The next day after dawn, when I tried to fetch some water first thing in the morning, Kururu was already awake. Instead of wandering around, it is sitting still. I guess it is taking some magical power. As I approached, it slowly turned its head towards me.
“Good morning. Would you like to go fetch water with me?”
“Kuu”
Kururu stands up slowly.
“Oh, wait a minute-”
I hurried back inside the house and brought another water jug to be tied on Kururu’s neck.
“Is it tight?”
“Ku-”
“Alright, then come along.”
After saying that, I took the lead and it slowly followed me. I don’t know if a Sōryū needs a walk or not, but since we won’t be going to the town for the next two weeks, it might be better to give it some exercise like this every day. For the time being, we’ll have a round trip today and see how it goes. I proceeded at the same pace as usual and then we eventually arrived at the lake. I decided to finish washing my face here. After all, it’s really narrow when five people line up in a tub…
Subsequently, I also wiped Kururu’s body. Then I check the area around its eyes and nose to see if, “in human terms”, it has eye or nose mucus. There was none and it seems to be healthy. Speaking of which, what should we do if the Sōryū catches a cold? I wonder if there is a doctor specializing on them too.
It would be hard to call a doctor to a remote place like this. I guess we should think about what to do when humans (including beastman, dwarf and elf) get sick.
When I and Kururu are refreshed, I filled the jug with water. For the time being, the amount of water I put on the water jug to be carried by Kururu is only about half.
“Is it heavy?”
“Kururu”
“Alright, you carry that much for today. Let’s go home.”
As we returned home, I kept my eyes on Kururu. However, it didn’t seem to stagger or stop. Hmm, let’s make it carry a little more tomorrow then.
“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s go there again tomorrow.”
“Kuu”
I loosened the water jug tied around Kururu’s neck. Kururu seemed to be happy when it heard that we were going there again tomorrow, I think it would be good to take it with me every day. After I took the water jug, Kururu took a small bite on the leftover meat from yesterday. Looking at it, it seems that it only ate a bit last night. If it only eats that much per meal, it will have enough to eat until tomorrow. At this rate, it will probably eat less than a human. It will be an awesome eco-friendly creature. I then told Kururu that I’ll see him later and then I went back inside.
After breakfast and some other things, we start today’s work. I hope to have Kururu’s hut built within a week at the latest. It’s literally just a shack so I’m sure it will be built soon.
We dig a hole to build a pillar facing the courtyard. The tool we used is a custom-made shovel. The soil here is also hard, but thanks to the custom-made model and our strengthened muscles, the hole was dug quickly. The size of the hut was decided by asking Kururu to come to the site. The size of the hut was set so that there would be enough room for Kururu to lie and roll around so it is quite spacious.
In the hole that we dug, we pulled out a tree and put it in as a pillar. Kururu helped me to hang and pull up the rope so I made a lot of progress. No matter how strong my muscles are, I’m still no match for an “expert” like a Sōryū after all.
After the pillars have been erected, it’s time to lay the beams. The beam is not a magnificent one, but it is intended to maintain the structure of the building at a minimum. I utilized my cheat to make good meshes and I used the nails I made before to fix them up so they don’t fall off. When I assembled the roof purlins and so on, I could see the outer shape of the hut. After that, we will put roof boards and wall boards here, but before that, we layered the soil that came out when we dug a hole in the floor of the hut to make it a little higher than the surrounding ground. If we don’t do this, water will flow in when it rains, which will be a problem for Kururu.
As for the work itself, I left it to Samia and the others who already had experience in building rooms and Kururu was also here to help us carry it. Liddy, though not used to it, helped us a lot, so it went quite smoothly. Even so, it would have been impossible to build it at such a pace so that’s where my cheat comes in. At this point, it was now getting late so we would have to wait until tomorrow to put up the boards. I declared that this day’s work is over to everyone.
After the work, I cleaned up myself and asked Liddy about it,
“Kururu seems to be eating much less food, is it still because of that?”
“That’s right. The magical power of this forest is greater than others, so I think that’s almost enough.”
“I see”
Whether it is domesticated or wild, it is extremely intelligent. I’m not sure if it understands every detail, but it at least understands what I’m saying. In addition to its rarity, I think that is a big part of the reason given the fact that it is expensive. Well, even if we leave that out of the equation, the fact is that it looks really quite cute.
I feel like I’m building a new family room rather than a shed for the livestock ―although it is far from a shack. I hope to complete it by tomorrow. With that in mind, I started to prepare dinner.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
The dragon cart advances through the forest. I was not too concerned about whether it could pass through here or not. Well, in the first place, we could pass through here normally when it was just a cart. What I’m more worried about is whether the Sōryū would be afraid of this forest. But so far, there was no sign of that. I knew that it wouldn’t be afraid of the magical power here because it eats magical power. However, I thought that it might be frightened by the presence of the beasts living in this forest.
“Would it be scared if something like a bear approached us?”
I asked Samia.
“I don’t know much about Sōryū… But I think it’s highly possible. The bears here are ferocious and strong after all. Eizou should know it well because you fought one, right?”
“Well, yeah”
It feels nostalgic, but it was a close fight. Without my cheat, I would definitely have died at that time.
“Then, we need to be careful not to make the Sōryū scared.”
“I wonder if that will happen…? Well, if that happens, I’ll notice it too.”
“Oh-, that’s right.”
Among us, Samia has the best sense of smell. Between the Sōryū and her, I’m not sure whose nose is better, but it’s certain that they’ll notice something fatal. So far, they haven’t caught anything dangerous. Unless you are a “weak guy”, where you’ll end up becoming the wolves’ prey, this forest where there are fewer attacks is safer than in the main road.
Now that we’ve entered the forest, there is no road so the ground is much worse compared to the main road. However, the cart is moving along at a good speed. Well, the shaking is also terrible. The good thing is that we are moving much faster than when a person is pulling it so we won’t stay like this for a long time.
We have to be a little careful with our luggage as well, but so far, they haven’t rolled out of the cart. Well, none of them are loaded directly, they are in barrels or boxes. Even so, there are still times when we get a big bump, it is necessary to install suspensions as soon as possible. And yeah, for the sake of our hips and butt as well.
Sure enough, we were able to get home much earlier than usual. Apart from the ride quality, it’s still a lot easier. I think it should have been introduced earlier, but I’ll excuse myself by saying that it’s hard to understand something like this until you actually experienced it.
While Rike and Liddy remove the Sōryū from the cart, the three of us carried the luggage inside the house. I asked them to double check how to put on the brace when they remove it. In the previous world, I would have been able to take a picture with my phone and record the arrangement, but in this world, I can’t do that, so we have to remember it.
As we cleaned ourselves, we also wiped the body of the Sōryū with a cloth that had been soaked in warm water and wrung out tightly. It seems to be feeling comfortable because it is squinting its eyes while making “Kururururururu” sound.
“Good, thanks for your hard work today.”
“Kurururururu”
I gave it a light pat on the neck and it licked my face. It was soft and ticklish, not rough like that of a cat. After that, I filled an empty barrel with water and brought it to him. I still have some of yesterday’s meat that hasn’t been salted yet so I also brought that to him.
“If you can eat the grass that grows on the ground here, you can eat them. Just don’t go too far.”
When I said that, the Sōryū made a sound, as if it understood me. I stroked its head again and then I went inside the house. At dinner that day, the topic of our conversation is about the name of the Sōryū. We can’t call it “Sōryū” forever after all.
“Well, we didn’t know if it is a male or female…”
I forgot to ask Camilo. Besides, I have a feeling that even if I ask him, he would say “I don’t know”. I haven’t seen any external features that can be judged like mammals. Given the size of its body, I would have recognized it immediately.
“In that case, it should be a name that goes either way huh.”
Diana had a pensive look.
“Is there anything like a thumb rule when naming a horse?”
“None. Well, the most amazing horse I’ve ever heard of, Henning Hermann III, is owned by a nobleman from another country. It seems that he was a descendant of a famous horse.”
A horse with the name of the House it belongs plus the third huh? It’s not a cheap purchase and I don’t know what to feel about it. If I only heard the name, I might ask, “Is that His Excellency, the Marquis?”
For a while, we are at loss for what to name it.
“It often made a “Kurururu” sound so isn’t it okay to call it Kururu?”
Samia said so. If it’s a male, it would sound a bit cute, but it wouldn’t be out of place. Well, the more elaborate the name, the more strange it sounds.
“That’s a good one.”
“I think Kururu would suit it.”
“No objection”
Diana, Rike and Liddy doesn’t seem to have any objections.
“It’s Kururu then.”
In this way, the Sōryū was named, and Kururu joined the family.
“Now then, we can’t just leave him out in the rain, so we’re going to build him a hut with just a roof and walls.”
Well, it doesn’t rain all the time around here, and although it’s blocked by trees to some extent, I would feel bad if a family member is exposed to rain. They didn’t have any particular objection to my proposal so from the next day, I decided that we will build a hut for Kururu. Only heaven knows when it will rain after all.
Everyone decided on Kururu’s name before going to bed, and when we went to say good night, Kururu made a “Kuu” sound, curled up on the ground and closed its eyes. If it’s in the previous world, it’s a scene that would definitely managed to be popular in Gram.
While taking about 10 combos of Diana’s continuous attacks on my shoulders, I went inside the house and prepared for the next day’s work.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“Are you leaving already? You can stay longer, you know?”
“No. I’m glad for the offer but I’m in a hurry. I don’t know when the empire will start to move in full swing after all. It’s not the time to relax you see.”
We are currently riding on the unicorns at the entrance of the Royal Palace where the rising sun can be seen. The Beast King and the Queen are seeing us off.
The area is dyed in orange hue giving off an evening vibe.
“Shinichi is about to go to the Holy Kingdom, right?”
“Yeah. I also want to ask the winged race to help the kingdom.”
“Then, a piece of advice, those guys are extremely prideful. It will be hard to get their cooperation.”
“I know. Many winged man also hate humans, right?”
“Yes. And, there is a ferocious magical beast on the way to the Holy Kingdom. Watch out for that too.”
“I heard that already at the liquor table yesterday. Don’t worry, I’m the man who exchanged fist with the Beast King. I won’t die so easily.”
I waved to the surprisingly worried Beast King and then I urged the unicorn to move. We are going to the Kycilia Holy Kingdom. It is the kingdom of a race known as winged man. We ran through the city that had just awakened from the night’s sleep and then I finally saw the exit of Ganesha, the Beast Capital.
“Oiii- nya!”
Lena is waving at the exit. Only me and Erna stayed at the Royal Palace so it was our first reunion with Lena after a few hours. I guess she come all the way here to say goodbye. We made the unicorns stop in front of Lena.
“Are you leaving already nya? I’ll be very lonely nya.”
“We’ll see you again someday. Besides, you can always come to Mana City, we are adventurers there you see.”
“I’m sure I’m going to see you guys again nya! Both of you should also come back to this kingdom nya!”
We shake hands with Lena. It was a short meeting but the trip with her was a lot of fun. If there is a connection, we will meet again.
“See you again!”
We then made the unicorns gallop. Lena waved behind us.
◇
“So hot…”
Erna is sluggish on top of the unicorn. It’s already been three days since we left Ganesha, the Beast Capital. The temperature rises as we go south and the jungle scenery has turned into a wilderness. I heard that the Kycilia Holy Kingdom is in the desert so it seems that the destination is still far ahead.
“There are many stone statues around here huh.”
Looking around, stone statues are scattered about in the wilderness. Some are about 3 meters in size, while others are huge, over 10 meters in size. Although they are humanoid in shape, some have a crocodile faced and some have a bird face, bearing a close remembrance to ancient Egypt.
“Kishaaaaa!”
A large creature emerged from the shadow of a stone statue. It has a dark blue carapace with two large pincers. Its long tail draws an arc and hangs forward. A scorpion with a total length of about 5m begins to chase after us.
“Shinichi! They are also coming from over there!”
As Erna had said, scorpions appeared one after another from the shadow of the other stone statues. They go around in the direction of our travel and surround us. Their number totalled to ten. All of them are gargantuan monster scorpions.
【Analysis Result: Blue Scorpion: The needle at the tip of the tail is extremely poisonous and it quickly pierces the prey after catching it with its pincers. A variant of Violet Scorpion: Rarity (D): Overall Ability (D)】
【Status】 Name: Blue Scorpion Race:Blue Scorpion Magic Attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Wall Skills: Claw strengthening (Intermediate), Enemy Search (Advanced), Hardening (Intermediate), Sand Walking(Advanced) Evolution: Does not meet the conditions <Requirements: Claw Strengthening (Special), hardening (Special), Sand Walking (Special)>
It’s probably strong in its own way. However, the Danger Prediction skill is not responding to them. Given that, it only means that they are not my opponent. However, it is not possible for Erna to grow if I am always the one getting rid of it. Let’s have the future Great Mage do the clean up here.
“Erna, show me the results of your training.”
“Okay! It’s time to show the results of Moore’s hellish training!”
After Erna raised her staff, magical power was released from her body. And then it converged to the staff at once.
“Break Tornado!”
The surrounding air begins to swirl and a tornado occurs. The blue scorpions were pulled into the tornado and dances in the air like a leaf. The tornado disappears in a few minutes but the scorpions that were blown away struck to the ground and rocks, suffering great damage. Even so, probably because of their strong vitality, they start to twitch then they moved again.
“Air cutter!”
The scorpions were torn apart by the magic used as a finishing blow. Hoh-, I’m impressed with her performance.
“The magic of that tornado is awesome. Is it a special-grade wind magic?”
“Yeah. Break Tornado is not very effective against multiple enemies though. I feel like it’s a magic suitable in wide area.”
The special grade wind magic seems to be quite effective in wide and rugged rocky areas. However, it will not be reliable in the desert that is up ahead.
“Oops, I have to pick up that skill.”
Once I get off the unicorn, I approached a scorpion’s corpse and I acquired the Sand Walking skill. Perhaps this will make walking in the desert easier. After that, I tear off the scorpion’s legs and bake them on fire. The dark blue carapace gradually turned red.
“Oh-, this smells delicious. Hmm, which one should I try?”
When I put the scorpion meat in my mouth, it tastes like a crab. It’s like eating a giant king crab’s leg. It’s very delicious.
“Erna, try eating one too. It’s pretty good.”
“I’ll pass. I don’t have an appetite because of the heat…”
After saying that, Erna takes out the water canteen from her bosom and drinks water. It seems that she is completely exhausted by the heat on the wilderness. It’s not that hot, though. Well, I guess it’s a racial difference.
After munching on the scorpion’s meat for a while, I decided to store the rest in the bangle. I also like to eat crabs. And with this, I can taste it anytime.
“Hey, haven’t we arrived at the Holy Kingdom yet?”
“Hn? We haven’t even reached the desert yet. The Holy Kingdom is still farther ahead.”
“I heard that there is a lot of sand in the desert, but it’s not as hot as here, right?”
“Oh, I see… Erna is not familiar with the desert huh. Once you see it, you’ll understand. It will get even hotter once we get to the desert.”
“Eh!? It’s even hotter!? I don’t like it anymore! I want to go home!”
Erna protests while flailing on the horse. That being said, there is nothing I can do about it. Complain to the sun.
I immediately get on the unicorn and we start galloping along the road again. All we have to do is follow this leveled path to reach the Holy Kingdom so we won’t particularly get lost. Additionally, as I heard from the Beast King, there also seems to be a guide in the desert to reach the Holy Kingdom. He said that I could recognize it just by seeing it so we wouldn’t get lost for the time being.
There are cactus-like plants occasionally growing in the wilderness. Its surface is green and it has thorns, but when you touch it, it feels soft and flabby like a water balloon. It’s interesting as it’s comfortable to touch. The soft and moist feel is quite good. When I was absorbed in touching it, it was magically erased by Erna. She said that the shape is obscene. It looks like “that” indeed. Still, I wanted to say that she shouldn’t blow it away with Flame Bomb. I decided to come back to this wilderness someday.
“Uwaa! Amazing! So this is the desert huh!”
“Hmm, it’s a sandy desert like the Sahara Desert.”
We spent two days in the wilderness then we finally arrived in the desert. This pace is quite slow. Until now, thanks to the unicorn’s physical strength and ability, we travelled to the three kingdom earlier than planned, but in such harsh environment, the homeless unicorns also run out of breath.
Then again, the unicorn’s abilities are severely limited in the desert. Given that, I decided that we would just walk through the desert.
“Alright, I’ll store the unicorns.”
I stored the two unicorns inside the bangle. In fact, it is possible to put living creatures inside the bangle.
…..But I noticed it only recently.
After several trials of using insects and lizards as guinea pig, I found that the time for the creatures inside the bangle came to a stop. Originally, it was a tool that I did not understand well, but when it comes to this point, it may be comparable to Doraemon’s secret tool. In the future, I must consider whether to offer this bangle in the Kamidana.
Erna applauds as the unicorns disappeared in an instant.
“Shinichi can even overthrow those conjurers huh.”
“That’s gratifying, but it’s more surprising that there are conjurers in this world with mages.”
While having such enjoyable chat, we set foot in the desert. Our feet sank into the sand. It likely that we’ll be exhausted just by walking.
“So hot… I’m tired…”
Erna walks behind me, piercing her staff into the sand and moves forward step by step. Her way of walking is like an old man over 90 years old. On the other hand, I, who activated the Sand Walking skill, is different from before and I could now proceed easily. My feet step firmly on the sand. Apparently, I have acquired a good skill.
“Here-, I’ll lend you a hand.”
I extend my arm to Erna, who is stamping on a place that turned into a slope. Erna, who grabbed my hand, suddenly started climbing the slope easily.
“It’s easier to walk if I hold Shinichi’s hand! What’s going on!?”
“…I see, Sand Walking have an effect on people who are in close contact with the user huh.”
Then it would be more efficient to walk hand in hand.
“Alright, we will proceed like this.”
“Uh- Okay.…”
Erna had a red face. Probably because her body temperature is rising due to the heat.
A mountain of white sand extends far into the horizon. The sand flew due to the wind and the smooth slope gradually changed its shape. The air is heated by the intense sunlight and I can see the swaying heat haze. It doesn’t feel so hot to me but it’s a hellish heat for Erna.
“Hey Shinichi, isn’t that the way to go?”
A colossal statue, which could be several tens of meters long, stood in the direction Erna pointed out. Furthermore, a similar statue stands beyond it, extending to the horizon.
“Let’s be thankful for those.”
We approached the colossal statue while holding hands.
“Such a weird face…”
Erna mutters when we reached the feet of the colossal statue. The face of the humanoid statue had four eyes. It has wings on its back and holds a spear in its right hand.
Are the winged men a race with four eyes? I’m a little thrilled.
We hurry forward as we move from statue to statue. I sometimes flew with Erna in the sky, but the sandstorm was terrible in the sky and there’s poor visibility. In the end, I went down to the ground and we just walked steadily. At night, the temperature dropped sharply and the cold struck us. Perhaps Erna couldn’t stand it as she was trembling and she curls to my side.
Then on the fourth day after we started walking in the desert, we finally saw something like a City on the horizon.
“We did it! We finally arrived!”
Erna forgets about me and starts running. With her feet sinking, she climbed up the dunes and from the top, she look on to the distance.
“That is Vinea, the Holy Capital!”
When I went up to the dunes, I could see the scenery that Erna was looking at. The reddish-brown outer wall encloses a vast forest inside and a rainbow-colored dome covers the sky on the city.
“What is that dome?”
“That’s a magical barrier made with ancient technology. It seems that everything was made by the founder dwarves for the winged race.”
“There used to be excellent technology long ago huh.”
Long ago dwarves seemed to have excellent knowledge and skills. But why there is no shadow of that now? I am excited to uncover such historical mystery.
“Let’s go”
Erna stretched out her right hand. I stretched my left hand and then we hold hands. The feel of her hands is very comfortable. Keeping pace with her, we then head for Vinea, the Holy Capital.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Camilo heads to the warehouse and we remained there watching the Sōryū, the new addition to our family.
“Can I touch it?”
Diana asks softly.
“It’s okay as it is now part of our family.”
When I said so, Diana gently approaches the Sōryū. The Sōryū is watching her but it doesn’t show any signs of receding or becoming alarmed. Diana’s hand touched the shoulder of the Sōryū but it just look at her.
“Wow, it’s warm.”
It looks like a reptile but it is warm huh. As Diana is stroking its shoulder, the Sōryū suddenly jerked its neck. I thought it didn’t like it but rather, the Sōryū gently rubs its head against Diana’s shoulder. It looks like it’s doing what Diana did in return. As Diana strokes its head, the Sōryū’s eyes squints.
“Kururu”
It made a sound. When Diana heard that, she was so pleased that the corners of her eyes were lowered. It doesn’t seem to dislike being touched by people at all. I don’t know if Sōryū’s themselves are friendly, or if it’s just that this child is especially friendly. Well, it’s nice that being touched like this doesn’t stress it out.
When they realized that it is okay to touch it as Diana did, the other three also went to touch it, albeit timidly. Sure enough, the Sōryū didn’t look uncomfortable. It just rubbed its head against the person touching it and made soft noises. I also stroked its neck. I can feel its warmth when I touch it. It’s not like a normal reptile at all. However, it’s slippery to touch, almost like a snake. After stroking it for a while, it rubbed its head against mine and made a “Kururu” sound.
Eventually, Camilo came back and said that they are ready to tie it to the cart.
“Well, though I said that, it’s only good enough until you guys get home. So make sure you do it properly when you get home.”
“Understood.”
I also wanted to remodel it into a cart equipped with leaf springs and it needed to be repaired so it’s not inconvenient.
“I’ll give you a harness as a freebie.”
“Thanks, that would help.”
The clerk at Camilo’s store attached a harness, probably for horses, to the Sōryū to connect it to the cart. Let’s remember how to do this. Hoh-, it is not that complicated I see. It may take us a while the first time or two, but we’ll get used to it. When I looked at the other four, they are also seriously watching the clerk do it.
They then pulled the Sōryū to the warehouse. They removed the horizontal bar of the handle for human pulling and they forcibly extended the two bars to connect it with the Sōryū. I see, this is just an improvised one.
Then they took the cart behind the Sōryū and they connected it to the Sōryū’s harness. Now we have a simple cart or a dragon cart I should say. There is no coachman stand so the coachman could only sit on a box placed on the cart. Today’s coachman is Rike. She’s the only one in my family who’s ever driven a cart after all. Well, I’m pretty sure this is not included in my cheat category either. I guess we should all practice when we get home.
After I received today’s sales from Camilo and once we finished loading the goods into the cart, we all climbed inside. As soon as Rike hit the bridle against the Sōryū’s body, it made a “Kuu” sound and it started to walk slowly. It exerted a lot of effort into pulling us at first since it’s really heavy. However, as the cart began to move, its steps became lighter and lighter. I then waved goodbye to Camilo from the top of the moving cart. I was usually pulling the cart so this was a refreshing sight. I’m sure I’ll see this scene often from now on, it’s quite moving somehow.
The dragon cart slowly advances through the town. As expected, it’s a rare sight so we attracted a lot of attention. What’s a little interesting is that, many of them looked surprised for a moment when they saw the Sōryū, but then they look convinced after they saw Liddy. Perhaps because they are as rare as the elves, it’s not strange for a Sōryū to pull a cart. Well, it would be better if they were convinced with that and didn’t ask any unnecessary questions.
Rike speeded up a bit as we stepped out of the town and moved into the main road. The shaking of the cart gets worse accordingly. It’s not unbearable but I still like to install a leaf spring suspension as soon as possible to make the ride more comfortable.
It’s not a comfortable ride, but as we’re traveling along at a comfortable speed, I stop minding about it.
“It’s comfortable.”
“Yeah. We don’t have to walk which makes it’s easier. Well, apart from the ride quality that is.”
“Now we just have to see how much this child can carry.”
Liddy followed up to Diana’s words.
“Well, at least it can afford to carry what two people could, plus us on board.”
I answered in response. However, I don’t know if it can still afford an additional weight or if this is already its limit. I don’t want to make it carry the dead weight either, well, I’ll try it somewhere if I have a chance.
While we are talking about such things, we arrived at the entrance of the forest. It’s almost twice as fast as when Rike and I were pulling the cart. It seems that it will be much faster for us to get home at this rate.
With that in mind, the dragon cart went inside the forest.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Sorry guys, I got busy so I may once again have intermittent releases. For those who donated, I’ll try my best to do the sponsored chapters on weekends. Thanks again for your support.
“Sōryū…?”
I mechanically asked Camilo again. The installed knowledge gave me a general idea of this world’s geography and common sense but it didn’t cover the details about the living creatures here.
“Yeah. It’s called Sōryū. However, it’s actually not a dragon, it’s more like a lizard.”
In the previous world, there are also records of calling a huge lizard as dragon. The Komodo lizard was also referred to as Komodo Dragon. I guess it’s similar in this world too huh.
At first, I thought it was a Zungri Mukkuri lizard, but the closest one might be a horse-sized brontosaurus. It’s more like the rounder and cuter version of the Kaminari dragon listed in the picture books. Or perhaps, it is the cuter version of a western dragon without wings in the previous world. Its scales is beautiful emerald green like the green python or emerald tree boa in the previous world, adding charm to its cuteness. Its eyes are the so-called reptilian eyes, but they are round and adorable. Sure enough, if you think reptiles are cute, they will look pretty cute.
It seems that the girls, at least Diana, are not bad with reptiles. My shoulder has been hit continuously since a while ago.
Oi, I knew it was cute but please calm down.
“What does this guy eat?”
It feels like it is a herbivore from its appearance. I recall hearing that as carnivores like to eat meat, the muscles in their jaws and necks increase so their necks don’t get that elongated. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the creatures in this world evolved like those in the previous world. After all, there is such a thing as magic here and if they evolved in the same way, there would be no elves, beastmen, or dwarves nor a story about dragons themselves.
“It eats anything. That’s what I heard. Well, since it came here, it’s been given meat and fodder and it ate both.”
“I see.”
It’s an omnivore huh. There is grass around us in the forest and we can procure meat so I won’t have a problem for its feed. Or maybe, like a cat, it’s basically carnivorous but it also eats plants. I’ve seen videos of cats eating bean sprouts and basil deliciously in the previous world. I guess we’ll have to actually feed it and see how much it eats.
Right, the amount. Depending on the amount of food it eat, we will have to increase Samia and Diana’s hunting time and I will also need to purchase fodder from Camilo.
“How big does it eat in one meal?”
“Well, I heard that it doesn’t eat that much. But after a while since it came here, it started eating a lot.”
“Hmm……”
Is it binge eating due to stress from changes in the environment or something? But then, it would be more normal if it won’t eat and it doesn’t make sense that it start eating more after a while.
As I was thinking that,
“Eizou-san, listen…”
Liddy calls out while pulling the hem of the clothes.
“Hn? What is it?”
I obediently moved my ears closer to Liddy. Liddy whispers to my ears with a voice that Camilo can’t hear.
“That Sōryū contains the blood of a dragon. It is a descendant of a decent dragon.”
Hmmm. So is that why it is omnivorous?
“And, dragons also eat magical power. It will supplement the magical power they lacked with meals, so that’s probably why it’s like that.”
After saying that, Liddy moved away from me.
I see. There is little magical power in cities and towns. Liddy and the other elves do not settle in cities or town because they need to take in magical power on a regular basis and the magical power in such areas is too weak for them to do so.
If the magical power is weak, it will eat a lot of food. That may be the reason why I didn’t see other Sōryū in a big place like the Capital. And given that case, it is better to keep a horse for towing. Their cost performance is better so there must be few houses that keeps them.
To put it the other way around, in our case, the problem with magical power is solved. It may not need that much food because there is a thick magical power in my house that even the surrounding beasts do not dare approach it. I’m pretty sure that the place where it was originally kept or captured, was a place with a decent amount of magical power. And since it came to a place where the magical power is thin, it probably became lacking in magical power so it started eating more.
In that case, it will not be inconvenient to keep it at home.
“So, you won’t be keeping it?”
“Yeah. With our structure, it’s no good if there is only one Sōryū. Besides, as we always go back and forth over long distances, this Sōryū is a bit conspicuous.”
What Camilo is saying is that, with its appearance, it will stand out and given the perception that it costs a lot of food, whoever owns it means that he has enough money to sustain it.
It would be unnatural for a blacksmith to keep one, but as we only go back and forth between the town and my house once every one to two weeks, we won’t be seen that much. Even if someone is interested in looking into it, a blacksmith who has a connection with a merchant and a Count who has been rapidly gaining prominence recently is too suspicious for them to even think of putting their hands on.
“Okay, then I’ll keep it at home.”
“Thanks for your patronage. It’s expensive but it’s okay, right?”
“Yeah”
Our family has full purse now. There are quite a few gold coins from His Excellency after all.
“Alright, it’s sold then. It’s fine to give the money next time.”
“Ah- right. You wouldn’t mind if I come back two weeks later, right?”
“I don’t mind. That’s for sure, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll have the money ready at that time.”
“Understood. I’ll tell them to connect your cart to it.”
“Thanks.”
Then Camilo walked towards the warehouse.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
My arm was slightly numb because I caught the Beast King’s fist with my fist. It’s unbelievable, but his strength alone seems to surpass mine. Once again, I confirmed the appearance of the Beast King from a close distance. Height of nearly 3m and hair that looks like a golden colored mane. Manly and toned face, and his sharp look is reminiscent of a carnivorous beast. A tiger pattern is visible around his arms and neck, emphasizing their presence like a tattoo. He looks like a lion beastman but at the same time, he also looks like a tiger beastman.
“Perhaps, is Beast King a Liger Beastman?”
“Hoh-, you know about my race huh. I don’t have to hide it then. I’m half a lion beastman and a tiger beastman. I was born and raised as a king.”
Liger. It refers to a child born between a lion and a tiger. It is said that its personality could either be mild-mannered or ferocious. And when it becomes an adult, it will grow up to 400kg or more. By the way, if the father is a lion and the mother is a tiger, it is called a liger, but if the father is a tiger and the mother is a lion, the child is called a tiger.
【Analysis Result: Vishu Budi: His father is a lion beastman and his mother is a tiger beastman. It is said that with his extraordinary physical ability, he can easily tear iron and move mountains. Famous as a powerful person both in this Kingdom and on the other kingdom: Rarity (S): Overall Ability (S) 】
【Status】 Name:Vishu Budi Age: 45 years old Race: Beast King Occupation:King Magic attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Arrow, Rock Wall Skills: Beast Transformation, King’s vessel ▹Advanced: Intimidation ▹Intermediate: Blasting Fist, Claw Emperor, Swordsmanship, Danger Prediction, Physical Strength Enhancement, Self-Healing, Dictatorship, Indomitable Spirit ▹Beginner: Fang King, Fist Emperor Evolution: Does not meet the conditions <Requirements: Claw Emperor (Special Grade), Fist Emperor (Special Grade), Self-Renewal (Special Grade), Noble Spirit>
Just looking at his status, I can clearly see his strength. There are also many skills that I’m not familiar with. When I look closely, an item categorized as overall ability has been added to the analysis results. This is probably because my Analysis skill has leveled up. However, it is still unknown whether the “S” category is considered to be low or high.
“Let me test how far a human can resist!”
The Beast King delivered the next fist punch. I also throw out a punch and both our fists collided with each other just like before. A heavy sound echoed in the room and a shock wave blows away Erna and the knights.
“You can endure this too huh! Then I can still enjoy this!”
Like an exited boy, the Beast King puts his strength into his body. That alone increased the intimidating air around him. It’s as if he’s saying he is yet to get serious.
“I have a question, can I use my skill too?”
“Of course. I don’t care about such trivial matter. Don’t hesitate, come at me with the intention of defeating me.”
“Sure, I will defeat you fair and square.”
I quickly activated the skills, limit breakthrough, nerve strengthening and super sensation. He is not an opponent that I can win by going easy. The Beast King and I started having a fist fight at a point-blank range. Forget about avoiding each other, both of us just focus on putting all our strength into each blow. If we only talk about Taijutsu, The Beast King is superior in both technique and power.
However, this is not about killing each other. It’s just a test of skill between men and showing our strength on a one-on-one basis. A zealous spirit should be answered with a zealous spirit. This is a common sense between men.
“What’s wrong!? Is it your limit?”
“I can still afford it! However, Beast King I think you’re already at your limit, it’s showing in your face you know!”
When my fist digs into the pit of the Beast King’s stomach, his fist also sinks into my cheek. Both of our blood splattered on the floor and walls and bead-like sweat spout out from my whole body. It seems that my consciousness will fly just by receiving that single blow. However, my attack also seemed to be effective against the Beast King. I am aware that I am doing something stupid. Still, there are times when a man can’t pull back.
“Guu… cornering me to this point…”
The Beast King stabbed one of his knee on the floor. I can finally see the end of the battle.
“Hah-hah-, what now?… do you recognize your defeat…?”
“I can’t do that. I’m the Beast King. I’m second to none.”
Then golden hair began to grow from the Beast King’s body and his face turned into a beast. His body becomes tougher and his royal clothing woven with gold thread is torn apart by those bulging muscles. Before I noticed it, a humanoid beast appeared in front of me. The roar of the Beast King made the room vibrate.
“Guhahahaha! Don’t say it’s cowardly, human! I said it earlier, it is fine to use our skills!”
The Beast King doesn’t seem to be willing to lose. Then I have to take this seriously. I activated my skill, dragon transformation, and then black scales appeared on my whole body. A tail grew from my butt and my face changed to a dragon-like shape. A humanoid dragon. That is what I am now.
“You-, aren’t you… a human?”
“I’m a human. However, I’m a human with dragon transformation skills.”
The Beast King and I throw punches again. The shock wave becomes a gust and disturbs the inside of the room. Our attacks have become even faster. The beating sound, like that of drum being banged resounded, and even if we took a fist on the face, we continued on. With that alone, the floor cracked like a spider web and I could hear a cracking and crushing sound from my feet.
The Beast King’s strength and my strength are equal. Beast Transformation skill seems to be evenly matched with Dragon Transformation. However, when Bezel used dragon transformation before, it only become a part of him, but my dragon transformation was more like I turned into a real dragon. Perhaps my compatibility with the dragon transformation is good enough.
“I won’t be defeated! I’m the Beast King!”
“If you say that, I’m a former business owner! Don’t look down on Shinichi Tanaka’s guts!”
The Beast King’s delivered his fist. I shot a counter attack aiming at that momentary gap. To match his left straight punch, I used my whole body to make a right hook aiming for his chin. After a superb clean hit, the Beast King’s eyes rolled back and as if he tripped on his feet, he fall down.
When I saw that, I grinned and I too collapsed on the ground.
“Shinichi!”
Erna helps me sit up. The Beast King also managed to get up by the help of the knight and the queen.
“Human… I lost.”
The Beast King who returned to his original form extended his right hand. I also returned to my original form and I extended my right hand and then we shook hands firmly. Sure enough, I realized that a man’s soul can be understood with a fist.
“Men are strange creatures after all…”
“It’s not something that just happen now nya. Men just hit each other right away nya.”
Erna and Lena were looking at us with an exasperated look.
◇
“Come, it’s time for the big feast! Let’s eat and drink to death today!”
The table was lined with too many dishes to eat such as roasted pork and assorted fruits. I’m so hungry that I’m almost drooling. When I sit down, the waiter pours red wine into my glass. In one corner of the room, a musician playing a musical instrument filled the room with elegant sounds. It is a luxurious room that only the royal family can enjoy. When the meal starts, I enjoyed the deliciousness of the food.
There are many dishes that uses spice in this kingdom. In particular, the curry-like dish called Kahira is said to be a national dish and you can enjoy a spicy stimulus when you eat it with bread.
“It’s delicious but spicy! I can’t stop sweating!”
“Is it that spicy nya? It’s okay for us nya.”
Erna was sweating while eating Kahira. Lena who eats in the same way next to her looks very normal. It’s probably because the environment in which they grew up is different. Curry in this kingdom is spicy though.
I miss the curry that I was familiar with in Jinbōchō. When the meal was settled, the Beast King started talking while drinking wine.
“As Shinichi said, I read the letter from King Rogas.”
“Well, then I want to hear your answer. Will you send an army to aid the kingdom?”
“…I have little to do with the Rogas Kingdom. Normally, the Empire would wait to attack the Kingdom. However, if my friend Shinichi asks, I think it’s okay to send out some troops.”
Perhaps the Empire is not an enemy to the Republic. It’s unclear if it comes from self-confidence or if there is another reason. It wouldn’t be strange if there were circumstances that I didn’t know about. However, the Beast King said that he would fight the empire for my sake. There is no better word than this.
“In that case, I’d like to ask for your help. Please help the kingdom for my sake.”
“Sure. I received the request of the man who defeated me. I will send the soldiers to the kingdom immediately.”
“Thank you.”
When I bowed to the Beast King, with glugging sound, a wine was poured into my glass. It is the Beast King who is pouring it.
“Isn’t the matter settled? Let’s have a drink tonight.”
He said so with a big smile. As Dwarf King said, the Beast King seems to be quite a liquor lover. If so, I will go out with him.
“By the way, does Shinichi know what is called the Five Great Treasures?”
“Five great treasures? It’s something I heard for the first time.”
“It’s the five great weapons that were once said to have been made by the dwarven ancestors. All of them have tremendous performance. In fact, there is one of them in this kingdom.”
“That’s an interesting story. I definitely want you to see it.”
When the Beast King claps his hand, one of the knights comes. After a brief exchange, the knight went out of the room. And then the knight brought back a box decorated with jewels and gold.
“Inside this is one of the five great treasures, “The Gauntlet of the Flame God”.”
I gently opened the box. There were two red gauntlets inside. Since the surface has a hologram pattern, it strongly reflects light. A crimson ball was fitted on the back of the hand, and light particles were flowing inside.
“Is there a magic jewel in it?”
“Oh-, you know about magic jewels huh. Then, do you know the value of this? It’s a supreme item. A gauntlet made of adamantite with a flame magic jewel of fire in it. Treasures makes me excited after all.”
“Five great treasures… There is such a thing huh.”
I look at the gauntlet for a while. The details are also decorated in gold, which seems to be valuable as a work of art. Above all, the austere air that floats around it makes me think that it is something more than just a thing. I immediately stopped trying to touch the gauntlet. Somehow I had a bad feeling on it.
“As expected, Shinichi has a good intuition.”
“What do you mean?”
I was skeptical hearing the Beast King’s words. He grabs one of the gauntlets and puts it on his right arm.
“This gauntlet chooses the owner himself. I can touch it this way because I was recognized, but anything else is repelled by the invisible wall.”
“Invisible wall?”
“That’s right. Somehow I’ve been recognized by it recently. The founder dwarf who made it probably set the ability of those who can handle it to be very high.”
Looking at the gauntlet, I remembered the wand. When I found it, I also didn’t dare to touch it. It’s something unexpected, but I think it is one of the five great treasures.
“By the way, do you know the whereabouts of all the five treasures?”
“Unfortunately, only two are known at the moment. The other three are still sleeping somewhere in this world.”
In that case, that wand became more and more likely to be a treasure. When we returned to the kingdom, I should check it once with my analysis skill.
“Will you stay at my palace today?”
“No, after all, I really don’t want to be taken care up to that…”
“What are saying!? You’re a friend who exchanged fist with me! Don’t hesitate to stay at the palace!”
The Beast King is a magnificent and nice guy. Even though he lost the match, he called me a friend. Truthfully, I’m happy. In the end, I and the Beast King had a drink and talked until midnight.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
After finishing the morning preparation and worship, we head to the lake to pull up the game. There are five of us, just like the last time Liddy was here before. Perhaps because we had done it once, we were able to pull up the deer smoothly. Even though the three of them are strong women, it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly with just three people. That reminds me of how difficult it is normally.
Once we brought it home, the rest of the day went as usual. However, this time, I asked Liddy to dismantle it with Samia and Rike for her to get used to the knife. Diana and I will take the processed meat inside the house and clean up the unnecessary bones and stuff.
“This knife cuts really well, doesn’t it?”
Liddy says in a whisper but her voice is clearly audible.
“Of course! Boss’ custom-made products are amazing!”
It’s Rike, not me, who proudly brags about it. This kind of thing is becoming a normal scene. I don’t feel bad to be praised for what I made diligently but I’m still embarrassed. I wish I myself could say from the bottom of my heart that I was the one who made it.
Since the game was successfully turned into meat, I made something like a roasted meat for lunch with brandy made from pickled fruit. It is still popular with our meat-lover girls. Liddy didn’t dislike it and she also ate it deliciously. Apparently, she also likes the taste. I wonder if I should serve this on small special occasion from now on.
After we had our lunch, we spend time doing whatever we wanted to do. I’m working at the smithy for the delivery production and Rike is working with Liddy to study so what we’re doing is not much different from yesterday, it’s just that the time is shorter. It seems that Samia and Diana are training on swords. Samia teaches Diana how to use a bow, and Diana teaches Samia how to use a sword, they are doing so in order to improve their skills in case of emergency… that’s what Diana explained.
Considering the story I heard from Camilo just before I got home, it seemed like a good idea to have them do that. I hope they’ll do their best to increase our chances of returning home safely when we go back and forth on the road. The day ended with me making a good number of knives and Rike seems to be able to put more magic into it than before too.
“I think I’ll be able to retire from making high-end models soon.” I said to her jokingly.
“No, I haven’t been able to do it to the point where the material is used to the maximum.”
Rike replied with a serious face. Well then, I think I too have to do my best for her not to surpass me. But, I’m a cheat though…
For the next two days, to make high-end short swords and long swords, I had Samia and Diana pour the molten iron while I did the rest. I feel that Samia and Diana’s dexterity has improved again in these last few days. It seems that they are getting the knack of it from what they learned during mass production. If this is the case, it would be helpful if they could help me from time to time. If they can do the pouring of molten iron and deburring process when they have free time, it will be easier for me or Rike to finish it later. That way, we can have a complete free day about once a week, and we can make it a holiday. It’s like a dream come true.
While I’m thinking about such things, Rike and Liddy said that they would take a break from studying magical powers and maintain the fields in the courtyard, so I said that I’ll leave it to them. I’m always thankful for this.
Then the day when we’ll go to Camilo’s store for wholesale came. The inventory that Rike made in these past 10 days is quite large. Rike had come a long way in terms of the speed at which she is making general models.
We then load them up and we start pulling the cart. As usual, it’s my and Rike’s job. I told them about the roaming bandit and I asked the other three to be more vigilant than usual. There is a possibility that the rumored bandit has entered the forest.
“Speaking of which, that bandit attacks people, but there is no major damage, so what will they do after they catch him?”
While pulling the cart, I asked such question. From what I heard, that bandit did not cause any trouble.
“If you say he attacked someone, he should have caused injuries even a little so he’ll be punished for that. But if it’s the same damage as if it was a drunken brawl in the street, I think he would only end up entering the prison for a day or two.”
Diana answered my question. I see, it will be charged with assault huh. But it seems that it happens often and the punishment is not that serious, sort of.
“Then, as that guy is just looking for something, he won’t be given much punishment even if they catch him huh.”
“I can’t say for sure because I don’t know what that bandit is up to at the moment. However, that should be the case.”
“I see”
However, if the number of people going back and forth on the main road decreases, it will affect the circulation. As soon as Marius came back from the expedition he already has this problematic incident, I know it will be difficult but I hope he’ll do his best.
Whether because of the extra lookouts, or thanks to the work of the city guards, or maybe because the bandit was caught, we were able to arrive in the town without any problems. The guard standing guard at the entrance was a man I had seen several times before. He looked a bit surprised when he saw Liddy, an elf, but he didn’t say anything further. He was probably busy dealing with that rumored bandit. He may had tried to ask for reinforcements, but they had already left on an expedition. The reinforcements might arrive in a little while, so he’ll just have to be patient until then. We bowed to him and then we proceed inside.
We proceed to Camilo’s shop in the town but Liddy got a lot of attention along the way. Even if it’s once every two weeks, will the residents of the town get used to it if we come regularly? Well I hope that would be the case.
No one particularly cause trouble on us so we arrived at Camilo’s shop safely. As usual, we put the cart in the warehouse, talked to the clerk, and then we headed straight to the negotiation room. After a while, Camilo (and Clerk-san) came.
“Yo, it’s been a long time… isn’t it?”
“I got on your wagon the other day. But yeah, it’s been a while since I met you here.”
“Are the items as usual?”
“Yeah. There are a few variations in numbers. There are a lot of general items.”
“I see. That’s fine.”
Camilo glanced at Clerk-san and then he nods back and leaves the room. He had gone to do the delivery procedure.
“Isn’t the bandit caught yet?”
In the middle of the usual small talk, I asked Camilo. It would be a little easier to go home if he had been caught, but judging from the look of the guard, I guess he wasn’t caught yet.
“Yeah. I’ve been to and from the Capital twice since then, but I didn’t come across that guy. I asked the Count and he said they haven’t caught him yet.”
“I see……”
As expected, there are still risks on the way home. We have to be careful when we go home.
“Well, that’s it.”
Camilo says while standing up.
“Follow me for a bit.”
“Hn? Oh, okay.”
We also stand up and we follow Camilo in succession.
“Didn’t you say you wanted a horse before?”
Camilo says while walking. It seems that our destination is not the warehouse, but I wonder where we are headed.
“Yeah. Well you see, I think we’ll reach the limit that we can pull with human strength alone. Is it ready?”
“Well, that’s where we are headed.”
As we followed Camilo, I found myself in a garden-like place behind the store. This is a place that is difficult to see from both the front and the warehouse side, and it is probably a place where they usually kept incoming goods temporarily. There is a reason why I said “usually”. There is something a little unusual there.
“It’s not a horse, but I prepared this one. It’s a Sōryū.”
TLYN: It’s 走竜(Sōryū), running dragon if translated so I used the way it’s read. You may comment if there is a good English counterpart for this.
Camilo declared proudly. There is a very short and stout lizard like creature there –the Sōryū that Camilo referred to.
“Kurururu…”
Making such tiny voice, it stared at us with its round and cute eyes.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
From a small hill, I saw a huge city in the direction Lena pointed to. A brown outer wall surrounds the city and an elephant-like royal castle can be seen in the center. The Forest Capital, Zara and the Rock Capital, Perun were also wonderful but the capital of the Beastman’s kingdom is not losing out.
We then continue along the road and we eventually reached the gate, which is the entrance to the City.
“Stop there human!”
As expected, a soldier stopped me at the entrance to the city.
Is it because of the black unicorn?
For the time being, I get off the unicorn as told.
“This unicorn is just black in color but it has a gentle temper. I promise you that it won’t go wild inside the City.”
“I don’t care about those unicorns. Why is a human trying to enter this city where the Beast King is? Leave immediately!”
The words of the soldier stunned me. When I went to the Rock Kingdom, there was no such response. A little anger buds in my heart.
“I’m still an adventurer with some skill. Why can’t I enter the city?”
“Is that a good reputation among humans? In our land, those who do not have the ability cannot enter the city. Not to mention, just talking to a human who is of inferior race is really unpleasant you know.”
Without hiding his disgust, the male soldier with dog ears sneered at me. This is probably the figure of a beast who hates the weak.
“Wait nya! I guarantee this human’s ability nya!”
Lena jumps off the unicorn and then she approaches the soldier and shows him a token. The soldier who received it had a surprised expression and he immediately salutes to Lena.
“If it isn’t Lena-sama, the former corps commander and a special ranked adventurer! I’m sorry, that’s very rude of me!”
“It’s good if you understand nya. Then, let this human pass nya.”
“Yes!”
The soldier quickly cleared the way. However, his eyes still seemed to have some doubts.
“Lena, are the rocks around here hard?”
“Of course nya. We are proud of the hardness of the stone that can be obtained in this kingdom, even the dwarves want them nya. Since Ganesha is made using them, it is said to be a city that can withstand any attack nya.”
“Then… how about this?”
With one hand, I squeezed a rock about the size of a softball. As Lena had said, it’s certainly hard, but with the present me, it’s just like I’m crushing an apple.
“Wha-!?”
“Nya!?”
The soldier and Lena were so surprised that their eyes were wide open. Hopefully this will clear up his doubts.
“E-Excuse me! As Lena-sama said, you seemed to be capable! Please forgive me for being so doubtful!”
The soldiers seemed to have recognized me as a powerful man this time. I nodded profoundly and then we slowly entered the city. Then Lena called out from behind.
“How did you crush that rock nya? Did you do some tricks to it nya?”
“What are you talking about? There are no tricks or gimmicks on it.”
“Nya- nya!? Then you really crushed it nya!?”
Lena still looked unconvinced. On the contrary, I am now wondering how hard the rock was. I think it’s unexpectedly hard but I don’t think it was a rock that was as hard as steel.
“I thought that other than the Beast King, no one else could crush the rocks on this kingdom with one hand nya. Maybe Shinichi is a ridiculously strong guy nya?”
“I don’t know if I am that great but I’m proud that I have some ability. Rather than that, what does the soldier mean when he said, former corps commander?”
“I was originally a soldier nya. That’s why I am well known amongst the soldiers nya.”
“I see. So that was why he made us pass easily huh.”
Finally convinced, I began to observe the interior of the city. Wooden buildings are lined up, and the trees that I can see here and there lushly decorate the city. A brown palace with an elephant design towered in the center and the main street extended from where we were up to the palace. The people on the street look away the moment they saw me though. Humans were despised by the beastmen after all.
“What’s with those people!? They keep glancing at us, it’s annoying.”
Several men were glancing at Erna and Lena. Perhaps they are drawing attention for a different reason. Well, they are both very beautiful women after all. It’s a natural reaction.
Paoooooooooon!!!
That cry made me quiver, it feel like I had been hit in the head. When I look for the source of the sound, I found a huge creature on the mountain that can be seen from the city. It had porcelain-white skin and it spewed waterfall-like water with its long nose pointing into the sky. Its silhouette is just like an elephant.
“Lena, what’s that?”
“That is a sacred beast, Airavata-sama nya. It is worshiped as the guardian deity of this kingdom nya.”
The white elephant, called Airavata, had four fangs and six legs. Its clear blue eyes made me feel like it was looking at me from afar.
“We should go the royal palace right away nya. I want to reassure the Queen as soon as possible nya.”
“Oh-, right. Let’s go.”
We then set out for the royal palace in the center of the city.
◇
“Can’t you find it yet!? What’s happening to the security of this kingdom that the tiara, a royal treasure of the royal family, has been stolen and you can’t even follow the criminal’s tracks?!”
Vishu, the beast king, yells. The general kneeling in front of him broke out in a cold sweat.
“Enough! I don’t expect any more from the army. I’ll leave the rest to the adventurers.”
“Y-Your Majesty! You can’t let those rogue adventurers search for such precious national treasure! Our army will definitely find it!”
“How long has it passed since you said that!? I’m tired of hearing your excuses!”
The Beast King yelled again. The Queen, who was watching the situation next to him, speaks to the Beast King.
“Dear, that’s enough alright? Sure, the tiara has an ancient and honourable origin but it shouldn’t cause you to lose your loyal retainers. After all, it’s just an item. If there’s no other choice, you can just make another as a substitute right?”
“…Yeah, that’s right. It’s as Lakshu says. It seems that I was too transfixed on that item that I began to doubt the loyalty of my vassals. I’m sorry for that General.”
“No, Your Majesty’s anger is natural. In the future, I would like to mobilize more personnel to search for it.”
The Beast King quietly nods to the general’s words. Then at that moment, one of the knights came to the front of the Beast King.
“Your Majesty, an adventurer named Lena has come to the royal palace saying she has found the tiara. What should be done?”
“Is that true!? Then let her go here!”
However, the knight did not move, he remained kneeling with one knee on the ground. His expression seems express something.
“What’s wrong? Call her here right away.”
“Actually, in addition to the adventurer named Lena, a female elf mage and a male human accompanied her. What about those people?”
“Human huh. I don’t usually meet them but they may have something to do with finding the tiara. You could invite both of them inside the castle.”
“Yes, I understand.”
As the knight left the room, the Beast King sat in his chair and pondered deeply. He hates humans more than anyone else in this kingdom because he only likes the strong. In the past, the Beast King tested his skills with humans many times. And every time, he was disappointed with the vulnerability of humans. The Beast King eventually began to consider the human race, which was too weak, to be an inferior species of beastmen. Their worth is not promising anymore. And finally, he gave up on humans. Still, it would be his responsibility as king to decide whether to meet them or not.
“It’s unusual of you. Usually, if you here it’s a human, you refuse to meet them.”
“I’m the Beast King. I can’t drive him away for no reason. And maybe, Lena brought them with her with some thoughts in mind right?”
“Maybe. I hope you can fix your dislike on humans.”
“Hmmm, if there is a stronger human than me, I can think about that again. However, I guess that even after a thousand years, such a day will not come.”
Then the door of the room opened. The first to come in was Lena. Then Erna. Finally, Shinichi quietly entered the room. They knelt on one knee in front of the Beast King, and they bowed their heads to give their greetings.
“Lena, a special ranked adventurer, has just returned. Your Majesty, this is the tiara that has been regained.”
Lena raised the tiara that she was holding in her hand. When the Beast King saw it, he leaned forward and spoke in an excited voice.
“Oh! That’s definitely my wife’s tiara!”
The nearby knight receives the tiara and he delivers it to the Beast King. The Beast King, who held the Tiara in his hand, stared at it intently, confirming that there were no scratches anywhere.
“It’s as if it’s just been made and it doesn’t even have any scratches. It looks like it is back as new.”
“But Dear, the coat of arms here certainly belongs to my royal family. It’s definitely my tiara.”
The Beast King is a little confused when the Queen pointed it out. It is strange to think that the tiara that should have been stolen will come back as a new one. He turned to face the elf and the human behind Lena.
“The elf and the human over there, why are you with Lena? Do you know why the Tiara is now so beautiful?”
Lena and Erna simultaneously looked at Shinichi. Everyone instantly realized that Shinichi was the cause. When the room becomes quiet, Shinichi stands up and starts talking.
“I’m Shinichi Tanaka. Firstly, the tiara had fallen near my house. I then carefully repaired the shabby tiara. I was good at repairing it so it’s now beautiful and as good as new.”
“Hoh-, it’s great that you were able to repair it so beautifully. I’d like to thank you for finding the tiara.”
The Beast King thanked Shinichi while looking at the tiara. However, Shinichi who remained standing, looked at the Beast King.
“I did not come here for the tiara.”
In response to Shinichi’s remarks, the knights in the room put their hands on their swords, saying, “Insolent human!”. The Beast King raised his hand, as if ordering the knights to shut up. He was a little interested in Shinichi, who had a surprising attitude.
“…So what did you come here for?”
“I’ve come this far to hand over King Rogas’ letter to the Beast King. I want you to look at the content and think about aiding the kingdom.”
“Then bring the letter here.”
The Beast King felt a strange presence on Shinichi as he approached to hand over the letter. It is his sixth sense, which can be called the intuition of the beast.
“This is a letter from the king—“
The moment Shinichi tried to hand over the letter, the Beast King fired a straight punch with his right hand.
“As expected! I knew in an instant that you are strong! Now, let’s test your skills!”
“I also feel that you were about to attack me.”
The Beast King and Shinichi’s fists collided and it came to a stop. The shock wave spreads throughout the room, creating a gust of wind that causes the dust to fly up.
At that moment, the gong of the battle between the Beast King and Shinichi was rang.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
After the morning worship, Samia and Diana went hunting. Rike has made enough stock on general models in the past 10 days and I also made a lot of money from this expedition so I decided to let her stop the production for the delivery and make her practice with Liddy on how to put magical power instead.
Of course, I will be making the high-end model ones. After devoting myself on it for four days (starting from today), I plan to go to Camilo for delivery. It will be sufficient for Camilo’s business even if I only secure the number of general models anyway.
I started to prepare for work, but unlike in the branch office, I was able to proceed with the preparation quickly. Sure enough, there is really a difference between a place with proper workplace and a place without one. There is also a big difference in the tools that are available.
When it’s all set, I first heat up the sheet metal and when it’s hot enough, I start making knives. Repair and production are somewhat different, but the way of hitting the hammer remains the same. Even so, it is a work that I am accustomed to of course. And in this familiar environment, my efficiency is much different from that in the branch office. It’s hard not to inadvertently make a custom-made one.
While Rike and I were handling the steel, Liddy exchanged a few words with Rike and she suddenly came out and then she came back as if nothing had happened. When I asked her what she did, she told me that she went to check on the mint.
“As expected, the mint has a strong vitality.”
“So much?”
Liddy nods when I asked her.
“Although it seems that it has hardly been maintained, it is growing quickly.”
Liddy says with a slightly happy face. Such a place really fits the image of an elf. I think it’s better to manage the field early. I guess we should build a warehouse as well. Also, if I take a break from delivery for about two weeks, we should be able to build more things. Now that my family has grown, I’d like to stockpile as much as possible. I’d like to keep the dried meat there… Perhaps it would be better to say that we’ll have delivery every two weeks for a while. We’ll go ahead and build what we want to build.
It is said that there is a suspicious bandit wandering around so it is better to reduce the chances of encountering them. The only inconvenience is if it affects Camilo’s business. Even so, we have already wholesaled a considerable amount to Camilo. It seems that he has enough sales channels to sell them to, but I think he will not need that many in two weeks. If it becomes a problem, I’ll think about it then.
After making some high-end model knives, I focused on creating a custom model knives. There was no separate order. It’s for Liddy.
Although I am just somehow feeling it, I hit the sheet metal as I put in some magical power into it and form its shape. Both heating and forging are tasks that use cheats to identify the last-minute line, and even if it is a larger one, since I have made custom-made model knife many times before, the production proceeds smoothly. As usual, I added an engraving in the shape of a cat.
In the end, compared to the high-end model, it only took a little longer to make. It would be quite risky if I mass-produce 50 of these in a week or so.
“Liddy”
Now that the custom-made knife is finished, I called Liddy, who has been practicing Rike on how to put magic into the knife.
“What is it?”
“This is the knife I’m giving as a proof of being part of my family. I’ll give it to Liddy as well.”
I handed the knife to Liddy. Liddy received it and she began observing the knife. Well, it’s only recently that it became like a family token, or rather, it became so when I gave it to them for self-defense.
“It cuts very well so handle it with great care.”
I then vertically swung down my own knife into the wood. The knife splits the wood into two noiselessly. Liddy’s eyes widened for a moment in her surprise but she quickly regained her composure and in a calm voice, she said,
“I understand. Thank you.”
Then as if she received something precious, she placed it close at hand.
After finishing today’s work, I was cleaning up when a clang, clong sound echoed as the clappers in the workshop were triggered. I guess Samia and Diana are back. Shortly after, the door connecting the house and the workshop opened, and then Samia and Diana came in. We greeted each other with, “I’m home” then “welcome home”.
“How was your day?”
I asked. But since they were out until this hour, they must have caught something.
“It’s a deer today. A big one.”
“You did it again huh.”
It must have been a pretty big prey as Samia proudly declared it. Diana also talks about its size from a different direction.
“We had a hard time though.”
“Really, thanks for your hard work. We’re also going to clean up here and go in later so you guys wash up first.”
「「Ye-s」」
「「Understood」」
When I declare the end of today’s work, four voices echoed. It’s a little interesting that the words are different between the hunting group and the production group.
Since the initial greeting to welcome Liddy was done, we decided to take the day off from work and have a welcome party. But before that, as everyone is dirty in our own way, we decided to clean off the dirt on us first.
I felt nostalgic boiling water in this magical furnace. After distributing the boiled water to everyone, we went to our respective rooms to wipe ourselves down and remove the dirt on us. The guest room will be Liddy’s room for the time being. And as expected, being the only male in the house, I was the first one to finish wiping myself off.
I better start preparing dinner then. There is a 10-day blank, but on the contrary, my body remembers the actions well enough because it’s only that long. However, it’s one thing to feel your body move half on its own, and another thing to feel nostalgic.
As for the women, Rike and Liddy were the first to come to the living room. Well, blacksmithing is also work where you’ll get dirty and sweaty.
“It is better for Boss to take a rest.”
Rike told me that.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done this so let me do it.”
I refused. I’m not tired with anything else as we just travelled back today while Rike was working properly. Thus I hope that she could take a rest.
“How about studying magic with Liddy? From now on, she can teach you as much as you want.”
Liddy nods when she hears that. I thought she liked teaching people and apparently, my impression wasn’t wrong. It seems that Rike couldn’t resist the temptation, so side by side at the table in the living room, Liddy and Rike started to watch the flow of magical power. Seeing that, I go back to preparing dinner again. I hope this kind of scene will become a new and usual one.
When I finished preparing the soup and as I started preparing to make unfermented bread, I glanced at the living room. Samia and Diana are now also in the living room and they joined the study session of Rike and Liddy. From what I could see, Rike was the most receptive, followed by Diana and then Samia. I feel that this may be due to the difference in magical power of their races.
Supper was then completed so we all lined up on the table. It’s not as sumptuous as the meal at Eimurl House that I ate last night (although it seems to be rather simple because this is the family style). This is the menu and taste of Eizou Workshop, which Liddy has also eaten before. It’s a welcome party, so there’s also something like a brandy made from pickled fruits.
The welcome party eventually doubled as my expedition story session. This is because three people wanted to hear about it. I don’t have to hide the details of the battle inside the cave to these three so I honestly told them what I had defeated. The reason why Liddy came to our house was also explained in the flow of the expedition report.
“We are here too. You can talk to us about anything.”
When Diana heard that, with tearful look, she immediately said that to Liddy. Other than Liddy, Samia was also in a delicate situation but everyone came here on their own initiative. Liddy was the only one who had to come here without a choice.
“Eizou is the only man here so let’s take it easy.”
“Yeah, I think Samia should learn to be a little more graceful.”
Samia and Rike also encouraged Liddy. Rike makes fun of the sullen Samia, Diana calms her and Liddy looking at them is now smiling. Life from now on will probably go well. I had no proof, but I was convinced so.
The next day,
I was able to sleep in my bed for the first time in a while so I went out to fetch water while feeling refreshed. The morning air in the forest feels good. When I returned from the lake with water, Liddy put her hand on the tree and was taking in some magical power.
“Good morning Liddy”
“Good morning.”
At the welcome party yesterday, I told Liddy that we didn’t need to use honorifics, but she said, “This is my natural tone”, so that being the case, it went like that.
“I know it’s just yesterday, but if you have any concerns about living here, please tell me immediately.”
“Everyone is kind and I’m not worried when I think about when I came here before.”
“I see. That’s good then.”
So we go back to each other’s work. With such a sense of distance from Liddy, I think we need to connect more with her. After finishing the morning preparations and meals, I will resume with blacksmithing work from today.
“But, before that”
I took out the statue of the goddess I made during the expedition from my luggage and put it on the Kamidana. It is another housemate (god housemate?) who joined us this time. When enshrined in such a place, the atmosphere looks different.
“When did you make this?”
Samia asked in an amazed tone.
“On the way to the expedition. Well, I had time to do it.”
“You can make something like this too, Boss?”
“There’s a certain charm on it huh.”
“Somehow I feel a magical power on it.”
Although the women commented on it, it was not a bad evaluation, so we all worshiped as it is.
Alright! Let’s do our best again today.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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