Volume 6 - CH 2.4

11-14 minutes 30.08.2022

At almost the same time as that, Isaac, who had given Quique Albiol a new workshop and an enormous budget and had him start on the mass production of the magic motion swordsEspada Marefika on a full scale, was beginning the remodelling of the “Knights’ Room” inside the royal palace.

Originally, the Knights’ Room was a spacious room prepared for the investiture ceremony of the Seal Chivalric OrderTempliers Aegis, and it was hardly used for other purposes. Isaac would accept a private audience or generally be pleased with arranging the roses he had cultivated in a vase here often, but even so, their frequencies were a few times in a year.

Many craftsmen had been entering that spacious room, which was hard to say had been put to practical use much, since yesterday. Its luxurious interior was removed on Isaac’s instructions, and instead, many long wooden boards with exquisite carvings were carried in.

「—Your Highness, could you kindly tell me soon?」

「Huh?」

Isaac, who had a round table prepared in the wide corridor and was watching the craftsmen going in and out while drinking black tea there, tilted his head to the side at the question of Lucius, who was present.

「Tell you what?」

「The reason for this construction work. Judging from the wood that is being carried in, it seems that you’re intending to have some big furniture installed—」

「I’m thinking of ordering bookshelves, you see」

「Bookshelves… is it?」

「I’m going to turn this spacious room into my library」

「Your Highness is certainly an avid reader, but—」

Even when he was acting as the leader of the Seal Chivalric Order, Isaac would always carry several books on him and then read them at his destination. Even if they were mostly gardening books related to the cultivation of roses, it was probably impossible to find fault with the assessment of him being an avid reader.

「Those are books for recreation. I’m not going to move the books in my room here in particular. If so, I won’t need a library this big」

「Then what kind of books…?」

「At present, I intend to gather mainly books related to crest magicHiera Marefika」

Putting almonds and cashew nuts dipped in honey into his mouth, Isaac smiled proudly in some respects.

「—Of course, as far as a collection site of knowledge related to such magic goes, our country already has the Royal Magic AcademyPrasa Marefikos. The scale of the library there is one of the greatest in the continent, and the collection of books is enormous too. However, since I’m going to proceed with the mass production of the magic motion sword from now on, I believe that it’s necessary to prepare a collection site of knowledge here in advance as well. When all is said and done, I’m the one spearheading it」

「I see…」

Honestly, it seemed unexpected for Lucius that Isaac would think of such a thing and then put it into effect without even consulting him at all. Although this comment was bad, even if he thought of such a thing, if it was the previous Isaac, he was bound to leave all the affairs to Lucius.

「—Besides, there are that many magic warriors being attached to the Ahmad’s army, so it’s strange that there’s no library that they can use freely at any time. The fact that we have to receive the assistance of the magic academy whenever something happens, from the standpoint of the minister for military affairs for example, is very unpleasant」

「Is Your Highness—I apologise if it’s my misunderstanding—thinking of reducing the influence of the magic academy on the army?」

「I don’t want you to misunderstand, but I have nothing against your mother. However, it’s a fact that I think the power of the magic academy is too strong」

Stirring the contents of the teacup with a silver spoon, Isaac continued.

「It’s fine that the magic academy is managing the system for educating and nurturing the Dominas candidates. A consistent education from childhood is necessary for the training of a Dominas, and I’m not thinking of doing that here. I also have no complaints about the magic academy managing the non-governmental magic warriors. Rather, I don’t want to take charge of them to that extent」

「Then…?」

「The fact that even the magic warriors belonging to the army and the chivalric order are under the management of the magic academy, don’t you think it’s not very good for our country, which possesses an enormous magic war potential that can’t be disregarded? At the very least, the current system where one can’t become a magic warrior unless they have the approval of the magic academy, I think it’s necessary to make changes to it in the near future」

In Ahmad, for the sake of managing the magic warriors within the country, only people who had received the examination of the magic academy and were deemed to have the qualifications were given the permission to draw magic crestsHieratika on their skins. Moreover, the Hiera Glaphicos drawing those magic crests themselves, without a single exception, belonged to the magic academy.

That was to say, in Ahmad, one couldn’t become a magic warrior unless they had the permission of the magic academy, and regarding the restoration and adjustment of the magic crests, they also had to get help from the Hiera Glaphicos belonging to the magic academy. Whether they were soldiers or civilians, as long as they were magic warriors, they couldn’t get away from under the management of the magic academy.

「At the very least, I believe that the magic warriors working in the army should be nurtured by the army to the end. To be trained by the army and be looked after by the army—I want to make it into such a natural structure」

If Isaac, who was the crown prince, said that he wanted to do so, then it could be said that it was already a matter that had been decided. After all, Isaac would eventually become King Jeffren XII and administer the politics; at the same time, he’d also stand at the top of the religious world as the Great Gods of Heaven and Earth Official.

「Building my library here is the first step for that, I guess?」

Isaac said so and reached for the refill of black tea that the page had brewed.

「—Oh, yes, I remember that」

「What is it?」

「Can you go to Villanova for a while?」

「Villanova? Is it by any chance the House of Valiente—」

「As one would expect, your conjecture is good, Lucius-kun. Since the cleaning up of the mansion is mostly finished, I want you to collect the remaining collection of books that wasn’t burnt」

Due to the recent matter in Villanova, the head of the House of Valiente, Dante, was incarcerated, and his mansion, secondary residence and all of his various other assets had been placed under the management of Ahmad. Isaac’s intention was to collect the valuable books related to magic from among them and then housed them in his own library.

「If it’s the library of Dante Valiente who had been secretly advancing the research of magic motion swords, I think it’ll have plenty of such books as well. But unfortunately, I have no magic talent」

「Understood. —Then, is it all right if I bring a few people from “Blue Right Hand”Dextra Blau along for work?」

「Of course it’s all right, but incidentally, who do you intend to bring along?」

「First, Saforcada-kyou」

「Hee?」

「In my eyes, Saforcada-kyou’s magic talent is the best within the group. Regarding knowledge in particular, he seems to be quite well-versed」

「That excellent? How is he when compared to you?」

Lucius, who was suddenly asked something that was difficult to answer, simply showed a faint smile and let it pass.

「He was probably taught by a very outstanding private tutor. Though his combat aspect is still uncertain, if it’s a work that requires knowledge like this time, I believe that Saforcada-kyou will be of more use than me」

「If it’s this sort of work, huh…」

Letting out a chuckle, Isaac nodded greatly.

「—That’s enough, you don’t have to go out of your way to give your respects to me when you depart, so can you depart as soon as possible? Since I’ll have the construction work here finish in one week, I’d like you all to come back by then as well」

「Certainly」

Lucius put his cup down, bowed to Isaac and started walking.

“Speaking of which, is Dimitar carrying out his mission well on the other side?” Narrowing his eyes at the sunlight shining in through the window, Lucius suddenly thought of such a thing.

「—Vice-Leader-dono!」

In less than thirty minutes after Lucius had summoned him, Angel Saforcada appeared at the stable.

「I’m sorry for being late」

「You’re not late in particular. I should have told you to come in one hour though…」

「Ah, yes, I’m sorry」

Angel’s face had become red, and he bowed repeatedly while gasping for air lightly. Lucius thought not only his magic talent but also this seriousness and dedication to his mission were hard to come by.

「We’ll depart immediately when Hazard-kyou comes」

「I heard that we’ll be heading for Villanova, but what kind of mission is it this time?」

「It’s an important mission, but at least it’s not one where you’ll see blood」

「I see… though saying such a thing is somewhat inappropriate, I feel relieved a little」

「It’d be helpful if every time is like this though」

Lucius unconsciously smiled wryly at Angel, who had openly shown an expression of relief, and placed his hand on the saddle of the horse that he had the attendant prepare.

「Vice-Leader」

「Hi, Hazard-kyou. Thank you for your hard work」

「This is going to have lingering effects forever. It’d be good if it’ll be settled with this」

As one would expect, Hazard-kyou, who had arrived slightly later than Angel, seemed to have guessed the details of the mission to a certain extent just from hearing that it was a journey to Villanova.

Lucius straddled his horse at once and departed from the royal palace, accompanied by Angel and Hazard-kyou.

It was about two full days’ distance if one went to Villanova from Roma by carriage, but if they also included the course of starting work after going to the royal capital Bruan, loading the books they had selected on a cart and then bringing them back, they had no time to take it easy since they were ordered to finish within a week.

While urging his horse on towards the west single-mindedly, Lucius explained the mission this time to the two people.

「We’ll select things related to crest magic from among the collection of books that was seized in the mansion of Villanova’s former deputy prime minister, Dante Valiente, and bring them back to Roma」

「Why are we doing such a thing… is it all right to ask that?」

「His Highness seems to be building his own library. He judged that it’s better to have another library besides the one established as an annex of the magic academy, a collection of books that the people from the chivalric order and army can peruse freely」

Why Isaac had come to judge so, Lucius didn’t say.

Isaac, who had been weakening the economic strength of the great nobles with all sorts of methods until now, was thinking of reducing the influence of the magic academy this time—in order to make the royal family’s ruling system more firm, it might be a correct judgement in its own way.

However, Lucius couldn’t quite understand Isaac’s thought of readily disclosing such an important plan to none other than the biological son of the head director of the magic academy. Did he not think he’d tell his mother, or did he believe that Lucius would keep a secret; or perhaps from the beginning, did he disclose it after assuming that it’d be conveyed to Orvieto through Lucius?

In any case, Lucius couldn’t help but feel that Isaac might be testing him.

「…Vice-Leader-dono?」

When Lucius suddenly realised, Angel had lined his horse up right next to him and was looking up at him.

「No, it’s nothing. More importantly, His Highness’s order is to return in one week. Let’s speed up a bit more. —Hazard-kyou, is that all right?」

「Yes」

Quickening their horses’ pace further, Lucius’s party hurried on their way straight for Villanova.