“Hoo, well, shall we go then?”
It was the day to depart for the Marquisate, so I was up early, busy with preparations.
Honestly, there wasn’t much to prepare.
“Let’s see. The most important thing is… ah, my spatial bag. All set!”
That was really it.
All the essential items I needed were already inside the spatial bag.
Things for camping, food, daily necessities, everything was in there.
My outfit was a simple leather suit, with a sword at my waist and a loose-fitting cloak draped over me.
No matter who looked, I appeared as a lightly-dressed traveler.
As soon as I finished preparing, Cal came over, looking worried, and spoke.
“My Lord, wouldn’t it be better to take someone with you?”
On this journey to the Capital, I wasn’t taking anyone with me.
Neither Jenny nor Irene would be coming. Only I would be traveling alone.
Honestly, having someone accompany me was preferable.
But for some reason, I felt like going alone, as if I was setting off on a true journey, so I decided to travel solo.
“It’s fine, I’m a Five Circle Mage after all. Besides, there are plenty of villages along the way, and if I join a merchant caravan, I’ll be safe enough.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to at least take Jenny with you?”
Currently, Jenny was the strongest in the domain after Arnold.
Thanks to my teaching, her skills had improved. With constant training day and night, she was still growing stronger.
“No need, she’s busy teaching the kids.”
I waved away Cal’s concern and stepped out of the Mansion.
Prrrr, prr.
In front of the Mansion, Toma was waiting for me, happily whinnying after a long rest in the stables.
My travel companion was just one—Toma.
As soon as Toma saw me, he pressed his face in a greeting, and I bent over to stroke his mane, expressing my own joy.
“Wo-cha”
I climbed onto Toma’s back, gently nudged his side, and we set off.
“I’ll be back. It’ll take a month or two, so be careful during the winter.”
“Yes, my Lord, travel safely.”
Just in case, I made four extra heaters.
One for the Twin Sisters’ room, one for the Carl Couple’s room, one for Jenny’s room, and one for myself to carry in the spatial bag.
It was easy for them to take these with them as needed, and inside the Mansion there’d be no problem. I’d already filled them with enough Mana, so they should last until I return.
And so, I left the Mansion.
First, I passed the Training Ground where the Slaves were training and spoke a few words of request to Arnold.
“Travel safely, my Lord.”
“I’ll leave things to you.”
Passing the Training Ground, I headed west to the Construction Site where the Castle walls were being built.
The mood at the Construction Site was good.
Everyone was working hard, helping each other carry materials. There were plenty of breaks, so the workers’ faces weren’t worn with exhaustion.
Seeing the smooth progress on the Castle walls, I moved toward the yet-to-be-built Gate.
“Greetings, my Lord.”
Passing by, some workers and a few domain residents recognized me and greeted me.
I waved back and continued past the spot where the Gate would eventually stand.
“All right, how about a good run for the first time in a while? Let’s go, Toma!”
“Heeiiing!”
At my shout, Toma neighed loudly as if to say he understood, and charged forward.
Perhaps he was excited for a long run after so long, because Toma truly raced with delight.
The road to the Marquisate was free of monsters, and well-paved, so we galloped without hindrance, arriving at the Marquis’s Castle by afternoon.
***
Upon entering the Marquis’s Castle, I realized it was just as chilly here as it was in our own domain.
They’ve prepared well, it seems:’
The interior of the Marquis’s Castle wasn’t especially warm either. It was somewhat better than outside since the wind didn’t get in, but it was still cold.
Guided by a Knight, I arrived at the Marquis’s office.
“Filton Marquess, Baron Solo has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
With the Marquis’s permission, I opened the door and entered his office.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Baron Solo. I hope you’ve been well.”
“Filton Marquess, how have you been?”
“Haha. I’ve been fine. Please, come in.”
I did as the Marquess said and sat on the sofa. He took a seat across from me, his expression friendly.
His demeanor surprised me a little.
At the very least, it seemed he wasn’t planning to discard me immediately.’
When I first met him, he had the air and authority of a central noble, truly making me feel what nobility was.
The second time, he looked like a lion eyeing prey right in front of him.
But today, he was different.
Not only was he welcoming, but it was as if he was meeting someone who had exceeded his expectations.
And I soon found out why.
“Perhaps because your domain is right next to mine, news of you reaches me often. It seems you’re even more capable than I thought. I never imagined you’d secure timber from the mountains to build sturdy Castle walls for defense. I expected you’d simply twist your subjects’ arms for money and live in luxury.”
The Marquess picked up a cup and offered it to me, and I accepted it politely.
“I still have too much to do to indulge in luxury. I need to develop my domain, improve my magic, and most of all, I need to be able to respond immediately if you have any requests. To do that, I believe I must become even stronger.”
“Oh-ho, so that’s why you took in those eighty young Slaves and are raising them?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hm.”
The Marquess had expected this, and he even knew the exact number of Slaves I’d purchased.
He probably didn’t know their full capabilities, but he was aware they were in training.
He didn’t seem entirely pleased about me raising Slaves.
“It would be safer to hire well-known Knights instead.”
He recommended I hire reputable Knights.
Of course, I knew that wasn’t a bad idea.
That would certainly bolster my domain’s fighting strength.
But since that was a contractual relationship, I’d have to find new Knights whenever the contracts ended.
“I’m thinking of doing so eventually, but… for now, my domain and finances aren’t quite there yet. When my name is better known, I’ll consider hiring some then.”
“Right, that’s wise.”
I nodded along, making it clear I was listening to the Marquess’s advice and would consider it, keeping our conversation pleasant.
After that, our conversation was unremarkable.
Some casual small talk and a bit of advice about domain management.
“Oh, by the way, how did you arrive? You got here more quietly than I expected.”
“I came on horseback. After all, I don’t have much, and traveling alone is actually safer for the domain right now.”
“Huh, even so. You’re a noble, you know.”
“It’s fine. I may be a humble noble now, but I’m sure one day I’ll prosper and live well.”
At my bold words, the Marquess’s eyes sharpened.
It was the same look as when he gave me money and sniffed for the scent of it that day.
“This is a small gift for you alone, Marquess.”
Cautiously, I took out a small wooden box.
The Marquess looked at it, his face both understanding and curious as to what was inside.
I slid the box over to him, and he opened it.
He seemed a bit disappointed as he looked at the contents.
“An intermediate Magic Stone, hmm…”
He must have been expecting something more. But I hadn’t just brought a Magic Stone.
“Hmm… but it feels a bit warmer in here.”
The Marquess peeled off one of his winter coats, and I spoke up.
“It’s a Magic Artifact. It gently blows warm air to keep the room comfortable.”
“Oh-ho! Is that what this is?”
Now the Marquess seemed genuinely surprised.
“If you leave it open, it will continue to blow warm air and keep the room heated. I’ve already turned it on, so please wait a moment.”
We waited quietly.
While we waited, the Marquess continued to peel off layers, and before long he was dressed as lightly as on a warm spring day.
“Hah, this is quite a wonderful item I’ve received.”
The Marquess now realized its value. With this, he wouldn’t have to shiver through winter like the others.
“This item is called a Heater. It’s still an early prototype, but with a few refinements, it will become even more impressive.”
“And being an early model, it has extra value.”
He immediately recognized the item’s worth.
If something is recently made by a renowned craftsman, or a mass-produced item, it’s worth less.
But if it’s an early model, that’s a different story.
A true collector gathers from the beginning to the end.
That’s the collector’s way, and if my name becomes widely known later, its price will only go up.
The Marquess understood this now.
‘He really does have a nose for money.’
I’d felt it last time, but the Marquess was quite remarkable.
“I’ve set it to run at a moderate level. If it ever stops blowing air, just have a Mage in the Castle recharge the Mana, and unless it’s broken, it’ll last a long time.”
“Oh-ho, then it’s a truly satisfying item. A Heater, was it? Quite an interesting invention.”
The Marquess looked thoroughly pleased.
He set the Heater on his desk and directed the warm air toward his bed.
“Heh, looks like I’ll have some real fun tonight.”
I knew exactly what he meant, so I chuckled quietly.
The Marquess sat back down across from me.
“It’s still quite early for your journey to the Capital. Will you stay here for a while and go together?”
“No, I plan to head for the Capital first.”
There were several reasons I wanted to reach the Capital quickly: to browse for items, buy Magicbooks, and more.
“Then, once you arrive at the Capital, go to my Mansion and stay there. I’ll contact them ahead of time using a Communication Sphere.”
“Thank you, Marquess.”
With that, I secured good lodging.
I’d been wondering where I’d sleep, so this was a relief.
‘Saved some money. Now I can spend more.’
“No, no. I should be thanking you for such a wonderful item. So, about that…”
The Marquess trailed off, then spoke again.
“Please prepare three more of them. I’d like to give one each to His Majesty the Emperor and the Second Prince.”
He had mentioned two people.
But he said he needed three.
I was a little puzzled.
“The last one is for you to give to someone yourself. That way, it’ll be easier for you to survive in the Empire going forward.”
I wondered who that “someone” was. But I decided not to worry about it for now.
Once I reached the Capital, I’d naturally find out.
There was no need to ask now.
“Understood.”
With that, I left the Marquess’s office.
I planned to stay here tonight and leave tomorrow. After being shown to my room, I went to sleep.