Reincarnated into a Game As the Hero’s Friend

Chapter 221.2

Just then there was a knock at the door, expecting the visitor, I asked Lily to prepare some tea, and I asked the visitor to come in.

“Sorry to bother you.” (Annette)

“Welner-sama. I brought you a cup of tea.” (Lily)

“Thank you. Are you getting used to your new life, Annette?” (Welner)

“…To be honest, not so much.” (Annette)

Annette had a troubled look on her face, but I guess it was impossible for her to get used to it in a day or two. I’ll just have to let her get used to it, but I guess I’ll have to give her a chance for a change of pace from time to time.

Since the other day, Annette had come to live and work at the Zeavert mansion. In name, she was my mother’s attendant, but in reality, she was Lily’s escort, assistant, and educator. In the mansion, she was accompanied by Lily in the guise of a chambermaid.

The punishment from the state regarding the incident with Count Yerring was not a heavy one. A reprimand and a temporary withholding of her Knight’s title. I was also expecting that she might end up being on house arrest or something similar.

As the incident caused by Annette could also be seen as an achievement, so it was unofficially decided that she would return to being a female knight in due time.

However, since the face of a noble family was also important, the very act of suddenly attacking another noble was a subject of criticism among noble families.

Although she was not disowned, she was severely “reprimanded” by her parents. Therefore, her father arranged for her to work at the Zeavert mansion in the name of re-educating her about etiquette.

Annette was from a noble family, so there was no problem for her to work as an attendant at Zeavert mansion. Rather, her presence would make Lily more accustomed to her new position, because Lily would be expected to join the ranks of noblewomen soon.

Since Lily was a commoner, not long ago, it was common for her to bow down to even lower-rank nobles, but now she was on the side of those who were bowed down to by lower-rank nobles, this was a big change in position for Lily.

For Lily to get used to this, Annette was put in the position of a lady’s attendant to Lily. I was sorry to leave her in charge of the mentor’s role and the maid of honor role, but it was fine since she was okay with it. She also seemed to be enjoying the role of maid of honor.

However, Lily seemed to be having more trouble putting her feelings into perspective when the female knight from the aristocratic class she had befriended acted as if she were her subordinate. I could understand that. It was like a retired boss rehired as a subordinate. It was a very uncomfortable feeling.

I checked the contents of the jar. It was the first time I’d seen the real thing, too. While I was sniffing, Lily put a cup of tea on the table. I scooped up the thickened contents of the jar with the teaspoon and licked it off.

I held the jar out to Lily, who had a curious look on her face.

“Would you like to taste it?” (Welner)

“May I?” (Lily)

“I don’t recommend it in large quantities.” (Welner)

“Well, just a little.” (Lily)

She was so curious that she moved it from the teaspoon to the back of her hand, looked at it curiously, sniffed it, and licked it. It reminded me of a puppy sniffing the food it had just been given for the first time.

“It’s a little sweet.” (Lily)

“Not as sweet as sugar, though.” (Welner)

“What is it?” (Lily)

“I think it’s a wetting agent.” (Welner)

That wasn’t a mistake, but it wasn’t the whole truth, either. It was a kind of alcohol called glycerin. It was a byproduct of soap making and had been around for a long time, even in a previous life.

(Note: While glycerine in food is safe, ingesting large amounts at once can cause side effects.)

Glycerin itself could be made from vegetable oil or tallow, but as a painting material, it was added as a wetting agent to make pigments blend with water. In my previous life, glycerin was used as a food additive.

Glycerin was one of the raw materials used to make nitroglycerin, which was dynamite, but as you might expect, I don’t intend to make bombs this time.

First, I have no idea how to make nitroglycerin. Second, if I really made nitroglycerin, with the common sense of people in this world, humans would destroy themselves first before demons could. It might be more dangerous than demons, so I have no intention of making it.

I heard that it was possible to make paint by mixing glycerin, various pigments, and sap from leguminous shrubs, etc. I don’t know the details of the process itself, but I only acquired the knowledge because it was made from leguminous plants, a specialty of the Zeavert territory.

It would be quicker to ask Norbert how to make it in detail, and I have Frenssen looking into it as well.

“Don’t worry about this work. I’ll leave that to the others to deal with. Instead, I need a little favor from you.” (Welner)

“Yes?” (Annette)

“I’d like you to work with Ally and the others on something…” (Welner)

I explained in detail and she agreed, tilting her head. I guess she must have wondered why I was asking for something like that now.

“I understand.” (Annette)

“Thanks.” (Welner)

With that, I gave Frenssen a light signal and asked him to leave the room with the rest.

---