Chapter 1: Recruitment Interview for a New Member Candidate
Hanna’s cooking is always delicious.
Me—Zephyrus—right now I’m enjoying this <DanKatsu> world to the absolute fullest.
Ever since I started living in this game world in real life, every day has been so ridiculously fun. I mean, this is the world of the game I played to death back home. Of course it’s fun! How could it not be!?
And on top of that joy, there’s someone who adds even more color to my days.
That would be Hanna, the girl who’s been with me ever since the day I arrived in this world, and who got the job of an 【Alchemist】.
We’d just come back from fighting an <Emperor Goblin> this morning, showered up, and regrouped. Now I was digging into lunch—and today’s lunch was none other than Hanna’s special homemade bento!
We headed into a nearby lounge to eat. As always, it was delicious, and as always, I felt grateful.
The only thing I can really give back to her is alchemy materials. …Well, now that I think about it, I have given her a lot of stuff. A staff, an <Ability Orb>, things like that. And I’m planning to upgrade her gear soon too.
…But maybe I should give her something more as a day-to-day thank you?
I found myself staring seriously at Hanna’s bento while considering it.
"Thanks for the food."
"You’re very welcome."
I’d been lost in thought, and before I knew it, my lunch was gone.
Man, when food’s this good, it’s gone in no time. That’s the only painful part.
"So, we have that new member interview this afternoon, right?"
Hanna tilted her head slightly as she asked.
Exactly. That’s why we wrapped up the dungeon run this morning—this afternoon, we’re meeting someone who might become our new guild member.
I nodded at Hanna’s words.
"Yeah. First up is the one Ester recommended. She said it’s an elf."
"An elf, huh~. I’ve never actually seen one before. Zephyrus-kun, have you?"
"Well… yeah."
Hanna gave me that of course you have kind of look again. Probably wondering how I know, but deciding not to ask because that’s just the usual with me.
I cleared my throat to cover it up and decided to explain, figuring it was better than nothing.
"Elves are physically weaker, but they have incredible talent for magic. When it comes to pure magical offense, elves often outclass humans."
Technically, their starting stats are the same as humans', but most of the jobs they can take are magic-related. So, they’re usually raised focusing on INT. In other words, they’re a race specialized for magic.
"On top of that, they can use something called 『Spirit Magic』—a power only elves have. It’s really strong. Not only do their spells scale better than other jobs, but they can also freely switch attributes depending on which spirit they summon. But the most broken part is that they can lend their spirits to other members."
"Lend… their spirits?"
"Yeah. There are six types of spirits: Fire for STR, Ice for VIT, Lightning for INT, Light for AGI, Darkness for RES, and Holy for DEX. Each spirit provides a powerful buff, raising that stat by up to thirty percent. Of course, each person can only borrow one spirit, and it only applies to the stat that spirit governs. But the crazy part? Once lent out, the buff stays active the whole time."
Honestly, it’s a broken ability.
Like, say Ester borrowed a <Fire Spirit>. Her already monstrous STR would get boosted by 1.3x. Last I checked, her STR was 150—so that’d shoot up to 195. And that bonus would last the entire dungeon run. Ridiculous.
The trade-off is that the elf can’t use that element’s spirit magic while lending it out—but they can recall it whenever they want.
Kalua’s 『Speed Boost』 caps at 1.6x at level 10, but that’s fixed to AGI only. With spirit magic, you can freely pick which stat to boost, depending on the spirit.
That alone makes having an elf in the guild worth it.
And there’s more: once certain conditions are met, the number of spirits they can lend increases.
The one-per-person rule still applies, but they’d be able to support multiple people at once. Like, give Sierra an <Ice Spirit> for VIT, Ester a <Fire Spirit> for 【STR】, and Lana a <Lightning Spirit> for 【INT】. All at the same time.
The possibilities are endless.
The only downside is that you need special gift items to recruit them. That part worries me. Can we really recruit one in our current state?
…Talking about this has just made me even more eager to meet this elf.
"Hanna, what time is it?"
"Eh? Oh—time to head out. It’s almost one o’clock."
"Alright, let’s go then."
We’d gotten carried away chatting, but the timing was perfect.
The meeting place: our guild base, <Eden>’s guild room.
Now, let’s go meet this elf.
When we arrived at the guild room and stepped inside, the ever-gentle Ester greeted us with a warm smile.
"Hello, Zephyrus-dono. Were you out in the <Plains> today?"
"Yeah. Hey, Ester. I spent this morning restocking MP potions we used up yesterday. How about you?"
Why is that? It’s just a normal greeting, yet it makes me relax all at once.
No—maybe because it’s so normal. It feels like my high tension just got brought back down to baseline. Must be Ester’s calm, fluffy aura doing it.
We start with some small talk. While I’m at it, I ask about Kalua and Rika too. They said they were heading to the bottom floor of the <Tropical Jungle Dungeon> today, and I was curious. Their first Beginner low-tier boss battle—how did it go?
"Yes. Despite it being their very first real dungeon run, they both remained calm and composed. I learned a lot from them myself."
"That’s… not really the part I was asking about."
So serious!
Shouldn’t she be saying something like "it was fun" or "it was exciting"?
It was their first dungeon boss, for crying out loud! Treasure chests and everything—you’d think there’d be more excitement… No, wait. With those two? Impossible.
I can totally imagine them clearing a dungeon in silence, staying dead serious the whole time. Just thinking about it makes me relax my shoulders.
That’s not it, though… I want to tell them: Enjoy it more!
Lana was bouncing around with joy the whole time. I wish I could’ve bottled up that energy and given it to them.
The conversation ends unsatisfyingly, and I turn to the thing I’ve been curious about since I arrived at the guild.
Sitting next to Ester is a girl with greenish hair tied into a side ponytail.
Her slightly pointed ears make it obvious—she’s an elf.
She’s taller than Sierra but a little shorter than Ester. Slender, tall, with elegant features and soft, gentle eyes. A big flower hair ornament draws the eye—definitely her charm point.
This must be the one Ester wanted to introduce. She said it was a childhood friend of hers—an elf.
"Her name is Kacheria. I call her Cheria. My knightly house isn’t particularly strong in magic, so her family has long supported ours in that area."
"I’m Kacheria. A pleasure to meet you, Hero. Please consider me kindly."
"Nice to meet you. I’m Zephyrus, guildmaster of <Eden>. Looking forward to today."
At Ester’s introduction, Kacheria stands up and bows politely. Definitely gives off the refined manners of someone from a family connected with knightly houses.
Alright, how should I move forward here… But first, let me clear up a question that’s been bugging me.
"Mind if I ask something?"
"Of course. If it’s within my ability to answer."
"Yeah. Our guild doesn’t have a <Yggdrasil Sapling>, <Red Fruit>, or <Decorative Plant Set>—are you still willing to join?"
I repeat to her the exact same question I once asked Ester.
Her eyes dart around.
"That’s what you mentioned before, Zephyrus-dono. What exactly do those mean?"
Ester asks her.
Well, if you haven’t played the game, you’d have no idea what I’m talking about.
To be honest, even in-game, it was never explained why those items were necessary. The item descriptions just said they were "key items for scouting 'elves'." That’s it. So actually, even I don’t know either.
Now that I think of it, would they tell me the real reason if I asked? Now I’m curious.
"As expected, you’re as well-informed as Ester said. I’m extremely curious where you picked up such information."
Kacheria’s eyes sparkle with interest as she looks at me.
Ah, right—elves were supposed to have a strong curiosity in their lore. So that "extremely curious" line? 100% genuine.
Well, as for <DanKatsu>, I’ll reveal things little by little when the time is right. Besides, we don’t even know if she’ll join the guild yet.
So for now, I’ll deflect.
"I only heard that those items were important to elves. I don’t know the actual reason. Honestly, I’d love to hear more about it myself."
That’s not a lie—I don’t know.
"I see. Indeed, for a human like you, it would be impossible to know. I let myself get a little too excited about prior knowledge. …There’s no harm in telling you, though. Would you like me to explain?"
"Absolutely!"
Wait—really? She’s going to explain it? Then yes, I definitely want to know!
I love <DanKatsu> so much that I learned every corner of it and got called a walking database. So if there’s new info I never knew? Of course I’ll pounce on it!
"Wow, you jumped on that instantly."
"Ah—sorry, didn’t mean to derail the meeting. We’ll continue… maybe we can pick this up afterward."
"Zephyrus-dono? But after this comes Lady Sierra’s interview candidate, does it not?"
…Oh. Right. We’ve still got several more interviews lined up today. Fine. No need to rush.
There’ll be another chance. I’m sure of it. …Probably.
"As I was saying earlier—without those three things, young elves really do struggle. When joining a guild, it’s natural for an elf to want one that has all three. Which is why I brought them with me."
"…Huh?"
Wait. I thought I was following the conversation, but that last part didn’t make sense.
Brought them? What?
"Here is a <Yggdrasil Sapling>, a <Red Fruit>, and a <Decorative Plant Set>. Together, elves call these three items the <Spirit Garden>."
"She brought her own!?"
Kacheria took out the three familiar key items from her <Item Bag (Capacity: Small)> and lined them up neatly on the desk.
Ah, so the actual items are smaller than I imagined.
No, wait, that’s not the point!
She actually brought the gift items with her!? An elf showing up with the recruitment presents already in hand—seriously, is that even allowed? (Apparently, it is.)
This is the pinnacle of "real."
If in the game an elf came to be scouted while bringing the gifts themselves, it would completely break game balance!
"With this, the conditions for me to join <Eden> are fulfilled. There should be no problem with me enrolling. I would be most grateful if you would consider it."
Hold up. Don’t just drop that bomb and move on!
Isn’t this elf a little too carefree? She just went ahead and advanced the conversation like it was nothing.
I wanted to savor this strange mix of awe and shock a little longer, but… well, this is still an interview, and I’m the guild master. I had no choice but to set my feelings aside for now. I’ll pick them back up later. Probably. Hopefully.
"O-okay… let’s continue."
To shake me this much—this elf, is she a pro?
After that, I asked her for a simple self-introduction, her reasons for wanting to join the guild, and her future goals.
Her current job: none. Desired job: 【Elementalist】. But she hasn’t yet met the awakening conditions.
Her reason for coming here? Ester’s 【Princess Knight】 and Lana’s 【Saint】.
Ester becoming a 【Princess Knight】 was already known back home—she had consulted with her family.
Naturally, that meant Lana’s family, the royal family, also learned about her becoming a 【Saint】.
Apparently, she’s already becoming quite famous on that front. I remembered Sierra saying, "The fact that both a 【Hero】 and a 【Saint】 were born in the same generation spread like wildfire."
And so, Kacheria asked Ester if she too could become a 【Elementalist】—which led us here, to this interview.
Well, of course, I already know the awakening requirements for 【Elementalist】.
"…As I thought, you do know."
"There’s no job I don’t know ab— …nah, forget it."
Anyway, she agreed that joining <Eden> in exchange for learning the requirements wouldn’t be a problem.
Next, her motivation and goals for joining:
"To become the strongest 【Elementalist】."
"Oh?"
Hearing that, my interest shot up instantly.
The strongest.
That was the true peak every <DanKatsu> player once aimed for.
If you were to ask hardcore <DanKatsu> players, who poured their passion day and night into chasing the peak despite the looming time limit of the game, something like "How do you become the strongest?"—well, let’s just say it wouldn’t end in a storm. It would be a catastrophe.
But don’t worry.
I was known as one of the calmer types back then. I wouldn’t let such a tragedy repeat.
Ah, I remember it now… that pure, innocent player who ended up corrupted by countless influences until… no, better not recall any further.
Ahem.
Wanting to become the strongest—I think that’s a wonderful goal.
Alright. Leave it to me. There’s no guild better suited to making you the strongest than <Eden>. I’ll guide you all the way!
So, as for the interview results—
"You’re hired!"
I declared on the spot.
Kacheria’s interview was a success. No one would object, so that’s final. Yes.
…Well, almost. Just one catch.
"You’re accepted, but… can we delay your official joining just a little?"
"I don’t mind. How long, roughly?"
I don’t plan to keep her waiting long.
But our guild is still ranked F.
F-rank guilds can only have up to ten members.
We still have four more interviews today. If we accept them all, we’ll go over the limit.
"Once we rank up to E. Should be by next week."
The requirement to rank up to E is for the guild master to clear three Beginner Upper-tier dungeons. There are some other conditions, but that’s the main one.
It’s Saturday today.
Hanna’s new gear should be ready by Monday, so we’ll use it as a test run and challenge a Beginner Upper-tier dungeon then. At the latest, we’ll be attacking one by Wednesday.
After that, it’ll be quick. No matter how tough they seem, they’re still just Beginner-level dungeons.
Three to four days, tops, and we’ll clear them.
"Understood. Then let’s say I’ll officially join Guild <Eden> once it reaches E-rank next weekend. I look forward to it."
"Yeah. Same here. In the meantime, there’s also the matter of teaching you about the 【Elementalist】 job, and some talk about the <Beginner Dungeon>. Will you be able to spare some more time for that?"
"Of course."
That’s about all we needed to settle for now.
The rest can wait until she actually becomes a 【Elementalist】.
By the way, even non-guild members can form parties, so it’s possible to train her before the official joining.
You might think, "Then what’s the point of a guild?", but guilds are essential for guild battles—<Ranked Match> only allows guild members to participate. So yes, there’s still meaning.
With that, Keishelia gave a polite bow and left together with Ester.
Well then. We’ve now got a future 【Elementalist】 lined up. Unbelievable.
I let out a breath as I watched the two of them go. To think someone would join the guild in such a way… It’s been a long time since I was this floored. Yesterday I was the one knocking others off their feet, and now it feels like my own guts just got taken away. (Don’t ask me what that means.)
Anyway—switch gears, onto the next one.
Next up: Sierra, and that so-called "Viscount’s daughter." I can’t wait!
Clatter. The guild’s door swung open, and Sierra walked in from outside.
Carrying a sleeping little girl on her back.
"Sorry, she seems to have dozed off."
"…That’s way beyond what I was expecting."
At this point, I didn’t even know where to begin with the commentary.
I couldn’t see her clearly because she's on Sierra’s back, but I could tell the little girl was sound asleep.
"What should we do?"
"Well, this really wasn’t something I prepared for…"
Hey, that’s my line, isn’t it? Do we… wake her up? This sleeping little girl?
While I was lost in this very serious dilemma, Hanna—who was watching nervously from a seat across the room—spoke up timidly:
"Um, Miss Sierra… is that girl really the same age as us? No matter how I look at her, she looks…"
"You’re right, she doesn’t look it. But I’ve known her since I was little, so she should be the same age as us. …Probably."
That last quiet mutter from Sierra came through loud and clear. She didn’t sound very confident either.
Well, I can’t blame her.
Because no matter how you looked at her, the girl sleeping peacefully on Sierra’s back could only be about six or seven years old.
This was the "Viscount"
We <DanKatsu> players used to call it the "<Child Form>" symbol.
<DanKatsu> included extreme body types like this, and some of them even came with unique job classifications tied to their physique. 【Muscle Warrior】, with its unlocking condition <Be Macho>, was one of the prime examples.
Back in the game, you could actually select these kinds of "Special Body Types" in character creation.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand.
"For now, let’s lay her down on the <Soft Portable Mat>. Can’t just leave her like that."
"…I never thought we’d actually end up using that."
I’d said something similar before, but really, I didn’t think it’d come to this either.
So we laid the little girl down.
She was wearing the same academy uniform Sierra had on, but she looked exactly like a grade-schooler.
Her mouth was slightly open, with just a bit of drool coming out. That only made her look even cuter.
Wait, no—she’s supposed to be sixteen. Staring at a sleeping girl like this feels kind of inappropriate.
I shifted my gaze toward Sierra, and she tiredly began introducing her.
"This is Lulu. She’s the daughter of a viscount, and ever since we were little, she’s always been part of the same group as me and Rika. Rika wasn’t worried, but… You see her body, right? Honestly, I can’t bring myself to entrust her to another guild. If possible, I’d rather take her into ours."
She’s being treated like a child, but… is that really okay?
Well, I could see Sierra’s point. She really did look like an elementary school kid.
If you were going to entrust this little girl (who looks like a grade-schooler) to someone, you’d want to pick a guild you could trust.
In other words, Sierra was saying she trusted <Eden>.
…Right?
I gave Sierra a sparkling look, as if to confirm.
"…So even here, it won’t work?"
"That’s not it at all."
Not at all. Nope, no problem here. This guild is perfectly safe.
So yes, please give us the "Viscount" and the "Princess." They’re both strong. Especially 【Lolita Hero】.
For some reason, Sierra gave me a long, piercing stare. I quickly straightened my face into something I hoped looked like a cool, dignified hero’s expression.
"…Haah."
Sierra let out a sigh.
Why though?
"Fumyu… myu~…"
The sleeping little girl let out an adorable murmur from the mat.
It was so cute that Hanna, who had wandered closer without realizing it, met my eyes.
Her eyes were shining with little hearts.
"Hey, hey, Zephyrus-kun. Can’t we let her join the guild? Let’s do it!"
"Let’s do it!"
"Hold on…"
After a rigorous review by me and Hanna, for some reason, Sierra threw up a stop sign. What could possibly be the issue!?
There’s a saying that ‘cute is justice.’ In that case, taking her into our guild must be a just act! (Not even close.)
And so, while the person in question (Lulu) was still asleep, it was decided she would join Guild <Eden>.
"Hey—are you seriously serious?"
We are.
However… a problem.
The viscount’s young lady was still fast asleep, dreaming away.
And the interview for Lana’s recommendation was already about to start.
So we decided to leave little Lulu be for now.
With that, we were up to nine members.
But looking back over the roster, it was gloriously all girls.
Sure, in <DanKatsu> there’s a group called the "Princess Jobs," and girl characters tend to be stronger, but that doesn’t mean boy characters are weak—far from it; the lineup is robust enough that I can say that with pride.
I mean, there are 1,021 jobs. Of course, there are strong guys too.
Chief among them is the 【Hero King】 for "Royalty" / "Crown Prince." Unfortunately, it seems there aren’t any other "Royalty" among first-years besides Lana.
In the game, there was a one-per-guild limit anyway, but this is real life—couldn’t we do two? …I kinda hoped, but apparently not. Alas.
Anyway, it’s not like I intend to make this a girls-only guild; I’d really like some male characters to join, too. Being the only guy—fine for now, but it’s going to get awkward down the line.
Maybe I should go recruit one myself?
While I was thinking that, the door to the guild banged open.
The sudden noise made Hanna jump. Lulu squirmed, itchy and restless in her sleep.
Who was it that flung the door open without knocking!?
Yeah, I know. The culprit is Lana. It could only be Lana.
"Kept you waiting! I brought them!"
"Lady Lana, we have someone sleeping here. Could you please lower your voice a little?"
Oh! A rare scolding from Hanna.
Lulu’s sleeping face must have hit her square in the heart.
"Ah—right. Sorry."
Lana saw Lulu and instinctively stepped back.
She might look willful, but Lana actually listens surprisingly well.
She does act spoiled, but she rarely says things that truly trouble others; when someone is bothered or upset, she’ll apologize honestly like this, and she even helps out quite a bit.
Weird. I don’t recall her being this straightforward with me, though.
"Princess Lana. We’re going to move this child to the next room, so could you wait a moment? Hanna, will you help?"
"Of course."
Sierra hoisted still-sleeping Lulu onto her back and headed to the storage room, with Hanna following, carrying the <Soft Portable Mat>.
In the next room, Lana could speak in her usual voice without issue.
"Thanks for waiting."
"I don’t mind, but who is that girl? Is she lost?"
"No, she’s our new member."
"? …………… Ah—ahh! The viscount’s daughter! Right, Sierra mentioned her!"
Unlike Hanna, who’s naive about noble society, Lana should’ve been in the know, yet she looked blank for a moment. A maid behind her whispered in her ear, and then she seemed to remember.
I looked past Lana to the people with her.
One girl in a maid uniform, another girl in a crisp attendant’s outfit, and—
"Oh! And that last one—could he be a 【Butler】?"
The last person was a male student in a sharp black butler suit—one glance and you knew he was a butler.
He was fairly tall—slightly taller than me—but even more baby-faced. With that gentle smile, I could see certain types of girls really liking him.
Not that that matters. Finally, a guy! I’ve been waiting!
"Correct. You really do know your stuff. Celestan, introduce yourself?"
"Yes, Your Highness Lana. —A pleasure to make your acquaintance, 【Hero】 Sir Zephyrus. My name is Celestan. My job is a 【Butler】. I look forward to working with you."
The butler, Celestan, bowed politely and properly—and he already had a job. Just as I suspected: 【Butler】. That’s a rare one.
Looking at the group behind Lana, my hunch was right: all three have the "Branch Family" category.
The "Race" category: "Branch Family."
It’s a category for children from the collateral lines of nobility. Sierra and Ester are direct-line children, so they’re classified by their rank ("Viscount," etc.), whereas "Branch Family" appears only in branch lines. There’s no rank within it; regardless of the relative’s title, it’s always categorized as "Branch Family"—or so the official setting said.
Anyway, enough nitpicking.
Jobs available to "Branch Family" are very broad—too broad to sum up in a word.
For example, "Knight Barony" tends toward the 【Knight】 series, Marquess houses toward the 【Warrior】 series—clear group directions—while "Branch Family" isn’t fixed. If I had to force a label, I’d call them the "support"-type jobs. Celestan’s 【Butler】 is one of those.
【Butler】 is a high-ranking basic job, upper-mid tier. Definitely a quality pick.
Compared to the purely support-type 【Footman】 (mid-rank), 【Butler】 can also use fighter-type combat skills. It’s a job that can contribute not only in support but across dungeon runs and guild battles alike. I definitely want him.
But—no rushing.
Guild <Eden> is now a garden of girls. A guild packed with pretty ladies and princesses. If he harbors any impure intentions, we’ll have to remove him physically.
Even if he’s Lana’s referral, that rule stands. My fists are always ready to roar!
I need to judge this carefully. So, Celestan—are you an indecent scoundrel? (For the record, I am not.)
Just as I clenched my fists and turned to face Celestan, Lana casually dropped a bombshell.
"Remember the addition I said would be joining today? For some reason, my father insisted that they be assigned to you, Zephyrus, and he pushed it through."
Wait, hold on—did I just hear something I can’t ignore?
Did she just say father? And if we’re talking about Lana’s father… that would be the king of this country, right?
Assigned to me? Who?
"Yes. I, Celestan, have been entrusted as of today with attending to the personal needs of Hero Zephyrus. From now on, I shall serve as your attendant."
"…Seriously?"
It looks like I’ve officially become a Hero with a butler.
But still… a Hero with a butler?
I’ve never even heard of such a thing. And on top of that—
"Huh? You’re really starting as my attendant today?"
"Yes. If possible, that’s the plan."
After that, the interview wrapped up, though with more than a few problems.
For some reason, Celestan stayed behind while the maid and the other attendant left first.
By the way, all three of them are set to officially join <Eden> once we reach E-rank.
That brings our member count to twelve. (Though a few are just provisional for now.)
I can really feel us steadily approaching the strongest guild.
That’s definitely a good thing. However…
"Ah, so that’s why you stayed behind. …No, wait, I was about to accept that, but it still doesn’t make sense! Can you explain this in order?"
Apparently, Celestan is supposed to become my attendant under the king’s orders.
But with Lana’s vague explanation, I can’t make heads or tails of the situation. Somebody give me a clear answer!
"The truth is… I don’t fully understand it myself."
"Oh?"
According to him, he was the only first-year student this term who managed to acquire the 【Butler】 job. That’s why he was chosen. Of course, they also confirmed that his personality and everything else passed inspection without issue.
The day before yesterday, he suddenly got summoned home. After some back-and-forth, they shoved a royal decree in his face, and before he knew it, he was meeting with the princess and then assigned to join <Eden>. And now—here he is.
The guy just let himself be swept along. He’s like a piece of driftwood tossed around in a raging river, with zero say in the matter.
So then, that means he didn’t choose to become my attendant of his own will?
But when I asked him that, he replied—
"No. I’ve trained diligently for the sake of becoming a 【Butler】, working toward the day I could serve a noble master. To be assigned to the legendary 【Hero】 himself—there’s no greater honor. I’m truly delighted to serve as your attendant."
"Uh… o-oh. That's so…"
I was caught off guard by how shamelessly sincere his words were. Still, maybe that’s not so bad after all.
In Eden, all members are considered equals regardless of status. That said, hierarchy does exist—just look at Lana and Ester.
I guess this is the same deal. Nothing wrong with that.
So then, the real issue is… huh? Actually, maybe there isn’t one.
A royal order attached a butler to me. It sounds like a huge deal, but when I think it through, there’s really no downside. No new quest popped up, and there’s nothing about this that hurts us. If anything, having a 【Butler】 around is a welcome bonus.
So—
"Well, whatever. In that case, I’ll be counting on you, Celestan."
"Yes, the honor is mine. And… one more thing."
"What’s that?"
"May I address you as Lord Zephyrus?"
"…Sure, why not?"
So I’m getting called Lord now. I haven’t exactly done anything worthy of it yet, but fine. I’d have to get used to it eventually anyway. Guess it just came a little early. Fuhaha.
I nodded my approval.
"Then it’s settled!"
Lana, who for once had been unusually quiet up to now, suddenly leapt to her feet with her usual energy.
I decided to give her some credit.
"You behaved yourself surprisingly well. Good girl. Want me to pat your head?"
"Don’t treat me like a child! I’m a princess, you know! A princess shouldn’t be treated like a kid! …But if you really insist, I’ll allow it."
I’d only been joking, but she actually leaned her head forward. What is this tsundere nonsense? …Cute, though.
Well, she did bring three excellent recruits. I should at least show my gratitude. So I patted her head. The silver tiara kind of got in the way, though.
"F-fwah… T-that’s enough. That’s plenty. If you keep going, I don’t think I’ll be able to eat dinner."
Was she actually nervous?
"I’m surprised. Lord Zephyrus and Princess Lana seem to get along quite well."
Celestan was watching the whole thing closely and commented with a gentle smile. His face showed no real shock—he’s good at keeping a poker face.
Still, normally, anyone would be surprised. Honestly, I’m always surprised by Lana’s antics myself.
"Of course we do! The 【Saint】 and the 【Hero】 are super close! That’s very important, so make sure you remember it, Celestan!"
"Understood, Princess Lana."
…Why do I feel like the two of them are sharing some kind of secret agreement?
Eh, must be my imagination.
"Anyway, Celestan, I need to ask—how far have you leveled your 【Butler】 job?"
That’s the big one. The most important question of all.
"Yes. Right now, I’m 【Butler Lv.2】. I’ve allocated SP: 2 points each into the skills 『Court Etiquette』, 『Tea Production』, and 『Straight Punch』, and 1 point into 『Poison Tasting』."
"Ahh, I see. So that’s how you developed it."
『Court Etiquette』 is a passive skill that increases DEX—basically a DEX version of Kalua’s 『Speed Boost』. If you’re not going for a production-type job, there isn’t much point in raising it. But 『Tea Production』 is a full-on crafting skill. It lets you create tea-type cooking items like <Black Tea> and <Royal Milk Tea>.
Cooking items usually fall under the specialist production job category of 【Chef】, but oddly enough, only 【Butlers】 and 【Maids】 specialize in tea-type cooking items.
That said, they don’t hold a candle to dedicated production jobs, and tea-type items are noticeably weaker compared to other cooking items. Back in my gaming days, I almost never bothered to level 『Tea Production』 or 『Court Etiquette』.
But this is reality.
It’s possible the taste here actually carries some impressive effects.
SP can’t be refunded once spent. So maybe I should just let him keep developing in that direction. Could be interesting to see how it plays out in real life. Also, I’ll make him treat me to some tea later—I want to know how it tastes.
Next, 『Straight Punch』 is a skill that many 【Fighter】-type jobs have.
It lets you throw a proper punch with your full weight behind it. A single-target attack skill.
Lastly, 『Poison Tasting』. That one boosts the effectiveness of cooking items you consume yourself. Why poison-tasting makes food items stronger, I have no idea.
He also told me his stats verbally… but honestly, I found them a little underwhelming. I asked what kind of future build he had in mind—how he planned to grow as a 【Butler】—but it turns out Celestan only just became one recently. For now, he’s still learning what the job even entails.
The moment I heard that, the corners of my mouth curled into a grin.
Perfect. I’ll teach him myself!
A 【Butler】’s entire essence lies in knowing where they shine.
If you don’t understand that, you’ll never know how to develop them properly.
It’s a job like 【Princess Knight】—with all kinds of possible paths to reach.
My 【Hero】 job, and Lana’s 【Saint】, shine best in battle.
So where does the 【Butler】 shine?
That’s exactly what I’ll teach him right now.
"Actually, Celestan, I’ve got the ultimate 【Butler】 development plan. Interested?"
I said that and flashed him the memo I’d written down earlier—the 【Butler】’s Ultimate Build Guide.
After finishing my 【Butler】 lecture to Celestan, the sun had dipped pretty low. That’s when the little princess, who had been asleep this whole time, woke up, saw <Lucky Cat-sama>, and declared:
"I—I like this! I love this! Give it to me!"
"No."
Absolutely not.
"W-what is this? It—it’s so squishy! I love it! Give it to me!"
"You can only touch it, okay? There’s someone who would be very sad if Mochi-chan were taken away."
At some point, the stuffed <Mochikko> doll had gotten the nickname <Mochi-chan>. And now, this little girl had spotted it, touched it, and was absolutely thrilled.
But giving it away was out of the question. Lana, unusually gentle, carefully explained that to her.
Yeah, if it got taken away, Rika would probably bawl her eyes out.
"I figured this might happen, so I bought a bunch of stuffed animals. Mind if I put them here?"
Sierra came out of the storage room with Lulu-chan in tow. She laid down a <Soft Portable Mat> beneath the household altar, then started lining up the plushies.
What kind of next-level preparedness is this? Seriously, Sierra’s amazing.
And so, over ten stuffed toys were placed there—sending Hanna and the little girl into wide-eyed wonder.
"Oh, so cute…"
"It’s full of love! As expected of Sierra! You’re a stuffed animal lover too, aren’t you?"
"Huh? Um, well, maybe? I do like cute stuffed animals, sure…"
"Then you’re just like Lulu! Let’s love stuffed animals together!"
"Eh? W-whoa, wait—!?"
Freshly awake and full of energy, the overly childlike Lulu grabbed Hanna and dragged her over to the plushie side. Where was this even going?
The two of them started doting on the stuffed toys together. It was such a heartwarming sight. Seriously, someone give me a camera.
As I was basking in the wholesome atmosphere, Sierra leaned in from the side and quietly whispered to me—
"Sorry about this. Normally, I’d introduce her to you, since you’re the guild master here, but as you can see… she’s, well, kind of a little kid."
"…Sounds like she’d get along with Lana."
"Hold it. What’s that supposed to mean?"
…Crap, slipped out.
I quickly try to weasel my way out with some smooth talk.
"What’s wrong, Lana? Don’t think you two could get along?"
"Huh? N–No, I never said that."
"Then why don’t you go over there and admire the plushies with her? You might hit it off. Plushies are cute, after all."
"W–Well, true. Plushies aside. We’re going to be in the same guild, so getting along is important. Plushies aside."
For some reason, she insisted twice that "plushies aside," then headed over. Easy to read, as always.
"You, maybe don’t tease Princess Lana like that? She is a princess, after all."
"Even you said ‘after all,’ Sierra. But no, I refuse. This is just how Lana and I communicate. She’s not bothered by it, so there’s no problem, right?"
"…I slipped up. Still, keep it within reason. If you make her cry, word will probably get back."
Ugh.
I glance at Celestan, who’s standing behind her.
"No worries. ‘Boys will be boys when they like someone,’ right? I understand completely."
Celestan says that with a bright smile that makes me doubt he understands anything.
Well, it’s not like I actually want to make her miserable, so it should be fine… though for some reason, I feel like I ought to correct him.
While I’m thinking that, the three finally finish reveling in plushie heaven and come back.
Each one is holding two plushies in their arms. …So, yeah, not done after all.
Hanna immediately turns to Lulu and starts introducing me.
Really, Hanna? Doing introductions while hugging a plushie?
"Lulu-chan, this is Zephyrus-kun, guild master of <Eden>. Most of the members here were gathered by him."
"Nice to meet you, I’m Lulu! A plushie enthusiast! I’ll be in your care in Guild <Eden>!"
Energetic little loli, got it. Doesn’t seem at all troubled about suddenly joining <Eden>.
Her cheerful personality already has her hitting it off with Hanna and Lana.
Self-proclaimed plushie enthusiast? Fine, I’ll allow it. Cute enough.
I put aside all my quips for now and return her greeting.
"I’m Zephyrus, guild master of <Eden>. 【Hero Lv.34】. Nice to have you."
"Whoa, you’re super strong!"
"Damn right!"
Her sparkling, innocent eyes of pure admiration make me puff my chest out in pride.
What a glorious gaze! This kid gets it.
I’m sure of it—and right after, she proves me right.
"Can I ask one question, Zephyrus Onii-sama?!"
"Onii-sama!!"
What the hell—this is the first time in my entire life anyone’s ever called me Onii-sama.
What the hell is this feeling? It’s like my heart burst apart in a cosmic Big Bang that blew right past "moe."
Without thinking, I clutched my chest and let out a strangled "Guhah!"
Simply put, it had devastating power. I want to hear it again.
"Ask me anything! I’ll answer everything!"
"Yes! Where exactly did you get that <Lucky Cat-sama>? I really, really want one!"
I see. This little girl’s got good taste.
If you can’t buy it and you can’t trade for it, then just hunt for the drop yourself.
That mindset—pure gamer logic. I like it.
And the fact that her target is <Lucky Cat-sama>? That’s ten times more likable.
I’m in such a good mood, I’ll spill the beans, little miss!
"<Lucky Cat-sama> drops from the <Gold Chest> you get off rare bosses in the Beginner Mid-tier to Beginner Upper-tier dungeons. It’s a genuine jackpot. Oh, and by the way, I solo’d that rare boss myself."
"Hyah! Wh-what? Onii-sama, you beat a rare boss all on your own and even got the <Gold Chest> drop!?"
"Damn right I did!"
The little girl’s eyes went wide with disbelief while I struck my smug victory pose.
"Amazing!"
Her gaze of pure admiration feels so good.
Just as I was basking in it, little Lulu’s expression suddenly turned serious. Looked like she was about to bring up something important.
"Zephyrus Onii-sama, I have a request!"
"Let’s hear it."
"Yes! Lulu wants to become a 【Lolita Hero】!"
"I’ll support you with everything I’ve got!"
"Yayyy!"
"You’re being way too casual. Hold it right there, you two."
Sierra interjected. But her words went in one ear and out the other.
Among the top-tier High-ranking jobs, the 【Hero】 job was especially powerful.
And within that group, there was one said to be the strongest of all—
Official Top (Strongest) Job Ranking, #4: 【Lolita Hero】.
Do I even need another reason to give her my full support?
Nope. Not a single one!
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