💫

 

On the day Diego and Chloe left for the Berber Kingdom for the cattle feed business.

 

I went to the port with the officials to see them off.

 

As it was a business trip with no set return date, we didn’t know when we would see each other again.

 

I patted Diego on the shoulder to encourage him.

 

“Diego, if it seems absolutely impossible, just come back.”

 

“No. I will definitely secure the patent.”

 

“If you don’t return after about two months, I’ll send Captain Adrien.”

 

I gave him a deadline.

 

“There’s no need for you to go that far.”

 

“I need you guys to come back so I can give you work. There’s so much to do.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

With Chloe, we simply exchanged a brief glance, and I saw the two of them on the ship. Then, along with the officials, I waved towards the Benedicta as it departed the port.

 

The capital of the Berber Kingdom they were heading to, Algiers, is about 750 km away in a straight line. The Island of Bird Droppings is right about in the middle, and it’s a distance that can be covered in two days.

 

Even so, I gave them two months because obtaining an audience with a king in any country takes a considerable amount of time.

 

Since bribes are often exchanged during that process, I had given Chloe a pouch of gold coins.

 

‘Whatever happens, please just return safely.’

 

I repeated the words I couldn’t say while seeing them off and stared for a long time at the receding Benedicta.

 

💫

 

Just as we were about to return to the lord’s manor, Chief Civil Affairs Officer Pascal was greeting a foreign merchant, having apparently run into an acquaintance at the port.

 

I grew curious about who it was and walked towards them.

 

Even though Pascal is a high-ranking official, he isn’t particularly sociable.

 

Just who could he have become friendly with?

 

“Pascal, introduce me to that merchant.”

 

“Ah, my lord. This merchant is from Alexandria in the southern continent. He is a regular customer who stops by here often.”

 

I offered my hand for a handshake to the merchant.

 

“I am the lord of this land. What kind of goods do you deal in?”

 

“Oh, it’s an honor. I buy ‘Eric-Diarrhea’ medicine and deliver it to farm owners in Alexandria. I also stop by Catalonia along the way.”

 

I had gone a while without hearing it and had become indifferent. So there were still people who called the anti-diarrheal medicine ‘Eric-Diarrhea’.

 

Pushing aside the slight irritation that was rising, I asked about his relationship with Pascal.

 

“How did you become acquainted with Pascal?”

 

“He mediated for me with the port officials who were asserting their turf. Thanks to that, I was able to speed up the unloading process.”

 

Territorial behavior exists everywhere.

 

It was even like that on 21st-century Earth. You either had to grease some wheels, build connections, or, at the very least, flatter someone.

 

Of course, here we are trying to eliminate it. Pascal is also working under my orders to cut off such old-fashioned practices and bad customs.

 

I asked the merchant if he had any other inconveniences besides territorial behavior.

 

“This is a lesser-known port. Did you have any trouble finding it? If you have any complaints about the entry and exit procedures, please speak freely.”

 

People are usually hesitant when addressed like this, but this merchant voiced his complaint in 0.1 seconds.

 

“Spare no expense and turn on that lighthouse when it gets dark. We can’t enter the port at night, so we have to wait out at sea until morning. I entered port this morning too.”

 

Most merchants charter ships by paying a charter fee. Because the cost of a single ship is enormously high. 

 

So, if time is wasted at sea, the merchant’s money is wasted in equal measure.

 

Therefore, the faster the entry and exit, the more beneficial it is for the merchant.

 

Anyway, what in the world is he talking about?

 

We don’t have a lighthouse.

 

“Point with your finger to the lighthouse you’re talking about.”

 

“Yes. That one there.”

 

What the merchant pointed to was the huge ruin at the end of the port, the pyramid.

 

“That’s a lighthouse?”

 

“It looks just like the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Why on earth aren’t you turning it on? If you just light that up, more merchants would come.”

 

The merchant, who spoke almost with indignation, only realized his rudeness after Pascal stopped him and apologized.

 

“Oh, my lord. I’m sorry. I spoke out of turn.”

 

“No. Tell me more about the Lighthouse of Alexandria.”

 

“Yes, yes. A huge shining crystal at the top of that lighthouse… Huh, I don’t see a crystal here. Anyway, the shining crystal projects a bright light onto the sea even at night.”

 

To summarize the merchant’s continued words, the Lighthouse of Alexandria has a crystal attached that automatically emits light when the sun sets, and since mana is required to make that crystal emit light, it costs a lot.

 

However, he also shared some TMI, such as how thanks to that lighthouse, Alexandria grew into a massive trading port.

 

“That lighthouse seems to be broken. I will try to fix it, so do not be too disheartened.”

 

“Oh, Lord. Thank you, sir.”

 

The merchant bowed repeatedly and withdrew. Then Pascal approached me.

 

“Lord, if that is truly a lighthouse, someone must know about it. I will call for an official who has worked at the port for a long time.”

 

“The harbor master has worked the longest, so bring him.”

 

Pascal ran off and brought back an old man. This old man had worked as the harbor master his entire life and was over 80 years old.

 

He seemed out of breath from coming in a hurry, but overflowing with curiosity, he asked immediately.

 

“That pyramid is said to be a lighthouse. If you know anything about it, tell me.”

 

“Yes, Lord. Even when I was young, there was no lighthouse. This is the first time I’m hearing that it is a lighthouse. Everyone believes it to be the tomb of an ancient king. They don’t even go near it for fear of being cursed.”

 

If an old man over 80 doesn’t know, then no one does. This city, called Marseille was established less than 100 years ago.

 

It’s a city founded and built by my great-great-grandfather, in other words, my great-grandfather.

 

Since then, the pyramid was probably left abandoned without anyone knowing its purpose. It was just left alone because it was such a massive structure.

 

Pascal gave his opinion, “Alexandria has been a prosperous city since ancient times, so they knew its purpose. Our Marseille is a newly built city, so we didn’t know what that was.”

 

“The merchants who visited Alexandria must have known its purpose, so why are we only hearing about it now?”

 

“Just as that merchant said earlier, since there was no major benefit, they might have just let it be, thinking it was nothing important.”

 

Plausible, but not convincing.