Side Story: Discussion with Christophe (Richard's POV)

I returned to the ducal residence in the domain capital and immediately discussed the matter with Christophe.

The use Leon-sama suggested for the scallop shells yesterday could prove quite profitable if it really does help vegetables grow well. He truly possesses an astonishing wealth of knowledge. A mountain of garbage might become a mountain of treasure. We must test it as soon as possible.

"Father, what did you want to discuss so urgently? Is it about the dishes Leon-sama made? If so, Lucien has just gone on and on about how delicious they were, to the point of making me sick of hearing it."

Was that why Christophe looked so tired? The dishes really had been delicious.

When I asked Nasser, he said there had been many cooking methods he had never seen before. To think Leon-sama even possessed knowledge of cooking. There was truly no telling how much he knew.

"Indeed, those dishes were delicious. I would happily eat them again right away."

"Father, are you talking about that too? Hearing about food I can't eat is simply depressing."

"I'm sorry. But what I want to discuss is something else."

"What other matter is there?"

"This."

As I said that, I placed the wooden box that a servant had set beside me on the desk and opened the lid.

Christophe's expression became deeply puzzled.

"Aren't these scallop shells? Why did you bring home such garbage?"

"Leon-sama told me that these shells can apparently be burned and finely crushed to make fertilizer."

"This is fertilizer!?"

Christophe seemed extremely surprised. Naturally, since these had only ever been garbage before.

"This white powder is what Leon-sama made by burning and crushing them."

I said that as I showed him the powder in the bag.

"They need to be crushed this finely?"

"According to Leon-sama, material that is too coarse is apparently not suitable. He doesn't know what degree of fineness is most effective, so he wants us to determine it through trial and error. He also wants us to try shells soaked in fresh water for several days before being burned and crushed, as well as shells crushed without being burned."

"Understood. Then we will make several varieties of powder and test them on next summer's vegetables. We will also investigate which fertilizer produces the best growth and which makes the vegetables taste best. To prevent the information from spreading, we should conduct the tests in the fields at the ducal residence."

"That would be best. Once we know that it is effective, the ducal family should buy the shells and make this a project under the lord's direction."

After all, this was a project given to us by the Apostle-sama. It would be disastrous if we left it to commoners and it ended in failure. This was something the ducal family should lead.

Leon-sama was truly a remarkable person. He granted us knowledge for our sake. Leon-sama said he owed the ducal family a debt he could never repay, but welcoming an Apostle-sama with the utmost respect and doing everything in our power to help him was only natural.

I hoped Leon-sama would soon no longer need to conceal his status as an Apostle-sama. Until then, we had to continue treating him as an exceptionally talented commoner's child, just as we always had.

"I understand. Since this is a project from Leon-sama, it is only natural that the ducal family should lead it. I will take responsibility for it."

"Christophe, I'm counting on you."

Christophe had truly grown into a dependable lord. Lucien was growing into a fine young man as well. The Townsend ducal family was secure.

Just as I was about to conclude my discussion with Christophe, he said there was one more matter to discuss.

"Father, regarding Morgan..."

Morgan. When I heard about him from Leon-sama, I had been truly shocked. Morgan had served me since I was lord of the domain. However, embezzling money from the ducal family was an unforgivable act. If that money was not returned to the city, it would eventually decline. How could he not even understand that?

But that alone would have been bad enough. Morgan's greatest crime was driving Leon-sama into the servants' quarters. Apparently, the reason the guest room could not be used was that he had sold the furniture to make money. I would never forgive him for that.

It was only thanks to Leon-sama's kindness that he had not complained about being assigned a servants' room. The thought of what might have happened if he had been angry at us made my blood run cold.

I had wanted to tell Leon-sama to use my room, but even though he was a guest of the ducal family, he was publicly a commoner, while I was a former duke. It would have been untenable for him to stay in a guest room while I stayed in a servants' room.

I thought my life had been shortened that day. But we were due to stay in that town again on our return, weren't we? We had to have everything properly arranged by then.

"What happened with Morgan?"

"For now, we are having furniture sent from the ducal residence so that guest rooms for Leon-sama and Lucien can be prepared. I have also ordered several servants from the ducal residence to go there, so they should be able to arrange everything without any problems. At the same time, I sent several knights and soldiers from the ducal family. I told them to apprehend Morgan for now and hold him at the city's guardhouse. Morgan is a quasi-noble, so I considered whether we should proceed more carefully, but it seems he has already severed ties with his family, so there is no need for such consideration."

"Indeed. That should be sufficient for now. The problem is what to do if no evidence is found..."

He might have managed to dispose of the evidence. What would we do in that case...?

Still, this time we should be able to obtain testimony from the servants, and the fact that the furniture is missing remains.

"This time, I expect the evidence will be easy to find. It should be simple once we locate the merchant who bought the furniture. Morgan would not have sold it to a reputable merchant; he must have sold it to some disreputable people, such as black-market dealers. However, furniture is difficult to transport, so he could not have sold it to people who traveled very far. We should be able to find it somewhere in that city or in a nearby town or village. I have already ordered them to find the evidence once Morgan is detained."

"That makes sense. Then send him to the Royal Capital as soon as you find the evidence. I'll deal with the rest."

"Thank you."

"If, by some chance, you fail to find any evidence, dismiss him. You can say that it was for his disrespectful treatment of a guest of the ducal family."

"Indeed. We have no need for anyone who would treat a guest of the ducal family disrespectfully merely because he is a commoner."

Normally, even if a guest were a commoner, they would be treated with appropriate respect as a guest of the ducal family. Moreover, I had specifically instructed Morgan that Leon-sama was a guest and was to be treated courteously.

Despite that, his attitude had been so poor that Morgan seemed to have deeply ingrained contempt for commoners. The ducal family had no need for someone like that.

I had wondered whether he might be a spy from a hostile faction, but if that were the case, he would not have behaved so blatantly. Besides, I believe Morgan's family was neutral. Since he had already severed ties with them, there was no reason to show him any consideration.

It was fortunate that this would not lead to any other problems, but from now on, we would have to be more careful when hiring nobles.

That was essential if we were to reduce even slightly the danger to Leon-sama.

"Then I'll leave the rest to you."

"Understood."

Although I felt somewhat uneasy as I thought about the future, I left Christophe's office.

-Morgan's POV-

That loathsome commoner has finally left! For a commoner like him to be a guest of the ducal family—his audacity knows no bounds!

Unable to conceal my irritation, I headed toward the office with loud, heavy footsteps.

"Hey! Come here, now!"

As soon as I entered the office, I called for the butler.

"Morgan-sama, what is the matter?"

"We need two more guest rooms prepared. Arrange them immediately!"

"B-but... We don't have any furniture suitable for use in guest rooms. You see... Morgan-sama sold it all..."

"You dare!? Are you saying this is my fault!?"

This is exactly why I hate commoners. He was incompetent, yet I employed him out of my mercy. To blame everything on me whenever he made a mistake—he was useless beyond belief.

"N-no, nothing of the sort, sir."

"If we don't have furniture, then buy some!"

"B-but we don't have the money for that either..."

"Then have a workshop make it cheaply! They will be overjoyed to receive an order from a noble. After all, it is an order from me. To be unable to think of something so obvious... This level of incompetence is truly deplorable."

"But... I'm afraid they won't be able to finish it in time..."

"Make them work through the night, then! Go place the order!"

"Y-yes, sir!"

Finally, he was gone. He was far too incompetent. Perhaps I should dismiss him soon.

Once the guest rooms were ready, everything would be perfect.

For the next several days, I enjoyed the same peaceful life as before.

More importantly, when would harvest season finally arrive? Until it did, not much money would come in.

Selling any more furniture would be too risky, so wasn't there some other way to make money?

…Thud-thud!

What on earth is that? It's so noisy! Just when I was about to come up with a good idea!

I was just about to stand up and scold the servant making all that noise when the office door opened.

The butler came rushing through it.

"Hey! You're making too much noise! Can't you move more quietly?"

"M-Morgan-sama, knights and soldiers from the ducal family have arrived!"

What? What could the ducal family's knights want with me?

Just as I wondered that, knights and soldiers entered the office.

"You are Morgan. The ducal family has ordered us to arrest you. Seize him!"

"Yes, sir!"

Two soldiers came over to me and bound my hands with rope.

"Y-you bastards! Do you think you'll get away with this!?"

"This is the ducal family's decision."

The ducal family's decision!? How had this happened!?

"Walk faster! Come on, move!"

"I'm a noble! Listen to me!"

"If you have something to say, we'll hear all about it at the guardhouse."

How did this happen!? I'm a noble!!