Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are So Hot! [BL]-Chapter 295: Preparations and Plans

"I issued the request today, so now we’ll wait for the selection process on their end. Although the results will take some time to come in, I’d like you to consider how to handle the final selection. You could either conduct it personally, visit the domain, or summon the candidates to the capital for interviews."

Understood, thought Damien.

"Additionally, after some time—perhaps once we’ve settled into the academy—I plan to visit the Crowell domain myself to formally greet the steward. I’d also like you to think about whether you’d like to accompany me on that occasion."

Damien pondered this for a moment. His domain... When Damien agreed to take in Augusto, he’d resolved to remain a baron at least until Augusto came of age and could inherit the title. However, he hadn’t fully decided whether to make an appearance in the domain itself.

Some nobles never visited their domains, leaving the management entirely to their stewards. Considering the future, it might be better to start placing Augusto in a more prominent position.

Damien made a mental note to discuss it with Augusto as things progressed.

"Alright, I’ll think about it," Damien responded.

"Thank you," Lucian replied with a respectful bow before sitting back in his chair.

"Next, regarding construction—Lysander," Leonide said.

"Yes," Lysander replied, standing up.

Damien glanced at Lysander, wondering what updates he might bring.

Lysander was in charge of construction and other operational tasks for the Crowell household. While long-term plans such as urban development or road construction would come into play when the domain’s management became more robust, for now, the household’s main focus was on preparing the dormitory.

The Crowell dormitory, not to be confused with the domain, referred to the residence for academy students. Lysander was handling all preparations for the dormitory, including replacing furniture and other arrangements needed before students moved in.

Damien hoped things were progressing smoothly.

"Regarding the dormitory, there are currently no issues to report," Lysander said.

"...What?"

"Uh, yes. Everything about the student dormitory preparations is proceeding as planned, and there’s nothing in particular to report."

Oh.

Damien had expected more detail, especially since he’d heard about replacing furniture, cleaning, and renovating, all involving various contractors. Yet, everything seemed to be running without a hitch.

These kids were really competent, weren’t they?

"...Ah, if I may, there is one thing. What should we do about Yor and Augusto?"

Yor and Augusto?

The plan was for Yor to share a room with Zima, who he was fond of, and to assist with some light "chores."

"As for Yor, the original plan was to enroll him in the dormitory as a nominal ’servant.’ However, based on his current performance, he’s been working much more diligently than expected. While his manners need improvement, he could manage assisting with your daily tasks to some extent."

Damien glanced at Zima, who was waiting by the wall. Zima tilted his head slightly, then gave a small nod.

That seemed to translate to something like, "There are some concerns, but he’s passable."

"Wait, so does that mean we can count Yor as part of the team?"

"If it’s limited to assisting you, then yes, I believe so," Lysander replied.

Wow. Yor had been looking after Damien more than expected, it seemed.

"Alright, I’ll talk to Yor about it myself," Damien said.

"Understood. Depending on the outcome, I’d like to adjust the servant shifts accordingly," Lysander replied.

Damien had a feeling that if he asked Yor, "Would you keep helping me out?" the boy would happily agree. Still, he made a mental note to phrase it carefully—it sounded a bit like a proposal.

"And regarding Augusto..."

The plan was for Augusto to initially have his own room, and then possibly share it with Damien or another designated person later, depending on how things went.

"After hearing today’s discussions, I thought it might be worth considering having Augusto do some light ’chores,’ like Yor. It might be better than having him stay in the dormitory as a mere ’guest.’"

That made sense. Keeping busy might help Augusto distract himself. Given his current circumstances, attending the academy without complications wasn’t guaranteed.

Still, Damien needed to think this through carefully.

Damien decided to assess the situation further before making a decision. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"For now, let’s wait and observe the circumstances. Since it’s the dormitory, there will be other people around to consider," he said.

Although Augusto seemed to enjoy helping Damien for now, it was uncertain how things might change in the future. More importantly, there was still an unknown external person scheduled to join the dormitory.

Unlike the private environment of Theo’s mansion, the academy dormitory wasn’t free from prying eyes. Damien concluded that it was best to monitor the situation carefully before moving forward.

"Understood," Lysander replied.

"Sorry about that. It’d help if everyone could also consider what might be best for Augusto based on how things develop," Damien said, bowing slightly to the participants.

The group nodded in agreement, signaling their understanding.

"Speaking of which," Damien turned to Theo, "I just remembered—about the mysterious external person joining the dormitory. Can we still not disclose who it is?"

When the dormitory plans were discussed, it had been vaguely mentioned that someone might join, but no further details had been provided.

"Apologies, it’s still undecided. We’ve made contact, but we haven’t received a favorable response yet. Forcing the issue might cause complications, so we have to proceed cautiously," Theo explained with an apologetic smile.

It sounded like a delicate situation.

So, they were actively trying to bring this person over? Who could they possibly be?

"If that’s the case, I understand. But once the matter is settled, please let us know as soon as possible," Damien said.

"Of course. I’m sorry for the delay," Theo replied, looking genuinely regretful.

Damien nodded firmly. He had to emphasize this point. Having an unknown dormitory resident would make preparations much more challenging.

"Is there anything else? If not, let’s move on to procurement. Lorenzo?"

"Yes."