CH 37

CHAPTER 37 – THE SAINT’S FIRST DATE

“It suits you very well.” (Wendelin)

“It is nice as casual wear.” (Elise)

“Yes” (Wendelin)

As it was the first date of Elise, the granddaughter of Cardinal Hohenheim, who had become my fiancée, I planned for it to go smoothly as well.

In all honesty, I wasn’t up to the task of escorting her as I was unfamiliar with the royal capital. As Elise was a sheltered noble girl and an apprentice nun, I didn’t expect her to know the tourist attractions and well-known stores either.

Naturally, as for this time’s date plans, they were arranged by the butler Mr. Sebastian who was perfect no matter how you looked at him. (T/N: The Mr. is honorary speech, so no -san :) )

Although usually you would have a problem with a butler tagging along on a date, you couldn’t expect two nobles, who were yet only 12-years old, to walk around in the capital by themselves either. I guess this is something that couldn’t be avoided.

There was also the reason of crime-prevention since it was something that was possible during our date.

In reality, with the exception of Mr. Sebastian, apparently there were also several groups of men secretly guarding us here as well.

Without doubt those could be considered to be Cardinal Hohenheim’s subordinates.

However, as one would expect of the role model of butlers, Sebastian. (E: I feel like Wend is taking after Roxanne like saying ‘As expected of Master!’  for everything…)

He didn’t enter our field of view at all if there wasn’t any necessity to do so. But if it was necessary, he would precisely follow on our side at once.

“(It is on the degree from the butlers and such I have seen at the residence of Margrave Breithilde-sama.)” (Wendelin)

Of course there was no such existence in my home, the Baumeister household.

Even though there officially was one, it was just an old person from the village. Rather than calling him a butler, it was more accurate to describe him as simple servant.

In regards to the servants at my home, it was the elder people who weren’t suited to help with the tough farm-work anymore. They were simple helpers as there weren’t any better substitutes.

Tentatively, it was possible to appeal to external employees. But it was absurd for them to do something like commuting considering the arranged low wages.

Things like other nobles being curious in the amount of employees of the Baumeister main household, though I have no doubt that there isn’t a single person like that, this was also something to be called the vanity of nobles.

“Well then, let’s have them pack up those clothes.” (Wendelin)

Although she wasn’t well-informed of such things as merchant’s shops and tourist attractions in the capital, when it came to the extent of Elise’s home, clothes and such were mostly order-made and then tasked to be delivered to them.

And yet, her sense in fashion was quite good.

Up until the age of 12 years I didn’t wear anything but the hand-downs from my brothers.

Also in my previous life Uniclo and Shimamura were my main battlefields. There wasn’t anything you could call fashion sense. (T/N: Both are bigger clothes chains in Japan)

Something like clothes, I considered them to be reasonably good enough to wear as long as they weren’t weird.

Since there were only few items I received as present from Erich-nii-san for occasions like my birthday etc., I only own a few stylish clothes.

“That’s true. Thank you.” (Elise)

“No, since this much is something I can do.” (Wendelin)

I was able to spend an enjoyable time after a long time.

Except going on something like a date, it was possible for me to sight-see, eat, and go shopping in the capital with a gentle bishoujo having a supreme appearance.

There is no way I wouldn’t enjoy this.

Lately there was only the teasing Majesty (king), greedy nobles, and a muscled doushi.

Due to interacting with them, my spirit was nothing but dried out. After a long time it was finally supplied with water.

“How was that restaurant?” (Elise)

“It was delicious. It was a cooking made skilfully the best use of the raw materials.” (Wendelin)

“It was a shop recommended by Sebastian after all.” (Elise)

Moreover, Elise appeared to be a very nice girl too.

As it was a restaurant which Sebastian went to look for so we could eat our lunch, she ended up saying so honestly.

“(Wendelin-sama, it is her long-awaited enjoyable first date. It is the man’s duty to get her something like a present honoring the memory of the date …)” (Sebastian)

Furthermore Sebastian’s directions were very good worthy of his excellent capacity as butler.

Not forgetting to consider Elise, the granddaughter of his master, he whispered to me to give her a present with the best timing to mention it.

“(As expected of Sebas. He is a role model for all butlers.) Elise, for the reason of us getting engaged safely and as it is our first date today, I thought of giving you something to remember this special day.” (Wendelin)

“Ano, is it really alright?” (Elise)

“Due to the two dragon subjugation, my pocket is filled to the brim.” (Wendelin)

I have more than enough surplus of money to get my fiancée an accessory.

However, if I had that allowance in my previous life …

Given that it is an already finished case, I decided to put an end to drawing out my memories.

“(Wendelin-sama. As you can see, there is a a jewelry that sells excellent items.)” (Sebastian)

Once again Sebastian gave me a perfect advice in an inaudible voice that only I could hear.

Furthermore, without us realizing his intentions, we were guided close to a store. In my mind Sebastian’s value rose more and more.

Frankly, it was to the extent that I wanted him to become my butler.

“Koreha koreha, welcome, please feel free to enter. I guess the young master wishes to give the lovely young woman here a gift?” (Shopkeeper) (T/N: The first part: I would translate it as “How very unexpected …” or “What a pleasant surprise …”)

When we entered the jeweler we were told about by Sebastian, a middle-aged man with a good physique appearing to be the shopkeeper emerged from the inside.

It seems that this shop dealt with high-class jewelry and was related to many noble customers. Apparently he assessed us, who were yet not adults, as nobles and treated us as valuable customers.

However, you could also say that it was due to the butler Sebastian, who maintained a reasonable distance.

“Is it a betrothal gift?” (Shopkeeper)

“Indeed” (Wendelin)

As it was normal to be engaged at around our age, apparently it wasn’t very unusual for nobles to directly give rings as presents.

The shopkeeper-like man rubbed his hands together as he greeted us.

“Koreha koreha, what a sweet ojou-sama.” (Shopkeeper)

Elise also was a famous being in the capital called 『Hohenheim’s Saint』.

But, since she didn’t wear her usual apprentice uniform today, the shopkeeper didn’t seem to notice her identity.

Although it wasn’t because of the light-blue one-piece, I noticed the shopkeeper’s rude gaze, he only dispatched for an instant, towards her quite conspicuous breasts.

I won’t say such petty things such as 『Despite these being mine!』.

In the case of males, it was normal for them to send their gaze there first.

“And, the situation of your budget is …” (Shopkeeper)

“How much is the market price? Honestly, I don’t quite know about it.” (Wendelin)

Even though I had the experience of giving women jewelry in my previous life, it was to the degree of a working student giving his girlfriend a Christmas present. Obviously it was a totally different matter and situation to give a young noble woman an engagement ring.

Moreover, such things like the customs of nobles were totally unrelated to my family’s home.

No one had taught it to me either as I was still a child. Thus I wasn’t well-acquainted with this part.

“Usually it is from one gold coin and upwards.” (Shopkeeper)

In Japanese yen that would be around one million yen.

Given that it was an engagement ring presented between nobles, I would say it was a moderately appropriate amount of money.

Certainly the market price in regards to marriage rings would yet again be a different one.

“Such an amount is normal, huh?” (Wendelin)

“That is correct, I doubt that it is a good idea for noble-sama to get something of too poor quality in these circumstances.” (Shopkeeper)

Although I guess that the shopkeeper wants to sell an expensive ring which will yield him good profit, it could also be called something impolite in reverse to recommend cheap articles to nobles. But, I think he wants to force a sale of something expensive after all.

“That ring shouldn’t be too eccentric.” (Wendelin)

While the shopkeeper was recommending various rings to me, a ring displayed in an odd case within the many goods began to catch my eye’s.

“Yes. This is a special order-made ring with an unique magic gem in the center.” (Shopkeeper)

Given that basically a large magic gem could store a lot of mana, it would cost a lot of money.

As there was a limit to it, among the craftsmen there were only few who built magic tools. There were some who could also charge the magic gems quite efficiently with a lot of mana even if they were small.

This ring apparently was made by such a magic tool artisan.

However, this craft seemed to be only applicable to small magic gems.

The reason is simple. If we assume to apply the same step to a large magic gem like the one used in magic airships, the essential magic tool artisan would end up fainting the moment they ran out of mana.

Furthermore, if you said to use the mana possessed by an intermediate class magician, the magic airship wouldn’t be able to float either.

Indeed, you could agree to something like those expensive fare prices.

“Although there is a limit to optimizing the magic gem, the magic gem attached to this gem still has stored the amount of mana comparable to an intermediate magician. And even then, since it is in our shop, naturally you can also use it as jewelry.” (Shopkeeper)

“Also use it as jewelry?” (Wendelin)

“As for this, it is in a state of not being charged with mana. If you charge it, it shines like an emerald.” (Shopkeeper)

Nevertheless, apparently the other party naturally couldn’t bear to pay such a high price for this awkward gem.

“As a matter of fact, it is a slightly troublesome item to deal with …” (Shopkeeper)

Thinking that it would be popular, although he ordered a expressively renown magic tool artisan, up until now it still remained in stock. There was no indication that it would be sold any time soon at all.

“After trying to reflect about it, there are unexpectedly few nobles who can use magic …” (Shopkeeper)

There is absolutely no relation between magic talent and heredity.

In the olden days there was a famous researcher affirming this after specially running some statistics. In the first place, if magic ability was influenced by heredity, then the nobles would have been full of magicians long ago already.

Although there were magicians raising in ranks after a conferring of decorations due to their achievements, their descendants afterwards were completely undistinguished.

With such examples, there obviously was no enumeration.

As far as Elise was concerned, you could say that her relatives were quite the rare existences.

In addition to Armstrong-doushi there are 2 uncles and nieces who are famous magicians.

“If you have the money to buy this ring, there are other even more beautiful and great rings attached with gems.” (Shopkeeper)

“Judging by a normal magician, isn’t it difficult for them to pay a large sum due to the jewelry?” (Wendelin)

“Yes” (Shopkeeper)

Certainly, if you examined it closely, the ring was made out of silver. The circumference of the magic gem was also adorned with something like diamonds.

Although it was natural that it was expensive since it was a magic tool, it ended up adding additional cost in comparison to other jewelry as well. Thus it became unnecessarily expensive.

“How much does it cost?” (Wendelin)

“Yes, three platinum coins it is.” (Shopkeeper)

That would be 300.000.000 Japanese yen.

No matter how much one was a noble either, this item wasn’t something they could easily obtain.

“Honestly speaking though, it was originally 5 platinum coins. But since I wouldn’t be able to sell it like this, I had no choice but to reduce the price.” (Shopkeeper)

Even though the shopkeeper had a tone like being mortified by the decision to lower the price, there wasn’t any merchant, neither in this world nor in any other, who would do business transactions while recklessly incurring something like a loss.

At most he only gets a little profit, huh? He probably planned to recover the money to the extent of what he spent for keeping it in stock.

“If I charged it with mana in advance, would someone who has no mana themselves still be able to use magic?” (Wendelin)

“Of course, they would be. Since it is a highly efficient magic tool, no matter their magic nature they will also be able to use it disregarding whoever has charged it with mana. Yes.” (Shopkeeper)

In order for a fellow magician to efficiently transfer mana, they need a peculiar ability.

From the outset mana has the property of its owner or more precisely, since it contains a component like a fingerprint or gene, it ends up being futile to transfer the mana to another person so they can invoke magic.

For this to be potentially possible, the condition was for the magician to be able to perform sharing mana nature like in Burkhart-san’s case.

There are many magicians, who charge magic gems with mana for the sake of having something in case there was a problem with their own mana.

Myself as well has prepared several tens of those in the unlikely event that something happened.

However, even if someone else would withdraw the mana from the magic gem in order to use it for magic, I guess they would be able to draw out at most 5% of the stored mana.

Even though there are many magic tools that don’t have this limitation, the magic tool artisans are every time forced to ask magicians with the same very rare ability of sharing mana nature like Burkhart-san to engrave the formula into their tool.

In addition, because Burkhart-san didn’t possess the ability to produce magic tools, the result was that he could only use that mana transfer if the other party was a human.

『Although I don’t have the talent for it either, I would be discontent with it as well since I am weak at at doing that sort of *chima chima* work.』 (Burkhart) (T/N: sfx means “fiddly”)

The person himself had arrived at such impression.

“It isn’t only usable by the person himself but general purpose?” (Wendelin)

“Yes, if they know the way of using magic, anyone is capable to withdrawing the the stored mana.” (Shopkeeper)

Thus, this ring, since the unique magic formula was engraved on the ring’s pedestal, anyone who had equipped it was also able to freely use the mana put into the magic gem.

It was also a ring that reproduced the ability of Burkhart-san.

“As it also contains this condition, the price is high, huh? … Alright, I will buy it.” (Wendelin)

“Thank you very much.” (Shopkeeper)

Although Elise and Sebastian were surprised, it had a large significance for Elise, who is an expert at healing magic, to own this ring.

Seeing that I wasn’t able to use mana transfer on my magician companions like Burkhart-san, I shouldn’t be stingy with money for such magic tool.

Charging the magic gem with mana and then in order for transferring the mana to another person with this method, this high priced magic tool was necessary. There is no particular problem to use it as energy source for the previous magical airship.

The mana in this world was truly a troublesome thing.

Even though the royal academy etc. were currently researching the inner workings, they didn’t obtain any considerable results as of yet.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Ano … As expected, such an expensive item …” (Elise)

“I suppose it was really expensive, but lately I got an enormous incidental income.” (Wendelin)

“Still …” (Elise)

“Won’t we become a married couple? I might have to call upon the mana of that ring.” (Wendelin)

As I had profited on the sales of the raw materials of the two subjugated dragons and also received the inheritance of master, I still possessed more than 1000 platinum coins.

Therefore my sense of money was semi-paralyzed. I didn’t judge this ring to be particularly expensive.

“Charging it with mana and keeping it close, won’t you also be able to use magic in case something unexpected happened?” (Wendelin)

“Still …” (Elise)

“In the case of the church, won’t you be able to use even more healing magic?” (Wendelin)

“Thank you very much. I will treasure it dearly.” (Elise)

If she were to persistently refuse here, it would give off a discourteous feeling in reverse.

Thus Elise obediently accepted the ring I bought for her.

“(However, that alone isn’t the reason.)” (Wendelin)

It was a kind of threat towards Cardinal Hohenheim.

As Elise was a celebrity to a certain degree, giving her such a high priced engagement ring, she would always wear it, since it was a magic tool in shape of a daily article, plainly causing the surroundings to catch sight of it.

It was something you could expect to cause rumors quite soon.

Even if I were to be dragged into a dispute between nobles afterwards and was suddenly abandoned, would they be able to let me be left high and dry?

Despite Baron Baumeister buying his granddaughter an engagement ring for 3 platinum coins as present, the reputation of Cardinal Hohenheim would certainly fall if he were a cold-hearted man who abandoned such a person.

“(Protect me with the power of the church since half of it is an engagement ring with the church.) Ah, can you replenish the mana?” (Wendelin)

Going by the explanation of the shopkeeper, while touching the magic gem you should have an image of distributing the mana. The magic gem, which had been grey until now, began to shine in a color similar to emerald.

“Customer-sama is a magician after all? Which reminds me, there is currently Baron Baumeister in the royal capital who gained fame by dragon slaying. Furthermore『Hohenheim’s Saint』-sama is to become his fiancée or something like that.” (Shopkeeper)

“What! Did you notice?” (Wendelin)

Somehow or other, this shopkeeper somehow managed to realize Elise’s and mine true identities.

“Although half of it was intuition, I thought I should recommend this ring’s magic gem if that was the case.” (Shopkeeper)

“You are a merchant after all.” (Wendelin)

“Yes, since that’s how I make my living.” (Shopkeeper)

Even though we were seen through, because I was able to give Elise an excellent ring, serving a purpose of beauty and practical use, I decided to consider it a good thing.

Furthermore, this shopkeeper didn’t seem to intend on chatting needlessly to his surroundings about us being his visitors either.

“The goods in our store are expensive. From the point of view of crime prevention, we keep in mind to not leak information about our customers.” (Shopkeeper)

“(As noble, there are often situations where they couldn’t publicly admit to give an accessory to a woman as well, huh?)” (Wendelin)

I safely finished my first date with Elise. I was also able to raise my standing by buying her an engagement ring. At last I feel like I was able to calm my mind.