Midias had unexpectedly entered a holiday season.
The reason was that, with the onset of winter, the seeds of the flax plant had dried up.
With no raw materials available, the textile factory had been shut down indefinitely.
The butlers had searched far and wide, but there were no usable supplies to be found.
Plants that thrived in winter were rare, after all.
“The price of cloth must have gone up, then?”
“We’ve been selling it so cheaply up until now that it’s still manageable. Everyone’s praising Your Grace, saying they’re spending a warm winter thanks to you.”
Butler Miller Xavier relayed the people’s reactions with a bright smile.
For some reason, my face flushed hot.
Being praised so openly made me feel unnecessarily embarrassed.
Of course, it wasn’t wrong.
I had done it to improve the lives of the people, after all.
“You’re too kind. The real issue is what we do from here on out… What is everyone up to right now?”
“Aside from those recuperating from illness, the rest have been reassigned to other tasks. Mostly maintenance work.”
The butlers were managing the workforce quite efficiently.
Considering their limited authority, this was no small achievement.
I toured the empty lands of Midias.
They seemed to be preparing to fully cultivate flax fields starting next year.
“They’re even building wooden palisades.”
“We can’t exactly ignore the monster threats, after all.”
“Where are you getting the timber from?”
“That forest over there.”
“But there’s one right in front of us?”
“Walt wood is far too soft. We’re using the sturdier Moldex wood instead.”
At Butler Miller Xavier’s explanation, I examined the felled logs.
Unlike ordinary timber, the insides were pale white, and they had a tendency to split cleanly along the grain.
They also retained a lot of moisture, so they weren’t even good as firewood.
The fact that no one had bothered to cut them despite how abundant they were said it all.
Wait a minute. Couldn’t I make paper out of this?
Staring at the forest full of walt trees, an idea suddenly struck me.
No, truthfully, I’d been thinking about it for a while.
The papermaking technology here was so poor that I’d even made the board game out of wood.
The problem was that I couldn’t produce modern pulp.
This was a world with only the simplest machines, after all.
And how was I supposed to handle bleaching or chemical treatments?
But there was still a way.
I know how to make hanji.
Who would’ve thought that childhood field trip, holding my father’s hand, would come in handy like this.
You really do see everything if you live long enough.
No—live twice, in my case.
The question was whether walt wood could substitute for mulberry bark.
“I’ll just have to try it and see.”
“Pardon?”
“Just talking to myself. What’s that building next to the textile factory?”
“It’s meant to be a warehouse, but it’s empty right now.”
“Send a few people over there. And have about twenty walt trees cut down, too.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Butler Miller Xavier nodded promptly.
He could’ve asked what I was planning, but he didn’t.
That just showed how much trust he had in me.
Smiling faintly, I headed toward the tool workshop.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Even though it was peak lunchtime, the sounds of work echoed nonstop.
Oh!
Peeking inside, I let out a silent exclamation.
The tool workshop was far more impressive than I’d expected.
I hadn’t thought it would be this professional.
“Who… Huh? Duke Carius?”
“Aren’t you all working a bit too hard? Everyone else is heading out for lunch.”
“Haha! Not at all. We actually ate first.”
“Ah, I see. Where’s Theo, then?”
“Over there.”
I turned toward where the worker pointed, but there was no sign of that doppelganger.
Just the hammering sounds ringing out.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“Where exactly?”
“He’s short, so he’s hard to spot. Try going farther in.”
Tilting my head in confusion, I stepped deeper inside.
Wasn’t Theo just an average build with a plain face?
As I got closer, a stocky, bearded figure was swinging a hammer.
The vibe was like some ferocious dwarf master craftsman.
“Theo.”
“What? I told you not to interrupt me when I’m work—”
“Hah! Look at this guy.”
“O-Oh, you’re here? Your Grace.”
“You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you.”
“Haha, my height’s gotten even shorter, though.”
“Got the spirit to crack jokes now?”
“Ahem! Ahem!”
I grabbed the scruff of Theo’s neck as he fake-coughed.
His flailing looked just like a real dwarf.
“Still, I’m proud of you.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah, you. You’ve been working hard without causing trouble.”
“That’s because of the god next door… I mean, no. I’m pretty satisfied with my life. The pay comes in nice chunks, too.”
Truthfully, Theo’s good behavior was thanks to Adam, god of the earth.
With that terrifying suppressor looming right there, what could a mere doppelganger do to act up?
Of course, as Theo said, the treatment was good, too.
I made sure to take proper care of skilled people.
That’s why everyone wanted to work at the Carius duchy or the Midias textile factory.
“Let me see. What were you making?”
“Just the usual. I’m not exactly brimming with creativity, am I?”
Theo possessed dwarven craftsmanship, but he couldn’t invent anything new.
Give him a blueprint, though, and he’d whip it up in no time.
Exactly the kind of talent I needed right now.
“How’s teaching the workers going?”
“There are a few with good hands. I’ve taken four as apprentices.”
“Good. Then can you make something like this?”
I sketched a large pot with hooks.
It was a big steamer to soften the wood.
Roughly scribbled on recycled parchment, but it turned out surprisingly decent.
I wasn’t much of an artist, but practice must’ve improved my skills.
“The shape’s simple. Give me time, and I can make as many as you need.”
“Great. Start with this, then. Once it’s done, there’s a warehouse next to the factory—put it there.”
“Yes, sir!”
Theo shouted energetically and immediately called his apprentices over.
It was probably too big for him to handle alone.
After watching the work for a bit, I headed to the pottery workshop.
Since I was here, I should check on Adam, too.
But the moment I stepped into the neighboring building, a booming voice rang out.
—Abel!
“Whoa! You scared me. Why are you yelling like that?”
—I have never yelled. I merely conveyed my will directly.
“I’ll just—”
As I pulled the communication rod from my pocket, Adam flinched.
A massive beast like him looking sheepish was quite the sight.
I continued the conversation while looking around the pottery workshop.
“So why the shout?”
—Hurry up and improve things. It’s driving me mad with discomfort.
Adam thumped his chest with a frustrated expression.
Aside from the lack of apprentices, the place was fully equipped.
Peeking into the inner room, I saw an enormous, ornate bed.
The private dining area and living room were also nicely furnished.
He must’ve poured his entire salary into this.
“Doesn’t look like anything’s missing. What’s uncomfortable?”
—The clothes. The butlers keep bringing me stuff like this.
“Ah…”
Adam was wearing leggings that looked ready to burst.
It was the style popular among imperial nobles, and honestly, even I found them uncomfortable.
Pretty embarrassing, too.
—I couldn’t go to a human tailor, so I asked Theo.
“Ah! Right, he disguised himself as an elf tailor once. So he made them for you?”
—What he makes is elf clothing. Would that fit me?
“You can adjust the size.”
—It’s woven from leaves?
“Oh, that’s a bit…”
A beautiful elf in leaf clothing?
If that scene unfolded before me, I’d thank the gods, but it wouldn’t suit Adam at all.
It’d probably make him look even more beastly than now.
—So wouldn’t that drive me mad with frustration!
Contrary to his appearance, Adam liked flashy, stylish outfits.
He probably liked the leggings style itself, if you considered the clothes alone.
That’s why he kept wearing them despite the discomfort.
“I’ll find a tailor. Not sure if it’ll work out, though—the situation’s pretty bad right now.”
—Ah, everyone’s in quarantine because of the epidemic.
“We summoned a sorcerer from Nermeia, and it turns out it’s a curse.”
—Hah! What the hell have you been doing to get hit with something like that? I told you to watch your behavior.
“I’d love to. I don’t know why I keep getting tangled up every time a trial happens.”
—Because you make the right rulings.
“Huh?”
I let out a dumb sound without thinking.
I hadn’t expected to hear that from Adam.
—Why so surprised? Don’t you know what kind of existence you are in Perias?
“It’s not that, but I didn’t think you’d know.”
Those with power who throw their weight around always have dirty secrets. So don’t bend.
“You just told me to watch my behavior.”
—I meant keep doing what you’re doing.
Adam turned away with an embarrassed expression, pretending to work for no reason.
I smiled softly and turned to leave.
“I’ll find a tailor as soon as I can. One with a tight lip.”
—Good.
No need to go to the shopping district; I’d seen enough for now.
Once the steamer was finished, I’d start proper papermaking research.
There’d probably be a lot of trial and error.
I know how to make it, but the materials are different, after all.
I’d experiment while staying at the mansion.
If it worked, I’d pick a smart one to teach.
Someone like Butler Tobias Wilkin…
No, he wouldn’t do.
He’s in charge of the shopping district—he’d be too busy.
“By the way, there was one more matter, wasn’t there?”
The curse on the workers.
Vargas would handle lifting it, but finding the culprit was another issue.
Whoever it is, they’re dead if I catch them.
Daring to sabotage my business?
It wouldn’t even be a problem to sentence them to death.
A curse on me—an imperial duke, supreme judge, and governor to boot.
“Wait a second.”
Strictly speaking, nothing had happened to me.
It started after I went to Delriat.
The maids and butlers at the mansion were fine, too.
And the shopping district workers hadn’t been cursed either.
I immediately went to find Butler Miller Xavier.
By now, he should’ve had the walt trees cut and moved to the warehouse.
Sure enough, I spotted him working with a few laborers.
“Butler Xavier.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Did the sick people all share the same dormitory?”
“Yes. It was Building 1, the first one we built. We isolated them right away when symptoms appeared, preventing further spread.”
“Was there anyone new who moved in there?”
“Yes, we moved the Palmer couple to a larger room after they had a child.”
“And someone else took their place?”
“Yes. We hired a sturdy young man named Margon…”
Tap tap tap tap!
I started running before Butler Miller Xavier could finish.
It felt like every hair on my body stood on end.
Bad omens always became reality.
The moment I reached the site, the incident finally exploded.
KABOOOM—!
A tremendous boom echoed as flames shot high into the sky.
Swirling dark crimson energy enveloped the workers’ dormitory.
Finally, I spat out a single furious line.
“You crazy bastards! Do you have any idea how much that building cost… No, what the hell are you doing with patients inside!”
Whoops. I almost let my true feelings slip.