Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 36: Saint Jones
“Gallant, immediately gather your team. As for how many gold coins you’ll need, just report the number directly to Jean. But make sure my villa is completed before the start of the next semester!”
Merlin said this as he pushed the box full of gold coins toward Jean.
“This is your startup capital. Take it and use it first—if it’s not enough, we’ll see about more later.”
Jean held the iron box overflowing with coins. He hadn’t expected Merlin to trust him so completely. There must be at least a thousand coins inside. To have so many entrusted entirely to him—wasn’t Merlin worried he might embezzle them?
Yet, Merlin’s trust was genuine; he would only hand over such a treasure if he truly believed in Jean. As Jean glanced at the alchemy furnaces working in the empty yard, he realized one furnace alone couldn’t possibly keep up with the production demand. He would have to get Old Deng’s blueprints for making this device if he wanted to increase efficiency.
Arcane Academy · Mage Tower · Rear Garden
In the rear garden, only a few red-crowned, white-feathered chickens wandered lazily across the grass. One particularly beautiful hen was washing herself in a small pond, completely unaware of the danger lurking nearby.
Behind the bushes of the garden, two Old Dengs were quietly observing them. One of the Old Dengs’ eyes glinted with mischief.
“Just tell me—are you helping me with this, or not?”
The legendary hero, the head of the Arcane Academy, a powerful demigod—Hesjones Weber—leaned in like a sly old man, draping his hand over the shoulder of an elder dressed in simple robes.
The elder was modestly dressed: a plain white linen robe covering his frail frame, a white scarf around his neck drawing the eye. Time had left deep marks on his face, and his thinning hair shimmered silver in the sunlight.
His eyes were profound, lined with wrinkles that only enhanced the wisdom and kindness shining from them. His skin was pale from years of prayer in the church, yet his hands—spotted with age and veins—still radiated warmth and stability, conveying the power of faith.
Anyone from the Church of Light would kneel devoutly at the sight of this elder. For beside Weber stood the Pope of the Church of Light, the foremost follower of the Goddess of Light—Saint Jones himself.
Jones could not fathom why his old friend had summoned him for such an unspeakably disgraceful task. If anyone else knew, it would be social death, without question.
“Weber, are you insane? You want a Pope to do this?” Jones said, incredulous. Though not an orthodox Pope, outsiders would see him as supremely sacred and devout.
But Weber knew exactly what kind of demigod Jones truly was.
Jones was a natural rebel, a demigod with a radiant affinity that rivaled even the Goddess of Light herself. Weber had heard him say more than once that if the Goddess of Light had been born a few years earlier, the divine seat would have been his.
On the continent of Aize, a godly seat could only belong to one divine being. Only if the original deity fell could a demigod ascend to claim the position.
Even the Goddess of Light knew Jones was rebellious, but in her perverse sense of humor, she would not punish him. Instead, she placed him in the position of Pope of the Light Temple, ensuring she could irritate him every day.
“Just do me a favor. I can only rely on you for this. I don’t trust anyone else. One demigod handling this… if it got out—”
“Then why the hell did you call me?”
“I thought if it leaked, at least there’d be a scapegoat.”
“Go to hell!”
“Well, well… looks like there’s a new Old Deng today.”
Behind the two demigods, Merlin entered the garden carrying a large food box, his face showing genuine surprise at the scene.
“Merlin, my young friend, you’re here?” Weber’s voice carried no shock at all. Jones, however, was visibly astonished.
“This youth… you know him, ‘young friend’?” Jones whispered, bewildered. Weber was a demigod himself, and yet the young man before them was not some aged veteran of countless battles—he was stunningly handsome, radiating a presence that seemed to hide immense power. Perhaps he was the legendary God of Beauty himself?
“Don’t overthink it. Merlin and I are friends beyond age.”
“Old Deng, who is this?” Merlin asked, his eyes on Jones. The elder exuded an aura of sacred inviolability.
“This is my old friend Jones. I’ve come to ask him for help.” Weber gestured toward the few chickens playing nearby.
“You don’t mean…”
Weber chuckled. “Yes, I plan to do it your way, but this old fellow refuses. Perhaps you could convince him?”
“We’ll discuss that later. I have something else for you. Here, try this new delicacy I made.”
Merlin opened the food box, grinning. “You were the first person I thought of when I made it. Pretty thoughtful, right?”
Weber gave a thumbs-up, flopping onto the grass without a shred of dignity. “Truly worthy of being my intergenerational friend. Let’s see what culinary magic you’ve conjured.”
Jones frowned. “Weber, when did you start caring about food?”
“You don’t understand. This is the greatest alchemy! Young Merlin has combined flavors in a wholly new way. I’m not indulging my appetite—I’m exploring the art of flavor alchemy!” Weber snorted proudly.
“Hah, let me see… wait, isn’t this just roasted chicken? Legs, neck… what’s that? Heads and innards? You really plan to eat this?”
Weber had no qualms about chicken heads or innards. In his youth, he’d eaten far grosser things just to survive.
“Bet you won’t eat it.” Weber sniffed the aroma and smiled, completely absorbed.
“Oh really? Then I’ll take a bite!” Jones grabbed a chicken heart and popped it into his mouth, chewing a few times before pausing, then grabbed a chicken liver.
“I ate too fast before, couldn’t taste it. Let’s try again.”
Weber watched him with a disdainful smirk. “Delicious, isn’t it?”
Jones huffed, grabbed a braised chicken leg, and said, “Still can’t taste it. One more try.”
“Damn it! This was made for me by young Merlin!”
“Hey, we’re friends. Don’t be stingy—let me try that chicken frame in your hands.”
“Go away, you old man!”
Merlin rolled his eyes at the two elders, fighting shamelessly over a few pieces of food. He sat down beside them. “Enough horsing around. The furnaces you made aren’t quite enough. I plan to expand production. Make me two more, or better yet, sell me the blueprints.”