Here’s an advance chapter sponsored by Logan Kerr. Thanks again for your support everyone. Enjoy reading~
The next day,
Today was the day we will all go fishing in the nearby river. Unlike the last time, Diana, who is probably not used to fishing, is with us this time. Besides me, there is another candidate who can’t catch anything. It’s not that I’m competing with her, but it’s always good to have a comrade like that, I guess……?
I placed the tinder, a basket with our lunch, a pot to be used to boil water and other things inside the rucksack and carried it with me. Okay, let’s go!
The river where we are going to fish today is a little far from the house. I checked it with Samia and Diana and they said that the biggest river is further away from here. This is a tributary, or one of the rivers flowing out of the lake. It’s a bit far to get to the big river and it takes almost the same time as going to the town. It’s certainly far. Besides, that big river is probably very deep so it would be difficult to cross it. I’d like to see it once though.
The four of us search for a suitable spot for fishing. The area where we had fished before was also good but we looked for other good spots. Eventually, we found a good spot for fishing. I then laid out a mat on the riverbank and placed the basket with our lunch in it. After turning over some rocks to secure some bait, we started fishing.
Diana was also able to normally attach the worm to the hook. I was expecting her to be flustered even a little but it didn’t happen at all. It is somehow a let-down.
When I asked her,
“Well, when I was a kid, I used to play with my older brothers.”
Is what she said. Ah- right… I could somewhat imagine her father’s trouble.
Then the four of us dispersed and we dropped the fishing line on the surface of the river. The sun is shining brightly, the current is not that fast and there is also slight breeze blowing so it is a very good place to relax. As I was thinking that this kind of tranquil day off is nice, I heard the sound of water splashing. It seems that Samia caught a fish this soon.
“Ho-, that’s big!”
I exclaimed involuntarily. A river fish of about 15cm is flailing at the tip of the fishing line. I was a little worried that the line would break but Samia pulled it smoothly with her hand and then she quickly remove the fish from the hook.
“How’s this!”
Samia proudly raises the fish she just caught. I could understand her feeling of wanting to do that because it’s really a big catch. We held the rod under our arm and we clapped our hands while saying, “Oohhh-“. The first catch was taken by Samia but we were not to be outdone. Now we could have an extra dish for dinner. And with this, there is no longer a story about us sharing the pain for none of us caught anything.
After that, whether the fish were alarmed by our first catch or whether we made too much noise, we didn’t get any bites.
“It’s just about time. Shall we take a break and have lunch?”
When I said that, all three of them unanimously agreed so we all started preparing our lunch. We look for some broken branches, turn them into firewood, built a fire, and then we boil some water fetched from the river in the pot. After boiling the freshly picked mint leaves, I poured them into a wooden cup and then we start having our lunch. In the previous world, I saw an anime where girls camp like this. Now there’s one old man mixed in, well yeah, it’s not that interesting.
We are having some conversation while we eat our lunch. Samia, who already caught one fish, was giving a lecture on how to fish in a relaxed manner. She said that when she was living alone, she once caught a fish with a rough net made of tree bark. Right now, I don’t have a net at home and I’m fishing to relax not just to catch them for eating. However, if I were to go fishing to have something to eat, I’d better use a net or a longline (though I think it should be thick enough to be called a rope). I might have to think about making a longline……
After lunch, we settled down and took up our positions again to cast our lines. Perhaps because the position of the sun has changed, the surface of the river looks different from that of the morning. I hope the fish will be dazzled by the light and come out to feed.
“Kyaa!”
It was Diana who let out a small scream. Apparently, the fish took the bait. Samia is right next to her and is giving various instructions. Diana followed the instructions and successfully caught the fish with her hands. I don’t know if it had anything to do with the fact that she wields a sword on a daily basis during her training, but, even though she was listening to the instructions, there was no waste in her movements. The fish was easily placed in Diana’s hands.
“Look, how’s this?”
With a delightful expression, she showed me the fish she had caught. It’s a bit smaller than the one Samia caught but it’s still big enough.
“You did it. Congratulations.”
I praised Diana honestly. I’m sure that if this is in the previous world, I would have taken a picture with my smartphone, but unfortunately, there seems to be no picture in this world, let alone a smartphone. There may be similar magical tools or magic, though. If in the future I meet someone who has knows how to make it, I’ll ask him to sell it or teach me about it in exchange for a magic sword.
After that, Rike also caught one, and I was the only one who had no catch again. The previous time, I felt like I was spinning from here, so I’m sticking to it. While he was sticking, Samia caught another one, and as soon as the quota of the Eizou family was reached, they strolled around the vicinity. No, it was Samia’s kindness, saying that the probability of me catching a fish would be higher if she were not there. Yeah, I hope she’s right…
Eventually, when we were about to leave, I decided to make one last throw. Of course, I didn’t get any bites until this point. I waited for a while and thought it was over but then I felt a tug on my rod.
“Uh!”
Just as I was about to pull it, I lost the response. It got away…. With a thud, I fell to my knees. Apparently, the production cheat I possessed doesn’t work for fishing. Sigh, of course it won’t!
“Well, uhm-, it’s fine since there is enough for us. Right?”
Diana asks Samia and Rike to agree.
“Y-Yeah. I’ll even give the big one to Eizou!”
“That’s right. This is what a family do for each other, Boss!”
“Thank you everyone…….”
Their follow-up is really heart warming. The time was almost up so we quickly cleaned up and went home.
Uh-, I thought I had salted the grilled fish just right but, I felt that mine was strangely salty.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
We made a decent number of knives and the day ended like that. After this, we’ll have to work on pulling up the creature that Samia and Diana hunted. It will basically be the start of the two-day vacation. Whether I like or not, the tension goes up.
As I was cleaning up the workshop while feeling excited, Samia and Diana were back. When I asked them about today’s achievement, they said it’s a “big deer”. If it’s big, I can use make use of its tendon. I then asked Samia,
“Right. I want to give Diana a bow too, can I leave it to you this time?”
I’m a blacksmith, but as you can see, from the fact that I can make scabbards, I can also make bows. Of course, I’m talking about me using cheat. It can’t be called a special grade product like the ones made by blacksmithing though.
“Well, I think about making it on our next vacation.”
From my installed knowledge, it seems that composite bows made from the combination of animal horn and bones are already present in this world. However, it takes time and effort to make one. So if I were make one, I’ll go with the wooden single bow. Well, I’ll try something like joining them together but it depends whether it will stick together or not.
I’ve always thought that Diana would need a bow if she is to go hunting anyway, so this is a timely one. Since the time for me to start dealing with the Apoitakara may be extended, it may be better to check even just its characteristics first.
“Thank you, Eizou”
“Well, I would like to express my gratitude to you too. Thank you.”
“What are guys saying? I’ve never made such bow before so this is also like a study for me.”
“From cooking to furniture, Boss can make anything, not to mention weapons.”
Rike, who has finished cleaning up her work, joins the conversation.
“Well… I’ve been dabbling in various things that’s why I’ve learned to make a lot of things, I guess.”
I replied to Rike, but this is mostly a lie. Of the cheat abilities I received, the first priority was of course my blacksmithing skill, but of the remaining points I received, the priorities were this world’s language, production, and combat.
If you think about the fact that the combat ability I received was able to make me win a fight against a bear and even compete with the best mercenaries (probably) during that day, you can get some idea of my overall production ability. I don’t specialize in it though. But in other words, I can make things that are much better than those made by the ordinary folks. In the case of my blacksmithing work, I can make general models that are one step shorter than high-end models. Apparently, the meaning of “production” is quite broad and it applies to almost all kinds of “making”.
That’s why I can make various things but I haven’t done anything by myself though. In fact, the reason why the meal I make is delicious is also because of my cheat.
However, putting it the other way around, I am no match for the experts on those fields. For example, if Helen and I were to fight head-on, I could outlast her for a long time. But if she were to totally come after my life, I might be able to withstand her for a while but I would surely be defeated in the end.
By the way, as for my language skill, I don’t know up to what extent it is applied because so far, I only speak the “common language”, which is the language commonly used by various races in this world. At the very least, it’s not the kind of language where I can communicate with the wolves. It’s possible that I can understand something more meaningful, such as the western dialect or the language spoken by local lizardmen. I’m not sure if it really exists though.
Anyway, before I use my cheat skills to make a bow for our next vacation, I have to make a fishing rod and hook tomorrow for it will be used the day after tomorrow.
The next day,
The four of us pulled up the deer. It’s pretty big. It was quite a big one. It’s one of the biggest I’ve ever seen so I can expect the tendons to be quite long. The longer the tendon, the better, since it will be unravelled and twisted into a line. Samia knows how to do this so I’ll leave the actual work to her.
I then dismantle it quickly as usual and separate it into meat, skin, and bones. The bones can also be used but it’s not a very good option because of the difficulty in its processing so they are thrown away. As for the skin, like the tendon, Samia knows how to handle it so I’ll leave it to her. The rest of us work on preserving the meat. Of course, we saved a portion of meat that we will eat before it gets damaged. For today’s lunch, I simply grilled the meat but it is still delicious enough so I don’t need to do elaborate cooking every time.
After lunch, I made a rod and hook to be used the next day. Like before, I used the thinnest line we had so I didn’t need to make those.
I then look for a branch in the forest to be used to make the rod. I’m an old man now but I used to be that boy too so I’ve already mastered the skill of “finding a nice branch”. I don’t know if I actually have such skill, but boys are good at finding such things, aren’t they?
Since I have a rod that I’ve used before, I’m going to get a couple of “good branches” and shape them with a knife. The key here is to make them bend in a nice way. Of course, this is done with my cheat so there is no blunder.
Once the rod is made, it’s time to make the hook. I usually make swords and knives, but this kind of detailed work requires more concentration. Perhaps it’s a blessing that I’m rejuvenated at 30 years old and my presbyopia hasn’t started yet. Perhaps my eyesight has been strengthened in the same way as my muscle strength has been strengthened. I’ve heard in the past that looking closer at something is related to the muscles of the eye.
As Rike is practicing making knives during our vacation, the loud sound of hammering is mixed with a small “chit-chit-chit” sound in the workshop. Depending on how you listen to it, it may sound like a hi-hat being tapped. It’s all rhythm and no melody so I can’t say it’s music, but it’s not a bad session.
There are moments where I wonder if I should use cheats for these things, but I have to use them considering that the quality of the hooks may affect the fishing results. I have a certain amount of power for my work so I also put my best for my hobbies.
In this way, with all my strength, I completed seven fishing hooks (including spares). And I now wait for the next day, the day we’ll go fishing.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Moving northeast from Mana, there is a place called the Dungeon of the Dead. It used to be a communal catacomb but all the corpses there turned into an undead just because one skeleton has been mixed in. Since then, the catacomb was closed and it became the den of the undead.
“That catacomb should be around here.”
I slowly landed on the ground.
The place where I arrived at was surrounded by a sturdy metal fence and there was a stone building in the center. The entrance of the building is tightly closed with iron bars and it’s securely locked with chains. If you look at it in general, you would assess that one should not enter it.
When I go to the other side of the building, I found a gaping hole in it. It is a hole that can be passed through by an adult crawling. As I’m in my child form, I can afford to go through the hole.
The Dungeon of the Dead is closed to the public but still, it seems to be a famous place for adventurers to collect dark magic stones. I’m glad I asked Freya about this in advance.
“Urk… It smells musty…”
When I entered the building, it was dim and moist. There is only a staircase on the floor leading underground. After confirming that it’s really only just that, I summoned my familiars. Suketarou and ten silver skeletons appeared from the light that appeared on the floor.
【Analysis Result: Homeless Silver Skeleton: Species born from the evolution of the Homeless Skeleton as a sacred beast: Rarity S]
【Status】 Name: Skeleton1 Race: Homeless Silver Skeleton Magic Attributes: Darkness, No Attribute, Holy Magic:Shadow, Shadow field, Shadow bind Skills:Soul Eating ▹Advanced: Swordsmanship ▹Intermediate: Spearmanship, Hammermanship, Archery, Taijutsu A, Taijutsu B, Hardening, Leadership Domination Rate: 100% controlled by Shinichi Tanaka Evolution: Does not meet the conditions <Evolution Condition:Sword King Technique (Beginner), Hardening (Special Grade), Leadership (Advanced)>
“Katakata”
The eleven skeletons kneeled and bow before me. These ten bodies are elites who have recently turned into sacred beasts by using the Saint Water. Each of their forehead is numbered from 1 to 10 and they all have a special Mithril weapon. I want to level up these ten bodies as corps leaders. Each of them would lead thousand soldiers and finally, their general, Suketarou, would lead them together. As for Sukejiro, as a deputy general, I plan to have him manage a large skeleton unit while assisting Suketarou.
However, what really greatly interests me is Suketarou. These ten Homeless Skeletons did not become golden. With that being the case, it could be considered that only Suketarou is special. Since Bezel’s skeleton actually became golden, it is highly probable that Suketarou was a knight or an adventurer during his lifetime.
“Then from Skeleton1, go down the stairs in order. Me and Suketarou will follow from the rear.”
“Katakata”
The ten bodies clattered their jaws in assent and they began to descend the stairs in order. Then me and Suketarou also went down.
“…There seems to be no enemy around here.”
The area was a brick-like passageway. It continues in a straight line up to the inner part and I could only hear a faint sound of something walking stiffly.
“Let’s move forward.”
Then the ten bodies began to move in two rows. There are sinister looking skull sculptures hollowed out on the walls of the passageway. It feels more like an entrance to hell than to a catacomb. I got multiple reactions on my enemy search skill shortly after. They are four in total and all of them are rapidly approaching here.
“Katakata”
At Suketarou’s command, each of the ten skeletons holds up their weapon. I feel like they can win against them even with their bare hands. However, we are talking about an undead magical beast that had been lockout for more than 500 years. I don’t know what will appear either.
“Katakatakata”
What appeared before us was a very ordinary skeleton. Skeleton1 then quickly cut down the four enemies with its sword. I immediately used familiar creation on them.
“Katakatakata”
The four skeletons became my familiars but their upper body and lower body remained separated because they were cut up by Skeleton1.
“Hmm, should I try the Restoration Space?”
When I used that magic, the four bodies were restored to its original state. After the separated lower body sticks to the upper body, the missing bones on their ribs and fingers appear as if they are a plant growing.
“Katakata”
The four bodies stood up and then they bowed their heads as their red eyes shined brightly. As expected, the Restoration Space seems to be a perfect magic for me.
“Alright then, let’s move on!”
The four newly added skeletons joined the line and then we proceed forward steadily. Shortly after, we encountered a large number of skeletons. I made the skeleton unit form a wall and I start creating more familiars.
I eventually found myself in control of hundreds of soldiers.
“Kuhahaha! Let’s move forward steadily!”
I can’t stop laughing. The skeletons that came in sight became my underlings one after another. The march of my familiars, which used to be in two rows, is now in ten rows and we grandly proceed in line. However, there is still more to go. I will increase the number further from here on.
After I took control of the first floor, we moved on to the second floor next. The second floor of the underground became even wider, and the passageways were intricate like a maze. The number of enemies also increased at once.
“I can’t count them with my enemy search skill huh. Well, nevermind. Let’s go straight as it is.”
The search screen reflected in my field of view was bright red. Everything that is projected in red is an enemy.
I heard from Freya that those who enter this dungeon burn a special herb called magic incense to avoid the skeletons. It seems that the adventurers get a dark magic stone using that opportunity. However, for this time, I will disregard those. Well, my purpose of coming here is not the magic stones but the skeletons themselves.
Skeletons then rush to fill up the passageway. After I made my skeleton unit form into a wall, I quickly turned the skeletons into my familiars.
◇
One day has passed.
I continuously turned the skeletons into my familiars. The current number is over 100,000. With the current me, it takes about 1 second to turn a single skeleton into my familiar. If we have 60 bodies in 60 seconds, it would have been about 28 hours by now.
“I have mixed feelings eating in a graveyard though…”
With the skeletons protecting the surroundings, I decided to take a break for the time being. I put the cooked white rice in a wooden bowl, break the night chicken egg and put it on top of it. I then sprinkle it with mineral-rich rock salt and it’s done.
The egg on the rice shine brightly, and the orange yolk bulges from the white of the egg conveying its freshness. It’s just rice with eggs. Even so, it’s still TKG.
“The long-awaited TKG… Itadakimasu!”
When I pick up the rice with my chopsticks, the sweetness of the rice is entwined with the dense egg yolk, creating a harmony. I still need soy sauce after all, but this is not bad either.
Next, I stuffed my cheeks with the stir-fried night chicken with vegetables. Night chicken is a black bird to the bone so the meat is also black. The crunchy texture and the umami of the simmering fat combined with the crispy vegetables make it very delicious. Furthermore, when I sip on the chicken glass soup made from the night chicken, it felt very heart-warming.
After I finished eating, I sighed blissfully.
“Katakata”
The skeletons around me opened up a path. From that point on, the captured skeletons were brought in. They know what to do even if I don’t order them to. Immediately after turning them into my familiar, the new comrades would bow to me.
“Alright, break is over. Let’s quickly go down.”
I get up and prepare for departure. There are 100,000 skeleton troops, but from now on, about 50,000 will be moved to the first level, and another 50,000 will be on standby in the second level. I decided that the eleven skeletons would be enough to proceed forward.
“Okay, let’s start moving.”
Fifty thousand skeletons move in line. The remaining 50,000 stayed in line as they will be put on standby at this place. They seem to have the ability to think, but they appear to have a fundamentally different sense of time than humans. According to the story I heard from Suketarou, skeletons feel that one year is only about an hour. In other words, even if they are left here for five years, they will not feel any particular agony. Skeletons seem to be the best workers more and more.
I then took the eleven bodies with me and we stepped into the third floor.
“…It’s the same as the second floor huh.”
The third floor was the same as the second floor. Similarly, I can detect a large amount of enemy.
“Alright then, let’s turn them into your companions right away!”
I and the eleven of them started running.
◇
A week has passed since then. We finally reached the eight floor. There are already 700,000 skeletons under my command. The number of troops is much larger than I had planned but I don’t feel like overdid it.
When we came to the 8th floor, I started to see strange skeletons.
It is a skeleton that is incomparable in power and quickness than the general skeletons. Analysis revealed that they were high-human skeletons. As we go down the Dungeon of the Dead, the era also went back to the ancient time. In other words, there used to be more high humans before than they do now.
I tried to turn to them into my familiar and I succeeded in putting all of them under my control.
And then we reached the bottom of the Dungeon of the Dead.
“This is the bottom level huh…”
It’s a large, empty room with a stone casket placed in the center. A picture that seems to represent heaven was carved on the surrounding wall and it seemed to imply that the person sleeping at this bottom level was a high-ranking person.
I opened the casket without any hesitation.
We came this far so I can’t help but look at what’s inside the casket. Or rather, I’m looking forward to it. From the ancient times, tombs have been known as places where treasures sleep. I don’t hate treasure after all.
However, I’m curious about the amount of holes made on it. It could be seen that it was the done by a sword slash attack. There’s also a magic circle engraved on the casket’s lid. It looks like something is sealed inside the casket.
As expected, I need to open it for me to know.
With a click, I opened the casket and the first thing that jumped into my eyes was the white full-body armor. It has a terrifying design as if it’s made out of bones. It also comes with a cloak that looks like a black rag.
I would agree if somebody says that this one belongs to the King of Hell. The next thing that catches my eyes is the sword and shield next to it. It is decorated with gold, and the blade, which is perhaps made of Mithril, shines in silvery light. Similarly, the shield seemed to be made of Mithril too.
Aside from those, there is nothing else.
When I tried to touch the sword, the armor starts to move and the sword slashed at me all of a sudden.
“Uh-!?”
I was momentarily surprised but I wasn’t slashed because I avoided it reflexively. Then the armor rises up and it slowly comes out of the casket. I immediately used my analysis skill.
【Analysis result: Dullahan: It is said to be superior in rank in the undead race. It has excellent defensive power and it is necessary to shatter its main body armor to defeat it: Rarity A】
【Status】 Name: Dullahan Race: Undead Magicattribute: Earth | Darkness Magic: Rock Bullet, Rock Armor, Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind Skills: Soul Eating ▹Special: Hardening ▹Advanced: Sword King Technique, Enemy Search ▹Intermediate: Taijutsu A, Physical Strengthening, Self-recovery ▹Beginner: Sovereign Shield Technique Evolution: Does not meet the conditions <Evolution Condition: Sword King Technique(Special), Enemy Search(Special), Physical Strengthening (Special), Self-Regeneration (Beginner)>
I was now convinced.
It seems that those in the past couldn’t beat it and got things done by sealing Dullahan. Looking at the status, I can see that it is indeed quite strong.
“Everyone, hold him down!”
When I instructed that, Suketarou and the ten skeletons hold their weapons and start running towards Dullahan. The first one it bumped into was Skeleton1. Their swords collided with each other and it sparked in the dark. Skeleton1 seems to have stronger power but Dullahan’s swordsmanship is better than him. When Skeleton1’s sword is thrown in the other direction, Dullahan kick him in the place where there’s an opening in his stance.
“Katakata”
As Skeleton1 was kicked and sent flying, Skeleton5 that is holding an axe turned to attack. After Dullahan used a shield to prevent his attack, it slams the shield into Skeleton5 after seeing an opening. He then knocked down the skeletons one after another.
“Katakata”
Dullahan receives Suketarou’s sword with his sword. They pushed their swords against each other and neither of them seemed to step back. In the meantime, I quickly used my skill to turn Dullahan into my familiar. As expected, the green gauge did not advance easily. This will take time.
“Katakatakata”
The ten skeletons that just back on their feet start running to Dullahan once more. It sensed the danger and tried to quickly escape but Suketarou made a foot sweep kick without delay.
And just like that, Dullahan was easily caught by the skeletons.
“This is the end.”
After enough time has passed, I was finally able to turn Dullahan into my familiar. The white armor turned jet black and its status also changes.
【Analysis Result: Homeless Dullahan: A new race born because of Shinichi Tanaka’s familiar creation skill. A high-ranking race of Dullahan. The sturdy armor cannot be damaged by ordinary magical beasts: Rarity S】
【Status】 Name: Homeless Dullahan Race: Homeless Dullahan Magic attributes: Earth, Darkness, No Attribute Magic: Rock Bullet, Rock Armor, Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind Skills: Soul Eating ▹Special: Hardening ▹Advanced: Sword King Technique, Enemy Search ▹Intermediate: Spearmanship, Axemanship, Hammermanship, Archery, Taijutsu A, Physical Strengthening, Shock Absorption, Self-recovery ▹Beginner: Sovereign Shield Technique Control rate: 100% controlled by Shinichi Tanaka Evolution: Does not meet the conditions <Evolution Condition: Sword King Technique(Special), Enemy Search(Special), Physical Strengthening (Special), Self-Regeneration (Beginner)>
I also sprinkle Saint Water on it.
Dullahan begun to suffer and then it turned golden.
【Analysis Result: Homeless Golden Dullahan: A new race born by turning it into a sacred beast. The sturdy armor cannot be damaged by ordinary magical beasts: Rarity SS】
【Status】 Name: Homeless Golden Dullahan Race: Homeless Golden Dullahan Magic Attributes: Earth, Darkness, Holy, No Attribute Magic: Rock Bullet, Rock Armor, Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind Skills: Soul Eating ▹Special: Hardening ▹Advanced: Sword King Technique, Enemy Search ▹Intermediate: Spearmanship, Axemanship, Hammermanship, Archery, Taijutsu A, Physical Strengthening, Shock Absorption, Self-recovery ▹Beginner: Sovereign Shield Technique Control rate: 100% controlled by Shinichi Tanaka Evolution: Does not meet the conditions <Evolution Condition: Sword King Technique(Special), Enemy Search(Special), Physical Strengthening (Special), Self-Regeneration (Beginner)>
“Alright, Suketarou should wear it.”
When I ordered that, Suketarou was startled. He was probably surprised. I won’t know it just by looking at his facial expression, but even the magical beasts have emotions too. When Suketaro wore Dullahan, he looked so majestic that I almost feel like I want to prostrate myself before him.
A Golden Skeleton wearing golden armor. The black rag cloak adds to his fierce and majestic look. It’s exactly as what I have imagined. The strongest form of Suketarou that I thought of was now completed.
“You look amazing, Suketarou! From the first glance at the Dullahan, I thought it would be just right to have Suketarou dress into it!”
“Katakata”
Suketarou looks a little shy as he clatters his jaw. Unfortunately, there is no helmet. Although it is called full-body armor, Dullahan does not have a head. That’s why I couldn’t get Suketarou to wear a helmet.
Well, it’s cool enough so I could put up with this. I decided to name Dullahan, who became my familiar, “Duranosuke”. He would live as a Dullahan as per usual, but I plan to have him play an active role as Suketarou’s armor during battle.
In this way, I succeeded in seizing the Dungeon of the Dead.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
From the next day, I resumed my normal blacksmithing work. As much as I’d like to work on the Apoitakara, I can’t just rely on the occasional request even though I have enough income for it. I still need to do some continuous work.
Up to the casting part, I’ll have Samia and Diana do it and I’ll do the finishing. For the next three days, I’ll focus on making high-end model short swords and longswords. In the meantime, Rike will be making knives. According to Camilo, weapons sell well, but these knives, which are closely related to one’s daily necessities, also sell well.
Since knives are closely related to the daily necessities, it is said that the general models, which are more affordable, sell better than the expensive high-end model ones. But even if they are expensive, there are still many people who buy the high-end model ones, probably because weapons are something that can protect their lives. Thus, as much as possible, I’m trying to deliver it according to the sales volume. Of course, it would be a different story if there was an order for how many and which ones. We have never received such order from Camilo though. Well, except for the Halberd requested by His Excellency, the Count, the other day.
So for now, the amount to be delivered is up to me. However, I think it’s necessary to consider the fact that there may be a request for this sooner or later.
Liddy-san told me about magical power so I’ll try to keep that in mind on the onset. As usual, I try to find something like the unevenness on it and balance them out. At this point, almost no magical power is put into it. It seems that there’s a thin amount weaved in it though. However, it is still very little compared to the custom-made one.
The biggest difference between the high-end model and the custom-made model is in the amount of magical power weaved into it. The high-end models make the most of the materials themselves, which requires a certain amount of effort and talent. However, even ordinary people can reach this level. That’s also why I’m convinced that there are some craftsmen in the Capital who can create something close to this.
As I thought before, if it is a high-end model, there is no problem in releasing many of them to the world. But for the custom-made ones, some people may find out that something is odd with the magical power on it so I think it’s a good idea not to release too much of those.
Despite thinking of such things, the work for these three days went smoothly and we were able to secure sufficient amount before the next delivery. It seems that Rike was able to make a lot of knives for the general models. We don’t need so many knives for the high-end models either. So if I make knives for one more day, although it’s only for one week worth instead of two, we will have enough for the next delivery. And even if I take a whole day off, I think we can still make it. We should have one more day-off then.
Hmm, what should we do then?
I think it would nice to handle the Apoitakara. However, considering that I had a hard time with Mithril, I’d like to have three to four days to work on it. And since it’s my personal property and not an item for which a customer is waiting for, I’ll take some time to work on it.
Thus, during our dinner on the third day, I told the three of them that we would take two days off two days later.
“Then, let’s go fishing again.”
Samia quickly suggested that.
“It’s either of those days, not the entire two days, right?”
I don’t think it will be the case, but I still confirmed.
“Of course.”
“Alright then, we’ll all go fishing together two days after tomorrow.”
“Hooray!”
Samia is overjoyed. This is more like due to her actual age than her physical age. It’s easy to forget, but in terms of years alone, she’s only 5 years old.
“If you want to go hunting, Samia and Diana should go out tomorrow and let’s be ready to collect them the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay”
“Understood”
In that case, I guess I’ll be making fishing rods in the afternoon the day after tomorrow huh… I can’t make a reel, but I need a rod and hook for Diana. I think Rike will also make a knife or something as practice on how to incorporate magical power that she learned from Liddy-san. In that case, it is convenient to lit up fire in the smithy.
It’s not that I don’t like blacksmithing anymore, but if I do the same thing all the time, there will inevitably be moments where I’ll feel depressed. Besides, thinking about my plans for the day off motivates me to work harder as it did in the previous world. Vacations are important after all. I was able to secure a regular income so I would like to have a little more time to incorporate day-off on a regular basis.
The next day, I and Rike went to make knives, while Samia and Diana went hunting as planned.
I made the high-end model and Rike made the general ones, and since I have cheat, I finished it quickly. Rike’s skills are improving too, while she’s still slower than I am at making general models, she can make them surprisingly faster compared to an average blacksmith. She would certainly be able to make high-end models soon.
This may be the most difficult time for Rike though. She is considerably better than most blacksmiths, but she has yet to reach a certain level of skill. If she doesn’t have the talent and skill to understand that, I wouldn’t care, but Rike has the talent and skill to understand things. And thanks to Liddy-san, she got the basics of incorporating magical power into her blacksmithing. Now that she already got it, she’s probably struggling to find out what she needs to do to reach another level.
It would be better if I, the master, could teach her well, but I can’t do so because mine is nothing but a cheat skill. I don’t know what I’m doing half the time either. I also need to understand my own skills so I can teach it properly.
As I added another line to my future plans, I hammered down on the sheet metal that I would be using to make a knife.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“I’m grateful for driving away the Empire’s soldiers once more. This is but a small reward from me.”
A pouch of gold coins was placed on the table. I stored it inside the bangle without looking at the content inside.
“More than that, I heard that you have something you want to talk about?”
“Yes, let’s then move on to the main topic. I want you to visit the four other kingdoms, excluding the empire and our kingdom.”
“Visit?”
“Read this first.”
The letter presented to me was from Duke Medil. After opening the envelope, I quickly read its contents.
“…It says that he wants me to get a promise of reinforcements from the other four kingdoms, but…?”
“That’s right. I also want you to proceed on this matter by all means.”
I look at the letter again. It seems that the assistance of the other kingdom is absolutely necessary to counter the empire. It also appears that I was specifically chosen for this. Of course, it says that I will be paid some reward for it.
“Rather than me, isn’t this job supposed to be done by those high-ranking officials?”
“You are right in saying that. But unfortunately, our kingdom is being underestimated by the other kingdoms and they are not in a position where they need to obediently agree to cooperate. And even though we have an alliance with the Sanargia Great Forest Kingdom, it’s not necessary for them to fight with us.”
“…I see. You want me to go there not to talk with them but to show my strength, is that it?”
“Yes, it is as what you have said.”
When a high-ranking official from a weak kingdom arrives there, the image wherein they once unified will still remain the same. The Duke seems to want me to destroy that image. On top of that, he wants me to strongly invite them to join as reinforcements. As expected from a noble. It’s pretty extreme.
“I’m also an adventurer. I’ll do my job properly when requested.”
“Thank you. The kingdom is now preparing for the war, but I don’t think there is a hundred percent chance of winning. This is the last chance for the kingdom to survive. Please save this crisis with your power.”
I then shook hands with the Lord.
◇
“―That’s why I decided to go to the other four kingdoms. I’ll leave Mana’s protection to Pero and Freya.”
Inside the hideout, I informed them about our future course of action. Pero and Freya were sitting on the sofa listening, while Erna was sitting on the floor reading a book.
“Oi Erna. Are you listening?”
“I’m listening. So, what should I do?”
“You will travel with me to those four kingdoms. Get ready for the trip right away.”
“Eh? I’m going too? You should just take Suketarou with you.”
“Suketarou is a magical beast, he can’t even enter the city. Besides, he has another job.”
Perhaps Erna did not really care as she stands up and heads to the bedroom. And then she came back to the living room in a hurry.
“W-Wait a minute! That means we are going to the Sanargia Great Forest Kingdom!?”
“I just said so?”
“I, I’ll never go there! Shinichi should go alone!”
Erna escapes into her bedroom. When I looked inside the room, she seemed to be trembling while being wrapped in a futon. Oh-, I forgot that she has a trauma in her hometown. Freya, who was watching the whole scene, spoke.
“If Erna can’t go, I’ll go instead.”
“No. I’m thankful for the offer but I’m going to take Erna with me. She can’t escape from her hometown forever you see.”
After I entered the bedroom, I sit beside Erna. I gently placed my hand on the curled up futon.
“You are strong.”
“……”
“What have you been doing so far? Isn’t it to get back at those idiots? If so, don’t look away from your hometown. Face them and let them know your strength now.”
“……uu-”
Her face that came out of the futon was tearful and she’s even biting her lips. She knows it too. That she should confront her past. I then stroke Erna’s head. I haven’t really heard in detail what had happened but I’m sure that she can get over it. —Because she also have me.
“Alright, do you want to eat?”
“Yup”
Her mood changed and then we return to the living room. Freya already began cooking there.
“Whoa-, Freya will be the one doing it?”
“Yeah, I’ve only been taken care of since I came here, so at least even with just the meal I can help.”
Freya had four arms so she dexterously chopped two kinds of vegetables at once. She possessed a cooking skill. I’ve always been interested in it so it’s a good idea to see how good she is at it.
After about 30 minutes, a hamburger steak on the plate is served. The gravy was spilling out of the surface and the appetizing smell was spreading throughout the room. She also casually prepares rice for me. Such a great thoughtfulness.
“Hooo- hooo-“
Erna, whose eyes are red, rapidly blows air at the hamburger steak. Pero also pierced it with a fork and put it in his mouth. He then happily began to swing his tail.
“This is delicious!”
I also hummed as I eat the hamburger steak. The meat melts in the mouth, the umami of the fat and the sweetness of the white rice are perfectly combined. It’s definitely a delicious dish.
“I originally had a hobby of cooking. Before I knew it, I already learned how to cook. I might lose to Tanaka-dono in terms of the taste but I think it’s done to the extent that it’s not that bad.”
“No, mine may not even be a match for this. Cooking is a skill I definitely want to have.”
I tend to focus only on attack skills, but I realized that the skills that make these people happy are also important. I have to thank Freya for that.
“Father, can I draw a portrait?”
Pero comes near me with a sketchbook in his hands. If I think about it, he probably wants to draw an image of myself. He’s really such a cute son.
“Then it’s good if you draw my muscles as well.”
Pero shakes his head when I tried to undress.
“I want to draw father’s face.”
“Oh, is that what you mean? Alright then-”
I opened the eye on my forehead and sit upright. When I looked at Pero, he shook his head again.
“I want to draw father in a natural way, so please don’t look at me.”
“Uhm-, it’s quite a tricky request.”
I then absentmindedly look at the ceiling. With this, the natural atmosphere that Pero wants would at least be coming out.
【Info: New magic has been added.】
….Hn? Magic?
I can’t understand the words displayed in my field of view. I decided to open the status for the time being.
【Status】 Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (King) <High Dragoneut | Vampire> Occupation: Adventurer Magic attribute: No Attribute Magic: Restoration Space(New), Isolation Space(New) Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, King’s Vessel ▹Special: Stealth, Danger Detection, Enemy Search, Taste Enhancement, Eyesight Enhancement, Hearing Enhancement, Smell Enhancement, Super Sensation, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Plant manipulation, Leadership, Indomitable Spirit, Small Dragon Breath ▹Advanced: Theft, Digestion Enhancement, Flight, Paralyzing Eye ▹Intermediate: Master of War, Limit Breakthrough, Underwater Adaptation, Dragon Beheading Slash, Fist King Technique ▹Beginner: Analysis, Life or Death Technique, Universal Thread, Division, Self-recovery, Familiar Strengthening
Restoration Space and Isolation Space?
Even though I finally learned some magic, I really don’t get it that well. I was hoping for a more exquisite magic such as air cutter but it seems that for Homeless race, those sort of magic are still out of reach.
“Let’s try it for the time being…”
I used Restoration Space towards an empty wall. After that, a translucent blue square appeared in front of me. I tried to touch it but my hand goes through the square.
“Father, what is that?”
Pero, who was drawing me, seems to have noticed the magic I made. Erna and Freya are talking to each other so they are not looking here.
“I learned magic earlier but I have no idea how to use it.”
“Then, why not try it on this fork?”
Pero brought an iron fork from the table. I manipulated the box and then I made it overlap with the fork on the floor.
“….Nothing changed huh.”
“Uh-. Father, take a closer look!”
Pero points at the fork. The dull iron-colored fork gradually becomes shiny as if it were freshly made. In addition to that, the tines that were slightly bent due Pero’s daily use where now neat, it was in the same state as before we purchased it.
I then released the magic. The fork I picked up regained its brilliance just like it’s a new one.
“Hmm… does it mean that Restoration Space magic will restore things to its original state?”
“That’s amazing Father! Now if our weapon breaks, you can repair it right away!”
“As Pero says, it’s indeed an amazing magic.”
Well, it’s still unknown up to what extent will Restoration Space fix things. However, to be able to restore a broken object, it could be considered to be an extraordinary magic. If we are lacking in money, we can even sell broken things as new ones.
When it comes to that, the other magic may be quite useful as well.
I then put the fork on the floor again, this time, I used Space Isolation. This time, a green square appeared and disappeared as soon as it overlapped with the fork.
“Where did it go?”
I touched that place but there is no fork anywhere. It completely disappeared.
【Report: Space has been isolated. Next, please specify the person whom you will give permission to enter the room. 】
A green laser-like light extended from my fingertips. When I point it to Pero, the area around his body glows slightly. At this point, I was finally able to predict what this magic was.
“Isolated space literally seems to isolate the space and only the specified person can enter it.”
After releasing the magic, the fork appeared on the floor. This other magic seems to be quite excellent as well. If I find the most effective way to use it, it will be useful in a battle and in our daily life.
“Father, stay still.”
“Oh-, sorry.”
I had forgotten that I am the model for his painting. I deeply regret it.
◇◇◇
“Are you all set?”
“Yeah, I have my luggage with me. I’m all set.”
I made the final confirmation at the entrance of the Great Dungeon. Me and Erna will go to the other four kingdoms and Pero and Freya will be staying at home.
“Be careful!”
My clone waved his hand. He is another me created by the Division skill. But for some reason, using the Division skill makes the clone younger. His height is 90cm and his silver hair is up to the shoulder. When I look at that small and young face, it is so adorable that I can’t help but want to stroke his head.
Well, it’s kind of weird, it’s like I’m stroking my own head.
I, the main body, will be going on a trip with Erna. My clone on the other hand, will be handling some matter from here on. Although he is younger, we have the same skills and abilities so he can carry out the plan well.
“Shinichi is so cute.”
Erna hugs my clone and presses her cheeks on him. When she says it like that, it sounds like I’m not cute now. After the child me move away from Erna, he spreads his wings and soars into the sky. Then he disappeared into the North-eastern sky just like that.
“There he goes huh… Alright then, shall we leave too?”
After me and Erna get on the unicorns, they start galloping dashingly. Looking back, Pero and Freya were waving at us. In a blink of an eye, they disappeared and I immediately turned my attention to our destination.
“It’s my first time going outside the kingdom. I’m looking forward to what kind of trip it will be.”
“The world is more boring than what Shinichi thinks you know?”
“It’s just from your standpoint Erna. Everything in this world is interesting to me. I realize that this is what it means to be alive.”
“Hmmm”
Erna replies in a seemingly uninterested manner.
Well, she was born and raised in this world, I think she is not impressed because she had taken the scenery she had seen for granted. Well, someday, I may have such feelings too.
The unicorn gallops through the even road at a tremendous speed. Our first destination is the Sanargia Great Forest Kingdom. It is also Erna’s hometown.
“How long does it take to get to your hometown?”
“Hmmm, about three days at this pace?”
“It’s still farther than what I can see on the map huh.”
The territory of the Sanargia Great Forest Kingdom is vast. Even if we entered the territory safely, we are still far from our destination, Zara, the Forest Kingdom’s capital.
Originally, we had to prepare for a long trip. However, we have homeless unicorns. It’s like these familiars are just intended for this.
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you guys till we reach Zara.”
The jet-black unicorns neighed loudly in consent.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
There is a roaring sound as the cannon lands on the wall surrounding Zirconia’s fort. Due to the pouring rain, the flames did not spread but black smoke rises into the cloudy sky and then I heard the confused voices of the enemy soldiers.
I bypassed the south side of the fort and headed east, to the place where I’m out of the enemy lookout’s line of sight. It looks like they cut up the trees in the forest when this fort was built, fortunately, some lumber still remained –maybe they left it in the middle of the road when they no longer needed to cut out some wood.
As we had decided beforehand, Presha-san, who was on board the warship, should soon be leading her horse and reach here together with Leslie and Noin.
Presha-san’s horse gallops in the rain and comes closer –they are hidden by Noin’s water spirit’s magic, but as I can hear the voices of the plants, I know that they are moving through the grassland and they are now close to me.
“….I’m glad you are safe Sensei. We’ve done what we can. Even now, Dite-san’s group is attacking from the water to prevent the ship from being taken. As long as Leslie’s magic can still hold it, we can use gunpowder weapons.”
“The magic of drying the air can be sustained even when I’m far from it.”
“As expected from you… As the first attendant of Grass-sama, you did a remarkable job.”
Noin made the biggest contribution to this operation but her expression is still dark. She hid the warship with water magic and made a surprise attack. So Alejandro would have noticed that Noin was on this side.
Knowing that he had lost Noin, who would have been the key part of his tactics, he would either try to bring her back or he would see Noin as an object of his hatred.
“Without Noin, this operation wouldn’t have been possible. Her Royal Highness’ main force was completely hidden in the rain… It’s thanks to Noin’s illusion that the entire enemy army was ambushed.”
Noin nods to Presha-san’s words. Her complexion looks paler than usual. One reason for that is because the magical power lost by maintaining a wide range of illusion is too great.
“Noin, the consumption of your magical power is too great. It is better for you to use the crystal filled with magical power.”
“No… I should be getting the signal from the main team soon. I have to hold it until then, that’s my role…”
“…Don’t overdo it, use it. We can’t have you fall down from exhaustion.”
Leslie tries to take the magic crystal from her pouch. Even if she had accumulated her own magical power in that crystal, she can offer it for others without any hesitation –I honestly admire her for that. With her blunt attitude, it’s easy to misunderstand her as someone indifferent. But deep within, Leslie has a gentle personality. That’s also why I’m worried about her. When Leslie told me that I would pull out a flop spirit before, I know that she is still troubled about it till now.
“…If I use the crystals now, your magical power will be used first. So, until my magical power is exhausted…”
“―Noin, that’s the signal from the main unit! They are letting us know that they already break through the gate of the enemy’s fort, you can now break the illusion!”
The crux of this operation is on how to avoid head-on collisions and lead the enemy army to surrender. If they realized that the fort was already under siege when we remove the illusion –the enemy will be distressed and their fighting spirit will be greatly lost.
And the key to shaking the enemy is the battering ram that breaks through the main gate. In order to move it as fast as possible, which would normally take a long time to move, I interfered with the part of the wooden wagon carrying the battering ram with spirit magic so it could move at the speed of a chariot pulled by a horse. Just now it had been shot at the main gate of the enemy’s fort and it smashed through in a few crashes –I can now hear the voices of enemy soldiers that resembled a scream.
“…Apsaras! Clear out the fog illusion, with your dance… finish it…”
“Oi!… that’s dangerous. You should use the magic crystal, if you can’t move here, I’ll have to carry you on my back you know? Uhm, I’m fine with that though.”
The moment Noin releases the illusion, she’s weakened and is supported by Presha-san. The power of Presha-san, a magic warrior, may be enough to carry Noin but when one’s magical power is exhausted, various problems occur so there is no choice but for her to recover first.
“…Then, I’ll take a little of it Leslie”
When Leslie nodded, Noin loosened the collar of her clothes and inserted a magic crystal in her bosom –certainly, it would be easily absorbed when placed at the part closer to the heart, but that caught me by surprise so I had no choice but to look down.
“…Thank you, this is enough. I’m sorry Grass-sama, I showed you something unsightly.”
“Uh-, N-No, that’s…”
“I feel like Noin is aiming for that so Grass-sensei doesn’t have to apologize.”
“Rather than aiming for it, I just don’t want to hide anything from Grass-sama.”
I don’t know how to react when she said that, but since Leslie is watching, I swear to graduate from reacting to such things like a boy. After Leslie discouraged me from doing that, she then looks at the magic crystals returned by Noin and her eyes widen. The accumulated magic power hasn’t decreased as much as she had thought.
“Use more, you may need to use magic again you see.”
“…If I survive, can you leave the accumulation of magical power on the crystal to me?”
Noin receives the magic crystal again and absorbs more magical power –there’s not much left, but it was really helpful thanks to Leslie’s reserves. Now that there are three magicians, we must take measures against the exhaustion of magical power as soon as possible.
“Don’t you have that magic crystal too, Noin? I think it’s a must for a court magician but… ah-, it’s just my own thought.”
“The crystal I had was confiscated. They are trying to incorporate magicians in their tactics but they couldn’t get it in Zirconia so they asked that from me as a proof of my loyalty…. The ‘White Crow’ is a man whose only obsession is to win you see.”
“…I think that’s how little they know about us magicians. They just think we are worth using. That’s why this time, it’s where we took advantage of them.”
Leslie calmly analyzes the situation. I think so too –I can say that she’s very reliable when it comes to her composure on the battlefield. Nevertheless, I still think I have to protect her –Leslie’s behaviour as “Lendl-san” was like an escort itself so I know she wants to protect me, but I can’t continue indulging in that feeling.
“As Leslie says, the opponent is at the mercy of our magical operation… This battle is already ours. The three of you should evacuate to the rear.”
“The enemy may still be trying to do something. Let me look at the situation as much as possible… If we can’t move when it’s time to break through with magic, there’s no point in coming here.”
Presha-san was at loss for words but she did not immediately refute it.
“…You mean it’s all about how the other party will react to the siege? That if they surrender, we don’t have to make a move huh.”
“If we’re talking about an all-out war, then, we’re going to have fierce fight….”
There is a good chance for that since Noin mentioned it. If that happens, Her Highness will have to invade the fort. The goal will be to capture or even defeat the enemy’s general.
…If that happens, many soldiers will die. They are already completely surrounded and their walls will be destroyed. Are they really still trying to fight in this state?
Presha-san rides her horse and leads the way –we then leave the woods and come to front of the fort. What I heard was Raquel-san’s loud shout that seems to shake the entire fort.
“Listen, Zirconian Empire Army! This fort is already under siege! If you don’t wish for a futile death, throw away your weapons and surrender! Otherwise, we will cut off your retreat and invade your fort from the destroyed main gate!”
Presha-san on top of her horse is watching Raquel-san’s brave figure. Her profile showed not that of a longing, but it’s filled with the awe she held for the same warrior.
“General Astina wants to talk to you! If you agree, raise the surrender flag or let our troops know! I Repeat―!”
―Before she finished her second sentence, the atmosphere around the soldiers already changed.
“…T-The flag…was raised…”
Presha-san murmured –as if she can’t believe what was happening before her.
A white flag was raised over Zirconia’s fort. The soldier on top of the turret erected a pole at the order their leader and raised it so that it could be seen here.
However, the enemy archers on the wall surrounding the fort have not yet abandoned their weapons. They are still ready to shoot at us at any time.
―The situation is still unpredictable. I thought of seeking the instructions of Astina-denka in the main corps in order to cut off the possibility of such chance. Through the contract with the sacred tree, I can communicate with Astina-denka even if I am farther away from her. She then gave me an answer when I spoke to her.
“The enemy is raising the white flag and trying to keep us off guard. Grass, you have the magic of bow-sealing, can you get ready in case of emergency? Please move as a squadron alongside Presha.”
“Your Highness, bow sealing is only effective if the enemy’s bow is made of wood. If the enemy uses a metal bow and arrow, I will not be able to interfere with it using my spirit magic.”
“I understand. Now then, as for you magicians, please stay out of the front lines and please use your magic appropriately as you deem fit. If the range is too large, it would be helpful if you could let me know in advance. I might find a way to confuse the enemy soldiers.”
“Yes, I understand. Your Highness, please be careful.”
“You too, you guys must not be reckless. We have come this far unscathed.”
Her Highness was able to predict that Alejandro was planning something but she didn’t seem to be able to determine the details of it. The oracle of the sacred tree meant that the future could not always be determined and predicted.
From the main gate of the fort, which was destroyed by the battering ram, the enemy soldiers came out with their hands raised ―when they indicated that they had no intention of fighting, Bridget-san’s cavalry and infantry unit first entered the fort.
Not long after that, the enemy’s general, Alejandro, replied that he would be willing to talk to them directly.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
For dinner, I mobilized a lot of sake and meat at home and prepared it like a farewell party for Liddy-san. It may be strange to call it a farewell party since she is a client, but either way, we have been living together for a while. Speaking of which, she tried to pay for her stay, but I decided to offset that with the fact that she taught Rike about magic.
In this world where humans can’t use magic unless they have a family name, knowledge about magical power is quite a valuable information. I’m not sure if this is enough to offset the cost, but Liddy-san seems to feel that the cost for repairing the sword is not enough. It’s good that we both agreed on it though.
“There were a lot of very interesting things this time, and to be honest, it was fun. I think it’s better not to receive so many repair requests, but if there is anything else I need, I will definitely leave it to this workshop.”
Liddy-san said so at the end of the farewell party.
“By all means, favor Eizou’s workshop.”
I replied to her with a smile.
The next morning.
Today, Liddy-san was absorbing magical power from the forest. She said it was for the concealment spell she would be using on her way home. It seems that elves can handle powerful magic, but even so, travelling alone can be dangerous. I thought Liddy-san would be very skilled with a sword, but it appears that she used concealment spell to make herself invisible on the streets, and then lifted it near the town. It seems that she can’t do anything more than a form of self-defense. She also said she used the same magic from the time she entered the forest until she came to our house.
So the five of us, including Liddy-san, ate breakfast together and when Liddy-san finished preparing her things for her departure, we all decided to walk her up to the entrance of the forest. This way, we would be able to reduce the consumption of her magical power as much as possible.
We moved in a line with Samia in the lead, followed by me, Liddy-san, Rike, and then Diana. We didn’t have the cart with us today so just in case, I brought the spear I used to kill the bear instead. Thinking about it now, it would have been better to deliver the goods today, so that I could take Liddy-san to the town. I was careless. I’ll do that if there’s a next time.
Nothing special happened until we reached the entrance of the forest. We came across birds and other small animals but they do not do any harm to us. Since Liddy-san is an elf, I was thinking that she might be having a conversation with the animals in the forest or something like that, but that’s not particularly the case. They need magical power and they are good at handling it but their basic characteristics other than their longevity are the same as humans…
“Thank you very much for your help.”
Liddy-san extends her right hand.
“Same here. I look forward to seeing you again someday at that house.”
While saying that, I gently shook her hand.
“See you again!”
“By the time you come back, I’ll be done with my training on handling magical power!”
“When you come next time, tell me about elf swordsmanship.”
The three of them also took Liddy-san’s right hand and bid goodbye.
“Till next time!”
She bid goodbye to such surprising degree of volume, I did not think that Liddy-san’s could make a voice with such a volume. We waved to each other and see her off until she went far away.
“There she goes…”
Samia murmurs. Although she was originally a lone wolf (though she’s tiger beastman), she seemed to feel a certain amount of loneliness towards those she had once got close to.
“Well, if there is something she wants me to make, she will come here again.”
“Yeah. It seems that there are many things that only Eizou can make after all.”
When I said that, Diana followed up.
We then went back inside the forest. It took about 4 hours to get to the entrance of the forest and get back home so we have spent most of today’s time. I then decided to take a day off after having lunch. Of course, I am replanting the mint.
Last night, I spoke with Liddy-san.
“If you want to replant it, you should grow it in a pot or something.”
I was told to do that so I decided to do so. I made a hole in the bottom of a medium-sized unglazed jar that I was not using, and then I put soil and planted the rooted mint in it. I then took it out. Underneath it, I put a saucer made from the leftover wood. Since it is wood, I’ll have to check it from time to time.
She also said, “When the elongated stems touches the ground, roots will grow from them, so please check them from time to time and cut the ones that are hanging down.”
I’ll check the stems either before or after my evening practice. If I am going to be away from home for a long time, it may be better to move it to a window inside the house. It’s a little scary to come home and find mint all over the place. I was planning to use it as a “filler” until I could decide what to plant in the field. However, the seeds will eventually come from Liddy-san’s village, I’d rather not have too much and let the mint grow in moderation.
By the way, we don’t have a balcony. We hang our laundry on a tall stake in the yard, with a rope tied to it. Of course, there is no roof on it. We don’t have clothespins, so we hang the clothes on or through the rope. And since there is no roof, we can’t do any laundry on rainy days. Well, it doesn’t rain here that much though.
We can dry it in the shade too, and as long as it can be dried, we can do a little laundry. Since we are inside the forest, we can cool down in the shade when the sun is strong. Even when the number of pot-grown plants increases, I can leave them there. It seems that there are quite a few benefits to making it. I think the area around the storage is the first priority, but I’ll suggest to everyone to build it when that area is cleared up.
After that, I spent the rest of the day tilling the soil in the courtyard so that it would not become covered with weeds again.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Here’s two advance chapters sponsored by Logan Kerr. Thanks again for your support, do pardon me for slow advance chapter release. Enjoy reading everyone!
Liddy-san said that “it’s more than what she was hoping for”. If you think about it normally, it should be a good thing. That’s because I was able to create something better than the level that the client wanted. However, in this case, the client asked for a restoration, and she wanted it to be “the same as the original”. So it is questionable whether exceeding the original was a good thing. I need to be able to curb this area at a precise level.
The answer to my question comes immediately from Liddy-san.
“Yes. My request was to restore it to its original form, of course it is in its original form, but the amount of magical power woven into it is considerably larger than that of the original. Regarding the way on how to use it, it’s best to have a lot of magical power on it, so honestly, it helps.”
When she said usage, does she mean as a magic battery? Well, it’s true that if it breaks when you pull out more than a certain amount, it’s better to have a larger margin. Anyhow, I’m relieved to know that I didn’t do anything unnecessary.
I don’t know the original amount of magic power on it, but it must have been a good amount. I’m a little curious about what it was that caused the sword to break and ran out of power. I don’t think it’s a good question so I won’t be asking that. However, if it breaks again, I’ll fix it.
“By the way, about the price…?”
Ah, that reminds me, that is necessary. I’ve learned a lot, so it’s okay if it’s cheap, but for the time being, I’ll do it the usual way.
“If the client comes here alone, it’s okay to use the price deemed by the client. So Liddy-san, please pay the amount that you think fits for it.”
“I see. Hmm…”
Liddy-san thinks with her hand placed on her slender chin. She has a small face and she gives off this calm impression so that kind of gesture suits her very well. Well, I think it’s also because the last person that came to my house was Helen, the very opposite of her.
After thinking for a while, Liddy-san went inside the house saying, “Wait a minute”. In the meantime, I hold the Mithril sword that has just been restored. It’s something that I realized while working, it’s very light because it’s Mithril. If it is steel with the same weight, I would only be able to make a folding knife with metal handle or a slightly larger knife, to say the least.
I stopped swinging it around because it was a customer’s item. If I forged a new one, I can swing it around as a “trial slash”, but this is a restored product so I can’t do that. After just a few minute, Liddy-san returns with a small bag of cloth. Perhaps it’s her wallet or bag containing her money.
“Sorry I made you wait”
From the bag, she took out some gold coins and an unfamiliar thin plate. There were about five gold coins, but the thin plate looked like a jewel if you looked closely. There are even two of them. I don’t know the market price for it, but it must have been quite high.
“Normally, it would probably cost more to have something with this much magic weaved on it, but this is the limit of what I can pay you.”
Hmm-, it still seems like a lot to me. She brought in her own materials, she even taught Rike a lot and I learned a lot from her too.
Ah, Right!
“Well, alright then.”
While saying that, I returned a gold coin to Liddy-san’s hand.
“For this one gold coin, can you please deliver some vegetable seeds grown in Liddy-san’s village to the merchant whom you heard the location of my house? I think he’ll understand if you address it to me, Eizou. Of course, I’ll take the amount that won’t bother the people in your village. Like if you have any leftovers, you can just divide the seeds according to the season and so on. Ah—, are the vegetables in the elf village perhaps not open to the public?”
“No, that’s not the case. We usually sell them to human merchants too. But, are you really okay with this?”
“Yes. I think you saw it when you went to the town, but this is just like dealing with that merchant.”
This cannot be considered as discount, but in a way, one gold coin will be returned to the elf village where Liddy-san lives, so for the time being, I will be satisfied with this.
….Well, when I talked about Helen’s sword and the money I got during the Eimurl House’s conflict, Rike and Diana got angry and said, “If you don’t get the right amount, you’ll be selling your skills cheaply, and that won’t be of help to the other blacksmiths either”. Thus I decided to refrain from directly reducing the price. Honestly, I was actually hoping to get about three gold coins this time as well. At the time when I got scolded, Samia didn’t seem to understand it that well. That was probably because it’s still a lot of money so she didn’t really feel it to be like that. Well, she’s familiar with the market price for daily necessities.
Liddy-san seemed to be pondering about it again, but after a while, she said,
“Alright then, I’ll take your word for it.”
She then put the gold coin back in her bag. I could have given her one more gold coin as a tuition fee, but it wouldn’t make sense if it’s too much.
With this, everything about her request has been settled for the moment. With that being the case, today is the completion day. I then start cleaning the workshop to prepare a little sumptuous meal.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
After dividing the boar meat into those that will be preserved and those that will be consumed soon, I start preparing our lunch. I sautéed it in blueberry sauce with a little brandy that has blueberries (although to be exact, “something like it”) soaked in it. It seems to be well-liked as usual.
After lunch, I started the afternoon’s work. Naturally, I will still be finishing up the mithril sword, Rike will be working on the knife and Liddy-san on the other hand is working on her magic training while checking on me from time to time. Samia and Diana are practicing archery in the garden.
I put the sword, which is already very close to its wooden form, in the fire bed to heat it. Of course, I fully utilized my cheat. When it’s hot enough, I take it out, hammer it a few times to change its shape a little and compare it to the wooden pattern to make sure it’s exactly as I want it to. I’m going to do this repeatedly today. It’s a steady process, so it seems like I’m doing exactly the same thing. When I compare it with the wooden pattern, I feel that it’s getting closer to it, albeit little by little.
When the mithril is out of the best temperature range that can be processed, I heat it again. In the meantime, glancing at Rike (and Liddy-san), it seems that they are also improving little by little. It seems that the knife that Rike is hitting is now somehow glittering, that means that the magical power is increasing… Of course, that’s just how it looks, and I’ll have to take a closer look at it later to see how it really is.
If Rike continues to improve and is able to put in a lot of magic power, the high-end model will have two outcomes. A general model is one that has only ordinary processing and little magic, while a high-end model is one that has been processed to the fullest extent, or one that has ordinary processing but a lot of magic. Special orders are both.
However, if possible, I would like Rike to be able to make a high-end model that uses only the material itself and process it to the maximum. This is because it is more likely to contain magic, and it is a technique that can be applied in areas where magic is scarce. In fact, if I’m to say it, the heirloom sword of the Eimurl family that I forged was a steel sword of considerable prowess even before it was turned into magical power. I want her to aim for that first, and then think about taking it one step further after that.
But I’m too much of a cheat to be able to teach her anything concrete. While Liddy-san is still here, I’ll let her learn what she can learn, and I’ll take care of getting the materials for her to use afterwards. I thought about this while I was doing the whole process. If Samia were here, she might say, “Eizou is thinking so seriously again”. I chuckled to myself and decided to concentrate on my work.
The next day,
Me, Rike, and Liddy-san did the same thing. Samia and Diana are going to gather some stuff so I ask them to bring something for me as well. We all bowed and clapped to the Kamidana and prayed for safety during the work and gathering.
Now then, let’s start today’s work.
The work itself is exactly the same as yesterday. The scene and sounds are the same. Liddy-san teaches Rike about magic. Liddy-san is a bit taller and Rike is shorter. At first glance, it looks like a mother teaching her daughter. The kind of happiness that I couldn’t find in my previous world, I guess I can say I found it in this one. I felt as if my heart, which had been frozen to keep concentrating on the same work for a while now, was being loosened.
With this day’s work, I could almost say that the work is now almost complete. Even when I compared it with the wooden pattern, there is almost no difference. It could be said to be completed, but if I use the cheat function, I can clearly see that it is not yet complete. I’ll finish it by tomorrow.
While I was cleaning up the workshop, Samia and Diana came back. Today’s harvest included raspberries, peaches and,
“Did you pick the one I asked for?”
“Yeah, was this all right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
The mint that Samia has picked up this time is a whole strain of mint. I’ll soak it in the water for today and plant it in the courtyard the day after tomorrow. If it is the same as mint, it should be able to thrive on its own. It was hydroponically cultivated in the previous world and it even overgrown. I’ll think about it if it did not grow. If I can grow it, I’ll be looking forward to drinking mint tea.
The next day,
I will be putting the final touches on my work today so the other four decided to stop their own work to observe me work. We all paid our respects to the Kamidana. We bowed and clapped our hands in prayer for the safety of the work and the completion of today’s work. I feel a sudden change in me. With this mindset, I felt that lighting the fire bed, which I had been doing until now, was somewhat like a ritual.
It’s been a little past noon, and there’s almost nothing to fix. Finally, I compared it with the wooden pattern, identify it with the cheat, and finish it completely.
There was still one last step to be done. Sharpening. The shape of the sword is already like the original one, but it cannot cut because it does not have a blade. I then use my cheat to carefully and deliberately attach the blade. During sharpening, it will naturally be worn down and it may lose some of its magic power, so I use all of my concentration to sharpen it. I could feel the hard edge of the blade in my hand, and I could hear the glassy clang of the blade, a different sound from when I struck it with the hammer.
“Okay, that’s it.”
When I said that, the four of them, including Liddy-san, cheered. Looking at the finished product once more, I can be sure that the original shape of this sword was like this.
“Liddy-san”
“Yes”
“It’s done. Please look at it.”
“Yes. Well then…”
After handing over the sword, Liddy-san began to check it with a gaze that she is as if looking at each piece of tissue. I’m confident that it will be fine, but I can’t help but get nervous because this is a job request. It’s not Liddy-san’s fault, but it’s because the original shape is also based on my own assumptions. If it doesn’t fit, then this will be a failure in my opinion. In that case, I may have to redo it, and in some cases, I may not be able to meet the deadline. When I think about that, my body gets nervous more and more. The three girls seem to feel the same way as they stare at Liddy-san intently. I appreciate the sentiment, but if you stare too much, it might make it harder for Liddy-san to check it you know.
Then Liddy-san gently placed the sword on the table. She finished checking it. I too stared at Liddy-san. For a moment, she seemed to flinch seeing the four of us staring at her intently. But right after she regained her composure,
“Thank you. It’s more than what I could have hoped for.”
She said so.
“Yey!”
Samia stands up in delight and hugs Rike and Diana. Of course, I’m happy too. However, there is one thing I was concerned about.
“Uhm, what do you mean by “more than what you have hoped for”…?”
It wasn’t out of anger or sadness, it was purely a question that I wanted to ask.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Here’s two bonus chapter in thanks to John Gold. Thanks for offering to buy me Starbucks coffee! Enjoy reading!
From today, I will finally start finishing it. Before I start working, I look at the sword carefully to see what needs to be fixed. It now looks like a sword compared to how it was at the beginning. I checked it several times and there seems to be no particular loss of magic power. I need to keep it in this state for the final touches.
I then placed the sword in the fire bed and use my cheat to adjust the placement of the charcoals and the way the wind is blowing so that only the area to be processed is heated. When it reaches a workable temperature, I take it out and hit it with a hammer. I hammered it as usual and compare it with the wooden pattern to make sure it is the same. I did this repeatedly.
Samia and Diana are out hunting today. So the conversation during work is between me, Rike, and Liddy-san. While I’m comparing the sword to the wooden pattern, Rike and Liddy-san talk to each other. Rike’s work for today is to make general model knives.
At first, the conversation between the two of them was awkward, but it seems that they are beginning to talk smoothly now, probably because they have been living together for about a week.
“I’m not good at grasping the flow of magical power like Boss…”
“I heard that many dwarves are better at grasping the state of the ore itself than magical power.”
“What should I do to become like Boss even a little?”
“It appears that he is far beyond the capability of a normal person so it may be difficult to aim for him…..”
“Un, I know that. But having some tips would be nice.”
“…Well then, I wouldn’t be here for a long time, but let’s train during that time.”
“Is it really okay? No, please do!”
Rike bowed and Liddy-san smiled, looking a little embarrassed. I had that look before too. With the knowledge from my previous world, dwarves and elves are two races that are often in conflict. It’s good that they become friends, with one teaching and the other being taught. In this way, while Rike is working, Liddy-san taught her about magical power for a while.
She stopped supervising my work saying, “I already know Eizou-san’s skill, so I know it will be fine.” However, even after saying that, she sometimes glanced at this side, it appears that at the very least, she is checking my work.
If that’s the case, I can be confident in my work. It would be troublesome if after working to a certain extent, I will be told that this is different and that is different. How many times have I been pushing that down my throat in the previous world?…. Sigh, I’ll just be sad, so let’s stop here. It’s just a matter of having Liddy-san check it from time to time.
On this day, I was able to finish the work with the progress I had planned. Rike’s progress however was not that good as she had to practice watching the magic power. The next delivery is still a long way off and we have not guaranteed the amount to be delivered in the first place so it’s okay.
What is more important is for Rike to grow and be able to make high-end models. If she can do so, it will be possible to divide the work. For example, I will mass-produce the general models with priority on speed and Rike on the other hand can make high-end model ones. In this way, I hope she will gradually gain confidence that she can return to her parents’ workshop.
After cleaning up the workshop, Samia and Diana were also back. They didn’t have anything in particular with them, so they must have caught a big one. When I asked them, they replied that they killed a big boar. It seems that Diana has been playing the “beater” role again today. It would be better for them to be able to switch roles or play the same role so that they have more options. It seems that the two of them have been practicing archery in their free time so I’ll have to make a bow for Diana too.
Well, on the side note, Diana was lamenting that she didn’t see the baby wolf.
The next morning, the five of us left the house together. Of course, we are not going to the town, but to collect the boar. Liddy-san could have stayed at home, but she insisted on coming with us so we decided to let her go with us. There’s nothing strange about it though.
Samia and Diana take the lead. Liddy-san and Rike, who gives off a MAX dwarf impression as she holds an axe, were in the middle. I am at the rear, keeping an eye out just in case. Shortly after, we arrived at the place where they sank the boar. A rather large boar is sunk there. Me, Samia and Diana pull it up to the shore of the lake, while Rike cuts down a tree to make a carrier. Rike alone was more than enough to cut down the tree, so I asked Liddy-san to help in tying up the rope.
Thanks to her, the carrier was ready by the time we pulled it up. We pulled the boar up and fixed it on the carrier, and after a short rest, we took the boar home. I pondered if I should ask Liddy-san to help us in pulling the boar, but she is not that strong so I decided not to. And yeah, it’s easy to overlook it, but she is still a guest.
When we got home, we started to skin and dismantle it into meat. Other than Liddy-san, we all have a custom made knife, so except for her, I work with the others in consideration of work efficiency. If we split up the work, the meat would be ready in no time.
Liddy-san doesn’t seem to have any particular feeling of repulsion in this kind of work so it seems that the same thing is being done in the elf village. They seem to live a life that’s basically the same with the humans, except that they live in areas with abundant magical power, including forests, out of necessity.
While we were working, I asked Rike about that too and she said that most dwarves are blacksmiths by trade, so they live in areas close to mines and the like. It appears that their lives are not all that different from humans either. Unlike elves, they don’t need magical power, so there are some “oddballs” who occasionally go into town to start a business or start a journey as apprentices. I wonder what about the other races, such as the lizardmen I saw in the capital. I’d like to know about them if they ever come as guests.
With that in mind, I returned to the house to clean up and prepare lunch.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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