Chapter 105: Crystals
It's so clear and beautiful……. Oh? The shadows seem to turn into rainbow colors.”
Oh, this is beautiful.”
The civil officers picked up the manaral crystals placed on their desks as samples and were impressed by their beauty.
Since they were civil servants without magical powers, they did not seem to be aware of the properties of the manaral crystals.
'Room on, how many gold coins are these worth?
The sample was about the size of a small dice used in mahjong.
If this is the case, please send me an email at …….
Roomon looked at the manaral crystals in the hands of the civil servants, thought for a moment, and then answered the number of gold coins.
It was an astonishing number for a civil servant, and they looked pale and placed the sample gently on the desk.
'So, it costs that much……?'
I was going to give it to my wife, but I don't think I can afford it.
A…… Gem of this size is horrendous.”
The civil servants stepped back from their desks after having casually picked them up a moment ago.
I took out my manaral crystal. It was the manaral crystal that I had confiscated from RoomOn earlier. It was about the size of an AAA battery, so it must be worth a lot of money.
I glanced at the crystal as I stared at Roomon.
'It is a memento of my …… Mother, so the soldiers were given it along with the gold coins.
In the case of families whose assets are confiscated by a series of patriarchs, the soldiers in the field are given the discretion to let it go if it is some property in their wallets. , It is highly likely that they just missed it because they were told it was a memento.
The actuality that the actual manaeral crystals are not really a good idea, but it's a good idea to have a look at the actual manaeral crystals.
If you tell falsehoods, you will be severely punished.
As I said this, one of the civil officers intervened, looking flustered.
He said, “Young master, please wait. What Roomon said is true.
“Muh?”
According to the civil official, when he started working as a city official, Roomon excused himself by saying that he had run away with the manaral crystals.
This was immediately confirmed by the soldiers in charge of grabbing the property and by Roomon's father, who was in custody.
He was acquitted of running away with the property because he had given it up voluntarily when I asked him to leave it behind.
I see.A memento of his mother?
Yes. It was a gift from my father to my mother.
Roomon's father was a merchant who dealt mainly in mineral resources.
He had traveled around the continent as a peddler in his youth and had made several attempts to enter the Mammothred region.
This remained the case even after he established a trading company in Nambonan City, and he regularly sent his children as spies.
One of the spies succeeded in bribing an official of the Mammushred Federation to steal three manaral crystals.
If they could steal the technology, there was no doubt that they would be able to make a huge profit. If the local officials could be bought off, it would be easy for them to bring in the technicians.
Father Roomeon, who was a workaholic and completely neglected his family his, came home in the middle of the day, whether he wanted to share his joy his or just to brag about his achievements his.
He said, “…… And my father gave two of those three crystals to my mother. He said, “I'm going to give them to you because you'll be able to make as many as you want from now on.
The remaining one was to be displayed in the mansion. As expected, manaral crystals cannot be placed in a trading house where there are many people coming and going.
Later, after giving birth to Kohary, Mother Roomon died due to poor post-natal fertility.
Just before she passed away, however, Mother Roomon gave away two manaral crystals to Roomon and the newborn Kohary.
Kohary was the only one who received them as a gift from her mother.
Not knowing it was such a thoughtful gift, I shaved one of the three manaral crystals for an experiment and used it as a material for an arrowhead.
I put on a calm face and asked roomon with an inner fear.
…… Do you know whose crystals these are?”
Roomon took the manaral crystal from me and immediately declared, “This is the crystal that Kohary received.
'These are the crystals Kohary received.
I let out a small breath so that no one would notice. Apparently, the crushed ones were either roomon or displayed in the mansion.
I had a feeling that two of the three, but not one of them, were not my mother's mementos, but I didn't want to make a crack about it.
I said, “Well, ……. Okay, I forgive you for this.”
'……, Your kindness is greatly appreciated.'
Roomon kneeled on the floor with his fingers to show his gratitude to him.The civil servants let out a sigh of relief, and the matter was now settled.
'It's a beautiful piece of jewelry as well……'
I held Kohary's manaral crystal up to the sun and watched the rainbow-colored shadows fall to the floor.
To commoners, manaral crystals are nothing more than jewelry, but considering their characteristics related to magic power, they can be considered a strategic resource.
Although limited, the knights will be able to use noble-class magic power.
Just as the appearance of guns changed the pattern of warfare on earth, the appearance of manaral crystals is likely to take the war on the Eluo continent to the next stage.
You can see why Father wanted this place.”
According to the original plan drawn up by my father, the conquest of Nambonan City was still a long way off. There are a number of reasons for the accelerated schedule, but I have heard that there are two main reasons.
The first reason is the manaral crystal.
My father had been exposed to manaral crystals when he was young.
However, at that time, few people outside the Mammothred Federation possessed manaral crystals.
This is common to all successive dynasties. The great kings of the Mamusled region continued to be attracted to its iridescent brilliance, even though the times and tribes changed.
The few examples that exist are those that leaked out into the open during the upheavals when the dynasty fell.
Since it is a precious gemstone, it could not be used as an instrument of war, and I believe that my father decided as such at that time.
However, the technology of crystallization was transmitted from Mamshred, and manaral crystals can now be refined from manaral ore.
This means that nobles who do not have manaral ore are more likely to be put at a disadvantage in the future. In terms of the prehistoric Earth, it would be like a country without petroleum resources.
Crystallization technology still seems to have spread only to a few cities, but once it has spread, it cannot be reversed.
My father must have felt a strong sense of crisis about the future of the Kuordenze family. There were no mines in the Kuordenze territory that could extract manaral ore.
It was at this time that word came in that a merchant family in Nambonan had found a vein of manaral ore.
Should we change our plan, overrun Nambonan City, and seize the mine? If we do take it, what reason should we give for winding it up? How should they take control of the city?
While my father was working on a revised plan, Viscount Galiana leaked one piece of information to him. It was information that the city of Nambonan was connected to the enemy.
My father then decided to occupy Nambonan City and raised an army.
As for the other reason why the plan was accelerated, my father told me to think about it myself. I will have to think of a good answer to this question, as I am sure I will be asked to answer it soon.
The technology of Mam Shred is interesting. If there were immigrants, I would welcome them in Nambonan or New Nellie.
I think that would be difficult. The current Mamshred Federation seems to be stable, so security near the border will be tight.
Roomon is generous with information about the current dynasty.He would never have spoken of it in his days as a merchant, but now he is a city official full of love for Nambonan.
You do your research, don't you?
Yes, sir. Yes, it is a merchant's dream to trade with Mamusled.
Even today, the pure white silk from Mamusled is treated as a top quality product, and the finely painted ceramics are highly valued as works of art.
There are many other attractive products as well, so it is only natural that Roomon, a former merchant, is well versed in them.
Hm, by the way, how have you been trading with Mamuschred so far? How could they possibly pass through Quardenze territory with impunity?”
After the conquest of the surrounding areas, the city of Nambonan had been virtually neglected because of my father's plans, but in a manner of speaking, we were in a confrontational relationship. As expected, they would not be able to cross Quordenze territory with impunity .
Even if we call it trade, it doesn't necessarily mean that we will be able to make a successful deal. The chances of failure are much higher. It is also dangerous on the road.
Going to the Mamusled Federation would be a difficult journey.
The distance may be far simply because it is located in the southern part of the continent, but the threat of Mother Nature is also an obstacle in the way. There are three main routes into the Mammothred region, but none of them are straightforward.
The route that Roomon describes involves crossing the second largest lake on the continent.
It appears that they went down the great river through the imperial side, entered Evenapis territory, and then went south across the lake.”
Roomon explained the trade route, giving the names of places and towns in Evenapis territory.
My mother's family lives in Evenapis, so I have seen a map of the territory several times.
Are you familiar with it?
Yes, I am. Many people from the Evenapis territory have moved to Nambonan over the past year or two, so I have had many opportunities to talk to them about the land.
'…… Is that so?
Yes, I have heard a lot about the land. The Evenapis territory must be in trouble because of the monster beast disaster, right? For those with a certain amount of assets, moving to the city of Nambonan was appealing. Would have rejected the idea of moving there. And there is no way they would move to the eastern part of the empire where heavy taxes would be imposed.
Commoners basically spend their entire lives in the land where they were born and raised, but they may move to another land. This is the case, for example, when they can no longer survive in that land.
In what can only be described as a terrible blow, several villages and towns in the Evenapis territory were destroyed by a continent-wide magical beast disaster. The Evenapis family, the lords of the territory, and their subordinate knight families have suffered tremendous damage, and their power of control has weakened.
The residents of Evenapis, who had money to spare, were worried about their weakened lord and began to flee to other lands.Since the stronghold of the Evenapis territory was closer to the east, they apparently headed for the city of Nambonan through the less guarded west side of the city.
Even though the Quardenze family was watching them, a city without the rule of the nobles must have seemed attractive.
I see.
'Nambonan City has also become a Kuordentse territory, and I doubt that any more immigrants will come from the Evenapis territory.
Commoners are the ones who support the ruling nobility by governing taxes. If you take it away from them unnecessarily, it could spark a war. If the two territories are on friendly terms, they will deal with the situation in a proper manner.
The Quardenze and Evenapis families are very close. , And the Silopeas for subterfuge.
Whatever the case, I am the mayor of Nambonan. And my mother, Merly, is from the Evenapis family, so naturally there should be some consideration.
It would be no different if the Knight family ruled the city of Nambonan. I categorically reject any people who have abandoned Evenapis.”
The civil official who said this was from a knightly family. He was a man who did not have the right to succeed the patriarch because he did not have magical power.
A child born in a knight's house without magical power, a slave ancestor's path in life changes depending on gender.
For girls, if they are beautiful in appearance, they come to New Nellie Castle to serve the lord's family and work with the goal of being sired by them. If he is a boy, he will study to become a civil or military officer of the Quardenze family.
He would have been the former and would have studied hard to find a position.
A civilian from a knightly family would serve the Quordenze family in administrative matters, thereby enhancing his family's reputation. Even though he had no magical powers, he was useful to the family.
It is unforgivable that he should be allowed to enrich himself by such an act.
He is also a civil servant from another knight's family.
Since the eldest son of the Quordenze family, his lord was right in front of him, he was probably very sensitive to stories about the wrongdoings of civil servants.
Although it would have been unthinkable in Japan in the past, a small bribe is within the discretionary range of a civil official. However, the refugee problem in the Evenapis territory goes far beyond such discretion, so he is appealing for his innocence so as not to arouse any suspicion.
Under normal circumstances, the Quardenzes would lease control of the cities and lands in their territory to the knights, thereby indirectly controlling them.
However, in the case of Nambonan City, I, as a member of the family of the lord, rule through a commoners' organization called the council.
First of all, there are no convenient knight families to lend control of Nambonan City to.
The city of Nambonan is one of the top three most developed cities in the Quardenze territory. Its economy is larger than that of Ebermill, where we stopped on the way to Nambonan.
Evermil is controlled by a knight family that has been loyal to the Kuordentse family for nearly 100 years.
Then, it would be better to give it to some knight family that has been loyal to the Quardenze family for a long time, but this would be a bad idea because only that family would stand out.
The knight families cannot be easily reassigned, since they are rooted in the land and rule while interacting with the commoners there.
Second, the knightly families served for only a few days in the battle for the city of Nambonan.
For example, a member of a knightly family who is running amok with his grandfather in an imperial noble territory can only gain control of a war-torn land by raising a few heads of enemy knights on the battlefield.
But it is not possible to gain control of a city like Nambonan simply by leading an army in droves.
As a result, control of Nambonan would be up in the air.
For now, I am the head of Nambonan City, but those of the Knight family believe that the control of Nambonan City will one day come to the side of the Knight family.
The civilian officials of the Quardenze military who are involved in the Nambonan city government from the Knight family are always thinking about that day when it will come.
If they have made significant contributions to the city government, it will be easy for them to appeal, “Please give my family's knight family control of the city!” Would be easy to appeal to them.
Even if my family did not gain control of the city, if I could give my approval for their past work, I could resign from the army and be reemployed as a civilian official of a knight family that had gained control. , It would be more profitable.
In any case, it is very important for their life plan that they work diligently, achieve results in positions of authority, and make a good impression on me.
Young Master, we are keeping a close watch on this area and making sure that no commoners from Evenapis settle there. Rest assured.
The people of Evenapis are being treated as if they were cockroaches or pests, but they need to be watched that closely.
The current head of the Evenapis family is my mother's grandfather, and he is the picture of a martial old man. I don't want him to come to New Nelly to complain.
I don't want him to come to New Nelly to complain. I don't want my mother's family to be in trouble either.
That ended the conversation.
I resumed my inspection of the mine, this time talking to the miners about the site.
The civil official told me that it was not necessary for an aristocrat to go that far, but as a former Japanese, the mine was a curiosity to me, and I enjoyed watching it.
I took a wooden board and a brush from the roomon to take notes on what I had heard.
He said, “Oh, by the way, did you enjoy the whorehouse?”
What?
I asked casually, and Roomon was more flustered than I expected. I had just recently given him a few silver coins as a gift for the whorehouse.
It was your first time going to a whorehouse, wasn't it?”
I remember he said that to me when I gave him the silver coins.
That's why I had arranged for the brothel-obsessed soldier to take care of the roomon.
I don't know how to respond to what I said, but roomon replied with a slurred voice.
He said, “Well, uh, …… Yes. That …… Was very good. Thank you.”
It was a nice, radiant smile. The roomon was not beguiling, but it was clear that he was sincerely thinking that way.
I thought women were …… Good …….
I'll have to agree with that.”
With the future of his precious, precious Kohliy in sight, Roomon felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
He hustled in the whorehouse to his heart's content his.
The mayor said, “Mayor, please take care of Kohary. Please take good care of Kohary.
I responded lightly to Roomon's seriousness his.
I replied lightly, “Instead of worrying about unnecessary things, why don't you start looking for a wife? You must be old enough.
Roomon smiled vaguely and replied that he would like a woman with a beautiful heart.
Did he think that I would cuckold him if he had a beautiful face?
Unfortunately, I can't deny it.
