Peek: Miller's Fun

The experienced butler fights himself to keep the smile off his face as he puts the finishing touches on his disguise.  While he's certain he could fool the ordinary guards while wearing a garish jester's outfit, he's having a friendly competition with the veterans.  The Young Master can't pretend to be Larrez all of the time, but Miller can help to sell the identity.

Fooling the veterans will require him to flex skills he hasn't had the chance to use in a while, and they're encouraged to spot the difference by Miller offering compensation from his own pocket, most often various fine forms of alcohol.  Miller's reward is the chance to ensure his skills have neither dulled nor rusted, and to see the Young Master grow closer to his party and friends.  That thought lets the smile have a small victory over Miller's willpower.

He had actually floated the idea to the Young Master to let them in on it, but he was adamantly against it.  While Miller is certain they wouldn't treat the Young Master differently for knowing who he actually is, Lord Rezlar is correct about secrets being easier to keep with fewer people knowing.

Which seems to be a lesson the young goblin and orc could stand to learn better.  While he has to admit that simply calling their classes rare and not making a big deal of it would work for most, Miller is not most people.  He's been having his own contacts subtly digging through records of classes to find any other mention of an Ice Sage or a Phalanx Paladin, and they've so far been able to find nothing.

It's getting to the point where Miller may need to give them a subtle hand and plant a few instances of those classes in various records.  He'd prefer not to cash in old favors for something like that, but he can hardly leave the Young Master to go do it himself.

He shoves the idea aside for now, as there's no rush.  His Larrez disguise is more time-sensitive.  Getting the uniform was simplicity itself, though obtaining a replica of his Young Master's rapier was slightly more complex.  Larrez is hardly ever without it, but there will be times where Lord Rezlar will need to have that rapier on his own person.  Having a replica also lets Miller enchant it with a version of his Young Master's watery replica.  While he may need to drop the act altogether if a fight breaks out, it's better to be prepared to keep the charade up as long as possible.  Any sparring or other combat training will likely require he bring the skill out as well.

A slight slouch in posture and thin soles in the boots helps hide his height, and a bit of pigment will let him match the skin tone of his charge.  He's glad their builds are so similar, as padding is simply inconvenient to wear.  He's forced to admit two minor failures in his efforts with the disguise.  While hair color is only slightly more complex than skin pigments, eye color and voice are much more difficult to change without magic.

He's aware of thin pieces of glass than can change the color of one's eyes, but he doesn't have access to that kind of delicate tool here.  He does have a wand with the enchantment, and though the magic is subtle, it irks him professionally to have to use it.  Anyone who would notice the subtle magic would already be suspicious, but even a subtle hint like that reminds Miller that he can do better.

Perhaps he'll cash in a favor to get some of those lenses.

Changing his voice will also be difficult, but he is more confident in being able to change that without magic.  Mimicry was a surprisingly useful skill before he became a butler, and it is still surprisingly useful.  He clears his throat and listens carefully as he adopts the voice of his Young Master.

"Larrez, reporting for duty!"

He keeps his cringe internal at how wrong it sounds to his ears.  It would probably fool the novice guards, but the veterans would get suspicious quickly.  Well, this is exactly why he's practicing first.  He absolutely refuses to use magic for this part, and not only because it's much less subtle than the eyes.  He is a professional, and he has his pride.

And, he must admit, he enjoys the challenge.  Being able to say inane and insane things in the voice of his Young Master also helps encourage him, even as he has to rally his willpower against the resurging forces of smiles, hoping to achieve victory once more.