Sitting on the soft sofa, Florent pondered whether there were any valuable items in his home that needed special attention...
After some thought, he concluded that aside from the deeds, money, and stocks hidden in a secret compartment in his bedroom, there wasn't much else of significant value to worry about.
Of course, the mystical materials in the basement also required caution, but he had already set the condition that the cleaning maids were not allowed to enter the basement.
With no other concerns weighing on his mind, Florent took out his pocket watch and checked the time...
It was around 9 p.m., which, for people of this era, was quite late. Even the most diligent workers would be in bed by 10 p.m., with the exception of those in special professions like night-shift police officers or security guards.
However, Florent had long since developed the 'good habit' of going to bed at 11 p.m., making him a true night owl by the standards of this era...
He decided to pick up a book on mysticism to expand his knowledge.
But as soon as he opened the book, he realized how naive he had been. It turned out that he needed to broaden his knowledge in more ways than one, because he couldn't read the text.
The book was written in 'Ancient Feysac', a language he didn't understand...
Annoyed, Florent scratched his head. His learning plan needed adjustment...
Currently, he only knew three languages: Intisian, Hermes, and Ancient Hermes.
However, this mystical book was written in Ancient Feysac, the common language of the 'Solomon Empire' during the Fourth Epoch, alongside the Dutanese language of the 'Balam Empire'.
Realizing he needed to learn a new language, Florent understood that his timeline for digesting the potion would have to be extended.
He picked up another mysticism book, one he could actually read, and spent about an hour flipping through it before extinguishing the candle and falling into a deep sleep.
The night passed uneventfully...
...
When Florent woke up the next morning, it was just past 9 a.m...
Remembering that his meeting was scheduled for 1 p.m., he lazily got out of bed and wandered around the house, taking a closer look at the details he had overlooked the previous day.
Once fully awake, Florent left the house and strolled through Golden Hampstead, the upscale district of Trier, often hailed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
He arrived at the 'Golden Hampstead Life Improvement Company' almost exactly on time. Of course, the details of his morning routine are not worth mentioning...
Under the blazing midday sun, Florent experienced another side of Trier's reputation as the 'City of Sunshine'... it was unbearably hot.
It was said that the perpetually gloomy weather of Backlund was influenced by divine power, and Florent suspected that Trier's scorching sun was similarly the work of a deity.
Every day at noon, regardless of the season or weather, the sun would pierce through even the thickest clouds, creating a phenomenon that had baffled meteorologists.
They eventually attributed it to the miracles of the Creator and the blessings of the 'Eternal Blazing Sun'...
Feeling the awe-inspiring power of the divine, Florent couldn't help but yearn for such greatness...
However, even the grandest dreams had to start with small steps, and now he found himself bogged down by mundane chores. The thought made him feel utterly exhausted.
In a moment of dark humor, Florent wondered if these deities, in their low-sequence days, had also struggled with daily chores...
'Or had they always had servants to take care of such things?ʼ But once they reached the angelic level, they would have shed their human limitations, ascending to become 'subsidiary gods' or even true deities.
'I refuse to be human anymore,ʼ Florent thought, recalling a classic line and the iconic thumbs-up gesture. It was etched into his DNA, he mused.
With a sigh, he lamented, 'I wish I could stop being human too.ʼ
The 'Golden Hampstead Life Improvement Company' was bustling with activity during the midday work hours. Even though it was lunch break for many office workers and laborers, the flow of people in and out of the company was steady, if not exactly overwhelming.
Florent arrived at the company at exactly 11:55 a.m., right on schedule.
The pristine lobby was filled with people attending to various tasks, though not all staff members were occupied. A couple of well-dressed, fashionable receptionists noticed the new customer and immediately approached.
"Hello, how may we assist you today?" one of them asked as soon as Florent stepped through the door, not giving him a chance to observe the differences in the lobby during work hours.
The receptionist's name tag read 'Zoe Adelle'. It seemed that only the reception staff wore these tags, as the record-keeping staff from the previous day hadn't had them.
"Hello, I have an appointment to interview three cleaning maids. Is now a good time?" Florent replied.
Zoe didn't answer immediately. Instead, she guided Florent to a standalone workstation similar to a directory, and checked for his appointment.
After confirming, Zoe asked, "Are you Mr. Florent?"
Receiving a nod, she said, "Please follow me."
Florent followed Zoe to the third floor of the building...
The company clearly had a modern, efficient layout; simple, clean, and straightforward, unlike the opulent coffee shops and clubs of Trier. Aside from the lack of warmth, Florent appreciated the no-nonsense attitude.
The company didn't go out of its way to create a luxurious setting for Florent's maid interviews. The room was just as functional as the rest of the building, with a central sofa for the interviewer surrounded by several longer sofas.
Seated on those sofas were the three cleaning maids Florent was here to interview. In truth, they were more like hired workers than traditional maids, but people of this era preferred to call them servants.
Without wasting time, Florent quickly stated his requirements, "I don't have many demands. I need a maid I can trust to clean my house and do my laundry. However, I will be conducting occasional surprise inspections, as I'm often away. So, who among you is willing to take on this role?"
To Florent's surprise, all three maids raised their hands, even the one who worked until 5 p.m.
It was possible they felt compelled to do so out of fear of being judged untrustworthy...