Chapter 488: Visiting the Baron Amber Household
We were guided straight to the salon. Tea had already been prepared. From the window, we could see a beautiful flowerbed and, beyond it, a splendid herb garden. It looked like it was being well maintained again this year.
“I heard a rumor that a Bone Dragon appeared in the Raven Kingdom, and I was worried, but it seems it was unnecessary concern.”
“I’m sorry to have caused you concern. It seems the Bone Dragon has been successfully defeated.”
Baron and Baroness Amber were struck speechless. Fabienne, who knew the circumstances, maintained her smile.
She had seemed quite shocked when we spoke through the ring, but perhaps knowing I was safe had eased her worries.
Since Father had told me that it was okay to talk to Baron Amber to a certain extent, I went ahead and explained our purpose for going to the Raven Kingdom. Of course, I left out the details about the holy sword and the legendary armor.
“A full recovery potion, you say? I’d heard from Fabienne that it could be made, but I never believed it truly existed until now.”
“Since it uses materials from the World Tree, it’s not something easily obtained. It’s understandable to have doubts. I expect to receive more World Tree materials this autumn, so I plan to have Fabienne make some then.”
Ah, the Baron and his wife are making incredible faces. They look just like The Scream by Munch. Perhaps it was too much for them to handle. Meanwhile, Fabienne, the person at the center of it all, looked completely unfazed.
Well, that makes sense. She’s seen me fail to make the full recovery potion many times right in front of her. She’s probably used to it by now. She’s grown quite strong-willed. As my future wife, she’s certainly dependable.
After that, we were told, “We’ll leave the rest to the young ones,” and the two of us were left alone. Well, Nero and Mira were still there, technically. Mira seemed to really like the herb-infused cookies Fabienne had made. They smell wonderful and taste great. I’m a fan too.
As Mira munched noisily on cookies atop the table, I began to talk about things I couldn’t mention through the ring. Nero had been there, so he could hear it too. But even to my beloved Fabienne, I couldn’t bring myself to reveal that I had repaired the holy sword. I did talk about the legendary armor, though.
“The real holy sword was in the Raven Kingdom? I wish I could’ve seen it for myself.”
“You’re interested in the holy sword too, Fabienne? I wonder if there’s one in the Spencer Kingdom.”
“Now that you mention it, I don’t recall ever hearing about one.”
It feels like there should be one in the Spencer Kingdom too, but I wonder. Since Sister-in-law Daniela never said anything, maybe there isn’t one. If there were, I imagine she would’ve mentioned it.
“Fabienne, thank you for supporting the Heine Trading Company while I was gone. I heard from Lyla and the others about your work.”
“That’s too kind of you. I only did what I could.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing your skills in action.”
We exchanged smiles. As I thought, meeting face to face is far better than talking through a ring. Someday, I’d really like to create a communication device that lets us see each other’s faces.
Regarding the magic potions supplied to the Heine Trading Company, things seemed to have stabilized quite well. That’s thanks to Fabienne and the potion-makers dispatched from the capital to the Heine Frontier Count’s household.
Thanks to that, I might finally have some free time. This could be the perfect opportunity to develop a new potion. We’ve got the essential ones—healing potions, antidotes, and such—more or less covered. So maybe it’s time to try something more niche. Like body enhancement potions.
“If you could make a new magic potion, Fabienne, what kind would you want to create?”
“Let me think…”
Oops, was that too sudden? It’s only natural she’d be at a loss if I ask her something like that out of nowhere. I took a slow sip of tea so as not to rush her. It was a fragrant and pleasant black tea.
“Perhaps… a potion that makes you more beautiful?”
“More beautiful… I see.”
She’s already beautiful enough—saying that would just be tacky. More beautiful, huh? At that moment, my eyes fell on Fabienne’s beautiful silver hair. Maybe using shampoo and conditioner could make it even lovelier. It would also make brushing easier.
“Um… did something come to mind?”
“I think I’ll try making shampoo and conditioner. I wonder why I never thought of that before.”
“Julius-sama?”
“Ah, no, just thinking to myself. Thank you, Fabienne. You helped me come up with a great idea.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Right now, we wash ourselves with soap, but it might be interesting to make specialized body soap too. It would mostly be aimed at nobles, but I think it could still be quite profitable.
I made sure to listen to Fabienne’s stories as well, not just talk about myself.
Lately, she hasn’t only been managing her own herb garden, but has also started tending to the flowerbeds in the yard. She’s apparently improved the plant nutrients I taught her about, and now even more vibrant and healthy flowers are blooming.
That’s fantastic. It could help with home gardening. Florists could probably make great use of it too.
It might even be useful for growing livestock feed. If we could grow grass in a short time, the number of animals that could be raised per unit of land would increase. Although that might worsen their living conditions. That part needs careful thought.
“Do you think we could sell the improved plant nutrient you developed, Fabienne? As a new kind of fertilizer, I think it could become really popular. Of course, I’d make sure you profit from it too.”
“If it improves the lives of the people in our domain, I have no objections.”
“Thank you, Fabienne. I’ll go consult with Alex-niisan right away.”
If Fabienne’s new plant nutrient gets off the ground, her reputation will likely rise even further. Not that it isn’t already high, but there’s no harm in raising it more. If her position improves, I’d be truly happy too.