Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
Chapter 115
I thought Arthas had come in.
He was my lieutenant, after all, and one of the privileges of being a lieutenant was being able to come and go freely from my quarters.
Even without that authority, I had intended to let him relax as he pleased, since we were friends now.
“Dilen?”
I was startled. The voice I heard was not Arthas’s, but Arwen’s.
Before I even had time to answer, the doorknob turned and the door swung wide open.
The bathtub faced the door, and I was enjoying my bath without a single thing on. And since Arwen was standing, she could see straight into the tub.
Naturally, that meant Arwen and I ended up staring directly at each other.
“Kyaaah!”
A scream so predictable it almost felt obligatory. Arwen shrieked while covering her eyes with both hands.
But unexpectedly, the fingers covering her eyes slowly parted, and our gazes met again.
“Hey! Cover your eyes! Why are you peeking? Turn around already!”
“When we were little, the three of us used to bathe together all the time.”
Arwen did cover her eyes again, but she answered with a grin. Had she always had this shameless side to her? How fascinating.
I let out a small laugh and replied,
“Then should we try bathing together again, like the old days? Come on in. The water’s nice and cool.”
“Pervert!”
“You’re the one who started it.”
Covering the important parts, I got out and wrapped myself in a towel. It was a huge towel, the kind you would only expect to see in a hotel, big enough to cover my whole body like a robe.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I heard what happened at the ducal house! I was curious, and I wanted to congratulate you, so I ran right over.”
“There’s one more thing, isn’t there?”
At my question, Arwen jolted in surprise.
“How did you know?”
“There’s no way that news didn’t reach the Young Lady too. It’s something that could determine my special promotion. Do you think she would just let it pass? She’ll call me in and at least treat me to a cup of tea.”
Arwen smiled brightly.
I had only guessed, but apparently I was right.
In truth, I had not been serving Young Lady Sapiela for very long, but I had started to feel unusually close to her. Even without facing her directly, even without hearing her speak, I felt as though I knew what she wanted.
And it was not just Young Lady Sapiela. It was the same with other people too. In vulgar terms, I had become quicker on the uptake. More seasoned. I suspected this was another positive effect of mana.
“Then I should get going.”
“Get ready and come out. I’ll wait outside. Oh, but this......”
Arwen held out what she had been clutching against her chest. It was the broken bracelet I had left on the table earlier.
“Was it defective? I didn’t think it would break already.”
“No, it wasn’t that. I think it snapped from the impact when I saved the duchess earlier. I spread Aura, but there was only so much I could do about the shock reaching an accessory.”
“I see! Then I’ll fix it for you.”
“Thank you.”
Arwen smiled brightly and left. I returned to my room and began putting on my tailcoat.
“I wanted to rest a little longer.”
Putting off the cold bath for another time, I straightened my clothes in front of the mirror. Then, together with Arwen, who was waiting outside, I headed toward the Young Lady’s room.
The Young Lady looked a little different today.
She was seated at her desk, writing something on paper. Judging by the size and shape, it seemed to be a letter. Most likely, she was writing something to send back to the main house.
“I greet the noble Young Lady. I trust you have been well.”
“Yes.”
Had she really just answered with a simple yes?
It was my first time hearing such a response from her, but though I was somewhat surprised, I did not show it on my face and merely inclined my head.
“I heard that you summoned me. Is there some command you wish to give?”
“I heard you did a fine deed at the Bahamut Ducal House.”
“I merely did what I ought to do.”
“But are you not one of the Adeline House? It does not seem like something you had to do.”
“I did not do it as a Butler. I did it as a person. Saving someone in danger is only natural, is it not?”
The corner of Young Lady Sapiela’s mouth moved ever so slightly. By my interpretation, that meant she was smiling. Arwen, who had drifted closer to the Young Lady without my noticing, was also looking at me as though she were proud.
Things that had seemed perfectly natural where I used to live were treated as remarkably special in this place.
“I heard from Brituang. They say you may be able to rise to the rank of Full Butler this time.”
“I believe that may happen. But we still have to wait for word from the main house.”
“That’s wonderful. Truly.”
Sapiela looked genuinely pleased. Her expression had not changed much, but both Arwen and I could feel it.
“I really do think I was fortunate to enter the Adeline House.”
“Why?”
“Because so many people truly care for me. You as well, Young Lady. Every day feels new.”
Sapiela nodded with an expression of benevolence that somehow felt at odds with her usual self.
“Shall we have a cup of tea? I’d like to hear the story. About how you ended up saving the duchess.”
“It was only a small coincidence.”
Beginning with those words, I recounted everything that had happened at the ducal house without leaving out a single detail, occasionally adding touches of urgency to bring the story alive. Our conversation continued until late in the afternoon.
And then, at last, evening came, and I set out for the Bahamut Ducal House while attending Young Lady Sapiela in my capacity as her Attending Secretary.
***
The Bahamut House’s mansion was bright on all sides even though the sun had already gone down. I had no idea how many lanterns they must have lit, given that they had no electricity.
And that was not the only extravagant thing.
Starting from where the carriage stopped and all the way to the entrance, a thick red carpet had been laid out, and butlers and Maids in immaculate dress stood lined up on both sides.
I had definitely seen a scene like this somewhere before.
Ah, right. It was the sort of thing I used to see on television during state visits.
The symbolism of the Adeline House, and of Young Lady Sapiela, struck me all at once. But I also had the sense that there would be a little extra added on top of that because of the contribution I had made.
Really, it paid to do good deeds.
The carriage came to a stop. Exactly aligned with the red carpet.
I got out first, then held out my hand to Young Lady Sapiela. She gripped it firmly and stepped carefully down from the carriage. At once, Head Butler Hermes approached.
“You must have had a tiring journey. It is an honor to receive the Young Lady.”
“Thank you.”
“This way, please.”
I followed behind the Young Lady like a shadow. As she passed, the members of the house all offered respectful greetings. It was a fresh experience.
Someday, I too would likely have a day when I could walk a red carpet like this to my heart’s content.
At the entrance stood the duke’s children. It did not seem that all of them had come out, only one. Probably the First Young Master. What was his name again?
“Oh! You truly are as beautiful as I have heard! Is this what it feels like to fall in love at first sight? Might you grant me the chance to share a dance with you later?”
“Thank you for your warm welcome.”
The Young Lady did not actually answer him. She merely gave a polite greeting out of courtesy. The First Young Master smiled awkwardly, but he did not give up so easily.
“Hahaha. You must be quite shy. Forgive me for being so forward upon our first meeting.”
No, it wasn’t that she was shy. She simply had no interest in you.
And then suddenly, the Young Master’s gaze turned toward me. Had he somehow learned mind-reading?
“I was too flustered earlier to greet you properly. Thank you truly for saving my mother.”
“I am glad she was unharmed as well, Young Master.”
“I will not forget this debt.”
I showed suitable modesty. At the same time, I thought to myself, Just see if you dare forget it later.
“I cannot tell you how delighted I am to have two such welcome guests! Please, come inside for now. His Excellency is waiting within.”
He had the temperament of a born social butterfly. I wanted to take a look at his Status Window if I got the chance.
The First Young Master took the lead, and we followed after him.
As we walked down the corridor and were just about to enter the banquet hall, a short middle-aged man hurried toward us.
“Sir Dilen!”
He wore an expression as though he had just found his savior. The Young Lady halted, and I stopped as well. It was a face I had never seen before. Who was he?
Judging by his clothes, he did not seem to be a commoner. But neither did he look like a high noble. His attire was unremarkable.
“There was that horse accident earlier, wasn’t there? That was our merchant company’s cargo carriage, so thanks to your intervention, we narrowly avoided disaster.”
“Ah, I see.”
And yet somehow his head was still attached. There was only so much a person could do when a horse went wild, but at the very least, I would have expected that driver’s head to roll for it.
In any case, it seemed he had come to beg forgiveness and happened to run into me in the process.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Mannheim von Rosentio. I am a Baronet, and I lead the Blackstone Merchant Company.”
“The Blackstone Merchant Company? That is a distinctive name.”
“It’s because black stone is our main product. We process and sell black stone. Decorative goods, building materials, and all sorts of things. Today as well, I was bringing in decorative items when......”
“I see.”
He was starting to give me the impression of a peddler, and I was just thinking of ending the conversation. But then he respectfully held out both hands and asked for a handshake.
“I will come and properly pay my respects before long. Please spare me some time. If I simply wipe my mouth and let this pass, my pride as a merchant would never allow it.”
Faced with such a courteous request, I had no choice but to take his hand.
And at that very moment, something unexpected happened.
A Status Window appeared.
○ Mannheim von Rosentio
Rank: ★★
Level: 16
Traits: Accounting B, Eloquence B, Trap Installation C, Trade C, Poisoning Arts D, Stratagem D, Agility D, Swordsmanship D, ???
Status: Loathing
Areas of Interest: Revenge against the one who interfered with his plan.
[Locked]
......
I did not like the feel of this at all.
Judging by his actual abilities alone, he was not at a level worth worrying about much. But certain traits, his status message, and his Areas of Interest immediately caught my eye.
Aside from the traits one would expect of a merchant, he also possessed Trap Installation, Poisoning Arts, and Stratagem.
But why was he loathing me?
Outwardly, he was thanking me.
If what someone showed on the outside differed from what lay within, that meant he was hiding something.
And above all, the keyword plan in his Areas of Interest bothered me.
It seemed I had interfered with something he was trying to do.
Then there was only one possible answer.
This bastard had set up a scheme targeting the duchess.
That explained it. I had thought it was too abrupt to be a mere accident.
“There is no need to drag this out. I will spare you a little time after the banquet, so let us meet outside then.”
“Ah, would that really be all right?”
“It’s fine. This was never really the sort of banquet I ought to be intruding on in the first place.”
I tossed out a joke that was half true, and he let me go with an awkward laugh.
“Then I shall wait nearby.”
I nodded, and we began moving toward the banquet hall once more.
It seemed I had earned an unexpected grudge.
In that case, I would have to resolve it.
As quickly as possible, and in a way that left no future trouble.
It was a good thing I had come armed, just in case.
Now that he knew I was an Aura User, he would probably send someone skilled. But I was not afraid.
Because I was not an Aura User.
I was a Mana User.
It would not hurt to stretch a little for the sake of the ducal house.
Creak!
The great doors opened, and I strode proudly into the banquet hall.