With my schedule clearing up at the end of the month, I reported to Emperor Reinhardt that my party would likely be able to advance into the Varie Labyrinth around that time. Afterward, I headed to the Float Butler’s Guild Headquarters with Prim, Mana, and Eos.
Float is home to the royal residences of Fraydlancia, Lapislazurite, the Esmeralda Tenchaku Family, and the Marquis Amatista family. However, the residences of the Three Houses are generally unoccupied, and we simply entrust the Butler’s Guild with cleaning duties twice a week through dispatch requests.
This arrangement is a standing request at the Butler’s Guild and offers decent compensation, making it popular even among C-rank butlers.
While staggered, one of Eos, Marisa, or Lumina is always required to be present during these dispatches. Furthermore, we also have the Union House of Wing Crest under Feel’s management. As it stands, this puts a considerable burden on the butlers stationed at Alka.
Moreover, the fact that noble’s mansions remain vacant, despite their infrequent use, doesn’t look good from an external perspective. With a Gate Crystal connecting to Alka already installed, it would be preferable for someone to be stationed there from a security standpoint.
Therefore, I decided to take this opportunity to hire butlers who could be permanently assigned.
Incidentally, the Marquis Amatista family’s royal capital residence has about ten resident butlers, along with several civil and military officials.
While it’s common for butlers to live on-site, married butlers must either retire or have their spouse employed as well. For civil and military officials, commuting from their homes is the standard practice.
The Three Houses intend to follow this standard.
“Welcome, His Highness Yamato Tenshaku, His Highness Manalease Tenshaku, and Madam Primrose.”
Upon arriving at the Butler’s Guild, we were immediately ushered into the Master’s Room, where we were greeted by Rio Bareia, the Grand Butler Master of the Undine.
The Butler’s Guild originally had its headquarters in Torencia, but like other guilds, it relocated its headquarters to Float upon the establishment of the Amister-Philias Federation Heavenly Empire.
At that time, the then Grand Butler Master retired to focus on training the next generation, and Rio was appointed as the new Grand Butler Master.
Rio is a High Undine of level 47, and it seems he was originally contracted to the White Demon Castle. He had retired from the White Demon Castle after consulting with his employer, Her Majesty Brynhild, when he was offered the position of Grand Butler Master.
I had Eos precede us to inform the Grand Butler Master while I was reporting to Emperor Reinhardt, so he was already aware of the situation.
Naturally, assigning personnel to the Three Houses alone would require nearly thirty individuals, so it would be unreasonable for the Butler’s Guild to assemble them immediately. We understand this and are proceeding with the request, but I am curious about how many they can readily provide.
“Please, have a seat.”
Tea was served as soon as we sat down. Indeed, one would expect the Float Butler’s Guild Headquarters to be prompt in their service.
“We have received the details from Eos. There are currently eight B-rank butlers awaiting dispatch. These eight can be dispatched immediately. However, as you know, B-rank butler contracts are renewed annually. We will issue reminders, but please be mindful of the renewal dates.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Eight B-rank butlers are available for dispatch. There were no S-rank butlers, which is expected, as S-rank butlers are usually on permanent contracts and rarely wait at the Guild. While there are instances where S-rank butlers terminate their contracts due to marriage or relocation, it sometimes becomes easier to secure new contracts with such individuals. Unfortunately, there were no S-rank butlers with such circumstances this time. However, quite a few B-rank butlers are awaiting long-term contracts. If a butler has been promoted to B-rank for several years and has acquired the necessary qualifications, they might be promoted to S-rank upon contract renewal. Lumina, for instance, followed this path.
“We will contract all eight of those butlers. What about the C-rank butlers?”
“We can provide approximately ten C-rank butlers immediately. However, C-rank butler contracts require renewal every three months, and there are currently over one hundred C-rank butlers registered at the headquarters. Therefore, I apologize, but we wish to prioritize providing experience for them through C-rank contracts.”
“We understand and are fine with that.”
“Thank you.”
A promotion to B-rank requires proven dispatch experience, with a minimum of one year of satisfactory service. To reach S-rank, at least two qualifications must be acquired. Many butlers study and acquire these qualifications during their time as C-rank butlers awaiting dispatch. Therefore, entering into long-term contracts as a C-rank or B-rank butler can hinder their qualification exams, making promotion to S-rank more difficult. For this reason, the Butler’s Guild does not actively encourage long-term contracts for C-rank or B-rank butlers.
However, the eight B-rank butlers we plan to contract have all met the qualification requirement for promotion to S-rank, so long-term contracts pose no issue. This is why the Grand Butler Master is making these recommendations. It seems, however, that none of them have sufficient dispatch experience to be promoted to S-rank yet.
“So, will the C-rank butlers be day-service for now?”
“Living-in arrangements are possible if you wish, but we do not particularly recommend it.”
“Well, yes.”
Since these are not long-term contracts, with the maximum duration being three months, living-in would be difficult for both the employer and the employee. However, day-service also presents its own challenges. Are there any who are close to being promoted to B-rank?
“Are there any who seem likely to be promoted to B-rank?”
“There are a few, but they have already secured contracts and are therefore not included in the current candidates.”
What? Really? This means that many of the C-rank butlers being considered are new recruits who have just been promoted.
“It wouldn’t be ideal to have only two or three per residence. Perhaps we should consolidate them in one of the mansions?”
“That might be the best approach. Eos, what do you think?”
“I agree. In that case, they should all be gathered at the Esmeralda Tenchaku Residence.”
We have already been granted the Esmeralda Tenchaku Family’s territory and Feel has retainers there. We are currently adjusting the arrangement for hiring retainers in Float as well. Therefore, we could consolidate the B-rank butlers at the Esmeralda Tenchaku Residence and keep the C-rank butlers on the previous twice-weekly dispatch schedule.
“That seems like a reasonable approach. However, since we are discussing permanent assignments, would that pose a problem for the Butler’s Guild?”
“It wouldn’t be a significant problem, but we would appreciate it if you could consider an increase in dispatch days if possible.”
I see. If we consolidate the B-rank butlers at the Esmeralda Tenchaku Residence, we wouldn’t need to worry about that particular residence. We could then assign them to the Fraydlancia Tenchaku Residence and the Lapislazurite Tenchaku Residence, but that wouldn’t alleviate Eos’s workload. Since reducing their burden is one of our goals, this presents a difficult situation.
“Eos, what is your opinion?”
“Yes, I apologize to the Grand Butler Master, but there is no need to procure all personnel from the headquarters. Especially in the national capitals of the other guilds, I believe there should be ample personnel.”
Ah, that’s a good point. The national capitals of Bestia, Dragunia, and Glacian, the Three Kingdoms, might have as many personnel as Float. While we would need to discuss terms for relocating entire families to Float, that seems to be the only issue.
“That is indeed a viable option. Grand Butler Master, would there be any issues with that?”
“It would result in a decrease in butlers within the kingdoms, but now that the Federation Heavenly Empire has been established, it is not a major concern. In fact, the number of butlers dispatched from the Three Kingdoms to the Three Duchies is increasing.”
I see, in that case, that option is feasible. We will have the eight B-rank butlers live in at the Esmeralda Tenchaku Residence for now. However, if we can contract with B-rank or higher butlers at other branches, we can consider transferring them to the Fraydlancia Tenchaku Residence or the Lapislazurite Tenchaku Residence. Alternatively, we could inspect the other branches first, contract them all at once, and then assign them. Of course, we would need to assure them that contracts will definitively be made, to avoid anxiety.
“Since we don’t know if there will be any available, it would be best to contract them first and keep them consolidated at the Esmeralda Tenchaku Residence. Butlers are bound by confidentiality agreements regarding their assignments, so even if they come across sensitive information, they will not disclose it.”
Since C-rank and B-rank butlers are dispatched to various locations, failing to maintain strict confidentiality could lead to a loss of trust. If they were to disclose information, the most severe penalty could be expulsion from the Butler’s Guild and being demoted to criminal slave status, a fate rumored to befall a few individuals every few years. However, no matter how strict the enforcement, carelessness or coercion can occur. It seems the Ritter’s Guild is also involved in determining the appropriate penalties. Indeed, several butlers registered in Solemne were expelled and became criminal slaves for selling confidential information to earn money quickly. Some butlers who were threatened by them received less severe penalties, such as demotion in butler rank and fines. While the fate of those who became criminal slaves is known, the rumors surrounding those who were threatened are still circulating, much like on Earth.
“That’s settled. What about the C-rank individuals?”
“Even if we can contract them in other countries, one of us like Eos will need to supervise them initially.”
“Yes. However, that would likely only be for a few months. Therefore, as the Grand Butler Master wishes, we can increase the dispatch days.”
“Even so, that would only be three days a week for the Fraydlancia Tenchaku Residence and the Lapislazurite Tenchaku Residence. Of course, if we contract with B-rank or higher butlers, and they are willing to commute, then daily service is possible.”
“Shouldn’t that be decided when renewing the contract? They also have qualification exams to study for, so daily, or rather, a few days a week might be difficult?”
Even with living-in arrangements, one or two days off per week are mandatory not only for physical rest but also, more importantly, for studying for qualification exams. Most C-rank butlers are day-service, primarily to gain experience. More importantly, they cannot be promoted without acquiring qualifications, and without days off, they cannot study or take exams. The timing of exams varies for each butler, making it difficult to request time off in advance. Therefore, it seems reasonable to accept Eos’s suggestion of three days a week for now and decide whether to increase the number of days at the contract renewal in three months, when the B-rank butlers become more accustomed.
“That makes sense.”
“I agree.”
“Alright. Then, Grand Butler Master, regarding the terms…”
With the general framework decided, it was time to finalize the details. The conditions decided here would be used for contracting with other branches as well, so we aimed to refine every aspect. The Grand Butler Master understood this as well, and his input on matters we hadn’t considered was invaluable. As a result, we finalized terms that were beneficial to both us and the Butler’s Guild, and we formally contracted eight B-rank and eleven C-rank butlers. This was a valuable experience for me, and it instilled me with the motivation to energetically visit other Butler’s Guild branches from tomorrow onward.
