Chapter 6 : There is no one who can replace for me

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

If I were to leave the mansion, who would take care of Serena?

Of course, there are many servants in the mansion, but entrusting all of them with the responsibility makes me uneasy.

Orde has to act as my deputy in my absence, so he can’t focus solely on Serena either.

So, at the very least, I need someone who can take care of her while I’m away.

Even if it’s out of obligation.

That’s why I prepared this.

An interview to select someone for the honorable role of protecting Serena in my stead.

But only three people applied?

These spoiled brats.

“Well, at least three people applied,” Orde, standing next to me, made an unnecessary remark, but I ignored him.

Anyway, now I have to choose one of the three people sitting in front of me.

I intertwined my fingers and rested my chin on my hands, trying to set the mood.

For a moment,I felt like a job interviewer, even though I had never been one in my previous life.

Alright, let’s start with the one on the far left.

“Introduce yourself first.”

“Yes!

My name is Mary, Candidate No.1!”

A maid jumped up energetically, radiating enthusiasm from the start.

Is this an elementary school class president election?

Still, I like her spirit.

“I will cherish and protect young Miss Serena as if she were my own body!

I may not be perfect, but if you entrust me with this duty, I promise I won’t let you down!”

Her declaration was brimming with the vitality of a sunflower.

Her eyes sparkled with pure sincerity, completely devoid of pretense.

Impressive. Based solely on her confidence and attitude, she seemed utterly reliable.

Yes, if I were only looking at that part.

‘She’s so clumsy, though.’

Among all the servants in my mansion, there’s probably no one as accident-prone as her.

She has the enthusiasm, but her body doesn’t keep up.

She’s broken at least ten plates by now, and every time I assign her cleaning duties, she trips over the water bucket, making a bigger mess.

When told to pull weeds, she ends up getting tangled in the garden vines.

The other servants find her antics endearing, so they laugh it off, but as the employer, I wonder if I can keep leaving her like this.

“Alright, noted.

Next.”

I decided to put her on hold since I liked her mindset, then moved on.

“…My name is Lynn.

Nice to meet you.”

The next candidate stood up lazily, as if even that was too much effort.

Her lethargic voice was the complete opposite of Mary’s.

“You don’t want to do this, do you?”

“Oh.

Is it that obvious?”

How could it not be?

She was practically radiating an aura of “I can’t be bothered.”

“Mary dragged me into this, so I just came along.”

“Hehe.”

“That’s not really something to be proud of, you know?”

Anyway, Lynn didn’t seem particularly interested in selling herself.

Orde was frowning next to me, but that was his problem to deal with later.

‘Normally, I’d eliminate her right away…’

She had the worst attitude for someone responsible for another person.

But the reason I hesitated was that Lynn was extremely competent.

A natural talent, so to speak.

Even when given a task she had never done before, she picked it up instantly, as if she had been doing it for years.

She was so skilled that I sometimes thought it was a waste to keep her as a maid.

If only she wasn’t so lazy, she could have achieved great things.

“Alright.

Next?”

Lynn looked at me with an expression that questioned why she hadn’t been eliminated, but I ignored her.

She should have been moderately competent if she didn’t want this.

“Yes!

My name is Eddie!

Pleased to meet you!”

A servant stood up sharply and bowed deeply.

A good start. His enthusiasm was on par with Mary’s—perhaps even greater.

“I have five younger siblings at home! So I can confidently say I’m the best at taking care of children!”

“Ohh.”

I let out an involuntary exclamation.

As a noble, having a large family isn’t an issue since we have wealth, but for a commoner like Eddie, providing for such a family must have been extremely difficult.

And they were younger siblings, no less—dependents who required constant attention.

A man with hands-on experience in childcare was certainly a desirable hire.

Moreover, he was quick and efficient with his work, making him quite reliable.

He seemed like the ideal choice.

“But, my lord.

May I ask something?”

“Hm?

What is it?”

“I heard that this position comes with a special allowance.

Is that true?”

If his eyes hadn’t practically turned into gold coins, I might have hired him on the spot.

Why did he have to say that?

It’s not that caring about money is a bad thing.

Since he has siblings to feed, it makes sense that he needs to earn well.

But this job isn’t just any job—it’s about protecting Serena in my place.

It felt a little unsettling to entrust her to someone who had even a hint of material greed.

Damn, what do I do now?

None of them are a perfect fit.

“Hmm…

I heard everything.

I’ll let Orde inform you of the results later, so you can all leave for now.”

I needed time to think.

I might have to compromise on my ideal candidate.

The three of them left, and since I was too conflicted to decide alone, I turned to a third party for advice.

“What do you think, Orde?

I can’t choose just one.

Each of them has their flaws.”

“Hmm.

I suppose if we could merge their strengths into one person, that would be ideal.”

As expected, Orde had the same opinion.

But where would I find someone like that?

Someone who cherishes Serena above all else, is highly skilled, and isn’t swayed by personal desires…

Wait a minute.

That’s me.

Seriously, is there really no choice but me?

“This is ridiculous.”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Never mind.

Forget I said anything.”

That resigned look on his face made me more annoyed.

“Or maybe we could just entrust all three of them together?

Instead of picking just one and feeling uneasy, that might be the better option.”

“Hmm.”

That actually made sense.

It would probably be safer than placing the entire responsibility on a single person.

And honestly, one person alone couldn’t possibly fill my absence.

“Alright.

Tell them that’s the plan.”

With that problem resolved, I stood up.

I had somewhere I needed to go.

“Are you heading to the capital?”

“Yeah.

His Majesty summoned me, so I have to go.

I don’t know why he insists on meeting in person when we have communication crystals these days.”

Because of my reputation and abilities, the royal palace or the Magic Tower frequently summoned me.

Thankfully, the capital was close to my territory.

“Will you be alright going alone?

The country’s security has been unstable lately.

At least take a bodyguard…”

“I don’t need one.

It won’t take long.

Besides…”

It felt a bit arrogant to say it myself, but if I brought a bodyguard, I’d probably end up protecting them instead.

“You know my skills.

No mere thugs can touch me, so don’t worry.”

The capital of the Kingdom of Rezel, Aibrim.

It was only half a day’s ride from my territory, which was why the king summoned me at every opportunity.

At least once a week, I’d say.

It was a sign of how much he valued my abilities, but from my perspective, it was nothing but a nuisance.

Still, what choice did I have?

A mere count had no option but to obey.

Upon reaching the palace, I presented the letter from the king and was granted entry.

At the end of the long carpet stood the towering royal throne.

A dignified elderly man looked down at me.

“You have arrived, Count Christian.”

His physique was as robust as Orde’s, showing firsthand that age was just a number.

He truly carried the weight befitting the king’s position.

“I greet Your Majesty, the great ruler of the kingdom.”

I knelt on one knee and showed proper respect.

“Good,” came his short and brusque reply.

“I apologize for summoning you when you’re busy, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

Now that was nice to hear.

If that were really the case, he should have just used a communication crystal or sent a letter.

“A few days ago, the investigative unit on an expedition discovered an ancient ruin in Gerhem.”

Any trace of personal complaints vanished from my mind the moment I heard those words.

Ancient ruin.

Forgotten relics of the great empire that once ruled the entire continent.

Records and legends spoke of magic and technology far superior to what we have today, making them a subject of immense fascination for wizards and scholars alike.

And as a magician myself, I was no exception.

“But it seems they’ve run into trouble—a door that won’t open no matter what they try.

I hear that some unknown ancient script is inscribed on it, and they need you to decipher it.”

Ah.

I knew this was coming.

In this entire kingdom, I’m the only one who can fluently translate ancient languages.

(Technically, it’s my skill doing all the work, though.)

Ever since I was born into this world, I possessed a unique skill—[Search].

As long as something exists or can be known, this skill provides all the necessary information.

Thanks to that, I can read ancient texts, uncover obscure magic, and access all sorts of hidden knowledge. It’s been incredibly useful, earning me titles like The Omniscient Magician and effortlessly securing my spot as the academy’s top student.

Isn’t that just cheating?

Well, if you have complaints, go get hit by a truck yourself.

I had my limbs torn apart and experienced a painful death—this much compensation is only fair.

“I understand, Your Majesty.

I’ll depart first thing tomorrow.”

“I trust you, then.”

Those words—”I trust you”—can be some of the most nerve-wracking ones to hear from a superior.

But since there was no chance of failure on my part, I answered confidently.

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Before returning to my territory, I decided to take a short walk through the royal garden.

The flower beds, blooming in a dazzling array of colors, were as breathtaking as ever, exuding a peaceful beauty that felt like something out of a fairy tale.

I should bring Serena here someday. She would love it.

“Count Christian!”

Just as I was about to leave, a familiar voice called out to me.

I turned around—and just as expected, there he was.

A small, young boy standing with a knight at his side.

But knowing who he was, I quickly lowered my head in respect.

“It has been a while, Prince Reyzen.”

He was none other than the youngest prince of this kingdom.

And more importantly, the man who would one day be Serena’s husband.