Chapter 1910 – 1910. Dark Moon
The old mansion I acquired after selling the maple sapling from the Spirit Realm to Baron Arpon.
I liked this old mansion. It had a unique antique charm not commonly found in other mansions. Old. In other words, it signified tradition and history. In Neo London, that value was high.
Several maids and butlers worked at the mansion. They were people Yuria had personally selected before entering the Maid Academy. Five in total. It was a sufficient number to manage this old mansion.
“Did you wake up, Master? I will prepare breakfast soon.”
“No, I don’t have an appetite. Skip breakfast, I’ll eat lunch outside.”
“Yes, I understand.”
I headed to the garden where I had planted the Spirit Realm cherry tree. These days, my daily morning routine was checking on and tending to the cherry tree.
I went to the center of the garden where the small cherry tree was. Its size had grown more than three times since I first saw it. And it was still growing rapidly. Its growth rate was different from that of ordinary trees. And the nutrients it needed for growth were also different from ordinary trees.
‘A tree that likes meat….’
I had been consistently feeding the cherry tree with captured beasts. But there was something more important than food.
Mental communion.
If I didn’t maintain mental communion, the cherry tree would wither quickly. It needed to be done at least two to three times a week. I didn’t know the mechanism, but mental communion had a significant impact on this cherry tree.
I approached the cherry tree and reached out my hand.
Crack.
Currents sparked with mana.
Cherry blossoms bloomed profusely on the tree that had been bare like a winter tree. The light pink cherry blossoms swayed gently in the breeze.
The employees who were working stopped for a moment and stared blankly in this direction. It was still a small tree, but its beauty was enough to attract people’s attention.
Mental communion.
At first, I was confused because I didn’t know how to do it. And now, I was communicating with this guy in my own way.
I opened my astral, which could be called a wizard’s spirit.
I and the cherry tree were connected. It felt like our minds were merging into one.
‘It’s amazing that a tree has a mind.’
It wasn’t a clear mind like a human or an animal. The mind was hazy like fog. But it definitely existed. I could also feel faint emotions.
‘It’s sad again today.’
The cause of the sadness was Yuria. The cherry tree missed Yuria’s touch. It also meant that Yuria had taken good care of the cherry tree.
‘Your master is me. Don’t forget that.’
Crack.
Sparks flew between the cherry blossoms. It was showing its will that it knew.
‘Is there anything you want?’
A clear image came to mind.
Water.
Water with ice floating in it.
‘Ice water, huh? Alright. I’ll pour it for you.’
I snapped my fingers. Ice water created by magic drenched the cherry tree. The cherry tree shook its branches.
‘Too cold? You wanted it. Endure it.’
It was complaining that I lacked the meticulousness compared to Yuria. I chuckled.
According to the druid, I had to be careful because I could be eaten in reverse during mental communion, but I didn’t feel that dangerous at all. The cherry tree was a bit picky, but it acknowledged me.
‘Can’t you grow faster?’
The cherry tree’s will was conveyed. It said it would grow when the time came, so I should wait.
‘Okay. I’ll wait. But remember. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. In exchange for me raising you, you have to cooperate with me. That’s the contract.’
I reiterated the contract I had made when I first had mental communion. The cherry tree showed a reluctant will. It was because it was the same thing I had said yesterday and the day before.
I didn’t want to repeat the same words either. But the cherry tree was a tree. I had no idea how good its memory was. So, I had to engrave it every day. So that it couldn’t change its mind later.
‘I am your master. I am your master. I am your master. You must trust and follow me.’
I repeated it almost like brainwashing and ended the mental communion.
Then, I got dressed and went to the factory. In the case of Yuyu Chicken, I had hired an agent, so I was just receiving reports.
I entered the factory. There were a few magic engineering machines, but they were not yet adjusted. It would still take time for the factory to operate.
I sat down at a table on one side of the factory. I picked up the magic engineering item I had been researching yesterday. It was a human hand. A magic engineering hand up to the wrist.
Magic engineering could be applied everywhere. That was no exception for the human body. If you had money, you could replace your hands, eyes, feet, and even internal organs with magic engineering machines.
You could easily escape the weak human body by replacing it.
Mainly mercenaries or soldiers wanted magic engineering bodies, but these days, people had at least one magic engineering body part. That was the trend.
Crack.
I created a weak electric current and connected it to the magic engineering hand.
‘It reacts immediately to the bio-signal level current. It’s a popular model these days, so there’s no blockage.’
The magic engineering hand crawled on the desk, using its fingers like legs, as I intended. Later, when I got used to it, I could even do tricks.
‘It’s much stronger than a human hand, of course… If I fix the magic circle and material, I could generate hundreds of kilograms of grip strength.’
The sensation was the same as a human hand. If I held something in my hand, I could feel the sensation of holding it. Because I had formed artificial nerves with electric current and magic, I could feel the sensation as it was.
‘Huh?’
The magic engineering hand was stuttering slightly. I had only played with it a little roughly, but the nervous system was overloaded.
‘It’s not a premium product for combat, but it’s already overloaded? At this rate, it won’t even last 10 minutes of rough exercise.’
I disassembled the magic engineering hand. Various mechanical parts were intricately intertwined. I carefully removed the parts. Each part had a different manufacturer.
‘They’ve all put security magic on each and every part.’
I released the security magic. It was just cumbersome, not difficult. I could see the special magic circles intricately engraved on the parts. Each and every one of these was a technology. They were classified as patents. If I used them carelessly, I would get caught up in a patent lawsuit.
‘The magic on the nervous system… It’s more crude than I thought. I understand. Even in medicine, human nerves are extremely complex.’
I was examining the parts related to the nervous system when I twisted the corners of my mouth.
‘There’s room for improvement, isn’t there?’
Of course, I couldn’t do it right now. I had no intention of making it as high-end as the premium grade. It just needed to be a little better than this part. Then I could successfully enter the market. The existing nervous system parts manufacturers? Who cares. The market is originally a competition. Those who fall behind will be eliminated.
‘I’ve decided that this will be the first product manufactured at the factory.’
I started researching.
• • •
Research was important, but I couldn’t keep focusing on business.
I had something more important than making money. That was getting stronger. I had to get stronger to protect what was mine and to take revenge.
There were three main ways to get stronger. One was training, one was elixirs, and the other was artifacts and tools.
‘I have game knowledge that others don’t. I have to actively use this knowledge.’
I met Rose, the broker, after a long time. Rose had called me.
“I heard you became a quasi-noble? Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’d be even more grateful if you gave me some advice.”
“You want my advice?”
Rose looked at me as if she couldn’t understand. Her real status was a viscount. And from a noble family with quite a history.
“Aren’t you sensitive to information? As such, you must know a lot about nobles. At least more than me, a foreigner.”
“That’s true. Advice for a noble…. Okay. This would be good. Don’t be a show-off.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not picking a fight. Don’t be a show-off. Don’t go around saying you’re going to throw a party to celebrate becoming a noble. You’re a case of becoming a quasi-noble through a deal. Real nobles don’t treat you as an equal.”
“Don’t you need to throw a party to build connections?”
“Do you think the nobles would like it if you, who knows nothing about noble society, threw a party? Even if your neighbor throws a party, don’t go barging in until you get an invitation. That’s the worst thing you can do.”
“Then what should I do?”
“It’s easier if you have a patron. Ask the noble who made you a quasi-baron to help you make your social debut.”
“…That was already a finished deal. I’m not close enough to Baron Arpon to contact him separately and ask for such a favor.”
“Then focus on building your foundation. If you work hard, the nobles will call you. They’ll judge your value, whether you’re helpful to them, and how high you can rise.”
“Is the spec of a 5th-class wizard not helpful at all?”
“You can find 5th-class wizards anywhere in noble society.”
“……”
When I closed my mouth, Rose glanced at me. It had already been a year since I had met her. I could say that we had built up some affection.
“I was just saying what I thought. You don’t have to take it to heart.”
“No, you’re right. I’m just a quasi-noble. It’s just a status I got lucky with. As you said, it seems like it’s still time to build my foundation.”
“You’re gaining a reputation quickly, so you don’t have to worry. If you had been more active in mercenary work, the nobles would already be hearing your name.”
“Business is more important than mercenary work. Let’s get to the point. I heard that the request I wanted has come in.”
“That’s right. A request to explore ancient ruins. It’s a request to explore the ancient ruins of Edinburgh in the outer city area. How did you know this request would come out?”
“Isn’t Edinburgh the place for ancient ruins? I was interested and keeping an eye on it. I thought this kind of request would come out someday.”
In fact, I was using knowledge from the original work. In the original game, it was treated as a necessary quest for convenience.
“The client is Professor Hemmington. It’s the Hemmington Expedition, a team directly supported by Miskatonic University. Professor Hemmington is affiliated with Miskatonic University.”
“Miskatonic…. That’s a famous university.”
