How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 100

110. Greed and Schemes Move in the Night (12)

Seeing Duke Celond’s reaction, Third Prince Avil frowned, a look of disbelief on his face.

More than anything, he was displeased with the Duke’s lack of comprehension.

At that, the Duke hurriedly lowered his head.

“Tsk, don’t you understand? This proposal came from a single person, a product of his own mind.”

The Prince looked genuinely disgusted, as if he found the idea pathetic.

“Think about it. It’s impossible. These elements have nothing in common. How could one person conceive of all this? No matter how talented, it’s simply impossible.”

The Third Prince asserted.

“If that were possible, he’d be the most dangerous seed imaginable. Someday, his name will resonate throughout the world.”

“But isn’t he just a merchant?”

“Even a mere merchant who has amassed wealth can disregard nobles. Surely you understand that principle?”

“Ugh…”

It’s not that he doesn’t know it.

The power of money is terrifying.

That’s likely why the Prince is so displeased.

“What ultimately prevails isn’t hollow honor or authority, it’s money.”

The authority that money can command might even reach the heavens.

That much is true.

Of course, most foolish nobles are intoxicated with useless honor and a false sense of privilege, so they refuse to admit it.

The Third Prince chuckled and tapped the parchment with his fingertips.

“If he were an Imperial citizen, I might have valued him myself. But he’s from another country. That’s the source of my displeasure. That’s all.”

“He probably perished in the chaos.”

Although the Duke’s knights were annihilated, the merchant guilds stationed in Pelpuk also reportedly suffered enormous losses.

He wants to gather detailed information, but the situation is chaotic, and they’ve also sustained damage, making it difficult.

The Prince scoffed at his words.

“If so, it’s of no consequence. Even if he survived, it’s of no consequence. If he’s alive, his name will eventually be known. Then, we can reconsider.”

It seems the Prince has already shifted his focus away from Pelpuk.

It’s fortunate that he’s not fixated on it.

If he were, this meeting would have been filled with stern reprimands.

The Duke was secretly relieved.

“Rather than that, concentrate on our primary objective.”

“…Of course.”

Their goal is, after all, the downfall of the Duchy.

And securing the artifact that they inherited from the previous civilization [referring to a technologically advanced society that existed before the current one].

To that end, they orchestrated an opportunity to start a war, even enduring political pressure.

“I care about nothing else. If you accomplish this, I will not disappoint you, Duke Celond.”

In other words, he won’t tolerate any failures in that regard.

The words of the Imperial family carry immense weight.

The Duke felt a strange tickling sensation in his throat and lowered his head.

“That will never happen, Your Highness. The next news Your Highness receives will be a victory report.”

“Heh heh heh. Yes, I’ll be eagerly awaiting it.”

The Third Prince chuckled as if that was all he expected.

“Minor setbacks are irrelevant. The treasure passed down there and the administrator who possesses that information—be sure to deliver them to me. Then I promise you a successful career.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

Duke Celond felt a weight on his shoulders and once again vowed that there would be no failure.

***

111. How to Quietly Get Stronger (1)

A little over a month has passed since that day.

‘Time really flies, huh?’

It’s not like I’ve been idle. I had to rack my brains to resume commercial activities.

I’ve been quite busy with light exercises and contemplating ways to become stronger.

I definitely don’t have time to just sit around.

‘I want to relax, but let’s consider this an investment in the future.’

More than anything, it’s not just me who’s busy.

Following the surprise attack on the port city of Pelpuk by the Empire.

As the damage was assessed and cleanup efforts progressed, the Pileros Merchant Guild’s Pelpuk branch resumed commercial operations.

And it wasn’t just them.

It seemed that other merchant guilds that had suffered damage were also scrambling to recoup their losses.

It’s no use dwelling on a gruesome event; that won’t generate any revenue.

It’s a harsh reality, but ultimately, people have to work hard to make a living.

As soon as I recovered, I started making moves to address the pending work.

And now, I was discussing the items I had requested to be developed.

The discussion partner was Master Rox, who oversees the artisans of the Pileros Merchant Guild.

He reviewed one of the drawings I had given him while constantly grumbling.

“Oh, geez… Do you know how embarrassed I was back then? Suddenly, a brat from the merchant side came running and shouting to evacuate, geez… Thanks to that, I suffered a lot.”

The grumbling didn’t have much to do with the drawings themselves.

It wasn’t just the merchants in Pelpuk who had to evacuate during the attack.

The artisans who heard the news from other cities also had to immediately halt all work and evacuate as a precaution.

“Thanks to that, I’m so annoyed. Aileon, you understand, right?”

“Even so. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

The judgment wasn’t wrong.

If I hadn’t stopped them or had missed the warning signs, their blades would have certainly reached this far.

The most devastating outcome for such an organization is losing those who are irreplaceable.

And skilled technicians are naturally high on that list.

So, it’s best to evacuate first.

But from the technician’s perspective, it’s hard to accept willingly.

If the workshop shuts down, the work naturally grinds to a halt.

The resulting hardships are also their burden.

It’s not like the deadline gets extended just because you stop working.

I understand, I understand.

“Do you know what happens when a furnace cools down completely? Thanks to that, we couldn’t rest and are only now getting things back on track to some extent.”

“Come on, it’s all those damn guys’ fault.”

“Yeah, it’s those damn guys’ fault. Ugh… They’ll be cursed, those guys.”

“That’s right.”

I just chimed in appropriately.

“That being said…”

However, I didn’t come here today just to listen to this old man’s complaints all day.

Let’s change the subject.

It’s all for work, after all.

Only then did he seem to notice and clear his throat.

“Ahem, hmm. First of all, that carriage modification plan that Aileon requested… I’ve reproduced the basic structure to some extent.”

“You’ve been busy, but you’ve made good progress.”

I was genuinely surprised and impressed.

There are several product developments that I entrusted to them, one of which is the modification of the carriage.

That’s one of the things I desperately want right now.

I wanted to get a more comfortable carriage for my butt as soon as possible, for the sake of money and my future.

‘Still, I thought it would take a little longer to start the work.’

It wouldn’t have been surprising if it took time.

I was a little impressed.

“You’re still the best, Master Rox.”

“It’s just that I’ve only experimented with the structure. Ugh… Full completion is still a long way off.”

The full completion is a distant prospect.

First of all, Master Rox reinterpreted the drawings I gave him, corrected the errors, and built a carriage for testing.

“Would you like to see the one I made for testing?”

“Of course. I want to see it right away.”

Will I just look at it? I’ll have to ride it.

At the very least, if they can complete something that meets my minimum standards for my picky butt, I won’t ask for anything more.

‘I want to get a proper carriage soon.’

Because of a very personal reason, I’m quite desperate for this.

* * *

Master Rox took me to one of the warehouses behind the workshop and had the apprentices pull out a carriage.

Is this the carriage they made for testing?

“How is it?”

“…It looks a bit skeletal.”

Rather than admiration, I tilted my head and examined the carriage.

A form with only the bare bones exposed.

Just a frame made of wooden and iron plates with wheels attached.

When I said this, he clicked his tongue as if I was talking nonsense.

It seems he didn’t want to hear that.

“No… It’s natural that it’s skeletal. I just hastily assembled the basic frame. You can attach the outer panels as much as you want as soon as they’re finished, so you don’t need them.”

If it were a car, it would be like taking off all the bonnet and exterior and assembling it just for testing purposes.

Well, the exterior is a decoration, albeit an important one.

“So, it can still roll in this state.”

When I lightly grabbed the frame with both hands and pressed down, it creaked and shook slightly.

The leaf spring supporting the inside of the wheel and the bottom of the carriage is shaking.

Seeing that, I frowned.

“Why does this feel unstable? It shouldn’t shake this much, should it?”

“Tsk… I just assembled it according to the design you gave me, so there’s nothing I can do. The full-scale modification starts now. Do you want to ride it?”

“Let’s ride it once. I think I need to experience it myself.”

I recently realized that I’m the type to learn by experiencing things firsthand.

I want to aim for a brainy type if possible, but my body doesn’t seem to be wired that way. Tsk.

Soon, they brought a suitable horse, attached it to the test carriage, and Master Rox sat in the driver’s seat, and I sat next to him.

“Then let’s move. Hold on tight.”

Master Rox carefully pulled the reins, and the horse walked slowly.

Thump!

“Ugh?!”

The carriage shook from side to side and then moved forward.

“How is it?”

“…I think my butt will hurt even more like this.”

“I agree.”

The ride is surprisingly terrible.

It certainly seems to be starting to absorb the shaking to some extent, as intended by the suspension’s design, but it feels like the range is off.

“Let’s shake it properly.”

“Huh? Wait a minute… Waa?!”

Before I could stop him, Master Rox deliberately steered the carriage towards the side where gravel was scattered.

Thump! Thump!

My butt is screaming.

“Ugh… It seems a little better than other carriages, but my butt still hurts.”

“Frankly, my impression is that I’m dizzy. Before reducing the shock, it shakes even on flat ground.”

“That’s definitely a problem. …I want to see it more clearly. How about running a little faster?”

“Let’s do that. But be prepared.”

“Yes?”

For some reason, Master Rox gave a meaningful tone to my suggestion and soon pulled the reins sharply.

The horse roughly stamped its hooves and started running in earnest this time.

“Ooooooh! Damn it, it’s shaking like crazy! My butt!”

I should have brought a cushion.

It’s still not working properly.

I was thinking that far and suggesting to stop.

Crack crack crack!

A scream was heard.

Not the scream of a living thing, but the scream of metal.

In an instant, both Master Rox and my faces turned blue.

Kwa jiji jik!

That’s because the inside of the carriage wheel collapsed and shattered.

“Waaaaaaat?!”

“Keugh!”

We screamed and rolled around together.

Fortunately, we weren’t stabbed by shrapnel, but we were shocked.

“Heh heh heh. I thought my back was going to break.”

“…There are many problems in many ways. No, it’s not something to laugh about, is it?”

“Well, how is it? It’s just a common mistake. Hahaha.”

Master Rox rubbed his waist, drank the potion I handed him, and then picked up a piece of the broken carriage.

It’s a leaf spring added to the bottom of the carriage.

The most basic principle of the spring that I made them reproduce.

This is the most troublesome.

“Tsk, it’s still a mess.”

Master Rox stares at it seriously.

Because it was completely torn off.

I expected it to bend, but it tore completely.

“Is it a defect?”

“That’s a bit subtle. The strength of the iron itself is weak. I thought I used the best iron….”