Chapter 488: Visiting the Ambert Estate

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 rumour that a Bone Dragon had appeared in the Raven Kingdom, and I was worried, but it seems my concern was unnecessary.”

“I’m sorry to have caused you concern. It seems the Bone Dragon has been successfully defeated.”

Baron and Baroness Ambert 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 said I could tell Baron Ambert a limited amount, I explained why we had travelled to the Raven Kingdom. Naturally, I left out the details concerning the Holy Sword and the Legendary Armour.

“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.”

Baron Ambert and his wife were making extraordinary faces. They looked just like Munch’s The Scream. Perhaps it was too much for them to process. Meanwhile, Fabienne, who stood at the centre of it all, remained 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, Baron Ambert and his wife said, “We’ll leave the rest to the young ones,” and the two of us were left alone. Nero and Mira were still there, technically. Mira seemed especially fond of Fabienne’s herb-infused biscuits. They smelled wonderful and tasted excellent; I liked them too.

As Mira munched noisily on biscuits atop the table, I told Fabienne the things I could not discuss through the ring. Nero had been there, so there was no harm in him hearing them too. Even so, I could not bring myself to tell my beloved Fabienne that I had repaired the Holy Sword. I did tell her about the Legendary Armour.

“The genuine Holy Sword was in the Raven Kingdom? I wish I could have seen it for myself.”

“You’re interested in the Holy Sword too, Fabienne? I wonder whether the Spencer Kingdom has one.”

“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.

The supply of magic potions to the Heine Trading Company had stabilised considerably, thanks to Fabienne and the magic pharmacists dispatched from the royal capital to House Heine.

That meant I might finally have some free time. This could be the perfect opportunity to develop a new potion. We had the essentials—healing potions, antidotes and the like—more or less covered, so perhaps it was time to attempt something more specialised, such as a physical-enhancement potion.

“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.”

At present, we washed ourselves with soap, but it might be interesting to create specialised body soap too. It would mainly be aimed at nobles, but I thought it could still be quite profitable.

I made sure to listen to Fabienne’s stories as well instead of talking only about myself.

Recently, she had not only been managing her herb garden but had also begun tending the flowerbeds in the grounds. She had apparently improved the plant nutrient solution I taught her to make, and even more vibrant, healthy flowers were now 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? I think it could become very popular as a new kind of fertiliser. Of course, I would make sure you received a share of the profits.”

“If it improves the lives of people throughout the margraviate, I have no objections.”

“Thank you, Fabienne. I’ll go consult with Alex-niisan right away.”

If Fabienne’s improved plant nutrient succeeded commercially, her reputation would rise even further. It was already high, but there was no harm in raising it more. If her standing improved, I would be genuinely happy as well.