Chapter 208: It Was Simply Like a Grand Selection of Concubines

The auditorium was constructed with great grandeur and brightness; an extremely high ceiling held a magnificent chandelier made of crystal, while arched glass windows lined the left and right sides in neat rows, allowing sunlight to stream directly inside and bathe the hall in a hazy glow.

The entire auditorium had clearly been meticulously decorated, showing that the Pokémon Butler Academy took the employment of its graduates very seriously.

After all, once selected, barring any accidents, one would truly remain with that family for a lifetime.

In the center of the auditorium stood a semicircular stage; Luo Mu guessed this was where graduates would display their talents, as Otto had already led him to a prepared seat facing the center of the stage.

Looking left and right, Luo Mu noticed that only his and Otto's seats were arranged with some fruits and beverages, while the assistant Maruhiru stood quietly behind Otto, showing no intention of sitting down.

"Am I the only one selecting today?"

Luo Mu couldn't help but ask curiously.

Otto nodded gently: "We only invite one vetted guest at a time; this not only avoids competition among guests that would make the scene look like a Pokémon market, but also allows the selecting guest to choose a butler Pokémon that better fits their specific needs."

"The Meowstic should have mentioned that the Pokémon appearing next all have clear intentions to seek employment; they may have their own thoughts or requirements, but since the selection is mutual, you only need to decide whether you can accept their conditions."

Luo Mu nodded slightly to indicate he understood, then fell silent.

He could understand the Butler Academy's considerations; as an openly established institution, their greatest taboo was being associated with the illegal trade of Pokémon.

Yae had stated that the relationship between Luo Mu and the butler Pokémon he was about to meet would not be that of 'Trainer' and 'captured Pokémon,' but rather that of 'employer' and 'worker.'

The Pokémon Butler Academy was just like an ordinary school, teaching those Pokémon aspiring to become butlers and then helping them find employment through rigorous procedures.

The academy charged no fees; the large sum of money Yae mentioned was simply the monthly salary paid to the butler Pokémon, a matter Luo Mu need not worry about as Yae would handle it all; he only needed to select his preferred butler.

As time passed, a few minutes after Luo Mu arrived and took his seat in the auditorium, the graduates of the Pokémon Butler Academy officially appeared.

It seemed they were following a procedure of appearing one by one, and the first butler Pokémon to take the stage struck Luo Mu as somewhat special and novel.

Could a Sirfetch'd even serve as a butler?

Looking at the Sirfetch'd on stage, which possessed a steady demeanor, bright and spirited eyes, and wore a bow tie on its chest, Luo Mu's expression gained a touch of interest.

The assistant Maruhiru also timely placed Sirfetch'd's profile before Luo Mu, introducing: "Graduate Number One, Butler Sirfetch'd; despite its appearance, its academic performance during school was outstanding, with a specialty in food ingredient processing techniques, allowing it to finely cut ingredients using that leek sword capable of slicing through iron."

Cooperating with Maruhiru's introduction, Sirfetch'd pulled out from somewhere a round table about its own height and... a bowl of tofu?

Then Sirfetch'd raised its leek sword, and after a flurry of dazzling slashes, it used its shield as a tray to steadily carry the bowl of tofu soaked in water toward Luo Mu, presenting the tofu shredded into fine threads floating in the water for him to see.

Luo Mu: "!!!"

Wensi Tofu!?

Good heavens, this Sirfetch'd's knife skills are truly something else.

If he didn't already have Cangyan Cangyan Rengui, whose knife skills, though slightly inferior to Sirfetch'd's, were still constantly improving, Luo Mu might have actually chosen this Sirfetch'd.

Looking at the profile in his hand, the several large 'A' grades in various subjects nearly blinded Luo Mu's eyes.

After Sirfetch'd, the second Pokémon to take the stage was a Gardevoir with dignified bearing.

Gardevoir's grades were slightly inferior to Sirfetch'd's, and Luo Mu seemed to understand why Sirfetch'd had appeared first, yet compared to the Sirfetch'd who specialized in knife skills, the field Gardevoir studied was somewhat different.

Just like those two Tsareena, Gardevoir specialized in massage and had mastered a type of mental wave capable of effectively helping humans relax; combining both approaches could effectively relieve fatigue.

Gardevoir's method of demonstration was naturally to showcase its abilities to Luo Mu, the employer; after experiencing it, only one thought filled Luo Mu's mind—perfect.

It felt as though all fatigue in his body had been washed away completely, extremely comfortable.

Only after the butler Gardevoir departed did Luo Mu, feeling much more relaxed throughout his body, find it strange.

How should he put it? Gardevoir felt less like a butler and more like a maid. No, wait, the gender listed on that Gardevoir's profile was male, so perhaps it should be considered a male servant?

If he weren't seeking a butler capable of sharing some farm duties, Luo Mu might well have chosen Gardevoir solely for that divine massage technique.

He wasn't sure if it was his illusion, but after Gardevoir's massage, the skin on his face seemed to have become more lustrous, just like the state after the breeder named Xiaoxue from the first-generation original animation massaged a Pokémon.

Next, Luo Mu interviewed butlers consisting of an Indeedee, a Hatterene, a Blissey, an Audino, a Machamp, and a Lucario; each possessed specialty skills that could be called unique tricks, and as graduates, their professional competence was naturally not lacking.

Throughout the entire interview, Luo Mu felt exactly like an Emperor conducting a 'selection of concubines,' accepting the talent displays and flattery from this group of butler Pokémon with strong employment intentions, while also engaging in some communication with them.

Overall, there were quite a few butler Pokémon that made his heart flutter.

And so, the next butler Pokémon took the stage.

At this moment, Principal Otto, beaming with joy due to the graduates' excellent performances, leaned close to Luo Mu and whispered: "Next is the final graduate; hmm... it is somewhat special, but its ability as a butler is absolutely the highest among the nine butler Pokémon that have appeared."

"Higher than Sirfetch'd?"

Luo Mu raised an eyebrow, already guessing who the final butler Pokémon was.

Oranguru appeared, taking steps that were slow yet extremely steady; at this moment, Assistant Maruhiru presented its profile to Luo Mu.

After quickly scanning it, Luo Mu exclaimed inwardly, "What a fellow!"

Wasn't this resume comparable to that of an old human butler with experience in multiple jobs?

Every subject grade for Oranguru was an 'S,' one level higher than Sirfetch'd's, and its specialized abilities could be described as diverse.

Cooking, bartending, carpentry... the introduction of its skilled abilities alone filled an entire sheet of paper.

Was this some kind of max-level butler?

(End of Chapter)