Kays Translations

Chapter 131: Testing the “Hair Dryer”

A few days after the engagement with Agnis was announced.

I was spending tea time alone with Rukie.

Agnis and General Reisenga returned to their territory yesterday.

Apparently, there are various preparations to make before the engagement announcement ceremony.

Mabel is in the kitchen, making tea sweets with her fellow maids.

So right now, it’s just me and Rukie.

Since it’s a good opportunity, I decided to unveil a newly made item.

“This is a prototype of the ‘dryer.'”

I handed a metal cylinder to Rukie.

“I can’t afford to waste the ‘rainbow magic stone.’ So before making the complete version with transformation functions, I tried creating a standalone ‘dryer.'”

From now on, to protect Mabel, I plan to incorporate both a ‘security buzzer’ and a ‘dryer’ function into the ‘Water Spirit Stone Pendant.’

This is one of the prototypes I made as a preliminary step.

“Ohh. So this is the ‘dryer’ from the other world.”

Rukie nodded with satisfaction, holding the ‘dryer.’

The ‘dryer’ is a metal cylinder with a handle attached.

When you touch it and pour in magic power, either hot air or cool air flows out.

──────────────────

‘Dryer’ (Attributes: Wind Wind, Fire, Water Water Water)
(Rarity: ★★★★)

Uses the power of a wind magic stone to produce a strong airflow.

Uses the power of a fire magic stone to heat the airflow.

Uses the power of a strong water magic stone to cool the airflow to its limits.

The ‘dryer’ is an item that dries hair using warm air.

When you place your finger on the fire magic stone and pour in magic power, warm air flows out.

The wind is soft and gentle, drying the hair without damaging it.

In emergencies, it can activate the ‘Minus Low Temperature’ mode.

‘Minus Low Temperature’ mode is activated by folding the handle and pouring magic power into the water magic stone at the base.

(This is a safety mechanism to prevent accidental cold air release. It’s assumed that the reason the handle folds on the hero-world ‘dryer’ is for this mode.)

‘Minus Low Temperature’ mode can generate a violent storm like an ‘Ice Storm.’

Due to the heavy consumption of magic stones, it can only be used three times.

Physical Destruction Resistance: ★★★
Durability: 3 years

──────────────────

“I see… So it’s called a ‘dryer’ because it dries hair with warm air.”

Rukie examined the weight of the ‘dryer’ and flipped it around.

She seems to like it.

“It could probably dry hair in ‘Minus Low Temperature’ mode as well. If you freeze the hair at low temperature and just peel off the ice… though that would ruin the hair.”

“Yes. I agree completely, Rukie-sama.”

“…………”

“The ‘dryer’ is primarily meant to generate warm air. I consider the ‘Minus Low Temperature’ mode as a hidden weapon for emergencies. What do you think, Rukie-sama?”

“…………”

“Um, Rukie-sama?”

“Thor. We’re in the ‘simple storage’ inside your room, right?”

“Yes.”

“And Mabel is out, so it’s just the two of us here.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why do you still call me Rukie-sama’ when we’re family?”

“I’ve been wondering the same.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you sitting in the chair next to mine? Don’t you usually sit across from me?”

“Because we’re family?”

“…I see.”

“Do you object?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then you should start by changing how you call me.”

“Yes. Rukie.”

“Mm. That’s the spirit.”

Rukie brushed back her golden hair and laughed.

“I also think the cold-air function is a hidden weapon.”

“Right?”

“Washing and drying hair is something you can only do in a safe environment. So punishing someone who intrudes on that — now that’s what you’d call a real emergency.”

“That’s why I’d like you to try using this for a while, Rukie.”

“Is that alright?”

“I made three prototypes. I thought I’d let family use them first.”

“Then why are you still using formal speech with that family?”

“…I can’t change that immediately. Please let me keep it up for now.”

“Very well. Then I’d like to try the ‘dryer.’”

“I’ve prepared some water. Go ahead.”

I placed a bucket in front of Rukie.

…Hm, that makes it hard to use.

I can’t very well tell the Demon Lord to squat down and scoop water from a bucket to wet her hair.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll make it easier to draw water.”

From the ‘ultra-compact portable storage,’ I took out a wooden cylinder and a metal plate.

I attached the metal plate to one end of the cylinder, with the plate facing up… then brought the other end close to the bucket.

“‘Summon.’ ‘Come forth.’”

I poured magic power into the metal plate.

Shwaaa—

Water gushed out from the top of the cylinder.

“Now it’s easier to draw water. Please go ahead.”

“…………”

“I’ll hold the cylinder, so wet your hands or your hair as you like.”

“…………”

“Are you worried about the floor getting wet? I’ll wipe it up later, so don’t worry.”

“………Hey, Thor.”

“Yes, Rukie.”

“Why is water gushing out from the cylinder placed over the bucket?”

“Because I summoned it.”

“You summoned what?”

“Water.”

“How?”

“With ‘summoning magic.’”

“Summoning magic… then I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“It’s the kind of magic that summons heroes or monsters from another world, after all.”

“Then drawing up water from a bucket is a given.”

“It’d be stranger if it couldn’t.”

“Indeed.”

“Now then, Rukie. Don’t hold back — go ahead and test the ‘dryer.’”

“Alright. But before that—”

It was all so sudden.

Rukie grabbed my shoulders with both hands and stared intently at me.

“…Explain properly why you’re using ‘summoning magic’ for something like this, Thor.”

“Yes.”

That’s how it all started.

“Now that you mention it, you did say it. That you wanted to use ‘summoning magic’ to create items for ordinary households.”

After listening to my explanation, Rukie nodded in apparent understanding.

“You got permission too, didn’t you? So, it’s completed?”

“Yes. I named it the ‘Water Summoner.’”

──────────────────

Water Summoner (Attribute: Water, Water, Water) (Rarity: ★★★★★★★★★★)

An octagonal metal plate embedded with a ‘summoning magic’ circle.

The ‘summoning magic’ used by the Empire would summon magical beasts from another world using a catalyst.

This is a simplified version of that.

Using a ‘water attribute’ granted to the metal plate as a catalyst, it can pull water toward it.

Because it only draws water from nearby, there’s no need for a complicated ritual.

Infuse it with magical energy and chant “Summon” or “Come forth,” and it will draw water.

Physical Destruction Resistance: ★★★

Durability: 10 years

──────────────────

“This was made based on the hero world’s pump.”

I spread out a mail-order catalog in front of Rukie.

In the photo, a pipe is shown with water coming out. It’s much smaller than the hand pumps in this world.

Yet a large amount of water flows from the pipe.

“When I saw this picture, I instinctively understood. The hero world must be using ‘summoning magic’ to bring out water.”

I explained.

“So, as an application of that, I embedded a summoning magic circle into a metal plate with a water attribute.”

This ‘summoning magic’ has the characteristic of drawing similar things based on the catalyst.

The culprit who summoned the magical beast tried to summon a hero using a handkerchief from the hero world.

As a result, what came was a magical beast.

Maybe that was a magical beast from the hero world, but at any rate, they succeeded in pulling something from another world.

So, what if the catalyst was just water?

What if the spell was drastically simplified to only “Summon” or “Come forth,” and the target was restricted to water?

Through repeated experimentation, this ‘Water Summoner’ was created.

“After much trial and error, I finally got it to draw water. I’ve made various customizations to the magic circle and spell, but it worked. That’s the ‘Water Summoner.’”

“I see. So when you attach that metal plate to a pipe and infuse it with magic—”

“Yes. Water comes out of the pipe.”

“…Why are you so calm about this, Thor?”

Rukie looked at me curiously.

“You made something like this. Shouldn’t you be a lot happier?”

“Because it still doesn’t compare at all to the pumps from the hero world.”

In the mail-order catalog, water is flowing from the pipe even though no one is there.

That means that even without continuously infusing it with magical energy, it keeps summoning water.

But my ‘Water Summoner’ stops bringing water just a few seconds after I stop infusing magic.

It still doesn’t come close to the level of the hero world.

“The hero world doesn’t matter, does it!? This… this is amazing!”

With water splashing on her hands, Rukie’s eyes sparkled.

“With this, there’s no need to go to the well to fetch water anymore. We won’t need to transport water from underground sources to the surface. This is wonderful, Thor!”

“Thank you. That makes me happy.”

“I’d love to adopt this for the Demon Lord’s Castle… but can you mass-produce it!?”

“I think we can produce quite a few.”

The process isn’t all that complicated.

If the craftsmen in the Demon Lord’s territory make metal plates engraved with magic circles and spells, then I just use ‘Creative Alchemy’ to grant them the water attribute.

That should be enough to produce them in numbers.

“But there is one flaw in it.”

“A flaw?”

“The amount of water it produces… in other words, the output is unstable.”

“You mean the water volume changes depending on the magical energy infused?”

“That’s right. And another issue is that the maximum output is weak. I had Mabel infuse it with magic, and even then, the most we could get was a fountain-like flow.”

“…Well, isn’t that enough?”

“But with that output, we can’t attach a waterwheel and use it as a power source.”

I explained.

Rukie looked dumbfounded.

Huh? Did I say something weird?

No, but if I can move a large amount of water using magic, then I could turn a waterwheel with it, right?

And by using that as a power source, I could grind flour and such, right?

If I improved it further, maybe I could even use it to move wheels?

In the Hero’s world, they’ve probably already implemented water-powered mechanisms. Maybe they’ve even built carriages that run on water. If you turn a waterwheel using water, and use that power to rotate the wheels, you could move forward.

Wait, hold on. If you carry water, the carriage will become heavier. Which means you’d need even more water to move the heavier carriage. To solve that… maybe they’re using air instead of water as the power source. I’ll have to research this. Next time, I should create an “Air Summoner” to summon air──

Rumble, rumble.

“Hey, Thor! Don’t get lost in thought. Come back.”

Before I knew it, Rukie was shaking me.

She was looking at me with an exasperated expression.

“…Sorry. It looks like it’s still too early to use ‘Summoning Magic’ to move carriages.”

“No, no, you don’t need to go that far.”

“Really?”

“This ‘Water Summoner’ will change daily life in the Demon Lord’s territory. That’s more than enough.”

Rukie stared intently at the metal plate attached to the tube.

“After we show this to Kelve and the others, let’s try using it in the castle.”

“Yes, I think it’ll be helpful for those in charge of water-related tasks.”

“The kitchen staff, the maids, the bath attendants, the laundry workers… There must be countless uses.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

I wonder what kind of feedback everyone will give.

Maybe they’ll say they want better stability, or ask for wind to be summoned too, or for it to be smaller or larger. I hope we get a lot of suggestions. I’m excited.

“Still… I bet the ones who summoned those magical beasts never imagined their magic would end up being used for water-fetching tools…”

Rukie looked off to the south with distant eyes.

“The ‘Magical Beast Gargarossa’ and the ‘Magical Beast Nozerius’. Those who summoned them caused great trouble in the Demon Lord’s territory… But thanks to them, we were able to create items that will change this land. Let’s call it even.”

“Yes, Rukie-sama.”

“Hey, Thor. You’re calling me ‘Rukie-sama’ again.”

“…I’m just not used to it yet.”

“Well, fine. I’ll let it go since you made the ‘Water Summoner’ and the ‘Dryer’.”

“What about testing the ‘Dryer’?”

“Right. Let’s try wetting my hair with the water from the ‘Water Summoner’.”

Rukie brought her face close to the water outlet.

Then she touched the metal plate of the ‘Water Summoner’ and said,

“I just pour magic into here, right? Hmm, I think the water flow needs to be stronger. Let’s see… ‘Summon’, ‘Come forth’──there!”

“──!? Wait, Rukie!!”

The ‘Water Summoner’ reacts even to my weak magic.

If the Demon Lord Rukie, without any practice, pours her magic into it and summons──

Grab. Yank.

Fwoooosh!

“O-Ohhhhh!?”

“…Just in time.”

Right after I pulled Rukie away, water gushed out of the pipe.

It shot out with the force of a water cannon.

The ‘Water Summoner’ responded to Rukie’s magic and pulled in a huge amount of water.

And then it blasted it out at high speed.

“Please be careful. I told you the output isn’t stable yet, didn’t I?”

“R-Right. My apologies…”

“That was dangerous. A little more and you would’ve been completely soaked──”

SPLASH!

Rukie got completely soaked.

The water that had shot out like a fountain reached near the ceiling of the “Simple Storage” and came crashing down.

It hit Rukie’s body directly—while I was still holding her.

As a result──

“…Well, I guess the goal of wetting my hair was achieved.”

Rukie gave a troubled smile.

“Thor.”

“Yes?”

“Step outside the ‘Simple Storage’ for a moment. And lend me a towel. I need to dry off.”

“Do you have a change of clothes?”

“In the ‘Ultra-Compact Simple Storage’… Nope. Only a ‘Cognitive Inhibition’ mask and a robe are in there. Oh well. Thor, could you lend me something to wear?”

“Of course, no problem. But are you sure you’re okay with mine?”

“The ‘Cognitive Inhibition’ mask and robe aren’t wet. If I wear those, I’ll appear as the Demon Lord. No one will know what I’m wearing underneath.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare them right away.”

“Please do. If I stay in these wet clothes, I’ll catch a cold.”

Just as Rukie said that and reached for her dress──

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door of the ‘Simple Storage.’

Mabel had come back.

“T-This is bad. I can’t let Mabel see me soaked like this…”

“Huh? I think Mabel would be fine with it though?”

“…Mabel is your fiancée now, Thor.”

Rukie stared at me.

“Letting Thor’s fiancée see me soaked after messing up using one of his magic tools… I just don’t feel good about that. It’s like… showing her that I don’t really understand Thor…”

“…Is that how you feel?”

“Yes, that’s how I feel. I-It can’t be helped. If that’s the case──!”

Suddenly, Rukie placed her hand on the dress.

She blushed and glanced at me sideways──

“Turn your back! Quickly!!”

“Y-yes!”

“Listen carefully! Don’t look this way until I say it’s okay, got it!?”

“…Understood.”

When I turned my back── behind me, there was a soft ‘shuru’ sound.

Then, the sound of something wet being placed on the floor.

It was only a matter of a few dozen seconds.

After that──

“It’s alright now, Thor.”

I heard a voice and turned around… Rukie was standing there in her Demon Lord style.

Her usual large figure clad in a jet-black robe.

She wore a mask that concealed her expression.

“This should do. With the ‘Recognition Block’ mask and robe on, no matter what form is underneath, no one will notice.”

“…Um, Rukie.”

“…I’m not accepting questions, you know?”

“…What’s under that robe?”

“I told you I’m not accepting questions. More importantly, before anyone gets suspicious, bring Mabel inside.”

While drying her hair with a ‘hair dryer,’ Rukie said this.

Is this really okay?

…But since she’s not going to walk around the castle like that, maybe it’s fine.

……Let’s just say it’s fine.

Up until now, Rukie has been properly hiding her true identity with the ‘Recognition Block’ mask and robe.

Hiding what’s inside the robe for a short time shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Knock, knock.

The knocking sound came again.

“Sorry, Mabel. I’m opening the door now.”

“I brought some tea. Huh? Your Majesty?”

Mabel tilted her head as she looked at Rukie in her Demon Lord style.

“Your Majesty? Why are you dressed like that inside the ‘Simple Storage’?”

“Just a change of mood.”

“Could it be that this is an official occasion?”

“Not at all. You can’t dress like this for an official event.”

“But that is your official appearance… right?”

“…Ugh.”

“And the floor is wet because…”

“Ei.”

Splash.

“Wah!? Thor-sama!? Why did you suddenly pour water over your head!?”

“I wet my hair to test the ‘hair dryer.’ That’s why the floor got wet.”

“But you just got wet now, right!? Isn’t the timeline strange!?”

“Strange things always happen in alchemy experiments…”

“…I, I see. Anyway, you should change clothes.”

“Then, Mabel, could you help me?”

“Huh?”

“My clothes might be wet and hard to take off, so I want your help.”

“That’s exactly what I hoped for… N-no, it’s no trouble.”

“I put my change of clothes in the ‘ultra-compact simple storage,’ so I’ll change here. But I can’t let the Demon Lord see me changing…”

“I’ll just be considered to be outside.”

Rukie and I exchanged glances and nodded at the same time.

“I’ll change here.”

“I’ll be outside the ‘Simple Storage.’”

“My clothes are in the dresser in the room.”

“But since Thor will change here, it’s not necessary.”

“That’s right. The shirt at the very top of the closet is long enough that it would cover the Demon Lord down to his knees.”

“Since Thor will change here, it’s not necessary.”

“Wearing two shirts layered might be safer.”

“Since Thor will change here, that comment is meaningless.”

“Absolutely meaningless.”

“Hmm. I’m convinced.”

At the same time, we both nodded in agreement.

“…Um, Thor-sama. Your Majesty. You two seem strangely in sync…”

““It’s just your imagination (yeah) (right).””

“Ah, I see…”

“Well then, Mabel, stay here.”

I spread both arms wide in a pose waiting for Mabel to help me change.

Mabel nodded with determination.

“Y-yes. Then, excuse me, Thor-sama.”

“Y-yes. I’ll be outside. I’m right outside.”

“Your Majesty… something seems off.”

“I told you it’s nothing. I’ll be back soon, so wait for me!!”

Saying that, Lukie left the “Simple Storage.”

Phew… now I can relax.

All that’s left is for Lukie to take my shirt out of the dresser and put it on.

If she then wears the “Recognition Inhibition” robe over it, there will be no problem.

“Thor-sama, getting water suddenly poured over your head like that… I was so surprised.”

“Sorry, Mabel.”

“Your hair is soaking wet, you know?”

“I’ll dry it myself later.”

“That won’t do. Let me dry it with the ‘dryer.’”

Mabel suddenly seemed to realize something.

“Come to think of it, the ‘dryer’ you made for me is still in Thor-sama’s room.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s outside the ‘Simple Storage.’ I’ll go get it right away!”

Mabel ran toward the exit of the “Simple Storage.”

I tried to follow, but my wet pants clung to me, making it hard to run well.

In the meantime, Mabel opened the door of the “Simple Storage”—

“………?”

Clack.

She closed the door and turned to face me.

“Um…Thor-sama.”

“Yes, Mabel.”

“Could you explain what exactly happened here?”

“Hey, Mabel.”

“Yes, Thor-sama“.”

“What exactly did you see?”

“…I am the loyal servant of the Demon Lord. I cannot speak of Her Majesty’s undignified appearance.”

Mabel declared this with a bright red face.

Afterwards, I explained the situation together with Rukie, who had returned still in Demon Lord style.

After hearing the story, Mabel immediately prepared a change of clothes for Rukie.

While Rukie was getting ready inside the “Simple Storage,” I changed in the room.

Then, when I returned to the “Simple Storage”—

“W-well then, let’s have a tea party!”

“T-today, I got some good tea, Thor-sama.”

Rukie and Mabel began the tea party as if nothing had happened.

For now… I decided to go along with it.

The topic was, of course, about the “Water Summoner.”

I was going to show this item to Chancellor Kelve later.

After that, it would be tested in several places around the Demon Lord’s castle to decide whether to distribute it widely.

Since it’s an item difficult to regulate magic power for,

I thought it best to have various people try it out and see how it goes.

Thus, the tea party ended.

Rukie returned to her duties, and Mabel saw her off.

I was relieved to have been shown the “Water Summoner.”

While absentmindedly imagining what Rukie looked like when Mabel entered the “Simple Storage,” I started preparing for the next research.

Then, after a while—

“The Demon Lord said he wants to unveil the ‘Water Summoner’ tomorrow. He also asked Thor-sama to prepare for it.”

Mabel returned and relayed the message from Rukie.

Then, for some reason, avoiding eye contact, she added:

“There’s another message… Since Thor-sama’s shirt was worn once… it will be washed before being returned.”

“No wonder it was missing.”

So Rukie had worn my shirt once…

Well, it’s understandable it was missing then.

I can’t just keep wearing clothes that the Demon Lord has already worn once.

“…Well, if Rukie-sama wore it, it can’t be helped.”

“I was surprised too. Her Majesty looked so happy…”

“Then Mabel, what exactly did you see?”

“I am the loyal servant of the Demon Lord. I cannot speak of the secret appearance Her Majesty wishes to keep hidden—”

“I think you’re basically saying the same thing already.”

For the time being, since Mabel put a finger to her lips in a “secret pose,” I gave up on pressing further—

I decided to start preparing the presentation for the “Water Summoner.”

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter