NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 53.1
53. Circumstances of the President and His Secretary (2)
After completing my inspection of the first factory, I stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air, and naturally headed towards the second factory.
Arriving there with Teo, I saw that the construction of the second factory was about halfway done.
“Move the lumber over there! Bricks go here!”
“The witches are using earth spirits to dig the ground! Everyone, stand back!”
“Seventh Decade! What are you doing there? The work isn’t finished yet!”
At the bustling construction site of the second factory, soldiers mobilized from the High Tower and witches were tirelessly at work on the construction.
“Are the soldiers participating in the construction being paid wages as well?”
“Of course. Thanks to that, there’s hardly any complaints.”
For the record, the soldiers were receiving separate wages from the Arad Company.
In other words, the soldiers sweating and building here were effectively earning double—receiving both the basic salary from the High Tower and an additional salary from me.
“Any grievances so far?”
“None at all. I doubt there’s a workplace like this anywhere in the North, or even on the entire continent of Arcadia. Plus, the food here is delicious, isn’t it?”
“That’s true.”
Initially, I had planned to hire regular adventurers or common folk, but the plan was scrapped due to potential dangers.
Additionally, there was the risk of assassination attempts against me.
Instead, raw materials like lumber, limestone, bricks, and steel were procured through northern merchant groups.
While we bought from the merchant groups, they, in turn, employed lower-level adventurers or commoners to handle the supplies.
As I was about to move past the second factory site after giving it a once-over, I noticed a very familiar figure with white hair approaching from ahead.
“Mary!”
“Ah! President.”
“Perfect timing. I had some questions about the academy.”
As soon as I saw her, I immediately jumped into work-related talk.
“Yes! Please, ask me anything.”
“How’s the recruitment of teachers for the academy coming along?”
“We’ve secured teachers for subjects like literature, arithmetic, and history. Retired officials willingly agreed. However, we haven’t been able to find a mage.”
“Aren’t there battle mages among the adventurers or mercenaries? I heard some operate in the magic zones.”
“To be precise, there isn’t a trustworthy mage in the North.”
“Hmm… I see. And what about the witches?”
“The witches can’t teach unless it’s an officially adopted disciple…”
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue at Mary’s words.
“It can’t be helped. For now, you and I will have to handle the magic-related classes.”
“…? Me, sir?!”
“Yes. Aren’t you quite a capable magical engineer? Just teach the children based on the magic books I’ve recently written. If there’s something you don’t understand, you can ask me.”
From what I had observed of Mary so far, she was both a witch and not a witch.
Though an illegitimate child, she had noble blood in her veins.
Because of that, she seemed relatively free from the restrictions placed on witches.
Practically speaking, she wasn’t a witch but rather a female mage.
“…”
However, Mary’s expression didn’t brighten upon hearing my words.
“Don’t tell me…”
Seeing this, my heart sank.
“Don’t tell me you also find it difficult to teach because of some unwritten rule or taboo among witches?”
“No, that’s not the case. It’s fine.”
“Whew… That’s a relief.”
Feeling an unwarranted sense of worry, I asked for confirmation, and Mary’s response reassured me.
“Good. Very good. I’m glad I appointed Miss Mary as the academy’s dean.”
“…Do you think so?”
“I’m sure of it. But why does your face look so gloomy?”
“Could you reconsider? I prefer my previous position as secretary.”
“Secretary? But aren’t you often absent from the company? It’s hard to call someone like that a secretary.”
“Th-that’s…”
Judging by her reaction, Mary’s gloomy expression seemed to stem from her recently changed position.
“I apologize, President. I’ll make sure to come to the company more often from now on.”
Looking like a puppy abandoned on a rainy day, Mary alternated glances between me and Teo, who stood beside me.
Until recently, the tasks she had handled were now being carried out by Teo.
“Does she feel competitive? Interesting.”
Noticing her reaction, I inwardly smiled in satisfaction.
A healthy sense of rivalry among employees was always beneficial for the company’s growth.
“Hahaha… Ahem…”
Teo, caught in Mary’s sad gaze, awkwardly smiled. Judging by how he only looked toward the High Tower, the situation seemed uncomfortable for him.
“Looks like Sir Rosie might have told him about Mary.”
Even at a glance, I could sense that Teo found Mary intimidating.
To help Teo out, I suggested an idea to Mary that I had been mulling over on my way here.
“Or would you prefer handling both the academy and secretarial work?”
“Both?”
“Yes, instead of being solely responsible for one, you could manage both depending on the situation.”
“That sounds good.”
Mary’s face lit up once again.
“Oh, by the way, Mary. Keep your evenings free from now on.”
Seeing her face brighten like the moon, I continued speaking.
“In the evening? May I ask why?”
“Why else? We’ll soon be teaching magical engineering at the academy together. We need to ensure you’re properly prepared. Starting tomorrow evening, we’ll begin one-on-one tutoring.”
“Tutoring? Don’t tell me! Like, home tutoring?”
“Something like that. You’ll stay at the company and study with me.”
“J-just the two of us?!”
“Yes, just the two of us.”
“Why…?”