Chapter 152: Bardia Territory Begins to Move (1)
After I had shared my secret with everyone, they all became quite busy with their respective tasks. First, I asked Ellen and Alex to work on improving the “Attribute Aptitude Analyzer” and the “Charcoal Production.” (Tl Note: I don’t know what the previous translator used but from raws I get Attribute Aptitude Analyzer. I don’t think it’s hard to understand but if you want this term to be changed, provide me with the term you want to be in it.)
Although we knights handle the initial tasks like lighting the kilns and procuring wood, the ongoing management will be their responsibility. I also asked them to document the production process so that anyone can perform these tasks eventually.
When I discussed this with the two of them during a visit to their shops, they wore skeptical expressions.
“Lord Rid, is it alright for us to compile the charcoal production method into documents? It may seem presumptuous, but I think it’s better not to share the technique of charcoal production too widely.”
“I agree. Sharing such techniques in written form can attract unwanted attention. It might be better to teach it orally.”
Ellen and Alex had worried expressions as they spoke. I understood their concerns, but I smiled and reassured them.
“Don’t worry about the charcoal production. If someone can replicate it, that’s fine. What’s more important is to make the charcoal production process available as a resource for anyone. So, please, do me this favor.”
“Is that so? Well, if Lord Rid says so, we won’t mind…”
They exchanged glances at my words, wearing puzzled expressions. While observing their reactions, I asked them about the progress of the “Attribute Aptitude Analyzer” improvement.
“How is the improvement of the ‘Attribute Aptitude Analyzer’ coming along?”
“It’s going well. Sandra has been helping us, so even if someone doesn’t have the ability to use magic, they should be able to get a color reaction by touching it.”
“That’s great! I’m impressed!”
I marveled at their progress and expressed my excitement.
Ellen blushed slightly at my
enthusiastic response and, as if suddenly remembering a question, asked, “But, Lord Rid, the development costs for ‘Attribute Aptitude Analyzer’ are quite substantial, aren’t they? Compared to the items we produce like charcoal or the goods managed by Chris, it doesn’t seem to bring in much profit.”
“…It sounds like you’re implying that it’s all about money. Besides, the purpose of the ‘Attribute Aptitude Analyzer’ is still a secret, but if it succeeds, the development costs won’t matter compared to the profit, right?”
“…So, it’s indeed about money.”
Ellen smirked slightly at my response.
I shrugged my shoulders and returned a “Well, what can you do?” expression.
It wasn’t unreasonable for them to have questions. In this world, “magic” is mostly used by nobles, the military, adventurers, and only a select few. The main reason for its limited use is the lack of education and infrastructure for magic, especially for non-nobles.
While some countries have magical research institutions, I doubt there are any nations that offer “magical education” to people of all social classes.
Furthermore, even among nobles, the understanding and proficiency in magic vary greatly among individual spellcasters.
In the past, as Sandra had told me, nobles learn magic primarily as a means of self-defense, and they often don’t delve deep into it unless they have a close association with combat. It seemed like a waste.
The reason I had Ellen and Alex create the “Attribute Aptitude Analyzer” was to address this issue. I planned to use the analyzer to evaluate the aptitude of people for different attributes and then provide them with a magical education program that Sandra and her team had developed.
After that, I could teach the magic I had developed, enabling various applications like public projects and charcoal production. If this endeavor succeeded, it would likely change the perception of magic. I was excited about the prospect, and a mischievous smile crept onto my face.
At that moment, Ellen commented with a puzzled expression, “Lord Rainer… you’re making a somewhat sinister smile.”
“What? No way!”
I quickly changed my expression, but Ellen sighed, looking exasperated.
“Please, try not to do anything reckless. Lord Rid and Lady Deanna are always worried about you, you know?”
“Yeah, I’ll be careful.”
After the detailed discussions with Ellen and Alex, I returned to the mansion that day.
A few days later, I had a meeting with Sandra in the mansion’s reception room. She sat across from me, grinning with enthusiasm.
“Lord Rid, I’ve managed to contact most of the people I used to work with during my time as a director.”
“Really? How do they seem? Are they likely to come to Bardia?”
I asked eagerly, my eyes filled with a mixture of hope and anxiety. In response, Sandra grinned confidently, almost smug.
“Hehe, they’re definitely coming! Who wouldn’t want to work in such wonderful research… I mean, the environment? And if they know they’ll receive support for their research, there’s no reason for them to decline.”
“I see… I’m curious about what you told them about me, but if they’re coming, that’s a relief. I was worried because they had a bad experience with the nobility in the Imperial Capital. I wasn’t sure how they’d react.”
“Oh, about that, I assured them that there wouldn’t be any issues. They all said they want to come if it means they can pursue their research in a supportive environment.”
It’s not like Sandra is pursuing her own research whimsically or anything. I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious, but I was relieved to hear that they were willing to join.
Even with the “Attribute Aptitude Analyzer” determining their attribute aptitude, we would still need a capable team of teachers to provide magical education. I knew that relying solely on Sandra and me would result in a shortage of personnel.
That’s why I had my eye on Sandra’s former subordinates from when she was the director at the Imperial Capital’s research institute. They were talented individuals who had been brought to the capital due to their exceptional abilities, but they had ended up resigning because of resentment from the nobility.
I believed that having them work on research and serve as educators would be a tremendous asset.
I listened to Sandra’s words and let out a somewhat exasperated sigh. “Sigh… Just to clarify, not everything is about ‘research,’ you know? Right now, my top priority is my mother’s condition. Don’t forget that.”
“Hehe, don’t worry. The research I want to do is based on your instructions, Lord Rid. I’m not lying about that. I look forward to continuing my work.”
She responded with a mischievous grin to my somewhat stern remark.
I continued the discussion about the “magic education program” despite my earlier irritation.
After a while, Sandra adopted an unusually serious tone and cleared her throat. I wondered what was going on.
“Ahem… Lord Rid, on another note, regarding the experimental reagent for Lady Nanae, while we don’t have all the details yet, it seems to be having some effect.”
“What? Really?”
Her words made me lean forward involuntarily, my eyes wide with anticipation. Sandra nodded and continued with a smile.
“Yes. However, it’s not a guaranteed solution. Up until now, even with the magic recovery potions, her mana had been steadily decreasing. But since she started taking this experimental reagent, we’ve noticed a slowdown in the rate of mana depletion. If we continue with both treatments, we can expect some recovery in her mana.”
“Wow… That’s great…”
I let out a deep sigh of relief, allowing my body to sink into the sofa. Softly, I muttered to myself, “Finally… finally, there’s a glimmer of hope…”
The magic recovery potions couldn’t provide a complete cure, and we didn’t know how long their effects would last. There was always the possibility of her condition deteriorating rapidly.
I had been anxious every day, visiting my mother’s room and engaging in trivial conversations, hoping for a miracle.
The Lenarute Grass had shown potential, but I still carried that lingering worry. (Tl Note: I don’t know if Lenarute is the correct translation or not. I don’t know if it was mentioned before or what previous translator used. So if this isn’t correct, please tell me the correct translation.)
Now, finally, there was a ray of hope. I felt my eyes welling up with tears of joy, which I quickly wiped away with the sleeve of my robe.
“Hehe… Thank you, Sandra. This might be the happiest news I’ve received in a long time.”
“Yes, I’m also delighted to bring you this news. As we learn more about the details, I’ll report back to you. Please be patient for a little longer.”
“Of course… Thank you.”
Once our meeting concluded, Sandra immediately relayed the good news to my father.
He received it with a stern expression, muttering, “I see… At least we can breathe a sigh of relief for now.”
Then he excused himself to his office, likely not wanting others to see his emotions. I imagined his characteristic behavior, and in my room alone, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
