Chapter 135 Construction Plans
If I were alone, I could have Kaara carry me and reach Silesie in a day, even with a few breaks along the way.
Perhaps I’ll return faster than Lyle-sensei and the others, who parted ways with me at Pervert Harbor and are traveling back to the Kingdom of Silesie by carriage.
Speaking of flying, Kaara is currently researching the ‘Translocation Magic’ used by Jenny Walpurgis, the ‘Gate of Time and Space’.
It’s an ancient magic from the era of the Holy Queen Liliella. While it’s not something to be handled lightly, Kaara, having mastered both demon and human magic to the highest level, is an exceptional genius.
When it comes to magical expertise, the demons have the upper hand.
Maybe Kaara can pull it off. Truly, she’s a convenient woman.
Of course, given that she’s bound by the Demon King’s curse slave contract to me, there’s no room for defiance. However, when someone works this diligently, I feel obligated to offer some reward. Well, she’ll probably demand that I make our child the next Demon King or something. I wonder how I should handle that.
「If we achieve this, connecting key points with magic circles will allow us to transport larger groups more quickly.」
「I pray that happens soon.」
-0- Returning to Silesie’s royal castle, I breathe a sigh of relief.
I’m already treating Silesie’s royal capital as my home.
「Welcome back so soon.」
「Yes, I’m back, Silhouette.」
As I walk along the red carpet of the royal castle, Queen Silhouette herself greets me. Well, as my wife, it’s only natural, and her personal welcome is much appreciated.
Wearing her crown and holding the royal scepter, Silhouette exudes the dignity befitting a queen. Her refined demeanor is impressive.
「Are Lyle-sensei and the others still not back?」
「No, they haven’t returned yet. You’re back early. Did you finish your business in the Duchy?」
「Although there are still many challenges, I’ve managed the immediate issues.」
「Very well, then. I shall conclude today’s duties as well.」
Silhouette’s subtle nod prompted the courtiers to prostrate themselves.
I’ve returned at the right time, indeed.
「Shall we take a rest now?」
「Yes, let’s do that.」
The fact that Lyle-sensei and the others hadn’t returned yet meant that Princess Caroline was likely still absent from the estate. If her meddling didn’t interfere, perhaps the time had come for Silhouette and me to truly unite.
With determination, I made my way to the harem’s bedchamber. There, I stumbled upon Sherry sprawled out, sound asleep. One fortunate event after another.
Under the opulent chandelier’s gilded glow, Sherry, her silver hair tousled, shifted on the silk sheets. As much as I appreciated her blissful slumber, I couldn’t leave her unattended. I nudged her awake.
「Sherry, rise.」
「Oniisama, we shouldn’t… as siblings…」
The one in the wrong here is you.
Access to the harem was restricted to a select few. Even though Sherry was my slave girl, she shouldn’t have entered without Sharon’s permission—the one overseeing the palace.
「Did you obtain Sharon’s approval to be here?」
「Ah… Good morning.」
I gently lifted her disheveled silver locks, and she stirred on the silken sheets. Still groggy from sleep, this girl seemed more fatigued than I, despite my long journey.
「It’s already evening.」
「I received reports on the galleon ship capture and a rough outline of the vessel’s design. So, I created the preliminary blueprint for the new ship. I assumed you’d be returning soon, and I dozed off while waiting.」
「But how did you create ship plans when Lyle-sensei and the others haven’t returned yet?」
「We used the swift riverboat service along the Tsurube River. For correspondence, it’s faster to send messages via river than overland from the Duchy.」
「Indeed, but isn’t the report on the design arriving too quickly?」
「It’s merely an outline with proportions noted. While in-depth dissection and analysis are yet to come, having the Carrack ship’s blueprints allows us to make approximate predictions based on the Galleon ship’s proportions. Using that as a foundation, I’ve outlined the design for the new vessel.」
Sherry unfolded a ship blueprint—a form quite distinct from the Galleon ship, with straight lines.
She managed to create a new drawing in such a short time. Truly, her mathematical prowess is unmatched. And it seems she exhausted herself and dozed off here.
「This looks like an ironclad ship, doesn’t it?」
「An ironclad ship? Actually, we’re planning to use black cedar as the material.」
The ship’s structure resembled a rectangular tower atop the deck—almost akin to an Aegis-class vessel.
Ah, of course. Black cedar can’t be bent like regular wood, so it naturally results in this angular ship shape.
Sherry’s proposal goes like this: By constructing warships from black cedar—material as lightweight as wood but stronger than steel—we can create assault-type vessels capable of withstanding even attacks from high-level mages.
「Well thought out.」
「The plan has been in place for some time, and I’ve been researching it alongside shipbuilding experts. Since we’ve identified the more stable Galleon-type design compared to the Carrack, our new warship will be even more perfected.」
While I can imagine any type of ship in my mind, it’s only when we build and set them afloat that we’ll know if they function well.
In that regard, the Galleon design has already proven successful, so using its proportions as a model ensures a reliable outcome.
「So, you’ve come to ask me to fell black cedar?」
「Even creating a single ship requires a substantial amount of black cedar. Both felling and processing are tasks only oniisama can handle…」
Sherry bows her head apologetically.
Last time, when we constructed numerous black cedar gun emplacements, it was an incredibly arduous process. But if Sherry asks, I won’t refuse.
「Ah, don’t worry about it. Honestly, both Lyle-sensei and Sherry keep me on my toes.」
「I promise that your efforts will yield results.」
Having a genius cheat vouch for me is reassuring. There’s merit in the hard work, after all.
「Let’s get to work right away, starting tomorrow. It’s urgent, isn’t it?」
「Yes, as detailed analysis information on the Galleon ships keeps coming in, we’ll proceed with tasks that align with that data. Simultaneously, we’ll continue refining the design.」
Aiming for the strongest warship as soon as possible, huh? If we can defeat the Castilia Navy, we’ll secure trading rights in the Siren Sea.
The return on our investment is guaranteed.
I understand Sherry’s eagerness for progress, but she’s pushing herself too hard. She should learn to rest a bit more.
「Haste makes waste, you know. I’m tired from the long journey, so let me rest for today.」
「Understood. I’ll find a place where I won’t be in the way. Please rest well.」
Sherry heads toward the corner of the bed. No, that’s not what I meant.
There are things I can’t show our child, so I’d prefer her to be in a separate room.
「Why not have Sherry sleep with us?」
「That’s not a good idea!」
Silhouette’s response caught me off guard. It’s as if she’s asking to be bullied. She’s remarkably lenient.
Well, Sherry is different from Caroline; she’s still a child. Although, despite the age difference, Silhouette and Sherry have similar body sizes.
「Wait, are you really okay with us sharing a bed? I didn’t expect to get her majesty the queen’s permission so I’m somewhat unprepared. I wish I should have cleaned up better.」
「I told you it’s not okay!」
Sherry’s curiosity probably extends to our marital life. But this situation isn’t suitable for jokes, so I manage to coax Sherry out of the bedroom.
Ah, finally, a chance to rest.
Silhouette watched our back-and-forth exchange with an amused expression. Truly, she’s an exceptionally accepting queen.
As my rightful wife, Silhouette could learn to refuse a bit more, though.
「By the way, my weekly arrangement with Silhouette. I apologize for not always being able to keep it.」
「No need to apologize. Takeru, you’re working for the kingdom, so I won’t fault you.」
「Well done, my wife.」
「But I feel lonely, so when you’re in the castle, please stay nearby.」
Her endearing words prompted me to embrace Silhouette, and I thought of heading straight to bed… but then I remembered I hadn’t taken a bath yet. So, I lifted Sherry in my arms and headed toward the bathroom.
Even though she’s the queen, carrying her like a princess is quite something.
As I stepped out of the bedroom, I caught a glimpse of silver hair in my peripheral vision.
「Sherry…」
「Ahaha, it’s my first time here, so I got a little lost.」
Sherry was hiding in the shadow of a corridor pillar.
Despite the harem not being particularly vast, it’s unlikely that the clever Sherry would get lost.
「You were trying to eavesdrop, weren’t you?」
「I apologize.」
Curiosity gets the better of this child.
Well, the opulent bedroom is quite spacious, so even if she peeked from outside, she probably wouldn’t understand much. But just the thought of being observed by a child makes this situation embarrassing.
In times like this, I call for Sharon.
Silently appearing, Sharon swiftly caught Sherry, who was attempting to escape, and cradled her.
「Well done, Sharon.」
Among my wives, only Sharon can effectively manage the organization.
Naturally, she’s become the de facto coordinator of the harem.
「If you’re going to take a bath, may we join you? Sherry won’t willingly take a bath unless she’s caught like this.」
Eh? I thought Sherry liked to bathe.
Ah, she likes to bathe but she’s so busy with work that she doesn’t bother.
「Well, I don’t mind.」
「Yay!」
Sherry raised both hands in delight as Sharon held her close.
Indeed, Sherry had a penchant for baths.
Even though we were about to share a bath, today was different. Our usual companions from the harem—troublesome Ria and mischievous Caroline—were absent. Without them around, there was no need to worry about Sherry seeing any embarrassing moments.
Without those two troublemakers, nothing untoward would happen during our bath. The children’s education would remain intact.