Chapter 558 – Phantom Recitation

Training, studying characters, and reproduction experiments with Sealing Techniques. Beyond that, I work on writing the next Spell Formula for Magic Tools while consulting with Alfred.

In the workshop, Viola and Princess Elham are creating Armor for the Demon-Slaying Knight Order, Valentina is making Magic Stones, Old Sigmund and Forset are researching documents and Spell Formulas, and various other tasks are being carried out in parallel… Well, I feel like I’ve mostly finished the work I needed to do in the workshop today.

After this, I plan to spend some time reading Sorcery books related to fermentation while keeping an eye on Lasnote’s pronunciation practice and training.

I spend time reading books beside Lasnote as she practices writing and vocal exercises.

“Is that a new Sorcery book?”

“Yeah. I was looking into Spell Formulas related to fermentation.”

I nod in response to Rosemary’s words.

The book says that managing temperature and humidity is most important for encouraging the activity of specific molds. In short, the Spell Formula speeds up fermentation, but the process itself isn’t carried out by Magic; rather, it uses Magic to assist the mold’s activity, thereby accelerating the fermentation rate.

It also includes discussions on the relationship between fermentation and mold activity, what specifically happens during the process, experiments based on those ideas, and other research-related matters. Even for me, this is interesting content to read.

Activating targeted fungi while slowing down the activity of others… It also mentions that the leading researcher originally was a Healing Magic practitioner.

Decay and fermentation are two sides of the same coin. Indeed, this could be a field applicable to Healing Magic and its reverse aspects as well.

“Maybe tomorrow I’ll go to the Labyrinth or the Market to look for Materials for fermentation experiments.”

“Since the full moon is approaching, it might be better to go sooner.”

Grace nods. Yeah. Tomorrow’s plans are set. Even if they aren’t available at the Market, the Floor where Cannon Beans appear isn’t very deep, so it should be relatively easy to go and come back.

Well… With my plans decided and everyone’s training at a lull, it seems like a good time to relax. Everyone appears to be unwinding while drinking tea.

Even for Lasnote, studying with just vocal exercises and writing practice must be boring. An environment where she can learn while having fun is important. I need to clearly show her what she can do once she learns to read.

“Lasnote, do you have a moment?”

“Yeah.”

When I call out to her, Lasnote stops what she’s doing.

“I borrowed various other books too. I’m going to read them, so could you listen to the content?”

Lasnote nods firmly.

Good. Then, let’s begin the read-aloud. Learning through something like this is a quick way to pick up vocabulary and such.

But just reading alone feels a bit plain… so I borrow a Lantern from Marlene.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

The book I borrowed is one that was also in my family’s study. It’s a book I read when I was much younger.

I chose it because the content is harmless and easy to visualize… Well, I hope it goes well.

Hmm… I’ll start with the castaway story. The setting is the sea and a deserted island, which might be easy for Lasnote to understand. I open the book, hold the Lantern in one hand—and begin reading the book’s content aloud.

In sync with the reading, the Lantern’s power projects the scenes around us. Subtitles accompany the reading. Since I’m holding and reading the book, it has to be this way for her to study the characters.

The rough sea and crashing waves, a man clinging to a barrel as he drifts. He was a sailor, but one day, caught in a storm, he was thrown from the deck into the sea.

The man struggles, holding onto the barrel. His cries for help from his comrades are swallowed by the storm, and the ship disappears into the distance across the stormy sea.

Lasnote seems to be watching the scene with bated breath. Yeah. That’s a pretty gripping start. Looking around, Grace and the others, the Spirit Kings, Michelle, Rovisa, and the rest are also focused on the phantom images. Hmm. Maybe it’s more popular than I expected.

The book’s content—it depicts the sailor washing ashore on a deserted island and his struggles as he survives through various hardships.

The situational descriptions are detailed yet easy to understand, and practical knowledge useful for real survival is sprinkled throughout, so I quite like this kind of content myself.

The story progresses and the scene changes. The sailor wakes up, still clutching the barrel, washed up on an unfamiliar sandy beach. The sky is clear. The storm seems like a lie. Seeing this, Lasnote’s expression relaxes with relief.

But the real story begins here. After all, he has no water, no food, no shelter. His only possession is a knife hanging from his waist. How the man survives from here is the interesting part of the story.

Hmm. It seems like she’s enjoying it, so I’ll proceed by taking breaks at good stopping points and having Lasnote ask about any parts she didn’t understand.

Irmhild seems to have caught on to my intentions and is adding ambiance with BGM. Nice. It’s getting quite lively.

And then—the sailor sends up a smoke signal. He’s successfully spotted by a passing ship and escapes the island.

The Merchant who picked him up greatly admired the man’s wisdom and determination and helped him find work. Later, he allowed the sailor to marry his daughter, and the sailor lived happily ever after… Well, including the happy ending, it was just the right material to share with Lasnote.

I finish reading the castaway story to its conclusion and close the book. At the same time, the wedding scene projected by the Lantern fades and disappears.

As soon as it ends, everyone breaks into loud applause. During the story, Princess Stephania and the others had come to visit the workshop and joined in watching the castaway tale… Yeah. Probably it was a subject that suited Princess Stephania and Princess Adriana’s tastes.

“Thank you, Marlene.”

I return the Lantern, and Marlene holds it with a beaming smile. It seems Marlene enjoyed it too. As for Lasnote…

“It was really, really interesting.”

Her eyes are sparkling.

“Once you can read, you can enjoy all sorts of things like this.”

Lasnote nods repeatedly, looking a bit excited.

I’d say my plan was a Great Success. If it further motivates her to study language and characters, then it’s just as I intended.

“In that case… how about we do read-alouds with various stories, including the children from the Labyrinth Village and the Orphanage?”

“Mm. That sounds good.”

When Claudia says this, Sheila nods too. Ah, that’s true.

“That might be nice. It could help them learn to read faster too. Of course, we’d need to check the content beforehand.”

“This story was thrilling and made me nervous, but it wasn’t scary.”

Ashley seems to have guessed what I meant and nods. Yeah, it was a story about overcoming difficulties with wisdom, ingenuity, and trial and error, so understanding the content in advance is important.

“I’ve read this story before too, but seeing the scenery along with it made it enjoyable.”

Grace smiles.

Having visuals was probably relatively fresh. Not only Sion, Marceska, and Sigritta, but Old Sigmund and the others seemed to have enjoyed it as well.

“That was lovely. It’s a story I’ve liked since I was a child.”

“Yes, it was in the Castle’s library too.”

I’m glad Princess Stephania and Princess Adriana enjoyed it… As expected, it suited their tastes. The Spirit Kings are also happily chatting about the earlier story.

Well… If it’s this well-received, it seems like a good idea to continue with phantom-accompanied readings for a second and third round. Maybe I’ll do it occasionally, including the children from the Labyrinth Village and the Orphanage.