Silent Witch

The Ashley family has been known as the "Knowledgeable Family" for generations, but they originally were a family of librarians.

Perhaps as a remnant of their legacy, the Ashley family owned a library and three study rooms. The number of books in the library was no less than the library in the royal capital.

Claudia who growing up surrounded by such an enormous amount of books, naturally would read them in her spare time.

The adults around her called her a book-loving girl, but Claudia wasn't particularly fond of reading. She has a slightly different hobby.

For Claudia, the act of reading a book was a "natural act".

Just as eating when hungry, she reads books when she doesn't know something. That was all there was to it. And for that reason, Claudia thought the act of reading no more than that.

The same can be said for the rest of Ashley's family members. And Claudia's father was no exception.

Therefore, her knowledgeable father, Marquis Highon, was visited every day by those who sought his advice. Some were representing their own people, some were local nobles… and some were from other countries.

—I'm in trouble because my fields are not yielding. Please tell me how to grow more crops even in a drought.

—It's about inheritance property control, please tell me how to get an upper hand over my brother.

—A sailor became ill during a voyage. Please tell me how to treat it.

Everyone was clinging onto her father, saying, ‘Please tell me, please tell me.'

As she watched such scenes, the child Claudia thought to herself.

Why do these people never try to figure things out for themselves?

Most of the questions they brought up were things that could be found in a book. No one ever bothered to figure it out themselves. They only want to know the answer.

Claudia was experiencing the same things as well. In her primary school, people would come to Claudia to ask her about things they didn't understand.

Treating her like nothing more than a ‘walking library,' everyone also thought of all the Ashley family members was like that.

It would be worst when they felt grateful to her. After they felt grateful for Claudia because she could be relied upon, they would back to ask on her again, and again. That's why Claudia despised their gratitude.

So, when people tried to talk to her, Claudia would show her gloomy face as if she didn't feel like talking to them. Its gloomy was like that of a person who seemed to have one of her family members died.

Its effect was so great making no one came near Claudia after, leaving her with plenty time to read a book quietly.

Claudia was truly happy about that.

＊ ＊ ＊

One day, a letter arrived at her father's door.

A certain baron wanted to visit her father to ask for his advice on something.

After her father read the letter, his face was expressionless but somewhat jubilant, she sure for it. He even arranged for the servants to prepare a reception for that person.

"…who's our guest today?"

After begin asked by Claudia, her father lifted his glasses and spoke up.

"Baron Maywood would like to discuss something with me."

"…He's come to ask some advice, isn't he? But you seem quite enthused about it, even arranged the servants to receive that person."

In response to his daughter's bitter remark, her father muttered, "I see," as he expected her reply.

To an outsider, he may look cold and impassive, but to his family, his excitement was apparent. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised under his well-trimmed beard.

"Baron Maywood always comes to me for advice when he's done looking everything within his means before seeking a different point of view. He's not come to seek for my ‘knowledge', but my ‘opinion'."

The wine I drink always tastes better when I've him accompanied me, said her father, concluding the story.

Claudia knew that her father did not like to drink very much.

To be able to make such a father enjoying his drink, Baron Maywood must be an outstanding man like no other, she thought at the time.

＊ ＊ ＊

"Well, it's nice to see you, Marquis Highon. It's been a long time. Oh, is that Miss Claudia over there? She looks very lovely."

Claudia's first impression of Baron Maywood was one word: ‘plain.'

He appeared to be younger than her father, and his clothes were plain with few ornaments. He probably a baron who wasn't from a wealthy family.

The smile on his face was somewhat unreliable with his relaxed eyebrows, making him look amicably and not very smart.

"I brought my son with me today. Neil, introduce yourself."

As Baron Maywood urged, a small boy stepped out from behind, looked straight up at Marquis Highon with a shy smile, then greeted him.

"My name is Neil Clay Maywood, eldest son of Baron Maywood. It is an honor to meet you."

He was a boy with straight eyes. Though he only appeared to be about ten years old, he was said to be thirteen, the same age as Claudia. Apparently, looking young was their family trait.

Ushered into the parlor by Claudia's father which was Marquis Highon, together with Baron Maywood, had a brief discussion. The topic was mainly about the mediation between the Magician's Association and the Noble Council. Apparently, the Magician's Association has requested the council to lift the ban on medical spells.

And Baron Maywood's tasked to arbitrate the meeting.

For generations, the Baron Maywood family has been involved mainly in mediating these kinds of negotiations.

If the Marquis Highon family was known as the ‘knowledgeable family,' then Baron Maywood's family was known as the ‘mediator family.'

Despite his position as a noble, a mediator's job is to guide the two sides of the debate to reach a satisfactory settlement in an impartial manner, without taking sides with the noble council.

"Lifting the ban on medical spells would certainly save some lives. That's a fact. However, in my opinion, it is still ‘too early.' We need both medical and spells research development to reach the same level of maturity… but, medical development in this country is not mature yet."

"I agree. In some areas, there are still doctors who use superstition as a form of medicine. Lifting the ban on medical spells in this situation will only add to the actions of such frauds."

"First of all, the bad effect of mana in the human body… I think we need to do more verification of that. The data we've collected on the part of the Magician's Association is still insufficient. If things continue like this, the medical development may be eclipsed by the magic development."

"Definitely. On top of that, we should train those who are proficient in both medicine and spells. I am certain medical spells will be developing in the future, but at the moment, the foundation for it has not even been laid. So, we should concentrate on cultivating the soil."

"You are right. However, hearing someone has a family member with a disease that is untreatable by today's medical treatment… tend to make me get emotional in mediating… ‘The ban on medical spells should be lifted as soon as possible. Are you trying to kill my daughter?' when someone said that, it made me felt so depressed… I understand how painful it is to feel that way."

"If the wrong method of treatment caused mana poisoning and led her to death, there would be no saving the child."

"Yeah, that's why we should proceed more carefully."

As she quietly listened to the conversation between her father and Baron Maywood, Baron Maywood turned his head and looked at Claudia.

He then relaxed his eyebrows and smiled wryly.

"Sorry, that wasn't very interesting, was it?"

"No, I found it very interesting… I can tell the arguments of the magicians, who are trying to push their case based on emotionalism without sufficient data, and the noble council, who are concerned that the interests of the medical association will flow into the magicians if doctors and magicians team up."

Baron Maywood rounded his eyes slightly at Claudia's words. However, he didn't seem particularly offended, and rather calmly relaxing his eyebrows and smiled.

"You're very clever. Indeed. It precisely because of that I need to proceed more carefully… before making my decision."

Neil, who was sitting next to Baron Maywood, rounded his eyes and looked at Claudia. He must have been taken aback by Claudia's statement.

I don't know how much that little boy with the young face understands my words…he even might not able to understand everything.

As Claudia was thinking about this, her father glanced at her and said in a low voice.

"Claudia. Go give young Neil a tour of our mansion."

Her father probably thought Claudia was bored, too.

She suspected the topics they would talk about would be things that can't be heard by children.

"Um, please treat me well!"

"………"

This is like I've become a person who's showing the way for children, Claudia thought to herself.

＊ ＊ ＊

" …Any place do you want to see?"

"Um, I want to see your garden."

"Okay…"

For him being interested in gardens rather than books in the Ashley family—which boasts such a large collection of books—was quite unusual.

Claudia led Neil into the garden, secretly thinking that it would be easier for her if he would just stay quiet and read a book.

Having walked next to each other for a while, she found him looked even younger. He was a little shorter than Claudia and his appearance didn't match his age.

Noticing Claudia was giving him a side glance, Neil then responded with a smile which much like his father.

"You are amazing, Miss Claudia. You even grasped the true meaning behind such a difficult event."

"………"

"I haven't thought about the reason behind the noble council. I didn't expect the Medical Association and the noble council have a strong connection… My father let me present to be the meeting was to study, but I'm not ready yet…"

"………"

Apparently, he barely able to grasp the meaning behind their fathers were discussion.

Neil folded his arms groaning with a difficult face.

"I wonder if there was any proof that clearly shows the connection between the Noble Council and the Medical Association… the current head of the Medical Association is… um…"

Neil was groaning as question after question came from him, never once asked about them to Claudia.

Unexpectedly, Claudia opened her mouth.

"..you're not going to ask?"

"Huh?"

"I am the daughter of Marquis Highon… The Knowledgeable Family. I have enough knowledge to answer most of your questions."

In fact, Claudia has all the answers to the questions that Neil had mentioned.

However, Neil showed a slight sign of thinking and then shook his head firmly.

"No, I will look it up when I get home. ‘If you don't know something, you should look it up yourself. If you still can't figure it out, ask someone who can.' that's what my father told me."

"…alright."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry for refusing while you've intended to answer my questions, but…"

Claudia didn't say she would answer his questions. She just said that she knew the answer.

However, this apparently good-natured boy seemed to have interpreted Claudia's statement as one of the good intentions.

"I'm going to do some investigation at home, so if I still don't understand, please do tell me."

Claudia did not confirm or deny. It wasn't that she was being mean. It was because she couldn't decide which was the best response.

If she told him ‘there's no way I would give you my answer,' or something in a cold tone, perhaps that boy will never visit her again. And she felt like she would regret it later.

Opened the door without a word, Claudia was walking straight down the well-marked path.

"…we've arrived in our garden."

"Wow, there's a lot of medical herbs."

Marquis Highon family has half of his garden planted with ornamental flowers and half with medicinal herbs. While the latter was grown by her father as a way to put into practice his book knowledge on medicinal herbs. Her father was a man who believed that this kind of knowledge was only valuable if it was put into practice.

Marquis Highon has air that man of a taciturn knowledgeable man, but he was surprisingly a man of action.

"Look at this, Miss Claudia. This herb, it's the kind that helps with cut wounds!"

"…how could I possibly not know?"

"Well, you're right."

Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, Neil crouched down on the spot and reached for a weed growing outside the flower bed.

"Then do you what is this?"

"…it's weeds."

She could even tell him its scientific name if he wanted. Along with its habitats, too.

In front of the thinking Claudia, Neil plucked a weed and snapped both its edges, put it in his mouth then blew on it.

*whistle* A high-pitched sounded.

"If you cut this grass here and squeeze this area, you can make whistles. Our shepherds often do this."

"…I've never heard about it before."

As Claudia spoke quietly, Neil giggled and blew his grass flute happily.

The sound was high, clear, and pleasant.

＊ ＊ ＊

As soon as Baron Maywood and his son went out to return to their home, Claudia immediately made an announcement to her father.

"Father, I would like to marry Neil."

Claudia said this with her usual gloomy air, but Marquis Highon neither surprised nor scolded her, simply stared at her in silence.

After staring at each other in silence for a while, Marquis Highon slowly opened his mouth.

"Neil is the eldest son who will inherit the Maywood family, so I can't make him come to our house as my son-in-law."

Claudia thought her father would continue with his denial thereafter, but when he playing with his mustache, he blurted out.

"I guess I would have to adopt a son to take over the family."

Claudia's mother died soon after giving birth to Claudia, and her father never took a second wife, so at this point, Claudia was the only person in the direct line of the Marquis Highon family.

Certainly, if he adopted the son who would succeed the Marquis Highon family, Claudia would be able to marry Neil off without any problems. However, she knew her father wished to have come into his house as his son-in-law.

"So you do not disagree with it…"

"I know you'll come to love him.."

The words that her father said as he tried to hold his tongue were filled with a strange sense of reality. Indeed, both father and daughter have a weakness for the Baron Maywood family.

Marquis Highon did not mention the fact that the blood of the direct lineage of the Knowledgeable Family would be cut off. He also knew that blood does not leave knowledge, but memory does.

"Now, I should make some arrangements for an adoption… I'd like him to be a person who's desire to improve oneself, even if he's from a distant family."

After saying this, Marquis Highon took out one document after another from his writing desk.

Claudia, the daughter, wanted to marry him the next day after the meeting, and her father, who heard her daughter yearning for that marriage of a sudden, immediately started preparing documents for adoption and engagement.

Like the father like the daughter, their quick decisions were so similar.