Three men were returning to the dilapidated building that served as their hideout, in preparation for returning to their home country. They had to report about the risks of using the ‘Evil God Stone’ to increase their military strength.
They used mercenaries to put to test the power of the Evil God Stone, but all four of them became hideous freaks that devoured every living being they came across with. It was more likely that it would destroy their country instead of helping increase its might.
In such hideout, a hooded magician revealed himself. They were all about to draw their weapons until they recognized his familiar appearance.
“Oya, did something happen? For you to be in such a hurry… might they have, by any chance, discovered you fellows?”
“No. They shouldn’t have been able to detect us. Still, we have to report what happened to the country by any means.”
“What is the matter? Is it something I, as a researcher, wouldn’t be able to understand?”
“It’s that stone. It turns humans into monsters. It’s too dangerous.”
Hearing that, a joyous smile could be seen surfacing on the only part of the magician’s face not covered by his hood.
“It was as expected, huh? But… No, I see… So they turned into monsters…”
“Isn’t it bad!?”
“No. If the stone was that effective on its own, then I wonder if a small amount could be made into a powder and be administered, and expect to be as effective.”
“You’re still planning to use that thing!?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Let me be blunt, would a small country like yours, my dear friends, be able to lord over other realms without it?”
Their country was a poor one. It didn’t have blooming trade or industry, and neither any local specialties to boast about. Their only way to survive was to invade other countries as they have done in the past. But despite all of that, the risk of using the Evil God Stone was too high.
“There is no risk at all. You fellows don’t have to use it, you know? You just have to spread it to other countries.”
“What?”
“We’ll be damned if that thing is spread around the world!”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“It will be enough with unleashing chaos inside the enemy nations… until they self-destruct, that is.”
Spreading such dangerous things around the world would be an utterly foolish thing to do, however, there are still people who live in poverty in their country. If they don’t somehow do something to improve the situation, their country will disappear.
“Shall we use the organization in the shadows then? Yes… So that they can sip on that sweet nectar, isn’t it?”
“What are you enriching these criminals for!? Have you thought what would happen if when we can’t keep them in check anymore?”
“I assure you that it will be alright. I will do my best on that front, but after that, I would like for you fellows to lend me your strength, in which case, everything will proceed smoothly from that moment onwards.”
“I doubt things will just work out well…”
“People obsessed with money truly don’t care about such trifling things like the lives of others, isn’t it? They will certainly move above my expectations… fufufu…”
They were left with no choice. If they don’t manage to make a decisive blow soon, their country will pass into oblivion.
“Can’t be helped then. I will have to go inform His Majesty I guess… I trust that you won’t go acting on your own.”
“Leave that part to me. I will leave the preparations to you, so I’m expecting good news, alright?”
After saying that, the magician left the hideout.
“What a suspicious man.”
“But it’s true that our country has gotten better because of that guy, I don’t wanna admit it though…”
“He’s sharp but can’t be trusted. I can’t help but think he’s dangerous.”
Despite being secret agents themselves, they didn’t trust the black-robed magician. They didn’t know what he was planning as he didn’t seem to have any ambitions.
But for the time being, they didn’t have other choice but wait and see. The magician’s knowledge was useful to that extent.
The men soon split up, with one of them taking the task of reporting back to the country.
With the fate of their country in their hands, they had no choice.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Even if I pull and pull, the number doesn’t decrease at all. Just look at my hands.”
Zeros, who was mowing the grass on his field while donned in a farmer’s outfit, was fed up with his current situation. He went to his part-time job to work on a bridge for around two weeks, and when he came back, he found his field covered in overgrown grass.
He could barely even make out where the crops were, so he started mowing the grass around, and now he was cleanly pulling out the weeds close to them.
He used the civil engineering magic 【Gaia Control】 to do most of the heavy labor, but the small details had to be done by hand and there was no way to completely get rid of the grass that would grow back again in a single day’s time.
He was short on manpower.
Using a multi-purpose, triangle-shaped sickle he was carefully thinning out the weeds, however, after a single day small buds sprout again, and after three more days, they grow to a considerable height.
Despite trying to cut the weeds into very small pieces to make humus, they grew faster than the rate at which he could make the fertilizer.
He had no idea where the roots and seeds were, but they were completely ready to turn his fields into grasslands as soon as Zeros gave them time to grow, and within a month they would surely turn them into a virgin forest.
“How are these plants so goddamned strong…”
He loved to do farm work, but it was annoying to have new patches of weeds sprout like that every day. It was too much for him to do alone.
While he was smoking a cigarette he looks towards the direction of his house and sees a couple of knights and an elderly man standing there.
It was old man Creston with a few knights in tow as his escorts.
“Creston-san, it’s been a while. What’s going on?”
“It’s been a while, indeed. I just came to drop off something for you and also see how you were doing.”
“A delivery? I wonder what it is.”
“My grandson Kreuz sent a report about the magic medium ring you gave him earlier.”
“Ah! Right, I did request him to do such a thing…”
He had completely forgotten about it until now. The magic mediums – two rings and a bracelet – that he originally made as prototypes. In any case, he wasn’t going to use them, so he handed the bracelet to Celestina and the two rings to Zweit and his brother respectively, and then requested them to try the magic mediums out and write a report about their comfortableness.
The thing was, he didn’t expect that they would actually write and send him a report.
“May I read it now?”
“Umu. It’s so like him to not write a letter about how he’s been doing. He only sent the report, you know?”
“Is his mind only filled with research? …Let’s take a look then…”
The report was written in an extremely detailed manner. From the magic casting efficiency to the approximate mana consumption. From there, a conclusion was drawn from the low operational burden on the user to the increased power of the spells –– it was filled to the brim with the most minute details.
Though, in the end, it could be translated as ‘I liked it, I’ll be using it again in the future.‘
It seems like his prototype was well received.
“Fumu. Apparently he liked it. It’s all about the creator’s grace.”
“Maybe I’d need some of these mediums made for me too. I’m sure I’ll need them soon enough…”
“Hm? Why, are you going to fight somewhere?”
“No, no. It’s just to get rid of some insects… Yes, those disgusting insects that gather around the flowers, kukuku…”
Creston was deploying his protegé spies here and there. For example, at the Istor Magic Academy, though he has people with special abilities that could get information even from a remote land.
Naturally, he also has collected information concerning his beloved granddaughter. That’s right, the students at the academy that have feelings for Celestina…
At the same time, inside the Magic Academy’s auditorium, a student suddenly felt chills…
Zeros felt that he was thinking about disturbing things but dare not say a word about it. He must have judged that nothing good was going to come out of it.
Though the knights waiting behind him were taken aback by their Lord’s behavior. They also seemed to be going through their fair share of hardships.
“If it’s something to that extent it will be an easy task. Even if you hadn’t bothered to come personally, you could have sent me a message and I would have come to visit you, though.”
“No, this is nothing much, I also had another small business with you.”
“A small business? What do you…?”
“I would like you to let me use the magic characters’ deciphering method you taught to Celestina.”
He had only taught Zweit and Celestina how to decipher magic characters. And now, Creston was basically asking for new people to be taught.
“You want me to teach you the method?”
“No, no. I’ve been able to read them to some extent recently. It seemed like Tina was quite excellent at teaching things, too.”
The old man was staring at Zeros with a grand and innocent smile.
Nevertheless, if that were the case, then it wasn’t clear why he asked Zeros for the method.
“Umm… Then, you wanted to earn my approval, isn’t it?”
“Naturally! You’re the only Sage in this world. I also need your opinion if I want to spread it across the world, don’t you think?”
“Such a thing? Setting aside my own original formulas, I wouldn’t mind if it’s just teaching how to decipher ordinary magic formulas, you know?”
“Hou, is it really fine?”
“As long as they’re not abused, that is. This kind of information is something that will eventually spread to others, not that it can be hidden in the first place.
For example, even if a husband keeps the fact that he drove his wife to commit suicide a secret, it will still get out from her family, friends, coworkers, and eventually, the people around her will find out. After all, who can hold other people’s tongues?* Likewise, eventually, the method of deciphering magic characters will spread and become known to the whole world.”
(*T.N: 人の口に戸は立てられぬ[hito no kuchi ni to wa taterarenu], literally ‘you can’t put up a door on a person’s mouth,’ meaning that you can’t stop rumors from spreading. the more you know.)
“That’s a pretty specific example, isn’t it?”
“It’s just an analogy, alright? Well, it’s a fairly well-known story, you see.”
Confidential information is something that will eventually become known with the passage of time.
Certainly, if the contents are convenient, they will spread in the blink of an eye, however, that’s only a fleeting thing, and it will depend on the person’s sense of ethics whether what they say continues to be transmitted throughout their lifetime.
(*T.N: didn’t quite get it, 確かにどうでも良い内容は一瞬で広がるが一過性のもので、人の倫理観に基づく物はどう云う訳か一生涯世間に伝わり続けたりもする。)
In addition, the deciphering method of the magic characters is a matter of great importance in the present day in this world, to the extent that people will go at each others’ throats to obtain it.
It’s only to be expected that there will be some people engaged in espionage activities in order to steal such information, and even if they thwart them, it’s not difficult to imagine that information will inevitably leak from the inside.
“Certainly, State secrets might leak to other countries before we realize. But, does this mean that you’re okay with people knowing the deciphering method?”
“My formulas made from 0s and 1s are dangerous, but if it’s an old-fashioned one that can’t be compressed, then I don’t think there will be any problems, seeing that they’ve been around for a long time and all, isn’t it?”
“I swear I can’t understand your original magic formulas. Tina wrote down as many as she could remember and showed them to me, but I had no clue what was going on in them.”
“It’s better if you don’t know, alright? It’s still too early to tell but I’m sure someone will eventually figure out how they work. More importantly, though, Celestina-san was able to remember – albeit partly – those formulas?”
“She’s a brilliant girl, after all. Aside from that, do you plan on leaving the mystery of those magic formulas or…”
“It’s just going to be too troublesome to teach. And, probably no one will understand them, and it will be several hundreds of years before they start to.”
(*T.N: ok big brain momento)
In a specific magic formula, no matter how you do it, the 56 magic characters that compose them are difficult to compress. It’s not impossible, but the combined management of things like the power and mana of the formula itself would require a colossal amount of magic characters to be written down.
This was a prevalent issue in the magic of the past. It was difficult to put into words a phenomenon or a particular reaction, and sometimes, they had to struggle to write down things that could not be expressed into words.
The binary magic formulas were composed of a long string of 0s and 1s, however, the problem was that there was no one in this world that could understand them. Though, in a way, that might be a blessing.
Even if they were capable of deciphering them, they would need to make some sort of technique similar to a computer terminal in order to interpret and compose them, which would require a great deal of time and effort.
The middle-aged Zeros would be able to decrease that process by half, but he didn’t want to spread that technology, as he was aware of the danger that would bring about the creation of another wide-range annihilation magic.
Well, he will still probably make it if he feels the need to…
“There’s also another matter I would like to discuss with you, but not in this place, if possible.”
“I apologize for that. Let’s go inside, then. I will serve you a cold drink.”
“Hou? A cold drink, is it?”
“I can’t offer much in terms of hospitality, but it would be better to discuss that topic inside, though I may not be helpful if it’s a complicated matter.”
“Is that so. Well, it’s just going to be a small talk about money.”
Zeros invites Creston and his knights’ escorts inside his home.
His house was bigger than what one would expect with seven rooms remaining empty. He mainly used two of the rooms on the east side of the house, the kitchen, and the living room.
Even if he leaves one spare room unused, and two rooms for a wife and children in the future, he will still end up with four vacant rooms remaining.
Aside from the rooms previously mentioned, he only used the basement, which was converted into a storage room where he now stored the desiccator and various farming equipment.
The desiccator wasn’t being used as there wasn’t any rice yet, so it was, unfortunately, serving as only a decoration.
“Please wait for a moment. I will serve you a drink immediately.”
Zeros went to the kitchen, brought out a few cups, and then poured in the chilled ale from his homemade beer server. It had a slightly dark color and a fruity aroma accompanied by sparkling white bubbles.
This ale was made to be as closer as a lager as possible after listening to the dwarves’ opinions.
It was great to have as a drink in between work.
He also made honey-flavored mead, but seeing as it was expensive, he had it stored in the fridge.
In this world, besides these two types of drinks, wine was the most popular, while cereals were rarely made into other types of alcohol such as sake or shochu. Although dwarves were mainly the ones to use them to brew alcohol given that they had a hanker for drinking, it was actually not very popular to do so.
Incidentally, there were crops similar to potatoes in this world as well.
The method to make alcohol from it was to chew the boiled potato for a while, mixing it with saliva, and spit it out to then let it ferment for a while. And, although some indigenous tribes were making alcohol like that, seeing it in person would make anyone lose their will to drink it.
In this world, mountain dwarves practiced this kind of method.
Elves mainly made grape, honey, or fruit wine. They loved to drink a little at a time between farm work and other activities and were a surprisingly heavy drinker race.
Both were races that loved work, drinking, and festivals.
“Alcohol at noon? Well, I suppose it’s fine, but …Nuh? It’s cold.”
“I don’t particularly like warm ale, so I chill them like this to keep them fresh. If you drink it when it’s hot outside, it’s surprisingly delicious, you know!”
“Fumu… It’s the first time I’ve experienced this. Interesting, indeed.”
“There’s enough for the knights over there, so go ahead and try it.”
It was the first time drinking cold ale for Creston as well. In the first place, despite the existence of magic, this world had a relatively low technological level.
Magic was simply a means for offense and defense, no one really thought about using magic to increase the general standard of living.
The knights looked at each other in puzzlement.
“…Is it really fine?”
“We’re still on duty, wouldn’t it be bad?”
“But we’re being treated, if we don’t drink, wouldn’t it be rude?”
They were faithful to their duties. They did occasionally drink on their breaks, but not during working hours. Therefore, they were somewhat reluctant.
“I don’t mind, you know? It would be rude to decline here, and besides, it’s a valuable experience.”
“…Then, I’ll take your word for it, my Lord.”
“Ohh… It truly looks well chilled.”
“Cold ale, huh? This is a first.”
Creston and the knights take a sip of the chilled ale.
““““!?””””
A feeling of coldness that they have never felt until now wraps them up.
The sweet, fruity taste, combined with the carbonation after it was chilled, created a refreshing sensation that was completely novel to them, soaking into their bodies.
A refreshing sensation went down their throats.
“Delicious! It’s just chilled, but it tastes so good…!”
“There’s no way we’ll be able to go back to the same ale we’ve been drinking after this!”
“Yeah, lukewarm ale seems like just a sickly-sweet drink now.”
“Incredible. I though ale was just a cheap drink, but when it’s chilled like this… How refreshing!”
As magic and magic tools were just used as a means of protecting and attacking, no one ever thought of using magic in this way. Their common sense was utterly shattered, and they also got a glimpse of a new world.
“Was this chilled with a magic tool? I would really want one…”
“The technology itself is fairly straightforward, you know? It simply reduces the temperature to lower the rate at which foodstuffs go bad. Anyone can make it.”
“Sure, it might be simple, but then why did no one think of doing it before?”
“Isn’t it because of the perception that magic is only a means for fighting? It can be convenient for our daily life depending on how we use it, but since the conception of magic is that is can only be used to wage wars, probably no one ever research such technology, don’t you think?”
“The study of magic that enriches our lives… No, magic tools! Yes, that’s a fine idea!”
Creston’s faction is a combat-oriented one, created under the premise of a possible war, as well as the reconciliation with the Chivalric Order.
However, if he adds the research of lifestyle-improving technology, the profits would be so enormous that it would be possible to overtake all the other factions at once. Even if the design itself is simple, the profits will increase accordingly if it’s widely spread.
At the same time, magicians dissatisfied with the rest of the factions will come to his, which in turn will accelerate the research on said magical technology even further.
“But how do you keep it cool? The ice will start melting immediately, though.”
“I put a tank of water inside a metallic container and then I froze it; the resulting cold air is what will cool down things. It only requires enough mana to be able to freeze water, so even a small magic stone might be enough for it to work.”
“But you need to be a magician to accumulate mana in a magic stone, right? Wouldn’t that be a little harsh for regular people?”
“If it’s just a formula that lowers the temperature, then it can be engraved on a small magic stone without any issues, and anyone would be able to replenish the mana even if they aren’t magicians. It’s not something so complicated, really.”
Not only magicians had the capability of pouring mana. This could be said about all life in this world, as every living being is born with the ability to instinctively manipulate mana.
Even wild animals were capable of using magic to enhance their physical capabilities, so it wasn’t impossible for humans to do so as well…
“Certainly. But the question is how much mana does it need…”
“If you have enough mana to use the spell 〖Ice〗 then you should be able to have it work for a couple of days at least. Though, it depends on how big the refrigerator is.”
“How big is the one you use? I’d like to see it for reference’s sake.”
“Ah, it’s in the kitchen. I will show you around if you wish.”
Taking Creston along with him to his kitchen, Zeros points to a randomly placed refrigerator in the corner of one of the pillars.
It had a simple structure, with only a metal door with bricks placed around it. Likewise, the interior was simple, with a water tank at the top, and shelves to separate the items to be stored by type.
The meat was placed on the top shelf, where the coldest air circulated through, in the middle, there were ale barrels, and in the bottom, there were vegetables and other miscellaneous goods.
“This is it. It’s surprisingly small, isn’t it?”
“Certainly… If it’s around this size, then I think it will probably be okay. I’ll tell my subordinates about it later.”
“I think I will be able to make large-scale ones eventually, but for now, this size is appropriate.”
“Large-scale? I see, you’re talking about a warehouse! Goods transported through the river from long distances will rot over time, this could prevent it from happening, right?”
“It could be, indeed, installed on board of a ship, but it would have to possess some sort of cold resistance, or else the ship will freeze over.”
“How interesting! However, I would still have to make arrangements to have a number of magicians available.”
Creston faction – Solisthea – is currently wholly preoccupied with other ventures, namely, the magic scroll manufacturing.
Ordinary magicians don’t have a vast amount of knowledge, so even if they were to be hired, they wouldn’t be able to replicate or improve the magic formula.
Skilled magicians who are also skilled mercenaries can be important war assets, and because they’re in such a great demand even amongst mercenaries, they cannot be recruited into the army, leaving no choice but to train other less skilled magicians.
In that case, it would be better to gather the graduates from the Istor Magic Academy and create a new organization, however, there weren’t many magicians that wanted to work with the knights.
With a shortage of both manufacturing and combat-related positions, Creston was having difficulties securing personnel.
“Do magicians tend to be unemployed if they have mediocre skills?”
“There are a lot of people who are mediocre in both combat and production skills even after graduating from the Academy. Most become alchemists, but because medicinal herbs are hard to come by, they often end up working ordinary jobs.”
“What about magic tools manufacturing? There seems to be a high demand, after all.”
“Because their price is so high, low-ranked mercenaries can’t afford them, and even if there are magicians capable of making them, they still won’t sell. Middle-ranked mercenaries would be able to afford them, but seeing as they are expensive and pretty much disposable, they don’t buy them. Truthfully, it’s not a profitable business.”
The world was a harsh place for magicians.
“Why not make magic tools for the general public then? I don’t get it.”
“Even in the Istor Magic Academy, the perception that magicians are only a combat profession still persists. The Saint-Germain faction, which focuses entirely on magic research, has only been researching new ways to fight in battles. They have no desire to create such useful tools.”
“Well, the factions themselves are run by nobles, aren’t they…? I guess it’s no wonder why they have never thought of making that kind of magic tools.”
The factions’ officials seem to also have brawns for brains.
Because the factions are run by the aristocracy, they inevitably turn towards research and means of increasing their power for the sake of national defense.
But in a way, that was also an opportunity for Creston. If he were to create a faction supported by the people, he would easily obtain the power to kick the other factions around.
Due to the fact that he originally belongs to a Duke’s House, just having more power doesn’t mean much to him, but gaining tremendous authority amongst the magicians would make it easier for reforms to pass through.
However, the problem still remained – the shortage of personnel – which at this point, Creston was considering even hiring ruining magicians to work for him.
“Well then, about the sale of refrigerators. We can even cut costs by using the cheapest magic stones available. Add to that the dwarves who will do the metalworking, and a contractor for the installation work personnel, a large-scale operation at the level of an organization will be required, am I correct?”
“Thereupon, we’ll need to create a magicians’ association, and be able to dispatch them to the person that placed a commission. We’ve been looking for human resources for that purpose, but to no avail.”
“I see, so it all boils down to the salaries, isn’t it? Everyone wants to live comfortably, after all.”
“For that reason, I’d like to have this refrigerator manufactured…but, how much do you reckon it will cost?”
“Let’s see… I think it’s quite cheap to make, but I wouldn’t be able to give you an exact number since I made it myself.”
To begin with, he wasn’t interested in the retail price for magic tools as he could make them himself and had no intention to sell them to others.
Perhaps because of this, Zeros pay no attention to money.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll talk to Dale who knows the price of this sort of thing better than I do.”
“By the way, you mentioned before that you wanted to talk about money… I’m curious regarding what is it about.”
“I had to deliver your share of the proceeds from the sale of the magic scrolls, but the amount turned out to be a bit outrageous, so that’s why I came personally.”
“Proceeds? Ah, yes… The royalties, right? But, just how much outrageous are we talking about?”
“It’s written on this paper. Please take a look here.”
He unfolds the piece of paper that Creston handed to him, his eyes turning to dots as he did so. There were more zeros than he has ever seen before.
The Solisthea Chamber of Commerce mobilizes all of its magicians to produce the magic scrolls and then sells them to various places. Though, the magician in charge of their production must be experiencing hell.
“…Umm… Well, there are a lot of zeros on here. I only optimized the magic for the Academy, right?”
“That’s the amount. You’ve done that much, you know?”
“I could live the rest of my life with this amount of money… honestly, it’s a bit scary.”
“Nevertheless, I need you to accept it. This money is your legitimate compensation.”
Zeros was feeling dizzy at the amount of money in front of him. He was thinking of working steadily to make a living, but for some reason, an amount of money large enough to play around with for the remaining of his days came rolling at his feet. He had the feeling that, as a person, he might turn in the wrong direction.
“Also, I’m sure the amount will keep increasing. What you make is just that good.”
“With so much money I’ll most likely end up as a morally depraved person. I have no way of using it.”
“However, please take it. It’s your legitimate compensation. If you refuse it, that DelSasis will probably end up being charged with a crime, you know?”
“Oh… Jesus.”
(*T.N: said in english)
In all honesty, Zeros could make as much money as he wanted to. However, large amounts of money weren’t needed to have a leisure life, and even if he had such an amount, he didn’t have many uses for it.
As he was thinking of some way of using that money, he suddenly saw the roof of the church through his window and a brilliant idea came to mind.
“Can I donate this money?”
“Donate it? Where to?”
“To the orphanage, you see. With this, we can hire the orphans as a charity and pay them money so they understand the meaning of work.”
“Nu!?”
Even Creston was surprised by that. It was a welfare measure, so to speak. By putting orphans who were on the verge of becoming criminals to work, they will be on a path to live a decent life.
Originally, it would have been the Lord’s duty to do so, however, the tax money was finite, and he couldn’t divert the assets he made as a merchant without a long and tedious process to be able to donate it.
However, Zeros’ payment was a different matter. Since it was his own private money, he could use it to help the orphans without any sort of restraints.
“Also, I would appreciate if you could give some pocket money for the old people who can no longer work. I would like to ask you that.”
“Fumu… And what will you have the children do?”
“That’s right… How about having them split up to collect and clean up the city’s trash? Glass bottles can be recycled, and organic trash can be burned to ashes and then be used as fertilizer.”
“I see… So they’re not put in the orphanage just to receive an education.”
“Some children dislike the orphanage, and if the elderly are also sent in carriages to mow the grass on the nearby rural areas, wouldn’t that be a nice way for them to make some earnings?”
The orphanage is certainly an institution for orphans, but the city is still full of other children who have no family.
Abandoned by their parents or stowed away on ships, they grew in numbers and stayed in the old city district. On rare occasions, children are found starving to death in alleyways and are sometimes buried in unmarked graves.
Such tragedies could be prevented.
“I’m not saying that I will save everyone… I know I am a hypocrite… but, I want to put the money I won’t spend to good use.”
“That’s plenty. Man is not God, so you should do what you can.”
“Oh, and please give priority to weeding out my fields. I was in a bit of a problem because I had no manpower.”
“So that was your purpose… Well, that’s fine too. I’m grateful for this as well.”
Thus, the way to use his money was quickly decided.
After this moment, the welfare fund, which would later be called ‘Merlin Fund,‘ was established.
This welfare measure, which started with an idea, would later spread throughout the country by the hands of many nobles and merchants.
No one knew that behind all was the figure of an old man whose thoughts were bent in a strange direction.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“I want to talk to you about something.”
“Hou… A donation for the children, is it? It’s also an interesting business model to pay them regularly depending on the work done.”
After he talked to his son – DelSasis – about the conversation with Zeros earlier in the day, the current lord exhales in admiration.
The amount of money paid to Zeros was more than what a single person could spend on their lifetime.
The magic scrolls were selling well to that extent, but what was more surprising, was the fact that he was going to donate part of the proceedings from the sale of said scrolls, which goes to show how selfless and undesiring the Great Sage was. Though, in fact, he possessed greed, but it was so insignificant that no one would think of him as a greedy person.
“But, it really is a good way of using money. And the idea of not wanting more money than what one needs is great as well.”
“He truly just wants to live in peace, doesn’t he? Self-sufficiency is his priority.”
“And, the refrigerator, was it? This is interesting. It’s fantastic that it’s also easy to make. It only needs a magic stone capable of producing ice magic. It will become very useful to taverns and restaurants.”
“How would we price them?”
“Depending on the container’s size, the size of the magic stone will also have to change accordingly. We’ll start selling the smaller ones first and we’ll see what happens.”
Their plan to crush the magician factions had already begun. While everyone’s eyes were on power, they were cunningly and quickly moving behind the scenes.
The first step of the plan was the sale of magic scrolls. The refrigerators will become the second step.
Moreover, the patent application was filed on the same day, and even if someone wanted to make it, they would have to ask for permission from the Duke of Solisthea. Anyone who tries to copy it and sell it will end up in a trial.
In addition, the Duke’s House had such an impressive defense that they couldn’t even be challenged.
“Is he also donating part of his proceeds from the refrigerator?”
“That’s right. That’s what he said.”
“I want to gather more manpower, but we can’t interfere with them. The enemy is capable of anything.”
“Umu… And, how is it going with that other matter?”
“It’s going well. Count Jacbuckham will be replaced in the near future, and with that, we will crush one of the main sources of income of the Weissler faction.”
The Count, who forged the king’s order and built the bridge without his permission, had also funneled most of the taxes he squeezed from the people to the Weissler faction. In other words, even the taxes paid to the government were falsified, so he was not spared the death penalty.
In this country, nobles held hereditary positions, but in reality, they were as fragile as the civil servant’s.
Any act that went against the country’s laws could bring upon the offender a severe punishment on top of their disqualification from their official post.
However, the Count’s younger brother had a high approval from the people, so DelSasis was plotting to make him the next Count.
“Merciner, was it? Is he a talented individual?”
“He can’t use magic, but he’s a member of the Chivalric Order, so he’ll help us with our plan.”
“The same as Tina, huh? …But, it would be reassuring to have him as an ally.”
“Yes. He’s a well-known face in the Order, as well as being someone who can endanger the position of the Weissler faction.”
The Weissler faction had a bad reputation amongst the populace, and recently they have become very active.
Not only they are responsible for criminal acts, but also for petty misdemeanors, such as theft and dining without paying.
“What does the Saint-Germain faction say?”
“That they’re not interested. Well, we’ll just have to wait and see… which one will end up being the most profitable…”
“Seriously, it’s better to not be hostile with them right now… but, when will the second stage start?”
“We can move as early as next week. Let’s get her to help us with that.”
The two marquesses* worried about their country were plotting behind the scenes.
(*T.N: no clue why it says marquess instead of dukes; 国を憂う侯爵二人は、静かに暗躍している。)
They were advancing quietly and smoothly so that by the time they realize, it would be already too late for them.
“I wonder if Candy will be able to help us…”
“It’s better if you don’t say that name out loud, Father. She’ll sulk for a while and won’t come out of her room.”
“Why did she choose a poisonous plant’s name, though? I think it’s quite tasteless.”
“Well, it’s a mystery for me too, Father. But let’s leave it at that for today, I have to hurry…”
“Another woman? I wonder how many times I’ve warned you that you will get stabbed to death one day…”
“That’s how I live my life. I’d rather be killed by a woman.”
Creston sighs while lamenting his son’s education.
This man amongst men was making his parents cry.
He could only pray that his son would not be stabbed to death before their plan is fulfilled.
Three men were returning to the dilapidated building that served as their hideout, in preparation for returning to their home country. They had to report about the risks of using the ‘Evil God Stone’ to increase their military strength.
They used mercenaries to put to test the power of the Evil God Stone, but all four of them became hideous freaks that devoured every living being they came across with. It was more likely that it would destroy their country instead of helping increase its might.
In such hideout, a hooded magician revealed himself. They were all about to draw their weapons until they recognized his familiar appearance.
“Oya, did something happen? For you to be in such a hurry… might they have, by any chance, discovered you fellows?”
“No. They shouldn’t have been able to detect us. Still, we have to report what happened to the country by any means.”
“What is the matter? Is it something I, as a researcher, wouldn’t be able to understand?”
“It’s that stone. It turns humans into monsters. It’s too dangerous.”
Hearing that, a joyous smile could be seen surfacing on the only part of the magician’s face not covered by his hood.
“It was as expected, huh? But… No, I see… So they turned into monsters…”
“Isn’t it bad!?”
“No. If the stone was that effective on its own, then I wonder if a small amount could be made into a powder and be administered, and expect to be as effective.”
“You’re still planning to use that thing!?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Let me be blunt, would a small country like yours, my dear friends, be able to lord over other realms without it?”
Their country was a poor one. It didn’t have blooming trade or industry, and neither any local specialties to boast about. Their only way to survive was to invade other countries as they have done in the past. But despite all of that, the risk of using the Evil God Stone was too high.
“There is no risk at all. You fellows don’t have to use it, you know? You just have to spread it to other countries.”
“What?”
“We’ll be damned if that thing is spread around the world!”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“It will be enough with unleashing chaos inside the enemy nations… until they self-destruct, that is.”
Spreading such dangerous things around the world would be an utterly foolish thing to do, however, there are still people who live in poverty in their country. If they don’t somehow do something to improve the situation, their country will disappear.
“Shall we use the organization in the shadows then? Yes… So that they can sip on that sweet nectar, isn’t it?”
“What are you enriching these criminals for!? Have you thought what would happen if when we can’t keep them in check anymore?”
“I assure you that it will be alright. I will do my best on that front, but after that, I would like for you fellows to lend me your strength, in which case, everything will proceed smoothly from that moment onwards.”
“I doubt things will just work out well…”
“People obsessed with money truly don’t care about such trifling things like the lives of others, isn’t it? They will certainly move above my expectations… fufufu…”
They were left with no choice. If they don’t manage to make a decisive blow soon, their country will pass into oblivion.
“Can’t be helped then. I will have to go inform His Majesty I guess… I trust that you won’t go acting on your own.”
“Leave that part to me. I will leave the preparations to you, so I’m expecting good news, alright?”
After saying that, the magician left the hideout.
“What a suspicious man.”
“But it’s true that our country has gotten better because of that guy, I don’t wanna admit it though…”
“He’s sharp but can’t be trusted. I can’t help but think he’s dangerous.”
Despite being secret agents themselves, they didn’t trust the black-robed magician. They didn’t know what he was planning as he didn’t seem to have any ambitions.
But for the time being, they didn’t have other choice but wait and see. The magician’s knowledge was useful to that extent.
The men soon split up, with one of them taking the task of reporting back to the country.
With the fate of their country in their hands, they had no choice.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Even if I pull and pull, the number doesn’t decrease at all. Just look at my hands.”
Zeros, who was mowing the grass on his field while donned in a farmer’s outfit, was fed up with his current situation. He went to his part-time job to work on a bridge for around two weeks, and when he came back, he found his field covered in overgrown grass.
He could barely even make out where the crops were, so he started mowing the grass around, and now he was cleanly pulling out the weeds close to them.
He used the civil engineering magic 【Gaia Control】 to do most of the heavy labor, but the small details had to be done by hand and there was no way to completely get rid of the grass that would grow back again in a single day’s time.
He was short on manpower.
Using a multi-purpose, triangle-shaped sickle he was carefully thinning out the weeds, however, after a single day small buds sprout again, and after three more days, they grow to a considerable height.
Despite trying to cut the weeds into very small pieces to make humus, they grew faster than the rate at which he could make the fertilizer.
He had no idea where the roots and seeds were, but they were completely ready to turn his fields into grasslands as soon as Zeros gave them time to grow, and within a month they would surely turn them into a virgin forest.
“How are these plants so goddamned strong…”
He loved to do farm work, but it was annoying to have new patches of weeds sprout like that every day. It was too much for him to do alone.
While he was smoking a cigarette he looks towards the direction of his house and sees a couple of knights and an elderly man standing there.
It was old man Creston with a few knights in tow as his escorts.
“Creston-san, it’s been a while. What’s going on?”
“It’s been a while, indeed. I just came to drop off something for you and also see how you were doing.”
“A delivery? I wonder what it is.”
“My grandson Kreuz sent a report about the magic medium ring you gave him earlier.”
“Ah! Right, I did request him to do such a thing…”
He had completely forgotten about it until now. The magic mediums – two rings and a bracelet – that he originally made as prototypes. In any case, he wasn’t going to use them, so he handed the bracelet to Celestina and the two rings to Zweit and his brother respectively, and then requested them to try the magic mediums out and write a report about their comfortableness.
The thing was, he didn’t expect that they would actually write and send him a report.
“May I read it now?”
“Umu. It’s so like him to not write a letter about how he’s been doing. He only sent the report, you know?”
“Is his mind only filled with research? …Let’s take a look then…”
The report was written in an extremely detailed manner. From the magic casting efficiency to the approximate mana consumption. From there, a conclusion was drawn from the low operational burden on the user to the increased power of the spells –– it was filled to the brim with the most minute details.
Though, in the end, it could be translated as ‘I liked it, I’ll be using it again in the future.‘
It seems like his prototype was well received.
“Fumu. Apparently he liked it. It’s all about the creator’s grace.”
“Maybe I’d need some of these mediums made for me too. I’m sure I’ll need them soon enough…”
“Hm? Why, are you going to fight somewhere?”
“No, no. It’s just to get rid of some insects… Yes, those disgusting insects that gather around the flowers, kukuku…”
Creston was deploying his protegé spies here and there. For example, at the Istor Magic Academy, though he has people with special abilities that could get information even from a remote land.
Naturally, he also has collected information concerning his beloved granddaughter. That’s right, the students at the academy that have feelings for Celestina…
At the same time, inside the Magic Academy’s auditorium, a student suddenly felt chills…
Zeros felt that he was thinking about disturbing things but dare not say a word about it. He must have judged that nothing good was going to come out of it.
Though the knights waiting behind him were taken aback by their Lord’s behavior. They also seemed to be going through their fair share of hardships.
“If it’s something to that extent it will be an easy task. Even if you hadn’t bothered to come personally, you could have sent me a message and I would have come to visit you, though.”
“No, this is nothing much, I also had another small business with you.”
“A small business? What do you…?”
“I would like you to let me use the magic characters’ deciphering method you taught to Celestina.”
He had only taught Zweit and Celestina how to decipher magic characters. And now, Creston was basically asking for new people to be taught.
“You want me to teach you the method?”
“No, no. I’ve been able to read them to some extent recently. It seemed like Tina was quite excellent at teaching things, too.”
The old man was staring at Zeros with a grand and innocent smile.
Nevertheless, if that were the case, then it wasn’t clear why he asked Zeros for the method.
“Umm… Then, you wanted to earn my approval, isn’t it?”
“Naturally! You’re the only Sage in this world. I also need your opinion if I want to spread it across the world, don’t you think?”
“Such a thing? Setting aside my own original formulas, I wouldn’t mind if it’s just teaching how to decipher ordinary magic formulas, you know?”
“Hou, is it really fine?”
“As long as they’re not abused, that is. This kind of information is something that will eventually spread to others, not that it can be hidden in the first place.
For example, even if a husband keeps the fact that he drove his wife to commit suicide a secret, it will still get out from her family, friends, coworkers, and eventually, the people around her will find out. After all, who can hold other people’s tongues?* Likewise, eventually, the method of deciphering magic characters will spread and become known to the whole world.”
(*T.N: 人の口に戸は立てられぬ[hito no kuchi ni to wa taterarenu], literally ‘you can’t put up a door on a person’s mouth,’ meaning that you can’t stop rumors from spreading. the more you know.)
“That’s a pretty specific example, isn’t it?”
“It’s just an analogy, alright? Well, it’s a fairly well-known story, you see.”
Confidential information is something that will eventually become known with the passage of time.
Certainly, if the contents are convenient, they will spread in the blink of an eye, however, that’s only a fleeting thing, and it will depend on the person’s sense of ethics whether what they say continues to be transmitted throughout their lifetime.
(*T.N: didn’t quite get it, 確かにどうでも良い内容は一瞬で広がるが一過性のもので、人の倫理観に基づく物はどう云う訳か一生涯世間に伝わり続けたりもする。)
In addition, the deciphering method of the magic characters is a matter of great importance in the present day in this world, to the extent that people will go at each others’ throats to obtain it.
It’s only to be expected that there will be some people engaged in espionage activities in order to steal such information, and even if they thwart them, it’s not difficult to imagine that information will inevitably leak from the inside.
“Certainly, State secrets might leak to other countries before we realize. But, does this mean that you’re okay with people knowing the deciphering method?”
“My formulas made from 0s and 1s are dangerous, but if it’s an old-fashioned one that can’t be compressed, then I don’t think there will be any problems, seeing that they’ve been around for a long time and all, isn’t it?”
“I swear I can’t understand your original magic formulas. Tina wrote down as many as she could remember and showed them to me, but I had no clue what was going on in them.”
“It’s better if you don’t know, alright? It’s still too early to tell but I’m sure someone will eventually figure out how they work. More importantly, though, Celestina-san was able to remember – albeit partly – those formulas?”
“She’s a brilliant girl, after all. Aside from that, do you plan on leaving the mystery of those magic formulas or…”
“It’s just going to be too troublesome to teach. And, probably no one will understand them, and it will be several hundreds of years before they start to.”
(*T.N: ok big brain momento)
In a specific magic formula, no matter how you do it, the 56 magic characters that compose them are difficult to compress. It’s not impossible, but the combined management of things like the power and mana of the formula itself would require a colossal amount of magic characters to be written down.
This was a prevalent issue in the magic of the past. It was difficult to put into words a phenomenon or a particular reaction, and sometimes, they had to struggle to write down things that could not be expressed into words.
The binary magic formulas were composed of a long string of 0s and 1s, however, the problem was that there was no one in this world that could understand them. Though, in a way, that might be a blessing.
Even if they were capable of deciphering them, they would need to make some sort of technique similar to a computer terminal in order to interpret and compose them, which would require a great deal of time and effort.
The middle-aged Zeros would be able to decrease that process by half, but he didn’t want to spread that technology, as he was aware of the danger that would bring about the creation of another wide-range annihilation magic.
Well, he will still probably make it if he feels the need to…
“There’s also another matter I would like to discuss with you, but not in this place, if possible.”
“I apologize for that. Let’s go inside, then. I will serve you a cold drink.”
“Hou? A cold drink, is it?”
“I can’t offer much in terms of hospitality, but it would be better to discuss that topic inside, though I may not be helpful if it’s a complicated matter.”
“Is that so. Well, it’s just going to be a small talk about money.”
Zeros invites Creston and his knights’ escorts inside his home.
His house was bigger than what one would expect with seven rooms remaining empty. He mainly used two of the rooms on the east side of the house, the kitchen, and the living room.
Even if he leaves one spare room unused, and two rooms for a wife and children in the future, he will still end up with four vacant rooms remaining.
Aside from the rooms previously mentioned, he only used the basement, which was converted into a storage room where he now stored the desiccator and various farming equipment.
The desiccator wasn’t being used as there wasn’t any rice yet, so it was, unfortunately, serving as only a decoration.
“Please wait for a moment. I will serve you a drink immediately.”
Zeros went to the kitchen, brought out a few cups, and then poured in the chilled ale from his homemade beer server. It had a slightly dark color and a fruity aroma accompanied by sparkling white bubbles.
This ale was made to be as closer as a lager as possible after listening to the dwarves’ opinions.
It was great to have as a drink in between work.
He also made honey-flavored mead, but seeing as it was expensive, he had it stored in the fridge.
In this world, besides these two types of drinks, wine was the most popular, while cereals were rarely made into other types of alcohol such as sake or shochu. Although dwarves were mainly the ones to use them to brew alcohol given that they had a hanker for drinking, it was actually not very popular to do so.
Incidentally, there were crops similar to potatoes in this world as well.
The method to make alcohol from it was to chew the boiled potato for a while, mixing it with saliva, and spit it out to then let it ferment for a while. And, although some indigenous tribes were making alcohol like that, seeing it in person would make anyone lose their will to drink it.
In this world, mountain dwarves practiced this kind of method.
Elves mainly made grape, honey, or fruit wine. They loved to drink a little at a time between farm work and other activities and were a surprisingly heavy drinker race.
Both were races that loved work, drinking, and festivals.
“Alcohol at noon? Well, I suppose it’s fine, but …Nuh? It’s cold.”
“I don’t particularly like warm ale, so I chill them like this to keep them fresh. If you drink it when it’s hot outside, it’s surprisingly delicious, you know!”
“Fumu… It’s the first time I’ve experienced this. Interesting, indeed.”
“There’s enough for the knights over there, so go ahead and try it.”
It was the first time drinking cold ale for Creston as well. In the first place, despite the existence of magic, this world had a relatively low technological level.
Magic was simply a means for offense and defense, no one really thought about using magic to increase the general standard of living.
The knights looked at each other in puzzlement.
“…Is it really fine?”
“We’re still on duty, wouldn’t it be bad?”
“But we’re being treated, if we don’t drink, wouldn’t it be rude?”
They were faithful to their duties. They did occasionally drink on their breaks, but not during working hours. Therefore, they were somewhat reluctant.
“I don’t mind, you know? It would be rude to decline here, and besides, it’s a valuable experience.”
“…Then, I’ll take your word for it, my Lord.”
“Ohh… It truly looks well chilled.”
“Cold ale, huh? This is a first.”
Creston and the knights take a sip of the chilled ale.
““““!?””””
A feeling of coldness that they have never felt until now wraps them up.
The sweet, fruity taste, combined with the carbonation after it was chilled, created a refreshing sensation that was completely novel to them, soaking into their bodies.
A refreshing sensation went down their throats.
“Delicious! It’s just chilled, but it tastes so good…!”
“There’s no way we’ll be able to go back to the same ale we’ve been drinking after this!”
“Yeah, lukewarm ale seems like just a sickly-sweet drink now.”
“Incredible. I though ale was just a cheap drink, but when it’s chilled like this… How refreshing!”
As magic and magic tools were just used as a means of protecting and attacking, no one ever thought of using magic in this way. Their common sense was utterly shattered, and they also got a glimpse of a new world.
“Was this chilled with a magic tool? I would really want one…”
“The technology itself is fairly straightforward, you know? It simply reduces the temperature to lower the rate at which foodstuffs go bad. Anyone can make it.”
“Sure, it might be simple, but then why did no one think of doing it before?”
“Isn’t it because of the perception that magic is only a means for fighting? It can be convenient for our daily life depending on how we use it, but since the conception of magic is that is can only be used to wage wars, probably no one ever research such technology, don’t you think?”
“The study of magic that enriches our lives… No, magic tools! Yes, that’s a fine idea!”
Creston’s faction is a combat-oriented one, created under the premise of a possible war, as well as the reconciliation with the Chivalric Order.
However, if he adds the research of lifestyle-improving technology, the profits would be so enormous that it would be possible to overtake all the other factions at once. Even if the design itself is simple, the profits will increase accordingly if it’s widely spread.
At the same time, magicians dissatisfied with the rest of the factions will come to his, which in turn will accelerate the research on said magical technology even further.
“But how do you keep it cool? The ice will start melting immediately, though.”
“I put a tank of water inside a metallic container and then I froze it; the resulting cold air is what will cool down things. It only requires enough mana to be able to freeze water, so even a small magic stone might be enough for it to work.”
“But you need to be a magician to accumulate mana in a magic stone, right? Wouldn’t that be a little harsh for regular people?”
“If it’s just a formula that lowers the temperature, then it can be engraved on a small magic stone without any issues, and anyone would be able to replenish the mana even if they aren’t magicians. It’s not something so complicated, really.”
Not only magicians had the capability of pouring mana. This could be said about all life in this world, as every living being is born with the ability to instinctively manipulate mana.
Even wild animals were capable of using magic to enhance their physical capabilities, so it wasn’t impossible for humans to do so as well…
“Certainly. But the question is how much mana does it need…”
“If you have enough mana to use the spell 〖Ice〗 then you should be able to have it work for a couple of days at least. Though, it depends on how big the refrigerator is.”
“How big is the one you use? I’d like to see it for reference’s sake.”
“Ah, it’s in the kitchen. I will show you around if you wish.”
Taking Creston along with him to his kitchen, Zeros points to a randomly placed refrigerator in the corner of one of the pillars.
It had a simple structure, with only a metal door with bricks placed around it. Likewise, the interior was simple, with a water tank at the top, and shelves to separate the items to be stored by type.
The meat was placed on the top shelf, where the coldest air circulated through, in the middle, there were ale barrels, and in the bottom, there were vegetables and other miscellaneous goods.
“This is it. It’s surprisingly small, isn’t it?”
“Certainly… If it’s around this size, then I think it will probably be okay. I’ll tell my subordinates about it later.”
“I think I will be able to make large-scale ones eventually, but for now, this size is appropriate.”
“Large-scale? I see, you’re talking about a warehouse! Goods transported through the river from long distances will rot over time, this could prevent it from happening, right?”
“It could be, indeed, installed on board of a ship, but it would have to possess some sort of cold resistance, or else the ship will freeze over.”
“How interesting! However, I would still have to make arrangements to have a number of magicians available.”
Creston faction – Solisthea – is currently wholly preoccupied with other ventures, namely, the magic scroll manufacturing.
Ordinary magicians don’t have a vast amount of knowledge, so even if they were to be hired, they wouldn’t be able to replicate or improve the magic formula.
Skilled magicians who are also skilled mercenaries can be important war assets, and because they’re in such a great demand even amongst mercenaries, they cannot be recruited into the army, leaving no choice but to train other less skilled magicians.
In that case, it would be better to gather the graduates from the Istor Magic Academy and create a new organization, however, there weren’t many magicians that wanted to work with the knights.
With a shortage of both manufacturing and combat-related positions, Creston was having difficulties securing personnel.
“Do magicians tend to be unemployed if they have mediocre skills?”
“There are a lot of people who are mediocre in both combat and production skills even after graduating from the Academy. Most become alchemists, but because medicinal herbs are hard to come by, they often end up working ordinary jobs.”
“What about magic tools manufacturing? There seems to be a high demand, after all.”
“Because their price is so high, low-ranked mercenaries can’t afford them, and even if there are magicians capable of making them, they still won’t sell. Middle-ranked mercenaries would be able to afford them, but seeing as they are expensive and pretty much disposable, they don’t buy them. Truthfully, it’s not a profitable business.”
The world was a harsh place for magicians.
“Why not make magic tools for the general public then? I don’t get it.”
“Even in the Istor Magic Academy, the perception that magicians are only a combat profession still persists. The Saint-Germain faction, which focuses entirely on magic research, has only been researching new ways to fight in battles. They have no desire to create such useful tools.”
“Well, the factions themselves are run by nobles, aren’t they…? I guess it’s no wonder why they have never thought of making that kind of magic tools.”
The factions’ officials seem to also have brawns for brains.
Because the factions are run by the aristocracy, they inevitably turn towards research and means of increasing their power for the sake of national defense.
But in a way, that was also an opportunity for Creston. If he were to create a faction supported by the people, he would easily obtain the power to kick the other factions around.
Due to the fact that he originally belongs to a Duke’s House, just having more power doesn’t mean much to him, but gaining tremendous authority amongst the magicians would make it easier for reforms to pass through.
However, the problem still remained – the shortage of personnel – which at this point, Creston was considering even hiring ruining magicians to work for him.
“Well then, about the sale of refrigerators. We can even cut costs by using the cheapest magic stones available. Add to that the dwarves who will do the metalworking, and a contractor for the installation work personnel, a large-scale operation at the level of an organization will be required, am I correct?”
“Thereupon, we’ll need to create a magicians’ association, and be able to dispatch them to the person that placed a commission. We’ve been looking for human resources for that purpose, but to no avail.”
“I see, so it all boils down to the salaries, isn’t it? Everyone wants to live comfortably, after all.”
“For that reason, I’d like to have this refrigerator manufactured…but, how much do you reckon it will cost?”
“Let’s see… I think it’s quite cheap to make, but I wouldn’t be able to give you an exact number since I made it myself.”
To begin with, he wasn’t interested in the retail price for magic tools as he could make them himself and had no intention to sell them to others.
Perhaps because of this, Zeros pay no attention to money.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll talk to Dale who knows the price of this sort of thing better than I do.”
“By the way, you mentioned before that you wanted to talk about money… I’m curious regarding what is it about.”
“I had to deliver your share of the proceeds from the sale of the magic scrolls, but the amount turned out to be a bit outrageous, so that’s why I came personally.”
“Proceeds? Ah, yes… The royalties, right? But, just how much outrageous are we talking about?”
“It’s written on this paper. Please take a look here.”
He unfolds the piece of paper that Creston handed to him, his eyes turning to dots as he did so. There were more zeros than he has ever seen before.
The Solisthea Chamber of Commerce mobilizes all of its magicians to produce the magic scrolls and then sells them to various places. Though, the magician in charge of their production must be experiencing hell.
“…Umm… Well, there are a lot of zeros on here. I only optimized the magic for the Academy, right?”
“That’s the amount. You’ve done that much, you know?”
“I could live the rest of my life with this amount of money… honestly, it’s a bit scary.”
“Nevertheless, I need you to accept it. This money is your legitimate compensation.”
Zeros was feeling dizzy at the amount of money in front of him. He was thinking of working steadily to make a living, but for some reason, an amount of money large enough to play around with for the remaining of his days came rolling at his feet. He had the feeling that, as a person, he might turn in the wrong direction.
“Also, I’m sure the amount will keep increasing. What you make is just that good.”
“With so much money I’ll most likely end up as a morally depraved person. I have no way of using it.”
“However, please take it. It’s your legitimate compensation. If you refuse it, that DelSasis will probably end up being charged with a crime, you know?”
“Oh… Jesus.”
(*T.N: said in english)
In all honesty, Zeros could make as much money as he wanted to. However, large amounts of money weren’t needed to have a leisure life, and even if he had such an amount, he didn’t have many uses for it.
As he was thinking of some way of using that money, he suddenly saw the roof of the church through his window and a brilliant idea came to mind.
“Can I donate this money?”
“Donate it? Where to?”
“To the orphanage, you see. With this, we can hire the orphans as a charity and pay them money so they understand the meaning of work.”
“Nu!?”
Even Creston was surprised by that. It was a welfare measure, so to speak. By putting orphans who were on the verge of becoming criminals to work, they will be on a path to live a decent life.
Originally, it would have been the Lord’s duty to do so, however, the tax money was finite, and he couldn’t divert the assets he made as a merchant without a long and tedious process to be able to donate it.
However, Zeros’ payment was a different matter. Since it was his own private money, he could use it to help the orphans without any sort of restraints.
“Also, I would appreciate if you could give some pocket money for the old people who can no longer work. I would like to ask you that.”
“Fumu… And what will you have the children do?”
“That’s right… How about having them split up to collect and clean up the city’s trash? Glass bottles can be recycled, and organic trash can be burned to ashes and then be used as fertilizer.”
“I see… So they’re not put in the orphanage just to receive an education.”
“Some children dislike the orphanage, and if the elderly are also sent in carriages to mow the grass on the nearby rural areas, wouldn’t that be a nice way for them to make some earnings?”
The orphanage is certainly an institution for orphans, but the city is still full of other children who have no family.
Abandoned by their parents or stowed away on ships, they grew in numbers and stayed in the old city district. On rare occasions, children are found starving to death in alleyways and are sometimes buried in unmarked graves.
Such tragedies could be prevented.
“I’m not saying that I will save everyone… I know I am a hypocrite… but, I want to put the money I won’t spend to good use.”
“That’s plenty. Man is not God, so you should do what you can.”
“Oh, and please give priority to weeding out my fields. I was in a bit of a problem because I had no manpower.”
“So that was your purpose… Well, that’s fine too. I’m grateful for this as well.”
Thus, the way to use his money was quickly decided.
After this moment, the welfare fund, which would later be called ‘Merlin Fund,‘ was established.
This welfare measure, which started with an idea, would later spread throughout the country by the hands of many nobles and merchants.
No one knew that behind all was the figure of an old man whose thoughts were bent in a strange direction.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“I want to talk to you about something.”
“Hou… A donation for the children, is it? It’s also an interesting business model to pay them regularly depending on the work done.”
After he talked to his son – DelSasis – about the conversation with Zeros earlier in the day, the current lord exhales in admiration.
The amount of money paid to Zeros was more than what a single person could spend on their lifetime.
The magic scrolls were selling well to that extent, but what was more surprising, was the fact that he was going to donate part of the proceedings from the sale of said scrolls, which goes to show how selfless and undesiring the Great Sage was. Though, in fact, he possessed greed, but it was so insignificant that no one would think of him as a greedy person.
“But, it really is a good way of using money. And the idea of not wanting more money than what one needs is great as well.”
“He truly just wants to live in peace, doesn’t he? Self-sufficiency is his priority.”
“And, the refrigerator, was it? This is interesting. It’s fantastic that it’s also easy to make. It only needs a magic stone capable of producing ice magic. It will become very useful to taverns and restaurants.”
“How would we price them?”
“Depending on the container’s size, the size of the magic stone will also have to change accordingly. We’ll start selling the smaller ones first and we’ll see what happens.”
Their plan to crush the magician factions had already begun. While everyone’s eyes were on power, they were cunningly and quickly moving behind the scenes.
The first step of the plan was the sale of magic scrolls. The refrigerators will become the second step.
Moreover, the patent application was filed on the same day, and even if someone wanted to make it, they would have to ask for permission from the Duke of Solisthea. Anyone who tries to copy it and sell it will end up in a trial.
In addition, the Duke’s House had such an impressive defense that they couldn’t even be challenged.
“Is he also donating part of his proceeds from the refrigerator?”
“That’s right. That’s what he said.”
“I want to gather more manpower, but we can’t interfere with them. The enemy is capable of anything.”
“Umu… And, how is it going with that other matter?”
“It’s going well. Count Jacbuckham will be replaced in the near future, and with that, we will crush one of the main sources of income of the Weissler faction.”
The Count, who forged the king’s order and built the bridge without his permission, had also funneled most of the taxes he squeezed from the people to the Weissler faction. In other words, even the taxes paid to the government were falsified, so he was not spared the death penalty.
In this country, nobles held hereditary positions, but in reality, they were as fragile as the civil servant’s.
Any act that went against the country’s laws could bring upon the offender a severe punishment on top of their disqualification from their official post.
However, the Count’s younger brother had a high approval from the people, so DelSasis was plotting to make him the next Count.
“Merciner, was it? Is he a talented individual?”
“He can’t use magic, but he’s a member of the Chivalric Order, so he’ll help us with our plan.”
“The same as Tina, huh? …But, it would be reassuring to have him as an ally.”
“Yes. He’s a well-known face in the Order, as well as being someone who can endanger the position of the Weissler faction.”
The Weissler faction had a bad reputation amongst the populace, and recently they have become very active.
Not only they are responsible for criminal acts, but also for petty misdemeanors, such as theft and dining without paying.
“What does the Saint-Germain faction say?”
“That they’re not interested. Well, we’ll just have to wait and see… which one will end up being the most profitable…”
“Seriously, it’s better to not be hostile with them right now… but, when will the second stage start?”
“We can move as early as next week. Let’s get her to help us with that.”
The two marquesses* worried about their country were plotting behind the scenes.
(*T.N: no clue why it says marquess instead of dukes; 国を憂う侯爵二人は、静かに暗躍している。)
They were advancing quietly and smoothly so that by the time they realize, it would be already too late for them.
“I wonder if Candy will be able to help us…”
“It’s better if you don’t say that name out loud, Father. She’ll sulk for a while and won’t come out of her room.”
“Why did she choose a poisonous plant’s name, though? I think it’s quite tasteless.”
“Well, it’s a mystery for me too, Father. But let’s leave it at that for today, I have to hurry…”
“Another woman? I wonder how many times I’ve warned you that you will get stabbed to death one day…”
“That’s how I live my life. I’d rather be killed by a woman.”
Creston sighs while lamenting his son’s education.
This man amongst men was making his parents cry.
He could only pray that his son would not be stabbed to death before their plan is fulfilled.
