Notoriety
In the wake of the thief incident, Mage Joseph's name had become known to virtually everyone in Caladon.
Of course, it was not as an artifact craftsman, the way Joseph had originally planned.
That was the kind of alarming image that had taken root instead. And there was no shortage of reasons why.
First was the subjugation of Harbert Forest. No matter how money-mad Caladon's merchants were, precious few people would actually set foot in a place crawling with demonic beasts. Joseph had done it twice. There was no way that wouldn't draw eyes.
The expedition he'd undertaken with Davie had drawn even more attention. House Pavidea was hardly on friendly terms with Caladon. To go so far as to hunt alongside one of their own... In truth, it had been Davie who'd asked to join the expedition, but there was no chance anyone else would know the details.
And then, of course, there was Rophen. The beast had fortunately never left the mansion, but the presence of a white creature like that was not something easily hidden.
Above all else, there was that lunatic thief incident. The corpses dumped in the back alleys were a warning to anyone with eyes. Vagrants torn apart as if by a wild animal, left in a state so brutal that no one could miss the message. Everyone in the city now understood that something terrifying lived in the mage's mansion.
And so, regardless of his intentions, Joseph had become a mage of terror.
"This villainous reputation isn't going to hurt artifact sales, is it?"
"I hardly think so, sir."
Joseph had voiced a quiet concern about the rumors, but Givra seemed to think the whole thing had worked out rather well.
"You are different, of course, Master Joseph... but mages do tend to carry a certain image, do they not?"
"Eccentric... and dangerous..."
"Yes. So I don't believe this level of reputation will pose much of a problem."
Anyone who approached Joseph would have feared him from the outset. Nothing much would change now.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing...
Even back in Valois Territory, ordinary people had feared Joseph plenty. But he'd spent most of that time inside the castle, or else left the village before long, so he had never really felt it. Now that his nearest neighbors were terrified of him, it was more than a little uncomfortable.
Can't even take a walk around the neighborhood...
His standing itself was nothing like before. These days, whenever Joseph tried to go anywhere, his private soldiers were certain to tag along. Merchants leading armed men weren't uncommon in Caladon, but his retainers wore full metal armor from head to toe, which meant they drew a round of stares no matter where they went.
And I can't exactly tell them not to come...
He had slipped off to the market alone once, quietly. In that short span of time, all hell had broken loose at the mansion. Remembering the ashen faces of his soldiers, he figured going out by himself would be impossible for a good while yet.
Unlike Joseph, however, Givra welcomed the notoriety. In this wretched city, the moment you showed a gap, every lowlife and scoundrel would latch on. Having this kind of stature was a good thing to have. In fact, it had even made recruiting people easier.
Once Joseph's name became known throughout the city, there was no longer any need to run around looking for help the way they used to. Word spread that the mage was hiring new servants, and people came calling every day. All Givra had to do was pick the most diligent and sharp-witted among them.
Ordinarily, the shifty types who only had their eyes on a fat paycheck would have shown up too. Joseph's infamy filtered those out in advance. No matter how good the money was, a mage's mansion was a place where you could lose your head if you were unlucky. Applying to work in a house like that already meant you'd steeled yourself to some degree.
"I heard you're looking for people! If you'd only hire me—"
"Go home."
First, he dismissed every last one of the types who showed up at the crack of dawn shouting to be hired. Having a sense of tact meant being able to read another person's situation and mood. In that regard, someone who seemed a bit timid — someone like himself — was more useful as a servant.
And so, over the course of a few days, Givra narrowed it down to about eight people. He called the new servants into the mansion garden to look them over.
First, six maids who would handle the cleaning, laundry, and general upkeep of the house. He had hired one experienced middle-aged woman who had worked as a maid in other households; everyone under her was not yet twenty. Most were orphans, or else had no inheritance waiting at home, and so had thrown themselves into this harsh world early — in other words, people who already knew how to work.
"Master Joseph is particular about cleanliness. You understand what that means?"
"Yes, Head Butler."
"H-Head Butler... Ah... well. Right."
Joseph's obsession with hygiene was quite unusual in this world. It wasn't as though they turned the mansion upside down every day, but everyone on the grounds was forced to bathe daily. That included Givra and Toban, of course, as well as the mercenaries who commuted to the estate and the artisans under Joseph's employ. Thanks to that, they all had to scrub themselves down with lye every single day.
The soldiers had put it this way: Master Joseph was sensitive to "bad smells"... he was probably trying to keep disease at bay. Apparently the mage would get openly irritated if someone looked excessively filthy. That situation hadn't arisen yet, but it was certain, at any rate, that the mage was particular about dirt.
The maids seemed a bit taken aback, but showed no sign of pushing back. The pay was a little better here than elsewhere, and that was enough. It wasn't a huge difference, but earning that much extra was hardly a common thing in this world. They would rather take on a bit of additional labor than fail to find work and end up in the back alleys. And if they were being paid a little more on top of that, there was no reason to refuse.
"You lot... I'd like you to help me with the overall management of the mansion."
"Yes."
Next were two male servants who would assist him in running the estate. Since Givra was Head Butler, these men would serve as butlers beneath him. He had been more careful in selecting the two of them.
Joseph's trust in him was one thing. Givra himself had never managed a mansion before. In terms of experience alone, he was not much different from the young maids. That was why he had sought out people who already had some background as managers.
One was from a fallen merchant family; from what Givra had heard, they had stuck their hands into another guild's business and been thoroughly crushed for it. The other was an elderly man who had managed another mansion, and had been dismissed when the estate was sold off.
"It would be best if we discussed the specifics of managing the house separately."
"Understood, Head Butler."
These two seemed desperate in their own way, and so they showed little discomfort even at Givra's somewhat clumsy-looking instructions. He was doing his best not to look like a complete novice — though even he had no idea how long that would last.
Grrrng—
A beast's cry sounded from the second floor. Everyone's movements froze.
Every gaze snapped to Givra at once. Eyes filled with bewilderment and fear. It was a sound you would never hear in an ordinary mansion. Givra let out a short, awkward laugh.
"Ah... that sound is the familiar I mentioned during your interviews."
The servants' expressions grew complicated. They had been given a rough explanation beforehand, of course, but hearing a beast's cry so close made it impossible not to tense up.
Givra scratched his chin for a moment, then looked up. Above, something pure white could be seen quietly shifting beneath a window.
"It shouldn't leave Master Joseph's room under ordinary circumstances... but, well, it'd be best if you don't catch its eye."
It might have sounded a bit irresponsible, but that was honestly all Givra could tell them. Rophen followed Joseph's words clearly enough, but that did not mean the beast was friendly toward the soldiers or the servants.
A beast was a beast. You never knew when it might suddenly turn. That was another reason he had tried to hire people with especially sharp instincts.
"I-I understand."
Only the elderly butler nodded. Even in the face of something he could not comprehend, he was trying to follow his employer's will — a glimpse of seasoned professionalism.
While the new servants were settling into the mansion, Joseph began preparing in earnest for the dungeon. He would be away for a month at the least, possibly several, so of course there was no shortage of things to arrange.
He disposed of the old carriage and bought several expensive, sturdy ones. They were of a quality a lesser noble might ride in; looking at the materials alone, they were on par with Zalier's carriage, the one Joseph had received at Valois Castle.
Dofnik and Braham, having heard the news, offered to procure them cheaply, but he decided to decline. Those two could certainly get them at a low price. But no matter how much they used their connections, once the cost was cut, he doubted they would hand over top-grade carriages.
Better to spend a bit more and prepare properly.
Joseph had already spent a long time wandering. Thanks to that, he knew perfectly well there was nothing to be gained by pinching pennies on this kind of thing.
He also packed a few of the fire and ice artifacts he had crafted himself. With Joseph present they weren't strictly necessary, but you never knew. If they turned out to be useless, he could simply bring them back and sell them.
Once the preparations were more or less complete, a few days before departure, Joseph called his private soldiers to his room. Perhaps because it had been a while since their last journey, the soldiers seemed to be making their own arrangements — getting new linen to replace the old, hammering out dented armor, and so on.
Joseph looked at them and smiled wryly to himself. The conversation he was about to have might well kill the mood. He regarded his soldiers, hesitated a moment, then spoke.
"It would be best if one of you stayed behind at the mansion."
Every soldier's eyes went wide.
"Sir?"
"We're not all going?"
"That's right. I'd like someone to stay here and watch over the mansion in my place."
"B-but Givra is here, isn't he?"
"Givra handles the management of the mansion. I need someone who can professionally guard the estate alongside the mercenaries."
Coldly speaking, Givra's job was the upkeep of the house. Having just hired new people, leaving him with security duties as well felt a bit precarious. He was capable, but that was as a mansion manager. While Joseph was away, he needed someone who could more directly oversee the mercenaries — a dedicated head of security. And that was a role one of the private soldiers Joseph trusted ought to take.
Moreover, if a problem arose inside the mansion while Joseph was gone, Givra would have a hard time handling it alone. The mercenaries and servants weren't particularly causing trouble, but there was no guarantee they would stay that way without Joseph around. That was why he wanted to leave one trustworthy person behind.
"Anyone want to volunteer?"
When he casually asked, the soldiers just glanced at each other. No answer came. It wasn't simply that they didn't want to follow Joseph's words.
If I stay behind... won't I fall behind?
Ever since Doran Village, they had felt a quiet competitive streak toward one another. It wasn't as though beating the man next to you would earn you a new position. But they were vaguely aware that they would lose ground in the competition. That was why no one stepped forward.
And Joseph understood their thinking, at least a little. He just didn't bother saying anything about it. He knew well enough himself that an employer's you won't be left behind was not a particularly trustworthy statement.
And honestly, he couldn't even be sure he wouldn't feel more affection for the ones who went to the dungeon with him than for the one who stayed at the mansion. He was, after all, only human in the end.
So Joseph thought it over for a moment, then spoke.
"...Let's do it this way, then."