Three days had passed since Eleanora’s arrival. As I continued making the rounds to various departments and handing over my duties, Sebas visited me once again.
“I have confirmed the details regarding the suspected technology theft I mentioned the other day,” Sebas began. “To start with the conclusion, your technology has not been stolen. However, the report that they were building a facility modeled after your waste processing plant is partially true.”
We were in the reception room I had prepared in the office. Aside from Calm’s absence, the situation was identical to our previous meeting.
The fact that there was no technology theft meant that no slimes had been taken. It also seemed that none of our employees had acted dishonestly, which was a relief. However, the report wasn't over.
“The cause of the suspicion was a newly established waste Collection Point within a town in that territory,” Sebas explained. “Upon interviewing the lord directly, he stated the reason for the new construction was to respond to increased monster activity at the existing waste processing plant. In his territory, the surge in monsters has been remarkably severe compared to other regions. Due to the chaos of the succession, extermination efforts haven't been able to keep up. We confirmed that monsters were appearing at the original plant outside the town in search of food, and the workers there were suffering an increasing number of casualties.”
To suppress the damage, the lord would have needed to strengthen his defenses, but that required funds he didn't have. The territory wasn't wealthy to begin with, and they were already burdened by heavy fines for crimes committed by the previous lord. Yet, doing nothing was not an option; the damage would only keep mounting.
As a desperate last resort, he suspended operations at the existing facility and established a temporary Collection Point inside the town. While it certainly felt like he was just delaying the inevitable—and there were obvious concerns regarding hygiene—moving the Collection Point inside the town to concentrate defensive forces was a logical, if tragic, move.
Even in the Town of Gimul, the traditional waste processing plants are still outside the city walls. We have people working there even now. Since our slime-based plant is going well, I think we could handle a similar surge, but if we didn't have the slimes... it would be a nightmare.
“We have verified the establishment and the motives for the Collection Point, as well as the dire state of the territory,” Sebas continued. “Therefore, we judged that his explanation was not a makeshift lie.”
“I feel a certain weight behind the phrase ‘not a lie,’” I noted.
“Your insight is as sharp as ever. At the heart of the problem was the relationship between the lord and the surrounding nobility. It appears the new lord’s standing with his neighbors is far worse than we imagined. The monster problem that necessitated the move into the town affects not only waste processing but logistics and trade as well. The lord initially admitted to the failings of his predecessor and his own shortcomings while asking for aid, but he was flatly refused. After that, his neighbors began making demands that took blatant advantage of his weakness.”
“It sounds like even if the monster problem were solved, another crisis would just take its place,” I said.
“The new lord is in an overwhelmingly weak position,” Yudum agreed with a look of disgust. “I suppose some of the neighbors saw him as easy prey.”
Eleanora muttered with a bitter expression, “If their territories are adjacent, they can buy time by claiming they have their hands full protecting their own lands. They likely calculated that he would eventually come crawling back, allowing them to extract even more favorable terms. Never mind that it’s the common people who suffer. Even if the new lord solved the immediate monster threat by accepting those conditions, the long-term impact on the territory's management would make total collapse a matter of time.”
I could see she was conflicted. Given her own family history, she likely saw the struggle as a familiar one—the threat of being fitted with a political collar that would weigh down generations to come.
However, I could now see the shape of the “partial truth” Sebas had mentioned.
“Am I correct in thinking that the lord deliberately made it look like technology theft to provoke a misunderstanding?” I asked.
“He hasn't stated it explicitly, but there is almost no doubt,” Sebas replied. “Though he has stepped down as head of the house, Reinbach-sama’s personal visit to question the situation caused the young lord quite a bit of flustered panic. However, his explanation regarding the Collection Point was clear and without hesitation. It was evident he had prepared his answers in advance. Furthermore, the neighboring lords who were trying to bully him have backed off entirely due to the ‘misunderstanding’ of the technology theft.”
“Well, nobody wants to be caught picking a fight with the Ducal House,” Yudum added. “It would be a disaster to be labeled an enemy of the Jamils, and just as bad to be seen as an accomplice to someone doing something so reckless.”
It was like the warning colors of a poisonous insect. I’d often heard that an incompetent ally is the greatest nuisance, and it seemed the new lord played that role to shield himself from malicious interference.
“Since they only gathered garbage inside the town and their processing method was simply burning it, there was no actual novelty,” Sebas explained. “Therefore, it would be difficult to pursue a legal charge. He probably figured that if the Ducal House didn't question him, he could just ignore the rumors. And even if they did, he thought he could settle the matter by bowing his head and apologizing for his confusing actions.”
“Still, it wouldn't leave a good impression. I wonder if he thought it was worth it because his reputation was already in the gutter,” I mused.
“It may have been a mix of youthful momentum and a spirit of rebellion,” Sebas suggested. “The new lord graduated from the Royal Capital Academy last year and is currently only nineteen.”
Nineteen?! That’s so young. But I suppose that’s why he inherited the position without having the time to gain experience. If he could have waited until he was older, he could have spent that time studying how to be a ruler. If that had been an option, it wouldn't have come to this in the first place.
I had considered the possibility that he acted out of desperation, but he had charged off in a completely different direction than I expected.
“Listening to this makes me feel complicated. Wasn't there any other way?”
Eleanora answered me quickly. “He could have sought aid from the National Army, but the issue is the time required for deployment. Moving the army requires bureaucratic procedures, determining specific units, preparing supplies, and the actual travel time. It takes at least two weeks, at the very earliest.”
At least two weeks...
“It might seem slow,” Yudum added, “but if the National Army were set up to arrive too quickly, the local lords would become paranoid. They’d think their own defenses were being questioned or that the central government was looking for an excuse to intervene. Politically, it’s a minefield. That’s why the army is strictly for backup. The premise is that the lord's own forces and local adventurers move first.”
Because it's necessary to avoid useless conflict and cooperate during emergencies, a lord must value their relationships with surrounding lands. But in this case, those ties were broken from the start.
“To be honest,” I said, “I feel bad for the new lord, but I also think it's ridiculous that they're sabotaging each other during a crisis.”
“Most problems in the world are trivial if you get to the root cause,” Sebas said. “The majority of major crises are born from the accumulation of small, seemingly insignificant issues. That is why it is vital to solve problems while they are still small.”
I had to agree with that. Even in my previous life, leaving small problems alone always led to disaster later. Of course, it’s still better if you can recognize a problem when it’s small. The truly dangerous thing is not even realizing a problem exists—that’s a ticking time bomb. My old company was practically a factory for mass-producing those bombs.
It was one thing to miss a problem by mistake—I could forgive that. But if you did notice it, why didn't you say something?! Why did you hide it again and only bring it up right before the deadline?! Especially you, Boss!! It’s annoying enough when a rookie does it, but when the supervisor does it, it’s unforgivable!
I can't count how many times I wanted to scream that... or how many times I actually did. Even if the issue starts at the top, it’s the people at the bottom who pay the price. The people living in that territory were truly unfortunate.
“In any case,” Sebas said, “we may consider the matter related to you settled, Ryoma-sama. Although there was no actual theft, Reinbach-sama gave the lord a stern warning and placed the entire territory under the surveillance of the Jamil Ducal House. Should any further problems arise, we will handle them. Please, devote yourself to your research and studies without worry.”
Having settled that, Sebas pulled a bundle of documents from his Item Box.
“On that note, here are the materials regarding the Miasma Purification Experiment Ground I mentioned, as well as the official permit.”
“Ah, the land I asked for. Thank you very much.”
“Purifying the miasma helps us as well,” Sebas noted. “The Master even said he wanted the processing finished before you returned from the Sea of Trees if possible. I apologize for the delay in the paperwork.”
“Given the danger of miasma, it’s only natural that the procedures take time. I think this was plenty fast.”
To put it in perspective, the site was like a mountain leaking toxic gas. You couldn't just lend it out without a second thought. Even if Reinhardt gives the okay, his subordinates have to carry out the orders, and it takes time for instructions to filter down and for everything to be officially recorded.
“Also, Rosenberg-sama will be available next week.”
“Finally! I’ve been looking forward to learning curse magic. Since we were just trying to clear our schedules, we hadn't discussed the details. Should I go to the Ducal House mansion?”
“Actually, regarding the Curse Removal Lost Magic you consulted us about,” Sebas replied, “if it’s alright with you, we suggest everyone head to the experiment ground together once he is ready. He is an expert at dealing with miasma, and we believe it will be easier to experiment with various techniques there.”
It was a perfect proposal, showing how well Sebas understood my personality—the way I wanted to test things out as soon as I thought of them. I agreed immediately. We finalized the date, time, and transportation arrangements.
From then on, while looking forward to formally learning curse magic, I threw myself into my work in the city, focusing on getting the office in order.
Time passed quickly, and a week later...
“I had no idea a place like this existed so close by...”
Under Sebas’s guidance, we arrived at the base of the mountain granted to us for the experiment. To my surprise, it wasn't far from Gana Forest, where I had spent three years after my reincarnation. I even remembered passing nearby when I was grinding requests to raise my rank at the guild.
Due to the miasma, a portion near the peak had withered trees and exposed, crumbling ground. It looked almost like a massive construction project was underway. Because lush, green trees stood in rows everywhere else on the mountain, the ruined section looked all the more jarring.
“Master Ryoma, everyone is ready.”
Eleanora’s voice called out from behind me.
She was originally supposed to stay in Gimul to handle administrative work and communications, but she had joined us today. During her training with Calm, he had apparently advised her that since her work performance was fine, she should focus on getting used to how the owner operates. Thus, she was joining the inspection.
I’ll have to bring Calm a gift to show my appreciation later.
“Thank you. Well then, shall we head up?”
I turned to see the group prepared for the climb.
Beside Eleanora was Yudum, serving as my support. Behind them were Sebas and Rosenberg, my magic instructor.
A short distance away stood five adventurers: the beastkin quartet of Miya, Silia, Mizeria, and Welanna, along with the spearman Jeff. I had requested them to investigate the surroundings of the experiment ground.
I had originally intended to do it myself, but I had too many other tasks on my plate. Eleanora had pointed out that the workload was excessive for one person, so we had outsourced part of the investigation.
Since this was a job for the Ducal House Technician, I needed adventurers who were not only capable but also trustworthy enough to keep a secret. These five more than met those requirements, and since we were already friends, the choice was easy.
Five adventurers and four from the Ducal House group. Including me, that made ten of us.
It was rare for me to operate in such a large group, but I had a feeling this was going to be fun.