CH 61

“Machina!”

“Your Highness Nagi, it has been a while. How was your summer break?”

“A lot of things happened. You helped me a lot during my time at Parthenios. Please give my regards to the Marquis.”

Today was the day when elective subjects were concentrated from the morning to the afternoon. I noticed Machina sitting in the middle of the room in the everyday magic study classroom and sat down next to him. I felt relieved to see Machina looking at me with a smile on his face as usual.

During my stay in Lambert territory, he guided me around every day and I think we got to know each other pretty well.

Of course, Machina is probably taking a swordsmanship class, but since there are several swordsmanship classes a week with many students, it seems unlikely that he would be on the same schedule as Mika, who is taking a swordsmanship class at this time.

“Thank you for all your help with the magic plants as well.”

“No problem. Speaking of which, I heard about it. Your Highness will start relocating the refugee settlements before winter, right?”

“Yes, I’ve also written to you about it in the letter, Machina. The paperwork went through and His Majesty’s has granted permission.”

That’s right. Actually, I had been struggling with the refugee problem. When I had time, I worked with Mika to get a draft ready and submitted the proposal to my brother.

Originally, the refugees themselves were a problem for the people of the Rubrum empire, but where to shelter them is a problem for this country. The “disadvantages of having a refugee settlement in the border of Edessa” section written in my proposal was addressed to my brother, and even though we will leave the subsequent actions for another time, the relocation was to go ahead anyway.

There has been no change in the response on the part of the Rubrum empire, which has left the refugees alone without even coming to pick them up, making all sorts of excuses.

To tell the truth, the refugees are also fleeing oppression and would not want to be picked up. Even if the Rubrum Empire were to change its policy and come to pick up all of the refugees, those who really wanted to live in Pluvia would want to flee the settlement area and somehow find work.

(Then again, that would be better than having Pluvia cover the costs.)

It will be a shabby thing, but if they can help us with mass-producing magic plants in exchange for giving them temporary housing, it’s not a bad policy to follow in the future. However…that is only a matter of the future, and we have yet to see the results of the magic plant research.

If a little cultivation seemed to work, the first step would be to go negotiate the sale of the technique to the nearest town of the Rubrum empire from Pluvia.

(If we can find the right technique so it can be sold, then…)

This is what it comes down to.

It’s something that has been gradually paying off in Pluvia, but I don’t even know if the plants can be bred in the same way in the Rubrum empire. After all, there is a legend that the reason why plants do not grow in the Rubrum Empire may be due to the unique contract magic of Rubrum. It also weakens magic effects…I’ve heard rumors like that.

When magic is involved, it is no wonder that something strange happened to the plant that caused it to wither the moment it was planted.

(Anyway, I have to try everything.)

I sighed, thinking about how I don’t know the way to figure it out no matter how many times I thought about it.

Machina, who seemed to have been watching the various expressions on my face, said.

“Fufu, I guess it is going to be tough going forward.”

“That’s true. But if I don’t do it, I don’t know if I’m going to fail or not.”

“Thanks to Your Highness’ efforts, our territory will be enriched.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Machina also helped me a lot during the summer break.

He got involved just because he happened to be in the “Everyday Magic Study” class, but as I thought he was in my first life, he is a really reliable knight. I’m glad we could go to Edessa together. I’m glad that Machina is from Lambert territory.

Speaking of which, Machina said he was taking the everyday magic study class to improve the conditions of the refugees, but…

“Have you decided on a specific theme for your everyday magic study research, Machina?”

“Well, I have been observing the lives of the refugees. I think that since our territory is close to a desert, it would be better if water were more accessible, so I’m wondering if it would be possible to make water generation a little easier.”

“Water generation, I see.”

Currently, in the Kingdom of Pluvia, people basically live on water drawn from the river for drinking water.

Of course, there are wells in every town. With aristocrats, families often have a person who specializes in water magic and uses water in abundance.

However, in the research of “everyday magic,” the number of people interested in this field is extremely small, and the field is lagging behind, so I can’t get past the feeling that this kind of magic is something rarely used by people. More and more offensive magic is being researched for use against monsters or for defending territory. That’s because the nobles who invest in research as sponsors want that kind of magic.

However, there are almost no nobles who want magic to be researched for the commoners.

For the same reason, many nobles are not willing to allocate funds to it from the national treasury, so the research is not progressing well.

The “water generation” that Machina just mentioned would definitely be useful even for nobles if it were available. But it won’t become everyday magic because nobles can just hire people for it, they have wells, and Pluvia is a country where water is never a problem.

The kind of everyday magic that can be realized by simplifying existing magic and pouring a small amount of magic power…

(I can do water generation with my magic as well, I could help him with that…)

I’ve been thinking of all the different ways, but surely if water generation becomes an everyday magic, it could be useful for what is about to happen.

Remembering Renalge, who had successfully established ice magic as a magic circle, I was determined once again to somehow make a connection with him at the tea party.

(Still, doing that just because he wants ice…he’s really something. A genius is amazing.)

But then I suddenly remembered my days at the Côte de Marais, and I became flustered.

The Mika I saw running, and the Mika I saw on the beach at sunset, he was shining just as he used to…

(We had a lot of fun…that summer.)

It was like a few days to make up for the time I was away from Mika.

“That kiss is going too far, though!” I thought to myself, furrowing my eyebrows. But those days were like a treasure.

I sighed, completely forgetting that I was talking to Machina.

Then he asked me.

“…Did something happen with Mika?”

“Huh?”

“I just thought you seem a little amorous, Your Highness Nagi.”

“What?”

No, wait, wait, wait. I don’t know why Machina would say such a thing. But, even if I seemed to be like that, why would that be because “something has happened with Mika”?

That’s not true, I thought, and I couldn’t help but stare blankly. Noticing that, Machina continued.

“Although by accident, I saw you two hugging each other, after all. I’m very perceptive about such things. No need to hide it from me.”

“As I said, that was a mistake, Machina.”

“Hmm? Was it really?”

As he said that, I thought to myself.

I was careless. What came to mind is the conversation with the “Night King”. Whether it was Machina, Vivienne, or that man I had spoken to for the first time, they all found out about it. It always made me falter and ended up surrendering everything.

I think the Night King is right.

In order to protect Mika, I shouldn’t let my feelings be known to so many people. As it is, it was already something I was going to keep in my heart for the rest of my life.

Mika had always been touchy-feely since back then. I might also have been too lenient because we were childhood friends.

I wish I had Antoine’s soft, smiling face, but with a kind irrefutable authority. No…

(Only saying “I wish I had…” isn’t enough. I have to bring it out now.)

I rested my chin on my palm on the desk and looked at Machina, who was to my right, with a sidelong glance.

As much as possible, I smiled only at the mouth and whispered in a low voice, hoping that I looked as beautiful as possible, thinking that the other party was the “Night King”.

“Machina. …It’s troubling to hear you say something that isn’t true.”

“!”

I may have sounded angry. But that should have been fine.

The other party was not that man, it was Machina, and I was fine with that because he was really close to me separately. But what that man said to me left a deep scar inside me.

I don’t think I can take it if that man uses Mika to his advantage.

(At the very least, I want to avoid letting this feeling leak out…)

I’m apologizing to Machina in my head, and just as the lecturer walked in, I stopped resting my chin on my palm and turned my gaze back to the front.

Then, Machina’s voice came from next to me.

“My apologies.”

“No, don’t worry.”

As I said that, I smiled as usual, as if nothing had happened.

I don’t want to worsen my relationship with Machina. However, I only thought that it was wrong to talk about Mika verbally like this, that’s all.

But then, Machina continued.

“But… if something happens, please tell me.”

“Huh?”

“I want to help you…Your Highness.”

I turned to my right and my heart skipped a beat when he told me so with a serious face.

Then Machina, smiling glamorously as usual, added, “I truly feel so, genuinely.”

While hoping that he didn’t find out that I was feeling flustered, I squeezed out the minimum response as a lord.

“Thank you, Machina. I’m counting on you.”