The meeting concerning the Krater Labyrinth related to Bestia was concluded. Afterward, Lord Yamato and I rejoined Mako, Aria, and Viola, and returned to Alka.
On the way, Mako suggested we tailor Butler’s Wear specifically for the Wing Crest, and I agreed it was a good idea.
“Sounds interesting.”
“Right!”
As expected, Lord Yamato and Marina also approved. My sister, Hilde, and Carol, who were discussing their contracted Butlers, readily agreed as well. The matter was quickly settled. Almost immediately, several designs were sketched using drawing tools from Mako’s Engraving Tool. Lord Yamato also searched for something suitable but found no relevant images on his Engraving Tool.
“I didn’t think of that. Well, my Engraving Tool doesn’t have images of hakama in it.”
“Of course not.”
Mako explained that it was formal attire worn by female students on special occasions. Therefore, it was natural that Lord Yamato, being male, wouldn’t know about it.
“When it comes to footwear, shoes are acceptable, but the real problem is deciding on the pattern.”
“There are so many options.”
“Indeed. This one has the same design as the Heavenly Tree, doesn’t it?”
“As I’ve mentioned before, this is a flower called Sakura in Earth, and it’s also the representative flower of the country where we used to live.”
I recall hearing that story before. The Heavenly Tree, Treasure Tree, and Cherry Tree are very similar to Earth’s Sakura tree, and their blossoms are almost identical.
“In that case, let’s include the Sakura flower. And the overall design will be this, right?”
“I think that’s fine, but is everyone else okay with it?”
“Yes. It’s a beautiful outfit, and I’d like to wear it myself.”
Flam’s opinion seemed to represent everyone else’s. Of course, I’d also like to wear it if possible.
And so, the discussion about Butler’s Wear, involving all the women of the Wing Crest, was decided in no time. As a related matter, we also decided to commission Grandmama Sayuri to tailor kimonos with a slightly modified design for use as formal wear in the future. We will also be wearing knee-length skirts in the style of the Helios Orb. While Lord Yamato and Mako find this image different, for us, it’s a great joy as it’s an outfit Grandmama Sayuri often wears.
The matter of Butler’s Wear, including our casual outfits, was settled easily. The problem, however, lies in the materials. The Crest Defender Coat uses Dragoon material because its Magic Power is so high that Monster materials ranked G and below cannot withstand it. Even casual wear is used in combat situations, so we must select materials carefully. Therefore, I believe materials from P-rank Monsters would be optimal, but do we have any left?
“Ah, I forgot about the material issue…”
“Even so, we don’t have any materials ranked P or higher remaining, do we?”
“That’s part of it, but I’d prefer to use woven fabric if possible.”
“Woven fabric? Ah, you mean thread.”
Woven fabric refers to cloth tailored from spun threads. The fabric of the Helios Orb is made from monster threads, and cloth spun from spider-type threads is the most common. There is also a cloth called silk, tailored from the threads of a monster known as a Crawler. However, since Crawlers are S-rank Monsters, silk cloth is quite expensive.
“Even so, we only have thread from the Water Spiders and Magma Spiders we hunted recently, right?”
As Ludia said, the only monster threads we can prepare are from S- to N-rank Water Spiders and G- to N-rank Magma Spiders hunted in the Krater Labyrinth. They are currently being processed, so we cannot use them immediately.
“That’s the difficult part, but P-rank Monster materials aren’t easily obtained. In a pinch, we have Ee-quipping, so for now, we’ll just have to have it tailored as a trial,”
It seems that’s the only option. Regarding Butler’s Wear, we should have enough if we include the materials from P-R rank Stella Garum and P-I rank Sea Serpent, which we can purchase through Float.
“So, for Butler’s Wear and everyone’s casual outfits, we’ll place the orders as is. Ed, what about the Butlers?”
“Ah, you’re talking about increasing their numbers. Currently, there are two B-rank and two C-rank Butlers managing the Union House, but we should probably increase that, right?”
“Yes. I want to assign some to the branch residences as well.”
I see, to the branch residences. Currently, there are five Butlers belonging to the Wing Crest, including Mirei, who attends Hilde. Lady Seras, the Daughter of Grand Duke Lichtenfels, will likely bring a Butler when she joins, so let’s consider that six people. However, Marisa, Viola, Eos, and Mirei are often in the Main Hall, and Yuria is assigned to Carol. Raus and the others are fully occupied with the Golden Orc Residence where they live. Since Seras is engaged to Raus, the Butler accompanying her will also be assigned to the Golden Orc Residence. Therefore, the Fukashi Residence, where Ed and the others live, has no Butlers. Currently, Eos and the Homunculus Rera are handling the duties, but since Eos often accompanies us, we cannot burden Rera alone. The same applies to Yuria.
“That would be a great help.”
“Yes. We are often engrossed in our work at the Crafting Hall.”
While I understand that, Ed, Marina, and Fiana have been so absorbed in their work at the Crafting Hall, especially when it reached its critical stage, that they didn’t listen to Fiana’s attempts to stop them. We heard that they worked through meals and even sleep while we were in the Krater Labyrinth. Since Butler duties include health management, this is precisely what we need.
“So now we have two B-rank and two C-rank Butlers.”
“Yes. However, one of them is said to be close to being promoted to S-rank.”
One Butler is close to being promoted to S-rank? If they are promoted to S-rank, they can be considered a full-fledged Butler. We can then confidently entrust the management of the Union House to them while we are away for Feel.
“That’s good. By the by, which one is close to promotion?”
“It’s Lumina.”
I see, Lumina the Undine. Currently, the Wing Crest has contracted two B-rank and two C-rank Butlers to manage the Union House. The B-rank Butlers are Lumina and the Human Alice, and the C-rank Butlers are the Ogre Laurel and the Elf File. All four are women. Laurel and File have only recently been promoted to C-rank, so this is also a reason for them to gain experience. Alice has been a B-rank Butler for about three years, but she is often dispatched to the noble residences in Feel and gets along well with Laurel and File. All three are from Feel and registered with the Butler’s Guild as soon as they reached the registrable age. However, Lumina is a bit different. Lumina is 23 years old and from the town of Bereta, south of Emosion. Furthermore, she registered with the Butler’s Guild at the age of 18, which could be considered a bit late. She was originally a Hunter and had come to Feel for a job. However, on her way to Emosion, she was attacked by a pack of Green Wolves, and her affiliated Raid was annihilated. Lumina herself was saved by Butler Master Orkis, who was returning to Feel, and came back to Feel. However, with the annihilation of her Raid, she could no longer return to Emosion or Bereta. Following Orkis’s recommendation, she decided to register with the Butler’s Guild. Additionally, Lumina is a widow and is raising a three-year-old daughter.
“If we contract with Lumina, we’ll have to take in Youny as well.”
“Naturally.”
Lumina’s daughter is named Youny, and her father was a Hunter. Unfortunately, that Hunter never returned after going to confront an Evil Drake last year. Therefore, Lumina was raising Youny single-handedly. However, the salary for a B-rank Butler was not enough, so she occasionally hunted monsters as a Hunter. However, at that time, Retisencia spies were active in Feel, so Lumina was forced to hunt alone, and she primarily targeted I-rank Monsters. Therefore, if we contract with Lumina, we will either have to pay her enough salary to raise Youny, or we will have to take Youny in. Taking her in doesn’t mean adopting her, but rather assisting with childcare at our mansion or residences.
“I don’t mind taking in Youny, but then only Lumina’s contract terms will change.”
“Naturally. Besides, I believe she will be promoted to S-rank simultaneously with the formal contract, so that shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Or rather, wasn’t the reason Lumina couldn’t be promoted to S-rank due to Youny?”
“That’s what I heard. If this were a noble’s domain, she might have been able to live and work together with Youny if she contracted with a noble. However, Feel is under the direct jurisdiction of the Royal Family, and the Provincial Governor’s term is only three years, so the conditions are likely difficult.”
Earlier, it was mentioned that Lumina was close to being promoted to S-rank, but was she unable to be promoted due to contract issues? Contracts with S-rank Butlers can have a specified duration, but they are generally permanent. If there are children, they would commute from home. However, in Lumina’s case, her family is in Bereta, so she cannot rely on them for childcare. Even if she were to ask her father, he has already passed away. Therefore, if she were to contract as an S-rank Butler, she would either have to live with Youny at the contractor’s mansion or residence, or hire a Butler to take care of her child. The latter would require paying a salary, leaving only the former as an option. I see, indeed, this is difficult.
“I don’t recommend contracting out of pity, but in Lumina’s case, it’s a bit…”
“Right. She does her job diligently, and she supports Alice, Laurel, and File well.”
Indeed, Lumina is in a position like the chief Butler managing the Union House. From that perspective, Lumina is an invaluable asset.
“Perhaps we should review the contract terms for Marisa and the others as well.”
“That seems like a good idea.”
Reviewing the Butler contract terms? Indeed, Marisa’s contract is for my sister, Viola’s for me, Yuria’s for Carol, and Eos’s is as a maid for Athena, along with managing the Hinomoto Mansion and Alka. G-rank Butler Eos also has a contract as Chief Butler. How will these terms be revised?
“Eos will remain Chief Butler, but we will contract Lumina as Sub-Chief Butler. The four who are contracted as maids often leave Alka.”
“Since Lumina will be in a higher position than Marisa and the others, the three besides Eos can focus more on their duties as our maids.”
I see, you’re separating the management of the residences from the maids’ duties entirely. I think that’s a viable option, but won’t that create another problem?
“Is it a staffing issue? For that, I think we can dispatch C-rank Butlers under the same conditions as now, and if there are no problems, we can make it a formal contract.”
In other words, similar to Lumina and the others, we’ll decide after observing their work. It is said that a Butler’s performance can be determined at a glance, so that seems like the better approach.
“Then, shall we formally contract all four of them, and bring Youny to Alka as well?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Also, we could make one of the branch residences into a dormitory for the Butlers.”
“Ah, that’s a good idea.”
That’s right. Once we formally contract with the Butlers, they will join the Wing Crest. In that case, of course, we must also provide them with living quarters. Commuting is an option, but the Wing Crest is quite a unique union, and the possibility of being targeted by those with ill intentions cannot be denied, so that would be a bad move. This leaves either living in the Union House or the Hinomoto Mansion. The Union House was built to use the Gate Stone for teleportation to Alka, so it does not have servant quarters. Therefore, the only option is the Hinomoto Mansion in Alka. There are still empty rooms in the Main Hall, but there are no private rooms on the first floor. The second floor is entirely guest rooms and private rooms for the Homunculi, and Lady Apricot resides on the third floor. The fourth floor is our rooms. Therefore, using a branch residence as a servant dormitory is a good idea. After all, until now, they have been using the guest rooms on the second floor of the Main Hall. The Butlers have mentioned that they cannot use them comfortably.
“The vacant ones are the Ginkgo Residence in the southeast and the White Heron Residence in the northwest. As a dormitory, it would be the Ginkgo Residence, wouldn’t it?”
“It also depends on the contract terms, so yes, that would be it.”
As my sister says. The White Heron Residence in the northwest is close to the Crafting Hall and the Hot Springs, and it does not interfere with movement. Among the four branch residences, it has the best location. On the other hand, the Ginkgo Residence in the southeast has a connecting passage on the first floor leading to the Beast Pens, which are for the familiar spirits and summoned beasts. Therefore, its location is slightly inferior to the White Heron Residence, and even to the Golden Orc Residence and Fukashi Residence. However, since the contract includes caring for familiars, the Ginkgo Residence, which is close to the Beast Pens, is not a bad location for the Butlers.
“Then let’s go with that. It’s already late today, and tomorrow won’t work, so the actual contract will be after the day after tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s how it is.”
“But we need to make the Ginkgo Residence usable as soon as possible, so let’s ask Rera to prepare it.”
It seems this is decided. With the Butler’s Wear and the formal contracts with Lumina, Alice, Laurel, and File, the burden on Marisa, Viola, Yuria, Eos, and the Homunculus should be somewhat reduced. Next is to finalize the formal contracts as soon as possible, and we hope to complete them by the day after tomorrow.
