Chapter 408 Preparations ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Several days had passed since then. I’d been frantically running around making preparations to thwart the Wielope Empire¹ attempt on the lives of Sister Amelia and the “Holy Figure” Loire-Rose.
To be honest, I had my doubts about the plan my “love-elf” Tania dreamed up-not so much about whether it would work, but whether we could even pull it off in time. Still, the beauty of it was that if I just pushed myself hard enough, I could make it happen.
The downside? I was getting busier by the second. I had to coordinate the launch of the “Wriggle Ddo-Buddy”², manage the trade routes across the four cardinal directions, and now, stop an assassination plot…
Basically, whether the news the Queen gave me was “good” or “bad,” it all boiled down to more work for me. But amidst the chaos, a piece of genuinely “good news” finally arrived at my front door.
”Big Sis, Brother-in-law! It’s been too long.”
”Oh, welcome home, Fu-chan!”
That’s right-it was Flearis of the House of Popol, the younger sister of my love-slave Lily, back from the Coalmine Kingdom. It had only been a few months, but for some reason, it felt like ages since we’d last seen her.
Regardless, for me, this was the homecoming I’d been praying for. While Lily was exchanging polite pleasantries, I couldn’t help myself-I lunged at Flearis, scooped her up, and spun her around right then and there.
”You’re finally here, Flearis! I’ve been waiting for you!!”
”B-Brother-in-law?! Um, please put me down… Ahh!?”
”Master, please stop. This house is too small for those kinds of theatrics…” Lily sighed.
I was riding a bit of a high, so I gave Flearis a few extra spins. Since I had my arms wrapped firmly around her waist, my face was buried in a truly magnificent softness. I took a deep, lingering breath, savoring every bit of it.
Pant, pant… “You… you really saved me by coming back, Flearis…”
”Brother-in-law…! You… you missed me that much…?”
There I was, dizzy and out of breath because I’d overdone it, and there was Flearis, her face flushed and her hands covering her mouth in a daze of “Oh, my… ♡”
Yeah… seeing her that happy actually made my conscience prick a little. I mean, I was genuinely happy to see her, even if I was mostly excited about her joining the workforce, so it wasn’t a total lie…
”This is a quite an early return,” Lily noted. “Is everything alright back at House Popol?”
”Yes, Big Sis. I became the primary representative back home and earned the favor of Her Highness the Crown Princess. In fact, they practically shoved me out the door, telling me to ‘go and work your hardest.’ It seems the elders believe the status of the Popol family has been fully restored.”
”…And they aren’t wrong. You’ve done a wonderful job, Flearis.”
”Big Sis…”
Lily’s expression was full of maternal grace as she praised her sister. It was such a beautiful, wholesome scene it almost hurt to watch. Feeling a bit sheepish, I picked up my darling daughter, Momo, and held her out to Flearis.
”Here, say hello to Momo too. She’s gotten huge, hasn’t she? She’s even started saying ‘Papa’ lately.”
”Ma-maaa! Ma, maa!!!”
”…She did start saying it. I swear.”
Momo-sama began flailing and screaming for Lily. It was great that she was so energetic, but I really wished she’d give her old man a break. She was moving so much I thought she’d leap right out of my arms, so I handed her over to Lily to let them get reacquainted.
”Look, Momo. It’s Fu-chan. She’s Mama’s sister. You remember her, right?”
”It’s been a while, Momo-chan. Have you been a good girl?”
”…Fu-cha!”
”Eh!?”
”Oh my! That’s right, it’s Fu-chan. What a smart girl you are, Momo!”
”Fu-cha, fu-cha!”
Momo reached out for her, calling her name perfectly. My kid might be a genius. No, she’s a “transcendent” genius. …Even if she only calls me “Papa” on rare occasions.
”Anyway… did you see the building next door?” I asked. “The ‘Ddo-Buddy Manor’ is finally finished. You’ve got your own room, so I’ll show you around later.”
”Yes, thank you, Brother-in-law. But before that, we should talk. I heard you were desperately short-handed?”
”Ah, so you knew… Yeah, it’s embarrassing, but we’re drowning over here. If you’re willing to help, it would be a lifesaver.”
”Of course. Crown Princess Ierse gave me strict orders to make sure I earn plenty of favors from the Canaria Kingdom and the ‘Harvest’.”
Flearis took Momo from Lily and giggled as she held the toddler. I feel bad asking her to work the moment she stepped off the carriage from Coalmine, but honestly, I wasn’t going to turn her down.
I took her up on the offer immediately and sat her down to explain the situation-how the “Holy Figure” Loire-Rose was coming to meet Sister Amelia, and how we expected the Wielope Empire to try something during the welcoming ceremony.
She listened intently, nodding along while playing with Momo. After a brief silence, she spoke up.
”If that’s the case, I can definitely help. House Popol has always dealt with that side of things… and since I’m an ‘irregular’ factor here, it’ll throw off the enemy’s predictions.”
”That’s a huge relief. There’s going to be a ceremony for Amelia’s arrival, so I’ll probably have you join the security detail. You can get the specifics from Muse, the Queen’s head maid.”
”Understood.”
Come to think of it, our first meeting was when she was trying to kill me… I thought to myself as she spoke. Amelia had been there, too.
Amelia had used her holy magic to save me when Flearis had a knife to my throat… and now, that same Flearis was going to work to protect Amelia. Life really does take some strange turns.
”Also, and I’m really sorry to pile this on, but we’re falling behind on production too. Do you think you could help with the manufacturing…?”
”Yes, I heard about that as well. I actually stopped by to pay my respects to Her Majesty the Queen before coming here.”
”Man, I’m really putting you through the wringer…”
”Oh, don’t worry about it. Besides, I’ve also heard about the ‘new product.’ If you tell me that information in detail, Ierse-sama will surely be pleased too.”
Damn, I thought, Flearis didn’t just come back to visit; she came to work. Well, Princess Ierse always did want her to be a bridge between us, and I wasn’t about to complain about deepening ties with Coalmine…
”Ah-well, yeah, I’m working on the launch and I’d love the help… but the manufacturing process is technically top secret, you know?”
The new product, “Wriggle Ddo-Buddy,” is a product made by having the raw materials exported from the Ferguson Kingdom. I can’t really favor only Coalmine. However, Flearis returned the words lightheartedly.
”I was told to ask if I could, but that’s fine. However, I’d like you to send the actual item immediately. She was absolutely livid that you were only told that a ‘new product’ was made, and the actual item was not enclosed. She said this is like being kept alive in torture.”
”…Wasn’t that person pregnant right now?”
”Even so, it seems she wants to keep it on hand. I understand her feelings very well.”
Yeah, that person is generous as usual, or something. Probably, it’s not a story about whether she’ll use it or what, but she’s curious about how much it will sell. As expected of a former princess of a trading nation.
Anyway, thanks to Flearis, it seems things will become much easier both mentally and practically. Really, it helped that she came back at this timing. When I honestly thought so and said my thanks, she smiled brightly with a slightly suggestive face.
”Fufu, I’m happy to be of help. …By the way, for someone like me, I think the joy of reunion and… a reward is necessary, but how about it? I’d like you to tell me plenty about the ‘new product’ too… right, big bro-in-law… ♡?”
It seemed that in the short time I hadn’t seen her, she had become quite the little flirt.
—
Summary:
The protagonist prepares for an assassination attempt on Sister Amelia by the Wielope Empire. Amidst the stress, Flearis Popol returns from the Coalmine Kingdom, having gained noble favor. She is immediately recruited to help with both shop security and the production of a new adult product.
—
Trivia:
- Flearis was originally an assassin who targeted the protagonist.
- The ‘Wriggle Ddo-Buddy’ uses raw materials from the Ferguson Kingdom, making it a sensitive trade item.
- Princess Ierse is currently pregnant.
- The protagonist moved into a new manor recently (‘Ddo-Buddy Manor’)
—
Character Insight:
The protagonist struggles with a work-life balance while feeling guilty about viewing Flearis as labor. Flearis shows growth from an assassin to a savvy political operative and family member, though she maintains a flirtatious edge toward the protagonist.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The chapter highlights the ‘Isekai’ trope of leveraging noble connections for business expansion while maintaining personal harems.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Loire-Rose – The current Saintess, possessing a divine appearance yet a modern, playful, and irreverent attitude that clashes with Church tradition. She has white hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and wears clergy robes.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• 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.
• Flearis – A member of the diplomatic envoy and guard. Has pink hair. Lily’s sister or Martin’s younger foster sister. Has pink hair. Member of the covert unit. Displays a cold, almost vengeful pragmatism when reporting her sister’s words to Martin.
• 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.
• Momo – The newborn daughter of Kento and Lily. She has pink hair and her father’s ear and eyebrow shapes.
• Ierse – The Crown Princess and wife of Gilliam, originally from a foreign land. She is described as lively and healthy with a unique charm. She wants to cheer up her husband. Has long haired hair.
• 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.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply