Survival Strategies of a Struggling Aristocrat

The next morning, when Dennis woke up, he could hear the sound of rain. It seemed like it was raining today.

“It’s raining. Maybe I should cancel my plan to go to the labyrinth today.”

Dennis didn’t feel like walking from the labyrinth to the town with a heavy backpack in the downpour. Besides, he needed some rest. He changed his clothes, washed his face, and headed to the dining room.

Surprisingly, Egmont was already seated at the table.

“Good morning, Father.”

Egmont nodded curtly.

“Dennis, it seems like you’re planning to go to the labyrinth. Are you intending to become an explorer?” 

In this world, there was a profession called labyrinth explorer, who delved into the labyrinth to collect valuable items. There was a guild dedicated to this profession, with headquarters in the capital city and branches in major towns.

“I have no intention of doing that,” Dennis replied.

“Hmm, so you’re after a “mana” (true name)? Are you planning to learn the mana art?” Egmont inquired.

“Yes, that’s right. I want to acquire some skills so I could grow independent,” Dennis said.

Egmont nodded in agreement.

“That’s a good mindset. If only the fire nine years ago hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have had to endure such hardships,”

“Father… It can’t be helped. By the way, how is Mother? Is she doing well?” Dennis inquired.

Dennis’s mother, Elise, had gone to her family’s home in Clif with her youngest daughter, Margarete. Elise’s father had fallen seriously ill, and she had gone to take care of him.

Clif was a central city located north of Beneschof, governed by Marquis Clifbard. Its main industries were cotton cultivation, spinning and weaving, and livestock farming.

“She’s doing fine. However, it seems that my father-in-law, Lord Jerg, is in critical condition,” Egmont replied.

Jerg had served as the deputy commander of Marquis Clifbard’s Knights and was highly regarded even when he retired due to poor health.

Amelia’s face showed signs of longing. It was likely because she hadn’t seen her mother, Elise, for quite some time.

“I wonder if Margot is doing well,” 

Margarete was affectionately nicknamed Margot. Since they used to play together when they were at home, Dennis worried that Margot might be feeling lonely about now.

“Margot is doing well too,” 

Egmont informed them, having received a letter from Elise that provided updates on their situation.

After they finished breakfast, Dennis was invited by Amelia to go to the church.

“They’re organizing a soup kitchen at the church. The Sister is looking for volunteers,” she explained.

The Azrul Church was a religious organization that worshipped Saint Azrul, known as the Child of God. When Amelia referred to Sister, she was most likely talking about Sister Claudia, one of the nuns.

“A soup kitchen, huh? But it’s raining,” Dennis remarked.

“Even if it’s raining, people still get hungry,” 

Dennis nodded in understanding at Amelia’s words.

Together, Dennis and Amelia made their way to the church. Dennis held a large umbrella as they walked side by side. After about ten minutes of walking, they reached the church—an impressive building with a triangular roof and white-painted walls.

“Oh my, Sir Dennis, you’ve come as well?” 

Sister Claudia greeted them warmly. She appeared to be in her thirties, wearing a slightly worn-out habit.

“Good morning. I heard you’re organizing a soup kitchen. Here, please take this,” 

Dennis handed her a large silver coin, the money he had earned from selling tin the previous day.

“Oh, thank you very much. May Azrul’s blessings be upon you,” 

Amelia watched all of this with delight.

The cooking area was set up under a tent in front of the church. Many local housewives had come to lend a hand. They were busy preparing the ingredients while Sister Claudia took care of the pot.

Amelia began transporting wooden dishes, and Dennis took charge of tending to the fire. Even before the food was ready, people in tattered clothes started gathering.

The soup being served was made with fish donated by local fishermen and leftover vegetables. While there were many small fish, there was an abundance of them in the soup.

When two sisters began distributing the food, a crowd swiftly gathered.

“Form a line, everyone. No pushing, especially the little ones,” 

Among the people partaking in the meal, there were children around Amelia’s age as well.

“Young lady Amelia!” “Amelia!”

A redhead and a blonde girl approached Amelia, calling out to her.

“So, you two came. Was it delicious?” Amelia asked

The redhead girl went by the name of Finne, while the blonde girl was apparently called Jasmine. It seemed that their parents had lost their home and orchard in a fire nine years ago, and they still appeared to be struggling.

“Yeah, it was really tasty.” “It was delicious.”

Both of them looked slightly undernourished but answered joyfully. Amelia introduced Finne and Jasmine to Dennis.

“I am Dennis, the second son of the Briones family. Nice to meet you,” 

When Dennis greeted them, Finne and Jasmine seemed a bit bashful, but they returned the greeting with sincerity.

“Is Sir Dennis assisting Lord Egmont?” Jasmine inquired.

 With a wry smile, Dennis replied, 

“No, the responsibilities of the lordship are to be inherited by my older brother, Gerald. So, I have been given the freedom to pursue my own endeavors.”

Curiously, Finne then asked in a boyish tone, 

“What are you currently doing?”

“I’ve been venturing into the Rock Mountain Labyrinth, mining zinc and tin,” Dennis replied.

Finne and Jasmine exchanged surprised expressions. 

“But aren’t there monsters in the labyrinth? Isn’t it dangerous?” 

“One of the purposes of exploring the labyrinth is to defeat the monsters and obtain true names (mana).”

Dennis explained, answering Finne’s question and providing insight into what the labyrinth was like.

Jasmine hesitated for a moment, then raised her voice, “What exactly are True Names?”

“They are said to be the true names of beings, principles, or phenomena. Once you acquire a True Name, you gain the ability to utilize Mana Art (True Name Art),” Dennis explained.

The three, including Amelia, expressed their curiosity about Mana Art, so Dennis proceeded to explain.

“Wow, Mana Art is amazing,” 

It seemed that even Amelia was impressed. On the other hand, Finne’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she made a request.

“Hey, Sir Dennis. Since you can use Mana Art, can you show it to us?”

Caught off guard, Dennis, who possessed only a single “True Name” and had limited proficiency in Mana Art, grew flustered.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Let me show you something simple.”

The three girls gazed at Dennis with anticipation, their eyes gleaming with excitement. Dennis focused his mind, gathering magic essence, and enveloped a small pebble lying on the ground. Slowly, the pebble began to levitate, rising to the height of his eyes.

“Wow!” “That’s amazing!” “Incredible!”

While this might have been mistaken for a magic trick in Japan, the demonstration impressed the girls, who expressed their admiration.

After finishing the cleanup following the meal distribution, Amelia and Dennis returned to the mansion. Dennis spent the rest of the day engaging in training to control magic essence, and as the day drew to a close, he wrapped up his practice.

The next day, with the rain having subsided, Dennis ventured into the labyrinth. Progressing through the first floor, he defeated slimes along his path and proceeded to descend to the second floor. There, he confronted poisonous bats and continued his journey towards the mining area, successfully extracting approximately ten kilograms of tin before returning.

The sun was positioned directly overhead, indicating that it was around noon. Dennis took a moment to rest, savoring a loaf of rye bread, and subsequently buried the mined tin near the entrance.

Dennis had made the decision to accumulate the tin for the time being, since the completion of the wheelbarrow was scheduled for the following day. His plan entailed transporting the tin to the town once the wheelbarrow was finished.

On that day, Dennis made three round trips. It was during the final journey, after defeating a poisonous bat, that a “True Name” flashed into his mind.

“Great! I’ve obtained my second “True Name”.”

The True Name that emerged in Dennis’s mind was called “Ultrasonic Wave”. Thanks to his knowledge of the other world, he had a basic understanding of the term “ultrasonic waves”. Otherwise, he might not have fully grasped the concept of the True Name “Ultrasonic Wave”.

“But it’s a True Name that I’m not sure how to utilize,”

When thinking of ultrasonic waves, associations like “ultrasonic cleaning,” “ultrasonic cutter” or “fish finder” came to mind. He considered the possibility of using ultrasonic waves for cleaning, but he vaguely recalled hearing that they were ineffective on fabrics.

He also entertained the idea of using ultrasonic waves as a weapon, like an ultrasonic cutter. However, he knew that actual ultrasonic cutters required pressing against the object and making precise cuts rather than swiftly slicing through prey.

Lastly, the “fish finder” function of ultrasonic waves seemed like a potential application for fishing. It held value as a subject for further research.

After making three round trips, Dennis mined thirty kilograms of tin. However, he could only bring back ten kilograms today, so he shouldered that portion and began his journey back.

Upon arriving in town, Dennis sold the tin at a general store.

“Do you have more tin today? I’ll buy as much as you have,” Kasper said.

Doubts arose in Dennis’s mind at Kasper’s words. The demand in this town and its surrounding areas shouldn’t be that high. Seeking confirmation, Dennis questioned Kasper, who responded with a smile.

“We will transport it to Clif in the north and Darius to the east and sell it there.”

Clif was a city where Dennis’s mother, Elise, resided, while Darius was a large city near the capital. Considering the active exchange with the capital, there was likely a high demand for metal products.

“Well, even though they said they’d buy as much as we have, there’s a limit to the amount of metal that can be mined in the labyrinth.”

Dennis frowned at Kasper’s words.

It was known that the mineral deposits in the labyrinth were small in scale and would quickly be depleted. However, in return, the deposits would regenerate over time.

“Hey, do you know how long it takes for the mineral deposits in the labyrinth to regenerate?” Dennis asked.

“From what I’ve heard, it takes several months to a year,” 

Hearing those words, Dennis felt disappointed.

From the next day onwards, Dennis continued his exploration of the second floor of the labyrinth and the task of mining tin from the mineral deposits.