That night, Reinhardt and his family gathered at the Royal Capital townhouse, a residence the Ducal House maintained specifically for social engagements. They sat in exotic chairs made of thin, woven wood, surrounding a square table of the same design that gave the room an air of foreign elegance.
"It was a whirlwind trip, but we managed to get the main points across," Reinhardt said.
"Indeed," Elise agreed. "It was a great relief to receive a direct word from His Majesty. He told us he had no objection to us establishing the foundation or operating it within our own territory. Whether the state chooses to involve itself further depends on their own convenience, but now that His Majesty has taken a personal interest, I suspect he will find a way to make it work."
"I see. So the chattering magpies of the court are as noisy as ever, then?" Reinbach asked.
Elise let out a heavy, slightly exaggerated sigh. "Absolutely, Father. Those people did nothing but nitpick the smallest details, acting for all the world like someone desperately trying to fish a ring out from between the cobblestones. They were so desperate to protect their own pride that they refused to acknowledge the achievements of an outsider. It was a pathetic display; I was ashamed just watching them."
"I expected them to look for flaws and make excuses," Reinhardt added, "but I was still appalled. Even though we provided not just copies of the documents but the actual prototypes we built, they had the nerve to say things like, 'Documents written by a child are useless,' or 'Bring the designer here to explain themselves.'"
"Ho? It has truly come to that? The quality of the castle's personnel has declined significantly," Reinbach noted. "So, how did you handle them?"
"Naturally, the two of us shut them down immediately. The setting required us to choose our words with care, but I asked them: 'I believe we explained that the original designer passed away long ago, and the documents simply came into the hands of our family technician. If you claim that a child—whom you so lightly dismiss—could produce functional prototypes from those very documents, are you admitting that you, as adults and state-appointed engineers, are unable to understand them?'"
"I know it couldn't be helped because we were in the Audience Chamber before the King," Elise said, "but I wanted to tell them exactly what I was thinking. They desperately tried to defend themselves to His Majesty while moving the goalposts, shouting things like, 'We could analyze it if given time! We are simply busy with the work of the state, so is it not only logical to bring the technician here to save us the trouble?!' I was scoffing at them inwardly. Still, they served a purpose in the end; their behavior prompted His Majesty to spontaneously declare that there was no need to summon Ryoma-kun to the Royal Capital."
For a moment, they felt reassured that the meddling nobodies of the court were no longer a threat. However, the question of the King’s own thoughts soon crossed their minds.
"Elise, did His Majesty say anything else about Ryoma-kun?" Reinhardt asked. "I left the castle after the audience, but you spoke with him privately afterward, didn't you?"
"Yes... he did seem curious," she replied. "Not just because of this new technology, but because of the incident at the end of last year as well. However, I didn't get the impression he was actively investigating. He seems to have heard all the rumors currently in circulation, but he doesn't appear to know anything beyond that. His Majesty has only just carried out those massive reforms, so he is quite preoccupied. I suspect that even if he is interested, he isn't idle enough to reach for something that isn't an immediate necessity. It concerns me that he’s being so unusually quiet for his character, but he isn't the kind of irresponsible man who would neglect the state."
"True. If this technology is properly evaluated, his workload will only increase. For the time being, then, he shouldn't be an issue."
"If the gods intended for those two to cross paths, they will surely bring them together eventually," Reinbach added.
Once Elise's report was finished, Reinhardt moved on to his own.
"How was the church?" Elise asked.
"Both the Church of Genesis and the Church of Divine Light said they would be happy to cooperate."
"What? It’s already settled?"
"Even if it’s unlikely they would refuse given the Ducal House's name and the nature of the foundation, one would usually expect them to take the proposal back for review by their superiors before giving an answer," Elise noted.
"I expected that as well, so I was surprised," Reinhardt said. "As luck would have it, the church leadership happened to be available. Since they were receiving the head of a Ducal House, they swapped out the lower-level staff or joined the meeting themselves. As a result, the discussion moved much faster than I anticipated. When I expressed my gratitude at the end, Archbishop Warl told me, 'It must be the guidance of the gods for you, who seek to perform such good deeds, to find us so ready to assist.'"
At those words, the others listening couldn't help but wonder.
"Could the gods have issued an Oracle?" Elise asked.
"I doubt it," Reinhardt replied. "If an Oracle had been issued commanding them to cooperate with the foundation, the church would be in a far greater uproar. They wouldn't have just made a quick decision; they would have come to us offering total, unconditional support."
"Y-yes, you're right... I'm sorry, I lost my composure for a moment."
"Considering it involves Ryoma-kun, we can never entirely rule it out," Reinbach chuckled. "Even if it wasn't a formal Oracle, it may truly have been the guidance of the gods."
The topic then shifted to Reinbach.
"By the way, Father, how did the meeting with the Veterans' Association go?" Reinhardt asked.
"Ah, yes. I caught up with some old friends, and the foundation was quite the topic of conversation. After hearing only a little, several of them declared right then and there that they would buy a new fireplace and Ogalite."
"We want the word to spread, of course, but isn't that a bit premature?"
"They may have retired from the front lines, but they are men who survived as soldiers. The memory of freezing in the cold during training and missions is etched into their bones. Now that they're reaching an age where their bodies ache and they have both money and time to spare, it’s only natural they'd be interested. Incidentally, the one most eager is Sieber. Can we arrange a Rocket Stove for him?"
"Oh? Former Knight Commander Galdack is interested?" Elise asked.
Reinbach nodded. "Indeed. I told you before that the fellow is moving to the Town of Gimul, didn't I? Since he’ll be vacating his estate and won't be coming to the Royal Capital as often, he’s been spending his remaining time catching up with old acquaintances. He knows about Ryoma-kun, so even without me saying it, he guessed the source of the technology. Since he’s starting a new life in a new home, he decided it was the perfect time to install new heating equipment."
"...Former Knight Commander Galdack has many acquaintances in the military, so his presence at the association and his interest aren't strange, but..." Elise trailed off.
"Coincidences certainly seem to be piling up," Reinhardt noted. "In any case, this will be a following wind for us."
The three of them agreed and decided not to overthink the string of fortunate events. As the conversation lulled, a voice called out from beyond the door.
"Master, the Young Lady has arrived."
"Come in," Reinhardt answered.
The door opened quietly, and Sebas the butler entered, followed by Eliaria. Her expression was tense.
"Father, Mother, Grandfather—it has been a long time. I have returned."
"Welcome back, Elia," Elise smiled. "You've grown taller since I last saw you."
"We have much to discuss, so come sit," Reinhardt said.
Elia took the remaining empty chair and immediately turned to her father. "Father, what has happened? It’s one thing for all of you to come to the Royal Capital so suddenly, but to ask me to return to the townhouse even if it meant getting an overnight permit from the Academy... it must be something grave."
"There's no need to worry, Elia," Reinhardt reassured her. "It is an important matter, but it isn't bad news. I only called you because I feared you would have a difficult time at the Academy if I didn't speak with you first."
The tension left her shoulders, and Elia’s expression softened. As the adults carefully explained the technology Ryoma had presented and the plans for the foundation, detailing everything that had transpired, she listened in quiet understanding.
"I suppose word will eventually reach the Academy, and people will try to ask me about it. Even without this, I’ve been hearing Ryoma-san’s name more often lately."
"Oh? When I dropped Sieber and the others off the other day, the rumors about him seemed like just a small part of the general gossip surrounding the Ducal House," Reinbach said. "It seems people have started paying attention to Ryoma-kun himself in a very short amount of time. Tell us more."
"The first time I heard his name at the Academy was after the incident at the end of last year," Elia explained. "There were rumors before then that our house and territory were in disarray, but once the incident clearly moved toward a resolution, people started hearing about Ryoma-san. They heard that a new technician had joined the Jamil Ducal House. That he was a child. And that he had made a massive contribution to solving the crisis. Those stories spread through the Academy via students who heard them from their parents."
"Yes... that was within our expectations. There was nothing we could do to prevent it," Reinhardt said.
"We knew Ryoma-kun would become famous sooner or later, so we intentionally had him become a technician to get ahead of the rumors, even if we had to be a bit forceful about it. It was inevitable," Elise added.
When Elise prompted her to continue, Elia explained that the most recent surge in attention was due to the distribution of Sea of Trees Ingredients.
"You know that Ryoma-san became acquainted with Lord Glen, the S-Rank adventurer?"
"I heard they met while Ryoma was visiting his hometown and traveled together for a time," Reinhardt replied.
"This is a story I heard from Miyabi," Elia continued, her preface mirroring what Pioro had told Ryoma. She explained how Glen had brought ingredients from the Sea of Trees to a famous restaurant in the Royal Capital, causing demand to skyrocket.
However, Elia’s story had a sequel.
Glen had been flooded with requests from nobles for the ingredients, but he turned them all down, claiming he couldn't gather them himself. When a large quantity of Sea of Trees ingredients suddenly went on sale elsewhere, nobles rushed to buy them. Their attendants had gathered at the Royal Capital branch of the Saionji Company, trying desperately to find the supplier.
"At that moment, Lord Glen appeared at the shop and asked where Ryoma-san was. His voice was so loud that everyone there heard the name," Elia said.
"Ah... Ryoma-kun told us about that," Reinhardt realized. "He said Lord Glen liked the preserved food so much he promised to buy some, but Ryoma-kun forgot to mention he lived in Gimul. Glen must have run off before realizing he didn't have an address. I see—he realized the connection between the ingredients and the Saionji Company and went there to ask."
"Ryoma-kun truly has a knack for strange connections and coincidences," Reinbach chuckled.
"I was surprised by the news myself and sent a Rimur Bird a few days ago, but..."
"It hadn't arrived by the time we left the estate," Elise said. "We must have missed each other on the road. It seems the rumors accelerated because an S-Rank adventurer was involved, but the direction they're taking is still within the scope of what we expected. We should be fine."
"We might need to move up our planned response, but that's about it," Reinhardt added.
Having decided there were no immediate problems, the adults spoke gently to Elia to keep her from worrying. However, she wasn't finished.
"Father, Mother. That's all for now regarding Ryoma-san, but there is one more thing I must tell you. It concerns Lord Glen."
Her tone was dispassionate, but her expression gave the adults a sudden sense of dread.
"Let's hear it," Reinhardt said.
"I heard this from Miyabi as well... Lord Glen is reportedly considering changing his base of operations from the Royal Capital to the Town of Gimul."
A heavy silence fell over the room. No one spoke for several seconds.
Just as Ryoma had earned the massive sum of 50 million suut from a single sale of Sea of Trees ingredients, the income of adventurers capable of supplying rare materials or performing high-rank Monster Subjugation was on a completely different level from ordinary citizens. Furthermore, such adventurers tended to spend enormous amounts of money on equipment to protect their lives and on luxuries for their downtime. Consequently, the economy around such individuals inevitably flourished.
High-ranking adventurers brought massive economic boons to their surroundings and served as vital military assets in times of crisis. The epitome of this was an S-Rank adventurer like Glen. His boisterous personality led to extravagant spending, which had been a significant boost to the Royal Capital's economy.
If Glen moved his base, it meant the Royal Capital would lose that economic impact, and the Jamil Duchy would gain it.
On the surface, the revitalization of the Jamil economy seemed like a good thing. However, for a territorial lord, it also meant a massive increase in political headaches—negotiations with the nobles and the Commerce Guild of the Royal Capital who were losing a source of income, as well as coordinating with the guild in their own territory.
As the family responsible for the duchy, they couldn't simply celebrate.
"Why on earth would he do that?" Reinhardt asked.
"Lord Glen apparently said as much after being shown into the Saionji Company’s reception room. He complained that requests for Sea of Trees materials from nobles and high-end shops had become unbearable, and that people wouldn't take no for an answer. He also said he was tired of his usual weapon merchant probing him about the weapons he 'found' in the Sea of Trees. According to Miyabi’s mother, who dealt with him directly, his desire to move to escape the annoyance seems to be his genuine feeling. He likely only thought of the Town of Gimul because he had been talking about Ryoma-san. It isn't a settled matter yet, but..."
"No, it was a great help to know this in advance. Thank you, Elia," Reinhardt said.
"Indeed. Information sharing is vital," Reinbach agreed. "It seems Elia is doing quite well for herself here."
"I can see you've grown even more than when you were at home," Elise smiled. "You've done well, Elia."
"Thank you very much."
Elia replied with her usual composure, but her joy at being praised by her parents and grandfather radiated from her entire being. The adults found it heartwarming but pretended not to notice as they continued.
"Still, if Lord Glen actually moves to Gimul... he’s a whimsical man, so it’s hard to say how far the ripple effects will go," Reinhardt mused.
"Reinhardt, I hate to add to your troubles, but have you forgotten that Sieber and Remily are also moving to Gimul?" Reinbach reminded him. "Those two have re-registered as adventurers and reached S-Rank."
"That's right! Which means at least two, and possibly three S-Ranks will be gathered in Gimul. If I recall, there are currently only six active S-Ranks in the country. Half of the kingdom’s top-tier strength would be concentrated in a single town."
"Weren't the other three essentially retired?" Elise asked. "By the time someone meets the requirements for S-Rank, most are near retirement age anyway, so it’s usually an honorary title. Lord Glen being recognized so young is the exception."
"In that case, nearly every S-Rank who can still be called active in terms of combat power will be in Gimul... the castle is bound to have something to say about this. Sebas."
The butler, who had been waiting in the corner, stepped forward.
"Instruct the staff of this townhouse to gather information with even greater care than usual. While I am here, I will receive reports directly, but once I return to the territory, keep in close contact. Ensure we are prepared to move immediately if the political situation shifts. Also, we should send word to Ryoma-kun. Once you've gathered a bit more information, I'd like you to return to the territory ahead of us."
"As you wish," Sebas bowed and quietly exited the room.
"Phew... for now, we'll just have to wait and see. By the way, how is the Academy, Elia?"
"Eh? Is it alright to stop talking about work?"
"We can't make proper judgments without enough information," Reinhardt said. "It’s time for a break until that information is gathered."
"Rest when you can. Knowing when to switch gears is important," Reinbach added.
"That's right," Elise said, smiling. "We finally have the chance to be together. I want to talk about family matters. Is that alright?"
"...Yes!"
With that, the four of them turned to lighter topics. Elia talked about her tedious classes, her close friends, and what was currently popular among her classmates. Though the conversation was trivial, Elia never lost her childlike smile. Her parents and grandfather took joy in her healthy growth, enjoying their family conversation late into the night.