Chapter 83
If the difference in physical stature was overwhelming, there was no need for technique or finesse.
You could simply crush your opponent with overwhelming strength and mass.
But when the two sides were at a similar level, technique could easily determine the outcome.
To a certain extent, differences in physical stature could even be overcome with technique.
“That’s right. Most of our movements are driven by instinct. We have no techniques or methods of combat passed down through generations. So I thought that if we developed a fighting method that used our existing strength as efficiently as possible and produced the greatest effect with the fewest movements, perhaps our tribe could grow stronger as well. I thought it was especially necessary for our tribe, which has so few members.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“Master helped me a great deal.”
“I did?”
Jade, who had sheathed his sword, tilted his head.
He wondered what Fent meant.
“I studied your movements extensively. The more I think about it, the more I realize you always display clean movements without a trace of superfluity. I also studied Lady Arelia’s movements, but they were impossible to imitate.”
“Because they’re elven movements. They’re difficult for beastfolk to imitate. Even I can barely mimic them.”
“So I focused on what I could do. I thought it was best to concentrate first on things with potential rather than on things that were difficult and arduous.”
“Knowing what to choose and where to focus is important.”
It was hard to disregard age and experience.
It was surprisingly difficult to calmly distinguish between what one could and could not do.
That was because it was difficult to look at oneself objectively.
“I’ve achieved some results, but I still felt I was lacking. I also felt that I couldn’t do enough on my own.”
“It isn’t an easy path. Creating something from nothing is genuinely difficult.”
Jade had not spent years wandering the unfamiliar continent of Arpedia for no reason.
Had it not been for a special ability imprinted on his soul, Jade might not only have failed to become as strong as he was now—he might not even have survived.
“That’s why I wanted to ask your advice, Master.”
“About techniques?”
“Yes.”
“But for anything involving physical techniques, you’d do better studying with Geds or the knights. I specialize in handling my own body. Since I didn’t learn systematically but built it myself through gathering data and trial and error, I won’t be much help.”
Fent wore a slightly disappointed expression.
Jade was better at using his body than anyone.
Still, Jade’s words had merit.
Rather than learning Jade’s personal techniques, it would probably be more effective for Fent to learn martial arts that had been accumulated and systematically developed over decades or centuries.
“I understand. Thank you for your consideration.”
“You’re a resident of my domain now, too.”
Jade said it casually.
From his perspective, there was no downside to Fent becoming stronger.
“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you, Master.”
“Go ahead.”
“Could my son receive instruction alongside Moikan as well?”
“The mana cultivation technique?”
“Yes.”
Fent answered carefully.
The elephantkin were already few in number compared to the other beastkin.
Therefore, for the prosperity of the elephantkin, Fent believed that the entire tribe had to become stronger.
“It hasn’t succeeded yet. We’ve only taken the first step. And since elephantkin are genetically different from monkeykin, you’ll have to start almost from scratch. In other words, you’ll have to develop it through countless trials and errors, just as Moikan did.”
“If you’ll permit me, Master, I’d still like to try.”
“You could become crippled.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Jade repeated to Fent the same warning he had given Moikan.
Yet Fent did not back down even after hearing that he could become crippled.
Instead, he volunteered himself in his son’s place.
“If your mana runs wild, there’s no undoing it. And you still intend to do this?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t take Moikan’s success lightly. The chief has to think of the tribe, too. Your position is very different from Moikan’s.”
“Because it’s dangerous, I think I should try it first.”
Fent did not waver.
He was desperate enough to go that far.
He never wanted to feel the helplessness he had experienced when fighting the Wolf King again.
“Don’t make a rash decision. Let’s think about it a little longer for now. It worked for monkeykin, but it may not work for elephantkin.”
“If it worked for monkeykin, I believe it can work for us as well.”
“We don’t know that. Humans created the mana cultivation technique, but not every human can master it.”
“Hmm!”
Fent groaned at Jade’s firm words.
Perhaps he had never considered that such a case could exist, because deep bewilderment appeared on Fent’s face.
“So let’s consider it carefully. There’s something we need to do first, isn’t there?”
“I understand.”
Everything had its priorities.
Besides, they had plenty of time, so Fent nodded for the moment.
As always, Alfredo, his hair neatly slicked back, politely presented a report.
As usual, it was a stack of documents that was not particularly thick.
“Is it because there are more people? It feels like the paperwork keeps growing.”
“I’ll work harder.”
“I’d appreciate that, but realistically, that’ll be difficult. Do we really not need to hire another administrator? We can contact the rector of the Royal Academy directly now, can’t we?”
“For now, we’re fine.”
Alfredo replied with a relaxed smile.
It was true that the workload had increased for one reason or another, but it was not enough to require hiring another person.
Nor was he working through the night.
“If necessary, you can take action first and report afterward.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s see. It looks like the exploration results are in?”
“Yes. As you can see, we were able to find quite a lot of resources. However, when we consider the costs and returns, only three mines are realistically worth developing.”
As he listened to Alfredo’s pleasant baritone, Jade flipped through the documents.
He quickly read through the report, which was written in rather small print.
“Isn’t the print too small? It’s cramped, too. You could write it a little larger. Our domain isn’t so poor that we have to be stingy with paper, is it? We’re not rich, either, but still.”
“Our finances are in good shape. They’re expected to improve further, too. I also have something to report to you about that, my lord.”
“The mines first. Can development begin immediately?”
“Yes. The initial costs will be high, but over the long term, we believe they can bring great profits to the domain. Of course, it will be difficult to make much profit from the lead and copper mines, but developing them should still help the domain grow.”
“This is real, right? A mana stone mine.”
“It is.”
Jade looked slightly surprised and examined the report again.
In truth, Jade had not believed it when he first saw it.
Mana stone mines were rarer than gold mines.
But one was sitting right there in the Great Forest, so Jade could not help being surprised.
“Is it because of the mana concentration in the Great Forest?”
“It’s possible that the Great Forest’s high mana concentration is actually caused by the mana stone mine. Since Baden Village lies toward the outskirts, I suspect the quality is lower here.”
“Even low-grade mana stones will make us a profit once sold. Aren’t mana stones so scarce that you can’t sell them even if you want to?”
“That’s right.”
Alfredo said it with a broad smile.
They had struck an utterly unexpected jackpot.
Naturally, for a noble without the power to protect it, such a mine would be little more than a troublesome burden, but the marquisate was different.
Since it was Jade’s domain, nobles might envy it, but none would be bold enough to try to swallow it.
“Start development immediately. Handle the personnel and funding as you see fit. You don’t need to report every detail to me.”
“Yes. I’ll put it into effect immediately.”
Alfredo bowed deeply.
A greedy butler would have first thought about lining his own pockets at those words, but Alfredo was not like that.
Having personally witnessed how Jade found and dealt with a traitor in Drain Castle, Alfredo held no such irreverent thoughts.
He also no longer had much desire for wealth.
“But the timing is awfully coincidental. Did they come in because they caught wind of it?”
“You mean the merchants’ guild?”
“Yeah.”
Jade gave a small laugh and nodded at Alfredo, who had understood perfectly from the slightest nuance.
It was another reminder of a seasoned professional’s abilities.
After all, they had not even been together all that long.
“I was a little suspicious too, so I looked into it, but that wasn’t the case. They came purely because Baden Village’s economy had grown and was expected to grow further, and they wanted to get ahead of the market.”
“Merchants really are quick to notice opportunities.”
“Merchants go wherever there’s profit.”
“So it wasn’t that, then.”
If Alfredo had investigated personally, he was unlikely to be wrong.
Alfredo was meticulous when it came to handling matters.
“Then let’s move on to the next item.”
“All right. You said there was something else to report?”
“Yes. The Stone Mountain Monkey tribe gave us a crop, and I think we should try cultivating it on a large scale.”
“A specialty crop?”
“Not quite. It would be better to think of it as a type of famine-relief crop. It grows well even in harsh climates, and it tastes surprisingly good.”
As he spoke, Alfredo took out both a cooked specimen and a raw one from a ring-shaped subspace.
They looked remarkably similar to sweet potatoes and potatoes.
“A root?”
“Yes. Would you like to try one?”
“It looks like it’ll taste like a sweet potato or potato.”
Just looking at it, Jade could practically guess how it tasted.
Yet Alfredo wore a meaningful expression at Jade’s words.
His face seemed to say that he could already imagine the expression Jade would wear shortly.
“Try it first.”
“Hmm!”
With no great expectations, Jade took a bite of the cooked specimen.
He had seen Alfredo’s expression, but he had not expected much.
But the moment he bit into it, Jade’s expression changed dramatically.
“It will taste completely different from what you expected, hehe!”
“This is delicious. You said it grows in the Great Forest?”
“Yes. According to Chief Moik, it’s a crop commonly found in the Great Forest. He said there are also fruits people eat as snacks, but he’ll bring those by and by.”
“It’s still unknown to humans, right?”
“Yes.”
With a surprised expression, Jade tore off another piece.
Then a nutty flavor, far sweeter than a sweet potato’s, filled his mouth.
“Does it have a name?”
“The monkeykin call it Chichi, apparently. There’s no particular reason; they’ve simply called it Chichi since long ago.”
“So it was passed down by word of mouth, then. Plant some first. Let’s grow Chichi and decide about the others afterward.”
“Yes.”
After finishing his report, Alfredo bowed formally and left the room.
Yet Jade’s gaze remained fixed on the report.
“Synergy, huh.”
Seeing cultures meet and move in a positive direction, Jade nodded.
Thankfully, they seemed to be blending well without any problems.
“The domain is running well on its own, so maybe it’s time I attended to my own business.”
Jade’s gaze turned toward the window.
More precisely, toward the Great Forest.
Kwooooh!
Perhaps he was excited about going out after such a long time, because Whid, carrying Jade, let out a loud roar.
Below, goblins, kobolds, and small predators scattered in fright.
They had all been startled by Whid’s roar.
Whid himself, however, paid no attention whatsoever to the monsters or beasts.
-Home, home! I like my home in the Great Forest best!
-Because it’s where I first settled. I have lots of memories here.
Crackle!
Like Whid, Silestin cried out excitedly.
But nearby was a small spirit that looked exactly like Whid.
Lightning flashed from its body.
-Ah, this is your first time here, isn’t it?