KWB 3

Ian was the nanny’s son. Not her biological son, though. He was just an orphan boy that young Lady Riche had picked up from the market, and the nanny—who simply loved caring for children—had taken him in and raised him. Until the young lady gave him a name, Ian didn’t even have one.

‘You don’t have a name? Then let’s go with Ian.’‘Ian…?’‘Yeah. My dad’s name is Ian, you see.’‘…Pardon?’

It wasn’t a particularly thoughtful way of choosing a name. Regardless, from that moment on, Ian had a name.

‘How on earth did you end up there? Ah, you don’t know?’‘You don’t have a family? No memories either?’‘There sure are a lot of things you don’t know…….’

He had no memories of before that. With no name, no memories, and no family, he had come to his senses to find himself in the Iris Territory. At the time, the only thing Ian possessed was a necklace engraved with a date presumed to be his birth date. If Lady Riche hadn’t picked him up, he might not have survived that winter.

‘It’s okay. It’s nothing all that strange. Because of the monsters… there are children who lost their parents all over the country.’‘I see…….’‘If you don’t know, let’s just say you’re part of our family from now on. This is the Iris Territory.’‘I’ll take him in and raise him. With those thick bones and large hands and feet, he’ll make a fine worker when he grows up.’‘Will you do that, Nanny?’

Meeting Riche had given Ian a name and a family.

‘I used to make and sell carpets in the market, you know. One day, while I was carrying some luggage by myself, a wall collapsed and buried me underneath. The Count himself came by, cleared away the stones, and saved me.’‘Hey! I was clearing the rocks right there with him back then! Why are you leaving my story out?!’‘You were sickly back then, Butler, so you just got in the way, that’s all.’‘That butler fellow over there secretly sneaked outside the city walls when he was a kid and got lost, didn’t he? They say the former Count had to deploy his knights to save him just as he was about to be eaten by monsters.’

The butler, the head maid, the gardener, the cook, the nanny… the people of the Iris estate were not mere servants. They were a family who had lived together in the Count’s household across generations. Just as they had received the grace of the Count’s family, Ian had received the grace of Riche.

‘So you’re Ian? The one my younger sister brought back. Let’s see, thick bones, great physique… Would you like to try learning swordsmanship?’‘Am I allowed to do that?’‘Of course! In times of emergency, the more people who can protect themselves, the better. I’ll have a word with the Knights Order.’

The knight assigned to teach Ian swordsmanship—by order of the now-missing young master Leon—said that Ian possessed extraordinary talent.

‘I once had the chance to see His Majesty the King’s swordsmanship, you see……. He has black hair and red eyes just like you…….’‘…….’‘So work hard. If you put in the effort, you can become an exceptional swordsman like His Majesty the King. Then maybe one day, you’ll be able to lay down your life for the young lady.’‘…….’‘Why the surprised look? You think I didn’t know you couldn’t take your eyes off Lady Riche the moment she walks in?’

You deliberately time your visits to the library to match the end of the young lady’s daily routine, don’t you? The knight chuckled.

‘Don’t worry. You aren’t the only one. I won’t tell the young lady, alright?’

Normally, Ian was quite obedient to the knight who taught him, but that day, a somewhat rebellious feeling stirred inside him. As he polished the mud off the knight’s boots and brushed the horse’s mane, he thought:Why does the young lady need a knight to lay down his life for her?There shouldn’t be anything so dangerous in the young lady’s life that someone has to sacrifice their life. *The young lady should spend her entire life receiving only everyone’s love and respect, always in a warm and comfortable place……. * “Ian, we need to make fertilizer.” Fertilizer……. Huh? “Remember how the color changed when I put soil into water boiled with purple cabbage? That means the soil has turned acidic.” Recently, the royal army carried out a large-scale monster subjugation nearby, and unfortunately, it rained right after. “It must have been affected by the blood that washed down.” Ian stared blankly at Riche as she explained expressionlessly. Riche continued. “Actually, farmers know the cause, too. They know that because the soil has turned sour, they just need to neutralize it by spreading limestone-based fertilizer.” The problem is that limestone fertilizer is ridiculously expensive. “It’s not that they don’t solve it because they don’t know. Everyone knows, but they can’t use it because it’s too expensive.” “Just how expensive is it?” “So expensive that even knowing spreading limestone fertilizer brings the land back to life, they still can’t bring themselves to buy it.” “Then what should we do?” When Ian asked, Riche pointed straight ahead. “That’s why we have to go over there.”

The place Riche pointed to was the seaside near the capital, which they had reached after a 30-minute tram ride. Next to the fishermen finishing up their work, piles of clam and oyster shells were stacked up like mountains. The stench was unbelievable. Ian’s brow naturally furrowed. Even the fishermen mending their fishing nets were grimacing and breathing through their mouths. Riche was the only one who looked completely unfazed. Stepping right up among the fishermen, Riche greeted them. “Hello?” “What the!” The annoyed expression on the fisherman’s face as he turned around softened when he saw the young girl. “Who’s this?” “Looks like a student, but what brings you all the way out here?” “If you don’t mind, could we take some of those shells off your hands?” Riche’s hand pointed to the towering piles of clam and oyster shells. “Huh? Those shells?” “Yes.” “Well, if you’re going to clear away even a little bit of this stinky garbage, we should be thanking you. Let’s see, is this much enough?” Looking at the sack held in the farmer’s hand, Riche shook her head. “No.” “Then?” “I’ll take all of them.” “All of them?!” “Yes.” I’m going to try becoming the savior of the farmers. The whispered addition from Riche was heard by Ian alone.

“We don’t need to pay to call cleaners today! Saved some money!” “Thanks, kids!” “These shells pile up every day, so come back anytime if you need more!”

At the tram station. Sacks filled to the brim with old, foul-smelling shells reeking evenly of fishiness and decay. Hearing Riche say she would collect the garbage—which they would normally have to pay to get rid of—for free, the fishermen had generously lent their own sacks and even helped carry them over to the tram station. After the fishermen left, Ian untied the sacks one by one. The obnoxious odor naturally made his nose wrinkle. Even for someone who had lived his whole life as a servant, the smell was hard to endure, yet the young lady remained completely calm. Having stopped the departing fishermen to give them some final instructions, the young lady said, “Clam and oyster shells contain the exact same components as limestone.” “The limestone that goes into fertilizer?” “Yeah. And thankfully…” While limestone was an expensive stone that had to be mined at a quarry for money, these shells were garbage that people practically begged someone to take away. Murmuring this, Riche added, “Now we just have to grind these into powder….” Fumbling through her pocket, Riche pulled out a slender silver rod about the length of two palms combined. With her eyes closed, Riche said: “Salt removal. Drying. Pulverization.” As she cast the spell with the ease of breathing, Riche’s curly hair floated upward. Ian watched the spectacle holding his breath.

The next day. Capital Square. “So, what have you decided to do?” “Buy it… what else can I do. I just went to the bank and took out a loan.” “Isn’t that too late? Word is that all the limestone fertilizer in the capital is already sold out.” “No way. Even at those prices?” “They’re intentionally releasing small amounts of stock. Trying to cash in by raising prices while they have the chance.” “How atrocious!” While the farmers gathered in the square let out deep sighs over the skyrocketing price of limestone fertilizer— A boy appeared from the corner of the alley. He was a boy with cherry-colored eyes and a pale face, someone who would undoubtedly grow up to be a stunningly handsome young man in a year or two. Carrying a heavy load on one shoulder, the boy put down the sacks he had brought in front of the square’s bulletin board. Palm-sized sacks were stacked up briskly in front of the board. Following right behind him was a girl as remarkably cute and full of future promise as the boy. The girl planted a sign she had brought right in front of the sacks.

—My Little Brother’s Foolish Green Roof Magic Shop Special Fertilizer— —Same Effect as Limestone Fertilizer— —Take It for Free— —36 Maple Street, Green Roof Magic Shop— —Opening in One Week!—