Side: Prim
Yamato looked so cool in his Arc Order’s Coat. Even though it’s the formal attire for a Sky Knight, there are only three of them, so people might not recognize it immediately. Still, it’s armor that’s different from a Normal Order, let alone a P-rank Order, and the Grand Order’s Master wears the same coat. It’s likely that the Amister populace will soon realize it’s equipment for Sky Knights.
We had hoped he would wear it for everyday use, but it’s heavier than Mina’s Crest Armor Coat and quite bulky, making it a bit difficult for hunting. Besides, Yamato is attached to his Crest Armor Coat, so he’s decided to wear the Arc Order’s Coat only when a formal occasion calls for it. It’s a shame, but I understand why.
The day after he was gifted the Arc Order’s Coat, we finished the presentation to His Majesty the King in the early afternoon and then went shopping in the Royal Capital to prepare for our trip to Valentia. After all, in Valentia, it won’t just be Yamato, me, Mother, Mana, Yuri, Rika, Mina, Flam, Lydia, Ludia, Marisa, Viola, Ed, Marina, Fiana, Raus, and Rebecca. Countess Carol of the Principality of Bernstein will also be joining us. At the request of Count Donato Bernstein, Miss Carol will also be assigned ladies-in-waiting, so we need to visit the Butler’s Guild as well.
Including the butlers, we’ll be a large party of nineteen people, and the sea voyage to Valentia will take about five days, so we need to prepare plenty of food. On our return trip, we won’t be stopping at Float, but will be heading by ship directly to Memoria, the capital of the Marquisate of Amatista, where Rika’s mansion is. So we’ll need to buy souvenirs for Feel too. After all, we’re leaving for Valentia tomorrow.
“It’s a problem that no one was prepared, even though we had time,” Yamato grumbled.
“That’s true. Well, meals are provided on the ship, so I don’t think we need to prepare that much,” Mana replied.
“Even so, we’ll be using Beast Carriages after arriving in Valentia, and we’ll be storing everything in Storage or Storage Bags, so it’s not like we’ll be inconvenienced by having too much,” Raus added.
As Yamato and Mana said, it was indeed a problem that we hadn’t prepared and had been engrossed in hunting. Ed and the others were busy making various things, but this was a request from us, so we couldn’t help it. Raus and his group have to rest because their acute magical power fluctuation syndrome isn’t completely cured yet. In the end, it all comes down to our failure as Hunters to be prepared. However, as Raus mentioned, meals will be stored in our own Storage by me, Yamato, Mana, Lydia, and Ludia, and everyone else will use the Storage Bags purchased in the Royal Capital, so there’s no worry about spoilage.
Oh, Storage Bags are very expensive magic tools, costing at least 100,000 Eld, and some can even reach 1,000,000 Eld depending on their capacity. We’ve purchased enough for everyone in the Normal Class from the Crafter’s Guild. They’re waist-worn but have enough capacity to hold about three Evil Drakes, so they should be easier to use than the Mirror Bags we’ve used until now. Each one cost 300,000 Eld, but with the reward money we received recently and the earnings from hunting since coming to the Royal Capital, our wallets haven’t taken too much of a hit.
“For now, is this enough food?” I asked.
“We bought quite a lot,” Marina said.
“Or rather, isn’t the budget per person a bit too much?” Fina chimed in as Ludia and Marina discussed their food purchases.
I don’t think so.
“Isn’t it about right? It’s not just food, but potions and books are also included in that budget,” Yamato said.
“No, even so, one platinum coin is too much,” Fina countered.
“It really is,” Ludia agreed.
Yamato agrees with me, but Ed and Rebecca side with Fina. “I agree with Lord Edward and Rebecca on this matter as well?” Carol exclaimed, also agreeing with Fina. They would run out of platinum coins quickly if they bought books and tools from the Guild, wouldn’t they?
“We’ve brought what we need. Besides, we bought most of it in Feel. If we’re given this much money now, we don’t know what to do with it,” Ed said.
“We also prepared dresses and things in Feel,” Rebecca added.
Ah, that’s right. When we were in Feel, we bought quite a bit from the Crafter’s Guild because it was necessary. “What about everyday clothes? For me, the need is slim since I usually go hunting, but thanks to Ee-quipping, I don’t have to be in hunter attire all the time. I plan to buy a few outfits, and if we have any leftovers, we can use them in Dragunia, right?” Mana suggested a brilliant idea. That’s true. Moreover, if we store them in our Storage or Storage Bags, we can change into the clothes we want to wear at any time. And with Supplication Magic Cleaning, we can keep them clean at all times, so we can enjoy fashion.
“That seems like the most sensible option,” Yuri stated.
“Is… is that really okay?” Carol asked, still hesitant.
She’s just finished the Union application procedure, and just found out I’m an Ancient Foxy, but I think she needs to get used to it quickly.
“Next is the Butler’s Guild. Have Marisa and Viola’s procedures been completed?” Yamato asked.
“Those have. So we need to find a lady-in-waiting for Carol. Since it’s the Royal Capital’s Butler’s Guild, it shouldn’t take too long,” Mana replied.
After Yamato married Mana and became engaged to Yuri, Marisa and Viola, who serve as their two ladies-in-waiting, joined Wing Crest and will continue to serve as ladies-in-waiting. Of course, they will be assigned two butlers. Once they buy a house, they’ll be in charge of its management as well, and their treatment is exceptional compared to S-rank and B-rank butlers, so they’ll have to work hard. Conversely, there’s too much confidential information, and the penalties are terrible.
“It probably won’t take too long, but I think many butlers will hesitate given the conditions,” Rika said.
“But it also means joining a Union with Ancient Class members, so there will likely be many applicants,” Ludia and Rika added.
Lydia and Ludia are right. Given the issue with Valentia, my being an Ancient Foxy is a top-tier secret. The Beast King congratulated me and Yamato on our marriage in a letter to Brother Rai. Since it’s an official document, he won’t be able to make a rash move even if he knows I’m an Ancient Foxy. However, the current biggest problem, former Second Prince Leona Forest Valentia of Valentia, is not so easily deterred. To acquire me and the leader of the anti-Beast King movement simultaneously, he could easily fabricate an engagement with me. Yamato’s O-rank Order status has also been made public, so if he were to announce an engagement with me, it would mean making an enemy not only of Yamato but of Amister itself. I don’t think he’d do something foolish in the current situation, but if he knew I was an Ancient Foxy, it wouldn’t be strange for him to try and obtain me by any means necessary.
Furthermore, there’s the matter of the Demise Species, the Orc Emperor and Orc Empress, whom Yamato and I defeated in the Mylight Mountains. This is the first time a Demise Species has been subjugated. There were no confirmed corpses of Demise Species that were believed to have died of natural causes, and no magic stones have ever been obtained. However, those magic stones were recently presented to His Majesty the King and are now kept under strict guard in the treasure vault of Amagi Castle. Even if it were made public, Retisencia wouldn’t believe it, but we don’t know how Solemn will react. He probably won’t believe it openly, but he’ll likely dispatch spies to confirm those magic stones and infiltrate Amagi Castle. Then he’ll try to lure me and Yamato to his country by any means necessary. Grand Hunter’s Master informed me that enslavement magic tools are ineffective against Ancient Class individuals, but that applies only to me and Yamato. Therefore, if even one of the others falls into Solemn’s hands, we would have no choice but to accept Solemn’s demands. Of course, if that were to happen, I would never forgive him, and the Imperial Family would be utterly destroyed.
These two are the most important secrets, but there are others, so we’ll have to turn away any butlers with loose lips, no matter how high their rank. I’ve never even heard of such high-ranking butlers.
“However, high-ranking butlers are generally elderly. It would be good if they were close in age to Carol, so we might have to compromise with S-rank or B-rank, or possibly C-rank,” Yuri said.
“I don’t care about rank as long as we’re compatible in personality,” I replied, as Yuri had said, high-ranking butlers are older than us. While many G-rank butlers are in their twenties, P-rank butlers and above are at least in their early thirties, even the younger ones. Since experience is necessary for the job, they won’t be easily recognized, no matter how flawlessly they perform their duties.
Butler ranks start with T-rank upon registration and entering a training school, where they study diligently for three years. Upon graduation from the training school, they become I-rank, and when they master their skills, they become C-rank. Only then do they become eligible for dispatch. However, the dispatch period is short, ranging from a few days to a few months, so if you want to hire them continuously, you have to renew the contract each time. After being dispatched several times without issue, they can be promoted to B-rank, but even that often takes years. However, the contract period is set in years, so B-rank or higher is desirable for hiring as a lady-in-waiting. Promotion to S-rank butler has the same conditions, but with S-rank, they are almost always hired permanently by the employer unless dismissed, so becoming S-rank is a goal for young butlers. For G-rank butlers, which are even higher, butler experience is required, and I’ve heard that the number of years employed is a condition. Furthermore, the recommendation of the household they serve is also necessary, so the hurdles for promotion are quite high. However, if they are promoted to S-rank, they are almost guaranteed a recommendation from their employer, so it’s just a matter of time. Marisa, Mana’s lady-in-waiting, is an S-rank butler, but she was promoted to S-rank only a year ago, so even with Mana’s recommendation, she won’t be promoted for a few more years.
“In Feel’s Butler’s Guild, can we also extend employment contracts?” Yamato asked.
“For C-rank butlers? You have to register with Feel’s Butler’s Guild first, but it’s possible afterward,” Marisa replied to Yamato’s question. The employment period for C-rank butlers is apparently a maximum of three months, but the main reason for going to Valentia is that we were invited by the Holy Mother Dragon, so we don’t plan to stay long. So, we can hire them using this method, and if it doesn’t work out, we won’t continue. In that case, they have to be sent back to their original branch, so we’d have to go all the way to the Royal Capital.
“That’s a hassle in itself. But we won’t know Carol’s compatibility until we hire them for a while, so I guess that’s unavoidable,” Mana said.
“Right. Well, if we’re compatible, there won’t be any problems, so we’ll think about it then,” Yamato replied.
Mana’s feeling of it being a hassle is understandable, but it’s a matter of compatibility, so there’s nothing we can do about it. By then, we had arrived at the Butler’s Guild, and we knocked on its door. Butler’s Guild dispatches attendants to serve nobles, so the guild itself is like a mansion.
“Welcome, H.R.H. Manalease, H.R.H. Yuriana, Miss Carol, Lord Yamato, Lady Primrose, and everyone from Wing Crest. I will guide you,” a Butler’s Guild staff member, who is also a butler, greeted us. Many of them are retired. They work as staff members for the sake of nurturing the next generation, and because of that, they sometimes provide service superior to that of noble mansions, or even the Royal Castle. The person guiding us is also an M-rank butler who apparently served Count Bernstein in his active years.
“I will inform the Head Butler’s Master of your visit, so please relax here.” We were led to a reception room and offered drinks before the butler left.
“This is delicious,” Yamato said.
“It is. As expected of the tea brewed by an M-rank butler,” Mana agreed.
“It’s been a while for me,” I added.
The M-rank butler, Mikana Eleglis, apparently retired due to age and is now a mentor at Float’s Butler’s Guild. She’s a level 34 Rabitry woman, but at 69 years old, it’s understandable that she can no longer continue due to her physical condition.
“Excuse me. Welcome to the Butler’s Guild. What can I do for you today?” Mikana returned sooner than expected, bringing with her an A-rank butler and an Elf male, Shail Visterte, who is the Head Butler’s Master.
“Raus.”
“W-me?”
“Well, you’re Carol’s fiancé, so it’s only natural that Raus explains it,” Yamato prompted.
Rudia added to Raus, who looked surprised. The wages will come from the Union’s funds, but Raus and Carol will be the employers, so this is only natural.
“Uh, well, you see, I’m engaged to Carol,” Raus said.
“Congratulations. I see, so you’re looking for a lady-in-waiting for Miss Carol.” While there’s no need to report engagements to the Butler’s Guild, it’s common for them to discuss matters like assigning a new lady-in-waiting.
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Miss Carol didn’t have any ladies-in-waiting. It was her husband’s policy that she be educated to handle her personal affairs even without a lady-in-waiting,” the butler explained. This is not uncommon in Amister, where guild registration is mandatory. Mana and Yuri can also take care of themselves, but as princesses of the Royal Family, they need ladies-in-waiting. Nobles are the same, but in Carol’s case, her father, Count Donato, apparently feared becoming estranged from her, so he didn’t assign her a lady-in-waiting. What a doting father.
“That’s one reason, and we’re also going to Valentia tomorrow, so we don’t have much time to choose slowly,” I said.
“We have heard about that. Mikana, do you have any candidates?” Shail asked.
“Considering compatibility with Miss Carol, there are two B-rank and three C-rank candidates,” Mikana replied.
As expected, it’s moving fast. I didn’t expect there to be five candidates.
“One of them is my granddaughter. She was recently promoted to C-rank, so she’s still inexperienced, but…” Mikana said.
“Could it be Yuria?” I asked.
“You remember her? Yes, it’s Yuria,” Mikana confirmed.
Hmm, isn’t this already decided? Being recently promoted to C-rank probably means she hasn’t been dispatched even once, but since she’s Mikana’s granddaughter and Carol knows her, there shouldn’t be any incompatibility.
“Carol, do you know this girl, Yuria?” Yamato asked.
“Yes. She’s a Rabitry girl one year younger than me. When we were in the Principality of Bernstein, she wasn’t old enough to register as a butler, so she was mostly my playmate,” Carol replied.
So she’s 14 now. I believe the Butler’s Guild only allows registration from the age of 10, so she must have only recently become a C-rank.
“Lord Raus, Lord Yamato, I would like to take Yuria with me. Is that alright?” Carol asked.
“I don’t mind. Since she was your playmate, your compatibility should be good,” Raus replied.
“Me too,” Yamato agreed.
Both Yamato and Raus nodded.
“Understood. Then Mikana, please bring Yuria here,” Carol said.
“Understood. Please wait a moment,” Mikana replied and left the room again. Shail moved to the corner of the room and assumed a waiting stance. As a butler, it’s natural, but it’s rather disconcerting to see the Head Butler’s Master do that. The butlers who were originally in the room refilled empty cups with new tea and also waited in the corner of the room so as not to be a nuisance. But these people must have been at least P-rank.
“What is Yuria doing now?” I asked.
“It’s combat training time for C-rank butlers, so she should be there. I believe she was using a sword, but that’s not enough for a butler. So, she’s also training to acquire the skills to fight unarmed,” Mikana explained.
Indeed, when a butler fights, there are many opportunities to fight unarmed. High-class butlers can use Storage, but otherwise, weapons must be stored in a Mirror Bag. But there are times when taking one out is too much to spare, so it’s necessary to be able to fight unarmed. Mirror Bags are essential magic tools for butlers, and they are apparently gifted by the Guild upon promotion to C-rank, but their capacity is only enough to hold about one Rock Boar. Still, it’s much better than nothing. After a while, Mikana returned with a Rabitry girl. That must be Yuria.
“Allow me to introduce Yuria. She is my granddaughter and a C-rank butler,” Mikana said.
“It’s been a while, Yuria,” Carol greeted.
“It’s been a while, Miss Carol. I heard you wanted me as a lady-in-waiting. Thank you for entrusting me with such an important role,” Yuria said, bowing gracefully.
I wonder if this will be okay.
“Then let’s proceed with the contract. Oh, I apologize, but everyone please leave the room. Including Mikana,” Shail said.
“Understood. Then, please excuse us,” Mikana replied.
Even though it’s for her granddaughter’s official contract, I wouldn’t have expected to be kicked out of the room. Mikana doesn’t know the details, and it’s impossible to explain, so it can’t be helped. But it’s amazing that even when Shail instructed them to leave, Mikana left immediately without saying anything. It feels incredibly heart-wrenching.
“Eh? Head Butler’s Master, why is Grandma leaving too?” Yuria asked, startled.
“I apologize, but there’s a lot that cannot be publicly disclosed. If possible, I wish I didn’t have to know either,” Shail replied, causing Yuria to grimace broadly.
Yes, I’m sorry. It’s basically our fault, me and Yamato’s. As the contract details were explained, Yuria’s complexion grew worse. Fortunately, since Marisa and Viola know her as butlers from the Amister Main Headquarters, they will be able to support her well. Yuria also agreed to the terms, including transferring to Feel, so Carol’s lady-in-waiting has been decided. It’s technically a trial period until we return to Feel, so she hasn’t joined Wing Crest yet, but based on her demeanor, I think she’ll be fine.
“The Beast Carriage doesn’t have a servant’s room, and yet there are three butlers. We need to figure something out,” Yamato said as we left the Butler’s Guild.
Indeed. There are two guest rooms, but Mother will be using one, so there’s only one left. The space is wide enough for three butlers to use without issue, but it will still be inconvenient.
“Fina, is it possible to add rooms later?” Yamato asked.
“It’s not impossible, but it would encroach on the stable area. Jade and Fluorite will still grow, and besides Apricot’s Honest, Mina’s Breeze, and Mana’s summoned beasts, it’s not a good idea,” Fina replied.
That’s right. Sirius of Ice Rock is particularly large, and if we reduce the stable size carelessly, we might not be able to fit it in the Beast Carriage.
“In that case, we’ll have to expand. How about that?” Yamato suggested.
“I’ve never done it before, and the mirroring on this Beast Carriage is already at 30x, so I can’t say for sure. Even if we attempt it, we’ll need to try it out first,” Fina explained.
Moreover, even for Fina the Harpy, it was enough to exhaust her magical power. And that was with Yamato’s assistance. If we were to add 40x or 50x, she might collapse for several days.
“In that case, the best option would be for me to register as a crafter once I return to Feel and do it myself,” Yamato proposed.
“You do that. However, adding mirroring is part of the B-rank promotion test, so it’ll be a while before you can do it,” I replied.
I agree that Yamato doing it is the best option, but mirroring is a B-rank crafter’s promotion test? It requires knowledge, which is understandable, but then how long will it take for him to be promoted?
“It won’t take that long. Some people become S-rank in just a few months. Beyond that, it requires experience and achievements, so it can take years,” Mana said.
“I see. Then I’ll go to the Crafter’s Guild later and buy a few books,” Yamato decided.
“I will too,” Flam replied, also aspiring to be a crafter, she plans to study on the ship. However, like Yamato, Flam intends to continue her hunter activities, so we may soon have Ancient Crafters in addition to High Crafters. I’m also considering registering as a Trader or Healer, but I haven’t decided which one yet. However, we have time, so let’s think about it slowly without rushing. There’s nothing good that comes from rushing.
