Arcane Innovator

"Make way!" a driver shouted as a luxurious carriage speeded right by me. I silently cursed at the driver for almost running me over as I dusted off my best clothes.

I was hurrying across the long cobblestone roads that span the Western Quarter, as today was the day Baroness de Fleur invited me into her residence.

'Hmm, I wonder if I too should obtain a carriage...' I pondered along the way. I don't mind walking, but it seems like nobody here seems to do so, and I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb among the high society...

I still didn't like all the attention I was now getting, but there was nothing that could be done about it other than get used to it, I guess...

Beside me, the only other people walking on the roads were the servants, and they were throwing curious glances my way, seeing my rich man's attire. I looked around at all the elegant houses and big mansions along the way. Many carriages were speeding on the cobblestone roads, and I often had to make way for them.

'I will also have to hire a gardener... or two, given the size of the garden in my new house.' I thought with exasperation. Not to mention a few maids and a cook, as I can't possibly have Helga take care of such a large building on her own.

I released a sigh as I slowly realized that obtaining a new house would turn out to be a lot more expensive than I originally thought. All of my mind-boggling amounts of coins, which I originally thought were impossible to spend, were disappearing right in front of my eyes, and very soon they would be all but gone.

'Ugh, and I will need even more coins to pay for all the maintenance!' I realized with horror as I looked at the large crowds of servants taking care of the many luxurious residences in the quarter. Luckily, I already have a few ideas in this regard, so all I need to do is wait until the repairs are done to set them in motion...

***

"Well, well, well, who do we have here? If it isn't the famous Darian!" The Baroness welcomed me with a beaming smile.

"My lady," I said, giving her a respectful bow while trying to suppress my nervousness.

"I almost started to think you had forgotten about me, but then, to my delight, I received your letter." She said in a pouting voice.

"I apologize for my sudden intrusion, but I have some matters to discuss with you," I replied seriously, not wanting to take part in any of her games.

She looked at me for a short while with amusement in her eyes. "Why so serious?" she chuckled. "I don't mind you visiting me one bit... It can be so boring at times in this god-forsaken town, so I welcome any distraction. The Baroness then winked at me while adding, "Especially such a pretty one..."

"Ehm," I cleared my throat as I quickly tried to gather my thoughts. "As you might have heard, I recently acquired a new house in the Western District, and I was told you are the person to go to if one requires some staff..."

She chuckled "Indeed, everyone gets their servants from me, but let's not dwell on such boring matters... You can discuss the details later with my custodian. For now, let's enjoy ourselves, and I want you to tell me all about yourself..."

Before I had a chance to protest, she dragged me into one of her salons, where I was presented with a lavish feast of delicious-looking pastries and one particularly large pot of tea with two very small cups placed by its side.

I swallowed nervously as she eagerly seated herself dangerously close to me while I had to somehow survive entertaining her for a long, long time.

By the fifth cup of tea, when I was seriously contemplating setting the room on fire just to get out of there, she finally relented, and seemingly satisfied, she signaled for one of her servants to take me to her custodian's office.

'Finally...' I released a sigh of relief as I hurriedly bolted out of the room in case she changed her mind.

Soon I was sitting across from a sly-looking man in his fifties who was dressed in butler's attire. His name was Albert, and he was the custodian I was supposed to meet with.

"Be welcomed, Master Darian. What can I do for you on this fine day?" He looked at me with the shrewd smile of a merchant.

I scoffed in my mind, as he must have known very well why I was here, as he came to the meeting already equipped with a stack of documents in his hands.

"Good day to you too, Master Albert. I'd like to acquire several servants for my new house." I replied to him.

A slight smile appeared on Albert's face. "Ah, so it was you who purchased that expensive, tasteless mansion... That was indeed a bold move, if I may say so myself. You've become the talk of the city recently..." He said with the same sly smile playing on his lips.

"I hope only good things are said about me..." I smiled brightly at him in return as I decided to entertain him, as it was apparently the norm here.

"Well, of course..." Albert replied with amusement. But in the next moment, his smile disappeared, and his face retained a neutral, businesslike expression.

"Now I know exactly what you might require. You see, we worked with the late Baron, who owned the mansion before you. So let me write it down for you..."

It seemed the small talk was over and we were down to business. Albert wrote something on a piece of paper before passing it over to me. I looked at it curiously before widening my eyes in disbelief.

"Are you serious...?" I muttered under my breath, but it seemed Albert heard it.

He looked at me with amusement. "Trust me, Master Darian, this is only the bare minimum of what you need. Taking care of such a house is no easy feat. Especially if you want to maintain your image in society. Don't worry, Lady Elisa already informed me to offer you only our best..."

"But if you want to make an impression, you will need even more than that. We would of course be more than happy to supply you with additional temporary staff if you decide to host a ball or similar occasion." He added matter-of-factly.

I released a sigh before looking at him. "Master Albert, although I appreciate your concern about my reputation, I don't plan to host any feasts or balls any time soon... Not to mention my tastes are in no manner similar to those of the previous occupant of my house..."

I looked at the provided list again and made some mental calculations before making a decision.

"I want only two gardeners, one driver, two errand boys, and four maids. I also think that a single cook with one kitchen helper would be more than enough. And to take care of everything, I also want one experienced servant who can serve as a head servant or a custodian."

Albert furrowed his brows as he heard my request and wanted to say something, but I raised my hand and interrupted him. "I'm sure this will be more than enough; thank you," I said with a voice that left no room for further negotiations.

He realized I was not the same as his typical customers, so he decided not to push his luck. In the end, he simply smiled and said, "Well, of course, if this is all that you require, we will make it happen."

I left his office feeling mentally drained but happy that everything worked out, and now everything is prepared to properly welcome my new tutor.

***

"This simply won't do!" My new custodian loudly exclaimed. She was an older woman with a very uptight personality named Bernadette. I released a sigh and asked with resignation, "What is it this time?"

A few days have passed, and the new servants have finally arrived. Bernadette was apparently a very experienced servant who had worked at several noble households previously and came with excellent recommendations.

That is why I didn't hesitate to hire her, despite the somewhat high cost. But now I was second-guessing my decision after seeing her antics.

"It's simply unacceptable for the young master's sister to not have any personal maid!"

"Ehm, didn't Helga say that she didn't need anyone to take care of her? Besides, I already hired four maids; couldn't any one of them do it?"

"You mean those clumsy geese? They seem to have not been properly trained at all! I will have to first put them through their paces before I can entrust them with any important tasks such as this." Bernadette said with a disapproving look.

'Poor girls...' I thought somberly as I imagined what they would soon go through.

Although I was technically her master, Bernadette genuinely frightened me. It was not like she was disrespectful toward me or anything; on the contrary, she was extremely polite.

It was those disapproving looks and her scary amber eyes that seemed to gaze deep into your soul and make you feel like a little kid who just did something bad and is awaiting punishment...

I know that Helga must harbor similar feelings to mine, as she seems to avoid Bernadette as much as she can.

Well, I couldn't replace her even if I wanted to. It was not easy to get your hands on an experienced custodian like her. Not to mention, my tutor is due to arrive in less than a week, so there is not much time to get the house in order.

It's not like Bernadette was a bad worker. If I overlooked her complicated personality, she was an excellent custodian. She managed to make the house quite habitable in a very short time after she arrived.

Not to mention, she also instantly managed to gain the respect of the other servants. I don't know how she does it, but even though only a few days have passed, she already has quite a reputation...

Every time I enter a room with Bernadette in tow, any servant who is lucky to be present instantly stands at attention with a cold sweat forming on their foreheads. So I guess there is no objective reason to replace her.

I also made Bernadette teach Helga some etiquette, much to my sister's dismay. But Helga must learn the city's customs, as she was raised as a village girl and has no idea how to act in high society.

And with my newly elevated status, she will inevitably find herself among the city's elite if she continues to live here, so she should learn everything now.

As I oversaw the house's repairs and dealt with any issues that seemed to pop up regularly, time seemed to fly by quickly, and before I realized it, I got a message from the Merchant's Guild that the magic tutor had arrived in the city.

'Ah, we made it just in time!' I thought with relief as I looked around the newly renovated parlor, which was now clean and resplendent. I replied to the message and sent them my new address. Now all that was left to do was wait for the tutor to arrive...

And after a few short hours of nervous anticipation that felt like an eternity, which I spent restlessly waiting with bated breath, my very own magic tutor was finally here.