Chapter 43
Several weeks had passed since returning to the territory.
“My lady! The amount of soap ordered has increased by roughly 20 percent from last week!”
Sir Gold’s face, holding a bundle of order forms from noble houses, was wreathed in smiles.
“That’s good news, but can we meet demand with our current production?”
“We’ve made enough in advance for now, so we’re fine, but if the orders increase any further….”
“I see. It looks like it’s about time we expanded the factory.”
As it was, we had just begun turning a profit from selling soap, and we couldn’t keep making the territory’s residents work in tents forever.
“Yes. After hearing from the employees about ways to improve the factory environment, I’ll arrange to hire workers.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes.”
After Sir Gold left, I leaned back in my chair and tapped my index finger against the desk.
Contrary to Sir Gold’s expectations, the number of soap orders would not increase any further.
The orders were flooding in because soap was still a product that had not been available until now.
Of course, even though soap was a consumable, it naturally took time to use it up.
“I suppose it’s about time to release another product.”
I fidgeted with the key to the basement.
Selling just a few more of the items piled up down there would be enough to pay off all our debts.
However, there was one problem with doing that.
“Sigh, how am I supposed to find another mage?”
As I had said before, a mage was essential for bringing objects from my previous life into reality.
But unlike before, I couldn’t hire just any mage this time.
Someone like that last mage might betray me, blinded by the prospect of immediate money.
“Should I at least write to the academy?”
The academy.
The name would be familiar to readers who had read web novels, but the academy here was a little different.
To put it simply, it was a university for mages.
In any case, one thing was certain: Mages who graduated from the academy were trustworthy.
If an academy graduate committed a dishonorable act, it would not end as a personal matter; it would also tarnish the academy’s name.
…Of course, that was assuming I could hire one.
Naturally, there was a great deal of demand for mages who had graduated from the academy.
And in most cases, once someone hired a mage, they kept them for life.
That was why, even if I invited someone to this rural territory, there was a high chance that no one would be willing to come….
“I should at least give it a try.”
I took out some stationery of better quality than what I usually used and began writing a letter to send to the academy.
“There.”
After putting the letter, written in the archaic language used by nobles, into an envelope and sealing it, I stood up with it in hand.
Normally, I would have entrusted a letter to the mail carrier, but this was a very important letter… That was merely an excuse, of course.
“Heter, good afternoon.”
“Yes, my lady. But where are you headed?”
The truth was, I simply wanted to take a look at Heter’s face while he was training in the garden.
“Oh, I’m going to send a letter to the academy.”
“Why are you sending a letter to the academy?”
“I think it’s about time we hired a mage.”
“I see.”
Heter nodded, wiped the sweat away with a cloth, and put on the outer garment he had taken off.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Huh? You don’t have to. There’s no need.”
“No. I was about to take a break anyway.”
“Then, would you like to?”
I smiled brightly and headed toward the soap factory with Heter.
As for why we were going to the soap factory to mail a letter, it was because the mail carrier would soon arrive to pick up the finished soap.
“How is the town watch doing these days?”
“They seem to be getting used to the training, so I’m thinking of changing things up a little.”
“I see.”
As I made idle conversation with Heter, I kept glancing at his wrist.
“Why do you ask?”
Heter’s face suddenly appeared right in front of me, filling my field of vision.
“Ah, well….”
I smiled awkwardly and rubbed my neck.
“I was wondering whether you’ve been wearing the bracelet I gave you.”
“This?”
When Heter tugged at his sleeve, the silver grapevine glittered in the light.
“Isn’t it the first gift I received from you? I haven’t taken it off for even a moment except when washing.”
“Aah, it’s made of silver, so it’ll tarnish.”
“That’s why I wipe it with a dry cloth every night before bed.”
“Hmm~”
The thought of Heter sitting on his bed every night and polishing the bracelet with a cloth made the corners of my mouth rise on their own.
After all, no one would dislike hearing that someone was making good use of a gift they had bought.
“Hmm?”
“Huh? What is it?”
As we walked, Heter suddenly stopped and stared at something.
For a moment, I tensed, thinking a magical beast had appeared again. Then Heter muttered,
“Is anyone expected to visit today?”
“Huh? No one besides the mail carrier. Why?”
“Someone is coming this way in a carriage from that ridge.”
“Really?”
Squinting as I stared in the direction he indicated, I couldn’t tell whether it was a carriage, but I could see something approaching the territory.
“Is that a carriage?”
“It looks like one to me.”
“If you say so, it must be.”
A knight’s eyes would naturally be more accurate than those of an ordinary person like me.
“Come to think of it, why would there be a carriage?”
It went without saying that carriages were expensive.
In addition to the carriage itself, there were at least two horses, the cost of hay, and maintenance expenses.
If there was no coachman, one had to be hired as well… Operating a carriage took far more than a few coins.
In other words, whoever was coming to the territory possessed that kind of wealth.
However, as far as I knew, I had not received word that anyone like that was coming to the territory.
“Could it belong to the mail carrier?”
“The mail carrier’s?”
“Yes.”
Sir Gold had recently reported that the mail carrier was struggling because the amount of soap he had to transport kept increasing.
The commission he received for transporting the soap probably wasn’t insignificant, so it wasn’t impossible for him to drive a carriage.
“Indeed.”
Heter nodded at my reasoning.
“Then let’s wait at the factory.”
If the person driving the carriage was the mail carrier, he would come straight to the factory rather than the mansion.
***
Not long after Heter and I arrived at the factory, a carriage arrived there as well.
“Hello.”
“Oh, young mail carrier, you’re here?”
“What brings you here in a carriage today?”
Before long, the mail carrier climbed down from the carriage’s cargo compartment and greeted the residents.
“Ah, well, there’s someone who wants to meet Lady Fortune….
“
You want to meet me?”
“Eek?!”
When I came out after hearing that someone wanted to meet me, the mail carrier let out a strange sound.
“Ah, L-Lady Fortune. How do you do….”
“I see.”
The mail carrier’s face had turned bright red, and he rambled without being able to meet my eyes.
It was a reaction I was used to.
Even among the young men of the territory who had grown accustomed to me, there were still some who blushed whenever they saw me.
“….”
“Heter, relax.”
“Yes.”
Of course, Heter did not look pleased, but what could I do?
It wasn’t as though I could go around covering my face.
“Don’t you think it’s about time you got used to it?”
He must have seen men like this from time to time when we visited other territories as well.
“I know that in my head. In my head….”
“Right.”
Just as those men couldn’t hide their feelings when they blushed at the sight of me, Heter couldn’t hide his feelings either.
In any case, back to the matter at hand.
“Who is it that wants to meet me?”
“Well, you see….”
“That’s enough. I’ll introduce him myself.”
As the mail carrier continued to stammer, someone walked out of the carriage’s cargo compartment.
He was a slender young man around Heter’s age, wearing a thick fur coat as though he were especially sensitive to the cold.
“How do you do, Lady Fortune.”
He approached me and bowed formally.
“I’m Edmund, the head of the Rudyard Trading Company.”
He then tried to kiss the back of my hand, but—
“That’s far enough.”
“….”
Naturally, Heter stopped him.
‘A trading company head, huh….’
My heart began to pound when I heard his introduction.
There could only be one reason for the head of a trading company to visit such a rural territory.
However, I calmed my excitement and put on as calm an act as possible.
“Nice to meet you, Edmund. So why have you come to my territory without notice? What brings you here?”
“I’m sorry for coming to see you without notifying you.”
Edmund bowed once more after hearing me.
“The reason I came here so suddenly is….”
“The reason?”
“Because I heard that the goddess of the North was here.”
“Huh?”
I opened my eyes wide and stared at him.
“You didn’t come to ask us to sell the soap through your trading company?”
“That’s one reason, but only a secondary one.”
“….”
He had come all the way to this rural territory in the North looking for a goddess.
“Unfortunately, there is no goddess of the North here.”
“What do you mean? She’s right in front of me now.”
“In front of you?”
“Yes.”
Had this guy really lost his mind?
‘There’s no one in front of him but me, so where’s the goddess… Huh?’
Just in case, I pointed to myself.
Edmund nodded when he saw that.
“I can’t believe the rumor that the head of House Fortune is the goddess of the North is true… This is truly astonishing.”
“….”
Me, a goddess?
‘What the hell is this nonsense….’