Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 226: Tea Party with the Queen
While Selfers was explaining the magic giant’s scribe golem writer, his wife Nicolette had been invited to the Queen’s private chamber.
“It’s been a while, Nicolette.”
“I apologize for not visiting the royal capital more often, Your Majesty.”
“Fufu, it can’t be helped. Your territory is far, and travel costs a fortune. If you visited too frequently, I’d have to reprimand you instead.”
The Queen, draped in an elegant dress, chuckled warmly. The tea room, adorned with colorful flowers and bathed in sunlight streaming through large glass windows, created a bright and serene atmosphere.
Her full name was Lurutochka Staleen—the current Queen of the Staleen Kingdom.
Despite having turned fifty this year, she looked at least a decade younger. Born as the eldest daughter of Marquis Tourmines, a powerful noble from the kingdom’s southeastern region, she married the current king, Nerlich, around thirty years ago when he was still the crown prince. Upon the previous king’s retirement, she ascended as Queen.
The Tourmines Territory, along with the Chartreuse Territory—who had ties to Isamu and his companions—was a major force supporting the royal faction in the southern region.
Hailed as a prodigy since her youth, Lurutochka’s slightly droopy yet gentle eyes and stunning beauty had made her immensely popular among the people even before she became Queen. Now, she was affectionately known as the “Mother of the Nation,” and her popularity remained unwavering.
“You’re too formal. You’re part of the ‘Witches’ Tea Party,’ so just call me by name.”
“…Understood, Luru-sama.”
“Good. That’s better.”
Pleased to be addressed by her nickname, Queen Lurutochka nodded contentedly and took a sip from her cup.
The “Witches’ Tea Party” was an exclusive gathering organized by the Queen, attended only by noblewomen with magic aptitude.
Known as the “Witch of the Forest,” Nicolette was naturally a member. However, until last year, the Klaufeldt family had been struggling financially, so she had rarely been able to attend.
Incidentally, the Queen herself was also an exceptional mage.
“That magic stove is truly convenient. It’s wonderful to have hot water for tea instantly.”
“And since it doesn’t produce smoke, it can be used in reception rooms as well.”
The Queen glanced at the side table, where a compact magic stove sat, and spoke with delight.
Before the magic stove had been sold to the public, an early batch had been gifted to the Queen. Later, a more compact version, designed for camping but adorned with elegant decorations, had been privately sent to her.
Since it emitted no smoke or odor and took up little space, it had become invaluable for boiling water in private rooms and reception halls.
“Well then, let’s get to the main topic. Clarisse asked me to hear your petition. Can you explain in detail?”
After savoring the aroma and taste of her tea, the Queen set down her cup and brought up the matter at hand.
“Lady Luru, are you familiar with the ‘picture stories’ that have recently become popular in the city?”
“Yes, I’ve heard they’re performed in several places in the capital. The ones done by the church are free, making them especially popular.”
Nicolette’s question was met with the Queen’s reply.
As the Queen said, the picture stories, which Isamu and his allies had pioneered through the church, had now spread throughout the kingdom.
The royal capital was no exception. Aside from the original church-sponsored stories, several merchant guilds had also started producing them, and they had gained traction as an easily accessible form of entertainment.
“Do you know which performance has been particularly popular lately?”
“Lately? I heard that the story about the wanderer and his familiar, who defended a town, is quite popular, but that’s been around from the start, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. The one I’m referring to is called ‘The Traitor and the Ancient Giant.’”
“…That story also originated from your people, didn’t it?”
The moment she heard the title, the Queen’s expression hardened.
“This picture story has been encouraged as a way to learn literacy while being enjoyable, and we wish to gather donations for orphanages through it…”
“I see. Now that you mention it, I’ve heard rumors that certain nobles have been pressuring against it.”
“Yes. Since the church is involved, their efforts haven’t been overt yet… But beyond being entertainment, picture stories serve as a valuable means of education and a crucial source of funding for orphanages. It would be a waste to let some noble’s interference ruin it.”
“Fufufu, you’re right. It would indeed be a waste.”
“Furthermore, soon, a theatrical adaptation of this story will be performed on a grand scale at Clarisse’s theater.”
“A full-fledged play…?”
“Yes. And I would like for you, Luru-sama, to attend the performance. Publicly, as an official duty. And afterward, I’d like you to release a statement evaluating the play.”
“…”
“In return, we have prepared a story featuring both His Majesty and yourself as key figures.”
Nicolette paused to gauge the Queen’s reaction.
“…Not a bad proposal.”
The Queen gave a short response.
“Thank you. Incidentally, the magic device my husband is currently presenting to His Majesty is a groundbreaking invention capable of transmitting messages from the Plazzo battlefield in under an hour.”
“An hour!?”
Even the Queen couldn’t hide her astonishment at this revelation.
“Yes. His Majesty will soon receive real-time war reports, and within days, this innovation will be publicly announced. The timing of the play’s release will align with that announcement.”
“…I see. So the groundwork is already in place. Fine, I’ll go along with it.”
After a moment of contemplation, the Queen made her decision.
“Thank you.”
Nicolette bowed deeply in response.
“It’s no trouble. The royal family and the kingdom both stand to benefit, and the risk is minimal.”
“I’m grateful to hear that.”
“Fufu, don’t act so humble. You never considered the possibility of me refusing, did you?”
“…I am honored.”
The Queen chuckled, and Nicolette bowed once again.
“Phew, that settles the serious matters. Let’s enjoy some more tea.”
Leaning back on the sofa, the Queen signaled for a fresh pot to be brought in.
“My, after such a long time apart, you bring me quite the heavy topic.”
“I apologize. But I have brought a special gift to make up for it…”
The Queen sighed theatrically but smiled as she did so. Nicolette exchanged glances with a maid.
A beautifully decorated box was brought in by a female knight and placed on the table before the Queen.
“Oh my, how exquisite… A knife? And it’s made of mithril?”
The Queen picked up the silvery-green blade and examined it with admiration.
The hilt and sheath bore intricate decorations, but most striking of all was the blade’s pure mithril composition.
“Oh? Is that a magic stone? Could this be…?”
Noticing a neatly cut, attribute-less magic stone inside the box, the Queen glanced at Nicolette.
“Yes, it is a magic sword, though in the form of a knife.”
“Oh my! Oh my, oh my, oh my!!”
Upon hearing this, a beaming smile spread across the Queen’s face.
From a young age, Queen Lurutochka was known for both her beauty and intelligence. Even now, she is revered as a model of grace and often called the “Mother of the Nation.” However, very few people know that she is actually a die-hard enthusiast of magic swords.
Not only that, but in her youth, she personally led a group of knights into ruins in search of magic swords, using magic herself to defeat monsters. Only a handful of people are aware of this hidden past—a so-called “black history.”
Clarisse and Nicolette are among the few who know this secret, as Queen Lurutochka frequently visited the southwestern region, which is rich in ruins.
Although they were about ten years apart in age, the two of them, still young children at the time, often played with the queen when she visited. They listened to her stories of venturing into ruins, and, inspired by the strong and beautiful Lurutochka, both set their sights on attending the magic academy.
“This is an original magic sword, a one-of-a-kind creation made through the collaboration of a lost craftsman and our house’s artisans.”
“What?! You actually made this?!”
For a devoted magic sword fanatic like the queen, the idea that an original magic sword could be crafted was nothing short of a dream come true.
She stared at the sword from every angle, as if trying to burn every detail into her mind.
“Here, we have written instructions on how to use it. Please take a look.”
Nicolette handed a sealed envelope to the queen.
“Thank you. Let’s see…”
The queen took out the document from the envelope and began reading. However, after just a few lines, she suddenly froze. Her shoulders began trembling.
“N-n-n…”
“Luru-sama?”
“W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”
A sudden, unexpected scream.
“What’s the matter?!”
“Your Majesty!”
The female knight standing nearby swiftly approached, gripping the hilt of her sword. Another knight, who had been standing guard outside the room, rushed in upon hearing the queen’s shout.
It was only natural for them to react this way—after all, the queen rarely raised her voice.
“D-dual attribute switching?! Not even the royal treasury has something like this…”
“…”
The queen, however, paid no mind to the concerned knights around her. She continued to stare at the instructions, muttering to herself.
Nicolette and the knights exchanged bewildered glances.
“…L-Luru-sama?”
“Nicolette!!”
“Y-yes?!”
Nicolette nearly jumped out of her seat when the queen suddenly called her name.
“The things written in this manual… are they true?”
“Y-yes. Isamu explained it to me, and I even saw a demonstration, so there’s no mistake.”
“I see… So it’s real…”
Hearing this, the queen wasted no time inserting a magic stone into the pommel of the sword and activating it.
She then touched the magic stone embedded near the base of the hilt.
At that moment, the magic stone glowed yellow, and the blade briefly emitted a faint yellow light.
The knights and Nicolette held their breath, watching intently as the queen tapped the flat of the blade and examined it from different angles.
After a moment, she reached for another magic stone, embedded on the opposite side.
This time, the blade and the stone glowed white-purple, emitting a faint crackling sound.
“Haaah… How… how exquisite…”
The queen sighed in admiration, gazing at the sword with a dreamy expression.
“Nicolette, this is truly a marvelous creation! Thank you!”
She deactivated the magic sword by touching the pommel stone, then turned to Nicolette and grasped her hands firmly.
“This sword is worthy of being a national treasure!”
“EHHH?!”
Nicolette couldn’t help but cry out in shock at the queen’s unexpected declaration.
The sword that Isamu and his team had crafted was a newly designed mithril dagger, beautifully decorated, made specifically as a gift for the queen, given her well-known love for magic swords.
By utilizing a method that allowed multiple attributes to be drawn from a non-elemental magic stone, they had experimentally imbued the sword with both earth and lightning attributes.
Since activating both at once would cause interference, they had installed magic stones on either side of the guard, allowing the user to switch between the two attributes.
The lightning attribute’s enchantment was copied directly from an existing magic circle, but aside from that, the design was entirely original.
As a gift for the queen, the sword’s power output had been deliberately lowered to minimize its lethality.
Nicolette had, of course, witnessed the sword’s performance firsthand. However, her reaction had been more along the lines of: Oh great, another one of these things…
After all, she had already seen a slew of outrageous magic inventions, including a magic-powered golem scribe and a magitech vehicle. At this point, a man-made magic sword hardly fazed her.
But the queen was different. No—perhaps it would be more accurate to say that even the queen had never seen anything like this before.
The royal treasury housed a vast collection of rare magic artifacts, the largest in the country.
However, most of these items, apart from their appearances, were functionally similar to widely available magic tools.
In most cases, practical magic devices were duplicated and mass-produced to enhance society’s convenience.
As a result, the original magical artifacts crafted by Isamu were incredibly rare.
The dual-attribute switching sword was something never before discovered, making it a truly national treasure-worthy creation in the queen’s eyes.
“Phew… Sorry about that. I got a little too excited for my age. But really, bringing something this outrageous as a casual gift—what kind of person are you?”
Finally composed, the queen took another sip of tea—one of the many fresh cups she had brewed that day—as she spoke.
“…My apologies. It seems my sense of normalcy had become rather skewed.”
Realizing just how absurd the situation was, Nicolette shrank slightly and offered a small apology.
“Fufu, there’s no need to apologize. Honestly, you’ve brought quite the interesting person into your family’s life. I’d love to have a conversation with him sometime.”
“Understood. I’ll arrange for a meeting at an appropriate time.”
“Thank you. But… this isn’t everything, is it? I haven’t been able to take my mind off the basket at your feet since earlier.”
“You noticed? I brought it as a last resort in case our conversation didn’t go well, but…”
Nicolette let out a wry smile as she lifted the basket onto the table and opened the lid.
“Meow.”
A tabby cat with a striped coat popped its head out, striking a playful bonyaal pose before tilting its head slightly and letting out a soft cry.