Chapter 135 Draw
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Royal Palace, where I hadn’t been called in a while. My shop’s name was being used as a pretext, and three of my employees were being drafted to the battlefield. Honestly, my mood was at its worst, but it seemed Queen Cecile still had more to say to me.
”Don’t look so displeased… It’s not as if I enjoy saying these things, you know?” Queen Cecile said.
Her Majesty looked as tired as ever as she spoke. This feeling of not being able to get angry even when I wanted to was all the more troublesome. If it were an unreasonable demand, I would have been indignant as a shopkeeper and brushed it off, but so far, she has only made requests based on the unavoidable reason of war.
”Sigh… I understand. So, what else is there?” I asked.
”Umu, ah, b-before that, shall we discuss the rewards?!” the Queen asked.
Apparently, there was a very burdensome topic left. Her Majesty was blatantly trying to get on my good side. However, deciding on the compensation before all the conditions are set is something a fool does. Surely Her Majesty doesn’t think I’d be swayed by sweet talk…
”I appreciate it, but I’m the type who prefers to hear the bad news first. If you have any requests, please start with those,” I replied.
”U-umu… Listen, d-don’t get angry, okay…?” she asked.
”Depending on the content, I’ll try my best not to reject it out of hand,” I replied.
”Ah, please do so if possible…” the Queen said.
Her Majesty gave a deep sigh. The more it was dragged out, the more I braced myself, but she closed her eyes and rubbed the inner corners. Then she slowly looked up, opened her mouth while looking at me.
”Well, you see… On the northern battlefield, the ‘Pink Devil¹‘ has appeared…”
At Her Majesty’s words, I felt the back of my neck grow hot. Was it anger, fear, or perhaps impatience? Regardless, I couldn’t remain calm. Before hearing everything, I raised my voice, breaking my promise.
”If you have some business with Lily…!” I shouted.
”No, no! Calm down! This isn’t about doing something to your slave! I don’t doubt her, nor will I do anything to harm her!” the Queen replied quickly.
I tried to maintain my honorifics while speaking purely from emotion, but Her Majesty cut me off. She must have anticipated my reaction. But if Lily’s name comes up here, I can’t stay silent.
”I cannot calm down!!! She’s pregnant right now! If you’re suggesting anything that would put a burden on her, even if you are Her Majesty, I won’t just let it go…!!!” I shouted.
”Eei! That’s why I said calm down! I haven’t even said anything yet… wait, pregnant…?” the Queen asked, pausing.
As I raised my voice and stepped forward, the maid Muse-san and the Royal Guard Captain Merluza stood in my way. On the other hand, Her Majesty, also excited, stood up from her office chair, but lost her momentum in response to my “pregnant” remark. Looking closely, Muse-san and Merluza were also looking at each other in surprise.
”…C-can I have a moment?” the Queen asked.
”Eh? Ye-yes…” I replied.
”Muse, Merluza, huddle up!”
The reaction of the three took the wind out of my sails as well. They put their heads together and began whispering about something. Though, since they were right in front of me, the content of the conversation was leaking out completely.
”Muse, by pregnant, he means pregnant, right…?” the Queen whispered.
”Yes, I believe he means she is carrying a baby,” Muse replied.
”Merluza, he is definitely the owner of the magic shop ‘Harvest²,’ right…?” the Queen asked.
”Y-yes, that’s Kento, without a doubt…” Merluza replied.
”Muse, was there any such report from Satsuki…?” the Queen asked.
”No, there wasn’t. I don’t know, but it’s possible she got fed up with unnecessary reporting after the previous ‘baby-making’ report,” Muse replied.
”Merluza, so it’s that, right? While we were preparing for war with the feeling of dying, that fellow was diligently striving at baby-making…?” the Queen asked.
”P-probably. Since it takes a month or two even with that kind of magic to confirm a pregnancy, he really was ‘making a baby’…” Merluza replied.
I wondered what they were verifying, but I couldn’t interrupt their serious expressions. And just as I was getting tired of waiting, and starting to get distracted by the sight of Muse-san and Merluza’s behinds as they leaned on the desk, Her Majesty asked timidly.
”Y-you, are you going to be a p-papa…?” the Queen asked.
”Eh? Ye-yes. Since I’m the father of the child in her belly, I suppose you could say I’ll be a papa…” I replied.
”…?!”
Her Majesty froze again with a shocked face. It was just like the face of a career woman who receives a report that her former classmate got married without her knowing and is now having a child. Yeah, well, I can understand how she feels…
”Um, so that’s how it is, and I don’t want to put any burden on Lily. If you’re planning to take her to the battlefield, I’ll resist with all my heart and soul, you know…?” I said.
I felt like the atmosphere wasn’t right for it anymore, but I decided to say what needed to be said. Her Majesty didn’t seem to have recovered from the shock yet, but she managed to revive and continue the conversation.
”A-ah, of course, I have no intention of saying something so cruel. If possible, I wanted her to participate as someone who knows the enemy’s internal situation…” the Queen said.
”You were planning to take Lily out on top of everything else… Your Majesty, you really seem to want to destroy my shop, don’t you?” I asked coldly.
”T-that’s why I said ‘if possible’! I wasn’t going to force her, I was going to consult! I even dismissed the Prime Minister and the Guild Leader, and was prepared to bow my head if necessary! How was I to know she was pregnant…” the Queen replied.
Her Majesty looked suddenly exhausted, leaned her weight against the back of her chair, and let out a deep sigh. A King’s head is not light. Indeed, if Lily hadn’t been pregnant, I might have given in if she had gone that far… It’s chilling, but it shows how desperate she is for national defense.
”Well, there’s no use talking about it now… Then, bring her here next time. There are things I want to hear, like information about the ‘Pink Devil’ that appeared,” the Queen said.
”No. Didn’t I say I don’t want to put a burden on her? If you have something you want to ask, please come to our place. I’ll be present, and if it goes on too long, I’ll kick you out,” I replied.
”Y-you… Fine, I’ll send Muse over next time… But still, aren’t you being a bit overprotective?” the Queen asked.
”She’s going through the pain of labor for my sake. Isn’t this only natural?” I asked.
”Gu, gununu…” the Queen groaned.
Since I’d already come this far, I decided to make my demands with the spirit of saying everything I wanted to say. I felt like I hadn’t said enough yet, so I must have been quite angry. I continued to pile on the words.
”So, since you’re taking away three of our main forces and asking blood-smelling questions to the pregnant Lily, I can expect a reward, right?” I asked.
I really wanted to refuse everything, but if that’s impossible, my job is to win compensation more than sufficient for their work. Switching to business mode, I intended to pluck every last bit of profit from Her Majesty.
”…I know. Ah, first, let’s see, I’ll pay double the losses incurred while those three are away. In addition, I’ll turn a blind eye even if you pad the numbers a bit,” the Queen replied.
”Is an estimate acceptable? For example, even if we compensate for the losses in some other way, can I assume you won’t be stingy?” I asked.
”…It seems you have a plan for production. Well, fine. As long as it’s a reasonably grounded figure, I won’t be fussy,” the Queen replied.
Not just compensation, but twice the loss. It’s safe to think of this as a nuisance fee. I grinned, realizing that during this period, the harder I worked, the more profit I’d make. I was somewhat reluctant about the “plan for production,” but in this case, I couldn’t be picky.
”Also, I shall grant you a title as a court noble,” the Queen added.
”…Doesn’t that mean more troublesome social gatherings, or that I won’t be able to defy Your Majesty?” I asked.
”Who knows. I’ll have the conditions summarized later, so think it over well. If you want to decline, that’s fine too,” the Queen replied.
Her Majesty said this with a face that said, “Finally, I’ve got one over on you.” I wanted to poke fun at her for handing out titles so easily, but well, I’ll take my time and think about it.
I should probably consult with Tina, who is a Duke’s daughter, or my alchemy master, the old man Kogima, who married into nobility. Come to think of it, I wonder if Master will also participate in this war.
”Now, I’ve presented the money and the status. Is there anything else you want?” the Queen asked.
”Let’s see… If possible, can I have access rights to the materials held by the Royal Library and the Court Mages?” I asked.
”Even now, you’re accessing them through Satsuki and Tania-dono, aren’t you… Well, fine, I’ll grant permission,” the Queen replied.
It seemed I’d been found out, but now I could browse the kingdom’s ‘wisdom’ openly. This is quite significant as I progress with new product development like the ‘Piston Machine³.’
”Also… once again, please don’t let the three who are heading to the war zone do anything too dangerous, okay?” I asked.
”I know. I don’t want to damage your opinion of me any further. I will guarantee the safety of those three, you, your slaves, and those around you—anyone involved with your shop—as much as possible. As much as possible, that is,” the Queen replied.
It might have seemed persistent, but I had to drive the point home. Her Majesty still looked tired and added the disclaimer “as much as possible,” but I should be able to trust her.
”Also…” I started.
”…Is there still more?” the Queen asked.
”Yes. Actually, it looks like I’ll be able to buy the house next door to the next one soon, and I want to build a ‘Ddo-Buddy⁴ Palace.’ Since the alleyway is in the way, I’d like permission for land readjustment, funds if possible, and a recommendation for a good carpenter,” I replied.
”Ha…?” the Queen asked.
”As I said, a ‘Ddo-Buddy Palace’…” I repeated.
”Did I mishear…? I thought I heard a tremendously stupid name…” the Queen muttered.
”You didn’t mishear. It’s the ‘Ddo-Buddy Palace’,” I replied.
”Enough, fine, do as you wish…” the Queen said.
This time, Her Majesty was truly exhausted and slumped down in her chair. From the “pregnant” remark onwards, in many ways, it was a victory for the ‘Ddo-Buddy.’ Or so I’d like to say, but honestly, it was a draw…
When I thought about taking this story back to everyone who was probably making ‘Ddo-Buddy’ even now, I felt gloomy.
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Summary:
Kento meets Queen Cecile, who drafts his employees for the war and mentions the ‘Pink Devil’ (Lily) appearing on the battlefield. Kento reveals Lily is pregnant, shocking the Queen and her guards, which prevents the Queen from drafting Lily as well. Kento negotiates heavy compensation, including double the lost profits, a noble title, and access to the Royal Library. He also demands royal support to build his ‘Ddo-Buddy Palace,’ leaving the Queen completely exhausted.
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Character Insight:
This chapter highlights Kento’s evolution from a mere shopkeeper to a protective ‘papa’ and a shrewd negotiator. His outburst regarding Lily’s pregnancy shows that his loyalty to his household far outweighs his fear of royal authority. Simultaneously, Queen Cecile’s reaction reveals a more human side; she is not a heartless tyrant but a stressed leader who is genuinely surprised and perhaps a bit envious of Kento’s personal milestones. Their relationship shifts from a simple sovereign-subject dynamic to a strained but mutual ‘partnership’ born of necessity.
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Behind the Scene:
The term ‘Pink Devil’ refers to Lily’s fearsome reputation in her previous life or combat encounters, which contrasts sharply with Kento’s view of her as his pregnant partner. The Queen’s ‘career woman’ reaction is a common trope in light novels where powerful older women are flustered by the domestic happiness of younger protagonists.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Cecile – A high-ranking, powerful woman in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
• 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.
• Merluza – The Captain of the Royal Guard, a veteran soldier and Lion Beast-person. She testifies to the military necessity and effectiveness of the ‘Tremble Ddo-Buddy’ (which she calls ‘Bob’) for female beast-person soldiers, ensuring job performance isn’t compromised by ‘heat’. Have dull yellow hair, large feline ears, wearing armor, and large scar over the right eye.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
• 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.
• 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.
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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