Chapter 57

For a noble, the butler is an existence that indirectly symbolizes their status.

If it’s a son who hasn’t inherited the family yet, or a low-ranking noble with a minor title, there’s no need to hire a butler.

The level of visitors usually isn’t high, so having servants attend to them is enough. However, when one’s status rises and they begin dealing with high-ranking figures, the situation changes.

“Because in that unbreachable wall between commoners and nobles, it’s easy to make mistakes.”

As rank increases, so too do the rules of etiquette that must be followed.
From the basic greeting, to the terms used, the posture when taking leave, and even how to walk silently.

No matter how experienced a servant may be, without specialized training, there’s no way they can know all those details.

“In the worst case, one could treat a guest of higher rank than their own lord improperly and cause a huge problem. Whether a vassal or a servant, someone who serves a sovereign is, essentially, the face of that sovereign.”

In such situations, what’s needed is a butler.

An employee of low-ranking noble origin, rigorously trained in etiquette and with some understanding of politics.

Knowing the noble world well, if trustworthy, they could even respond to most emergencies.

If dealing frequently with high-ranking nobles, hiring a butler was practically essential.

“Young master. Me, a butler? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Maybe you misunderstood something?”

Hans, after blinking blankly for a while at Lucian’s words, asked again.

He wore the expression of someone who had heard the impossible.

“Misunderstood? I’m the one who requested they start your butler training.”

“But aren’t butlers only for nobles? I’m a commoner.”

“I know. That’s why I’ll have to elevate you to noble status later.”

Hans’s eyes widened like saucers. Become a noble without earning military merit?

“I-Is that possible?”

“With a title, yes. Starting from the rank of count, it’s possible to elevate a commoner to a minor baron. There’s a limited number of promotions per generation, so it can’t be abused.”

In other words, even without merit, a noble of count rank could elevate someone if they wished.

Even so, battlefield achievements were usually required for two reasons: to prove the person was truly capable, and because if they didn’t earn recognition from others, they wouldn’t be treated as a true noble anyway.

It was pointless to promote someone if everyone still saw them as just a lucky commoner.

“Well, that rule mostly applies to nobles of knightly origin. But for a butler serving the head of a family, it doesn’t matter as much.”

Knights needed outside recognition, but a butler only needed to maintain the trust of the family head.

After all, what use was outside fame to a butler who only handled internal affairs? If they gained too much fame, they’d only raise suspicion within the household.

For a butler, the head’s trust was worth a hundred times more than useless fame.

“So learn well. You’ll sleep a little less, but if you want to keep helping me in the future, you have to start learning now.”

“Y-Young master…”

At Lucian’s smile, Hans felt a lump in his throat.

He had thought his master was starting to forget about him, yet here he was, even planning to raise him to nobility.

The guilt for having doubted his master, mixed with the emotion from receiving such an undeserved favor, left him speechless. In the end, Hans managed to speak, bowing deeply.

“I’ll never, ever disappoint you. I’ll learn properly and become someone who’s truly useful to you, young master. Please wait for me.”

“I hope so. But don’t overdo it. If you collapse before you learn everything, you’ll just cause me trouble.”

Lucian responded lightly, but Hans was completely serious.

If he wanted to keep up with a master who kept rising higher and higher, he would have to run with all his strength too.

***

Unlike previous trips, Lucian’s escort on his way to the capital consisted solely of Raymond.

Even considering that Raymond was a Black Lion, it was a surprisingly small group.

However, neither the duke nor Lucian himself paid it much mind.

Not only because the distance was short, but because the route was exceptionally safe.

“Who would dare mess with the road between Kelheim and the capital? They’d have to be crazy.”

On one end was the center of the Valdeck family’s duchy, and on the other, the imperial capital. Both territories were connected by a well-maintained road, with posts and guard stations built at regular intervals.

Attacking someone on a road like that? Just for the honor of the duchy and the imperial family, it would most likely result in immediate execution.

“In fact, if we’re talking just about safety, the road to the capital is safer than the capital itself. Inside there are swindlers, pickpockets, and thugs—but here, that kind of person doesn’t even exist.”

The fact that Raymond, who rode beside him, joked like that said it all.

As expected, the journey was peaceful, and Lucian and Raymond soon arrived at a village relatively close to the capital.

Perhaps due to its proximity, though it wasn’t quite a city, it was large for a village and had a fairly luxurious inn.

“Give us the best room. Since my escort needs to stay with me, make it a double room, not a single.”

“Understood, sir! When would you like your meal served?”

“After the bath. Prepare the water.”

“Then I’ll heat the water right away!”

The innkeeper accepted Lucian’s request with a diligent attitude.

From the way he bowed, it seemed he’d already dealt with plenty of nobles.

Once inside the room, Raymond spoke as if he had just remembered something.

“Now that I think about it, I heard you came to the capital looking for someone. Who exactly?”

“An alchemist.”

“Huh? An alchemist? Aren’t those the guys the imperial family already squeezed dry of all their secrets, leaving them just a husk? I doubt you’ll get anything useful.”

At Raymond’s honest opinion, Lucian gave a bitter smile.

At that time, the status of the alchemists’ guild really was as low as Raymond said.

“Just in case, don’t say things like that in front of alchemists. These people only have their pride left—take that away, and they might just drop dead.”

“So what if they do? Even necromancers ditched them for being useless.”

By “necromancers,” Raymond wasn’t referring to actual black magic users, but to the mages who rebelled 300 years ago.

Back then, the alchemists didn’t join the rebel mages—they sided with the imperial family, and thanks to that, they were able to continue existing as a recognized school.

The alchemists’ guild often recounted that story with pride, but people usually just scoffed.

“They say it was out of loyalty, but that’s nonsense. Since the other mages didn’t consider them part of their own, they had no choice but to side with the imperial family. Loyalty? Yeah, right.”

Mages saw alchemists as “talentless people who just imitate magic with medicine” and looked down on them.

Even now, when the prestige of mages had dropped significantly after the rebellion, that attitude hadn’t changed—so back in their heyday, it must’ve been even worse.

Not even the rebel mages invited them to join the rebellion, which showed just how low they ranked.

“If they at least contributed something useful to the world, maybe they’d earn some respect—but nope. They’ve been living off the imperial family’s support for centuries without doing a thing, so they deserve the criticism.”

They hadn’t improved the effects of existing potions or created anything new.

All they did was slightly increase the purity of already-invented potions.

To make things worse, the formulas had long since been handed over completely to the imperial family, so even if the alchemists disappeared, it wouldn’t matter much.

“It’s been a while since I heard opinions so typical of this era… hard to get used to.”

Lucian smiled bitterly at Raymond’s complaints.

At that point in history, the treatment alchemists received was exactly as Raymond described—parasites clinging to past glory, doing nothing.

And yet, that evaluation would be completely overturned in just a few months.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of hiring an alchemist to develop a new elixir.”

“No, it’s not that, so don’t worry. I’m not investing in something with zero chance of success.”

At Raymond’s suspicious glance, Lucian answered sincerely.

What he was looking for wasn’t a reckless genius who took wild risks, but rather the opposite—he didn’t want someone dulled by routine and fear.

And just as Raymond had said, most current alchemists fell into that latter category.

“Besides, if there were really conditions to develop a new elixir, the guild would be the best-equipped place. If they haven’t achieved anything there, there’s nothing more to say.”

“Exactly. With all those imperial-funded facilities, who knows what they’re even doing…”

“But no matter how rotten an organization gets, I doubt all the adventurous spirit has completely vanished. We’ll start by visiting the guild and—”

Crash!

— What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!

The shrill voice from downstairs interrupted Lucian. Clearly, some kind of commotion had broken out on the ground floor.

“Looks like trouble.”

“Should we check it out?”

“Let’s go. If we leave it, who knows how long it’ll drag on.”

Noble pride often led to extreme confrontations.

Left unchecked, such things usually got worse rather than calming down.

In those cases, it was best for someone of higher rank to step in as soon as possible.

“I didn’t want to reveal my status, but it’s better than getting into a worse mess trying to hide it.”

Just in case, Lucian took his weapon and headed downstairs.

***

“Why are you saying you can’t accept this?! Do you even know how much this is worth?!”

“How should I know? I’ve never seriously used potions.”

“Then ask someone else! If you sell it, it’ll cover a month’s lodging!”

“Even if you say that, I’ve never sold anything like this before…”

Lucian saw the innkeeper drenched in sweat, struggling to deal with a customer.

The shouting man was waving a potion bottle in his face.

From the looks of it, he was trying to pay for his stay with that potion instead of money.

“You blind fool! This potion contains lunar sugar, pearl dust, and silk scales! Materials you’ll never touch in your entire life!”

Hearing that, Lucian and Raymond exchanged glances. The man had just admitted he made the potion himself.

And on top of that, the ingredients he listed were true luxuries.

There was only one profession capable of obtaining such materials to craft potions.

“Looks like that guy’s from the alchemists’ guild.”

“They say if you talk about a beast, it appears.”

Lucian smiled wryly and approached the two arguing men.

No matter how much the man seemed down on his luck, if he belonged to the guild, he had to have inside information.

Hearing from someone like that before even reaching the capital wasn’t a bad idea.

“That’s enough, calm down. Forcing the issue doesn’t look good.”

“And who are you to butt into someone else’s business…?”

The alchemist, about to explode, paused when he noticed Lucian’s clothes.

They weren’t flashy, but the material was clearly high quality.

“From the looks of it, you need to pay for lodging. I’ll take care of it. In return, could you tell me a little about alchemy? From what you’ve said, you seem quite knowledgeable.”

“Ahem… If you insist…”

Realizing he wouldn’t get anywhere continuing the argument, the alchemist backed down.

When Lucian dropped a few shiny gold coins into the innkeeper’s hand, the man nearly bent double at the waist.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, my lord!”

“It’s fine. Bring the food to the second floor. I’ll cover this man’s bill, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, right away! And the water for your bath…?”

“Later.”

After sending the innkeeper off, Lucian led the alchemist upstairs.

Once out of sight, the man cleared his throat several times.

“Ahem… So, what exactly would you like to know about alchemy?”

Seeing how the man dove straight into business without even offering thanks, Lucian let out a small laugh.

It had just been a random question, but the man clearly thought, “It was a deal, so I don’t owe him anything,” protecting his pride that way.

“Let’s introduce ourselves first. We don’t even know each other’s names.”

“You’re right. My name is Haide Forbor. And yours?”

The moment he heard that name, Lucian’s smile froze.

It was the only alchemist’s name he remembered from his past life.

‘Haide Forbor—the creator of the Nectar.’

The man standing before him had just introduced himself with the name that would one day become legend.