Chapter 34: Regarding The Offense And Defense In Dram Mountain

…Well then, how should I deal with this?

Though, I’m not talking about the bandits here.

To reach the place we are aiming at, we need to take a circuitous path compared to Herscha, it’ll take some time to get there.

Until we reach that place, we only have to ignore the monsters and keep walking.

The problem is the small back in front of me…I’m talking about Walter, walking while his smooth shoulder-length hair was swinging around.

Tobi does think that Walter’s appearance is to his liking, so if after being on good terms he finds out he’s a guy…I can see that turning into quite the pitiful situation.

As his friend, I can’t bear to see that happen.

In order to prevent that, I’m acting like a spy here.

First off, I should think of what options I have.

First option, suddenly attacking him from the back and caress his body.

…Yup, no good.

If Walter turned out to be a girl, I’d be banned for harassing.

Even before that, even if he was a guy, there’s no way I would do that.

Second option, asking him directly 「Are you by any chance a guy?」.

Looking at our current state…option denied.

If Walter was a girl like her looks implied, she would be hurt.

However, I can’t bring myself to state that he’s definitely a girl…why is that?

Her appearance is flawless, aside from the butler costume, she looks like a girl no matter where you look.

Long eyelashes, glossy lips, lovely white skin…you wouldn’t think she’s a guy at all.

However, I don’t think Herscha comes off as the type of person that would enjoy dressing girls with male clothes as a hobby, and that bothers me…

This calls for my last resort.

Third option, reach a conclusion after asking questions repeatedly.

…

Well, it goes without saying that this is a good option.

If I can do it well enough, I’ll get my answer and Walter won’t notice.

Alright, let’s go with the third one.

I spoke to Walter who was looking around restlessly in case monsters attacked.

「Hey Walter, isn’t working for a wealthy family tough?」 (Hind)

「W-Why did you suddenly ask me that?」 (Walter)

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「Well, I thought stress would pile up in that kind of environment. It’s partly because I’m curious though, if you don’t mind, could you tell me a bit about it? I’m used to my mom grumbling about her workplace so I don’t really mind listening to that kind of stuff…」 (Hind)

「U-Uuuhhh…*sob *sob*.」 (Walter)

「Tears!? M-My bad! I must have said something really insensitive! I’m sorry!」 (Hind)

Suddenly, the situation has turned bad…

I wanted to talk a bit to ease up the tension, but it seems that I might have stepped onto a major landmine.

「Y-You are wrong…*sob*, I was happy…

Since I started working there, there has never been anyone that said something like that to me…」 (Walter)

「I-I see. If you are fine with me, you can tell me anything…otherwise, it’ll leave a mark in my conscience…」 (Hind)

「Eh? What did you say at the end right now?」 (Walter)

「Don’t mind it.」 (Hind)

I can’t really tell him at this point that it was a question to try to get information out of him.

With things having turned like this, I’ll hear him out until the end!

…Or so I thought.

Once it starts flowing it floods, being bullied by the other servants, being forced to wear maid clothes in his free time, upper class manners being too hard and that he can’t memorize them, not having time to study for school and so on…

Gradually, I was getting tired of listening to it…

「-With that being said, what do you think, Hind-san?」 (Walter)

「!! Oh, let’s see. That time you said you got scolded while cleaning because you used being short as an excuse, I believe it was because you didn’t prepare something like a stool for it. At the very least, I don’t think they were telling you to grow taller immediately.」 (Hind)

「I-I see…」 (Walter)

Walter seems to be a servant apprentice from the treatment he has told me about, seems like he does receive quite the harsh education.

Sounds like he’s going to school, but he’s telling me how everyday is quite hard when he comes back from school while in tears.

「And the maids that make fun of you telling you that it’s fine if you only clean the places you can reach, they are probably educating you.

「”Even then, this is my job. I’ll do everything!” They want you to reject their proposal like that.」 (Hind)

「Was I really being treated that badly!?」 (Walter)

Walter showed surprise.

However, from what I heard from Walter, it seems like the household that employs him takes pride in their unique traditions and even enforce the way their servants should speak.

「Didn’t Herscha say this? That it’s important to decide things by yourself…basically, it’s probably training to improve your own judgement. The places you couldn’t reach to clean up, did they tell you that someone else would clean it up later? Did you make sure of that yourself?」 (Hind)

「N-No…but, that’s difficult…」 (Walter)

「Walter, you come off as someone really docile after all…you have to learn to distrust others. However, personally I would recommend you to clean up as a way to reduce stress. Set a scope by yourself and clean up everything thoroughly, and it’s possible that you will have a feeling of accomplishment and feel good about yourself. How about you decide to do this by yourself this time?」 (Hind)

「I-I see…even if you say that, you know that the mansion is basically clean all the time right? The other servants clean it up every day-」 (Walter)

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「You moron!!!!」 (Hind)

「!?」 (Walter)

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I unconsciously shouted.

Walter, you don’t know anything about cleaning!

I seized his slender shoulders firmly and opened my eyes wide.

Walter looked frightened like a small animal, but do you think I care!?

「As long as people live in there, there’s not a single house that’s completely clean! That’s a fact! Why do you think they go through the trouble of cleaning every day? …Obviously, because there’s filth every day! Don’t look down on cleaning! There should remain places that need you to clean them up within the mansion!」 (Hind)

「B-But, that means that there’s no point in cleanin-」 (Walter)

「Even then! That’s why they clean up every day to feel good about living in that place right!? There’s no end to cleaning, there’s no way to completely clean a place…so it’s fine to not do it? No! That’s why, don’t go behaving like a spoiled kid! Even if 100% is impossible, you should clean to maintain it more than 90% clean! That’s the meaning of cleaning! That’s its raison d’etre!」 (Hind)

「Hiii…」 (Walter)

Due to my vigor, Walter’s eyes were spinning.

However, that won’t stop my mouth, I won’t stop.

「Hear me Walter…housework is an accumulation of senses of accomplishments. People will think that it’s a given that you do them, they won’t even thank you and many times it will end in just self-satisfaction…

「However, even then. Before long, as long as you continue doing them, someone will appreciate it and the time they acknowledge you might come.

「Suppose that the time that you master housework comes and no one acknowledges you…I alone will definitely praise you.

「You’ve done well, I’ll definitely affirm it like that. That’s why-」 (Hind)

「H-Hind-san…no, master!」 (Walter)

「Go forth without losing your way! First off, you have to leave the mansion sparkly clean with your own hands!」 (Hind)

「-Yes! Walter will go do that now!」 (Walter)

Then, I watched over as I sent my disciple off…oh wait.

「AH!? Wait Walter! Don’t log out, we are in the middle of a quest! Come back! Don’t gooooo!!」 (Hind)

After that, I was somehow able to make sure Walter didn’t log out just before he did, and we once again, headed towards our objective.

Eh, what was I trying to do again?…Ah, that’s right.

I was supposed to investigate about Walter’s gender.

For some reason, I can’t bring myself to care anymore…but I have to keep at it for Tobi’s sake.

I should ask him something again…

Anyhow, I should just go back to what we were talking about before.

「Right, Walter. You were complaining about your superiors and the other servants before, but you didn’t complain at all about the ojou-sama that employs you. As I thought, do you like her?」 (Hind)

「Eh!?」 (Walter)

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Oh, he turned red.

I guess this gives him being a guy +1 points?

It would become a fact if he recognized her as someone of the opposite sex though.

「It’s…it’s not really about liking her or hating her…ojou-sama is someone that will definitely act by her own logic. That’s why, as a person, I kind of respect her…」 (Walter)

「I see. Once that ojou-sama gets married, what’s going to happen to you?」 (Hind)

「?? I believe I would serve her husband too when that time comes…」 (Walter)

Ah, he’s unexpectedly not agitated at all.

So he doesn’t treat that ojou-sama as a potential romantic interest.

Which means, he’s a she? Or is he taking that stance because he’s a butler?

Hmm…should I ask him a more direct question?

「Walter, do you have someone you like right now?」 (Hind)

「Eh!? A-ah…eh…」 (Walter)

I wonder what it is, but this kinda feels like the type of delicate questions that are asked at night during a field trip.

Having heard that question, Walter was taking glances at me and was having a hard time speaking up while fidgeting.

Was that too direct…? In that case, let’s change the way I phrase it.

「If it’s too hard for you to say, you could say a person you admire or have simply taken an interest in. This is just some idle talk, you can freely answer it.」 (Hind)

「I-I think that master is really amazing. I’ve just met you, but you are kind, I can rely on you, very smart and…uu…this is so embarrassing…」 (Walter)

「Eh?」 (Hind)

The Walter that said that with upturned eyes, his face was…far redder than the time I asked about Herscha.

He was staring at me with his big round eyes and flushed cheeks.

………….Hah!?

No good, my heart has started to beat without warning…

This question is no good.

If he looks at me like that, I won’t know which one to think that he is anymore.

To begin with, the way I asked him if he admired anyone, isn’t that pointless the same way asking him for his surname is?

Stupid me…I said a word too many…

「Ah, you know, well…thanks…?」 (Hind)

「Ah, you are welcome! Ehehe…」 (Walter)

「…」 (Hind)

Ah…so cute, damn it! Be that as it may, he’s tough…!

In the end, by the time we arrived at our destination, I had failed to discover Walter’s gender.

I’m out of time…this means that, I should prepare myself to ask him when we finish the quest even if it means I end up getting hated…?

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