Now that Vincent was found safely, the marquis and his family went back to their own lands… that is what it should have been. But it seems that the Marquis still have business to finish here in the capital and as thus decided to stay with his family in this villa for now.

I was given a room for male servants that is as big as my previous room back on Earth. My current job is now a full-time valet of Vincent, the eldest son of the Marquis Windhill.

 And I am right now under the care of the man who left his babysitting job to me. It can’t be helped; I had to rely on this guy for learning the know-how of this job.

「Erm…」Me

「What? Is there something that you didn’t understand?」Butler

As opposed to his personality that was shown previously in the discussion with the marquis, the man attended to me in a gentle manner. Which means that just being able to leave his job as Vincent’s valet have made him that delighted.

「Just how did things turned out this way? The purpose of the talk was to expel me out of this household, is it not?」Me

「Oh, that talk? Just focus on the things regarding your job. I want to finish handing it to you quickly.」Butler

「Umm well… I can’t help but think about it.」Me

「I guess there’s no other choice. At first it was indeed like that. There is no way we can trust anyone coming from the slums after all. After being in debt to such people, they will only think of anyone as nothing but a source of income.」Butler

「Well, I myself came from the slums, there really is nothing there but those sort of people but not all of them is that bad. If a person is overcome by hunger, he will eat his own just to survive.」Me

I tried to rebuke indirectly that I am not like those thugs in the slums. Although I cannot fully say that I am innocent as I did do some things that can never be considered good.

「Yes, well fortunately you are the one who helped the young lord return to his family. As such we don’t have to deal with thugs if the young lord was ransomed instead. If it ever did happen, this is still House Windhill. The Sturmhounds have their ways in eliminating such arrogant criminals and rescue the young lord in time. We have a reputation and dignity as a noble to uphold, so we must not appear naïve and soft. That’s why I am wondering myself on what reason did the marquis accepted you as one of the servants and even a valet of the Lord Vincent.」Butler

‘I am wondering also about that myself’ is what I thought but decided not to voice it out.

「The truth is, disposing or expelling you have already ceased to be an option ever since Lady Ariel have taken a liking unto you. The lord and his wife are quite lenient to the young lady compared to Lord Vincent after all.」Butler

In other words, they are just doting parents.

I’m not really trying to make fun of them but rather as Flay who never felt or knew the existence of my parents, it’s something to be jealous about.

「If that’s the case, what about that exchange earlier?」Me

「I was opposed to it of course. Just being Lord Vincent’s valet has already proven to be difficult. I can’t deal with something like an orphan from the slums at the same time. 」Butler

I can only sigh in my mind. As I thought, my existence will never avoid discrimination. My previous impression about everyone outside the slums as Flay is definitely not wrong.

「Pardon me for being impolite but does being a valet have such authority to oppose or question the marquis’ son? Or even suggest an option or advise the marquis for his decisions?」Me

「A full time valet would be the butler of the next generation or if fortunate, head of the House. If not, then he will become one of the close aids of the family head. As a person having that much of a connection with Lord Vincent, your right to speak will be recognized.」Butler

「Eh? So such a position was given to me...」Me

「Except you. As it’s impossible from someone with doubtful origin to become a close aide of the marquis.」Butler

This guy, there’s a limit to being insensitive. Just how did he pass being the valet of the heir of the marquis, with his personality?

「But… come to think of it what should I call you?」Me

「Walle... It’s Walle Girk.」Butler

「Mister Girk then?」Me

「Call me by Walle instead.」Walle

So calling him by given name is the right way. I should take these simple things in my mind carefully.

「Is calling you by “Mister Walle” really alright? You, who would be the future close senior associate of mine.」Me

「As for that…., don’t mind it. I hate those kinds of formalities.」Walle

「Is that so?」Me

He is clearly lying though. However, I can’t really press him for that.

There’s something fishy. If not, then this guy would never be in such a good mood, but I should be able to find out about it after working for this house.

「Then let’s resume. At this rate, we won’t be done with the process of handing the job over after all.」Walle

To summarize the job of a Valet, it would be a person in charge of miscellaneous affairs. To put it simply, the responsibilities of a valet is to fulfill all the lacking or holes left by his or her master, assist them in things they cannot solve and helping to ease their daily lives. That is what I was told but, something is suspicious.

I just can’t imagine Walle being able to fulfill all the desires of that seemingly self-centered boy.

Though it’s called handing over, this is actually different to what I imagined. What he taught me was nothing but the schedule of Vincent for the month.

Other than that, it’s his likes and dislikes on food, that I can still let slide. I can just eat his leftovers if he doesn’t like them.

His likes and dislikes on studies–or so I say but there nothing on like at all. Walle also told me to study and learn how to read and write. Many of the duties held by the valet involve reading and writing. When I asked him who will teach me about that, he blatantly changed the subject.

Walle also mentioned Vincent’s level of affinity on magic– I didn’t even understand a single piece of it.

Also the person Vincent likes and dislikes…

Wait… why is Walle not on the list? Surely, he would’ve been hated by him.

I was also given a book. He told me the title is Great Houses and Nobility of Grandfram. It was so big and heavy that Walle had it delivered to my room instead. I was told that after learning how to read, I must then quickly memorize every houses and their coat of arms. He told me that most valets must be able to identify the lords just from seeing the sigil of their houses without any introduction. This way I will be able to help or assist Vincent in attending parties or in joining the circle of nobles in the near future.

And just as Walle wanted, after half a day of lecture, the handing over was finished just like that. And Walle, the bastard immediately fled.

After the lecture, Vincent and I went to the room full of clothes along with some maids to choose the clothes I’m going to wear.

I only realized just now that I’ve been wearing robes for sleeping all this time but because Vincent minded it, they have prepared a new set of clothing for the new valet. The maids just rummage the old clothes of previous valets that were stored in the wardrobe. They have found several set of clothes that were already considered to be the smallest… but none of them seemed to fit on me or rather they are too big for me.

It seems I have a particularly smaller built or rather very thin body, I don’t even know my age.

Maybe the reason why no clothes seemed to fit on me was because I am too thin for an average kid and I have yet to reach the proper age to become a valet. The youngest valet before me is over 15 years old. Seeing that, Vincent allowed the maids to search the wardrobes of his old clothes which he already grew out. He must have a lot after I realize that the wardrobe is far larger than my room. After they found several “good” clothes, the maids left the room to let me change and try the clothes.

「How about this one?」Vincent

「… I think it’s too flashy for a valet.」Me

「Even this one? Well you’re probably right. In regards to valets, their attire must have a composed ambiance.」Vincent

He seemed to have gotten the rough idea but this boy who fusses over on how my clothes should be was quite stubborn.

Choosing the clothes I had to wear first and foremost seemed to have rooted on the thought that the clothes of his valet must appear proper.  

However, the standards of the boy in choosing clothes are really lame.

It might be proper clothing in regards to this world, but for me it’s just a bunch of clothes that I would never be able to endure wearing. It’s like those over flamboyant clothes of the 1800s back on Earth, where the men would wear wig and a lot of frills on their neck and arms. No matter what clothes I try, I was not able to find the clothes that I could like.

The moment I finally thought of giving up, on the corner of the closet, I have stumbled upon a suit. The suit was quite different than the usual, the monochromatic black have a composed feeling.

I picked it up and saw that it may be on a right size for me.

「Is this one alright?」Me

「Hmm?」Vincent

The boy shifted his attention on the clothes I presented. His facial expression became cloudy. It seems he was not fond of it.

「These are the clothes of a knight.」Vincent

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「Clothes of a knight?」Me

「This is the clothes that knights wear.」Vincent

‘Did knights have no age requirement that they have something on this size?’ I wanted to ask but after remembering that I found this on his closet of old clothes, I realize that this may be his. This suit has better looking appearance than his current clothes, I wanted to ask why he stopped wearing this but it’s not a priority right now.

「No, I get that part however, how does it pose a problem?」Me

「You’re going to be a valet, not a knight.」Vincent

「…Ah that is correct.」Me

This stubbornness might prove to be more difficult than I imagined. However, I can’t just pull back when it comes to this thing because I’d rather die than wear a frilly shirt and short pants.

「However, I am going to be Lord Vincent’s valet so wouldn’t there be times where I must protect him as his full-time valet?」Me

「…That is… correct.」Vincent

「Someone who protects his master is similar to that of a knight. Although the occupations might differ, they are the same in regards of their duties.」Me

「...」Vincent

「That’s why as a person given the job as your valet, wearing the clothing of knights shouldn’t pose a problem.」Me

「…That... where did you– no, nevermind… Okay, very well. Let us try and have this as your uniform. Let me see it first if it fits.」Vincent

「Yes.」Me

Persuasion successful!

 I immediately turned back to the closet and changed my clothes.

Though I’ve heard it was a set of clothing that knights wore, it felt just like an altered high school uniform with just a higher collar and bit of longer coat. It’s like someone combined the traits of a school uniform and a tuxedo. Though I have said that it was monochromatic black, there was some silver embroidery on some parts of it.

After finishing putting it on and checking it in the mirror, it seems to fit me more than I thought.

That seems to lead to the question again as to why only this clothing was like this. Is there a difference between the clothes of knights and aristocrats?

While I was lost in that thought, the boy was showing an astonished face.

「…Does it look strange?」Me

「No, it’s the opposite. Mmm, it suits you well. 」Vincent

「I’m grateful for that. It’s probably because the fitting of these clothes matches me well. This may help me serve you better.」Me

「If we disregard your white hair and eyes…you look like the black knight.」Vincent

「Yes?」Me

「Do you not know about it? It’s the protagonist of the book I have read since child I was child. Black hair and eyes, the clothes he wore were also of the same color, he was a hero who came from another world. That clothing were made to imitate the clothes worn by the black knight drawn in that book.」

Oh, now I get it. This suit was never made for knights. This was sewed and made to imitate his childhood hero. No wonder he didn’t like it at first glance, it must have dug up his dark embarrassing past. But I got more interesting information about this; a hero with black hair and eyes and he came from another world wearing same clothing.

「Another world? Wait, there are other worlds?」Me

I have to pretend that I don’t know anything to get more detailed information from him. I have to act like someone from the slums.

「Yes, from what I have read, there are countless of worlds. Ours is just one of the hundreds of thousands.」Vincent

「How does our world interact with others? Is there a bridge? I thought the world is just a large plate being carried by a giant, so how does it happen?」Me

「I don’t even know how. There are words I still don’t understand.」Vincent

Maybe it’s still too deep for him to comprehend the words.

「I see…this black knight… how did he come to our world?」Me

「Ah, I almost forgot. You are now my valet, as such you shall address me as your lord. If my valet don’t know how to address me according to my status as his lord and the heir of this house, other nobles will look down upon me…and you.」Vincent

Ah yeah, I almost forgot about that again. The annoying manners and etiquettes towards nobles and aristocrats.

「I apologize…m-milord」Me

「Good. You must learn now on how to act like a valet. And for your question, I have read that he was summoned by the Archbishop of Sanctuary.」Vincent

「Sanctuary?」Me

「The main religion of the Endymion Empire. They also have a branch here in the kingdom.」Vincent

「So he was summoned in the Empire… milord?」Me

「Yes, then he travelled throughout here in the western part of the continent. Vanquishing evil and saving those in need. He was then knighted by the emperor after defeating an army of orcs and goblins. His famous achievement is slaying the great dragon Aldruada who destroyed much of the Kingdom of Hashu.」Vincent

Vincent is already drunk in retelling the stories of his favorite hero. Good, lets continue with this flow and get more information this way.

「Is everyone who came from this so called “another world” were always hero?」Me

「Yes, well… according to the scriptures of the Sanctuary, heroes were formerly angels. A semi-divine beings created by the gods against any evil. If the world will suffers any evil, the gods allow enough number of angels to descend to the mortal realm to fight it. But in exchange, they must take form as a mortal in this world. And in becoming a mortal, they will also be subjected to the evils and temptations felt by mankind, so some of these heroes were also infamous for the evils they have done… but I don’t know if this is the truth, I only read this description from the library.」Vincent

「How did these heroes… “descend” aside from being summoned… m-milord?」Me

「What do you mean?」Vincent

「You know, like what you have mentioned earlier, other than being summoned by a… an archbishop.」Me

「Hmmmm…. As far as I remember, these heroes can be summoned by someone powerful enough as the Sanctuary’s archbishops. But there are also written records and stories where some heroes were born as one of the children of a peasant parents. And at a certain age, they will reach “enlightenment” where they will remember their purpose and their former memories as an agent of the gods. Then after their “enlightenment” they will regain their former strength when they were still divine beings except for their immortality. And there are also heroes that just fell to this world, just suddenly waking up with no recollection of their past but still have the strength of a divine mortal.」Vincent

Yeah this really seemed like those novels and series I used to read and watch.

「Did these heroes ever attempted to go back to their… realm, umm milord?」Me

I still can’t get used in this way of speaking. But it seems that Vincent didn’t notice because of how he enjoyed in retelling the tales of these heroes.

「This… I don’t know. I myself was asking such question in the past. But the books and records never mentioned such action from any hero. Nevertheless, most of them spent their life in this world. They mostly retired and had families later on. And the descendants of these heroes were known to inherit their strength and powers; as such most of them were either married to a royal family or high ranking nobles of some kingdoms and empires. 」Vincent

‘Then what happens if they die as a mortal? Do they return then back to their realm after their death?’ I wanted to ask but there is an important question I must prioritize first.

「Were there any written records or books that mentioned that they descended in this world by possessing a body of a person?」Me

「Hmmm, not that I know of. These beings had to take form as a mortal and not to take a body. Because from what I have understood, if they possess a body that is not theirs, then they would not get their former strength back when they were still the divine beings.」Vincent

This is quite difficult. It may mean that my situation is badly unique. Or that the people who were transported into this world like me were never remembered or recorded and lived without getting attention… or was never blessed with a future of becoming a hero. I may have to visit this library he is talking about earlier to find out more about this black knight he mentioned.

「And by the way, where is he now… milord? The black knight you mentioned earlier?」Me

「His story is almost 700 years old. In the book, it was mentioned that he retired and went back to the empire. He married the third princess and spent his last days in the empire.」Vincent

Sigh… then the hope of meeting him is lost forever. I wonder if that person is Japanese or Asian. If that’s the case, I’m not the only one in this world who came from another world. But even so IF it’s really a black haired and eyed person from Earth then the way he was sent to this world was different from mine.

It seems everything goes in this world.

「By the way, do you know how to use a sword?」Vincent

「Not at all…」Me

「I assumed you are because of… how you handled a knife a while back.」Vincent

I was first wondering on what he is talking about but then I remembered Daqn.

「Oh…well, that was just a lucky strike.」Me

「… is it true?」Vincent

「About what…milord?」Me

「That taking someone’s life is normal in the slums?」Vincent

I frowned in his question.

「Well… it’s a dog eat dog place. It’s not a place where it is only for the poor, orphans, abandoned children, criminals or prostitutes that is probably mentioned in your books. We always lived, eat our daily rotting bread, and survive through this saying, “Do unto others before they do unto you”. Stealing the things that belong to others including their life is how I have survived for all these years. That’s why you are so blessed milord in being born as a child of a noble.」Me

It may sound like rude but I am intentionally saying this to spite him a little. This is my true feelings as Flay who had lived in the slums. I have saved his life by killing someone and he still asked me if it was a normal thing to us who lived in the slums. It’s like insensitively asking a soldier with PTSD if the way they shoot or kill someone is just a normal thing for them.

Though frankly, after remembering almost all of my memories, both from Flay and Ryou, I can’t really say that Daqn is my first kill. Back in the slums, I used to hit other children who got food with a large rock in their head or beat them with anything I find nearby to steal their food. I usually got my loot after they were knocked out. After that I leave them to their fate without turning back. So I don’t know if they died from being hit in the back of their head or that I beat them too much that they don’t wake up for the next day.

Corpses found in the slums were always taken and sold to someone or somewhere who needed dead bodies for something. That’s why if I unknowingly killed someone in those days, I would never find out.  

「…hmm. So you never knew how to use a sword?」Vincent

「Nope, I never even touched one. The weapons used in the slums were usually spears, crossbows and axes…milord. But the most favorite of the thugs and criminals who lived there were knives and daggers as they were easy to use in stabbing people in the back, easier to throw or use in the dark alleys and cut someone’s throat. 」Me

I gestured a cutting action on my throat. I neither have any experience nor touched a sword as Flay.

But if we are talking about as Moriya Ryou, then maybe I could say yes. Although, I don’t know if what I had learned as Ryou can be considered “knightly”. As it is not even kendo or kenjutsu that I have learned. It is more similar to –

「Is that so? Then take lessons with me.」Vincent

「Eh?」Me

「Do you not already know my schedule from Walle?」Vincent

「No, I already did. You have a fencing practice three times a week. Is it about that class?」Me

I came to know that this world has six days per week when I was being taught of his schedule. The days were in elements, Arsday-Light, Neitday-Shadow, Welmsday-Wind, Goldsday-Earth, Therstday-Water, and  Fireday-Fire.

「You’ll participate on those fencing practices.」Vincent

「Won’t I be in the way?」Me

I would really be delighted to be taught of the “elegant swordsmanship”. Not every child in the slums or common people in this world were given a chance to learn swordsmanship. Sword arts may someday help me defend myself. However, being able to join in or not was not within my discretion.

「It’s for the sake of being able to protect me properly so naturally you should also polish your skills on the sword.」Vincent

This was the reasoning I said earlier. Well, that’s fine.

「I understand. I shall do as you say.」Me

Then Vincent suddenly took something from his pocket and handed it to me.

「By the way, use this eye patch to cover your left red eye. I am sure you already have an idea about the connection between the colors of the eyes and their noble bloodlines.」Vincent

「Ah yes milord.」Me

I put on the eye patch he gave me and let down some of my hair to cover my entire left eye. I used the large full body mirror again to see my appearance then I realized that he made the eye patch in white cloth that had same level of color with my white hair thus letting it appear natural in my face. Vincent must have considered about how my status as a heterochromatic child would interfere with my duties in this house so he thought of a way to hide one of my eyes.

And from what he had said, he also took consideration on which of my eyes must be covered because if I displayed my left red eye instead of my blue eye, it would gather suspicion and unwanted attention from others as only those who have the blood of the Royal Family or members of House Highland have red eyes in this kingdom.

‘Wait… speaking of which, I do have a red eye… then maybe I have a blood of royalty in me? As if.’ Is what I jokingly thought as I fixed the eyepatch using my reflection at the mirror.

Riza told me that the color of the eyes of a heterochromatic person is not related to his parents or bloodline as some of the heterochromatic infants were sometimes born from a commoner family with no relation or connection with any noble family. The colors were just a one hell of a freak misfortune for the child.

「Is it done?」Vincent

「Ah yes milord, thank you very much.」Me

「Well then, come. My first lesson is about to start. Make sure not to take off that eye patch without my permission or my sister’s.」Vincent

「Yes!」Me

With this I will be able to take fencing lessons as well, but this swordsmanship matter has yet to be settled.