Chapter 95
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Black Butler
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“Aren't you Viewer 1, Butler?”
I asked with a smile and precise pronunciation.
I had no intention of letting him vaguely brush it off by feigning ignorance.
Drip.
A cold sweat trickled down the old gentleman's sideburns again.
At this rate, he was sweating as if he were in a sauna. I guess monsters can sweat this much.
He answered, his lips moving while our hands were still clasped.
“Hohoho, my Lord. It seems there's been a, a misunderstanding. I am not the monster called Viewer 1, but an incubus. Furthermore, I hold the position of butler in the Lord's Castle.”
The butler denied it desperately.
No matter how I looked at it, he practically screamed, 'I am Viewer 1, but I can't say so for certain reasons!'
In any case, seeing him play dumb even after I pressed him this far meant there must be some circumstances.
[The Sage is 99.99% certain that the incubus before you is Viewer 1!]
...Right, there must be some circumstances.
Only then did I smile and release his hand.
“Hmm, I see. I suppose I was mistaken. So, Butler, what is your name?”
“It is Butler.”
“No, I mean your real name.”
“Hohoho, a butler is simply a butler. I am a being sent to assist the Lord of the present world. Any other special title is unnecessary.”
“It feels a bit odd to call you only by your title... Ah, then I'll just call you Viewer 1.”
“It is Andro, Lord of the present world.”
“...”
A brief, hollow atmosphere filled the living room.
However, the old gentleman, undaunted by the awkward air, twitched his mustache upward and emphasized his words.
“You may call me Andro, Lord of the present world.”
In that moment, I felt like I was starting to understand how to deal with this old gentleman.
I cleared my throat, establishing the butler's mechanism in my mind.
“Hmm, then please wait a moment.”
I intended to properly check his stats and skills through the Sage.
But before I could, the old gentleman's narrow eyes glinted.
“Lord of the present world.”
“Yes.”
“Addressing me with honorifics tarnishes the title of 'Lord of the present world.' I am a butler, a being sworn to serve the Lord. It is only natural that you speak to me informally.”
...Still, even if he said that.
Even if he was a monster, I felt a certain reluctance to speak informally to a face that looked old enough to be my grandfather.
It was the salt-and-pepper hair and mustache under that fedora that got to me.
“I implore you. Please speak informally.”
“Uh... I'll try my best, I'll try. And you can call me Hanul, too. 'Lord of the present world' is just too cringey.”
“Understood. You must speak informally. If you continue to address me with respect, I will have no choice but to reveal the age of that eyeball friend of yours and make you, Master Hanul, face the truth.”
P-Puru?!
The Sage's eye widened as it was suddenly dragged into the mess.
[ᕕ(ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)ᕗ]
[The Sage wants to use Baby Petrification on that shameless butler-wretch for taking it hostage!]
“Oho, do you intend to try petrification with that cute little eye?”
A strange current suddenly flowed between the Sage and the butler.
“Nyaaa?”
As the narrow eyes and the big eye met and sparks flew, only San-gun watched them with an expression of interest.
In the end, it was my job to mediate this situation.
“Stop, stop. Why are you two trying to fight already? You have to get along, get along.”
I placed the bouncing Sage on my shoulder and turned my head to the butler.
“Sage, come here. Calm down. And Andro.”
“Yes, Lord of the present world.”
“You, don't stir up trouble for no reason. And there's something I want to ask.”
“Please, speak.”
I asked with a serious expression.
“Can you even win a fight against the Sage?”
Of course, the Beholder Sage isn't a monster specialized in actual combat.
Its only attack skill is Baby Petrification, and even that leaves it exhausted and clinging to my shoulder after just a few uses.
So what about the butler?
Based on MonMonMak, he's weak.
Not just weak, but weaker than a 1-star Goblin.
He wasn't called the 'Ughhhk Butler,' shortened to Black Butler, for nothing.
Because he'd swing his staff with a battle cry and die at the same time.
“Hmm.”
The old gentleman opened his mouth.
I waited for his answer with a tense face.
In any case, the 'Black Butler' was just a unit's performance in the game MonMonMak.
The butler summoned in reality could be different. No, he had to be.
Comparing the Sage, who was just a glutinous rice cake with an eye, to a tall, handsome incubus of 180cm was...
“It would be a tough opponent, but if we both went all out, I would lose.”
The Black Butler answered confidently.
“...Really?”
“Hohoho, Master Hanul.”
The Black Butler's narrow eyes glinted.
“Have you not witnessed it for the past seven years? My great deeds while protecting my master's side.”
“...”
“That is how it is. I am a being sent solely to 'assist' you, Master Hanul. My combat power is close to zero.”
“So how can you assist me?”
“You will soon be able to confirm that with your own two eyes.”
Even though he said it so meaningfully, I wasn't the least bit expectant.
Despite thinking that, I could only nod with a bitter expression.
Since he spoke with such a confident face and voice, it wouldn't hurt to trust him this once.
And a few hours later.
“What, what is this.”
[(；°ρ°)ゝ]
The moment I came out of my room after sorting the potions and items made in the Lord's Castle and finishing up various other tasks.
I immediately understood what Andro's 'assistance' meant.
'Is this the Black Butler's assistance?'
Compared to right after I moved in, my house was in a state that could be called a complete mess.
Being preoccupied with preparing for the 704th wave was a big reason.
Thanks to that, the house was filled with all sorts of dust, dirty dishes, and the packing materials and wrappers from the magic turrets.
To the point where I had no idea where or how to start cleaning.
And yet.
“This is my house...?”
Now, it was even cleaner than right after I moved in.
The floor was polished to a shine, and the windows were so transparent they seemed to not be there at all.
The gleaming kitchen and neatly folded clothes were a bonus.
“Hohoho, how is it, Master Hanul?”
Andro, who was in the kitchen wiping a plate squeaky clean with a dishcloth, smiled brightly.
“How is it? This is beyond well done; it's perfect.”
“A skill I've honed since my time in the Lord's Castle. Hohoho. Compared to the Lord's Castle, managing this place is a piece of cake.”
“I see. But...”
I nodded, then turned my head toward the kitchen table.
On and under the table were huge bags piled high with groceries.
One, two, three, four... I could see at least ten bags.
In an instant, my mind was filled with countless questions.
I voiced the most fundamental one first.
“But Andro, did you go and buy all that yourself?”
“That is correct, Master Hanul. The present world is indeed a bountiful and wonderful place. Of course, the Lord's Castle now has ample resources, so we no longer worry about groceries, but... it is difficult to easily obtain food of such high quality and safety.”
Andro instantly turned into a chatterbox.
But that's not what I was asking.
I was asking if he had walked around dressed in that suit and fedora, and even with that arrow-like tail on his behind.
Then came a reply that I couldn't tell was fortunate or not.
“Hoho, of course not. I naturally hid my tail. As I am an incubus, after all, humans find my appearance quite pleasing as long as the tail is hidden.”
“The outfit was the same?”
“Of course. This, too, was referenced from the attire of humans in the present world.”
Just what kind of media did he use for reference?
When I thought about it. Right. This guy was Viewer 1.
It seems he watched too many shows like the Sherlock Holmes series on streaming services.
“Then, this is my second question.”
I stared blankly at the mountain of groceries Andro had bought.
“Why did you buy so much?”
It was an amount that would take me, by myself, at least a month to consume.
And that was assuming I ate home-cooked meals every single time without ever eating out.
No matter how advanced refrigeration technology had become, many of these things would spoil before then.
“A-ahem. I apologize for this, Master Hanul. I did not originally intend to procure so much, but my habits from the Lord's Castle remain. Groceries are scarce there, are they not?”
“Hmm.”
“Because of that, this place is literally a new world. So, while checking this and that, I just...”
“So you just got excited and bought it all.”
“Th-that is correct, Master Hanul.”
Andro's face fell.
Well, Andro probably paid for it himself, so the money wasn't an issue.
The problem was that I couldn't imagine consuming all of this by myself.
“A refund... would be a nuisance in itself.”
It looked like it would have taken at least thirty minutes just to check out and bag everything.
If I took all that back for a refund, what did the poor cashier do to deserve that?
So how was I supposed to consume all this?
Andro, finally realizing his mistake, cautiously asked me.
“In that case, Master Hanul, how about holding a banquet?”
“...A banquet?”
“That's right. Your residence, Master Hanul, is spacious enough to accommodate more than twenty humans. If you wish to use up these ingredients at once, I believe hosting a banquet is a fine method.”
A banquet, a party.
Come to think of it, that's right. It's been a while since I moved, but I haven't had a housewarming party yet.
It would be one thing if I hadn't mentioned it, but I'd already promised Sancheon and Asha that I would.
Not twenty people, but I did have a few people I could invite.
Of course, that meant people I could contact, and I couldn't be sure they would come to a housewarming party.
“Alright, I'll think about it. For now, just make something for dinner.”
“Understood, Master Hanul. What would you like to eat? Korean? Western? Chinese? It is also possible to procure ingredients from the Lord's Castle and serve a dish from another world.”
“...Let's skip the other-world dish.”
The Black Butler bowed deeply and began preparing the ingredients.
I watched the butler's tail wagging excitedly before sitting down on the sofa.
“Nyaaa!”
San-gun, who had been sleeping on the sofa, scurried onto my lap.
'How long has it been since I've had a moment of peace?'
I smiled brightly as I petted him.
Yu Wolha, the banquet hall, the golem, Yu Geonha's gift, the 704th wave...
Thinking back, I've been running nonstop ever since I moved here.
'If not now, I don't know when I'll have the time again. It doesn't have to be a flashy party, but treating them to some decent food and chatting should be fine.'
With that thought, I slowly picked up my smartphone.
* * *
Two days later.
“CrappyGaaaame-niiim!”
An hour before the party was scheduled to start, the first guest barged into my house.
The Russian girl with blue eyes.
“Yeah, I expected it would be you.”
“Hehe, I live right next door, so of course I had to be the first one here.”
Still, coming an hour earlier than the set time was a bit much.
But behind her was a giant shadow.
“Gahahaha, well, well! Hunter Kim Hanul! How long has it been! Wow, nice place you got here!”
A giant bear, laughing with both hands full of 30-packs of toilet paper.
“?”
I stared at Asha with a questioning look.
Why was this bear here?
I had invited him, but Ma Dongpal was supposed to be unable to come because of a Gate expedition.
I'd even double-checked with him just in case.
“Ah, about that. I was sure he couldn't make it, but the chief suddenly changed his mind this morning... Sorry, CrappyGame-nim.”
“Gahahaha! Indeed, no matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn't refuse an invitation from our Hunter Kim Hanul! I left the expedition to Myeongwon. Gahahaha!”
The boisterously laughing guild master of Aegis.
...And at that moment, I had a hunch that today's housewarming party was heading in a very strange direction.