Hush Now, Saintess! - Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Translator: Yonnee

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“I’m here, Hamelle.”

“Ahhh! Lady Saintess!!!”

At my visit after several days, Hamelle came running to greet me with enthusiasm.

I casually stepped aside and glanced around.

“So, how’s the unpacking going?”

Hamelle, who had been left hugging empty air, spun around and answered with a grin.

“All done! Since I already lived here, it’s super convenient and comfortable to stay!”

After the fountain inauguration, I purchased the building in Vention where Hamelle had been staying.

The second floor remained her research lab and living space, while the first floor was designated for selling cooling fans and other items.

Interestingly, after the inauguration, the cooling fans garnered more attention than the fountain.

Every letter and invitation I received inevitably mentioned the cooling fans.

Apparently, people were more eager to invite my cooling fans than to invite me as the saintess.

Well, great.

Should I be happy or not?

‘I spent two months preparing the fountain, but it’s the cooling fans that became the hit.’

Not that the fountain was a failure.

Today marked exactly ten days since the inauguration.

And as for my current coin balance…

〈 Current Coins: 24,373,104 〉

Of that, 11 million coins came from previous donations, meaning 11 million shillings had been tossed into the fountain.

‘What a jackpot.’

All I had to do was sit back, and the money just kept rolling in.

And with Vention continuing to grow and more visitors passing through…

‘In less than a year, I’ll recoup my investment in the fountain and still make a profit.’

So yes, the fountain was a success. It just got overshadowed by the cooling fans.

Riding this wave of popularity, Hamelle and I decided to commercialize the cooling fans.

“How’s the progress?”

Hamelle frowned slightly, an unusual reaction from her.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“It’s… the mana stone efficiency is too low.”

She opened a drawer and pulled out a mana stone.

“With one of these, the fan barely lasts a week. Plus, my cooling fans don’t allow for separate mana stone replacements, so once the mana stone is used up, you’d have to buy a whole new unit.”

Hmm. That did seem inefficient.

Of course, it was still much cheaper and more efficient than the cooling methods the nobles currently used.

However…

“Our target customers aren’t nobles, but ordinary people.”

I’d considered catering exclusively to nobles, but that seemed like a risky move for my reputation.

A saintess selling cooling fans only to the wealthy?

One misstep, and people could accuse me of deepening the wealth gap or fostering resentment.

‘Making money is great, but my reputation is of utmost importance.’

Besides, it was the common folk who needed cooling fans the most.

Farmers working outdoors, small business owners constantly on their feet, and the elderly or infirm who were vulnerable to heat.

Wouldn’t it be better to provide these people with affordable relief?

With that thought, I shrugged and asked.

“So, if we solve the mana stone issue, we can sell them right away?”

“Yes! The design has been refined, and the performance is perfect! We could sell them immediately!”

“Great. Then get ready to sell.”

“Get ready to sell?”

“Yep.”

Hamelle blinked at me, her curiosity piqued.

“Do you have a plan in mind?”

“Sure. I’ve got something good.”

I was glad I’d brought it.

I handed Hamelle a pouch containing the item.

Her face lit up with curiosity as she opened it.

And then…

“What… what is this?”

What else?

“A new kind of mana stone.”

“Whoa!”

Excited, Hamelle grabbed the new mana stone and disappeared to start her experiments.

Before long…

“Lady Saintess, it’s a complete success!”

She returned with a cooling fan powered by the new mana stone, her face brimming with energy.

Click.

When she pressed the button, the fan whirred to life, and a cool breeze quickly filled the room.

“This is much lighter and more efficient than the mana stones on the market! The breeze is even cooler! But won’t the raw materials be too expensive?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Well, good mana stones like this must be pricey.”

“They’re not expensive.”

“How much are they?”

“Compared to the market mana stones, these cost about thirty times…”

Before I could finish, Hamelle narrowed her eyes.

‘Thirty times isn’t expensive?!’

Her expression seemed to say exactly that.

But you’ve got to listen to the full explanation first.

“Thirty times… cheaper.”