Chapter 552 The Last Piece Part ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Lord Harvest, I have a request that I must discuss with you in private.”
It was around the time we had already carried out several of our little “experiments” that Nada-san, my guest from the Southern Continent, finally brought the matter up. By then, I had finished my usual rounds: checking on my beloved ancient elf, Carley, at the royal palace, helping the King’s younger brother, Roland, with his administrative work, and then stopping by to see her.
I did not visit her only for the sake of our “experiments”—although those certainly happened. More often, we simply talked. I would ask about the Southern Continent, while she listened to stories from the North. The conversations were enjoyable, and I genuinely looked forward to them.
If I wanted to establish a factory in the South, information would be essential. I had grown surprisingly fond of learning about the Southern Continent, so I had been looking forward to today’s discussion.
Instead, the atmosphere was different.
Nada-san was not accompanied by her usual entourage. Diplomat Schueri was absent. General Mamache was nowhere to be seen. It was just the two of us, and what she chose to share concerned her own past, her master, and the unstable political situation in the Southern Continent.
”The succession dispute of the Aurumcame Governor State,” I repeated with a frown. “Why tell me this now? And why tell me instead of Her Majesty the Queen?”
Questions immediately came to mind, but before any of them, I needed to know why she had decided to reveal this at last. Nada-san shifted uneasily before answering.
”Because if I did not say it now, I would be deceiving you.”
”Deceiving me?”
”Isn’t it obvious? If the ‘Ddo-Buddy Trade Zone’ you proposed becomes reality, you will be dragged into our internal affairs whether you want to be or not.”
There was no hesitation in her answer.
She was right. If I had pushed ahead with the factory without knowing any of this, I would have been swept into the civil war sooner or later. The more preparation I made, the more money and resources I would invest. Eventually, I would be forced to accept the loss or support her faction to recover what I could.
From her perspective, she could have remained silent until I was too deeply involved to walk away, yet she had chosen to tell me everything before that happened.
”I understand,” I said after a moment. “But I am a vassal of the Queen. I cannot cooperate if doing so does not serve this country’s interests.”
”I understand! I only ask for whatever cooperation your circumstances allow.”
I laid out my conditions, which was a roundabout way of saying I would help.
The truth was that I wanted no part of a succession war on a distant continent. It sounded like the kind of problem that produced endless complications and unpredictable consequences.
Still, when I saw the dark-skinned beauty lower her gaze in worry, I found myself wavering. It was the same weakness as always. I really was far too soft when it came to women.
At least I had a practical reason this time. Expanding into the Southern Continent would require local allies. I would weigh the risks, help where I could, and withdraw if things became impossible. Whether I could actually bring myself to abandon Nada-san when that moment came was a question I preferred not to answer.
”I can speak to the Queen about this, right?”
”Ah, of course. Or rather, she likely already knows.”
”Eh?”
”This room is being watched. I do not know how or from where, but I can feel eyes on us. Whoever is observing us is highly skilled.”
”Ah…”
Most likely it was Muse, the Queen’s maid, watching through concealment magic. Nada-san had probably realized that from the beginning.
Which meant there was only one thing left to discuss.
”The real problem is how to persuade the Queen.”
”Is it really that difficult?”
”Very much so. As you know, our country is approaching a change in leadership. We do not want unnecessary trouble while the King’s brother prepares to ascend the throne.”
”Ah, that makes sense.”
”On top of that, we have only recently settled our border disputes with neighboring countries. The kingdom is still recovering, so we cannot afford to shift our attention to the Southern Continent.”
”I see.”
”Furthermore, the Queen—and most people in the North, for that matter—see trade with the Southern Continent as a gamble. You will have to accept that financial profit alone will not be enough to convince her.”
As I listed the obstacles one by one, Nada-san’s voice grew quieter and her expression darkened.
I was not trying to be cruel, even if her silent pout was strangely cute. I was simply organizing my thoughts.
If I intended to help her, I needed solutions. The plan had to generate profit, avoid disrupting Roland’s succession, preserve regional stability, and provide benefits beyond money alone.
The first two issues were already things I was working on, and profit would not be difficult if the factory succeeded.
Which left one final piece.
”It really comes down to developing a new product.”
”A new product?”
”Yes. It is one of the conditions for making the ‘Ddo-Buddy Trade Zone’ a reality. If there is something valuable to import, the Queen will have a reason to support your master. Useful materials for magic circuits, for example.”
Even as I said it, the idea felt optimistic. I had already asked about materials before, but only in relation to adult magic circuits. Perhaps the answer would be different if I approached it from a military perspective instead.
”Wait! If that’s what you need, then I completely forgot about something. Schueri and I talked about it once as a possible baby gift. It might actually be useful. I was planning to show it to you the next time we met.”
”Eh?”
Nada-san hurried over to her luggage.
I remembered her mentioning something similar when I first arrived at the ‘Ddo-Buddy Palace.’ In the end, I had received a mysterious Southern ornament as a baby gift—an authentic one blessed by a shaman, unlike the questionable item Roland had bought.
Because of that memory, I lowered my guard completely.
I never imagined that the thing I had been searching for all this time would appear so suddenly.
”So here it is. In our language, we call it ‘Komipora.’”
The object looked like an ordinary ball at first glance, yet the material immediately caught my attention. I could not identify it.
In this world, most balls were made from leather or cloth and felt closer to beanbags than anything else.
”This is…”
”Hehe, it’s quite interesting. I’m not sure how well it’ll work on the carpet, but try bouncing it.”
Nada-san tossed the Komipora toward me.
The moment it touched my hands, a powerful sense of nostalgia washed over me.
I knew this feeling.
More than that, my body remembered it.
Without waiting for further explanation, I bounced the ball against the floor and began dribbling it across the room.
”Whoa! You’re good at that, Lord Harvest! Ah, wait, did you already know about this? My bad, that was pointless…”
Nada-san’s shoulders slumped as she assumed she had missed her chance to surprise me.
I barely heard her.
My attention was fixed entirely on the ball in my hands, while a single word slipped from my lips in utter disbelief.
”This is… rubber…!”
—
Summary:
Harvest meets with Nada-san, who reveals the precarious succession situation in her home territory. Realizing the danger of being involved in a civil war, Harvest seeks a way to justify supporting her to his own government. He discovers that a strange ball Nada calls ‘Komipora’ is actually rubber, a critical material he has long been seeking.
—
Trivia:
Harvest assists Roland, the King’s younger brother, with administrative duties.
The Queen’s maid, Muse, is implied to be monitoring the room using concealment magic.
Nada-san previously gave Harvest a Southern ornament blessed by a shaman as a baby gift.
The term ‘Komipora’ is the Southern Continent name for a rubber ball.
Notes:
• Harvest – Viscount Kento Harvest is a gaunt, pragmatic former adventurer and merchant who manages a magic-circuit shop and acts as a diplomat to the Southern Continent. Clad in a tattered academic coat, this royal mentor leverages deep knowledge of Earth-based technology and noble authority to navigate politics. Known for being soft on women, he is sexually proactive with numerous lovers and dependents.
• Carley – Ancient Elf Haha-sama, the youthful, flat-chested Captain of the Wielope Empire, resides at the royal palace as a beloved companion to Harvest and wife to Kento. Now pregnant, this pragmatic matriarch oversees assassins and royals like Dee-bou and Gustav. Unshaken by magic, she grants Forest Blessings and steers diplomacy, using her immense stamina to secure her lineage and empire.
• Roland – The younger brother of Queen Cecile and the King of Ferguson, this earnest but inexperienced heir to the Canaria throne possesses golden-blonde hair and a delicate, innocent face. Close to Unia, he once joined a field trip led by Harvest, who now assists him with administrative duties. He balances his formal princely responsibilities with a studious, youthful demeanor.
• Nada – A tall, slender Southern Continent envoy with dark skin, glossy black hair, and sharp almond eyes, this graceful young woman is Meryamisha’s trusted right-hand. Currently an infiltrator in the Canaria Kingdom known to Kento’s group, she balances a blank diplomatic facade with naive curiosity and vulgar slang. Involved in a succession dispute, she seeks cooperation from Harvest.
• Mamache – A large-framed, bronze-skinned general from the Southern Continent, he acts as Nada’s guard. A stern, capable tactician in a formal military uniform laden with medals, he is easily bewildered by modern trends. He is currently deeply troubled by his marital issues, desperately seeking a solution regarding his wife’s relationship with a succubus.
• Schueri – An elegant, slender Sylvaol diplomat from the Southern Continent who accompanies Nada as her lead retainer. Formerly a royal instructor with deep knowledge of the palace and Coalmine Kingdom, she is an intelligent mediator, interpreter, and logistics manager. Fluent in continental and Southern languages, she maintains a refined demeanor while hiding a secret curiosity for adult merchandise.
• Muse – Muse is an expressionless, sharp-eyed royal maid and trusted attendant to Queen Cecile. Clad in a traditional uniform, she balances palace duties with discreet espionage and procurement, using her mastery of concealment magic. Highly efficient and poised, she is indispensable during foreign delegation arrivals, managing sensitive operations as a constant, subtle presence.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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