Chapter 9: The Lady’s Recruitment

The carriage slowly came to a halt, and a butler dressed in a tailcoat stepped forward to open the door. He bowed slightly with impeccable etiquette.

“Welcome to Kastian manor, honored guests.”

Ailiya held the hem of her maid outfit as she stepped down from the carriage, discreetly scanning her surroundings.

By all rights, a Marquis’s residence should have been grand and magnificent, but this place carried an air of neglect.

Although decorative vines climbed the walls, they were overgrown with weeds. The edges of the tall iron gates were speckled with patches of rust.

According to the records in the *General History of the Continent*, the Kastian clan was one of the most prominent noble families in the Royal capital.

However, this manor located in Fengyue city exuded a sense of strained desperation, as if it were barely maintaining appearances.

She turned her head to look at Balke, who was walking beside her.

The middle-aged man still maintained his carefree and slovenly appearance, strolling about with his hands behind his head.

Noticing Ailiya’s gaze, he caught her eye from the corner of his vision and let out a meaningful chuckle, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

“How bizarre,” Ailiya muttered under her breath.

Balke coughed twice and leaned in, lowering his voice. “Ahem, don’t be in such a hurry. I’ll explain it to you when we have a moment.”

“Please, come inside.”

The butler pushed open the heavy main doors. Along the way, several maids stopped their tasks and bowed in unison. After passing through the long corridor, the two were quickly led into a spacious living room.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Marchioness sat poised in the primary seat. She maintained a dignified, humorless expression.

“Master Balke,” the Lady said with a slight nod, her tone solemn.

“I am deeply grateful for your intervention in capturing those filthy mercenaries who dared to harm Leo. The Marquis’s manor will remember this kindness, and your reward will be presented shortly.”

“Until then, please make yourselves at home and enjoy the food and drink.”

Having heard this, Balke showed no restraint. He grabbed an open bottle of red wine from the table, pulled the cork, and took a massive swig. He smacked his lips in satisfaction.

“You’re too kind, Lady Elsa. However, I can’t take the primary credit for this.” He gestured toward Ailiya with his thumb.

“At most, I acted as an assistant, handling the cleanup and the manual labor of tying them up. The one who actually dealt with those mercenaries was this young lady beside me.”

“Oh… this young lady?”

The Marchioness turned her gaze toward Ailiya with a hint of surprise.

Since the beginning of the meeting, Ailiya had been sitting there quietly. Dressed in a standard maid uniform with her back perfectly straight, Elsa had assumed she was merely a servant traveling with Balke.

“Indeed. Don’t let her appearance fool you,” Balke said, setting down the wine bottle and letting out a soft burp. “This girl is incredibly strong. Even I almost tripped up at her hands.”

Hearing this, Ailiya’s hand paused for half a second as she cut her steak. She lifted her eyelids to glance at Balke but remained silent.

Her movements were precise, and the sound of her chewing was minimal. Her elegant poise stood in stark contrast to Balke’s crude dining habits.

The Marchioness scrutinized Ailiya. As their eyes met, she suddenly felt that this cold face looked familiar. After a moment of thought, she remembered.

‘Wasn’t this the demi-human maid from the Wind Moon Tavern?’

Having realized this, the Lady expressed her gratitude once more with renewed gravity.

As for Balke’s assessment of her being “incredibly strong,” the Marchioness didn’t quite believe it. She assumed Balke was merely being humble and trying to help his subordinate claim some credit.

How could a slender demi-human maid, even with some self-defense training, be more powerful than the renowned Balke? At best, she would be at the level of an average guard.

However, she deeply admired the girl’s poise and composure.

‘I should see if I can recruit her.’

The atmosphere of the meal remained relatively harmonious, provided one ignored Balke’s ravenous eating habits.

Once the meal concluded, the Marchioness set down her napkin and elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief.

“If the two of you aren’t in a hurry, why don’t I show you around the manor? We can consider it a post-meal stroll.”

This suited Balke’s intentions perfectly, and he agreed with a hearty laugh. Ailiya maintained her usual expressionless face and followed silently behind them.

The group passed through the corridors and arrived at the courtyard. The manor’s grounds were indeed vast, but signs of financial strain were evident everywhere. Further back, they reached an open-air training field.

“This is where the manor guards usually train,” the Lady introduced casually.

Ailiya scanned the area. The training ground was not only dilapidated, but the bluestone floor was uneven and pitted, lacking even basic maintenance.

After wandering for a bit, the Marchioness led them to a heavy oak door. Opening it revealed a spacious library.

The furnishings here were far more sophisticated than the exterior, with tall bookshelves packed with hardcover volumes.

The moment Ailiya saw the books, a faint, almost imperceptible light flickered in her pale blue eyes.

‘For her, these weren’t just ordinary sheets of paper; they were treasures that could grant free experience points.’

Buying books was far too expensive. If she could read here, she could save a significant amount of money.

‘In the game, players usually obtained common books through zero-cost acquisitions anyway. As long as they weren’t rare volumes, the resulting bounty wouldn’t be too high, making it easy to escape.’

Just then, a young man wearing a faded shirt and black-rimmed glasses looked up from a pile of manuscripts. He had deep dark circles under his eyes, and he appeared mentally exhausted.

“My Lady, you’ve come,” the young man said, quickly standing up with a troubled expression.

“Ian, how are Leo’s lessons going today?” the Marchioness asked, her brow furrowing.

The young man named Ian sighed and spread his hands helplessly.

“My Lady, the young master… he still refuses to learn. He has locked himself in his room and says that as long as you don’t lift his confinement order, he won’t touch a single book.”

“I’m just a student working part-time to earn tuition; I’m truly at my wit’s end with him.”

Hearing that her son was still sulking over his punishment, the Lady’s expression immediately darkened. She rubbed her throbbing temples.

“That brat. I suppose he hasn’t tasted the rattan cane enough times. Ian, go and rest for now. I will go and discipline him personally later.”

As if receiving a divine reprieve, Ian quickly packed his things and slipped away.

Ailiya withdrew her gaze from the bookshelves and turned to the Marchioness, speaking in a calm tone.

“My Lady, the collection here is quite extensive. If it wouldn’t be an intrusion, may I come here to read in the future?”

The Marchioness gave Ailiya a surprised look. A demi-human maid was actually interested in reading? She smiled subtly. “We can discuss that matter in more detail later.”

***

After finishing the tour, the group returned to the main hall. The butler approached carrying a tray covered with a red cloth.

“Master Balke, Miss Ailiya,” the Lady said, lifting the cloth. “This is the bounty of twenty gold coins. Furthermore, I have added ten mana crystals as a personal token of my thanks.”

Balke showed no hesitation as he scooped up the mana crystals. He tossed them in his hand, his face wrinkling with a joyful grin.

“Your Ladyship is truly generous. I won’t be modest, then.”

Seeing Balke accept the payment, the Marchioness took a sip of black tea.

“Master Balke, you are a famous powerhouse in Fengyue city. To be honest, the manor currently lacks a prestigious Guard Commander. If you are willing to stay, you may set your own terms.”

Balke let out a dry laugh and placed the mana crystals back on the tray.

“Ah, my Lady, you flatter me too much. I’m a wanderer at heart. Drinking at the tavern and taking odd jobs is fine, but if you ask me to follow rules and serve as an official, I’ll feel suffocated. I appreciate the offer, though.”

The Marchioness did not show any anger, merely letting out a regretful sigh. Then, she turned her gaze toward Ailiya.

“And what about you, Miss Ailiya?” The Lady’s eyes became serious.

“I have observed you all morning. Your poise and composure are superior even to some noble ladies I have met.”

“We happen to lack a suitable Head Maid. If you are willing to join us, the salary will be far more generous than what you earn at the tavern.”

At this point, the Marchioness paused to dangle the bait. “Furthermore, as long as you finish your duties, the library will be open to you all day. You may browse any book inside as you wish.”

It had to be said that this condition struck Ailiya exactly where she was most vulnerable. However, she did not agree immediately, maintaining her usual cool demeanor.

“I thank the Marchioness for her appreciation. However, I need to consider it. I will give you a definite answer in a few days.”

“Of course. The gates of the Kastian manor are always open to you,” the Lady replied with a nod and a smile.

***

Half an hour later, the two of them walked out of the manor’s rusted iron gates. Once they were far from the Marquis’s property, Ailiya stopped and turned to Balke, who was playing with a gold coin.

Balke stuffed the coin into his pocket and strolled forward with his hands behind his head. “You noticed a few things during that tour, didn’t you?”

“There are very few guards, and the training ground is nearly abandoned. Furthermore, a manor of this size is being supported entirely by the Marchioness, with no sign of the Marquis himself,” Ailiya pointed out the suspicious points calmly.

“A declining noble manor — is that why you refused the offer?”

“Yes and no.” Balke dropped his usual playful grin and lowered his voice. “The main branch is in the Royal capital, and their influence is massive.”

He glanced back toward the manor and tutted.

“Lady Elsa is merely one of the Marquis’s many concubines. Being sent to a remote place like Fengyue city is, to put it bluntly, being marginalized by the family. It’s a state of semi-exile. Ever since she and her son moved here, that Marquis hasn’t visited even once.”

Balke stopped walking and looked at Ailiya seriously.

“So, when it comes to her offer, you’d better weigh your options carefully. The waters in noble circles are incredibly deep. Once you get swept into their internal faction struggles, it’s very hard to get out.”