Rebirth in a Ruined Nation! The Life of a New Strategist Starting From Now - Chapter 17

The Two Court Officials (2)

“Nelfia, you’re here. Good morning. Where’s Sazabi?”

“Good morning, Roa-san. His Majesty assigned Sazabi some work. He will come once he finishes it.”

“I felt like I ended up giving you both more work. Sorry.” 

Nelfia responded with a laugh.

“I was grateful for you because working for you means we don’t have to leave the palace.”

“What do you mean?”

“The secretaries’ job is to go to various places on His Majesty’s behalf and write a report about those places, so we rarely stay in the palace.”

“Ah, that’s why you both felt unfamiliar to me, even though you both are also court officials.”

“I wonder. There are many court officials working at the palace, so it’s possible that you’ve just never seen us before.”

After the dinner, I felt that all of us became more comfortable with each other, which was a good thing.

“What are our agendas for today?”

“I’m planning to make more canned food. I’ve never thought my research on canned food will end up becoming a huge deal, so I’ve only made 5 jars for each type of food. I’ve already thrown away the failed product, and I’d opened some for the test tasting, so there are only a few canned foods left.”

“I see.”

“I’ve already asked Diku and Rufa to go shopping for the ingredients.”

“Why didn’t you come along with them, Roa-san?”

“I wanted to check on the other preserved food. I’ve recently asked to add other types of food other than meat, so I’m here to check them. I can’t let myself focus only on the canned food project that I don’t know will be successful or not, while neglecting my other job, after all.”

“Then, may I assist you? At least until the two have returned.”

“Of course, thank you. We will start making new canned food after Rufa and Derik return. But I need a kitchen to make canned food.  I’m hoping there are some unoccupied kitchens…”

“Regarding the kitchen…Because we would undoubtedly stand out if we continued to use the kitchen of the 10th Division, His Majesty has granted us permission to use another kitchen, so how about we make the canned food there?”

“I don’t mind, but that kind of convenient place exists?”

“Of course, it existed. It’s the palace’s auxiliary kitchen, which is generally used for large events like banquets, so it’s currently unoccupied.”

“…Oh wow, that’s being quite grandiose.”

Things got even bigger, didn’t they?

“But there’s a slight problem. It will definitely seem suspicious if we kept carrying the jars, and the canned food in and out of that kitchen.”

“You’re right. Hm… It will be perfect if there are places near that kitchen where we can store the canned food, so we don’t have to go back and forth to the pantry…”

Nelfia gave me an odd look after I said that.

“Are you okay with letting your research product out of your sight, Roa-san? Someone could steal your technique.”

Even if you said something like that…First and foremost, I wasn’t the one who invented the canning method. If anything, I felt sorry for the original inventor. Besides, my original aim was to fix the 10th Division’s preserved food storage, which contained only meat, so I wasn’t too concerned with the canning method itself.

“Well, I don’t really care about that. The canning method was something I accidentally discovered in a book, not something I invented.”

Nelfia’s eyes widened slightly after I said that.

“Roa-san you are… a more generous person than I had expected.”

Well then, let’s get to work. Time passed, as I checked the state of dried foods, meat, bread, and other preserved food. 

“We’re back.”

Ah, Diku. So it was time to finish up my ‘regular’ work and concentrate on the canning method research.

“Well done, Diku. Rufa, you as well.”

“Diku bought me fruit juice.”

“Really? Good for you, Rufa. Diku, sorry for saying this when you just returned, but can you bring the jars you’ve just bought to another room?”

“Sure, but we haven’t finished shopping.”

“Eh?”

“Because we got more jars than we expected. We’re planning to put them here first, then go back to town to shop for the ingredients.”

After Rufa’s explanation, I realized they didn’t bring any ingredients, just the jars.

“Sorry. I should’ve come with you. If it’s just the ingredients, I can also carry them so I’ll go to buy the ingredients. You two just rest.”

Nelfia stopped me just as I was ready to go.

“There’s no need for you to go, Roa-san. Sazabi is probably going to finish his work soon, so let’s just ask him later. Also, I think it will be better if we start thinking about how to get our hands on the jars without having to go back and forth to the town.”

“All right, I’ll listen to you. By the way, how did you two get so many jars?”

“When we said to the shopkeeper, ‘We’re going to make a lot of jam, so please bring us as many jars as possible,’ the shopkeeper also asked other shops to bring their jars.” (Rufa)

“After seeing Rufa, the shopkeeper probably thought a merchant sent us there.”

That made sense. Pure-blooded Sarshans that came to Rudek were merchants or sailors, after all. The shopkeeper probably mistaken Rufa for a merchant’s daughter.

Whatever the case, I was glad they could buy so many jars without drawing unwanted attention.

Not long after, Sazabi entered the pantry.

“Sorry, I’m late!” 

Nelfia immediately told him to go shopping

“But I just arrived!” Sazabi begrudgingly left again.

***

“So, how do you feel about him?”

King Zeurasia and Nelfia were talking inside the King’s private chamber, a place that only a select few could enter.

“From what I’ve seen of him, he appears to be a typical court official. His conduct was full of openings. He didn’t give an impression of someone capable enough to invent the canning method.”

“I see. Your first impression of him is very similar to mine.”

“It’s just…”

“It’s just?”

“He may be a more generous person than I had expected. He didn’t seem to be obsessed with his own invention.”

“Interesting…Although it might be possible he just thought that this level of knowledge is nothing for him.”

“Your Majesty, you seem to like him?.”

“You think so? I also still don’t know it myself.”

“Pardon?”

“I find him quite intriguing. Rays suddenly recommended a court official, whom I have never heard of before, and that court official even submitted an idea that no one had thought of before. As for liking him…that will depend.”

“It is as you said, Your Majesty.”

“Well, I don’t expect you to find something in just a few days. Continue to investigate Roa’s true nature and be cautious not to let the knowledge regarding the canning method leak. If you find anyone trying to dig up information about the canning method, immediately launch an investigation on that person.”

“Understood. Then, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave.”

The King’s “Ah, right” halted Nelfia in her tracks as she was about to leave the room.

“Create some kind of achievement record for the 8th Division. It’s fine even if those achievements are fake. Being discovered by a court official was quite interesting, but being discovered by other countries would not exactly be fun.”

“I understand. I will think of something.”

Leaving those words, Nelfia left the room.

After Nelfia left the room she thought, Ah, that’s right, he discovered the 8th Division’s real purpose, so he might be unexpectedly smart?

Thus, Nelfia changed her evaluation of Roa.

?

T/N: So, Roa was right that 8th Division was Rudek Kingdom’s CIA-like organization. As for Nelfia…she seems to be some sort of spy, rather than secretary?