Chapter 72: A New Personal Attendant

Apparently, the ‘Pot of Acceleration’, just like my [Store Summoning], requires a one-day interval after being used once. You can plant as many seeds as you want at once, but the more there are, the slower they grow, and they seemingly don’t grow very big. In other words, the value of the high-grade skin lotion made with it has risen even further… This is going to be completely reservation-only… It was decided that Mother would take the lead in selling the skin lotion and manicure. Starting with close nobles, then gradually spreading, eventually to wealthy merchants, and then to commoners—that’s the hope.

“Making something weird like flower water.” “What do you mean ‘weird’. To not understand the wonderfulness of this skin lotion… That is why you are called dense by Cecil-sama.”

Jean, who voiced uninterested words at us talking in the garden gazebo (azumaya), is verbally attacked by Bianca. Well, Jean being dense isn’t a new thing, but his sister Cecil’s words are correct. I understand not being interested, but voicing it shows a lack of delicacy. On the other hand, Estelle and Bianca were quite interested in the skin lotion and manicure. Even if small, they are noble daughters; they are indeed interested in fashion and beauty.

“Women are troublesome. Painting nails doesn’t add anything, right? Doesn’t make you stronger, doesn’t fill your belly.”

At Jean‘s words, Estelle and Bianca sigh loudly and demonstratively.

“How should I put it, Lord Jean is a disappointing person…” “That’s right, Estelle. He’s a disappointing guy.” “W-What! It’s the truth!”

Jean, treated as a disappointing guy, objects, but his retort also feels disappointing. Elliott is smiling wryly watching that, but he’s your guard, that guy. You should educate him properly now, absolutely. Since yesterday, Leon has entered into research on Daisy fleabane. Apparently, he wants to create Super Daisy Fleabane (my naming) without using the ‘Pot of Acceleration’. To do that, he says he’s comparing normal Daisy fleabane and Super Daisy fleabane to investigate what has changed and how. A full-fledged researcher at six years old… Charging straight into plant otaku-hood. While gazing at a single flower arranged on the table, I thought of Leon like that. This flower is a Lily of the Valley grown by Leon using the ‘Pot of Acceleration’. Grown right in front of Estelle’s eyes. Estelle had a very normal reaction like ‘It’s beautiful’, but with this, I should have cleared one event in ‘Starlight Symphony’… should have. I think one more store will be added with this probably… While I think it’s good to increase easily, on the other hand, this means I’ve advanced Leon‘s event… If Estelle fully enters the Leon route, I will be infected by the epidemic… No, there’s Estelle’s ‘Gift’ [Holy Miracle], and I know the recipe for the specific medicine, so it should be manageable, should be.

“Mu?”

Kohaku-san, who was sleeping on my lap, twitched one ear—pikuri—and raised his face slowly. He glared at the sky as if staring intently at something. Is there something? I also turn my gaze in the direction Kohaku-san is looking. Below the spreading summer blue sky, I see the castle town of Harmonia. Nothing in particular…

“Nn…?”

In the sky… something like a black dot is visible. What is that? A bird… maybe? It’s a bird. It’s becoming clearly visible. Coming towards us… but, wait, isn’t it kind of big…? By the time I realized the bird coming towards us was tremendously huge, everyone else also noticed the anomaly and started making noise.

“A stray magic beast!? Lady Sakuraile, evacuate to the mansion!” “Your Highness Elliott too, hurry! Guard knights, prepare anti-air magic!”

While Bianca and Elliott‘s guard knights panic, Kohaku-san jumps off my lap out of the gazebo—pyon—and returns to his large tiger state.

“Do not panic. Probably not an enemy.” “Eh?”

At Kohaku-san’s calm voice, everyone who was flustered stops moving. While doing so, from the large bird that arrived overhead, six shadows jump out and land in the garden. At the appearance of suspicious figures, the knights draw their swords all at once.

“Lady Sakuraile! Nanane Ritsu, has just returned!”

Ritsu, having descended from the bird, kneels before me. Behind her, five attendants similarly bow their heads. And the giant bird believed to have carried them landed in the garden with a basari. A bird with beautiful colorful feathers.

“Fumu. Simurgh, is it. You have a rare creature obeying you.”

At Kohaku-san’s words, the giant bird lowers its head flat to the ground, prostrating as if doing dogeza. Ooh… Does this mean this bird also understands Kohaku-san is superior? As expected of a Divine Beast.

“Simurgh?” “One of the Divine Beasts same as me, kin of the Flame Emperor. A spirit bird rarely tamed by humans, and its feathers also possess healing power.” “This Simurgh is called Oboro, and can be completely controlled by my ‘Gift’ [Winged Beast Servant]. It won’t rampage, so it’s okay.”

[Winged Beast Servant]. So that is Ritsu’s ‘Gift’. In the game, there were scenes of manipulating birds to gather information on Estelle, but the ‘Gift’ name didn’t appear. Judging from the name, it seems to be a ‘Gift’ that commands birds. Ritsu appearing in ‘Starlight Symphony 2: Re-enactment’ was more of a bodyguard for Leon, and while she was an annoying character interrupting whenever the mood got good, she wasn’t that opposed to the protagonist Estelle. Basically, she pledged loyalty to Leon, so she didn’t do things against his will. Eventually, by preventing the epidemic, she recognizes Estelle as Leon‘s partner.

“Thanks to Lady Sakuraile, we were able to correct the distortion of the clan. From now on, the Nanane Clan pledges loyalty to you and wishes to work as your hands and feet!” “Ah…”

I can’t refuse this… right… Father was enthusiastic too… How to handle a spy clan… Hmm? Clan?

“Wait a minute. How many are in the clan?” “Ha! Including women and children, about two hundred. Arrangements are made to summon them here if permission is granted.” “Two hun…!”

No good. This is already over capacity. Both in numbers and for my brain. For now, let’s throw it all to Father. Let’s do that. I stopped thinking and took Ritsu and the others to Father.

◇ ◇ ◇

“I am Nanane Ritsu! I look forward to working as Lady Sakuraile‘s personal attendant!” “Why did it turn out like this…”

Eyes sparkling brilliantly, Ritsu dressed in a maid outfit bows to everyone—Bishi! No really, when I took her to Father, things were decided one after another before I knew it. As a result, Ritsu ended up working as my personal attendant, same as Bianca. Eventually, when I go to the ‘Academy’, she will be personnel who guards me and takes care of my personal needs along with Bianca. In other words, Bianca will take the role of my current guard Tanya, and Ritsu will take the role of my caretaker Arisa-san at the academy. That said, there’s no way Ritsu has knowledge of being a maid. Since she will be thoroughly trained from now, she decided to work as an apprentice maid under Arisa-san. In the game, she worked as Leon‘s personal attendant, so that itself isn’t very strange, but being my maid feels incredibly strange. And the Nanane Clan was taken in entirely by the le Philharmonie Ducal House. When Ritsu and the others returned to the Nanane village after that, just as Kohaku-san said, Ritsu‘s uncle, who received the curse reflection from the Holy Sword, was in a dying state having received the curse in his body. Ritsu was happy she could avenge her father and thoroughly exterminate the uncle’s faction that controlled the village. She says exterminate easily, but undoubtedly it’s a bloody purge… Scary. According to Father, the clan will be summoned to the territorial capital sequentially, allowed to establish a living foundation for a while, and eventually tasked with various intelligence activities. Basically, the clan head is Ritsu, but since Ritsu serves me, and my guardian Father is above me, there’s no problem if Father gives orders. The five who were Ritsu‘s aides seem to work as Ritsu‘s direct subordinates as is. Ritsu says she will learn the Nanane Clan’s techniques from them. Feels like she’s rushing straight to being an assassin maid… No, I think it’s reliable though? I think such things while watching Ritsu and Bianca going at it in the garden under the guise of sparring. Bianca is strong, but Ritsu is not losing either. Her fighting style involving feints and surprise attacks—tricky fighting methods—is probably the combat technique of a spy clan.

“You’re strong. Reassuring as a fellow attendant. I look forward to working with you.” “Thank you very much! I will do my best as Lady Sakuraile‘s attendant!”

A faint friendship seems to have sprouted between the two who exchanged blows. Oh oh, Villainesses of ‘1’ and ‘2’ are joining hands. Strictly speaking, Ritsu isn’t a Villainess ‘Noble Daughter’. She’s not a noble’s daughter. But if there is permission, commoners can also attend the ‘Academy’. If I recall, the year protagonist Estelle enrolled, about 10% should have been commoners. Mostly children of big merchants, but it’s not like there are no commoner attendants. Ostensibly, at the ‘Academy’, students are equal whether commoner or noble, but there are still those with discriminatory consciousness. In fact, protagonist Estelle was also mocked as an upstart noble from a commoner background. Though the one who mocked was Sakuraile—me… In Ritsu‘s case, she is a commoner attendant, but her master is a Ducal daughter with Imperial blood. Those who can openly mock would be Imperial Family or Royalty of other countries. Elliott has no such discriminatory consciousness, and main royal characters appearing in the game weren’t that discriminatory, so I think it’s fine. Well, there were some problematic fellows though…

“Alright! Next, fight me!”

Perhaps itching after watching Ritsu and Bianca‘s match, Jean dashed out holding a wooden sword. …You certainly haven’t done any of today’s study, right? As usual, the disappointing Jean and Ritsu begin a mock battle. Maybe I should ask Balay-san to make a Magic Sword for Ritsu too. A dagger or short sword. However, with this, two Villainesses… no, including me, three? The development is quite different from the game, and I feel like I can’t read the future… I hope nothing like a change in story has happened because I met Leon and Ritsu first… No, changes in the story have definitely happened though. Because I cancelled the engagement with Elliott, Luca and Tifa were summoned to this country. Because I caused the match between Bianca and Gloria, the Black Knight who shouldn’t have appeared appeared. I want to be spared from events developing forcibly like that. By that logic, it seems likely to happen, the epidemic… Ah, good timing, maybe I’ll have the Nanane Clan investigate. If nothing, I can be relieved; if there is, I can make the first move. While imagining the future, I was vacantly watching Jean and Ritsu‘s match.