Chapter 3: The Hero’s Butler

“Please work as the butler for this mansion.”

If I could confirm whether or not he was the owner of the letters, I would have sent him back to the princess. But not yet.

I’ll keep him close and watch him.

That was the hero’s conclusion.

“You want me to work as the butler for the hero’s party?”

“Yes, live here with us and manage the mansion.”

The hero smiled brightly and held out a contract that appeared out of nowhere.

“The contract term is two years. After that, you’ll have your freedom without any interference.”

Compared to being dragged here as the hero’s reward, the contract terms were generous. I was called a butler, but I was essentially a slave brought to the mansion by force, sold to the hero without a proper agreement.

‘Is this her way of showing consideration…?’

Ensuring I wouldn’t live as a slave and promising freedom after two years—there was no reason not to sign.

It was a bit disappointing that it was unpaid, but I wasn’t shameless enough to demand money.

“I’m counting on you, Butler.”

After signing the contract, I shook hands with the hero.

Her smiling eyes looked at me, but I couldn’t guess what she was thinking.

‘I wonder what Princess Aria is doing…’

Curious about her, I left the hero’s room and started moving to begin my work as a butler.

– Slam.

“Hmm… He says he’s not the one who sent the letters…?”

After Leni left, the hero, now alone in her room, stared at the closed door and began talking to herself.

“No way that’s true…”

The letters carried his scent, and Eren was certain he was the “teacher” who had guided her.

“He’s really my teacher, right?”

Though the room was empty, the hero asked the question as if someone else was there.

‘Well, I can’t say for sure, but there’s a high chance he’s the teacher you’re talking about.’

In the empty room, a voice rang out from the holy sword.

The holy sword, said to see through the essence of all things.

It glowed as it spoke.

“Then why is he lying?”

My teacher always told me in his letters to live honestly.

So why is he lying to me?

It hurt that, even at our long-awaited reunion, he pretended not to know me.

‘Well, he must have his reasons.’

To the holy sword, Leni was a “twisted existence.” That’s why he could give instructions in the letters that seemed to predict the future. The sword believed that speaking about it might bring him some disadvantage.

“I know, but it still hurts…”

Our reunion could have been so much more beautiful.

‘He’s the one who sent the letters, right…?’

‘Finally meeting you, Eren.’

‘Teacher!’

We were supposed to embrace each other, filled with the joy of reunion…

“If I’d known I’d be this disappointed, I wouldn’t have gotten my hopes up…”

Eren’s expectations were high, so her disappointment was just as great.

Still, one thing she liked was that her teacher wasn’t a bald old man.

‘The mysterious benefactor is probably some bald old man.’

That’s what Sera, the party’s mage, had said. But contrary to her prediction, the teacher wasn’t a bald old man.

‘He’s handsome too…’

He looked about 14 centimeters taller than me, and I’m already tall for a woman. The age difference didn’t seem too big either.

Was that why? Why my heart was racing like this.

“No, this won’t do.”

I pulled all the letters out of the drawer and tossed them onto the bed. I’d asked Sera to cast a preservation spell on them, so they wouldn’t crumple or tear.

“Hehe… Teacher…”

Surrounded by the letters, the hero sniffed their scent, looking happier than anyone.

‘…’

The holy sword, hanging on the wall, could only watch silently.

‘Teacher, it seems you raised the hero wrong.’

Of course, the holy sword’s voice didn’t reach Leni.

Over the next few days, I lived in the mansion, discovering what a butler’s duties were and what problems needed fixing.

The garden, overgrown with untended vines, had no flowers to speak of. It was easily the worst garden in my entire butler career.

And the kitchen?

It was hard to find a spot without mold, and there wasn’t a single edible item. If I tried cooking here, I’d have to announce, “Today’s meal is mold spores.”

So, every mealtime, we bought food from outside, but that couldn’t satisfy their picky tastes.

“The food’s too salty.”

“I said I wanted something without meat!”

Their food preferences were all different, and I couldn’t understand how they managed meals during their party adventures.

‘Is this really okay?’

Could I just leave the mansion in this state without doing anything?

I only had to live like this for two years, but I couldn’t stand it.

Having spent half my life as a butler, I couldn’t bear to see the mansion in such a mess with my eyes wide open.

A major overhaul was needed.

This was the hero’s party’s mansion, after all. It couldn’t stay like this.

The main problem was the lack of staff. I couldn’t handle everything alone. We needed a chef, attendants, maids, and other professionals.

‘The issue is money…’

I didn’t know how much money the hero’s party had.

There had to be someone managing the mansion’s funds. To make changes, I needed to take control of the finances first.

Who was in charge of the funds? I decided to ask them.

“Why should I tell you?”

The green-haired elf refused to answer my question. The old saying about elves being standoffish was proving true.

“…”

I couldn’t even meet the mage. Knocking on her door got no response. She only came down for meals, so I gave up and looked for someone else.

“Leisha manages the funds.”

Leisha was the Saintess’s name, and the hero answered my question simply and clearly.

‘As expected of the hero…!’

I wasn’t thrilled about being made a butler akin to a slave, but her kind response tugged at my heartstrings.

Leni didn’t know that the hero was sniffing the letters’ scent in her room every night.

– Knock, knock.

“Are you there, Saintess?”

I knocked politely on the Saintess’s door and waited for her response.

“Come in.”

At her words, I opened the door and was met with an unimaginable sight.

‘Blinding…’

The Saintess’s room was so bright it was hard to see.

The walls were lined with jewels like those in the imperial palace, all of them expensive.

“What do you think? Aren’t they beautiful? The harmony of these jewels…”

The blonde Saintess spoke as she lovingly caressed the gems, her eyes gleaming with greed.

The Saintess, who grew up in the slums, had developed a taste for luxury and jewels.

‘They say late bloomers are the scariest…’

I couldn’t even guess how much money she’d spent on these jewels. That money wasn’t meant for such things.

“Let me see the ledger.”

Feeling like a tax auditor, I began inspecting the mansion’s accounts.

“Here it is!”

The Saintess confidently handed me the ledger. She didn’t even seem aware she’d done anything wrong.

‘This is bad…’

The ledger was a mess. In the few days since I arrived, the Saintess had spent 20 percent of the total funds on luxuries.

At this rate, the hero’s party would be broke within a month.

“Is something wrong…?”

Reading my expression, the Saintess asked cautiously. Of course, there’s a problem. She started making excuses.

“I…I didn’t buy that many jewels! They said if you buy two, you get one free!!”

That’s what she claimed. Buy two, get one free, so it’s a deal, right?

Ignorance isn’t a crime, but the Saintess deserved punishment.

“Where are you going…!”

I grabbed the ledger and started running toward the hero.

“Don’t tell Eren…!!”

The Saintess chased after me desperately, but she couldn’t keep up with my speed. Her physical abilities were lacking.

Whistleblowing is always a good way to spark change.

After my report, the mansion’s funds started being used properly. We hired a chef and maids, and a thorough cleaning restored the mansion’s cleanliness.

“My jewels…”

The jewels the Saintess bought were returned, leaving only the one she clung to tightly. She moped around for a while.

‘Now, what’s left…’

The garden.

The overgrown, weed-filled place already had a visitor.

“Hmm-hmm~”

Humming a tune, the elf was watering the vines.

I had to convince her.