Chapter 29: My Little Sister's Skill and a New Apprentice

Around the time Autumn deepened, my younger sister Sophia celebrated her tenth birthday. Recently, she has grown quite a bit and has begun to carry an air of intelligence about her.

At breakfast, where the whole family was gathered, Sophie‘s skill became the topic of conversation.

“I wonder what skill Sophie will be blessed with?”

“I want the same Production Skill as Will-onii-sama.”

“Oh my, Sophie-chan really loves Will-chan, doesn’t she?”

“No, Sophie. Instead of the same skill as mine, I think a Swordsmanship or Magic Skill befitting a noble would be better.”

“Muu, thinking that Swordsmanship or Magic is befitting a noble is an old way of thinking. Brother has proven that Production Skills are useful.”

“Haha, it is true that thanks to Will‘s activities, we have come to understand that Production Skills are more useful than previously thought. But, any skill is fine. As long as you grow up to be like yourself, Sophie, that is all that matters.”

Yeah, Father is right. I think any skill is fine.

In the end, the skill Sophie was blessed with was a Magic Skill. She looked disappointed, but I think it is a good skill for a noble’s daughter. Sophie seems to have a lot of Magic Power, so I think she can become a good Mage.

A few days later, Sophie came to talk to me, fuming with anger.

“Please listen, Brother. It is terrible.”

“What is the matter? Sophie.”

“Do you remember my friend, Mabel?”

“Yeah, I remember. She was the daughter of the Woodpole Baron House that has territory near ours, right?”

Mabel Woodpole, the Baron‘s daughter, is a childhood friend of the same age as Sophie. She was a girl with brown hair and glasses who looked intelligent.

“May also celebrated her tenth birthday recently, but apparently, the skill she was blessed with was a Production Skill.”

Oh, that is rare for a noble’s child. Since nobles often take spouses who possess Swordsmanship Skills or Magic Skills, there are few children who possess skills other than those.

“And then May said she envies my Magic Skill. Even though I would have preferred a Production Skill; she doesn’t understand at all.”

“No, I think Mabel-san’s reaction is normal for a noble’s child, though.”

“Even though Brother created new Wheat and the Royal Family has acknowledged its value, it is strange that she does not understand the value of Production Skills.”

Hmm, even so, the way of thinking that prioritizes swords and magic won’t change suddenly. Nobles are conservative, after all.

“I explained the splendor of Brother‘s Production Skill to May. By the end, she was saying that if it can do so many things, maybe having a Production Skill was a good thing.”

I can imagine Sophie explaining with all her might. I am happy she tried hard to explain it for my sake, but I suspect Mabel might have just agreed in the end to go along with it because Sophie was talking so earnestly.

However, a while later, I was called to Father‘s Office, and the conversation went in an unexpected direction.

“Hey, sorry for calling you while you are busy, Will.”

When I entered the Office, Father spread out a letter. Since it was in an envelope sealed with Beeswax, it was likely a letter from a noble.

“Actually, a letter arrived from Baron Woodpole. Since the skill his daughter was blessed with was a Production Skill, it was a request asking if she could become Will‘s apprentice and learn from you.”

I was surprised by this. Did Sophie really persuade Mabel?

I have heard of children of neighboring nobles becoming apprentices at the houses of Great Nobles to learn swordsmanship or magic, but I have never heard of such a story for Production Skills or Commercial Skills.

“It seems Sophie talked to Mabel-chan about various things. But I think the request to let his child learn came precisely because Will achieved results and was recognized by the Royal Family.”

Is that so?

“As for me, I think it is fine for her to learn under Will. The territory is close, so she can commute. What do you think?”

“Let’s see. If I am acceptable, I would like to teach her about Production Skills.”

I intend to understand the painful feelings of a noble who can use neither swords nor magic. I hope I can be of help to Mabel, even if just a little.

Father wrote a reply to the Baron, and after a while, Mabel came to the Fairchild House.

“It has been a long time, Lord William. I am Mabel Woodpole.”

“It has been a while. Mabel-san.”

“Thank you very much for accepting to instruct me in Production Skills on this occasion. I look forward to working with you.”

“I look forward to working with you too. Mabel-san is my sister’s friend, so you can relax more.”

“Thank you for your concern. Sophia is a precious friend. However, since I am becoming your apprentice, please call me Mabel or May.”

Mabel-san is serious. I decided to call her Mabel from now on.

Talking to her again, Mabel was a ‘class representative’ type of girl with a proper attitude. And when I taught her Production Skills, she was quick to understand, though not as much as Theo. She surely has a sense for Production Skills.

Although she is still a child, the craftsmen in the Workshop are also my apprentices, so they have no prejudice against children. Carpenter, who has become the coordinator of the craftsmen, also praised her, saying, “Mabel is an outstanding talent.” Partly because she is a noble’s child and has been educated in reading, writing, and calculation, Mabel secured a position as a key member of the Workshop in the blink of an eye.

I want to help Mabel improve her Production Skill as much as I can, but even before that, it looks like she will become a significant asset to the Workshop. I have to pay her a salary for this. Theo, who initially refused, has also started accepting a salary recently. Just because they are apprentices, I won’t let them work for free.