Chapter 105 - Ignorance and Education
As soon as Ozwald and Dahlia went to the adjacent room, the third wife, Elmelinda, arrived.
She declined the offered wine and accepted a chilled glass of sparkling water before heading back out.
In the next room, Dahlia seemed to be talking about something.
However, due to the anti-eavesdropper, her words were completely unintelligible.
“...Volf-sama, do we also have one here?”
“Yeah, just activated it.”
Ivano’s question was met with a slightly irritated response from Volf.
It seemed that beneath his knight’s uniform, he had also activated an anti-eavesdropper.
“...They look alike, don’t they?”
“...No, they don’t.”
“The eye color, the aura... parts of them are similar, no?”
“No, they aren’t.”
Though they didn’t specify who they were comparing, the two seemed to understand each other perfectly.
The golden-eyed young man, now in an even worse mood, couldn’t help but make Ivano stifle a bitter smile.
“Ivano, you were being pushed back, weren’t you?”
“Yes. It’s clear that the difference in experience and rank is vast. Quite a few things had gone my way lately, making me a bit overconfident, so this was a good reality check.”
To Ozwald, who was in his fifties, Ivano, in his thirties, must have seemed like a mere youngster.
During their earlier exchange, Ivano hadn’t been able to break his composure even once and had even ended up receiving advice. At this point, there was no room for resentment.
Ozwald, the head of the Zola Company, was clearly not just a master magical toolmaker but also a first-rate merchant.
“Volf-sama, you were being teased, weren’t you?”
“Teased...?”
“Yes, probably.”
Ivano didn’t want to admit that he, too, had been caught up in the teasing.
At first, he had been wary, thinking Ozwald might have some interest in Dahlia, but that suspicion had faded midway.
The way Ozwald spoke to her was like a teacher, and his gaze resembled that of a father looking at his daughter.
At the very least, it seemed unlikely that Ozwald would become hostile toward Dahlia. However, when it came to Ivano and Volf, things were less certain.
“Why would he tease me? I don’t think there’s anything amusing about teasing me.”
“Well, that’s...”
Ivano nearly said, “It is amusing,” but stopped himself.
Whether Volf was unaware or simply unwilling to admit it, his concern for Dahlia was painfully obvious.
“Maybe it’s just the urge to tease someone younger than yourself.”
Ivano’s attempt to smooth things over didn’t quite land, but he let the conversation move on.
“By the way, about what we discussed earlier... I had no idea a magical toolmaker’s job could be so dangerous.”
“I’d heard a little about it, but I didn’t realize it was to that extent...”
Volf’s gaze was fixed on the platinum bracelet on his left hand.
The one said to be enchanted with the power of sköll seemed to be quite dangerous.
But neither Volf nor Ivano could bring themselves to warn Dahlia, nor did they know how to handle the situation.
In the end, for her safety, they had no choice but to rely on Ozwald, a professional magical toolmaker.
“Has Ozwald’s company been dealing with the royal castle for long?”
“Yes. It’s been nearly twenty years. They even supply the Chivalric Order.”
Ozwald, originally born into a viscount’s family, had independently established himself as a magical toolmaker.
He founded his company, achieved success, became an official supplier to the royal castle, and even earned a barony on his own.
Even now, his remarkable achievements continued, and there were rumors that he might attain the rank of viscount in the near future.
His remarkable trajectory was something Ivano wished Dahlia could emulate.
Ideally, Ivano hoped Ozwald could mentor Dahlia not just as a magical toolmaker but also as a senior in the world of business.
Though the young man beside him might feel a bit more anxious and troubled by this.
“There’s so much I don’t know. It’s frustrating how ignorant I am.”
“But isn’t it good? If you didn’t even realize what you didn’t know, you’d keep failing without realizing it and wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.”
“That’s true, but...”
As Volf sipped his sparkling water, he looked as though he were drinking something far stronger.
・・・・・・・
The adjacent room, connected to the parlor, was almost identical in layout.
Sitting across the table, Ozwald removed his cufflinks.
“Excuse me, this is an anti-eavesdropper. I’ll activate it now.”
Placed on the table was a small, red, round gem. There was no glow of activation or fluctuation of magical energy. Without being told, one would never guess it was an anti-eavesdropper.
“Let’s reconfirm the conditions. I’ll teach you until I’m confident you can work independently as a magical toolmaker. The content will cover rare materials, increasing magical power for enchantments, composite enchantments, and more. The fee is fifty gold coins, payable in installments without interest once you’ve established yourself. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, please.”
“The lessons will take place in my workshop. While it will be just us two in the workshop, you can have someone from your company wait in the adjacent room. I’ll also have my wife wait there.”
“I’m sorry for all the trouble. If only I were a man, this wouldn’t be necessary.”
“No, if that were the case, I might not have offered.”
Dahlia couldn’t help but laugh at Ozwald’s tone, knowing he was only teasing.
“Let’s start after you’ve learned the royal castle etiquette. We both have our companies and magical toolmaking work to attend to. Once a week, for three to four hours, whenever our schedules align. Does that work?”
“Yes. I’ll do my best to accommodate. But... are you sure it’s alright to teach me?”
This had been on Dahlia’s mind since Ozwald first brought it up.
She wasn’t his apprentice or a member of the Zola Company. Under normal circumstances, even fifty gold coins wouldn’t be enough for such lessons.
“It’s true that knowledge about rare materials and special enchantments are usually only taught to one’s apprentices. But if something were to happen to you due to a mistake with rare materials, wouldn’t Carlo-san rain down thunder on me?”
“...Thank you so much.”
Given the sköll enchantment, Dahlia couldn’t deny it. Her father would undoubtedly be furious.
But there was one more thing on her mind.
“Um, what about your current apprentice? Is this all right with them?”
Ozwald must have had an apprentice by now. If they were to inherit Ozwald’s legacy, they might not be pleased about him teaching someone else. If this caused any rift between master and apprentice, Dahlia would feel terribly guilty.
“...It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I’ve taken on three apprentices as a magical toolmaker, and none of them worked out.”
There was a hint of resignation in Ozwald’s downcast eyes.
Judging from the notes on etiquette earlier, perhaps his standards were simply too high. It was possible they couldn’t keep up and left.
“...That’s unfortunate.”
“Yes, truly unfortunate. I thought I’d trained them well, but the first one left with my ex-wife, and the second and third were driven out after they made passes on my current wives.”
“I... I don’t know what to say...”
Dahlia had stepped on another landmine, following the earlier mention of his ex-wife’s elopement.
Three apprentices lost—perhaps it wasn’t a curse of women but of apprentices.
“No, it’s just how things are. My wives are quite charming, after all.”
As Dalia panicked, Ozwald playfully and elegantly boasted about his love for his wives.
“...Um, how should we handle confidentiality? Covenant Magic, perhaps?”
“No, Covenant Magic isn’t necessary. You’re free to use the enchantments and techniques I teach you in your future work. You can also have apprentices or trusted assistants help you. I’ll leave that to your discretion.”
“That’s very generous, but doesn’t that make the fee insufficient?”
“For the Rossetti family, the loss of Carlo-san’s knowledge would be a great blow. I’d like to help fill that gap. In exchange, I have a request...”
Ozwald paused mid-sentence. Behind his silver-rimmed glasses, his silver eyes darkened slightly.
“If something were to happen to me, could I ask you to educate my son as a magical toolmaker? Of course, I’ll ensure you’re paid the same amount in writing. Please inform Ivano-san and the others as well.”
“Me? Educate your son?”
“Yes, my eldest son has entered the magical toolmaking department at the High Academy. He wants to become a full-fledged magical toolmaker in the future. So, in the unlikely event that something happens to me, I’d like you to pass on what I’ve taught you and what you know as a magical toolmaker.”
“Ozwald-san, are you... not feeling well?”
“No, I’m perfectly healthy. It’s just that at my age, some of the more strenuous enchantments are becoming difficult. The composite enchantment of a sköll, for example, could easily send me to the other side if I’m not careful.”
Dahlia had worried he might be ill, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
The way he casually mentioned a sköll’s composite enchantment suggested he still had plenty of energy, both magical and physical.
“Everyone has their ‘what ifs.’ It’s better to be prepared. It’d be a shame to leave things unfinished.”
Ozwald’s words reminded Dahlia of her father as a magical toolmaker.
Her father, Carlo, had always been a meticulous and kind teacher.
She could ask him anything, and he’d let her practice as long as her magical energy held out. All the materials and tools were always within reach.
It wasn’t until she grew older that she realized how privileged she had been in her pursuit of magical toolmaking.
That’s why she wondered:
wouldn’t Ozwald’s son prefer to learn from his own father?
If he aimed to be a magical toolmaker, he could have apprenticed directly after High Academy. Age-wise, it should have been fine.
“I’ll accept. But if your son has already entered High Academy, couldn’t you teach him yourself now?”
“Well... I suppose it’s what you’d call adolescence. He’s been avoiding me a bit. He’s staying at the academy’s dormitory and doesn’t come home much.”
“Is it a rebellious phase? It’s common for boys, I hear.”
“Yes. Having a father with three wives, the third of whom is only a little over ten years older than him, might make him want to rebel.”
He said it so casually, but Dahlia had no idea how to respond.
It was true that for a young boy, such a situation might be hard to understand.
If she were in his shoes, imagining a woman only ten years her senior marrying her father—living together in the Green Tower would be tough.
As she struggled to respond, Ozwald let out a shallow sigh.
“Someday, I’d like to share a drink of Scorpio with my son.”
“Scorpio?”
Scorpio was a strong liquor with a scorpion sunk at the bottom of the bottle.
Dahlia had been a bit put off by its appearance, but when Marcella tried it, she had a small taste. The liquor itself tasted just like vodka, with no hint of the scorpion’s flavor.
“Yes, it’s hard to find fellow enthusiasts. My wives prefer wine and ale, as do my friends. Occasionally, I’d like to drink Scorpio with a like-minded man.”
Ozwald, who seemed like a wine connoisseur, surprisingly had a taste for strong liquor.
But thinking back, Dahlia couldn’t recall anyone in her circle who enjoyed Scorpio.
Marcella might drink it without hesitation, but she couldn’t imagine him having much in common with Ozwald.
“Then, are we settled on this matter?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m glad to be able to teach you. I’ll brag about it to Carlo-san when I see him.”
“About me becoming your apprentice?”
“No, that’s an honor, but I’ll pass. If you ever called yourself my apprentice, I’m confident Carlo-san would hurl a barrel of the four elemental magic stones at me.”
Dahlia couldn’t help but laugh at the exaggerated joke. If such a barrel were thrown, it would surely obliterate the target.
“My father might get a little upset, but he’d probably laugh it off afterward.”
“Absolutely not. Carlo-san’s nickname back in the academy was ‘Uragano’, meaning ‘The Storm,’ after all.’”
“...My father?”
‘Uragano’ was synonymous with recklessness.
Could her father, in his youth, have been that kind of person? It was hard to imagine.
“Carlo-san was usually a calm and reliable senior, but when it came to magical tools, he truly was like a storm”
Ozwald’s gaze seemed to drift into the distance.
“In the magical tool research club, he once decided to make a cleaning machine for buildings. He used tens of water and wind magic stones, arranged in four parallel circuits, and created a water cannon. It blew a huge hole in the academy’s wall.”
“Tens of magic stones in four parallel circuits...”
Dahlia’s respect for her father had recently grown, but she had to admit:
That was completely insane.
A single parallel circuit amplified the power of multiple magic stones, similar to connecting batteries in series in her past life. While the power increased dramatically, the duration of the magical energy decreased.
A single parallel circuit was understandable.
During her practical sessions in the academy, they had used two water and wind magic stones each, arranged in two parallel circuits, to create a magical circuit. It was powerful enough to shatter thin stone slabs.
But tens of magic stones in four parallel circuits? What on earth was that?
With that setup, you could crush rocks, let alone clean walls.
Pointing it at a wall would only result in massive destruction.
Why didn’t he think before acting?
“...What was my father thinking?”
“He just wanted to try it, apparently. The magical tool research club back then was full of oddballs, and no one stopped him. In fact, everyone eagerly gathered the magic stones for him.”
Dahlia felt a headache coming on at the thought. The members of the research club back then must have been quite something.
But why did the man before her know so much about it?
“Ozwald-san, were you...?”
“Yes, I was also in the magical tool research club. I was in charge of materials back then.”
Ozwald wore a mischievous smile. It seemed he hadn’t tried to stop it either.
In fact, as the materials guy, he might have even encouraged it.
“Didn’t my father get suspended or expelled for that?”
“We took collective responsibility as a research club, and there were a few high-ranking noble children among us, so money wasn’t an issue. Plus, the advisor professor covered for us.”
“...Was that Professor Lina Lauren, by any chance?”
“Yes, did you know her?”
“I worked as her assistant for a while after graduating from the academy.”
Professor Lina Lauren was an elderly female professor Dahlia had assisted for two years after graduating.
She had also been a great help during her time in the magical tool research club, but she had no idea both she and her father had been under Lina’s guidance. Neither her father nor Lina had ever mentioned it.
She remembered her father being very respectful toward Lina.
She thought it was because Lina was a baron’s wife, but it seemed there was a deeper debt of gratitude.
“After blowing a hole in the wall and half-destroying the preparation room, Professor Lina had to apologize everywhere... Carlo-san said he owed her a great deal. It might have been why he started building connections with others.”
“I had no idea my father had done such things...”
Her father had always been gentle and kind. He would stop her from doing anything dangerous.
The fact that he was doing something even more dangerous than her was, in a way, a bit amusing.
Her love for experimenting and challenging herself with magical tools must have been inherited from him. Or perhaps it came from her grandfather, whom she had never met.
“Carlo-san was quite the father figure in front of you. This will be great teasing material when I see him...”
This wasn’t his usual business smile.
Tipping his head slightly, Ozwald chuckled in a way that made him seem like quite the villain.
“Ozwald-san, it’s still too early to tease my father.”
“My apologies.”
Dahlia didn’t want him to leave for the other side so soon. She wasn’t ready to hear those stories with a laugh.
As a magical toolmaker, he was still active, with three wives and children. She hoped he would live a long, fulfilling life.
“Please take care of yourself.”
“Yes, I’m being very careful. My wives and children remind me constantly...”
The man’s wry smile was undoubtedly that of a husband and father.
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