Chapter 8 - Aizen's Value Conversion Method
Noel Nexia was fidgeting restlessly.
“I wanted to meet Aizen...”
Thanks to her status as a member of the ducal family with royal blood ties, Noel knew about the deal between Aizen and the palace. On the day of the entrance ceremony, driven by personal desire as well as a chance to make her face known, she'd helped Aizen when he was cornered by the professors...
Of course, Aizen hadn't shown up in front of her since then.
Rumors said he was causing incidents left and right and had been sealed away somewhere by the professors, but when she checked, that wasn't true. He attended classes diligently, but vanished faster than anyone once they ended. Sometimes he was locked in breathless chases with Professor Reina, and at some point, Professors Rodellini and Isarina joined the pursuit.
Getting into chases with professors... that's definitely not normal.
It was behavior Noel could only dream of. Born frail, she even needed a cane to walk. Magic solved the problem, but it drained her mana heavily and had time limits. That's why she wanted to talk to Aizen.
“...Legs.”
The golem he'd ridden. If she rode one like that, wouldn't it feel just like walking for her? Political reasons weren't entirely absent, but the real draw—the reason she kept tabs on Aizen and wanted to get close—was that.
But spotting him was easy; meeting him was hard. Lately, word was Baroness Christa's daughter was sticking to him.
“The saintess...”
As Noel recalled, she was kind. But also tricky. Always smiling, never showing her true thoughts. She didn't seem obsessed with money like a merchant's daughter, which Noel appreciated...
But for some reason, that image feels a bit off-putting.
They'd only spoken twice, but that's the impression Mina left on her. After that, Noel had subtly avoided her...
Why was she hanging around Aizen? The Saras Church had influence, but not enough to know royal secrets. Pure goodwill? Unlikely—there had to be compensation...
...Saying it out loud makes me sound so materialistic!
She didn't slap her own cheeks because of the cane, but she did it in her mind. Calming herself like that, Noel turned to the basket in her other hand.
...I wonder if he'll like it?
In hindsight, she was a ducal lady, while Aizen was from a minor noble house without a title in some rural territory. Clearing up the entrance ceremony mess and inviting him for tea must have been a huge burden for him. So she'd prepared snacks for a casual spot.
Chocolate that's good for fatigue!
Top-grade treats where one box cost a common family's monthly living expenses—but this much wouldn't burden Aizen. Any noble could handle this easily.
Yes, Noel Nexia was fully prepared!
Alright...!
In front of the warehouse where Aizen came and went for this very day, Noel took a deep breath and reached for the door.
Knock knock knock.
A cheerful knock echoed, but no answer came.
Maybe he's not here? As she debated opening the door—
KABOOM!!
Stunned by the terrifying explosion, Noel toppled backward.
“Wh-what... wha?”
She saved the snacks and cane, but rolling on the ground dirtied her clothes. Through disheveled hair from her neat updo, she saw the door flung open by the shock.
“Kuh, cough! Whoa, that's intense? Guess playing it too safe so far was the problem!”
“If you were gonna try to kill me, warn me first!”
Inside, Mina huddled behind a steel plate, and Aizen coughed amid the smoke.
****
The barely tidied workshop now held three disheveled people.
Me, testing max explosion output of high-concentration mana water because output felt lacking.
The investor beside me, who'd egged me on and nearly died, now calculating damages.
And a guest.
“Uh... Lady Nexia, right?”
“Yes, Noel Nexia of the Nexia Ducal House... Sorry for catching you in such an undignified state...”
She was apologizing like it was her fault, when we should be the ones sorry. The only visitors here were investors, so I never bothered with hospitality—and of all days, she got caught right at the door. No snacks around either, bad for guests.
Couldn't just leave her standing, so I laid out a mat in the corner, sat, and offered juice. Luckily, she didn't seem offended.
“This is a research space, not a ladies' salon. I came uninvited to a place where proper hosting is tough, so I'm grateful you're even doing this much.”
Unlike a certain investor, she was incredibly polite and kind. Maybe that's why she bailed me out from the professors' interrogation last time.
And then Mina, suddenly all prim and proper with a soft expression, smiled at Noel.
“Still, glad you're unharmed, Lady Noel. If you're hurt anywhere, just say so. I'll use healing magic on you.”
Mina in full saintess mode, like that brief glimpse at first. Better play along here.
“Mina's healing costs a fortune, so watch out.”
“Lord Aizen, that's too much joking.”
A shadow crept into her bright smile. Saintess death beam incoming later, probably.
Wait, beam?
“If you can fire beams or something, demo it for me later, Mina.”
“No such function on a saintess.”
Our usual banter made Noel's expression go a bit weird.
Then she looked at me and said, “Um... Lord Aizen? The saintess is, well, famous for being indifferent to money, so if I'm being rude...”
Guess Mina wore her money-averse mask around Noel.
And for Mina, this level of teasing was within bounds. Real trouble? She'd punch me. Her public faces were so varied it was hard to imagine, but she dropped them shamelessly with me.
Hold on—does she come here daily because she feels comfortable without masks?
I considered it briefly but dismissed it. We didn't know each other's hearts that well yet.
Meanwhile, Mina took one of Noel's snacks and grinned.
“Anyway, enough chit-chat—let's eat these. Famous capital shop's treats. Hard to get and pricey.”
“Specifically how much?”
Mina thought a sec, then smiled. “In Aizen units, enough to fill a small potato warehouse.”
“About a month for a common four-person family. Insane.”
“Wait, what's that calculation?”
Noel asked, flustered, but sadly, no one explained to her.
Anyway, confirmed crazy price—so I reverently popped one in my mouth with both hands.
The chocolate-wheat harmony was exquisite. Delicious, pretty satisfying...
...But for a one-time taste, the cost-benefit feels off.
One piece equals a month-long potato feast. Regrettable. Plain boiled potatoes get old anyway—time to try other recipes...
“So, may I ask why the lady visited?”
Mina's voice snapped me back; we'd been rambling off-topic with Noel here.
I looked at her urgently. “Sorry. You came for a reason, and here we are critiquing snacks rudely.”
“Oh, no... I'm just glad you enjoyed them, but...”
Noel's expression sharpened ever so slightly.
“If it's not rude, may I ask why Saintess Christa is here? If there's no direct connection to Lord Aizen, could I borrow him briefly?”
Mina's face shifted subtly at Noel's words. Polite, but guarded.
“I've formed a personal friendship with Lord Aizen, offering help and advice to this somewhat lacking-in-noble-commonsense fellow. The Saras Church extends aid to those in need, after all.”
“Even so, you can't oversee his every move, right? Even if you two were, um, lovers...”
Noel said carefully.
Mina's eyes widened. “Crazy talk? Dating this golem nut? We almost died just now? Lady Noel, our bond is deeper and stickier than that, but nothing suspicious, I swear.”
“Your wording's more suspicious.”
I cut in to stop her fluster, but Noel's face was something else—embarrassment, massive curiosity, blushing cheeks.
Fix this quick, or Mina'd bean me with her coin purse.
“Employer-employee relationship.”
“Yeah, that's the one. It is that, but...”
Mina's gaze chilled. Wrong answer?
“I-see. Good...”
Noel sighed in relief.
Then, resolute, she spoke. “Um, anyway—about why I came...”
“Yes, go ahead.”
I said quietly. Noel took a deep breath and continued slowly.
“Actually, I wanted to ask to team up for the upcoming dungeon class. I missed last time due to poor health, but I really want in this time...”
“Team? With me?”
A ducal lady with a no-title rural noble scrap like me? Mina looked shocked too.
“Pardon, but don't you have prepared escorts or vassal house retainers...?”
“I don't want their help. I...”
Noel, a bit excited, caught her breath. Her gaze flicked to the cane.
I'd tuned out mid-convo, but damn—that cane looked high-end. Clearly metal, ornate workmanship, and a frail girl like her wielded it without strain...
No way.
Mina said she couldn't source mana metal yet. So maybe that cane's metal was...
I need it...!
The smelting and crafting tech on that cane. And the presumed mana metal.
I swallowed hard. Meanwhile, the voice I'd missed resumed.
“...So if it's not too much trouble, team up with me...?”
“Sure.”
Noel froze. Mina smiled softly, shadows lurking. “...Two-timing?”
“What?”
Noel looked stunned at my easy yes.
I told her, “Not free, though.”
With the engine prototype humming faintly behind, I laid out terms. It didn't take long for Noel to nod.