Even Family Can Be Put to Use
“But it’ll take a huge amount of money.”
“Could we sell one of the dragon scales—my share and one from the Westland family—to raise the funds?”
“Well, our family does have an excess of dragon scales. If we’re using the money to build a new town, maybe the central government will stop making such a fuss.”
I guess there were quite a few snide remarks at the palace. Father, I’m sorry for causing you trouble.
“Should I contribute my share too?” Brother Gerald offered.
“You’ll be enrolling in the knight course at the academy, so you should use yours to get armor made,” I replied.
“By the way, what about the bath additives mixed with holy water for the church?”
Brother Chris asked.
“They’re not finished yet, so this is just an idea, but instead of doing that in the hot spring town, I’m thinking we could either build a bathhouse next to the clinic or sell it as a kind of medicinal treatment. That’s why I want to promote the effects of the hot springs first.”
“I see. So if the church tries to interfere or throw a tantrum over the hot spring town, you can approach them with that idea as leverage.”
At clinics, they can only heal about one-third to half of an injury or illness. If full recovery is forced with healing magic, the person’s natural healing ability weakens, making the magic less effective the next time.
That’s where hot springs come in. After being treated at the clinic, patients can bathe in holy water-infused hot springs until they fully recover.
“If we’re going to build a new hot spring town in our domain, we’ll need someone to manage it. The question is who, and where.”
“As for the location, I heard the slate will display suitable sites if I walk around potential areas.”
“Just like when we built the one in the backyard?”
“Yes, Brother Gerald. That turned out to be thanks to the Blessing.”
“Father, how about asking Grandfather to oversee the hot spring town? He’s been traveling the Empire with Grandmother, but if we write in the letter that there’s now a hot spring at the mansion that speeds up recovery from fatigue and injuries, and that a dragon’s about to reincarnate, don’t you think he’ll take interest and hurry back?”
Brother Chris suggested writing a letter that only included the parts Grandfather would likely be intrigued by.
So… we’re using our own relatives if they’re capable, huh?
“Chris… you… All right, I’ll write the letter. If he comes back, Hardt, it’ll be your job to convince him. If he agrees, we’ll move forward with building the new town.”
“Hehehe… Hardt, I wonder what your grandparents will say when they meet Atre and the others.”
Mother, please don’t threaten me.
Atre and the others are not my doing. Still, I can imagine them saying, “We want our own too.”
“Ohhh, so these are the dragon egg and scales. And these are the familiars. Alfrecht, just what happened during the year we were gone? And why didn’t you contact us at all?”
“I didn’t expect you to be away from the Empire for that long, so I figured it wouldn’t be too late to tell you once you returned.”
Just as Brother Chris predicted, once Father sent the letter, Grandfather and Grandmother came back immediately. Well, seeing a dragon’s reincarnation isn’t something most people ever get the chance to witness.
Grandfather’s name is Ignart Westland. Silver hair and green eyes.
He looks like a cold, relentless intellectual type, but he’s actually a man of action who doesn’t sweat the small stuff.
People used to say I only inherited his hair color, but lately they’ve been saying my behavior’s starting to resemble his too.
“Anyway, you’re going to tell me everything that’s happened.”
“Father, before that, why not take a bath in the hot spring? It helps with fatigue recovery too.”
“Well, that sounds nice. We can talk afterward,” Grandmother said gently.
“True. We did cut our tour of the Empire short to rush back.”
Grandfather is completely soft when it comes to Grandmother. Whether it’s because he’s lovestruck or because she’s got something on him… no one knows for sure.
Grandmother’s name is Sophia Westland.
She has black hair and pale blue eyes. Normally she’s kind and gentle, but if you anger her, she’ll corner you psychologically until you reflect on your actions—so I’ve heard.
A well-known story: years ago, Grandfather went on a two-week monster hunt in the forest but didn’t send word for over a month. When he finally came back, Grandmother had taken all the knights’ wives and children who’d accompanied him and vanished.
Grandfather found out from complaints by the knights. He searched her family home, the royal capital estate, her friends’ houses… everywhere she might be. But she was nowhere to be found.
At every house he visited, he got lectured. And the knights hounded him daily: “Please find my wife and children already!” It was a nightmare.
When he did finally find her, he looked completely worn out.
Apparently, her actions had been a result of many frustrations piling up over the years, and her patience finally snapping.
That’s why everyone says: never make her angry.
What do you think about this chapter?
