That night, after we had finished building the two separate dormitories for men and women and shared our evening meal, everyone settled in to rest. It was a bit too early for sleep, so I stepped outside the dormitory to get some fresh night air, only to find Eleanora standing there.
She was clutching a bundle of papers to her chest, positioned a short distance from the entrance. Looking closely, I could see numerous footprints on the ground where she stood, suggesting she had been pacing back and forth for some time.
"Takebayashi-sama. I have compiled today's activities into a set of documents. I came hoping you would review them when you have a moment, but I found myself hesitating... I wondered if it was appropriate for me to enter the men's quarters now that we have separated the lodgings."
"I only just had them built; I completely forgot to establish a way to call for someone when business arises. I'll make sure to rectify that starting tomorrow."
I took the documents she had prepared and glanced through them. Fortunately, I had installed a magic tool for lighting near the entrance, making it bright enough to read, but I was stunned by the sheer thickness of the bundle.
"This isn't just a business daily report. You've included a comprehensive table of the conditions and inspection results for the miasma land, a formal report for the ducal house based on that data, and even a summary and glossary of the lessons I received from Lord Rosenberg? Did you really compile all of this in such a short time? I already knew you were capable, but you must be exhausted after helping with the measurements all day."
"I only put them into their final format after dinner. I organized most of the information during our work this afternoon. Since much of our time during the miasma concentration measurements was spent traveling, I had plenty of opportunities to think, and the curse magic instructions were recorded almost exactly as Lord Rosenberg spoke them. It was no great feat."
Even so, the sheer volume was incredible. She had been by my side almost constantly until dinner, meaning she had no time to actually write. That meant the work had to have started after the meal—hardly more than two hours ago. Since we lacked convenient tools like computers, every word was meticulously handwritten.
She claimed she had time while we were moving, but she had been busy acting as my recorder, logging the results from the magic tools while trekking across mountain paths. I recalled her climbing up and down the slopes with ropes just like the rest of us. She had even taken the initiative to create a curse magic glossary without being asked. I was grateful, but I worried she might be overextending herself.
"Was I too presumptuous in my work?"
"No! Not at all. I was simply astonished by how efficient you are, Eleanora-san. The lesson records and the glossary are incredibly helpful. They will make reviewing much easier."
"I am humbled. I thought they might be unnecessary for you, but I have a fair amount of experience with magical studies from my student days, so I hoped to be of at least some assistance."
"They certainly aren't unnecessary."
I meant it, but she seemed to believe her own modesty.
"I have heard that you were raised in the somewhat unique environment of the Sea of Trees, Takebayashi-sama. However, I believe you already possess a high level of foundational knowledge required for mastering magic. I base this on two primary observations. First, I heard from His Grace the Duke that you have been reading magic books obtained from the Magic Guild entirely on your own."
Magic books? I did indeed ask the ducal house to send them occasionally so I could read them in my downtime, but I didn't think that alone meant I didn't need help.
"Magic book is just a general term for magic-related literature. Some were research papers, but most were essentially textbooks, right?"
"That is correct, but did you not find them difficult to comprehend?"
"I wouldn't say difficult, but I remember them being quite frustrating to read. There was an excessive amount of metaphorical and poetic language."
I specifically remembered a book on the basics of water magic that spent an entire page on a poem just to convey the idea that "water flows from high places to low places." I had been perversely impressed that someone could stretch such a simple concept into a full page of verse.
"That difficulty is entirely intentional."
"What? It was on purpose?"
"Yes. They are written so that one requires an instructor capable of deciphering the texts to understand the contents of any book officially sanctioned and sold by the Magic Guild. While the guild is open to the public now, it originated as a small group trying to protect themselves from persecution when mages were few. They have a long history of being pressured by those in power who coveted their magical strength. Consequently, the Magic Guild remains fundamentally secretive. They view the concealment of magic as a natural virtue. The upper echelons, in particular, do not look kindly upon magic spreading beyond their control."
"I see... so they make the books intentionally obscure to ensure they can manage learners through their instructors. It feels counterproductive and inefficient, though."
"I was registered with the Magic Guild myself, but I don't recall gaining much benefit from it. Perhaps it was because I was a student and had access to the Academy reference room... Regardless, it is an old organization. The times change much faster than the guild does. However, considering there was once an era where magic was permitted only to nobles or their direct subordinates, and any leak of information was a capital offense, they have become quite lenient."
When she put it that way, it did seem like a significant shift.
"Because of that history, if you can decipher magic books without an instructor, it suggests you already possess the knowledge contained within them or something very close to it. Furthermore, the documents you prepared for the Magic Firefighting Unit showed an equivalent depth of understanding."
"Ah, the materials I handed out to the mages I hired to prepare for fires at the end of last year. Wait... considering the Magic Guild’s stance, were those materials problematic?"
"If they had gone through the Magic Guild, they likely would have been blocked during pre-publication censorship, but your actions were not illegal. You did not sell them to the general public, so there is no cause for concern. If there had been an issue, the ducal house would have warned you long before I did."
I felt a brief chill of worry, but since no one had mentioned it until now, I supposed it was fine.
"To return to my point: when one has a wealth of foundational knowledge, forming the mental images required for magic becomes much easier and more stable. Even if you lack knowledge of a specific spell, your understanding of related or similar phenomena can support you. Then there is your mana manipulation ability. From what I saw during today's practice, it is beyond reproach. That is my second reason. I believe your vast knowledge and your skill with mana are the pillars of your magic, and the reason you learn so quickly."
It was a little embarrassing to be praised so logically, but I knew she was right.
"It’s true... surviving in the forest was harsh, but it was a blessed environment for learning. As for mana manipulation, I used it constantly for both necessity and as a hobby, taking full advantage of my large mana pool. Lately, I've also been training using the slime's vision."
"The slime's vision?"
Ah, I had been having her prioritize business matters, so I hadn't told her about that yet. I took a moment to explain the concept to her.
"I see. You use the sensory link of taming magic to indirectly utilize the slime's mana perception, which is far superior to a human's."
"It does have side effects like headaches and lethargy from brain fatigue, but the results are incredible. It’s useful for guarding an area, searching for items, or even combining it with healing magic. My training earlier was an attempt to refine my own mana perception by using the slime's vision as a guide."
"It is much harder to control what is invisible than what is seen. If you can perceive mana more accurately, delicate manipulation becomes much easier. To be frank, that is an ability anyone involved in magic would envy."
I wondered if she was finally taking a real interest in slimes. Just as that thought crossed my mind, a particularly sharp, cold gust of night wind blew past us. It was summer, and while I had grown accustomed to the temperature of the Sea of Trees and didn't find the days too hot, the nights felt a bit chilly.
"Well, I got carried away talking about magic. Thank you for preparing these documents, Eleanora-san. I've received them. I'm going to look through them carefully now, so would it be alright if I gave you my response tomorrow morning?"
"Yes. If you find any errors, please do not hesitate to point them out."
She gave a polite bow, but as she raised her head, she looked like she wanted to say something else. I caught a moment of hesitation before she spoke again, her expression even more serious than usual.
"Actually, I have a proposal regarding the management of this experiment ground. Takebayashi-sama, you mentioned earlier today that you were considering clearing a path to this site. I would go further and suggest that you maintain this mountain hut and, if possible, the road all the way to the base of the mountain. You should ensure that the environment around your primary facilities is in a state where anyone can tell at a glance that they are being properly tended to."
"If you're emphasizing that anyone should be able to see it, then this isn't just about my personal comfort or convenience, is it?"
"Correct. It is a matter of optics."
She explained that as a technician for the ducal house, if I requested and was granted an experiment ground, I needed to demonstrate that I was utilizing it effectively.
"You are currently using this land with the permission of the ducal house. Procedurally, it is classified as a 'loan,' and the decision to grant, cancel, or extend that loan rests entirely with the Duke. However, I have confirmed with Sebas-sama that unless there is a grave failure in management on your part, the Duke has no intention of ever rescinding that permission. In other words, for all practical purposes, it is a gift."
"...I wasn't told that."
"They likely chose not to mention it for several reasons. My own speculation is that they suspected you would refuse if you were told the rights were being handed over to you outright."
I looked up at the beautiful night sky and sighed. She was right. While I appreciated having land I could use freely, I probably would have felt that receiving the full rights to it was far too much. I wasn't the type to just casually accept land ownership.
It seemed Reinhardt-san and the others had seen right through me. I felt like I was always on the receiving end of their kindness, but it seemed they felt the same way about me.
"And I assume the 'convenience' you mentioned refers to the fact that long-time associates might not appreciate a newcomer receiving such favoritism?"
"Precisely. While the ducal house keeps a sharp eye on things, the number of people involved grows significantly at the lower levels. It is not impossible that someone might look down on you for your age, become jealous of your standing with the Duke, and harbor ill intentions. Those from noble backgrounds, in particular, are very sensitive to appearances."
She explained that if it looked like the land was being neglected—for instance, if the experiment ground remained untouched—people would start whispering.
'Can he even conduct research there?' 'Is he actually doing anything at all?' 'There was no point in giving him that land.' 'To leave a gift from the ducal house in such a state is an act of disrespect!'
People like that—those who just want to drag down anyone more successful than themselves—would jump at the chance to complain. Some people will cause an uproar regardless of the facts just because they dislike someone, or they’ll make sweeping assumptions based on a tiny shred of information.
"I understand. I'll put some serious work into the site, not just the miasma land itself. Sebas-san told me before that it's vital to resolve problems while they're still small. It's best to eliminate any potential openings for criticism. Besides, if my reputation is tarnished, it reflects poorly on the ducal house that supports me. I don't want to cause them any trouble."
It was the same as an employee's scandal damaging the company's name. Even if it was based on a misunderstanding, being dragged into such a mess would be a waste of energy.
"The only issue is how to find the time to work on the mountain infrastructure."
"I believe we can adjust the schedule. Given the speed at which you built the dormitories this evening, the time required for road construction can likely be shortened significantly. Furthermore, Lord Rosenberg had originally intended to spend much of his time teaching you the very magic you mastered today."
"In that case, I can have the adventurers scout for a route down the mountain that looks easy to clear. We can make this work."
She had clearly thought this through before approaching me. Or perhaps she had seen what I was capable of today and realized I could handle it. Either way, her praise of my learning speed had been the perfect setup for this proposal.
"I'll talk to everyone first thing tomorrow morning."
"Thank you for your ready consent."
"No, thank you for the suggestion. I really appreciate it."
"It was... a sincere proposal, though I am aware that I may be focusing on overly fine details."
I'm not the best at reading people, but I could hear the self-deprecation in her voice.
"Even so, thank you for telling me. I'm the type to worry about details myself, so having a plan in place makes me feel much more secure. Besides, I imagine nobles have to be cautious about even the smallest things. I'm not familiar with those circles, so your perspective is incredibly valuable to me, Eleanora-san."
"I am humbled."
"If you notice anything else, please let me know. I might decide to prioritize other things depending on the situation, but I'll never think your input is a waste."
"I understand."
After a few more professional exchanges, only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves remained. Shortly after, she bowed, said her goodnights, and departed.
"Good night. Make sure you stay warm!"
I called out to her back as she walked away. I wasn't sure exactly how she felt about my words, but it was a good sign that she was starting to offer her opinions voluntarily. I would make sure not to lose her trust now that she was opening up. With that in mind, I headed back inside to start reading her report.