I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 130

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’m a Mother-in-Law, But I Don’t Want Family Conflicts Episode 130

 

Wilhelmina’s training camp was similar in format to a mission camp.

 

You freely participate in the missions you want and receive a seal there.

 

Each mission had Reading Club teachers preparing various tasks, and once all missions were completed, that day’s activities would end.

 

After hearing all the explanations, the same thought arose in all the children’s minds.

 

‘What’s supposed to be difficult about this?’

 

It wasn’t much different from the special lectures they often had at the Academy.

 

The children were quite disappointed, having expected Combat Reading to involve wielding swords or at least some urgent challenges.

 

Some children even complained, saying they had already read the books listed for the missions.

 

However, such thoughts changed after they started the missions.

 

The first was Ilina, who was waiting at the pavilion in the flower garden.

 

She had chosen picture storybooks as her theme.

 

Since these were books that everyone had probably read at least once as children, the children thought this mission would be the easiest compared to others.

 

Until they fell into Ilina’s endless questioning.

 

“Did Bayaga really not exist?”

 

“Bayaga is just a fairy tale. It’s a fake story.”

 

“Why? This world has fairies and wizards too. Why wouldn’t there be witches?”

 

“Her appearance is strange. Where would you find a monster wearing an ice cloak like this?”

 

“Maybe we just haven’t discovered it yet. Or it could be a fairy tale adaptation. Instead of ice, it could be a blue cloak, right?”

 

“Uh… now that you mention it, I think I heard that cloaks made from birch leaves have a blue tint.”

 

“Really? Then shall we look up a dictionary about birch trees?”

 

The examination of fairy tales that started with one question gradually expanded its scope.

 

While Ilina had started the questioning, other children gradually began to participate as well.

 

After about an hour, dozens of books had piled up next to the picture storybook.

 

Plant dictionaries, map booklets, studies of ancient magic, collections of witch novels, and so on…

 

The child who had said ‘fairy tales are fake’ had to find realistic evidence to respond to the other children’s questions.

 

Meanwhile, the other children’s doubts kept growing as they repeated their questions.

 

“Then did Bayaga really come into the world to make friends?”

 

“Don’t witches have friends?”

 

“If witches are a species… maybe she actually needed human friends?”

 

“You mean she gave up her home and family for human friends?”

 

Eventually, they began analyzing in detail even single sentences and simple illustrations.

 

And so the endless discussion continued.

 

‘This is really… fun.’

 

It was a new style of discussion they were experiencing for the first time.

 

A discussion about whether imaginary beings actually exist, rather than arguing about who’s right or wrong.

 

It was different from the countless discussions they had experienced at the Academy.

 

While it seemed like a completely unhelpful discussion at first glance, the various knowledge and deductive thinking gained from it provided unexpected enjoyment.

 

It was a difficult mission that required reaching a conclusion everyone could accept to receive a passing seal, but the children all showed enthusiasm as they tackled the problem.

 

While Ilina continued her discussion in the flower garden under the blazing sun, even breaking into a sweat, the second teacher who prepared her mission in the annex building’s reception room was Baroness Metokan.

 

“My mission is invention.”

 

Among the camp teachers, Baroness Metokan was the most popular.

 

To children who dreamed of becoming scholars, Baroness Metokan was like a modern-day celebrity.

 

So much so that many children were more familiar with the Metokan family name than the name Wilhelmina.

 

Many children visited the reception room with hearts pounding as if attending a fan meeting.

 

What awaited the children was Baroness Metokan’s stern mission, her mood unpleasant due to the alcohol prohibition.

 

“Use natural laws, creativity, originality, and feasibility must exist. However, complexity is not necessary. Feel free to read these books and create an invention.”

 

With that, she placed two books on the desk.

 

They were books that commoners or servants might read: 【Science in Daily Life】 and 【Decorating Your Mansion】.

 

Since the books were filled with simple words and pictures, they didn’t even need 30 minutes to read.

 

“This book has the longest explanation on how to clean stairs.”

 

“What are we supposed to invent with this?”

 

The children looked at Baroness Metokan as if asking for hints, but she was only rolling the candy in her mouth with dissatisfaction.

 

It was a bitter herb candy that Wilhelmina had specially requested from the kitchen, saying too much sweet food wasn’t good.

 

Thanks to this, the scent of herbs wafted around her.

 

With her glasses removed, her sharp eyes and stern atmosphere made it difficult for the children to approach her easily.

 

Eventually, as they were losing interest from not getting the right answer, one child approached a maid who was cleaning the corridor.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

“Yes, Young Miss.”

 

“Why do you carry several brooms around? This book mentions something called a universal broom.”

 

When the child opened the book and showed the picture inside, the maid let out an “Ah-” and smiled with complexity.

 

“That’s something that was popular before. I tried using it too, but it was surprisingly inconvenient. First of all, the bristles were too soft, making it difficult to clean.”

 

“If the bristles are soft, you can’t clean?”

 

“Yes, you need to use different brooms depending on the floor material. For wooden floors, you need brooms with rounded tips and rags to avoid scratches, and carpet brooms need to be able to sweep along the grain…”

 

Having many stored complaints, the maid explained at length why the universal broom couldn’t be used.

 

The child who listened to the end soon drew a picture on blank paper and showed it to her.

 

It was a broom with detachable hinges on the bristle part, allowing different bristles to be swapped in.

 

The detachable hinge was one of the daily science inventions introduced in the book Baroness Metokan had given them.

 

“This… would be good. It looks useful.”

 

The maid nodded her head in admiration.

 

The child thanked her for answering and returned to Baroness Metokan with the paper.

 

Baroness Metokan nodded with a satisfied look in her eyes.

 

“Excellent.”

 

And she stamped the child’s seal.

 

“Wait, you can make something that simple?”

 

The child who received the seal left the reception room with quick steps.

 

The other children who had been staring blankly at that retreating figure began to murmur.

 

A broom with changeable bristles was quite different from the inventions they had imagined.

 

At that moment, Baroness Metokan clapped her hands, gathering the children’s attention.

 

“Applying techniques you already possess is also a wonderful invention. What I want from you isn’t special techniques, but creativity that can solve small inconveniences in daily life.”

 

“Inconveniences?”

 

“Think carefully. Creativity comes from observation skills.”

 

Only then did the children realize what Baroness Metokan wanted.

 

She wanted them to apply knowledge read from books to their surrounding environment.

 

“Since you mentioned hinges… I hate it when doors creak. Instead of opening back and forth, how about a door with wheels that slides left and right like this?”

 

“I, I hate how heavy teapots are. The handle is too small too. If it were something you could hold with both hands like this…”

 

“I wish practice swords were painted with colors! Like they had real blades! Right now they’re just too plain.”

 

Baroness Metokan allowed many ideas.

 

As long as they were feasible, she gave her seal without considering efficiency or technical aspects.

 

However, she scolded sharply when someone plagiarized even the intent.

 

“Did you really make this because you thought it was inconvenient?”

 

“No…”

 

“Do it again.”

 

Though some children trudged back like that, none complained.

 

They began to feel the joy of imagination, and some even stayed in the reception room instead of moving on to other missions.

 

The unfamiliar work of observing objects they had passed by, conceiving principles, and imagining improved forms. The knowledge from books that helped with this.

 

Thus, the children began to fall into Baroness Metokan’s way of reading.

 

‘It’s going well.’

 

The Baroness, who took over management instead of Wilhelmina who participated as a teacher, walked around the annex building checking the mission situations.

 

Ilina and Baroness Metokan seemed to be proceeding well despite some twists and turns.

 

‘Count Tilim… there was no need to worry.’

 

Chloe, who was conducting her mission in the dining hall, was gently leading the children.

 

Despite selecting the most difficult topic, the children were enthusiastically sharing their thoughts.

 

‘A study on monopoly markets, something I’ve never even thought about.’

 

If Ilina focused on endless questions and Baroness Metokan on observation skills and creativity, Chloe concentrated on the significance of discussion.

 

New perspectives created through opposing opinions, passion to explore knowledge for valid arguments – the children were unknowingly experiencing the process of politics firsthand.

 

The examples were even realistic, making it easy to immerse themselves.

 

‘I didn’t expect her to bring up the dye market story.’

 

The dye and wool business currently monopolized for export by the Duke’s estate and Count Tilim’s house.

 

To use that as a topic at the Duke’s estate event – Chloe had become bold after experiencing various incidents.

 

“Now, lastly, let me check on the Grand Duchess…”

 

The Baroness, who had toured both the garden and first floor, climbed the stairs.

 

It was to check on Wilhelmina conducting the final mission in the study.

 

As she walked slowly, she discovered a child in front of the study.

 

‘Minerva Layton?’

 

The girl with brilliant platinum hair – it was Minerva.

 

Zeonil, who always accompanied her, was nowhere to be seen, and she stood alone with her lips pressed tight, glaring at the study.

 

‘What she’s looking at is…’

 

Minerva’s gaze was directed toward Wilhelmina, who was sitting leisurely on the sofa, and Zeonil, who was sitting beside her reading a book.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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