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Chapter 36: Lord and Retainer
The tart was packed to the brim with the honey-pickled walnuts and cranberries, and it was delicious. Ash and Noth also favored it, so that’s great.
Still, for what reason did that spirit come here? Spirits usually become prouder the stronger they become, so they don’t like serving a master. That’s why the spirits who wanted to be named were the size of the ones who assisted me, or else a bit smaller than that. — The vast numbers make up for it, though.
The answer came soon enough.
「 I deeply apologize. 」
「 Hm? What happened? 」
Noth brought the dishes to the kitchen, then he suddenly bowed towards me.
「 The spirit who ruined the tart is my subordinate. 」
He glanced at the pickle bottle.
The bottle trembled slightly. I had a feeling something was screaming, but I’m not hearing the voices of the spirits. If I turn that ability on, it will be too noisy, and I won’t be able to sleep in my house.
I tuned it so that I can hear Riche’s voice, but he’s really meek, never even heard him bark before. Wolves are supposed to howl, but he doesn’t do that, either.
「 This one’s? 」
「 It’s name is Quinn, and it’s the Spirit of the Snowy Eve. Usually, it keeps its distance so that people will not notice it.」
So you’re the pet owner!!!
Still, why didn’t they say anything back then?
「
Perhaps, Ash doesn’t know about this spirit’s existence? 」
「 Indeed. 」
If Ash already knew about Quinn, then she probably kept quiet to hide Butler’s ability. If she didn’t know, then she must’ve kept mum to hide my spirit-related abilities from Butler.
— Butler spoke when Ash wasn’t around, so his timing must mean it’s the latter.
What’s up with these ‘Lord and Retainer’ guys?
I unwittingly stared fixedly at Butler’s face. Noth Poudill, the former butler of Ash’s home, the House of Adelheid — white, cool face, ashen hair and amber eyes.
「 The Poudills are the Adelheid’s branch family, and it is unforgivable for a branch family to surpass the main house. Ash-sama knew that I have the ability to see spirits, but that is all. 」
Butler bowed his head while I was gazing at him.
Oh, the color of his hair really resembles Ash’s. Er, I just noticed, but he probably thought I already did so maybe that’s why he did an explanation beforehand.
「 I don’t have any intention to pry. If you’re gonna bring something else, just make it come through the main door from the start. 」
I unwinded the string from the rice bran pickle bottle and opened the lid. The spirit sprang out and hurriedly flew away.
The bran bed had been cleared pretty well. Well, I’m just glad that it wasn’t scattered all over.
「 That’s quite a unique aroma you have in here, too. Is it another type of salted pickles? 」
Butler looked like he’s really perplexed.
「 Yeah, something like that, but the necessary ingredients aren’t there, yet. 」
Let’s pickle some turnips later.
「 Jean-sama’s house is really splendid and comfortable. 」
「 There are still some things I wanted to make, but I plan to take my time doing them once I’m free later on. 」
Butler washed the dishes and I dried them and returned them to the shelves.
I used a ton of plaster all over the kitchen, bathroom and cellar to prevent molds from growing. Scrubbing the old plaster off the stone gaps to mend the walls had been a great idea, but I don’t want to repeat that again.
The beams supporting the upper floors were thin and they seemed unreliable so I changed them to thicker ones. Yeah, the interior turned into a new place.
Ash and Butler went home. She was taking care of Az.
Butler took the ruined fig tart home. There are folks living outside the city walls because they don’t have any money, and he said he will be giving it to the poorest among them.
I really didn’t want to give the pieces on the table, but still, I conceded. Letting them have the pieces from the floor really bothered my Japanese conscience, though. Shouldn’t eating off the floor be a common hygiene concept — ah, no, food was extremely precious in this world, after all.
True, it was also normal that there were people who worry about how they’re gonna get their next meal. Sweets are expensive, and I was told that 「 They’ll resent you if you give this to the pigs 」, so I changed my mind. I crushed the tart to even it out, then reshaped them into cookies and sprinkled caramel on top before baking them lightly.
After they were gone, I extinguished the fire on the first floor and went to the third floor to check it.
A candle that can burn for three hours will cost you 3 copper coins, or maybe one quarter silver coin. It is equivalent to an entire day’s worth of bread for an adult, so using a candle everyday is considered as a luxury. That’s why most households only use the light from the fireplace at night.
The flooring of the second floor was made from wood, but the third floor was tiled, and I also widened the fireplace’s hearth as a measure to prevent fire. I made it with the assumption that nobody would tend to the fire until the firewood’s all used up. Well, it’s weird if no smoke came out of the chimney after a while, right.
The country by the sea uses soft rush as a wick, and they place it on a small saucer filled with oil and use it as light. Cheap oils were usually from fish oils from sardines, but it’s stinky and smoky. The next type would be whale oil, and the smell was tolerable. There’s no vegetable oil, it seems? Cats would lick the whale oil in paper lanterns, right! I don’t have a lantern, though.
The day here is long, so people typically work while it’s still bright and they turn in early at night to save money. I should also hurry up and 【 Teleport 】 back home to sleep.
That master-and-servant pair — they’re no longer at the Duke’s Household so they could just ‘fess it up. My ability to touch spirits was already exposed to Butler, but I guess we’re just even. If this turns into something troublesome then I have no choice but to dump this house. I went through a lot of trouble remodelling it, but it’s probably fine.
That master-servant pair probably doesn’t want to stand out too much and catch the fancy of the state, too. Besides, I’m fine, as long as I don’t get acquainted with the person, no one can sustain his or her interest in my affairs, thanks to the deities.
Still, it’s convenient for me because of my Free Knight status and my fief is officially recognized. Well, these circumstances might be the worst scenario ever if I wanted to build my reputation and become someone famous, though.
Comfort first.