Chapter 174 The Duke’s Daughter Who Loves to Beg ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Ceasefire negotiations had finally commenced. Just as rumors of the talks began to saturate the streets, I made a beeline for the Duke Badcage House to check on Tina’s wellbeing. Word had been circulating from the northern front that her father had perished in a mutual strike against an enemy general.
My visit was partly born of a guilty conscience; I’d been so preoccupied with nursing Lily through her morning sickness that I’d neglected Tina entirely. I worried that, once again, she might be wasting away in silent, tearless grief, but…
”Verily, you have done well to visit, Kento-dono! To think that ceasefire talks would truly begin—it is all thanks to you ‘Ddo-Buddy¹,’ noja! I am right proud to have lent my aid as well, noja!”
Tina greeted me with the same exuberant “noja” energy she possessed when we first met. This was quite a departure from the gloomy reunion I’d imagined… though obviously, her being in high spirits was the better outcome.
”Ah, yeah… Well, I’m not really sure how much of an impact it actually had…” I said.
”What say you! I have heard that within the Coalmine Kingdom², that immense stockpile of ‘Ddo-Buddy’ sold out to the very last unit, noja. Simultaneously, the anti-war movement reached a fever pitch, and they say the women even held a grand procession through the capital of Mynar³. It is, without question, your achievement!”
Tina spoke with unbridled joy. It was true. At worst, I’d hoped to just curry favor with a few influential noblewomen, but the “Ddo-Buddy” had apparently flown off the shelves, netting me a substantial profit.
In the Coalmine Kingdom, even commoner women had been covertly acquiring “Ddo-Buddy” through churches, convents, sympathetic collaborators, and merchants. An unprecedented “Ddo-Buddy” craze had taken hold. It’s a crying shame I couldn’t witness the phenomenon firsthand.
The fliers and pamphlets we’d distributed alongside the goods proved exceptionally potent; apparently, the fervor of women clamoring for the ‘Tremble-Ddo-Buddy⁴‘ is nothing short of terrifying.
I’ve been told that a missive arrived from the couple running the Coalmine branch of the Tasogare Merchant Guild⁵—who miraculously seem to be unharmed—pleading for us to resume sales the instant the war concludes. Whether they’re just exceptionally mercantile or simply being hounded by desperate customers, I can’t say, but it’s a welcome development regardless.
Consequently, the Canarias Convent⁶, which has essentially morphed into a “Ddo-Buddy” manufacturing plant, will soon have to endure another ‘death march’ to mass-produce the “Tremble-Ddo-Buddy”… well, it’s what you’d call a happy problem to have.
”It seems like the anti-war sentiment was already mounting because imports were being choked off. They relied heavily on foreign luxury goods, and I even heard the price of bread was starting to spike,” I said.
”Umu, ’tis the lean season, after all noja. Harvest-time draws near, and had they but weathered this final stretch, prices would have stabilized and they might have held their ground… but they surely never anticipated that ‘Ddo-Buddy’ would be the spark that caused the collective frustration to ignite, noja.”
Tina nodded sagely while offering insights befitting a stateswoman. Looking back, the timing had been impeccable. Had it been winter, the logistics for “Ddo-Buddy” would have been a nightmare, and had it been spring, the war would have been too fresh for discontent to have ripened.
”I must bestow some manner of reward upon you, noja. That being said, my house must oversee the post-war cleanup from here on, so I crave your pardon that I cannot do so with great fanfare immediately, noja…”
”Please, don’t worry about it. Just seeing you doing well is reward enough for me, Tina,” I replied.
And if I can avoid being executed by her family for defiling a noble daughter once they return from the front… Indulging in such self-serving thoughts, I was interrupted as she beamed at me, crying, “Thou art truly a remarkable fellow!” before lunging into a hug.
Taking advantage of the proximity, I stroked her silver hair—which had fully recovered its lustrous sheen—and she happily nuzzled her face against mine. She was so endearing that I ended up petting her with everything I had, taking the opportunity to indulge in some deep, fragrant sniffs of her scent.
”Haah, fuu, nnn…♡ I am truly relieved, noja… Now the others from your shop can finally return as well…”
”Yeah… For the time being, I’ve heard everyone is safe. They should be able to head back once the negotiations wrap up and the armies begin their mutual withdrawal,” I said.
We continued our conversation as we tumbled onto the bed together, Tina’s cheeks flushed a rosy pink as we lay side-by-side. Before long, she was nuzzling her cheek against my stomach and then scrambling on top of me to cling tight; her level of affection was accelerating rapidly, which was once again incredibly charming.
However, the cozy atmosphere made it difficult to broach the subject of her father… but I couldn’t just ignore it forever. While stroking the head of the girl clinging to me like a ‘dakko-chan’ doll, I steeled my resolve and asked.
”So, uh, I heard a bit of a rumor… Is your old man really okay? I heard he and an enemy general took each other out…”
”Nn? Ah, so that was the source of your concern, noja. Fear not, noja! My father is not the sort of man who would succumb to a mere spear through the vitals, noja!”
”I-Is that right…?” I asked.
I’m fairly certain a spear through the gut is the very definition of a fatal wound, though…? In response to my skeptical look, she explained the gist: in this world, there exist exceptionally resilient physiques and healing magic⁷. Consequently, the paradoxical scenario of ‘somehow surviving a fatal wound’ is a tangible reality.
Well, considering a dainty girl like our resident dog Laika can slay a literal dragon, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore…
”Umu, well, it may be a difficult truth for common folk to grasp, noja. Or rather, it seems thou in particular art not especially blessed with such martial talents, noja…”
She seemed to find it awkward to say, so I gave her back a reassuring stroke to show I wasn’t offended. I’d long since made peace with my lack of talent back when I was barely scraping by as an F-rank adventurer.
Still, based on her tone, is Tina actually quite powerful too? Between Lily, Laika, and the rest of the staff, the sheer combat potential of my shop is terrifying… It’s truly one of the world’s great mysteries that I can mess around this much and still be in one piece.
”There is also the matter of the future, noja… For the time being, I am to represent my father in the ceasefire negotiations. ‘Tis a sordid business, but as we fought for the realm, I intend to wrest proper compensation from the Crown, noja…”
Tina trailed off, her expression shifting in a way that differed from her earlier hesitation. I racked my brain for the cause, then it dawned on me. Ah, right, ‘for the time being’ implies…
”Does that mean you’ll have to return to your family’s territory once the talks are finished…?” I asked.
”Umu, most likely, noja… Though I intend to petition my father on the matter…”
Just as I thought the three who’d been drafted were finally coming home, now Tina would be leaving… That’s right, she officially came to the capital to secure war funds and supplies. With the war over, there’s no official reason for her to stay, but it’s going to be lonely…
”And so, noja, I have been pondering many things…”
”Yeah? What is it? If there’s anything I can do, I’m happy to help,” I replied.
”Umu… It is a request that I can only make of you, noja…”
She fidgeted atop my chest, her words catching in her throat. She’d start to speak, then bite her lip, looking like she wanted to retract the thought before trying again. Finally, she summoned her courage.
”Um, well… I thought that, were I to conceive a child, noja, it might serve to soothe my loneliness, noja…”
”That’s…” I started.
”There are numerous complications involved, so for now, thou mayst take it as mere idle talk, noja. However, for today… wouldst thou grant me a rehearsal, noja…?”
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Summary:
Kento visits Tina Badcage to offer support following rumors of her father’s death, only to find her celebrating the massive success of his ‘Ddo-Buddy’ products. The adult goods have inadvertently fueled an anti-war movement, leading to ceasefire negotiations and significant profits. Tina reveals her father survived his wounds through magic but must soon return to her territory. To cope with the separation, she asks Kento to help her conceive a child, starting with a ‘rehearsal.’
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Character Insight:
Tina shows a duality between her burgeoning political role as her father’s proxy and her personal dependency on Kento. Her request for a child is not just a whim but a strategic, if emotionally driven, attempt to create a permanent tether to Kento that transcends the physical distance of their noble duties. Kento continues to struggle with the disparity between his own perceived weakness and the high-stakes influence his business and companions wield.
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Behind the Scene:
The author leans into the absurdity of the ‘Isekai Shop’ trope by making adult products the literal catalyst for world peace, juxtaposing serious geopolitical shifts with the protagonist’s specialized inventory.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
• Laika – The beastwoman dog.
• Tina Badcage – Silver-haired, red-eyed woman with a very formal, old-fashioned way of speaking, often ending sentences with ‘no ja’. She is the only daughter of the Duke Badcage, tasked with guarding the North for the Canaria Royal Family. She is described as a beauty. Her inexperience suggests a slender build, and her dress is likely formal and aristocratic, though not explicitly stated.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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