Chapter 22

Thank you for reading. This is the first episode of today.

The second episode will be posted at 9 PM tonight.

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Sariel descended in front of the Vione mansion, along with the luggage.

The Vione family was said to be in a state as terrible as a ruin. It was good to have heard that beforehand. Thanks to that, he wasn't particularly surprised. It was indeed a ruin. The mansion, half-collapsed, was barely standing, buried in tall, overgrown weeds.

Using the key he had been given, he entered the mansion, where everything inside had already been disposed of. They had been sold off to contribute to the compensation.

Sariel had acquired the mansion, which the country had bought, and the territory, which the country had managed as collateral, with the budget allocated for his descent to the vassal. He had been granted permission by the ailing king to succeed the Vione earldom. The dispatched officials had explained the situation to the villagers, who, while they had their thoughts about Sariel being Zeraphi's fiancé, understood that it was a political marriage. They had also heard rumors that Sariel was excellent, and the village chiefs welcomed him.

He had secretly investigated the villagers' reactions, and they had said, "If he's a good lord who doesn't act superior, that would be nice."

The Vione earl had been a terribly cruel lord, so Sariel was worried, but the officials had made it clear that Sariel was not such a person, which was a relief. According to the story, Zeraphi had even used a fire attack on the children of the villagers. When he heard this, he almost felt his blood boil with anger.

He asked the official to request a healer if there were any lingering aftereffects. It seemed that this was well-received, and Sariel was smoothly accepted.

"Still, it's in a terrible state.

First, we need to repair it."

The garden was also in a terrible state, but the mansion needed to be repaired first to make it habitable.

It was hard to believe that the mansion had been left to deteriorate to this extent. The fact that the earl's family had lived here was almost unbelievable.

He walked through the first floor. Sariel, now just a fallen earl, had no servants or guards. He could cast some offensive magic, though not very powerful. He could use a wind magic attack called Kamaitachi. Therefore, he didn't need a guard. Besides, there wasn't much valuable property anyway.

With the help of the driver, he moved the luggage and was left alone. The horse, which was Sariel's, would be brought later. He planned to buy a cargo carriage eventually.

While thinking about various things, he heard a noise from the back. Sariel, on guard, looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man in a butler's uniform appear.

"Ah, it's Prince Sariel.

I was told you would come around today.

I am Heine, the butler."

Heine bowed elegantly. The butler with silver hair neatly combed and amber eyes was well-mannered, and seemed out of place in the ruin.

"... I thought you had already downsized the staff since there wasn't enough money to hire people?"

"I have heard that.

The others have all left, taking a small severance pay.

Since the wages were hardly paid, they were able to leave smoothly with the carriage fare and a letter of recommendation from the country.

I am too old to go anywhere else.

I don't need a wage, so I asked if I could help, and was told to consult with Prince Sariel."

"I see.

But I really can't pay much."

"I understand.

The income from the territory won't be available for the next ten years, I hear.

The previous Vione earl was doing magic power replenishment work, but most of it went to living expenses and various payments.

From that time, the servants were gradually leaving, relying on the employment agency.

The only ones who remained until the end were the lady's maid and the kitchen staff, who received a small wage.

I lived by sharing the harvest from the garden with the kitchen staff."

"That's terrible.

Is that how it was...?

Heine, do you have a family?"

"I do, but I have nowhere to go.

I am not divorced from my wife, but she went through a lot of hardships when she was a maid here.

She couldn't forgive me for stubbornly continuing as a butler."

Heine seemed reluctant to say more. It might have been a matter of not speaking ill of his master. Sariel understood and stopped asking. Since Heine had nowhere to go, he decided to let him help.

Together with Heine, he walked around the mansion again, considering what needed to be repaired urgently.

Heine's eyes sparkled when he heard that Sariel could use earth magic. "That's great.

If there's a mage who can use earth magic, the plasterer's fee will be cheaper."

"Huh? Is that so?"

Sariel asked what he meant. "The plasterer will be saved.

Of course, if Prince Sariel is willing to help."

"I will, of course.

By the way, Heine.

I'm no longer a prince, and I can't pay much as a master, so can you call me Sariel?"

"That would be too presumptuous..."

"I'll consider formal titles when I can pay a proper wage.

But for now, it's more comfortable this way."

"... I have no choice.

If it's an order from my master...

But in front of others, I will call you Master Sariel to avoid disrespect."

"That's fine."

According to Sariel's detailed inquiry, using earth magic could mix cement in an instant. Digging and other tasks could also be done with earth magic, requiring no effort. Heine had seen a mage manipulate the mixed cement to flow like a snake up the roof. Sariel thought he could probably do that too.

Therefore, if he asked a plasterer to do the work at a discount because an earth mage would help, it would be cheaper. Heine said he would ask a plasterer he knew, and Sariel nodded.

A few days later, Sariel discussed with the plasterer Heine had brought, and they agreed to do the work at a discount.

"Is it okay to use the prince?"

The head of the plasterers looked somewhat skeptical. Despite the thorough discussion, he didn't seem to fully believe it.

"It's fine. Use me as much as you want.

Since you're giving me such a discount."

It was half price. Sariel was in a good mood because he had saved a lot. The budget he had been worrying about seemed to be manageable.

"Then, let's start with the badly damaged foundation."

The reinforcement of the foundation, which Heine was worried about, began.

They cleared the area around the foundation, set up a frame, and poured cement. They also filled the cracks in the foundation with reinforced cement.

Sariel used earth magic to mix the difficult reinforced cement and filled the cracks with it, even reaching the deepest parts.

"Wow, this is a great help.

You're really good at it."

Sariel felt genuinely happy when the head praised him. He didn't mind being called a plasterer. He enjoyed using magic.

The foundation reinforcement was completed in about six days, following the head's instructions.

On the seventh day, it was the repair of the broken chimney. Sariel used a body strengthening spell to easily carry the bricks to the roof.

"You look thin, but you're really strong..."

"It's a body strengthening spell."

Sariel smiled and answered.

"Isn't that a difficult spell, even for the best knights?"

"Not really.

If you're good at manipulating magic, you can do a lot.

Is carrying bricks like this?"

"Yes, the bricks are done.

Can you also help with the cement?"

"Tell me what to do, I think I can."

Heine had seen an earth mage manipulate the cement like a snake. Sariel tried it and found it surprisingly easy. He left the finishing touches to the heads.

The chimney repair was almost completed in a week.

After that, they repaired the exterior walls, and all the places that needed plastering were completed in about twenty days. The mansion, which had been a ruin, was unrecognizable. Heine was so happy that he shed tears.

"I hadn't seen such a beautiful mansion since I started serving here. It was already quite damaged when I arrived."

"No, it's not that bad, Heine.

Next, we need to ask the carpenters.

I can't help with carpentry, so we'll have to hire them normally.

But since we saved a lot on the plastering, I think we can afford a decent repair."

"That's true.

For the repair, why don't we use the cedar and oak trees in the back? Sariel can use the wind magic Kamaitachi, right?

If we cut them down, dry them with wind magic, and process them, we can save on the cost of the lumber."

"... You really use me, Heine."

"Well, if it's about saving money, I learned that from the Vione family."

Heine smiled elegantly.

Sariel cut down good trees as directed by Heine. Although his magic power wasn't very high and he wasn't as skilled with wind magic as with earth magic, he managed to cut down about ten trees, two a day. Heine made him clean up the branches of the cut trees, which turned out to be good quality wood. He used wind magic to dry the wood, and Sariel felt like he was doing more magic practice than when he was at the academy.

The cut branches would be used as firewood. "We won't run out of firewood this winter," Heine said happily.

The stumps were dug up with earth magic, and the cut parts were also dried and used as firewood.

Heine told the town carpenter, "We have the lumber," and got a discount on the construction cost.

The garden behind the mansion, which Heine said he had been cultivating, was not very large but was well-stocked. The Vione family had been surviving on the crops from this garden.

There was no meat, but the chickens in the corner coop laid eggs. "It was almost self-sufficient, wasn't it?"

Sariel was half amazed and half impressed.

"Salt, spices, and oils still need to be bought, so I'm not sure if it can be called 'almost.'"

"Meat would be good to buy.

Can I ask you to do the shopping?"

"That would be nice. It's been a long time since we had meat."

"Did the former earl not provide meals for the servants?"

"The earl doesn't care about food expenses, but he's generous with the money for alcohol.

The lady spends money on soap and perfumes but thinks it's better not to eat meat to avoid getting fat."

Heine looked displeased.

"... I'm surprised you didn't quit."

"I couldn't, because the earl told the maids he wouldn't write them letters of recommendation.

He needed his signature. The only thing I could do was to pass the maids' information to the employment agency.

I couldn't get a better job myself.

I knew that Noelle was being abused, but I could only give her second-hand clothes from Zeraphi.

Even then, I only gave her everyday clothes, not formal wear.

I also left needles and thread.

Zeraphi often tore her everyday clothes, so I couldn't sew them because of my old eyes.

I could only give her food.

I always left the key to the food storage open and put extra bread.

I also left the key to the library open. Noelle, unlike Zeraphi, read books.

I put pens and notebooks in the desk drawers, and Noelle used them to study.

There was a lot to do in this mansion.

I'm glad I didn't quit."

Sariel learned that this old butler had been supporting everyone behind the scenes.

The carpenters praised the wood Sariel had finished as "quite good," and the other construction work was completed at a much lower cost.

◇◇◇

The butler, Heine, who used his master, suggested with a smile, "If you do the garden, you can make it very beautiful."

Of course, he had intended to do it. He just didn't want to interfere while the carpenters were there, but he and Heine worked on the garden.

"There's always something to do in the garden all year round."

The elegant butler pulled weeds. "Heine, I'll try the earth magic 'plowing.' Tell me where the seeds haven't been planted."

"The front part hasn't been planted yet.

After harvesting the remaining vegetables on this side, please plow the whole area."

"Got it.

Then, let's harvest."

"These leafy vegetables and beans are precious food for the future."

"They're growing well."

"That's because I make my own fertilizer by mixing chicken manure, kitchen scraps, fireplace ash, and weeds.

It's well-aged, two-year-old fertilizer."

"You're really going beyond your duties as a butler..."

Sariel plowed the areas Heine had indicated with earth magic, spread Heine's famous fertilizer, and planted leafy vegetables and root vegetables.

The carpentry repairs progressed gradually. Sariel was asked by Heine to clean the rooms that had been repaired with wind magic. Heine cleaned up the dust, and they finished the cleaning together. Heine said he would do it alone, but Sariel didn't want to leave the elderly Heine to do it alone. Sariel was determined to do everything himself. For stubborn stains, he used a purification spell. Heine was also good at using purification spells. Heine, it turned out, was the second son of a baron.

Heine asked if he could do any other magic, and although Sariel didn't really want to answer, he showed him by generating a cup of water and lighting a flame on his fingertip.

"Wow, that's convenient.

It could save lives in a disaster."

Heine was impressed.

"That's all I can do..."

Sariel, as a prince, knew too well that his magic was mediocre.

"People can survive for about half a month without food, but they die in about four days without water."

"That's true."

"For kindling, you can call Sariel."

"... I guess so."

"Zeraphi, if she had practiced various things instead of just focusing on those dangerous offensive spells, would have been better."

Heine looked far away. "That's true."

She was so talented, yet she wasn't a praised mage.

--- I, here, am doing better as a mage than she is.

Sariel thought it was ironic.