Chapter 48

Can I Stay Behind?
At the plaza before heading back, I thanked Ripka and Bianca’s families.
When I asked Atre to translate and conveyed that I wanted to give them something in return, they said they wanted the shiny things the children (Ripka and Bianca) wore around their necks… Oh, they must mean the nameplates.
Also, they wanted a soft and fluffy sleeping place…? Do they mean cushions?

Since winter is approaching, I promised to prepare the cushions first and bring the nameplates in spring. They said they could carry the cushions home themselves if I left them in this plaza.
When I asked Atre how they knew about cushions, it turned out that Ripka and Bianca had been boasting about their fluffy sleeping places.
Since when? Oh well, if they like them, that’s fine.

"Hey, welcome back. Calling me here—what kind of trouble have gotten into this time, Reinhardt?"

When we returned to the mansion, Uncle Davit was there.

I shook my head. I didn’t know he was coming today. If possible, I would have preferred him to come and go while I was away in the jungle.

I had already left the newspaper and tea bag matters to my parents, who blew them out of proportion.
I haven’t done anything.

"I've only been here for a little over a month, and you’ve already caused quite a stir. The newspaper is now a national initiative, and the tea bag business will become a joint venture with other nobles, so it will be handled by the Northtrads. And now there's even a limb-regeneration potion.” Uncle Davit said, his normally handsome expression tightening as if things had gone beyond even his expectations.

The newspaper will be spread nationwide, with the kingdom taking the lead.
Uncle Davit, who has connections in the capital, will oversee its implementation.
The tea bag business will be a collaboration among the Southcourt Margrave, who cultivates cotton; the Eastspring Margrave, who grows medicinal herbs (for herbal tea); a count’s and a viscount’s households, who are renowned for tea cultivation; and the Northtrad family, who will lead in sales.
The limb-regeneration potion will be handed over to the royal family for distribution.

Um, do I really need to be informed about all this?
I’m satisfied as long as I get what I want...

"You don't understand." Uncle Davit said.

"They’ll ask, 'Who came up with all this?' The royal family likely already knows. Reinhardt, this means people around you will start making noise. In short, they’ll try to pull you into their circles. Be prepared. That goes for Gerald too. Once the tea bag business spreads, there will be those seeking benefits by aligning with Westland."

Just from the tea bag business?
And what about the limb-regeneration potion?
Oh, right, Brother Chris’s schoolmates’ families received priority in purchasing the medicine.

I really don’t want to go to the capital next week.
Winter is the social season, and until the year-end party at the royal castle, we’ll stay in the capital. My parents will attend tea parties and social gatherings for networking and information gathering. Since Brother Chris is in the capital this year, they decided to go early.

Can I stay behind?
No? There’s going to be an eight-year-old’s debut tea party at the royal castle?
I haven’t heard anything about this...

The next day, Uncle Davit quickly spotted the deodorizer and deodorizing sheets and asked what they were.
I feigned ignorance and told him Maria developed them.
After yesterday’s conversation, I was already overwhelmed.

And so, we finally arrived in the royal capital.
I briefly considered pretending to be sick, but I decided to think positively—if I can just get through the royal family’s tea party, I can enjoy exploring the capital afterward.

The mansion in the capital is smaller than the one in the territory, but it still has a garden and a training ground for the knights, so it must be quite spacious for a royal capital estate.

Brother Chris was waiting for us at the mansion.
"It looks like you and Gerald had a lot of fun while I was away.” He said, sounding a little sulky.

Since Brother Chris returned to the academy, there’s been the glass pens, the World Tree, the Skeleton Flower hunts, the orc subjugation in Shinana Village, the deodorizer and deodorizing sheets, the newspaper, and the tea bags.
Yeah… these past two and a half months have been packed.

Even though we had written letters, there was only so much we could say in them. Once we started talking in person, the conversation became lively.
Atre, Ripka, and Bianca were sleeping nearby on their respective cushions.

I also heard about Brother Chris’s life at the academy.
Apparently, during classes, Bianca sleeps on a cushion placed behind Brother Chris’s seat, which is why he sits at the very back.
For lunch, she eats with Brother Chris and his three friends in an unused classroom.
They tried eating in the cafeteria once, but Bianca didn’t like it, so they stopped.
At first, their classmates were cautious and kept their distance, but since Bianca is so quiet, no one pays her any attention anymore.

Then, Brother Gerald spoke up.

"I guess I could bring Ripka to the academy too. Should I prepare a perch or a cushion?"

Brother Gerald, a perch is definitely not allowed.
It’ll have to be either a cushion or the academy’s garden trees.