CHAPTER 3: FLUVIA ENCOUNTERS THE FIRST EVENT

After coming out of depression, my health rapidly improved and, although I took some time to try to remember my past life more every day, and although I also properly studied this world’s letters more every day, in the end, I had always been somebody who thought best when I interspersed thinking with moving my body.

In other words, I started to get bored from just lying in bed.

But it’s unreasonable to think I could just get up and walk around.

Although I’m now much more clear-headed, there’s still a weakness in my body.

Un. Obviously. My muscles have atrophied a lot from one full year in bed.

And so, I activated my single-mom superpowers of eavesdropping.

It’s quite difficult to be a young single mom in Japan without people talking behind your back.

Anyway, if I can’t walk around to gather information then all I have to do is use the skills that are available to me.

The attendants gossip with each other quite a bit while they tidy the rooms.

If I pretend to be asleep, I can hear even more interesting things.

Through this process, I found out the Dellarose Earldom is directly south of the Royal Capital (which is more often called ‘the Capital’ rather than its actual name, Hildeich).

We’re an old aristocratic family, apparently, if the location of our territory is any indication.

Dellarose is known for its abundant resources, but from my memories of YabuKoi our family should be in a decline.

Even if YabuKoi’s situation is realized here, it seems the decline isn’t enough to negate our ‘old aristocrat’ standing, but … how curious.

Even though we have resources and a decent-sized territory, why are we in a decline?

Of course none of the attendants would have told me the answer to that, nor would I ask, but perking up my ears helped me find out the reason.

There’s a rumor going around that our family is a waste of its good territory~.

Ugh! So we’re the no-good nobles, huh?

When I listened a little more, though, it doesn’t seem like we’re the rotten nobles that you’d normally picture.

At least our House isn’t exploiting our citizens or territory.

For now, anyway.

The problem is… we’re being viewed as just barely competent by the nobles and upper-middle class citizens.

… Mother? Father? I think we’ll have to have a discussion about some things at some point~.

Maa, I do get that it’s a little more complicated than just that Mother and Father (and apparently Grandfather) are incompetent.

Currently our country, Valed, hasn’t gone to war in many years.

Certainly peace is good, but because of that Dellarose, which had focused on mass-producing goods for war time, doesn’t have the demand it used to, since we’re not in a state of emergency.

In fact, due to the long period of peace, the necessity for the ‘amount’ of things has gone down, and the importance of the ‘luxury’ of things has gone up.

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Dellarose Earldom is being looked down on for a lack of the development of luxury items.

When I heard that I did think, “Are we some back-water rural country town?” at first, but I quickly found out that the ‘luxury items’ in this world are not the ‘luxury goods’ I knew in Japan!

As I listened to the attendants gossip, I discovered that the ‘luxury items’ were things like super expensive cakes that used lots of sugar, or jewelry that used large amounts of rare metals and stones.

Although when I heard about them, I kept thinking that they were things that only people with bad taste and way too much money would like them, the attendants talked about those things with a lot of longing.

In other words, luxury items were supposed to be one-off items that only a few people could hope to purchase due to the price of the raw goods that went into them.

It’s definitely an emphasis in the view that ‘a lot’ is better than ‘a little’, huh?

Although, if there were things that had good taste, I feel like they wouldn’t do badly in this world…

Anyway, that kind of setup of over-extravagance obviously won’t go well with a family that has focused on efficiency for many, many generations.

Should I say that the head of our House is too foolish to realize the change in trends?

Or should I applaud him for avoiding an exercise that only idiot nouveau riche would indulge in?

Although if a war breaks out, the Dellarose family’s method of production would be heavily re-evaluated – nono, peace is the best. Un.

Well, our situation doesn’t seem as bad as I thought, so before I worry about our family’s reputation I should worry about the ‘over-extravagance’ of Brother’s tummy…

Other things I heard was this noble lady who secretly did this, and that noble lady had that kind of scandal, but since I had no real knowledge about the nobles of this country it was only interesting because it was gossip.

Well, I kind of liked that kind of gossip so it was delicious, even though it wasn’t useful.

These days I spend most of my time eavesdropping and sleeping, so although I feel restless from staying in bed constantly, I can still manage to while away the time.

It was several days later when I awoke to a hushed conversation in my room, between Mother and my personal attendant, Mary.

It’s still not uncommon for me to fall asleep during the daytime, and so today as well I’ve fallen asleep shortly after lunch.

“Oh, so the Lord Earl will come when the Academy comes to diagnose Young Lady Fluvia?”

Huaaaah… hm? What academy where?

I stifle a yawn and continue to pretend to be asleep.

“Yes, that is so. When I think Fluvia might have lost all her magic…”

Mother is making a sobbing sound.

Or rather, isn’t this situation… no, it most certainly is –THAT- isn’t it?!

I’m breaking into a cold sweat.

Is Fluvia’s no-more-magic event about to begin?

In the first place, what’s this about an academy?

I wonder how it’s going to happen.

Although I know the result, not knowing the procedures that will occur from now on is somewhat – no, a LOT stressful.

After Mary soothed Mother, Mother came over, stroked my hair with a sorrowful expression, and then left.

I thought so. It was close to the end of visiting hours after all.

“Milady, it’s alright if you continue to pretend to sleep, but would you like anything to drink?”

Ah, she knew.

“Hahaha…”

I laugh a little dryly as I sit up.

“Mary, what’s the Academy?”

“Aah, I see. It’s a little scary to hear about, isn’t it? It’s alright.”

What is?

“The Academy is the organization where magic is studied and regulated. You know about the Minister of Magic, right?”

“Un, I do.”

That’s the person with the second highest authority in the country.

“The Lord Minister is in charge of the Academy, and the Academy is responsible for helping people master their magic, as well as passing the laws regarding magic.”

Heeh…

In these types of fantasy worlds, it’s usually a church or some religious organization that does this kind of magic thing, right?

To think it’s actually a political, well, more like a governmental organization.

I suppose it kind of makes sense, in a country like this one where the upper echelons of society govern everything.

Or more like, I wonder why my previous world thought that magic=religion.

“So the Academy is going to come?”

“Yes… ah, I guess Milady doesn’t remember having her magical abilities measured as an infant.”

“Do people usually remember that?”

Mary laughs.

“No, I guess not. But you know the quality of your magic potential right?”

“Un. I do.”

Since Mother and Father were always cooing about how great it was.

“That’s because the Academy sent an Inspector to have it measured when you were born. Usually your magic potential won’t change much, but a life-threatening illness can change a lot, so the Academy will send someone to see how it is. If something’s happened to your magic potential, then we need to be extra careful with your recovery. Well, you’re so energetic, I think there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Uwah.

It’s this event, as I thought.

It’s happening too fast!

Sorry Mary, but I think it will be a bad report…

“Earl and Lady Dellarose will be coming to support you, so do your best!”

Mary smiled as she straightened the bed covers.

“Ahaha…”

I can’t help but laugh weakly.

Do my best how?

Ugu. My stomach feels like it’s in knots now.