Chapter 27

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Regarding the parts that have been published in book form, I have intentionally left the typos, omissions, and additions as they are, thinking that they might serve as reference material for future researchers.

Please understand.

There are people who use the typo reporting function to proofread.

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Superlative Skill is a supplementary skill to the 'Green Hand' and 'Blue Hand' skill series, which seems to provide a boost mainly to tasks that involve the use of hands, and is said to be a skill possessed by only a select few who are called masters among the proficient.

Igor's Blessing refers to the state of being blessed by Igor, the god of the sky, technology, medicine, wind, and commerce.

By the way, I have no acquaintance with any gods other than Princess Hyakka.

"That's why, while I can understand 'Superlative Skill,' I have no idea about 'Blessing.'"

"Then why do you have it?"

"Beats me?"

I sewed the buttons back on the worn-out shirt, mended the frayed parts, and patched up the torn areas of the pants, then embroidered swirling Elven patterns on top of the patches.

According to Mr. Romanov, the condor symbolizes increased magic power, and the vine symbolizes increased toughness.

The knees of the pants tend to wear out easily, so it's good if they become stronger.

"Here, I'm done."

"Oh, wow, thanks a lot."

As a widower, Roland's clothes had taken quite a beating.

To test whether my 'Blue Hand' was genuine, I mended the buttons that had fallen off, the frayed edges, and the holes in his pants using the needle and thread I had on hand.

When Roland used the [Appraisal] skill on the mended pants, he choked.

"Unbelievable, the toughness boost is really there."

"This proves that the handkerchief with the embroidery is from Fengdie, right?"

"Ah, when you do it right in front of me, of course."

While rubbing his chin, Roland nodded and then shifted his gaze to the handkerchief he had brought.

By the way, why did I come here again?

When I asked Mr. Romanov while returning the borrowed needle and thread, his shoulders slumped.

"You came to sell your handkerchiefs..."

"Oh, is that it... Wait, what?"

No way, that's too much.

Even though the Adventurer's Guild allows the buying and selling of adventure-related items, the handkerchiefs I brought have embroidery on them.

There's no way they could be sold...

"How about two gold coins for all of them?"

"Okay, sold."

"Sold!?"

Surprised, I shouted, and the two adults looked at me blankly.

"Of course, they can be sold."

"Of course, I'd buy them."

"Why!?"

"Well, why... you..."

Confused, but Roland explained that toughness refers to physical defense, which can be increased by training the body. However, magic power and magic resistance are determined by the quality of the magic element nerves, which are innate and cannot be trained.

"In other words, someone with magic element nerves spread throughout their body like an elf can kill a person with a low-level spell. Conversely, someone like me who can barely use a low-level spell would find it impossible to use a high-level spell, and even if they could, it wouldn't have the power of a low-level spell used by an old man."

"But even someone like that, if they have Fengdie's embroidered handkerchief, could survive a half-dead state from my magic..."

"Right, Mr. Romanov! I don't really understand how impressive that is because I don't fully grasp your skills!"

"Ah, I see."

"Alright, I get it."

Nodding vigorously, I was grabbed by the chin by Mr. Romanov, who forced my mouth into a pout.

"Did you understand what I've been trying to explain since the other day?"

"Yes, I understand!"

"Good."

At least, it can be sold.

But it's just a handkerchief. I can understand if it were armor or a weapon, but two gold coins for a handkerchief seems a bit much.

Incidentally, two gold coins should be enough to live comfortably for a month if you're single. Probably. If my faulty memory is correct.

When I said this, Roland nodded with a bitter expression.

"Normally, items that have such boosts are made with special materials by skilled craftsmen with unique skills. Therefore, the cost of cultivating, acquiring, and transporting these materials, as well as the labor costs of training and employing these craftsmen, makes them extremely expensive. Two gold coins wouldn't be enough to buy them. But this is just a handkerchief, and it's not made with special materials, so I'll give you a fair price for it."

"Well, I think two gold coins is still quite expensive... Are special materials like magic-infused threads or metals?"

"Not just those, but also materials like monster skins, bones, and mucus. These are obtained by commissioning adventurers to defeat or collect them."

"Such materials are dangerous to obtain, so they are naturally expensive."

"I see... So that's how the economy works..."

If I were to throw this ordinary cloth and thread into the market, what would happen?

Or, I could embroider cotton shirts or undergarments and sell them.

But, thinking about it, I sighed unconsciously.

"Relying on my skills alone isn't good..."

"Hey, it could be a good way to earn some pocket money."

"Yes, thank you. But I want to create an industry that can revitalize the region, not just a home-based business."

If I only think about the Kikunoi family, a home-based business would be fine. It would just mean finding a way to prevent decline.

However, what I want to do is to raise the literacy rate and, more broadly, to provide education to the people of the region.

For that, money and the industries that produce it are necessary.

When I explained this, Mr. Romanov nodded seriously.

"If parents are poor, they can't afford to educate their children."

"That's true, but in such families, children are also a valuable labor force, right? For example, they could be used as babysitters while the parents work in the fields, or they could help with the work instead of being babysitters."

"That's not impossible."

"Moreover, poverty and low education levels create a vicious cycle."

When families are poor, they cut back on education expenses. As a result, their children lose the opportunity to receive education and cannot get jobs that require reading and writing.

Jobs that require reading and writing generally pay higher wages, but if they can't get such jobs, they naturally end up with low incomes. This leads to the next generation also cutting back on education expenses, creating a negative spiral.

"If parents can earn enough to not have to treat their children as labor, they might have the means to send their children to school. For that, it's not enough for just me to make money. All the people in the region need to become prosperous."

"And provide educational opportunities to all the people in the region...?"

"Why would you want to do something like that...?"

He didn't understand.

Question marks were written all over Roland's face.

"While teaching Regulus, I realized that if Regulus grows up and becomes a leader, and his subordinates can't read or write, will they be able to follow Regulus's instructions without making mistakes?"

"That's..."

"It would be difficult, right? Regulus can't do everything alone. He needs companions. Moreover, the world needs to be kind not only to Regulus but also to the people around him for Regulus to live comfortably."

I realized how difficult it is for a child to grow up healthy while embroidering picture books.

"For example, to prevent illness, I teach Regulus to avoid getting sick rather than how to cure it. But if the children he plays with get sick, they will pass it on to Regulus. Teaching Regulus prevention methods alone wouldn't be enough."

"So, I need to teach the prevention methods to the children he plays with... In other words, I need to educate them."

"Yes. But if their parents get sick, it will still spread. However, if they are wealthy, they can see a doctor and get treated before passing it on to their children."

I want to break the negative cycle and create a positive one.

A child who learns prevention methods will teach their own children, and this will continue to the next generation.

My throat was dry from talking too much.

I took out a water bottle from my waist pouch, borrowed three cups, and poured raspberry and honey-flavored carbonated water into each.

The sweet and tangy flavors of the raspberry and honey mixed perfectly on my tongue, fizzing delightfully.

"Hey, boy... No, Mr. Fengdie."

"Yes. Ah, no need for the honorific. I don't have a title yet."

"Ah, I see. But it's our custom, so don't worry about it. Anyway, I understand that you have a great ideal and are thinking about the future of the people. But why did you start thinking about such things? Can you tell me?"

"Yes... I'm not sure where to start..."

"Then I'll explain."

Mr. Romanov began to recount the recent turmoil in the Kikunoi family from a third-person perspective to Roland. While adding some details, I mostly remained silent. Suddenly, Roland looked up to the sky and said, "So that's it."

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