Chapter 516: A Flurry of Chaos

The very next day, I immediately began instructing the gardeners and magicians. There was no time to waste—by tomorrow or the day after, the carriage from the royal capital would surely arrive. I had to pass on everything I could before then, no matter what.

“Thank you all for gathering here despite being so busy. I know we’ll have to rush things a bit, but I want you to properly learn these skills and spells.”

“Yes, thank you for teaching us!”

By now, I had grown close to both the gardeners and the magicians. Their faces were bright, their smiles warm—it was clear they trusted me, and that alone filled me with quiet pride.

Thanks to all our previous training sessions, they quickly mastered how to form the ridges and furrows, channel the water, and cast the spells for digging wells. I also taught them a sensing spell that could detect underground water veins. With this, everything should be fine. No loose ends left untied.

“These ridges are truly remarkable. What an ingenious idea—indeed, as expected of Julius-sama! I’d always believed that crops simply couldn’t grow well on poorly drained soil. But with this technique, even such land can yield fine harvests! Ah, if only I could use magic myself…”

“Yes, if you could use magic, it’d be much easier to make these ridges. But that’s exactly why it’s important to share methods that don’t rely on magic—so that anyone can use them.”

“Hmm, yes, you may very well be right about that.”

The old gardener chuckled, his wrinkled face folding even further into deep creases. The way he looked at me—with such warmth, almost like a grandfather gazing at his grandchild—made me feel oddly embarrassed.

Meanwhile, the magicians were busy digging and filling holes in the garden again and again. Their speed was improving rapidly; it was only a matter of time before they became proficient. Since I had already taught them how to use magic to create ridges, they’d be able to pass that knowledge along to others while working on the water channels and wells.

As I continued instructing them in the garden, my Alex-niisan and my sister-in-law Daniela came rushing in, looking somewhat flustered.

Could it be? Has the carriage from the capital already arrived? That was fast!

“Julius, Father told us that you were the one who wrote this report?”

“This report is amazing! I never imagined that a simple change in writing style could make it so easy to read.”

Ah—so that’s what this was about. They were talking about the report I’d given Father yesterday. It seemed that while I’d been teaching everyone here, he had shown it to them. Apparently, Father was quite serious about spreading the report format I had created.

“Um… this is the first I’ve heard about the report. Would you mind explaining it to us in detail as well?”

“Yes, I’d love for everyone to take a look at it. It’ll knock your socks off.”

“Oh yes, I agree completely.”

“Knock your socks off”? That didn’t sound like something Alex-niisan would normally say. But sister-in-law Daniela nodded eagerly beside him, her eyes shining with excitement. It was… a little embarrassing, honestly.

Since the day’s instruction had just wrapped up, we decided to take a break in the garden’s gazebo. The gardeners, who initially hesitated, joined us as well. They’d all worked so hard—it was only right to share tea together and celebrate our efforts. After all, if you use the whip, you must also offer the candy. Balance is key.

“This is incredible! You made this, Julius-sama? As expected of you!”

“Indeed, this is so easy to understand! Even someone like me, who lacks much education, can grasp it. With this writing style, we might even be able to pass down our techniques to our apprentices through written form.”

“That’s a great idea. You could even add illustrations to make it clearer.”

Alex-niisan flipped through several pages of the report as he spoke. Inside were diagrams I had drawn—cross-sections of wells, schematics of water channels, and even sketches of bamboo toys.

The old gardeners peered at them curiously, their faces glowing with delight.

“Perhaps I could have my grandson draw the pictures for me.”

“That’s wonderful! It’d make for a fine keepsake—and maybe even a record to be passed down through generations.”

The old men became lively again, chatting excitedly about their newfound ideas. Alex-niisan and Nero seemed to agree, jotting down notes in their notebooks. sister-in-law Daniela, on the other hand, was quite taken with my illustrations and praised them again and again.

Meanwhile, the magicians examined the well diagrams and waterway maps intently. I had admittedly gone a bit overboard when creating the report, adding all sorts of extras for fun—but in the end, it seemed to have turned out for the better.

If my reports could spread and help make everyone’s lives easier, nothing would make me happier.

As we drank tea, I ended up explaining some tips on report writing. It became a pleasant little impromptu workshop. Before long, even the servants had gathered around, probably curious about all the noise we were making in the gazebo.

At this rate, the new reporting style might spread even faster than I imagined. If that happened, Father, Alex-niisan, and sister-in-law Daniela would all be pleased—and surely, the gardeners and magicians would be smiling too.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon reviewing the skills and spells I’d taught earlier that morning. Things got a bit hectic, but I didn’t know how much time I had left, so I wanted to make the most of every moment.

By evening, we went to the Heine Trading Company, where I joined Alex-niisan, sister-in-law Daniela, and the merchants he had gathered to teach them how to write proper reports. The session was a bit rough around the edges, but it seemed they planned to keep a copy of my report at the company for reference. Hopefully, they’d refine their skills from there.

And just like that, another busy day came to an end.

Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten about Rosalia and Mira, who ended up clinging to me in tears as soon as I returned home. As an apology, I promised to spend the rest of the evening with them—and yes, that included sleeping together.

…Still, am I the only one starting to think that it’s about time we stopped sharing a bed? Mira’s fine, but Rosalia… she’s getting to an age where it’s starting to feel a little awkward.