Chapter 560: Sophia’s work
After speaking with everyone in the compounding room, I decided it was time to take a short break. After all, I had just been telling the magic pharmacists again and again to rest properly. It wouldn’t do for me alone to continue working as though I were made of iron. If I pulled something like that, my credibility would plummet in an instant. A leader who preached moderation yet ignored it himself was hardly worthy of trust.
Besides, Fabienne, Nero, and Lionel needed to rest as well. It would be unreasonable to demand their constant vigilance while denying them even a moment to breathe.
We searched for an unoccupied salon and settled onto one of the plush sofas. No sooner had we sat down than a servant of the royal castle appeared as if conjured by the air itself, preparing tea with quiet efficiency. Even Nero, who looked as though he might spring to his feet at any moment to find something productive to do, was gently persuaded to sit and rest with us.
Warm black tea, fragrant and slightly sweet, and crisp butter cookies soon arrived before us. The steam curled upward in soft spirals, and with each sip, the fatigue in my limbs seemed to melt away. The tension in my shoulders loosened, and for the first time since morning, I allowed myself to breathe deeply.
“The indoor training grounds and the compounding room both seemed to be functioning without issue. If things continue like this, I think we can feel at ease for now. Once our break is over, I’m planning to head back to the gardeners. It’ll mean more walking, though. What about you, Fabienne? Will you come along?”
“Of course I will accompany you. That location does not yet have a compounding room prepared, but what shall we begin with?”
“First, I’m thinking we’ll try an experiment to extract the components contained within the fertilizer. If that doesn’t succeed, we won’t even be able to take the first step forward.”
It should be possible even without a formal compounding room. The method was simple—almost like drawing broth from ingredients. We would pour water over the fertilizer outdoors and collect the resulting solution. A crude approach, perhaps, but effective in theory.
There were plenty of large tubs scattered about the area—likely used for mixing fertilizer in bulk. If we borrowed those, the work should proceed without issue.
“Julius-sama, so this is where you were.”
As we chatted idly, Sophia-sama approached us. Judging by her tone, she had been looking for me. However, she did not seem particularly flustered, so it was unlikely to be an emergency.
“Good day, Sophia-sama. Has something happened?”
“The compounding room you requested has been completed. I inspected it myself, and everything appeared to be in proper order. I also heard that you spoke with the gardeners. They seemed quite motivated.”
It was already finished? Their work was astonishingly fast. They must have gathered the necessary materials in the morning and begun construction immediately after noon. Otherwise, there was no way it could have been completed in such a short span of time.
Had I pushed them too hard? A faint pang of guilt tugged at me. Perhaps I should have allowed more time.
“Thank you very much. With this, creating the new fertilizer should progress much more smoothly.”
“So it truly is fertilizer you intend to create alongside the gardeners. I had assumed you were developing a new magic potion… Ah! That reminds me—I also saw the automatic magic stone pulverizer. With that machine, you’ll be able to produce a considerable amount of powdered magic stone, won’t you?”
Sophia-sama clapped her hands lightly, her expression bright with delight. Perhaps she could feel, in her very bones, that the restoration of the land was advancing steadily. Seeing her so hopeful stirred something within me. I could not afford to disappoint her. I had to make this succeed.
“Sophia-sama, regarding that automatic magic stone pulverizer… I’m considering producing several more. However, to do so, we’ll need to purchase additional materials. Would you be willing to handle that?”
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
She accepted the responsibility firmly, her voice filled with confidence. That settled the matter of securing materials. And more than that, I had successfully entrusted her with a share of the work. Perhaps this would allow her to feel more assured of her own usefulness—to recognize that she played an indispensable role in all this.
We remained together for tea a while longer. By the time we finished, I felt thoroughly refreshed. The hours ahead suddenly seemed far more manageable.
After parting with Sophia-sama in the salon, we made our way toward the newly prepared compounding room within the gardeners’ building.
Our steps carried us confidently across the inner courtyard of the royal castle, the gravel crunching softly beneath our feet. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of earth and trimmed hedges. Upon arrival, a gardener who had been waiting for us bowed and led us inside.
The compounding room was located in a corner room on the second floor. It was an excellent choice. Even if we made noise or produced unpleasant odors, it would cause no trouble. Numerous windows lined the walls, promising ample ventilation.
Inside, all the necessary equipment had been arranged with care. There was a sturdy workbench, devices for handling fire, measuring scales, even a distillation apparatus. With this setup, we could conduct a full range of operations. Considering how sudden my request had been, it was remarkable that everything had been prepared so thoroughly.
I truly would have to thank Sophia-sama properly later.
“All right, let’s begin at once. First, we’ll prepare distilled water. Though… it’s possible that water produced by magic may offer better extraction efficiency than distilled water. We should test that as well.”
“In that case, I shall begin preparing the distilled water.”
“Then I’ll go fetch the fertilizer. I’ll borrow a tub while I’m at it.”
“I will bring the fertilizer.”
With that, Nero slipped out of the room. Lionel, bound by his duty as guard to Fabienne and me, could not leave his post. I could have carried the fertilizer myself, but appearances mattered. A noble hauling fertilizer might not inspire the proper confidence.
While Nero retrieved the fertilizer, I decided to secure a suitable tub. Now that we had a compounding room, there was no need to perform the work outside.
If we had worked outdoors, we would have attracted unwanted attention. Truly, I had reason to be grateful for this dedicated space.
When I requested assistance from the gardeners resting nearby, they readily lent us a tub. One of them even said, “If there’s anything we can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask.” I decided to accept their goodwill without reserve.
When Rapid Growth was finally completed, we would need everyone working together to produce it in large quantities. And if that happened, we would also require beginner-level stamina
Once Rapid Growth was complete, I would speak with Giovanni-sama and the others to request their cooperation. The larger the endeavor grew, the more hands—and resources—we would need.
When Nero returned carrying the fertilizer, we began the trial.
First, we would determine which extracted more components: distilled water or water created through magic. Carefully, I measured the fertilizer’s weight to ensure precision, then submerged equal portions into identical quantities of each type of water.
The experiment had begun.