Ouroboros Record ~Circus of Oubeniel~

Chapter 10: The Alchemist’s Theory of State Enrichment

Chapter 10: The Alchemist’s Theory of State Enrichment

The dark elven woman has had a body material that can only be rarely seen in these recent years.

Her high magical power was remarkable, her tough and tempered body was outstanding, and her racial skills were splendid, as expected, compared to these the three thousand gold coins spent on her was nothing at all.

The loss of one of her eyes would usually count as a flaw, but fortunately, a material Ive brought from the family mansion in the capital was enough to make up for it.

Thanks to this, it seems that my frustration that was building up due to the unsatisfying amount of research activity in this place could be resolved to a large extent.

How are you feeling, Opus-03?

Yes! I feel most invigorated. At the same time, I feel the past me who resisted Master was truly preposterous!

While dignifiedly tightening her unblemished face, the woman said so.

Her left eye is covered with an eye patch adorned with a magic pattern.

After all, exposing her new left eye to the public eye wouldnt be a good thing.

If you work earnestly for me from now on, then I dont mind it.

It would be my humble pleasure!

Her brain remodeling seems to have gone well.

I tried to suppress her enmity by brainwashing, but it was too strong. So I had to resort to irregular treatment, but seeing this result, apparently it was the right course of action.

Apparently this method can be used for my next masterpiece too.

Shes changed quite a lot so what did you do?

At her, who replied me briskly and showed me her loyalty unhesitatingly, Dues feelings seems to be mixed.

From the perspective of Due, who fancied her from a while ago, this sight mustve been not really amusing.

For now, let me answer his question.

This child, her enmity towards me before her remodeling was too strong, you see. I couldnt eliminate her hostility the way I did yours, or restrict it the way I usually do those mass-produced type for the risk that her rapid personality change may lead her mental condition to self-destruction. Thats why I tried to change my approach.

Even if it was changed, in any case it seems that it is a satisfactory approach. Then?

And then, I thought something along these lines. The main root that caused her hostility. If that could be rewired, wouldnt the matter be settled agreeably? I thought. The factors that inhibited her obedience towards me were her sense of belonging and pride of being one of a Dark Elf, her own tribe. And because those senses see me with contempt, she would continue to resist, be angry at, and hate me.

As my explanation reached that point, it seemed that Due has grasped the gist of it too. He seems to be even bitterer than before.

Ah, is that so? So that means, that cognition

Correct, her reason was changed to the fact that she was my masterpiece. Because there was minimal interference to the concerned limbic system and her reason in her cognition area as a root was altered, the risk of mental collapse was greatly reduced. Her personality has changed for a tiny bit as a side effect, but her capacities of autonomous action and decision-making could be kept intact.

As I had to mess with delicate areas the process takes time and it may not be suitable to apply to a large number of subjects, but when it comes to masterpieces that would require these details, applying this method would be the best.

Uni was all

Its wonderful, Master. If you have the opportunity to readjust me in the future, by all means please introduce that method on me too.

praises like that. Well, as she went as far as volunteering herself for it, that stuff is quite pointless for her though.

Alright. Opus-03, your individual name is Drei. From this time onward, you shall identify yourself with that name.

Yes! I will devote myself so as not to sully the new name Master has kindly granted me!

No objection to the new name, then.

As I take a backward glance at her, who is now proudly puffed up, I record that name in the medical records.

***

Although Ive been engrossed with making a masterpiece out of that rare body that Ive unexpectedly obtained, it goes without saying that I still dont forget my job as a lord. If I dont govern this area steadily, the funds for my research will discontinue as well, and I dont know what that brother of mine would accuse me of later. Besides, this is the land where Im planning to build a laboratory on a scale larger than ever in the future. I have no plans of letting any oversight in my care.

We have finished adjusting the mass-produced slaves M-03 to B-07. They are now waiting for Masters orders.

Then, shall we begin?

Accompanied by Uni and the slaves under her command, I set out from the mansion.

Our destination is one the farmlands that has been devastated and thinned.

Ive been delaying to take measures to tackle the farmland issue ever since Ive arrived with this and that excuse, but it seems that the common folk are at their wits end. And when a revolt breaks out somewhere, it tends to spread to the rest of the country. if that happens, my brother would surely echo my misdeed with joy, and attempt to murder me socially Doesnt it cross his mind that if things go poorly there is a risk that the problem would spill over to his lands and territory? And that circumstance is pretty much the weak point of my brothers gambit.

Its the lord the lord has come!

Oh, is he finally somehow going to do something about this land!?

Hmph, why is he nonchalantly here all of a sudden?

When I arrived at the farmland, folks in ragged clothing were crowding around me. On their faces, half appears to be hopeful, and half appears to be anxious, no, is it about three to seven? Even if these people rely and lean on the nobility, theyve had been continuously treated curtly up until now. Now that Ive shown my face, they wont easily trust me right away. Indeed, some people are steeped with hostility as they see their noble oppressor, and even those who dont are gazing me with suspicion as Im accompanied by slaves only.

TL Note: 3/10 of the crowd were hopeful and 7/10 were anxious. It pretty much tried to express that.

Why, hello, hello there. On this occasion, please accept my sincerest apologies for delaying to take action for this farmland since I took office as the lord.

For the time being, I lower my head lightly. Oooh, so the people surrounding me were stirred. Probably the idea that a noble would apologise to the common folk is beyond the pale of their imagination. In fact, no matter how debt-ridden a noble be, very few would humble themselves in front of a commoner.

Regardless, please be assured. Until this very day weve had continuous discussion to devise a course of action that would satisfy all of you. Now, theres nothing to be afraid of anymore. Let us restore this desolate field to its splendor once again.

Ooooh!

What confidence!

Heh, how can I be confident - ouch!

You! Even though the noble one went as far as lowering his head, what are you saying!?

Alright, I get off to a satisfactory start. Although I couldnt wipe out the distrust in some people, I can confirm the sight that they were being admonished by their surrounding for it. The nobleman went as far as lowering his head, as he voluntarily did it, whats with your reaction?, that sort of psychology would naturally work. Something like just lowering your head wont solve anything only works when there is no gap between the statuses of both parties. In the medieval themed world, a nobles head would be deemed highly. As long I dont mistake the timing as to when I should sell the idea, I can profit from it.

TL Note: Original sentence is, , which means lowering (someones) head is free. It may be interpreted as you wont solve our problem with just an apology, Oubeniel plays with the idea that if someone of a higher position were to apologise, that apology would be regarded in a higher remark.

Well then, let us get started Uni.

Yes, Master.

On Unis cue, all the mass produced slaves began to move at once.

While carrying a jute bag that was uniformly prepared from the mansion on their shoulders, they went into the field. And after they were lined up at equal distances, they scatter its contents all at once.

The move would certainly alarm the farmers. Even though they belong to the lord, the slaves that make up the lowest social strata have marched into their fields, their greatest asset, and scattered something unknown. If I were to look this calmly, its almost as if Im giving them some sort of a warning.

Yo-you people, what are you!?

My, please calm down. Youll understand when you look at it.

Those who were trying to rush in were stopped in their tracks by my voice. It was a direct order from their lord. No matter how bad it is for the people, they had no choice but to wait.

As the villagers watch with their eyes tightened, the scattering job finally ended.

I waited as the all the slaves restore their uniform distance, then I issue an order,

Right, very well then, do it as Ive arranged before Transmutate

M-01, affirmative. Transmutate

Transmutate

Transmutate

Dozens of the mass produced slaves invoked the transmutation incantation in unison. A magic circle enveloped the wide field, and the thing they scattered seashells, fish bones, vegetable scraps, all sorts of fertiliser material- rapidly returned to the soil. By the time the light emitted by the magic circle fades, the soil in the field has been turned into exquisitely, rich-looking, black and brown in colour.

Is, is this!?

A, am I dreaming!? The state of this soil, I havent seen something like this for the last twenty years!

One of the aged farmers gingerly descends to the field and put a mouthful of soil into his mouth. It has been said that some of the skilled farmers would sometimes measure the quality of their field by putting its soil into their mouth. Though in my previous world, as it was in the modern times pesticides and chemical fertilizers may also be mixed into the soil, so they kind of stopped.

Its good good, good lively soil its the same soil during the last great harvest of this land, long, long ago.!

Really, gramps!?

Yo, youre lying, right?

The villagers who surround the crying elderly found themselves in delight and, more than that, bewilderment as they gaze at each others face.

Now, what I did wasnt at all complex. As you mightve imagined, soil of a desolated field was refined by fertiliser materials and was converted into good quality soil by the process of alchemy.

One of the goals of alchemy is to refine precious metals from base metals. The difficulty of this goal is nigh impossible, as even I could never successfully do it. Take lead, a base metal, for example, no matter what you do to it itll remain as lead, itd never change into gold, a precious metal. Scientifically, turning lead into gold would require nuclear fusion. Though, I wonder, since in this world magic can be brought into the process, could it be that the process here would be more labour-saving compared to the one in my previous world? Though, this is merely my hypothesis.

Well, to put it in shorter words. Compared to that tremendously difficult task, making a fertiliser from food waste and mix those in into the soil can be said to be completely inconsequential. After all, even if you leave the fertilisers be, the soil would naturally turn like this. It is not difficult to accelerate the process with alchemical application.

Anyhow, at the age of eight Ive successfully created artificial skin and artificial muscle as a transplant for Unis face. The base materials for those were chicken and pork for cooking. Even children aged ten or less can do simple tasks like those. The fact is alchemy is too convenient, though peoples evaluation of it is unreasonably low. There is this idea of transplanting artificial flesh and blood into a living body using alchemy, but apparently even in the academic field of alchemy this concept is regarded as heresy, so I couldnt make a formal evaluation. Even that professor never thought of it until I brought it up.

Oh well, enough of that.

How is it, everyone? Now, the tired soil that bothered you so much has been taken care of. Feel free to plough this land to your hearts content, and let us reclaim the golden fields of wheat was once upon the land of Marlin once again!

YEAAAH..!

YEAAAAAAAAAH!

LONG LIVE THE NEW LORD!

GOLDEN FIELDS UPON MARLIN!

I stirred them up and raised their excitement, and moments later they unanimously chanted words to praise me by their own accord.

Alchemy has embraced the reputation of being dubious, but these poverty-stricken farmers are no-nonsense people. If they can get the soil of their wheat fields that feed them back to its fertile state then theyd just shut their eyes to no matter what. All I have to do is to repeat this method in the other fields later, and then I suppose I can manage this issue for the time being. Besides, more than anything else this agricultural adjustment would make the soil at its best condition, so theres no need to worry about repeated-cultivation damage. Even if they dont use the Norfolk farming method, there shouldnt be any fallow land. In the first place, I still yet to know how many years would take to reform agriculture in the most perfect way. What Im afraid of are actually pests and crop diseases, but Ill handle those issues separately, by making pesticides harmless to the human body if possible.

TL Note: More details on Norfolk farming method.

From an average alchemists point of view, this agricultural adjustment is not a big deal at all. Its like a Columbus egg, its something that anyone can do, its just that theres no technology that can help them to do that exist yet. That is why, if I do this showily, other quick-witted, intelligent nobles might begin their attempt to imitate the method. Though, Ill think about it when the time comes. I dont have the means to stop them anyway. Its not like theres a patent office in this world.

Nonetheless, considering that in this era cold weather and drought could cause famine in a flash, theres nothing wrong if food production regions were to increase. Besides, as were the forerunners here, well be able to accumulate intensive use know-hows of alchemy faster. If we can fully exploit the advantage of being the pioneer, the things that would most likely trouble us wont happen.

As I finish one of my jobs, I raise my gaze to the slaves and brightly say,

Alright, shall we depart to the next destination then?

There are still plenty of other fields, and theres a mountain of other things to do.

Theres no choice but to use time efficiently here.

***

Errrrrr, a little to the left, left. very well, there!

While looking constantly at the written plan on a time-eaten parchment, I issue my orders.

The one who moves according to my orders is a mud giant that probably reach three meters in height a magical beast, mud golem.

Haa. theyre indeed convenient.

As he watches the golem carrying out the construction works by using its huge body, Due muttered. In terms of simple combat strength, and especially physical strength, he who was greatly strengthened by the adjustment surgery is much stronger than this giant. However, when it comes to the volume of things that one can transport in a go, it would surely the giants part. Compared to a thing made of mud, earth, and sand, no matter how strong you are as a human, your human arm can only carry so much at once.

My peerage comes with a great deal of trouble. I cant do this if I dont at least have this sort of privilege.

I looked up at the mud golem as I said so.

Having a peerage and ruling a territory also means that the royal family recognises your military authority in order to maintain your territory. Thereby, one of the exempted matters is the possession of magical beasts. Magical beasts like unicorn or pegasus is akin to tanks or fighter aircraft in my previous world. Of course, it is not allowed to personally possess them. But when you hold a territory, the story is a rather different. As a pacification force in the territory, and as war reserves to serve the royal family in case of emergency, a landlord may reasonably arm themselves with considerable degree of freedom. Of course, this includes possession of powerful magical creatures as well.

Though, it goes without saying the high courts inspections would restrict a landlord from gathering enough arms that may be directed to overthrow the royal house- but it doesnt have anything to do with what were doing now, so Ill stop here.

Still, what a rich story this is. To think youd use a magical beast to do something like repair work.

Not at all, I feel that this is in fact the proper way to use it. A mud golem of this level, assuming were talking the adventurers guild subjugation grade, would belong to the likes of D-class to C-class. Its on the category where you can beat it with a huge margin even before your adjustment. This means even against my combat potential, its class is considerably inferior.

It may be a harsh remark, but its the truth. My masterpiece, Uni, has the ability that surpasses at least that of A-class adventurers. The mass-produced slaves, degraded as they are, were adjusted based on Unis data. Their ability matches that of a C-class, and possibly B-class if the individual is exceptional. And as we can use basic low-level magic, against a mud golem that is specialised only in physical strength while having low magic resistance, a barrage of attack magic would be enough to end it. In other words, the only pieces I have that is weaker than this golem is probably those former officials who tried to undermine me a while back, and their subordinates.

That said There are many parts in this plan that differs from the actual topography.

Of course thatd be the case I can tell that the parchment is bloody old just by looking at it. Just what year was it from?

I wonder?

Certainly, just as Due said, this parchment is too old. Ive got this one from the archives of that former deputys mansion where Im staying right now. From what age does this stuff came from, I have no idea, but the farmers need their irrigation quickly, so I have no choice but to use it.

Shall we make a new irrigation plan, then? That sounds like a good idea.

. Except for the fact that I do not have a talent that can do this amongst my ranks.

Unfortunately, all that I am is an alchemist. Its possible for me to provide technologies and tools that will be useful to do this irrigation job, but I have no skill to devise an irrigation plan myself. That brother of mine, whos now sitting in the royal capital and is still unwilling to send me human resources that may assist me, made the point that I received an education so I can do a job like this. Well, I dont want any part of it so I just thrust it back to him though.

Uni is a maid-cum-escort-cum-assistant-cum-explorer. She performs a wide variety of roles that is enough for her. Besides, it would be a great folly for her to be doing politics would be as it wastes a lot of her resources, and she has no one show her the ropes from anyway. Due is an adventurer that has been living only on his sword, and Drei apparently had led a nomadic life in the desert like a dark elf would. Its not that they both cant really do it, but they cant afford to work for home affairs.

This area, for the camp that is headed by my researcher self, is indeed a weak point. We excel in technical capabilities and combat prowess, but we lack the political ability that would utilise these potentials organically. Everyone in my ranks has undergone a brain adjustment and the risk of rebellion is extremely small, but if I, as the person on the top, were to make a mistake, the problems would remain unfixed and its likely that we wouldnt get anywhere.

To put it in other words, its like a start-up company headed by an engineer as its president. For now as were doing little things here and there no major problem has happened. But in the near future, the population of this Marlin Viscounty will increase, and while I dont wish this to happen, what would I do if my territory were to increase due to some mistake? Theres the risk that I might not be able to cope with newly occurring problems. I should also say that relying on a plan written on a map that looks like it were a map of Tokugawas buried gold that is most definitely outdated and lacks reliability is a big problem at this time.

Just from when was this from Let me check for a bit. Detect.

I try to measure its age with a simple appraisal magic.

My readings show that the plan was made approximately no less than one hundred fifty years ago. The Oubeniel family was raised to aristocracy two hundred years ago, so this plan was made roughly during the second or the third generation.

Oh, well. Luckily, or unluckily, since this world is reliant on magic, technological advancements have come to a standstill. The range of error should be only to the extent the topographic difference and there shouldnt be any other thing to correct.

Shouldnt be, but.

As I thought, in order to rule this land properly, new personnel must be scouted.

Do you want another run to the slave market again?

Dues face was a bit averse to the idea. Drei, whom he fancied personally, turned out that way a while back. Apparently for the time being he wouldnt want to step his foot into a slave market anytime soon.

Youre having a needless fear. Even in a slave-trading city theres no way a shop may risk selling a befitting person with enough aptitude in home affairs to shape up the land while theres a risk that they may be bought and sold out to other countries to a local viscounty. When your house collapses, either youll find yourself in another house, or youll be an unemployed waiting to be appointed to another post worse case is youll be executed.

If thats how it goes, why dont you fish those talents from the unemployed?

No way. My viscounty is under the umbrella of my brothers county. They wouldnt want to deal with dubious people that show up in the circular between the nobles, the official letter was passed to your older brother, shouldnt you as his little brother know whats inside too?, like that. Well then, my brother is waiting me to make a blunder like that, as hes helplessly waiting me to give him an opportunity to crush me.

And then the crushed me would be amongst the ostracised in the noble society. As an alchemist, my research funding source would disappear, but more than anything the wall that is my dignity as a noble that shields me from being murdered outright by my brother would disappear too. My brother may have caused me a great deal of troubles, but the reason why he hasnt erased me up until now was that he doesnt want to cross the final line as Im being protected by the society as a noble. Hes presently slandering me as a slave-murderer to the extent that some would see me with disdain. But while he finds me disgusting, I cant be killed for that reason. Killing me now would be akin to saying I killed him because he disgusts me, ugh so annoying.

Consuming slaves as experiment materials would be considered as a troublesome hobby but you cant be attacked for it. But if I were to make a mistake that couldnt be overlooked in my territory management, Id be labelled as incompetent and immediately lose my position. The murdered thing here would be something intangible, which is my position as a noble. The treatment from society would degrade as theyd see me as an insect instead of a human. Then, if one were to say they killed an insect because it disgusted them, no one would bat an eye.

Ive prepared Uni in case something like that happens, but Id like to avoid that if possible.

So, were in a deadlock then?

No, were not.

I show a grin to the irritated Due.

Actually, theres a way out. Or rather, that way out is actually the usual way to do things, but I dont want the trouble, so I didnt do it.

Seriously now, Milord.

You dont have to be that menacing. Its a truly laborious and troublesome method, I guess were working like this right now to make room for us to be able to use it.

Thats right. Thats the reason why I, who pride myself on hating inefficiently, cant come to an agreement with this Kingdom of Arquell. If were not prepared to a certain extent, not only that wed waste all the efforts weve made up until this point, we might come into harms way.

Well, its really a common-sense method. As you can see with the Oubeniel family, for noble houses the eldest son isnt the only one there is. Should an emergency befall the heir of the family, the eldest son, therell be always the second and third son as reserves- and then theres the bastard son.

Perhaps I should add that when I said bastard, I mean it in the sense that its the antithesis of the family heir. Its not like I was recognised by my dead father, in fact in later years before his death he doesnt even want to acknowledge me as his son.

TL Note: Here he tried to say that hes in a way a bastard too, and emphasised that hes referring to illegitimate children that have no chance of succeeding their family.

In that case, its unusual that hed grant someone like me a territory without any reason whatsoever.

I see, if granting territory to every child besides the eldest son is the general practice, then the map store would be very busy right now as theyd have to redraw the territorial borders here and there every time theres an inheritance.

Even the tough guy Due apparently understands the reason to that extent.

Right, thats why theres many of these bastards are being kept in their residences without given any chance to show what theyve got, theyre really unfortunate in that way. The way for them to prosper is roughly divided into five. First, theres no other successor next in line as the family fortune turns around and all the legitimate sons are suddenly dead. Second, theyre adopted into another family whose line of succession is going to extinct. Third, they join the knight corps, and fourth, they join the court as a court magician, those sorts of careers.

And fifth is?

That, huh well, have you ever wondered why among the adventurers thered be a kid of a noble every so often? Most of them are there in order to start an enterprise to escape from their house confinement, as they throw themselves out to the world of outlaws with their own ambitions in mind. Even a noble house would not afford itself to feed an idle good-for-nothing, and if theyre dead, at least there one less mouth to feed. Its just a boring mundane exposure behind those noble stories the bards usually recount.

I continued my explanation with my faraway look.

No dreams or hope whatsoever for them, huh.

So complained Due.

Perhaps, many of the former noble adventurers that he knew were fleetingly gone before any chance for them to grab their glory. Originally, a noble that would choose the path as an adventurer is one who doesnt have the ability or connection to become a knight. If the only thing they dont have is the connection, then they may flourish as an adventurer, but what if they dont have the ability? I dont have to recount what might become of them. If you have no luck or talent, even if the blue blood of nobility flows inside you, youll just end up like that.

Our talk has been derailed. The fifth is to become a vassal of a house somewhere and then advance from there. They find a nobleman with the lack of vassals like me, and take care of their job as a subordinate. Theyd be able to earn their keep compared in a safer way compared to becoming an adventurer without any skills, and to one end its possible for them to put on an air of being one of the nobility as well. The employer would also be able to obtain an educated vassal that is still a noble in some degree. This would be an ideal win-win symbiosis, but-

You seem quite hesitant though. Is there a problem with that?

Theres a big one. Their ideals, and their common sense as to how they do things most likely, my brother has already anticipated this from a long time ago. He has the geographical advantage as hes now in the royal capital anyway. Maybe hed do something along the lines of lobbying the bastards who are now living in the family mansion to be his spy if his little brother were to invite them as a vassal.

I wonder if he promised that theyd be treated by their family well if they do a great job at it. For a dependent noble confined to their rooms, thered be no means to resist the offer. At any rate, the other side is the head of a count family. And in contrast Im just a viscount under his umbrella.

An unemployed guy whos having a hard time to find a job is being asked by a president of a head office to investigate a branch office for the defiant attitude- and depending on the situation, interfere with them-, the situation would be similar to that. On top of being promised with enticing employment conditions after the act, as he may think that his future would be rough, he wouldnt refuse the offer at first. Though I dont think theres a company in my previous world that would do that theres none, right?

That aside, the reason as to why hes taking the risk of granting me a rank and a territory as a viscount and letting me do as I please with it is because he has this means available. Else hed kill me upon knowing that I am unnecessarily looking into other nobles, or hed tacitly keep me in that mansion to continue my experiment until Im dead. As of the former case, Uni would be able to prevent it, but while I thought the latter shouldve been his default choice, its actually the cause of my present situation.

As Ive said a few times earlier, nobles who fail in their territory management would be killed without a care, because theyd be judged of having no value to other nobles.

But only other nobles would fear that sort of blatant move. Not me.

I know, right?

Because of the unexpected lavish spending that is Drei, the amount of mass-produced slaves that can be procured is less than I originally planned, but I was still able to replenish their amount. Besides, Drei herself has become rather the valuable tool. All preparation is in place.

As of now, the Viscounty of Marlin has become my nest. If my brother thought he can probe around this place just by reaching out from far away, somewhere like the royal capital, then thatd be the extremity of outrageousness. On the contrary, Ill make it so that his hands will be badly bitten and poison will seep into his fingers.

Uni, are you here?

Yes, Im by your side.

When I spoke out, Uni immediately appeared next to me out of nowhere.

To that sight, Due wearily says,

There was no sign of her at all

Thats because I was erasing my presence.

And to think Im deceived by that, Im losing my self-confidence here yknow

Then please be more diligent from now on, she curtly replied.

I gave her a letter that Ive kept in advance. Its a procedural document for official recruitment to be submitted to the royal palace. Although he might take notice of my move, I have no obligation of sending this through my brother even though hes my superior.

Mail this for me. If you ask the adventurers guild, I believe itll be delivered to the royal capital in no time.

As you wish, Master.

After I saw her disappearing without a sound, I return my gaze to the mud golem thats still carrying on with the construction job.

That giant of a magical beast is doing its duty autonomously, according to its masters order.