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Chapter 2: What’re you going to do by banishing me?
Then one day, I was directly summoned by the king and confronted in the audience chamber. The king is still young, not yet 40 years old.
The reason for this is because the previous king suddenly fell ill and died. Consequently, his legitimate son was crowned on short notice.
”Walker. I’ve heard from the minister, that you’re someone who frequently pretends to do his job, and that you speak as though you’re high and mighty.”
”No way, I don’t think of myself as being someone so important…”
”Stop the excuses. I have read the estimate you’ve drawn up, and I thought it was a joke since it was so ridiculously expensive. However, according to the minister, he says that you were serious.”
”Of course I wouldn’t tell a lie about such a thing.”
I did my best to keep costs down. It’s true that it seems high at first glance, but the skills of magic architects have greatly transformed this country. Before, the country used to be considered a small, rural country, but magic architecture has transformed the roads and brought about railways that magic trains can run on.
Many of the factories now using magic formulae have also increased their productivity, resulting in vast profits. 25 trillion Corz may seem like a lot at first glance, but the past 100 years alone must have netted far greater profits.
If you look at it that way, you can easily cover 25 trillion Corz.
”Walker. Let me give you a reality check. Here is a quotation I asked another contractor to produce. Your Majesty, please bring your attention to this.”
”Hm… Huhhh! An amazing 25 billion Corz? You say this will settle it?”
”Yes. The contractor said that this would be enough.”
It’s 25 billion? That’s absurd. That’s obviously not possible. I looked at the estimate the minister presented to me, and nearly became dizzy. Does the minister seriously think we can get by with this?
”Splendid. So you’re estimate really was a farce.”
”That’s not so. To begin with, the contents of the contracts are entirely different. This kind of thing isn’t fair.”
”Shut up, talking about fairness. It’s not that the contents are different. It’s that your estimates are such a joke.”
”Hm. There’s no mistake. What you said was actually true.”
”What you said”? The king’s eyes have turned stern.
”I’ve suspected it for quite some time now. You have been giving us an inflated bill, haven’t you?”
”Inflated?”
”Unyu—!”
Anger accidentally mixed into my voice before I could stop it, and it seems Uni felt the same way. His arms were shaking about and his brown fur was bristling.
”However, it aught to be clear from this. Your money estimates are far too ridiculous. It’s a fact beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
No way, don’t tell me even the king believes the minister’s nonsense quotation…
”Now then, what you’ve done, inflating the bill, is embezzlement. Naturally, fraud is naturally a felony.”
”Please wait a moment. I haven’t committed fraud!”
”Shut up! This quotation says it all. And even more so, you habitually fool around on the job.”
The king nods deeply at the minister’s words.
”Normally, I would condemn you as a criminal for your sins, however my father was assisted by magic architects. Taking that into consideration, I will pardon you with banishment to an exile island.”
”Island exile. Are you sure you want to say that?”
”You! Are you trying to voice some dissatisfaction with His Majesty’s decision!”
”Just in case, I’d like to confirm: since you say you’re going to banish me, does that mean you’re going to build according to the estimates given by the Minister of Construction?”
”Of course that’s the case.”
”It’s going to become something truly preposterous, you know?”
”What?”
I was met with the king’s puzzled expression in return. The minister beside him was looking this way with eyes that said “what are you on about?”.
”What will be preposterous? That thinking of yours is more preposterous.”
”I’m not not joking. For instance, there’s magic asbestos listed as a material here.”
I hit the minister’s quotation with my hand as I pointed out as such. The minister’s expression was slowly turning displeased.
”What’s wrong with that? This magic asbestos is a ground-breaking material said to be a miracle mineral. It is inexpensive with high versatility. It’s sound-insulating, heat-resistant, magic-resistant and superior in every way. It would rather be strange to not use it.”
”It’s true that this material, which is fibrous magic stone, is often found in large quantities once unearthed, which keeps prices low, and as you’ve said just now, it seems highly versatile at first glance.”
”What. Then there’s no problem.”
”That isn’t so. Magic asbestos has a side-effect. The process of turning magic stones into fibers allows for the fibers to be easily dispersed into the air, which causes magic power disorders, which can have a great impact on the body.”
Magic power disorders can also have negative effects on various organs within the body. It can cause pneumonia, damage to internal organs, laceration of nerves, and vomiting blood, to name a few.
Additionally, if a magic power disorder is contracted by a magician, they’d become unable to properly use magic. In the worst case, it can even result in death, so it’s a problem that can’t be overlooked.
”That’s nonsense! Your Majesty. Do not believe this guy’s foolish words. I haven’t heard of any particular problems from the craftsmen who have used this material.”
The minister responds confidently, but magic power disorders are said to be a silent curse as it doesn’t have immediate effects.
However, the symptoms develop slowly, like a seemingly slow torture, and by the time you notice, it’s too late.
”On the contrary, Your Majesty, the craftsman not only recommended the use of this material, but even went as far as to insist that nothing could compete with it. He wondered why anyone would use mythril wool, which is far more expensive, when such a cheap and convenient material was available.”
Mythril wool is mythril which has been made into fibers. Mythril is generally regarded as an expensive material meant for equipment, but it can be dissolved by immersing it in a special magic dissolving solution, which can then be processed and formed into something resembling cotton.
It is comparatively easier to adjust the magic power conductivity of mythril. That is why it is an essential material for a magic architect.
It is certainly expensive, but there’s no need to worry about side-effects. Like Manacrete, even though it is expensive, it is essential in maintaining this country. According to the minister’s quotation, Mithril will not be used at all and the renovation will proceed with conventional concrete.
Concrete used to be commonly used, but unfortunately its vulnerability to magic is a problem. It’s not possible for it to withstand a magic architect applying its architectural techniques to it.
I tried to explain this to the king and minister as well as I could but…