Chapter 136: An Unexpected Tension
After spending several days in the Fishing Town, buying seafood, gathering materials, and avoiding Rosa’s Faction at all costs…
I found myself in a tavern I usually wouldn’t visit, accompanied by my butler. Everything I tried to eat was terrible, so why did we choose this place?
“If negotiations fall through, it’s better to be in a location we won’t return to,” he replied with a look.
Is he really that concerned about a potential fallout? Today was supposed to be a meeting with someone I had asked my butler to arrange.
“Normally, I would prefer to set this up in another town, but I can’t be away for long,” he continued.
Is he reading my mind?
I pushed my plate aside slightly and discreetly pulled out a cookie to mix in with my meal. The alcohol wasn’t great, but since it was just watered down, I figured it could serve as a substitute for water…
The butler didn’t say anything, so it seems that it’s not just my Japanese sensibilities—this place is genuinely awful.
The cranberry cookie had a bit of strawberry mixed into the dough. I hoped it wouldn’t be discovered. I refrained from adding anything like meat or fish, so I hoped that would be forgiven.
“Excuse me,” a voice interrupted as someone entered.
“Welcome.”
“Good evening. Thank you for having me today.”
I stood up, wiping my hands with a handkerchief.
Two butlers, resembling those from a butler café, walked in. They were unnecessarily handsome, with hair in pale gold and silver, yet they had the same face. One smiled while the other wore a poker face devoid of expression.
Is this how all butlers are?
“…I smell something.”
“Smell?” I instinctively sniffed my own hand.
I had filleted fish for lunch today. I didn’t think I smelled particularly fishy, but maybe my nose was off.
“—Excuse me.” The silver-haired one picked up a cookie with gloved hands.
Did they catch me!? Are all butlers this sharp? Is it impossible to keep secrets around them?
“…It tastes strange.” He took a bite, looking utterly shocked.
“You?” The gold-haired one seemed surprised, his smile vanishing. It looked like something was happening between the two of them, but I was left in the dark.
“I have business to attend to.”
“Excuse me, let’s forget this conversation ever happened.”
The silver-haired one said this expressionlessly as he walked out the door, while the gold-haired one smiled and bowed as he followed.
“…Is my cookie really that terrible?” I stared at the closed door.
“No, Lord Jean, your sweets are quite delicious. I apologize; this is the first time I’ve seen such a reaction.” The butler seemed flustered, though he didn’t show it on his face.
“Well, I guess I should just destroy the evidence and head home.” I munched on the cookie.
After finishing the cookie, I stood up and reached for the door, but the butler stopped me with a hand gesture. He opened the door instead.
“Whoa!” The gold-haired one stood there with a smile, with the silver-haired one looming behind him. It was slightly intimidating.
“I apologize for earlier.”
“I’ll take the job. But first, I want to know where you got those sweets.”
The silver-haired one was rude, but the smiling gold-haired one seemed even more suspicious.
I wished my employer would show a bit more friendliness. No, not friendliness—respect? No, just being normal would be fine.
“I can’t disclose that. Let’s consider this conversation null and void.” The butler seemed to sense my hesitation and stepped in to decline.
Tension crackled between the gold and silver-haired butlers. Why was it so tense all of a sudden?
“We can’t afford to make a scene here. Let’s include an Oath to ensure no harm comes to you or your master,” the silver-haired one suggested.
“Feel free to include that man over there as well.” The gold-haired one sighed and pointed at me with his chin, looking annoyed.
An Oath is a promise made in the presence of a Spirit. Like the curse in that book, breaking it leads to terrible consequences, and since I would be accepting it willingly, the restrictions would be even tighter.
I knew that, but what did they mean by “harm”?
“I’m not the one running a shop. However, depending on the conditions, I might come to you regularly,” I decided it was best to remain silent and let the butler handle it. But I had too many questions…
“Why are you so fixated on sweets?”
“…” The silver-haired one averted his gaze.
“This is the only food that allows me to taste anything,” the gold-haired one said with a troubled smile.
“Hmph. There are other things that have flavor, but I won’t make any major compromises.” The silver-haired one looked disgruntled.
I really didn’t want to eat something tasteless.
“So? Who are we killing?” After a brief silence, the silver-haired one opened his mouth, clearly irritated.
“…Note?” I called out to the butler, still frozen in place.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I’m merely acting as an intermediary for the retainer’s duties.”
A retainer conveys their master’s wishes throughout the household and manages general affairs. They typically perform similar tasks to a house steward or butler but are more agile and handle miscellaneous tasks. They also tend to help out only during busy times, making them more flexible.
“…Why such caution when hiring a retainer?” The gold-haired one asked with a stiff smile.
“It’s a habit,” the butler replied with a cheerful smile and a shallow bow.
Is it okay to dig deeper into this?