Author: Yume Neiji

After returning to Gandalcia Island from the Capital, I went on a cave exploration with Nowald-sensei and Char for the first time in a while.

Char is excited because I made a lot of bento for her.

“Today’s main dish is chicken teriyaki!”

The chicken teriyaki made with soy sauce fruit is delicious and it has a nostalgic taste from my past life.

Char is also particularly fond of it.

“Father, is it time for lunch?”

“We’ve just entered the cave you know.”

It’s good that it’s her favorite, but I’m having a bit of trouble because every 300 meters she asks me if it’s time for lunch.

Well, I guess I can say it’s kind of cute.

As we advanced to the depths of the cave, we were able to collect a lot of rare ores and strawberry stones. It’s a decent amount for sale and alchemy material.

“I’m a little tired. Shall we have lunch?”

When Nowald-sensei said that, Char jumped up and down as if she had been waiting for sensei to say that.

“Okay then. Let’s go to that grove!”

There is a small hole in the ceiling of the cave through which a small amount of light shines through. Plants seem to grow thanks to that light.

When we got closer, I found out that it was a bamboo forest.

“Hmm, this is magic bamboo.”

Nowald-sensei, who was investigating the shape of the bamboo, affirmed.

Wait. I think the name Magic Bamboo sounds familiar….

“It’s a mysterious plant that can store things when processed, isn’t it?”

“Yes. I’m impressed. Looks like you are studying well.”

Nowald-sensei smiled brightly at me.

I’m starting to remember more and more.

In Island Maker, I have used it to make wands. Speaking of magic wands, many people may think of offensive magic, but the one I’m talking about is not that dangerous. The wand made from this bamboo allows the user to put clothes in it and change clothes in an instant.

As for the storage capacity, you could put a few different types of clothes in it. Well, other materials are needed as well but they’re all easy to collect.

Since it’s an item that allows the user to change clothes in an instant, everyone might be happy with it.

“I’ll try to make something good using this as a material.”

“Understand. Char will cut down everything and go home! But……”

“What’s wrong?”

“Before that, I want to eat teriyaki!”

Uh-, that’s right.

After happily eating lunch, we took home a large amount of magic bamboo.

We said goodbye to Nowald-sensei as we exit the cave, and Char and I headed for the beach.

The wand is made by combining shells, so I decided to head there first before going home.

There were all kinds of shells on the beach, but only the relatively large ones were usable.

“Okay, let’s collect as many shells as we can and put them in this bucket. However, there’s a condition for the shells we collect. We only need shells that are bigger than the palm of my han.”

To make a wand, I have to use a large shell.

“Got it! Let’s collect a lot.”

Char and I spent the entire afternoon collecting two buckets worth of shells.

This should be enough material. All I have to do is process it.

When we get back home, Char and I started working on the wand.

“First of all, let’s cut the magic bamboo into pieces like this.”

“Like this huh. I understand!”

I use a saw, and Char cuts the magic bamboo into pieces about 20 centimeters long with her bare hands.

“We’ve made a total of 124 pieces huh.”

“What’s next?”

“Char, you’ll attach shells to the ends of the sticks with glue. I’ll write the magic formula on them with magic ink.”

The procedure is simple because it is only one line. We worked hard, and before dinner we had made 120 wands.

“Alright, let me try it. First, put my pajama and swimsuit on the wand. And then.…”

Once ready, I waved the wand, focusing my mind in my pajamas.

The experiment was a success.

In an instant, I was in my pajamas.

“Ooh! Are you going to bed now, father?”

“No. I’m just trying the wand.”

Next, I changed into a bathing suit, which was also a success.

“Ooh! Are you going to play in the sea now?”

Char’s eyes are sparkling.

“No, that’s not it. I’m doing an experiment on the wand we made.”

“Ah, I see.”

This is more convenient than I thought.

Wand is a consumable item, so you can’t use it forever. Even so, it should be able to withstand about 50~70 uses. What’s more, this wand has another tremendous power hidden in it.

—The cleaning function!

When you put your clothes in this wand and when you take them out, the dirt is removed. Even the wrinkles will disappear as if you had ironed them.

It’s so convenient since you don’t have to do laundry!

“Father, why don’t you give it to Mio and the others?”

Mio-san is an employee of the Magic Railway. That also means that she needs to change into her uniform every day. This thing will surely come in handy.

It’s not just Mio-san, it’s a necessity for Lynn and Upa too. Appearance is important for chefs and managers, after all.

“Char is a genius.”

“Ehehe”

We walked around handing out the finished wands to the islanders.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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It rained just before the race started. It was a heavy downpour, like a tropical squall. I was hoping that the race would be canceled, but it didn’t happen. The rain stopped after about 30 minutes.

The race will still commence.

“Hey, I heard Cedie’s horse is going to race as well?”

It was Masciolini-san who approached me. He is wearing a sleek blue tie today.

“Mm. It ended this way.”

“Hmm, let me see.…”

Masciolini-san pulled out a betting chart from his pocket.

“The most popular is Alexandria. Well, that’s to be expected. Cedie’s Silver Season is the 10th place.”

“I don’t have any track record at all. That’s natural.”

“But this get’s my gambler’s blood boiling. Hmm, why don’t I bet a hundred thousand crown coins on Cedie’s horse?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’ve seen a lot of miracles on Gandalcia after all.”

Masciolini-san winked lightly at me and went to buy a betting ticket. I don’t want my friend to lose money, but I didn’t know how the bet would turn out.

I waited for the start with a prayerful feeling.

A fanfare rang out on the racetrack, signaling the start of the main race of the day. The cloudy sky cleared up before I knew it, and the sun is shining brightly on the wet racetrack.

Oh, Char and Silver have already entered the gate. Both of them have a relaxed expression. Then all the other horses entered the gate.

Bang!

The race started.

Eh……

Silver is already in last place as soon as they turned on the first corner!

He looks confident, maybe their strategy is to catch up in the second half? Oh well, I guess asking him to race well did not work….

In comparison, Alexandria, the most popular horse, is doing amazing. Alexandria is running with unrivaled power. Moreover, it looks like she still got a lot of power left.

Even so, all the horses seem to have a hard time running. This is probably because the racetrack is muddy from the rain just now. The inside seems to be particularly muddy, and all the horses are running on the outside of the racetrack.

Oh! Silver and Char are charging into the mud!

What’s more, their speed is not slowing down, they’re actually picking up the pace.

Eh?

They should have been at the back of the line, but now they are already in the middle of the field!

Before I knew it, they warped!

I don’t know how this will turn out until the end.

Masciolini-san, who was watching the race from the side, is now cheering loudly.

“Good, good! Go on Silver Season! Keep that pace!”

Silver moved up the ranks as he rounded the second and third corners, and he is now in second place. Only about three horse lengths behind Alexandria, who is in the lead.

And then the race came to a final straight.

“Beat her Silver! Fasteeeeerrrrr!”

Silver’s expression, which had been nonchalant about the race up until now, suddenly became serious.

Was it because he could hear Masciolini’-sans voice?

“Silver, let’s go!”

Despite the buzz of the crowd, Char’s dragon voice echoes, and new power surged in Silver’s limbs.

Wooosh!

Silver accelerated so much that we could almost hear the sound effect. And in the end, he crossed the finish line five horses lengths ahead from Alexandria.

“Wooooooh, Silveeeerr!”

Next to me, Masciolini-san, who has a chubby physique, is waving a handkerchief and cheering loudly.

“Congratulations, Baron Dantes. Congratulations!”

“Thank you very  much. I didn’t think I would win.”

“Haha. This is the most interesting race I’ve seen in recent years. What a great horse. Look at that imposing figure.”

Silver didn’t seem tired and he is friendly to the crowd cheering him on. When I went down to the racetrack to pick up Silver, he licked my face, which was unusual for him.

He seems to be asking, “Did you see that? Did you see how I raced?”

“That was amazing. You’re amazing Silver.”

“Fufun!”

“Thanks too Char.”

“That was fun. Char want to race again!”

“Heheen! (Boring!)”

Char and Silver were in a good mood the whole time.

By the way, Alexei-oniisan gave me the fiefdom.

I made a contract, so he can’t complain. He signed with a sullen face.

　✲✲✲

Alexei, who returned to the territory from the capital, was quite sullen. His horse had lost, and albeit a small area, he had lost a part his estate.

It’s only natural that he is frustrated. The servants were all trembling and nervous, afraid of upsetting the Earl more.

However, there is one person who didn’t care, —Claire.

She talked to him directly.

“Father, I would like to go to Cedie’s Island for an overnight stay. Is that okay?”

Hearing Claire’s words, Earl Dantes’s temples twitched.

“At Cedie’s? No! A young girl should not go to a man’s place to play!!”

“Cedie is my uncle, isn’t he?”

“I won’t permit it, so no!”

The Earl angrily retreated to his study.

Claire was taken aback by his anger, but she was not the type to back down just because she was told it was no good.

She’s not going to waste all the dresses and swimsuits she had prepared to show to Cedie. In her mind, she already imagined herself and Cedie going to the hot springs hand in hand on the night path illuminated by the street lights.

“That’s right, love burns brighter the more obstacles there are. I won’t give up!”

“Hahaha!”, Claire laughed fearlessly.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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It’s race day.

Silver and I are at the racecourse since morning. Silver is in a good mood by appealing to mares and posing when people say, “What a fine horse.”

“Silver, you’re going to race in a little while. Are you a little nervous?”

“Brrrr (Not really)”

Silver is pretty relaxed.

I’m not trying to win the championship, but I’d be troubled if Silver won’t race a little more seriously. Silver is a substitute for His Majesty’s horse after all. At the very least, I want Silver to race in a way that I won’t be embarrassed and save me some face.

As I waited for the race to start, Paul-oniisan arrived.

“Hey, Cedie, you’re racing too? I was surprised when I saw the list.”

“It was decided in the last minute. What about your horse?”

“Justor’s race is in three days. I’m still having Justor adjust.”

That’s usually the case.

Hmm, is it really okay to let Silver race all of a sudden?

“By the way, did you know that big brother’s horse will also be in the same race as yours?”

“Alexei-oniisan’s horse!?”

I hurriedly pulled out the schedule and participant list.

“His horse is called Alexandria. It’s an undefeated champion.”

I see, it seems to be a horse that has been winning race after race recently. I’m sure Alexei-oniisan is happy too.

“Kukuku, it sounds like you’re talking about my Alexandria.”

When I turned around, I saw Alexei-oniisan grinning with his arms crossed.

Uh-, he is as arrogant as ever.

“Hello, Alexei-oniisan.”

“Mm. But I was surprised that Cedie is here too. Are you interested in horses now? Well, it’s a good trend for a nobleman.”

My brother is in a good mood today because of he is talking about his favorite hobby.

“In fact, my horse will be running in place of His Majesty’s horse.”

“Is it a substitute for Gibraltar Teo!?”

Gibraltar Teo is a new horse to watch and a popular rival to Alexandria.

Knowing that His Majesty’s horse would not run, Alexei-oniisan was overjoyed.

“Uwahahaha! With this, Alexandria is sure to win this race too! Well, even if Gibraltar Teo enters, there’s no way my Alexandria will lose.”

“Haha……”

I couldn’t help but make a dry laugh. Big brother is smiling triumphantly at me.

“By the way, which one is Cedie’s horse?”

“U-uhm, that’s the one with Char over there.”

“What!?”

Looking at Silver, Alexei-oniisan’s face trembled with anger.

“Isn’t that Silver Season!?”

It is no wonder that Alexei-oniisan is angry. Silver has a history of throwing him off , dodging his magical attacks and even bit him. And lastly, Silver made an spectacular escape from his territory.

“It might be fate that that poor horse is running the same race.”

“Huh?”

“Today, I’m going to show you the difference in their strength and show you what it meant to be in the same league!”

“O-oh, please take it easy.”

Alexei-oniisan is burning with rivalry on his own. It’s troublesome if I get involved in a bad way, so I’ll leave him alone.

However, despite my thoughts, big brother forced me into a difficult situation.

“Okay, let’s make a bet!”

The nobles of this country loves to gamble, and Alexei-oniisan is one of them.

But I’m not!

I know about Kemoncy, so I don’t want to gamble as much as possible. I don’t want to have to give up Gandalcia because of debt.

“I don’t want to. If Alexandria wins, you’re probably going to ask me for the management of the island, right?”

“I’m not going to go so far. Well…… if you win, I’ll give you the land around the bridge in Gandalcia. It’s 100-meter radius in size.”

The Dantes territory at the foot of the bridge?

It’s exactly the area that was previously sealed off. It won’t be bad if that land becomes my own. It also includes part of the main road so the island will not be blocked in the future.

The problem is what he will ask if I lose.

“What happens if Silver loses?”

“Hmm…… I’ll get two boxes of Chateau Gandalcia Extra. If I serve that at Claire’s birthday party, it will be a great honor for the Earl’s family.”

He even chose the Extra instead of  the Special. Extra’s fetch a lot of money at auctions. When I think about it, it’s overwhelmingly at my disadvantage.

“Are you afraid of losing?”

“I don’t want to bet because I can lose.”

“But you’re from Findas, aren’t you? Running away from a challenge makes you not worthy of the Findas nobility!”

I was Japan in my previous life, and I think there are exceptions in every world. That said, preaching diversity to Alexei-oniisan is like explaining the value of pearls to pigs.

It’s troublesome, so I don’t want to do it. But I thought I should at least negotiate.

“One box, not two. Otherwise it’s not worth it.”

“Very well. Swear with honor that you will give me a box of Chateau Gandalcia Extra.”

“Okay, I accept. Alexei-oniisan, please do so as well.”

“Uhahaha, with this, the wine is secured. I’m now looking forward to today’s race.”

Alexei-oniisan laughed out loud and walked away.

Paul-oniisan on the other hand looks worried.

“Was it okay to make such a promise?”

“It can’t be helped. I didn’t want to be entangled with him anymore you see.”

“But there’s no way you can win, right?”

“You think so? But I think it’s going to be a good fight if Silver is serious.”

“What about your jockey? Alexandria’s jockey is a veteran.”

“Our jockey is Char.”

“Charlotte!?”

Paul-oniisan was so surprised, but I have no other choice. Silver doesn’t want anyone on his back except for me and Char.

“Even so, it’s unheard of for a kid like that to ride.”

“I checked with the management, they said there was no problem with the rules.”

There is no age limit for jockeys in this world. The jockey just have to put on weights so that the weight is the same with the rest.

We went to see Alexandria to scout the opponent, and it was a really good horse. The coat and muscle are the best. I feel like I know why Alexandria is an undefeated champion.

“How is it? Do you think you can win?”

“Brrrrrrr (I don’t know)”

Silver looks bored.

“Oi oi, it looks like you have no chance of winning.”

“Mm, maybe. I’ll ask Silver in this case then. Why don’t you convince him too, Oniisan?”

“G-got it.”

“Silver, please run well. If you don’t win, Alexei-oniisan will take the wine away. Try running a little harder.”

“Please, Silver Season.”

“Brrr(Mm)”

Silver nodded in agreement.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Beyond the horizon, the high walls of the Capital came into view.

We’ll arrive soon.

Silver’s excitement is at its peak at the sight of the crowd of people and unfamiliar buildings. Silver is like a tourist. Erm, he’s in a very good mood for sight seeing……

All the way here, I was so worried about the guppies so I didn’t enjoy the trip at all. Fortunately, the guppies in the aquarium tank are still swimming around energetically.

His Majesty the King would be pleased with this.

When we arrived in the capital, I left Char with Paul-oniisan and I head straight to the court.

I’m the type of person who wants to get rid of the hassle first you see.

By the way, Paul-oniisan said that he would arrange the place where we will stay, so I decided to take on my brother’s offer. Anyway, I will never be spoiled by my other brother.

As I lead Silver towards the gates of the palace, the guards quickly let me through.

“Welcome, Baron Dantes.”

Although I’m a new baron, it seems that I’m becoming well-known. Or rather, it may be unusual because I am still a child.

Well, there are children of aristocrats who inherit the family estate at a young age, but there are very few of them. There is probably only one thirteen-year-old baron in the country too.

The transfer was made quickly and I met His Majesty the King without much waiting. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and his wife were also in the room, and they were happy to see me arrive.

I have provided wine to His Highness’s reception, but this was the first time I had spoken to him.

“You’ve come a long way, Baron Dantes. I heard you’re going to show us some rare fish today.”

“Yes, Your Highess. Well, these are the new species that we found on the island of Gandalcia. I hope you enjoy them.”

I gave instructions to the attendants who had brought the guppies.

“Please gently place it on the table so as not to startle the fish. Yes, as gently as possible.”

The aquarium tank still had cloth covering it. This set of aquarium is specially made for us by Emma. The heater and pump are working fine. It is powered by magic stones, so it keeps running without interruption even while we’re carrying it.

“Alright then, please take a look. Here are the new fish species we found in Gandalcia Island.”

I removed the cloth that had been covering the aquarium.

“Ooh!”

His Majesty and the others all exclaimed in admiration.

“Your Majesty, please share some with me. I’ll take it back to the Pantest Castle.”

“Eeh……? Don’t want to……”

Your Majesty, how childish of you!

“Don’t say that!”

It seems that His Majesty and the others have really taken a liking to the guppies.

“Please take this. It’s a booklet about breeding of guppies.”

This is compiled by Nowald-sensei and it was written in an easy-to-understand manner even for beginners.

According to Nowald-sensei, guppies are interesting to breed. By crossing parents of different colors and patterns, you can enjoy the change in the appearance of the fry that are born.

“Hohoh~, so you can make your own original appearance for it. That’s pretty interesting.”

“Guppies are relatively easy fish to breed. So, why don’t Your Majesty and Your Highness raise them separately?”

“Hmm, since the Baron said so, then let’s do that.”

The business negotiations went well and I was treated to an afternoon tea. Topics of our conversation include the island of Gandalcia and the Findas region.

Then suddenly, the steward came with a panicked face.

“Sorry for interrupting your conversation Your Majesty. Uhm, Baron Dantes’ horse is on the run. The staff in the stables are trying to subdue it, but they can’t do it.”

“Silver? What happened?”

“W-well…. That horse was getting close to the female horse in the cell next to it and when the staff tried to separate them, it suddenly became angry like a raging fire……”

Goodness.

Silver is not only popular with mares, but he also has an unrivaled love for females. Similar things had happened a few times on our journey here.　

“Sorry about this Your Majesty. I’ll better go and see it.”

I felt sorry but His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seemed to be amused.

“We love horses, too. Come on, let’s go and see this problematic horse the Baron has.”

His Majesty and the others are coming with me!?

Oh, what a coat of shame!

Sigh. If there was a hole, I really want to get in.

So, just like that, we all went to the stables. In the stables, Silver is looking mad and he’s neighing nonstop at the everyone.

“Silver! You’re in someone else’s territory so you better behave!”

“Brrrrrrr……(But……)”

It was embarrassing, but His Majesty the King complimented Silver.

“Ooh, what a fine horse. It’s really strong. It looks like it’s going to be a good fit for a war horse.”

“I don’t really think so Your Majesty. Well, Silver got the nerve but he’s not really good at following orders.”

“Hahaha, no, not really. Only listening to its master is a sign of wisdom you see.”

I’ll admit Silver is smart, but I’m not sure whether Silver recognizes me as his master. It seems to me that Silver thinks of me as a friend.

“Is this horse fast?”

“Yes. Quite a bit if he got serious.”

In fact, it’s hard to say.

When Silver is playing with Char on the beach, he shows off his leg strength that ordinary horses cannot match. But Silver doesn’t like to be ordered by people. I can’t help but feel that if someone is on board, all he can do is hold on for dear life.

However, His Majesty began to say something ridiculous.

“Baron, why don’t you try entering this horse in the race the day after tomorrow? Actually, my horse was injured, so there’s an open slot.”

“Uh-….…”

Even Silver must be tired from our journey. What more if Silver suddenly go racing.…

Besides, I just can’t get a vision of Silver racing properly. However, after hearing what His Majesty had said, Silver himself seemed motivated. Silver even nudged at my sleeve and nod his head.

“Brrrrr (Let me do it.)”

“Are you serious?”

“Hee-hin! (Yes!)”

I’m kind of worried, but I can’t refuse because it’s His Majesty’s proposal.

In the end, I gave in and decided to have Silver join the race.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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