Botsuraku 130

"Wow, even though I had so many things to talk about, now that we are finally face to face, the words won't come out for some reason."

Toto said to me as he sat down on the sofa.

I was also kind of worried about what to start with since I have lost my past memories.

"How are the medicinal plants coming along?"

And so, I decided to go with a topic I was interested in and he was knowledgeable about.

"Yeah, the one I talked about at the capital, which wouldn't need any sunlight, is almost complete. If things go smoothly, I should be able to make it a product soon."

"Glad to hear that. You wouldn't have had any worries about sunlight if you chose Helan territories as the land for production, though. On top of that, the plants here grow really well."

"Ah, yes, I am actually seriously considering that. Once you complete the magic train you're working on right now and I make this land my base, I can sell products at all the stations. Besides, isn't Helan really huge? It's very cramped in the capital for production."

"Please feel free to come here. I would be glad to welcome your company anytime. That will bring merit to both of us."

Toto nodded.

He doesn't really seem like a talkative person but he sure has a lot to say when it comes to medicines and business.

"Gap company's medicinal plants' are quite famous here. Although very few, there are peddlers who import it here. I have been listening to my people's feedback on it. And they are saying that the effect is really good compared to the price. As you would expect, they can't really import a lot at once so my people are always having to wait for it. You seriously made some very impressive stuff."

"You shouldn't be the one saying that. Most of the popular selling items in the market are co-produced by you and I, you know?"

"Hmm, I still can't remember but that sounds really fun when I imagine it."

"It was actually fun. You, Iris and I made unique medicinal plants and vegetables. Those days were the golden days for me."

"Eh? Wait a minute."

What did he say just now? I might have heard it wrong…

"Didn't we work on it by ourselves?"

I can imagine that.

Although we are both n.o.bles, I can easily imagine us farming.

However! What about that person?

"That's right. You and me. And Iris was also always beside us. She also grew her vegetables with care."

"That Iris did?!"

A peerless beauty and the first prince's woman. She also has extensive knowledge and popularity. And she was growing vegetables?

"I am having a hard time imagining that."

"You were quite different, from my perspective. Iris isn't a n.o.ble so I could see her being good at farming. And I am from a poor n.o.ble family so I had no elegance and my hands were always green from the plants."

Oho? So Toto was a poor n.o.ble. I can somewhat understand that. He does seem like he has worked hard.

"And you, although from the countryside, you were the eldest son of a n.o.ble with a huge land. Even then, you were always doing smithing work and weren't a part of the gaudy n.o.ble group. When I asked if you would like to grow some vegetables together, you said yes without any delay too. It might seem weird for me to say this since I was the one who invited you, but I was quite surprised back then, in a good way, of course."

So I did smithing since I was in the academy, eh? What am I doing, really? Be a better n.o.ble!

"Why was I doing blacksmith work?"

"Eh? Even if you ask me…… To be honest, I wanted to ask you that someday."

"Ah, I see."

The mystery just keeps deepening.

While we were having such a conversation at the reception room, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Eli came in, brining tea and hand-made cake for us.

While Eli was lining them up on the table, I felt like Toto seemed a bit unusual. It was really subtle but what was that?

Eli quickly finished up and went with the tray after giving a smile, saying 'Please feel at home'.

Toto and I took the tea.

Hmm, she used the unique tea leaves harvested in Helan territory. Eli's skills are getting better day by day.

"Ms. Eliza has changed quite a lot, huh?"

Toto said, after taking a sip. Eli had also gone to the academy so naturally Toto would know her. If so, then that change in him a while ago was probably because of his old memories of her.

"How did she change?"

"Hmm, before, she was more…… stern."

"Stern!?"

"Yes, stern. That too at a pretty extreme level. To be honest, I hated the n.o.bles but I was more afraid of Ms. Eliza."

"What's with that?!"

No, but, for some reason, I feel like I understand.

Especially when I think back to the time when we first woke up and opened up the blacksmith.

Her personality is getting softer day by day but was she like that at first? She was more aloof. And sometimes affectionate.

Her aloof-ness was different day to day and it is true that at times it was pretty extreme… Ah, I remember Eli hitting me with the vase when I ate the siphon cake she had been looking forward too. Although I was in the wrong.

"She has become soft. She has also lost her memories, right?"

"Yeah. Was she always on the edge in the academy?"

"Very much so. It's weird because you haven't changed. Or rather, isn't it because of your influence? You were a bit loose to begin with."

"What do you mean loose? The screws in my head?!"