Chapter 452: Surprising New Facts

“I wish Julius could stay in the royal capital until the end of the social season.”

“That’s not possible. Rosalia is in the Heine Frontier Territory, and so is Alex-oniisan. Plus, I have to deliver goods to the Heine Company. Alright, the magic tool for the shower is working fine.”

“Thank you. I’d like to do something to thank you…”

Axel scratched his cheek awkwardly. There’s really no need to feel that way. In a sense, this shower magic tool is something I forced onto him. It’s only natural that I take care of it. Besides, I’m inspecting not only the magic tools at Axel’s house but also those at Isidore’s. Might as well.

“Don’t worry about it. If I let you do something for me, I’d have to let Isidore do something too. If you really insist, just write to me once in a while with news from the royal capital.”

“Got it. I’ll do that.”

Perfect. Now I can get information about the royal capital even while staying in the Heine Frontier Territory. Especially between the end of the social season and the thaw, information from the capital is scarce. Having a source during that period is very helpful.

I inspected the magic tools at Isidore’s house and also arranged to receive letters from him. Good, now I have another angle from which to gather information. After that, I wrote and sent a letter to Giovanni-sama.

I don’t have the courage to barge into the royal castle. A letter from here should reach him quickly.

“Fabienne, let’s continue looking around the royal capital. We’re departing for the Heine Frontier Territory tomorrow.”

“Yes. Mira seemed like she wanted to come along…”

“It can’t be helped. Taking Mira along would definitely attract attention.”

Poor thing, but Mira will be staying behind at the townhouse. I’m sure Cain-oniisan and Sister-in-law Mika will take good care of her, so there’s no problem.

I browsed shops together with Fabienne. Maybe I should buy something as a souvenir for Rosalia and Alex-oniisan?

“Oh, they have glass pens. As expected from the capital—these designs are lovely. The round handle looks easy to grip. The color gradient is beautiful too.”

“They really are. …Wait? Julius-sama, this is a Heine Company product.”

“What?! Really? When did they learn to make something like this?”

Looking at the product tag Fabienne pointed to, it unmistakably bore the name “Heine Company.” The craftsman’s name listed was, of course, that of someone we employ. I didn’t expect results this quickly. My judgment wasn’t wrong after all.

“They’ll be thrilled when they find out it’s being sold in the royal capital. I have to tell them when I get back.”

“Indeed. It’s truly beautiful.”

We weren’t the only ones fascinated by the glass pens. They’re sure to sell even more from now on. And rivals will probably start appearing, too. We need to establish our brand quickly and build competitiveness. I need to report to Alex-oniisan.

The next day, we left the royal capital. We had the same number of people returning to the Heine Frontier Territory as when we left. Among them, of course, were Lionel and his group.

Will the defenses of the Heine Frontier Territory be alright? I’m starting to worry a little. We need to head back without making any detours.

Even so, there were places we had to stop by. When we arrived at the town with the hot springs, we went to the spring and greeted the lake spirit. Thanks to the lake spirit, I was able to receive the blessing of the forest spirit. A thank-you is only proper.

“I heard, Julius. You helped save the forest, didn’t you? And you even nurtured the World Tree—everyone was overjoyed. Thank you for everything.”

“I only did what I could. No need to thank me.”

I was able to hear about other spirits from the lake spirit. It seems that, little by little, the environment is improving thanks to the magic potions I provided. However, there are still many places where human faith is lacking.

In that regard, the World Tree seems to be gradually gathering people’s faith. It appeared overnight, and people are worshipping it as a “miracle of the gods.” As if a god resides in it.

Sorry about that, gods. This all happened because I used a plant nutrient for convenience…

But from what the spirit said, it doesn’t seem like a bad thing. The more faith humans give, the stronger the spirits become. According to the lake spirit, it’s still not enough, though. I’ve never heard anything like that before.

After learning about various things, we left the hot spring town behind. From there, we pushed straight on toward the Heine Frontier Territory without stopping.

“Julius-sama, I can see the Heine Frontier Territory.”

“It’s true. Heine Frontier Territory—I have returned!”

“Julius-sama, that’s a little over the top, don’t you think?”

Fabienne giggled, and everyone laughed along with her. I finally felt like we were truly back. Now the question is—what kind of expression will Rosalia greet us with?

I had told her we might not return until the social season. Still, I didn’t think we’d be delayed this long. She might be sulking. I’m a little scared to see her.

The carriage entered the domain’s capital and headed straight to the Heine Frontier House. The mansion’s large gates came into view. Everyone was lined up waiting for us.

Alex-oniisan and Sister-in-law Daniela were there too. They came back to the Heine House.

And Rosalia—and… is that Edward? When did they get so close? No one told me about this!

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