Jigglypuff's Diary

Evening.

“Huh? Eleonora-san, is something the matter?” [Ryouma]

We had built two separate lodgings for the men and the women.

After dinner, everyone went their own separate way to relax, but it was still a little too early to sleep, so I stepped outside to enjoy the night breeze. That’s when I happened into Eleonora-san.

She held what seemed to be a bundle of papers close to her chest, standing a short distance away from the entrance of the lodging. When I looked down, there were a lot of footprints by her feet. She must have been pacing back and forth here for some time already.

“Takebayashi-sama. I’ve compiled today’s activities into these documents, and I came to ask you to review them at your convenience. However I couldn’t decide if it would be proper of me to enter the men’s quarters, so…” [Eleonora]

“Ah, right. Since I split the lodgings, I should’ve called for you. Let’s fix that tomorrow.” [Ryouma]

I accepted the documents and glanced through them. There was a magic tool for lighting set up by the entrance, so it was bright enough to read. Still, I was surprised when I skimmed through the unusually thick bundle of papers.

“This isn’t just a daily report, is it? You’ve even listed the conditions of the miasma zones, the test results, a report draft for the duke, and even a summary and glossary of Rosenberg-sama’s teachings. You put all of this together in that short of a time? I knew you were competent, but you helped out with the measurements too. You must be exhausted.” [Ryouma]

“I only organized the documents after dinner. Most of the information had been sorted earlier in the day, during the miasma measurements, while traveling… There were plenty of opportunities. As for the notes on the warlock arts, it’s almost exactly as Rosenberg-sama explained it. It’s nothing extraordinary.” [Rosenberg]

Even so, this much… Until dinner, she was hardly away from me, so she shouldn’t have had much time to work. That means she must have done all of it after dinner. In just a little over two hours and with no convenient tools like a computer, she wrote all of this by hand.

She said there was time while we were traveling, and perhaps there was, but she was also serving as my recorder, and beyond that, we’d been trekking along the mountain paths. Eleonora-san also had to climb the slopes with ropes.

Yet despite all of that, she went beyond her station and compiled a glossary of warlock terms. I appreciate it, of course, but wasn’t she pushing herself too hard?

“Was I overstepping?” [Eleonora]
“No! Not at all. I was just astonished by how capable you are. The class notes and glossary are really helpful. They’ll make it so much easier to review.” [Ryouma]

“I’m glad. For a moment, I wondered if you might not have needed them. I have experience with studying magic from my school days, so I was hoping to be of some assistance.” [Eleonora]

“It will be a huge help. Surely. Why would you think I wouldn’t need it?” [Ryouma]

There’s no way it could be useless, and yet she was sincere when she said that.

“I hear you grew up in the Great Forest. That’s an unusual environment to grow up in, but regardless, it appears you came to possess advanced knowledge, advanced knowledge which typically forms the foundation to learn magic.

His Grace had informed me that you have been reading magic books from the Magic Guild on your own.” [Eleonora]

Magic books? That’s true. I had occasionally asked the duke’s family to send me some, so I read them in my spare time. But is that enough to suggest that I don’t need help learning magic?

“When you say ‘magic books,’ you’re pertaining to the whole category of magical texts, some of which are research studies or papers, but the majority are textbooks, correct?” [Ryouma]

“That’s right. You didn’t find them difficult to understand?” [Eleonora]

“Not so much difficult as awkward to read. If I recall correctly, there were lots of metaphors and even poetic language.” [Ryouma]

The clearest one I remember was that of a book about the basics of water magic. It devoted an entire page of poetry just to the concept of “water flows from high to low.” I was more impressed that anyone could fill a whole page with poetry about such a simple truth rather than enlightened.

“That’s by design.” [Eleonora]

“Wait, you mean it’s on purpose?” [Ryouma]

“Yes. The Magic Guild designs its official publications to require a mentor to interpret them.
The guild, though more open now, was once a gathering magicians in a world where few were mages, so there were many things they had to do to protect themselves from persecution. They had to endure all sorts of tactics from rulers eager to control their magic.

Because of that the guild tends to secrecy. They see magic as something to be kept hidden. That’s especially true of the higher-ups who hate to see any knowledge of magic leak.” [Eleonora]

“Ah, so they deliberately obscure the texts and impose mentors to keep a firm leash over the knowledge? That sounds really inefficient.” [Ryouma]

“I was registered with the guild myself, but I never felt it benefited me much. I had access to the academy’s archives, but in the end, it’s a very old organization, and the world has changed much faster than the guild.
That said, it used to be that only nobles and their retainers were allowed to use magic, and any leaking of the knowledge was punishable by death, so this much is already plenty tolerant.” [Eleonora]

When she puts it that way, it really does seem like a major change.

“So if you can interpret the books without needing a mentor, that must mean that you already possess the knowledge those texts aim to convey. There was also a comparable level of knowledge in the manual you wrote for the ‘Magical Fire Brigade.’” [Eleonora]

“Ah, now that you mention it, I did prepare some reference material for the magicians we hired in case of a fire last year. Now that I think about it, those documents I handed out were…” [Ryouma]

“If they had gone through the guild, they would have been censored before publication. But you did nothing illegal. You weren’t publishing them for the public, only distributing them internally. So there’s no need to worry. If there were any problems, the household would have long warned you.” [Eleonora]

That’s right. No one said anything despite those documents circulating. I’d even forgotten about them until now. I was worried there for a bit, but it seems there is nothing to worry about.

“Knowledge makes it easier to create the visualization needed to cast a spell. Even if you don’t know anything specific to a spell, even related or similar phenomena can be used; hence, why it’s important for mage to know many things.

The other requirement for magic is the ability to control mana, and from today’s training, I believe you are exceptional in this regard. Knowledge, mana control, these two together make up the pillars of magic. It’s no wonder you learn so fast.” [Eleonora]

It was embarrassing to hear someone praise me so bluntly, but Eleonora-san was only speaking logically.

“That’s right. Life was harsh where I grew up, but in terms of learning, it was an incredibly blessed environment. As for mana control, I’ve always loved to tinker with spells, so thanks to the abundant mana I was born with, I naturally got good at it. I’ve even been training with slime vision lately.” [Ryouma]

“Slime vision?” [Eleonora]

Ah, I haven’t told her about that yet, have I? I prioritized filling her in on matters related to our projects, so I forgot. Well, it wasn’t anything complicated, so I gave her a simple explanation.

“Slimes are better at sensing mana than humans, so by tapping into my familiars’ senses, I can tap into their superior ability to sense mana.

There are some side effects, like headaches and fatigue due to the mental strain, but it’s very effective.

Whether it’s for scouting, searching, or healing magic, slime vision is a huge boon.

Even in the training earlier, I actually used slime vision as a model to strengthen my ability to perceive mana.” [Ryouma]

“Manipulating what cannot be seen is much harder than manipulating what can be seen. The more precisely you can perceive mana, the more delicately you can manipulate it. That’s an enviable ability, especially for mages.” [Eleonora]

Oh? Could Eleonora-san be interested in slimes?

The moment I thought that, the night wind blew a chill wind to slip past us. It was summer, but after acclimating to the mild climate of the forest, daytime no longer felt hot, but the nights have become a little chilly.

“Ah, I got carried away talking about magic again.
Eleonora-san, thank you so much for preparing these documents. I’ve received them safely. I’ll go through them carefully tonight, so may I give you my response tomorrow morning?” [Ryouma]

“Yes. If there are any mistakes or omissions, please don’t hesitate to tell me.” [Eleonora]

She bowed then lifted her head as if to say something. There was a trace of hesitation, and when she finally spoke, it was with unusual seriousness.

“In fact, I have a proposal regarding the management of this testing site.
Earlier today, you mentioned that you might ‘improve the path to the site.’ I would suggest not only that, but also to improve the surrounding area of this lodging facility, and ideally even the road down to the base of the mountain. My recommendation is that the facilities and their surroundings should visibly show signs of proper upkeep.” [Eleonora]

“I take it this isn’t just about living conditions or convenience of travel?” [Ryouma]

“Yes, it’s a matter of appearances.” [Eleonora]

If one had been entrusted with a research facility by the duke’s house, then it was important to demonstrate that it was being used effectively.

“You are currently using this facility with the duke’s permission. Officially, it is a ‘loan.’ But it was His Grace himself who granted this, and it is likewise at his discretion whether the permission is revoked or extended.

However, I’ve confirmed with Sebasu-sama that unless there’s a serious failure or gross mismanagement, His Grace will not revoke his permission. In other words, it is effectively a ‘gift.’” [Eleonora]

“Huh. I didn’t know that.” [Ryouma]

“He probably didn’t tell you on purpose. It’s more convenient that way. This is only my speculation, but if you had been told from the start, you would have refused out of modesty.” [Eleonora]

I couldn’t help but look up to the night sky. Well, as beneficial as having land was, if they told me outright that I was being given full rights, I probably would have thought it too much and turned it down. Rights to a piece of land aren’t something to be casually accepted, after all.

I had always felt like I was indebted to Reinhart-san and the others, but I guess they felt that way too.

“So when you say it’s ‘more convenient,’ you mean that if a newcomer were openly favored, the long-timers wouldn’t take it well?” [Ryouma]

“More or less. Even though the duke’s household is always monitoring the situation, the further down the chain you go, the more people there are. Some may underestimate you because of your age, or grow jealous because of the duke’s favor and develop wicked thoughts. So, appearances matter a lot. Especially, among the nobility.” [Eleonora]

I see. So, if it looks like the land isn’t being managed properly and the research site ends up looking like it hasn’t been touched despite being under my management, people will start asking questions. For example…

‘Can that kid really conduct experiments like this?’
‘Is he even doing any research at all?’
‘Isn’t this facility wasted on him?’
‘Not using the site he was given is an insult to the duke’s house!’

Such questions might not be honest and are intended only to drag down someone more highly regarded than them, but there are plenty of people who don’t care about facts, only about how much they dislike someone, and there are also those who judge everything from hearsay.

“I understand. Let’s not focus on just the miasma zones then. We’ll commit to improving this area too. Sebasu-san also advised me the other day that it’s best to solve problems while they’re still small.
Besides, if people criticize me, it will reflect poorly on the duke, who have been supporting me this whole time. That’s the last thing I want.” [Ryouma]

Like when an employee causes a scandal and the company’s reputation takes a hit. Even if it’s just a misunderstanding, dealing with the resulting fallout will cost an unnecessary large amount of time and energy.

“The question then is how to find the time to make improvements in the mountains.” [Ryouma]

“That can be managed. Considering how quickly you built the lodgings this evening, the time needed to build a road should be significantly reduced. Also, most of Rosenberg-sama’s planned instruction revolve around the spells you’ve already mastered today.” [Eleonora]

“In that case, let’s ask the adventurers to scout out the easiest routes to the base of the mountain. That should make things more manageable.” [Ryouma]

Was she thinking about this from the start? Or did she realize it only after seeing what I accomplished today? Either way, the talk about my fast progress in magic was clearly just a lead-in to this suggestion.

“Then let’s talk to everyone about it tomorrow.” [Ryouma]
“Thank you, Takebayashi-sama.” [Eleonora]
“I should be the one thanking you for suggesting it.” [Ryouma]
“It was a proposal on my part. I tend to fuss over details a bit more than most.” [Eleonora]

Now, I’m not especially good at reading people, but I could clearly hear the self-deprecation in her voice.

“Even so, thank you for speaking up. I tend to fuss over details myself, and having countermeasures in place is reassuring.

Besides, when it comes to nobility, you really do have to watch even the smallest things, don’t you?

I’m not familiar with that way of thinking, so I greatly value your perspective as someone from a noble house.” [Ryouma]

“It’s an honor.” [Eleonora]

“Please continue to bring up anything that catches your attention. Even if I sometimes decide it can wait, I’ll never consider it a waste of time.” [Ryouma]

“As you wish.” [Eleonora]

After that somewhat mechanical exchange, we found ourselves with nothing to say, the sound of the night wind rustling leaves to fill the silence, and before long, Eleonora-san bowed politely and took her leave.

“Good night, be sure to keep warm.” [Ryouma]

I called after her as she walked away, then I too went back inside. I had no way of knowing what she thought of me, but the fact that she was now offering her own opinions without being prompted to is a good sign.

Now that she’s taken that step, I have to be careful not to lose her trust. I’m going to have to read through this report thoroughly tonight.

Tl Note: The site should be fixed now. New theme, from scratch this time. Buttons have been readded. It’s a very simple theme but it should be fully functional for reading books.