Chapter 41
“You really are my capable aide. Spot on.”
Elliot gaped as he watched the duke grin slyly.
“Do you realize, sir, that we only have enough magic stones left for three more uses?”
“Don’t insult my intelligence. Of course I know that.”
“And you still want to use them to set up a teleportation circle?”
“Since when did I ever give the same order twice? Set up the circle. Now.”
When Duke Lufellen’s expression hardened slightly as he gave the order, Elliot bowed his head at once, no longer daring to argue.
“Understood. I’ll prepare the teleportation circle immediately.”
“I’ll be back before dinner. Make sure everything’s ready by then.”
“Yes, sir.”
Looking utterly flustered, Elliot hurried out of the room.
The duke, in truth, knew full well how absurdly wasteful this was.
Using a teleportation circle consumed a precious magic stone, and those were exceedingly rare. Each country managed its stockpile of them on a yearly basis with the utmost care.
I know perfectly well that these stones are to be used only in absolute emergencies, he thought.
But if this isn’t an emergency, then what is?
Every evening, Gianna cooked seafood just for him. The thought of missing that time with her—wasting it just to visit some dusty library—was unbearable.
The trip there and back took the better part of a day, which meant he could miss not only tonight’s dinner but also tomorrow’s.
Even if it cost ten stones—or a hundred—Lufellen would gladly pay.
After all, this was the price of spending an evening with his “mermaid.”
And to him, that was worth every coin. The Lufellen fortune existed for such moments.
“The teleportation circle is ready!”
At Elliot’s report, the duke swiftly stepped outside and into the glowing array bound for the south.
That day, I persuaded the Tower Master to join me in launching a fan business.
On the condition that all those weird features—like fragrance capsules and cold-water dispensers—would be scrapped. They only drove up production costs unnecessarily.
The Tower Master didn’t look particularly thrilled, but in the end, he agreed to my plan.
“All right,” I said. “And here’s another sure-fire hit after the fan business.”
I pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it in front of Arinesse and the Tower Master.
“This one’s called a dehumidifier.”
“A dehumidifier?” the Tower Master repeated. “And what does it do?”
“It removes humidity from the air. You know how the Tiaan Kingdom is an island nation? The dampness is terrible here—laundry dries slowly, and everything rusts or molds easily.”
“Oh, that’s true. Even our metal research tools and magic devices corrode too quickly.”
“The Tower’s right next to a lake, so it must be even worse. Anyway, just build this exactly according to the blueprint. Once you turn it on, you’ll experience a whole new world.”
People who’ve never lived on an island will never understand—
The relentless summer humidity hovering above 80%, the suffocating damp that never drops below 50% even in winter!
Clothes, walls, furniture—everything grows mold. Appliances die before their time. It’s the eternal misery of island life.
After a brief pause, I added,
“Please, don’t add any strange features. If you’re unsure about something during development, just ask Princess Arinesse, all right?”
Even though Arinesse wasn’t from an island, she at least understood the value of a dehumidifier. I was sure she could explain it properly.
“Arinesse, that means you too—don’t go sticking weird functions on it. Just dehumidify. Got it?”
“Relax! The fan turned out fine, didn’t it?”
Hmm… somehow, that didn’t sound reassuring.
I should really stay here and help with development, I thought,
but I’m leaving the Tiaan Kingdom soon—and honestly, I don’t feel like working side by side with the Tower Master.
Besides, Arinesse and the Tower Master made a far better pair anyway.
“Oh, and Tower Master,” I said, as if remembering something,
“I can take this with me, right?”
I’d rummaged through Arinesse’s wardrobe and pulled out the crystal orb he’d once given her—a communication crystal.
In the original story, it had been his “confession gift.”
“Hey, why are you taking that?” Arinesse demanded.
“Hero, that’s a unique item! Only one pair exists in the whole world!” the Tower Master protested.
“But you’re staying in the Tiaan Kingdom, and I’m leaving in a few days.”
Smiling, I slipped the crystal neatly into my bag.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m heading home—to the Asteria Empire.”
“What a shame,” the Tower Master sighed. “I haven’t even had a chance to properly study your powers yet.”
He really did look disappointed. Once he got fixated on something, he obsessed over it endlessly. Until now, he’d been too busy perfecting the fan to dig into my origins.
“Well, I have a homeland too,” I said. “But don’t worry—I’ll keep researching my powers on my own. If I discover anything new, I’ll let you know through Arinesse.”
I winked at her before adding,
“So make sure to give her the other crystal, all right?”
“Hero, this feels suspiciously like robbery,” he muttered.
“Hey, I caught that goblin loitering around your tower, didn’t I? Think of it as payment for services rendered.”
The Tower Master groaned, unable to refute me, and I grinned.
“Since we’ll be manufacturing and selling the fans and dehumidifiers, I’ll need to stay in touch. You won’t mind if I call you often for video chats, right?”
“…I’d prefer to focus on research,” he said dryly.
“Exactly. So I’ll keep this one.”
“Then how am I supposed to contact the princess?”
“Go to the palace in person. Get some sunlight, build a little leg muscle. You’ve been cooped up in that tower so long your face is pale. You’re probably short on vitamin D and sleep.”
The Tower Master clamped his mouth shut, clearly struck speechless by the accuracy of my diagnosis.
“Anyway, once we start selling the fan and dehumidifier as a combo, the Tower’s research budget will skyrocket. Trust me—we’ve got this! Let’s go, team!”
With a look that was half pleased and half pained, the Tower Master trudged back to his laboratory.
That evening.
Back at the inn, I prepared fresh salmon from the market, filleted it neatly, and topped it with my own special onion sauce.
When I brought the plate into the dining room, Duke Lufellen looked unusually weary. His complexion was pale.
Weird… he looks like someone who just returned from a long trip.
Setting the plate down before him, I asked lightly,
“Here’s tonight’s seafood dish! But you look exhausted. Did you go somewhere far today?”
“My mermaid never misses a thing,” he said, admiring the salmon sashimi before him. Then, with a faintly bitter smile, he added,
“I went searching for clues about the dragon that killed my parents. But it was no use. I traveled far and found nothing.”
So that’s what it was—he’d been digging into the dragon incident again. Of course. He couldn’t simply abandon his quest for revenge.
Even as the author of this world, I no longer knew the dragon’s backstory; I’d altered the plot far too much.
Well, I thought, he has his revenge to chase, and I have my own life to figure out.
He looked disheartened, but there was nothing I could do for him.
Instead, I smiled and changed the subject.
“Duke, would it be all right if I took on a side job?”
“A side job? All of a sudden?” His eyes widened. “Are you short on money?”
“What? No!”
“Then what is it? Are the gold coins I give you not enough? Do you have debts hidden somewhere? You only need to say the word—”
“Debts?! Come on!”
How could he think I was some kind of debtor?
I pouted but quickly smoothed my expression, remembering I was the one asking for a favor.
“There’s just something I want to try.”
The duke tilted his head curiously.
“As long as you don’t neglect your promise to make me seafood every evening… I suppose it’s fine.
But if you get so busy that you start serving nothing but clam soup again, we’ll have a problem.”
“Oh, come on! That’s harsh. I’ve been cooking all sorts of things lately, haven’t I? Yesterday it was seafood yaki udon, and today—special salmon sashimi with onion sauce!”
“Hmm. True, you’ve been diligent lately, I’ll give you that…”
He paused, then asked,
“So, what kind of job is it you want to do?”
