Chapter 252: That Was Sarcasm

I smiled wryly at the four of them’s reactions, took several sheets of paper from my Magic Bag, and handed them to a maid standing nearby to give to Erika.

The maid held them carefully in both hands, bowed, and walked to Erika.

Erika followed her with her eyes and muttered with a distant look and a half smile, "I have a bad feeling and nothing else~"

I smiled, drank my tea, and watched. Erika started looking at the papers she had taken from the maid.

Little by little her body and breasts began to tremble. Curious, Sateur and the others peeked at the papers from behind her.

It was not the words Erika had muttered, and it was not bad news. If anything I thought it would be essential for the cold season that was coming.

It was hot now, so everyone only thought about getting cooler, but there was no loss in preparing from now.

Croana would probably develop a heater using the cooler as a hint, but this was something no one would develop unless I put the idea out.

Erika lifted her face from the papers, put one hand on her chest, and took several deep breaths to settle herself.

...Was that not a bit much? She should have been getting used to me doing sudden things...

The papers passed from Erika’s hands to Sateur and the others. They flipped through them with their eyes wide.

Once her heart had settled, Erika took a sip of tea and asked me with a half smile.

"Raide-san, this blueprint... this is correct, yes? What blueprint is it?"

"...Nn? I should have written it on there. Did I forget?"

"That was sarcasm. I saw it. I ended up seeing it! What is a washing machine and a dryer!?"

"No, it is exactly that..."

In my previous life, trying to build a washing machine or dryer would have been a nightmare. Keeping boards from getting wet, keeping water from leaking, and so on.

Forget boards, I would already be done for at the system side... the people who first thought of that and developed it were far too amazing.

But this world has magic, and people always have mana in them.

On top of that there are even Magic Tools that start if you feed them mana. Not using that would be a waste.

All you need is to send mana through, so you can secure power to turn gears even underwater.

Fire Magic Tools would not work underwater, of course...

And if it was not the fully automatic kind I saw in my previous life, even an amateur could think up an analog washing machine and draw a simple blueprint.

To give an example of how analog, you fill a box with water and rotate a drum-type metal basket left and right.

For a dryer you use a heater to send warm air into the box and rotate the drum left and right. In principle that should work.

It only becomes complete once you have Magic Tool power, but in Croana’s hands, when she can make Magic Tools harder than this, it should be easy.

I had actually been thinking about it for a long time and had only just finished the blueprints recently.

It started because my body changed, and every time I joined with Nimi I saw her working so hard at the washing.

In this world hand washing is normal, and drying is sun drying.

So even on cold days they wash in water, and if it rains the laundry will not dry.

Some people hang it indoors, but the humidity gets strong, it smells musty, and it dries slowly. On rainy days a lot of households pile up laundry.

I help at the inn too. I have done laundry with Nimi more than once, so I know... that is rough.

In Erika’s plan there would be more maids, which meant more laundry.

They take care of us. I cannot just tell myself it is their job when they look that worn, and I feel sorry.

So I chose this timing to show Erika the blueprints and have her develop them.

If we could make finished products cheaply, there was no way they would not sell.

To say more, not only in the cold season. Even now, when people sweat and laundry piles up, they would be useful enough.

Especially for women who worry about sweat, would they not be happy?

I kept the previous-life parts hidden and explained that far. Erika looked at the ceiling with distant eyes.

"Aaaaaah... the funds are going to increase agaaain."

"Erika-chan, wait a second. Instructor, this even has the parts written in detail, but is there anyone who can make it?"

"Hah! Th, that is right! Iron rusts if it gets wet, and more than that! A blacksmith who can form something this thin and this advanced... eh, what? D, do you perhaps have someone?"

"Hahaha! Well then, shall we go hear the answer?"

I looked at Erika with a smile. She started tilting her head, and at the end let out a cute "Fue?"

Laughing at her reaction I stood. With Erika still looking blank, and with Sateur and the others, we headed off to confirm the answer.

The place was a smithy on 1st Street.

Yes. We were at Bodok’s smithy.

As usual Bodok had a sour face and his arms folded. I set the same blueprints I had shown Erika on the counter in front of him.

I had just finished explaining the contents. Rare for him, he looked troubled and spoke while looking at Erika beside me.

"I get the contents. But is that girl all right? She is shaking..."

"Nn? Aah. She is worried about Bodok’s answer... probably."

"My answer?"

Erika puffed her cheeks a little and patted my arm, pos pos pos, at an incredible speed. I covered my mouth with one hand to keep from laughing.

The age-appropriate reactions she showed now and then were foul play. They were too cute. I wanted to dote on her.

Erika was dressed in a lovely pale-rose outfit that did not match the factory district, and that made her reactions even harder to stand.

She cleared her throat, shy, looked at Bodok, and asked as if checking.

"Um, can you... make it?"

"Haa... girl. I do not know what Raide told you, but if I got this far and still could not make it I should close the smithy. I tell this guy every time. A blacksmith who looks at blueprints like this and says he cannot make them is not a blacksmith."

"Aaaah, so you can make it..."

"...Oi, Raide. Is the girl unwell? Do not force her and drag her to a hot place like this, you idiot."

"You are right. Then I will carry her."

At Bodok’s answer Erika went distant-eyed and half smiling, and stopped reacting.

He scolded me. I smiled wryly, then, even inside the shop, picked Erika up in a princess carry.

I called Minty, who had been browsing the shop, had her take ten gold coins from a pouch-type Magic Bag, and had her set them on the counter.

When I said it was an advance, Bodok scratched his head hard with one hand and tried to argue that it was too much.

"Sorry. I am holding my lover right now so I cannot take it."

"Lover? ...Aah~~~, damn it! Fine! You mean you will be ordering regularly!?"

"Helps that you catch on fast. As expected of Bodok."

"Stop the flattery and go home for today. Come pick it up in two days. I will have an apprentice do it as training and that should be enough."

I thanked Bodok and went outside still carrying Erika, as if being kicked out.

Minty, who had opened the door, was happily poking Erika’s cheek. Sateur and Roll smiled wryly while watching the area.

Well then, next I had to go to Croana and ask if she could make the Magic Tools...

When I said that Minty laughed happily and told me, "Instructor, you have no mercy."

...No, I was not cornering Erika. I was just checking as normal.

I smiled wryly and, still carrying Erika, started walking toward Filim Academy, where Croana was.