"Oh, you're up, Zenon-kun."
"..."
As I walked into the dining room, there was a maid there. It wasn't Levienna, but Anemone Brave, the mother of Leon and Monica, wearing a maid outfit and setting food on the table.
"...I appreciate your help with the housework, but I never asked you to put on a maid outfit."
"Oh dear, I heard this is what the staff wear in this house. So, I should wear it properly, right?"
Anemone said gently.
Anemone was a calm and youthful-looking beauty, despite having two children. According to the character profiles I read before my reincarnation, she was supposed to be 37 years old, but she looked like she was in her twenties. The maid outfit suited her surprisingly well, as if she had been wearing it for a long time. On the other hand, Monica looked awkward in her maid outfit, like it was her first time wearing one.
"Today's menu is sautéed chicken, salad, cream soup, and for dessert, peach tart. Zenon-kun... I mean, should I call you master (Goshujin-sama)?"
"...'Zenon-kun' is fine. If my classmate's mother calls me 'master,' I might feel a bit weird."
"Oh, really? Then I'll stick with Zenon-kun. I'll be working as a servant in this house while you're here, so feel free to ask if you need anything."
"...I'll remember that."
"If you want, Zenon-kun, I can help you with your bath. Hehehe..."
"..."
In response to Anemone's joking remark, I just sat down in silence.
"Zenon-sama, your meal is ready!"
"I'm hungry! I'll eat a lot, desu~no!"
"Phew, I worked up a good sweat today. Looks like we're in for a tasty dinner."
Aeris, Urza, and Nagisa came into the dining room one by one, and we all had dinner as usual. Monica and Anemone were not with us; they ate separately because it wasn't appropriate for servants to dine with the master, even temporarily.
"Now, about the meeting with the king that I mentioned earlier..."
I waited for a break in the meal to share today's events and information, including getting permission from the king to enter the 'Eternal Library' and Princess Electra J Slayers wanting to come with us. The 'Eternal Library' held knowledge from this world, and there might be a way to save Leon, who had turned into a monster.
After I shared all the information, Nagisa put down her chopsticks and pondered, "Hmmm..."
"The 'Eternal Library' is a dungeon that only mage can navigate, right? So, if I go with you, is there anything I can do?"
"That's not going to happen. I want Nagisa and Urza to do their usual work for the Marquis Baskerville family, and I want you to train Monica."
"Umm... Can't I come with you, Goshujin-sama?"
Urza pouted in response to my words.
"It can't be helped. 'Eternal Library' only allows four people in a group. Non-mages can't play an active role, and warriors can't play an active role. You'll have to be patient here."
Although Urza and Monica seemed to be about the same age, Urza was actually older than me.
"Don't push her too hard. Let her gain experience with a reasonable margin of safety. If something were to happen to Monica, and she became unusable, we'd be in real trouble."
Monica had the 'Valkyrie' job, which I considered to be the female version of a 'Hero.' Her skill level was still low, and she couldn't join the fight against powerful enemies yet. But if Leon remained incapacitated, we might need Monica to seal the Demon King.
"Aeris and I will go to the 'Eternal Library.' The other two are Uranus as a temporary member, and Princess J Electra, though reluctantly."
Leon's party had a capable mage in Ciel Uranus. The concern, however, lay with Princess Electra. If her stats were in line with the game, she shouldn't be a burden. The real issue was whether the two newcomers could coordinate effectively. It seemed Aeris shared my concerns, as her expression also darkened.
"Are we sure about this... especially with Princess Electra?"
"Well, we'll figure it out. I'm used to uncertain adventures. We'll make it work."
I nodded, shaking off my inner doubts, and resolved to embark on this instant adventure with a mage party.
By the way, I have a new project about a returning hero who is forced to combat once again. It features good character growth and decent battle writing. Here's the link => [Link]
