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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Drone Rental Boom
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"Dirt, you say?"
Elena tilted her head at the sudden talk of dirt. I faithfully relayed the spirits' request on their behalf.
"Yes. If possible, they want soil extracted from both polluted and dead lands. That way, they can tell more accurately."
"Getting soil isn't hard at all. I'll send a messenger right away today, so let them know we're counting on you."
― This kid's bullying us. Scold her, please!
The spirits gathered around Elena, pleading desperately.
"What's that behavior about?"
"They say not to worry."
― Liar!
"I see. I thought they were asking for another favor."
― They are! Scold her! It's a request, daughter of Haint!
No matter how much the spirits complained, only I could hear them, so their pleas wouldn't get through to anyone else.
Exhausted from their own efforts, the spirits turned to Akid next. They knew I was soft on him and were trying a sneaky approach.
"Not a chance!"
I swiftly blocked their path to Akid, shielding him like a knight protecting his lady.
― Argh, so frustrating!
Unable to reach Akid, the spirits vented by nibbling at my hair again. Watching the scene, Akid muttered.
"You seem to get along well with the spirits."
"No, can't you see I'm the one being harassed here?"
― Who's harassing who!
"If that were true, you wouldn't have that smile plastered on your face."
Akid grinned and dragged his fingers up the corners of his mouth.
"Oh."
Only then did I realize I'd been smirking while teasing the spirits and quickly smoothed my lips down. Akid was as sharp as ever.
"By the way, you still haven't told us why you hosted this tea time today."
"Oh, right!"
I suddenly remembered I'd arranged this gathering and signaled Hanna.
Soon, Hanna brought something over on a trolley, and Elena recognized it immediately.
"Hm, I didn't realize we had any sky lanterns left in stock."
"I asked Kobi to make one more."
"Were you regretting not scattering those flower seeds back then? You should've said something."
Akid also recognized the sky lantern and misunderstood, thinking I wanted to scatter seeds belatedly.
I grinned, cradling my ambitiously prepared business item in my hands.
"No. Take a good look. It's a bit different from the ones we used for the lantern event."
The first thing I'd thought of upon seeing Kovishtain's invention was a drone.
So this time, I'd commissioned him to attach an image stone to a sky lantern.
Elena examined the item from every angle, murmuring.
"Hmm. I can't spot the difference beyond it being a bit smaller."
"Ah! There's something like a lens embedded here. That used to be the seed hole."
Akid's keen eyes spotted the difference right away.
Impressed by my man's quick wits, I beamed and said.
"I was thinking of turning this into a business."
"A business?"
"Yes. The timing's perfect, too."
Hadellus Territory was one of the harshest regions in the North, with frequent accidents and disasters.
Especially after the recent spirit incident caused unusual weather anomalies, many areas had suffered heavy damage.
The Tesl region, located in the northeast of Hadellus Territory and backed by mountains, had been hit hardest.
Avalanches claimed victims every year among travelers crossing the mountains, but this year's freak blizzard had isolated Tesl for an extended period.
The administrator, oblivious to the spirits' involvement, was tearing his hair out.
The snow had stopped, but dangerous zones remained, requiring residents' vigilance.
One day, a package arrived at Hadellus Castle. Inside was an oddly shaped object.
"Drone?"
The administrator puzzled over the name of the magic tool written on the packaging.
It was unfamiliar, and it looked expensive enough to make him hesitant even to touch it.
Fortunately, it came with an official letter and instructions. He read the letter.
The application included pricing for outright purchase and details on a flat-rate rental service.
"Eek, how many gold coins is that?!"
The administrator gasped at the drone's price. Even scraping together Tesl's entire budget, it would be impossible to buy.
In contrast, the monthly rental fee was quite reasonable.
It was less than a fraction of the recovery costs from avalanche damage.
If it truly worked, renting on a subscription basis seemed viable.
Tesl, being part of Hadellus Territory, even qualified for special discounts, making it cheaper still.
"Hmm, might as well give it a try."
The administrator began flipping through the drone's manual.
Ooh, jackpot as expected.
I grinned at the gold bars piling up neatly in my private warehouse. Just two weeks into the trial runs, rental orders were pouring in.
My share as the designer was substantial, making the commissions very lucrative.
The business was a resounding success!
Offering territory administrators a free month of service before launch had paid off big time.
The rental model was especially popular. Magic tools were generally pricey, and with the imaging function, the drone's material costs alone were astronomical.
Selling them outright? No one would buy. That's why I'd devised the rental system.
'Even back home, pricey appliances were rented out cheaply and conveniently.'
Renting had far more advantages than buying outright.
Word was spreading to other territories now, so with some luck, I could pay off my old debts.
Staring at the stacked gold ingots made me feel full without eating.
My fannish pursuits were smooth sailing, and business was exploding—life was perfect, and I couldn't help dancing on my toes.
It was a stroke of luck that this world had no rental systems, plus having competent subordinates had me sitting on a goldmine.
Kovishtain's advanced tech in the drones was raking in cash daily.
As I left my private warehouse and skipped toward my bedroom, Asil spotted me and greeted.
"Back from the private warehouse again?"
Did I visit that often?
If even Asil noticed, I must have been going frequently.
Come to think of it, I stopped by once in the morning and once before bed.
I nodded, resolving to restrain myself so I wouldn't seem too materialistic. Asil smiled warmly and said.
"The study construction is set to complete around next week. You should be able to use it starting the weekend."
"Finally done."
"Yes. And as requested, we've installed a lock on the inner room. Here's the key."
Asil handed me a golden key. I inspected it closely and asked.
"There isn't some other way to open it like with that diary last time, right? That would be a huge problem."
I pressed with a stern expression, and Asil replied.
"Of course not. The golem bones neutralize magic, so only the designated master key works."
"What if someone tries to smash it open?"
"Well, golem bones are incredibly tough. Breaking them isn't easy—you'd need a special oxidizing agent to melt them."
"Perfect!"
I hadn't forgotten how the Grand Duke had used magic to peek into my diary last time.
Who would ever suspect some lunatic would cast advanced unlocking spells just to read someone else's diary?
And a child's diary at that!
This time, I'd prepared thoroughly from the construction phase—no one could access my secret zone.
I'd even emptied one of my gold bar crates for it; the study was my pride and joy.
"It's secured the same way as your private warehouse, so no worries about anyone barging in."
"Got it. Thanks for the hard work, Asil."
"You're welcome."
Asil bowed and quietly departed. I hummed to myself, mentally arranging the collections I'd display in the study.
I'd just placed my hand on the bedroom lobby door when I spotted Countess Aria approaching from afar.
In her hands was a dazzling bouquet of gemstones that sparkled brilliantly.
My jaw dropped at the sight of what must have cost a fortune. She approached and offered it to me.
"A congratulatory gift from Her Highness the Grand Duchess."
