Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Winding Paths of Warmth
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"Kind, what do you think of our current heating setup?"
"......Heating setup?"
"I'm talking about wall fireplaces or the hearths the territory folk use to warm their rooms."
"Ah~."
Kind, who had been wearing a puzzled expression, blinked as realization dawned on him.
"Uh, but what do you mean 'what do I think'? What kind of opinion are you after?"
"Don't you find it cold away from the wall fireplaces or hearths? Or do the children never complain about the chill?"
There was a reason I was suddenly asking Kind, captain of the Storm Knight Order, such questions.
It was all for future investments.
'Whether it's health, commerce, convenience, or whatever—warm is always better than cold.'
I was planning to elevate the heating in Winterguard territory to the next level.
Not just the mansion's fireplaces, but the entire territory.
This was a preliminary survey of sorts, so I'd asked him about it.
"Hm......"
But I'd more or less anticipated his answer.
"Nothing like that has ever come up. My own kids have never even caught a cold."
"......Yeah, I figured."
The problem was that the territory folk themselves were...... far too resilient.
Specifically, their tolerance for cold far exceeded that of people from other regions.
Which meant they accepted and lived contentedly with inefficient heating methods.
Because no one even noticed the issue!
'Of course, that doesn't make it a problem per se......'
Either way, they felt the cold less, but that didn't mean they felt warm.
Even the kids barely registering the chill made persuasion that much harder.
[Huh? Invest in heating? Might as well use that money for......]
It was like turning into the romance-fantasy version of 'that money guy.'
So here, I planned to deploy the Yelena shield.
"But why are you asking?"
"Never mind."
"......Pardon?? You ask and then say never mind? That's a bit......"
I left the Storm Knight Order's training grounds and headed back to the mansion, lost in thought.
What I had in mind was one of the plans I'd come up with long ago.
Ondol heating.
I'd originally shelved ondol because rebuilding the folk's houses, costs, and various other headaches made it impractical.
Above all, I wasn't an expert with specialized knowledge.
But things were different now.
'No need to overhaul house structures—just minor modifications.
Maximize the existing fireplaces, like electric underblankets, covering just beds and key areas.
And after winter, we could even try full renovations.
With Engineering Research Institute staff to refine the ideas, it was worth a shot.'
'The details and methods? Leave that to the institute staff.'
A liberal arts guy like me tosses the idea; it's up to the STEM folks at the institute to make it real, right?
Come to think of it, I should have them prototype a Bluetooth showerhead when I get the chance.
I prepared to meet the Engineering Research Institute staff who had arrived at the mansion.
Jansen from the Engineering Research Institute suppressed his nerves as he entered the drawing room with his subordinate.
After waiting in the mansion for dozens of minutes, the lord had finally summoned them.
If he weren't a noble, he'd have complained plenty, but this was no ordinary noble.
Cassius Winterguard, the mad duke.
Ruler of the North, stricken with madness—so he swallowed his inner grumbles.
"Greetings, Your Grace. I'm Jansen from the Northern Branch of the Engineering Research Institute."
"A-ah, greetings! I'm Keris from the Northern Branch!"
Seeing his subordinate Keris trembling even more than himself, Jansen felt a wicked sense of stability.
At least he wasn't the lowest in the pecking order here—that brought some comfort.
"Sit."
No introductions for Cassius were needed. Everyone present knew who he was.
Jansen gestured for the shaking Keris to sit with him.
He was about to pull out the usual investment pitch papers for nobles when Cassius spoke.
"Do you know why I summoned you?"
What?
Jansen was certain he hadn't done anything wrong.
Yet his heart tightened and his brain twitched at the question.
'Feels like a slightly plump Giant Black Bear toying with me......'
He fought back the cold sweat trickling through his thinning hair and replied.
"N-no, I don't."
"For investment."
But what came from Cassius's mouth wasn't bad news—it was good.
Realizing this, Jansen barely suppressed a smile.
He kept a straight face, lest even smiling be a faux pas, and asked.
"Might I inquire how much you're considering?"
Cassius silently handed over a paper with the amount written on it.
Jansen's eyes widened at the figure.
'......Th-this is the Northern Branch's budget for ten years.'
The Northern Branch was in a sorry state compared to other branches or headquarters, due to the environment and various factors.
Its allocated budget from HQ was meager too, leaving it relatively subdued.
With this investment, they could pursue all the shelved research and expansions freely.
Forcing down his rising grin, Jansen cooled his head.
'But pouring this much gold means they want something in return.'
"In exchange for this investment, the Engineering Research Institute must focus on converting the glass garden into a greenhouse and researching heating technology."
"A greenhouse and heating tech, Your Grace?"
Surprisingly, Cassius's directive was perfectly reasonable.
Jansen had worried they'd be asked to build combat machines or exploit the staff like slaves.
But those fears were unfounded.
"Yes. The glass garden must bloom with flowers and plants even in midwinter, and the territory folk must have accessible heating technology."
"Uh......"
For a moment, Jansen thought, Simple request! But the follow-up details spiked the difficulty.
'In other words, high-tech solutions that are easy to access......'
Easier said than done—if it existed, the institute would have spread it across the North already.
But lacking budget and other reasons had stalled it.
"......It'll take time, but with Your Grace's investment, we could achieve it in 3-4 years......"
"No."
"Pardon?"
"You have one month. Start the glass garden renovations within that time and produce prototypes for the territory folk."
"......"
This wasn't just difficult—it was impossible.
Even 3-4 years was an aggressive compression. Building tech from scratch in one field demanded massive effort.
One month? They'd foam at the mouth in a year; a month was enough to drop dead.
As Jansen cautiously prepared to refuse the impossible demand,
"I find the current fireplaces inefficient."
"Pardon?"
Cassius suddenly veered into unrelated territory.
"Heat naturally rises upward. Yet we let it go to waste, merely basking in the side glow."
"Well, to vent the harmful smoke from people, we have no choice but chimneys......"
"What if we laid that chimney flat on the floor?"
"......Pardon?"
Jansen's eyes went round.
"Instead of hot smoke-laden air rushing straight to the cold outside, make it flow like a winding river."
"Like a winding river......"
"If we cover that path with stones or earth as we lie there? Wouldn't it maximize the fire's heat?"
A lightning bolt of inspiration flashed through Jansen and Keris's minds.
Plenty to refine, but it had real feasibility.
No, beyond that...
'This will work.'
It inspired absolute certainty.
"Keris."
"Senior, this is......"
"Jansen."
"......Yes, Your Grace."
"One month—impossible?"
A moment ago, he'd have shouted impossibility.
But now, with ideas bubbling in his head, refining them with colleagues, building and applying...
One month seemed plenty.
"It's possible, Your Grace! Leave it to us! We'll make it happen!"
"Do your best."
As Jansen and Keris prepared to leave the mansion, he hesitantly asked Cassius.
"Um, Your Grace. One thing I must ask......"
"What?"
"Truth be told, our Northern Branch didn't avoid heating research out of disinterest. The northern folk were already content, so we gave up. I'm sure Winterguard territory folk are no different, so why......"
"Why develop tech for them?"
"......Yes."
Rumors said Cassius was mad.
No, it wasn't rumor—he truly had madness. Jansen knew that.
Yet in this conversation, he didn't seem mad at all.
Armed with strength, boldness, composure, and wisdom, it was the bearing of the North's ruler.
That's why Jansen was curious.
What was Cassius's true intent?
Cassius, who had fallen silent for a beat, finally spoke.
And his answer was something Jansen, long-time institute veteran, never saw coming.
"......Because Yelena Astria, the woman staying in my mansion, isn't from the North."
"......Pardon?"
"I'm researching warmer ways for her, and fixing up the glass garden."
Cassius's gaze as he said it was utterly serious.
Meeting the Northern Grand Duke's cold eyes, Jansen gained another revelation.
'He's mad.'
He'd found reason to accelerate the research beyond one month.
If they finished early—before winter's end—and made flowers bloom in the glass garden...?
The duke's favored lady would delight at the flowers and bask happily in the new warmth.
And that ripple effect would reach them...
"Your Grace, we'll complete the research as swiftly as possible!"
Accomplish that, and the Northern Branch's future would shine bright.
Leaving a momentarily baffled Cassius behind, Jansen hurried back to the branch with Keris.