Published: January 17, 2026
The next day, I cautiously peeked into the office and found that the pile of documents had quietly grown. Could it be that Dee and the others had prepared that many documents in just one day?
Trembling with fear, I went to review the documents, when someone suddenly appeared behind me.
"Hmm… Good morning. You’ve come to work quite early today," said the figure who appeared.
It was the terrifying Great Demon Lord… no, the chief butler.
"Espada. Why is this? Even though they should have processed such a large volume of documents, it seems like another huge stack has appeared… Could this possibly be a dream?"
"This is reality."
"Ah, yes."
Espada’s deadpan reply snapped me back to reality, and I took another look at the documents. There, a variety of requests were listed in bullet points… What is going on?
"Huh? These are the requests and opinions from the people living in Seato Village that we talked about yesterday? How come they’re already here? We haven’t even collected their opinions yet, right?"
Confused, I asked, and Espada spoke as if it was nothing.
"After hearing about yesterday’s discussion, I compiled past opinions and requests. For those already addressed, I included what measures were taken in response. Until now, we responded to each request as it came, but by organizing them, I believe we can proactively handle some in advance. First, regarding opinions and requests about daily life…"
Before I knew it, Espada had seamlessly shifted into work mode. Strange. I had just stopped by to check in a little, but somehow I ended up working right alongside him.
"Espada. For our morning routine, there’s Til’s tea and snacks for a break—"
"As for handling these requests and opinions, we are also experiencing setbacks due to a shortage of personnel. Because of the lack of manpower, responses have been delayed… Hm? What is it?"
"It’s nothing."
Seeing Espada fully immersed in work, I gave up. Intelligent and a prodigy, Van-kun sized up the situation, made a flexible decision, and resolved to finish the job quickly so he could go out and play.
"A shortage of personnel is troublesome. But after seeing this, maybe we understand why no one’s coming to apply. It seems no one has responded to the recruitment signboards since yesterday."
"Hmm, on that note, I believe I have identified one possible reason. It’s still just a hypothesis though…"
"What!? What is the cause!?"
It was a relief to at least know the cause. I had wondered why I hadn’t seen Espada since yesterday, but besides all these documents, he had been doing other things too. Just how hard does this chief butler work?
With these mixed feelings, I immediately pressed for an answer. Espada cleared his throat lightly and replied.
"This is based on information gathered under Lord Murcia. I believe the cause is reasonable, so I will report it."
"From Brother Murcia’s domain? Well, that place is short-handed all year round. Poor guy."
I felt bad for him despite having sent people there myself. But things should improve soon—not in the sense of death from overwork, but because new personnel will arrive and the work will become easier. Sorry, brother.
While thinking this, Espada lowered his chin slightly and continued his report.
"We assigned one to two subordinates to each civil servant we sent as clerks, but feedback has come from them. The content is basically that having to handle various tasks alone is tough. It’s understandable since they are understaffed, but many tasks are unfamiliar and they struggle to become proficient."
"I see. So that rumor spreads, and no one wants to become a civil servant…"
"That seems to be the case. In Seato Village and the adventurer’s town, people always see those supporting the territory at work. Their labor appears extremely harsh and strenuous."
Espada stated this hypothesis matter-of-factly. I couldn’t help but internally retort fiercely.
In other words, maybe Van-kun looks incredibly busy and overwhelmed. Everyone has seen him being dragged off by Espada multiple times in front of others. Wait, if you think about it, doesn’t that mean the cause might be that Espada looks scary?