The Youngest Is Preventing the End of the World

“Do we have to?”

“Because the Westmarch Alliance will be dependent on our mines.”

Tegent looked surprised at my words, but soon broke into a smirk.

“Dependence, eh. So you’re saying you’re going to use the Summa Federation as a long-term customer and unofficial ally by baiting them with quality goods?”

Oh, Tegent. If you pretend, you are pretending..

I nodded cheerfully.

“Yes. If the Westmarch Alliance is strengthened by the magic stones in our estate, they won’t be able to refuse our favours so easily in the future.”

Then we’ll be able to get any kind of magic tool we want.

“I’ll get a blue cat robot friend like this!

I smirked like a very mean villain, but quickly wiped the smile off my face.

“And most of all!”

“Of all things?”

“Because once word gets out about the quality of the Cartier estate’s crystals, the Madoe will come to us on their own, and we’ll be able to sell them.”

“……!”

Yes. So, what kind of spirit stone is ours?

It’s so good that even Lucifer, the last of the Black Membranes, wanted it.

“Of course Mado will come and line up to buy it from us!

I said, “Just like that, we’ll be able to sell them both!

“……I see.”

Tegent said, looking at me with a different gaze than Narada.

“So you already had a plan.”

“Yes, and you are exactly what I need for that plan, Tegent.”

The corner of Tegent’s eye twitched gently at my words.

“Well, since you’re willing to put it that way, I’ll see what I can do about that Zen Fogger.”

Phew! Tegent finally said he’d take the job!

I smiled broadly, happy to have crossed off an important task.

“Yeah, that’s great, Tegent, I mean Jen, good work.”

“Yes, I’ll take good care of you too, miss.”

Tegent pushed the contract towards me.

“I don’t see anything in the contract that needs to be changed, so I’d like to talk to you about business right away.”

What? He wants to talk about work right away?

Although it’s nice to be cool.

“Ah. Now that I’m officially employed, you can talk to me however you like.”

With that, Tegent pulled out a fountain pen and a notepad.

After scribbling a few quick lines, he showed it to me.

“I think you can consider this the minimum number of people we’ll need for this job from now on.”

“Including…, no, no. Hmm, including an attendant and an escort?”

“No. For the attendants, I’m going to use my usual people, but I’d rather…….”

“Yeah, I see, I guess it’s your job to get the workers.”

I stared at the numbers on the notepad.

“Yeah. workers might not be up to the job. After all, we’re transporting an enchantment stone.”

An enchantment stone is literally a stone that holds magic.

“It just looks like a colourful gemstone.

But the tools made from these stones could be used by ordinary people.

Of course, when used by an alchemist, it can produce very powerful magic.

Therefore, the value of this spirit stone far exceeded that of any gem.

‘And rumours of the discovery of such an enchantment stone on our territory have already spread across the empire! It’s spread like wildfire….’

There is no guarantee that the ships transporting them will not be attacked.

“I can use my contacts to get miners to dig it out, but I’m afraid the convoy will not be able to…….”

“I’ll take care of that. I have something in mind.”

Tegent paused at my words.

He looked at me for a moment, then nodded.

“I see, because I’m sure you already have a plan.”

Oh, to have him look at me with such faith and trust.

I felt overwhelmed, but at the same time, I was feeling …….

Anyway, Tegent and I signed the contract side by side.

After I blew on the signature to dry it.

“Oh, by the way!”

I told Tegent an important fact.

“I’m going to be in the capital from the day after tomorrow, so may I ask you to prepare the mine by yourself for a while?”

“Yes, that’s fine, but what business are you going to the capital for?”

“Uhm, to pick up people?”

“You mean ……?”

Tegent, open-mouthed and flustered.

I smirked at him.

” workers, that’s where I’m going to get them.”

“Oh, I see, that’s what you meant.”

He nodded in understanding.

‘Though there are a few other reasons besides that.

‘For one thing, we’d have to get the Emperor’s permission to say, ‘We’re going to sell you our magic stones,’ as I told El’s brother…….

And also.

‘We need to prepare a gift. A special gift for the real hero, whom we’ll be meeting soon.’

* * *

“Ugh, it’s blinding.”

It’s a midday, and the sun is blinding.

In the mountains, densely wooded in a brown colour.

I walked with my comfortable shoes.

“Lady, slow down!”

Masha, struggling to follow behind me.

Even if I didn’t have to come…….

“How can you go alone to that place where you almost got hurt!

‘How can I come alone when you say that?

‘No, but that day I was wearing a dress that was too long, and I stepped on the dress and fell down….’

And I’m glad I did, because it led me to know my past life and my future.

Anyway, for that reason, I am now taking Masha with me and we are on our way to the spirit stone mine.

And after about ten minutes of walking up the mountain, just the two of us, panting and chatting.

i arrived in front of a large, gaping cave with Masha.

“Uh, miss. Do we have to go in here?”

Masha looked into the cave with a frightened look on her face.

I took out a flashlight from the bag she was carrying.

“Yes. If you’re scared, you can stay here.”

“No! I can’t let you go alone!”

Ugh. One would think we were going somewhere very dangerous.

I’m just going into a cave with a magic stone.

“It’s okay, I’ll be right back.”

“I said no…. More than that, young lady. What on earth are you doing here? Are you ready to leave for the capital tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’m fully prepared, except for one thing I need to take from here.”

“You’re going to take it from here?”

Masha looked around with round eyes.

All she could see was a few stones, some rocks, and some wild flowers that looked like weeds.

“Ah! A spirit stone? Are you going to give it to the Emperor as a gift?”

Oh, how thoughtful are you lady!

I can’t blame her for feeling like she’s looking at me like that.

“Yeah, well, I have that, but I also want something else.”

I searched my bag for my flashlight and pulled out a shovel.

I picked up a single wildflower that looked like a weed and began to gently dig it up without damaging the roots.

“Miss, why are you picking wildflowers?”

Yes, because this is not just any wildflower.

This wildflower that people thought was a weed was actually a flower that was affected by the magic power emitted by the spirit stones.

“Although the magic it contains is very, very, very small compared to the magic of the spirit stones.

Therefore, it was actually not even considered a test material by the magicians.

It’s not edible, though, and it’s not particularly pretty.

For that reason, the flower was named tillis (useless).

But that’s only true for those who haven’t found a use for it.

“I’m going to make a fortune off of these tillis flowers, along with the spirit stones!

Gritting my teeth, I dug up another couple of roots.

Masha looked puzzled at what I was doing, but quickly wrapped the flowers in paper.

“Put all this in the bag.”

“Okay.”

What is my lady doing packing these flowers for……!

Masha’s eyes were asking that question, but I didn’t say anything.

“She wouldn’t understand right now if I told her what I was going to do with these flowers anyway.

“Okay, no more shovelling, then.”

I put my hand into the bag once more.

What popped out this time was a pickaxe a little bigger than my hand.

It was part of a set of kids’ gardening tools, so it was just the right size for my hand.

With the pickaxe in one hand and the flashlight in the other, I stepped into the cave.

“Miss, you have to be careful!”

Masha gasped, following close behind me.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I fell down once, so I know where the slippery spots are…, hehe!”

As scary as it was to sound so confident, I almost fell over…….

Luckily, this time there was no dress skirt to step on, so I didn’t fall.

……Phew, thank goodness.

“Miss, are you okay?!”

“No, I’m fine.”

Masha, who ran over in surprise, grabbed my arm and checked every inch of my body.

I patted her back, feeling sorry for startling her.

“I didn’t realise there was a mossy stone on the ground over there and almost stepped on it, but at least you didn’t fall.”

“It’s ……, sweetheart. You have to be really careful, sweetheart, I’d hate to see you hurt yourself again.”

Awww, Masha looks like she’s going to cry!

I wonder if she’s remembering the day I was found here, unconscious, and brought back to the Marquis.

Already the corners of Masha’s eyes were moist.

Looking at her like that in the old days.

‘Pfft, to pretend to care about me when I’m a paid subject!’

I thought the same mean thing, and I…….

At that moment, I was embarrassed by my past self and wondered what to say.

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