Became the Butler of the Second Heroine of the Harem

7 – Midsummer

I followed the butler down to the basement of the mansion for training.

You wouldn’t even know it was underground unless it was dark because there was no musty smell of mold or shady humidity.

The basement, the size of a school playground, came back after a day, and there was barely enough light to see only human figures.

Just like yesterday, the butler, wearing a black vest over his shirt, appeared in the brightest spot of the training ground. He was holding clothes in his hands.

“First of all, change into a white tunic out of these clothes.”

“Oh, yes.”

The moment I received the few sets of clothes the butler gave me, my body staggered as if I had received a heavy load.

“They are clothes with multiple weighted spells applied. Wear two for training and one for everyday use. I have prepared the same clothes for everyday use as the ones you normally wear.”

Looking closely at the clothes, it was clear that the training wear was a rough, plain-patterned tunic, while the everyday wear was the same shirt and vest worn with the butler.

I needed some clothes, but you don’t have to give me the weight, Mr. Butler…

I tried to change into a tunic, dragging my clothes and putting them in a corner. I had a bit of trouble with the enormous weight, but I was able to change it somehow with my own strength.

“All changed.”

I waddled along with my heavy body and finally arrived in front of the butler. Shall we say it feels like walking in a swamp up to your neck?

It looks like a training method from a cartoon…

I had only changed clothes and walked for a bit, but I guess a little sweat had run down my forehead, and my bangs were slightly wet and my breathing was rapid.

“You look exhausted already”

“No…”

“Even though you’re short of breath and sweating like rain?”

I have nothing to say. I didn’t know that I would go to training wearing clothes like this.

“It’s okay.”

I still have to do it. The path I chose, whether it be porridge or rice, I have no regrets.

“If the person concerned is fine, then it’s fine. First of all, what is the most lacking thing you have right now?”

“…Strength?”

“No, it’s stamina. Look at you right now. Aren’t you already on the verge of exhaustion even though you only changed a little heavy clothes?”

That’s right. I am desperately lacking in stamina right now. When I was running and playing with the lady, there were often times when I was out of breath.

After seeing it a few times, the lady hesitated to run around and play.

“First of all, run on this training ground. Start by building stamina.”

“Yes, I understand.”

First of all, from the warm-up…

“What are you doing! Come on, don’t run!”

“Whoah!”

In a fit of rage, he pricked me with the riding whip he was holding in his other hand.

I’m not talking!

#

It’s hard.

I think I’m about to collapse.

Still, it’s worth trying more than I thought.

I’m not running blindly, but the butler next to me watches my pace and adjusts it, telling me not to stop my feet.

The feeling of running a slow marathon alone made me feel exhausted.

“Too fast. Go slow.”

I was distracted by the sound of a whip hitting the wall and slowed my pace. Inhalation and exhalation are repeated rapidly, injecting and exhaling air into the lungs.

Is it easy to lead heavy clothes and run at a certain pace? There was a sweet taste in the mouth.

“Too slow. Go faster.”

The pace increased with the sound of hitting the wall again. I can’t remember how many laps I’ve done around the training ground this way. I wanted to throw off my heavy clothes.

“Stop!”

When I stopped at the butler’s words, I stumbled for a moment because of the heavy clothes. Her breath, which had risen to the bottom of her chin, hit her lungs like a rush.

I just held onto her knees and lamented my body, which could only breathe. Only my rough breathing like a beast was echoing in the training ground.

“How long are you going to procrastinate? Do push-ups!”

“Yes, yes!”

I did strength training including push-ups. Of course, since my body is of poor physical strength and even wearing heavy clothes, the number of repetitions could not exceed ten.

Shoulders, arms, abdomen, thighs, waist, every muscle screamed. I thought this was the end of today’s training.

“Get up. What if I get tired from warming up?”

I doubted my ears. Is this to warm up? I wanted to give up even now.

But when I remembered the expression of the lady I saw last night, I grabbed my legs and arms and barely stood up.

“You have a gut. I said I have no regrets.”

“This is the path I chose… Even if I regret it, I will regret it at the end of the road.”

“Even if the end is a cliff?”

“You can start over from the bottom of the cliff.”

“Whoa… I really have no intention of losing.”

Pressing his temples, he muttered, ‘If I fight you, I’ll get old in a few years.’ Then she opened her mouth by tapping her own palm with her riding whip.

“Sirius, what do you think is the most important thing in protecting a lady?”

“To protect the young lady even at the risk of one’s life.”

“That’s right. Then what should I do to protect her?”

“Um…We need to get her out of harm’s way, right?”

“How?”

She thought for a while and then tilted her head.

“…Well?”

“…I guess I spoke too abstractly. So, simply, what do you think is the most important factor in a fight?”

I honestly don’t know. Even ordinary people can count on their hands the number of times they have had a fight in their life. I was an ordinary person that I could count on one hand.

“Um…Who is stronger?”

“This time, it’s too one-dimensional. In terms of strength, there are dragons and behemoths as creatures, and as people, there are sword masters and wizards of 8th circle or higher. And even the demon lord who destroys everything. You fight against those people. Do you think you can win?”

“… It can’t be.”

“That’s right. Still, we must fight for the masters who serve them. We must protect them even at the cost of death. That is the job of our servants.”

That’s right. That’s why the butler died trying to save the lady…

“In a fight, situation and improvisation are the most important things. Your opponent may be at his worst when he is at his worst, and vice versa.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The butler stabbed me with a whip.

“And how is your condition right now? Don’t you think you’ll collapse at any moment?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“But even in this situation, we have to fight. We always assume the worst and move the best. Even if the opponent becomes a dragon or a demon lord. If that’s the case, if that’s the case, the same excuse is just the complaining of a loser. You have to show the optimal movement in any condition.”

“Dragon or demon king…Can’t you see now?”

In fairy tale books while playing with the lady, and in history books among the books the head of the house told me to read, dragons and demon kings are presently appearing only in legends.

It is said that the Demon King was annihilated over 500 years ago by the Hero of Starlight, and the Dragon disappeared after the founding of the Empire. Like the legends in fairy tales, they disappeared.

“Uh huh, that’s what it says.”

“Yes…Yes…”

“Not to mention, no matter what opponent you’re facing right now, you’ll be the worst opponent.”

“That’s right. Besides, I’m almost out of stamina, and I’m in a state where I can’t even use it.”

“Sure, then let’s get started.”

“What…?”

“Practice practice, sparring.”

The butler clapped a couple of times. The iron door opened with a squeaking noise and a person slowly emerged from the darkness.

The face of a woman of about fifteen with orange short-haired hair that reached her shoulders. She was dressed as a maid with a long pole in one hand and a wooden sword in the other.

“Huh, Christine?”

“Hello, Sirius?”

It was Christine who answered with her usual smile.

I wondered if this was what he meant when he said see you tomorrow.

#

Christine. At the time, seven years ago, she wandered the streets with her three-year-old younger sister, sifting through her trash, asking for help because the child she grew up eating would do anything.

Seeing the tears in her venomous eyes and the sight of Christine’s sister lying down made my heart flutter, so I hired Christine and her sister as temporary workers.

Then, two years later, when she was ten years old, she came in as a trainee, saying that she would become a full-time employee of the family, perhaps because of her only sister.

This child, who hesitated for ten extra seconds on the first day’s assignment, vomited and collapsed on the spot with the passing of the test. When Christine woke up the next day, instead of miasma, spleen filled her eyes.

After five years of training, she became an official employee of the family at the beginning of this year. In her eyes, there is a sense of relief that she can protect her little sister, but she has become very mellow, but her skills are enough for one serving of her servants.

She was exceptionally gifted with the constellation of an eagle, so she was good at fighting because of her quick eyesight. She also had the skills she had learned to live on the streets. As much as she is, she is a great servant.

The reason Christine showed up at her training ground is simple.

How do you move in this worst situation?

Sirius will not know how to hold a weapon, how to wield it, or how to block it. Even if he knows how to fight, he wears heavier-than-usual clothes, consumes a lot of stamina and has muscles that can’t move, to see how he holds up.

A fight based on mental strength, not physical strength or muscle strength. We’re not just looking for strength. He had to fight according to the situation with the gentleness that knights do not have and the improvisation that mages do not have.

In order to see ‘How to move in the worst situation’, During the first training session, we call the employee who completed the training last and have a sparring session.

And Christine was the last servant to complete the training.

“Now, Sirius. Would you like a pole or a wooden sword?”

“…I’ll do it with a wooden sword.”

“As expected, boys are swords~”

Christine approaches Sirius and gives him a wooden sword. Did she take care of her as if she had done it herself? Sirius straightened his wooden sword a few times and stanced as if he were ready.

It’s a pose I’ve never seen before, but it’s a pretty good one. With his right foot forward, he pulled his left foot back slightly. As if to support his right hand holding his sword, his left hand held the end of the handle of a wooden sword slightly away from his stomach.

Seeing that, Christine also took a stance. Spreading his legs wide and leaning his upper body slightly, he grasped the end of the pole with his right hand and was ready to stab him.

I signaled when I saw that they both nodded slightly as if they were ready.

“Start!”

Quick battle. A quick thrust with a pole was directed at Sirius, accompanied by Christine’s lilting step. Although her speed was close to half that of her usual skill, she considered it threatening enough for Sirius.

By the time the stab landed on Sirius’ right shoulder, Sirius, who had thought he wouldn’t be able to react, cut off his pole and burrowed into Christine’s arms.

She clenched her teeth to the point of breaking her body, and each step was heavy, but Christine, startled by the sight of her running back while straightening the wooden sword that had been cut off the pole, took a quick step back.

Christine glanced at me as she stepped back at high speed. I shook my head at the look in my eyes as if I hadn’t finished training. Christine makes a look of astonishment saying that it is nonsense.

Even in the midst of that, Sirius didn’t stop his steps and ran towards Christine. Confused, Christine tried to block Sirius with her pole, but Sirius handled the pole with a feeling that it was not strong but shed it.

Sirius’ steps did not stop, and it took only two steps to reach Christine. If he wielded his wooden sword, he would surely be hit.

Did a child who obviously lacked physical strength and strength come all the way there with only one mental strength? Sirius brandishes a wooden sword at Christine. His trembling fingertips contained the child’s strong mental power.

“Stop!”

I was so shocked that I called out to stop sparring. Christine, like me, was frozen in disbelief.

Sirius’ wooden sword stopped within a fist’ distance of Christine’s neck. Christine, who couldn’t retrieve the pole that Sirius had thrown at her, collapsed on the spot, and Sirius fell over.

I hurriedly approached Sirius, but he was fast asleep. He passed out after exhausting both physical and mental strength.

“The butler…You did it right after the real training…?”

“…That’s right…I can’t understand right now either…”

“It was really scary… I really don’t know what to say. It felt like an animal running around without covering its front and back.”

“…Huh…”

His heart was complicated when he saw this child who had fallen asleep. How could I have known he was such a talented kid?

God, is this your will?