Chapter 96

Another month passed. The Kingdom of Carpia entered the rainy season. On average, it rained one day out of every three, and in some years, it rained every other day. However, this was not the fine, drizzling rain typical of Japan's plum rain season.

While it did not come with strong winds, the amount of rainfall was reminiscent of a typhoon.

Though harsh, for the people living in this land, it was merely an annual routine, and both the people and the buildings in the Kingdom of Carpia were generally adapted to the heavy rains of the rainy season.

In particular, the roads in the capital were designed with drainage as a priority, and the sewers were so well-developed that they could be considered outstanding for the level of civilization.

Wells scattered throughout the city were surrounded by sturdy structures that could be called well houses rather than mere roofs, designed to prevent rainwater from seeping into the wells.

However, even with such measures, rainwater still seeped into the groundwater, and the increased water volume stirred up the mud at the bottom, making the well water turbid during the rainy season.

Therefore, it was common practice to store extra water in large barrels on clear days during the rainy season. When the stored water ran out, they would draw the turbid well water, let the sediment settle, and boil the clear water on top, but even then, it was impossible to completely eliminate the slight earthy smell and taste.

Noble families, wealthy merchants, and high-end inns were said to have people who could use the magic of "Purification" to eliminate the earthy flavor or "Water Creation" to create water.

It was rumored that some people who could use "Purification" or "Water Creation" only worked during the rainy season and spent the rest of the year in leisure.

The magic required for activation was "precise pronunciation," "precise effect recognition," and "precise magic power." Therefore, to use magic, it was essential to adjust the magic power output. However, there were people whose innate magic power output matched the "precise magic power" required for certain types of magic.

Such people could activate the specific type of magic with just "precise pronunciation" and "precise effect recognition." People whose magic power matched the requirements for useful magic like "Purification," "Water Creation," or "Earth Manipulation" often mastered only that type of magic.

On this day, as heavy rain poured down, Zenjiro and Lucinda Gazille were in a room in the palace, sipping tea made with high-quality water that did not carry the scent of mud, refreshing their throats.

"So, there are no issues with the Gazille Margrave family's stay in the capital, correct?"

Lucinda, who was pressing the point, received a smile in response from Zenjiro.

"Yes, I received formal permission from Empress Aura. This is the document. Please take a look."

With that, Zenjiro signaled, and the maid Ines, who was standing behind him, handed the document to Lucinda.

"I will take a look... There are no problems. Thank you very much."

After quickly scanning the document and confirming there were no issues, Lucinda relaxed and expressed her gratitude politely.

Due to the need to hold the wedding of General Pujol and Nilda Gazille in the capital, the Gazille Margrave family had to keep most of its key personnel in the capital for an extended period. This not only thinned the defenses of the border but also raised suspicions about any plots that might be hatched in the capital. Therefore, for major noble families, it was customary to obtain the king's permission in advance when the entire family moved to the capital.

This time, since it was for a wedding sanctioned by the king, the permission was naturally granted.

"Even just the guests invited by the Gazille Margrave family will be quite numerous. Will there be enough accommodation?"

This practical concern, which seemed out of place in a conversation between a royal and a noble's daughter, was understandable when considering the behind-the-scenes work required to organize a large wedding.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Zenjiro. However, it will be fine. Most of the guests formally invited by the Gazille Margrave family are nobles."

Nobles had residences in the noble district of the capital, so, with a few exceptions, the Gazille Margrave family did not need to arrange accommodations.

The exceptions were guests who, due to their relationship with the Gazille Margrave family, needed to be hosted by them during their stay in the capital, or those who, due to strained relationships, could not show their faces at their own residences in the capital.

For such cases, the Gazille Margrave family's residence in the capital was sufficient to handle the situation.

"The Gijen family is originally a noble family of the capital, so it should be even easier. The real issue, then, is the common citizens who will gather to take advantage of the occasion."

"The unpredictable number of people is troublesome. To be frank, an increase in the impoverished population can easily disrupt public order."

"Yet, we cannot limit the 'feast' at a joyous occasion. It's a difficult problem."

"I agree."

Lucinda nodded with a wry smile in response to Zenjiro's words.

The 'feast' referred to the free food provided at joyous occasions like weddings.

For a commoner's wedding, it would be a matter of the venue, and for wealthy commoners, it would be a matter of the neighborhood. However, for a major noble's wedding, the situation was entirely different.

To demonstrate the family's authority, to promote the family's name, and most importantly, to engrave the joy of the noble's marriage in the hearts and stomachs of the people, a grand feast was necessary for a major noble's wedding.

Zenjiro was later told that the wedding of Empress Aura and Zenjiro had effectively turned the entire capital into a three-day feast.

While the wedding of General Pujol and Nilda Gazille could not be as extravagant for both economic and positional reasons, it still involved two major nobles, one of whom was a hero of the recent great war. It could not be a half-hearted affair.

Aiming for the grand feast, the destitute would gather. Even orphans who usually stayed quietly in the back alleys would appear on the main streets on this day to satisfy their hunger. According to the customs of the Kingdom of Carpia, at a joyous occasion, even the destitute and orphans were treated as honored guests and could not be treated carelessly.

However, it was unlikely that the destitute and orphans would stand in line politely. To prevent unsightly riots and fights on a joyous day (which was almost impossible to prevent), security personnel had to work hard.

"Is there anything else that could be a problem? For example, is Lord Primo behaving himself?"

The way Zenjiro phrased it made it clear that he was wary of Primo Gijen.

Primo Gijen was the person in charge of the Gijen family for this wedding.

Ideally, Lucinda Gazille and Primo Gijen should have been on equal footing, discussing matters, with Zenjiro occasionally mediating from his position as a royal. However, in reality, Lucinda Gazille and Zenjiro often had to team up to rein in the often unruly Primo Gijen.

Therefore, Lucinda, with a slightly troubled smile, but in a calm tone, as if it were a routine matter, replied,

"He is behaving himself in broad terms. However, he has commissioned the renowned craftsman, Antonio, to make the decorative plates for the ceremony..."

That was the progress report. Primo Gijen and a renowned craftsman or artist. It was an ominous combination that Zenjiro had heard about countless times since meeting Primo Gijen, and he sighed in resignation.

"So, what is the problem? Budget? Materials?"

"No, there are no major issues with either. Antonio is a former knight who started woodworking after passing the family business to his son. He does it more as a hobby and a source of fulfillment in his later years. Therefore, despite his fame, he does not demand a high fee. However, he does not accept commissions for money, so his works are rare, which drives up their value. The problem is the delivery time."

"Delivery time?"

"Yes."

It turned out that when the old man accepted a commission, he started by going into the forest to find the wood himself. According to him, he "listened to the voice of the trees" and searched the forest on foot until he found a tree that "wanted to become a plate."

As a result, if he was lucky, he could deliver the work in a few days, but if he couldn't find a suitable tree, he would continue searching the forest for three or five years.

The wedding of General Pujol and Nilda Gazille was scheduled for the active season next year. It was impossible to delay it for three or five years just for the decorative plates.

"Given that, we need to prepare alternatives in case it doesn't arrive on time."

"It's already arranged."

"Of course."

"Thank you."

While they didn't want to get used to it, Zenjiro and Lucinda had become accustomed to cleaning up after Primo Gijen. They smiled at each other, and it was then that Zenjiro first noticed something.

Lucinda Gazille's makeup was slightly heavier than usual, especially around her eyes. Zenjiro, who suspected this, asked cautiously,

"Lucinda, I may be overstepping, but are you not getting enough sleep?"

Lucinda, surprised by Zenjiro's observation, widened her eyes before admitting,

"I apologize for showing such an unseemly appearance."

"Are you overworking yourself? To be frank, I think that's a bad sign."

Choosing his words carefully but genuinely concerned, Zenjiro spoke, and Lucinda smiled happily in response.

"Thank you. But I'm fine. I have enough time. It's just that I sleep a bit more lightly in the capital."

Perhaps she was the type whose sleep quality declined with a change in environment. Zenjiro, wanting to be of help, asked further,

"The climate shouldn't be much different from the Gazille Margrave territory, right? So, is it the bedding or a change in lifestyle? Do you have any idea?"

Asking about bedding and lifestyle was quite personal for a man who wasn't close to a woman, but it showed how Zenjiro had unconsciously become more at ease with her.

Understanding that Zenjiro had no ulterior motives, Lucinda answered honestly with a gentle smile.

"Well, to be honest, the busyness isn't much different from when I was in the provincial capital. However, the nature of the busyness has changed. In the provincial capital, I was often busy with physical tasks, but here, my time is constrained, and the work is mostly dialogue and negotiations."

In the Gazille Margrave territory, Lucinda had effectively acted as the de facto lord. While she didn't wield a spear or a hoe, she often traveled on a dragon to mediate disputes between villages and engaged in physical tasks.

In contrast, since coming to the capital, her work was primarily social and negotiation, along with paperwork. The nature of the fatigue was different.

"If that's the case, it might be a good idea to do some physical activity. Exercise close to bedtime can make you feel overheated and counterproductive, so perhaps a walk in the garden before bathing, though the rain makes that difficult. Walking a few laps around the mansion might help."

This advice came from Zenjiro's own experience. During his corporate days, when he was working overtime without leaving the office, he often felt unwell. Searching online for solutions, he found that the answer was to "force yourself to exercise." So, on such days, he would get off the train one or two stops early and run home.

While this extended his already late commute and required carrying running shoes in addition to his dress shoes, he felt better overall.

"Thank you for the valuable advice. I'll try it right away."

"It varies from person to person. It might even hinder your sleep. If that happens, stop immediately."

"I understand."

Zenjiro and Lucinda, without fully realizing it, had become quite open with each other in their conversations.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

That night, Zenjiro and Aura were, as usual, in the harem's living room, discussing the day's progress.

"So, the wedding preparations are going smoothly. We can't be complacent, but we've gotten a handle on how to manage Primo Gijen. Most importantly, Lucinda is a great help, so I think everything will be fine."

In response to Zenjiro's report, Empress Aura smiled.

"Yes, that's the best news. On my end, the first prototype of the 'pump' at the 'Craftsman's Garden' has been completed. Or rather, it can't be called a completion."

"Does that mean it failed?"

"Yes. Since it didn't work at all, it can only be called a failure."

However, this was a product of the idea to "just make a rough version first," so calling it a failure might be a bit harsh.

It seemed that the diagrams Zenjiro had painstakingly drawn were not enough to fully convey the structure to the craftsmen. Although he had also provided a pump-type shampoo bottle as a reference, it was not as simple as it seemed to make it work.

"I haven't had much opportunity to use magic recently, so I thought about having the craftsmen disassemble the shampoo pump. Would that be okay?"

By "disassemble," she meant breaking it down in a way that would make reassembly impossible with normal means, which she would then repair using the "Time Manipulation" magic.

"You've used up the shampoo we brought, and the scented liquid soap we made here is stored in small barrels with lids, so there's no need to go to such lengths to fix it."

In terms of practical value, it wasn't worth the effort. To this, the empress shook her head.

"No, I will fix it. It's not good to leave a broken sample."

"Time Manipulation" was supposed to be a secret magic of the Carpia royal family, but Empress Aura seemed to recognize the value of using it on the pump-type shampoo bottle.

Zenjiro, aware that he didn't fully understand the value criteria, left it to Aura.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you. Honestly, there's nothing more I can do about the pump. ...Not just the pump, really."

Originally, all Zenjiro could do was suggest, "In my world, we had this kind of thing. We had this kind of technology." It was up to Empress Aura to judge whether it would be beneficial to the country, and the craftsmen to implement it.

Empress Aura nodded in agreement.

"Yes, leave it to me. Next, I received a response from my foster father. Here it is."

With that, Empress Aura handed a piece of dragon skin paper to Zenjiro.

"Is this an official document? Can I read it?"

"It's fine. You can now."

While Empress Aura was confident, Zenjiro was skeptical. Since transferring to this world, he had diligently studied the language, but his language skills were probably on par with an average Japanese high school student's English.

However, as Zenjiro looked at the parchment, he realized that Empress Aura was right.

"Really, I can read this."

The text was extremely simple, sticking to the basics of writing, with no embellishments. It was a textbook example of an official document, lacking the self-promotional elements that were typically included in letters from nobles to royals.

It confirmed that the empress's letter had arrived safely, expressed honor at being considered for the marriage of the next Gazille Margrave, Xavier Gazille, to the third and fourth daughters of the Lala Marquis, Aida and Lolita, and stated that they were prepared to welcome Zenjiro at any time.

The content was so straightforward that it could have been written in bullet points.

Moreover, the handwriting was easy to read. While it was certainly neat, it lacked the flair to be called calligraphy. It was as if the writer had simply copied a