I Became the illegitimate son of a duke

120 – Finding a Job (2)

Now that Claude has been freed from paperwork, he is wandering around the places he has only checked with paperwork.

Following college, he went to many places such as various factories, military academies, and construction sites in the city, and the bodyguards were so worried that Claude would get hurt, so he had PTSD symptoms.

Of course. It may not be a university, but the factories and construction sites of this era are full of all sorts of dangerous things. What would happen if the noble status of a king went to such a place? Horrible things could happen if you don’t.

Above all, since the workers do not go through such strict interviews, there is a very high probability that there will be someone who will cause trouble with dissatisfaction with the king.

In fact, there were a lot of cases where some workers forgot what they had been taught before in front of the king and flinched or tried to talk to them first. Of course, the terrible thing that the bodyguards were worried about, such as simply asking because it was itchy or simply curious, did not happen.

Anyway, it didn’t change that the mentality of the bodyguards had been shattered. Ah, not only mentally, but also the performance evaluation.

“Ugh… The smell.”

“Sorry!!! Don’t take over right now–“

“No, it’s okay. It’s a place where gunpowder is made, and it can’t be helped that it smells like ammonia.”

The bodyguards are now starting to drift away from their minds.

This is because it is a gunpowder laboratory, a dangerous place that cannot be compared to factories or construction sites.

“Your Majesty… You’d better leave now…”

“Didn’t he say it was okay? Even if the gunpowder exploded, it would have exploded with the current technology.”

“Width, explosion…”

At the word explosion, the bodyguards’ faces turned even whiter.

Although they have never experienced gunpowder, the bodyguards know very well how dangerous explosions can be, since explosions don’t happen only with gunpowder. There are many cases, such as the gas produced by decaying corpses igniting and exploding, or the gas condensing in the carcass of a decomposing animal, and then the stomach skin bursting and exploding.

And all of them are dangerous enough to take one’s life if there are people around.

The bodyguards are seized with the urge to grab Claude’s body and leave this place right now, but because Claude’s will is so firm, they don’t know what to do and soon give up. For them, the only thing left is to follow Claude and check the dangerous ones first.

“An explosion! There’s no such thing… I’m afraid…”

On the other hand, the alchemists hear the word explosion and seem to doubt their skills. Will go

In fact, there have been cases where gunpowder was mishandled and exploded before. Knowing how dangerous gunpowder is today, they can no longer be proud of themselves.

“hahahahaha, it’s okay not to affirm.”

However, Claude, who is the one who caused the hearts of the two groups to burn, carelessly comforts the researchers and then goes around the lab.

Claude is nostalgic for the familiar smell he often smelled in his previous laboratory and the similar environment he often saw in his previous laboratory, but it is just fear to the researchers and bodyguards.

“Oh, this gunpowder uses sulfur instead of iron oxide. It’s dangerous.”

“Your Majesty… Please…”

The faces of the researchers who saw Claude approaching the black gunpowder made of sulfur, which is the most reactive, turn blue, and the bodyguards who saw it read the atmosphere and their faces bleached white.

Actually, Claude is happily handling gunpowder while following safety rules, but the researchers and bodyguards do not see such things. I just prayed in my heart that nothing terrible would happen, and that His Majesty would get out of here quickly.

………

“…Mmm.”

This is troublesome.

I thought Her Majesty would spend more time with the Queen and Lady Chloe if we controlled our affairs as much as possible, but since there are no paperwork to deal with, you’re doing it with your body instead.

If there is a way to obtain information about Caroling where His Majesty has gone, things will become quite a hassle. Of course, all the places I’ve been to so far are places where it’s hard to get such information, but there is no such thing as absolute. An emergency could happen.

‘Above all, he’s too spontaneous.’

He is giving orders in the form of [Where are you going today, so follow me!] Rather than [Where are you going tomorrow, so get ready!].

If His Majesty’s destination could be known the day before, His Majesty’s protection would be easier and danger factors could be eliminated in advance. Would be a bunch

If you don’t solve this, you always take risks. There could be a setback in the plan to present the Crown of Carolingian to His Majesty.

I’d rather consider increasing the work again, but since the administrative reorganization had already been completely completed, His Majesty really had no work to deal with, and the sudden increase in work could also raise suspicion, so I gave up long ago.

It would be nice to know in advance at least the day before… Huh? Gunpowder lab?

‘…Yes.’

After agonizing so much, Leclerc thinks of a method and is greatly relieved when he sees the report that Claude went to the gunpowder laboratory today.

Notifying the Queen and Lady Chloe of this fact.

After that, even if I don’t say anything, the two of you will take care of it.

…………

It was fun.

I had low expectations because there would be no proper measuring instruments and research equipment in pre-modern laboratories.

‘As expected, base 10 is the best.’

Previously, when researchers came to me to report their research results, they explained in terms of a mixture of base 4, base 8, base 10, base 12, base 24, base 80.

At that time, I worked on converting all the units in Rotaring Korea to base 10 while pecking bureaucrats, and I thoroughly enjoyed the result made today.

It was very easy to understand that the materials that make up the gunpowder were properly arranged according to the ratio of the ingredients, and that the explosive power according to the amount of gunpowder was classified and organized in a table.

“Brother, you said you went to the gunpowder lab… Is that true?”

“Yes. I have nothing to do these days, so I’ve been poking around here and there. I went to the gunpowder lab today, and I was quite satisfied.”

“…You seem to have had a lot of fun?”

Like that, I was lying on the bed and thinking about what happened in the morning, when I heard Chloe’s soft voice from the end of the room.

“Yeah, it was great to see with my own eyes the progress I made.”

“Wow…Wasn’t that dangerous?”

“Danger? Well… It was dangerous. But it’s okay, as long as you pay attention to static electricity, gunpowder… Huh?”

What is it?

The atmosphere is… A bit strange.

Chloe seems to want to hear more, so she tries to talk about what happened in her lab, but at that moment, the back of her neck feels cold and creepy.

“…Brother.”

When I turn her head to the side, wondering what’s going on, Chloe is looking at me with a light shade on her face.

The light shadow on Chloe’s smiling face creates a very creepy atmosphere.

“That… You don’t have to worry. In the first place, even the gunpowder container was made of wood—”

“That’s not what you’re talking about.”

Chloe is gradually approaching me. I don’t think you’ll ever listen to me.

“So it’s really fine. Before touching it myself, I rubbed my hand on the iron bar to get rid of static electricity.”

“…Do you touch it?”

Chloe, who had been slowly approaching me, stopped right after those words.

…Ah.

“Brother…”

“No, no… So… Ok, you followed all the safety rules, right? So I meant to say… It’s safe…”

I can’t seem to convince Chloe anymore.

Chloe’s whole body trembled and her shaded face gradually began to turn red.

“What did you do?”

“Huh…?”

“What did you do after you touched it? Didn’t you try to explode it yourself?”

“…I didn’t.”

I did.

No… That’s right, there’s gunpowder, isn’t it normal to explode it? I wonder how much the power has changed.

“Lies.”

“It’s… Not a lie.”

“My brother always tilts his head slightly to the left when he lies.”

After Chloe said that, she started moving again. Unlike before, she does not walk little by little, but strides.

Uh… Did I? No, now is not the time to think about that.

“Kloe, calm down for a moment. I can explain everything—”

Kikiiikㅡ!!

“ㅡ oops…”

Chloe, who was striding along, hugged me as I was about to stand up from the bed and put her weight on me.

The soft bed was soft enough for the two of us not to get hurt, but the weight didn’t go anywhere and the four legs of the bed creaked.

“Never… Never again.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Chloe buried her face in my chest and said that as if she was embarrassed to show her face.

There is only a girl who is terrified, afraid that somehow I am wrong.