The Alessandri Magical Tool Workshop” is a fairly well-known workshop located in the capital city of Raden, within the domain of Count Kivilift.
It is run by a lone female craftsman who has gained a favorable reputation for creating simple yet high-quality magical tools… This was information that ten-year-old Noein learned through Mathilda’s gathering of information. Spending nearly all his allowance, he commissioned this workshop to create a golem for him.
Noein was not permitted to leave the detached quarters of the count’s mansion, but he managed to communicate with the craftsman through letters, delivered by Mathilda, requesting the production and subsequent improvements to the golem. The craftsman’s name was Daphne Alessandri.
“Nice to finally meet you… and it’s been a long time, Daphne.”
“Yes, it has been a while, Noein… or rather, Lord Earlkvist now, I should say. My apologies.”
At the checkpoint near the gates of the capital city of Noeina, Noein meets Daphne in person for the first time, as their previous interactions regarding the golem’s creation had only been through letters.
“Even my subordinates and the people of my domain still call me ‘Lord Noein,’ so it’s fine if you do too, Daphne. I’m not too accustomed to being called ‘Lord Earlkvist.'”
“Hehe, then I’ll do that. And it’s been a while for you as well, Mathilda… if I remember correctly?”
“Yes, it has been a while, Lady Alessandri.”
Unlike Noein, Mathilda is not meeting Daphne for the first time. When Daphne addresses her, Mathilda, standing behind Noein, replies.
In front of Noein and Mathilda, Daphne smiles with a hint of elegance. Judging by her career, she must be well into her thirties, yet her beauty could easily be mistaken for someone in her twenties.
Though she isn’t adorned in luxurious attire or heavy makeup, Daphne carries an aura of refinement—unsurprisingly, as she hails from a noble lineage.
“When I heard that someone familiar with me had arrived, I was a bit on guard, but if it’s you, Daphne, that makes sense. Did you learn about my situation from your family?”
“Yes, I heard from my father’s family… the Alessandri knight’s family, that you were granted land and a title and subsequently driven out of the count’s house. Although Count Kivilift tried to prevent rumors from spreading among his lower-ranking noble subordinates, word inevitably got out.”
Daphne chuckled softly as she answered Noein’s inquiry.
As Noein learned through letters, Daphne’s uncle, her father’s older brother, serves the Count Kivilift family as a knight. It’s likely through these connections that the rumors about Noein reached her.
“And how have my golems fared since then? Have they been of use?”
“Absolutely. They’ve proven invaluable in development efforts, and just last year, they played a significant role in protecting the territory from a bandit attack.”
As a child, Noein repeatedly requested improvements to the golem in correspondence with his growing mastery of puppet magic.
Daphne had once referred to the golem as her “masterpiece as a golem,” so she must have been curious about how it was faring.
“I see, bandit suppression… to handle a golem in actual combat, your puppet magic talent is truly remarkable, Lord Noein.”
“True, I’ve tried my best as a puppet mage, but it’s your golems that allow me to fully utilize my abilities, Daphne.”
“Thank you; those words mean a lot to me as a craftsman.”
Without the golems, the current Earlkvist domain wouldn’t exist. Noein’s praise for Daphne’s golems was genuine, not mere flattery.
“Still, why did you travel all the way to the Earlkvist domain to request relocation, Daphne? While I’m delighted as the domain’s lord to welcome such a talented magical tool craftsman, I’m also personally glad to have you here… yet I’m curious.”
The Kivilift domain is located in the southeastern part of the kingdom, while the Earlkvist viscountcy is on the northwestern edge. Noein was puzzled as to why someone with such a high reputation as a craftsman in Raden had come all this way.
“Well… to be blunt, I grew tired of the situation in the Kivilift domain,” Daphne said, letting out a sigh that conveyed exhaustion and exasperation.
“Were you aware, Lord Noein, that Count Kivilift is… not exactly a kind lord to his people?”
“Certainly. Even confined to the detached house, I heard plenty about his reputation as a lord. He’s a corrupt noble who only associates with wealthy merchants, neglecting the lower classes.”
The economy of the Kivilift domain was controlled by a few large trading companies. Although it prospered from maritime trade, the wealth was concentrated among these vested interest groups, creating a stark gap between the rich and the poor.
For generations, the count’s family maintained close ties with these large trading companies, and Maximilian was no exception, continuously favoring them in exchange for bribes. Unsurprisingly, such a lord had a poor reputation among his people.
“Indeed… the Kivilift domain has always been like that, but since I was from a branch of the Alessandri knight family and fortunate enough to be recognized for my skills as a magical tool craftsman, I managed to operate my workshop without much trouble.”
Daphne, though from a lesser branch, was still connected to the nobility—the so-called “vested interest group.” With her skills, she had enough security to maintain her workshop.
“But shortly after Lord Noein left the Kivilift domain, a significant change occurred.”
“A significant change?”
“Yes… the Betumia Republic, from the southern continent, was allowed by Count Kivilift to establish a branch of its large magical tool association in Raden, thereby nearly monopolizing the magical tool production market.”
Noein was stunned after hearing Daphne’s story.
The Betumia Republic is a powerful nation dominating the southern continent across the sea. Territories with ports in the southern regions of the Lordberg Kingdom, including the Kivileft County, have prospered through trade with this Betumia Republic.
“What about protection for the local magical tool artisans and workshops?”
“There was none at all. Most likely, Lord Kivileft didn’t even consider such a thing… That magical tool trading company, armed with vast capital, produces high-quality magical tools at low prices. Small and medium-sized workshops within the territory couldn’t compete, and nearly all, including mine, were wiped out.”
If you let a foreign conglomerate enter the domestic market without consideration, small local stores and workshops will perish. Artisans in the territory lose their livelihoods, and the passing down of their craft ceases.
What Maximilian did was effectively handing over his domain’s entire magical tool industry to the Betumia Republic.
“That damn father of mine… Ah, I apologize.”
“No, I understand how you feel.”
Daphne allowed Noein’s sudden curse with a wry smile.
“I was aware, as an illegitimate child, that Count Kivileft was a greedy lord, but I never thought he’d destroy an industry in his own domain for money.”
“Yes. I’m related to a senior retainer of the count’s family, but even so, Count Kivileft never considered me. When I consulted my uncle, he simply said he couldn’t stop what the count was doing…”
Daphne’s face turned bitter, as if swallowing bile. Her cherished workshop had been destroyed. One could only imagine her inner turmoil.
“…Given these circumstances, I judged that there was no future for a magical tool artisan in Kivileft County. Fortunately, I had saved up a fair amount, so I decided to relocate to another territory and start over from scratch.”
“You decided to come all the way to this domain?”
“Yes, exactly. I remembered that Lord Noein had highly praised the golem I created, so I thought that if possible, I’d like to work under a lord who appreciates my work.”
After listening to Daphne’s explanation, Noein understood. Like him and Yuri in the past, she was another person whose life had been shattered by Maximilian.
“…As I said earlier, I have no reason to refuse your relocation, Daphne. On the contrary, I wholeheartedly welcome such a skilled magical tool artisan to the Earlkvist territory, as it will contribute to its development.”
“Thank you… I’m so relieved.”
Traveling from Kivileft County to Earlkvist Barony would likely take a month, even under good conditions. Smiling, Noein responded to Daphne, who had taken the trouble to come all that way. Daphne, too, looked relieved that her wish had been granted.
“I will arrange a workshop and house for you. If there’s anything else I can help with, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly trouble Lord Noein to that extent.”
“Setting up workspaces and homes is something we do for all newcomers to the territory, so please accept it… Build a new life and achieve success here, and let that serve as our revenge against that damn count.”
“…Understood. I will do my utmost as a craftsperson to respond to your kindness. Let’s take revenge.”
Noein flashed a daring smile, and Daphne responded with a matching grin.
And thus, the Earlkvist Barony welcomed a powerful talent in an unexpected way.
