Overwhelming Efficiency (5)

Swoosh-. Spring rain is falling over the surface of the fishing pond. It must be the same back at the farm and the mansion I left behind. Some people get depressed on rainy days, but I’m not one of them. I actually like it quite a bit. Why? Because the soil gets soaked on its own without me having to water the crops!

I planted potatoes at the farm. Normally, I’d have to go around with a watering can, but since it started raining early in the morning, it saved me the trouble. Instead, I was able to run straight to the pond deep in the mountains to go fishing. It’s incredibly efficient.

After fishing for quite a while, a status window suddenly popped up in front of me.

"Hm?" Gwen was that red-haired girl, the aspiring knight. I remember she had a decent talent for physical reinforcement using aura. When I tilted my head, Miroa asked, "Is something the matter?"

"No. I was just thinking that you’ve been helping out well in the village, Miroa."

"So you noticed, after all."

"Hm?" It’s not like there was anything to miss. Miroa helping out in the village was something I ordered her to do. For a second, it felt like Miroa’s gaze had lingered behind a tree, as if a stranger had been hiding there and then vanished. But when I checked, there was nothing. Must have been my imagination.

Meanwhile, the status window appeared once more.

Come to think of it, I’ve been keeping track of her performance through the status window. Seeing it go up again, she must be talking about me in the village. It’s hard not to like someone who pays attention to you and helps out with public support work. 'I’ll be able to receive a gift soon.'

Gwen is a villager I’ve been keeping an eye on. It sounds a bit weird to say I’m keeping an eye on a young commoner girl, but—

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The gifts Gwen gives are particularly useful. It’s a system where your level rises once you build up enough affinity, and depending on the level, you receive gifts occasionally. In Gwen’s case, the setting is that she sends items she obtained in the mountains during her training.

Among these, Quartz Shards are extremely, very much needed. They are materials used for the sprinklers in my farming, so the more I have, the better. "......"

As I was thinking that, Miroa spoke up again. "There are many residents in the territory who are interested in you, Master. There are many who wish to see you in person, and voices are growing louder about wanting to repay you somehow. What do you intend to do?"

"Well." It’s not like I’m intentionally hiding, but I have more important things to do. "For now, this seems to be the best course of action, so you keep helping the villagers."

"But I am your maid, Master. If I spend too much time with others ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in a strange village..."

"If you do?"

"I miss you."

She said that so casually with an expressionless face. And yet, she somehow looked like a puppy left alone at home, feeling dejected. "The village’s situation seems to be improving, so shall we wrap up the public support soon?"

"But isn't the food shortage still a problem?"

"I think we'll be able to harvest the potatoes in a few days."

Heave-ho. I decided to get up and head back to the village. Today’s harvest: seven whole plain catfish. Since it’s only just past morning, there’s still plenty to do. "The mountain is soaked with rain, so you must be especially careful on the way down."

"I know."

I transformed my mana into a gritty, paint-like form and applied it to the soles of my shoes. This drastically reduces the chance of slipping. Usually, it’s so inefficient that it would be better to just buy new shoes, but it’s a problem that can be solved by using Efficiency Improvement Magic. And the most important thing: holding onto Miroa right beside me. "Let's go!"

She has a transcendental sense of balance, so she doesn't fall. That’s the core reason she can climb up and down rugged mountain paths as if she’s just going for a neighborhood stroll.

As we returned to the farm-cum-mansion, a status window appeared.

Didn't it used to say 'Grandfather's Farm'? Thanks to greeting the villagers diligently, the name had changed. It seems I’m being properly recognized as the Lord. Since I showed them what I could do regarding the water pipes, it’s only natural. 'I won't be pushed around by the village chief.'

It’s a bit like a water-lieutenant being pushed around by a platoon sergeant, but I’ve managed to avoid becoming a 'water-lord.' It’s a common occurrence when a young, naive new Lord inherits a territory in the middle of nowhere. Usually, they hire knights to solve it with violence, but that wouldn’t have left anyone feeling good. My worries are gone.

And then, other status windows popped up one after another.

There was a letter in the mailbox. It was a greeting and words of gratitude from the village chief, representing all the villagers. They are engraving the Lord’s devotion deep in their hearts. Thank you for sending Miroa. We were almost in trouble because of the water shortage. They said they would have had to break through that rugged mountain path to get to the lake to fetch water, and even then, it wouldn’t have been enough to cover the demand. Though it’s just at a subsistence level, they are farming, after all. "......"

It’s heartwarming. This is the duty and nobility of a noble. It’s not about sacrificing oneself while thinking only of the commoners like some saintly kings in history books. But isn't this the bare minimum for a noble? That’s exactly what I think. Well, I don't have to solve everything, but I should pay attention to their circumstances. And if there’s a big problem, I can just go over and fix it. The characters in romance fantasy novels don't even do this much. They probably don't even know what their own territories look like! They compete and play love games in the capital’s mansions, gardens, and even the Academy, all living off money squeezed from their local territories. This... is a noble? Then what did I learn?

I guess I’m a rural noble, so I’m glad I learned properly. And, there was one more letter.

I took it out of the large envelope and read the contents. "Ughhh." It’s terrible handwriting. Is this even Imperial language? It looks like worms crawling. I could barely understand what it said. "Miroa. Can you read this by any chance?"

"I cannot read all of it, but a few sentences are familiar to me."

"What are they?"

"They are resolutions used by Northern knights."

The North is indeed a hotspot for knights. They’re strong, and they have loyalty, so to speak? It’s said that Northern culture has had a huge influence on the chivalry of the Empire today. Gwen isn't of Northern blood, but since she’s an aspiring knight, something must have clicked.

As I was about to tidy up the envelope, clatter! Something white fell out of the envelope. Miroa caught them with incredible reaction speed and peered at them closely. "It seems to be stone fragments, but I cannot fathom the intent."

Miroa tilted her head, but I knew exactly what they were. Because a status window popped up immediately.

"It seems to be a gift sent by Gwen."

"Dark magic can easily dwell in beautiful minerals. It could be dangerous, regardless of the giver's intent."

Hey. Watch your mouth. How dare you talk like that about the Quartz-nim, the strongest of the early-game resources! I took the quartz shards from Miroa’s hand and cherished them. "No. It’s the best gift."

"......!!!" Miroa’s eyes widened for a moment, then she bowed her head sharply. "I apologize. I was overstepping."

"Yeah, let’s do better in the future."

"I will keep that in mind."

I don't intend to nag Miroa to death, as I feel a bit sorry for her too. 'I need to go to the coal mine soon.' Tomorrow, new content finally opens. I say coal mine jokingly, but it could actually be a more terrifying place than that. First of all, monsters appear. And I have to go down into the basement endlessly. That’s the only way to get more useful resources. In the end, I have to go down to the very bottom of the pit, fighting endlessly and mining resources. 'Now it’s the fantasy version of a labor camp.'

Suddenly, Miroa started to look pitiful. I should treat her better, at least for today. "Miroa."

"Ah. Yes." She seemed a bit dejected because of what I said earlier. "Is there anything delicious you want to eat?"

"That... I..."

"Yeah. Tell me." I was even thinking of cooking for her myself. I can do at least that much. But Miroa brought up something else entirely.

"Even while serving you closer than anyone else, Master, I could not fully fathom your heart. The heart that treasures even a small gift from a villager."

No. That quartz shard? It’s actually just material for a sprinkler. It’s essential if I want to farm automatically.

"You secured food at an incredible speed using magic, and you did not shy away from fishing in the rain. It was not for your own comfort, but entirely for the villagers."

That’s because if I sell them to the shop, I earn gold through the system. Virtual currency.

"I am one who cannot fully understand the duty of a noble. This request may be selfish. However." Miroa looked up at me with earnestness in her blue eyes. At the same time, the foundation of her gaze was filled with the resolution peculiar to Northern bloodlines, wanting to be loyal to her master. "I am content even if you just eat your fill, Master. I only wish that you would properly take care of at least one meal."

Sigh. I swallowed a sigh internally. "......I’m sorry."

"Master."

I’m sorry for being this kind of master!!! "I will make sure to have at least one proper meal today."

"I will prepare it immediately."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Academy in the center of the Empire. Goggle, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open. "Aili! It’s a letter!"

The letter had just arrived. As a spirit of information retrieval, he could immediately project the contents before her eyes. "From Kael-oppa?"

"That’s right."

Thanks to that, Ailiya was able to receive Kael’s letter in the lab. The contents weren't very hopeful.

"Who said I couldn't move as I please?"

But it’s also true that she couldn't leave the lab. She had things to do in the capital. 'I have to present it.' Research like this shouldn't be buried. A scholar’s honor must return to where it belongs. I have to let the world know about this, to make them realize Rii’s achievements. She had just discovered a new fact. It was an expansion of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a certain 'possibility' Rii had left in his thesis.

"There is definitely a theoretical basis." Ailiya began to explain with Goggle in front of her. It’s an old habit, but if she doesn't accept it, she gets angry, so he had no choice but to listen. "Goggle. You know magic efficiency, right? How do you calculate that?"

"Amount of work per hour? That’s right, isn't it?"

"Correct."

Goggle felt relieved inside. Fortunately, it was the right answer. If he got it wrong, she would get angry, calling him a blockhead despite being an information retrieval spirit. "But what if we continue to improve magic efficiency?"

"That... do I have to guess this too?" It felt like a professor giving pop quizzes every single day. 'Poor me! How did I end up contracting with such a person!' While Goggle was sighing internally, Ailiya had already moved on to the next stage by herself.

"It’s just a mathematical result, but Goggle. If magic is truly perfected. Perhaps, just maybe." Ailiya thought to herself. 'Has something like this happened before?' She wondered if she was seeing something wrong. The 'Appraisal Eye,' a cheat that boasts almost absolute authority in magic interpretation. Even for Ailiya, who possessed that immense talent, it was a result she couldn't be sure of.

Efficiency is calculated by dividing work by time. Here, efficiency diverges to infinity. The work to be done remains the same, but the efficiency continues to increase magically. If you calculate time here? Time = Work/Efficiency. Efficiency is infinity, and dividing by infinity results in zero. The resulting time is zero.

'Time stop or time acceleration.' If you think about it normally, it’s true that the time spent working gets shorter, but that’s the realm of physics. 'Magic is different.' Up to this point, it was just a basic idea. In fact, it doesn't even fit with intuition. After that, she verified and calculated it by mobilizing formulas from other magic fields. Overwhelming efficiency. It becomes clear that something magical occurs in the flow of time that receives it.

"It’s not just a level of working faster."

"Perhaps it might even accelerate time itself. Of course, it’s temporary and localized, but it means there’s no lack of theoretical basis. I’m not sure yet. If something like this were really possible, well."

Time acceleration is possible, but there are some limitations. "Time also flows based on the subjective perception of intelligent beings, so it would be difficult to apply it recklessly to people, animals, or spirits. Still, look at this."

Ailiya’s brain was spinning incredibly fast. "That magic. Perhaps it breaks the limits of other magic, or to be more practical..."

At that moment, another letter arrived. It was information sent by Kael again.

......Wouldn't they be able to grow crops incredibly fast? That was what she was about to say.