Chapter 118: Leca’s Harvest (IX)

Translator: AdCaelum

Editor: Evelet

QC: Adel

After leaving the Salt’s home and checking on the city wall’s repair, the two headed back. Legion escorted Vio back to his office and had the butler Jill attend their master in his place. After finishing his lunch, he decided to help out with the cleaning.

“Rille, I’ll also clean. What places are left?”

“In that case, please deal with the entrance hall. I’ve finished the hallway, but as it is the first room on the first floor and often used, the cleaning must be thorough.”

“Got it.”

Legion promptly began cleaning. He understood well why Rille left the entrance hall for last. Since that area had a lot of foot traffic from people coming in and out, it would quickly become dirty with sand and dust right after it had been cleaned. Nevertheless, this was the mansion’s entrance. Any lax cleaning would be quickly discovered.

Legion first grabbed a stepladder and began dusting the chandelier hanging in the middle of the entrance hall. Then he wiped the windows and lamps and polished the candelabras along the side of the staircase. All the dirt that fell onto the floor was later swept with a broom. Lastly, he used a dust cloth to do the finishing polishing. He surveyed his work, the entrance hall looking brighter than before.

“Phew, I’m done. Yup, I did a good job.”

When he noticed the setting sun, Legion finally realized how much time had passed while he was absorbed in cleaning. The edges of the sky were dyed orange. Legion put away the cleaning supplies and came back to grab the stepladder when Gary returned to the mansion.

“Welcome back, Sir Peterson. How was the village?” Legion greeted him.

“I have promptly reviewed the taxes for our lord. I am presently on my way to prepare them for delivery.” Gary stopped intently surveying the entrance hall and faced Legion directly. “—But you. Are you not a knight? Your behavior is just like that of a servant.”

Legion ignored the biting criticism with a smile. Gary’s words had enough venom in them to injure the pride of any other knight, but Legion had proposed to Vio previously that he wouldn’t mind being a servant as long as he could stay here, so he felt nothing from this.

“There are not many of us here in the mansion, so we must help each other out. As long as I can be of assistance to Lord Violant, I would gladly clean.”

Legion bowed and picked up the step ladder. He was headed for the storehouse in the rear garden when he heard Gary scoff.

“I guess this is what happens when an amateur tries to do work. See? Take a look. There is still dirt here.”

Gary ran his finger along the bottom of the wall near the door and showed Legion his dirty finger.

He probably thought I didn’t see, but I know he touched his shoe, Legion remarked to himself.

Legion was taken aback at what Gary was trying to do. Of course touching your dirty shoe before touching the wall would make the wall dirty. But Legion wouldn’t silently take this abuse. Talking back to these kinds of people was often enough to annoy them.

“Yes, it’s like you said. Sir Peterson, may I ask you with your experience to please guide this naïve amateur the proper way a servant must work?”

“Oh, how detestable. You would immediately beg for someone to teach you?”

Gary frowned but Legion didn’t back down.

“You appear to have a keen eye to catch the littlest things. I had believed you had superb skills when it came to matters around the house. Perhaps you just lack the confidence?”

“H-how dare you! I have done my fair share in the lowest rungs for many years to become a senechal. I ask that you not belittle me.” Having his pride injured, Gary became peeved and snapped back.

“Oh my! You possess such excellent skills, Sir Peterson? I’m constantly making mistakes and don’t know what constitutes satisfactory work. May I also request your assistance in improving?” Rille appeared and exclaimed in a slightly exaggerated loud voice.

Her red eyes twinkled as if she was looking at her idol. Legion saw this and was shocked, although he didn’t show it on his face. She probably jumped into their conversation in hopes of making Gary speechless. A woman’s acting prowess was to be feared. Gary sensed that he was at a disadvantage with this development. He cleared his throat, ready to say something when Vio showed up to Gary’s detriment. With Jill following right behind.

“Oh? You possess such skills, Gary? I would love to see them.”

Vio looked at Gary with expectant eyes. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Gary winced but he soon recovered.

“The sun is already setting today, so I shall demonstrate my skills tomorrow if that is fine.”

“Oh, that’s true. Let’s do it tomorrow then. Oh, by the way, Gary. Pick up the documents from Jill later.”

“Yes, as you wish.”

Gary nodded. Vio lightly tapped him on the shoulder before going up the second floor via the entrance hall stairs. Jill bowed and followed after him. Gary glared at Legion and Rille and angrily walked farther inside on the ground floor. He was probably heading to the well out in the rear garden or somewhere. Legion and Rille saw him off with a polite bow. When the two could no longer see him, Rille showed a genuine and sparkling smile.

“That was amazing, Sir Knight.”

“…Was it?” Legion felt like he could hear the triumph in Rille’s voice. He had a confused look on his face and reached for the step ladder again. He put it down on its side, undid the safety lock, folded it up, and carried it out of the hallway. He explained, “I simply wanted to put him in his place. Those types of people are tough to deal with once they have their eyes on you, Rille. They hold grudges.”

“But I believe I can inject more poison in my words than him.”

Rille followed after Legion and joked, but Legion thought she was being serious and shivered.

The next day, Vio and Rille showered compliments and praises at Gary’s cleaning skills. After being rung dry with work, Gary no longer uttered a single complaint to Rille.