Maseguru 72: Growing Up

「Rest assured, Ainz-sama. There is no preferential treatment for her」

Warren laughed as if joking when he said that.

「...S-she had taken the exam?」

「Yes, she took the exam two days after Fhalla-dono and Mei-dono arrived at the castle」

「Your finding of Fhalla's talent was really a blessing. It can even be evaluated as your second greatest achievement after the Sea Dragon incident」

Fhalla's ability had already been examined before he came back. Ainz was looking forward to seeing how much healing power she had.

But the fact that Sylvird was so enthusiastic in his praise must also mean that Ainz finding of Fhalla's ability was really a blessing for Ishtalica.

「Therefore, as the occasion was not particularly bad, we held an appointment exam. It may seem sudden, but the exam is always held suddenly. And it's not like Miss Claune was the only one who could take the exam, as there were many others who took it」

In order to measure the efforts the examinee made on a regular basis, the exam is held without any preparation period. It is said to be the most difficult exam as there were even times when no one passed the exam

「Just for reference, what is the exam content...?」

「A written test, an aptitude test, an interview with the Grand Marshal, and a second written test, followed by an interview with me」

「B-but Chris-san wasn't here before, right?」

As Ainz said, Chris was with him for the past few weeks. So, there should be no way she could do an interview...

「Well, the Grand Marshal until last year, Lloyd-dono, has taken her place as an interviewer」

「...To be honest, I think Lloyd-sama was a better interviewer than me. I'm not quite good with interviewing after all」

Though Ainz was surprised that such a large-scale exam had been held while he was away from the royal capital, he thought that he wouldn't be surprised that it would take a few months to conduct the five-step exam, however...

「This exam will take a total of five days to complete. So, each examinee will have to take one exam subject each day」

「That's quite a breakneck schedule, isn't it?」

「By the way, Miss Claune got 90% of the first written exam correct. She also scored a perfect score on the second written exam, which played a big factor in the final score」

"Oi oi, isn't she quite a monster?" Thought Ainz as he looked at Claune. Claune responded with a smile as if saying that the exam wasn't a big deal to her.

「Miss Claune passed the exam in a fair way. So don't worry」

「Okay. Though I don't quite understand, I get it that Claune will become my aide」

It's too sudden and there's still a lot of things that he doesn’t quite understand but he's glad to hear that Claune is going to be a part of his aide.

「From today, Miss Claune―... No, Claune-dono will be serving Ainz-sama as his aide. Her duties would be to perform all miscellaneous tasks and make all necessary arrangements for Ainz-sama... In short, she will be assisting Ainz-sama with everything he needs」

The reason Warren used "-dono" instead of "miss" to address her was proof of him acknowledging her as Ainz's aide.

「...That sounds like a lot of work」

As the crown prince, Ainz would be involved in many things, including inspection tours and there's the matter of his study in the academy too. He was worried that Claune would be burdened if she were to be involved in all of that.

「Well, you see, before Warren became Prime Minister, he used to take care of both Lalarua and me. So, compared to his, Claune's duties should be much simpler」

Ainz forgot that there was another monster here. He wondered if Warren even had slept as he rarely saw him not working.

He began to feel that the castle is becoming a monster den with more and more monsters popping up.

「Rest assured, Ainz-sama. I've prepared everything for the duel」

「C-Claune? Are you sure about this? You're not pushing yourself, right?」

「Yes, of course. All Ainz-sama have to do is to get into the carriage and wear the clothes I prepared」

Claune has become Ainz's subordinate, so she must address him with an honorific.

「Wait a minute. Are you telling me that you've completed all of these arrangements in the last few days?」

「...? Y-yes, but... Do you have any further requests?」

She looked at him with a confused look as if saying "Is there something wrong?" while saying so. After all, for her, that much is not a big deal.

「...No, there isn't. I just realized how capable my aide is」

「Ara, I am honored by your compliments, Ainz-sama」

And that's how Ainz got an aide. He was surprised when he was suddenly told that he would have an aide, but the fact that his aide was Claune made him happy.

***

Chris still has a report to deliver, but now that Ainz had done what he had to do, so he and Claune left the conference room.

They walked through the castle and made their way to where Fhalla is.

「...I've been thinking about it for a while. Have you been planning to take the exam Warren just mentioned?」

「Exam...? Oh, you must mean the exam to be your aide?」

「Yeah」

「Umm... I wonder what to say... Would you be offended if I told you it was a secret?」

She doesn't want to tell him, or rather, she's too embarrassed to say that she's been aiming for it. That's why Claune tries to keep it a secret.

「I won't be offended, I might tease you about it at times though」

However, Ainz has known Claune for quite a long time. He understands her quite well and knew right away that she was just embarrassed to say it.

「Fufu... I won't tell you then」

「Yeah, I know you'd say that」

Even after leaving the conference room, Claune continued to address him with honorifics. It was meant to show a clear image of their position, but... Ainz asked her to address him in a casual way when it's just the two of them.

「By the way, what kind of position will Claune be in?」

「Position? As explained before, I will serve as Ainz's aide, remember?」

「Umm, I mean, what kind of power do you hold?」

(TLN: (Political) Power)

「Oh, you mean that. Well... to put it simply」

What bothered Ainz was Claune's power. As the crown prince's aide, he guessed that at least her power wouldn't be less powerful.

「Your highness the crown prince, good job on your last trip!... Oh, advisor Claune was with you too? Good work!」

「Yes. Good work on your patrol too」

As Claune was about to explain, someone belong to the royal guard passed by. It was to be expected that he would bow to Ainz, but this time he bowed to Claune as well.

Then he bid his farewell and walks away from them.

「Advisor...?」

「Well, I'm not going to merely serve on your side. In terms of position, I would be "the Crown Prince's Advisor"」

「I see. So, you now have that kind of power, huh?」

「Fufu... Actually, I also have the authority to give orders to the royal guards」

She was more powerful than he expected. After all, the number of people who can give orders to the knight of the royal guards can probably be counted with just the fingers on both hands. In other words, Claune has been given a considerable amount of authority within the castle.

「I'm still at the bottom end though. In terms of the strength of authority, for example... Chris-sama and the others are definitely higher than mine」

「Well, Chris-san is a Grand Marshal, so it's only natural」

「But you see, I actually have one thing in my authority that's above Chris-sama and the others. Hey, Ainz, don't you curious?」

She really likes to tease Ainz by leading him to say things. It's a little dialogue that they have a lot, but Ainz doesn't mind this kind of exchange.

「Good grief, I can't believe there's an aide who asks that kind of thing to their lord... Yes, I'm curious, please let me know」

「Well, I have the authority to manage Ainz's schedule. In fact, the only people who have this authority over me are the royal family and Warren-sama」

「...Please be gentle with me, okay?」

「It's up to Ainz, though? I don't know how reckless you could be. I might even have to confine you in your room at times」

"I'm glad to have a capable advisor", mutter Ainz in a low voice. But without him knowing, his voice reached Claune. When she hears that, she puts her hand over her mouth and starts to giggle.

「Speaking of which, how did you manage to arrange a carriage so quickly when it was decided so suddenly?」

「Well. I did a little negotiation with my house on that」

「Your house? You mean August Chamber of Commerce?」

「That's right」

After a brief reply, she began to explain the details of the negotiation in a good mood.

「It was a good learning experience for me」

「How much did you bargain for...?」

「Well, I wonder? But even for a royal family, it's not good to waste money, right?」

「That's certainly true, but was Graff-san okay with it?」

When Ainz said that, Claune glanced around and then approached him. She then brings her face close to his ear and quietly tells him what happened.

「I left grandfather in tears, but I could even get a little more discount if I try harder, you know?」

When she says so with her lips almost touching his ear, her scent and breath almost make him lose his composure.

Ainz was sure that she did this on purpose as she had checked their surroundings before approaching him.

It reminded him that at the Sea Dragon incident she said "What if I tell you that I'm going to let you have all of me now?"

「I'm amazed you're so merciless even to your relatives」

「Ara? But I'm now the Crown Prince Ainz's... or to put it in other words, an aide to the next king, right? Then it's only natural that I would do so」

「You're certainly right. But, well... please go easy, okay?」

「If the other side was very reasonable, I might even let out a smile right from the very beginning」

In other words, if the other side doesn't try to haggle from the start, she'll just simply smile and sign the contract. He can't help but realize that she's been educated by Warren more than him.

「Well, I know that grandfather was also testing me」

「Graff-san did?」

「Yes. I think he was trying to see if I could notice that he was quoting higher than he normally would. I just can't help but get motivated」

"I see, so he got beaten at his own game by his granddaughter, huh?" thought Ainz. Claune would surely be a formidable opponent for the chamber of commerce.

「Therefore, His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't have to worry about anything. I can guarantee the quality and safety of our carriages and ships, which are the pride of my family's chamber of commerce」

「Very well then... as advisor Claune says, I'll just wear the prepared clothes and go there」

"Leave the rest to me" reply Claune. The current Claune looked more dependable than the usual.

―As they were having such an exchange, they finally arrive at the room where Fhalla and Mei were.

Claune then knocked on the door and waited for an answer from inside.

「Please come in!」

Fhalla's cheerful voice that Ainz hadn't heard for a while could be heard from the inside. Hearing it, Claune opened the door and let Ainz enter the room first

「Long time no see, how have you been?」

「Y-Your Highness!?」

「It's oniichan!?」

The sisters looked so surprised when they know who the other party was. They had heard that Ainz had returned, but they didn't expect that he would come to their room.

「Hey, Mei! It's "Your Highness"! I've taught you so many times, right?」

「A-auu.... I'm sorry, Your Highness」

Ainz felt relieved seeing the two with their skin and clothes looking so much better than before.

Their clothes may look simple, but they were cute in their own way.

「You can call me by name. Well, you can't use it as it is though, you'll have to add "sama" to address me」

「Ainz-sama?」

「That's right, Mei. How are you?」

「Yes! The food is delicious! Also, there's no cold wind coming from the outside! This place is so big and amazing!」

Hearing Mei's opinion makes him a little sad, but it can't be helped. Warren and the others will have to figure out how to deal with the slums as soon as possible.

「Well, that's good to know. By the way... Fhalla, are you going to live in the castle?」

「Y-yes! With some deduction from my salary, we would be provided with food and a room at the castle!」

「I see... Claune?」

「Please be assured, they will be treated well」

「I can feel relieved then」

He asked Claune, who was in aide mode, and she immediately understood his intentions. He didn't think that her salary would be unjustifiably low, but he asked just to be sure.

As a valuable user of healing magic, she should be treated with a good amount of care.

「I'll read the report later. I'm just glad to hear that Fhalla got a good evaluation」

「Actually, I'm still wondering if this is a dream, but... I'm really glad that Mei could fill her stomach until she's full」

「That's good then, right, Mei? Do you eat properly every day?」

「Yup! I can eat three times a day! It's amazing!」

Somehow, hearing Mei makes him feel like he's about to burst into tears. Ainz once again made his determination to take action on the slums as soon as possible.

「Mei will work hard too!」

「Oh, is that so? What kind of work does Mei do?」

「Mei, you see! Is going to be the disciple of Marche-san!」

"She has chosen a quite strict teacher, isn't she?" thought Ainz.

「I-it's gonna be hard, but do your best, okay!」

「Okay! I'll do my best to be the most amazing maid-san in this castle!」

...It surely would be a thorny road. After all, overcoming a wall called Marche is going to be a difficult task.

Ainz really wanted to know how much healing magic Fhalla can use, but he decided to enjoy the conversation. He decided to check her evaluation after the duel was over.

Afterwards, Ainz had fun talking for a while and ate dinner with everyone. In the evening, he and Olivia spent some time talking and enjoying their time in the royal capital.

***

The area where the duel was to take place was not known for its sunny weather. Some say it was because of the surrounding mountains or the altitude of the land.

Ainz's group, riding on the boats and carriages arranged by the August Chamber of Commerce, arrived on time at the big river where the duel would take place.

And as Claune said, all he has to do was to wear the prepared clothes and ride the prepared carriages.

The sky was cloudy all over the area, but there was no sign of rain. In the midst of this, Viscount Sage's Kraken and Ainz's Sea Dragons twin are facing each other in the water.

As the signal to start had not been given yet, both sides were still waiting at a distance.

「It's smaller than I thought it would be」

「You mean the Kraken?」

「Yeah. They said it was medium-sized, but I thought it would be bigger」

「There's a big difference between medium and large-sized Kraken after all. Their large-sized ones are a few times bigger than that...」

It was Chris, the blonde beauty that is being treated as a prize of this duel, who answered that.

And on the other side, Claune is on standby, accompanying Ainz as his aide.

「But Chris-sama... Aren't you being too calm about this?」

「...What do you mean?」

「Umm... I mean, Chris-sama is the prize of this duel, remember?」

Although Claune knew that, even if Ainz were to lose, Sage would immediately be apprehended after the duel, she just can't help but worry about Chris' feelings.

「Well, I'm not worried about a single thing in this duel though」

「I can understand why Chris-sama thinks so. Sea Dragon are certainly strong, but... the twins are still very young」

「Ainz-sama also expressed his concern about that, however... well, I guess it would be quicker to see them yourself. You'll soon see why I'm not worried about a single thing in this duel」

For Chris to say that much of them, Claune decided to just trust her.

As the two were having such an exchange, Ainz, who has been sandwiched between the two, joined the conversation.

「But, you two, try to take a good look」

「Is there something wrong, Ainz-sama? Take a good look? To where?」

He was sure that Chris-san would simply answer with "You don't have to worry about anything" if he were to ask her, so he asked Claune this time.

「To Al and El」

Ainz then pointed his hand to the Sea Dragon twin. For the record, Al was the younger brother and El was the elder sister.

――After looking in the twin’s direction, both Claune and Chris, who seemed to have the same thought, couldn't help but hold their forehead with their hand.

「...I didn't know that Sea Dragon would resemble their parent so much...」

「I apologize, Ainz-sama... but I also agree with Claune-dono」

「Hey, aren't the two of you are being so mean to me? I mean, could you be a little more considerate?」

It was no wonder they both felt that way.

To explain the current situation, the duel hasn't started and the twins were in what's called a "Standby" position.

Yes, they are currently in a "Standby" position.

「Kyu~... Kyururu~...」

「Kyukyu~... Kyukyu~...!」

The sight of the twins, drooling out of their mouths, was so shameful that it could make one wonder if they were really "Sea Dragons," the kings of the sea.

Is El nearing the end of her patience? She never takes her eyes off the Kraken, even when she's humping her brother Al's tail. Al also doesn't seem to care if his tail is being humped or not, he also never takes his eyes off the Kraken.

Call them hungry children, if you will. The twins just looked like excited kids in front of their favorite food.

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