For What Purpose Is Knowledge?

Vim and Hana returned to the mansion after a few minutes of walking.

“I’m home—”

“Welcome back.”

The moment he opened the front door, Aria was there to greet them. Her reaction was so fast it made him wonder if she had been timing their arrival.

“Here, take this.”

He handed Hana the paper bags containing the clothes they had bought today.

“Thank you very much. I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have let you carry them.”

“It’s fine. I don’t like making a girl carry heavy luggage.”

Hana took the bags.

“You can just relax for the rest of the day. I’m going to take it easy too.”

“Understood.”

Vim sat in a chair on the terrace, staring blankly at the garden. A well-maintained garden was truly a pleasant sight.

“Are you here, sir? My apologies for interrupting your rest, but do you have a moment?”

James called out to him.

“It’s fine. What’s up?”

“A letter has arrived from the Royal Palace. I have brought it to you.”

James pulled a letter from the inner pocket of his tailcoat and presented it to Vim.

“Thanks.”

Looking at the wax seal, it did indeed bear the royal crest. Vim opened it carefully. The content stated that there was something the King wished to discuss and requested that Vim visit the palace as early as tomorrow.

“It seems His Majesty has something he wants to consult with me about. I’ll head to the palace tomorrow.”

“Understood. I shall inform the palace accordingly.”

“That would be a big help.”

Vim truly felt the benefit of having a highly capable steward.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

“Yeah, sorry for always making you do this.”

“It is my job, sir. Please think nothing of it.”

James spoke in a gentle voice and returned to his duties.

“Well, I guess I should head back to my room too.”

It was still a bit chilly at dusk. Zoning out is nice once in a while, but a man has to do what he has to do. After finishing dinner, James approached him again.

“Master, I have secured an appointment at the Royal Palace for tomorrow at 1:00 PM. Please head to the palace at that time. They requested that Miss Hana accompany you as well.”

“Thanks. You’re amazing as always.”

“I am honored.”

Barely three hours had passed since the letter arrived, and he had already finalized the appointment; his work speed was incredible. According to what he’d heard, James was a steward who used to serve the Royal Palace. He had been considering retirement when the King persuaded him to come work at Vim’s estate. Vim thought he had ended up hiring a truly remarkable individual.

Since he hadn’t told the King about Hana yet, this would be a good opportunity to introduce her. Considering the specific topic of consultation wasn’t mentioned in the letter, it was likely something important.

“Can you tell Hana that we’re going out tomorrow? I have a few things to do, so I’m going back to my room.”

“Understood. I shall relay the message to Miss Hana.”

With that, Vim returned to his room.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

Since he hadn’t been in this country long, there was much he didn’t know in detail. He believed he needed to internalize a certain amount of knowledge. Knowledge, at times, can be a weapon. He wanted to look into geographical information and the unique systems of this country.

He had already asked for materials that could serve as references. He began reading through them one after another. Fortunately, he had a fair amount of confidence in his memory.

“Time for a little break.”

Vim looked up from the documents. Just then, a knock echoed at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened and Aria entered.

“Master Vim, I thought you might be tired, so I brought some tea and sweets.”

“Thanks.”

The timing was impeccable. Aria always brought refreshments at the perfect moment.

“I’ll pour it for you.”

She placed a cup on Vim’s desk and poured tea from the pot.

“That’s a great aroma.”

“Yes, this is a tea leaf favored by the nobility, so I had it sent for.”

“I see.”

Vim didn’t know much about tea, so he hadn’t been aware.

“It’s delicious.”

Taking a sip, he could understand why so many people preferred it.

“It is wonderful that you are so devoted to your studies, but please do not push yourself too hard.”

“Thanks for worrying about me. I’ll do my best in moderation.”

“Understood. Then, I shall excuse myself. Please call if you need anything.”

With that, Aria left Vim’s room. After resting for a while, Vim lowered his gaze back to the documents.

“That should do it.”

It took about three hours for Vim to finish reading all the materials. He had grasped most of the geographical information and understood the various laws. He realized he might need to study the habitats of the appearing magical beasts a bit more. He decided he would look up necessary information whenever the need arose.

By the time he finished, the night was far spent.

“I should probably get some sleep.”

It was late enough that staying up any longer would interfere with tomorrow. Vim tidied up the materials and headed for the bed. As he lay down, his consciousness soon drifted away.