Kays Translations

Chapter 14: The Villainous Aristocrat Creates Murder Fan

I had returned from the capital city and immediately started crafting useful items using the magic ore Lerdo, my uncle, had given me.

"Whirr, whirr, whirr—Behold, the electric fan!"

"Wow!!! Onii-sama, that's amazing!!"

"Kunou-kun, what is that?" 

I briefly explained the mechanism of the electric fan to Wendy and Felsy.

"This device creates wind by spinning its blades. I thought it might be useful when the hot days of summer arrive."

"Let's use it right away, onii-sama!!"

"Hold on. Calm down a bit, Wendy."

I stopped Wendy, who was eager to use the electric fan, and stepped back from both of them.

Then, I instructed them to hold the iron tower shields I had prepared in advance.

"Um, onii-sama?"

"Kunou-kun, what's with these shields?"

"Both of you, probably definitely absolutely, please don't peek because it might be dangerous."

I infused magic into the electric fan.

The blades spun smoothly, creating a pleasant breeze.

I channeled more magic into it.

The fan blades whirred loudly, and then a disturbing "snap" echoed.

In the next moment...

—PAHYUNN!!!!

A satisfying sound resonated through the room.

It seemed the base of the fan blades had broken, causing the blades to soar through the air like a frisbee.

With tremendous force, they impaled the wall of the room, marking the moment when I knew I would definitely be scolded by my mother.

A fan capable of murder...it was truly a lethal fan.

"Onii-sama..."

"Kunou-kun..."

"Inhale, exhale..."

"Onii-sama!! What's with that 'Well, it's just something like this' expression on your face!!"

"Kunou-kun!! Inventions are great, but what if you got hurt!!"

"Failure is the stepping stone to success. Whose quote was that again?"

"Listen to us!!"

I'm fine, no problem.

It's just like me not to get it right on the first try.

I'll review the durability and start over from scratch.

Anyway, I hope these peaceful days will continue forever.

And just when I thought that...

"Hmm. While it sounds nice to say that the Drana territory is abundant in nature, it's still too rural for my taste."

I recognized this well-endowed woman.

Because I met her in the castle.

A woman clad not in glamorous dresses but in practical attire, allowing easy movement.

Her aura, reminiscent of sensuality, wouldn't be an exaggeration to call a handsome beauty in disguise, exuding an aura that would undoubtedly make women popular.

Her name was Freya, the queen of this country.

"Why are you here?" 

Freya was lounging in our living room.

My mother's cheeks twitched, a mannerism she exhibited when scolding Aslan, as she inquired.

"How cruel. Is this the attitude you have towards a friend you haven't seen in a long time?"

"You shouldn't be here, or rather, I shouldn't be meeting you at all. That's why I have this attitude."

"It's just a routine inspection of the province. Ah, are you worried about the work at the castle? Don't fret. My double handles everything there."

The body double must be really burdened with the queen's work, huh?

No, wait!!

Huh? Seriously, why is she here!?

"In truth, the provincial inspection is just an excuse."

"I figured."

"The real reason is that I wanted to ride the magic-powered motorcycle your son, Kunou, created."

"...I see."

My mother's eyes glared at me.

Pretend you don't know. If I act clueless and later my father accidentally spills the beans, I might avoid the lecture.

Freya, please, don't say anything unnecessary!!

"The other day, the guard I assigned to Eleanor betrayed her. She was about to be kidnapped when Kunou came to her rescue. He apparently ran over the kidnapper with his magic-powered motorcycle."

Oh!! You're quick to spill the beans with that big smile!!

"Kunou, tell me all the details later."

"...Yes."

My mother's smiling face was incredibly intimidating.

"And one more thing, Kunou. If there's something you've made that you'd be willing to let me have, would you consider selling it to me?"

"Huh?"

"What you seem to be averse to are items like the magic-powered motorcycle, things that, depending on how they're used, could potentially redefine the nature of warfare, right? Come on, is there anything?"

Well, even if you ask me suddenly...

I have prototypes like hair dryers and washing machines, but the only finished product I have is the fan.

The fan is out of the question.

If a propeller ends up in the queen's head, it would probably be an instant death sentence.

So that leaves the hairdryer or the washing machine. But I doubt the queen would be pleased to receive a washing machine.

"How about a hairdryer then? It's convenient for drying hair."

"Oh!!"

It seems the queen was a huge fan of baths.

There was a large bathhouse in the castle, and she was said to soak in the tub whenever she wasn't working or sleeping.

However, she found it troublesome that her hair took a long time to dry.

I handed the hairdryer to Freya for her to try.

"This is great!! I definitely want it!! How much is it?"

"Huh? Well, about the price..."

It's not something commonly available, and at the moment, I'm the only one who can make it.

Considering the technology and its rarity, among other factors...

"Roughly, I'd say around twenty gold coins?"

Twenty gold coins was a substantial amount.

Items that were affordable in my past life became expensive in this world.

I boldly set the price.

I did, but...

"Too cheap. Set it higher."

"Huh? Um, really? Uh?"

"Listen, your creations are life-changing tools. You don't have to sell what you don't want to, but for what you sell, set the price higher. Let's see, around fifty gold coins should be fine."

W-Wait, isn't that too much!?

That's an amount I could live on modestly for several years!

"Now that I've done my shopping—"

"You can leave through that way."

"Don't say something so impossible. I'm going to stay here for a while."

"...Huh?"

Both my mother and I made dumbfounded noises simultaneously.

"I came here to escape the bothersome political affairs for a while. Let me stretch my wings here for a few weeks. No need for a grand welcome. ...By the way, you two really do have similar surprised expressions."

Sheesh, this queen. She's a bit too free-spirited.

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