Chapter 649
Chapter 649
19-36 Idle Talk 35 At the Reinhardt residence…
The Rankenhaus, an ivy-covered mansion in the village of Karutsu in the Shouro Empire.
It was the residence of Reinhardt as well as the lord’s mansion.
“…So, these two are originally servants of Lord Jin Nido, but he is currently on a mission to the Klein Kingdom by order of His Majesty. Therefore, they will work here in the meantime.”
Reinhardt, who had gathered the servants, introduced the two.
“I am Barou. I know I have many shortcomings, but I will do my best, so please take care of me.”
“I am Belle. I am inexperienced, but I will work hard. Please guide and instruct me.
Barou and Belle, who would temporarily work at the Reinhardt residence, did so of their own volition and were treated the same as the other servants.
* * *
“Barou, I want you to help my secretary Adoberg with his work.”
“Yes, I understand. Mr. Adoberg, nice to meet you.”
“Hmm, the feeling is mutual. But let’s get down to business, Barou. Can you do calculations?”
“Yes, Mr. Adoberg. I can manage.”
“Good, then let’s start with this book.”
Barou began to assist Adoberg as his secretary. The ledger he was given was similar to a household budget, used to manage daily expenses.
It recorded income and expenses, along with their respective details. Since the main source of income was tax revenue, it was received at least monthly. Therefore, the focus was mainly on managing expenses.
“Let’s see, food expenses, salaries and miscellaneous expenses…?”
Barou widened his eyes. It was much too vague.
“Um… Mr. Adoberg, is that all?”
“Hmm? Yes, why?”
“Isn’t that a bit too vague? If we break down these miscellaneous expenses further, it could serve as a guide to eliminate waste.”
Although it added complexity, breaking down expenses into smaller categories often helped identify unnecessary spending.
“Could we at least break it down into hygiene expenses, transportation expenses, housing expenses, necessities, and others?”
“Hmm. Where did you learn this method?”
“Yes, from Lord Jin.”
“I see. Lord Jin has a rational mindset. We seem to have a lot to learn from him. Excuse me, but could you explain this division in more detail?”
“Yes, of course. First…”
* * *
“Belle, please fold this.”
“Yes.”
Belle was helping two maids with their work. They were both from Karutsu Village and were 17 and 19 years old. They were also learning etiquette as they worked.
“Automaton Bella takes care of the difficult tasks, like folding laundry.”
Kaara, the 17-year-old maid, said while folding laundry.
Bella was an automaton created by Reinhardt, with purple hair and black eyes. Though Reinhardt never mentioned it, she bore a striking resemblance to Mine.
She had a well-endowed figure and exuded a calm aura.
“Ugh, ironing is such a hassle.”
The other maid, Dessa, who was 19 years old, complained as she pressed an iron to a shirt.
Belle, looking at what Dessa was holding, was taken aback.
“What… is that?”
“What? It’s an ‘iron.’ Haven’t you seen one before?”
“No… Could it be used to remove wrinkles from clothes?”
“Yes, exactly. Have you never used one?”
“No…”
In fact, Belle had never seen an “iron” before coming to Lord Jin. In her hometown of Magilutz Village, they were not used, and in her first job with the nobility of the Cerloa Kingdom, she had only done menial tasks.
She had learned how to remove wrinkles from clothes after she started working for Jin.
“Um, don’t you use an ‘iron’?”
“What’s an ‘iron’?”
“Wait a moment, please.”
Belle remembered that she had a small iron in her belongings that Jin had made for her. Most of Jin’s clothes were made of GSS (Ground Spider Silk), a fabric that could be described as “shape memory”, which didn’t wrinkle even after washing and retained the same texture as when it was first cut.
However, some of the outer garments given to Jin by various countries, or the blouses and dresses that Elza originally owned, were made of silk, hemp, or wool. They needed ironing after washing, and Belle had learned how to do that during her time with Jin.
“Here it is.”
Belle took out the small iron Jin had made especially for practice. The iron was heated with magic stones, not magic crystals, and it would heat up in about two minutes. It also had a simple temperature control.
“This is called an ‘iron. You put a magic stone called a magistone in here…”
For linen, which wrinkled easily, it was best to moisten it well before applying a hot iron. The key was to press hard to remove wrinkles.
“I see.”
“For wool, use a cloth as a barrier. Keep the temperature a little lower.”
Belle finished her work efficiently, and not only the two maids but also the vending machine Bella watched her attentively.
* * *
That night, Adoberg and Bella reported to their master, Reinhardt.
“Hmm, as expected from Jin. In that case, Bella, could you teach him court etiquette and how to deal with nobility in return?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“As for Adoberg… yes, how about teaching them some basic self-defense?”
Dealing with unruly guests or thieves required certain skills. Reinhardt believed that Adoberg, a martial arts expert, could impart such knowledge.
“I understand. Given the short time, we’ll only cover the basics.”
“Good, that will suffice. … Dealing with everyday tasks should be something they learned with Jin, but dealing with various nobles can be challenging. Let’s make sure that Jin doesn’t embarrass himself as our master. The two of you, please give them a thorough training.”
“Understood.”
“Understood.”
* * *
“No, lower your gaze slightly and never look directly into the customer’s eyes. Lowering it too much would be rude. Focus on their mouth.”
“Yes.”
“When leading, walk slightly ahead so as not to block the customer’s view.”
“Yes.”
“When receiving a customer’s belongings…”
“When opening a door…”
“When saying goodbye to a customer…”
Starting the next day, Bella began giving Barou and Belle two hours of customer service lessons a day. Kaara and Dessa also attended the lessons.
“It’s different. When you bow low, don’t put your hands in front of your stomach. Do you have stomach pain? Look closely. Do it like this…”
“When you put the dishes down, be careful not to make any noise.”
Bella’s instructions were strict, but Barou and Belle, as well as Kaara and Dessa, lacked enthusiasm at first. However, seeing Barou and Belle’s dedication made them change their minds, and they began to work diligently.
“Jin seems to have found some excellent talents.”
Reinhardt was amazed that the two ragged individuals he had picked up on his way back had become so
had become so useful.
“Right! Move your right leg further back!”
“Y-Yes!”
Adoberg’s self-defense lessons, one hour a day, began with footwork.
“Exactly. While moving your right leg half a step back, swing your body around your left leg. This is an effective way to dodge straight attacks. Practice this alternately on the left and right.”
Becoming proficient in this art wouldn’t happen overnight, but mastering the basics would allow for more advanced applications.
“If your lower body is not stable, you won’t succeed in any martial art. Make it a habit to practice regularly.”
“Yes!”
Barou and Belle seemed to be making progress.
* * *
“This morning, during the regular contact with the Klein Kingdom, it was reported that Jin and the others have successfully completed their mission and will be returning soon. If so, they should arrive in Royzart tomorrow.”
“Is that so?”
“In that case, their work here will come to an end. It was a short time, but thank you for your hard work.”
“Thank you for everything!”
And so Barou and Belle returned to the Royzart mansion.
Reinhardt considered using the teleportation gate to take them to the mansion.
‘Maybe it’s time to tell them about the teleportation gate. I should discuss this with Jin.’
And so a new chapter of their story began…