Chapter 24 – The Second Generation’s Story
“Charlotte, this is your first time meeting this idiot disciple Evarl, right?”
“Yes, it’s my first time meeting the royal workshop’s boss directly.”
“Now you see why. This is the kind of guy he is.”
Making an appointment with the Third Prince yet skipping it for a date with a girl.
That’s the kind of guy he is. No wonder we couldn’t meet. He’s flighty like this all the time.
“I never expected Teacher to come back… Prince Alfred, what magic did you use?”
“My subordinates found the location, Charlotte persuaded her.”
“I see, so Prince Alfred just sulked gloomily in a chair the whole time.”
“Pick the left or right, your choice.”
“Haha, don’t be like that Prince Alfred. You aren’t thinking of breaking my arm are you? That’s scary…”
“Haha, what are you misunderstanding? There’s no way I’d think that right? No way!”
“It was a misunderstanding right!?”
“Not just the arms.”
“You mean my legs too!?”
He might make a move on Charlotte and Makina if I don’t keep an eye on him. Breaking his limbs might be just right.
“Prince Alfred is as scary as ever… You could be a little nicer.”
Then fix your habit of casually making passes at girls.
“Evarl-san, may I ask you something?”
“Yes, anything! I heartily welcome questions from a pretty young lady like you!”
“You don’t speak too negatively of Al-kun, do you?”
Charlotte. By the time he said I was ‘sulking gloomily,’ he was already speaking ill of me.
“…Oh, you mean the rumors about Prince Alfred? There was that broken engagement and exhibition match with Leo-sama and such, right?”
Evarl’s mood clearly dampened at Charlotte’s sudden question.
“I don’t really care, you see. Whether Prince Alfred has a good or bad reputation. The same goes for the other royals.”
“You don’t care…?”
“Exactly that. I couldn’t care less about the royal family. Utterly, completely, couldn’t care less. Be they saint or sinner, it’s no business of mine.”
“Why is that? You’re the ‘Boss’ overseeing the exclusive royal workshop, aren’t you?”
“Rumored Lady Charlotte. I’m an elf. I have a long lifespan. Extremely long. I couldn’t care less about a mere single generation. If I worried about every generation that came along, wouldn’t it be tiring? Humans die so quickly after all.”
Evarl has been like this since we first met.
A stance of complete indifference toward humans—no, beings with only fleeting lifespans.
“Humans are but an instant. A mere moment. That’s why I enjoy myself. I find little to no value in those instant, ephemeral moments.”
Though Evarl smiles as he speaks, it likely carries no affection.
“That’s why dates are priority. Since human lives are short, I have to enjoy them right away before it’s too late… Though Teacher forced this whole Boss thing on me, so I do protect this workshop too.”
…Now I see. He’s the complete opposite of Elinne in a sense.
If Elinne saw unique value in humans’ ephemeral moments,
Evarl saw little to no value in those transient moments.
So he didn’t care. Royalty or commoner, they were equal to him. His words sound nice, but the reality seems unlikely to be so pretty.
“That’s why I don’t think anything in particular about Prince Alfred, so don’t worry. I’m not interested in men anyway… Oh! But I’m interested in Charlotte! Why not go on a date before you die soon anyway?”
“I must politely decline…”
“Come on, somehow! I’d love to have Makina-chan join us too!”
“Give up on that! Don’t nonchalantly ask my fiancée and subordinate on dates!”
“If this idiot disciple makes a move on Charlotte, I won’t show mercy.”
After interacting with him today, I’m reminded that elves’ mindset is drastically different from us humans. No, they’re more patient, I should say.
“You’re all so scary… Okay, okay, I get it! So? Why did you visit today?”
“I’m helping this shitty prince brat for reasons… I don’t intend to suddenly return to the workshop, but wanted to at least show my face. Though I did disappear as I pleased, so what right do I have…”
“No no, you prepared a successor, me, before disappearing. I don’t mind at all. As earnest as ever~”
“More so than you.”
He doesn’t seem to harbor resentment over her leaving, unlike what I’d worried. Looks like she wrapped things up properly when she quit.
“What surprises me is… Teacher who ‘hated royalty’ siding with Prince Alfred. That’s more shocking.”
“Various circumstances… I still don’t like royalty that much.”
“Is that sooo… Circumstances huh.”
Evarl stared fixedly at Elinne .
“Before you quit…you had an ‘it’s the end of the world’ look, you know? I don’t know what happened, but good to see you’re lively again. Charlotte’s doing, I assume?”
“Yeah… Thanks to her, I realized something important.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Something important…”
Evarl seemed to ponder something.
Then—
“…Alfred-sama, you’re currently solidifying your power base, right? Bringing back master was part of that, correct?”
“That’s right. To be frank, coming here today is also part of appealing for that… Don’t worry, I have no intention of taking over the workshop.”
“Well, shall we take it over then?”
…Huh?
“Just kidding.”
“Phew.”
“Rather than being satisfied with the achievement of bringing back the original, it would be better to have the entire Royal Family Workshop on our side. Yes, it would be great if she returned as a ‘Special Advisor,’ don’t you think? By the way, I’ll also support Alfred-sama.”
“Well, that’s helpful, but… What’s your purpose?”
“Alfred-sama probably knows, but my master’s skills as a ‘metalworker’ are top-notch. I still feel like I can’t surpass her, and I want to learn more. It’s also a good opportunity to improve the skills of the workshop’s children, and it has many benefits for me too.”
“Yeah, right.”
“You wouldn’t act for such a serious reason.”
“That’s mean! I’m trying to help, and you’re so skeptical!”
“Alright, alright. You two. Since Evlar-san has said this much…”
The good-natured Charlotte admonished me and Makina, who were giving us doubtful looks.
But I couldn’t help but be suspicious because the conversation was too smooth.
(Al-sama, do you believe this?)
(To be honest, I don’t.)
(Exactly. It’s almost like Evlar-san has too much motivation… It would make more sense if someone said they were a fake or a spy.)
A spy, huh… I don’t see much point in doing that.
Whether we strengthen our foundation from now on or not, the fact remains that the Leo faction is the strongest.
Even if they betray us, as long as we have Elinne, whom we initially came here for, a fatal blow can be avoided… But.
“Elinne, are you okay with that?”
“Yeah, if it helps Charlotte. Besides, I’m the one who disappeared without saying anything. If I can make up for it a bit by helping the workshop members, then I’ll do it.”
She really does like Charlotte.
Perhaps that person had a similar thought, but Evlar’s gaze was fixed on Elinne.
“Brat Prince. This idiot disciple may be unreliable, but he’s not the type to deceive and ambush someone under orders from the royal family. I guarantee that as his master.”
In other words, she was saying that Elinne’s proposal wasn’t a plot by the Leo faction, and it was also Evlar’s own will. There were some things that were concerning, but… if Elinne was saying this much, I guess I’ll try to believe it.
“…Understood. I’ll go along with that proposal.”
“Alright. Well then, from today, I’m on the same side as Alfred-sama, like my master.”
With a smile that I couldn’t tell whether it was serious or joking, we finished our visit to the workshop.
☆
“You still love humans after all this time, Teacher.”
After Alfred’s group left, Elinne remained alone in the workshop.
Though it was long ago, she did leave the successor to fend for themselves and disappeared. If the disciple harbored any grudge, it was the duty as teacher to accept it.
“First there was Netos-chan, now Lady Charlotte… You keep standing up for humans even though they’ll die soon anyway… You never learn.”
But what came from the disciple wasn’t resentment or hard feelings.
If anything—dissatisfaction.
“I know, I never learn. But still…I love humans.”
“Despite their fleeting lives?”
“Even with fleeting lives.”
“I don’t understand. Really, I don’t get it. Then you can only be together for an instant.”
“No…that’s not so.”
I recalled what that girl taught me.
“Even when life ends…their wishes and feelings remain with you.”
“Even if such invisible things exist, it doesn’t change that you can’t be together.”
Evarl’s dissatisfaction showed plainly on his face.
“What about me? I’m no good?”
His words were like a pouting child.
“I can always be with you, Teacher. I’d never abandon you. It wouldn’t end up as vague wishes or feelings or such intangible stuff. Am I…no good?”
“Even that proposal you made is because of this?”
“I became a metalsmith to follow you. I’ll go anywhere you are. I’ll even help with royal troubles. I won’t lose to Charlotte!”
“What are you saying?”
Elinne thought herself cowardly once more.
She disappeared after forcing a successor to him, knowing she was adored.
And the answer remained the same as two hundred years ago.
“Too soon for you, idiot disciple.”
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated.
Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 3-10+ additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
Thanks for the chapter.
Minor typos spotted
>…Now I see. He’s the complete opposite/ in a sense. Elinne ./
/of Elinne, in a sense/?
>“No no, you prepared a successor, me// before disappearing. I don’t mind at all. As earnest as ever~”
Nitpicking. Add a comma.
>“Rather than being satisfied with the achievement of bringing back the original, it would be better to have the entire Royal Family Workshop on our side. Yes, it would be great if /he/ returned as a ‘Special Advisor,’ don’t you think? By the way, I’ll also support Alfred-sama.”
/she/
>The good-natured Charlotte admonished me and Makina, who were giving /her/ doubtful looks.
/him/
>Perhaps /she/ had a similar thought, but Evlar’s gaze was fixed on Elinne.
/he/
>Elinne thought /himself /cowardly once more.
/herself as/
fixed thanks