Rankenhaus, the Ivy Mansion, located in Kalts Village of the Shouro Empire.
It was Reinhard’s residence, serving also as the manor of the local lord.
"And so, while these two are officially servants of Lord Jin Nidou, he is currently away in the Klein Kingdom on Her Majesty's royal decree. They will be working here until he returns."
Reinhard had gathered his staff to introduce the new arrivals.
"I am Barrow. I know I have much to learn, but I promise to work my hardest. It’s a pleasure to meet you all."
"My name is Belle. I am still quite inexperienced, but I’ll do my best. I look forward to your guidance."
At their own insistence, Barrow and Belle were to be treated exactly like the rest of the household staff during their temporary stay at the mansion.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Barrow, I’d like you to assist my secretary, Adberg, with his duties."
"Yes, sir. I understand. Mr. Adberg, I look forward to working with you."
"Hm, as do I. Tell me, Barrow, how are your skills with arithmetic?"
"I’m fairly confident in them, Mr. Adberg."
"Good. Then I’ll start by having you maintain these ledgers."
Barrow began his training by acting as Adberg’s assistant. The ledgers handed to him were essentially household account books used to manage the mansion’s daily operating costs. His task was to record income, expenditures, and the specific details for each entry.
Since the primary income was tax revenue, those entries were made monthly at most. Consequently, the bulk of his work focused on managing expenditures.
"Let’s see... food costs, wages, and... miscellaneous expenses?"
Barrow’s eyes widened at the records. They were shockingly vague.
"Um, Mr. Adberg? Is this everything?"
"Hm? Yes, why do you ask?"
"Don't you think this is a bit too broad? Especially these 'miscellaneous' entries. If we broke these down into more specific categories, I think it would be easier to spot waste and find ways to save money."
While being too meticulous could sometimes increase the workload unnecessarily, subdividing costs was often the best way to identify frivolous spending.
"Could we at least separate these into categories like sanitation, transportation, maintenance, daily sundries, and so on?"
"Hoh. And where did you learn that method of organization?"
"From Lord Jin, sir."
"I see. Lord Jin is a man of rational thought. It seems we have much to learn from him. Forgive me—could you explain these categories to me in more detail?"
"Of course. To start with..."
＊ ＊ ＊
"Belle, could you fold this for me?"
"Certainly."
Belle was currently helping two of the maids. Both were locals from Kalts Village, aged seventeen and nineteen. They had come to the manor to work while learning the proper etiquette of service.
"The difficult tasks are usually handled by the automata, Bella, so our work is actually quite manageable," said the seventeen-year-old maid, Karra, as she folded laundry.
Bella was an automata created by Reinhard. She had purple hair and black eyes. Though Reinhard never explicitly confirmed it, her appearance was reportedly modeled after Mine. She possessed a fairly generous bust and radiated a composed, mature aura.
"Ugh, I really hate using this flat iron. It’s such a chore."
The other maid, Dessa, was nineteen. She was grumbling as she pressed a shirt with a heavy triangular block of iron. Belle happened to glance over at what she was doing and froze in surprise.
"W-What is that?"
"What do you mean? It’s a flat iron. Haven't you seen one?"
"Wait... is that what you use to get the wrinkles out of clothes?"
"Well, yes. Haven't you ever used one before?"
"No, I haven't..."
In truth, Belle had never seen a traditional flat iron before meeting Jin. They weren't used in her home of Magiroots Village, and her first job at a noble’s house in the Celuroa Kingdom had involved only menial labor and chores. She had only learned the art of pressing clothes after entering Jin's service.
"Um... do you not use a proper iron?"
At Jin's place, they used a specialized magi-tech iron.
"A proper iron? What’s that?"
"Ah, could you wait just a moment?"
Belle remembered she had a small iron among her belongings and went to fetch it. It was a gift Jin had made for her.
Most of the clothes Jin wore were made of ground spider silk (GSS). This material was essentially a shape-memory fabric; it didn't wrinkle after washing and maintained its original texture. However, the formal jackets Jin had received as gifts, along with Elsa's original blouses and dresses, were made of silk, linen, or wool. Those required a finishing touch after washing, and Belle had learned the process using Jin's inventions.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Jin had given her this iron for her personal use, specifically so she could practice, and she had made sure to pack it.
"Heh, what is that thing?"
"This is called an iron. You place a magi-stone inside here..."
The heat source was a magi-stone rather than a magi-crystal. It took about two minutes to reach the proper temperature and featured simple heat controls.
"This is linen, right? In that case, you should mist it thoroughly first..."
Since linen was prone to wrinkling, it needed to be dampened before applying a hot iron. The secret was to apply firm pressure to smooth out the creases.
"Wow..."
"For wool, you use a pressing cloth and a slightly lower temperature."
As Belle worked with expert efficiency, she was watched intently not only by the two human maids but by the automata Bella as well.
＊ ＊ ＊
That night, Adberg and Bella gave their reports to their master, Reinhard.
"I see. That sounds like Jin's handiwork. In that case, Bella, I want you to return the favor by teaching them court etiquette and noble reception techniques."
"Understood, Master."
"And Adberg... could you perhaps teach them some basic self-defense?"
Reinhard wanted them to know how to handle unruly guests or thieves. He knew that as a master of taijutsu, Adberg was the perfect instructor.
"Very well. Since our time is limited, I will focus on the absolute fundamentals."
"That’s fine. They can learn the daily chores at Jin’s place, but learning how to interact with various grades of nobility is much harder to pick up. Please ensure they are well-trained so they don't bring any shame to their master."
"As you command."
"Understood."
＊ ＊ ＊
"No, lower your gaze slightly. You must never look a guest directly in the eye, yet looking too far down is a sign of disrespect. Focus your eyes on their mouth."
"Yes, ma'am."
"When guiding a guest, walk diagonally ahead of them so you do not obstruct their line of sight."
"Yes, ma'am."
"When accepting a guest's luggage..."
"When opening a door..."
"When seeing a guest off..."
From the following day, Bella began two hours of daily instruction in reception techniques. Karra and Dessa joined in on the lessons.
"Incorrect. When bowing deeply, you must never clasp your hands over your stomach. Are you in pain? Watch me. This is how it is done..."
"Also, be mindful to make as little noise as possible when clearing the table."
Bella was a strict teacher, but Barrow and Belle viewed this as a precious opportunity. They applied themselves with such sincerity that they improved rapidly. Seeing their dedication, Karra and Dessa’s initial lack of enthusiasm vanished, and they too began to take the training seriously.
"Hmph. It seems Jin has found himself some excellent people."
Reinhard was genuinely impressed by how much the two had grown since he had first encountered them in their tattered state during his journey home.
"Wrong! Pull your right foot back more!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Adberg’s self-defense lessons lasted one hour a day. They were currently focusing on footwork.
"That’s it. As you pull your right foot back half a step, pivot on your left foot to turn your body sideways. That alone will allow you to evade most linear attacks. Practice this on both sides."
Martial arts couldn't be mastered in a day, but a firm grasp of the basics would serve them well later.
"Without a stable lower body, you will never master any form of combat. Train yourselves daily."
"Yes, sir!"
It seemed Barrow and Belle were destined to grow even further.
＊ ＊ ＊
"I received word through the regular communication from the Klein Kingdom this morning. Jin and the others have successfully completed their mission and are on their way back. They should arrive at the Loizart mansion tomorrow."
"Really!?"
"Yes. Which means your time here has come to an end. It was brief, but you both did a fine job."
"Thank you so much for everything, sir!"
And so, Barrow and Belle prepared to return to the mansion in Loizart. Reinhard watched them, considering whether he should take them there via the Warp Gate.
(It might be more convenient to let them in on the secret of the Warp Gate soon. I’ll have to discuss it with Jin.)
And thus, a new chapter begins...