Kays Translations

Chapter 268: Directly in Your Head

Now, what should I do? It seems that there are no temples or altars dedicated to the spirits in the places I can think of. In that case, should I just make one in an appropriate place? But...

"Julius, Julius"

Who is speaking directly into my mind? And this voice sounds familiar. Yes, it's the spirit of the lake.

"What's wrong, all of a sudden?"

"Such a grand thing isn't necessary. A small shrine will do."

How did the spirit of the lake know about the shrine? It seems that the god who sent me to this world and the spirit have some kind of connection. If that's the case, there's no problem.

A shrine will be fine. Understood.

"What's the matter, Julius?"

"Just now, I received some valuable words from the spirit of the lake."

"What in the world..."

Daniella, my sister-in-law, turned pale. It seems she took it as something ominous. Indeed, if you hear a voice in your head, that would be the reaction. I hurriedly waved my hands.

"It's okay, it's not bad news. It seems I just need to make a shrine and offer things there."

"A shrine? But still, to speak to you for such a thing..."

"They must have really wanted some dried fruits."

When I said that with a smile, my brother and sister-in-law forced a smile as well. They probably thought, "What a glutton." What a coincidence, I am too.

But with this, offering things at the shrine has become the plan. Now, where to place it?

"Brother, may I create a small room in the corner of the courtyard to place the shrine?"

"Yes, the garden is a place where many people come and go. The quiet courtyard might be better."

"I think it's a good idea. When I return to the castle, I'll suggest making a shrine as well."

"Thank you."

That being said, I don't think there's a need for the royal family to worship the spirit. Perhaps they want to maintain some connection. Maybe I said something unnecessary again.

"I'll discuss this with Father too. Julius, could you think about the design?"

"Understood. Leave it to me."

I'll make it with wooden double doors. The interior will be triple-layered, with the innermost part being non-opening. In the innermost part, I'll place a "spirit stone" representing the spirit. I'll make the shrine as small as possible to make it easy to carry.

I parted ways with my brother and returned to the workshop once again. It’s unusually busy today. Should I make the shrine another day?

"Hurry, hurry and make it."

"……"

"Julius-sama, is something the matter?"

"No, nothing. I just feel like my motivation is being sapped away."

"Huh?"

Nero looks puzzled, but I want to be puzzled right along with him. I just wanted to do something nice...

As I was diligently making the shrine with the wood lying around in the workshop, Rosalia arrived carrying Mira. It seems she successfully reported to Mother.

"Brother, Father and Mother are calling for you."

"Got it. Did something happen?"

Rosalia and Mira both tilted their heads in unison. That's quite a high level of cuteness. Nero is trying to hide his smile. He’s probably in awe.

Not sure what happened, but I headed to the office immediately. Rosalia and the others followed behind me.

I knocked on the door before entering. Inside were not only my parents but also my brother Alex. Is it about the shrine? If I say, "It's a request from the spirit," I think I can push it through...

"Excuse me. Did something happen? Oh, is it about the shrine? The spirit insisted on it, so..."

"No, it's not about the shrine. I heard about that from Alex. We will set up a place in the courtyard, so place it there."

"Thank you. So, what is this about?"

Ugh, I feel everyone's eyes on me. Everyone is smiling, so it doesn't seem to be bad news. Then Alex's almost closed eyes turned towards me.

"Julius, you said earlier that you hadn't caused any trouble, right?"

"Yes, but... I mean, I really haven't, right?"

As I tilted my head in confusion, Mother, sitting next to Father, leaned forward a bit. Could it be about the "dishwashing machine"? If so, they should ask Rosalia directly...

"I heard, Julius. You created a magical potion called 'liquid detergent' that removes even the most stubborn stains, didn't you?"

"Oh…"

That!? Sure, I thought it was a hassle to turn soap into liquid detergent every time, so I made a detergent that was already in liquid form from the start. And while I was at it, I made it better at removing stains and easier to rinse off.

"It's becoming quite popular. Not just the knight brigade, but we've had requests from here to use it too."

"I heard you also made a dishwashing liquid? It's said to be very effective at removing grease with a small amount and it doesn't harm the hands."

It seems the chefs tried out the performance of the liquid detergent after we left. For a small amount of dishes, it's definitely faster to hand wash than to use a dishwasher.

They must have been testing out new recipes. They're quick to act. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight.

"What do you intend to do?"

"What do you mean?"

Oh, Father's holding his head in his hands. I didn't say anything wrong, did I? But Mother and Alex are looking at me with exasperated expressions.

"Are you planning to sell it?"

Ah, I hadn't thought that far. I just wanted to make things more convenient for the people in the Heine Marquis household, but maybe I should consider selling it to the public. However, if I make it every time, there won't be enough time. This calls for my usual delegation strategy.

"I'll sell the recipe to the Magic Potion Guild."

"That might be the best idea. Or, given how far this has come, perhaps we should hire a dedicated potion maker and sell it as a product of the Heine Marquis household along with the dried fruits."

"Oh, in that case, why not add the magical tools that Julius and Rosalia made to the product line?"

"That makes sense. We'll need a magical tool craftsman too. I'll leave it to you, Alex."

"Of course, Father."

Alex's face twisted dramatically. It seems Father also delegated everything to Alex.

Apparently, my tendency to delegate comes from Father. Like father, like son, as they say.

Oh, Brother Alex is glaring at me a bit. Oops.

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