Chapter 367 The Craftsman ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Shortly after, the delegation from the Kingdom of Ferguson departed for home. Between securing the rapid restoration of the East-West trade route and our country promising ample support, it was a highly productive exchange.
The marriage between Prince Roland and Lady Unia Greter was also settled, at least for now. It wasn’t quite a formal engagement yet-more of a verbal “let’s get married if all goes well” agreement. A formal betrothal would require the blessing of the Greter ducal house and the Ferguson courtiers. Still, those two are clearly head-over-heels; I’m sure Unia will handle the logistics. I just hope His Highness grows some backbone in the meantime.
Business, however, didn’t wait. A new problem had cropped up at the shop: production volume. Once the trade routes reopened, I wanted to ramp up exports to Ferguson. My plan was to let our products permeate their market under the guise of “humanitarian aid.” With trade plans involving the Western Isles via the Greter house and rising demand from Church factions following the twin Great Dragon subjugations, we were stretched thin.
Today, I was at the manor the Royal Family lent me to meet the people who would help solve that. I’d sent the letters before “Project Harvest” even began, and we’d finally reached the finish line. I just hoped the negotiations would hold.
”Lord Harvest!”
”Ray! It’s been a while. You’re looking well.”
”As are you! Thanks to you, we made it through!” Ray Nixfen said, jumping up from her chair with the dramatic flair of a stage actress. Apparently, the theatrical mannerisms she’d picked up in the red-light district were still going strong.
She wore her flaxen hair in a sharp, masculine wolf cut, long at the nape. That hairstyle, combined with her handsome features, gave her an overwhelming “princely” aura. This was our shop’s new production partner: Viscountess Ray Nixfen.
In the Nixfen territory, they produce the “Relief Series¹,” adult goods that are the spitting image of the “Higo-zuiki²” from my old world. We already sold collaboration items, like the “Ddo-Buddy: Relief Edition”-a Ddo-Buddy wrapped in a specialized Relief Cord-and the “Relief Ring,” a popular item for clitoral and n**ips stimulation made from cord offcuts.
”I have so much to tell you!” Ray said, leaning in. “Sister Amelia visited the lands, and Satsuki used the ‘Ddo-Buddy Cannon’ to drive off a Lesser Dragon. Thanks to them, our casualties were light. I can’t thank you enough!”
She grabbed my hands with the intensity of an overexcited puppy. Was she always this passionate? I felt a bit overwhelmed.
”I want to hear all about it,” I said, pausing. “But before that, could you introduce the gentleman behind you?”
”Oh… right. Sorry, I just… I got carried away,” Ray stammered, her face flushing as she stepped back. “Um, this is my father.”
The man she introduced had the same refined features as Ray, but his expression was so stern it was hard to tell.
”Tail,” the man said shortly, offering a hand. He seemed prickly, but I didn’t sense any ill will. When I smiled and shook his hand, I felt the texture-rough, calloused, and scarred. The hands of a master craftsman, I realized.
”Oh, come on! Father, why are you being so gloomy?” Ray huffed. “Yesterday you were going on and on about how you couldn’t wait to meet Lord Harvest!”
”Mmu…” Tail grunted.
It seemed Ray was still a child in her father’s eyes, and Tail himself wasn’t a man of many words. As the former Viscount Nixfen, he didn’t carry a shred of noble pretension.
”Haha, please, don’t be so tense,” I said. “It’s an honor to meet you, Sir Tail. I was deeply impressed by the ‘Relief Stick’ you sent me previously.”
”The honor is mine, Lord Kento,” Tail replied in a low, measured voice. “To think our family’s… specialized trade… would be recognized by His Majesty himself. Thank you for looking after my daughter.”
As I’d told him, a specific Relief Stick had reached our shop a while back. It was his work, featuring a unique, intricate weave. Ray had bragged back in the capital that her “old man did it better,” and she wasn’t lying. The patterns in the Relief Cord were beautiful without being gaudy. More importantly, you could tell it was built for rigorous use. It was a masterpiece of form and function. When I sat down and relayed my praise, Tail’s ears turned a slight shade of red.
”Sorry, Lord Harvest,” Ray whispered. “He’s just like this. Since our products aren’t exactly something you can brag about in polite society, he’s not used to being complimented.”
That made sense. It was our shop-where ddos had somehow become vital international trade commodities-that was the anomaly. These people were the traditionalists, quietly preserving their craft for generations.
”Don’t worry about it, Ray,” I replied. “At its core, my shop is just a shady magic-tool dealer. I get the feeling. Actually, I kind of enjoy that side of it.”
”Haha, that sounds like you.”
We moved on to the situation in the West. Ray explained that things had finally calmed down. During the height of the “Stampede,” you couldn’t leave a town without hitting a wall of monsters. Since the two Great Dragons were taken down, the chaos had subsided. Now, they were just hunting down the stragglers hiding in the wilds.
”Because of all that, we’re late getting to the capital,” Ray said, she and Tail both bowing their heads. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
I wasn’t about to hold a monster outbreak against them. After a round of mutual apologies, we finally got down to business.
”So, since you’ve come all this way, can I assume you’re interested?” I asked.
I was proposing a production expansion-specifically, setting up a factory in the Nixfen territory. I trusted Ray’s governance, and since they already had the infrastructure for adult goods, it was the perfect fit.
”Yes,” Ray said. “I want to take the contract. To be honest, the ‘Ddo-Buddy’ craze actually hurt our local sales initially, so this would help the local economy…”
”Right. Sorry about that,” I muttered.
”No! It’s fine! Since the collab launched, our numbers are actually higher than ever. It’s just…” She trailed off, glancing at Tail.
Tail leaned forward, his eyes sharp. “I find the offer agreeable. However, if we are to do business, I must see your ‘workshop’ first. A man’s workshop reveals the true character of the craftsman.”
It looked like it was my turn to be tested.
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Summary:
Following the departure of the Ferguson delegation, Kento shifts his focus to expanding production for his adult goods shop. He meets with Viscountess Ray Nixfen and her father, Tail, a master craftsman, to discuss opening a factory in their territory. The meeting ends with Tail demanding to see Kento’s workshop to judge his character as a fellow craftsman.
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Trivia:
- The marriage between Roland and Unia is currently only a verbal promise, not a formal engagement.
- The ‘Relief Series’ are fantasy equivalents of real-world Higo-zuiki (dried taro stalks used as s*x toys).
- Ray’s theatrical mannerisms were learned in the ‘flower street’ (red-light district).
- The Ddo-Buddy Cannon was used by Satsuki to repel a Lesser Dragon, highlighting the unexpected utility of the shop’s products.
- Tail is the former Viscount but acts like a humble, dedicated craftsman
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Character Insight:
Ray shows a more emotional, ‘puppy-like’ side in this chapter, while Tail represents the traditional artisan class who values character and the state of one’s workspace over noble titles or profit.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author marks the 1st anniversary of daily postings with this chapter, expressing gratitude for the readers’ support.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Unia – The third daughter of the house of Duke Greiter. Has blonde hair tied in an intricate style, dol-like beauty, and expressionless face.
• Ray – A Viscount with flaxen-gold hair in a men’s wolf cut. Possesses a sweet mask and a prince-like aura. It is revealed at the end that Ray is actually a woman. She has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district.
• Nixfen – A viscount aristocrat who has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district. He is described as a ‘pretty boy’ or ‘gentle-looking man’ (yasao) but is a territory-holding noble likely trained in combat.
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Tail – Former Viscount Nixfen and Ray’s father. A master craftsman with rugged, calloused, and scarred hands. Stern expression, socially awkward, and proud of his family’s ‘specialized’ trade.
• 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.
• Marm – The attractive, red-haired, tanned receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild. She wears a uniform that emphasizes her ‘nice body.’ She is kind and acts like a supportive ‘big sister’ figure to Kento. Looks like Mirajane Strauss from certain series.
• Slop – Leader of the hound-kin pack; Laika’s father. Has orange hair and fluffy tail.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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