Chapter 42 : Chapter 42
Chapter 042
What was that supposed to mean this time? If I was still alive in a week?
That made it sound as though I were going off to die.
When I merely stood there blankly as if asking what on earth he meant, Yanrof stepped forward. Then he placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring pat.
Thanks to that, an opening presented itself for me to ask.
“I do not quite understand what you mean. Am I going somewhere to die?”
“Keep your head down as much as possible. That is the only way you will endure under Young Master Hamel. It seems that is all I can say for you.”
“……Understood.”
I could not press him for details. It did not seem as though he would answer anyway. At times like this, the answer was simple: use Rohanpedia. I offered my respects to Yanrof and left the office.
First, I needed to find out where Rohan was.
I stopped an apprentice who happened to be passing nearby. At first he had only been an acquaintance, but lately, as I began earning merit, he had drifted over to my side.
“James. Do you happen to know where Rohan is?”
“He should be in the quarters. I ran into him a little while ago, and he looked to be in a rotten mood. He kept muttering things about being jealous and whatnot, so I wondered what had happened.”
“Did he?”
I let out a short laugh. He was obviously envious of whatever had gone on between Young Lady Sapiela and me.
“But are you all right? I heard that you stepped on Young Master Hamel’s foot and broke it. Is that true?”
“Part of it is true. I did step on it, but I didn’t break it. He was not seriously hurt.”
“That’s a relief, but......”
“Why do you look disappointed? Like someone who wishes I had stepped on him harder.”
James glanced around once, confirmed that no one was nearby, and then spoke cautiously.
“……Everyone has a lot piled up against Young Master Hamel, so they’re all cheering for you. They said next time you ought to stomp right on his manhood. Keep that in mind.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Do not even ask. If you get assigned exclusively to Young Master Hamel, it might be better to bite your tongue and die. Either that, or come out half-crippled and have to quit the apprenticeship.”
It seemed James had suffered something at his hands too. Things really were going from bad to worse. After parting from him, I changed direction and headed for Rohan’s quarters.
When I knocked and stepped inside, I found that an unexpected guest was there as well. Arwen had come to visit. She greeted me brightly with a beaming smile.
“Oh, Dilen. What brings you here? You do not usually come to Rohan’s room.”
“This is a pleasant scene. Have I interrupted something?”
At my teasing remark, Arwen waved both arms furiously, trying to fluster the Rohan sitting beside her. But his resistance was formidable.
“Quit talking nonsense and sit down, idiot.”
Rohan was utterly unfazed. Proof that he did not think of Arwen as a woman at all.
From time to time, I liked to tease them by probing at the two of them like this, but neither ever took the bait. It really did seem that the two were no more than childhood friends.
For the moment, I shrugged off my robe, set it aside, unfastened the cumbersome sword at my waist, and took a seat.
Then I turned to Arwen, who was looking at me with sparkling eyes.
“How is the work at Rosetta?”
“It is hard, but manageable. I had no idea cooking could be this enjoyable! The other day, the Knights came all together, and while I was helping prepare their meal, my heart was pounding.”
Yes. You were born to be a cook. Hurry up and refine yourself until you become the chef in charge of Primera. And while you are at it, turn those A-rank Traits into S-rank.
But could Traits be upgraded too?
I would have to check that later when I had the time. Fortunately, the Status Window had some sort of convenience system built into it, so comparing new information with existing information would not be difficult.
Sometimes I wondered who had made such a thing in the first place.
Did a god really exist, after all?
“But I heard you went out today? Rohan told me you got an outing pass from the Young Lady, and he sounded positively sick with envy.”
“Oh, my aching stomach!”
“I was going to go out, but I could not in the end. Something came up.”
“Something?”
Arwen tilted her head with an adorable expression.
“Did something happen? Now that I look at you, your face does not look very good.”
“It became a little complicated. But aren’t you on duty today? Is it really all right for you to be relaxing like this?”
“My shift ended already.”
The three of us often spent time together, as one would expect of people from the same village. When the day’s work ended and free time was given, we usually gathered in one place and talked about whatever had happened that day. Normally, we met in my quarters.
And it was not just us. The same went for other butlers and maids as well.
People from the same hometown gathered together in little groups. Even House Adeline, famous for its harsh discipline, did not interfere with that much. If it did, people would not be able to bear the stress.
“So what became complicated this time? Did Young Lady Sapiela confess her feelings to you or something?”
Rohan said it with a sneer. He seemed even more jealous than I had thought. It almost made me want to prescribe him medicine for his stomachache.
“Well...... my posting got changed.”
“Suddenly?”
Both of them stared at me in shock, their eyes clearly urging me to continue.
“Young Master Hamel specifically singled me out. Starting tomorrow, for one week, I’m to attend him.”
“What?”
“What?”
As expected, both of them jerked in surprise. Rohan’s expression, in particular, was spectacular. To call it serious would not have done it justice. He looked like a man who had just seen hell.
A helpless laugh escaped me, and I asked him,
“Is it really that bad?”
“……Bad doesn’t even begin to cover it. But who told you about the reassignment?”
“The Head Butler himself, kindly enough.”
“He didn’t say anything else?”
“He said that this time can’t be helped, but that he’ll somehow do something about it if it happens again. Assuming I survive this time, that is.”
“Hm.”
Rohan stroked his chin and sank into thought. I sat back at an angle and crossed my legs comfortably.
“Well, now that it’s come to this, I’ll just have to prove my ability. Whatever task he gives me, I plan to carry it out perfectly.”
“If it’s you, Dilen, you’ll do well. Don’t worry too much.”
“Thank you.”
I steadied my mind with Arwen’s comfort. But Rohan had gone strangely quiet, sunk in thought ever since. That sort of behavior did not suit him at all.
“What are you thinking about that has made you so silent?”
“Well, actually, there’s a rumor about Young Master Hamel.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Everyone knows Young Master Hamel is a hellion, right? But they say no one knows why he became one.”
That was genuinely interesting. I looked at Rohan and urged him on.
“They say that when he was younger, he was extremely clever. But then, all of a sudden, his personality changed and he turned into the wreck he is now. There may be something hidden there that we don’t know.”
“That could be.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to be even more careful. You don’t know how Young Master Hamel is going to try to work you over. I’m saying that simply doing your tasks well won’t be enough to get you through this.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
My curiosity about Young Master Hamel only deepened.
But the serious mood ended there. Rohan abruptly changed the subject and began prying into the latest developments between Young Lady Sapiela and me.
***
That night, I went to the Training Ground reserved for Butler Apprentices to practice. I had assumed it would be empty as usual, but someone had gotten there before me and was already training.
It was none other than Arthas, the Apprentice Knight.
“Oh, Dilen! So you’re still alive.”
That made the third time I had heard that exact line today. My affair with Young Master Hamel had caused quite a stir. Everyone seemed to be worrying about me.
To be honest, I had expected Young Lady Sapiela to say at least something once she heard the news, but there had still been no word from her. Whether she had some other thought in mind, or whether her interest in me extended only so far, I had no way of knowing yet.
I picked up one of the Wooden Swords from the tray set nearby and walked forward.
“I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you lately. So you’ve come to train again after all?”
“I’ve been busy.”
With a grin, I thrust the Wooden Sword at Arthas without warning.
TACK!
A clean impact rang out, and he knocked my blade away with absurd ease. As expected of a four-star talent. One day, I needed to make him into a reliable ally.
This time Arthas settled into a Sword Form and swung at once. It was a fine attack, but my sword was already in the way, closing off the path of his blade.
TAAK!
“Not bad.”
“I ought to manage at least this much. I’m destined to become a first-rate butler.”
“Shall we have a proper bout? I’ve been wondering where the limits of your skill lie.”
A meaningful remark.
Hearing it, I found myself admiring Arthas’s eye once again. Even if he was still only an apprentice, in terms of martial skill he stood several moves above me. We were administrative personnel, after all, not combat personnel.
And yet Arthas was not underestimating my skill. Which meant he had the ability to size up an opponent properly without letting down his guard.
I had not yet sparred with Arthas even once. Partly because our training times had never lined up well, and partly because when we did meet, we spent more time talking than doing anything else.
Smiling, I shook my head.
“Next time. Don’t misunderstand—I’m not avoiding it because I’m scared. I just thought I ought to preserve myself a little, since I start attending Young Master Hamel tomorrow.”
“What? You’re going to attend the Young Master? Hm...... so it has come to that after all.”
“Do you know something?”
He spun the Wooden Sword around twice and then brought it to rest in a neat finish. Stylish, wasn’t it? I ought to try that myself sometime.
“There were Apprentice Knights who ended up in situations similar to yours. Some came back after being dragged off and beaten senseless. Others were given absurd tasks, ended up gravely injured, or even lost their lives.”
“I see.”
“You’re not worried?”
“Not really.”
“Hahaha. Sometimes I envy that confidence of yours.”
“Worrying doesn’t improve the situation.”
Apparently my cool answer pleased him, because Arthas smiled with amused interest.
“Take care of yourself, and once you get out from under Young Master Hamel’s hand safely, we’ll have a proper bout then.”
“Agreed.”
After that, we each returned to our own training. While Arthas swung his sword as though he intended to kill someone, I finished my own practice with little more than some light loosening up.
I had meant to unfold my Mana Cultivation Method, but there were eyes on me, so I ended up returning to my quarters, sitting down cross-legged, and starting again there.
Closing my eyes, I spread the mysterious energy pouring out of my heart throughout my entire body.
“……Good. The pace is slow, but the results are continuing to accumulate.”
I examined my Mana Circuit. There had been no dramatic change, but I could tell that the circuit was slowly growing more solid.
The amount of mana was fixed.
And mana possessed properties similar to electric current.
If so, then the result would differ greatly depending on how one passed mana through the circuit. Even with the same amount of mana, the intensity changed depending on how the circuit was used.
Thus I ended the day with training and greeted a new morning.
After washing up simply, I stopped by Training Officer Vesper to report the change in my assignment, listened to the obvious warnings, and was immediately sent off to my new duty.
My heart was pounding.
What sort of duty awaited me this time?
I lightly knocked on the door of the residence where Young Master Hamel was staying.