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CH.372 Meeting the Prime Minister
CH.372 Meeting the Prime Minister
And so, a few days after Unika’s evolution, the day I was to meet the Prime Minister came. Thankfully he was first and the wrist watch trap detector/jammer was ready, so I just had to have HomeBase make me one and add the installs.
At first, the idea was just to add Trap Jammer to the watch and I optimized it for that, but after I had made it, Laura realized it could take a second install, as long as it was trap related and recommended that I add Metal Detector as well, so I did.
The watch had a mithril housing and strap, while the insides were mostly made from a steel alloy that was close to stainless steel, but they were coated in this strange stuff that my Homunculus the Alchemic Being has inside his body.
It is something akin to oil that keeps metal parts, or any parts really, from rubbing against each other, but it also doesn’t wear out, so it is perfect to make sure the watch will never jam. And having access to that kind of material, that doesn’t require HomeBase, does make me want to hire an alchemist that could synthesize that material. Because God knows Wilma already has too much on her plate and she isn’t an alchemist in the first place. I should also get someone that can make potions while I’m at it. I wonder where I could find someone like that?
I would say I’ll ask the PM for that, but I honestly won’t. It just isn’t worth bothering him with something like that. Maybe I should learn alchemy myself? … probably not a great idea. I still have to dedicate time to other things.
My meeting with the Prime Minister took place in his manor in the capital. It was quite the impressive building, easily the biggest home I’ve been in. Sure it doesn’t match up to the Royal castle or anything, but it is still a massive house.
I of course arrived in my carriage, but unlike previously, this time I had a horse pulling it. I mean, I just tamed Rani, so making her draw my carriage is an obvious choice. Molly was acting as my coach, by the way. She volunteered, so I didn’t even consider anyone else.
Also, let me be honest here, Rani wasn’t actually pulling anything. Molly was using the magic engine of the carriage to drive it, Rani just had to walk in front and look important.
At the entrance to the manor, a man I wasn’t expecting was waiting for me. I mean, why would the Prime Minister be outside waiting for me? Sure the weather is nice, but still? He is a Duke for crying out loud, and he is just waiting outside. Who does that?
After the carriage stopped, I didn’t even wait for Molly to open the door for me, but hurried out of the carriage myself. I needed to know why the PM was waiting for me.
“Morning, mister rising star.” The Prime Minister joked as I got out.
“Good morning, Your Excellence.” I responded. “... may I ask if you were waiting for me?” I asked carefully.
“Ah. I suppose I was. Though to be honest, I was more so waiting for that.” He said, as he pointed at my carriage.
“... why?”
“You know, I’ve heard some interesting things about your carriage, like how it is a lot larger on the inside. I wanted to see if that is true.”
“Of course. Please, come and have a look.” I quickly said. Why do I have a feeling just seeing my carriage isn’t going to be everything? I just … for some reason I feel like I’m about to have a customer for a custom carriage.
I showed the Prime Minister the insides of the carriage, and also explained its other functions, like the magic engines that made it move, the defensive barrier it had, the spatial expansion and the ability to levitate the box above the frame to negate any rocking.
“How was this made? Actually, who made it?” The Prime Minister asked.
“... I’m sorry, but that is a secret.” I told him. I thought about telling him, but I really don’t want to open a carriage manufacturing business. I have to make them with HomeBase and they can get a bit costly. And I’d also have to supply the mana to all the magic engines and other stuff using the HomeBase linking magic stones, and I’d rather not give those out. If they get out into the world, someone might use it for something not so nice.
“Are you certain? I know many nobles that would love to have one.” The Prime Minister said.
“Yes. Mine was made in return for materials from an SS-rank monster, as well as the materials for the carriage itself, so I don’t think he would even agree for just money.” I lied.
“What monster would that have been?”
“A world treant.” I lied again. Well, I do have world treant materials, so I could have given some away, so they can’t really verify my lie.
“I didn’t know you had taken on one of those. Is this another case where you didn’t report it?”
“... so you know about the Fenrir? Well, whatever. No. I actually didn’t report it because I found it outside the Kingdom’s borders. It was deep in the Ever forest, so I didn’t report it.” I explained.
“I see.” The Prime Minister said, as he exited my carriage. “Let’s head inside, shall we.” He said, as he led the way. He then turned to a house servant and gave him an order. “Show the coach where to park the carriage.”
He brought us to a smaller dining room. It honestly looked like it wasn’t usually used as a dining room, but had been turned into one for our luncheon. That was just going off the decor. Most dining rooms have cabinets filled with tableware, this room had none. Most dining rooms had separate doors for servants to bring in food, including doors from which food cards could be pushed in, this one only had regular doors, and just two at that.
I took a seat opposite to the Prime Minister, and after just a bit, a few maids began bringing food into the room. Just some basic appetizers and some drinks.
I let the Prime Minister lead us into our first bites and tasted the meat that was our appetizer. And to my surprise, it was raw meat. And I mean completely raw. And fresh as well, likely from an animal, well a monster actually, slaughtered today. But the surprising part is that no one actually eats raw meat. I’ve never seen or heard of anyone doing it, so why would the Prime Minister be doing that.
Well, it tastes good, so I don’t mind. Let’s just hope I don’t get parasites, or I might have to look if I have cards that can get rid of them.
“Do you enjoy it?” The Prime Minister asked.
“Yes, it is quite delicious.” I answered honestly. “Though I really didn’t think Your Excellency would offer raw meat.”
“Yes, it isn’t something most do in this Kingdom.” He admitted. “I learned it when I was visiting the Empire. Raw meat is somewhat more common there, especially with some beast-folk.” He explained. “Also, please feel free to call me Roy.”
“As you wish, Roy.” I confirmed. “Please just call me Brian.”
“Of course, Brian. Now, I do have a few more questions, if you don’t mind.”
“Go ahead.” I allowed it.
The questioning started with how I gained my System Support. For that, I made a slightly altered truth about how I got it from eliminating a rogue dungeon to which core I snuck to. I mean, that is how I got my SS, but I didn’t sneak in. I just appeared there.
Naturally Roy asked if I think anyone that eliminates a dungeon will get the System Support, to which I said I think I was a special case. I then explained to him some of the things I heard from Aulis during our first meeting. How the dungeon I eliminated was prophesied to give birth to a lesser behemoth and how Alice was supposed to take it down, but I got in the way when I eliminated the dungeon. And because of the potential future of that dungeon, it was more powerful than your average dungeon, thus resulting in the System Support being born inside of me.
That of course led to Roy asking about the true Behemoth that did appeared, to which I gave the same lie I used with the genderbent Hero’s party about the ‘curse left by the Demon Lord’, and about how the protection the Goddess gave against it running out of power, thus allowing for the ‘miasma blobs’ to appear and give birth to SS-rank monsters.
“And why wasn’t any of this reported earlier?” Roy asked.
“I had no reason to report it.” I told him honestly. “Currently, I am the only one that can deal with the miasma blobs, outside of direct influence from the Goddess. Even if I told you, what could you do about it?” I asked.
That got the Prime Minister thinking, but I didn’t give him too much time to think, as I had other things I wanted to say.
“There is more. When I first got my System Support, I was a bit too trusting with it. That is because of the time I spent living with the only human contact I had was with people I really trust, so I didn’t consider the possibility of the people around me being … evil. Had the Watchman family been different, I could have been taken advantage of, and things could have gone very differently.” I explained. “Because of that, I have been holding back on sharing news about things that are a threat to the world at large. And besides, people knowing that random miasma blobs can just appear along with SS-rank monsters might cause mass panic. It isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”
“I see. I understand your reasoning.” Roy said. “But next time, I would prefer to know.”
As our lunch kept moving on, I got to taste some other interesting foods. Most of them being something not commonly eaten around the capital, at least from what I know about the capital. And here I thought Roy is the Prime Minister and not some sort of tourism minister.
Eventually I got a good chance to give my gift to him, and other than the trap detecting, and disabling, wrist watch, I also gave him a TinaWood dungeon goodie bag. Aka. a magic fanny pack with some fabric rolls.
That led to our next conversation topic.
“Just how many of these did you prepare before you left Alewatch?” Roy asked. “From what I’ve heard, you have given out at least 4 of them after you arrived in the capital.”
“Who knows? Maybe 10? Or 20?” I teased. “Or maybe I just take my ultra fast airship and visit TinaWood dungeon whenever I need one more.”
Of course the truth is that I just made them with HomeBase. All of that stuff is quite cheap, and doesn’t take creation energy to make. Just miasma and mana. If I make the magic fanny pack special, like making it waterproof and usable underwater, or increase its capacity, then it will cost a bit of creation energy, but otherwise not. The thing about my airship, or spaceship, was just to remind Roy that I can easily travel there and back in a day if I want to.
“Ah. Of course. I sometimes forget about your … are they summons or airships?”
“Both.”
“Yes. I do forget them. I do wish to get to ride in one at some point.”
“My services can be bought. Well, not yet, but I’m working towards having a mapping system that doesn’t rely on special powers, and once I do, I will start offering rides.” I told him about a potential future plan. I just have to have someone with Card Summoner and they’d be able to operate the ships. And I can even make a real version of one of my B.E.S. ships if I use a ton of HomeBase resources. And if I simplify one, cutting away all the features that are only needed in outer space, I can probably make one for a much more reasonable cost.
“Well, I’m looking forward to it.” Roy said.
“You won’t have to wait that long.” I told him, as I got a letter out of Storage and gave it to him. “This is an invitation to come to HomeBase’s grand reveal. It has the details for when I’d like to have you picked up. You will ride in one of my ships to get to my Home. … if you wish to accept that is. Please send your response and preferred pick up spot to the Sawyer manor, or hand it to Cressida. She will make sure I’ll get it.”
“Thank you. I will attend, as long as I don’t have anything I can’t write away from my schedule.”
After dessert, our luncheon came to an end and I left. A quick ride to the Sawyer manor later, and beaming the three of us back to HomeBase, I was finally able to really relax again.
I thanked Molly for her services, spent some time showing affection to Rani, and then I got some training in.
Another day done. A few more and I’ll meet the Royal Knight Captain, and soon after that, HomeBase’s grand reveal.