“No, that’s not it. If what I heard earlier is true — I wanted to ask if I could commission her without going through the Luludahn Workshop.”
“…Huh!? M-Me!?”
Saying that, I pointed at the girl who was still sitting on the ground.
The person in question was surprised, not understanding why this had happened, but it was a natural flow of events.
The important part was the snippet of their argument from earlier:
“Why not!? There are worse mechanical engineers than me!”
“I’m the boss of this workshop, and I decide! No matter what reason you have, if I say you’re not accepted, then you’re not accepted in our place!”
Dude Luludahn didn’t deny her statement.
In other words, she has enough skill to be useful in the Luludahn Workshop, even acknowledged by him, the greatest mechanical engineer in this city.
And currently, she’s free… it’s only natural to act quickly to secure her before someone else does.
“That’s why I wanted your clear permission. I want to avoid any trouble later on.”
“……As expected, those who become the heart of an era are drawn to each other…… huh?”
I couldn’t catch the words he muttered, but the impression wasn’t bad.
Actually, with such an impressive physique, don’t speak so softly. What if the words I couldn’t hear were important keywords for the future?
“As the head of the Luludahn Workshop, I guarantee it. Do as you like with that stupid daughter.”
“W-Wait a minute! Hey, you!”
The girl stood up and came at me.
She had just been saying she wanted to work at the Luludahn Workshop. I thought she might be angry about the job offer proceeding without her input… but that wasn’t the case.
“Are you sure you want me!?”
She seemed quite eager.
She stood next to me, put her arm around my shoulder, and gave me a happy-looking smile.
“One thing. I want to confirm something with you too.”
“Oh, what is it!?”
“Is your skill really good enough to be useful among the mechanical engineers at the Luludahn Workshop?”
“Of course! I’ve been honing my skills as a mechanic since I was little. I’m on a whole different level from those other guys.”
The side-ponytailed girl speaks with overflowing confidence.
Surely, a mere braggart couldn’t talk this big.
“Then it’s settled. I want to hire you.”
“Hahaha! Leave it to me! Look at that, you shitty old man! I’ve got a client!”
She seems to be in an exceptionally good mood, probably thinking she’s taught her father a lesson.
She must be delighted to have acquired a customer right in front of her disparaging father.
However, Dude-Luludahn doesn’t even raise an eyebrow.
“…Hmph. Don’t forget the approaching deadline for your promise.”
“Hey! Is that all you’ve got to say!?”
As expected, her protests are meaningless, and he returns to his workshop after saying just that.
“Damn it…! Whatever…! I’ll definitely make him eat his words… Oh, sorry about that.”
“Do you have something to apologize for?”
“Well, for showing you something unsightly. My old man’s attitude was so brusque, I wondered if it made you uncomfortable.”
“That was nothing to worry about. If anything, I found it rather amusing.”
After all, I see it as nothing more than a quarrel between a rebellious daughter and her stubborn father.
It’s not good to get physically involved, but other than that, it didn’t particularly bother me.
“Hmm… You’ve got guts for someone so young, not backing down an inch from that shitty old man, boy.”
“I don’t mean to brag, but I’d like to think I’ve had my fair share of experiences.”
“Is that so? I like you! I’m glad you’re my customer, boy.”
“The feeling’s mutual. I’ve managed to find a skilled mechanic who doesn’t need a waiting period.”
“I’ll make sure you won’t regret your judgment, you can count on that.”
She thumps her ample chest confidently and pulls me closer.
“It’s not right to keep standing around in this dusty place. Shall we head to my house and get down to business, boy?”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
We move from the bustling center to a quiet residential area.
Among the many impressive buildings standing in a row, the place she led me to was a shabby house at the very edge of Encartón, so close to the edge that the inner wall of the fortress was right in front of us.
It seems she’s the only resident, as she casually tosses out a single cushion from a closet.
“Want something to drink? Sorry, I’ve only got water though.”
“I’m not particularly thirsty. I’m fine.”
“Is that so? Ice-cold water is the best for a heated body, you know.”
She drinks the cold water straight from the bottle and wipes her moistened lips with a satisfied “Phew…” as if she had just drunk alcohol.
There was no smell of alcohol, so it must have really been just water.
“Let’s start with introductions. I’m Yueri Luludahn. I’m a twenty-year-old freelance mechanic. If you heard the argument earlier, you probably know I’m Dude Luludahn’s only daughter. I’m confident in my abilities!”
Sitting across from me at the low table, she flexes her muscles.
Her tank top reveals a glimpse of her sports bra from the side. Her navel is completely exposed, showing her carefree nature. She doesn’t seem to mind at all… thankfully, she’s wearing proper work pants below.
It’s hard to know where to look… I think to myself as I introduce myself, trying not to appear suspicious.
“Ouga Vellet. I’m from a ducal family in the Kingdom of Rondism.”
“Oh, a nobleman. How is it? This town must be difficult for you, right?”
“Not at all. In fact, it’s the perfect environment for me.”
Until now, I hadn’t been in the public eye, so my face wasn’t well-known, but in the Kingdom of Rondism, I’m already known as Ouga Vellet the “Saint”.
In other words, a celebrity.
Both good and bad, it attracts all kinds of attention.
The letter I received recently is a good example of that.
But as her reaction shows, there are few people in this town interested in me.
It seems my name as the “Saint” hasn’t reached here yet.
In other words, the possibility of me being able to do as I please without worrying about public opinion still lies dormant in Encartón!
“I might not be the one to say this, but… you’re a strange one, aren’t you, Mr. Nobleman?”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. And you can keep calling me ‘boy’.”
“That’s great! It’s easier for me that way too!”
Yueri laughs heartily, slapping her thighs.
“So? What do you want me to make for you, boy? A sword? A shield? I can make anything.”
“An arm.”
“An arm…?”
“Yes. I want you to make a prosthetic arm for combat.”
Saying this, I place my right arm on the low table.
“This right arm is no longer usable. I plan to amputate it soon. So, I want you to make a prosthetic arm to replace it.”
“Amputate… Boy. How much have you pushed yourself at such a young age?”
“It was only necessary for me to stay true to my beliefs.”
I look straight at Yueri.
My words are my honest feelings, without any lies or deception.
I don’t need anyone’s sympathy, nor do I want to be worried about.
No one can deny my determination.
“I haven’t pushed myself too hard, nor do I have any regrets.”
As I say this, Yueri opens her black eyes wide, lifting her lips to reveal her canine teeth.
“The courage to confront that shitty old man head-on. I thought you were something special, but I didn’t expect this much. I seem to have underestimated you, boy.”
She apologizes and bows her head.
“…To be honest, I was thinking of playing a little trick on you. No fool would suddenly request a job from an unknown mechanic like me. I thought you were probably after my shitty old man… but I’ve changed my mind.”
She stands up and takes out a large wooden box from the closet where she had earlier pulled out the cushion.
Peering into the box placed on the low table, I see it’s filled with numerous magical tools.
“These are the magical tools I’ve made so far. Of course, they’re all my confident works. Speaking of weapons, here’s this hilt.”
What she takes out could be described as a sword without a blade.
A hilt with a guard. It’s really just the handle part.
“When you infuse this with magical power and swing it!”
[Magic Aptitude] mainly manifests in nobles, but everyone has magical power.
Otherwise, the residents of Encartón, a gathering of commoners, wouldn’t be able to create magical tools, and magical tools wouldn’t be so widespread in the general public.
However, the amount of magical power most commoners possess is truly minuscule, with exceptions like Mashiro being outliers. History proves this.
Responding to her small amount of magical power, the blade that had been folded inside the hilt shoots out vigorously, transforming into a complete sword.
“It’s a mechanism where the lock is released and the folded blade inside comes out. It’s compact and can be handled even by commoners who can’t use magic. Of course, I guarantee the sharpness of the blade.”
Saying this, she thrusts the sword into the low table.
The blade had indeed pierced through.
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