“Ah…….”
Rina looked deeply moved that Aiman had used the word “family” to describe a mere maid like her and the other members of the household staff.
Aiman stared at her as though wondering why she was touched by something so trivial, then asked why she had come.
“So, what brings you here?”
“The Senior Master is calling for you.”
The Senior Master.
That was what the household staff called Aiman’s father.
Aiman was the owner of this manor.
Since they called Aiman “Master” rather than “Young Master,” they had naturally begun using a different title for his father.
In any case, when Rina told him Isaac was calling for him, Aiman spoke with an impressed expression.
“That took quite a while.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. I will go, so return to your work.”
“Understood.”
After dismissing Rina, Aiman headed toward the bedchamber where Isaac and Teresa were staying.
Standing before the door, Aiman knocked.
KNOCK, KNOCK.
“Father, it is Aiman.”
“Yes, come in.”
Once he received permission to enter, Aiman stepped into the bedchamber.
The moment he entered, he saw the sheepish expressions on Isaac’s and Teresa’s faces.
They were probably embarrassed that they had refused to see their son earlier because they had been enjoying some private time together.
‘It is hardly anything to be embarrassed about.’
An ordinary ten-year-old boy might not have understood the atmosphere, but Aiman possessed the mind of an adult who knew perfectly well what had happened.
It was only natural for such a thing to occur when a loving man and woman shared a room.
In any case, Aiman entered the room and began speaking.
“Father, I believe it is time for us to discuss the production of paper.”
“Ah! In that case, shall we go to your room?”
“No. Mother needs to hear this as well.”
“She does?”
“Yes.”
“Then let us discuss it here.”
“That would be best.”
Aiman explained the Hanji production process to Isaac and Teresa, along with what they would need to do from now on.
Isaac then asked a question.
“But the workers the Count sent are only here to construct the place where the paper will be produced, are they not?”
“That is correct.”
“Then we will have to find the workers who will perform the tasks you just described.”
“Yes.”
The workers Keiras had sent were only there to construct the Hanji Workshop.
They would leave once the workshop was completed.
Therefore, they would have to recruit additional workers to produce the Hanji.
Obtaining labor required money.
Isaac was worried about that.
“But we do not have any money at the moment…….”
Aiman had become the disciple of Keiras, an Imperial Mage and Count, which had provided them with a far better living environment.
However, Isaac did not think they could simply ask Keiras for money as well.
At that moment, Aiman took a pouch from inside his clothes and placed it on the table between himself and Isaac.
“It is right here.”
THUMP.
The pouch looked rather heavy.
Isaac tilted his head when he saw it.
“What is this?”
“Three hundred Gold.”
“What?!”
Isaac looked utterly astonished.
His reaction was understandable.
Even saving a single Gold was difficult for a Serf.
Yet the pouch contained three hundred times that amount.
In modern terms, it was roughly equivalent to three hundred million won.
If a ten-year-old son suddenly brought home that much money, it was only natural for his father to be shocked.
At that moment, Isaac recalled something Keiras had told him.
“Your son is…… considerably wealthier than you might imagine.”
Keiras had said that Aiman was wealthy.
Remembering those words, Isaac belatedly understood what he had meant.
Aiman had already produced and sold paper without his parents’ knowledge.
In any case, Aiman pushed the pouch containing three hundred Gold toward Isaac.
“Three hundred Gold should be more than enough to prepare everything I mentioned.”
“Well, with three hundred Gold…….”
GULP.
Isaac swallowed dryly at the sight of the unexpected fortune.
Seeing his reaction, Aiman chuckled.
“How can you start swallowing nervously over a mere three hundred Gold? We are going to earn far more in the future.”
“More?”
“Yes. It is certainly not a small amount, but you should consider it an investment intended to earn us even more money. There is no reason to spend the rest of your life worrying over the small amount sitting before you.”
“A small amount…….”
To a Serf, three hundred Gold was anything but a small amount.
If a family of three could survive for a year on ten Gold, then three hundred Gold would allow them to live for thirty years without doing any work.
However, they needed to change how they thought.
“Father.”
“Y-Yes?”
“We are no longer merely a family of three. We have household staff now. In fact, I intended to pay their wages myself this month as well. However, Master insisted on paying for the first month so that he could preserve some dignity, so I agreed to accept his help. Starting next month, we will have to pay their wages ourselves.”
“Ah…….”
In other words, even three hundred Gold might not allow them to live in luxury for the rest of their lives.
Aiman continued after seeing that Isaac understood.
“That is why we must use these three hundred Gold to earn a much greater fortune.”
“I see.”
“Yes.”
After hearing Aiman’s answer, Isaac stared at him.
His son seemed far too different from an ordinary ten-year-old boy.
Isaac asked a question.
“But Son, have you always been like this?”
“Pardon?”
“I am beginning to wonder whether you truly are my ten-year-old son.”
Aiman understood exactly what Isaac meant.
His thoughts and resolve were not things one would normally expect from a ten-year-old.
From the perspective of a father with a young son, the disparity must have felt increasingly strange.
Aiman spoke as though it were nothing important.
“It is not as though my being an old soul is anything new.”
“That is true, but still…….”
Apparently, Isaac felt that the difference was too great to dismiss Aiman as merely a precocious child.
Aiman mentioned the person he had invented to support his convenient lie.
“It must be because of what my first master taught me.”
“Your first master?”
“Yes. The master who taught me the Papermaking Method. In a way, he was my first master. Thanks to him, I was also able to meet my current Master.”
“The master who taught you the Papermaking Method…… I see.”
“Yes. I believe I became like this because of him. While teaching me the Papermaking Method, he warned me not to teach it indiscriminately or allow others to take advantage of me because of it.”
“I see. My son was learning many things without my knowledge.”
“Heh heh. It was not that much.”
Isaac seemed overly concerned about Aiman’s age, so Aiman deliberately behaved like a child.
“Ugh, that is unsettling, you little brat.”
“Unsettling?”
“No. Still, even if my son is a bit of an old soul, perhaps he might also be somewhat adorable…….”
“What kind of compliment is that?”
“In any case, we only need to use this money to do what you described, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Understood. Your mother and I will work hard. But Son.”
“Yes?”
Isaac had just agreed to follow his instructions, only to suddenly call out to him again.
Aiman tilted his head, and Isaac asked a question.
“Producing the paper is all well and good, but how do you intend to sell it?”
“I will look into the sales separately. For now, you and Mother should concentrate on production. Please maintain strict confidentiality so that no one else can learn the entire process.”
“Understood.”
Aiman repeatedly warned Isaac to recruit the workers needed for paper production without ever allowing the production method to leak.
He then returned to his room.
Isaac’s question about how they would sell the paper might have required some thought, but Aiman had already considered how he intended to handle it.
“For the early word-of-mouth publicity, I should use Master.”
He had already discussed that part with Keiras.
Aiman had asked him to tell the people around him that the Hanji Aiman produced was both superior to and less expensive than the paper sold by the Paper Farm Trading Company.
However, that was only a form of publicity.
It would be difficult to ask Keiras to handle the actual sales.
Keiras was both an Imperial Mage and a Count.
Asking someone of his position to sell Hanji personally would be absurd.
“Should I leave the sales to Father or Hansen, or should I find a convincing figurehead proprietor?”
In truth, leaving it to Isaac would put Aiman most at ease.
His own father would never betray him.
Hansen was not a poor option either.
Unlike Isaac, who would never betray him, Hansen was still a member of the household staff and ultimately an unrelated person. Aiman therefore had to consider the slight possibility that he might turn against him.
Still, judging by Hansen’s character, Aiman did not believe that was likely.
The problem was that Hansen was the butler responsible for managing Aiman’s manor.
Aiman was uncertain whether he should assign someone in that position to sell Hanji.
He could simply recruit another butler, but he was quite pleased with Hansen’s abilities.
Rather than hiring another butler, the final option would be to employ a figurehead proprietor.
However, Aiman had no useful connections and would have to employ a complete stranger.
Such a person seemed far more likely to become blinded by money and betray him.
‘Should I simply entrust it to Father after all……?’
After considering the matter, Aiman decided to postpone the decision.
“I will think about it later. Master is not traveling to the Capital to promote it yet anyway.”
For Keiras to publicize the Hanji, he would have to travel to the Capital.
There was little he could do to promote it while remaining within Silverian Territory.
In any case, Aiman felt that organizing the plans for Hanji production was enough work for the day.
After finishing his thoughts, Aiman spoke.
“Let us fold some more magic.”
Even when he was not with Keiras, Aiman regularly practiced folding magic at home.
Because his mana was limited, he could not attempt overly complicated or difficult folds.
Nevertheless, just as Keiras had known nothing about the Mana Cutter, Aiman could complete spells that even Keiras did not know.
And so, Aiman spent that day folding magic once again.
Fifteen days passed.
Keiras held out his hand toward Aiman.
“Hand over some paper.”
“Paper?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you suddenly need paper?”
Aiman wondered why Keiras was suddenly demanding Hanji from him.
Keiras shrugged as though saying that Aiman could refuse if he wished.
“Why? Would you rather I did not promote it?”
Publicity.
Aiman had already asked Keiras to help him promote the Hanji so that he could sell it.
When Keiras said that he was finally going to do so, Aiman’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh? Master, are you going to the Capital?”
Keiras would have to travel to the Capital to promote the Hanji.
Aiman had also asked him to promote it in nearby territories, but Keiras had said that he had no intention of leaving Silverian Territory except when traveling to the Capital.
In other words, his offer to promote the paper meant he was going there.
Keiras nodded.
“Yes. Something has come up that requires me to go. Since I am making the journey anyway, I will also promote your paper as you requested. Hand over about thirty sheets. Or have you still not managed to produce it?”
“Of course I have. The Hanji Workshop is already operating.”
“It is? Already?”
“Quite some time has passed. I would hardly call it ‘already.’”
“It has not even been a month.”
“That was more than enough time.”
“You never cease to amaze me.”
Keiras clicked his tongue in disbelief when Aiman told him that he had built and begun operating the workshop in less than a month.
“Then will thirty sheets be enough?”
“Yes. I believe thirty should be sufficient.”
“Understood. I will have a servant deliver them later.”
“Good.”
After arranging to receive the Hanji for publicity, Keiras returned to their usual sort of conversation.
“So, what will you be teaching me today, my young teacher?”