Chapter 93
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 93 – It Must Be a Great Chemistry!
“I’ve been thinking about you for a while. You’re not really just a bird, are you?”
“S-sorry! No matter how you look at it, I’m a harpy!”
She snorted and spread her wings.
The wings were indeed large when spread out. But to be honest, they’re in the way, so it would be better to close them quickly.
“Good grief, the only thing admirable about you are your wings! Ah?”
“Awawawa… Master! I can’t believe that my wings are admirable… Even if you are suddenly courting me, there are things to be prepared for, right…?”
“(I see. For the harpies, complimenting the wings is courtship?)”
I’ve become somewhat clever. It is a secret that I feel the opportunity to use this knowledge will not come again in the future. Ain thought in his mind.
And the expression and the gesture of the harpy… who does not seem to be satisfied… No, Ememe’s expressions and gestures were interesting.
“Stop twitching, you idiot! ——…Good gracious. I’m sorry, Your Royal Highness.”
“Y-yeah… I don’t mind, so please don’t mind me.”
It was quite interesting in its own way, so he doesn’t feel bad about it.
It would be rude to mention it, so of course, he kept it in mind.
“Let’s leave this fool aside and return to the main issue. If I’m right, this is living armor… isn’t it?”
After a rambling exchange, he finally returned to the main topic.
“Yes. You are right; this is the material of living armor.”
To add to the information, he was an executive in the Demon King’s army. In fact, he was the second-in-command of the Order of Knights.
“I can’t believe you brought such ridiculous material with you. I never thought I would see such a thing in my lifetime.”
Mouton looked at the helmet in the box with a curious expression.
He took a magnifying glass from his pocket and held it to his eyes. It’s like a magnifying glass that watchmakers often wear.
“I see… It looks like there’s a lot going on with the material, but it’s just good manners. I won’t ask you where you got it.”
“…That would be much appreciated.”
A good blacksmith. That’s how Mouton regarded himself.
Ain never thought he could tell what was going on behind the scenes just by looking at the material.
“This is the kind of thing you shouldn’t let out in the open. It’s the kind of thing that rich idiots use for stupid things. A stupid person blinded by greed will also do something stupid. This is the kind of thing that can create that kind of causality.”
“That’s a pretty profound statement.”
“…Well, I’m speaking from experience. There are a lot of smart people out there, but there are also stupid people who can’t use their brains.”
Get rich quick. Pride. The city of Baltic was also a place where many desires were mixed.
The city was known as a place where many adventurers gather to become rich millionaires, and there were many such “idiots” in the city.
The blacksmiths had seen many such people.
“I have to move the magic stone furnace. Therefore, it will cost a ridiculous amount of money to process it, and if it’s alright with you, I’ll take care of it.”
“Well, Mouton-san. What exactly is this magic stone furnace?”
“Oh. There are not many places that have them, but the principle is simple. Using the magic stone as the raw material, you can make a ridiculously hot fire. Without it, it’s impossible to process such materials.”
Yes, it was a simple principle, but at the same time, it was understandable that it required a lot of money.
When he heard something like that, Ain really started to think about it. He was reluctant to pay a lot of money without permission.
When Ain crossed his arms and thought about what to do. Krone, sitting next to him, opens her mouth.
“…Mouton-dono. Excuse me, but how much money is needed?”
“Hmm? Ah… Well, at least five.”
“(Oh, 5 million G? I wonder if we can discuss it then…)”
He thanked Krone for asking on his behalf and found hope that he might be able to make it if it was 5 million. He found such hope.
The magic tools that Majolica made for him the other day cost 5 million each. Considering that, even though it was a weapon for Ain’s personal use, he felt that the conversation would be positive.
“Excuse me. Is this 50 million or 500 million G?”
“You know what I mean, don’t you, Nee-chan? As expected, I wouldn’t say 500 million G. It’s 50 million. As for my technical fee, 20 million is fine, though I’ll have my name engraved on the part that’s not visible.”
Oh, this was over.
As you could imagine, 50 million was a lot to ask for.
“Ara. I see you’re willing to give a little extra for the technical fee.”
“It’s all about the material. I’m a dreamer too. It’s a huge service with an 80% discount, you idiot.”
“That’s very kind of you. Then we’ll gladly accept 70 million G’s.”
“Oh, okay. Then let’s decide what size you want it to be… Hey, Your Highness the Crown Prince, what are you doing?”
Ain wanted to say that he was surprised, of course.
The conversation between Krone and Mouton was so smooth that it was impossible to interrupt it.
“W-wait, Krone! That’s a lot of money! Why did you do it on your own…?”
“Yes, a lot of money. What about it?”
“What about it, you say? …If I decide to do something like that without permission, I’ll get in trouble…”
What was she talking about?
To put a line in Krone’s face, there was no more appropriate word than this.
“I know the budget that Ain can spend. So it’s no problem, understood?”
“Wait, I didn’t hear that. I didn’t hear that I have such a budget!”
“Ku… kukuku…”
An uncontrollable laugh could be heard from Lloyd standing behind them.
The exchange between Ain and Krone was so funny that he couldn’t help but let it out.
“Do you want two? …Besides, you need to calm down a bit, okay?”
For Ain, who seemed to be in a hurry, Krone began to explain in an “inevitable” way.
“First of all, there is no way that the Crown Prince doesn’t have a budget. Besides, Ain is a little too frugal, and you have to be careful where you spend your money.”
It was a little surprising that a little lecture would start here.
Ememe, who had already come to her senses, looked in with interest.
“And one more thing. Didn’t you defeat the sea dragons? Almost all of them are Ain’s achievements. A small percentage of it goes to Ain’s budget. So there’s quite a bit of leeway… Do you understand?”
“I understand the first part, okay? But I’ve never heard about the last part, about the sea dragon’s budget being allocated to me.”
“It’s been allocated since the month after you defeated the sea dragons. Haven’t you heard about it until now?”
He thought back. But, of course, he had no such memory.
After all, he had certainly not been told about the budget.
“I haven’t heard about it. After all, no one told me!”
“Well, it’s a good thing you asked now. The national budget for two sea dragons is the equivalent of 29 years. So, for one dragon, it is 14.5 years. Therefore, you can rest assured that the price of this sword is safe.”
How much financial power did it have compared to the August Trading Company? He wanted to ask Krone that, but he was starting to get scared, so he refrained.
“Well, the public won’t feel bad if Your Royal Highness spends frugally, but please spend where you can, or the money won’t come back to the country.”
“It was a good lesson for me.”
I’m not asking you to waste money, but please spend it where you can.
Mouton was in the business of blacksmithing. This was a natural opinion of such a man.
“So, do you agree with the payment?”
“I apologize. The payment is not a problem, so we will order the production.”
In other words, Krone wanted Ain to have his own equipment as soon as possible.
This was the consensus of the important people in the castle, including Sylvird, Warren, and the others.
Crown Prince Ain did not even have his own weapon. It was just not cool for him not to have one.
Some even thought it was too late.
“Mouton-dono. I’m sorry, but we want to use the material of the sea dragon for the hilt and other parts. Is that okay with you?” Lloyd said.
“Well, well… from my point of view, I don’t know if it’s right for me to accept such a job. But if you want to make the best sword, I think it’s the best thing to do.”
“Please do it. The materials will be selected in the royal capital and then delivered to you. Is that acceptable?”
“Hmm… how would that work? I’m not saying that I don’t trust the people in the royal capital, but I prefer to believe what I see with my own eyes. That’s why I want to make my own selection…”
The distance from the Baltic to the royal capital was quite long.
It was not a distance that can be easily traveled back and forth, but what could be done about it?
“Master! I have a good idea!”
“…What about you? Tell me what you came up with with your bird brain.”
“You said “bird” again! My goodness! It’s a really good idea, you know!”
The bird… no, the harpy, Ememe.
She put on a cheerful expression and began to shake Mouton’s shoulder.
“I have a question for Master! How many clients have you had in the last two years?”
“Gahaha! That’s easy, you fool!”
Without knowing what was so funny, Mouton burst out laughing and patted Ememe on the head. Ememe seemed to enjoy it.
“Then let’s start all over again! All together now!”
“”Zero clients!””
Personally, they didn’t seem to be a good match.
But they were bound together by a chemistry that could not be better.
Watching them interact made Ain think so.
——But zero people was a number you can’t seem to leave alone.
It makes him wonder how they lived.
“So, let’s open a branch in the royal capital for a while!”
“What the hell are you talking about? You fool…”
Mouton also seemed to be negative. Anyway, even though there are zero customers, Ememe expressed an opinion that was not very realistic.
What about the facilities? And what about the cost of living? Considering all that, it was not a recommended way to go.
“Even though you’re a bird, you have a good point, you stupid idiot! It’s cold here! I’d rather stay somewhere warm!”
“That’s right, Master! I mean, it’s so cold in the Baltic that I don’t understand what’s going on!”
“If you think about it, the customer three years ago was just taking shelter from the weather, right? Oh, hahahahaha!”
“(There have been no customers for three years, right?)”
Ain wondered how they really made a living.
He charged a high technical fee. He must have saved some money… Surely.
“So that’s it, Glacier. I’ll go to the royal capital when I’m ready so I can make the selection, right?”
“Y-yeah. Of course, that’s fine…”
To describe it in one word was ‘vigor.’
That’s what this exchange between the blacksmith and his disciple was all about. As expected, even Lloyd seemed to be overwhelmed by this momentum.
As a final confirmation, Ain asked again what he meant.
“Um… Mouton-san? Does that mean you’re going to make me a sword in the royal capital?”
“Oh, yes. It’s cold here, isn’t it? Warmer food is better for your body. Right, Ememe?”
“As expected of you, Master! That’s right!” (Bird again.) T/n: It’s because she said sono tori, which means “that’s right,” and tori means bird/chicken, etc,
Ain does not mention the bird that had become a comedian but stared at Mouton.
“Isn’t that magic stone furnace expensive…?”
“I’ll just take it apart and put it back together again! That’s no problem for me!”
“Oh… yes. Okay, I’ll leave it up to you then…”
Seeing that Ain had given up, Krone was in no mood to point out anything.
When they came to make a sword, they got an immigrant. Should they be happy that they could invite a talented blacksmith?
“Well, speaking of wishes. I would like to have an advanced magic stone circulator, but that’s not too much to ask for. I would have to go to Ist for that…”
Even when asked the name of such equipment, Ain had no idea what it was.
Katima would have no problem with any of these topics…
“If you need it, don’t worry. The first princess had that equipment…”
Krone seemed to remember and told Mouton.
There really were a lot of things there. Ain decided to explore the place again, this time with the intention of vandalizing half of it.
“Oh, come on, really? If that’s true, it’s going to be more than just a store… Hey, Ememe! We’re going to start packing today! Let’s hurry up and get ready to go to the royal capital!”
“All right! Okay, Master!”
“Well, I’m sorry, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Let’s discuss the details in the royal capital. In the capital, we can take our time and make whatever Your Royal Highness wants!”
“Ah, yes… Well then, Krone. I don’t know what’s going on anymore, but I shall write a letter for Mouton-san to come to the castle.”
He didn’t know what’s going on anymore, but Mouton was going to make a sword for Ain in the royal capital. He felt that there was no mistake.
Although he didn’t want to throw everything away, he decided to leave it up to Krone to decide what to do.
“…Mouton-dono. This is a letter of introduction from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Please take it with you so that you can enter the castle.”
She quickly wrote it down and handed it over in the form of a letter of introduction from Ain.
Thank you for working so quickly. Ain thanked her in his heart.
“Oh, I’m sorry! Then let’s meet next time in the royal capital! I’ll make a masterpiece for you; just wait for it!”
＊＊＊
When the door opened, a cool air enveloped Ain and the others.
The excitement that seemed to be burning was cooled by the cool air.
“It seems to have been quite lively, but have you finished your conversation?”
Dill, who had been waiting for them, noticed Ain and the others and spoke to them. The blizzard had not yet resumed, so he did not seem to feel the cold either.
“I’m not really sure, but… It’s over.”
“…..? T-That’s good to know. By the way, what kind of person was Mouton-dono?”
It would take a lot of energy to explain.
Hmm…. thinking, Lloyd opened his mouth instead of Ain.
“Dill,. You are often with Ain-sama, and Katima-sama has been good to you, hasn’t she?”
“Y-yes, Katima-sama is very kind to me too… Is something wrong?”
“No, what is it? You’ve been wondering what kind of person Mouton-dono is. So I thought I would tell you.”
“I see, so that’s what this is about. But why did you ask me about Katima-sama?”
The only one who agreed was Krone.
Ain, like Dill, wondered what Lloyd would say.
“Ain-sama and Katima-sama when they started their research. They might be similar. I had a feeling of déjà vu talking to Mouton-sama’s disciple.”
“Hey… Lloyd-san!”
“Fu, fufu…”
Krone put her hand to her mouth and laughed. Dill could only smile.
The wind whistled. It makes the atmosphere even more humorous.
“We don’t look alike! We don’t look alike, Krone! Hey!”
“Fufu… yes, that’s right. I think Ain and Katima-sama are a little more energetic.”
She smiled and replied mischievously.
It looked like she’s having fun, but from Ain’s point of view, it’s not just a matter of fact.
“Then it’s not negative; that’s what I’m saying!”
“Fa-Father… Is it really true that they are like Ain-sama and Katima-sama…”
“It’s confirmed by the assistant. It’s a situation that can’t be denied, apparently.”
He had never looked at it objectively, but he wondered if he and Katima were that lively.
It was a little embarrassing to be made aware of it.
“Besides, next time. Mouton-dono and his disciple Ememe-dono are coming to the royal capital. So Dill will be able to see them as well.”
“Ain-sama. Please, please don’t make too much noise together.”
“I’m not making that much noise! Dill is terrible!”
Anyway, Ain decided to have a sword made.
The mysteriously high budget surprised him. He was surprised by some facts he did not know, but somehow, they managed to come to an agreement.
Dill’s worries were out of the question, and in fact, Lloyd and Krone were looking forward to it.
Mouton and Ememe were coming to the royal capital and could cross paths with Ain and Katima. With that in mind, they couldn’t help but wonder what kind of chemistry they would generate.
——It will certainly be lively. That’s how they thought about the future.