The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 60

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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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Chapter 60

 

8. The Beast in the Warehouse

 

We stayed at an inn on the Seldoche Plains for three whole days.

 

Only after seeing the sprouts emerge did I finally feel at ease.

 

‘Hah…’

 

I had been confident since I drew upon all the knowledge and memories from my previous life, but I was still anxious. Worried that something might have gone wrong.

 

However, the farmers of Seldoche weren’t the only ones moved by seeing the first sprouts.

 

“Wooow.”

 

There was one more person who had come to see the long boxes and water wheels spread across the plains.

 

“This is… this is truly amazing, isn’t it?”

 

It was the Magic Tower Master.

 

The Magic Tower Master had the appearance of a sharp-tongued little girl with pink hair.

 

But her age was the same as Hilberry’s. I heard she had touched forbidden ancient magic and was stuck with a child’s appearance for life.

 

“This is exactly the Magic Tower’s style. This is how magic should work.”

 

She murmured in an ecstatic voice.

 

I desperately tried to act like it had nothing to do with me.

 

“Beautiful results achieved through repetitive labor!”

 

Three days ago, the dispatched mage had reported the news of hydroponic cultivation to the Magic Tower, and the Tower had become curious about all of this while supplying materials.

 

The Magic Tower Master asked with sparkling eyes.

 

“Could we use this place as a field experience learning space for slaves… I mean, mages?”

 

Hilberry flatly refused.

 

“No way, you damn old hag.”

 

He was Academy classmates with the Magic Tower Master. So the two of them treated each other casually.

 

“Why don’t you go inspect the warps instead? You must have heard about the warp accident in the Eastern Region.”

 

“That warp malfunction was because of the magic stones in the tomato field! Anyway, that’s what it was!”

 

The Magic Tower Master grinned.

 

“I heard this young lady came up with that idea too? Anyway, thanks to that, we secured a huge amount of magic stones!”

 

Her pink eyes stared directly at me.

 

I smiled awkwardly at the girl who only came up to my shoulders.

 

If I made a wrong move, I could end up being dragged to the Magic Tower. So I quickly deflected the credit to Marquis Alpheus.

 

“In the end, it was Alpheus who did the digging. No matter how much you think about something, it’s useless if you don’t actually work.”

 

Surprisingly, the Magic Tower Master agreed.

 

“Right. The Magic Tower wouldn’t function without slaves… I mean, mages either. You’re absolutely right.”

 

My intention to praise Alpheus failed, and he was demoted to slave status instead.

 

The Magic Tower Master wiped the smile from her face and looked at me seriously.

 

“Young Lady of Sears, anyway, thank you for the magic stones. The Eastern Region sold them directly to us. The Magic Tower has never acquired that many magic stones at once. It will be a tremendous help in repairing the warps.”

 

Then Hilberry seriously interjected.

 

“Warp restoration? Didn’t you just say the warp anomaly was because of the magic stones in the tomato field? So there really is something strange going on?”

 

“No, officially we can’t say anything to outsiders! We’re just preparing for the tiniest, tiniest possibility that there might be some very minor issue in the southern region!”

 

We all understood what that meant.

 

‘There’s already a major problem with the southern warp that they’ve noticed internally.’

 

Still, it was fortunate that the Magic Tower Master was aware of the warp anomaly.

 

The Magic Tower Master continued speaking while adjusting her twin-tailed hair.

 

“Anyway, I came to express my gratitude to this Young Lady and also to take a look at the hydroponic cultivation facility that Pepe mentioned. Growing things in water instead of soil – it seems like we could increase the quantity of herbs we grow at the Magic Tower.”

 

“Wow, then will the price of Awakening Herb drop too?”

 

Magic herbs with special effects could only be cultivated at the Magic Tower.

 

When I asked with admiration, the Magic Tower Master shook her head.

 

“No, we won’t reduce the price by even a single coin. That stuff sells incredibly well in the Southern Region. We’ll just make more money and call it a day.”

 

The Magic Tower Master was firm. But soon she smiled brightly and said,

 

“However, I’ll provide Awakening Herb to you at a discounted price for life as payment for the idea.”

 

“Ah… thank you.”

 

“Is there anything else you need? I’m grateful, so don’t be modest.”

 

Actually, I had been waiting for these words.

 

Ever since the Magic Tower Mage arrived, I thought the Magic Tower Master might come to the site. Especially once news of the sprouting reached her.

 

Because the Magic Tower was located in the Capital, so there wasn’t much land available. It meant they were only growing magic herbs in palm-sized garden plots.

 

They couldn’t plant them in other lands. They needed the ambient magical energy from the mages overflowing in the Magic Tower.

 

But hydroponic cultivation – naturally she couldn’t help but be interested. And she would definitely try to give me something.

 

They were thoroughly conscientious about intellectual property.

 

“Then, Magic Tower Master. There is something I want.”

 

I smiled gently.

 

Something that only the Magic Tower Master, who used magic best in the world, could do.

 

“Could you cast defensive magic on this field?”

 

“Huh? Defensive magic? Is someone going to… invade here? Sorry, but it’s a bit difficult for the Magic Tower to get involved in things like territorial wars.”

 

“No. That’s not it.”

 

I raised my eyebrows and said,

 

“A few days ago, there was a propaganda war from the Western Region that slandered us. They won’t just sit back and watch our success. They’ll definitely try to ruin this field.”

 

That was only natural.

 

The rumor that a curse had fallen on the western lands because of Sears, that we should be driven out immediately, had spread to the city center in just one day. It clearly meant there had been artificial public opinion manipulation.

 

Then they would definitely try to sabotage the hydroponic cultivation.

 

That would be too easy. They would just need to poison the water or nutrient solution.

 

But we couldn’t densely deploy knights across this vast land that wasn’t even ours. It was a completely different matter from when we guarded the potato field in the Marquis Territory.

 

“That’s not difficult at all.”

 

As expected, the Magic Tower Master readily nodded.

 

“I just need to make it so only authorized people can enter, right? How long?”

 

“About a month should be enough. The first harvest will be completed within that time.”

 

With the Magic Tower Master’s barrier, it would be safe to leave the Seldoche Plains without worry.

 

I would have liked to stay here until the first harvest if I could. But because of us, Hilberry couldn’t return to the Grand Duke’s residence either.

 

Grand Duke Nogen surely had many other matters to resolve besides this, but he couldn’t bear to leave just us behind.

 

And anyway, Alpheus was a marquis.

 

It might be different if it were me with no position, but dropping him in the middle of Nogen territory and having him stay there was absurd.

 

Alpheus said he would stay by my side until contact came from the Second Prince.

 

If the Second Prince returned to the Imperial Palace or if something urgent happened in the territory, Langsi would come by Warp.

 

“Then wouldn’t it be better for you to stay at the Grand Duke’s residence for the time being?”

 

Indeed, Baron Forman, who had been staying in Seldoche, made a timely suggestion.

 

“There’s no need to keep staying here. The trustworthy workers will take good care of the herbs and leafy vegetables.”

 

“That would be best.”

 

Hilberry nodded his head.

 

“I owe a great debt to Sears’ guests. Since I only need to visit Seldoche occasionally, I hope you’ll stay comfortably at the Grand Duke’s residence for now.”

 

So Alpheus and I ended up returning to the Grand Duke’s residence again.

 

Baron Forman’s estate was naturally excluded.

 

“The Grand Duke’s residence will be much more comfortable for you to stay in than our cramped baron estate.”

 

This was because Baron Forman once again enthusiastically promoted the Grand Duke’s residence.

 

‘Baron Forman…’

 

I thought while looking at the seasoned information agent in his 60s.

 

‘He knows that if you’re going to catch someone’s eye, it should be the highest person’s eye.’

 

His political skills were indeed remarkable.

 

As we rode in Sears’ carriage, the eyes of the people in the plains were definitely different from three days ago. There was even a child who smiled brightly at me.

 

“I’m glad the sprouts came up.”

 

I sighed in relief upon discovering that the people’s hostility had disappeared.

 

“Now they just need to grow well.”

 

Then Alpheus, who was beside me, shook his head.

 

“No, Brisa.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Those people didn’t accept us because of the sprouts.”

 

What was he talking about?

 

It was when I looked up at him in confusion.

 

“For three days, our pure hearts reached them.”

 

He spoke with sparkling eyes.

 

“I checked the boxes and water wheels every day, and you always looked to see if the growing medium was moist. The time we spent working directly like that also sprouted seeds of affection in those people’s hearts. Brisa, do you know what’s stronger than magic? It’s sincerity that leaks out even when you try to hide it. In the end, our sincerity reached them.”

 

I quickly looked around. Fortunately, no one except me had heard Alpheus’s pie-in-the-sky speech.

 

“No, Alpheus. It would be trouble if my sincerity reached them.”

 

I whispered in a lowered voice.

 

“I want to take all those leafy vegetables and herbs to Sears Marquis Territory and feed them to our territory residents. That’s my sincerity.”

 

Perhaps because they were Western Region seeds, the quality was very good. But since that would be stealing, I held back.

 

It was when we boarded Sears’ carriage again.

 

‘Ah!’

 

As I was taking my seat, something struck me like lightning.

 

‘The handkerchief!’

 

“You can sit here.”

 

I had forgotten to bring it because I was so busy talking about ‘El’!

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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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