Chapter 5 - I Received an Unexpected Boast
I Received an Unexpected Boast
Translator : Elizabeth
Chapter 5
“Hum, hum-hum~!”
Lately, Goldie’s daily life has been in the highest of spirits.
It was because her status within the mansion had changed. To be precise, it was because of the young master she served, Archion.
“Oh, Goldie. Good morning. Have you thanked the Young Master properly?”
“Hehe, yes! When I passed along your thanks, he pretended to be indifferent, but his ears turned bright red!”
During the recent mansion improvement project, Archion had installed ceiling fans in every single room, including the servants' lounge and quarters. Thanks to that, the midsummer nights for the servants had become incredibly pleasant.
“Thanks to Young Master Archion, it’s actually become comfortable to look at magic books at night lately.”
“It’s all thanks to the incandescent bulbs the Young Master made. But with these 'ceiling fans' keeping us cool... the nights have become so refreshing!”
“Make sure you serve our Young Master well. Here, have this and keep your strength up!”
“Ooh-waah! Thank you for the snack~!”
Goldie was thoroughly enjoying the "trickle-down effect" of his success.
“Miss Goldie, please have some of this.” “Thank you~!” “Goldie, take this too. Share some with the Young Master.” “Sank you very mush!”
By the time Goldie returned to the workshop, her cheeks significantly plumper from the treats—
Snooooore….
“Again! Again! You’re sleeping slumped over your desk instead of in your bed?!”
She found Archion snoring with his face buried in his desk.
“Gosh, Young Master. I told you to sleep at the proper time! You promised Goldie!”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Now that the motor development and improvement project was over, Archion was focusing on developing products using miniature motors.
“But I was just a little bit away from finishing—"
“And so you were going to sleep in the workshop again?!”
“That’s not a bad idea. If I put in something like a 'Raku-Raku' cot…”
“Hey!!”
To maintain a comfortable life, engineering research was necessary. And for that research, a budget was required. Even though his biological father, Delford, provided full support, he couldn't rely on it forever….
“Seriously, are you going to act so cheeky toward the young master you serve?”
“Goldie can use physical reinforcement magic too. Do you want a 'spanking of love' with that? Perfect, Young Master. Roll up your trouser legs. Fast.”
“Are you my mother? Anyway, I finished it. Look.”
Archion pushed back against the scolding Goldie and revealed the small fan he had been holding in his robe.
“What is this?”
“A hand fan. Precisely, a portable fan.”
A portable fan. A propeller encased in a spiral mesh. A handle perfectly sized for a grip. And at the bottom of the smooth pillar, a recessed loop for a lanyard. It could be stood upright on a flat surface or hung around the waist or neck with a string.
The exterior was made of high-quality wood, coated with waterproof sap that made it glisten. To Goldie, it looked like a metaphysical, high-end accessory.
“You certainly have a knack for making things look beautiful.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult? Anyway, try using it for a few days and let me know what you think.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah. And you keep it, Goldie. If it breaks, bring it back. I’ll fix it for you.”
Young Master Archion was just giving it to her. He was the same way with the initial prototype of the incandescent bulb, telling Goldie to use it. It was his first work and the only finished product at the time, so it must have been precious.
“I can just make another one for myself.”
“Young Master…!”
Of course, Archion was a "tech-slave" from a cold lab, so making another was no issue. Furthermore, in his past life, he had been a product of an all-male middle school, all-male high school, the military, and a combined Master’s/Ph.D. engineering program… he had no idea what Goldie’s reaction truly meant.
Even so, Archion noticed that Goldie’s complaints had melted away instantly.
Anyway, mission accomplished!
“Use it for about fifteen days and tell me the pros and cons. Everything. Got it?”
“Yes! Goldie will write a proper report for you!”
Above all, Goldie was an attendant and a mage. Goldie called herself a novice because she could only do "single-casting," but her insight for analysis and finding solutions was excellent. Naturally, Archion valued her.
“Right, right. Now I’m going to sleep. Out you go.”
“Yes, sir!”
If he asked for a review from a third party like her… she would surely bring back satisfactory results! Archion fell into a nap, happy that there was still room for improvement.
The following afternoon.
“Y-Young Master….”
“Yeah. Why are you calling me?”
“The thing is….”
Seeing Goldie approach hesitatingly, Archion knew instinctively. Goldie always acted like this when she did something wrong. What on earth could she have done to him?
“It’s fine. I won't get mad, so tell me.”
Even if Goldie made a mistake, it was usually something minor; she wasn't a clumsy person by nature. She was a clever maid, often described by elders as "sharp as a tack."
“It was taken?”
But apparently, Goldie had her fan taken away.
“Yes, well, the First Madam….”
The first woman Delford married. The one who was not Archion’s biological mother.
“Madam Lucretia?”
“Yes…….”
Lucretia Enersis. A fire mage known as the "Iron-blooded Lady" of the Marquess of Isolde's family, her maiden home. She had taken Goldie's portable fan.
“And just like that, she left for the capital’s Imperial Palace banquet with the Count….”
“……With that in her hand?”
And she went to the capital with it. Archion was so dumbfounded he asked again, and Goldie repeated it clearly, without missing a single letter.
“Yes. She took it to the capital.”
She forced him to face reality. At that moment, Archion’s mind was filled with only one question.
“I mean, why?”
“Goldie doesn't know either….”
Goldie looked dejected. From her expression, Archion could tell she thought of it as "lost." Seeing her starting to blame herself…
“Sigh. Wait here. I’ll make another one just for you.”
“Ooh-waah?! You don't have to do that because of Goldie! I told you it's fine!”
“Ah, I can't hear you. I’ve got to make another one for Goldie.”
He rolled up his sleeves, determined to make another portable fan.
“Looks like sleep is out of the question tonight!”
He volunteered for overtime for the sake of the grieving Goldie.
A little less than a thousand years ago.
It began with a contract between humanity’s first hero and one of the Primeval Dragons. A contract to join forces and drive out the demons. Together, they purged the demons from the Illiad Continent.
The camaraderie between the two soon blossomed into love, and the half-human, half-dragon born of their union was…
“Praising Phlemma, the first Emperor and first Empress….”
She united half of the Illiad Continent, serving as a holy monarch, a wise ruler, and the mother of all Khalid Imperial citizens, looking after everyone, and so on….
Her lineage was simply legendary. Was it thanks to those genetics? Throughout history, there were many wise Empresses, and those Empresses always held several men under their sway. A history recorded with "double standards" where several men were often manipulated by a single woman. This was the Khalid Empire.
This was why Archion had realized this was a Romance Fantasy world just by looking at the history books. Despite being a patriarchal society, why did women so often play such pivotal roles!
“Boring and pedantic.”
“My Lord!”
To Delford, such long-winded stories were tedious. He had come in a hurry for the summoning for the nobles' meeting and the eve of the Foundation Day festival… but the imperial praises recited every time made him weary.
“If anyone hears you, they’ll try to tear us apart again. Please watch your words…!”
“It might be fun to let them try.”
The few Marquesses and Dukes were all present, but Delford was not afraid. Descendant of the great Archmage Elena Enersis. One of the top five wealthiest people in the Empire. The Head of Enersis and a Great Mage who reached the 9th Circle at a relatively young age. Delford was that kind of genius. He was also a politician who had secured the title of Count after a succession struggle with numerous siblings.
“I should have brought my youngest son. If it were him, he would have broadened his horizons by seeing the magical techniques of the Imperial Palace.”
That was why, recognizing how nonsensical Archion’s alchemy truly was, he had set aside his pride as the Head and held onto Archion. And that choice—
“My Lord. Are you not favoring Archion too much?”
“Perhaps. I am merely bestowing upon the youngest as much as I bestowed upon the three siblings between you and me. Though it feels a bit late.”
It was beyond excellent; it was the best choice. What was this "motor" magic tool Archion had made this time? It was merely a rotating machine that changed its speed based on the mana input, but….
“And the boy is truly clever. He bloomed a talent on his own that even I failed to notice.”
“Hmph.”
“I must take responsibility for my neglect as a father.”
In the eyes of Delford, a genius approaching the 10th Circle, there were too many uses for it. For example, the sewing machines used by high-end tailors were operated by stepping on a foot pedal. If a motor were attached to that, how quickly could clothes be made? Furthermore, since machines only show constant movement, precision would increase. This could be applied to countless machines, not just sewing machines.
“So, do not hate Archion too much, Madam. You know that his mother—”
“I will try.”
Lucretia was not unaware of that point either. After all, she was also a high-circle mage with broad horizons. It was just that... the fact that such a thing was born from the hands of a child not from her own womb was a bit dissatisfying.
“Hmph, what’s so great about this?”
Click, vrooooom~!
“What is that?”
What Lucretia pulled out was the handheld fan she had taken from Archion’s maid. It was a magic tool that, when a magic stone was inserted or mana was funneled in, automatically sucked it up and spun this "fan" thing. Though Archion was the one who practically defined this concept of a magic tool, anyway.
“Archion’s attendant passed it to me. She said it was a gift.”
“Haha. That Archion. He must be trying to get into your good graces, Madam.”
Click, click.Whir, whirrr~!
In her eyes, it was visible. Within the motor at the center of the fan, countless complex mana links were occurring! It was so sophisticated and perfectly synchronized that even Lucretia felt a surge of curiosity.
But of all people! To think this came from Archion’s head!
“Tsk….”
Delford hadn't been praising Archion for nothing. At this rate, he might even pass the Earldom to Archion.
“Well, I shall go and greet the Northern Grand Duke—”
“Should I not go with you?”
“Did you not find him burdensome? It is fine. Stay and rest while chatting with the other noblewomen.”
“If that is your wish, my Lord….”
If such an atmosphere were to form… Lucretia might have to "deal" with Archion. Lucretia felt a bit troubled, but she steeled her resolve, reviving the spitefulness from her days as an Iron-blooded Lady.
“Oh my goodness, Madam Lucretia! That thing in your hand is…?”
“Was this also made by that youngest young master? I’ve heard the rumors. A magic tool that performs repetitive circular motion!”
She almost lost her resolve. Because every single noblewoman was immediately drawn to this handheld fan.
“It creates wind using rotational motion. My word! To think that mana could be linked and operate so precisely yet smoothly within such small parts!”
“It’s a technology that makes mana lamps look like toys. Was this called… Magic Engineering?”
“That’s right. Some scholars saw the incandescent bulbs and were reminded of Magic Engineering, the technology used to create artifacts in ancient times. Of course, that’s nonsense… but seeing it operate so smoothly and with such high efficiency, Young Master Archion might have discovered a clue to it.”
“So, Lucretia. My dear friend. Tell me. This 'portable fan' thing—was it a gift?”
With everyone’s eyes sparkling as they demanded an answer….
“……Of course! Actually, until recently, my relationship with Archion was a bit distant. Since he is not a child of my womb, I acted coldly…. However, the boy offered this to me first as a gift of reconciliation.”
“Oh my! How thoughtful!”
“Taking the first step to ask for reconciliation requires more courage than one might think. What a strong child!”
How could she possibly say anything bad about Archion now? If she did, she’d become the "bad mother"!
“And this is a prototype into which he poured all of his talent. Isn't it truly beautiful? The way the exterior uses sap to highlight the wood grain while also—”
“I am so envious of you today, Madam!”
Lucretia squeezed her eyes shut and decided to become the "I love my youngest son so much!" mother.
One week after the banquet began.
“Young Master. The noblewomen have sent so many letters!”
“Why?”
Piled high before Archion were letters praising his sincere filial piety—along with one specific request.
To sell them the portable fan he had "gifted" to Lucretia!