READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: The Laquell Count's Residence
Chapter 66: The Laquell Count’s Residence
Led by a servant, I was escorted to what seemed like the back yard of the mansion, or rather, the office of the head butler.
“Hmm. The introduction letter seems genuine. Then, Royce.”
“Understood.”
Without saying a word, I was led by the young butler named Royce and directed to the attic.
“Ah, your name is Alexi, right? Starting today, this will be your room. You’ll meet with Master Lucian later, and the transfer exam for the academy is tomorrow.”
Before I could even say anything, Royce left. What am I supposed to do?
For the time being, I started cleaning the dusty room. Although I say cleaning, it’s just storing everything in my inventory. I neatly put away everything from dust and then took them out one by one. After taking out all the furniture and bedding, I purified them with the Area Cleansing magical tool. Of course, it doesn’t give the same refreshing feeling as cleaning with water, but it’ll do for now. And even though I wore formal attire, I changed into new clothes just to be sure. I tidied up my hair as well. While I was doing this, a middle-aged maid arrived.
“Are you the new servant starting today? Oh…”
Despite her hurried entrance, she seemed a bit surprised upon seeing both the room and me tidied up.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Alexi, introduced by Professor Laquell. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Being polite to the servant is a merchant’s golden rule. You can’t judge who the key person in a negotiation is based solely on appearance or status. Treating everyone with respect won’t lead to any losses. If the other party is rude, you can decide how to respond afterward.
“Well, that’s very courteous of you. Allow me to guide you to Young Master’s room.”
Oh, her attitude changed. She still seems worth treating politely. For now, I’ll follow her.
“Young Master may be a bit difficult, but he’s not a bad person. Just be careful not to make any mistakes.”
After saying that much, she knocked on the door at the end of the second floor.
“…I said not to enter.”
A boy’s voice came from inside.
“Young Master, this is the new servant dispatched by Master Lucian. Please have a look.”
A servant, huh? Well, I expected as much.
“…Fine. Come in.”
Inside, a small boy was reading a book at his desk without even looking back at me.
“What’s your name?”
“My name is Alexi.”
“I’m Luca. You’re technically supposed to be my servant, but I’m not going to the academy anymore. So, find another job and leave. If you need a reference letter, ask the head butler to write it.”
…Huh?
My first employer is unexpectedly a truant. Coming all the way from Marol to the capital, I’m suddenly faced with the risk of unemployment. Moreover, I haven’t even infiltrated the academy yet. What should I do?
“But Master, there may be some matters to discuss between the two of you. I’ll prepare some tea.”
Saying so, the maid left.
Silence. It’s extremely awkward. But in situations like this, it’s against etiquette to address someone higher-ranking first.
“…Sigh. Even though there’s nothing to talk about,Lola.”
He closed the book as if resigned and motioned for me to sit on the sofa.
“I was introduced by Uncle Lucian. It’s a shame, but I don’t intend to attend the academy anymore. So, I don’t need a servant.”
“Excuse me, but may I ask for the reason?”
“…It’s because I’m of the Earth attribute!”
He spat out the words. Huh? Is being of the Earth attribute that bad?
“Uh, I’m also of the Earth attribute…”
“Hmph. You wouldn’t understand as a commoner. Do you know how Earth attribute users are viewed at the noble academy? It’s not just the academy. My father, my mother, my brother, my sister… They all treat Earth attributes, failures, like a disease.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, if my brother inherits the family estate, I’ll become a commoner. Earth attribute users aren’t allowed in the ‘Tower.’ So, I have no choice but to aim for a civil servant position. And I can pursue my studies here at the mansion.”
“Well, if you’re just going to study, you can do that at the academy…”
“There’s a mock battle in the spring!”
He raised his voice. A mock battle, huh. It’s true that Earth attributes are at a disadvantage, but… When it comes to Earth attributes, many rely on physical abilities rather than magic skills. However, Master Luca is the son of the Laquell Magic Count. He’s weak. After appraising him, he’s a super-rear guard type like Professor Kabanel, but still at level 1. He might even lose to a Purbag in his current feeble state.
However, Earth attributes are late bloomers. With Rock Wall, you can build a house in an instant, and Golems are super convenient too. Even though Stone Bullet was mediocre in the beginning, consuming a lot of MP and being difficult to hit, once you raise it to level 10, it evolves into Railgun. And you know what’s even stronger? Stone Bullet carries a physical attribute on top of its Earth attribute. So, even if you defend with a dominant attribute like Firewall, the stone pierces through and deals damage. Its attenuation rate is lower compared to other attributes.
“Um, Master Luca. Do you really think Earth attributes are failures?”
“…What’s the point of asking now?”
“If you don’t mind, may I show you my skills?”
Strictly speaking, it’s not a skill but a magical tool. Alright, let me show you the true power of Earth attributes.