Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 142

“Do you often help your father with his work, Mayer?”

“I try my best. My father says that if I frequently observe the work of the Duchy, I can understand what’s important when I study.”

“Aah, that makes sense.”

To Claire, it seemed too young an age, but in a world where one must find their own way to make a living by the age of fifteen, it wasn’t entirely wrong. The craftsmen in her factories also brought their young children to teach them the work.

‘It’s like an apprenticeship for nobles too.’

Since Delford had hardly any nobles, she hadn’t thought about it before.

“This is the office. Please make yourself comfortable, and I will prepare some tea for you shortly, Baron.”

“Thank you. Um, but Mayer, you’re calling me ‘Baron’?”

She asked, slightly puzzled.

In Klausener, she was known as the Duchess. Everyone called her that, and Claire had naturally accepted it.

Considering that the title of Duchess is higher than that of Baron, calling her ‘Baron’ could even feel like a demotion.

In Delford, or unless the term ‘Baron’ was being used almost as a stand-in for ‘boss’ by people associated with the Weaving Guild, it was unlikely that many would address her as Baron Delford now.

So, Walter’s son calling her ‘Baron’ could mean that there are those among Klausener’s nobility who oppose this marriage.

But Mayer looked embarrassed and unsure of himself.

“I thought you would appreciate being addressed that way.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. People from Arren all hold you in high regard, Baron.”

Claire looked at Mayer with interest.

“Who says that?”

“Um, yes, well.”

Mayer stumbled, flustered.

“I’ve heard it from the miners from Arren. If I’ve made any mistake, please forgive me, Duchess.”

“No. Mayer looks young, and I was just curious because it seemed unlikely you’d have met someone from Arren. So, there are many miners from Arren?”

“Yes. About one in three is from Aren.”

“I see. It has come to that already.”

Mayer didn’t understand the meaning of her words, but Claire did not elaborate and instead became lost in thought.

Erich entered the office about two hours later. Claire, who had been sitting on the sofa sipping tea and reading documents, looked up at him as he brought in a cloud of dust and the smell of ashes.

“How did it go?”

“We found two of the three people who were missing from the roll call. They had gone into the city. We’re still looking for the last one.”

“That’s somewhat a relief.”

“I’ll leave the rest to the site manager. Honestly, there’s not much I can directly do.”

“If you hadn’t come, the situation wouldn’t have been resolved this quickly. It would have taken more time to cooperate with the mayor of Kolberg.”

Walter, who followed in, bowed his head. Erich responded expressionlessly.

“It’s what I’m supposed to do. Instead of greeting me, make sure such incidents don’t happen again.”

“Yes.”

That statement implied that he wouldn’t specifically hold anyone responsible, so Walter expressed his gratitude with a deep bow.

Erich nodded, indicating Walter could leave. Walter now had to investigate the issue of explosives smuggling.

There wasn’t much for Erich to do until reports from the workers came in.

He glanced at the document in Claire’s hand.

“What are you looking at?”

“Safety regulations.”

She had picked up the document while waiting, as she couldn’t just take any document from someone else’s office, and it seemed like something to pass the time.

According to this manual, handling explosives was the role of a specialized team, and one couldn’t directly handle explosives without a certain level of experience.

Teams moved in groups of three, employing a system of call and response for identification. The team leader personally managed the explosives, recording the date and amount used on returned boxes.

Additionally, a separate bookkeeper recorded each day’s inputs and outputs.

This meant not just anyone could be part of the explosives team. Only individuals with verified identities could join, gain experience, and then be deployed in skilled tasks.

Claire was surprised. This approach was modern beyond what could be imagined for their time.

It was not just a codification of rules internally maintained by experienced miners.

Safety regulations couldn’t be perfected overnight by a single person. It’s impossible to anticipate every scenario and its solution purely through imagination.

Thus, they are established through a cycle of responding to incidents as they occur and making improvements.

Everyone except Claire, that is.

She didn’t discuss it because of any specialized knowledge. However, basic safety rules and disaster response plans, which to her were common sense, were often undiscovered in this era.

Claire realized this fact when she attended the academy.

The reason she enrolled in management courses was because they seemed easier to grasp than dancing or horseback riding. However, it led her to the revelation that what she considered common sense was actually modern innovation.

“I didn’t expect such measures to be in place. To me, it was all just theoretical and hypothetical.”

“I never said it was meaningless.”

Erich responded calmly.

“Being experimental doesn’t mean it’s useless. I’ve never thought your views were pointless.”

Claire felt a flush of warmth in her face as she covered her face with her hand. It was only trivial words, but it reminded her that Erich had never once forgotten about her.

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