Chapter 394: Searching for Gemstones

Three days later, the day everyone would head to the capital of the territory finally arrived. In the meantime, I had been busy making magic tools, working on the covered wagon, and applying water-repellent coatings to the tent.

I asked Mira about the collar, but she shook her head from side to side. It seemed she didn’t like the idea. Well, I had a feeling that would be the case.

“I thought putting a collar on Mira-chan was a good idea… Oh! Instead, let’s put a ribbon on her! That would definitely make her look cuter!”

“Kyuu!”

Seeing Rosalia approaching, Mira quickly scampered away. It seemed she didn’t like the idea of wearing a ribbon either. In that case, was Mira more on the boyish side?

Mira, who had run away, ended up in Fabienne’s arms, rubbing her face against her chest. For some reason, I felt a bit jealous.

“My Lord, My Lady, the preparations are complete.”

“Then, let us depart.”

“Come on, everyone, get in the carriage.”

We all boarded the largest carriage of the Heine Count’s family. Remarkably, this carriage was fitted with that reinforced glass. The curtains, which were usually kept closed for safety, were left open today, allowing natural light to brighten the interior even without lamps.

“So this is what it looks like without curtains.”

“It’s so high up! I can see far down the road!”

“This way, we can also observe the townspeople directly. It’s a good setup.”

Alex-niisan was smiling. Although he had likely visited the capital many times for inspections, it seemed he had never been fully satisfied. Perhaps he wanted to interact more closely with the people?

Many people turned to look at the Heine Count’s family’s carriage, and just as many waved at us. Of course, I waved back as soon as I noticed.

“Ufufu, this is lovely. Everyone is smiling and waving. This is all thanks to my husband’s governance, which is so closely aligned with the people.”

Mother looked extremely pleased. Father, though maintaining a dignified expression, was also waving back. Rosalia and Mira were happily waving as well. As expected, Mira was the most popular. Well, it made sense—after all, she was like a moving stuffed animal.

“When Daniela-sama returns to the capital, let’s take her out in this carriage. She’ll definitely love it.”

“Yes, she will. Seeing this scenery will surely make her happy.”

I thought so too. With this level of admiration from the townspeople, the future was undoubtedly secure. The projects undertaken by the Heine Count’s family had unquestionably enriched the capital, and the trading company continuously provided goods that improved people’s lives. Even other territories sent delegations to observe our progress.

We finally arrived at our destination, the jewelry store. This was the largest jewelry shop in the capital, specializing in everything from raw gemstones to finished pieces. The building, constructed from stacked rugged stones, stood out from the recently popular brick structures, giving it the imposing presence of a battle-hardened warrior.

Yet, colorful flowers bloomed by the windows, showing a thoughtful touch that warmly welcomed visitors.

Since we had contacted them in advance, the owner quickly appeared. He seemed to have asked if we wanted the store to be reserved exclusively for us, but we declined, saying, “We mustn’t interfere with business.” As a result, there were other nobles in the store besides us.

“On the first floor, we display rings, necklaces, and other finished products. The second floor is for raw gemstones, while the third floor is where custom orders are crafted.”

“Should we split up here?”

“I’ll take a look at the raw gemstones on the second floor.”

Father and Mother went to the first floor, while the rest of us headed to the second floor. I didn’t expect Rosalia to come along. I had assumed she liked sparkling things like rings and necklaces.

“Julius, let’s finish this as soon as possible and regroup with Father and Mother. I can’t imagine you’d leave without buying something for Lady Fabienne, right?”

“Of course, I understand. Come on now, Oniisan.”

I laughed, but of course, I hadn’t forgotten. A cold sweat ran down my back, but I convinced myself it was just my imagination.

As we ascended to the second floor, we found unpolished gemstone ores scattered around.

Rosalia’s face darkened when she saw them. She looked like she wanted to say, “This isn’t what I expected.”

“Alex-niisan, Julius-niisan, this…”

“Rosalia, these will become beautiful gemstones after being polished by a grinding machine. Before they are polished, they all look like ordinary rocks.”

“I can’t believe it.”

She stared intently at the raw stones, but I understood how she felt—they didn’t look like they could shine at all.

I wandered around the store in search of the magic crystal stones I needed, while Alex-niisan kept a close watch on me. Ah, I see. He’s here to monitor me.

“Julius-sama, over there.”

Fabienne, who had the same appraisal ability as me, seemed to have found something. It was a good thing I had told her beforehand what kind of raw stones I was looking for.

I followed her pointing finger and found the magic crystal stone I needed. The raw stones were inexpensive. They were a bit small, but still worth buying. I picked one up to check—no doubt about it.

Without hesitation, I placed it on the tray that Nero held out.

Seeing this, Rosalia seemed to grasp how the purchasing process worked. She then started observing the raw stones with a serious expression.

“Rosalia, do you have a gemstone you want?”

“I was wondering if there were any gemstones that could be used as materials for magic tools.”

“Hmm, they could work as decorations. It might be interesting if the gemstone itself acted as a switch.”

“It would be wonderful if the switch for the star-shaped magic tool was a gemstone.”

Indeed, star-themed magic tools had an air of luxury to them. If we plated them with gold and adorned them with gemstones, they would be both visually appealing and high-performing. It might even be a good idea to present them as luxury items to the royal family. If the royal family used products made in the Heine Margrave Territory, it would enhance their reputation and prestige.

And so, we appraised raw gemstones one after another. When Rosalia placed a non-magic crystal stone on the tray, Alex-niisan made a slightly conflicted face but ultimately said nothing.

Alex-niisan is very soft on Rosalia too.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter