Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 294

A few days later, I stand in front of the mansion of the nobleman Anne has introduced me to.
The guards are only allowed to accompany us as far as the gate, so Sara and I enter the grounds with Anne leading the way.

Normally, commoners need to go through various procedures to visit a nobleman’s mansion, but perhaps because of Anne’s local connections, we pass through the gate without any issues.
Instead of heading to the large mansion in front of the carriage house, Anne turns off the road and makes her way toward a smaller building—still larger than a commoner’s mansion.

“Doesn’t that house have a strange shape?” Sara asks.

I look closely, and indeed, the roof and walls do appear unusual. The window shutters are strangely large, and there are many of them, likely intended to let in as much light as possible. The first floor also has a very large terrace and even a small stage.

“That’s an atelier,” Anne explains to Sara. “A house for painting and art, you know?”

“Atelier…” Sara mutters, still struggling to grasp the idea of a house dedicated solely to painting.

“You’re not surprised, are you? How boring,” Anne remarks, her gaze turning toward me.

“No, I’m surprised. It’s a fine atelier,” I quickly reply, trying to reassure her.

But Anne responds, “That’s not it… well, whatever. Come on,” as if she decides to prioritize the task at hand over pressing the matter further.

◇　◇　◇　◇

We stop in front of an open door that seems to serve as the entrance. There is no door to knock on, nor a bell to ring. I don’t see a butler or maid, the usual attendants you’d expect in a nobleman’s house.

As I stand there, confused, Anne calls out in a voice I’ve never heard before.
“Baron, are you there? It’s Anne.”

A response comes from deep inside the house. “Ah, Anne. I’m a little busy, so could you come inside?”

The voice is surprisingly young. I’ve heard he is over 30, though.

Following Anne inside, we enter a room with an extremely high ceiling, brightly lit. The second floor’s floor is missing, and the walls on that level have shutters wide open, letting in light.

In the center of the space, a man is intently peering into a small box.

That, it seems, is the strange person Anne has referred to—Baron Bertold.