NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 74
Heading straight to her office, Sophina dipped the nib in black ink.
Then, in her beautiful cursive handwriting, she scribbled.
「 How are you, Ricardo? It has been quite a while already. I’m doing well. I’m working on something with Canus. You can look forward to it. I’ll write again. P.S. Read it, or die trying!」With that, she took out another sheet of paper and scribbled away.
Then she turned to Jane and said,
“This one’s for Ricardo, this one’s for Sister Ririela, and the last one’s for….”If I only write to Ricardo, people might think otherwise.
People would be disappointed.
From what I’ve heard from my mom, everyone seems to be doing well.
But if we keep writing to each other, perhaps we could feel each other’s presence even when we’re apart.
With a wry, conscious smile, Sophina got up from her seat.
Now that the experiment was successful, there was more to do.
I’d have to figure out a way to explain where I got this metal, see if I could get it from within the lion territory, and prepare for mass production.
‘Maybe I could build a factory to smelt the metal in the Roneache flower garden I got from Mother?’
It would be efficient to utilize the flowers in the winter when the Thenedore would be useless.
If we’re going to mass-produce metal, it’s better to have the help of the powers than human hands.
With that, Sophina began working with Canus again.
Three weeks later.
Sophina wrapped it all up nicely and sent a report to her mother.
It turns out the mineral was a rare find, even in the mines within the lion’s territory. Her mother offered to help her build a factory.
She made a few models to serve as samples and sent one to Ricardo.
Together, they worked on the blade, and Canus gently flicked the finished blade with his tail, serenading it with a giggle.
— You know, that lousy brand name, why don’t you engrave it on the sword? “Lousy is too strong a word, isn’t it?”Sophina crossed her arms, pouting, and glanced back toward Canus.
After the product demonstration of Roneache’s flower remedy, she’d drawn up a detailed plan.
I’d come up with a brand name, a name that would stick in people’s minds, and a storefront.
Things had progressed and they had a logo and symbol.
‘We’re almost done with the actual store.’
In any case, the Roneache flower remedy had just been stocked and was being shipped across the lion territory.
To the battlefield, where Ricardo would be, of course.
A sword with the same logo would be a welcome addition to the battlefield.
As it turns out, Canus is a bit of a businessman himself.
To Sophina’s dismay, Canus sarcastically remarked.
— You said the name of the brand was Lion. Put a hand on your chest and swear. Is this cool? “Hey, what’s wrong with Lion? I think it’s cute.”It’s a remedy for lions, it’s a lion family, and the lion itself is both feline and feral, so it’s cute.
How adorable would it be to have a cute lion character wearing a crown and holding a staff?
Lions are very narcissistic, so I think they would love that.
Sophina adds emphatically,
“Don’t ever doubt my love for Lion. I mean it.” — Uh, yeah…Canus shook his head in disbelief.
— I think a snake would be cuter. The name is Canus.It was a very peevish Canus.
“Dude, that’s even worse.”That’s a lame way to do PR.
After another round of snickering, Sophina’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
She spotted something by the window.
“Oh, by the way, why is the air so stuffy in here?”She sneaks open the window of her office under the guise of ventilation.
A now-familiar paper bird was hanging from the window sill.
Glancing at Canus, who hadn’t yet noticed anything suspicious, Sophina unfolded the note.
I’ve asked the informant for an update on the enemy forces.
「The enemy forces are secretly gathering in the eastern part of the continent.」Perhaps I should tell my mother to look into this further.
Quickly tucking the note into her pocket, Sophina suddenly remembered something.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder if Canus would know about the strange things the informant said?’
Awakening, and power.
Wasn’t it a little weird to hear that information?
As if she was under the influence.
When I asked again, the informant didn’t give me any answers.
I searched the library and found nothing relevant.
Even though Sophina still entrusted the informant with the job, she remained wary.
‘In this world of ropan, one must always be on the lookout.’
Sophina turns to Canus as she locks the window shut.
“By the way, Canus. Have you ever heard of the Awakening? I thought it had something to do with powers?”It was a probing question, and Canus reacted with a strange sensitivity.
— I don’t know! How would I know that?Oh, there’s something here.
Sophina’s eyes narrowed and asked,
“Why are you angry?” — Well. I’m upset because my sister is ugly, what can I do? I’m leaving.… Should I kill him?
Sophina thought for a moment.
Then she blocked Canus’s path as he tried to sneak out, and asked firmly.
“My dear Canus, your language is quite rough today, do you realize that, or what?”However, Canus snapped back at her, his tail twitching.
— Do I bite? Do I secrete venom? “Hey, you can’t even tell me that between us. What is it? I’ll keep it a secret.”He does this sometimes, a little fierce.
Reflexively frightened, Sophina took a step backward and feigned nonchalance.
“I’m serious, tell me, Canus.”In response, Canus’s tail twitched downward in a sullen manner.
— I told you I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone! “Who?”‘His late grandmother.’
Sophina scratched her head.
“Why?”Canus stuck out his red, thin snake tongue and looked up at Sophina pointedly.
— Can you really keep this a secret? “I swear on my entire fortune. I mean it.” — Well, I can believe that.Snorting, Canus replied sarcastically.
Then he gestured with his tail to his ears, like a sheep confiding in a great secret.
It shouldn’t matter, since we’re talking through our heads anyway.
That’s over the top. Sophina smirked inwardly, then turned serious and bowed her head.
Then the calm Canus spoke.
— The Awakened beast can use their powers. “Power?”— Some mysterious power that is different from natural ability.But I don’t know much about it, and, strangely, I don’t know.
Canus muttered more clearly, as if talking to himself.
The sight of him made Sophina ponder.
‘Apparently, the informant said I was an Awakened. I wonder what that is?’
Apparently, Canus thinks I’m awakened as well…
Sophina leveled her gaze at Canus, looking him in the eye.
“So am I an Awakened?”But Canus slumped down on the desk and muttered something unintelligible.
— Remember what I told you when you purified the Roneache flower with the Clyde tree? “Huh?” — Remember what I said about the tree and sister’s thalite wavelength being similar?What was that supposed to mean?
Canus continued as if reading Sophina’s question.
— I just know something when I see it. That’s why I’m called a genius!I didn’t quite understand, maybe he was bragging.
Anyway, Canus concluded, flicking the floor with his tail.
— I think that’s the power, or maybe you don’t really know what it is.Sophina pouted her lips and clicked her tongue.
Still, it wasn’t completely fruitless.
Now that she knew that there was a different kind of ability, and power, and that the wielder of that power was called and Awakened.
Neatly summarizing the situation, Sophina muttered to herself.
“Interesting.” — Don’t mention it anywhere.Canus was the last one to tell her.
“Don’t go anywhere and don’t talk about it.”Canus was the last one to talk her out of it.
— My grandmother told me that if it became known that you had awakened, you would be killed,Canus blurted out.
Sophina, flustered by the unexpectedly serious words.
I wonder why that sneaky little snake would tell me such an important thing.
Sure, we’ve gotten really close, but he’s not the type to do this.
“…Who? No, why would you tell me that?” — Because I had a feeling you needed to know.Canus’s voice echoed in my head, fierce and vicious.
The snake’s torn black eyes sucked Sophina in like a dark mire.
“You don’t look like the little snake I knew.”While Sophina froze, Canus resumed his usual cheerful tone and asked what had happened.
— Well, now stop fooling around and get back to work!She sat back in her chair, dumbfounded, and batted her eyelashes.
They’re going to kill me? Who the hell?
Maybe that was why the informant had been so reticent.
Knock, knock—At that moment, my mood was more than usual. There was a loud knock on the door.
Startled, Sophina shook her shoulders angrily.
“Little Lady!”Fortunately, it was Jane, not a dangerous figure.
Jane’s sudden appearance brought good news.
“I’ve heard back from the Lord!”A letter from Ricardo had arrived. I thought it would be next month before I heard back from him, given the distance and how busy he must be.
Sophina tore open the envelope, the corners of her mouth twitching upward in amusement, her earlier grumpiness pushed aside.