Chapter 162: the servant Neil

In Universe 431,... within the Lower Continent, and specifically inside the main palace of the Duchy of Oster, the usual tranquility had vanished entirely from one of the grand courtyards. Fifteen human children were scattered across the spacious courtyard, running, playing, and shouting with complete disregard for the lavish estate they found themselves in. Naturally, Duke Cain Oster’s palace was vastly larger and grander than the Ayan family’s manor... yet they were everywhere, behaving as if they were not inside a duke’s palace at all, but rather in a public park filled with free attractions.

Butler Neil stood amidst the chaos in his crisp, formal attire—though he felt as if he were wearing the clothes of a slave bound in heavy chains rather than butler’s livery. Dressed in his black-and-white uniform with a neatly tied cravat, he kept his posture straight and his features locked in that professional composure expected of a noble’s butler, regardless of whatever catastrophe unfolded before him.

However, even that composure was gradually fracturing today.

Neil observed the swarm of children through exhausted eyes, trying to ensure that no one fell into a fountain, climbed a tree, or attempted to test whether one of the palace’s magical artifacts could explode.

In the midst of this, he caught sight of a child sprinting toward a small fairy that was feeding on the spiritual energy permeating the courtyard.

Before Neil could stop him, the child pounced on the fairy, grabbing it in his tiny hand and squeezing it with intense zeal, as though it were a rubber toy.

"Mr. Neil! Mr. Neil! Is this... is this a real fairy?!"

The fairy trembled between the child’s fingers, letting out high-pitched, frantic squeaks as it struggled to free itself. It cast a desperate look for help at Neil, making him feel, for a split second, as though he were an accessory to the murder of a fairy in broad daylight.

Neil exhaled a deep sigh, putting on a heavy, serious tone:

"Would you mind releasing it from your hand? Preferably before you’re struck by a fairy curse that will leave you... well... unable to pee ever again."

The child froze in his tracks.

It seemed he was contemplating how horrifying it would be to desperately need to pee but be unable to, ultimately exploding as a result.

After several agonizing seconds, he instantly opened his hand, and the fairy shot away at top speed, vanishing into the distance.

Neil couldn’t help but rub his temples, sighing deeply.

He truly could not comprehend why he had been selected from among hundreds of servants and nannies in the palace to take charge of the Ayan family’s children.

He fully understood that his assignment required patience—well, not just a little patience, but a massive amount—and that children could be troublesome at times. However, what he was entirely unprepared for was transforming into a full-time babysitter for a group of kids hailing from another world, every single one of whom operated under their own distinct definition of logic.

Over the past few hours, Neil had been forced to hunt for a lost herbal talisman. In reality, it was nothing more than a plain leaf a child had plucked from the ground before abruptly deciding it was his personal treasure. When he lost it, he began wailing and screaming.

The problem wasn’t locating the leaf.

The problem was the child’s description of it.

"It was a really huge leaf, and it had a beard, a massive body, and it was shooting laser beams out of its eyes!"

Neil stared at him for a few silent seconds.

"A... leaf?"

"Yes!"

"And it shoots lasers?"

"Yes!"

"And it has a beard?"

"Yes!"

Neil felt as though his soul was slowly departing his body in search of a better life.

Even so, when the child noticed that his description sounded illogical even to Neil, he quickly shifted his story.

"Okay, maybe it wasn’t shooting lasers."

Neil raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

The child nodded eagerly.

"It could turn invisible!"

Silence fell.

Neil looked at the child.

Then he looked at the sky.

Then he looked back down at him... a single tear slowly escaping his eye while he maintained his stern, professional composure.

It was glaringly obvious that the child wasn’t trying to describe an actual leaf at all; he was talking about his favorite superhero. Yet somehow, he was thoroughly convinced that Neil possessed the capability to track down something matching those specs and bring it to him.

For reasons Neil still could not fathom, he felt that the ability to turn invisible seemed far more realistic to the child than shooting laser beams.

"Alright..." Neil spoke slowly, attempting to keep his calm. "We will search for the leaf that can turn invisible."

The child beamed with joy.

Predictably, when they found nothing, the child broke down in tears once more. This forced Neil to attempt crafting a leaf matching the bizarre description he had been given. Utilizing laser-sculpting techniques, he shaped something resembling a leaf and even attempted to carve a beard onto its face. The result was largely disappointing, as he was hardly specialized in that branch of magic, and what he produced could barely pass for a leaf.

Yet when the child looked at the laser light radiating from Neil’s fingers, then examined the beard carved into its surface, he pondered the scene before him in silence for a few brief moments...

"Yes! I found you! You are the leaf!"

The child grabbed hold of Neil’s clothes with both hands, as though he had finally uncovered his personal treasure after a long quest. Meanwhile, Neil began seriously questioning why he hadn’t opted to work in the kitchen instead of taking this job.

Chopping vegetables was probably far safer.

Just as he was attempting to recover a shred of his professional dignity, he heard another child shouting from the far side of the courtyard:

"Mr. Neil! I found something!"

Neil closed his eyes.

He did not want to know what the child had found.

In truth, a part of him wished he would never find out.

Yet his duty as a professional butler compelled him to open his eyes and stride toward the origin of the voice.

As he walked, he reflected on his past career before he was tasked with overseeing these children. Back then, he had been a respected butler who carried out his daily duties in peace—organizing schedules, delivering messages, managing palace affairs... where the most distressing issue he faced was a servant misarranging the dining table.

Now, he was required to stop children from snatching fairies, hunt for imaginary magical leaves, answer questions detached from all known logic, and ensure no one attempted to leap off the palace roof because they believed they could fly.

He didn’t know which was worse.

The children...

Or the fact that this was merely his first day on the job with them.

Neil exhaled slowly, straightened his tie, and readjusted his posture, regaining his professional countenance.

No matter what happened, he would remain a professional butler... perhaps right up until he lost his mind.

Even if, by the end of the day, he decided to retire from the world entirely...

"Ah, Neil... I’ve finally found you."

Neil recognized the voice immediately; it belonged to Zardar, the Head Butler. Neil turned around to find Zardar standing there alongside an old man seated in a wheelchair.

Zardar offered a faint smile, speaking in a calm tone:

"It appears you are enjoying your time with the children..."

Neil didn’t even want to speak, fearing that unprofessional words might slip from his mouth, but he was ultimately forced to respond:

"Well... they are very sweet."

Neil knew Zardar was a sharp man who would instantly discern his dissatisfaction from his tone alone. At the very least, if Zardar didn’t intend to replace him, he ought to assign him some assistance, for this workload far exceeded the capabilities of a single butler.

Yet Zardar did none of that, simply stating:

"Since you’re having such a pleasant time with them, you should really begin your actual assignment. Go take care of Master Daren and devote your absolute best to serving him... for this man has received a personal promise from our Master Cain."

Neil didn’t know why, but at that exact moment, he felt as though his very soul had begun to slip right out from between his ribs.