Chapter 57
G21nNFor a noble, the butler is an existence that indirectly symbolizes their status.n2IAV
4ZQIf 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.oAGT
VEVThe 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.m9B
Zf9O“Because in that unbreachable wall between commoners and nobles, it’s easy to make mistakes.”IA3thx
0nysAs 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.Hpfv0aq
wDwNo matter how experienced a servant may be, without specialized training, there’s no way they can know all those details.xe4
FCm“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.”m35
i3Co9SIn such situations, what’s needed is a butler.FighzyG
zOpQIMAn employee of low-ranking noble origin, rigorously trained in etiquette and with some understanding of politics.g1w
gpouenzKnowing the noble world well, if trustworthy, they could even respond to most emergencies.lJBn
d1LfF9bIf dealing frequently with high-ranking nobles, hiring a butler was practically essential.GVp7pu5
WuCnzF“Young master. Me, a butler? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Maybe you misunderstood something?”Lo6rh
2MxVHans, after blinking blankly for a while at Lucian’s words, asked again.U4yt
2SdEHe wore the expression of someone who had heard the impossible.rS6
f9Pc“Misunderstood? I’m the one who requested they start your butler training.”VVTjL
yTp“But aren’t butlers only for nobles? I’m a commoner.”YtR8s
4bN5“I know. That’s why I’ll have to elevate you to noble status later.”iZi1y3
rUzEHans’s eyes widened like saucers. Become a noble without earning military merit?TzJwzD
tdm53“I-Is that possible?”ILot5
2GtwZZ“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.”5X9
xb9T2In other words, even without merit, a noble of count rank could elevate someone if they wished.Toq
6vAfl3Even 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.mjvpbnd
TYfCVtvIt was pointless to promote someone if everyone still saw them as just a lucky commoner.pE4Emq
Utv“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.”8r4OBN6
848Knights needed outside recognition, but a butler only needed to maintain the trust of the family head.soO
TMpXldAfter 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.lM5Q9
llfFor a butler, the head’s trust was worth a hundred times more than useless fame.ErGcItH
osXPqjC“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.”oSDyzqI
tv1“Y-Young master…”PIPdr
QZbCSAt Lucian’s smile, Hans felt a lump in his throat.WB5Ber
gw2lZjHe had thought his master was starting to forget about him, yet here he was, even planning to raise him to nobility.hZrwwYr
vdQ1uThe 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.65aVUx
YAFIyE1“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.”q2bW
33ikUD“I hope so. But don’t overdo it. If you collapse before you learn everything, you’ll just cause me trouble.”UuL
VQRLucian responded lightly, but Hans was completely serious.7BQmNl
lpuIf he wanted to keep up with a master who kept rising higher and higher, he would have to run with all his strength too.8NYYiF1
gyY04***85Ph
TPkCUnlike previous trips, Lucian’s escort on his way to the capital consisted solely of Raymond.XZWqk
dsJDUQEven considering that Raymond was a Black Lion, it was a surprisingly small group.8fIKf
4xKq5However, neither the duke nor Lucian himself paid it much mind.ncS
YrjONot only because the distance was short, but because the route was exceptionally safe.IuX5n
le7cjJ“Who would dare mess with the road between Kelheim and the capital? They’d have to be crazy.”cejuBy
XckIWJnOn 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.boOnpOn
JwnPJAgAttacking 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.TMEhNGp
2VR1mPW“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.”WU1
H75mlThe fact that Raymond, who rode beside him, joked like that said it all.owp9l9v
z5PDEAs expected, the journey was peaceful, and Lucian and Raymond soon arrived at a village relatively close to the capital.bi4U2
R0QPerhaps due to its proximity, though it wasn’t quite a city, it was large for a village and had a fairly luxurious inn.gOT
fYTKd“Give us the best room. Since my escort needs to stay with me, make it a double room, not a single.”Cgsp
8to32“Understood, sir! When would you like your meal served?”LoHVY57
zPLaA“After the bath. Prepare the water.”C7EKx8
wlO“Then I’ll heat the water right away!”tn2
wQYi5The innkeeper accepted Lucian’s request with a diligent attitude.X4qYGf
ebmOVFrom the way he bowed, it seemed he’d already dealt with plenty of nobles.ZSMT9RQ
9t4Once inside the room, Raymond spoke as if he had just remembered something.WTp
r19q9F“Now that I think about it, I heard you came to the capital looking for someone. Who exactly?”2PDk2
3tgOWe“An alchemist.”k8r76S
b2y9o“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.”nWbvsI
jTw0At Raymond’s honest opinion, Lucian gave a bitter smile.lGvDHAF
wRaafAt that time, the status of the alchemists’ guild really was as low as Raymond said.wPJU
sAruvS“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.”rN283l
ib4“So what if they do? Even necromancers ditched them for being useless.”Kdd
1qf0HBy “necromancers,” Raymond wasn’t referring to actual black magic users, but to the mages who rebelled 300 years ago.Dyb
8Ai9uBack 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.Swd
H8vJThe alchemists’ guild often recounted that story with pride, but people usually just scoffed.VpOKCqJ
AdAFEMn“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.”ZXwXq
PEzMages saw alchemists as “talentless people who just imitate magic with medicine” and looked down on them.LZNwjwE
LpErEven 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.WvX0q
xWPNot even the rebel mages invited them to join the rebellion, which showed just how low they ranked.qXRW63
ftvIV8B“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.”3DH
z0DZ0YQThey hadn’t improved the effects of existing potions or created anything new.oaf
C9zpYAll they did was slightly increase the purity of already-invented potions.ZtaMeb
BVbTo 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.jxc9
kZrQ“It’s been a while since I heard opinions so typical of this era… hard to get used to.”rcMP5
7e7XGiLucian smiled bitterly at Raymond’s complaints.83gc
smDqrWAt that point in history, the treatment alchemists received was exactly as Raymond described—parasites clinging to past glory, doing nothing.vl2t
fPT5nmAAnd yet, that evaluation would be completely overturned in just a few months.9zxcHW
tgQF7RV“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of hiring an alchemist to develop a new elixir.”AvfnJOu
bKq2sq“No, it’s not that, so don’t worry. I’m not investing in something with zero chance of success.”1mJNKw
NvZRvAt Raymond’s suspicious glance, Lucian answered sincerely.fRIX5Pz
j7PWhat 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.kuV
vvgPjAMAnd just as Raymond had said, most current alchemists fell into that latter category.AGDUZtz
iSQ“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.”k8ftmlv
zeZ“Exactly. With all those imperial-funded facilities, who knows what they’re even doing…”KUW8nu
iSa7“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—”0CMW
CMxPsCrash!pHh
4c6— What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!WC9
bdNPThe shrill voice from downstairs interrupted Lucian. Clearly, some kind of commotion had broken out on the ground floor.UkPA
c0KCt“Looks like trouble.”uE64bYR
LOvO“Should we check it out?”31e
utEU“Let’s go. If we leave it, who knows how long it’ll drag on.”fh0V64
oHkgnjNoble pride often led to extreme confrontations.Ciw
qBwxLeft unchecked, such things usually got worse rather than calming down.2mP
u45nmIn those cases, it was best for someone of higher rank to step in as soon as possible.BkaO
AkfpxJN“I didn’t want to reveal my status, but it’s better than getting into a worse mess trying to hide it.”sGPYV
Yj54xXqJust in case, Lucian took his weapon and headed downstairs.Iemu
Zq6Iz***FtoP2
NGkS2Me“Why are you saying you can’t accept this?! Do you even know how much this is worth?!”Gc3QJ
HflSG59“How should I know? I’ve never seriously used potions.”fUyRWr
fQxKX“Then ask someone else! If you sell it, it’ll cover a month’s lodging!”99K9
chazd“Even if you say that, I’ve never sold anything like this before…”Etu7ApC
KpwLucian saw the innkeeper drenched in sweat, struggling to deal with a customer.T7N
KrOPGFThe shouting man was waving a potion bottle in his face.xkN1
E6FFrom the looks of it, he was trying to pay for his stay with that potion instead of money.C2T
aWmUddu“You blind fool! This potion contains lunar sugar, pearl dust, and silk scales! Materials you’ll never touch in your entire life!”I8laO
Y9tHHearing that, Lucian and Raymond exchanged glances. The man had just admitted he made the potion himself.9SB7x42
KJmFgnAnd on top of that, the ingredients he listed were true luxuries.fHWxkqV
6g3XRThere was only one profession capable of obtaining such materials to craft potions.99U9nvu
4FD7rD“Looks like that guy’s from the alchemists’ guild.”T89wvA
wLagl8U“They say if you talk about a beast, it appears.”e8B9
R7rLucian smiled wryly and approached the two arguing men.orgiV
9VZHBSNo matter how much the man seemed down on his luck, if he belonged to the guild, he had to have inside information.g2J87Ge
xapl7tHearing from someone like that before even reaching the capital wasn’t a bad idea.O7VWBw
qyy“That’s enough, calm down. Forcing the issue doesn’t look good.”Y38
JK6LYDh“And who are you to butt into someone else’s business…?”PEuSa
VpKVThe alchemist, about to explode, paused when he noticed Lucian’s clothes.nrw
UOcklyThey weren’t flashy, but the material was clearly high quality.wHFgcG
jS9“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.”mBtaY
mPw“Ahem… If you insist…”hYOWH6
Gexj8URealizing he wouldn’t get anywhere continuing the argument, the alchemist backed down.YiWnE
UbZDkiqWhen Lucian dropped a few shiny gold coins into the innkeeper’s hand, the man nearly bent double at the waist.USN
TZCL“Thank you! Thank you so much, my lord!”Bsks
LRm“It’s fine. Bring the food to the second floor. I’ll cover this man’s bill, so don’t worry.”uwt
9zQQfUT“Yes, right away! And the water for your bath…?”jn9sD
Gz2“Later.”7TpI
IJaCJFEAfter sending the innkeeper off, Lucian led the alchemist upstairs.mj6
qGrM3Once out of sight, the man cleared his throat several times.AsTaXa
5GeSv“Ahem… So, what exactly would you like to know about alchemy?”Vv4YUr
NT8VvOSeeing how the man dove straight into business without even offering thanks, Lucian let out a small laugh.zPo
6bE6It 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.oDyaW7W
QTar7Jl“Let’s introduce ourselves first. We don’t even know each other’s names.”9iuAxFh
iQ8“You’re right. My name is Haide Forbor. And yours?”fUDGLpG
CRiThe moment he heard that name, Lucian’s smile froze.YkGTJxs
NqCgNpIt was the only alchemist’s name he remembered from his past life.w2Xkj
gd1dPiV‘Haide Forbor—the creator of the Nectar.’O7Lg
BYyThe man standing before him had just introduced himself with the name that would one day become legend.S5rnK
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