Volume 1 Chapter 39 The Villainous Guildmaster, Pushing the Limits of Evil IV
On the morning of my day off, at my mansion.
After finishing breakfast, I ordered a coffee to enjoy afterward.
"SIR ACT!"
The one who came running was the head chef's daughter, Lily.
She's a beastman, working here alongside her mother.
"I BROUGHT YOUR COFFEE!"
"Thanks for your hard work."
Lily hurriedly dashed over to me.
"Ah...!"
CRASH!
The coffee cup flew into the air, hitting the leg of the table.
The sound echoed as the cup SHATTERED, spilling its contents everywhere.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU FOOL? WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING TO DO IF YOU BURNED YOURSELF?"
"Ugh... I almost caused an injury to Sir Act... I'm so sorry..."
As I approached Lily, she shrank back in fear.
"Looks like you're unhurt, though."
"Huh...?"
"I'll clean up the broken pieces. You go grab a broom and a rag."
Lily looked at me, wide-eyed and stunned.
"Sir Act... you're not mad... right? It was all my fault..."
"Don't be ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes. I won't fuss over something so trivial. It's a waste of time."
"But... what about if you burned yourself?"
"There's no way I'd let a burn ruin your beautiful skin, being the daughter of a servant."
Lily's face turned bright red as she mumbled, "Beautiful..."
"Now hurry up and get the cleaning supplies. It's a waste of time."
"A-Ah, y-yes! Understood!"
With a quick patter, Lily ran off.
I picked up the pieces and tossed them into the trash bag while she started cleaning the floor.
While we were at it, the head chef came in.
"Mom!"
"MY APOLOGIES, SIR ACT! MY DAUGHTER HAS CAUSED YOU TROUBLE!"
The head chef bowed repeatedly.
"What are you talking about? She didn't cause any trouble."
"But... she broke some dishes, right?"
"Children naturally make mistakes. A blunder like this is just part of life."
Lily chimed in, her eyes wide.
"Mom, Sir Act is so kind!"
"Yes. A truly generous and magnificent person. But listen, Lily, not everyone in this world is as mature and wonderful as Sir Act. Be careful from now on."
"Yeah! I got it, Mom!"
"Alright, alright, now wash your hands!"
"Okay! Thank you, Sir Act! I love you!"
Lily dashed out of the dining hall.
---
That afternoon, my apprentice Yui came to visit.
"Hello, Sir Act! I'm here to take care of the kitties!"
I fed the rescued animals along with Yui.
"By the way, Sir Act, it's strangely quiet in the mansion today. Where's all the staff?"
Yui glanced around, curious.
"I told everyone they could take the day off and sent them away."
"H-huh!? W-why...?"
"It's my day off. I didn't want them buzzing around. After they made breakfast, I sent them on a trip for today and tomorrow."
Yui blinked, wearing a blank expression.
Gotcha! Here's a punchier, more comedic rewrite without dialogue tags, focusing on tightening the humor and flow:
---
"Wait, uh... you didn't fire them, did you?"
"Why would I fire them? I just want to enjoy my vacation in peace."
But those guys—every time they hear he's on vacation, they go above and beyond to fuss over him. Last time, someone tried to iron his socks. While he was wearing them.
Whenever he takes time off, he sends the staff on a little trip too. All expenses paid.
"And who covers the travel expenses?"
"Of course, I do. I'm the one who hired them, and I'm sending them away for my own convenience."
A pause.
"...What's wrong?"
Yui gave a crooked smile. He could practically hear her brain buffering.
"Sir Act, you're... a bit unusual, you know. Most people don't send their staff on holidays. You're really kind."
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just protecting my investment. If they build up stress, the quality of their work tanks. It's like... preventative maintenance. You wouldn't skip oil changes on a fancy carriage, right?"
"...I guess that makes sense."
He nodded, satisfied, then squinted at her like he'd spotted a broken hinge. "Speaking of maintenance—you haven't taken any vacation days, have you?"
"Huh?" Wide-eyed. Like he'd just accused her of a crime.
"It's not like I have anything pressing to do anyway," she muttered.
"You silly! Do you even know why you're given annual leave? It's so you can recharge. Take a vacation when you have tasks to do! Otherwise, what's the point? You're running on fumes!"
The guild staff is entitled to thirty days of leave a year.
Unused leave can roll over up to sixty days, but any excess will be cut off.
"If you don't use your time off, it'll just go to waste. Paid leave is a right granted to you. So go ahead and use it."
"B-but... I feel bad taking a break while everyone else is working."
"Hey, I'm taking a break while you guys are working today, right? What's up, are you criticizing me?"
"N-no! That's not what I meant... Huh, wait, are you for real, Sir Act?"
"What?"
"You're taking your vacation days first to help the staff feel comfortable taking theirs... right?"
"You're overthinking it. I'm just taking a break when I feel like one."
I kept feeding the cats and dogs.
"Sir Act, you're really, um... unique."
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No, not at all!"
Hehe, Yui chuckled.
"Hey, don't you think lunch break is almost over?"
"Huh...? Oh no! What should I do..."
I said to the panicking Yui,
"This is a Guildmaster's order. Keep helping out with the dogs."
"Huh...?"
"This is my command. You can take a half day off this afternoon. I'll approve your request later. If Katrina complains, just say it was my order."
Yui looked blank for a moment but then nodded with a smile.
"Yes! Then I'll take the afternoon off!"
I went to walk the dogs with Yui.
She stared at me for a moment and then smiled brightly.
"What's wrong?"
"I just thought again that I want to be a wonderful Guildmaster like Sir Act!"
She wants to aim for someone like me?
Good grief, there really are some unique people out there.
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