Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: A Use for the Treacherous Subject
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Two weeks later.
Amidst the continued sunny spring days, Beonald felt not a shred of a student-like mood at the Academy, skipping all sorts of events or ignoring the attention of other students, using the place almost like a dormitory.
Of course, since it was Sain who actually attended the relevant major's classes, there was no problem academically. However, having entered the Academy on the recommendation of an Imperial Knight Order member, only to display an uncommitted attitude towards classes, poor relationships with fellow students, and complete non-participation in Academy events, Beonald's reputation was steadily worsening.
"What on earth was Sir Reparte thinking, recommending a student like that?"
"Was the fame he gained in the Callermain territory all a lie?"
"Well, a half-breed is a half-breed for a reason."
"He just looks like he's trying to do whatever he wants in our department…"
The murmurs buzzed around him.
But anyway, Beonald's concern was not achieving excellent grades or gaining a good reputation at the Academy, so he simply ignored it all.
Thanks to Kedron, he now had the sturdy backing of the Valderian Count family, so no one could say anything to him anymore.
'No matter how much one is checked and pushed around, a family that can maintain a mansion in the capital and live comfortably is sufficiently a high noble. Just like my family in my past life.'
To use a sports analogy, the Callermain Earldom could be seen as the peaceful top of a second division league because the lower groups were too weak, while the Valderian Earldom was fiercely competing and experiencing turmoil in the mid-to-lower ranks of the first division league. It was easier to understand that way.
"Oh, finally…"
But now, a merit significant enough to ignore all that noise had been completed by Beonald's own hands.
A map, finished after about three weeks of work using the materials Darren provided.
Although it wasn't the entire continent, only the area centered on the Callem Empire and its surroundings could be illuminated, but seeing place names, cities, mountain ranges, and roads all organized, Beonald felt like tears of emotion might come.
'…This should be enough to gauge my current location.'
"Oh, it's amazing. The quality is such that it's hard to believe it was completed in just a few weeks… I thought even pathfinders and linguists working together would take a long time."
'The older it is, the more advantageous it is for me.'
He was, after all, a man who had lived 500 years ago.
The language of old maps was actually an advantage for Beonald, and for current language, there were many people to delegate to, like Darren.
Thus, it was inevitable that there would be a difference in perception between Darren and Beonald regarding the completion of this task.
"But… some of these place names are a bit strange. Did you intentionally write them in these code-like phrases so I couldn't recognize them?"
"I haven't acknowledged you yet. And even combining these maps, they only cover the Callem Empire and neighboring countries. I believe I asked for a map of the continent?"
"Umm… At the level of a mere merchant, this is the limit. If you truly want a continental map, you'd have to go to the Imperial City or contact someone among the high nobles who ranks at the very top. And they wouldn't give it easily either."
"Right. That's the truth. At the level of a mere merchant, they can only get information from areas their trade reaches, so I gave you an impossible condition from the start. But… you knew that and still did it?"
"Hahaha, it's an investment, an investment. I invested knowing I was being played. I'm probably the only one pushing for you this much, Beonald-nim. Right?"
Darren, with his blue eyes sparkling, acting as much as he could. A man's coquetry should normally be unpleasant, but with his neat and refreshing looks, most people would have fallen for it.
But it was out of the question for Beonald.
"I'm generally not one to discriminate between men and women, but the ugliness clearly residing within you is plain to see, so I'm not attracted at all."
"Ugliness, you say? It's a normal desire everyone has."
"Anyway, fine. Since there were definite results in this matter, I suppose I can give you a suitable reward. Here, take it."
Beonald held out a single note to him, and Darren hurriedly approached, even kneeling, to take it.
"Oh, thank you. But… what is this?"
"A soap-making recipe."
"S-soap? You mean, just soap?"
Darren's eyes widened as he stared at Beonald.
It contained the feeling that this was going too far. No matter how much he disliked merchants, he had spent a fortune to provide the maps and even this secret mansion, offering great help, yet the reward was merely a soap recipe? It was outrageous.
"Merely?"
"Yes. Merely! Of course, long ago it was an item only used by nobles, but in an imperial capital like this, with abundant materials, facilities, and manpower for mass production, it's a common item for merchants and even commoners, just slightly luxurious."
"I see. Then it's even better."
"Even… better?"
"If you're a merchant, shouldn't you at least make the item, judge its value, and then come argue with me?"
"…Understood, Beonald-nim. For now… I shall take my leave."
Thus, Darren withdrew. But Beonald only watched his retreating back with a look of disbelief.
Did he think the soap-making recipe he gave was just an ordinary one? He had clearly handed Darren a chance to make a huge profit as a reward.
If he couldn't capitalize on an opportunity given to him, then the limits of this merchant family scion named Darren would be quickly revealed.
"I wonder how much he'll make of the opportunity. Well, I should tidy up here and head out now too."
Taking only the completed map, Beonald burned all the remaining materials with a candle and left the secret space. As he ascended from the basement, Heidi, who had been standing guard, and Sain and Selina, who were studying, were waiting. When Beonald came up, they flocked to him like chicks to a mother hen, bombarding him with questions.
"Has your work finally finished?"
"Beonald-nim, what's the next schedule? Sir Darren left earlier… did something happen?"
"What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Selina, the work here is done for now. There's no more need to stay here. Heidi, go fetch Alterio first. We're returning home. Sain, we'll have the meal after we return. Start preparing to go back."
Under Beonald's instructions, the party quickly made preparations to return and rode Alterio back to their residence on the city outskirts.
Arriving at their haven, which they hadn't been able to visit properly for a while due to the map work, the party immediately began preparing dinner.
'Hmm…'
While the meal was being prepared, Beonald looked at the map, gauging the location of Benofis.
The proper shapes of mountain ranges, the composition of the imperial territory, the flow of rivers, etc.—although many things had changed over 500 years, looking at the very large framework, there was essentially no change.
The problem was that this country, the Callem Empire, was located in a rather peculiar place compared to his expectations.
"Quite far south of Benofis… So the Valderian family must have fled quite far south as well. Hoo~"
Beonald sighed as he looked at the map.
Unless his thinking was wrong, Benofis was definitely somewhere far to the north from here.
But the moment he understood this one point, a chain of new questions arose.
'Then this location, by the standards of the Unified Empire… means the southern undeveloped lands have prospered. Looking at it that way, ultimately, the Borea Kingdom and Daina Kingdom to the north from here must have swallowed most of the territory I once ruled in the Unified Empire… Ugh… The size is absurd, isn't it?'
Originally, the Borea Kingdom was the Borea Frontier March, a country that defended against monster and barbarian invasions from the very northern edge even by Unified Empire standards.
Yet according to the map, the Borea Kingdom and Daina Kingdom clearly had borders marked to the north of the Callem Empire, meaning the current territorial size of these two countries is such that they could be considered empire-level, if not on par with the Unified Empire.
'Of course, a large territory alone doesn't make a country strong, but still, facilities like cities, architecture, and roads from the Unified Empire era should remain. With those, no matter the division and wars, they should have recovered quickly…'
As this new, incomprehensible problem appeared, Beonald's head began to ache. He tapped the desk with his finger, continuing to ponder.
But the conclusion ultimately settled on, 'This is not a puzzle I can solve right now.'
Unless someone told him, he would eventually have to go there himself, grasp the local maps and situation to find out, so he had no choice but to postpone that question for later.
"This is a problem I can think about later. Anyway, the tedious map project is finished, so now I should return to my original tasks."
After carefully hiding the map inside a bookshelf, Beonald took his sword and headed outside the mansion.
It was for swordsmanship training, which he had neglected while pouring all his time into making the map.
But because of that, he had managed to discard the image of being someone noticed due to the recommendation of 'Imperial Knight Sir Reparte,' so all the watchers had long since disappeared.
"That's one fortunate thing. I have so much to do, so it's very good that the annoying eyes are gone."
Just as Beonald felt relieved that things to worry about had decreased, his eyes caught sight of Heidi, who had come out earlier and was training.
Perhaps knowing there were no watchers around, she was training freely, using her aura to her heart's content.
"Hm! Cha-at!"
'…She might even be stronger than me now? That duel last time seems to have helped her a lot. I'll never be able to thank that knight enough.'
Whether she gained many insights from the duel caused by that minor dispute, Heidi's skill had truly developed dazzlingly.
The only thing lacking was a slight delay in the progress of her mana breathing method. Her skill was visibly advancing day by day, to the point it was enviable, but he held no negative emotions like jealousy.
He was the owner of the garden. If the flowers in the garden he tended bloomed beautifully and grew, that alone was happiness.
However, the need to strive to become a master worthy of them was a separate matter, so Beonald, with a smile, approached Heidi and requested a spar.
The next day, at the Imperial Academy.
The big task was finished, and the tiresome merchant fellow was gone, so Beonald could focus solely on his studies at the Academy with peace of mind until the vacation.
Since his fallen reputation had made things more convenient in various ways, he continued to feign inattentiveness in class while doing other things.
'Sir Reparte's reputation has become unspeakable. But well, the price for deceiving me in the first place is steep…'
"Then today's class ends here. Everyone, prepare for the next exam…"
'Hmm, reputation aside, I should prepare for the exams. If I fail, our Sain will lose another learning opportunity… Hm?'
Murmur, murmur.
As class ended and Beonald was packing his things to leave, he heard murmuring from behind and turned his head towards it.
Where the gazes of the students in the lecture hall were concentrated, stood a person with familiar, bluish-tinged silver hair shimmering in the sunlight and crimson eyes burning like fire.
Princess Zelcy. The imperial princess who had come to his aid when Kedron had picked a fight with him before.
And for some reason, she was gradually walking towards him.