Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Imperial Standards and Sisterly Investments
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Marquis Rocksure often felt like ditching his title as the Noble Council's representative.
He had thought that being the head of the Noble Council would let him wield tremendous power, but that wasn't the case at all.
Elective positions were trash.
Here's how the Empire's decision-making bodies ranked in terms of power.
The Imperial Privy Council came first, the Magic Tower General Assembly second, and the Noble Council a mere third.
Honestly, third place was generous.
Lately, he even suspected the Central Bank might hold more sway.
Grumbling to himself, Marquis Rocksure dragged his feet onward.
"Another emergency summons..."
Right now, the Imperial Privy Council—the Empire's top decision-making body—had called for him.
Being the representative of the third-ranked Noble Council meant he was just a mid-level player in the eyes of the top group's heavyweights.
'An emergency session at a time like this...'
There was only one item he could guess was on the agenda.
It was the "Imperial Unit Standardization" proclaimed at last week's Millennium Festival banquet.
Rocksure had been there, so he knew it well.
Thinking back still made his legs tremble.
'The Emperor descending from the heavens to reveal the laws of the earth...'
Would he ever witness such a spectacle again in his lifetime?
Probably not.
Yet despite that electrifying "show," Rocksure predicted this Privy Council meeting would be a letdown.
'His Majesty won't even show up anyway...'
He swallowed the thought, something too dangerous to voice aloud.
For some time now, Emperor Pertinax Arcanus had been absent from Privy Council sessions.
Any agenda without Princess Isolde acting as proxy tended to devolve into bureaucrats bickering until it fizzled out.
Those unresolved issues often bubbled up to the Noble Council.
Increasing Rocksure's workload.
'Please, Princess. Please, Princess. Please, Princess...'
Picturing the princess—who was even younger than his own daughter—dozens, hundreds of times, Rocksure pushed open the meeting room door.
"..."
His expectations shattered.
'Why is His Majesty here...'
In the best possible way.
Marquis Rocksure froze on the spot.
"..."
At the head of the meeting room, in the center of the massive oval table, sat not the princess—but the Emperor.
The Emperor's golden eyes turned to Rocksure.
The Emperor spoke in a low voice.
"You're early, Marquis Rocksure. Sit."
"Y-Yes... Yes, Your Majesty!"
Rocksure scrambled to his seat.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
'His Majesty... in person?'
The Emperor attending a Privy Council meeting personally? It had been over ten years.
The other bureaucrats were the same.
All wore stunned expressions, frozen like statues, not even daring to breathe.
Moments later, the rest took their seats, and the Privy Council convened.
Naturally, the topic was the "unit system."
The so-called metric system.
A young bureaucrat began a brief explanation.
"His late Majesty already laid the groundwork for the meter unit itself. However... technological limitations at the time and backlash from provincial nobles prevented it from taking full root in daily life."
The bureaucrat unrolled a map.
Outside the capital, most territories still used everyday units like feet, inches, and yards.
"To rectify this, First-Class Medal Recipient Isaac Uphills has petitioned Your Majesty to establish a 'standard unit system.'"
Nod, nod.
The Emperor inclined his head.
The bureaucrat continued.
"The inaugural chair of the 'Imperial Standards Committee,' tasked with managing this system, will be the petitioner himself: Isaac Uphills."
Silence fell over the meeting room.
Then, an elderly bureaucrat in the corner cautiously spoke up.
"Your Majesty, this is a grave matter of setting the Empire's standards. Shouldn't the Imperial Court or Noble Council hold the reins, rather than a mage of unclear origins?"
The chief court mage immediately countered.
"He has already established the concept of absolute temperature, resetting the magic world's standards. No one matches his authority or expertise."
The Emperor nodded.
"I concur. Moreover, the boy isn't creating a new system from scratch. He's inheriting His late Majesty's vision. I see no issue granting him full authority."
Opponents fell silent at the Emperor's firm tone.
'Thrilling.'
Rocksure felt a surge of exhilaration.
A meeting needed a focal point, after all.
The princess was fine, but the Emperor was better.
Only authority ruled all.
The Emperor addressed the room.
"What you must now consider isn't squabbling over committee control. Ponder how to plant this new system across the entire Empire."
The discussion shifted.
Bureaucrats huddled, tackling practical issues.
"In that case... the biggest hurdle is revising existing documents. Land registries, tax ledgers, contracts... We'd have to convert vast piles of parchment and rewrite them all in metric."
"That alone would take years of monumental work..."
"Parchment prices have skyrocketed lately due to increased administrative demand. Securing budget won't be easy."
"Just amending the old documents..."
Gazes turned to Rocksure.
He replied.
"Impossible. Imperial law requires preserving originals due to forgery risks."
The issue boiled down to "parchment supply."
Rewriting mountains of documents demanded astronomical costs and time.
The room's mood sank.
Then, the Emperor smiled oddly.
"...That matter might resolve faster than expected."
"Pardon?"
Bureaucrats exchanged puzzled looks.
The Emperor issued orders without further explanation.
"First, draft a bill mandating metric use for all new official documents. Gauge opposition in the Noble Council and report back."
His gaze fixed on Rocksure.
"Marquis Rocksure, you handle it."
"Yes! I shall, Your Majesty."
Rocksure responded vigorously.
He felt the majesty and charisma of a true sovereign for the first time in ages.
Had he ever felt this fulfilled as a court noble?
Never.
Yesterday, I exhausted myself handing over the metric prototypes to the Central Bank's vault.
I'd toyed with basing it on Planck units, but...
I'm not that crazy.
I'm generous enough to allow Celsius alongside Kelvin.
'Now, just periodic inspections every few weeks.'
The Imperial Court said they'd apply preservation spells, but I can't rely on that alone.
I'll need to visit the vault regularly to check if the prototypes' physical constants have shifted.
That wraps up the basics for the metric system.
Today's task is separate.
Laura bowed deeply.
"Thank you. We'll distribute these prototypes to our secretarial staff first."
"Yep. Use them well."
Laura left with her subordinates, carrying the "thought typewriters" prototypes.
I stripped out excess features this time, making them purely for typing, so no major mishaps should occur.
Probably.
Click.
The lab door shut.
"Uwaaaah..."
I stretched hugely.
Today's work was done.
"Phew... Time to rest."
All my doing, but handling each bit piecemeal was exhausting.
My head was spinning.
Hearing my groan, Senior Giuseppe asked.
"Saying you're resting, but you're not planning to head to the workshop and machine airship parts, are you?"
"Come on, do I look like a workaholic?"
"...Aren't you?"
I had no idea why he saw me that way.
I felt wronged but didn't bother explaining.
I really planned to rest today.
First, dinner.
'Smoked salmon sandwich?'
Nah.
Let's eat out for once.
I've got money rotting away; time to spend and keep the economy moving.
Not that I know much about economics.
I don't get investments either—I've rejected every offer to fund the foundation or workshop.
Destination: a top-tier restaurant catering to capital nobles.
Sure, paper was scarce until recently, but dining out was surprisingly advanced.
There was a market for mages and high officials without personal chefs.
'Going alone feels awkward...'
Taking workshop folks might earn me flak for slacking off solo.
Tobin's glares especially terrified me.
He blew up when I borrowed Karen for the "metal-type thought typewriter."
'Need to recruit for the airship project.'
Can't keep metalworking to just two forever.
I asked Giuseppe.
"Senior, want to grab dinner out? My treat."
"No, I've got research left. Go alone."
Giuseppe refused flatly.
Solo dinner it was?
Then I thought of Anna.
'She'd love to eat together.'
Definitely.
I took a carriage to Magic University, timing it for her class end.
The courtyard buzzed with students.
'Why so crowded?'
Oddly, Anna was at the crowd's center.
My sister crossed the throng with a blank expression.
I pushed through the student wall to reach her.
Then a girl blocked me.
"Hey! You can't just barge up like that!"
"Huh? Is that a rule?"
Flustered, I asked back, and she glared.
"Of course it is."
"..."
What was so obvious?
The commotion drew Anna's gaze to me.
I waved at my sister.
Her eyes shook like an earthquake.
Moments later, Anna shouted.
"St-Stop, Stephanie! Back off!"
Her friends buzzed.
"What? The 'Star-Reading Mage' is stepping in?"
"Who the heck is that guy...?"
One yelled.
"W-Wait! Isn't that the guy from the last Principia special lecture?!"
"Hm?"
Special lecture?
Was there one?
Murmurs rose.
"Principia special lecture? So, no way..."
"Isaac Uphills...! Anna's big brother!"
Anna had already drawn a crowd, but now it exploded.
"Heard he flew through the skies with His Majesty..."
"Lemme see! Is it really Isaac?!"
I'd have panicked once, but now I knew.
The best way to handle this.
I approached Anna.
"Sis, wanna grab dinner?"
"..."
Ignore them and do your thing.
Anna nodded rapidly, face flushing red.
We arrived at a restaurant near the Magic Tower.
Somehow, it wasn't just Anna and me—her friends trailed along.
'Y-You're really going? We planned a girls' dinner with Anna for the first time in ages...!'
'Hero... please!'
Alone with Anna would've been nicer, but they teared up, so no choice.
Friends crying over missing dinner with her?
Like at the orphanage, Anna had a knack for winning people over.
Her friends showed no tension entering the restaurant.
Their ingrained etiquette and attire marked them as scions of prominent noble houses.
Anna was the excited one.
Her usual blank face held subtle differences to my eyes.
Whatever.
Soon, food arrived.
I told the kids.
"Dig in, everyone."
Anna's roommate Stephanie replied for them.
"Thank you for inviting us."
"Thank you."
The formal greetings felt a bit distant.
'Ladies are ladies, huh?'
But the table talk soon ditched decorum.
"You danced with Sir Henry at the ball, right? How was it?"
"Don't ask. He stepped on my foot every three steps."
"Ouch..."
"Still kinda cute, so it was fine."
Yeah. Mid-teens talk like that.
Hope Anna picks up some pointers.
I silently sliced meat, thinking.
'No money woes chatter.'
Not a single commoner among Anna's friends, apparently.
Age gap made it hard to befriend commoner students?
Lucky for me.
Aunties aside, girls befriending uncles feels criminal.
...Even if I am one.
Soon, romance talk boomeranged to Anna.
"Anna, what about you? Anyone you're into? The seniors are dying to know."
"Not really interested."
Anna's reply was lukewarm.
A bit disappointing... but playing aloof adult suited her.
Not bad.
"...Boo, no fun."
Stephanie chimed in.
"Give up. Anna's focused on something else lately."
Intriguing.
Anna with a new hobby?
Finally ditching the research-only life?
"What's Anna into?"
Stephanie answered.
"Anna's studying investments. Y'know the theory usage fees from Principia? She's agonizing over where to invest."
Investments...?
A chill ran down my spine.
"...Just studying, right?"
Twitch.
Anna's lip quirked.
She spoke.
"Actually, I've already invested."
Gasps erupted around.
"Ooh, all grown up."
"Classic Anna."
But I couldn't smile.
"Where'd you invest, sis?"
Anna twirled pasta on her fork casually.
"Parchment processing."
"..."
I calmly set down my utensils.
"Sis... You should probably stop that."
"Huh? Why?"
She continued.
"With unit standardization boosting official document demand, the parchment industry should boom, right?"
So logical, like her brother.
Perfectly reasonable.
If circumstances were normal...
'Should've mentioned the paper production...'
Not now, though.
Her friends blabbing too soon to families could complicate things.
Instead, I added a steak slice to her plate.
"Hm? I have plenty."
"Eat up and cry later."
"...?"
Adults cry inside.