Each and every human is different.
Though we’re all classified under the same species, humans are so diverse it’s almost hard to believe we belong to the same category.
From outward appearances to values and personal preferences…everything differs.
What’s unthinkable to one person might be completely natural to another. Whether it’s about relationships or matters of life and death, the weight each person gives to these things varies immensely.
So perhaps, the most inhuman kind of organization…
…would be one that forces everyone to act the same.
Take, for example, the employees of Tane Academy.
“Like this?”
The ones more often referred to as maids or servants.
“Haah…”
“Haha…”
Their daily goal is to remain invisible to their master’s routine.
With neat appearances and modest attire, blending into the background is all they strive for.
And I was now with the highest-ranking among them. The head maid, Ellis.
I was practicing the proper demeanor expected of a servant.
“…Let me explain in more detail. Your movements are excellent. If you were a soldier, that is.”
“Hmmm…”
“But Tane is a different case. It’s good that you’re disciplined…but you’re too stiff. Are you trying to make the students feel uncomfortable?”
“Ugh…”
To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing wrong.
I thought I could just mimic drill movements like in the military… but it turns out it’s not that simple.
Getting repeatedly corrected by the expressionless head maid was chipping away at my confidence…
“And I wasn’t going to mention this, but your appearance is too striking. From now on, keep your forehead covered, and maintain a more appropriate fringe length.”
“How about this, then?”
“…Still too eye-catching.”
Well, of course.
Just brushing back Adel’s bangs was enough to shoot him up the class hierarchy.
Even though I’d changed my appearance somewhat, I was still far from what anyone would call “plain-looking”.
“I recommend wearing glasses.”
Ellis who suggested this also wore glasses herself. I see. So even on this world, glasses are a universal tool for looking more modest.
“Then, may I borrow yours for a moment?”
“…Mine?”
“Yes. I’d like to try them on so you can judge whether they work for me…”
“…That would be a problem. Instead, I’ll recommend a shop.”
With those words, she handed me a simple map.
“……”
Honestly, there was no real reason I had to follow Ellis’s advice.
I didn’t actually take this job because I wanted to work here.
Once I accomplish my goal, there’ll be no reason to keep playing the role of a butler.
So there’s no real need for me to learn the etiquette or demeanor expected when dealing with students.
Thinking that, I gave a slight shrug.
Still, the woman in front of me is a member of the Damir family.
Judging by her darker hair color compared to Awen and Aron, she’s probably the child of a concubine or something similar… but even so, Marquis Damir cherishes all his children.
There’s no need to leave a bad impression.
“Understood. I’ll make time to visit the shop.”
When I replied, Ellis’s gaze seemed to shift slightly for some reason.
“…Next, we’ll go over your daily duties, Adel.”
***
Days at Tane flowed on.
In a life filled with work, time itself seems to accelerate.
A daily battlefield, in its own way.
Ellis Damir had been carefully observing the man who had recently joined the servant staff.
Officially, he had been hired to fill the vacancy left by a murdered maid.
But still…why bring in someone with a butler background, instead of the usual maid type?
Ellis was suspicious.
…I hope this really is just to protect the maids.
Perhaps he’d been brought in as a countermeasure to the recent maid murder.
That’s what Ellis hoped, even as her doubts lingered while she observed him.
After all, she herself had not been entirely unaffected by the incident.
As the head maid, she was responsible for the management and supervision of all servants.
Of course, it was nearly impossible to keep track of every single maid. But still, the fact that someone under her charge had been murdered within Tane left a bitter taste.
Tane had always guaranteed absolute safety. A servant dying here had been unprecedented.
…He’s definitely strange.
In that tense period, Ellis muttered to herself as she thought of Adel.
He wasn’t just strange….he was suspicious.
His documents listed an extensive history of work as a butler, yet his posture and movements were rigid.
When asked to demonstrate his skills, what he showed were drill movements one would only see from trained soldiers.
And then there was his name “Adel”….the same as the recently deceased student. Clearly a fake name.
Not to mention his physique. It wasn’t obvious under his clothes, but Ellis could tell his body had been trained for combat.
She could sense it because, being a Damir herself, she had some familiarity with swordsmanship.
He might be a thug here to pull something…
So Ellis continued watching from the shadows beyond the campus courtyard.
There, she saw a tall man with ash-gray hair helping the maids.
It was the butler, Adel.
“Oh…Mr. Butler!”
“Isn’t that too heavy?”
“N-No, it’s fine!”
“Here, let me take that. I’ll help you carry it.”
“Ah, um… b-but…”
Smiling brightly as he took over the laundry—
…He’s being way too nice.
And so, her unnoticed tailing continued throughout the afternoon.
“Ah! Mr. Butler! There’s no issue during work hours.”
“Come on, don’t straighten your back like that. You can stay a little relaxed.”
“N-No, I’m sorry!”
“Huh? Why are you being so formal with a fellow servant? When no one’s looking, take it easy a bit. Rest up, seriously.”
“W-Well…”
“Alright then, I’ll be the first to lean on one leg.”
“…Ah…”
Just a few lighthearted words and the maids’ expressions melted into sheepish smiles.
Ellis felt a bit annoyed.
…That’s not how a maid should carry herself. How undisciplined.
After chatting with them for a while, Adel moved on again this time toward the servants’ dining hall.
“Huh? Mr. Butler?”
“Please, don’t get up.”
Maids… lounging around like that is unacceptable. I warn them all the time, and still this is what I find.
The staff assigned here were, by and large, what one would call “seasoned” maids. Many had rough personalities, and even Ellis often found them hard to manage.
Still, giving warnings is part of a supervisor’s job. I wonder if you can handle them…
As she watched Adel with that thought in mind, he casually looked around and headed into the kitchen.
“What the? What’s the butler doing here?”
One maid spoke loud enough to be heard, clearly on purpose.
But Adel didn’t react. He simply let out a small chuckle.
“Just as I thought. I had a feeling it’d be like this.”
He said this while opening the door of the magical refrigerator. What he pulled out was a long-forgotten, blackened potato.
“This place is a mess.”
“Um, even if you’re the butler, you can’t just touch that…”
“Butler?”
“…..”
“Butler is too polite. You little shit. You think we’re equals now?”
Bang!
He kicked the magical refrigerator hard.
“Hey. Who’s in charge of this thing?”
“……”
“No one’s answering? Five… four… three…”
Under the cold fury of his voice, one maid slowly raised her hand. Adel walked right up to her and stared her down.
Then suddenly, he kicked her in the shin. A motion too practiced to be a one-time thing!
“Agh!!”
“You. Get over here. Is this a fridge to you? Or a damn garbage heap? You think this is okay just because it’s the servants’ dining hall?”
“U-Um… d-did you mean the magical refrigerator, not an ordinary fridge…”
“Don’t get smart with me. Got it?”
“….…”
Just like that, he brought the problem maids under control in an instant.
“I’m not asking for much. I don’t interfere if you just stick to the basics. But let’s at least do the basics, yeah?”
Even his tone sounded like someone who’d said those words a hundred times before. A completely different side from the kind, smiling man from earlier.
He got them to fall in line… just like that.
Ellis forgot she was supposed to be tailing him and simply stared, dumbfounded.
To her, showing anger was something undignified.
But discipline that was rough yet still within bounds like his was something completely unexpected for her.
Then suddenly, she found herself face-to-face with Adel.
He was leaving the dining hall, adjusting the white gloves of his butler uniform, when he tilted his head at the sight of Ellis standing against the wall.
“Oh? Lady Ellis, what brings you here?”
“…I…”
“…Ah. Were you perhaps planning to handle that situation yourself? My apologies.”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Haha. I’m sorry for stepping in uninvited.”
She looked at Adel with a complicated expression. A bit of confusion and a hint of envy over something she herself couldn’t do.
Of course, that was just her inner feeling. Her expression remained unchanged…
“Did I end up wasting your time?”
“…That… is correct.”
Did he pick up on her subtle mood? Suddenly, it was Adel who started the conversation.
“Then, would you care for some tea? I actually had something I wanted to discuss with you.”
“……”
Trying to shake off the sense of being swept along by his pace, Ellis gave a small nod.
“Very well.”
***
Lucky me.
Having managed to call Ellis aside, I was secretly pleased.
I’d been thrown into the field right after a rough round of training… and until now, I hadn’t had a single chance to talk to her one-on-one.
Only today was I finally able to make it happen.
I looked at her as we sat facing each other. Today, she seemed just a little stiff as she sipped her tea.
I sniffed vaguely at the aroma, then opened my mouth to speak.
“Would you take a look at this?”
“…What is it?”
“What you mentioned the other day.”
I pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on. For some reason, Ellis looked slightly surprised.
“…Glasses? You actually prepared them.”
“Of course. They say it’s best for the mentor to wear them when teaching. But… do they look alright?”
“…Yes. You look intelligent.”
“Intelligent…? That’s no good. I bought them to look plain and modest…”
“…No, they’re perfectly effective. Don’t worry.”
Of course, that wasn’t the main point. I was just trying to break the ice. I fiddled with the glasses and continued.
“Actually, the real reason I called you here is something else, Lady Ellis.”
“……”
A guarded expression.
“I wanted to say that you really don’t need to be so wary of me.”
“…I don’t quite follow.”
“I have my own goals. I won’t be staying in Tane for long.”
It’s only natural for people to be wary of a stranger who suddenly appears.
I’d already noticed that she’d been tailing me for days.
Though I still had no idea why she was doing it.
Maybe she was starting to feel that her position was being threatened.
It wasn’t a good thing. Moving around under watchful eyes…it was uncomfortable, no matter the reason.
“I came here to catch Harunsdel’s attention.”
“…Harunsdel. You mean the merchant family.”
So I decided to just be honest. Though, of course, I mixed in a few lies.
“To be honest, I like money. No….more than like, I love it. Gold never betrays you, does it?”
“……”
“So I’m planning to work for whoever pays more. Tane’s fine, but… well, you have to be careful how you act here…”
“I see.”
“Yes, exactly. Money is the best. So… I heard the eldest son of Harunsdel is enrolled in the commerce department here… and he’s already scouting talent.”
But something strange happened.
Ellis’s expression changed slightly.
She seemed… disappointed.
Was that just my imagination?
“Money… I see.”
“Yes. So there’s really no reason to worry about me. And if I happen to mess up, could you let it slide? Hehe.”
“…Alright. If that’s the case, I think I can arrange something for you.”
I let out a cheer.
“Oh, as expected of the head maid. You already have connections.”
“…He’s a persistent man.”
Well, that’s only natural. I’d seen it often in the original work….him constantly pestering any woman or talented person he fancied.
I never expected he’d even make a move on Damir’s child… but judging from Ellis’s unwillingness to reveal her surname, he probably didn’t know.
“Persistent…? Well, sure. I guess that’s what makes a good merchant! I’m counting on you, senior. Hehe.”
“…I was mistaken.”
Mistaken? Was she hoping I’d pick up on something she let slip?
I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.
I just smiled cheerfully, ignoring her signal.
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