Side: Yuri
I am here in Bestia with Lord Yamato, Aria, and Mako.
Though I did not particularly want to, this matter was urgent, so we used a Gate Stone to transfer to the Snow Phantom Palace, summoned the Prime Minister, Lord Blazer, the Grand Saber’s Master, and Lord Vize, who is scheduled to become the next Grand Saber’s Master, and decided to head to the Hunter’s Guild Torencia Headquarters with everyone.
Lady Hilde, who was interested, and Lord Albert, an A-rank Saber who is her partner, also expressed their desire to accompany us, so they are with us.
“We have been waiting for you, Your Majesty.”
Upon arriving at the Hunter’s Guild, we were promptly guided to the 10th Appraisal Room, where Lady Certina and Carlos, the Hunter’s Master of the Krater Branch, had already arrived.
“Apologies for the delay. The number of people has increased from the original plan, is that all right?”
“Not at all.”
Ripple Tiburon, the Head Hunter’s Master of the Hunter’s Guild Torencia Headquarters and a High Undine, was also fully prepared.
Without further ado, Lord Yamato displayed the mapping of the Krater Labyrinth and began his report after taking out monsters from storage.
As the story progressed, everyone’s expressions changed, brows furrowed, and heads were held in their hands, but this was unavoidable.
“…That composition in the second layer?”
“How… how vicious…”
“It seems like an Ancient Class would be necessary, but can one person handle it?”
Ripple, Lady Hilde, and Lord Blazer wore sorrowful expressions.
“I believe the first and second layers would be fine, but the third layer would be tough.”
In the third layer, demi-humans attacked with bows using the buildings, and they also assaulted us using the cityscape. We cannot carelessly approach buildings if we are only concerned about the higher floors, as we might be caught off guard from the first floor. Fortunately, the main street of Bestia is wide, so moving near the center allows for some degree of handling, but the problem lies with the narrower streets and back alleys.
“There is also the issue of the fourth layer. Therefore, Head Hunter’s Master, after we hand over the monsters for purchase, I would like to discuss how to handle the Krater Labyrinth at the White Demon Castle. Is that acceptable?”
“That is precisely what we wish for.”
This is purely speculative, but countermeasures are necessary as there is a possibility that labyrinths on par with the Krater Labyrinth will continue to appear, and this will serve as a model case.
Ideally, the Grand Hunter’s Master should also be summoned, but he is busy, and this is a sudden matter. Therefore, a formal meeting is scheduled to be held at Bestia at a later date.
“Then, please proceed. Oh, and we need to present magic stones, right?”
“Huh? Y-yes, that’s correct.”
The appearance of nearly 500 monsters from Lord Yamato’s storage caused Ripple’s surprise, which was understandable. Looking closely, Lady Hilde, Lord Blazer, and Lord Albert also seemed surprised.
“Lord Yamato, what do you mean by ‘presenting them’?”
“Well, these don’t inhabit Torencia, so they don’t have any magic stones, do they? That’s why.”
Lady Hilde looked at Lord Yamato with a blank expression, but she surely wasn’t thinking that the magic stones should be presented to Amister, was she? While the Torencia Phantom King Family does recognize the Amister Royal Family as their liege, Torencia is a proud independent nation, and there’s no need to be excessively reserved.
“But… shouldn’t the magic stones be presented to Amister since they were taken down by Lord Yamato and the others?”
“No, as this is also a request from Torencia, the Torencia Royal Family takes priority.”
As Lord Yamato says, the investigation of the Krater Labyrinth has been requested by the Torencia Phantom King Family through the Hunter’s Guild. We have received proper compensation, so it is natural for the Phantom King Family to receive the magic stones. Furthermore, there are other issues as well.
“Lady Hilde, the magic stones stored in the Amagi Castle treasury are numerous due to Lord Yamato and the others bringing so many. We are currently preparing a new treasury specifically for magic stones.”
“Is that so?”
Yes, it is. The magic stones that have been presented to Lord Yamato and the Wing Crest amount to a considerable number, including magic stones from Demise Species. Therefore, space in the treasury is becoming insufficient, and a new treasury solely for magic stones had to be prepared urgently. We plan to allocate space for comparison not only with the magic stones of Demise Species but also with those of lower species, so the magic stone vault will be quite large. Speaking of which, we also need to do something about the stuffed specimens of the Orc Emperor, Orc Empress, and Antlion Empress. Perhaps it would be best to build a museum near Amagi Castle as proposed by Lord Yamato and exhibit them there. Shall I suggest it to my brother tomorrow?
Side: Mako
After reporting on the Krater Labyrinth investigation and issuing a monster purchase request at the Hunter’s Guild Torencia Headquarters, Aria and Viola and I parted ways with Lord Yamato and Sir Yuri and headed out into the city of Bestia.
Lord Yamato, as the leader of the Wing Crest, and Sir Yuri, as the representative of His Majesty Emperor Reinhardt and Mana, had to attend a meeting. We were also asked to participate, but I had business at the Crafter’s Guild Torencia Headquarters, so I decided to split up.
“Lady Mako, why are you going to the Crafter’s Guild Torencia Headquarters?”
“There are some clothes being tailored in Torencia, aren’t there? I plan to buy a few.”
“Casual wear?”
Viola and Aria are looking at me with faces that suggest they don’t understand why we would come all the way to Bestia, but the clothes that are popular in Torencia are a mix of Japanese and Western styles. If we place a custom order at the Crafter’s Guild Torencia Headquarters, I believe we can get clothes similar to Sayuri’s. There is the option of asking Sayuri directly, but unfortunately, she is currently touring Amister with Lily Wish, performing healing, so I couldn’t ask her.
“If you’re looking for Torencia-style clothes, orders are also accepted in Amister.”
“I know that. But since we’re here, I thought I’d place an order at the source.”
“I see. In that case, may I also place an order?”
“Of course.”
Aria also seems to be interested in Torencia-style attire, so we decided to place a custom order together.
“Since we’re at it, Viola, how about you?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I feel more comfortable in these clothes.”
That’s a shame. Viola is wearing a classical maid outfit with a hemline that reaches below her knees. Other butlers wear similar maid outfits, but the details vary slightly. Nobles often have matching maid outfits, but speaking of which, the Wing Crest butlers don’t have anything specific other than the Crest Defender Coat. The Crest Defender Coat is excellent as everyday wear, but its meaning as armor is stronger, and even among butlers, the designs differ individually, making them difficult to call a uniform. In that case, it might be a good idea to prepare a maid outfit exclusively for the Wing Crest butlers as well. Ah, in Helios Orb, the term isn’t “maid outfit,” but “Butler’s Wear,” wasn’t it?
“Wing Crest-exclusive Butler’s Wear?”
“Yes. Currently, there are four of us, but there are plans for future expansion, right? In that case, I think we should unify the Butler’s Wear.”
Mirei, who serves Lady Hilde, is currently having a weapon and Crest Defender Coat tailored, but the butler in charge of managing the Union House is supplied with Butler’s Wear from the Butler’s Guild. Eventually, we will likely need someone to manage Alka as well, not just the Union House, so I think it would be good to have them prepared in advance.
“That’s a good idea. I don’t think Lord Yamato and the others would object, would they?”
Aria agrees, doesn’t she? The Butler’s Wear worn by the Wing Crest butlers are from the Amister Royal Family for Marisa and Viola, from Baron Bernstein for Yuria, and Mirei’s is from the Torencia Phantom King Family, while Eos made her own. Mirei hasn’t joined the Wing Crest yet, but she will join after Lady Hilde abdicates, at which point she will have to return her Royal Family Butler’s Wear. So, I want to have something prepared before then, and more importantly, I’ve come up with a rather interesting idea for Butler’s Wear, so I’d like to have it tailored if possible.
“As for me, if the Wing Crest could provide exclusive Butler’s Wear, I would gladly accept. It’s rare for a Union to have a uniform.”
Oh, Viola is more proactive than I expected. She rarely voices her own opinions, so this is quite unusual.
“Like the weapons and coats, the items from Lord Yamato and Lady Mako’s world are wonderful. So, if I could wear Butler’s Wear from that world, I would certainly appreciate it.”
Ah, so it’s all Lord Yamato’s fault. Or rather, I’ve also gotten myself really excited. I’m suddenly very worried about whether I can live up to expectations.
“Don’t get your hopes up too much! I don’t even remember the details of the Butler’s Wear I just thought of.”
I’m thinking of something similar to a homunculus, but since Ee-quipping allows for instant changes, we could go all out and make them like hakama worn at graduation ceremonies. Medical school is a six-year program, so it’s still a ways off for me, but I’ve chosen them with classmates and seniors who went to other universities. In that case, I have the electronic books for my engraving tool. But before that, I need to hear everyone’s opinions.
“Since the Butler’s Wear will be decided after consulting with everyone, I’m sorry, Viola, but for now, it will just be for ordering my and Aria’s clothes. Is that okay?”
“Understood.”
This is where a butler truly shines. I want to meet their expectations if possible, and I need to persuade everyone properly. Although, I might not need to persuade them.
