Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Even a Treacherous Subject Has Uses
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One week later, the capital.
He could have arrived faster if he had ridden Alterio, but Beonald was currently carrying a massive amount of baggage in his unfinished subspace storage backpack, so he had to return to the capital on foot and by sprinting.
Total trip duration: two weeks. As he saw the capital's walls for the first time in a while, Beonald felt a sense of relief that he had finally arrived, thinking he could now relax and rest.
And he immediately let Alterio rest comfortably in the secret mansion.
"Whew~ We finally made it. But… something feels off?"
It was the same Deren's commercial building he always visited, but something about it had changed.
Should he say the style had subtly changed? Or that it had become more sturdy? Some parts of the style had changed, but Deren was distinctly a Shanam, a southern desert people. No matter how long he lived in the capital, he hadn't forgotten his traditions, using many tents for structures beyond the main building, but much of that had disappeared.
"…Did they do some renovation work? Strange. But the craftsmanship… is very good."
Having overseen large-scale construction so many times, Beonald had developed some expertise in architecture. Seeing that the condition of the new stonework and woodwork was excellent, he thought Deren had chosen his contractors well and headed toward the underground laboratory he always used.
'…Did they renovate the interior too? Oh… the pattern on the tiles and bricks… no, wait, these are paintings, aren't they? That must have taken a lot of work! Wow~'
The secret passage leading to the laboratory was originally made of wood and creaked every time he walked through it, but suddenly it was neatly paved with tiles engraved with paintings.
Moreover, the path leading underground had become much easier to traverse, and the secret passage was no longer much of a secret.
'That guy Deren must have spent a fortune. Huh?'
"Lord Beonald!"
"Lord Beeeonard! You've finally returned!"
"Whew… If you hadn't come back by today, I was going to have to run away. Thankfully, you're back."
And when he descended into the laboratory, familiar faces greeted him.
Sein, Heidi, Selina. Sein and Heidi immediately ran and hugged him upon seeing Beonald, while Selina placed a hand on her chest and sighed as if a weight had been lifted.
They all shared the same feeling of relief at Beonald's safe return.
"By the way, what on earth have you been doing?"
"Take your gifts first."
"No, answer first… Wh-what is this?"
"A magical tool from the Unified Empire era. It's about 500 years old. It doesn't function, but if you research the magic formulas inscribed on it, you might find something useful."
Beonald reached into his backpack, pulled something out, and tossed it over. Selina's face scrunched up.
What Beonald handed over was a lump that looked like twisted metal plates forcibly mashed together—something that looked like it should be thrown back into a furnace and turned into an iron ingot.
"Something useful…? Besides, my specialization is elemental studies, you know."
"Was it? I don't recall you mentioning it… And elemental studies?"
"…Well, I never told you either."
"Still, they're formulas, so researching them will be helpful. And if push comes to shove, it's mithril, so you can sell it for research funds."
It looked like scrap, but at the word "mithril," Selina's eyes instantly changed, and she began to examine this lump of metal waste again.
It was painted a strange color, so she hadn't noticed earlier, but looking at a cross-section, it really was mithril.
So even if the formula research didn't go well, she could still secure research funds as Beonald said.
"Here, Sein, a bracelet enchanted with Vitality Activation. Wearing it while sleeping will help with fatigue recovery. Since your body isn't as sturdy as ours who have mastered Aura, you need to take special care. Normally, if you store it in this box with magic stones, it will recharge. Heidi… here, a necklace. There's nothing particularly hanging from it… but I brought it because it seemed to suit you."
"Wait! Isn't that blatant favoritism?"
"Their positions are different, so naturally, their treatment must differ."
"Ugh!"
Selina was left speechless by Beonald's shameless and straightforward words.
This man always drew a harsh line between people and applied that standard strictly.
The difference between inside and outside the 'Garden.' Even after spending time together and cooperating, he clearly distinguished between his own people and business partners. It couldn't be called unfair, but it certainly didn't sit right with her.
"More importantly, where's Vesia? I don't see her. Was she taken away while I was gone?"
"Ah… that…"
"I don't know. I don't know anything. I'm just an individual outside the Garden anyway."
"Ah~ She went to work."
'…Why is everyone acting like this?'
Except for Sein, the other two turned their heads away with dark expressions as if they wanted to avoid the topic, but just as the saying goes 'speak of the devil,' heavy footsteps began echoing from the passage, growing closer.
Hearing the sound, the two women broke into a cold sweat, not knowing what to do, while Sein merely smiled.
Wondering who could be approaching so boisterously, Beonald looked toward the passage with disbelief.
"I'm back~! Huh? Lord Beonald, you're here?"
"…Ves… ia?"
"Yes! Thanks to you, life has been really enjoyable lately, it's Vesia!"
"……."
Could a person's change happen so abruptly?
Of course, there were cases where people changed due to special triggers, events, or shocks, but most were negative.
The once stoic and serene lake-like princess now radiated vitality like a shining sun, wearing a bright smile.
"No… that state?"
"Ah, I just came from work. Slaves have to work, you know."
Vesia answered with a bright smile, but Beonald's shock didn't subside.
Her appearance consisted of thick pants embedded with dust, dirt, wood chips, pebbles, etc., leather boots reinforced with iron plates, a belt hung with various tools, and a pouch filled with nails that stood out.
Her upper clothing was also soaked with sweat and slightly discolored to a yellowish hue. It was the fashion commonly seen among construction site laborers.
"…Don't tell me since then… all along?"
"Yes."
"I see……."
"You've worked hard. Let's head to the shower first. It's not too late to talk after washing up."
Sein, unaware that Vesia was Princess Zelcy, led her away—not upstairs, but toward the shower facility that had been installed inside this laboratory.
And looking more carefully, not only were the rough construction jobs he had left all finished, but the miscellaneous piled-up antiques had been organized, and various pieces of furniture he hadn't seen before were now in place. Excluding the fact that it was underground, it had already been completed into an excellent facility.
"Don't tell me she… did all this?"
"Yes. After you left for that ruin, Her Highness seemed to develop curiosity about various skills including carpentry and started tackling them one by one. Before we knew it, she was visiting the capital's Carpenter's Guild, Stonemason's Guild, and Blacksmith's Guild, learning skills, and then… this…"
"No, how is that even possible?"
It's the same in any field, but guild masters don't easily teach their livelihood skills to others.
Only their children or apprentices who have worked under them for decades might steal a glance, or they might consider teaching them only if they recognize their talent or ability. How on earth did Vesia manage to steal those skills in such a short time?
"Well, when I heard about it… it was an astonishing method."
"What was it?"
"She borrowed money from me and clothes from Lady Selina, then went to the guilds pretending to commission work, saying she wanted to observe the process as part of social studies… and she went to watch them work frequently, they said."
"Ah… I think I understand how."
Vesia—no, Zelcy—had utilized her appearance and bearing 100%.
Only her hair color was changed, but her unblemished beauty. Certainly, if she dressed properly, anyone would think she was a young lady from a good family.
Then, the guild masters wouldn't dare imagine that this girl, who was paying a hefty sum to commission work, had come to steal their techniques. With the perfect excuse of 'social studies' to understand commoners' lives, they would have proudly showcased their skills and enthusiastically explained the principles.
"I see… I think I get it. Given her comprehension, she probably didn't need to watch more than once or twice, and for practical testing… this place was littered with opportunities, so it wasn't impossible. And she only needed to commission work once or twice per field to understand… Moreover, looking closely, that's a furnace over there."
"Yes. Do you know what's even more frightening? She resold the items she bought through commissions… through that merchant Deren… at double the price. Haah~"
"No, how… Ah! I roughly understand. She packaged them as… personally used items, right?"
"Oh! As expected of Lord Beonald! You saw right through it. So she used the profit to buy materials and carried out construction, and in no time… Ah, of course, Lady Selina and I helped too."
"Indeed……."
A person's appearance is another name for talent and ability.
Many might deny it, but reality is cruel, and in this world's reality, there are plenty of nobles with perverse tastes who would pay more for items used by a beautiful girl than for new ones.
Beonald, being from that world—or rather, a person of that world—could quickly deduce the sales strategy.
'…So outstanding individuals stand out wherever they go, huh?'
"Whew~ That feels refreshing. A cold beer here would be perfect!"
"Vesia! Put on proper clothes! Lord Beonald is here right now!"
Not becoming dissolute or wasting her talent after gaining freedom, but wisely carving out her own life—this was the style Beonald admired most.
However, in a way, seeing her now—barely covering her upper body with a towel while wearing casual pants—he felt a complicated emotion, as though he had corrupted that once serene and dignified princess.
"So… should we have stopped her? Lord Beonald?"
"No, how beautiful is the sight of someone finding their own path and growing? Moreover, it's not a wrong path. So what if a princess does some manual labor? Anyway, all this expansion and equipment were done by her initiative. Then I can't help but show my appreciation."
"I see."
"Well, there's a lot to talk about first, so let's all go have a meal. Sein! We're going out to eat, so prepare everyone. Ah, I need to get ready too."
Having just returned from a journey, Beonald also had accumulated stories to tell. After preparing to go out, he headed outside with the women.
Retrieving a 500-year-old legacy was enjoyable, but he also thought that his newly cultivated 'Garden' was good. Though he had no choice, he once again felt he had made the right decision to gain this life.
At the same time, in the guest room of the Callem Empire Imperial Palace.
"……."
"……."
Even as the tea placed on the ornate table grew cold, the two people seated in the guest room remained silent.
Facing each other, quietly exchanging only glances, the two were respectively Emperor Geraldo Callem of the Callem Empire and the head of the prestigious martial family, the Kmel family, Duke Kmel.
The reason both were here, and the reason they were now silently exchanging glances, needless to say, was due to the incident that occurred at the Haldeon Ruins.