[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 147
It’s been ten days since they boarded the ship.
They passed through the center of the demon forest and entered the territory of the Fresia Empire.
Isaac sighed regretfully.
“We’re already here, huh?”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“When will we meet again?”
“We’ll see each other when the time is right.”
“You don’t seem sad to part ways.”
Kane simply bowed in response to Isaac’s grumbling.
“Take care.”
“You’re no fun.”
The ship docked at the Rehinar port.
Blata expressed the farewell that Kane didn’t.
“Your Highness, see you next time.”
“Ah, only Sir Blata truly cares for me.”
“Of course, of course.”
Blata waved his paw energetically.
The ship was starting to set sail.
Around the time the ship picked up speed, Kane spoke up to Isaac.
“Oh, won’t you meet with the princess before you go?”
It was far too late for such a suggestion.
The ship was already quite far from the port.
Isaac shouted furiously.
“Why are you telling me things late?!”
“See her next time.”
Isaac yelled something in the distance at Kane’s response.
But Kane had already turned around and walked away.
“Mikhail.”
“Yes, speak.”
“Prepare to depart immediately.”
“Where is our destination?”
“The Village of the Golden Dragon.”
“You mean the place marked on the map but with no known way in?”
“We’ll leave tomorrow. Pack everything you’ll need.”
“Understood.”
Mikhail returned to his workshop.
After a long time, Kane went to see Daniel.
He was seated as Chief Administrator, buried in numerous documents.
“Elder.”
“You’ve come?”
“Looks like you have a lot of work.”
“Thanks to the young lord entrusting me with all affairs of the territory.”
“Consider it a chance to catch up on all the delayed work.”
The family’s administrative office had grown quite a bit.
With finances now secure, they were able to hire more talent.
There were over twenty people working in administration alone.
Even so, everyone was busy.
Rehinar was slowly becoming a great territory.
It changed day by day, with endless work needing attention.
“Come to think of it, there’s something here you need to check.”
“What is it?”
Kane accepted the documents from Daniel.
It was a letter of protest from the Orchid Kingdom.
The surviving students had shared what had happened, but it seemed not to be believed.
Naturally.
The king of the Orchid Kingdom was under the influence of the Meyer family’s bewitching magic.
It was no wonder they didn’t believe it.
“You’re giving me something like this so casually?”
"All you need to do is review it."
“How are you handling it?”
“We’ve already sent Rehinar’s official stance and are waiting for a response.”
“What if they decide to attack?”
“Then we’ll have to resolve it with force.”
“You seem confident?”
“Rehinar isn’t what it once was. The current Rehinar could fend off even the great army of Hatzfeld.”
If she didn’t come up with something soon, she risked being kicked out.
She needed to create a brilliant invention quickly to secure the money for her next project.
But she couldn’t think of a solution.
How could she raise the funds for her inventions?
As she wrestled with the problem, a knock sounded on the door.
Knock, knock!
"Oh no, I’d better pretend I’m not here."
She held her breath, suspecting it might be another mage come to complain about her unpaid rent.
Knock, knock.
Another knock sounded at the door.
“P-Please, just go away,” she whispered.
Her plea went unanswered.
The door clicked open.
In the corner, she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Why didn’t you respond when you were clearly inside?”
“Ah... hahaha...”
She forced an awkward laugh at the sound of the man's voice.
“Could you give me just one more month to pay the rent?”
She had mistaken Kane for a mage come to collect rent.
She was a commoner; mages were all nobility. Kane had such an imposing aura that she naturally assumed he was one of them.
“Is your research going so bad that you can’t even afford to pay rent?”
“Y-Yes, exactly. Just like mages create new spells, I feel such joy whenever I invent something.”
“What if I told you that you could conduct your research without worrying about money?”
Her eyes lit up.
Being able to research without financial worries was her dream.
“That’s exactly what I’ve always wanted!”
“If I fund all your research, what can you offer me in return?”
Full research funding. That was all she could hear.
She thought of all the inventions still in her mind, even those she hadn’t dared to try.
Excitement bubbled up. It was a dream come true.
Her heart raced, but then she hesitated.
“Didn’t mages say they weren’t interested in my inventions?”
“I’m not a mage.”
“T-Then who are you?”
“Kane Rehinar. The one who’s about to be your superior.”
“Ka-Kane Rehinar?! The... the Blood Demon Young Master!”
Eki’s face turned pale.
A demon stood before her.
This was the man who regarded human lives as insignificant. The name "Blood Young Master" wasn’t earned for nothing.
If Rehinar weren’t a city of water, she’d never have come here.
This was the only place where her inventions could truly be put to use.
Even if she was uneasy about Kane Rehinar...
Her spirit for research couldn’t be restrained.
Yet the very person she least wanted to encounter had come directly to her.
“It’s a bit awkward when you look so startled in front of me,” Kane commented.
“S-Sorry.”
Though she was older than Kane, the difference in their social status naturally made her speak respectfully.
“So... what brings you here?” she asked, voice trembling.
Standing face-to-face with a man known for his ruthless cruelty, fear took hold of her.
People of Rehinar admired Kane, but they were his vassals. She was an outsider and knew him only as a merciless man.
“I’m here to recruit you.”
---
[A quest to establish a base can now begin. Would you like to proceed? (Y/N)]
---
The quest notification appeared, but Kane didn’t accept it.
This was a game, yet it also felt like reality. If he played his cards right, he could avoid doing the base-establishment quest. He would miss out on some rewards, but time was of the essence.
So, he opted for a workaround.
“I’ll give you a dedicated lab, full funding for your research, and enough capital to settle here,” Kane offered.
It was a generous proposal, almost impossible to refuse.
But such offers always came with a price.
“I... don’t make weapons. I’m someone who researches things that improve daily life,” she said, mustering the courage to state her principles despite her fear.
“Who said otherwise?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m not asking you to build weapons. I’m only interested in the magic engine you’re set to invent.”
At the mention of a “magic engine,” her eyes widened.
Everything she had invented so far was merely groundwork for this. She aimed to create what no one on the continent had managed to make—a true magic engine.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]