Chapter 246

If that was the case, then the queen bee was really intelligent. In a sense, she was a marketer, grasping the needs of humans and pitching to them.

I guess Lord Vassily's protection of the Great Bee Forest was partly to secure this royal nectar.

In a world where individual magical power could be a tremendous advantage, an item that enhances magical power would be a priceless treasure. If it also works for illnesses and injuries, it would be a hidden treasure or a supreme treasure, especially since medical care was not that developed yet.

"...I would like my brother to eat it."

The words dropped out of my mouth.

I wondered how my brother was doing now. Is he working late just because I was away? Is he eating properly?

If he consumed this royal nectar, maybe he would break his overworked flag. I should bring it home instead of eating it.

Ah, but I was afraid he'd increase his work hours just because he could recover. Could he work 24 hours a day after taking recovery pills? No, that's not the point.

It looks like I was missing my big brother more than I expected.

Aurora distracted Ekaterina, who was becoming a bit emotional.

"Miss, would you like to see some of the items related to Lord Vassily that we, the Forest People, have passed down to our people?"

"Oh, yes, please, we would love to see it."

Oh no, no, this was not good, my brocon symptoms were showing up.

From the corner of the tent, Aurora brought a wooden box. It was a beautiful box, with a glossy, well-worn, and finely carved surface. The front of the box was divided into nine sections, each with a different plant carved on it.

When Aurora opened the top lid and moved something, one of the nine front panels came off with a clatter, and Aurora then shifted the remaining eight panels as if it was a puzzle.

This was called a Karakuri box. I wondered how Forest People could make such items.

Finally, a thin drawer appeared, and Aurora handed me the old-fashioned letter that she had taken out of it.

"I wonder if this is the imperial letter that big brother mentioned at the feast."

"Yes, it is."

The texture was not much different from ordinary paper, but the ink had not discolored even though the letter was about 300 years old, so it was probably parchment.

According to my knowledge of this world after I started visiting Alexei's office, parchment had long been used for important documents, although the use of paper had already been widespread by the time of the founding of the empire. This was due to the fact that parchment was thought to be more durable than paper for long-term storage.

If this was parchment, Lord Vassily must have considered the protection of the Forest People and the Great Bee Forest as an important matter to be passed down to the next generations.

I opened the letter and read it.

The handwriting was old-fashioned, but powerful. As one would expect from the wise and famous Prince Vassily, one could sense the strength of his will even among the successive dukes of Yurinova.

The writing style was traditional, but official documents were still written in this style, and I was able to read them because, thankfully, I had been in contact with them in the office.

The content was brief, with four main points.

Permission for Forest People to reside in Yurinova Territory.

Permission for Forest People to pass anywhere in Yurinova territory without exception.

Prohibition of cutting down and cultivating the forests where Forest People reside.

In return for granting the above privileges, the inventor, Giovanni Di Santi, was to be provided with every convenience, protection, and anything else he might ask for, in exchange for his loyalty to the dukedom and to the Duke's family.

One line was added at the end with an accompanying note in a different handwriting. The letter was dated, but there was another signature written on it that was still valid. It was the handwriting of Grandfather Sergei, which I had seen in the Oval Office.

...According to the contents of this letter, the Forest People could even enter Yurinova Castle by showing this letter. Or, more accurately, it was written in such a way that they could. We could have royal nectar delivered to us whenever we needed it.

But the price for this kind of hospitality was a favor to the inventor Giovanni Di Santi...Lord Vassily seemed to be very devoted when it came to inventors. I guess the main issue was loyalty to the duke's family, and it was just a front to get the royal honey. Besides this, it was Lord Vassily who established the patent system in the kingdom, which was to discourage Di Santi from returning to his homeland by protecting his rights... I wondered if this was just used as a cover.