Even if my only strength is water magic, having modern knowledge should be sufficient, right?

Episode 43: A Remarkable Find

(Boss’ Perspective)

After refilling the water jug, I also kicked Frim out of the room.

I instructed the idiots in the hallway not to enter the room—need to think this through.

Certainly, I knew that girl seemed to have some power, judging by her hair, but I never imagined she was related to the Lucarim family… No, that she could even potentially become the successor.

The king or the prime minister’s aim isn’t bad. There are plenty of nobles who would want to align with the king’s faction once the king is decided. Although initially a small force with no factions or background, the prime minister decided to stop neutrality and support to deter war with other countries. Now it’s a respectable force.

Among the enemy forces of the king, there are many nobles who don’t want any more fighting. If there’s someone like “the daughter of the Lucarim family, who holds the blood of the noble Water lineage,” to provide them with a place to go, they might be drawn away.

There’s a big difference between “putting Frim on display and pushing her forward” and “Frim making a name for herself.” However, if Frim were to establish herself in that way, it would be better to have supporters who provide money and people behind the scenes. It makes it harder for someone to take her in. And that’s where I come in.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Frim would probably become a baron… No, a viscount, if she’s from the Lucarim family. If things go well, she might even become a count.

And I, as the first supporter, could aim for a viscount or a baron?

To become a noble, you have to accumulate achievements over several generations, but since I’m originally from Druggen, I should be more readily accepted than someone who rose from the common folk.

I let the informant waiting outside in through the window.

“Things have taken quite a turn, haven’t they?”

“Just get to the point.”

“Yes, but the information about the girl called Frim seemed to have been manipulated.”

What the…?

During the chaos when the assassination squad appeared at the palace, the girl named Frim single-handedly defeated more than ten elite units with aliases. It’s said she wields four attributes,a dragon,a sage,a god, and other ridiculous aliases. Her appearance is that of a peerless beauty who captivated the king, or actually an old person… This is absurd.

“Heh.”

It’s different from what Frim said, but did you think saying something like that wouldn’t be believed? Or did Frim not know either? What’s with ‘a peerless beauty’? You can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman with that physique. I chuckled a little. I have to think about what to do now, even though I should do it right away. Among the stupid information, there was something that caught my attention first.

(Note: Lol, Frim got roasted)

Despite being offered a large tribute by the nobles, Frim wanted to return the gift to her employer out of loyalty.

My heart feels warm.

If this were a moronic subordinate like Morga, I’d be okay with getting rid of them, but Frim, while having some eccentricities, always tries to be useful to me.

Treating slaves as people might be due to her kind nature. It’s hard to deal with her when she’s always looking away from disciplinary actions. I could easily kill them in front of my sons, but it’s difficult to do in front of this little girl.

If she were with a noble, she could live a better life than here—did she choose my side instead… the loyal Frim?

The king and the prime minister have visited Frim every day, as it’s written, so if Frim decided to do it, there should be support from behind at least.

But the current king should be desperate just to avoid being invaded by neighboring countries. Lord Riaum’s faction not only has a large faction but also the cooperation of the nobles. There are bound to be those who have been incorporated into other countries.

Moreover, just the fact that “an assassination squad appeared at the castle” shows that this faction could collapse at any moment. If things continue like this, the king of this country could easily come to an end. My brother and I might be dragged down with him.

I thought that even if the king lost, we could protect at least two people, but the recently allied Taurus family is at odds with the Druggen family. If Riaum wins and takes power, I might be in danger for being involved with the Druggen family.

“What do you think?”

“It’s rare for you to ask for my opinion… Well, I think it’s a ridiculous idea, but Frim, the great sage, is the talk of the town among the nobility. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Boss Dugga. But it’s also true that it’s too dangerous. How about just giving them money?”

“No, that won’t work. There are nobles richer than me. If we’re going to do it, we have to pour everything into it.”

“If you exile at least one person you thought of as a pawn, that should be the end of it. Don’t forget that.”

“I know.”

I understand logically. However, if I do that, and if the king and Frim are on good terms in some way, I won’t be able to become a noble. I can’t grow any further here, and I’ll probably attract attention.

It’s difficult. …Maybe if we do nothing, time will pass, and Lord Riaum will die of illness. So there’s also a bet on “not betting”.

But that would be too much of a waste.

There’s still a gap between nobles and commoners. Among the noble guests, there are also magic users… It can be frustrating at times. While there are those who can use magic anywhere, the difference between being “patrons of nobles” and “patrons of merchants” is too vast. Moreover, the nobles are now spending large sums to gather out-of-town magicians to protect their homes.

In this gambling den where even a foolish noble could threaten, there’s a chance it could collapse without doing anything.

“Why did Frim, with her magic, end up being called a ‘Great Sage’?”

“There have been reports of her using four elemental magics alone. And not just from one source.”

I know she always uses water, but fire, earth, and wind? Was she hiding her power from me? I heard from someone that there were traces of fire as strong as the head of a prestigious fire family. And in later training, it was confirmed she used explosive magic. While for the wind they say it came down from the sky with tremendous force. As for earth, it’s said she can use high-level earth magic because the place was in good condition after cleaning. It’s probably Bursa or that bastard father of his. Or maybe the main family’s old man, Craig. If Frim could do that, she should’ve been able to fix a broken water bottle by herself. And if Frim had that power before reading the grimoire, it’s strange that she would lose to Pakis.

“She made cracks in the sturdy walls of the training ground, and just using water magic alone is quite something. They say that if she keeps this up as a pre-contract magician, she’ll become a representative magician of the country in a few years.”

So, there must have been many offers, but she refused them out of loyalty to me. She should’ve accepted the gifts.

“Haha”

Despite being a kid, I hesitate to kill her.

…

After giving money to the informant and sending him away, I think alone. I have four options:

One, kill Frim and take her to Riaum. This is not an option. It would anger the current king and I might be killed by brother Forblin. But if I abandon everything and escape, I should receive a huge reward from Prince Riaum.

Two, leave Frim behind and continue as usual. If another war breaks out, I might survive no matter who wins. Even those stone guys might show mercy to me, who had my name stripped away.

Three, support Frim but only provide minimal financial assistance. If the king is serious, people will gather with just that, but it will incur resentment from Riaum’s faction. Whether I can become a noble is uncertain.

Four, fully support Frim. I could become a noble now. If I use all the money, people, and land here… even if I have to borrow money to support her, I could become a noble. But that would mean being completely opposed to Riaum.

It might just end with nothing happening and Riaum losing. There might not be a battle. There might not be any invasion from other countries. — But my intuition tells me “that’s not the case.”

…Thinking about it here won’t get me anywhere. I’ll decide after seeing Frim one last time.

“Frim-chan, come over here too!”
“The water tastes good! You should stay here instead of going to the palace!!”
“Welcome back! We’ve been waiting for you!!”

Frim is pouring water into the gambling den. Seems like the folks like her …Is this what I’m betting on? Even though she seems so clueless and weak.

“Boss, is something wrong?”

“No, I’m just undecided. Show me the magic you used at the palace.”

“Understood.”

Water magic is weak. I’m sure once I see it, any intention to support her will disappear. — But I still have to confirm it. Whether she’s worth supporting or not, whether I should carry her or leave her alone.

It was decided to do it outside. It’s dark, on the rooftop… It’s better than chasing out the guests of the gambling den.

“Do it seriously.”

“No, if I use this magic seriously, the gambling den will probably blow away.”

There’s no way water can do such a thing. What is she talking about? Frim sets up a torch on the rooftop and floats water droplets from afar. Is she saying she can extinguish torches? Frim effortlessly creates about ten fist-sized waters and several large water droplets, floating them.

“I’ll start with the small ones. Please hold the shield firmly—… Here I go.”

Frim approached the distant torch with a tense expression, floating small water droplets. Although I brought a shield, it’s quite a buzzkill to have it taken this seriously just to extinguish a torch… Brother Forblin knelt down, resting the shield on his shoulder, with an overly serious stance.

“Get ready, are you trying to die?”

At brother Forblin’s words, both I and Bursa exchanged glances and imitated him in the same way. As the floating water approached—there was a sound I’d never heard before… Did the water droplet explode? A slight impact touched the shield. Frim, who went to pick up the fallen torch, returned.

Not understanding what had happened, Bursa and I exchanged looks.

“Um, Lord Forblin. It makes quite a noise, but can I continue?”

“I’ll have to apologize later, but make it a bit more flashy.”

“Um… which one should I bring closer, Lord Forblin?”

There are about ten of the same-sized water droplets as before, but there are also several larger ones. Frim is simultaneously creating and floating water droplets larger than me. Brother Forblin chose one of moderate size. Frim sent the other water away to a different place. How many of the chosen droplets are there?

“Something might break, you know?”

“I don’t care. I’ll take responsibility, so do it.”

Frim floats the water droplets. This time, she hides behind brother Forblin’s shield and creates a wall of water that envelops us even further.

It’s hard to see, but… more than that, Frim is doing this without chanting anything. It’s impossible to do such a thing without being very compatible with spirits. Moreover, the water droplets are flying as they are. While we were stunned, the water droplets approached the torch—… the water film blew away, and with a loud noise, the night of the capital was momentarily engulfed in flames. Bursa and I fell on our backsides. It was an unbelievable shock. The place where the torch was is now gouged out of the side wall.

And… “It’s on fire!? Put it out!!!”

There were clotheslines and sticks used for hanging laundry on the rooftop, and they caught fire. Frim is running around pouring water to put out the fire.

“…This is insane.”

“Hahaha! What’s that!? What the hell is it!!! Hahaha!”

“Someone send a servant to the castle. Ah, I’m definitely going to get scolded.”

“Then come and get scolded.”

People are coming out from around the building to see what happened. If there’s that much power, people will gather. Frim said the gambling den might blow away and she also effortlessly created multiple water droplets. It seems like it wasn’t a joke after all.

—Not a bad bet.

“I’ve decided. I’m betting on this girl.”

“Becoming a noble won’t be easy.”

I understand Bursa’s opposition. Still, precisely because the situation isn’t good right now, the payoff will be big if we win.

“I know.”

“Well, um… I hate to say this after opposing it, but it might not be a bad bet.”

“And fix the rooftop before you leave, okay?”

“……”

“Answer?”

“…………Yeah.”