Apparently Everyone Wants to Come

I have become a noble. It has not been made official yet, but this is as good as certain.

Right now, the castle officials are in the middle of handling the paperwork.

Of course, this is a world with no means of communication, so spreading the word will take time.

To make my existence known, it would probably be best to visit the noble domains along the roads on our way home and pay my respects.

After we return, I will probably need to greet the nobles whose domains border ours as well.

That includes the County of Asclepius, where the city of Dahlia—where I first lived—is located, and the domain of Baron Northpole, who fought alongside us in the extermination.

I suppose I should think of it as making the rounds of the neighborhood after moving in. Naturally, I will need gifts too.

I can ask Primula and Amaranthus for their opinions on what to choose, but personally, I think platinum would be good—

After negotiating with royalty, I received permission to duplicate the books in the castle library.

Working together with Anemone and one of the maids helping us, we scanned and digitized all roughly 1,000 books in the collection.

We can read them on an e-book reader as they are, or print and bind them to turn them back into physical books.

While I was organizing the scanned data, Sanbak-san, the castle's chef, appeared.

He wore white chef's clothes and could identify the ingredients used after tasting a single bite—a real-life Oishinbo kind of man.

When he arrived, he prostrated himself before Lilith and Amaranthus.

"I am filled with shame that I could do nothing to repay the two of you, whom I have served for so many years."

"What are you saying? You have always served delicious meals to Mother and me."

"It is my duty, after all."

"You always answered even my selfish requests, too..."

"No. Your Highness's words inspired this cook, who had grown complacent and ordinary after soaking in lukewarm water."

"You and Lilith have both taken good care of me, Sanbak."

Amaranthus spoke to him.

"You honor me too greatly."

"Sanbak—Mother and I have already renounced our status as members of the royal family, so you need not be so formal with us anymore, you know?"

"How could you say such a thing? Regardless of your status, this Sanbak will continue to pay his respects to you both."

I thought that was the end of what he had to say, but he continued.

"If you would permit me, I would like to accompany you both..."

"You cannot. Do you intend to abandon your position as the castle's chef?"

"With all due respect, I have already trained my successor, so there is no need to worry—and after seeing Lord Kenichi's cooking and sweets, I realized how little I truly knew."

The princess glanced at me.

"Ah, Sanbak-san. I believe you've heard that a new domain is being established, but it really is a frontier where there is nothing at all. Naturally, there isn't even a manor. We would be delighted to have a chef as skilled as you, but could you wait until the manor has been built...?"

"...If you are saying that you will accept me, then I will do as you ask."

"Hmm..."

Lilith wore an expression that seemed to say, "Good grief."

I had previously let Sanbak-san taste chocolate, but had he managed to reproduce it?

I decided to ask him.

"No. So far, I have not even found a source for the ingredients..."

"According to the grand archmage who defected from the Empire over there, the elves possess something resembling a foodstuff that may be a source of chocolate."

"Is that true?!"

"Yes."

"In that case—there is no path left to me but to go with you."

His resolve seemed firm. The curiosity of a chef faced with food he had never seen must have been impossible to suppress.

Once the matter of Sanbak-san was settled—the castle mage, Kaldon-san, came over next.

He came from a family that had excelled in the study of magic tools for generations.

"I am terribly sorry! I was shut away in my room for my research, and only just heard that the two of you were leaving the castle!"

"No, no. I must thank you for indulging my silly games. I cannot thank you enough."

"You honor me too greatly! I am the one who must thank you for providing such generous support for my useless research."

No, his research was amazing. Like his grandfather's magic tools, it was simply too advanced for anyone to understand.

"Kaldon-san, your research is marvelous. I think it is only because ordinary people cannot understand it that they fail to recognize it..."

"Thank you! ...Um, I happened to hear that you made duplicates of the books in the castle library?"

"Well, yes, I did."

"How exactly did you do it?"

There was no way I could explain PCs to him. Besides, I would have no idea how to explain them.

After thinking for a while, I searched Shangri-La and bought something.

"Kenichi, what is that? A camera?"

Akira was looking at the wooden device sitting on the table.

"It's a pinhole camera."

"Oh, like the ones used in science experiments."

It was the most primitive kind of camera, in which light entering through a pinhole formed an image.

What I bought was not a mere pinhole, but an Orosian-made pinhole camera with a small lens.

It was not digital, but a wooden model that took large-format film—and it cost 20,000 yen.

It looked like a camera from long ago, but it was still being sold today.

They were apparently popular for taking retro-style photographs.

Japanese instant cameras also had a small but devoted following.

And what I intended to use in this camera was not film, but diazo-sensitive paper that reacted to light.

It was the so-called blueprint paper used for things like architectural plans.

In a dark place, I cut the photosensitive paper to a suitable size and put it inside the camera.

I placed the camera on the bright table, opened the shutter, and waited a while.

There was no focusing mechanism, so it could only photograph distant subjects—the f-stop was fixed, probably around F10.

I composed the shot so that one corner of the castle and the rear courtyard formed an L shape.

"Kenichi, what will happen now?"

"It takes a little time, so please wait for about twenty minutes."

"Oh, how exciting. I wonder what will happen."

About twenty minutes after I started, I took the photosensitive paper out of the camera and had Anemone use magic on it in the shade.

"Anemone, warm the paper with magic. Make it hotter than hot water, for about the time it takes to count to five."

"Got it. Warm!"

A blue scene appeared on the paper warmed by magic.

"Oh! A scene has appeared on the paper! Is it magic?!"

"No, this is alchemy using chemicals that react to light."

"...Hmm!"

Kaldon-san took the paper and stared intently at it.

"Is that what they call blue film?"

"Come on, Akira. Blue film is pornographic film, isn't it? You mean a blueprint."

In other words, it was a sun print.

"Ah! Haha, my bad, my bad—I'm just vulgar at heart. Even my cough is vulgar. Hack-hack! Get it?"

Akira scratched his head and burst out laughing.

"But I haven't heard the term 'blue film' in ages."

"I've seen blue film before. The kind with some seriously old hag wearing a sailor uniform and all."

"Apparently, some people collect blue film too."

"Exactly, there really was a collector like that. It was valuable in its own way—a cultural artifact from the Showa era."

Whenever it was just two middle-aged men, the conversation quickly turned into middle-aged-man talk.

"In any case—Kaldon-san, I used a device like that to copy the books."

"...I-it's here!"

Kaldon-san suddenly shouted.

"W-what has come?"

Startled, Lilith jumped up from her chair.

"What principle does this device use?"

"Well, you coat the paper with a chemical that changes color when exposed to light."

"Light—I understand that part, but how does the scene become imprinted on it?"

"Hmm."

After thinking for a moment, I bought an assembled pinhole camera sold as a science teaching kit from Shangri-La.

It was flimsy, made of cardboard, but the principle was the same—and it cost 1,000 yen.

Since it was a pinhole camera, there was a pinhole at the front and tracing paper stretched across the back.

I assembled it, placed it on the table, showed it to everyone, and then drew a diagram to explain.

"The light entering through the hole at the front forms an image at the back."

"Oh! The scene is projected upside down inside the box!"

"How strange..."

Lilith peered into the box with intense interest, while Amaranthus wore a skeptical, suspicious expression.

The difference in their personalities was on full display.

"This isn't magic. If you make another one just like it, the same phenomenon will occur."

"I see! If you place paper that changes color in the light at the back, you can copy the scene projected there..."

"Exactly."

"...M-marvelous! Lord Hamada, I have a request."

Kaldon-san dropped to his knees and prostrated himself.

"W-what is it? I have not officially been granted my title yet, so you can just call me Kenichi."

"Lord Kenichi! This unknown knowledge and insight are far beyond my reach. If you will grant my wish, I wish to become your apprentice and master alchemy and magic tools!"

"Well, um..."

"Please!"

"Hey, Kenichi, you're popular with the men too."

Akira chimed in.

"I don't mind, but—"

Just as I had told Sanbak-san, I explained to him that there was nothing at all at our destination.

"I will certainly need to bring my research materials and so on, and if there is nowhere to put them..."

"Exactly. I have an Item Box, so I will be fine, but..."

"Sigh..."

Kaldon-san looked terribly disappointed, but he had not given up.

"In that case, once the manor has been built and the town begins to take shape, I shall hasten to join you. I hope I can count on you."

He bowed deeply and returned to his room.

With his magic-tool technology, he really might be able to bring about a revolution in this world.

And if that happened, I could not wait to see what kinds of technology would spread through this world.

"Kenichi, it looks like this is going to become quite a large household."

Akira was right, and once a manor was built at our base, even more people might come flocking to us.

Once people gathered, merchants hoping to profit from them would gather too, and the numbers would grow like a snowball.

As the population increased, we would also need industries to provide employment.

The smoked salmon and such that Primula had been making in the Santanka village would be a good option.

"Once the household grows and we have a domain to manage, the accounting is going to be a nightmare..."

"Leave that to me and the Marlowe Trading Company."

Primula volunteered.

"Of course. I'm counting on you. I basically just wing it with money."

I was a man who had never kept a ledger or even a personal expense book.

"Leave the magic to me! I'll help Kenichi!"

"Sure, Anemone. I'm counting on you too!"

I patted Anemone's head, and this was no empty flattery—she was becoming a grand archmage with the ability to back it up.

"Is there actually any land at our destination?"

Akira seemed concerned about how large our destination was.

"It's unexplored forest, but there is plenty of land around the lake."

"How big is the lake?"

"I haven't measured it precisely, but in terms of Japan, I'd say it's about the size of Lake Biwa, only a little rounder."

"It's that huge?"

"I've never been to the far shore. It really is virgin territory."

"Well—if you're going to rule land that large, I suppose you have to become a margrave."

There was highland there too, on top of that. Even after I explained that, Akira still did not seem to grasp it.

"What are the highlands like?"

"You remember the Guiana Highlands in my old world, the ones shaped like a table? It's something like that, although not as tall."

"So it's like a slightly elevated plain stretching on and on?"

"Yeah."

While Akira and I were talking, the beastfolk began voicing their concerns too.

"What are we gonna do, Kuro-suke? If word gets around that our boss is a noble who's kind to beastfolk, beastfolk'll come pouring in from all over the country!"

"It'd be good to have more comrades, nya. And Kenichi wouldn't put restrictions on the sale of spices, either, nya."

"That's not what I mean. I'm saying a whole lot of women are gonna come flocking in."

"Nya! Nya-nya-nya..."

Myaaree was swishing her tail furiously. It was a sign that she was getting irritated.

"If that happens, there'll be less time for Kenichi to brush me, nya!"

"That's not all. The boss values ability above all else. If stronger women than us come along..."

"Fnyaa!"

"Hey, hey, don't worry. There's no way I'd abandon you two that easily. You're family who have overcome hardships together with me."

"But if those women turn out to be powerful assets..."

"Well, sure, I'd like that. If we're building a town, we'll need security too."

"Fnyaa!"

Even when I said I wanted capable people, I meant them purely as military assets.

"I'll hire anyone with the ability, but not as a mistress."

"Even if you don't intend that, they might come after you themselves."

"Stop getting worked up over something so far in the future that it might not even happen."

"Fnyuu..."

Myaaree's tail drooped, and she was completely dejected.

Nyamena was always teased by Myaaree, so she was probably getting her revenge.

"Kenichi, are you going to form a knight order?"

"No. I might hire mercenaries, but a knight order... It could turn into an entrenched vested interest."

"Yeah. A knight order can end up more like an organization of civil servants who got their jobs through connections. Hahaha."

From Akira's words, it seemed the Empire's knight order was not particularly high-quality either.

Knight orders were founded overflowing with ideals at first, but after two or three generations, they probably became vested interests and declined into groups that were nothing more than names.

Lilith and Amaranthus both smiled wryly, apparently recognizing the situation.

Lilith admonished the beastfolk, who were still arguing.

"If you are so afraid of losing your positions, then you should become stronger."

"Ugh! The princess has a point, but..." "Nyaa..."

"That could be kind of interesting. Amaranthus, give them a little training."

"Understood."

"What?!"

Nyamena faltered, but I checked with Amaranthus.

"A sword fight wouldn't be fair, so how about barehanded?"

"Hmm, very well. Girls, you may even fight me both at once."

"Damn it! Are we really going to just sit there after being looked down on this badly? Let's go, Kuro-suke!"

"Ehh, I don't really feel like it, nya..."

Myaaree did not seem eager. Was it calculation, or did she recognize the difference in ability from the start and simply not want to waste her time?

Among beastfolk, the hierarchy based on differences in ability was clearly defined.

Full of fighting spirit, Nyamena persuaded Myaaree, and it seemed they decided to fight Amaranthus together.

"Here we go!"

"Nya!"

Amaranthus and the two beastfolk faced each other barehanded, but—

Amaranthus closed the distance without a feint, walking straight toward them completely unguarded.

"What the—damn it!"

The moment she moved, Nyamena was clutching her side and collapsing.

"Ugh..."

"Shyaa!"

Myaaree hurriedly leaped into the air and launched a spinning back kick, but Amaranthus caught her leg effortlessly and slammed her into the ground.

"Fnyaa!!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough!"

I stopped the match, hurried over to Nyamena, and used my Heal on her.

"Anemone, go check on Myaaree."

"Okay."

As Anemone approached, Myaaree got to her feet and clung to me.

"Why won't you heal me too?! I want Kenichi to do it for me too, nya!"

"You look fine to me."

"It hurts, nya!"

"Myaaree, wait a second! That attack would have killed you instantly if the ground had been concrete or rocky... but you're lively as ever."

Akira offered his observations based on his experience on the battlefield.

"I've seen a beastfolk's skull before, and it's incredibly thick. About a centimeter, with considerable resistance to concussions too."

"I see."

"Ow! That hurts!"

"Maybe you cracked a rib."

I sent a slightly stronger pulse of Heal into her.

"Hwaa! Fwaaah! ...Fnyaa!"

Nyamena, who had been enjoying the sensation, jumped into the air. Myaaree had pulled her tail.

"Come on, heal me too! My head hurts, nya!"

"You little—Kuro-suke!"

"Hey, don't fight."

While patting Myaaree's head, I sent Heal's power into her.

"Nyaa, nyaa~ Nyaaahhh—Fnyaa!"

Myaaree, who had been enjoying having me pat her head, leaped into the air.

Nyamena had pulled Myaaree's tail in retaliation.

"What are you doing, nya?! It was just getting good!"

"Hmph!"

"You two have plenty of energy left."

I had known there was a difference in ability between them and Amaranthus, but I had not expected it to be this great.

So this was the skill of a master.

After that, Lilith and Amaranthus seemed to have finished packing their belongings, so I stored the loaded pallets in my Item Box.

Their fortunes were included among them.

Each had about 15,000 gold coins—three billion yen in Japanese currency.

Together, they had a staggering six billion yen, but that was not their entire fortune.

The real estate they could not liquidate remained as it was. Good grief, some people really did have money to spare.

------◇◇◇------

――Two days later, after spending the intervening time peacefully and at leisure.

A ceremony was held in the castle's audience chamber to grant me my title and my domain, with nobles, ministers, and officials gathered for it.

At the front of the chamber, the king sat on the throne, accompanied by a female member of the royal family from the Round Table Conference.

What was her name again? ...I forgot.

How many times had I been in this audience chamber now? Let me see... This was the third time, I think. At last, it felt like a proper audience.

This time, only Lilith and I entered the audience chamber.

Since this was my official ennoblement, even I, who usually dressed casually, had prepared an outfit that looked the part.

I was wearing white clerical robes for cosplay that I had bought from Shangri-La.

They had gold embroidery running down the center, making them look somewhat splendid.

I had also hung a blue embroidered sash over my shoulder—the two pieces together had cost 10,000 yen.

From the outside, I looked less like a noble than some sort of priest.

This was cosplay, but apparently it was acceptable for Lilith and Amaranthus to see me in it, so this was what I settled on.

The nobles of the royal capital and the knight order stood in neat rows along both sides of the audience chamber, but the powerful nobles were absent, having gone to work on repairing the bridge that had collapsed on the road to Iberis.

Among those assembled, many must have been bitter that the commoner who had caused such a commotion here had somehow been ennobled and even granted a domain.

As far as I was concerned, I could only say, "Like I care."

For one thing, I was the victim. Things could easily have become an even greater fiasco and brought the country to its knees, yet everyone ought to kneel before my generosity.

"That man is being granted a title?"

"He may be a capable mage, but he is a commoner."

"And I hear he is becoming a margrave."

"We must acknowledge that he did save the country from a crisis."

"However—"

The nobles in colorful, splendid clothes murmured among themselves.

"Why is Lady Alstroemeria seated on the throne?"

"Is it true that Her Majesty the Queen was disgraced and forced to retire from public life?"

The nobles were arguing heatedly among themselves too.

"Silence!"

With a single cry from Alstroemeria, who had risen from the throne, the audience chamber fell silent.

The king must have been utterly exhausted by everything that had happened. He sat on the throne with a dark, lifeless expression, like a decoration.

He really was nothing more than a figurehead.

"Lord Hamada's ennoblement and grant of a domain have already been decided. Anyone who objects shall be deemed disloyal to the royal family!"

With the royal family putting it that way, the nobles and knights had no choice but to fall silent.

The ceremony proceeded solemnly, and I became a noble.

At least, it seemed the nobles around the royal capital had been informed that a new noble and domain had been established.

So much had happened, but all that remained was to return to where our home had been.

How had being summoned to amuse the royals turned into such a huge commotion?

How had things ended up like this?

Thinking of the place by the lake where we had lived for only a short time, I felt a rush of homesickness, as though I were returning to my hometown.

After all, perhaps that really was the place destined to become our homeland.