episode_0202

Even though Grattenmount’s population is small compared to other regions, it is not possible to feed them all with just the food produced from one small manor.

Humans are not creatures that can survive for a year just by eating once. They need to eat food several times a day continuously to function normally, so a very large amount of grain was needed to survive for a year after harvesting once.

So we could say that our plan had just begun.

“Unfortunately, it seems difficult to reproduce the Druid’s abilities with magic.”

Isabelle, the magician dispatched to our territory, said so.

“Well, if it had been possible to reproduce it in the first place, the magic related to it would have already been passed down to the world.”

She said that in a slightly dejected voice, but she did not lose hope.

“Well, plants are ultimately living things, so we have no choice but to work hard to increase the plants we have created. Even if we take it long, it will be much faster than what we have been increasing so far.”

At those words, I just nodded.

Well, I only know how to raise animals and plants, but I am not an expert on how to breed them. There are other people who do such work. It is much safer to leave complicated tasks to experts.

“Oh, I see.”

While we were talking, something came to mind, so I turned to Isabelle again.

“Yes?”

“What happened to the nerve vine we left behind in the forest?”

Amelia and I planted a nerve vine in the forest with a stem thick enough to lift a person. Nerve vine can be propagated by planting stems without separate seeds. I heard that it can also be propagated by roots.

If the nerve tendr had survived the last few years, its numbers would have increased significantly since we last saw it.

And seeing Isabelle’s eyes light up as soon as she heard my question, I knew before I even heard the answer that the plants had survived.

“It’s all still alive! Unfortunately, its growth rate has slowed down much more than its original state, but it survived this climate without dying. Should I say that it looks like it has ‘adapted to this climate’?”

“Is your mobility still the same?”

“It’s definitely moving. I haven’t thought about where to use it yet, but considering the characteristics of a ‘moving plant’, wouldn’t it be possible to use it somewhere someday? If you come to the royal capital, I’ll definitely show you.”

It was a sight of several thick plants writhing together.

I don’t really want to see you.

*

The place of the Magic Tower was as busy as the crown prince and the crown prince—no, in some ways, it was busier than both of them.

Although magic plays a smaller part in this world than electronic devices do in modern society, it has still become difficult to call this world simply ‘medieval’.

If you look at how the sanitary conditions of nobles in the Middle Ages were as good as those of modern times, or how problems that would have been excessively inconvenient without technological advancement were easily solved with magic, you can immediately see how important magic and the position of the Magic Tower that studies it are in this world.

Therefore, the position of chairman of a group responsible for identifying the causes of magic and creating new magic was not an easy position to move around.

But Lord Thomas’s visit to our manor was indeed of great importance—

“Please, can you try using that ability on someone at least once?”

—That doesn’t make sense.

“I think we’ve already talked about that before.”

I definitely refused.

From the beginning, I thought there was no way I could do it. But I also had no intention of trying.

“If you are uncomfortable with violating a person’s free will, we can prepare some death row inmates who will soon die.”

If a person is uncomfortable with their free will being violated, the fact itself is uncomfortable, and the fact that the other person is a death row inmate does not make them uncomfortable.

“The ability to extend the lifespan of animals and change the size of plants, so maybe—”

“If I reveal that I can manipulate all of that, my position could be at risk.”

“But that doesn’t mean burying it all—”

“Sometimes it’s better to bury it.”

At my words, it seems that Matapju can’t think of anything else to talk about.

Well, what can I do if I don’t like the only person who can cause that phenomenon? But I don’t have the power to force it.

Although I can’t say that the next king and the next emperor are really my friends, there was still a friendship that couldn’t be ignored.

In the original, the male protagonists became friends because of Adele, and in the novel, they were rivals in their own way because of Amelia, but unfortunately, in this world, they are not even such evil friends.

We can’t even talk to each other, and we’ve never even pointed swords at each other, so there’s no way they could threaten me and experiment on me when I’m friends with such high-ranking people.

“How about going to the north instead? The rampage of the barbarians has improved a lot, and more than anything, the barbarians there use magic that is completely different from the magic known so far. Things like teleportation.”

“… … .”

The Lord of the Tower stared at me in silence for a while.

He wasn’t specifically trying to blame me, but his expression was as if he was saying, ‘I’ve never thought of that.’

“… … Have you ever thought about that?”

“After all, Delkish and wizards don’t get along very well.”

To my words, Matapju responded with a somewhat serious expression.

hmm.

To be honest, that’s a one-sided feeling at the Magic Tower.

In the first place, the people of Del Kishi just don’t care. This is because the distance between Del Kishi and the royal capital where the Magic Tower is located is very far.

And Delkisi had some things to take care of right now.

“… … If I write you something like a letter of introduction, are you sure you won’t come to me?”

“Can you do that?”

Come to think of it, in Part 2 of the original work, the lord of the Magic Tower headed to the north with Adel.

Even if it was a story that sacrificed some plausibility for the sake of the second part of the story, the fact that the lord of the Magic Tower can move directly to the north for magic does not change.

Of course, such a ‘Part 2’ did not come out in this world.

“Of course, my family is still waging war in the north, so we may not have enough time… … After I have more time, I can write you an invitation on the condition that the Lord of the Magic Tower does not cause you any inconvenience.”

On the contrary, having a good wizard may be helpful in investigating the magic of barbarians.

“Oh, and I would like you to send some other wizards besides Isabelle. Progress is slow because Isabelle manages the seeds alone. Considering the future of the kingdom, wouldn’t it be better to speed up the pace a little more?”

At my words, Matapju was troubled for a moment, and then,

“… … In that case, I will try to select more wizards. So, I would like to ask you for the letter of introduction.”

I answered that way.

To be honest, it was clear that people would accept me even if I just went without an invitation, but I didn’t bother to say that.

*

“Now, even if I don’t come next to you, you know how to kick me out.”

Amelia, who came out of the mansion and watched Ma Tower go away, said as if it was amazing.

In fact, Amelia was sitting next to me while I was talking to the Lord of the Tower, but she didn’t bother to interrupt our conversation.

Well, if the magic tower lord had crossed the line, the opposition would of course have helped him.

“Have you developed political sense?”

“If that’s really true, then it’s too late. If it’s going to happen, shouldn’t it have happened when I was in the royal capital?”

Considering that I was in the royal capital for less than a year, even if I developed political acumen at that time, it would have been of little use.

… … By the way, that means that Diane and Adele were so infatuated with each other in less than a year.

Even after two years, the relationship between the two was smooth.

No, I’m not sure if it’s okay to just use the word ‘harmony’ because they always seemed to be together when we weren’t looking.

“Anyway, you did well. Our Elsie, you don’t have to worry about where you put it.”

As I said that, I glanced at Amelia, who was patting my butt with her hand.

Even when she was in the royal capital, she was a cold-looking villainess.

I gently lifted Amelia’s chin with one hand.

Amelia naturally looked up at me with a smile on her lips.

That face was very neat and beautiful.

… … His hand was still on my butt.

Well, I guess it doesn’t matter since I’m holding Amelia’s waist tightly with my other hand.

Amelia naturally closed her eyes, so I closed my eyes too.

It was better that way to get a feel for the other person.

This was a fact I had definitely learned from my experience over the past few years.