Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 92: “Putting Together the Ideas for the Robot Vacuum Cleaner”
──Thor’s point of view──
Two days after visiting Princess Sophia.
I decided to begin developing a Robot Vacuum Cleaner in my workshop.
“Thank you, Mabel and Agnis, for your ideas. You’ve really helped me.”
“No need to thank me. I’m just your assistant, Thor-sama.”
“Agnis is also happy to have stayed with Princess Sophia.”
Mabel and Agnis smiled.
Beside them, the civil servant, Erte, was watching us with a tense expression.
This was my workshop in the Raisenga Territory.
A large desk stood in the room, covered with several sheets of parchment.
They contained the ideas drawn up by Mabel, Agnis, Princess Sophia, and me.
I hadn’t looked at them yet.
We were supposed to unveil them under the supervision of the civil official Erte.
But—
“The letter from Her Majesty and the Chancellor still hasn’t arrived…”
I had sent the request through the winged pixies, and they had agreed to deliver it.
Perhaps their official duties had kept them too busy to respond.
“Erte, have you heard anything?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
Erte shook her head with a serious expression.
“But if the response is difficult, I’m sure my uncle will contact us.”
“Right.”
“Yes.”
Incidentally, I had asked Erte to attend the Robot Vacuum Cleaner’s operational test.
I planned to have her review the three sets of ideas we had prepared, but—
“I think you’ll hear from them later. In the meantime, how about proceeding with checking the ideas on your side?”
Erte said this after thinking for a moment.
“Understood. Let’s get started then.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“I’ll help too,” Agnis said.
Erte, Mabel, Agnis, and I gathered around the desk.
Together, we started turning over the sheets of parchment that had been placed face down.
The sheets revealed various drawings and notes.
Some were drawn by me, some by Mabel.
Agnis’s handwriting was small and rounded, while Princess Sophia’s was neat and orderly.
It’s clear that personality shows in handwriting and drawings.
But that aside—
“Alright, let’s start with the ones that Agnis and Princess Sophia came up with.”
“Y-Yes. I’ll explain it.”
Agnis gathered their shared notes and spread them across the desk.
Then, looking at us with a shy face, she said,
“The idea that Agnis and Princess Sophia came up with is a ‘Spider-Type’.”
With that, Agnis began reading out the writing on the parchment.
──────────────────
“Robot Vacuum Cleaner: Spider-Type”
Written by: Sophia Dorgalia
This idea was conceived after the appearance of the magical beast “Gargarossa” in the mountainous region.
It adds eight legs to the disc-shaped Robot Vacuum Cleaner from the Heroes’ world.
The legs can move freely, allowing it to overcome obstacles.
It can move easily over grass, sand, or rocky terrain. Its adjustable height also ensures it won’t miss dirt, dust, or traces of magical beasts on the ground.
This is only a layperson’s suggestion, but I would also like it to have a function that lets it shoot thread.
If Thor-sama’s Magical Weave Fabric were made into thread, it would surely be strong and elastic. The thread could wrap around branches and similar objects, allowing the main body to move through the air.
That would increase its speed and make it easier to avoid magical beasts.
By the way, the idea for the thread feature was proposed by Agnis-sama.
Agnis-sama is very imaginative.
I was able to talk with her at length. The maids wouldn’t let us sleep in the same bed, so we used separate rooms, but we had a wonderful time talking until we fell asleep.
It was unfortunate, however, that my nightgown was too small for Agnis-sama.
Although we’re about the same height, it was too tight around her chest.
I envy her.
If possible, I too wish I could have a chest like Agnis-sama’s…
──────────────────
“—T-That’s all!”
Agnis slammed the parchment down with a thud.
“T-That’s enough! Everything after this is private information about the princess! Please keep it secret!”
“U-Understood.”
By the way, Agnis drew the design for the “Spider-type.”
The text was written by Princess Sophia. She was quite enthusiastic, even writing about their sleepover.
…It must have been a lot of fun for her.
“But… a Spider-Type that shoots threads.”
I had considered making a Spider-Type as well.
But I hadn’t come up with the idea of adding a thread-shooting function.
A Robot Vacuum Cleaner was a golem, so building it in a spider shape was possible. Adding a thread-shooting function, however, would be difficult.
Yes, that would be difficult. How could I make it work…?
This was going to be difficult. Agnis and Princess Sophia had proposed something far beyond my expectations.
What a troublesome request.
“Thor-sama. You seem happy, don’t you?”
Before I realized it, Mabel was peering into my face.
“You have such a great smile, you know?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
At Mabel’s words, Agnis and Erte nodded in agreement.
“Princess Sophia said she had thought of something difficult…?”
“Why is it that you have such an excited look on your face, Alchemist-sama?”
…Well, that’s because I couldn’t help but imagine the finished product.
The finished item would be difficult to create, but it was a wonderful idea: a spider-shaped Cleaning Robot that could shoot thread.
It seems like it would be easy to clean ceilings and pillars as well.
After all, it’s great to get ideas from other people.
On my own, I wouldn’t be able to make something that goes beyond my own imagination.
As expected of Agnis and Princess Sophia. They came up with something great.
“For now, let’s make a normal Spider-Type. A model that shoots thread will take more time, so we can treat that as future development.”
I looked around at everyone and said.
“Next, I’ll present what Mabel and I came up with. Mabel, could you read it out loud?”
“Yes. Thor-sama and I designed a Snake-Type.”
Mabel flipped over the parchment on the desk.
A drawing of the Snake-Type Cleaning Robot I had designed was on the parchment.
──────────────────
“Cleaning Robot: Snake-Type”
Written by: Mabel Refrain
The concept of the Snake-Type Cleaning Robot is a golem that excels at evasion.
By making it long and slender, it becomes easier to avoid obstacles. Also, it can slip into gaps, so it never misses debris or traces of magical beasts. It can also hide from enemies.
I had suggested a centipede shape, but with so many legs, it would be too fragile and prone to breaking.
Thus, we decided to go with the ‘Snake-shaped’ design with no legs.
It specializes in magical-power detection; cleaning is secondary.
By attaching a bag to the tail, it can collect dust and debris.
Additionally, the snake’s mouth opens wide enough to swallow small animals or magical beasts and trap them in the bag.
If you place it in a grain storage facility, it can eliminate pests and rats, thus protecting important food supplies.
Please consider using the Snake-Type Cleaning Robot in villages throughout the Demon Lord’s Domain or for household maintenance.
──────────────────
“—That’s all.”
“Impressive, Thor Canaan-sama—and Mabel as well.”
“As expected of Alchemist-sama, you casually planned for ordinary use too. I see… You intend it to serve purposes beyond magical beast investigations.”
Of course.
Since we’ve made it, it would be a waste not to have others use it.
If we place a few of these in the Demon Lord’s castle, cleaning will become easier. Pests and rats will be eliminated as well. If we make them the same color as the castle walls, they won’t stand out.
Eventually, I wanted Robot Vacuum Cleaners to become an ordinary part of daily life—something that was simply there.
—When I said this to Erte,
“…What about having snakes slithering around the room? Wouldn’t that be unsettling?”
“That’s true. For household use, let’s make sure it moves quietly.”
“…Well, then I don’t think there will be any problems.”
Erte nodded.
“I understand that this ‘Snake-shaped Cleaning Robot’ is excellent. It’ll surely be a powerful tool for magical beast investigations, even if it’s not suitable for household use.”
“Agnis and Princess Sophia didn’t think of a snake shape either!”
“Yeah. I’m glad our idea didn’t overlap with theirs.”
This “Snake-shaped” robot was the result of a long discussion with Mabel, and I’m very confident in it.
By the way, attaching the bag to the tail was Mabel’s idea.
Rather than storing the trash in the main body, it goes into the bag on the tail. By swapping out the bag, we can collect as much trash (or small magical beasts) as we want. It can even swallow clues of magical beasts and store them.
It was designed like a rattlesnake, with an attachment mounted on its tail.
“With this, I think Her Majesty and my uncle will be satisfied. They should permit its use in magical beast investigations.”
“Thank you, Erte.”
“By the way, we still haven’t received any ideas from Her Majesty or my uncle, have we?”
“That’s true. They should have contacted us by now…”
“Here we are!!”
Just then, the winged pixies flew in through the window.
“We’ve returned like flames!!”
“We fluttered back all soft and breezy! Please praise us!!”
The pixies zipped around the room.
When I extended my hand, they gently landed.
“We completed our task with passion!”
“Being near Alchemist-sama feels so soft and comfortable~”
“Thank you. Good job.”
I sat the two pixies down on the table.
The red-haired fire-winged pixie and the green-haired wind-winged pixie pressed their cheeks against my fingers, then closed their eyes contentedly.
“So, did the Demon Lord or the Chancellor say anything?”
“The design for the Cleaning Robot was something Chancellor Kelve thought of all by himself!”
“Her Majesty acknowledged it too! It’s amazing!”
The Chancellor came up with it all by himself?
“…I see. As expected of the Chancellor.”
Kelve-san was always thinking about the security and stability of the Demon Lord’s Domain and the hearts of its people.
And what I’m about to create is a golem.
Had he designed it so that people would feel reassured rather than frightened when they saw it?
“Thank you. So, what about the Chancellor?”
“…Well, you see…”
“I obtained Her Majesty’s permission and went to look for him…”
The winged pixies wore serious expressions.
Something must have happened.
“And then… the Chancellor was sleeping in the hall.”
“He was face down in front of a pillar. There were pieces of pillar scattered around him.”
…
What in the world was Kelve-san doing?
“He was mumbling in his sleep. ‘I’ll come up with something amazing.’ ‘I won’t lose.’ ‘If I apply physical stimulation, ideas will…’”
“Several sheets of parchment were scattered nearby. Her Majesty gave us permission to bring them.”
The winged pixies produced four sheets of parchment from the Miniature Simple Storage they carried.
On them was drawn—huh?
“This is… a circle?”
“It’s a circle, yes.”
“It’s just a circle mark, so…”
“Uncle… what does this mean?”
Three of the four sheets had large circles drawn on them.
They looked like exact tracings of the Robot Vacuum Cleaner pictured on the sample page from the Mail-Order Catalog.
The last sheet had been crumpled into a ball. Even after I unfolded it, there was nothing written on it.
What could this be?
“Uncle… did he come up with nothing?”
“Well, that might be the case…”
“Even the Chancellor has times when he’s not feeling well.”
Erte, Mabel, and Agnis are nodding as they look at the parchment.
“…No, it feels like there’s something else.”
Something’s bothering me.
Kelve-san is someone who provides me with hints for new ideas.
If this was something he wrote, then there must be some meaning behind it.
Maybe… he’s trying to test me again.
The three parchment sheets.
They all depict circles and spheres.
The fourth one is a crumpled parchment.
If this is a message from Chancellor Kelve… what could it mean?
For example… what if the three circles represented front, side, and top views of a three-dimensional object?
And what if the fourth sheet had been crumpled into a ball to show that the intended shape was three-dimensional?
‘Circle’ and ‘sphere.’
Flat and three-dimensional.
What it means is—
“Chancellor Kelve is suggesting a spherical Robot Vacuum Cleaner!?”
I had completely missed that.
If it’s spherical, it can roll anywhere.
It’s much more efficient than adding legs and having it walk.
Since there are fewer parts, there’s also less chance of failure.
If it’s made from a soft material, it can even bounce. It can easily overcome obstacles.
With a sphere, you can deflect attacks, and it can rotate to absorb impacts.
If it charges at high speed, it should be able to deal damage to enemies as well.
Since the contact area is small, it’s not ideal for cleaning, but the goal this time is to search for magical beasts.
As long as we can trace the magical power, skin, or remnants of the magical beasts, that’s enough.
Just as Chancellor Kelve suggested, a sphere would work without issue…
“Chancellor… did you plan all of this…?”
I may have been too fixated on the form of the Robot Vacuum Cleaner shown in the Mail-Order Catalog.
The Chancellor suggested a new form: a sphere.
Impressive.
His ideas might be even more out there than mine.
“…Excuse me, alchemist-sama.”
“What is it, Erte?”
“Couldn’t this simply be a doodle?”
“Didn’t Chancellor Kelve tell Her Majesty, ‘I’ll think of something,’ before drawing these?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Do you really think someone who said that would leave behind a mistake and then fall asleep?”
“…Y-You’re right.”
Erte nodded.
“What do you think, Mabel and Agnis?”
“Um… I’m certain that Chancellor Kelve gave Thor-sama inspiration, at least…”
“Since the Chancellor is Father’s colleague, I’d rather avoid commenting on it!”
Huh?
Mabel and Agnis look a little uncomfortable.
Well, that’s fine.
I would ask Rukie and Kelve-san about it later.
“I’m glad I came to the Demon Lord’s Domain after all.”
There are people here who have ideas I couldn’t even imagine, and they help me grow.
Because I came here, I was able to meet Princess Sophia. She also gave me new ideas.
I get ideas from everyone and create new things.
It’s so much fun.
I need to make sure to write a proper thank-you letter to Kelve-san.
“Then, as planned, let’s make three types of Robot Vacuum Cleaner. Mabel and Agnis, you’ll assist me. Erte, please inspect what we make.”
“Yes, Thor-sama!”
“I’ll make sure to do so!”
“Y-Yes.”
And so, I began building three Robot Vacuum Cleaners.
──A few hours later, at the Demon Lord’s castle──
“I apologize, Your Majesty!”
In the throne room, Chancellor Kelve was bowing deeply.
“After asking Your Majesty to let me devise a Robot Vacuum Cleaner design, I failed to produce anything and then fell asleep. This is a lifelong disgrace for me…”
“………”
“As Chancellor, I’m ashamed. Please grant me a severe punishment!”
“Well… Kelve.”
“Rewards and punishments are the foundation of a nation. One can’t be careless! So, please—”
“Raise your head, Kelve. You can’t speak properly in that position. Sit up.”
“…Yes.”
Chancellor Kelve raised his torso and knelt upright.
Seeing this, Demon Lord Rukie opened a parchment she had been holding.
“A short while ago, I received a letter from Thor through a winged pixie.”
“Thor must have been angry, right?”
Kelve slumped in disappointment.
“…I’m prepared. I have disappointed Thor, so please tell me what the letter says.”
“Mm, very well. Then, listen carefully.”
Rukie spread the parchment and began to read aloud.
“──Thank you, Chancellor.”
“Ah, as expected, Thor is angry… huh?”
Chancellor Kelve tilted his head.
Perhaps he thought he misheard, as he looked up at Demon Lord Rukie and asked.
“I’m sorry. Your Majesty, could you please repeat that part?”
“Thank you, Chancellor.”
“……….? ????”
“I’ll continue reading.”
“…Yes.”
“The Chancellor’s idea was wonderful. You opened my eyes. With the spherical Robot Vacuum Cleaner you proposed, I’m certain we can locate the new species of magical beast. I, Alchemist Thor Canaan, offer my deepest gratitude.”
“………”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on?”
“I… I don’t know either… what’s happening…”
Chancellor Kelve clutched his head.
Demon Lord Rukie, with her arms crossed, spoke.
“Kelve, what were you doing yesterday?”
“After finishing my duties, I went to the hall and stared at the moon while thinking of ideas. Nothing came to me, so I drew the full moon, crumpled the parchment, and struck my head against a pillar a few times in the hope that physical stimulation might help. Then I lost consciousness.”
“Don’t overdo the headbutting. Repairing pillars is troublesome.”
“I noticed when I woke up that the paper I had written on was gone.”
“The winged pixies came, and I allowed them to take the parchment.”
“Was it that one with only a circle drawn?”
“Thor wrote that you proposed the spherical Robot Vacuum Cleaner.”
“Now that you mention it, there was also the rolled-up parchment.”
“So the crumpled parchment became the clue for a spherical Robot Vacuum Cleaner.”
“………”
“………”
For a while, there was silence.
“Just how incredible is that man!?”
“I must have greatly underestimated Thor’s talent…”
Chancellor Kelve shouted, and Demon Lord Rukie sighed as she held the parchment.
“From a mere doodle you left behind, he developed an entirely new Robot Vacuum Cleaner design. To Thor, everything must be a clue for magical-item development.”
“…Your Majesty.”
“Mm?”
“If everything is a hint for developing magical items, then… is there a way to stop that person…?”
“No, there’s no way.”
“To think that my meaningless scribbles became the clue for an extraordinary item… I had hoped he would make something harmless and reasonably ordinary, but…”
“Thor wants to exchange letters with you.”
“What did you say!?”
“‘Chancellor always makes me notice new perspectives. When in the Demon Lord’s castle, I would like advice on item creation, and when in the workshop, I hope we can exchange information through letters sometimes,’ it says.”
“W-Wait… if we do that…”
“You’ll end up providing Thor with hints for his magical item development.”
“…Please, Your Majesty.”
Chancellor Kelve pressed his forehead to the floor.
“If that happens, common sense itself will collapse! I can’t predict how Thor will interpret my words! He twists my words and actions in unexpected directions and turns them into extraordinarily powerful magical items!”
“That’s true.”
Demon Lord Rukie gazed off into the distance.
Imagining Thor observing Kelve’s work, she gave a wry smile.
Perhaps their contrasting personalities were exactly why Thor found inspiration in Kelve’s actions and thoughts.
It must be a real problem for the earnest Kelve, though.
“You two should discuss and decide together. Thor has no ill intentions, after all.”
“I… I’ll tell the truth about this!”
Chancellor Kelve shouted.
“I’ll tell him that I didn’t come up with any ideas. The only thing on the parchment was just a scribbled mistake. Once I explain that, Thor will…”
“That can wait until after the magical beast investigation is done.”
Demon Lord Rukie adopted her formal royal tone.
“We’re on the eve of a joint magical beast investigation with the Empire. If it becomes known that the Robot Vacuum Cleaner golem was born from a meaningless doodle, some may doubt its effectiveness. Wait until the investigation is over before telling Thor the truth.”
“S-So, until then…?”
“For now, we must say that Chancellor Kelve gave Thor the finest inspiration for his magical-item development.”
It would likely be a storm of praise.
Chancellor Kelve and Alchemist Thor, working together in the Demon Lord’s Domain.
That’s something that can’t be helped.
Even with Kelve trembling and pressing his forehead to the floor, the official account couldn’t be corrected—not yet.
“You said just a moment ago that you wanted a harsh punishment. For someone as responsible as you, this might be the punishment.”
“…Ah.”
“By the way, how about sometimes acting as Thor’s advisor? That could be your reward… No, wait. Why are you sneaking toward the pillar? What? Are you afraid of losing your common sense…? I… I get it! I won’t say it again. I’ll forgive you for occasionally exchanging letters with Thor! So calm down, Chancellor Kelve!!”
Thus, Thor’s letter shook the throne room…
Meanwhile, development of the three Robot Vacuum Cleaner golem prototypes continued in the workshop.
After further correspondence with Sophia in Noza Town…
The day of the joint magical beast investigation between the Demon Lord’s Domain and Princess Sophia’s troops arrived.