Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

Chapter 418: Interviews 2

Since Sebastian-san and Jeeves whom the Great Spirits have given their seal of approval looked capable at a glance, it was pretty much decided. Sophia, Maria, and the girls had no objections either.

And now, the massive amount of women would be subjected to Undine and Dryas’ screening. The women who came for an interview were bewildered. As to why, without even being asked a single question, they failed the secondary interview (ours) at once.

「Masses jumped in, but even then, not many were maids.」

「I think it’s a lot of we’re employing for both the mansions in Volton and in the Sanctuary.」

We planned to choose from the people that the Great Spirits decided on, but …… it’s hard to choose.

「For some reason, it feels like the women chosen were all skin and bones.」

「Yes, aren’t they children from the orphanage?」

Maria spoke out about the Great Spirits choosing girls who didn’t seem like they could stand on their own. If these children are left as they are, I could only imagine that they would be sold to the red light district in cities.

「Unlike humans, the Great Spirits are benevolent beings. If the children they can save are good, they would want to take them in, wouldn’t they?」

No matter how good a person could be, they couldn’t be 100% virtuous, but the Great Spirits had not even 1% evil in them.

Then, as we went through the Great Spirits’ selection, we found one that sticks out from the others.

「Huh? There was one person among those who passed that’s old.」

「Takumi-sama, I imagine that person had been serving as a head maid.」

「Ahh, a head maid. Now that I think about it, there was one of Princess Mimir’s attendants.」

Perhaps because Maria had been trained as a maid in the Moulin Slavery Company, she was able to guess what that woman’s role was. Among the selected, did they mix in one elderly woman who is capable of supervising and training the maids?

Some of the maid candidates were people sent by Margrave Volton, Earl Rockford, Valkyra Kingdom’s Prime Minister Simon. These people, unlike those sent by other nobles, somehow passed the screening of the Great Spirits. There were other people associated with nobility, but those that the Great Spirits judged to be malicious or greedy were unable to pass.

In the end, the final count of candidates who passed the screening was 30 people.

「Takumi, we’re done choosing. All that is left is to choose if they would in Volton or in the Sanctuary.」

「Umm, the interview?」

「You can at least hear them out. Just where they are from and what can they do. But it’s no problem if they can’t do any work, no?」

「…………well, I don’t mind, but……」

“They all already passed.” is what Undine and the others were saying, so “What were we here for? Wasn’t it for interviews?” was what I wanted to ask.

「Haa…… I’ll talk to the veterans and those ready to work first, the remaining kids should first get a bath and a meal.」

「Then Marnie and I will bring them to the Sanctuary, then get them bathed and fed.」

Maria said that as she stood up, and Marnie agreed.

「Could I leave that to you then? While you’re at it, please buy underwear, a change of clothes, and daily necessities for them.」

I handed Maria some money and entrusted the kids with her.

「That much is fine, right?」

「You know it, don’t you? The kids who can’t work as maids can also work the fields.」

When I asked if Undine was satisfied, she nodded. Apparently, they told Xervus-san and Margrave Volton to gather the diligent women who had come from the orphanages but had no place of employment. When they graduate from the orphanage, there were a handful of girls who could find a good job on their own or with a letter of introduction. I was asked to help the rest of the children who were within reach. Valkyra Kingdom should have been in a boom, but it wouldn’t change the fact that a child from an orphanage that had no connections whatsoever would find it difficult to find work.

「Takumi, your hands can reach far, no? Then let’s continue with the interviews.」

「Haa, fine.」

It feels like I’ve been set up, but I have no objections. Actually, even if I didn’t have anymore slots for maids, there are plenty of jobs in the Sanctuary.

I looked at the remaining women.

Five women, one elderly woman who was a head maid candidate, and four women from their late teens to early twenties.

I started the interview from the elderly woman.

「My name is Maribelle. I was born in the Volton Margravery in Valkyra Kingdom. I worked as the head maid for the margravery in my last job.」

Maribelle spoke in a refined manner, but wasn’t she the head maid of Margrave Volton? When I looked at Xervus-san, he had a complicated expression on his face.

「Maribelle was indeed the head maid of the Margrave Volton’s household. When this started move, she offered Lord Godwin her resignation……

「……umm, is that fine?」

「Of course. This new and exciting job makes my heart flutter.」

Smiling, Maribelle stated so. Apparently, she was planning on retiring soon, but hearing that I was hiring maids for my mansions in the Sanctuary and in Volton, she thought it wouldn’t be bad training new recruits and living in the Sanctuary. Once she had considered it, Maribelle was the type of person to decide quickly and act immediately, and that very same day, she resigned.

「Ha, haha, you have a great drive.」

「It’s an honor to receive such praise, Master.」

Sophia and Maria had nothing more to say to Maribelle who spoke and bowed at a splendid angle, so it seems our head maid had been decided.

***

Footnotes:

1. I can’t find any references for a maribelle as a maid.