Chapter 351: Long-Lasting Effects

In front of the two of them, I diligently worked on creating the herb garden. The expanded space was a little too wide, so I couldn’t fill it all with herbs. I decided to plant magical herbs, which take longer to grow, in the empty spaces.

“You’re quite skilled at this… Ah, I’ll help too.”

“No, Fabienne, you stay as you are. I don’t want you to get your clothes dirty. Leave this to me. I’ll finish it quickly.”

When I turned to Fabienne with a sharp expression, she seemed to have a somewhat complicated look on her face. Could it be that she thinks it’s a bit too polished for a nobleman’s son tending a garden? I’ll have to play this off somehow.

“I take care of it every day, so this kind of work is no problem.”

“Still, it seems like you’re more experienced than a gardener…”

Nero, who was watering the herb garden, said this with a hint of disbelief. This is bad. He’s getting suspicious. If this goes on, my mother might end up being told.

“Nero, keep this a secret from Mother.”

“…Understood.”

“Julius-sama…”

It seems that both of them have picked up on it. I’m glad they’re sharp. After that, the expansion of the herb garden was completed without incident. With this much space, there should be no shortage of herbs for a while. In the meantime, I’ll have the newly hired gardeners expand the garden further and improve their cultivation skills.

Once the gardeners acquire the cultivation skills, I’ll leave everything to them. What a perfect plan. I’m almost scared of how clever I am. If I’m being greedy, I’d wish someone would acquire the “Cultivation” skill.

“This looks good. If I add some plant nutrients, it should be fine for a while.”

“Just as expected of Julius-sama. That was quick.”

Fabienne expressed her admiration, while Nero, nearby, was holding his head in his hands. He’s probably struggling with how to report this. Hang in there, Nero. My fate rests on your shoulders.

Next up, making magical potions. Initially, I had planned to make a beginner-level health recovery potion, but I’ll change that. I’ll improve the plant nutrient solution.

“I’m going to change the plan a little and teach you how to make plant nutrient solution. Once we’re done with that, we’ll improve it.”

“Understood. But is it really okay to improve a magical potion so easily?”

“I’m not using it on people. Besides, even if we improve it, it’ll only dilute the effect. It’s not that big of a deal.”

It seems Fabienne is studying magical potions and knows that potions shouldn’t be casually altered. But I’m a licensed potion master, having received direct permission from His Majesty the King. As long as I don’t make poison, it should be fine.

First, I had Fabienne make a regular plant nutrient solution. Of course, I just watched as she did it. Since I had been training her throughout the winter, she made it without any issues, even though it was her first time making a magical potion.

“It’s done.”

“Perfect. I think Fabienne could call herself a potion master now.”

“Thank you. I can’t wait for the day I graduate from the academy.”

For me, calling myself a potion master is an exception—an exception among exceptions. Furthermore, I only go by the title with certain people. Officially, one can only claim the title after graduating from the academy. The conditions are nearly the same as Fabienne’s.

“Now, let’s improve this. Just diluting it wouldn’t be enough, so instead, let’s make the effects last longer.”

Thus, the work of improving the magical potion began with Fabienne. We used the same base materials but adjusted the proportions and steps little by little. It was a painstaking process, and of course, sometimes additional materials were added.

“It’s more difficult than I thought.”

“To give it a different effect, we really have to go through trial and error.”

It was time for afternoon tea, so we took a break. After making several prototypes, even Fabienne seemed a bit tired. However, we had made some progress, and now we just had to test them out.

“Still, Julius-sama’s abilities are amazing. I wish I had the ability to understand the performance of magical potions just by looking at them.”

“I can’t teach you that. But if you observe various types of magical potions, you might be able to develop it over time.”

“I’ll do my best.”

I wasn’t just offering a comforting word. If you start comparing things and can understand the differences, there’s a good chance you could develop the “Appraisal” skill. You shouldn’t give up. If you do, that’s where it ends.

Should I make a magical tool that allows for precise appraisal? But to do that, I’d need to create a new magic circle. Based on what I’ve researched before, I didn’t find any magic circle like that.

If I did manage to create such a magic circle, there would likely be a huge uproar of, “How did you make this?” And everyone would remember, “Julius messed up again.”

It might already be too late, but I’d like to avoid that if I can.

“Let’s actually test the prototypes tomorrow. There’s something else I want to do today. In the meantime, could you make some beginner-level health recovery potions?”

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“I’m thinking of modifying the door at the entrance of this room so that it will close on its own.”

Fabienne and Nero looked at the door and tilted their heads. They probably don’t understand what I’m saying. But once it’s completed, they’ll immediately understand what I meant.

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