Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 94

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 94   What was lost and what was gained

The only sound echoing in the room is a clattering noise.

A long table, seemingly able to accommodate twenty people, stretches straight ahead.

On the table, there is only one person’s worth of meal.

Unlike when I lived in the village, it’s a luxurious dish.

Soft meat and tender bread, just having these makes one feel quite prosperous.

In addition, there are fresh vegetables and fruits, along with warm soup.

The soup is not lightly seasoned but has a rich and fragrant aroma.

It’s evident that various vegetables and meats have been simmered together.

Even in Japan, it seems like a dish with a considerable price tag.

I wonder what Dad would say if he saw this.

I feel like he would make a complicated expression.

Back home, considering the village and everything, he used to prefer simple dishes.

He never intended to indulge in luxury, nor did he find great joy in extravagance.

However, eating something delicious does provide energy for the day.

In my current position, a meal like this seems natural, and Winona has prepared everything.

By the way, I’ve entrusted her with some of my wages as living expenses.

Since she’s handling the management, I’m not quite sure of the details.

Winona, standing in the corner of the room, watches over my dining scene with bated breath.

“How… how is it?”

“Yeah, it’s delicious.”

Winona sighs with relief.

This is a routine occurrence.

Though, it’s only been a few days.

“Hey, hey, wouldn’t it be better if Winona eat with me too? It’s kind of dull eating alone.”

“N-no, that’s, that’s absolutely not possible! I, as a maid, cannot share a meal with Shion-sama. It’s, it’s just not done!”

And there it is.

Is it really that bad?

I was the son of a noble just a few weeks ago.

Now, I’m almost the same as a commoner.

She doesn’t need to show me that much respect.

Even after explaining that, Winona stubbornly insists it’s impossible.

It feels suffocatingly formal.

If only she could be a bit more casual with me.

But even if I tell her that, it won’t work.

She will never let me into her personal space.

Seemingly respectful, it’s the same as rejecting the other person.

I can’t help but feel a bit lonely.

It’s probably inevitable, though.

I absentmindedly survey my surroundings.

The dining hall is unnecessarily spacious.

The house assigned to me seems to have been inhabited by a reasonably wealthy noble in the past. I don’t know the details, but they were apparently a noble with business acumen who ascended to the position of a Marquis through that influence alone.

As the years went by, they retired and decided to live in seclusion in a naturally abundant rural area. Conveniently, I happened to visit the royal capital and become a Marquis, inheriting this house in the process.

As a result, the house has aged to a certain extent.

However, it has been well-maintained, and it seems livable for several more decades.

This house is vast.

Incredibly vast.

There are over a dozen rooms, unnecessarily spacious.

Only Winona and I live in this house.

Because of that, it feels quite empty.

To be honest, it’s unsettling.

It somehow makes me feel lonely.

I recall my childhood home.

It was a somewhat large house, but I think it was just right for a family of four.

Perhaps Dad built a moderately sized house for our family.

By the way, rent is automatically deducted from my wages.

Two more days until the training seminar.

It’s been three days since I talked with the queen.

After establishing a clear cooperative relationship with her, we chatted for a bit and then parted ways.

I was firmly instructed not to share this information with anyone.

Not only the world but also the country of Lystia itself is in crisis. To save it, I seem to have various things to do from now on.

I’ve heard some details, but not everything.

By the way, after the conversation with the queen, here are the three main points:

Firstly, regarding my wages.

Despite being an upper-class noble, I am not obligated to fulfill the duties of a landholding lord, and thus, I receive compensation. Nobles can either take on the responsibilities of managing their territory or engage in public service.

Well, there are also idling nobles, but each case has its reasons for being permitted.

That aside, managing the assigned territory as a lord is considered separate from public service.

The latter involves directly serving the country in roles like soldiers, knights, and civil servants.

Since I fall into the latter category, instead of receiving a portion of the taxes from my subjects, I get my income directly from the country.

In this way, I, a mere magic enthusiast, have been promoted to what is essentially a public servant.

Just like working for a demanding company, I am destined to face unreasonable requests.

Well, according to the queen, she seems to respect my opinions, so there should be improvements in the workplace.

At this stage, I believe that after completing the tasks assigned to me, I will be allowed to make those requests.

I’m contemplating various aspects of it, but for now, prioritizing the Laziness Syndrome Training Seminar would be wise.

Partly because it’s the queen’s command, but also because I have a desire to utilize this skill to help people suffering from illnesses.

The feeling that something I created can be useful to someone is indeed a source of joy.

As a side note, the salary seems to be quite substantial.

At least enough to live in a mansion, hire a maid, and have reasonably luxurious meals while only consuming about 20% of the income.

I don’t particularly value money, so the joy is not overwhelming, but having some savings could prove useful in the future.

Because of such considerations, I felt somewhat pleased. Just a bit, though.

Next, regarding Winona.

As a marquis, it’s customary to have one or two maids.

Typically, one would hire knights for personal guards or a private army, but that would make movements difficult.

Therefore, the queen chose the “most unproblematic maid” and assigned her to me as a servant.

I was instructed to inquire about her details directly from Winona.

Although I originally intended to do so, it’s still a bit awkward to pry into someone else’s personal matters.

Just one thing.

I heard that Winona seems to be of noble birth.

Well, that makes sense, given that she’s become a maid for a noble.

I assume it’s common for them to be either daughters of nobles or come from a lineage of butlers or maids.

While she is undoubtedly skilled, her personality doesn’t seem suited for a maid, and above all, she suggests being a nightly companion every day.

If this isn’t a problem, then what is?

She performs her duties well, so there’s no dissatisfaction, but there’s still a nagging feeling.

Is there some underlying reason?

Lastly, the reason for making me a marquis.

Honestly, when I heard the details, I was surprised, but strangely, I also found myself understanding.

In simple terms, there seem to be two reasons.

One is “to build a foundation by accumulating achievements and spreading my name domestically and internationally.”

As the son of an honorary noble, I’m essentially just an ordinary child without any titles. Even if I were to achieve success, the publicity effect would be weak, and it would be challenging for the world to accept me.

Being a child who rose to the rank of marquis through accomplishments is more acceptable to society than the title of a commoner’s child. Moreover, it enhances my value as a piece for dealing with other countries, especially the empire.

It’s like adding a gloss to my image.

Despite having a remarkable achievement worldwide, being the one who successfully treated Laziness Syndrome, there was significant resistance to conferring a title, especially the high-ranking title of marquis.

However, the queen seemingly decided on it somewhat forcefully.

She went to great lengths for it, but I won’t know the details of that story.

I don’t want to know about political affairs.

It’s nothing but trouble, after all.

And the second reason was that “if my status is low, the students at the Laziness Syndrome Treatment Training Seminar might not willingly seek my guidance.”

To explain this, it’s because the majority of the chosen individuals from each country are nobles.

When you think about it, rulers who consider commoners as candidates to represent their countries are quite rare, unless there’s a very special reason. Generally, they choose nobles.

There’s a significant gap between nobles and commoners, particularly in terms of education.

I’m a noble myself, and my parents were both educated. Hence, I could seek guidance from an early age. For commoners, this is challenging because there are no schools accessible to them.

One way to receive education in this world is by attending very small schools established for nobles. These are institutions that require specialized knowledge and are more like tutoring or specialized training schools.

Unlike places for mandatory education, these schools focus on gaining specialized knowledge in small groups.

The majority of nobles acquire education from private tutors or family.

Naturally, since most common families lack educated individuals, they seldom receive education. Hiring a private tutor requires a considerable amount of money, making it nearly impossible for commoners to afford.

Therefore, while it’s not absolute, it’s almost unheard of for a country to choose a commoner for representation.

All of this is hearsay from the queen.

Because of these reasons, I, as the one teaching the method of treating Laziness Syndrome, namely manipulating magic, am instructing the “chosen ones”—meaning the nobles.

Hence, I became a marquis for such reasons.

It’s absurd when you think about it conventionally.

Normally, I would start as the lowest rank, a baron.

It’s not hard to imagine the amount of resistance there was.

In any case, I was told that there are also upper-class nobles among the participants in the treatment seminar, and making me a marquis was the only option, or so they say.

There was apparently another reason, that before anything else, I had to treat the people of my own country, but it seemed like a secondary consideration.

Patients, their families, and medical professionals didn’t seem to care much whether I was a commoner or a noble.

By the way, while the conditions for the “chosen ones” were generally directed by the queen, there were some countries that ignored her instructions and made their own selections.

Age restriction is another factor.

Originally, magical abilities are present only in those below their twenties. This assumption is based on the condition of individuals found so far being below their twenties, so it’s not a definitive judgment, but the probability is high.

However, there are cases of people forcibly volunteering and entering the chosen ones, as was the case with that foolish noble, Adon.

As an aside, those obese nobles had no magical abilities whatsoever.

Lost in thought, I realized the meal had ended without my noticing.

“Thanks for the meal. It was delicious.”

I said, and silence filled the air.

Usually, there would be an immediate response here, but today there was none.

Winona seemed to be lost in thought or had her gaze fixed on the floor.

“Winona? Is something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, um, I’m sorry. W-what is it?”

“Well, I finished eating. It was delicious.”

“Ah, th-thank you very much.”

Winona bowed energetically.

Perhaps she’s tired. Even when I’m asleep, she seems to take care of things around me. I tell her to rest, but she ends up working.

I wonder what to do about that.

“If you’re feeling unwell, feel free to take a break, okay?”

“N-no! I-I’m fine. I’m in great shape, really.”

Certainly, her complexion doesn’t look bad. Her movements are agile enough that she doesn’t seem like someone with poor health. It seems like she’s not lying.

“Okay, if you say so. Well then, I’ll go back to my room.”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

I wiped my mouth with a napkin, stood up, and left the dining room with a wry smile.

Hmm, Winona is the only maid, and she has a lot of work. It might be a good idea to hire a few more. At least one more person might be needed as her assistant.

Even though I’m the only one she takes care of, the mansion is spacious. Just cleaning alone could be quite challenging. Winona is, after all, a maid chosen by the queen. It might be a good idea to consult with the queen. It won’t be easygoing, considering it’s the queen, and while unnecessary hesitation isn’t required, the relationship is not casual enough to meet without reservations.

“Well then…”

I walked down the corridor and headed to my room.

There’s nothing specific to do from now on.

That’s because everything that should be done at this point has already been completed.

First, regarding the treatment of Laziness Syndrome applicants from other countries, as mentioned by the queen, it’s already resolved. It involved less than a hundred people, and it could be finished within a few hours. That happened the day before yesterday. Since then, there haven’t been any new applicants.

While there’s a possibility of more applicants in the future, it’s not expected to be a significant number.

They didn’t express much gratitude even after being treated. There were quite a few who seemed arrogant or condescending. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a child or because I’m from Lystia.

Their demeanor was not as appreciative as the commoners who repeatedly expressed their thanks.

Perhaps that’s just how nobles are.

“And then, what I had to do.”

That is—’Preparations for the Laziness Syndrome Treatment Workshop.’

I have knowledge about treating Laziness Syndrome, and I can perform the treatment myself. However, conveying those methods verbally doesn’t mean others will be able to do it immediately. It starts with introducing the concept of magical energy, let alone releasing magical energy. Moreover, since it’s a new attempt, it’s uncertain whether it will work at all. It’s not something that can be done on the fly, and there are many necessary preparations.

In fact, when I heard about the queen’s order from Duke Balkh, he, acting as the queen’s proxy, had already conveyed to her what was needed for treating Laziness Syndrome, and the preparations were almost complete.

The queen, who had already received various reports from Duke Balkh, was well-informed about the situation. Naturally, she was knowledgeable about Laziness Syndrome, and my explanation was almost unnecessary.

Thanks to that, I expected that we both had a certain common understanding about what was needed for the Laziness Syndrome treatment workshop, and when we met, I confirmed that it wasn’t a mistake.

Due to the lack of time, the exchange was almost entirely one-sided, with me instructing Duke Balkh to compile the necessary preparations in writing. With a three-month timeframe to finalize the Laziness Syndrome treatment, I am developing various strategies. It’s honestly a gamble whether everything will go as planned…

Anyway, the preparations are almost complete. Now, all that’s left is to wait for the chosen ones from each country to gather. However, there is a concern, or rather, a worrisome aspect: the selection method. How they chose these individuals and what criteria were used.

One method to know whether they possess magical energy without my direct observation is using the Trout. By observing the Trout, if a faint light is visible, it means they have magical energy. However, that was impossible at the moment because the Trout is not in its spawning season.

The reason a Trout emits magical light is part of its mating behavior, and it only happens during the approaching spawning period. Currently, it’s not that time. Of course, if you focus your eyes, you can see the inherent magical energy in the Trout’s body. However, this is only possible for those skilled in handling magical energy or individuals with exceptional magical aptitude. In reality, besides me, no one else could see the light emanating from the Trout.

It’s a bit unsettling to claim that I have a unique aptitude, but there’s no other way to put it, and it can’t be helped. Anyway, even if there were individuals who claimed to have seen the Trout shining in the past, determining whether it’s a falsehood or the truth can only be done by someone with magical energy. In other words, if someone talks about shining even when it’s not visible, it might be judged as having magical energy.

One could conduct a test by showing Trout from different locations simultaneously and asking which one emits light. However, even that is not foolproof, and in any case, it’s impossible at this time. Judging by the Trout as a criterion introduces uncertainties.

I can’t personally observe them, so I can’t accurately determine whether they have magical energy or not. However, I don’t have the time to travel to each country for inspection, and doing something like that is unnecessary compared to inviting them to Lystia for simultaneous training.

So, how were the chosen ones selected?

On this point alone, I was at a loss. In the end, no solution came to mind. But it seemed the queen had some insights into the selection method.

Internally, I was somewhat skeptical. I thought she might have found some method since she had magical energy, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. In the end, I couldn’t get any information about the selection criteria or methods.

On the day of the magical energy identification, she simply said to look forward to that time when the magical energy would be revealed. I wasn’t looking forward to it; in fact, it made my stomach ache. If there were no individuals with magical energy, there would be nothing I could do. In such a case, there would likely be condemnation from both the various countries and internally. It wouldn’t just affect the queen but might also backlash on me.

Well, that’s fine, I guess. Feeling an odd pressure, I returned to my room and lay down on the bed.

“…I wish I could use magic…”

Even if no one was watching, using magic might be dangerous.

“J-Just a little, would, would be okay?”

While gasping for breath, I looked down at my right hand. There were still several experiments I wanted to conduct. Even during the period when I refrained from using magic, new ideas would occasionally flash through my mind. Maybe this approach could lead to the creation of a new spell, or perhaps it could evolve my existing magic. Continually experimenting and trying different things had become a part of my daily routine.

Shaking my hand as if plagued by withdrawal symptoms, I resisted the urge with a firm gritting of my teeth.

“Kuh! N-No, I must endure, endure. Just for now, just for now…”

Is it really necessary to endure? It wouldn’t matter if no one saw. That’s what I think, but I can’t break the promise with the queen. Even if no one else is watching, I am watching myself. It may be a one-sided order, and without knowing the reason, I can’t act lightly, because the queen and I have made a secret agreement.

It’s just a verbal agreement. However, it was also a pledge. Considering the reason she shared such confidential information, I can’t take it lightly. At least, not now.

The information she conveyed to me, most of it could potentially overthrow countries and shake the world. At the center of it all is me. And the queen has willingly plunged herself into this whirlpool.

I wasn’t dragged into it; I chose to be a part of it. While it might have seemed like a beacon of hope for her, it was also a path filled with hardships. My existence, the existence of Rugure, is casting a significant influence not only on the queen but also on this world.

It feels like we are already drowning in the surging tide of fate. There’s no turning back. I’m no longer the me who knew nothing and innocently studied magic. I closed my eyes. My body felt a bit heavier, but in return, I felt a surge of something from within my chest. Things lost. Things gained. Savoring those sensations, I closed off my consciousness.