the world did a mere apprentice get this kind of money? Even so, he did not pry.

Smiling, I added one more thing.

“I think I will have more things to commission from you in the future, so I would appreciate your help then too.”

That was not an empty remark. I truly would have much more work for him later, so long as I remained in this House.

“Hahaha. Leave it to me! As long as the payment is clear, I welcome all such business.”

“But is it really all right for you to take private commissions like this? What if the higher-ups...”

“Do not worry! There is no one higher than me in this forge. No one here has the standing to say a word about it. In fact, people from outside bring in personal commissions all the time.”

“I understand. Ah, and I put the sword you lent me to good use before. I think I can return it now.”

I unfastened the sword from my waist and handed it to him.

Smith took the blade and looked at me with a curious expression.

“It is not as damaged as I expected. Did you even have occasion to swing it?”

Naturally. I had been pouring mana into it the whole time I used it.

“It proved quite useful.”

“I see. But if you return this, then you will have no weapon of your own, will you?”

“I think I will be all right, since I have the other thing I made before...”

One option would be to buy a suitable weapon with the money I extorted from the Scorpion Gang bastards. In any case, the mana pistol was only a sidearm.

At that, Smith waved a hand and said,

“I will improve this one for you a bit. I took interest from you, so I cannot very well leave it there. Just give me a little time to refine it. I will turn it into something a little sharper.”

“Really?”

“Have you ever seen me lie?”

Chuckling, he gestured for me to go on my way. I bowed deeply in genuine gratitude and left the forge.

This was exactly why it paid to have good friends. In my heart, I offered my thanks to Rohan.

After leaving the forge, I reentered the mansion.

But the eyes of the soldiers guarding the gate were strange. They were looking at me with something like surprise.

So you heard the rumor.

Just as expected, one of the senior soldiers standing nearby spoke to me.

“It seems your training has finally borne fruit.”

“I was fortunate.”

“What do you mean, fortunate? You were the only apprentice who trained every night. I still remember the time you collapsed asleep in the Training Ground.”

There had been such days too.

It had only happened not long ago, but now it felt like something from a distant age. The difference between my abilities then and now was simply too great.

“You worked hard. Go on in.”

“Thank you.”

I went straight up to my room.

When I stepped inside, someone was already standing there. Judging by his clothes, he was a butler, though not one I had seen before. I gave him the proper respect due to a senior.

“Where have you been wandering? You were ordered to wait by Sir Roland.”

“My apologies.”

“Come with me at once. The Master is looking for you.”

“Yes, sir.”

At last, what had to come had arrived. I calmed my pounding heart for a moment, then quietly followed the senior butler whose name I did not know.

After leading the way for a while, he glanced back over his shoulder and asked,

“But how exactly did you save the Young Lady? You are nothing more than an apprentice.”

Curious, are you? I have no intention of telling you.

***

The office of Marquis Chronos embodied the stature of House Adeline itself. It possessed a dignity too great to be described merely as large and grand.

Marquis Chronos, his hair white, sat in his seat of authority listening to someone’s report. Sir Roland, the guard knight, was there as well, and beside him stood Head Butler Yanrof.

Sir Roland made sense, but the presence of Head Butler Yanrof was somewhat unexpected.

“It is an honor to see the Master.”

As the senior butler had instructed me, I knelt respectfully and made clear my absolute submission.

“Rise.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Even after standing, I kept my head lowered and my eyes fixed on the floor. I had been told that was proper etiquette, so I had no choice but to follow it.

“Your name is Dilen, is that right?”

“That is correct.”

“Where are you from?”

For an instant, I nearly lost the ability to speak. My head went blank.

I still knew very little about the original owner of this body.

“......I am from Fortuna.”

“Fortuna. You came from very far away.”

“I applied to the apprenticeship together with a friend. Another friend of mine now works here as a maid.”

“Is that so?”

His voice carried little interest. A low murmur drifted down from the seat of authority.

“I heard the full account of the incident from Sir Roland. He says that thanks to your actions, Sapiela did not come to harm. I also hear that your entrance record was abysmal....”

Ah, so that was why Head Butler Yanrof had been called. To answer questions about me.

But that much was an easy question to anticipate.

“After my accident, I trained diligently. With no thought in my heart except devotion to House Adeline.”

“I see. I had thought that butlers who trained in martial arts had become very rare these days. Apparently that is not the case.”

Having opened with that, the Marquis went straight to the heart of the matter.

“I wish to commend your service.”

“It is more grace than I deserve, but I merely did what ought to have been done.”

“There are many who fail to do even what ought to have been done. Raise your head.”

Only then did I lift my gaze and look upon the head of House Adeline.

He still wore a solemn expression.

“Regardless of a man’s origins, if he has done a good deed, he ought to be praised for it. I will ask you only one thing. What is your wish?”

Give me your daughter.

If I said something like that, my head would probably go flying.

I fell into thought for a moment.

Or rather, I only pretended to.

I had already decided from the beginning what I was going to ask for.