Chapter 336 - Third Episode: Inauguration Ceremony for the Vice Director of the Royal Medical Research Institute
Before going to Primordia, I was to be inaugurated as the Vice Director of the Royal Medical Research Institute.
That said, the institute building itself is still under construction, and there are no patients, let alone staff.
Apparently, following the commotion in Finis, the King tried to give me a title as soon as possible.
As usual, I was made to wait in the waiting room, and I ended up being with Phillips-sama, who had already been inaugurated as the Director. Since it's for the Vice Director, the Archbishop was not present. Fortunately, it was a small ceremony, and unlike the Director's inauguration, no dinner party was held.
"It seems things were difficult in the north," Phillips-sama said, offering his sympathies, likely having heard the circumstances of the Vice Director's inauguration.
"It turned out all right, I suppose. Since Henry-sama and the others were there, I was strangely fine. Perhaps because I was used to the Water Dragon, the Wyverns weren't that scary either."
"That's quite something."
One of the heroes smiled gently.
In the audience chamber, there were the King and Queen and several high-ranking officials, and Miana was also next to Magdalena-sama. Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama were not there.
Once the inauguration ceremony for me alone was over, we were to conduct a site inspection as is. In short, it's likely to encourage the workers.
The participants were Magdalena-sama at the head, Evans-sama, Phillips-sama, Princess Miana, two ladies-in-waiting, Beowulf, and me.
As for Miana, when she's a princess, her golden hair, which is a magnificent inheritance from Magdalena-sama, is tied up, her forehead is fully exposed, and her makeup is perfectly done. She's wearing a deep crimson one-piece dress with white embroidery on the chest and a sophisticated light pink shawl. On her chest, a large red jewel set in silver metal shines at the end of a silver chain. Since she's cute to begin with, she stands out more than anything.
"I usually dye it," the girl who had been talking with a smile at the shop yesterday said in a timid, small voice.
Even so, by the time the ceremony was over and we set out for the site inspection, she had put on a dark blue coat over her dress, so she became somewhat more plain and had become somewhat more energetic. She probably wants to lower her bangs, but to encourage the old men among the workers, she has to show her face or it'll be meaningless. She likely has no choice but to do her best here.
The place we jumped to with the Teleport guarded by Kingdom Army soldiers was the basement of a fortress, and the construction site is apparently about an hour's carriage ride south from there. There are only fields around the fortress. Turnips are planted here and there. The Lyudmila method seems to have spread quite a bit.
We were to be served drinks by the fortress garrison captain. He's the one directing the construction. Of course, the workers are likely hired by the contractors, but the Magic Corps and heavy infantry are also involved in the construction. A special organized unit of military and civilians was formed, and the garrison captain is the unit commander.
After saying "Nice to meet you" and listening to the explanation of the construction for a while, it was the promised question time.
"A-um. W-what is happening with the meals for the workers?"
To my surprise, Miana was the first to ask.
Under the table, both her fists were clenched.
"Yes, Miana-sama. There are usually about a hundred workers at the construction site, but unlike the Kingdom Army, their meals are not guaranteed. Therefore, we have entered into a contract with the lunch box service that started as a measure for people in poverty, and have opened a temporary lunch box shop on-site. The payment for the Kingdom Army soldiers is paid by the army all at once, and the payment for the workers is paid directly by the individuals themselves. As for the ingredients, we pack them in the rot-prevention wooden boxes that Priest Jeanne is also deeply involved with and transport them from this fortress."
"A-um, if it's okay, could I help with making those lunch boxes and distributing them to the people involved in the work? I-I brought an apron."
Magdalena-sama and the others widened their eyes.
The mothers would make lunch boxes together with the princess, and the workers would be handed those lunch boxes along with words of appreciation.
"I-if it's no good, then it's fine..."
"That is a wonderful proposal, Miana."
Magdalena-sama raised her voice, cutting off Miana's voice.
"I-indeed. Everyone will be happy."
The garrison captain, who was forced to change the inspection schedule and security plan, had no choice but to applaud.
Miana made eye contact with the smiling Beowulf and laughed bashfully.
She might have been advised by Mary and Beowulf.
Normally, things like the progress of the construction or whether there are any shortages would be exchanged, but all such formalities were skipped, and everyone who came from the royal palace began to move in the direction of supporting Miana. The garrison captain was clearly bewildered, but it couldn't be helped.
First, for Miana, who wanted to put on an apron, a separate room was prepared, and she went to change along with the ladies-in-waiting and Beowulf.
When Evans-sama went out to the terrace and raised his hand, a single bowl for aerial surveillance appeared, and it flew off as a messenger to inform the Kingdom Army stationed at the site that Miana would be standing in the kitchen.
In the meantime, we talked about the division of roles for those other than Miana. It's not good for Miana-sama to struggle alone.
"It's a matter of how to parallel it with the inspection, isn't it?"
It was just as Magdalena-sama said. There wasn't much time.
"Let's do the inspection while the lunch boxes are being made. Please leave the encouragement during work to Magdalena-sama. And it would be good if the two of them lined up and handed out the lunch boxes and... well, if there's something else they can hand out..."
Evans-sama said it would be better to make a single line and have the Queen and Princess hand out one item each to everyone.
"How about wetting hand towels with hot water and wringing them out? I think it's just right for wiping off sweat before a meal."
It's a winter service of the Marcelo Company. In summer they cool them, but in winter they warm them. However, it's not cold enough to prepare a heating room instead of an icehouse.
"That's good. Then I'll handle the adjustment of the hot water."
It was Evans-sama. For an ultra-high-level mage, adjusting the temperature of water or hot water would be effortless.
"If the two ladies-in-waiting, Beowulf, and I are there, we can wring out the hand towels they've been handed and line them up so Magdalena-sama can pick them up."
"Shall Jeanne and I take turns casting Clean Up? It's better to soak several hand towels in hot water together, clean them, and then wring them out before handing them over, right?"
Phillips-sama also participated, and the division was decided.
Next, Magdalena-sama and Evans-sama began to adjust the security plan. Both of them had been directing the war along with the King, so they one after another found points to change and issued new instructions. The garrison captain, who had been flustered, also began to find points for correction while confirming small details and consulted with the two.
While we were saying this and that, Miana came out of the separate room after changing.
There was no change in her hairstyle or makeup, but it was the same clothes as when we first met at the third shop. She must have specifically brought the apron and uniform. In other words, she's now the clerk Miana, not the princess.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
Even her expression became brighter.
"Oh, Miana is cute. It suits you well."
Magdalena-sama, who doesn't wear the Class of 175 shop uniform in public, was also praising her.
She smiled brightly and took her seat.
Immediately, the arrangements were discussed, and Miana, the two ladies-in-waiting, and I, along with Beowulf as a guard, were to be excluded from the inspection upon arrival at the site and make lunch boxes together with the mothers of the lunch box service.
We cut the schedule short and set out along with the ingredients.
The planned site for the Royal Medical Research Institute was in a place with gentle undulations.
To the south, a forest spread out, and beyond that, a mountain range that served as the border with Nakanohara was lined up.
The road toward the institute headed into the forest.
To the west, a wasteland spread out where sheep, goats, and cows were sunbathing like a pasture, and beyond that were fields.
When I cast Sight, I could see places where turnips were planted and grasslands that had turned half brown. It must be the Royal Capital Area Agricultural Testing Station where Wilson-san is the Director. Beyond the fields, several stone buildings can be seen.
It's quite large. There must be nearly twenty fields. They should be hiring both men and women as a measure for people in poverty.
There are many people wearing black clothes. There are even guards with spears. I heard that the Revenant user who attacked Nakanohara before is doing farm work at the Royal Capital Area Agricultural Testing Station while offering prayers at the temple. Perhaps big names called Servetus are also mixed in.
From the middle, we proceeded through the forest.
The institute is scheduled to accommodate various infectious disease patients. Since it's necessary to isolate them, they likely cleared a flat area in the forest and are building it there.
Under the guidance of the fortress garrison captain, we arrived at the site and got off the carriage while the guard soldiers were lined up.
In the forest, a clearing the size of our farm has been created.
Perhaps because the construction site is planned to be roughly finished before entering winter, various stone buildings centered around a church have already been completed, and now the work was centered on making the outer walls.
As far as I know, the foreman, who usually just sits in a chair watching the work and occasionally shouting jeers, was standing up and walking around everywhere, shouting instructions in a loud voice. The workers, who usually work while talking about the girls at the bar the night before, were throwing themselves into their work with a change in their eyes.
"Do it properly, you guys! Winter might be early this year!"
"We know, Foreman! Let's finish it even one day earlier! Right, you guys!"
"Yeah! You bet!"
If the construction period is shortened, they can't earn that much in daily wages. Usually they are more relaxed, and I hear that it often gets delayed.
Surely, if they work hard during the inspection, they'll be treated to a glass of beer at dinner.
While the construction was proceeding with brave shouts, we split into the lunch box group and the inspection group.
The lunch box group's goal was a hut that served as a kitchen. When we went inside, the mothers welcomed us with applause.
"I will be helping with making today's lunch boxes. I am Miana. Please look after me."
This time, it was the mothers' turn to frolic.
However, the measures for people in poverty, starting with the lunch box service, are directed by Queen Magdalena. She must be used to inspections, or rather, talking at sites.
After finishing greetings and confirming the recipes, it seems Miana can make several of them.
"But the seasoning might be different."
"This is a site, so all the men will sweat. Accordingly, it's better if the saltiness is strong. The adjustment is..."
She was immediately being taught.
Usually she only makes things for young girls. There were discoveries in the seasoning and plating for tough old men, and she was listening intently.
The skill of the mothers, who made a large amount of multiple side dishes simultaneously by dividing the work, also seemed to be a great reference for Miana. Although she likes cooking, when she usually stands in the kitchen, she likely made each dish carefully.
Once she stood in the kitchen, she was lively and was handling the cooking briskly. At the third shop, she also seems to be doing the procurement of ingredients together with Mary, and recently they've been getting excited about what's become cheaper or more expensive.
"I had an image that princesses would be doing studies or embroidery, you know."
"But look, Gladys-sama is a soldier, and Anne-sama is a priest; it's different for each person, isn't it?"
"Come to think of it, that's true."
"For us, a person who likes cooking is more approachable, I guess."
She was blushing and looking down. Seeing her smiling, she must have been happy.
When it came to the stage of handing over the finished products, the old men came running with the signal for lunch.
It's not that she made every single one, of course, but one can't often eat something handmade by a princess.
On top of that, the Queen and Princess were lined up and handing them over. Everyone had their nostrils fully flared.
Who would be the first to be handed one?
This struggle was fierce, and they were pushing and shoving, but one large old man, while dragging someone clinging to his torso and brushing off those who were chasing him with both hands, reached the goal. Incidentally, the second was the person who was clinging to the first old man.
The garrison captain told them the order, the guard soldiers gave the signal, and had them line up in a row.
I was handed the hand towels in order and hung them on a stick after soaking them in hot water to spread them out.
Once about ten were spread out, I cleaned them with Clean Up.
At the same time the ladies-in-waiting and Beowulf finished wringing them out and lining them up, Miana handed over a lunch box and Magdalena-sama handed over a warm hand towel.
"Thank you for your hard work. Please take your time."
"Please bring it back when you're finished. I'll dry it."
The moment the first person was handed theirs, a stir arose from the line of old men.
"Wooo! Did you see that, you guys! I was handed a lunch box by the Princess, and a warm hand towel that was cleaned by the Queen!"
With a face where the space under his nose had stretched out, he was jumping on the spot and boasting to the people behind him.
Of course, he was holding the lunch box and hand towel firmly with both hands so as not to drop them.
"Tch! Don't boast forever!"
"It's fine, just go quickly. You're holding up the line."
"That's right. I'm not the first, but I'll properly get one too."
The second and those below were complaining to the boasting old man.
"Um, please be careful not to fall."
Because Miana said that...
"She's worried. Sh-she's kind."
"Did you see that expression just now?"
"How nice, how nice. I want to be worried about too."
"Ah, if I'm worried about with such a cute face. I wouldn't mind dying now."
She's worried about you falling; why would you die?
To get her to say one more word, the old men began to express their joy through actions like jumping, spinning on the spot, or singing songs. When Miana added one more word, Magdalena-sama would add another word as if competing. Thanks to that, by the time we finished distributing lunch boxes to everyone, half of the lunch break was over.
"They're in a good mood, aren't they? That guy was hitting on me the other day."
"Don't be jealous, don't be jealous; the opponent is too much for you."
"I-I'm not jealous. What's with that?"
"Well, it's the Queen and Princess. They want to dream once in a while."
"That's true too."
The mothers were also watching while laughing.
"Well then, let's have ours too. The weather is nice today, so here will be fine."
By Magdalena-sama's instruction, the lunch break was extended.
When Magdalena-sama asked the mothers, "Why don't you all join us?", this time it was the mothers' turn to jump.
Construction time be damned.
After receiving a grand send-off, we set out on the return journey.
"Miana. I have a new respect for you. You were magnificent."
Inside the carriage, Miana, who was praised by Magdalena-sama, smiled happily.