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“Hm──m, even when pressing my ear against it, I can’t hear the baby’s heartbeat or anything…”
“Dear, you won’t hear anything until my belly becomes bigger.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yes.”
“How regrettable.”
As usual, I went out today to do public works within my earldom while taking Lisa along, and then returned home. After taking a little break, I pressed my ear against Elise’s belly.
In TV dramas there are scenes where the actor would now hear the infant kicking inside the belly, but unfortunately I couldn’t hear anything.
“Even the gender will be determined after the belly becomes a lot bigger.”
“That’s fine after the child is born. I want to have something to look forward to.”
The retainers around Roderich, Elise’s home around Cardinal Hohenheim, and even many of the high-ranking nobles starting with His Majesty put pressure on Elise to give birth to a boy.
It’s not that they are telling her directly, but I guess you could call it a silent pressure.
They probably believe that it will become troublesome in regards to the succession if Elise gives birth to a girl while Ina and Luise give birth to boys.
In Katharina’s case it won’t be a problem for her to have a boy since he would inherit the Associate Baron Waigel House.
“You can determine the gender?”
“It’s a kind of Holy magic, so a person, who can use it, would be able to tell you if you ask. As magic to determine the gender of an infant enters a fairly special magic category, there’s even less practitioners than healers,” Elise says.
“It’s not always said that an advanced Holy magic practitioner can use it either. It’s the same with Baron Rembrandt-sama’s 『Relocate』. I can’t use it either.” (Elise)
For Elise to not be able to use it means that it must be quite special.
The few practitioners seem to be very busy with determining the gender of infants.
“I hear that they are especially busy due to the requests from nobles and big merchants.”
Just like the old Japan, this world attaches a lot of importance to lineage.
As it’s essential for a family head to produce an heir, they will naturally make a request if it’s possible to know the gender before the child is born.
“Hee, I see.”
“Dear, you’re not curious?”
“Not really. We will know once it’s born. However, I want the child to be born healthily.”
In my previous life, my mother told me that such a way of thinking still exists in the rural areas of Japan, but I will be very happy if the child is born safely, no matter whether it’s a boy or a girl.
“Even if the first child were to be a girl, the next one or the one after that will be a boy, no?”
In reality it looks like there are people who give birth to only girls or boys, but if I were to worry about such things, it would take no end anyway.
Rather than that, what I have to do now is to hear the infant’s heartbeat.
“That’s where this 『Hearing』 spell comes in handy!”
It’s a spell of the wind attribute and has a function similar to that of a stethoscope.
When I heard that I had impregnated my wives, I quickly read the book of Master and learned it.
However, I wonder what Master planned to do by learning such a spell?
“If it’s this spell!”
After casting 『Hearing』 on myself, I press my ear against Elise’s belly once more.
Once I did, I could hear a regular heartbeat.
“Alright!”
“Wend, I’m sorry to tell you, but that’s Elise’s heartbeat.”
“Wha-!?”
“The baby hasn’t grown so much yet, you know?”
Certainly, it’s just as Ina says.
The four are still in the early stage of pregnancy. It’s at a stage where they don’t look like pregnant women at all.
“What a bummer…”
Just in case, I tried to press my ear against Ina’s and then Luise’s belly with 『Hearing』 active, but I couldn’t hear anything besides their heartbeats.
No, I could hear a stomach growling from one of them.
It was Luise.
“I’ve become really hungry ever since I got pregnant…right now I’m eating five times a day.” (Luise)
“Is it alright for you to eat so much?” (Wendelin)
I look at Luise once more, but she doesn’t seem chubby to me.
Although she’s saying that she’s pregnant, I feel like there are many people who don’t believe her.
“I’m sure my child will become strong if it’s a boy or attractive if it’s a girl.” (Luise)
Luise is dreaming, but I cannot help feeling that she will give birth to a small, cute girl resembling herself.
“However, I had expected that you’d try to learn the magic to distinguish the gender of an infant, Wend.”
“I tried to do so, just in case, but…”
It seems to be the truth that it’s a special magic. Just like 『Relocate』, I couldn’t acquire it.
But, even if I had managed to learn it, I had planned to not use it on Elise and the others.
“Why wouldn’t you use it?”
“It’s because I want to have the fun of looking forward to it after it’s born. Well, in the end I can’t use it anyway. But, I don’t plan to request a gender determination of the infants either.” (Wendelin)
“Hmm, really?”
Ina looks perplexed.
It’s probably because she has expected me to hope for an heir since I’m an Earl.
“As long as many children are born, there will be at least one boy among them. Let’s tackle it with such an easygoing approach.”
I deliberately say this in a light tone to not pile stress on the pressure by the surroundings for Elise and the others to give birth to boys.
“Wendelin-san.” (Katharina)
“What is it, Katharina?”
“I still don’t feel the baby moving either, but it would be fine for you to check, just for caution’s sake.”
“Yes…”
I tried pressing my ear against Elise’s, Ina’s and Luise’s bellies, but I haven’t done the same with Katharina yet.
She might have considered that to be unfair.
In contrast to her appearance, Katharina has such cute parts to her, too.
“Of course I will do so. Maybe I will be able to hear something.”
I press my ear against Katharina’s belly at the end, but as expected, I can’t hear anything.
Even after using 『Hearing』, nothing but her heartbeat is audible.
“The way to use that spell is difficult…”
“I want to learn it, too.”
Leaving Katharina aside, it might be a useful spell for Elise who possesses basic medical knowledge while being a healer.
Given that it will be fine for her to not move to learn the spell, she probably won’t mind even if it takes some time to acquire it.
“Wendelin-san, did you hear anything?”
“It’s still too early after all.”
“We got pregnant around almost the same time.”
I couldn’t hear the baby’s heartbeat, but I noticed that only Katharina was subtly different.
Indeed, it was just a very small difference, but I ended up suddenly noticing when I pressed my ear against her belly.
And, seeing as I have learned of it, I couldn’t keep quiet about it.
Why, you ask?
If there’s a note saying 『Don’t press!』 next to a button in front of you, anyone would feel the urge to press it, no?
It’s something similar to that…although it’s completely unrelated…
“Katharina, did you gain a bit of weight?”
“Wendelin-sa───n!”
“Eh? You had me place my ear against your belly while wanting me to point that out, no?”
“As if!”
“Saying that you’ll go on a diet from now on would be the usual routine?”
“You think I can go on a diet while pregnant!? It will have a bad influence on the baby in my belly!”
“Ah, that’s true.”
Being told by me that she gained weight, Katharina seethed with anger. Hence I ended up having big trouble to cheer her back up.
◆◇◆
“Hubby, asking a woman whether she gained weight is a bad idea. Big Sis says so as well.” (Katia)
Next to Katia who cautions me, Lisa grunts in agreement while nodding.
“Indeed. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s a commonly shared rule between all women, unrelated to their social standing and lineage.” (Therese)
Therese doesn’t support me on this one either.
After I had cheered up Katharina, we went out to do public works again.
The members are Katia and Therese in addition to Lisa. For Therese it’s about getting some real practice. Katia is following as a guard in Wilma’s stead.
Wilma remained in the mansion to take care of Elise and the others. Erw joined the wild animal hunt of the guards.
The Savage Land is great for hunting wild animals as there’s many of them, but with people living there, it’s indispensable to exterminate the animals.
Given that it also serves as training, the guards go out regularly to exterminate wild animals.
“Yeah well, I mean it just slipped out of my mouth after I noticed it.”
“That’s not good, hubby. Katharina is pregnant, so you have to look out to not say such things.” (Katia)
She doesn’t look like it, but since Katia is older than me, I ended up being warned by her.
She took drastic actions during the quarrel with her family, but usually she’s unexpectedly straightforward.
Seemingly because she has many male aspects to her while being quite frank, she’s surprisingly caring towards those of her sex.
“Katia, would you also mind it if you were to gain weight after getting pregnant?”
“I wonder? Actually I want to gain some weight… If possible, my chest…”
Katia, who’s quite active and also a magician, probably had nothing to do with gaining weight so far. She says that she wants to put on some kilograms, but if you look at Katharina, it’s obvious that it won’t be so convenient as to just gaining weight at the chest, but I better don’t point that out.
“Rather than that, how about filling the bridge’s foundation quickly?”
“You were here today as well, Arnest?”
“Sorry for interrupting your family time.”
“No, look, aren’t there construction workers around us as well…?”
As a matter of fact, Arnest has been participating in today’s construction work.
It’s because we’re building a new bridge today.
We could somehow manage the structure roughly by using 『Relocate』, but the bridge’s construction would be extremely difficult.
『Even if you were to bring a bridge spanning over another river, it wouldn’t be of much help.』
Baron Rembrandt stated that he had never relocated a bridge so far.
Since the river’s width and the conditions of the foundation were completely different, it wouldn’t be of any use even if we had relocated it.
It would be no laughing matter if it broke down or got washed away the moment it got relocated.
Because of such reasons, the construction of a bridge takes time and costs a lot.
It’s normal for things like 『Finally the bridge is completed, the dearest wish by three generations of the ○○ House』 to make it into the news.
Even in the Baumeister Earldom, we have only constructed one bridge on the way from Baulburg to the Demon Forest.
Because there are three big rivers flowing through the Baumeister Earldom, the construction of bridges is indispensable.
However, even if we rush and build some half-baked bridge, it will just be washed away right away.
Accordingly it’s time for the special concrete, which had been used for the tunnel we discovered earlier, and the Extreme Limit Steel which I managed to recreate.
That means, we will build the bridge pier using those two, creating a sturdy bridge that won’t be washed away from a bit of high water.
As long as I manage to finish the foundation of the bridge pier and so on, it should be possible to adequately deal with the upper parts through normal construction.
“So, how many bridges do you plan to construct?”
“Going by Roderich’s plans, more than thirty.”
“Oooh! Earl Baumeister, you are a hard worker.” (Arnest)
“Are you praising me, Arnest?”
If you add the bridges for small rivers, it exceeds a hundred in count.
Moreover, depending on Roderich’s plans, it’s possible for that number to rise even further.
“It is probably the consequence of this. Bridges are too practical and thus archaeologically uninteresting.”
“You’re going to live for another ten thousand years. Do you plan to excavate bridges that turned into historic ruins?”
“No, not at all. I only thought that it is pitiful for my future juniors.”
The bridge pier made out of special concrete and Extreme Limit Steel rebars has a simple design, only changing its size to match the river’s width running beneath it.
Since I’m the only one who’s making it, I’d be troubled if someone told me to use an elaborate design.
It’s not like I’m an architecture designer.
“In exchange, you can mass produce them as long as you have enough mana.”
It means, I will produce a great number of bridge parts, including the bridge pier, and those will be assembled on-site.
If he wants fine ornaments, Roderich will probably request it separately.
“Is that the reason why three magicians are necessary?”
“Therese, give it your best.”
“I got somewhat fed up with only training. Such real usage of my magic is more than welcome.” (Therese)
We have split up the work as follows.
First, I expose the riverbed to build the bridge pier.
Since a part of the river’s water has to be held back for a long time at the upper stream, this is my task as I have the biggest capacity of mana.
“I suppose next is my turn.” (Threse)
Therese creates holes to bury a part of the bridge pier’s foundation in the riverbed.
At first it took some time because she wasn’t accustomed to that kind of work, but gradually the time needed for her to dig holes has become shorter.
“…”
Lastly, Lisa moves the bridge pier with 『Telekinesis』, placing it into the holes dug into the riverbed.
Once the burying is finished, she also doesn’t forget to harden the riverbed around the bridge pier.
It requires a precise workmanship so as to avoid the bridge sloping, but Lisa accomplished that with ease.
“All that’s left is to construct bridge piers by repeating this, and place the bridges atop of the pier.”
The upper bridge parts are also made out of Extreme Limit Steel and special concrete.
It’s because the bridges are built with a big width while supporting a large weight so as to allow many carriages to cross them at the same time.
“I will leave the remaining, finer parts to you. Now then, I guess we will head over to the next bridge.”
“Okay…the bridge has been mostly completed in one day…”
A retainer, who had been present at the construction site, feels dumbfounded after watching the foundations of the bridge being finished in no time.
If I remember correctly, he’s a new retainer, and probably not used to magic yet.
“I’d say it’s thanks to the advanced materials.”
As expected, the Extreme Limit Steel and the special concrete are quite useful.
After all they allow us to easily build large, sturdy bridges.
“Amazing. For a bridge of this size to be built so easily…”
Previously it would have been impossible, but having obtained the creation method of Extreme Limit Steel has a big influence.
It was a big help that Arnest knew about the creation method for the special concrete.
He possessed documents specifying the amount of rare metals to be mixed into it.
“Since Roderich will request the construction of additional bridges anyway, we should hurry with the construction as much as possible.”
Like this close to a hundred similar bridges of various sizes were built in the Baumeister Earldom in less than one month.
The reason for their numbers having drastically grown from the initial thirty was owed to Roderich ordering additional ones, as I had expected.
『A territory will develop if the infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ports is perfect.』
In the end that’s the reason for the nobles of this world to fail in the development of new territory.
If you fail to establish the necessary infrastructure for transportation, it will remain an inaccessible area, the number of people won’t grow, and the formation of cities will be impossible, too.
We still have to build more roads from now on, but I feel like we completed the first stage with the building of ports for sea and air, the construction of bridges, and the preparation of soil.
Just when I thought so…
◆◇◆
“Milord, learning of the ease of move within the Baumeister Earldom, the number of immigration applicants has grown. Please hurry and construct the foundations at the places where we have planned to build towns and villages.” (Roderich)
“Roderich, you’ve become skilled at putting your lord to work.”
“Hubby, you’re getting things done well even while complaining, aren’t you?” (Katia)
“…”
Instead of Elise and the others, who can’t use 『Teleport』 because of their pregnancy, Therese, Katia, and Lisa kept accompanying me on my public works jobs.
However, so far Lisa hasn’t reached the point of talking with me.
“Big Sis, you’re in a good mood, aren’t you?” (Katia)
And yet, since she has grown to the extent that she can smile at me, I decide to consider the rest to be a matter of time.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Wend, our activity as 『Dragon Busters』 is in a difficult situation.” (Erwin)
“That’s nothing new, though.” (Wendelin)
It’s this late in the game, but Erw is completely right.
The reason for us not functioning as 『Dragon Busters』 is the pregnancy of Elise and my other wives.
We used contraceptives while being newlywed and during the Empire’s civil war, but we stopped doing so after returning.
Given that the Baumeister House is required to have many children, including an heir, the other nobles would have definitely tried to send over lovers and concubines if my wives didn’t become pregnant at some point.
Therefore, it’s an auspicious event for Elise, Ina, Luise, and Katharina to have safely conceived.
The retainers are overjoyed, too.
Moreover, I will become a father.
That doesn’t feel bad.
Since I couldn’t even marry in my previous life, you might as well call this huge progress.
“Our combat power has dropped significantly with four of our members on maternity leave. I can’t join all the time either.”
Having studied commanding during the civil war, Erw is currently accumulating experience as guard within the territory.
Because of that he has mostly stopped coming along on requests as an adventurer.
Well, that’s inevitable, though.
“I guess you’ll get angry if I ask you to lend us Haruka?”
“No, I won’t be angry, but it’s…”
As if doing it on the fly, Erw reports that Haruka has become pregnant, too.
“It’s an auspicious event, but somehow I wonder, isn’t it way too fast?”
“I have a talent at being a quick-shot.”
“That’s actually nothing to be proud of, in terms of an adult talk.”
Burkhart-san makes a weird interjection, but rather than him, we have a problem with party members.
“I said so before, I can’t come along every time either, Earl-sama. Wilma, Katia, and…Therese-sama has to practice a bit more.”
Leaving aside public works, being careful about combat is Burkhart-san’s policy.
There’s also the reason that it would develop into a huge scandal for the Baumeister House if something happened to Therese.
“Huh? Don’t we have plenty of combat power then?” (Wendelin)
“Earl-sama, I’m sorry to say, but going to the Demon Forest with four or five people like before is banned.”
“Eh? Banned by who?”
“My master or His Majesty. It’s because of what Kimbley did when I wasn’t with you. Luckily you haven’t been injured, Earl-sama, but now they have adopted the cautious approach of forbidding you to enter a monster domain unless you have more combat forces with you.” (Burkhart)
If I’m told something like that, it makes me completely give up hope.
I guess that’s the reason why I’m recently only doing only public works every day.
『Milord, you’re going to become a father. Let’s expand the Baumeister Earldom as much as possible for the sake of our children!』
Roderich, whose child had been just born as well, cleverly reeled me in and advanced the public works within the territory at a quick pace.
『Including the reward from the Empire, the funds of the Baumeister House have grown even further. Using those assets, it has become possible to develop the territory quickly and efficiently. Something that’s impossible for other noble houses.』
Any noble house would rather get started on development than just planning it.
What always turns into a problem at that point is money, or in other words, funds. As we have those, we can be a bit unreasonable.
Since I finish the public works, which take the most time and money, with magic, we can start as many development projects as we want.
And, given that people gather in the Baumeister Earldom where the money is circulating, Roderich accelerates the development by using those people.
Reclamation, soil preparation, river shoreline stabilization, and construction of ports.
Because the first construction phase finished a lot faster than planned according to Roderich, we seem to be in the middle of the second construction phase right now.
Well, talks about a third construction phase are going to pop up soon anyway.
The construction of the main roads extending to the east, west, north, and south from Baulburg, and branch roads stretching out like a spider web has been completely finished. Right now we’re in the process of building smaller roads connecting those bigger roads. Also, because we also have the goal to stabilize the rivers flowing close to Baulburg, we have begun working on embankments at the rivers streaming east and west.
Since we were put to work in order to finish the construction of the requested main bridges for the time being, I hear that only small bridges will be put up as necessary afterwards.
Once a petition by the local residents reaches us, Roderich will judge the level of necessity, and we will actually build it then.
It’s possible that in the future there will appear local residents claiming that the place is covered all over with bridges, but I think Roderich will take this into consideration, too.
“Isn’t it fine to work as an adventurer after the children are born?”
Erw says that it’s okay to continue after the maternity leave.
“Ah, but…”
Once I look in Lisa’s direction, she happily nods her head all of a sudden.
It looks like she will help as a new member of my party.
“…But, Wendelin-san, I’d like you to take proper responsibility, she says.”
Katharina tells us Lisa’s hope as interpreter.
Is it because I saw her naked…and since I also know that she doesn’t grow any hair below?
The women of this world are troublesome in this regard.
“Such things follow after we get to know each other a little better…”
Because there were some quite messy parts in the case with Katia, I’m slightly more cautious this time around.
Or rather, if I’m not, the number of my wives will just keep growing.
What is even more problematic is the fact that my surroundings will be actually overjoyed by that.
“…At the beginning it’s fine like this, she says.”
However, Katharina interprets faithfully.
She precisely passes on Lisa’s words.
Katharina might actually possess a very caring character.
“I guess it will work out somehow?”
“It’ll be fine as long as Doushi comes.”
Erw seems to expect Doushi to come over as a helper for our adventuring.
“Erwin, Doushi is no good.”
“Eh? Why, Burkhart-san?”
“Doushi is busy with giving speeches.”
“Eh? He’s still at it?”
Even though almost three months since the end of the civil war have passed, it looks like there are still people who want to hear his stories.
There’s a lot less entertainment in this world than I had expected.
“As for this, at first he went around the territories belonging directly to the royal family, and now there’s requests from nobles. Rather, I hear he will be busy visiting all the noble territories from now on.”
It kind of feels like he first gave speeches in the cities, and now is giving speeches in the countryside?
Since it’s impossible for Burkhart-san and me in regards to our schedules and social positions, it looks like requests are flooding in on Doushi who’s an appointed noble and has little to do as Royal Head Wizard.
“Doushi won’t decline His Majesty’s request after all.”
Doushi is His Majesty’s childhood friend and a faithful retainer.
Usually he’s more self-centered than anyone, and he has been abusing us to his liking, too.
“It means His Majesty can also consider him as a noble who listens well to what His Majesty says.”
“Wend, are Doushi’s tales interesting?”
I feel like I want to make sure, but if I go to his speeches, I might get dragged in by Doushi and be forced to talk about something.
Let’s give up on that since it doesn’t suit me either.
“I guess you won’t be going to monster domains for a while then. Besides, you seem to be gathering monster materials and harvest even without going out to hunt, Earl-sama. It means you don’t have to move by yourself any longer.”
Currently, several dozens villages and towns have been built around the Demon Forest. Many adventurers are going hunting with those places as their bases.
It’s not necessary for us to force ourselves to keep going at it.
“Wend, what about that person? I mean, Arnest.”
“No, he is…”
Right now Arnest is concentrating on writing up a report inside his room without showing up in front of us all that often.
『Considering it from the common practice of archeology, it takes more time to write up a thesis to reference on what you investigated than it takes time to excavate a historic ruin.』
Arnest, who had investigated the tunnel so minutely that he exceeded the schedule by two weeks, has locked himself up in his own room and is writing his thesis into a thick bundle of papers.
He analyzed after investigating and put it all together into one thesis.
He’s a genuine archaeologist.
As he seems to be quite focused on it, he doesn’t leave his room except for taking his three meals and entering the bath once a day.
『This place is nice. Duke Nürnberg was troublesome as he always told me to hurry with the excavation.』
It looks like that part of his papers has been left behind, but he has also added the details of the historic ruins in my territory.
Right now Arnest doesn’t separate from his desk.
Of course his monitoring continues, but the retainer in charge apparently is totally relaxed since he has so much free time, according to Roderich’s report.
“In the eyes of a scholar, it must be the ideal research environment, huh?”
Since he’s a demon possessing this much mana, leaving him to his own devices would be dangerous.
Having him live in the Baumeister Earldom while baiting him with underground ruins is a lot easier.
“Sooner or later he will likely start talking about new ruins.”
There are many completely untouched underground ruins within the Baumeister Earldom.
Especially the Demon Forest seems to have many of those, but to search that place, we need combat forces.
But then again, with Elise and the others on maternity leave, there’s no need to try the unreasonable.
“So we have to wait for Therese to finish up her training in the end?”
“I think that would make sense, but there’s actually a work request for you, Earl-sama.” (Burkhart)
“Work? Some dragon? Or a mysterious, big underground ruin?”
“No, no, it’s nothing so exaggerated.” (Burkhart)
Burkhart-san denies, but I can’t really trust him unless I hear the details.
After all I have been only plunged into such absurd situations so far.
“It’s about being a temporary teacher in the capital’s adventurer prep school.”
“Temporary teacher, you say…? Before that, we never went to the capital’s adventurer prep school, did we?”
“Now that you mention it…”
Based on the documents we have been affiliated to that place and graduated there, but we never showed up there.
After all we carried out all the necessary training outside.
“If it comes to the capital’s adventurer prep school, there’s quite a few magicians there.”
There exists a fixed number of magicians who deliberately travel to the capital to study there since it’s the place at the forefront of magic research, without enrolling at their local adventurer prep schools.
You won’t find almost any proper magic teachers in the countryside. Even in a big city like Breitburg, renown magicians are rare in reality.
They are probably thinking that they might learn magic from an excellent teacher if they are going to study it anyway.
“Well, the capital’s adventurer prep school’s sales point are the good teachers. It also happens that famous magicians give short-term courses and lectures as temporary teachers. It’s something I have also done many times myself.” (Burkhart)
It appears that Burkhart-san taught Lisa magic at one of those occasions.
“This is also one of the duties of a magician. Earl-sama, you have become famous. You will get a daily pay, but it’s really insignificant. Please consider it as voluntary activity. I guess you can also call it the obligation of the chosen ones.”
“Got it.”
I decided to take up that request.
◆◇◆
I decided to head to the capital with Burkhart-san via『Teleport』 on the next day.
It’s my first experience as a teacher, and thus it’d be understandable even if I failed.
After all it would just mean that I didn’t have the aptitude for it.
When I was about to leave, Elise and the others accompanied me to the mansion’s garden to see me off.
The option of taking them along has crossed my mind for an instant, but 『Teleport』 is still not an option during a pregnancy.
Because it’s such a convenient spell, I end up becoming careless against my better judgment.
“Dear, have a good trip.” (Elise)
“I will bring you some souvenirs.” (Wendelin)
“Please do your best, sensei.” (Elise)
“Being called sensei by you is a tad of embarrassing, Elise.”
Elise doesn’t seem to be worried since it’s not like I’m going out to hunt as an adventurer.
She speaks to me with a smile.
“Wend, are you going to be alright with the teaching job?”
“Ina, you have to think of it like this, 『Even if a single temporary teacher were to be a bad example, it won’t change much anyway, will it?』”
“Well, you’re not wrong in what you’re saying there, Wend. Also, I don’t think that your magic can be imitated that easily…”
Since it’s about fulfilling a duty, the absolute minimum of my work will finish with me just showing up there.
“It might work out if they practice it.”
“Effort is needed, but you have to also have a certain level of talent.”
I might encounter an amazing talent there, but I think that would strongly depend on luck.
“Considering all that, it looks like you still read books yesterday night in earnest.”
“Even if I might be a lost cause, Master’s teaching will still be useful. For that reason I refreshed my memory once more, just in case.”
“But you know, your own teaching might unexpectedly serve as good reference, Wend.” (Luise)
“What’s with the sudden praise? Luise, you hope to get more souvenirs out of this?” (Wendelin)
“Hey! Wend, for some weird reason you’re the kind of guy who uses magic after thinking it over, aren’t you? I’m rather on the intuitive side.”
Luise says that she isn’t cut out for teaching.
There’s that as well, but given that she can only use a few spells, she won’t be invited to such a place either, Burkhart-san supplemented.
“Wendelin-san, I think I will work as a temporary teacher later as well, so please tell me about the lectures once you get back.” (Katharina)
“Oh, true. The temporary lecturer job will come around to you sooner or later as well, won’t it Katharina?”
“Since I’m pregnant right now, they probably won’t approach me about it.”
Nowadays Katharina has become a very famous magician, too.
It wouldn’t be weird if she were also invited as a temporary lecturer in due time.
“Before that, there’s still Katia-san’s and Therese-san’s teaching.”
“I will do it obediently.” (Therese)
“Since I have only a few spells I can use, I’m unrelated to such a responsibility. Hubby, you sure got it hard.” (Katia)
Therese and Katia have also shown up to see me off.
“Wend-kun, take care. I will make sure that Elise-san and the others don’t move around too much until they reach their stable period.” (Amalie)
Amalie has been working on taking care of Elise’s group in little steps.
『I will be of some use since I have given birth to two children already.』 (Amalie)
Due to her advantage of having already gone through childbirth, Elise and the others appear to rely on Amalie.
“Eh, Lisa?”
Having her sleeve tucked, Katharina shifts her eyes, finding Lisa behind her.
With her habitual fear of strangers, I fully understand why Lisa continued using that makeup and clothes for such a long time.
If she hadn’t, she might have been even unable to approach the guild’s reception desk.
Today she’s also a completely different person from the one who fought against me the other day.
“…Lisa-san says that she will also help with the special training of Katia-san and Therese-san.” (Katharina)
“Thanks, Lisa.” (Wendelin)
Lisa smiles happily after hearing my words of gratitude.
“She’s really like a totally different person.”
Burkhart-san, who knows Lisa well from the time when she was wearing that flashy makeup and outfit, feels perplexed by her current behavior.
He probably doesn’t know how to handle her.
Even so, you can say that she has improved a bit since she stopped avoiding him openly.
“I will be your guard, Wend-sama.”
Today as well, Erw can’t leave the Baumeister Earldom due to his work with the guard unit.
That’s why I will teleport to the capital with Burkhart-san as my guide and Wilma as my guard.
Since I recall its location albeit having gone there only a few times, I teleport to the backyard of the adventurer prep school.
Given that it’s morning when we arrive, we can see how many aspiring adventurer boys and girls are preparing to take their lessons inside the school.
“Everyone is so innocent.”
In reality, there were surprisingly many people who are older than us, though.
There are also people who aim to become adventurers to earn money for new businesses they want to start and such, even after passing an age of thirty.
Still, more than half of them are minors.
“They aren’t that different in age compared to you, are they Earl-sama?” (Burkhart)
“No, the difference of a few years during your teens is big.”
The capital’s adventurer prep school doesn’t have that much of a difference with the regional adventurer prep schools in regards to the subjects taught.
However, because it has many enrollment applicants and receives financial support directly from the Kingdom, the grounds and buildings are much bigger than those of the prep school in Breitburg, and there are many teachers and staff members.
You can enroll with 12 years, and students with good academic results will be exempted from tuition.
Since they can’t enter a monster domain until they turn 15, they hunt in the nearby forests until then.
It’s completely the same as in Breitburg.
“Let’s go greet the principal.”
We head to the principal’s office with Burkhart-san in the lead.
As I walk through the school while holding hands with Wilma, the passing students start to make a racket.
“Burkhart-san, you are a celebrity, aren’t you?”
“I am famous. But, I think you are even more so, Earl-sama.” (Burkhart)
“Everyone is surprised to see you, Wend-sama.”
“Hmm, it looks like they do know my face.”
“That’s only natural.”
“Is it…?”
There’s no TV in this world, though
Once we enter the principal’s office, the same principal as several years ago greets us.
He looks like he’s around 60 years old. His silver-gray hair is stylish. A man who seems quite capable despite one of his arms being artificial.
“Hendrick-dono, I brought him.”
“Thanks, Burkhart.”
His name is Hendrick Clementz Heinkes, formerly a famous adventurer.
One of his arms being artificial stems from a monster having bitten off the real one in his younger days.
The amazing part about him is that he still continued as an adventurer, achieving even better results than before he lost his arm.
『Artificial Hendrick』 is a celebrity who’s even mentioned in the adventurer biography series.
After his retirement, he was assigned to the post of the adventurer prep school’s headmaster as his popularity was highly evaluated.
Burkhart-san has been apparently taken care of by him during his beginner days. That’s probably why he brought up the temporary lecturer request with me.
“As a matter of fact, Johannes-jiisan has retired.”
Johannes-jiisan was the regular teacher in charge of magic at this prep school, but he was more than 90 years old.
Even if this might be the capital’s adventurer prep school, they still struggle to secure personnel that can teach magic. Thus there are many magicians said to not retire as long as they can teach.
There are many cases where magicians are held back by the prep school even if they actually want to stop.
“Probably because of his age, he had become very forgetful. Then he started to even forget magic at last. He had his grandchild come to deliver the resignation note, saying that impediments in his teaching have appeared.”
“If it goes this far, I guess you can’t really detain him.”
Given that even such an old man dropped out as a regular teacher, the prep school was facing a dire situation.
“The majority of old magicians capable of teaching take on other profitable work, after all. Johannes-jiisan was a valuable staff member.”
They have started looking for the next regular teacher, but that will take time.
Accordingly they are apparently holding out by having the royal palace dispatch wizards as temporary lecturers.
“Just one month…even a single week will be a great help.”
“My adventurer job is on break as my wives are pregnant. So, as long as it’s in the time between the breaks of my development work.”
“Thank you, Earl Baumeister-dono.”
With this it had been decided that I would work here as a temporary lecturer three times a week for approximately one year until Elise and the others gave birth.
Well, such experience should be useful in life one way or the other.
Besides, 『Wendelin-sensei』 doesn’t sound all that bad either.
“By the way, aren’t there any people who seem to have spare time in the royal palace?”
I won’t drop any names here, but it’s about the guy who has been busy with giving speeches most recently.
“Doushi-dono? He’s no good.”
“Why?”
“We cannot afford to break promising magicians. I also believe that it’s better to give them strict training, but there are limits to everything.”
“Umm…there’s someone here who has directly received Doushi’s training for two years…”
“You somehow got through it because you’re strong, Earl Baumeister-dono.”
I had been evaluated as the same species as Doushi even by a former, remarkable adventurer.
On the surface I glossed it over by smiling, but in my heart I felt very sad.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Are you nervous, Wend-sama?” (Wilma)
“Well, now that I think about it, I have never experienced being a teacher.”
After finishing the greetings with the principal, I immediately head to a classroom where the magician students have been gathered.
Burkhart-san bid farewell from us since he had business to take care of in the capital.
As expected, he won’t take part in the lesson.
Wilma comes with me while being treated as assistant temporary lecturer since she has mana.
I’m about to enter the class now, but because I have no experience as a teacher, I’m suddenly assailed by nervousness as if my stomach has been wrung.
In contrast, Wilma looks like totally calm.
To be honest, I’m quite envious of her.
“(I wasn’t as nervous even during presentations in front of higher ups…)”
During my time as a salaryman, I had presented new projects in front of the executives of companies.
Even back then, I shouldn’t have been as nervous as I am now.
“Ah, whatever! It’s not like I will be eaten or taken apart!”
I resolve myself and enter the classroom.
Once I do, around forty boys and girls ranging from 12 to 15 years are waiting there.
Nothing less of the capital. The number of magicians is big.
Since they can make one class full of only magicians, any comparison to the prep school in Breitburg seems quite pathetic.
“Everyone, nice to meet you. I’m your temporary teacher, Wendelin von Benno Baumeister. It has been decided that I will be in charge of this class three times a week for around one year. Pleased to meet you.”
I feel like my voice carries a bit of my excitement, but I somehow manage to make my greetings.
“Wilma Etol von Baumeister.”
Wilma introduces herself in her usual dispassionate manner.
Not having a shred of nervousness here might be the very reason for her sniping abilities.
“Let’s see…”
Once I open my mouth, the students’ eyes gather on me at once, but there’s one problem here.
“(Wilma, what should I do during such times?)”
It’s true that my head has gone completely blank due to my tension, but in the first place, I don’t really know what a teacher should do at such times.
“(Wend-sama, what about your lesson preparations last night?)”
“(You see, I can’t use those as long as I don’t know the level of education of the students here…)”
It’s completely my blunder to not have asked Principal Hendrick.
“(I really got no clue. Well, whatever. It’s the first day anyway) Since you will be confused if I start with my lessons all of a sudden, I will accept questions for starters.”
“Teacher! What magic did you use to defeat the bone dragon?”
“Can I also use the magic that defeated several tens of thousand golems squirming around in the underground ruin?”
“Is it true that you blew away 100,000 soldiers of the imperial army with one spell?”
“Teacher, how credible are the rumors that you look young because of a special spell while actually being over 300 years old?”
In the end, the day finished with me answering the questions of the students who raised their hands one after the other.
The questions were all about the bone dragon subjugation, the underground labyrinth capture, and the civil war. My magic training didn’t play any role.
◆◇◆
“Everyone’s eyes sparkled, didn’t they? There was such a time for me as well.”
“No, Wend, your eyes haven’t sparkled since the time we met for the first time. You took a philosophical view towards society.” (Erwin)
“Really?”
After finishing the lesson on that day, Wilma and I returned to the mansion.
I talk about today’s events while spreading out the souvenirs I bought in the capital, but Erw, that asshole, shot me completely down after hearing what I said.
“My eyes sparkled as well when I was a lot younger. Like an angel.”
“More like a fallen angel, I’d say.” (Erwin)
“How rude. Hurry up and go back to your wife.”
“Aye, aye sir.”
Once I give Erw his souvenir, he goes back home.
His wife is pregnant, so it’s better to have him go back as soon as possible.
“Dear, what are you going to do about the next lessons?”
“I will play it by ear while referencing to the education from Master, Elise. I will let Wilma help out as well.”
“Will do my best as an assistant temporary teacher.” (Wilma)
◆◇◆
Since I have promised to work three times a week as a teacher, Wilma and I head to the classroom again three days later.
As we can’t only keep talking about me, I will hold a lecture in my very own way.
But, I decide to first ask the students what their previous teacher, Johannes-san, taught them.
If there are any good parts, I will expand on those for the sake of the students.
“What did Johannes-sensei teach you?”
Once I ask the students, they look at each other and sink into silence.
“Eh? Were you taught some kind of secret magic or theory?”
Is that why they can’t tell others about it?
“No, that’s wrong, sensei.”
“Seinsei? Ah, me, eh? Umm.. you are?”
“I’m called Agnes Fürst.”
A single girl raises her hand among the murmuring students.
She’s a bespectacled beauty with a height of around 155 cm and light brown hair that’s curling inwards.
On a first glance, she looks like the typical class president character, I guess?
“(A glasses-wearing girl!)”
I end up thinking about such pointless stuff like the possibility of her being even more of a beauty if she were to take off her glasses since she was already so beautiful with the glasses on.
“As for Johannes-sensei…”
According to Agnes, his senility had apparently started one year ago, while he had taken over from an older magician student who had graduated.
The students of this class have entered the school recently, but I guess it was an issue, starting from the class of last year.
“He said the same things many times over, and even though he taught us magic, he suddenly started in the middle to speak about episodes of his old adventurer days. As a result, most of us learned magic on our own accord…”
To begin with, magic is something you learn yourself anyway, but since they have a famous lecturer at long last, they want to hear about new magic and tricks on how to practice as reference.
Even though their hopes were completely crushed by a dim-witted teacher, the students couldn’t afford to play hooky either.
After all they won’t be able to graduate if they don’t get the required credits.
“We have to attend two thirds of all lectures to graduate…”
In reality, there’s more than 60 students in this class.
However, since all of them believe that it’s no problem as long as they get the least necessary amount of attendance days, around one third of the students are always absent.
“I see.”
In this case I suppose it’s no problem if I start from the basics just as I planned last night.
Making up my mind, I begin my own lecture at once.
“First, the basic of the basics is to train the basics every day.”
This is something written in a book that has widely spread across the world.
You expand your mana paths and mana sac while imagining the flow of mana every day.
Because the mana amount and power of your magic grows through this, it’s necessary to do it on a daily basis.
“How many of you are doing it every single day?”
“Half…” (Wilma)
Due to the low number of students raising their hands, Wilma looks disappointed.
She has been taught by Burkhart-san and me, and makes sure to meditate every day.
Even Doushi said that he never misses a single day of practicing that.
That’s how fundamentally important training the basics is.
“It’s no good if you don’t do it every day.”
“But teacher, my mana has already stopped growing.”
A single boy objects.
Mana at an elementary level is at the lower end in this class.
By the way, the one with the biggest amount of mana in this class is the class president character, Agnes.
Just under the condition that it’s for now, though.
“You can still widen your mana paths.”
“Mana paths, you say? Even the power of my magic doesn’t amount to much with my mana.”
“If your mana paths are narrow, the amount of mana you can use and the control of your spell’s power will be insufficient.”
“Eh? Really?”
The boy can’t hide his surprise as he apparently hears this for the first time.
“At times when you use spells that use large amounts of mana and at times when you use spells that require low amounts of mana, it’s advantageous for the flow of your mana to have wide mana paths. It has an especially big influence when you invoke big spells.”
If the mana paths are narrow, it will take longer for the necessary mana to flow through the paths.
“Doesn’t that make only a small difference?”
Another boy asks me.
“It’s small, but in actual combat it will be fatal. If your opponent fires their spell first, you’ll be finished. If a monster rushes at you before you finish casting, you will probably die.”
“…”
Not only that student, but all others become deadly silent upon my reply.
Yep, the difference is probably in the range of milliseconds, but there are many cases where that time will be crucial.
“Sensei!”
“What is it?”
“It’s about that training of the basics…”
Another beautiful girl with bobbed, black hair, who might have barely made it into this class with her young age, asks me a question.
“The image of widening the mana paths by letting mana flow through them has been described in books, but I don’t really understand how to exactly shape that image… Since the books only write to imagine it, I don’t understand what image to use. The books leave it at saying that you should sit down properly and close your eyes,” the girl says.
There are several other students who have the same issue.
“(I guess that’s also inevitable…)”
What I used for widening my mana paths was an image I had seen on TV in Japan.
It was a clip about blood flowing through the veins in an educational TV program I was shown at school, and so it was fine to use a similar image in my mind.
However, in this world you can’t learn about the structure of a human body without being a doctor or going through the church.
Moreover, documentaries don’t exist, and there’s only books and hearsay as sources of information.
“Having expected as much, I prepared something like this.”
Having said that, it’s nothing overly elaborate. It’s just the intestines of a boar – as they’re normally sold in stores in the capital – being hung up sideways.
Since it’s used as stuffing, you can buy it cheaply all over the place.
I added an inclination to the sideways-hanging intestines, released water with magic through the entrance on the right side, which was located in a high place, and kept letting it stream through the intestines.
When you increase the water volume, the intestines continue to swell. The water exited towards the ground from an exit on the left side located at a lower place.
The escaping water gathered in a tub my assistant Wilma had prepared.
“You can think of the water as mana, and your mana paths as the boar intestines. You can imagine that the intestines will always expand due to a large amount of mana.
I increase the amount of water, making the intestines bulge.
Since it’d be a waste to break the intestines, I carefully tune the amount of water used.
“I think it will be fine if you close your eyes and imagine your own mana paths widening like this in your mind once a day. Next…”
It’s the mana sac, but that one is even more simple.
The bladder of boars is sold for cheap as an ingredient for sausage after all.
I fill a bladder with water to the limit, making it swell.
“Sensei, do mana paths and mana sacs look like those?”
“It’s an image to the bitter end, but your sensei has been training everyday with these images every day. If it comes to an image of it expanding by letting large amounts of mana flow through it, this seems the most suitable to me. Of course, since it’s just an image, I won’t mind even if you use your own image to realize the same effect. As long as it shows effect, it’s a suitable method for you.” (Wendelin)
“I see…”
The students diligently take notes while listening to my explanations with meek expressions.
“(They are such straightforward kids that it’s almost dazzling.)”
“(Wend-sama, you stink a bit of an old geezer.)”
Wilma unleashes her vicious tongue at me who admired the students’ purity.
“Are you still doing basic training even after possessing so much mana, sensei?”
“In your sensei’s case, my mana is still growing.” (Wendelin)
It’s nothing unusual as I’m still not 20 years old.
However, my amount of mana is already the biggest on the continent, and since around the only one who can match me would be the demon Arnest, everyone stares at me in wonder.
“I’m repeating myself here, but even if your amount of mana stops rising, it’s better to train imagining how your mana paths widen. Small amounts of mana can also move quickly through wide mana paths, but if you try to press a large amount of mana all of a sudden through narrow mana paths, the mana flow will stagnate, and the activation of your spell will be delayed, or in worst case, it’s possible that you won’t be able to release a spell with the necessary power. That’s why I recommend doing this every day.”
In addition I tell the students about the basic training I have come up with myself and the one I was taught by my Master.
Especially when I taught them about including 『Meditation』 which I and those close to me practice every day, it was popular with the students as it’s easy to integrate.
The first day was self-introduction, and the second day the basics of the basics.
I think those are proper lecture contents.
“Earl Baumeister-dono, I watched your lecture as well, and I must say I’m thrilled.”
Once I head to the principal’s office after finishing my lecture, Wilma and I receive high praises by Principal Hendrick.
“It’s the basics of the basics, no?”
“That’s true, but unexpectedly there are no people who will teach those. I’m no magician, so I can’t teach them either.” (Hendrick)
Johannes-jiisan should have taught them long ago if he hadn’t gone senile…no, I can’t say so for sure since I don’t know Johannes-jiisan’s methods as magician.
Among the really sports-oriented people, there are also some who forcibly increase their mana amount by continuously using their magic to the limit every day, even without practicing the basics.
Given that there are people who get an effect out of doing it this way, I can’t deny it unconditionally.
“If you ask renown magicians to work as temporary lecturers, you never know whether they will be a hit or miss.”
The majority of the magicians who take the lectures only possess mana in the range from elementary to intermediate levels.
They are still valuable with that amount of mana, but the magicians, who seem to serve as temporary lecturers, definitely possess mana in the upper ranges of the intermediate level and above.
They are capable, but they are also conceited as prodigies.
Prodigies, who can use awesome magic without any particular hardships, don’t know how to teach those who can’t do the same.
That’s because they can’t understand the feelings of those who aren’t as capable as them.
I hear it’s not rare for people to demonstrate their flashy spells and finish by saying, “Use this as reference!”
On the other hand, many of the people, who learned magic with a drive similar to vomiting blood, have an artisan’s temperament, saying things such as “I can’t teach you the details, so learn it by watching.”
They frequently declare stuff like “Not being able to learn it means you lack the will,” or “Go at it with the intention to die.” They are still better than those with a genius’ temperament, but in the end they produce a certain number of drop-outs.
“It’s of no use as reference as it’s far too extreme.”
“This mismatched method of teaching is a reason for the lack of magicians in the first place.”
That means, if they can’t rely on the lectures in the prep school, it results in more and more magicians depending on the master/pupil system or on self-study.
Someone like Katia is an example for that.
However, the master/pupil system has the same traps as the temporary lecturer system.
It’s not like the pupil can always imitate what the master can do.
“I’m no magician, so I can’t state it with confidence, but occasionally I harbor feelings of doubts wondering whether all magicians really exhibit their full abilities.”
He seems to wonder whether magicians wouldn’t be capable of using more magic if they received education based on a system properly founded on basics.
“Umm, I will teach them to my best abilities for the period I accepted to work as a lecturer here.”
“Even this much is a great help! It’s no good if I don’t find the next teacher, but I think it will be really difficult to find someone more excellent than you, Earl Baumeister-dono.” (Hendrick)
In the end it looks like Principal Hendrick is pleased with me.
＊ ＊ ＊
“A systematic teaching of magic…? Certainly, depending on the teaching, your own abilities will play a big role.”
Once I brought up the topic with Elise during dinner after coming home, she didn’t deny my conclusion.
“How was it in your case, Elise? Luise, Wilma and I had a late start, so it turned into us having Wend and Burkhart-san as teachers.” (Ina)
“It’s the same with Katia as well, right? Though Katia had a certain extent of mana from start.”
“But, I had my fair share of troubles to learn magic I can use…I finally reached a point of being able to do it thanks to Big Sis’ coaching.” (Katia)
Ina, Luise, and Katia begin to talk about their respective experiences.
“I received training at the church.” (Elise)
Since her mana had been confirmed in her early childhood, Elise apparently was immediately taught at the church through Cardinal Hohenheim’s connections.
“Because they immediately found out that I had the aptitude for a healing magician, the other healing magicians taught me what I needed to know.” (Elise)
Even the church is adamant about securing personnel capable of using healing magic.
Besides, her grandfather is a cardinal.
It was impossible for them to cut corners in her education.
“But, magicians are precious, aren’t they? I wasn’t treated as all that important since there’s only a few spells I can use. However, my treatment over at the adventurer’s guild wasn’t bad.” (Katia)
Even mana holders at Katia’s previous level, and all the more so if it’s a person who can boost their combat abilities with it, will be valued highly by the adventurer’s guild and the army.
However, strictly spoken, that’s not because they’re magicians.
It’s merely because they’re strong.
“If you have a talent for healing magic, the church will welcome you with open arms and teach you. In case of other magicians…”
Magicians are busy because there are so few of them.
Rather than teaching, doing it by themselves is more profitable.
They probably believe that they can somehow handle it themselves, as long as it concerns magic.
And yet it’s a general trend for a normal magician to think that they should at least take two or three pupils, which also includes an intent to contribute to society.
“In addition, it gives them an excuse to dodge something as troublesome as being temporary teachers at prep schools. Still there are many peculiar ones who won’t even do that much.”
Nevertheless, the government and the various guilds don’t rebuke them in any way.
It’s because they will be stumped if the magician gets angry or offended, seeing how the other party possesses ability and brings in profit as well.
“I think I can clearly understand now why the group of magician teachers at the prep schools is so small…so, how are things going on Katia’s and Therese’s end?”
I ask about the two’s level of magic education.
“Katia-san has an aptitude for wind magic and physical enhancement magic specialized on 『Acceleration』. However, since she’s bad at emission magic, we have limited it to magic allowing her to achieve an effect similar to a 『Magic Barrier』 by cladding her body in wind and to raise her offensive ability by engulfing her sabers with wind. She has the same magic disposition as Ina-san. As for Therese-san, her strongest attribute actually was earth. Her aptitude for public works magic is high. Her being able to use high-ranking fire magic has been previously proven in her duel against me.” (Lisa)
“Hee!?”
I can’t hide my surprise.
It’s not about Katia’s and Therese’s magic.
It’s because Lisa, who’s the incarnation of someone fearing men, gives me a fluent explanation.
“Katia-san, you say…big sis…” (Katia)
Katia only knows the previous Lisa.
She seems quite bewildered after being addressed with -san all of a sudden.
“Lisa spoke!”
There was an anime like that in the past, wasn’t there?
I think it was about ○lara standing up…1
“No…I mean, she could talk from the very start. Right, Lisa?” (Burkhart)
“…”
Lisa has become able to talk to me, but she stays silent at Burkhart-san’s question.
It looks like her fear of men hasn’t been completely cured yet.
“Don’t ignore me!” (Burkhart)
“Teacher, it seems that Lisa-san still can’t speak to any man other than Wendelin-san.” (Katharina)
“For her to become like this without that outfit and makeup…” (Burkhart)
Katharina does her best to follow up on Burkhart-san who has become sullen because he can’t get Lisa to talk with him.
Before anyone noticed, the position of being something like Lisa’s interpreter has completely stuck to her.
Even though she might say this or that, in the end Katharina is very caring and softhearted, seeing how she spontaneously follows up on others and faithfully takes care of interpreting.
“Katharina, you’re quite the helpful person, aren’t you?”
“I guess you can say that I feel a deep sympathy for her…” (Katharina)
In the eyes of Katharina, who’s actually not afraid of men, but…I think it’s something similar…a loner like me, Lisa appears to be someone she can’t leave alone.
In reality, it’s the same for me as well, which is also the reason why I allow her to freeload here as much as she likes.
“Earl Baumeister-sama, please take me along to your public work duty as well. Katharina-san is already…”
“On that subject, I guess you’re right.”
It’s not like I can take the pregnant Katharina to the construction sites with 『Teleport』.
Lisa offers to help out instead since she’s freeloading at my home.
“You did play a very active part in building the bridges. Are you strong at earth magic?”
“I’m better at it than fire magic.” (Lisa)
I have already fully experienced the power and precision of Lisa’s magic.
In that case, I will have her help out since it’s a good opportunity.
As a noble, I shouldn’t hold back for the development of the Baumeister Earldom, too.
Nobles use anything they can use, even if it’s their parents…though, it’s unrelated to social standing.
“I will also take care of the parts where Therese-san experiences difficulties.” (Lisa)
“Sure. I have accumulated a bit of experience as well, but I’m still worried about handling it myself.” (Therese)
Therese, whose history as a magician is still short, seems to be thankful of Lisa, a veteran, acting as her chaperon.
“Therese-san, you have no problem helping out with our development?”
“Elise, thou are such a serious one. Since I retired, it would be fine to leave it at saying that I’m someone who just gives advice every once in a while.” (Therese)
“There won’t be any order for you to come back from the Duke Philip House or something?”
What Elise is worried about is the possibility of Therese being called back home because of her utility value now that she could use magic.
“That won’t happen. It’s unlikely for a man of Alfons’ caliber to hand out such a stupid order.” (Therese)
If he were to make such a bad move as calling her back, it would trigger a succession issue for the Duke Philip House again.
Even if she might be able to use magic now, it’s very unlikely for her to be called back for that reason.
“I think, even Peter-dono wouldn’t wish for that.” (Therese)
In the same way as before, it might very likely lead to talks about Therese becoming the next empress.
As of yet, the Empire is still in turmoil. It will take time to rearrange the parliament and enact an emperor election.
If Therese were to come back at this point, folks scheming for her to run as a candidate might show up.
“Officially, I’m Earl Baumeister’s guest, but in reality I’m considered his lover and spoils of war. This position is perfect for me as it’s not bothersome. Since I also managed to find a friend in Amalie, it means that I’m living in a paradise of carefreeness.” (Therese)
◆◇◆
Starting with the next day, Lisa and Therese went around to do public works, and since I sent them on-site with Teleport on the days of my lecturing, the days of me teaching at the prep school kept increasing in number.
“Hubby, take me along as well since I’m dying of boredom over here.” (Katia)
Once Katia joined as my guard and showed up at the prep school, Principal Hendrick came to greet Katia at once.
“Come to think of it, you married Earl Baumeister after suffering a crushing defeat against him, didn’t you?”
“Headmaster, your way of speaking is as blunt as usual, isn’t it?” (Katia)
Katia is a former student of this school, and the two seem to be acquaintances.
“I will assist hubby, too.” (Katia)
“Assist…you really don’t know what might happen in life. 『High Speed』 becoming her husband’s assistant, eh? Ah, I’m just joking. I wouldn’t know what to do if Earl Baumeister wasn’t here. He’s a big help.”
“Did Johannes, that geezer, finally kick the bucket or something?” (Katia)
“Now listen…don’t just kill him off. He simply retired due to his old age.”
Today we begin the lesson with the three of us, but Katia is a celebrity at the prep school, too.
It’s because she’s known to earn quite good money as a professional killer specialized on wyverns.
Moreover, I guess it also included her previous husband search announcement, the matter of her defeating the sons of nobles and royalty in a row, and her losing to me at the end.
She’s a person with an abundance of topics to talk about.
◆◇◆
“We will meditate before the beginning of the lesson. With the image of widening the mana paths.”
Today I have another lesson.
Having said that, since it’s already my fifth lesson in total, I’m just teaching them the theories and basics I was taught by Master, adding the training I arranged in my very own way.
“Even a 『Fireball』 that uses the same amount of mana will have a completely different effective range, if you do it like this.”
The first one only left light burn traces with a diameter of around one meter behind on the target board, however, once I shrunk its size to that of a pachinko ball, I succeeded in puncturing the board.
“There are cases where the first 『Fireball』 with the wide effective range but lacking power might be recommended to be used, but you will almost never use it on monster hunts. Any of you know the reason?”
“Here!”
Agnes, the class president character, raises her hand in response to my question.
This bespectacled and diligent girl has the most mana in this class, good scholastic records, and acts as mediator for the students.
A class president system doesn’t exist at prep schools, but she’s actually treated like a class president by her surroundings.
“It’s because the firepower is overwhelmingly insufficient. I think you can’t use it for anything but a smoke screen.” (Agnes)
“That’s mostly correct. There’s no point in firing a spell that won’t be able to kill a monster even if it hits. Using it as a smoke screen when subjugating targets together with a party happens occasionally, but I think it would be better to stop that as well.”
There are two reasons for that.
First, a 『Fireball』 of such a level might work as smoke screen against wild animals, but it won’t be enough to distract a monster.
Unlike animals, monsters aren’t afraid of fire.
The second reason is the most important one.
“If you burn the pelt, it will lower the value of the raw materials.”
Laughter spread in the classroom as they thought I made a joke.
“It’s actually no joke. The condition of the loot is important for adventurers.”
Since the number of monsters you can defeat per day is limited, the rest depends on how you kill them.
“Because hides and pelts, which are full of holes and completely burnt black, can’t be used as raw materials, you won’t get much money for them.”
That means, it’s not fine to just defeat a target.
If the state of the killed monsters is bad, their materials won’t turn into money, no matter how many you might defeat.
“In other words, you’re saying fire magic is disadvantageous in subjugating monsters?”
“It would be better if you refrained from roasting a monster’s whole body.”
I answered Agnes who asked another question.
“But, I think there are magicians who can’t use anything but fire magic…”
“I’m one of those.”
“Me too.”
Several students raise their hands saying that they can’t use anything but fire magic.
Given that only this is an affinity and ability they are born with, there are many cases where it’s futile even if they practice.
“That’s where spell compression comes into play.”
You don’t shoot a big 『Fireball』, but shoot the target’s vital spot with a 『Fireball』 that had been compressed to the size of a pachinko ball.
It’s the theory of raising the firepower by compressing a spell, even if you have little mana, as I showed them just now.
“You hit a monster’s vital spot in such a manner.”
I keep hitting the board with 『Fireballs』 that were compressed down to the size of a rice grain, to give them an example.
The board is punctured with scorched holes at more than ten places.
If I weren’t able to do at least this much at one shot per second on average, I would get scolded by Burkhart-san.
“If it’s this level of burn and hole size, it won’t lower the sale value much either. It’s a training focusing on the control to hit the vitals and a swift spell activation. Meditation, which widens your mana paths, is useful for a swift activation of such spells. Make sure to keep practicing it.”
Once I stop speaking, the students start to eagerly take notes.
“By the way, this compression is…”
Next I create many small, compressed 『Wind Cutters』.
These also opened more than ten crescent-moon-shaped holes in the wooden board.
“Wow…”
“Teacher, can water and earth attributes do the same?”
Among the students raising their voices in surprise, Agnes asks a question again.
“It’s not that they can’t, but…”
After I break a stone quietly handed to me by Wilma on my palm with a compressed 『Wind Cutter』, I shoot it at the board like a bullet.
Furthermore, I create a water globe, and after reinforcing it with 『Boost』, unleash it against the board as well.
Both succeeded in opening several small holes on the board.
“Because it’s necessary to cast the wind spell 『Boost』 like this to upgrade their penetrative force, it consumes more mana. In case of water, turning it into an 『Ice Sphere』 is easier to add an overwhelming penetrative force, but if you do it like that, it will double the mana consumption since it combines the water and wind attributes. In case of fire, it makes a hole by burning the board without using any penetrative force.”
Speaking of penetrative force, casting 『Boost』 on a metallic bullet or an arrow actually has a big effect.
“It’s ideal to kill a monster with as little damage as possible, but if you only aim for that, you will end up getting killed by the monster instead. Seeing that you have the talent to use magic, it might be best to research how you can kill your prey with the very best efficiency. I think there are only a few people who work alone after becoming adventurers. You have to explore the most efficient and safest methods to hunt while also considering the strategies and special weapons of the other party members. There’s also the option of earning money by collecting expensive ingredients while only repelling monsters. Please use your head.”
Even at the same level of combat ability, those using their heads will earn a lot more money than those not doing so.
“The adventurer occupation isn’t anything you can do for many years. Since you are magicians, I don’t think that you will have trouble finding work even after you retire, but please work as adventurers while properly keeping your future in mind.”
I was somehow able to finish today’s lesson safely as well.
◆◇◆
Since the class had finished on this day, we went out to eat lunch after speaking with Principal Hendrick.
Due to manpower and budget, there’s no cafeteria in the prep school…it looks like the Kingdom won’t supply lunch either…the students eat out or bring their own lunch.
Many restaurants targeting the prep school’s students are lined up around the school, but we head for a single restaurant among all of them.
“This restaurant, eh…?”
At a glance it looks like a normal eatery, but as a matter of fact, Doushi has recommended this store to us.
“Ooh! I have waited for you!” (Armstrong)
Once we enter, Doushi calls out to us from a table deeper inside.
Given that he has been busy with speeches recently, we didn’t meet often, but he had invited us to hunt together starting today afternoon.
We had arranged to meet at this restaurant beforehand to eat lunch here.
“The tripe stew is the special dish of this place.” (Armstrong)
We continue to chat after ordering the menu recommended by Doushi.
“How is it going with your teaching job?” (Armstrong)
“I’m somehow handling it in my own way.” (Wendelin)
“You sure? I think you’re doing it quite well, hubby.” (Katia)
“I think so as well. I believe you’re suited to be a teacher, Wend-sama.” (Wilma)
“Really?”
I got praised by Katia and Wilma, but it doesn’t feel quite real to me.
Because I didn’t choose the teaching courses at the university I attended in my previous life, I had no confidence about doing well.
“Johannes-jiisan’s teaching was thorough, but he was the kind of man who told you to keep practicing if there was something you didn’t understand.” (Katia)
“Kind of like effort will bear fruit?”
“The 『effort will bear fruit』 mentioned by you, Wilma, was his favorite catchphrase.”
However it seems like he didn’t explain the theory behind magic, showed off his own spells, and had them determinedly practice those while copying what he did.
“I couldn’t quite learn his spells.” (Katia)
In the end she only increased her mana from Johannes-jiisan’s lessons, and finally learned 『Acceleration』 from Lisa after becoming an adult.
“Despite appearances, Big Sis is a theorist in regards to magic.”
“It certainly seems so.”
I heard she expressly traveled to the mountain range located in the Kingdom’s northern area during winter because she set her heart on ice magic.
It means, there’s nothing better than actually observing something to raise the imagination power of magic.
“Recently she’s become completely meek, though.” (Katia)
“I think this way might be better than before…” (Wendelin)
No matter how strong her fear of men might be, acting arrogant with that makeup and outfit is rather questionable to me.
“Now she’s obediently helping with the development of the Baumeister Earldom, too.”
I teleported her and Therese to the construction site as a replacement for me who has to work as a temporary teacher.
It’s for the sake of the Baumeister Earldom’s development not stopping even during the times when I’m not there because of my lessons.
『Milord, at this point you should marry Lisa-dono with a gusto as well.』
『You’re telling me to be irresponsible?』
『No. It’s not irresponsible. I’m telling you as the Earl Baumeister House’s household manager since she will become a gain for your home. She’s a bit older, but don’t you consider her beautiful?』
Roderich, who admired her skillfulness in public works, urged me to marry Lisa for an exceedingly pragmatic reason.
Lisa is doing public works while coaching Therese.
Once I wondered whether she only used ice magic as her nickname suggests, she was actually handling other attributes quite decently, too.
Also, she’s good at teaching others, just as Katia says.
It makes me think that she lost out because of that makeup and outfit of hers until now.
However, if you say that it couldn’t be helped since she wouldn’t have been able to hold decent conversations with other people without that appearance, that would wrap it up.
“I think Big Sis is definitely believing it to be so. That this is the duty of a wife.”
“Ugh!”
I had planned to pay her a reward later, but if she really thinks so, she might not accept it.
However, that might turn into something like a confirmation by a fait accompli.
“Let’s leave such complicated stuff for later.”
There’s no use in pondering about something I can decide later.
Since the ordered food has been brought over, I decide to eat it at once.
The stew, which consisted of various, cooked monster innards that had been processed very skillfully, is very delicious.
It might have simmered for a long time. Even though it’s innards meat, it’s quite tender, melting inside my mouth.
“It doesn’t smell either. Very tasty.”
“Earl Baumeister, it’s great if you dip the bread in the stew, and place the tripe on top of the bread like this.” (Armstrong)
Once I adopt the eating method recommended by Doushi, a taste of supreme bliss spreads inside my mouth.
“Full with customers.”
While ordering another serving, Wilma gets surprised by the many customers inside the restaurant.
“A stew set at seven cents is a bargain.”
“That’s why there’s so many students here.”
The surrounding restaurants have been established targeting the prep school’s students, always researching dishes that are cheap and delicious while also having enough volume. That’s why the level of cooking here is high with few bad deals, Doushi explains.
“I was also a student of the prep school in the past. I heard that this restaurant has been around since before I went to the prep school.” (Armstrong)
“It was really delicious.”
“I’m completely satisfied.”
“I lost again…” (Armstrong)
“That’s the part you focus on?”
Doushi looks mortified because he couldn’t eat as much as Wilma again, but we decide to go hunting without paying any heed to that.
The location is a monster domain close to the capital where Doushi often hunts as a part-time job.
The domain isn’t overly big, and since it’s an area with steep hills, it has been left alone as is without being developed.
“My combat power went up after increasing my mana.” (Katia)
“Will let my big ax roar for the first time in a good while.” (Wilma)
“Aren’t they most reliable, Earl Baumeister?” (Armstrong)
Since no monsters that would give us four a hard time appeared, we worked hard at hunting monsters until evening.
Doushi and Wilma were as powerful as always, but Katia also managed to hunt many monsters thanks to her increased mana.
She cut the vital spots of monsters with her sabers while passing them at high speed, and then let them die from blood loss.
Nothing less of an adventurer with the nickname 『High Speed』.
“It’s been a good hunt after a long while. Recently I’m exhausted from only holding speeches.” (Armstrong)
“What are you telling them?”
“Everyone gets bored when I talk about serious stuff. I talk about the war as well, but the stories about you, Earl Baumeister, suffering from Therese-sama’s approaches are popular.” (Armstrong)
The chasing Therese and the evading Wendelin.
It sounds like everyone listened to it while laughing, but I feel like that’s completely unrelated to the Empire’s civil war…
“Why talk about me?”
Why a person’s private life…no matter how sweet someone else’s misfortune might be…this is terrible.
“If I can make them laugh with stories at such a level, it means that the Kingdom is peaceful.”
“I’m not sure whether that’s an answer, right hubby?” (Katia)
“Wend-sama, popular.”
Today’s hunting safely came to an end, and another day finished peacefully.
I confirmed that my private life has been disclosed to society, so I don’t feel like it was actually all that peaceful…
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