《I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain. In Retaliation, I Chose Amenity over Strength.》


 CH 1

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: JackOFallTrades


    How did this happen?


    All I did was turn back, but the landscape became totally unfamiliar.


    It¡¯s the middle of a mountain.


    Still got a bag on my shoulder, the silver colored picnic sheet under my arm and a cooler in my other hand.


    I had turned around after getting them out of the car trunk. My older sis and her friends were just behind me, but now they¡¯re gone. And I was in the middle of a mountain.


    Supposedly, the fireworks festival was held at some company¡¯s construction site, but the venue had completely transformed into the middle of the mountain.


    A dream?


    If this was not a dream, then maybe I had some kind of dissociative identity and had been living as a different person all along, but now, I returned to my original persona¡­ nah, too far fetched, right. I¡¯m still carrying these stuff, after all.


    Was it because I wanted to go camping? My buddies did invite me to join a mountain stream camp. I was tempted by the prospect of joining a high-level outdoor activity, but Sis selfishly made me reserve spots for her and her friends at the fireworks festival. I ended up being their errand boy.


    I regretted turning my friends down a bit so I went overboard watching several survival programs on the net, but it was just half-hearted, mind you. Just a form of escapism from my tyrant sis.


    I glanced at my smartphone.


    Out of range.


    No use freezing up. If this was a dream, then what was I supposed to do again?


    Fire, water, food, and a cot ¡ª the sequence depended on the circumstances, but I need to secure them all. It didn¡¯t seem like it would rain anytime soon though, I think? Weather¡¯s okay ¨C not hot, not cold.


    I tried to pull off some of the things I saw in those survival programs, but after failing a bunch of times, I thought it might be a better use of my time to just go look for a water source while doing some exploring around here, instead.


    There¡¯s water, tea and cola inside the cooler box, plus four bentos, so there¡¯s still a bit of a leeway, I guess. Well, supposedly.


    I kept on walking, hoping this continued on to a road ©` it would be great if I exit into a city, too.


    It was quite steep. Carrying all these stuff was hard, but imagine if I left them lying there and then ended up losing them ©` that¡¯s way more terrifying. Wished I owned something like a four-dimensional pocket, one that wasn¡¯t bulky and had time frozen in it. That would be awesome.


    I treated this as a dream to keep my thoughts in check, but I could feel a panic attack coming up. How I wish I could keep calm and chill.


    Finally reached a river. Alright, the water was okay but I¡¯m not brave enough to drink it as is, though.


    Reached the sea ©` great, could do some fishing now but I don¡¯t have a fishing rod on me.


    ¡­¡­.What a very island-ish place.


    Didn¡¯t see any palm trees while strolling by the sea side, but there were rocky areas, so maybe I could catch some fish there. Some shells looked like barnacles, too. The black, murky sea stretched on, so unlike the clear waters of the southern sea. It was supposedly the end of summer, but it¡¯s colder than what one would expect. The bright sun was beating down on me but the sea breeze was refreshingly cool, probably because the water¡¯s temperature was low.


    The fireworks festival was held by the riverside so it could get pretty chilly at night, that¡¯s why I had my ultralight down jacket with me. The air was comfortably warm enough here, though. It was easier to pass the time.


    There¡¯s a precipice after reaching the end of the shore, and a few islands were visible from afar.


    Really, this place¡¯s a total island.


    How should I say this.. Nothing else was here but driftwood. Was there still a place not littered with plastic trash nowadays?


    Took a break to eat my bento, then returned to the road leading back to my starting point. Gotta prepare for the night soon.


    The path that led to the river and sea was steep, but the place I was in earlier was reasonably open; there¡¯s a huge rock, too.


    I should go back there. Maybe I would be able to return if I was in the same place.


    When I made it back to where I came from, I set the dry wood that I gathered along the way down on the ground before rummaging through my bag to find something to light a fire. Didn¡¯t smoke ©` I was no delinquent ©` so definitely no lighter.


    I tried making a hearth board by shaving the sides of a cedar branch ¡ª that¡¯s what the tree seemed to be ©` then grinded some circular indents on the board by spinning a random stick on it. I sharpened the end of that stick into a triangular shape for greater friction, then did lots and lots of grinding. I threw some leaves under, then grind, grind, grind some more.


    It was not the first time I became a spot-finder, so I had all sorts of stuff with me. A thin picnic sheet aside from the silver one, a small hammer to secure the eyelets on the ground with stakes, a cutter for cutting boxes and bags, and a nokogiri for cutting the shinodake bamboos at the embankment spot I had staked-out. People would be there so I opted to bring a nokogiri instead of the nata as it could be dangerous.


    I should¡¯ve brought that nata, or even a hatchet would be nice at this point.


    So unlucky that Sis¡¯ friends got the sake and the snacks, too.


    Finally started the fire, thank goodness.


    It took an awful lot of time; my palms ached and my arms were like jelly.


    Didn¡¯t want to do it again, so I decided to maintain the fire. Stronger body, powerful arms ¡ª wished I had those right now . No, being able to do anything with magic would be infinitely better.


    ¡­I could somehow move, but my mind¡¯s totally blanked out, it¡¯s the perfect state for forgetting this reality, huh.


    I fed the dried fallen branches that I managed to gather along with the easily combustible firewood to the fire. The pieces of firewood were thick so they were harder to burn, but they would probably smolder before long. In that case, even if the bonfire went out ¨C pretty unlikely, though ¨C I could still keep the coals. Probably.


    I leaned against the huge rock and watched over the fire. Would it be better if I made a wind-block? Sunset was approaching, so I gathered some stones and piled them around the bonfire in the fading light.


    It¡¯s too dark to move around now, so I tidied my place while resting, instead. After taking out all those pebbles so the ground would be flatter, I set the aluminum foil mat, wore my ultralight down jacket, and finally lay down.


    Were there enough bonfire branches to last me until morning? How long would they last, anyway?


    Dog-tired, no appetite. My lower half¡¯s cold, so I used the vinyl picnic sheet as a cover while lying down. This wouldn¡¯t do; I should make wind-blocks, not only for the bonfire but for my sleeping place, too.


    I¡¯d leave it for tomorrow. A hot bath would be oh so nice©`


    A bird¡¯s piercing cry woke me up.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    It was all a dream when I woke up ©` no such thing, I was STILL in the middle of the mountains.


    The fire already went out. All that remained were orange-colored charcoals from the parts of the logs and thick branches I used earlier.


    I hurriedly dumped withered grass on top of the coals and blew over it, and the fire was revived with a crackling sound. What a relief. I threw small branches into the fire. Time to gather more dried trees.


    I opened a PET bottle and ate my bento. Never mind water and tea, the bento would spoil even if I saved it, so I ate the rest without thinking too much. I then brought my nokogiri and some drinks today and went the opposite direction from yesterday.


    I really should¡¯ve brought that nata. I trudged on, parting the twigs and tall grasses using my hands and feet along the way. A blade that could cut anything ©` what would I give to have that.


    Climbing this steep slope was really difficult. Finally reached the top, and there were some boulders in the open. The view cleared. From the peak, I could see the ocean stretching on in all directions.


    I could see a few islands, but there was no continuous land in sight.


    Even if I somehow got my hands on a ship, escape was impossible. No, it¡¯d be more appropriate to say I didn¡¯t know where to go.


    Time ticked on ©` I was still frozen in place after reaching the summit. Tears streamed down my face; I was completely floored as to what to do. Why? Why? WHY? WHY did I have to end up here? Sis just forced me to accompany her, I didn¡¯t even want to see the fireworks at all. Totally missed them, in the end, because I was HERE.


    The wind howled around me. Nothing happened even if I cried my heart out. Nothing returned even after I screamed my lungs out.


    I went down the slope after getting tired of all the hollering I did. Didn¡¯t forget to pick these dried branches up¡­ why did I have to pick them in the first place? Ahh, got it now, it¡¯s so the fire won¡¯t go out.


    Thinking was too tiresome; besides, all those thoughts would just break me.


    Just focus on tending the fire ©` nothing else mattered.


    Maybe if I cut the branches off from the trees around here, someone would notice the smoke.


    Yep, let¡¯s do that.


    I was probably in for a long haul, so I decided to fix my dwelling space for the meantime by cutting the nearby trees to widen the usable space. The white smoke from the burning cedar leaves and grass should be noticeable enough, and it won¡¯t disappear from the treetops if I used them all the time except when cooking and during nighttime. People might be able to see it from afar. Probably.


    I cut several trees that were roughly the size of my arm. It¡¯s a good thing the thicker ones were far from here, so I didn¡¯t have to trouble myself over them. I planned to build my wall by making some pickets to drive holes into the ground. Pulled them out again to make way for the two thick trees I got that were the same size as me. Gonna use them as pillars, so I needed two more to complete the four.


    The logs I stacked between those pillars had roughly the same length and thickness. I added more pillars when I was halfway through, just for extra security ©` it¡¯d be worrying if the wall collapsed.


    Let¡¯s stop here for today. Bento-time.


    There¡¯s only one bento left. What should I eat starting tomorrow? The remaining cola could give me some energy, but it would be better to prepare myself in case I wouldn¡¯t be able to eat.


    Hunting animals and cooking them was impossible for me. I might be able to catch some fish, I guess¡­ Should I place stones in a V-formation in the shallows to draw them in? I should make a basket-like trap, huh. I would need to gather lots of vines, as well as twigs, if I¡¯m going to make that.


    I tinkered for a while by the light of the bonfire, then I slept.


    Why¡­why did this have to happen¡­¡­


    I woke up at dawn to the sound of birds chirping. Had to get going now.


    First, I went to the river and looked for a suitable, shallow part, then I piled it with stones.


    The entrance was wide, but the entire structure was tapered like a narrow triangle. When the fish swam into it, they¡¯d be trapped at the dead end ©` all I had to do was put a basket in the narrow exit, right? Easy.


    I went upstream. Water¡¯s about to run out soon, so I should go search for the riverhead while I still have the energy to move. Although the water downstream was clean, I still felt a lot more secure with taking water from a spring. This river might be wider than a stream, but the depth and width was enough for me to cross, not counting the deeper areas.


    I could see the flickering silhouette of a fish; if I caught it now then it¡¯d be my chow.


    I came out to an open area after some time had passed. There¡¯s the rock that was at the summit I climbed yesterday, and I have a general sense of the area now..


    I have a compass in my smartphone just in case, but using landmarks was faster.


    While at it, I also discovered a small waterfall and a deep pool I could swim in. It was surrounded by lush greenery and was very beautiful. I didn¡¯t dare to go in because it was cold. My thoughts drifted far away as I stared at it while resting. The sound of rushing water, the chirping of the birds, the rustling of swaying treetops, and the sounds that insects made at night ©`


    Beautiful, but worth nothing if there¡¯s guarantee that I could go home.


    The spring welled up and flowed from clean sand that had been thoroughly washed. I scooped some water and tried drinking it ©` it was cold, free from impurities.


    It was filtered so I think it¡¯s fine, but it would be troublesome if I got an upset stomach, so I drank just a little bit to test. Maybe I should¡¯ve boiled it first, but sad to say I didn¡¯t have a pot.


    My situation is getting better now that I have a water source and a temporary shelter.


    Moreover, the island was not that big. There¡¯s a watering hole and some places to catch fish ©` everything was within reach.


    I put those vines aside when I returned, then left again to gather more firewood.


    The highest part of the island had more dried fallen wood, contrary to the damp ones in the lower region. Maybe that¡¯s because the river was down there. I should explore the opposite direction from the river later.


    But first, I needed to secure my base and food. My plant diet might have to consist of plantains and edible grasses like dandelions that grew in places that had plenty of sunlight while being supplemented by seaweeds on the side. With how things are as of now, fish will have to be my main source of protein.

 CH 2

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: JackOFallTrades


    I was currently hard at work here at my base.


    Made six baskets from twigs and vines, and submerged three of them into the sea, and the other three into the river as cages.


    Caught fishes thanks to the cylindrical cages I set as traps, and the one submerged in the sea even caught a crab ¨C what a pleasant and welcome change in taste. The trick was to put some of the trimmed fish as bait inside the basket.


    Didn¡¯t really know that much about crabs. Panicked after eating them, because it was already too late when I remembered that crabs and fishes potentially contained poison. Good thing I didn¡¯t feel pain anywhere the next day, and my stomach¡¯s okay, too. Nowadays, I just eat them since they¡¯re fine, no longer thinking too much.


    Totally clueless whether those mushrooms ©` there¡¯s a lot of them, too ©` were poisonous or not. It would have been better if I already knew which food or water was dangerous, because if that was the case then I¡¯d be able to get more food, probably.


    It was unexpectedly easy to gauge stuff like the fishes and crabs¡¯ lack of wariness in places not frequented by people, and whether plenty of them lived in that deserted place. Not sure if being ¡®deserted¡¯ was something I should be happy about, though.


    Thinking about the future pushed my anxiety levels up, but securing food and water helped lift my mood. It¡¯d be good if I live a bit more comfortably at this time, so I arranged my sleeping place whenever I¡¯m free.


    For example, I dug a trench in the perimeter and raised the floor since there were times when water accumulated depending on wind direction and amount of rainfall.


    I didn¡¯t stop with just raising the floor. Got a relatively flat stone and made a cavity under the floor so the bonfire¡¯s smoke could pass through.


    The bottom part was flattened with mud. Placed a stone on top, and the hot air passing through would warm it up, turning it into a heater. If it became too hot, I could either block the hole or shift the position of the bonfire. Had to do my best since it was getting colder.


    Already had a wall made from the stack of trees, so I stuck mud to that and piled some stones to create a new one. Found animal tracks during the day ©` probably a wild boar, a rabbit, or a fox, but when nightfall came, the presence of a beast became more apparent, though. Not sure where or what it was, so better make my sleeping place sturdier. It¡¯d also prevent cold drafts from coming in, too.


    Part of the roof and wall was made from plastic bags that were supposed to be for trash, and they made nice substitutes for windows. It¡¯d be too dark at night if I made everything from tree branches and leaves since the bonfire was the only source of light.


    My pots were initially made from tree barks, but I could make unglazed pottery now. Also, the flat stone that looked like a chopping board played a major role when grilling crabs.


    Snow fell on the upper side.


    Should I make dried fish and dried seaweed in preparation for winter in the meantime? I wasn¡¯t that confident ¨C maybe because it was getting colder, but it was getting harder to catch fish.


    The sunlight, which had been strong despite the coolness, was also getting weaker.


    I sprinkled seawater on the seaweed then let it dry ©` er, just left it there after sprinkling, and it turned into something like seaweed salt. Well, seafood was generally salty as it was, so I didn¡¯t use it that much. Already got accustomed to the light flavor before I made salt, after all.


    Made a roofed platform to dry the firewood, so everything was already perfectly set; well, just singing my own praises here.


    Didn¡¯t have a change of clothes but I improvised so I could still take a bath from time to time. Just dig a hole in the dried-up river bed, pour water in it, throw some baked stones and viola, it¡¯s a make-shift bath. Should be careful when throwing the baked stones, though, since broken pieces would fly when they¡¯re smashed. Personally, I never minded that. Taking a hot bath was more important.


    But how long do I still have until I can no longer move?


    Just a few more days before snow fell here.


    ¡¸ Kyahh! I¡¯m sorry! ¡¹


    Suddenly, a ball of light the size of a volleyball appeared and shrieked in a high pitched voice.


    I froze at the unexpected, surreal apparition.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m sorry, so sorry! Didn¡¯t notice you got involved!¡¹


    The ball of light moved around restlessly.


    ¡¸ What¡­.the? ¡¹


    I had been hollering and yelling around previously since nobody else was here, but now, cat got my tongue, couldn¡¯t even say a single word.


    ¡¸ You got involved in the hero summoning! This is not the world you know! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Then return me! ¡¹


    I still haven¡¯t grasped the situation, but I answered reflexively. Hey, couldn¡¯t blame me since I had always, always wanted to go home, right?


    ¡¸ I-I apologize! I can¡¯t. In the first place, you were transferred here just before you died in the other world ©` oh noooooooooo!!!! You still have the lifespan of the other world!!!! ¡¹


    This boisterous ball of light was a former deity reduced to being a spirit. It¡¯s divine rank dropped because it lost the majority of its power during the summoning of the hero. Even its existence right after the summoning was unstable, so it seemed that the process of returning to its original state was still ongoing.


    The purpose of summoning was to connect that world and this world just for an instant, so although it said ¡®hero¡¯, anything seemed fine as long as it was a living organism.


    One of the deities in this world would transfer its power into the other world. This would prevent the latter¡¯s destruction due to extreme materialization, though it would take a lot of energy to connect both worlds, so only a small amount of power could be transferred.


    This world would then obtain the living organisms of the other world, preventing its collapse due to extreme spiritualization in turn.


    Apparently, those things would result in the stabilization of both worlds ©` I absolutely knew nothing about things like materialization and spiritualization, though. However, the deities purposely calling humans ©` albeit those that are near death ©` instead of using those small living things clearly showed how greedy they were.


    One would receive a new lifespan in this world. The deity who used his power to create the path would also create abilities, along with bestowing either divine protection or guardianship. It would do this by converting the remaining portion of the human¡¯s lifespan in the other world into abilities called skills, as well as into tools. The more frequently those skills were used, the stronger the power of the deity who created them would become.


    The deities would summon strong people while they were still spirits in this world. The standard power they should have was apparently having the ability to influence the weather beyond the area of a single country; it was vague as it sounded.


    Creating a path was an arduous task fraught with danger, and if something went wrong it could result in its existence being wiped out; moreover, there was too little room for adjustment so collaboration with everyone was impossible.


    Creating a path was really dangerous. If something went wrong, the deity¡¯s existence would be wiped out.


    That was why there were perks for those who managed to succeed.


    However, the gap between the power was too huge, so it wasn¡¯t well received. Even the heroes that could be summoned here got their conditions restricted ©` it turned into three people who were on the verge of death.


    Sis and her friends matched that description. Was I supposed to die back then? No, this guy did say that I still have my lifespan.


    ¡¸ Just when I thought the human realm is turbulent¡­¡¹


    A black-haired great man appeared.


    ¡¸ V-van. K-keep it a secret¡¹


    ¡¸ Too late. ¡¹


    The man replied curtly to the ball of light.


    An elder clad in robes-


    A well-behaved child who looked just like a doll-


    A cold guy who was more beautiful than a woman-


    An old woman with a huge nose and a shawl draped low over her eyes-


    A fluffy-looking girl that was adorable-


    A blonde beauty that was totally gorgeous-


    And finally, there was also a blind puppy.


    They appeared one after the other.


    I was totally floored when more people came. Been alone all this time, you know. Not sure if I should be happy or just be shocked ©` they didn¡¯t look like humans at all, no matter how hard I stared at them. Basically, I had all the right to get mad, and it sounded like a good idea, too. My thoughts and emotions were swirling around in chaos, making me frozen stiff.


    ¡¸ The punishment for this will be dealt later. Let us listen to the hopes of this person first. ¡¹


    ¡¸Please wait, it was an accident£¡¡¹


    The ball of light was flustered at the robed elder¡¯s words. Maybe it would be disposed of later.


    ¡¸¡­¡­£¡¡¹


    A small voice rang out as if appealing to each one of them.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s right! Riche failed, and this power remained in the path, so the scope spread! It¡¯s not my fault! ¡¹


    Nope, it¡¯s so your fault, alright.


    This might sound hasty, but I already decided I hated this light ball.


    ¡¸ Save it for later. ¡¹


    The cold guy interjected.


    ¡¸ Indeed. Person from Isekai. Who will you choose?¡±


    ¡¸ Me¡­? ¡¹


    I was perplexed at the granny¡¯s query.


    ¡¸ Your request to return cannot be granted, but you can choose your guardian deity. Ordinarily, though, the one who summoned you should be the one to lend you power and guard you. Name¡¯s Van, got the attribute of fire and power, and also destruction and regeneration. ¡¹


    The great man who came earlier introduced himself.


    ¡¸ I am Ludere. Earth and Silence, Magic ¡¹


    He was the beautiful guy with long hair and white face.


    ¡¸ My name is Khadar. Verdure and Magic, I also govern Order. ¡¹


    He was an elder with a well-groomed, long beard.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Ish. Water and Healing ¡¹


    That child remained expressionless, just like porcelain.


    ¡¸ I am Pal. Earth and Harvest. ¡¹


    She was a plump, elderly woman.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Mischt. Light and Wind. And Love and Whims, as well. ¡¹


    Quite the fluffy, adorable little girl she was.


    ¡¸I am Haralfa. Light, Love and Beauty. ©` Riche¡¯s are Ice and Darkness, though he already lost most of his power. He probably doesn¡¯t have enough energy to give you anything. ¡¹


    The beauty glanced at the puppy and said that.


    ¡¸ He¡¯s on the verge of losing his power, right?, he was super confident before, though! ¡¹


    Shut up, light puff.


    ¡¸ Power¡­. Will be restored? ¡¹


    The feeling that seemed to block my throat was fading. As expected, screaming was totally different from speaking.


    ¡¸ Many things are born and many also depart and disappear. We are the only ones who came here, but there are many stronger people aside from us. ¡¹


    ¡¸It is rare for a human to gain enough power to the extent that he is treated as god by the humans, though? ¡¹


    Khadar and Mischt explained it for me.


    ¡¸ Who will you choose? ¡¹


    Van asked me once again.


    ¡¸If I say ¡®everyone¡¯? ¡¹


    ¡¸ If your lifespan was the basis, then that¡¯s more than enough even if everyone bestowed power on you. However, we would only negate the power of each other, thereby weakening their effectiveness. It will be a different story if the relationship among us is close enough to compromise, but honestly, we do not even meet each other on ordinary days. It will not be to your advantage. ¡¹


    ¡¸ If a single person becomes too strong¡­ that¡¯s not allowed, right? What kind of wish would you be able to grant me? ¡¹


    I adjusted my tone to be polite halfway through.


    It was probably not for my sake, but I was happy that I got to talk to someone else- really glad that they came. I felt extra kind towards them, like, I absolutely didn¡¯t care if they¡¯re good or evil or whatnot. Except for that ball of light ¡ª it¡¯s totally unforgivable for causing this mess.


    I was completely under the suspension bridge effect. I also considered shunning mankind and living as a hermit, but that only applied if all my necessities were met, and if people existed in the first place.


    This island¡¯s situation was still impossible, as expected!

 CH 3

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: JackOFallTrades


    ¡¸ To begin with, Physical Ability, Magic, Fascination, Money ¨C you can wish for anything, but the manifested results would depend on the strength and character of the one who would give them to you. If I give you powerful Strength, the effect will be instantaneous, but even if I provide you with Magic, it will not amount to anything. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yup, even though it¡¯s the same Fascination, when I bestow it, it would turn into Love. Pal would give it as Familiarity, while Haralfa would turn affection into Obsession, I think? ¡¹


    Van and Mischt tried to explain it in a way I could understand, but I couldn¡¯t keep up with this situation. I tried my best to understand, but my thoughts were already slipping.


    ¡¸ Let¡¯s try first by bestowing you strength or conditions that you want. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Something I want¡­ ¡¹


    Even if I was suddenly asked what I wanted, nothing came to mind, so I asked them about this world, instead.


    Just like what I expected, this was indeed a world of sword and magic, filled with mystery and where spirits and monsters exist.


    It seemed that generally, Physical Ability was automatically strengthened once a guardian was determined.


    It would be a separate matter if I wanted to choose a prominent ability, but if I was already stronger than normal, wouldn¡¯t it be better to choose another ability, instead?


    My requirements were not getting involved with my older sister, and being able to live comfortably.


    ¡¸ You don¡¯t want to be involved with the hero? ¡¹


    The one who spoke was Khadar; he did say he governed Order, so he must be a mediator.


    ¡¸ I want to avoid her with all I have. She¡¯s bright and sociable, but she¡¯s the type of person who will make you feel guilty so that you will comply with her demands.¡¹


    She had double standards ¨C great in pushing the blame onto others while doing the exact thing she¡¯s accusing them of. You¡¯d understand if you¡¯ve been with her long enough, but the thought about her reaching ¡¸ the position where she didn¡¯t need to do things herself ¡¹ was terrifying.


    I first noticed that trait when Grandma gave us some snacks that were not that tasty. Her line had been,¡¸Grandma prepared these especially for us, yet you¡¯re not eating it, that¡¯s so mean. ¡¹ with those snacks in front of her.


    Naturally, I became the bad guy for not eating them and was blamed for making Grandma sad. But in reality, I wasn¡¯t the only person Grandma gave snacks to. Sis didn¡¯t want to eat, so she tried to make me eat them, instead.


    At that time, I succeeded in making her shut up by saying ¡¸ In that case then why don¡¯t you eat it yourself? ¡¹.


    ©` However, as the years passed by, Sis¡¯s incitement became more subtle.


    ¡¸ Ehh, Haruka¡¯s doing her best! Her sense of justice is strong, too! I¡¯m the one who chose her, too! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Whichever human it is, their lifespan is at most a hundred years, so it doesn¡¯t really matter to us. ¡¹


    The ball of light was talking nonsense, and the other people also ignored it.


    Like I told you, she¡¯s the type to use that so-called justice to censure others. Lightball needed Sis to be active or else it wouldn¡¯t receive power, but for the others, she wasn¡¯t a big deal, just someone ¡¸ brought along ¡¹ from the other world to accomplish a job.


    The country that protected Sis received favor from the hero¡¯s power and fame, so I think it would be fine to just let her be and see what would be the result. Even if those surrounding Sis became exhausted unexpectedly, the citizens who did not meet her directly would probably still be satisfied with the peaceful reign under the name of righteousness.


    Afterward, I asked them for recommendations and they bestowed them on me, touted as ¡®power I desired¡¯. I got a lot of stuff as a result.


    ¡¾Magical Talent¡¿¡¾Martial Arts Ability¡¿¡¾Manufacturing Ability¡¿


    ¡¾Heal¡¿¡¾Complete Cookery¡¿¡¾Storage¡¿¡¾Teleport¡¿


    The last three were related to my Sis. When I said I didn¡¯t want to be involved with my elder sister, I got the ¡¾Hero Killing¡¿as an extreme response. Well, Sis got the ¡¾Complete Magic¡¿and¡¾Domination¡¿. I ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY never wanted to have anything to do with her.


    ¡¾Languages¡¿and ¡¾Mental Resistance¡¿were apparently already given to transferees right from the get-go almost all of the time.


    It¡¯d be inconvenient if I didn¡¯t know the language, while the other one was bestowed as a preventive measure against depression while living all alone. I wished they automatically gave stuff that were supposed to be affixed at all times, just like how they did with Physical Ability.


    Well, I¡¯ll be killing my own food, and it was a world where people killed each other, so there are plenty of opportunities to test out that¡¾Mental Resistance¡¿.


    They helped me recover, then I asked them to explain a bit more about this world. I asked Van to affix Sword Training, and Khadar and Ludere to oversee my magic practice. I requested Ish for Healing Power ©` and I also requested that I¡¯d be able to use all the abilities I have so I could live.


    Having them and using them were different. I didn¡¯t think I would suddenly be good at doing something I never even thought I would do.


    I also got plenty of Items, such as ¡ºZanzenken¡», a sword that could cut almost anything, ¡º Growth Powder¡» that could grow plants,¡ºSafe and Cozy House¡», and various ingredients that would not expire. Almost all ingredients were raw, so I requested ¡¾ Complete Cookery¡¿which gave me the skills to cook any dish as long as I¡¯d seen it before, and could make it even more delicious.


    The house was located in a country far from Sis, in a province of a peaceful country with four seasons and stable weather conditions.The higher-ups of the country pulled some strings, so it became an untouchable, unaffiliated land belonging only to me. As long as I did not permit it, nobody would be aware that it existed©` no one would notice, and they could not enter.


    ¡¸Thanks¡¹


    How wondrous my house was!


    ¡¸We would like to thank you also.¡¹


    Khadar, who was in charge of Order, had a relieved expression on his face. Some abilities might offset each other, but I was right in choosing all of them.


    Even if the lifespan was on the verge of being exhausted, the deities still acquired great power from it when I divided it among them. Obviously, there would be a difference between dividing it versus giving all of my remaining lifespan to a single deity. That kind of world was a bit scary.


    ¡¸ Even so, not a single word of complaint despite being brought here¡­ ¡¹


    Somebody mumbled.


    Well, that¡¯s because I already planned to run away in the first place. I felt more liberated after I got my driver¡¯s license, which doubled as my ID, when I turned eighteen. My sis would definitely stop me if I were to say I wanted a car and a driver¡¯s license so instead of butting heads with her, I tricked her into getting them for me by making her focus on the pros, like how great it¡¯d be if I were to drive for her, etc. I gave her an extra nudge by leaving travel magazines lying around with their spread out pages showing tourists spots conveniently accessible by car.


    I was accepted at a university outside our prefecture; it was a tourist attraction that Sis would like, and its ranking was below hers. Actually, I was also accepted to a university in a different prefecture, so that was an option, too. My parents decided the pros and cons of giving me money according to Sis¡¯s moods, but they would leave ALL the troublesome procedures to me. That made me want to hide away and cut all ties with them after I received my matriculation fees.


    ¡¸ The abilities affixed to the house are secured, but the ones you acquired on your being are dependent on your compatibility, and are also tied to our affinity at the same time. You have to be very careful. ¡¹


    Lastly, Van handed me a key.


    I would be teleported to ¡º Safe and Cozy House ¡» from here on.


    I also requested that my appearance be changed into something more suitable to this world.


    I want peace! And live! Comfortably!


    Khadar did something, and a white light filled my vision. It was so dazzling that I blinked ©`my vision cleared, and a stone house stood over there. I turned around, staring everywhere. There was a gentle-sloping hill below, stretching on to a beautiful grassland, with gradient colors changing from yellow-green to yellow and little forests scattered about.


    ©` I was sent safely into my ¡º House ¡», it seemed .


    Few houses were scattered around, and beyond that, there was a cluster of county buildings that seemed to be a village or a small town. My neighbor was also far away, probably near the edge of the site.


    The house was built on a small mountain overlooking the hill country. The faraway landscape view was magnificent. The mountain had abundant, broad-leaved forests, and a stream flowed, separating into multiple sections around the buildings in all directions, moving the water wheel.


    Well, rather than a house, it was a residence that was more like a small mansion, though more than half was an outbuilding. My status here was a free knight without a master nor attendants. Moreover, I had my own territory, though of course there were no residents in this fief.


    The second floor of the outbuilding was made so that servants could live there for the time being, but I didn¡¯t have any plans of hiring one. The first floor was divided into rooms, and there was an oil presser on the other side. A huge jug was buried halfway in the ground inside the basement, but it was just storage for olive oil. There was a place for making cheese on the other side, and another storage jug in the cellar. Maybe it was thanks to the stream flowing around, but the temperature was lower here compared to the outside. Even so, ¡¾ Appraisal¡¿ was convenient.


    There was also a pen attached to the outbuilding for livestock, but it was empty.


    The house had a furnace for smithing, too. Maybe I could create a village if I gathered enough people? Not in the mood for that, though.


    Weren¡¯t water wheels used to grind wheat and stuff? I never considered a house with a waterwheel shed, but sourcing out ingredients for the food warehouse was too conspicuous, so I was grateful. Besides, even if they were the same wheat, the variety and quality would differ. I felt refreshed just by looking at the flowing stream¡¯s splashes.


    It was hotter here more than it was warm, and a bit arid, too. Must be summer here ©` the seasons must have restarted, unlike in the island. Was it hotter down there? No rain during summertime, but it¡¯s sporadic from winter to spring. Technically, that amount of rainfall was far from being enough for trees to thrive, so grassland had spread. Thanks to the river flowing nearby, there were forests, albeit small, and barley also grew well, though.


    I¡¯m pretty sure that my appearance and clothing had already been changed to follow this world¡¯s norm. I stared at my hands ¨C they were fair, although darkened by dirt. I felt so liberated from those clothes that I¡¯d been wearing all the time.


    I almost didn¡¯t want to part with the nokogiri that had been so useful during that whole time, but bringing stuff from the other world wasn¡¯t appropriate, so I just left its disposal to those guys. It seemed like it would also add to their power.


    ¡¸ Alright, shall we go? ¡¹


    I called out to Riche who was in my arms, and together, we entered the house.


    I told them I wanted to keep a dog. This puppy might be an exhausted, weak and blind one; nevertheless, he told the others that there was something wrong with that ball of light, that¡¯s enough for me.


    Riche bestowed himself to me.


    Bestowing means guarding ©` maybe he could recover from the power flowing from me?

 CH 4

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: JackOFallTrades


    The outer wall, the roof materials, and the exterior design were all selected from the materials that were common in this part of the land. The stone wall was not too white nor too black; kind of like pale yellow with a tinge of gray, or maybe sand-colored shade would describe it better. The roof was tawny with hints of orange. Well, the window was fitted with a large glass just like that, and there was also a floodgate for water management like that, with a stream running through it.


    The interior was cool and comfortable thanks to the water running under the paving. The floodgate should be closed during winter, though or else the floor would freeze over, and that would definitely be troublesome.


    White plaster coated the house interior¡¯s walls, and dark brown beams decorated the ceiling. Bright brown stones covered the whole floor, making it look as if it were tiled, but it¡¯s just made from relatively thick stone paving. The same stuff stretched on towards the terrace outside the huge sliding glass door, and a rack that could be used as a grapevine trellis hung above the terrace. Upstairs, flooring was made of planks with the same dark brown shade as the beams.


    There¡¯s the entrance hall on the first floor, with the living room and kitchen at the right side.The kitchen also had a splendid room connected to it, probably for the butler¡¯s use. The entire left side was dedicated to the parlor.


    Three rooms occupied the second floor. There¡¯s the bedroom, a study and a guest room, too. The living room staircase led to the bedroom, while the one in the entrance hall led to the guest room. The house looked like it¡¯s split into two; a side that could be shown to the guests and a side for the private interior. The hall¡¯s huge ¨C a hall, mind you. Truly got that rich person vibes.


    There¡¯s also a few food storage rooms and storerooms. The one in the basement had a skylight at the side of the entrance hall. The ground was uneven between the northern living room and the southern entrance, so that window was small ©` just the width of a few stair steps. Both the master bedroom and the guest room had bathrooms, but the one in the master bedroom had a large window, so it was bright.


    The channels, sewage, food storage room, firewood and toilet were way too awesome, they¡¯re totally against the rules! Normally, water must be drawn from the well or from the river, but here, you could get water by turning the faucet, and hot water would also come out in the bath. The toilet was also flushable since I chose water circulation over the gas stove and lighting. Had to sacrifice gas and electricity, but thank goodness the firewood in the fire rack would never run out. Didn¡¯t want to go through the trouble of gathering firewood EVER again. Besides, I requested them to make me a stove and a kiln for cooking, as well as a kamado* that was designed so that a huge chinese wok¡¯s bottom could sit on it. It¡¯s also suitable for pots. This country didn¡¯t have anything like it.


    One of the brick ovens had efficient thermal storage. It could bake bread in series, and was also great for making slow-cook dishes that would take overnight to cook because the heat was preserved even if the fire was extinguished. The other one had high insulation efficacy, so it¡¯s suitable for pizza and open-fire cooking where the fire was constantly burning. Both ovens looked identical, but the stones used in their hearths were different, apparently. Not that I can tell.


    The food storage rooms were stocked to the brim with various ingredients. They were not unlimited, so I chose plenty of things I could use ©` ingredients that did not exist or were difficult to get in this world, things that had a huge taste difference from the other world¡­ in the end, I accumulated a lot of stuff.


    I tried to recall the dishes I wanted to eat then listed their ingredients. They gave advice as they helped me choose, but it had been quite difficult to narrow it down.


    The shelf was divided into squares. Rice, Chinese cabbages, potatoes, tea leaves, miso, soy sauce and all sorts of koji mold were placed in those squares. Beef, pork, lamb, and chicken were placed on planks and they were also lined up on the shelf. Sweetfish swam in the bucket, and there was also a school of Pacific saury ©` rather than saying they were swimming inside the bucket, it was like the water surface rippled inside it. Maybe it¡¯s like that so I could catch fish anytime, right at the center where the ripples started? I didn¡¯t think it was connected to Japan, but what¡¯s going on?


    The pantry was an absolute dream. I could get all I wanted without worrying it¡¯ll run out. Opted to pour the highest amount of power in it, to be precise. Actually, they suggested I get ¡¾Complete Magic¡¿instead of¡¾Magical Talent¡¿,¡¾Complete Martial Arts¡¿instead of¡¾Martial Arts Ability¡¿. No need to think twice, of course it¡¯d be food and amenities!


    As a result, I got a house that was clean and comfortable. Even linens had been prepared.


    Nobody would be aware of this house, no one could enter without my permission and nobody within this site would notice that I exist. It was a completely safe house.


    Since this world contained an abundance of magic and monsters, transmigrators were given protection for three moon cycles at the moment of transfer to learn more about it. Now I understand why I never saw a beast despite sensing them. The snow had been dangerous, but it seemed that I was barely safe from the monsters, too.


    I was so fed up with having to put up with being severely bitten by insects during my stay at the island that it has been reflected in my territory system, rendering pests and monsters unable to enter my territory, naturally. By the way, those guys suggested that I should extend my authorization system to the woods for the invisible spirits, as well as beneficial insects, birds and beasts.


    I had a lot of remaining life span compared to Sis and the others, but got very few skills to show for it because I used most of it on this house.


    I already had been given talents while self-improvement could be done on my own, so I didn¡¯t have any regrets.


    I did think that I should train for a bit as a counterplan against Sis, just in case, though. My guardians would also gain more power if I became stronger, too. Well, apparently it would also depend on whether I cooked or made this house more comfortable, so maybe it would be fine even if I didn¡¯t think about this too deeply.


    In the meantime, let¡¯s ¡¾Cut Ties¡¿ with Sis, her two friends and that ball of light.


    Good people and bad people all change depending on their status and circumstances, so I was not really keen on using this ability, but those four absolutely didn¡¯t deserve fretting it over.


    I placed Riche inside a cage lined with a towel, then hurriedly entered the bath afterward. Only the essential toiletries like soap were there, but it¡¯s easy to get more of the good ones I like later on.


    My dirty body didn¡¯t foam easily while bathing. Hey, what¡¯s that floating on the hot water ©` strange, so I¡¯m still dirty despite the change in looks, huh.


    The bath was really refreshing. A handsome guy stood before me in the mirror, looking like the combined version of Van, Ludere and Ish¡­¡­¡­¡­.black hair, white skin, bluish purple eyes, and proportionate body.


    Those three must have based it on their youthful appearance when they were deciding what my features would be. No matter how you look at it, the guy in the mirror looked like the son of those three, thank you very much.


    Not the kind of flashy, gorgeous beauty, though. Plus, thanks to Van¡¯s manliness, I wasn¡¯t the icy cold, handsome man like Ludere, either, nor did I look like Ish¡¯s poker-faced, mannequin appearance. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m pretty confident that they¡¯d give me a free extra serving at a resto even if I was just standing there thanks to these looks.


    ¡­¡­¡­.What happened to my typical appearance, huh?


    The floodgate should be opened to let the water flow through the water wheel. The rice was milled then polished from brown to white. A brief peek at the¡¾Appraisal¡¿provided me with instructions on how to use it. Food related matters were really detailed and that helped a lot. What should I do with the bran that came out? Maybe I could make them into nice pickles if there¡¯s plenty enough, I guess.


    The grinder was small, but there were two different types lined up ¨C one for milling and grinding, and the other was for pulverizing.


    I found other mechanisms beyond a wall, so I used¡¾Appraisal¡¿to check what they were ©` it just said¡¸Used for cloth fulling¡¹and¡¸ Used for tanning leather¡¹. I had no idea what ¡®fulling¡¯ was, and since it did not have anything to do with food, the method for using that mechanism remained a mystery. I probably won¡¯t use it, though.


    The wheel¡¯s structure was different from the ones I saw in historical dramas before. Most of its mechanisms were installed underground, and the millstone was turned from below.


    Even though it was ¡®underground¡¯, it was on the first floor if I went in from the opposite side. That¡¯s because the building was standing on a slope. All of these, plus that stone wall, made me feel incredible.


    There¡¯s an oven for baking bread, too. I¡¯m not sure if it was built incidentally, though. The area was quite spacious. The second floor must be dedicated for wheat storage, but I didn¡¯t really need this much space. There¡¯s nobody here but me, and this house already had many food storage rooms. Well, having a water wheel was actually weird in the first place.


    ©` Let¡¯s get some wheat from the food storage room later.


    Wheat had three categories so I got curious what those were ©` cake flour, bread flour and ¡®pasta-use¡¯, it seemed. Surprisingly, pasta-use was separated from the rest, so I checked it, too. It turned out to be just durum wheat, huh.


    It was a bit hot, but I still kindled the fire in the kamado and stove. Riche was fine with just plain water, so I gave him some. He could also eat meat supposedly. I planned to stuff him with nutrient-dense foods ©` the kind puppies probably ate ©` originally, but because he¡¯s really weak now, I was told that feeding him would have to wait until he¡¯s better.


    I put some of the ground, polished rice into the pot and steamed it, then I julienned the cabbage while grilling the sirloin. Yep, the combo¡¯s odd, but there¡¯s no helping it; I had been craving freshly cooked rice and meat coupled with some shredded cabbage while desperately trying to survive back then.


    I tossed some root crops and chunks of chicken with bones into the pot, then put it inside the stove used for making stews. By the way, all my pots were made from iron. Alright, it¡¯s time to set the table.


    The aroma of the meat wafted while I grilled it, and the fragrance assaulted all my senses. The meat was so delicious!! Although it was only seasoned with salt and pepper, it was still so awesome, I almost cried!! I was living on ONLY fish and crabs for the longest time, so it couldn¡¯t be helped, you know.


    Huh, didn¡¯t expect that I could only finish half of the food. Maybe my stomach had shrunk. Alright, let¡¯s just put it in¡¾Storage ¡¿for tomorrow¡¯s meal. Anything I stored with this skill was frozen in time as long as they weren¡¯t living things ¡ª plants were an exception to that, though.


    I placed Riche¡¯s basket and water dish beside the bed. There¡¯s no urgent matters to do while the sun is still up, so I lay down, even if it¡¯s still daytime. The fresh sheets and clean bed pulled me into dreamland. So comfortable¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­.. A week passed by in a blur while I was just lazing around. Well, it would be more accurate to say that I stayed in bed for a long time.


    The bruises and scratches disappeared immediately when I used¡¾Heal¡¿, so my body should have been in tiptop shape, but it felt really heavy to the point that I could only get up when it¡¯s time to eat. That chicken dish I made earlier was a life-saver.


    I cleaned my bedroom and washed the sheets. I¡¯m gonna make some ramen for today¡¯s meal.¡¾ Complete Cookery¡¿ is activated when I check the ingredients using¡¾ Appraisal¡¿. Recipes emerge on the handy layout, showing the dishes I can make.


    It can only hypothesize using my memory of the food I already ate, so going on an eating tour to sample this world¡¯s dishes sounds like a good plan.


    They have katsuobushi in this world, and there¡¯s kombu, too. It¡¯s raw, so maybe it¡¯s better to dry it first? Aah, some tsukemono would be nice with these steamed rice and grilled salted mackerel. Oh, I shouldn¡¯t forget to grind the wheat.


    Wheat can be used in making bread, and udon, too. I hurriedly ground it into flour, but there¡¯s no bags or containers to store it with.


    I also received the same amount of money Sis got from the country when she first came here. No idea how much it¡¯s worth, but since there¡¯s no need to worry about food and lodging, then I might as well use it for other stuff.


    Let¡¯s do some shopping today.


    ¡ª¡ª¨C


    T/N: Koji mold ¨C Aspergillus oryzae, filamentous fungus used in Japan to make various food items such as sake, shochu, and rice vinegars by fermentation.


    (reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_oryzae


    Photo:https://www.myfermentation.com/grains/koji-an-ancient-mold-and-its-modern-renaissance-zm0z19fzwoo)


    Katsuobushi ¨C small pieces of sliced dried bonito flakes


    (reference/ photo: https://casasensei.com/interesting-facts/what-is-katsuobushi-dried-bonito-flakes/)


    Kombu ¨C Japanese kelp


    (reference/ photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombu)


    Tsukemono ¨C Japanese pickled vegetables commonly used as condiments


    (reference/ photo https://okinawa.stripes.com/food-drink/tsukemono-more-condiment-japanese-meals)

 CH 5

    Translator: Haruchin


    I bought a map and pored over it while deciding where to go.


    There¡¯s the royal capital, the largest place here. Next would be the harbor city and the city with mines. There¡¯s also the borderland city, which they said was great if you wanted to make money or become stronger since it¡¯s beside the forests where monsters live.


    Maybe I could try that borderland city of Canum; they did say it¡¯s good. I got my ID with me, but apparently, registering to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild would save a lot of trouble when entering and exiting the towns temporarily. Ah, but long-term stay isn¡¯t possible if there¡¯s no ongoing guild summons, though.


    There¡¯s no end to summons in places where monsters keep on popping up, so a lot of adventurers flock to Canum, naturally.


    Alright, Canum then. I¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ to the nearby forest, then I entered the city gates after presenting my ID and paying the corresponding fee. Riche was at home house-sitting.


    I didn¡¯t expect it to be quite small for a city. Well, it¡¯s still acknowledged as one, just look at those city walls and gates. Only proper cities can have those.


    Other cities required simple documents, but that¡¯s not the case here. Inspection was lax ¡ª maybe they wanted to bring in as many adventurers and merchants as possible. They don¡¯t really care whether the people were bad guys or not. As long as they could defeat the monsters, anything goes.


    I strolled around the city while shopping, trying to compare what I saw with what I already know. It¡¯s relatively the same, just that the actual feeling wasn¡¯t quite there.


    Take these clothes for example. They do look mainstream, but too eye-catching since everything¡¯s brand new. Well, my features are probably a headturner, too. I immediately went to a second-hand shop. I found a clean-looking robe perfect for hiding my face, so bought it right away. I also asked where I can find bags that can be used for wheat flour while at it. They should be brand new since it¡¯s for food.


    I aimlessly wandered around after that, and bought some tableware and farming tools on the way. There¡¯s a grapevine climbing the wall at the shop and it had such pretty leaves growing on it, so I gave a tip and asked for a branch. My garden had been left as is so I could plant anything I want later on.


    Canum is a diverse city. There are adventurers and the merchants are selling stuff to them. There are peddlers too ¡ª they bought merchandise to sell to other cities. Plenty of farmers came too, attracted by the prospect of owning land. The threat of the monsters is too huge in this place, so the land you cultivate will be all yours.


    The houses within the city walls were narrow while the buildings rose like skyscrapers. It¡¯s so ¡­jumbled ©` at least, that¡¯s how it looked to me. Compared to that, the scene of sprawling wheat fields outside the city walls was refreshing. Well, there¡¯s also that possibility of that being ruined all at once if a monster suddenly came out of the forest at the opposite side, though.


    Alright, let¡¯s leave shopping for sheets and linen later on. I¡¯ll do that at the royal capital, since I don¡¯t like the ones sold here. They¡¯re too stiff, though that¡¯s the norm here, I guess. Next stop will be an ordinary sword and armour, huh?


    The things I saw while walking around were similar to what I¡¯ve heard. Stuff was expensive, labor was cheap, or should I say humans themselves didn¡¯t have much value.


    Human trafficking was also done depending on the place, and the scary thing about it was that slaves were also sold in exchange for food. Harvest was unstable since it depended on whether the crops were damaged by the weather or by monsters.


    Thank goodness my house¡¯s somewhere peaceful. No need to worry about harvesting crops. What a blessing ©` ah, no, I chose it that way, so it¡¯s only natural, huh. Human trafficking was also forbidden in this country.


    Monsters were animals that were possessed by evil spirits. Divine beasts, on the other hand, were possessed by normal spirits. Those who gained the ability to speak the human language were known as deities or evil gods.


    Well, in short, that ¡®goodness¡¯ and ¡®evil¡¯ depended on whether it was convenient for humans, or not.


    Alright, where¡¯s the store that handles weapons? I tried asking the aunty who gave me the branch. Dunno if the tip did it¡¯s charm, or maybe it¡¯s because of this face, but she suddenly grabbed some guys nearby and started asking them. After that, she pointed me to three popular shops ¨C a weapon store, a leather armory and a metal armory.


    She also taught me where the blacksmith was, but I had to pass on that. I already had a sword, so I couldn¡¯t care less for another one if it¡¯ll just be the same length and weight.


    I went to the weapon store and chose a sword that¡¯s easy to wield single handedly or with both hands. It¡¯s thick and the blade was sharp, the kind they frequently use in fantasy movies, although this one¡¯s longer, I think. Tried brandishing a few pieces using one hand, then with both, before deciding on this one immediately after.


    Balance¡¯s great, and it¡¯s easy to swing around. Well, that¡¯s reason enough, though it¡¯s actually useless for me to worry about these things since I had never even touched a sword aside from¡ºZanzenken ¡», right?


    There were huge swords that could be used to deal a blow using their weight, too. There was a blade hanging behind the counter, and it¡¯s made from some kind of metal that I¡¯ve never seen before. Tried peeking with ¡º Appraisal ¡» while listening to the explanation of the storekeeper. Didn¡¯t think it was suitable for me, though.


    I got the sword, some maintenance tools and a sword belt, plus two knives.


    Next stop, leather armory. Aunty said metal armors could get deadly hot. I imagined it to be something like frying an egg sunny-side up on top of a car hood¡­¡­Leather¡¯s the only option, then.


    I planned to buy a breastplate at first, but it¡¯s difficult to move around wearing that, so I bought leather clothes with high defense power instead, though it was a bit more pricey.


    They¡¯re made from the hide of a goat monster, I was told.


    They had all sorts of leather goods, so I also purchased boots, gloves, a bag-like sack, and a belt bag; also got a belt that could hold a knife, plus leather maintenance tools.


    The leather sack was cylindrical and its top was tied with a belt, so it¡¯s quite spacious when opened. I could put the rabbits or wild boars inside it when I go hunting. The inner part was slippery so the animal blood could be washed off cleanly. I got¡¾ Storage ¡¿ but it¡¯s not a common ability, so best not to use it to avoid suspicion.


    I bought some potions, bleach, sake for disinfection, and my provision¡¯s complete.


    ¡º Potions ¡» were available too, the kind often seen in games used for healing wounds, but the price was outrageously steep ¨C maybe because few people could make it, or the ingredients could cost an arm and leg.


    Anyway, let¡¯s settle with¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿for now. Could make something like that with ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ later on when I encountered those ingredients.


    I could go to the guild just like this, but let¡¯s do it tomorrow. I already bought an apron, and it¡¯s wheat grinding day.


    I wanted to taste the food in this world, but not willing to risk upsetting my stomach, so I would do some research first. It¡¯d be nice to walk around eating street food, so I checked the street stalls in Canum with ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ ©` high probability of getting Clostridium botulinum from this sausage, huh¡­ There¡¯s ¡¾ Heal ¡¿ but I¡¯d rather not do it.


    They might get suspicious if I kept on going in and out of the town, so I got a room in an inn, instead, then¡¾ Teleport ¡¿from there.


    I planted the grapevine near the brace that was supporting the shelf outside the living room. When I pinched some of the¡¾ Growth Powder ¡¿ and sprinkled it, roots appeared in a blink of an eye, the vines stretched on, sprouting some leaves. It was not yet the season for it, but I managed to create a beautiful grapevine trellis.


    Had my lunch first, then it¡¯s wheat-grinding time, just as planned. I threshed the wheat, then put it inside the funnel-like thing on top of the millstone, which then slowly pulverized it into powder.


    There was a spare that had a different number of grooves, but I used the one already installed for the meantime. It seemed that you could change it to grind based on your preference ©` be it fine or coarse.


    The powder fell through the funnel into the bags I placed underground. Since it didn¡¯t seem like it would overflow soon, I decided to leave the grinding to the water wheel and take a stroll in the woods.


    Plenty of rubber trees and evergreen oaks grew in the mountain forest, but some wild Japanese chestnuts, apples, pears and even apricots were also scattered here and there.


    I tried¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ again ©` acorns can be eaten by pigs, mushrooms are likely to grow under this tree, surrounding branches must be removed to let the sunlight in©` food related stuff like that really came out very detailed.


    The wet forest floor was a carpet of brown, blanketed with dead leaves and the burrs of last year¡¯s chestnuts. Crimson plums clustered together. There were also peaches, but they¡¯re flatter compared to the peaches in Japan.


    I tasted a plum ©` it was sour, probably suitable for jam. The peaches were sweet and really tasty, so I also got the good ones and put them in the¡¾ Storage ¡¿.


    The peripheral area around the house was gently sloping, but it was still quite the incline, so the top and bottom had different air temperatures. It¡¯s still warmer than the island, though.


    I was finally done grinding the wheat, and harvested quite a lot of varieties, too.


    For dinner, I sprinkled plenty of Gorgonzola cheese on handmade pappardelle. The cheese stuck pretty well to the broad pasta. It would harden once cooled, so I hurriedly gobbled it up. Nostalgia hit me while eating those flat peaches at noon, and it made me crave for the ones from Japan, so I had more peaches for dessert.


    Maybe I could sample some wine? Not yet 20, though. I wonder what age is considered legal to drink here.


    I had a bit of regret for not being able to go to Uni, but because my life became unexpectedly secure, and all my necessities were provided, I was truly happy. I should enjoy this solo free life to the fullest for now. Do whatever I want to do, ignore things I don¡¯t want to do.


    Nobody could possibly hurt me here, but just in case, I still closed the iron grills that had been installed for the floor-to-ceiling windows.


    I took a bath, then went to bed. The pillows and blankets were better than those in the inn. Riche looked up at me.


    ¡¸ Do you feel a bit better now? That¡¯s good. ¡¹


    He almost never moved from his basket, and his eyes still remained closed, but the tear stains around his eyes were gone.


    I gently stroked him on the head as I sank into sleep.

 CH 6

    Chapter 5: Guild


    Chapter 7: Commerce Guild


    Translator: Haruchin


    I went to the guild early the next day. Adventurers could register either by paying a fee, or doing one commission without compensation ¡ª I paid right away.


    The guild interior had few windows, so it was a bit dark. And why was it connected to a pub?


    Wasn¡¯t it the worst to get drunk before taking on a high-risk job that required you to be on your toes? Or maybe it¡¯s for celebrating after work?


    There¡¯s still some time before my Adventurer¡¯s Tag is finished, but I didn¡¯t want to get drunk so early. Good thing there was also a reference room, so I went there to read some documents after informing the staff member.


    Some required money to read, and there were also some with copies being sold.


    Anyway, gonna start with the documents about the Magical Woods ¨C topography, places where monsters frequently appear, how to defeat them, what to use, and so on. I skimmed through the battle histories, too.


    ¡¸ So? Wanted to learn about the basics of being an adventurer, you said? And a commission as a guard, huh ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes. You¡¯ll just have to show me the ropes..Also, I am not sure about the extent of my capabilities, so if you can, please do give me advice. ¡¹


    A man came while I was reading the Adventurers¡¯ Handbook I found.


    It¡¯s my first time to fight, , and I don¡¯t even know my own limits. Anybody could post a request so I made one right there and then for a ¡®safe¡¯ party who could escort me while being my role model. Got weird gazes, though.


    Only one person came. I didn¡¯t have a discerning eye to gauge if somebody¡¯s good or bad, so it¡¯s troublesome even if he vouched for himself. Not sure if it¡¯s because of my circumstances, but basically, I¡¯m treating everyone as an enemy.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Dean, ranked with two silver stars. Had to coach juniors due to a compulsory commission. You¡¯re the last one. ¡¹


    I thought I¡¯d get a referral to a party with great conduct, but an instructor came, instead.


    Oh, looks like this isn¡¯t self-recommendation like I thought? Seems like he¡¯s in his late twenties? He¡¯s a young guy with great body build.


    Adventurers were ranked as Bronze, Copper, Iron, Silver and Gold. Bronze to iron had five stars, while silver and gold had three. The highest ranking was three Gold stars.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Jean, please take care of me for today. ¡¹


    My former name was Jin, but I tried matching it to this world ©` er, hurriedly elongated its pronunciation when I heard Dean¡¯s name, so it ended up sounding like his.


    ¡¸ Hey, Dean! Don¡¯t go choosing on your own. ¡¹


    Just when I thought he¡¯s special for having two silver stars, the guild personnel came.


    ¡¸ So noisy. Already told you, I don¡¯t want to associate with those noble bunch! Don¡¯t use me as you please.¡¹


    Dean glared at the guild staff who came in a fluster.


    It seemed that the guild accepted a request and they wanted Dean to guard some aristocrat. So nobility enjoyed preferential treatment in this guild, huh. Seemed troublesome.


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t want to get dragged into a mess, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Sorry, will settle this now so wait a bit. ¡¹


    Dean apologized then faced that guild staff again, who kept on sneaking glances at me in turn. Didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s that much older than me, but her behavior¡¯s a bit childish.


    Strawberry blonde hair was already a bit rare with its tinge of red mixed with gold, but this girl¡¯s loosely-tied, shoulder-length hair was pinkier than that. Will I ever get used to this world¡¯s colorful hair?


    ¡¸ Chris will be back tomorrow. That guy will gladly take on any request from those aristocrats; even those that are not required by the guild. Their only requirement was Silver rank, so doesn¡¯t have to be me, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s true, but if we rely on Chris too much, then the only one person will become our contact for the correspondence with the aristocrats.¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you, I won¡¯t be your contact person. Don¡¯t rely on adventurers, just rely on the guild, you hear me. ¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s precisely what we wanted, so we don¡¯t like to be biased to a single person. There¡¯s only two people with silver rank here, so please cooperate. ¡¹


    Not sure if she wanted me to mediate, but she kept on throwing furtive glances towards me while pouting like a duck.


    Hey, can I go home already?


    ¡¸ Quit it, Amille. You¡¯re acting too spoiled towards your older brother. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Kaina-san! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Kaina, I¡¯m saved. ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s the result of Dean being too soft. Dean can also reject the request to teach the juniors, but you have to choose from the candidates recommended by the guild ©`we apologize for showing you such shameful conduct. ¡¹


    The last sentence was directed to me as the guild staff called Kaina bowed her head. So that¡¯s how it was. Just when I thought they were over-familiar with each other, it turned out they were older brother and sister with an age gap. Either way, they¡¯re still out.


    ¡¸ No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m also withdrawing my request. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. ¡¹


    Amille thanked me ¨C seemed like she misunderstood.


    ¡¸ In return, we will look for a suitable party for you. ¡¹


    Apparently, she thought I was retracting that request to Dean.


    ¡¸ Withdraw my request. ¡¹


    I ignored Amille, and directed my gaze towards Kaina as I repeated what I said.


    The guild¡¯s fee wouldn¡¯t be refunded regardless of whether the commission was completed or not, so verbal withdrawal should be fine.


    The aristocrats were troublesome, but right now, sisters ¨C older or younger, I don¡¯t care ¨C were taboo for me. There were brothers and sisters who had normal relationships, but right now, there¡¯s no way I could watch over them calmly.


    ¡¸ Hey ©` ¡¹


    ¡¸ We apologize for the trouble we have given you. We will process the refund for your request fee. ¡¹


    Kaina blocked Dean¡¯s words as she apologized once more.


    ¡¸ No need. Can I have this instead? ¡¹


    I raised the Adventurers¡¯ Handbook in my hand. It¡¯s way cheaper than the request fee.


    ¡¸ Yes. ¡¹


    When Kaina agreed, Dean and Amille wanted to say something, but I walked past them without so much as a glance and strode out of the guild.


    Really, they could have done that somewhere else.


    I chucked that brother and sister into my ¡®memories to forget¡¯ box, making that the end of it. I won¡¯t bite the bullet for human relationships anymore! Not obligated to put up with it!


    I had to enjoy my freedom to the fullest.

 CH 7

    Translator: Haruchin


    Alright. Let¡¯s go to the forest even if I didn¡¯t have an escort. According to the Adventurer¡¯s Handbook, rabbit monsters would appear even before entering the woods.


    Monsters are classified as Horned and Hornless ©` technically, all monsters had horns, but weak ones had small horns the size of beans, so they¡¯re called Hornless or Partials. I doubt I¡¯d die in this state even if I met a Hornless, so let¡¯s try it out.


    I showed my license ©` err, Adventurer¡¯s Tag to the gatekeeper and went outside. The well-trodden, solidified, yellowish mud stretched on, but it blended with the grass soon after. The road changed into grassland after 30 minutes of walking. The whole surface was light green, dotted with yellow flowers here and there.


    Rabbits might be hiding among the knee-high grass, but I got ¡¾ Search ¡¿ so no problem with that.


    Sensed the first one ©` normal rabbit.


    Sensed the second one ©` normal rabbit.


    Sensed the third one ©` normal rabbit.


    ¡­¡­As expected of the adult magazine Playboy¡¯s logo ¡ª fertility¡¯s totally maxed out.


    Not getting annihilated despite being so near the town and always being part of meals¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I went ahead while being wary about rabbit holes.


    Finally, I found a Hornless near the woods.


    Adult men could win against Hornless Rabbits as long as they didn¡¯t gather in herds. 15 year-old males were already considered adults here.


    Change of plans, nobody around here so I took out ¡º Kizenken ¡».


    It seemed like the rabbit also noticed me, yet it didn¡¯t run away ¨C totally unlike a normal one. I checked first if there were rabbit holes around me before stepping in.


    I could monitor the rabbit¡¯s movements and count those bump-like little horns on its forehead. Swung my sword ©` game over.


    It was easy to handle rabbit monsters regardless of their individual differences. As expected, there were fewer normal rabbits now that I entered the outer part of the woods.


    The Horned Rabbit was a bit stronger than the hornless one, but it¡¯s difficult to tell by how much. Well, of course you¡¯d get pierced by its horn if it head-butted you, what with its leg strength and running ability, and that wound could be fatal depending on the spot.


    Anyway, I made those Horned Rabbits my target practice for sword skills, so I slayed it every time I saw one. This sword could cut anything, so all I had to do was swing it down, though. Didn¡¯t matter if it hit the horn or if the skull was hard, it was all the same.


    (¡­¡­.)


    Maybe I should try getting used to fighting with a normal sword? This was so easy that it was making me nervous.


    (¡­¡­.)


    Ordinary sword wasn¡¯t any different. Not sure if my arm strength was weird, or animals here had soft bones©` but it wasn¡¯t written in the Adventurer¡¯s Handbook that rabbits were soft, though.


    Maybe it was because my skills were strengthened just like a hero, I guess. But still, not sure if I was handling the sword properly, so maybe I should still get someone to show me the right way to swing this thing.


    I might as well sell these rabbits, but the Adventurer¡¯s Guild seemed troublesome. Maybe the Commerce Guild would do. I hang them to trees to drain the blood, but I wasn¡¯t confident that I was doing it right.


    And yeah, ¡¾Mental Resistance¡¿was working pretty well. Back on the island, I had thought that all I could handle was fish, mind you.


    Slaughtering didn¡¯t bother me, and I already got used to eating meat from my pack.. Plus, thinking that this rabbit was a monster at the back of my mind also helped.


    I got too immersed in defeating the monsters so I missed my lunch, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood to eat anyway. The act of crushing it as it charged towards me head-on was easy-peasy, but handling the meat after that was tricky.


    I opened the sack I was carrying across my back and put the rabbits inside. It was quite heavy ¡ª bet I looked worse than Santa Claus, but let¡¯s just ignore that.


    Whoa I was so strong. Wish I was like this back at that island, though. Life would have been soooo much easier in that case.


    The gatekeeper was shocked when I entered the town again. I strode towards the Commerce Guild. If I didn¡¯t rely on the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to purchase them for me, then I didn¡¯t have a choice but to sell them directly. That would require a business permit, but that wasn¡¯t something you could get just by the virtue of being a member of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    ¡®It must go through the Adventurers Guild¡¯, the Adventurer¡¯s Handbook said so. I got my normal ID with me, though.


    ¡¸ Excuse me, I want to sell the monsters I hunted, so how should I proceed in order to get a license for selling? ¡¹


    The Commerce Guild¡¯s interior was brighter than that of the Adventurers Guild, and there were many tables, probably because they had to do lots of paperwork?


    ¡¸ Do you have your ID with you? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes. ¡¹


    I presented my Free Knight ID.


    ¡¸ Here, thank you very much. This is on a case to case basis, but please take note that Adventurer¡¯s Guild might have the better price for buying and selling monsters. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    If too many monsters appeared, then they would still purchase them even without request.


    ¡¸ This is also about purchasing and selling monsters, but do you have the intention to open a shop? ¡¹


    I accomplished the stuff on the checklist after answering the Commerce Guild personnel¡¯s questions, and they took care of my documents based on that.


    ¡¸ It would take a while to process the license. Are those for sale? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, I have both Horned and Hornless rabbit varieties. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Would you like to sell this in bulk to the Guild? Or do you prefer to be introduced to potential buyers? ¡¹


    The guild would charge me a handling fee for each wholesale batch, but at least it¡¯s not troublesome. Introduction to buyers/ sellers required a one-time referral fee, but the rest would be free. Parts such as hides, meat, horns and so on had separate, dedicated stores.


    ¡¸ Please sell it in bulk to the Guild. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Understood, please bring those to the building next door and have them assessed at window 10. ¡¹


    Very businesslike, which was good. The receptionist gave me a certificate instead of a license so I could have the monsters assessed while I was waiting for mine.


    So accommodating ©` the service was topnotch.


    There was a storehouse that carts could enter next to the guild, and the arch-like entrance was opened wide. I handed the sack to Counter Number 10 ¡ª so this was the place for assessment of monsters that were not yet dissected, huh. They already took the rabbit out, hanged it and dressed the meat in a blink of an eye.


    There were rare instances when the spirits of monsters remained within their hearts at the moment of death, crystallizing into jewels after. That¡¯s why dressing the meat was done in front of many people, so that there would be eyewitnesses.


    The handbook also explained that magical stones were very valuable, so it was better to secure them in case you wouldn¡¯t be able to bring your prey back.


    I didn¡¯t get any magic stones this time, but they praised the great condition of fur and hides. It seemed like hitting them on the head was the right thing to do. Payment would be done after receiving the license, so I returned to the place where I got my certificate, and had them process the documents for me. Dunno if it was a service thing, but they also cleaned the sack and wiped it dry for me.


    Finally, I was done after getting the official papers, the license, and the payment for the rabbits. The round, coin-shaped license was made from bronze, with a hole in the middle for threading.


    I could leave the papers at home, but the license must be with me at all times.


    You have to be ranked Iron and above in order to set up a store and sell in town. Affiliation with the various occupational guilds such as blacksmith guilds, bakery guilds, and so on, was also necessary, else it wasn¡¯t possible to do business, apparently.


    The ID was also the same. I have several copies aside from the original to present or submit if needed. The copies were requested by paying the feudal lord¡¯s office, and the family crest should be imprinted on the documents to avoid mistakes. It¡¯s kind of weird, since I¡¯m issuing it to myself.


    My family crest had a shield with a wolf and wings in it, representing my safe house, Riche and freedom respectively. Well, Riche was a dog, but let¡¯s leave it at that, okay?


    By the way, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild gave me three dog tags and no papers. One tag was for safe-keeping at the Guild, and the adventurer should bring the other two all the time. In case the adventurer died somewhere, the person who discovered that death would send one piece back to the Guild. Adventurers were generally on the loose so it was not considered as a formal ID, but as proof of pledge to the Adventurers Guild. There were also cases when they were turned away from towns if the Guild wasn¡¯t popular there.


    The bronze coin was only for those who buy and sell goods without a shop. They had no permission to use carriages to transport and sell goods, although there were a few exceptions. Basically, it was used by citizens to sell the spoils of their hunt as well as medicine. The metal ranking was the same as that of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but only those who created their own stuff to sell could get stars.


    Alright, let¡¯s have dinner while walking around tonight.

 CH 8

    Translator: Haruchin


    Alright, let¡¯s try eating around before the shops closed for the night.


    Several street stalls were open from morning till sunset on one of the streets leading to the plaza in front of the city gate. There¡¯s a shop selling salami and cheese, another one is selling bells for some reason, there¡¯s a second hand clothing shop, hardware shop, tinker shops that mend pots and pans, and other shops that sell cheap goods were all lined up.


    Many food stalls offered sandwiches with sausages, onions and sauerkraut, and there were also some that served thinly sliced breads topped with cheese and ham on. They use the bread as plates. Sausages and cheese were top contenders in the menu among the stalls, with ham being the runner-up. Some stalls only had bread piled up, while others also offered nut tarts, dried apples and ink-black sausages made of blood. Alcohol made from wheat, with dregs of small grains in it was also available here. It wasn¡¯t really a beer, though ¨C maybe closer to sweet sake?


    I did¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿on the sausages and found C. botulinum, but it¡¯d be ¡®fine as long as it¡¯s grilled well¡¯, apparently. I checked the fineprint, and E. coli¡¯s also listed in the details ©` seemed like this skill would promptly show me stuff that might make me sick. What a handy tool.


    I chose one that was cleared during¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ . It¡¯s quite oily, I guess? I could keenly feel like they¡¯re trying to drown us in calories with this.


    There are assorted dried fruits, too, so I tried a piece ¡ª it¡¯s a bit sour, so maybe it¡¯s better-off as snacks simmered in sugar or stewed together with meat.


    Black sugar was sold in smaller chunks. They smashed the huge, solidified lump inside the mould to divide it, similar to how they chipped the moisture-hardened parts when selling salt. They used steelyards and counterweights ©` I¡¯m really feeling those retro vibes, and it¡¯s nice.


    I was the only one who thought the setup was retro, though; people use those equipment everyday.


    The children of a well-dressed family bought some black sugar.


    A throng gathered, and when I drew closer, there was a shop that had a whole roast pig set on a table. They were slicing pieces from it and selling them sandwiched in bread. Lucky! Ah, but the bread¡¯s deplorable, though.


    Whole roast pork, huh~. It wasn¡¯t in the choices, right. The meat in my storage room was already cut up and portioned just like how I requested it to be, but maybe it¡¯s better to keep the entire half of the dressed pig as it is? Nope, it¡¯s troublesome having to cut it everytime, so let¡¯s just get a pig here ©` the acorns in the forest were great feed, too, apparently.


    I wanted to eat a lot more, but my stomach couldn¡¯t handle it, so I decided to go home instead. Oh, there¡¯s fewer people going through the entrance at this time, and there¡¯s a huge bolt across the closed gate.


    There¡¯s nothing I can do about this, so I turned around and went back to the inn where I¡¯m ¡®staying overnight¡¯, then I teleported home from there. It¡¯ll be bothersome, but let¡¯s just return to the town tomorrow and go through the exit procedures once more. Ah, but if I wanted to hunt monsters, then I still had to go back to the town again, huh.


    So, what¡¯s the plan for tomorrow?


    Maybe I¡¯ll go hunt other monsters aside from rabbits for the meantime, but I have to go deeper into the forest if I wanted to find anything other than a rabbit. I got the feeling that even without being proactive in searching, I¡¯ll still find something if I went further in, though.


    Wolf, bear, wild boar, fox, tanuki, monkeys and so on ©` tanuki shouldn¡¯t have existed in Europe long ago, so this really is a different world. Monkey monsters called imps were the most numerous. Their bodies were weak but they¡¯re highly fertile, plus they could use tools and they swarm together, too. Unfortunately, they¡¯re pretty worthless ©` imp¡¯s meat and hides won¡¯t fetch money, but adventurers almost always receive requests to deal with them. They¡¯d be paid if they brought horns back. Ah, but the imps are notorious for using the equipment of the people they attacked, and they had the habit of hoarding metal wares in their nests, so there¡¯s still some merit, somehow, they didn¡¯t have to return empty-handed all the time.


    I can¡¾ Teleport ¡¿anytime, so I¡¯ll just go as far as I can. With that out of the way, I then took a bath, then it¡¯s time to sleep. Early to bed, early to rise, just as folks said. Let¡¯s buy a book at the royal capital after my verification is done.


    I stroked Riche¡¯s head and dozed off.


    ***


    Sleeping early woke me up early, too. It also made me feel like I¡¯m in tiptop shape. I patted Riche¡¯s head again, and at the same time casted some ¡¾ Heal ¡¿on him even though I knew it¡¯s useless. ¡¾ Heal ¡¿ would gradually cure wounds and illnesses even if it¡¯s left to work on its own, but active healing was also possible, it¡¯ll just take a bit of willpower to do so.


    But Riche wasn¡¯t injured or sick ©` he lost his power and his existence is fading, so they already told me from the get-go that ¡¾ Heal ¡¿won¡¯t help. I already knew it, but still tried to cast it when Riche¡¯s was asleep. I didn¡¯t overdo it, mind you, just did what I felt was enough.


    I drank some milk right after getting up, then prepared some miso soup and grilled salted mackerel for breakfast. I really should make some nukazuke. I changed Riche¡¯s water, and my preps for going out were done.


    I¡¾Teleport¡¿ to the edge of the forest, and activated ¡¾Search¡¿ as I entered the woods; there were some rabbits and Horned Rabbits near the entrance. Identifying them is a piece of cake if I saw them once, so there¡¯s no need to get closer.


    By the way, the Hornless Rabbit¡¯s meat fetched the highest price among the rabbits, and even the hides of the horned ones did well, so people tend to leave the normal rabbits alone, waiting until they monsterfy. Well, they didn¡¯t pose that much of a threat unlike the other monsters, so that¡¯s also probably one of the reasons why.


    Oh, there¡¯re also dragons and unicorns in this world, and apparently, they monsterfy, too, considering that they¡¯re already monsters as they were.


    Hey, even the bears on the other side of the river were already hazards for the general public, right.


    Oh, that¡¯s the presence of a bear, alright. Should I track this strong presence? You know, apart from those rabbits, I haven¡¯t met a single monster yet. And they¡¯re calling this woods magical? I thought it¡¯d be bustling over here, but that¡¯s not the case, either.


    I moved onward while clearing the undergrowth and twigs.¡ºZanzenken¡» ¡®s a life saver! What a drastic improvement from when I was back at the island! Walking¡¯s super easy now. Also noticed this when I hiked earlier, but I didn¡¯t get tired, probably because my body had been strengthened, too.


    It¡¯s summer, yet there are cream-colored mushrooms growing in a heap on a rotten log. Did ¡¾Appraisal¡¿and they turned out to be delicious mushrooms, so of course I gathered them. I also did ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ on the beautiful grass growing near it while at it ©` it¡¯s an ingredient for making potions ©` gotcha.


    Monsters were there, but the forest itself was bountiful; there¡¯s stuff like red, black and yellow raspberries, sour gooseberries, and the slightly astringent silverberries.


    I could stow away my baggage thanks to ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ , I could go home right away whenever I wanted to, and I could take plenty of rest. Since there¡¯s nothing to worry about, this stroll through the woods became very enjoyable.

 CH 9

    Translator: Haruchin


    Horned Tanuki and Horned Civet appeared, but they didn¡¯t pose any problem, so I continued walking. Well, they¡¯re not aggressive animals that would attack people, in the first place.


    I could sense a bear nearby. Dunno if it¡¯s horned or hornless, but it¡¯s presence was way stronger than that of a normal bear, so I decided to use magic in the meantime. If it¡¯s not effective, then I would just run away and¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ out of this place. I arrived at the place where I could feel the presence while thinking about these things.


    ¡¸ ¡º Wind Slash ¡»! ¡¹


    In order to use magic, I wrapped the attributes within me with mana, then just imagined what kind of spell I wanted to cast and drew from whatever attribute that was needed.


    They taught me how to draw the attributes in a way I could understand easily, and imagination was a piece of cake thanks to all those games I played in Japan.


    There¡¯s no concept of ¡®Level¡¯ in this world, but the vestiges of spiritual energy that the monster once possessed would flow into the body of the person who annihilated it. That added power would make the person stronger, but on a side note, the nature of its spirit and its attribute could also affect him. People who tried to slay monsters all the time while having a weak mind could possibly monsterfy, too.


    I got¡¾ Mental Resistance¡¿ so it didn¡¯t concern me. Oh, there¡¯s the bear, and it has a horn on its forehead. Time to cast a spell.


    Complete Attributes were given along with Body Tempering, it seemed. The ordinary protections that had been bestowed to me ©` Van¡¯s Fire, Ludere¡¯s Earth and Silence, Pal¡¯s Earth, Khadar¡¯s Verdure (that¡¯s Plants), Ish¡¯s Water and Recovery, Mischt¡¯s Light and Wind, Halfalfa¡¯s Light, Riche¡¯s Ice and Darkness ©` had all been strengthened.


    As a result ©`


    It was completely blasted off. Oh, yeah! Great. Let¡¯s do it with the sword next time.


    ***


    I didn¡¯t have any problems defeating them with a sword; everything¡¯s A-okay as I hiked through the forest. Only a handful of people could cast magic, and I might meet some folks, so it should be better to just wield the sword for now. The only problem was what to do with the monsters I slayed. Yup, I got my ¡¾ Storage ¡¿, but I could only take a single bear per visit to the Commerce Guild.


    Bear monsters¡¯ innards could be made into stomach tonics and restorative drugs, while hides fetch a high price since they¡¯re great raw materials for armours, and the price for meat was not bad, either. No choice then, I had to sell them one at a time, I guess.


    I went in and out of town, checked in at an inn, had to leave some traces ©` ugh, doing all these became troublesome for me now.


    I could go home easily whenever I wanted, so I took advantage of that fact and wandered aimlessly. It was then that I found a bubbling spring, but most of the water seeped back to the earth, so it¡¯s just the size of a puddle.


    The view was quite splendid, with the moss spreading around the limpid water, and the sand was very clean due to being rinsed by the very clear water for a long period of time.


    Alright, it was time to sell that bear and go home. Oops, I had to take out one of the Horned Bears first. I wrapped it then tried to put it inside the sack, but it didn¡¯t fit, so what to do now¡­Whatever, it was fine even if it was jutting out.


    I ¡¾ Teleport¡¿ to the edge of the forest, then hiked all the way to the town.


    ¡¸ Hey, you¡¯re tougher than you look, eh. Quite surprising for that face, huh.¡¹


    The gatekeeper stared at me in awe, but that couldn¡¯t be helped since my ¡®image¡¯ really didn¡¯t fit with how I appear now. Really, the bear¡¯s bottom-up inside the sack I carried on my back, so its feet were sticking out, that was all, you know.


    ¡¸ Did you come here looking like that? ¡¹


    I went directly to the Commerce Guild¡¯s Purchasing Window, and was asked that, too.


    ¡¸ Thought it¡¯s better than walking around dragging a carcass¡¯s half body in plain sight though¡­ ¡¹


    The head was cleanly chopped from the body.


    ¡¸ Sorry, trouble you to drop it here? ¡¹


    I lowered the bear on the workstation behind the counter just as the teller requested.


    ¡¸ Whoa, great. The entire hide¡¯s usable. You¡¯re not only strong but skillful, too, huh. Wait for a bit, it¡¯ll take less than a quarter-time ¡¹


    The bear was then hanged, and three people worked on disassembling it. Half-time was roughly an hour here, while quarter-time was around 30 minutes.


    ¡¸ By the way, can you tell me where to take lessons on how to prepare potions? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hm? If it¡¯s potions, then the book club next door has recipes. Try Doctor¡¯s Guild ©` no, the Alchemy Guild might be better if it¡¯s magical potions, I guess? If it¡¯s just to broaden your knowledge, then we also have plenty consigned here at the Commerce Guild, although most of them are strictly for guild or personal use only. ¡¹


    Oh, so they had a convenient system like that.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll go next door for a while. Everything¡¯s for sale, so please assess accordingly. ¡¹


    I got a claim check then immediately went to the building beside this one.


    I relayed my purpose to the guide, and then I headed towards the teller window. There was a counter, and several shelves filled with books were lined up behind it.


    ¡¸ Excuse me. I want to purchase some recipes for potions. Also, can I please have a catalogue of the recipes for sale, if possible? ¡¹


    Got the potion recipes, but not the catalogue. I imagined it would be one to three sheets of paper, but I was given a bundle, instead, and it covered a wide range of topics, from cuisines down to firing bricks. It¡¯s not like they were patented, but they were handled much like cooking recipes.


    The recipe for potions was easy. Hmm, medicinal herbs, blessed water, a concoctioner who would pour mana ¡ª I already got the medicinal herbs, and maybe the water from home would do¡­?


    The Alchemy Guild seemed to handle recipes of potions that were beyond the basic levels. I could try going there after I got the payment for the bear.


    I could use Recovery Magic to treat wounds, and almost all illnesses could be cured using ¡¾Heal¡¿, but it¡¯d turn messy if I got discovered. It¡¯s also troublesome to keep on hiding the fact that I was strong, so I decided to be open about it from the get-go. The potions would be used as cover for my ability to heal wounds, plus, they sell for a hefty price, apparently.


    Plenty of guys in this world were physically strong since the spirits governing strength were show-offs. Apparently, they wanted to display their power, so many of them would bestow strength to people. Those who could use magic were few and far between compared to them. There were magic users who had weak mana, or else didn¡¯t possess attributes, so magicians who could join battles were scarce.


    Apparently, those who had mana but couldn¡¯t cast magic became alchemists, instead. However, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that if the magician was great at firing magic, he could also do alchemy, since many of those magicians weren¡¯t deft at mana manipulation.


    So, what about me? I¡¯ll be fine, I think.


    ¡¸ Hey, you got a magic stone. Wanna see it first? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please. ¡¹


    They called out to me when I returned to the disassembly place. It¡¯s my first magic stone!


    I imagined it would be the size of a ping pong ball, but it was way smaller than that. It¡¯s even smaller than the stones in Sis¡¯s ring ©` she¡¯s an extreme peacock so I was pretty sure her rings and necklaces had gems larger than what¡¯s considered ordinary. Was it normal to think that way?


    I placed the scarlet stone on top of my palm and stared at it. This midget wasn¡¯t even the size of my pinky fingertip.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a red spinel. Congrats, spinels are more valuable the redder they are. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks? ¡¹


    I expressed gratitude even though I wasn¡¯t sure about its value yet.


    There were a lot of times when spirits of the monsters who generally go on a rampage would crystallize into crimson gems. The stronger they were, the deeper the hue.


    Magic stones were also a type of gemstone; the only difference was the former was tinged with mana. They could be used in magic, as well as ingredients in medicines. They were also frequently worn and flaunted, though. Even if the gems in the engagement rings were small, they were also magic stones.


    ¡¸ Do you want to sell it, too? The color and size are enough to cast strong fire magic, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, I don¡¯t mind if you buy it out. ¡¹


    I could use spells even without that magic stone.


    My breast pocket was considerably bulging with cash, so I should gather the tools right away and return back home. Requests for monster subjugation were probably as many as the innumerable cities, so that must be the reason why I got the apparatus I needed right away, and just from a single bear¡¯s portion, mind you.


    Potion-making could be a mighty display of the Japanese¡¯s ingenuity, so I was pretty complacent. They already gave me talents, so it¡¯d be depressing if I couldn¡¯t make them.


    Hmmm, a laboratory would be nice. The medicinal herbs¡¯ aroma bothered me a bit.

 CH 10

    Translator: Haruchin


    I ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ to a spot beside the city wall. It¡¯s important to check first if nothing would block me during¡¾ Teleport ¡¿. The destination shouldn¡¯t be above water or somewhere else that¡¯s equally dangerous ©` what a disaster if I happened to ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ in a wall, right. Of course, nobody should see me doing this, so it became my habit to move to the vicinity of my designated place after making sure that it met all these conditions.


    I came here today to shop for linen, and touring the royal capital also seemed like a great idea. A bookshop would be nice, but still, I would keep¡¾Appraisal¡¿open and scan everything just in case I spot something useful.


    The royal capital was located on the gentle sloping feet of the rocky mountains, which became its scenic backdrop. An aristocrat¡¯s mansion, or maybe it¡¯s part of a citadel, looked like it¡¯s clinging to the mountain side. A royal castle was built high above it.


    The roofs of the townhouses were tinged with orange, and the walls had the same hue as the rocky mountains. Houses carved on the mountain side rarely had roofs overhead, and the walls rose up high, probably because the top plate also served as corridors.


    I¡¯m not really confident about what¡¯s considered ¡®common sense¡¯ here, so if I mess up big time, I can just run to the capital of the neighboring kingdom.


    They asked me for my Commerce Guild Coin before requesting me to pay the toll fee at the main gate of the royal capital. They only had to check the registration number of the coin since my identification papers were already verified earlier when I got it at the guild.


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s tag, on the other hand, was checked based on the ranking. People ranked Silver and above didn¡¯t have any problems. Iron¡¯s part of those being inspected, but only Coppers were required to have guarantors, or else it¡¯d be difficult to enter. Adventurers who already had achievements under their belt would confidently enter even without an ID, assured with the fact that they¡¯d be able to wing it based on what they accomplished. Noobs couldn¡¯t afford to do that, though.


    A guy that seemed nice at first glance caught my eye while lining up. He was brought all alone inside the tower ©` maybe he got into some kind of problem.


    My turn came while I was preoccupied with staring.


    ¡¸It¡¯s my first time inside the royal capital. Do you have any guide maps, or perhaps know someone who could tour me around? ¡¹


    I tried asking while filling the forms in.


    ¡¸ Here¡¯s a simple guide map. If you come here to shop, you can go directly to the Commerce Guild and somebody would guide you, but you might be forced to buy some stuff for, or from them. If you go straight ahead to the plaza, you¡¯ll find some kiddos loitering around. You can just pay them to guide you ©` it¡¯s a hit or miss, though. ¡¹


    Tipping with the change for the guide map got me additional info. They told me to look for a guy with bluish gray hair. Name¡¯s Leon and he¡¯s beside the plaza well, according to them.


    The city wasn¡¯t vast after passing the gates, contrary to my expectations. Stores with arched entrances lined up beside the streets, which were narrower than the alleys of Azirh.


    Quite dark, too ©` probably ¡®cause they¡¯re shadowed by the connected houses.


    It was autumn right now, but the sun was still scorching hot as it beat down on me while I was standing in line earlier, so maybe this darkness was a good thing. As Japanese say, sunny¡¯s better, but it¡¯s comfortable being in the shade.


    The hill road was a gentle slope. I tried to be discreet while peering inside the stores to see what kind of goodies they had inside. The narrow alleyways seemed to continue on and on, but they told me to go straight ahead so did just that and voil¨¤, the view suddenly opened up into a vast, bright place.


    A church-like building stood right at the forefront, its belfry glittering white as it basked in the rays of the sun. A water fountain ©` er, water well stood at the center of the plaza.


    The ashen blue color immediately caught my eye, but for some reason, people seemed to avoid that place. I expected a child based on our convo, but a youth was there instead. Was I mistaken with the bluish-gray hue?


    ¡¸ Excuse me, are you Leon-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ahh, yeah. ¡¹


    The youth raised his face to nod ©` Oy, what¡¯s up with that Asura face he¡¯s making. Look at that magnificent furrow between his brows and that half-lidded glare.


    Now I understood why the vicinity of the well was totally deserted even though there was quite the crowd in the plaza. This guy¡¯s face was too terrifying.


    ¡¸ The sentinel told me that you could guide me around the city¡­¡¹


    Maybe there¡¯s a slip-up? See, he¡¯s overflowing with ¡®don¡¯t talk to me¡¯ vibes.


    Did that sentinel trick me big time into being sold as a slave¡­nah, I guess it¡¯s more like ¡®what a poor judge of character, sending me right to a cutthroat¡¯, huh.


    ¡¸ The sentinel? ¡¹


    He looked blankly at me.


    ¡¸ Er, it must be a mistaken identity. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, it must be some kind of fate. Good timing, I¡¯m free. I¡¯ll guide you. ¡¹


    Oh, unexpectedly the gentleman, contrary to that look.


    ¡¸ Ahm, I have to go to the clothes shop, bedding shop, tableware, and a restaurant in this city ©` do you have any recommendations for these? ¡¹


    I bet the capital had better quality when it comes to cloth and meals, but is it really?


    Leon stood up from the well after listening to my approximate plans.


    His aura was intimidating so I anticipated him to be a huge guy ©` it wasn¡¯t even close. So-so, just around my height, I think? Hey, listen, I¡¯ll grow taller, did you hear that? If I said I¡¯d grow taller then I WILL, mark my words.


    Maybe the reality of living alone made me relax, so some cm¡¯s had been added to my height within a short time, though a little taller would¡¯ve been better. My height was average back in Japan, and it¡¯s also the same here. Ah, maybe it¡¯s the average of Van, Ludere and Ish, huh.


    ¡¸ If there¡¯s a place you must definitely see, then it would be the scenery at the top of the castle. Ah, but a commoner can¡¯t enter there. ¡¹


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. So, you¡¯ve seen it, huh, must be nice not being a commoner or Don¡¯t go around recommending restricted places ©` I was itching to retort, dunno which one to say, though.


    ¡¸It is still early for a meal. I know a fairly popular clothing store here in the Royal Capital. ¡¹


    Hey, weren¡¯t you recommending that castle rooftop? Ugh, whatever. That guy¡¯s already walking up the hill road, so I better run after him. He¡¯s not bad for a guide though, stopping every now and then and explaining stuff whenever I pointed out something interesting.


    ¡¸ By the way, what was that huge building at the plaza? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, if you say huge then it must be the ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡» . It was said that the spirits loved that place, so lush vegetation grew in that quadrangle, and clear waters endlessly flowed. It¡¯s a very beautiful place. ¡¹


    Ahh, right, people believed in spirits over here. Anyway ©`


    ¡¸ Mm, sorry. I should have toured you to that place. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll try to go over there on the way back. Oh, that reminds me, why are the houses here built so close together? They¡¯re only separated by a wall.¡¹


    Leon seemed a bit dejected, so he must¡¯ve noticed my thoughts. Change topic, then. I don¡¯t have a problem with people who don¡¯t talk that much; besides, he¡¯s probably just not suited to be a tourist guide.


    ¡¸Well, land¡¯s limited within the castle walls, and the houses facing the road are taxed based on their width, so it¡¯s normal to share a wall and split the tax. ¡¹


    I was curious about what taxes they had, so he explained a bit more ©` municipal tax, toll tax, market tax, heck, even glass windows were taxed ©` maybe it¡¯s treated as a luxury thing here. So that¡¯s why the houses of the simpler folks only had a few glass windows.


    ¡¸ Merely living yet already burdened with taxes, it seems. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Not really, the residents of the royal capital rarely go out. It¡¯s a bit different for a fortress city that¡¯s near the frontlines. ¡¹


    Ahh, so they get most of it from the outsiders, huh. And just as expected, forced labor was rampant in the rural areas. I got to know now that the feudal lord owned the watermills, the bread oven, and the winepress, so they had to pay a fee for using those, on top of their payment for agricultural crops, to boot. In worse places, they also confiscate stone mortars, and people had to pay a penalty, too. Hey, anything that touches the ground belonged to the fief lord ©` even carriages that had broken down or was overturned. That¡¯s so scary.


    We finally reached the clothing shop after talking about a lot of things.


    It was a bit different from the one in my guide map, but let¡¯s just put up with it.


    By the way, this clothing shop didn¡¯t carry any clothes.


    ¡¸ Adelheid-sama. ¡¹


    A guy with a good physique flusteredly came out.


    ¡¸ Thame, it¡¯s been a while. Please attend to this person for today¡­¡¹


    ¡¸ Adelheid-sama, please do come in first. ¡¹


    He willy-nilly forced us inside a private room, then promptly served us tea. The seats and furnishings made me wonder whether I should be sitting here with my current getup.


    ¡¸ I am Thame Carr, the shopkeeper, at your service. Please pardon me for my rudeness earlier. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Jean. ¡¹


    He seemed to have calmed down, enough to greet me politely, too.


    ¡¸ Adelheid-sama, we were worried about you. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, sorry. But before going through that, please attend to our guest¡¯s clothing, first. ¡¹


    The conversation was heading towards something that had nothing to do with me again, but Leon cut it off.


    The shopkeeper hung his head down in shame, but he bounced back again and called for someone to ask me what I wanted.


    ¡­.Hey, what, wait-up, isn¡¯t this a custom tailor shop, the one where you choose everything, including the cloth!!!?


    It¡¯d be in bad taste if I refuse now, so I had no choice but to stay put obediently and have my measurements taken, all while stating my preferences. I was curious about Leon and the shopkeeper¡¯s convo, but not now ©` it was my first time doing this, after all.


    Never imagined I¡¯d be so concerned about the type of a button ©` a BUTTON, for goodness sake!

 CH 11

    Translator: Haruchin


    A compromise, then. Anyway, I¡¯d be getting clothes that were fashionable in this world ¡ª or so I thought. The measuring guy began recommending frilled ones. Scrap that ¡®compromise¡¯. Of course there¡¯s no way I¡¯d agree. I kept on reminding him that ¡®Shirts, pants, coats, nightwear ©` everything must be simple!¡¯, before getting two sets each. Ah, I should order some underwear and winter coats, too.


    It was pricey, but good thing I still got some ka-ching. Of course, men¡¯s wear was cheap compared to the dresses of women in the royal palace, and I didn¡¯t have any plans of buying ridiculous, rip-off weapons and armors. Plus, even if I became a collector of things that suit my fancy, I was still pretty much confident that it would be nowhere as expensive as Sis¡¯s.


    They would finish the clothes within a week, apparently. It would take time to order cloth and laces, and the embroidery was also time-consuming. Some people would also request dyeing, and that would extend the waiting time. There was no way I¡¯d need all of that, though.


    You know, only aristocrats were allowed to wear bright colors, and commoners either wore dull ones, or those who had pale hues. Well, that was an unspoken rule, but it was probably ¡®coz it¡¯d cost money to have something dyed vividly.


    Adventurers were relatively famous and more significant than normal people, so it was all good even if some of them preferred wearing gaudy colors, apparently.


    It was too much of a hassle so I chose white for shirts, charcoal gray for coats and pants. The design was something made with three kinds of embroidery, but it was like a suit, so I gave the green light for that. And hey, will you please stop telling me to get knee length pants and buttoned stockings already, for goodness sake!!


    Usually, they would send the bill to the house when the order was finished, but since my house wasn¡¯t in this city, it was decided that I¡¯d return with the payment after 10 days.


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama! ¡¹


    I sipped my second cup of black tea while they presented embroidery samples as we chatted, when an old guy suddenly came barging in.


    ¡¸ Noth. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama, you¡¯re safe! ¡¹


    Black suits, white hair, monocle, silver pocket watch ©` was he a butler, or¡­maybe a butler?


    This old man seemed like he¡¯d be one of those ¡®on the dot¡¯ guys, and now he¡¯s staring at Leon.


    Ugh, it seemed like I had plenty of ridiculous stuff that I could point out again, but yeah. Anyway¡­


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama? ¡¹


    Hm?


    ¡¸ Noth has been serving as a butler in my home ©` no, the House of Adelheid since I was young. But what happened? Why are you here? ¡¹


    Leon honestly explained it to me, then he turned to the butler.


    No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant. That wasn¡¯t the thing that¡¯s bugging me right now.


    ¡¸ I truly apologize, I am the one responsible for contacting them on my own discretion. ¡¹


    The shopkeeper bowed his head.


    ¡¸ There¡¯s nothing to apologize for, Thame. You made the right decision. Hey, you¡¯re being pursued, you know? ¡¹


    A lady with flaming red hair entered, sauntering in as cool as a cucumber after being guided by a maid at the door. She then suddenly dropped a bomb on us. Oy, why on earth would a person being stalked still have the guts to leisurely tour people around the city!?


    ¡¸ It¡¯s true that I had been driven away from the house, but I do not recall having done anything to warrant becoming a wanted person. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I know. You¡¯ve always been so pure-hearted. But your younger brother can¡¯t rest while you¡¯re still alive. That cunning guy not only unjustly expelled you, he also fabricated another crime that you allegedly did. ¡¹


    Hey, isn¡¯t this some kind of family feud drama? So why was a guy like that sitting nonchalantly beside the well, huh! And care to explain what you mean by ¡®Ojou-sama¡¯, anybody!?


    ¡¸ Stop dawdling and leave the city right now. I already arranged a plan. ¡¹


    ¡¸ There¡¯s no reason for me to escape. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama, this is a strategic retreat. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm¡­. ¡¹


    Leon started to consider the smiling butler¡¯s words.


    Is this some kind of skit?


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, we apologize for getting you involved. The clothes are on the house, so please do keep this a secret. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t have anyone to talk to. ¡¹


    Thame softly whispered an apology, but I curtly retorted. Well, I was the one who got myself involved by calling out to Leon back at the well, so it wasn¡¯t Thame¡¯s fault. It¡¯s just force majeure, or rather, I just went with the flow when he was recommended to me.


    ¡¸ Argh, we don¡¯t have much time. Obediently go ride the carriage! ¡¹


    Bam ©` the lady dealt a blow on Leon¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡¸ Urk¡­ ¡¹


    Leon folded in half, clutching his stomach. Eh? He seemed so strong, but he¡¯s weak?


    ¡¸ Lilith-sama, Ojou-sama is wounded! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, sorry¡­ ¡¹


    Noth was in a fluster as he tried to tend to him.


    Oh, it¡¯s true, blood¡¯s spreading on his shirt. Seemed like his wound opened with that punch earlier.


    ¡¸ Tsk, why didn¡¯t she use potion!? ¡¹


    The lady quipped, but hey, she¡¯s right.


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama was completely banned from using the family¡¯s fortune when she left the House of Adelheid. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    Hey, was this guy alright? Rather than that, he was injured so severely, so why did he go around touring people around the city!?


    ¡¸ ¡­¡¹


    I wordlessly took out a potion from my bag and handed it over.


    ¡¸ Oh? Thanks. Eh, you are? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Jean. ¡¹


    So not in the mood to be polite now.


    She handed the potion to Butler, and he made Leon drink it. Basically, potions could be applied to wounds, or else drunk directly. It¡¯d be more efficient if it was combined with mana within the body, so drinking was more effective.


    ¡¸ We¡¯re saved. I¡¯m Lilith from the House of Debrand. Here, feel free to visit me if you¡¯re in trouble. Everybody knows I¡¯m Leon¡¯s closest friend, so my neighborhood has been boisterous these days. Better stay away for now, though. ¡¹


    She took off a ring and handed it to me. Was this a token for when I go to her house?


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll keep this for the meantime, but I¡¯m not a resident here in the Royal Capital, you know. Just refer me to a resto where I can have my lunch. So, what¡¯s with that ¡®Ojou-sama¡¯? ¡¹


    She looked like someone who probably knows where to eat delicious food.


    ¡¸ Lunch, huh. I¡¯m not familiar with any restaurants except those that serve alcohol at night. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Then I recommend Romano. ¡¹


    Butler answered instead, since the woman was still contemplating it. So? What about that ¡®Ojou-sama¡¯?


    ¡¸ She¡¯s a girl. Leon¡¯s true name is Leora Lu Adelheid. Well, she got a board for a chest, and she¡¯s stronger than most guys, so there are more people who think she¡¯s a boy. Besides, they call her Leon. ¡¹


    She smirked while explaining.


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    I did ask for an explanation, but you didn¡¯t have to go into the details! So ¡¸ Lu ¡¹, that¡¯s for the Duke¡¯s House. ¡¸ La ¡¹ was for royalty, ¡¸ Li ¡¹ was for the Grand Duke. There were three dukes before, but there¡¯s only two left now. Hey, did they plan to make it La, Le, Li, Lo, Lu like some kind of kinder phonics recitation!?


    The shop next door sells sheets and towels, so Thame gave me a letter of introduction before I left. Sorry, but I wouldn¡¯t let myself get dragged into your family feud.


    I asked the shopkeeper whether the shop was going to be fine, but the answer I got was all about Leon. She didn¡¯t get along with the nobility but she was quite popular among the commoners, though she had her fair share of making children cry. Potential eyewitnesses from the plaza till here would probably just give vague information©` or so he said.


    I finished shopping without a hitch. It was a fabric shop rather than a bedsheet shop, and I got a few pieces of various sheets and a bed cover for the guest room. I didn¡¯t have any plans on using that guest room, so this would be used to cover the bed. I bought plenty of hand towels and bath towels since Riche would also use some.


    I refused their delivery service, then left the store. The goods here were either delivered directly to the house, or carried by servants, huh. They would probably mistake me for a servant, too, if not for that letter of introduction. It was pretty obvious that I wasn¡¯t used to shopping in this kind of place before, though.


    I¡¾ Search ¡¿and looked for a deserted place, then I chucked the sheets into the¡¾ Storage ¡¿ . Alright, time for that bookshop, er, food, huh.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Ojou-sama ¨C young miss of the noble/ wealthy families.

 CH 12

    Translator: Haruchin


    I asked the butler to circle his reco on the map I bought at the gate earlier, here I am now, standing in front of that shop. The interior was pretty nice, with an arched brick ceiling, plastered walls and tables, chairs and floors that were meticulously maintained even if they had cracks.


    It was a while before I got seated.


    ¡¸ What do you recommend here? ¡¹


    ¡¸ The Simmered Beef. ¡¹


    Not sure if they didn¡¯t know what it was called, since they only told me the ingredient and how it¡¯s cooked.


    ¡¸ Then I¡¯ll have that, and water, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Do you want some bread, too? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please. ¡¹


    My stomach was rumbling already, and nothing rang a bell even if I checked the blackboard menu, so I decided to go with their reco.


    The rattling cart came soon enough, and it stopped beside my table. A lump of beef as big as my face sat on top of a silver plate along with the onions and carrots that had been simmered with it. No idea what cut of meat it was, though.


    The waiter sliced the meat with magnificent moves on top of the cart, then he plated and drizzled it with gravy while a different waiter brought the bread and water.


    There were a lot of people around me eating the same dish as mine.


    The bread came with three kinds of sauces in condiment cups arranged on the same plate, so the guest could savor the different flavors by dipping the meat in them.


    Whoa, the meat¡¯s super tender and juicy and it didn¡¯t stink at all. Not sure which part this was, but it was kinda like jelly and really tasty. I didn¡¯t attempt ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ for fear of seeing something related to innards again.


    The bread was a bit too dry for my taste, so I dipped it in the meat sauce ©` problem solved, plus it¡¯s tasty, too.


    Yeah, that was satisfying. I thought that it¡¯d be lamb (hitsuji), though, since, you know, butler¡¯s (shitsuji)¡¯s choice ©` well, I didn¡¯t voice that pun aloud, though.


    Even if there was that kerfuffle midway, it was still fine since I finished what I needed to do, plus got more information than I expected. Also, I got to enjoy two shops that were normally off-limits to those without connections, so all good.


    That scary looking guy ©` er, Ojou-sama, was it? I don¡¯t know what happened to her, so let¡¯s just pray that she¡¯s safe. Actually, she seemed like a good person despite her priorities being kinda skewed. She did answer all my questions conscientiously, after all.


    Next stop was the bookshop, and I was looking for something to read. This book store¡¯s system was different from what I imagined. Instead of being able to look around on my own, the shopkeeper would take the books out per request.


    The first book the shopkeeper showed to me was Anathema.¡¸ If you steal or damage this you will be cursed! ¡¹ ©` those words leaped off the page the moment I opened it.


    ¡¸ Books were treated as treasures not long ago, you see. ¡¹


    Plenty of the books had curses inscribed on them, but the shopkeeper told me not to mind it and just treat it as something pirates would probably scribble in the caverns of treasure islands.


    ¡¸ There are curses that might get activated for real, but please rest assured that all the books legitimately purchased in my shop would have no such effect. ¡¹


    Oh, okay, but that¡¯s not really reassuring, though.


    I decided to buy some books about architecture as well as about magic potions. The history ones were quite tempting, but books were awfully expensive. If I bought all I wanted, the bill would probably be crazy enough to make me faint. White gloves were given to me after I paid. They should be worn when reading ¡ª so I was told.


    The quality was bad, but at least it was made from paper. Whether it be paper made from plants or parchment, as long as you leave a loose sheet around, whatever was written on it would completely disappear. Spirits¡¯ prank, they said.


    The only way to preserve them was book-binding. The method for making parchment was easy, but the process of making paper and books was a lot harder.


    Spirits dwelled in the original works of the authors, and if the book was well loved, then they would bestow the contents of the book to the next owner, apparently. If the spirit that dwelled inside was strong, then the manuscript would also bear that power. According to Mr. Shopkeeper¡¯s experience, ¡¸Books that are worth it ¡¹will cost you an arm and leg.


    I didn¡¯t understand it at first, but I finally realized what he meant after he gave an example. He said that grimoire books would enable a normal person to use magic. No wonder they were crazy expensive.


    Time to go home, so I left the royal capital. Ah, I forgot to stop by the ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡».


    When I reached my house, I checked on Riche before going to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Well, I did say ¡®preparing¡¯, but I just grabbed some veggies and meat then chucked them together inside a stockpot, then left it in front of the fireplace. It¡¯d be super delicious after a couple of hours or so.


    Since that will take time, I better sit beside the window to read while there is still sun. Candle light is dark, after all. Fortunately, sunset is very late in this place, and the nights are short in this country. The sun is still out until 8pm during this season.


    One of my goals is to convert one of the sheds into a laboratory. Well, it¡¯ll be great if I can expand the house and add more rooms, ideally. Ah, but there¡¯s no danger of earthquakes, so maybe I shouldn¡¯t worry too much about the construction?


    Still, shouldn¡¯t making lamps come first before renovation? I didn¡¯t have ethanol for fuel, but there was some canola oil in the food storage room. Maybe it¡¯d be brighter than the candle light if I attached it to a glass or a cleanly polished metal that would reflect light?


    ¡¸ Lights on. ¡¹


    I tried doing magic, and a faint glowing light appeared. Yep, I also had this just in case. Well, it is available for use anytime, but I still prefer a lamp.


    The materials weren¡¯t available back at that island so I wasn¡¯t able to make it, and that still bothered me until now. I didn¡¯t want to move an inch except to cook when I first came into this house, though. Well, anything that made life easier was good.


    Few days had passed since my trip ©` it¡¯s time to deliver the goods to the Commerce Guild, so I pretended to catch another horned bear. The Alchemist guild also allowed me to observe and study, and as for agriculture, I helped a farming family while studying how and what tools to use.


    I got along pretty well with Dinosso¡¯s family, the farming family that I¡¯m talking about. They taught me how to care for livestock, and also let me observe cheese-making. They even helped me with reconstructing the shed ©` Dinosso was pretty strong, and I also used ¡¾ Manufacturing Ability ¡¿ so I wouldn¡¯t get in his way.


    They treated me by roasting a whole pig after we were done. As thanks, I also gave them a jar refilled with wine, along with the excessively sweet cookies that I hadn¡¯t been able to eat. They gladly accepted it.


    I apologized to them since the cookies were already opened, and said that it was for the children, but even the adults were happy, maybe because sweets were rarely eaten here. It¡¯s not like they could go shopping in the city on a whim, now that I calmly thought about it.


    I¡¯d go help them when it¡¯s time to preserve food for winter, since it¡¯d be a busy time for them.


    Aside from that, I also started to gather materials for the house extension. I wanted to buy wood and other important stuff, but buying them without building a house nearby would make me stand out too much. I should just pick another unexpected place and buy it there.


    I also hoarded cheap glass and iron. This place was far from the sea, so rather than going for glass made from silica sand, it was way faster buying broken glass bottles. Adventurers frequently broke the vials when they used potions.


    It¡¯d be great if I could shut myself indoors before winter came, since they said this season was harsh here.


    This time around, spending autumn here is way, way better compared to spending the start of winter at the island. It couldn¡¯t be helped that this is more fun.


    Aahh, I should start planning what to do while enjoying being a shut-in.

 CH 13

    Translator: Haruchin; Editor: Marky


    Helping out some carpenters seemed like a good idea, so I teleported to a country with a forest, or should I say country in a forest. At first, the carpenters were wary of me when I told them I¡¯d be working for free, but they started to teach me properly halfway through. They would even slow down while showing the important points to me, and they¡¯d call me to get lunch with them from the huge cauldron. We got along just fine, I think.


    It was also the first time I drank alcohol other than the New Year¡¯s spiced sake, and they teased and laughed at me when I told them so. Honestly, I thought that alcohol was a luxury item, but it seemed that it was treated as preserved food that could provide energy, so they frequently drank it. Distilled liquor, on the other hand, was expensive, while the price of wines were extremely varied.


    I also checked the place out while helping the carpenters. I earnestly bought some of the wood here, then put them inside the ¡¾Storage¡¿and also got some cork, too. The sight of the differently colored trees surprised me ¡ª the upper part of the trunk was colored differently from the reddish lower part where the bark had been peeled off.. That bark was used as lids for bottles, so the tree was named cork oak, they said, so I bought some since they¡¯re interesting.


    It was really comfortable being there. The carpenters would greet me with ¡®Good to see you, dude¡¯ and they still treated me well despite the fact that I was obviously a nobody, with no money and political power. Plus, they never stepped out of the line.


    That was all nice, but the weather has been changing recently, and it¡¯s been raining on and off, getting colder every time there¡¯s a downpour. Riche and I would walk up the autumn mountains, searching for mushrooms. We even found stiff, lumpy mushrooms called penny buns, and they¡¯re very tasty.


    Riche finally opened his eyes and the tear stains also disappeared. He turned into a roly-poly ball of a puppy. He¡¯d trip on his own feet when he¡¯s speeding past me, tumbling round and round before picking himself up and returning to my side. Then he¡¯d run again, repeating the same thing over again. He still sleeps a lot, but he¡¯s getting better, and that¡¯s a relief.


    There were other mushrooms too, such as the scarlet umbrella type I saw back at the island.


    It¡¯s absolutely poisonous, see, let¡¯s check the¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿©` WHAT!! It¡¯s edible and SUPER delicious!? Ugh, I don¡¯t even know what to feel now, wish I could¡¯ve known that back then..


    I also spend some of my time helping the farming family I¡¯d become acquainted with as they prepare for winter. We butchered a pig, then made some pickled meat, ham, bacon, cheese, and bottled some fruits and veggies, too.


    Speaking of winter preps, I was already done with mine. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with the food for the winter, though ©` it¡¯s for building the house.


    I tried experimenting first by remodeling the drab servants¡¯ quarters on the second floor of the shed by designing it the way I wanted. The results were satisfying enough, so


    I decided to build an extension-like cabin at the north-east side of the kitchen after that.


    I covered the place with stones first before assembling the pillars in the wide blacksmith¡¯s room. Helping out with the carpentry proved its merits, and the memories of a certain TV show I watched in Japan really helped me a lot here, too.


    The exterior was finally completed, and it looked like the grapevine trellis was surrounded in both directions. The room was approximately 10 meters* wide, and I chose to divide it into two with a sliding door ©` the shaded side for the medicine and ingredient storage, and the bright side for the actual laboratory. Yep, there¡¯s the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ , but setting the mood was also important, you know. I also installed a shutter window in the laboratory so I could darken the room anytime. It was something like a louver made with movable planks of wood. Wind could still pass through so that the room won¡¯t be too stuffy with the smells.


    Alright. The laboratory¡¯s done, so it¡¯s time to restock the medicinal plants.


    Should I rent a house in Canum? It¡¯ll be less troublesome then, since there¡¯s no need to go through the alibi of opening a room in an inn. There¡¯s a rule that newbies can¡¯t buy a house in that fortress city, so the option is to rent. If my memory serves me right, one must spend 5 years ©` or was it 10? ©` not making trouble and doing some meritorious deed before he or she can buy one. Somebody explained to me that donations to the city are also considered as deeds.


    Living in Canum will mean being able to use other gates aside from the main one ©` that¡¯s huge for me. The gatekeeper already knows my face, but maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been frequenting the Commerce Guild to bring the bears and potions, so it can¡¯t be helped that I stand out. There¡¯s that creepy feeling of being watched by that Pink Head from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, too, though she didn¡¯t do anything yet. She¡¯d stare at me whenever I saw her in the city, even following me around sometimes, though she never said a word. I¡¯m supposed to be staying at the inn, so it¡¯s difficult to buy some good plates, saplings or tools that I can use for manufacturing if somebody¡¯s stalking me.


    So, I went ahead and consulted the Commerce Guild, and it was decided that they¡¯d introduce me to a middle-man so I could buy or rent a house here. My conditions were simple: no cohabitants, and people won¡¯t enter as they please. They stared at me dubiously when I gave that last condition, but using that Pink Head as an example was enough to make them understand. Though, I got comments like ¡®It¡¯s tough to be handsome, eh¡¯.


    And so, the middleman recommended a newly built, isolated house at the end of an alley. The frontage didn¡¯t even reach 4 meters, and it seemed narrower than the other houses. There were two gates, a small one for people and a larger one for bringing things in. In short, the first floor¡¯s frontage was mainly gates. Opening the larger gate would lead directly to the workshop, and there¡¯s the kitchen with a kiln. A courtyard with a well was sandwiched between the two. The smaller gate for people¡¯s use led directly to the staircase at the edge of the workshop, which in turn led to the second floor¡¯s living room and bedroom. The third floor was similar to the second one, and there¡¯s a cellar underground.


    People here like old houses, the older, the better. Why? That¡¯s because of the homey feeling they get from it, plus the residents already renovated the house while they¡¯re still living there. This one did not have any shelves, and there were gaps in the floor and walls, quite unimaginable in Japan.


    I also considered renting a room instead of a house at first, but was told that landlords usually lived in the same house because it¡¯s big. Some meddlesome landlords would also wake you up in the morning, so I rejected that outright.


    Well, this is fine already, it¡¯s only a smokescreen house for making some potions. Bonus part is I can renovate the place however I like and the rent¡¯s only two potions per month.


    Shops run along the city walls that are adjacent to the western main gate and the eastern back gate of the city, and because they are stuck to the wall, the resulting fusion of buildings and barriers created a pathway overhead where the guards patrolled. On the other hand, the northern and southern walls are made of simple stone walls, thick but pretty much useless, although they also have their own gates with towers flanking them. *


    The city wall is about to collapse, so it must be repaired. The house was apparently built to support the wall, which continued downtown with a road running alongside it. They blocked one of the paths intersecting that road to build the house. That¡¯s why the house¡¯s first floor was only the width of the path, and because they had to leave the road alongside the city wall open and accessible, the second and third floors were kinda stuck to the wall. The interior of the first floor was long and narrow, looking like something an eel would sleep in.**


    The left and right walls weren¡¯t co-shared unlike the other houses, and the interior beside the right side of the wall was very narrow. Monsters assaulted the city a few years ago, and this wall managed to endure their attacks, but then, there¡¯s the wind and rain ~ ©` that¡¯s their vague explanation. Seems like the memory of the attack is still fresh here.


    Houses cheaper than this one had security issues, to the point that drunkards and thieves would break in. Well, whether it¡¯s habitable or not didn¡¯t really matter as long as nobody came in. Alright, this one¡¯s the final choice, then.


    I had nothing to lose, so I tried asking the size ©` but they gave me a rough sketch, instead. Rough¡¯s an understatement, so maybe I should drop by to see if the discrepancy isn¡¯t that drastic, and maybe renovate it too, without standing out too much from the neighborhood.


    ¡­.The gates are replaceable by fixing the walls and floors somehow. Maybe I can also put some shelves to make it more like a workplace. Yep, making my den should be really fun.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Hi folks, I finally have an editor!  Thanks Marky for helping me out on this  Also, JackofallTrades also helped me with the first few chaps until 4.2,, thank you so much!


    *E/N:  The idea behind the talk about the gates, city walls and house is; the North and South walls are what would be considered subpar for a fortified city wall; the East and West walls are narrow and unsturdy from attacks and weather, they need the support from the shops/houses built along them; East/West wall walks are on top of said shops/houses; there is no organization to the layout; the house has thick reinforcing walls unlike a ¡°normal¡± house.


    **T/N: Original phrase was eel bed, usually used to describe houses that had narrow entrances and long interiors. Examples would be the traditional townhouses found in Kyoto.


    10 meters wide ¨C the approximately length of 6 tatami mats.

 CH 14

    Translator: Haruchin  Editor: Marky


    Snow finally fell in the Magical Woods while I was preoccupied with the renovation of the house. It was not enough to pile up, though. The medicinal plants were evergreen just like normal grass, so it was easier to spot them since autumn started because there was less greenery.


    It was also the season when carnivorous beast monsters ventured out of the deep woods.


    Well, I¡¯m still going.


    ¡¸ Excuse me! ¡¹


    It¡¯s easier to go to the forest through the side gate rather than the main gate. Pink head called out and stopped me.


    ¡¸ Yes? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s getting colder, so it¡¯s dangerous to go to the woods! ¡¹


    She looked at me with puppy eyes.


    ¡¸ Thanks, already aware of it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please, you don¡¯t have to push yourself! Life is more important than money! ¡¹


    I avoided her hand as she tried to grab my robe, then shot an icy glare at her, before speaking with all the coldness I could muster.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m not pushing myself, no need to fuss. ¡¹


    ¡¸ But¡­¡¹


    Why won¡¯t she give up?


    Well, no choice but to thoroughly ignore her, then. I passed her by and made my way through the gates. They required more permits, but this path¡¯s more convenient than going through the main gate to get to the woods. The gate closest to the forest was usually closed. They were only opened in case of emergencies to let the organized troops out. Ah, but if you¡¯re Gold-ranked in your guild, they would open it for you even if you¡¯re alone. There¡¯s two more gates aside from the main road, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about even if the gatekeeper remembered my face. Actually, I could also teleport there directly, but let¡¯s just walk for now. Maybe Pink Head would be tired by then.


    I had been walking for a few minutes already ©` oh, there¡¯s a familiar guy over there. Hoh, so her brother came out just in time to see Pink Head go to work. So, she didn¡¯t ambush me today, apparently ©` but that¡¯s only applicable for this instance. They¡¯re chummy siblings, huh. I planned to go under the shade of a tree and¡¾ Teleport ¡¿to the spring after I entered the forest, but I¡¯ll just walk quietly for now.


    ¡¸ Excuse me. ¡¹


    I was walking faster than him, so I threw a polite phrase while overtaking.


    ¡¸ Ah, you¡¯re that guy!¡¹


    Pink¡¯s Brother noticed me. Well, this couldn¡¯t be helped since my face was easily recognizable. Besides, I also remembered him as Pink¡¯s Brother even though we only met once, probably because of his huge face.


    ¡¸ Sorry! It¡¯s kinda embarrassing to ask this, but can you show up at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild? Kaina¡¯s blamed by the higher ups. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Why would Kaina-san have to go through that? ¡¹


    He had energetically bowed his head, but there¡¯s only one thing I wanted to ask.


    ¡¸ An excellent adventurer had been taken by the Commerce Guild, they said. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s you and your lil sis¡¯ fault, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I know, my bad. ¡¹


    Well, it¡¯s the elder brother¡¯s fault for trying to take my request without settling it first with the guild, but Pink Head was definitely worse for her creepy behavior and that way of letting everything you say fly over her head. Ugh.


    ¡¸ Got some conditions. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What is it? ¡¹


    Bro¡¯s looking at me nervously ©` Dean, was it.


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t let your sister come within a mile of me. Let me make this clear ©` following me around the city, anticipating my arrival then sticking within my peripherals, calling out to me ©` make her stop doing all this nonsense, you hear me. ¡¹


    I was wrong for suspecting her of ambushing me today, but that was entirely her fault since it was her daily habit. It¡¯s the first time she called out to me, but she had been cutting my path and purposely throwing her hanky, pretending to trip, or making a ruckus at street stalls, noisily saying that she didn¡¯t have enough change. It was obvious that she¡¯s observing me while doing her little drama antics, so I completely ignored all that. She paid normally afterward when I actually passed her by.


    ¡¸ Got it. Are you sure? My lil sis¡¯s cute, though? ¡¹


    He seemed totally surprised, but what he said was also out of the blue. What an amazing sister filter.


    ¡¸ If you ask me, she¡¯s creepy and her face isn¡¯t my type. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    That shut him up.


    ¡¸ If Amille isn¡¯t your type, then what kind of girl is¡­. ¡¹


    Someone opposite of Sis would be great. Sis was a make-up goblin©` she could transform from a flashy beauty to an adorable girl, you know. Hmm, then someone who¡¯s not into cosmetics, and not too aggressive about being a female ©` be it a woman or a girl ©` huh. Leon suddenly crossed my mind¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.uh, too little feminine vibes. She¡¯s practically a guy for me. I take it back, a little girlishness is okay.


    ¡¸ As an apology, I could take you to a place that grows rare plants, if you¡¯re fine with that. Do you have any plans in the forest? ¡¹


    Dean was still making a ¡®You¡¯re unbelievable¡¯ kind of face while asking me.


    ¡¸ No, I just thought it¡¯d be good if I gathered some medicinal herbs before the snow piles up. ¡¹


    Would those rare plants be herbs, or food?


    ¡¸ Ohh, so let¡¯s go now? ¡¹


    Dean amicably smiled.


    ¡¸ Yeah, please. ¡¹


    So he¡¯s normal when he¡¯s not doting on his sis, huh.


    It¡¯s decided then. We entered the forest, and a Horned Rabbit appeared midway but Dean slayed it in no time, while I observed his fighting style.


    Step in, slash, pull out. Keen eyes, strong gait. His maneuvers were heroic without a trace of carelessness. He anticipated the rabbit¡¯s every move. Maybe it¡¯s based on the knowledge he had from experience, but he did not have a single wasted movement.


    ¡¸ Hey, don¡¯t stare at me too much. It¡¯s embarrassing. ¡¹


    Dean told me as he hunted for rabbits.


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t mind me. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It feels like I¡¯m being ogled at! ¡¹


    He crushed the head of a rabbit while saying that.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m just observing how you fight. ¡¹


    ¡¸ And that¡¯s embarrassing, I said! Aren¡¯t you the strong one, hunting bears continuously like they¡¯re nothing? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m just relying on brute strength. ¡¹


    ¡¸ BRUTE strength? ¡¹


    Dean put away his sword as he stared at me from head to toe and back again, his eyes full of doubts.


    ¡¸ ¡­¡­ ¡¹


    Yeah right, I don¡¯t have that muscular chest of yours, Dean! Yeah, yeah, yeah!! I¡¯m just a midget, A MIDGET, huh!!!! ARRGHH!!! Just YOU watch! Ugh, I¡¯M definitely gonna get bigger, mark my words! Milk! SOMEBODY GET ME MILK!!!


    Dean¡¯s JUST humongously brawny because he¡¯s a person that¡¯s part of this FANTASY world!!!!!!

 CH 15

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Dean was disassembling the rabbits ¡ª er, it¡¯s more like he¡¯s just taking out the horns and checking for magic stones before chucking them into the sack. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild gives out subjugation rewards just by bringing the horns to them.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re going to bring those rabbits, too? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Two for lunch, the rest are bait for bears and wolves, so I¡¯m bringing them deeper into the forest later. Those predators are gonna pop out near the entrance of the woods if I leave them here. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh, I see. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Bears and wolves are lured by the smell of blood, so I bury them or burn them if I¡¯m not confident I can take them on. ¡¹


    I had been tossing them into¡¾ Storage ¡¿ all this time. Oh, right, I forgot that I couldn¡¯t teleport home for lunch.


    My sojourn at the island traumatized me, so there¡¯s always water, salt, and sugar in my bag, and I also made sure they¡¯re in my¡¾Storage ¡¿, so it¡¯s all good. Well, there was normal food crammed within the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ too, but it¡¯s not as if I could just take them out now. Anyway, I should also hunt for my lunch, then.


    My style had been self-taught, so I learned a lot while talking with Dean. He also taught me a lot of other stuff, like how to track monsters, and how to traverse the woods. Yep, having a coach was still the best. We continued walking, and came across a monkey monster ¡ª that¡¯s the first time I encountered one. They¡¯re notorious for kidnapping and eating children from human villages. They¡¯re weak when alone, though.


    ¡¸ See that grass with yellowish borders on its leaves? That¡¯s Kinca grass. It¡¯s used in putting scent to the liquor that filthy rich guys drink. Stupid grass, if you ask me. ¡¹


    Oh, so we¡¯ve arrived at our destination.


    ¡¸ Scent¡­ Will it become delicious? ¡¹


    Dean just shrugged with a ¡®who knows¡¯.


    I also tried smelling it, but it¡¯s¡­immature¡­and rustic¡­


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t need it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t need it, either. Well, my client¡¯s cash-rich so he sprinkles them in like they¡¯re sand. ¡¹


    I was expecting it to be some kind of valuable medicinal herb that only the wealthy could afford, something that would launch a thousand ships and bring world war ¡ª but it¡¯s just a simple plant used to rip-off money from idiot high-ballers, huh. Well, who am I to judge, if I didn¡¯t have my cheat food storages I¡¯d probably cash out a lot of money just to buy rice, regardless of how ridiculous the price might be, if it was sold here. It¡¯s a win-win situation for both the rich and the seller.


    Kinca Grass doesn¡¯t grow in the winter when the ground is frozen, obviously, but it has buds year-round. It¡¯d be a problem if it didn¡¯t sprout again, so I didn¡¯t pluck it all out and left half of it. The strong-smelling ones that grow during this season and the new sprouts during spring are considered premium, it seems. Plus, it also has a different official name, and guess what, it¡¯s called Golden Coin Grass. It¡¯s completely treated as some kind of luxury grass, huh.


    ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿¡ª Butterfly Grass, effective against butterfly-borne macular disease ¡ª apparently. I should keep two to three stalks and research the recipe for medicine. Unlike cooking, I should study a plant or make the medicine first before the recipe would appear in the results of appraisal.


    We prepared our lunch by the riverside. Dean piled up stones around the bonfire for a make-shift windbreak. He also prepared the rabbits while I gathered some firewood. I gathered some branches, chopped them haphazardly, carried them back and that¡¯s it.


    ¡¸ Ohh, you¡¯re really rough, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ If I chopped them any smaller, carrying them will be a pain in the neck, right? ¡¹


    Hey, even I know a thing or two about the size of firewood, you know. I¡¯ve been stranded on a deserted island and had to build my own fire, after all!! Anyway, I peeled the bark thinly then fed it to the fire. Afterward, I just randomly throw them in from smallest to biggest. Medicinal herbs were also growing around here, so I gathered some while watching the meat. Dean chopped the meat to suitable sizes after a while, then he grilled them again. I thought he would cook it whole, but it¡¯d be scary if the meat was half-cooked, so what he did was definitely better. Rabbits would dry up if left on the fire for too long, but the peculiar scent characteristic of wild game was also bothering me. It¡¯s difficult to find the sweet spot, huh.


    We were watching the rabbits carefully, when Dean suddenly grabbed his sword.


    ¡¸ Uh¡­.Sorry I surprised you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hm? ¡¹


    Thought it was a bear, but it was just a lion. Oops, wrong, I mean Leon, er, Leora.


    ¡¸ Why are you here? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Erm, bear hunting, but I came to get some water now. ¡¹


    No, that¡¯s not what I was asking. Well, she won¡¯t say she¡¯s a fugitive in front of Dean, right. So that meant it¡¯d be bad to call her name?


    ¡¸ Acquaintance? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ash is the name, nice to meet you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Dean. ¡¹


    Ash and I exchanged looks ©` so I was right in not calling her. That¡¯s a relief. Did she get her alias from her hair color? In Japan, ¡®Ash¡¯ was a different hair color altogether, but hers was a beautiful, blue-tinged, gray hue. Her face could still scare the living daylights out of anyone, though.


    ¡¸ Sorry for cutting the tour halfway through that time. I¡¯ll pay you back for the potion, for sure. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t worry about it. I was also at fault for making you guide me around even though you were wounded. ¡¹


    ¡¸ No¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ The meat is done grilling, wanna eat with us? ¡¹


    It seemed like it¡¯d turn into an apology contest, so Dean cut it off by inviting Ash to lunch. The meat was overcooked, though.


    ¡¸You can pay the potion back right away after hunting a bear, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸ No, the lodging fee¡¯s a bit too high. It¡¯s such a small town but there¡¯s a lot of people, so it¡¯s a struggle trying to find a room. ¡¹


    That¡¯s puzzling, I didn¡¯t have any memory of having to struggle, though¡­¡­.


    ¡¸ Hmm~? What kind of inn is that? ¡¹


    Dean didn¡¯t have stranger anxiety, huh. I couldn¡¯t help but think of that as I grilled another batch of meat¡­ I¡¯ll bring some spices next time.


    ¡¸ No, there¡¯s only a bed and a table but¡­ One gold coin a day is really a bit too much. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. Hey, that¡¯s a total rip-off, you know. ¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from retorting.


    ¡¸ You got pulled into a shady inn, that¡¯s for sure, but why didn¡¯t you realize it? ¡¹


    Dean¡¯s right, even I, a newbie in this world, noticed it right away.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s the guild¡¯s referral, though? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    Turns out, Pink Head was the one who recommended it. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at Dean with meh eyes.

 CH 16

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ Amille¡¯s doing her best, and she didn¡¯t mean anything bad, it was the inn¡¯s fault, right. ¡¹


    Dean started to defend that Pink Head. Ugh, what a pain.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re pretty decent about other things, but why are you so thick-headed when it comes to your sis? ¡¹


    Blindly doting on her to the point of helping her cover up, and apologizing on her behalf ©` this really makes me want to scold him.


    ¡¸ Is that true? ¡¹


    ¡¸ His relationship with his younger sis is really creepy. ¡¹


    His sister must be forgiven because she¡¯s cute, she didn¡¯t have any bad intentions so it¡¯s fine even if she¡¯s being a bother, she¡¯s doing her best so everyone must help her ©` you get the drift.


    ¡¸ Ugh. ¡¹


    Dean groaned, so I thought something happened, but no, Leo-, er, Ash was tapping her lips, deep in thought, and her Asura face was three times more terrifying.


    ¡¸ You might not believe me, but there¡¯s a spirit beside Amille-dono. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸ And a proof that Dean-dono is under that spirit¡¯s influence is floating beside your face. ¡¹


    Ash sounded a bit bothered now.


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t see anything like that, though? If it¡¯s a strong spirit then I might believe you, but isn¡¯t it weird that you can see them? ¡¹


    That¡¯s what Dean said, but a cheap looking pink flower bud that seemed like it¡¯d bloom any time soon was sticking on his head. Ah, no, it¡¯s actually floating rather than sticking. Putting a pink, artificial flower on a grown man¡¯s head is pointless ©` no, it¡¯s a bother even if it¡¯s fresh. The material and the texture reminded me of those fake autumn leaves or cherry blossoms hanging between the lights that dotted the streets in the shopping district. I¡¯d probably burst out laughing if I said anything, given that serious face of his, so I¡¯d better leave it. I stretched my hand out, grabbed the flower then crushed it in my palm, instead.


    ¡¸ !? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, sorry. ¡¹


    I apologized while staring down at Dean as he dropped on his knees before crumpling to the ground.


    ¡¸ As I said, it must be one of those Controlling Spirits. It¡¯s influence was abruptly cut-off, so he just ended up fainting. ¡ª So, you can touch them on top of seeing them, is that it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, if I wanted to? ¡¹


    Riche would be invisible to me if I couldn¡¯t see spirits. If I looked hard enough, my vision would be filled with tiny spirits, and it also affected my day-to-day life, so I tend to tune them out. Yeah, I could also fine tune this ability so I could see spirits per level, but that would be too troublesome, and seeing Riche was plenty enough. Well, the very powerful spirits called deities could manifest if they wanted to, without me having to do anything to see them, though.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s the first time I met one aside from Father. ¡¹


    ¡¸ So that ¡®sight¡¯ runs in the blood? ¡¹


    Ash and I stretched out Dean¡¯s arms and legs so that it would be a bit more comfortable for him while lying on the ground.


    I pinched his nose and checked his breathing. He gasped, so all¡¯s good.


    ¡¸ Yeah. But only Father and I have this ability among our clan. And we can¡¯t touch them. Be on your guard. This ability is widely sought after. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Got it, I¡¯ll be careful. Anyway, should we start by sealing this guy¡¯s mouth? ¡¹


    If we leave him as is, then a bear¡¯s gonna have him as a tasty meal, but there¡¯s no way we¡¯re gonna do that, right. Wait a sec, I didn¡¯t say anything when I plucked that thing off him, so that means he probably didn¡¯t notice anything odd, so I guess I¡¯m safe ¡ª hm?


    ¡¸ Ash, he already found out that you can ¡®see¡¯. Is that okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸ You saved me. This man is your friend, no? ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, no, actually, it¡¯s the second time we met. ¡¹


    ASH TURNED TO ICE!!!


    ¡¸ If we leave him lying around like this, then a bear¡­ ¡¹


    Chaotic mumblings were spilling out from her! That thinking face is MEGA scary! And she thought the same thing as me!!


    ¡¸ I miscalculated. There¡¯s no choice but to accept our fate.¡¹


    She also came back to her senses soon enough, like I did. Ahh, this person¡¯s really prone to drawing the unlucky card, huh. Not for me to say, though.


    ¡¸ Oh, by the way, Jean-dono, can you see the spirit that is attached to me? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Where? Whoa! ¡¹


    A blue bird was repeatedly pecking Ash¡¯s head like a woodpecker.


    ¡¸ Hey, doesn¡¯t that hurt? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a constant dull pain. ¡¹


    Wait, it¡¯s poking you nonstop with that sharp beak, yet it¡¯s a dull pain?


    ¡¸ Since when? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Since I turned seven. Father attached it. ¡¹


    The pain¡¯s dull because it¡¯s been way too long?


    ¡¸ What¡¯s the reason again? ¡¹


    The blue bird had a sash made of light on its neck, kinda like a collar.


    When I did appraisal, it showed an extremely idiotic result ¡ª ¡º Spirit captured by Lathantein Lu Adelheid to make Leora Lu Adelheid manlier. ¡»


    ¡¸ It was to turn me into a splendid heir. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t you have a younger brother? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, Father got drunk, and woke up with a woman beside him. She sent that guy to us the next day. ¡¹


    What the ¡ª an express home delivery!?


    ¡¸ Fortunately, my kingdom doesn¡¯t discriminate between men and women, and the eldest will be the successor regardless of gender. However, my House has been a military family for many generations, so Father placed the spirit on me so that when the training time comes, my gender will not hinder me. ¡¹


    ¡¸ No wait a sec, listen, okay? It¡¯ll be understandable if he gave you stuff like arm strength and physical strength, but isn¡¯t ¡®manliness¡¯ too weird? ¡¹


    It had the making of a good story, but it¡¯s still abnormal, you know? And you¡¯re being poked too much, hear that thunking sound?


    ¡¸ Manliness? ¡¹


    Oy, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know the details, huh!?


    ¡¸ ¡­I know I¡¯m being a busy body, poking my nose in your family affairs, but you should release that spirit right away. ¡¹


    And that bird seemed really desperate, you know.


    ¡¸ Hmm. It should have been removed two years ago, but Father, the one who cast the spell, collapsed. Ahm, Jean-dono, perhaps you can release this spirit? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Maybe? Wanna try? ¡¹


    I think I can do something about it if that collar¡¯s gone.


    ¡¸ Please. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll do it when we go back to the town, then. ¡¹


    I pointedly turned my gaze to Dean who was still lying on the ground.


    ¡¸ Yeah¡­¡¹


    Ash mumbled. Seemed like she took the hint after following my line of sight.


    ¡¸ Whether the release will be successful or not, let me pay you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, you¡¯re being ripped-off by that inn, so you¡¯re currently short on money, too, right? What will you do if you gotta change inns? ¡¹


    Adventurers might die anytime, anywhere, so inns generally required advanced payments. There¡¯s no guarantee that she¡¯ll get a refund even if she complained to the guild. It would take time if she were to return, too. Does she still have money?


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll hunt a bear. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh, right, you did say you came here for that. ¡¹


    That totally slipped my mind.

 CH 17

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ I¡¯m so sorry, I spoiled her too much! ¡¹


    Dean was almost kneeling down as he energetically apologized.


    ¡¸ You were under the influence of the spirit, so you were deceived too. ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s so broad-minded.


    Meanwhile, I was busy grilling the rest of the rabbits. Forget veggies, I should have at least brought some dried herbs.


    ¡¸ Jean, I¡¯m really sorry, too! ¡¹


    ¡¸ No worries, no actual harm done. ¡¹


    Ash explained that only the men were affected by that flower in the guild, apparently. Some of them had only one petal. Maybe those guys with the questionable judgements had the flowers stuck on them for way too long. If it were me, I¡¯d probably burst out laughing from the sight of men sporting fake flowers on their heads. Ash, how do you keep your calm, huh.


    ¡¸ The guild will be turned upside down if they were to know I collapsed, so let me consult Kaina first before taking Amille to the Fae¡¯s Bough. ¡¹


    Spirits love hanging around Fae¡¯s Bough, and it¡¯s also a place where people drop the spirits, it seems. There¡¯s a room with a special scent that the spirits couldn¡¯t resist. Since spirits were invisible, it¡¯s common to take people who had turned abnormal and toss them there. This was to test whether the spirit left and they returned to their senses.


    Dean actually found out that I did something about the spirit ¡ª I can¡¯t stand sharp guys.


    ¡¸ Well, isn¡¯t it easier to bring her while she¡¯s still asleep? ¡¹


    Even if she collapses, there¡¯s the bed, and she won¡¯t notice a lot of things if she¡¯s out cold.


    ¡¸ Ahh, got it. So it doesn¡¯t have to be during the day. ¡¹


    We made Dean promise not to spill about how we could see spirits. Not sure if he¡¯ll keep that, but if it becomes troublesome, then I¡¯ll just change towns immediately. Ash agreed to meet that butler in this town, so it¡¯d be difficult for her to move until they¡¯re reunited. Well, good luck.


    ¡¸The personnel might be few, but the guild¡¯s still running through the night. Tell us the shift, and we¡¯ll do this when there¡¯s fewer men around. Let¡¯s bring the money talk to the higher ups after that. ¡¹


    I trained my eyes on Ash at that last part, referring to the money she lost from being ripped off by the inn recommended by a guild representative.


    ¡¸ Really sorry ¡®bout this! I¡¯m returning back to the town to do preps. If it¡¯s alright with you, just use the carrier, I¡¯ll talk to them. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Carrier? ¡¹


    Never heard about that term before.


    ¡¸It¡¯s the person who carries the bear. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, not just bears, but yeah, bear. ¡¹


    Carriers were the ones who transported the bears that the adventurers hunt, and the place for retrieval varies. It¡¯s the job that novice adventurers usually take. It¡¯s something you would know by coming to the guild. We decided on the time and place for pick-up, but Dean was already occupied for the day from the requests he received through his sis. If he didn¡¯t hunt, he had to refund them, so if he¡¯s not confident about the request then he would refuse ¡ª that¡¯s so sloppy, are you really Silver?


    Well, your offer is appreciated, let¡¯s try it out.


    ¡¸ Ah, Jean. Be on alert even if you¡¯re resting. See yah. ¡¹


    Dean left for the town with those words.


    Yup, will do my best¡­ Not confident about this, never noticed when Ash came, too. How do you sense that ¡®aura¡¯ anyway! Huh, maybe casting ¡¾ Search ¡¿ would be faster, I guess.


    There¡¯s the carrier business, so it was decided that Ash and I¡¯ll go hunting for bears together. Only a pack of monster wolves appeared, though.


    Ash¡¯s fighting style was calm, and her movements were minimal. She¡¯s hitting the vitals with just a blow, slaying the wolves one after the other. The way she handled the sword was beautiful, yet powerful ¡ª a perfect role model, huh. Just imitate her in the meantime. Thanks to ¡¾ Martial Arts Ability ¡¿ , I could copy her. Well, just like what Dean said, I had to be vigilant, but I¡¯m not really used to fighting, or being surrounded by enemies for that matter. If an opponent doing a different kind of attack appeared, I probably won¡¯t be able to keep up doing this copycat style.


    ¡¾ Search ¡¿ , then attack head on and win!!! ¡ª That¡¯s what I had done when I was alone, you know. Somebody watching from the sidelines would probably tell you that rather than using the sword to slash, I was using it like a club to beat ¡®em. Imagine doing a whack-a-mole ¡ª there you go.


    ¡¸ Fumu, you¡¯re fast, no useless moves. ¡¹


    Thank you very much, that¡¯s you.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s still not worth one bear, but this is enough. We can¡¯t carry any more than this. ¡¹


    Ash put away her sword after slaying all nine of the monster wolves.


    ¡¸ Yeah, you¡¯re right. ¡¹


    Hornless Wolves are longer than me, while Horned Wolves are double that size, around 2 meters or so.


    We gathered the horns first.


    ¡¸ What about the magical stones? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Wolves¡¯ value drops really low when their hides have flaws, so we better leave this to the experts. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Got it. ¡¹


    Tried the best we could to drain their blood before stuffing them into the sack.


    ¡¸ So it¡¯s vertical, huh. ¡¹


    Ash mumbled before copying me. Hey, no way we could cram all those Horned inside, right.


    Hoisted the sack with the wolves heads lolling out, and the remaining wolf that didn¡¯t fit in, onto my back. Ash held only part of the sack, in return, she slayed the monsters that we met along the way as we trudged on to the meeting place.


    The two carrier bros¡¯ jaws dropped as they stood there, stupefied. Underestimated Ash¡¯s strength ©` it might even be above that of Dean.


    ¡¸ Hiii!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Impossible! You can¡¯t board that! ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯ll crack, it¡¯ll crack! We just borrowed this! ¡¹


    The carrier bros kept on crying that their cart would break, so Ash and I couldn¡¯t do anything but carry two wolves each. Hmm, it¡¯s difficult to bring a huge cart to the edge of the forest, so the cart was small, couldn¡¯t be helped, I guess?


    We changed the destination to the Commerce Guild. The idea was for me to sell them and split the cash with Ash. Meanwhile, she would sell the horns to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, get her things from that overcharging inn, then we would meet-up again.


    The assessment here was extremely strict, so it would take a lot of time. You could make money from the hides of monster wolves, but as Ash had said, they¡¯d beat down the prices for any small flaw they saw.


    I¡¯ll go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild when Pink Head¡¯s problem has been settled. The Commerce Guild has its own inconveniences.


    ***


    ¡¸ All right, where to try it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I might lose consciousness for a longer time than Dean-dono. How about an inn? ¡¹


    ¡¸ What will you do if you¡¯re out cold for a few days? Remember what happened to Dean after? Since it¡¯s glued on you directly, won¡¯t the impact be even more severe? Know anyone in this town? ¡¹


    There were people around us, so we didn¡¯t say the word ¡®spirit¡¯ while we talked.


    ¡¸ None. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Let¡¯s wait for Butler-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸ No idea when he will be back. ¡¹


    If Butler was there then you wouldn¡¯t have been scammed, I guess.


    Why did he leave her? Hey, what if Butler is actually a natural airhead, huh.


    ¡¸ If you don¡¯t mind, wanna come to my house? ¡¹


    I feel like I want to test the things I can do to a spirit, so we settled on that. It will be the first time a guest will come over to the house I rented. Hey, isn¡¯t it the same as saying I invited a woman over to my house?

 CH 18

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Anyway, let¡¯s do this after eating. Today¡¯s meal was a sandwich made from slicing a huge piece of bread, and putting bolognese-like meat in between.


    Just noticed this, but the shopkeeper and the guests were quite jumpy. Probably because of Ash, or maybe Ash¡¯s scary face. I had no choice but to keep a smile plastered on my face to offset that.


    The menu had a lot of dishes with the bread spread out, so it was a bit strange. Apparently, this shop had been using bread as plates instead of proper ones. They had been serving the meals on plates recently, but it seemed that they were still known for that bread thing.


    ***


    ¡¸ How strange. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It was a road before, so they did this to prevent two-horse carriages from entering by mistake. ¡¹


    A simple iron lattice and a slipshod, ¡®dead-end¡¯ sign board blocked the entrance to the path leading to the house I rented. There¡¯s still a bit of a distance before the house, around the length of a house, more or less. The dead end was really obvious if you¡¯re walking on foot, but the drivers of the coach probably wouldn¡¯t see it. They¡¯d go ahead when they saw the bend. Maybe it¡¯s a warning before they did that? It¡¯s difficult to turn around, after all.


    Plants decorated the walls of the houses along both sides of the alley, and flower pots dotted the edge of the road. I also placed a few pots in front of my house. I¡¯d better stake my territory, or else it¡¯d be overrun with pots from two houses¡­¡­..


    ¡¸ Great taste. ¡¹


    Getting praised made me a bit happy. After all, I changed the door, repaired the walls and floors that had been full of cracks. It might seem that nothing had changed except the door and windows from the outside, but the interior¡¯s a different story.


    ¡¸ Er, so how about a bath? It¡¯ll be in the kitchen though. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t have any plans to take a bath here, so there¡¯s nothing prepared, but there¡¯s a huge tub for the laundry that could be used. I guess that would be good enough as a bathtub since I never put my dirty clothes in it before.


    There¡¯s also a bathhouse around here, but it¡¯s a steam bath. It¡¯s joined to the bakery, maybe because they¡¯re probably using the heat from the oven. Along with the steam bath there¡¯s a barbershop and a massage parlor, so it¡¯s pretty crowded. There¡¯s also hookers there so I¡¯m keeping my distance. Besides, the hygiene¡¯s pretty questionable based on the appearance ¡ª I already did a 180 degree turn away from there.


    There¡¯s also a boat with a bathtub you can rent at the town beside the river, but the sanitation really was¡­¡­. Plus, I did an ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿and syphilis came out, so I never went there.


    So, the reason I didn¡¯t invite Ash to the local bathhouse was absolutely not because I didn¡¯t know if she should go to the men¡¯s or the women¡¯s bath, got it? But we¡¯re stinky from hunting the wolves, and I didn¡¯t want to stay like this.


    ¡¸ Can I bother you with that? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Alright, sit over there and wait, okay. ¡¹


    The first floor was a workshop, but since it¡¯s just a laboratory for making meds, it¡¯s a bit spacious. I placed the sofa and table in the empty space.


    I got some water from the yard, and boiled it in the kitchen, before sneakily teleporting to my own house to get some towels, bed sheets and black tea. What else? Ah, I had to light a fire at the fireplace, or else it¡¯ll be cold.


    I left Ash on the first floor, then got the fireplace going on the second floor. I already tested the fireplace once when I repaired ¡ª or should I say recreated ¡ª it, so pretty sure there are no problems with it.


    I poured the hot water in the tub, and placed a bucket with water beside it. Alright, done.


    ¡¸ Go on, the toilet is over there at that door. I¡¯ll be upstairs. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, thank you. ¡¹


    The toilet was directly built in the corner of the kitchen, so I made a wall around it. That¡¯s the kitchen, for crying out loud, so why did they do that ¡ª Well, thinking about it, maybe they just took advantage of putting the drainage of the kitchen and the toilet together, since there¡¯s a sewerage under the road. The kitchen became cramped because of the wall, though.


    Be it toilet or baths ¡ª summoned heroes from the earth should do something about this, ugh!!


    ¡­.. was what I initially thought, but the last heroes summoned were around 300 years ago, so we probably didn¡¯t belong to the same era. That means, I could only leave it to Sis and her friends to do livelihood reforms, huh. Good luck, government!


    I tried calling out after a while, but didn¡¯t hear any reply, so ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ back to my house, and hurriedly washed my face, hands and feet, then changed clothes. Still stinky, but will just take a relaxing bath later.


    I took a tea set and some cookies and placed them on a tray. Honestly, I did fix the first floor since people might see it, but I just left the rest as is ©` just placed a bed, table and a chair on the second floor. Anway, let¡¯s just pretend that the second floor is for the guests, and my living space is on the third floor. There¡¯s nothing in there, though.


    ¡¸ Alright, let¡¯s start? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Sorry. Please, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡¹


    Ash was on the bed while I sat on the chair, facing her. I reached out and touched the bird. It didn¡¯t stop poking Ash on the head ©` seemed like the lil bird couldn¡¯t stop on its own, too. It seemed like a great idea to do something about that ribbon-like collar of light, but I was not sure what to do. I tried pulling it with a finger while thinking like this, but the collar was abruptly torn into shreds.


    ¡¸ Ugh ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, sorry. ¡¹


    It was totally unexpected, so I called out to her. I caught her falling body, then laid her on the bed. Her chest bumped me, but it¡¯s flatter than a board, my heart didn¡¯t even jump. She¡¯s supposed to be a girl fresh from the bath, you know¡­¡­ maybe that female knight was messing around me, and ¡®she¡¯ is really a ¡®he¡¯?


    The little bird alighted on my shoulder as I covered Ash with a blanket. It was stretching its neck while poking Ash, so I thought its feathers were a bit scraggly, but now, it¡¯s compact and round.


    ¡¸ Stop carrying out your contract ¡®revenge¡¯ on this guy, alright? You¡¯ve worked hard, so rest well. ¡¹


    I can¡¯t stop this guy from attacking others, though. I scooped it and placed it beside Ash¡¯s pillow. The small bird fluffed itself before closing its eyes.


    Alright, bath time!! Riche sniffed me when I returned back home ©` so I was still stinky, huh. I relaxed for a while inside the bath, drank some milk after, then lazed on the sofa while stroking Riche as he sat on my belly. .


    Guess I should fix that third floor so it¡¯ll be fine even if people came, huh. Hm, maybe I can make a fireplace with some firewood, and make some tableware and pots while at it. Ahh, it¡¯d be fine if I put a lock, huh. A lot of ideas came rushing in. It¡¯s fun planning the layout and interior of the house. It seems I¡¯m doing too much for that rented house though.


    It¡¯s difficult since I had no idea when Ash would wake up. Anyway, maybe I should live over there for the meantime.


    Let¡¯s go shopping for a bathtub tomorrow.

 CH 19

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Ash was still fast asleep when I peeked inside the room. I brought the table near the headrest. Wrote a memo to inform her that I¡¯ll be out for a bit to go shopping, then put a glass of water so she could drink when she woke up. Also gave the little bird some water, and patted it. It had a different kind of fluffiness from Riche. Seemed like it¡¯s really tired from all those years of pecking ¡ª it didn¡¯t even move an inch.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m going now. Take care of Ash when she wakes up. ¡¹


    I said that to the bird before leaving to shop.


    First stop was firewood. It¡¯s troublesome to keep on returning just to buy this, so I bought just enough to cram under the stairs, and requested them to deliver it. Anyway, I¡¯ll just buy the stuff that would seem odd if I didn¡¯t have them.


    Would it be fine to pretend that I¡¯m always eating out? Buying some seasonings and wheat flour would do in that case. Not sure if the business was poorly managed, but the tea leaves they¡¯re selling here weren¡¯t delicious. I¡¯ll get them from the royal capital then. Ah, the bathtub too.


    And so, teleported¡­. from the royal capital to another country¡¯s town famous for their pottery. The bathtub they had was an oblong cask. There were stone tubs at the royal capital near the waterfront, but most of the bathtubs here were either made from casks or barrels. Ah, I think the nobilities had brass ones?


    Mine back home was a white clawfoot bathtub, but it¡¯s enamelled. Hmm, not sure, but wasn¡¯t it something like applying a glassy coating on a metal casted object? I don¡¯t really know how to make it.


    So, anyway, the plan was to glaze the pottery so it¡¯ll turn into something like a smooth and slippery porcelain. If that didn¡¯t work out, then maybe just fashion it like a wooden bathtub from cypress. Maintenance seemed like it would be a pain though.


    There were porcelain vases in the royal capital. So after asking around the market and following rumors, I finally came into this town.


    ¡¸ Good day. If I may ask, do you know of any workshop that can make a relatively huge porcelain? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Relatively huge, is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes. ¡¹


    Not familiar with the place and I didn¡¯t have a middle man, so the fastest way would be to find the Commerce Guild building and ask there.


    ¡¸ Is it a new custom order? Or is it an arranged order? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It might be a new custom order? Or maybe an arranged order, too. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know. ¡¹


    Not sure what the existing products here were. If they had a gigantic flower pot-like thing then I could go with an arranged order? I only see unglazed pottery for those pots, though.


    ¡¸ Do you have a license? ¡¹


    I took out my Guild Coin, and the lady receptionist wrote my identification number on the documents.


    ¡¸ Do you have specification documents? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s not actually a specification document, but this is how I wanted it to be. ¡¹


    I handed a paper containing the side view and the top view, size, material texture and other stuff to her. It¡¯d be difficult to explain it verbally, so I prepared this plan earlier.


    A bathtub that you can lie in, the part of the bottom is a bit inclined so you can lean back comfortably, and there¡¯s a step at the other side so you can put your feet up, or sit on it too. There¡¯s two plans, the other one for a normal type that didn¡¯t have a step.


    I didn¡¯t think the ball and claw foot would cut it, so better to have the support and legs made from metal. Or maybe I could just embed it on the floor so water won¡¯t seep into crevices. Molds will be a problem if I can¡¯t clean the gap between the floor and the tub. Ah, of course I shouldn¡¯t forget about the drainage hole so that water won¡¯t get stuck. Maybe I could use a cork or wood to plug it?


    ¡¸ Do you have any preferences for the manufacturer? ¡¹


    ¡¸ If there¡¯s any artisan that you are confident in¡­¡¹


    Didn¡¯t know a single person here.


    She made me wait for a bit, then it was decided that I would meet the artisan tomorrow afternoon. The messenger brought some samples he was entrusted with, and he gave me a beautiful cup as a freebie, too. That made me a bit happy.


    I also bought complete sets of tableware for my own home and the rented house. People in this world commonly used wooden utensils, while those rich folks used silverware. So porcelain and chinaware were a bit rare ¡ª ended up stocking-up now.


    Also bought some food and ingredients before returning to the rented house. Maybe I could make soup for now then leave it at the fireplace.


    I immediately installed the locks on the doors of the second and third floors. I checked Ash while doing the second floor. Not a single noise, though.


    ¡¸ Hush any noise I make, ¡º Silence ¡» ¡¹


    Just remembered magic halfway through, so I used it. It¡¯s a bit weird if I couldn¡¯t hear a single thing, kinda like muting a game, so I just toned the sound down.


    Apparently, the spirits around me would do their best every time I used magic. Well, although it also depended on the ability of the caster, spirits still influence the spell, so even if the same person casted the same spell, the strength would depend on the environment.


    The firewood delivery came in the middle of work, so I broke the spell and requested the delivery guy to stuff the firewood under the stairs. The wheat flour delivery guy also came while I was carrying some of the wood. I took the flour and brought it together with the wood to the cellar.


    The cellar was beside the sewerage. It bothered me, so I added an extra wall. Well, yeah, yeah, they¡¯re not super near each other, but if I say I¡¯m bothered, I¡¯m bothered, no helping it. Too bothered! In fact, I had already stuffed the space with charcoal, added a brick wall, then painted it with plaster before I even noticed what I was doing.


    Also added a shelf to that new wall. Stored the flour and legumes there. The wine I bought from the royal capital also lined the shelf. Was this okay? I picked stuff that would not go bad even if I left them here. All that was left were some boxes.


    Finished installing the lock on the guestroom. So now it¡¯s time for the demolition of the laboratory. I actually made it at the corner of the yard, but now I¡¯m turning it into a bathroom. I could boil some water both in the kitchen and the fireplace. Pretty sure I won¡¯t be taking a bath here, though. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s fun remodelling a narrow space, kinda like making a trailer house.


    ¡¸ Sorry to bother you while you¡¯re having fun. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hm? ¡¹


    A candy-like, golden-haired girl peeked at me.


    Didn¡¯t sense the door opening. I spun around in shock, and a cold, handsome youth and a kind-looking granny were standing behind me.


    ¡¸ Mischt, Ludere, Pal? Hi, it¡¯s been so long. ¡¹


    But why were they here?


    ¡¸ Let¡¯s talk about the details in your domain. ¡¹


    Ludere didn¡¯t bat an eye as he said that and suddenly, my surroundings changed, and we¡¯re inside my house.

 CH 20

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    The clean room and the presence of the three beings made the work tool I¡¯m holding seem totally out of place.


    Riche dashed towards me and snuggled at my feet. Good boy, you¡¯re guarding the house, huh.


    ¡¸ Sorry for the abruptness, but we have a matter to request of you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah? ¡¹


    I stared at Ludere while I gently put the tool down as naturally as possible. Well, I was overly conscious, so it must¡¯ve been awkward to look at.


    ¡¸ We¡¯re really sorry to trouble you, but can you please name the spirits that have taken refuge in this place? ¡¹


    Pal looked anxious as she said that.


    ¡¸ Your older sister¡¯s using a lot of magic. But the way she uses it is rea~lly reckless. Well, it can¡¯t be helped since she can¡¯t see the spirits yet. ¡¹


    Mischt was talking about my Sis.


    ¡¸ She¡¯s obsessive and flighty, after all. I guess she¡¯d be extremely unreasonable for at least a year. ¡¹


    Sis would use time, use money, and use me thoroughly for whatever she¡¯s hung-up on, be it a TV channel, an actress, aquarium or whatnot. Then she¡¯d eventually toss away whatever hobby that was. This time, it¡¯s Sis¡¯s own abilities we¡¯re talking about, so she probably won¡¯t dump the spirits after she¡¯s done with them, but she¡¯ll probably use her new playthings within an inch of their lives.


    ¡¸ Well, to be precise, she¡¯s been exhausting her power, and almost all of it is gone. Namina already warned her, it seems, but Namina is also a luck-pusher and it¡¯s something that gives her power, so¡­ ¡¹


    Not sure who this Namina is, but it must be the light ball, based on the context. She¡¯s not proactively stopping Sis because it strengthens her? Ha, as I thought, I really don¡¯t like that ball.


    ¡¸ Your sister will be able to see the spirits once Namina regains her powers. I sneaked a peek, and based on how things are going on, we¡¯re really worried that she might put ALL of the spirits under the ¡¾ Domination ¡¿ spell. ¡¹


    Mischt looked at me with puppy eyes.


    ¡¸ We understand that you do not wish to be involved with that person, but the spirits are so boisterous that it¡¯s truly unbearable. ¡¹


    Ludere seemed to hate noise, huh. Oh, right, he governs Silence, after all.


    ¡¸ We periodically check on this yard, because it is under our protection. If this continues on, it will really affect us all, you see. ¡¹


    Pal glanced outside.


    ¡¸ Jin, I think you should see the spirits in here. ¡¹


    Mischt said that, so I looked at the spirits.


    ¡ª Looked.


    ¡¸ Whoa!! Scary!! ¡¹


    A-a-a colossal amount of spirits were jam packed and squished against the glass!!!


    ¡¸ You didn¡¯t notice that, huh¡­ ¡¹


    Ludere averted his eyes as he muttered.


    Sorry, I didn¡¯t look properly before. So, I had been living in this kind of place, huh¡­. You don¡¯t have to be Ludere to hate this. Yup, not ¡®seeing¡¯ had been the right choice.


    Sis¡¯s ¡¾ Domination ¡¿affects everyone beside her even without her using it. The spirits knew that, so they fled to me, since I possessed ¡¾ Liberation ¡¿, so they said.


    ¡¾ Liberation ¡¿ is the same as ¡¾ Domination ¡¿, it¡¯s already effective just by being nearby.


    If they were called out and placed under¡¾ Domination¡¿then it would be a different story, but if the caster was unaware that they exist, then they could still escape. They¡¯d flee while they could, before they vanish from being used up and exhausted, to someone who had ¡¾ Liberation ¡¿ so that they could erase the traces of ¡¾ Domination ¡¿.


    In short, they wanted to be beside me, so this happened. They couldn¡¯t enter the house except when I used magic, after all.


    ¡¸ If you named them, anyone else¡¯s ¡¾ Domination ¡¿will no longer apply to them. They will be free, just like before. ¡¹


    Pal looked at my confused expression, and she bowed her head deeply as she explained.


    ¡¸ Well, it all depends on whether your magic is stronger compared to the other person, or you have a deeper bond with the spirits.¡¹


    ¡¸Ludere was the one who bestowed the power of magic on you, after all. If you bonded with the spirits first, then I think they will definitely choose you. ¡¹


    Ludere pointed out the problem for me, and Mischt was optimistic about this.


    ¡¸It will depend on how many spirits you can name while that person is still unaware. ¡¹


    Pal reminded me again of what I should do.


    It¡¯s not really like I returned to how I was before, but I felt motivated, since I knew what would happen. Besides, it seemed that this whole naming business was really important for my comfortable life. It¡¯s just weird that the plants outside weren¡¯t affected by that amount of spirits, though.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m not really good at naming things, though. ¡¹


    Gonna name ALL of THOSE? Isn¡¯t it impossible?


    ¡¸ Number or anything else is fine. They came here with the goal of¡¾ Liberation¡¿. ¡¹


    Ludere said.


    ¡¸ If you mutually like each other, then you can change the name again. The person who gave the name can easily overwrite it, you see. ¡¹


    Mischt beamed.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s also favorable for the spirits, you know. If a spirit that isn¡¯t named yet finds a person it likes, and it¡¯s strong-willed, then it will definitely ask the person to name it. ¡¹


    Pal also explained.


    It¡¯s kinda confusing, but in short, the spirits must like me instead of Sis, is that it?


    ¡¸ The spirit you named will lend their strength to you. If you find a good spirit, then it¡¯d be best to give it a personal name. Right? ¡¹


    Ludere supplemented.


    Alright, numbers, then.


    ¡¸ Ye~s, yes. Jin will name you, so line up, okay. ¡¹


    ¡¸ If you don¡¯t line up you won¡¯t be named. ¡¹


    Mischt called out to the swarming spirits, but only half of them willingly lined up. Ludere made those floating as they pleased to line up too.


    I listed the numbers while they were arranging the spirits. I took a table and some chairs to the porch with the grapevine trellis. Put some black tea on top, and preps done. I opened the window and started naming them.


    ¡¸ Red 1 ¡¹


    ¡¸ Green 1¡¹


    ¡¸ Yellow 1¡¹


    ¡¸ Red 2 ¡¹


    ¡¸ Blue 1¡¹


    If it¡¯s just numbers then we might end up with an extremely high number, so we decided to go with color of the spirit plus number. After being named, some of them stayed in the garden, while the others flew off to who knows where after tasting freedom. Hey, why do I get the feeling like I¡¯m vaccinating these spirits, huh.


    Riche was tired after doing his best by my feet and watching me do the same thing for a few hours. He was already splayed out, fast asleep.


    Khadar and Ish also came without me noticing.


    ¡¸ Ugh, break time. I¡¯ll go check Ash. ¡¹


    The spirits waiting for their turn were becoming unbearable. Pressuring me to hurry up and name them, so I¡¯m gonna escape for a bit. Haah, yeah, this is for my comfortable life, but still, it¡¯s tough, you know.


    ¡¸ Thanks for the hard work. ¡¹


    Khadar¡¯s voice rang as I teleported back to the rented house.


    ¡¸ Who¡¯s Ash? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I freed her from a spirit, so I¡¯m looking after her since she collapsed. ¡¹


    Mischt seemed free, so she came after me.


    Oh, she¡¯s still sleeping like a log, no movements whatsoever. Doesn¡¯t she get tired of this? The bird noticed us, so it flew over. Ahh, this fluffiness is healing me.


    ¡¸ Oh my, it¡¯s a tough spot for a maiden. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hey, I¡¯m never gonna make a move on her, you hear me. ¡¹


    Mischt seemed like she could properly see her as a girl. What¡¯s her basis?


    ¡¸ No, that¡¯s not what I mean~. Okay, now, the toilet can wait until she wakes up. ¡¹


    Hey, so that tough spot, huh!


    ¡¸ Sorry, didn¡¯t think about it. Thanks. ¡¹


    Close, that was a really close call.

 CH 21

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    A disaster was avoided thanks to Mischt. Those invisible dangers are the most troublesome, right! Well, I feel like I¡¯d still be running away even if I knew about it, given the kind of situation that it was.


    That aside, Mischt said that Ash will probably wake up at dusk the day after tomorrow.


    ¡¸ And this child¡¯s name is? ¡¹


    Mischt asked while staring at the little bird.


    ¡¸ I think it¡¯s Lu. ¡¹


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, the ¡¾ Appraisal¡¿ result said that Ash¡¯s father named it ¡º Lu ¡» when he made it his servant.


    ¡¸ The contract has been broken, it seems. You can give it a new name, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Is that so? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yup. That child also wants you to do that. ¡¹


    The little bird¡¯s feathers were slick and smooth, and it was blue from its head down to its back. The breast was a pale blue color, and it¡¯s super soft and fluffy. Fluffy Fluffy Fluff- chan ¡ª ugh, I really didn¡¯t have the knack for naming stuff.


    ¡¸ How about ¡º Az ¡»? Do you want a different name? ¡¹


    Azure is the Italian word for blue, and it¡¯s kinda reminiscent of Italy¡¯s blue skies.


    The little bird came fluttering happily towards me, so it¡¯s fine with Az, I guess. It then started to scratch the spot above my ears. The bird¡¯s ear holes were just below its eyes, so it¡¯s really just a hole ¡ª it¡¯s a bit scary.


    ¡¸ Will you stay with Ash? ¡¹


    Ash will wake up the day after tomorrow, but they have always been together, so she might get lonely if the bird¡¯s gone. Besides, the bird didn¡¯t seem strong enough yet, so I don¡¯t want to take it back with me.


    Ah, but the bird had been under contract to endlessly peck Ash, so maybe their relationship¡¯s a bit dicey.


    The naming session with the spirits continued on until night, but it¡¯s over. Finally! After this, I just have to do this once or twice every month, when they increased.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a bit dark. ¡¹


    Days here are longer than when I was in Japan, but it¡¯s still dark.


    ¡¸ Lights on ¡¹


    ¡¸ WAIT¡¹


    AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT¡±S THIS!!!! FLASH GRENADE!!? WAAHH, WHAT THE! IT¡¯S STILL SO BRIGHT!!!


    Ugh, this must be the perfect part to go screaming that famous ¡®my eeeyes, MY EEEYES!!!!!¡¯ line, huh¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­uuu¡­..


    My body flopped to the ground while I¡¯m still clutching my eyes.


    ¡¸ Oh my, how amazing! ¡¹


    Mischt¡¯s voice came floating from somewhere. Yeah right, you got the LIGHT attribute, for crying out loud.


    ¡¸ I told you to wait and yet. ¡¹


    Ludere called out with a sigh. Felt like the place seemed to have darkened a bit.


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t this painful for a human? ¡¹


    Everything IS white, it¡¯s STILL white even if I shut my eyes! It¡¯s SUPER PAINFUL, Pal!


    ¡¸ Thanks, Ludere. ¡¹


    Ish was still chill as ever.


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t fret. ¡¾ Healing ¡¿will work. ¡¹


    So I had gone blind? I hurriedly casted ¡¾ Healing ¡¿. Haaa¡­finally recovered.


    ¡¸ What was that? ¡¹


    It¡¯s like a soundless explosion, or something like that, and it¡¯s not as simple as being dazzled.


    ¡¸ They may be tiny, but there are a lot of light spirits in here. ¡¹


    Mischt giggled.


    ¡¸ All of them grouped together to give you power, so that¡¯s the result. ¡¹


    Rather than chill, Ish was totally expressionless.


    ¡¸ Ludere blended darkness to weaken the light. If you¡¯re not careful, it¡¯ll be dangerous, so you have to imagine it properly and communicate that to the spirits. ¡¹


    I agree with Pal¡­ wait wait lemme get this straight, I was fine up to yesterday doing exactly what I did earlier! I¡¯ve been totally fine with that degree of ¡®light¡¯ before!


    Also, do spirits hear what I¡¯m thinking? Communicating the image ¡ª did that mean these five are currently eavesdropping on my thoughts?


    Uggghhhhhh, so tired. So hungry too. This won¡¯t do! I¡¯ll make some dinner now.


    ¡°Will you be eating here?¡±


    Tentatively asked them.


    ¡¸ Honey! ¡¹


    Mischt.


    ¡¸ Wine. ¡¹


    Ludere.


    ¡¸ Bread. ¡¹


    Pal.


    ¡¸ Medicinal Tea. ¡¹


    Khadar.


    ¡¸ Salt. ¡¹


    Ish.


    That unbalanced diet is like an impregnable iron wall, huh. I was prepared even before I asked them, but nothing is more useless than getting them to eat properly, huh. Spirits with humanoid forms were stronger, so they could eat different food, but they don¡¯t taste it, apparently.


    Spirits will eat things related to their attributes, like water from morning or evening dew, flames from a bonfire or a fireplace, fragrance of flowers, and so on. Other preferences depended on the person, so it seems. Only Pal¡¯s bread was well thought out, but it can¡¯t be helped.


    I prepared all the stuff they wanted. My meal was grilled salted saury, grated radish, and some of the cucumbers and carrots I pickled in rice bran, plus rice and pork miso soup with veggies. The carrots overlapped with those in the pork soup, but the pickles went well with it, so everything turned out great.


    The girl made a sweet face like sugar candy while happily scooping the honey from the cup.


    The white-faced, gorgeous young man sipped the wine silently.


    The granny earnestly tore the bread and ate it.


    The old man was scrunching his brow¡ª maybe it¡¯s because of the bitter medicinal tea. But hey, he¡¯s the one who requested that.


    The lad was scooping the white crystals in his cup and then bringing it to his mouth without a single expression on his face.


    Everything felt surreal. And Ish¡¯s salt really is standing out! Kinda worried how much to serve him, but was that enough?


    Will he dislike it if I used matcha salt? This big brother has the perception of a human, so kinda worried about Ish¡¯s body. Although that¡¯s his appearance, Ish¡¯s older than me.


    The saury¡¯s skin perfectly broke off with the chopsticks, and the fat came rushing out. The pork miso soup warmed my tummy on this cold day, and the rice and side dishes were really scrumptious even on their own. Those who can¡¯t understand how delicious this is¡­. Oh well, I don¡¯t understand how morning dew and evening dew¡¯s delicious, too.


    Alright, let¡¯s try tackling chawanmushi for tomorrow¡¯s challenge. Don¡¯t have a steamer, but I could try to wing it by putting an upside down colander inside the pot, then putting them on top.


    Maybe I could go to the Dinosso family, or maybe join the carpenters for a hotpot. It¡¯s a bit lonely if they can¡¯t eat the same stuff with me.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C

 CH 22

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Riche and I took a stroll on the mountain this morning. The snow hadn¡¯t melted yet from the mountaintop, and it looked like there¡¯s more to come.


    My firewood ration for this winter was around four tons.


    It¡¯s cheaper if I buy the logs as is, but I decided to buy the dried ones that were as big as the fireplace just like yesterday. Besides, firewood will definitely become more expensive as snow piles up.


    Ordinary families also knew that, but they couldn¡¯t buy in bulk since there¡¯s no place to store it after.


    Actually, my firewood back home is still fine, but maybe it¡¯s good to prune some of the trees as a way of caring for the forest.


    Time to go back. It¡¯s still a bit early, but let¡¯s have lunch. Riche is a spirit, so he doesn¡¯t get filthy per se, but I tried washing the spots where the mud stuck. He¡¯s gained some strength, but he just curled up beside the fireplace and slept after drinking water.


    Okay, time to prepare the meal. I tried experimenting with the flower stems of a winter plant called lella. It had a strong alkaline kind of taste, so I tore it first and soaked it in water before going out.


    I also prepared the main dish while at it. I marinated the leg part of the beef in soy sauce, mirin, and rice malt, then sprinkled some salt and pepper when it¡¯s done. Brushed some olive oil on top then grilled it, then stored it inside a thick pot that would keep the heat so that the inside the meat would keep on cooking. Sprinkled some anchovies, salt, olive oil and just an insy bit of garlic, plus roasted walnuts on the lella, and voila, my salad is done.


    My roast-beef-wanna-be dish was also done, so I got some bread for it. Preps done. Ah, wait, soup, I forgot the soup. I placed the pot near the fireplace, and left it for a long time. It turned out perfectly, since it was cooked on its own without rushing.


    Alright, really done with the preps this time around.


    The salad was crunchy and a bit bitter. The meat had a faint taste of soy sauce and it¡¯s super soft, while the bread¡¯s a bit tough, plus there¡¯s the hot soup. The deliciousness was a real pay-off after strolling through the mountains as exercise.


    This lella is tasty, so maybe I should plant some. Ah, the spirits will come so I have to plant some flowers first. When I went to ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡», everywhere you look was kinda like Water! Flowers! Trees! afterall.


    Changed Az¡¯s water while checking up on Ash ¡ª I¡¯ve been doing this in the morning, noon and evening. There¡¯s no movement aside from Az¡¯s, though. Alright, time for that bathtub.


    I bought more utensils before that. That¡¯s because there¡¯s too many deities¡­. At least let me change their utensils. I asked the shop I¡¯m in about the location of the workshop where we¡¯re meeting up.


    The shop was in the city, but the workshop was at the outskirts of town. There¡¯s a lot of bottle-shaped buildings made from bricks ¡ª Oh, they¡¯re kilns, huh.


    ¡¸ Hey there, I¡¯m Malcolm. You got a new idea for a product, I heard? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Jean. Not really an idea, it¡¯s just a bathtub. ¡¹


    We shook hands, then I handed him my scribbles that¡¯s flaunting itself as a specs document, and explained to him what I wanted.


    ¡¸ Good timing, the neighboring country also requested some bathtubs. You¡¯re a godsend. ¡¹


    Neighboring country, huh¡­.Pft! It must be from Sis and her friends, alright.


    Several inquiries from the high ranking nobles came pouring in, so he started making some prototypes. The request wasn¡¯t that clear since there¡¯s a middleman dealing with it instead of them directly negotiating, but it¡¯s something like a clawfoot bathtub.


    I just wanted it for myself, but it seems that it became an item sold to aristocrats. Now that I think about it, maybe it¡¯s weird that I was personally inquiring at the Commerce Guild and having only one made for me.


    Great news, enamel coating seems okay, or should I say, there¡¯s an enamel available. They¡¯re plating the enamel on the porcelain. It¡¯s not really what I imagined, but it¡¯s still enamel.


    And so, a foundry was also involved in the process, so we met up with them. I funded the project ¡ª I wanted them to make it anyway, so that¡¯s fine. I was a bit nervous at first, but they¡¯re going to make two, one for me and one as a sample. They¡¯ll send the bill after and I¡¯m just going to pay half of the total price so they can start making it, so it¡¯s safe.


    The rules are a bit different for the workshop¡¯s patrons, and if it¡¯s a well guarded secret of the trade. Generally, even if it¡¯s just contributing an idea like what I did, if it was done through the Commercial Guild, you can get 10% of the earnings for 3 years. Not sure if that period is considered short or long since it¡¯ll take six months to make the product until it¡¯s time for billing.


    Anyway, thanks to Sis, maybe I¡¯ll get back what I paid? I did ¡¾ Cut Ties ¡¿ with them, so info about me probably won¡¯t reach them, but not sure what to feel about this connection.


    They hadn¡¯t tried making something as huge as this in the workshop, but they¡¯re experienced with the process, so I¡¯m relieved. Only one bathtub can fit in the kiln, so I hope they¡¯d successfully make it in one shot, ¡®coz it¡¯s pretty expensive.


    Had to prepare to wait since it¡¯d take a few days for casting the metal ¡ª I¡¯ll ask the foundry if I can observe them later.


    I ate out for dinner, but the taste was a bit¡­.


    Gonna hunt bears tomorrow to earn a bit of ka-ching. The money I got was reduced quite a bit, but it¡¯s within my expectations. Ah, but it¡¯ll be break time for hunting once snow piles up. Some of the monster bears are still up and about, but normal bears are going into hibernation, too. Besides, I plan to stay at home all the time.


    Baked some bread for tomorrow¡¯s bento. Planned to make some sandwiches from the roast beef left-overs and some veggies.


    After doing those preps. I took a bath, then chugged down some milk before sleeping.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Hey me, growing a bit taller is fine, you know?

 CH 23

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    I baked three pieces of batard and baguette.


    A batard is a short, fat kind of french bread, and it¡¯s springy inside after baking. I¡¯m gonna use this for the sandwich.


    The baguette was long and a bit thin, so it¡¯s crunchy, perfect for making slices and topping it with different stuff, so my plan was to make some hors d¡¯oeuvre.


    It would take a while to bake, so I took a stroll with Riche first. Maybe I could make a frisbee next time. Riche was tumbling as he ran. We gazed at the scenery together.


    Had coffee and freshly baked bread for breakfast after.


    The coffee was brewed using flannel drip simply because I already had all the tools I needed. It was a bit bitter, but I could taste the full flavor of the beans, without any other flavor mixed in.


    I want to change the taste depending on my mood, so maybe I could also make a siphon?? Or should the flask go first? The ones here were leather bags, after all¡­.


    Made the sandwich as planned, then I checked Ash and fluffed Az.


    After breakfast, I went to the forest to go bear-hunting ¡ª well, that was just a front. I teleported to the depths of the woods, instead. It¡¯d be a disaster if I haven¡¯t mastered my magic in times of crisis. If I activated another blinding light at the bear hunting grounds like yesterday, the guards watching from the gate towers would discover me, but I don¡¯t wanna do violent magic near my house too.


    Searched for someplace that¡¯s a bit hidden. I finally found a spot with some steep rocks, and the woods surrounded it from above and on the ground.


    ¡¸ Alright. ¡¹


    I said that to no one in particular before concentrating. ¡¾ Search ¡¿ was already getting some aura that I¡¯ve never felt before.


    This is already a bit far from the place I did the naming, so what I¡¯m currently using now is just normal power. None of the spirits I named should be in this place.


    First would be the usual Fireball. Yup, it¡¯s stronger than I thought.


    Magic is a phenomenon that occurs because of the power of the spirits. People would use mana to lure spirits in aiding them when casting spells or else forcefully drawing out magic from them ¡ª I call it mana, but I don¡¯t really know it¡¯s difference with that of mental energy.


    If the spirits like you, then they¡¯ll be more proactive than usual in giving you power. Meanwhile, it is also possible to forcefully draw their power out by naming them or having the ¡¾ Domination ¡¿ skill like what Sis has.


    The rest would be just going with the flow. I actually experienced this myself the other day.


    You can count on one hand the magicians who can instantly activate their magic, and if it is known that they can use attack magic and healing magic, the country will zoom in on them ¡ª that¡¯s how rare it is. There are plenty of shamans and conjurers, but they need a lot of preparation and they¡¯re going to plead to the spirits for a long time, bit by bit¡­¡­.anyway, it¡¯s a method that needs tons of patience.


    ¡¸ Lights on ¡¹


    Yup, this one¡¯s brighter than usual.


    If you named a spirit, it¡¯ll be easier to draw power from the surrounding spirits that have the same attribute. That¡¯s why even if it¡¯s not as bright as when the named spirit is around, the power is still amplified.


    First would be to practice toning it down to the level of power I wanted. Before that ¡ª


    ¡¸ Sorry, but you¡¯re in the way. ¡¹


    Used ¡º Zanzenken ¡»to slash the Horned Monitor Lizard that came. I¡¯m way faster, and this blade won¡¯t break. I can manage this somehow just by swinging it with all I got.


    The region inhabited by humans was surrounded by monsters from all directions. There is the Magical Woods in the east, the Desolation Kingdom in the west, the Black Mountain in the north, and the Dragon¡¯s Hunting Grounds in the south.


    The reason I chose the borderland city of Canum was because of the easy climate, plus it¡¯s far from Sis¡¯s country. Besides, I could somehow manage defeating the monsters here with ¡º Zanzenken¡». There were some places where monsters like wraiths weren¡¯t governed by nature.


    These monsters are tough, tenacious and have strong vitality.


    The monitor lizard that I slayed was more like a fantasy animal compared to the bears and wolves that I usually hunted. So the animals in the depths of the woods are weird and more troublesome, huh. I¡¯m not really in the mood to go there, but the government periodically sends


    investigator teams, it seems.


    Anyway, it would have been great to just live leisurely and comfortably to a ripe old age, but my ideal lifestyle is higher than most people, so it is more expensive, and I have to make some things on my own.


    One of my goals would be to create a down blanket. I heard people talk about the white goose monster. Maybe it has some fine feathers?


    Can¡¯t be helped, did you know, in this world, the quilts of commoners were made from bear hide.


    My blankets at home were only for summer. Imagine, a bear hide imposingly sitting on the spring mattress! Yeah, there¡¯s no head but still, I don¡¯t want it.


    Down quilts were usually made with wild goose or duck feathers. Wild geese are relatives of the geese. I wanna go to the forest¡¯s lake and try hunting white wild geese. They¡¯re birds of flight, so I¡¯m gonna rely on magic, but it¡¯s meaningless if they are scattered .


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m gonna train. Even if the number of spirits around me changed, I should be able to control the strength of my magic! Gonna hit them all!


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.I don¡¯t have a sense of control, right.


    That¡¯s why training is really important. The strength will be fine if the imagination is on point. It¡¯d be fun if the image I conjured had game-like effects.


    It¡¯s difficult to hit them when they¡¯re moving, so if I concentrate on hitting them, the strength would also rise.


    I¡¯m a bit tired so I take a break and have lunch! Took a deep breath before searching for a place to sit.


    ¡­.. I already slayed a monitor lizard and a three-horned fox with ¡º Zanzenken ¡» before I knew it¡­. Felt like it was pointless killing, but if I didn¡¯t defeat them, then they were gonna eat me, so they had to give up.


    Nothing else came after that, and¡¾ Search ¡¿didn¡¯t catch anything. Is this it? Did monsters acknowledge that I¡¯m a dangerous guy?

 CH 24

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ Are you alright? ¡¹


    The log moved ¡ª er¡­ Ash, I mean. So I called out to her.


    Mischt said that she¡¯ll wake up this evening, so I¡¯ve been waiting for her to rise. I played with Az as well.


    Just as Mischt said, Ash opened her eyes just as the sun set.


    ¡¸ Thanks. ¡¹


    She was a bit surprised when she saw me, but soon enough, she recalled what happened after looking around her and spotting Az on my hand.


    ¡¸ Can you move? Does it hurt anywhere? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. I think I¡¯m fine. My back just hurts a bit.¡¹


    Ash sat up and did a light stretch with her arms. The wrinkle between her brows deepened from time to time, probably because her back hurt.


    ¡¸ Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been lying on your back for the whole time? ¡¹


    Just like a motionless log. If not for her chest going up and down, I might¡¯ve doubted whether she¡¯s still alive.


    ¡¸ The whole time? Come to think of it, it¡¯s morning, no, evening, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s the third day. ¡¹


    It¡¯s not just one day.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s¡­ Sorry for troubling you. ¡¹


    She felt a bit depressed, and she wrinkled her brow, and it was really scary. Kinda surprised at myself for knowing that she felt depressed, though.


    ¡¸ No, I just laid you on the bed. I¡¯m going out, so do you wanna change clothes? Can you eat? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, please. I¡¯m ¡ª not sure if I¡¯m hungry or not. ¡¹


    ¡¸ You¡¯ve been in a fasting state all this time, right? I¡¯ll go get some soup. That water over there is for drinking so you can have some if you want. ¡¹


    I glanced at the water on top of the table, then I placed Az beside Ash before leaving the room.


    The water was drawn from my house, so there¡¯s no need to boil it to drink. Expensive inns have water jugs for washing face, so a little reminder was necessary.


    I went down to the first floor, and prepared some plates. Maybe I should put it on the tray so she could eat in bed. Got a towel and wrapped the jar of soup I left at the workshop¡¯s fireplace.


    The soup was not inside a pot, but in a jar with handles, and I left it beside the wall of the fireplace. It has been simmered slowly, so the veggies were really tasty. I used consomme and chicken with bones for the dashi, then added a dash of salt and pepper for that really mild taste.


    Cooking stew is absolutely convenient. The fire in the hearth could be controlled, but even if it was gone, the stones around it stored some heat, so they could still warm the food.


    I knocked on the door, then waited a bit for a reply before coming in. I held the tray in one hand then turned the knob with the other, then kicked the door to open it. Sorry, both my hands were preoccupied, you know.


    Ash was sitting behind the table, ¡®nudging¡¯ Az with her fingertip. I had to tell her about Az, but let¡¯s leave that for tomorrow.


    I set the tray on the table and put some soup in a bowl.


    ¡¸ Here you go. ¡¹


    Handed it to Ash before sitting across from her.


    ¡¸ What a great aroma. I¡¯m suddenly hungry, so I won¡¯t hold back now. ¡¹


    Wait a sec.


    That river between your brows..so you¡¯re a beauty now that it¡¯s gone!? Who are YOU!? Still poker faced, though. Not a beautiful girl, but a beautiful lad, I guess. Heh, Pink Head and Sis won¡¯t definitely leave you alone with those looks.


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t get tricked into bed, alright? ¡¹


    Not sure what¡¯s gotten into me, but I blurted that while staring at Ash as she happily ate.


    Ash stopped her hand for a moment, then she tilted her head.


    ¡¸ Am I being tricked by Jean-dono? ¡¹


    It¡¯s my turn to freeze.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m not tricking you, so I¡¯m asking you to be safe. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mmm. ¡¹


    Ash nonchalantly moved her spoon again.


    I¡¯m telling her to be safe, but then, doing a sleepover in a guy¡¯s house should be off limits for the young miss of a duke¡¯s house, right. Her appearance and manner of talking is seriously throwing me off, man.


    .


    According to the person herself, she¡¯s been joining military campaigns to fight monsters despite being a civilian, so she can change herself, fix her room, and set up camp on her own. It¡¯s just that the aristocratic lifestyle and military lifestyle were two extremes, so her self-consciousness was a bit off. I could imagine how large that gap would be with that ¡®setting up camp¡¯ business.


    Ah, and it¡¯s also normal for her to be treated as a guy. Well, people call her Leon, and that permanent furrow between her brows was fierce enough to prevent anyone from drawing near.


    ¡¸ That furrow between your brows, it¡¯s gone, huh.¡¹


    ¡¸ Really? ¡¹


    Oy the furrow got revived with her puzzled look. That vertical line must be a habit. Stop staring so hard, it¡¯s terrifying.


    ¡¸ My headache is gone, so I¡¯m feeling clear-headed. The pain had been so constant so it¡¯s the first time I realized that I¡¯ve been suffering after being released ¡ª thanks again. ¡¹


    Ash placed her hands on her knees and bowed her head.


    ¡¸ No, I¡¯m also interested in spirits. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m gonna leave the soup here, if you can eat more then feel free to have seconds. ¡¹


    It must be awkward being stared at while eating, so I strode towards this room¡¯s fireplace. I should¡¯ve put the soup jar here.


    ¡¸ Think you can eat breakfast tomorrow? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. Is it okay for me to stay here? ¡¹


    I asked while adjusting the firewood in the hearth, and her reply was a question.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m not so heartless to chase you away at night. ¡¹


    Ash was a bit slouching now, even though her back had been straight even when she was asleep. It had been three days. Not sure if it was because she was released so suddenly from the spirit, but she didn¡¯t seem to be fine.


    ¡¸ Sorry. ¡¹


    ¡¸ This room has a key, so you can spend your time here without worrying. If you can move, then I¡¯m going to prepare the bath? ¡¹


    I threw Az¡¯s water from the window into the courtyard ¡ª bad manners, I know ¡ª then put fresh water into its bowl. The pitcher¡¯s water decreased, so Ash must¡¯ve drank some.


    ¡¸ I really want to take a bath but¡­. Can I trouble you for some hot water and a towel? ¡¹


    Yeah, as I thought, it must be difficult for her to move now. She could¡¯ve stayed in bed instead of sitting on that chair, though.

 CH 25

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    I had a sandwich for lunch, so let¡¯s make some gyoza dumplings tonight. Hard flour, weak flour, a bit of lard, and mixed it all together to make the batter. Let it rest for a bit while prepping the tools.


    Ground meat¡­. I didn¡¯t have any, so I minced the meat till it can pass.. Knead it till it¡¯s sticky, then mix in the veggies. Oops, should be gentle, there¡¯ll be too much liquid if I crushed the veggies. Well, I did squeeze out the water from the veggies, but the meat will be spoiled if it¡¯s too mushy.


    I¡¯ll make two types of fillings, cabbage and garlic or bok choy and garlic. Ended up making a lot of batter, so maybe I can make some deep fried shrimp gyoza, too. The bread I baked this morning is still fresh thanks to my super convenient ¡¾ Storage ¡¿. It won¡¯t spoil as long as it¡¯s in there, and it¡¯s a lot more user friendly than your trusty refrigerator, if we set aside the fact that it can¡¯t make ice or chill things.


    Rice, gyoza and chinese style soup ¡ª the gyoza¡¯s skin was smooth and sticky, and the fried part¡¯s crunchy crisp. The juice overflows with every bite.


    Riche¡¯s wasn¡¯t interested in gyoza, but he ate a bit of meat today aside from his usual water. He looked like he enjoyed eating it. I would feel kinda guilty if I gave a dog some seasoned food, so this was good enough for Riche.


    Haahh, so happy.


    I soaked in the bath after dinner ¡ª ahh, happiness overload. As expected, food and dwelling really matters, huh.


    I worked for a bit before turning in for the night, but it¡¯s just naming all the spirits systematically with numbers though. Dunno, this won¡¯t end until Sis calms down, I bet. I¡¯m not in the mood everyday to do this, but it¡¯ll be bad if they pile up.


    I drank some milk after work, then it¡¯s goodnight.


    ***


    My daily routine had been waking up early, brushing Riche, and taking a stroll with him. After that it¡¯d be breakfast time, but I teleported to the rented house early today.


    I went out of the bare-looking third floor and went down the stairs. Oh, looks like Ash is already awake, there¡¯s sounds coming from the first floor.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    I was thinking about what she might be doing, so she¡¯s just getting water from the well.


    Her shirt sleeves were all rolled up her arm as she drew the water up ¡ª that figure of hers is way too cool, you know.


    ¡°You okay with moving around?¡±


    Az flew from Ash¡¯s shoulder towards mine, nuzzling after. Morning, Az.


    ¡¸ Yeah, I¡¯m in tip top shape. Thanks, I took up your offer yesterday, and had a bath. ¡¹


    So she¡¯s done with her bath. Even if you say bathtub, it¡¯s just a tub.


    I told her last night that she¡¯s free to use the kitchen, bathtub and firewood. Also told her that my sleep¡¯s shallow, so she shouldn¡¯t go near the third floor.


    ¡¸ How about breakfast? ¡¹


    I tossed some firewood into the kamado while asking her. The charcoal was still glowing orange, probably from boiling water for the bath. It already started to burn just by adding some firewood sticks and crumbling the charcoal with the fire poker.


    ¡¸ Not yet. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Are you fine with bread and cheese? ¡¹


    I took out a huge round bread from the wooden storage box on the shelf. Already predicted that something like this might happen, so I stocked up!


    ¡¸ Thanks for this. ¡¹


    Ash left again to continue drawing water from the well. It¡¯s manual labor, she¡¯s doing things like this everyday. It must be tough.


    I also took some eggs from the wooden storage box¡¯s sawdust, then fried them with salted meat. Actually these eggs are from back home ¡ª eggs might have salmonella here, too scary.


    Maximum preservation of bacon¡­ish things were prioritized here, so most of them are hard and too salty. They¡¯re perfect for adding in soups, but during this season, most of the ones in the market are quite soft.


    When autumn ends, farming families who can no longer feed their livestock, especially as the winter draws near, usually butcher and sell them. It¡¯s hard to get feed during the winter, the Dinosso family said. Aside from the raw ones, the newly pickled meat is still cheap. As winter deepened, the price would rise.


    I sliced the bread so its thickness was just right, then toasted it for a bit. Fried pickled meat, sunny-side up egg, what else, spread some cheese and sweet and sour plum jam ¡ª perfect.


    Veg¡¯s? It¡¯s in the soup. Seems like I can¡¯t really get used to eating wild vegetables?


    ¡¸ Thanks. It¡¯s done. ¡¹


    I called out to the yard where Ash was working by the well, then I strode with my tray towards the workshop and set it on the table.


    Ah, I forgot to ask if she wanted the eggs sunny side-up, soft-boiled or hard-boiled.


    She didn¡¯t argue about how cooked the sunny-side ups were, or what to put and whatnot until we finished eating. Well, probably because there¡¯s no oil and ketchup here, nor sauces. Salt and pepper won hands down.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s delicious. Putting cheese and jam spread on this bread was brilliant. ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change one bit, but she must¡¯ve liked it, her voice was more expressive than usual.


    ¡¸ Thanks. ¡¹


    I made the jam by stewing the plums I picked in the forest. It was a bit sour, but it surprisingly went well with this white cheese, the sourness and sweetness blending together.


    ¡¸ By the way, it¡¯s about the little bird. I named it while you were asleep. Sorry. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡ª What did you give it? ¡¹


    Ash ¡®nudged¡¯ Az while asking me.


    ¡¸ Az. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Great name. This spirit must have taken a liking to you, since he accepted that name. No need to apologize. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I think Az also likes you, though. ¡¹


    Az had been bound to Ash, but he didn¡¯t seem to dislike her. He even wanted to ride on her shoulder.


    ¡¸ Really? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yup. ¡¹


    Ash seemed happy as I told her so.


    ¡¸ Do you wanna go to the guild after resting for a bit? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. I also need to pay Jean-dono for accommodating me here. ¡¹


    Alright, time to go take that money cheated from Ash. Ah, if the matter about Pink Head¡¯s spirit was already settled, that is.

 CH 26

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    I activated ¡®seeing¡¯ so I could see the spirits in front of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I ignored the details and just focused on whether they¡¯re interested in people, or if they¡¯re malicious.


    By the way, I requested Rouge (Red 1) and Olive (Green 1) to take the spirits lingering beside me back to my home in my stead. I got a moment of peace and quiet thanks to these guys. I didn¡¯t expect that I could also make them do things like this, though.


    The guys coming out from the guild didn¡¯t have any flowers sticking on their heads and they¡¯re normal. Some of the adventurers were surrounded by spirits, though it seemed that they weren¡¯t aware of it.


    The problem at the guild was resolved, and Ash was currently requesting me to recommend an inn to her. The guild would, up to a certain extent, supposedly support livelihood and also back you up if there¡¯s a fight in exchange for money ¡ª if they¡¯re decent, that is.


    ¡¸ Noth. ¡¹


    My problem was solved the moment we entered the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Ash¡¯s butler was at the guild¡¯s pub.


    Noth stood up when Ash called out to him. Black suit embroidered in silver plus that monocle ¡ª uwah, his outfit is really sticking out like a sore thumb. Is this really alright? Aren¡¯t they being pursued? Ah, but then, there¡¯s a guy over there who is naked from the waist up and covered only with a bright red pelt, so maybe he doesn¡¯t stand out that much? That guy was also wearing a belt with thorns, just like a bulldog.


    Ash introduced me to Butler. The way he carried himself made me think he is one, but actually, he already retired a few years back and is currently living as a free guy now, or so they said. He was already replaced before Ash was evicted from that house, to be precise.


    ¡¸ Ash, you met the person you¡¯re waiting for? ¡¹


    Yeah, it¡¯s obvious that they already met, it¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t come up with another topic so I could bring up her name.


    ¡¸ Ash-sama, thank goodness you¡¯re safe. ¡¹


    Noth deeply bowed towards Ash, then he nodded towards me.


    It¡¯s probably thanks for telling him her name.


    We already left their country, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be extra careful. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the Commerce guild forged their bonds within their guilds across all countries, instead of the various nations, big and small, that had fallen into ruins or else flourished. It was probably because people affiliated to either guild travelled a lot.


    Every country is different, but there were kingdoms where the guild was stronger than the ever changing royalty. Well, there are also completely useless guilds like this one, though.


    There¡¯s not a single guy with a flower on his head all around the guild, and no sight of Pink Head, either. Maybe she was sent home.


    ¡¸ Oh great, you¡¯re finally here. ¡¹


    Dean came. He is probably the center of the hustle and bustle now.


    ¡¸ Let me treat y¡¯all to a drink as an apology for making you deal with all the trouble. Seems like I¡¯m finally done with this, so this¡¯ll be the last treat for you guys. So, who¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸ My name is Noth, and I believe this is the first that we¡¯ve met. I¡¯ve been working as a butler until a few years ago, but I handed my duties to my son, and am currently trying my hand as an Adventurer. Ash-sama and I are related to each other, so I¡¯ve been selfishly acting as his attendant. ¡¹


    Noth bowed again.


    ¡¸ Well, it¡¯s all the same whether there are two or three of you.¡¹


    And so, Dean led us to the edge of the tavern; we were to drink while talking.


    There¡¯s a red lizard darting around Dean¡¯s shoulders. Looks like Dean is also a beloved of spirits, huh.


    ¡¸ I told the same story to all involved, but I already took my younger sister to ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough¡»to drop that spirit off. Many of the guild guys fainted at the same time, but everything¡¯s calmed down now. We probably couldn¡¯t hide this huge incident since a lot of guys collapsed, but please don¡¯t go spreading this, since it¡¯ll be shameful for the guild. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What happened to your younger sister? ¡¹


    The beer came just as Ash asked that.


    ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ showed me it¡¯s gruit beer. Ingredients were malted oats, wheat, barley, and sweet gale for fragrance. So it¡¯s not made from hops?


    ¡¸ She¡¯s going to start all over from the lowest position. She¡¯s been spoiled so if she didn¡¯t fix that character of hers, she can¡¯t return to being the receptionist¡­.The ¡º Mischief ¡» casted by spirits can affect all people, so the effects will be different. If it¡¯s not intentionally activated by the person, then it¡¯s possible for the start-over to get postponed. ¡¹


    It must¡¯ve been pretty obvious that I wasn¡¯t convinced, so Dean explained it to me.


    ¡¸ Spirits¡¯ sense of values are a bit different than ours, so their simple pranks can spell disaster for us. This time, it is thanks to Dean-dono¡¯s perception and being able to deal with this as her relative that she is given such generous treatment. ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s words showed consideration towards Dean and Pink Head, and they were also a warning that he shouldn¡¯t reveal that Ash and I were involved.


    She¡¯s also saying that if not for Dean, people would get suspicious that Pink Head got away with it lightly.


    My impression of Ash was that she seemed out of it, but she¡¯s smart. She can work, so maybe she¡¯s just bad with real life? The maids probably handled everything from shopping to lodging arrangements for the duke, and the environment must¡¯ve been different, I guess.


    ¡¸ Yeah, I know that. Oh right, they¡¯ll refund Ash¡¯s money through the guild, so make sure you do the procedures later. ¡¹


    Dean finished talking, then he grabbed the tankard and chugged it all down. The important convo¡¯s already done, huh. Well, it¡¯s not like he goes around gossiping about the guild matters.


    I also tried drinking the beer. It had grains in it, just like New Year¡¯s sweet sake, and it¡¯s treated as preserved food here, so even children drink it. Only 15 years old and above are allowed to drink in pubs, though. Well, I passed the age limit, but still, I¡¯m not comfortable with it, probably because of my memories of Japan.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m also staying in an inn, by the way. Can¡¯t help but spoil her when we¡¯re together, so I called on our parents and left our house. ¡¹


    Dean said while ordering another beer from the pub waitress.


    Seems like Pink Head¡¯s gonna hear an earful from her parents, particularly from her mom. Well, she didn¡¯t like her mom¡¯s harsh discipline, so she went to live with Dean originally ¡ª how old are you, Pink Head?


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a great inn, so if the place you¡¯re staying right now is no good, want me to take you there? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m making stuff, so I already rented a place. ¡¹


    The snacks were served ¡ª cheese and nuts. The nuts were damp, they should¡¯ve roasted them instead.


    ¡¸ Can you introduce me? The place I¡¯m currently staying in is very comfortable, but I had to leave, too.¡¹


    Ash took up Dean¡¯s offer.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m considering looking for a house to rent as soon as possible, so can we please request two rooms for short-term stay? ¡¹


    Noth followed up with a smile.


    Oh, right, if Ash¡¯s going the route of pretending to be a guy, then she¡¯ll have problems, like taking a bath beside the well and other stuff. If she wanted to avoid catching the eye of others, then renting a house is the way to go. I also rented the house for that reason.


    Anyway, the stews here managed to hit the spot, but the rest of the dishes were really lackluster. If they put more effort then they could make it more delicious even with the same ingredients.


    I don¡¯t have a hobby of making others eat the foods I cook, but every time I eat the bland foods, I get the urge to ask them whether those are truly delicious, and at the same time offer food that I think is delicious so they can compare.


    That urge is particularly strong when talking with people while having a meal.

 CH 27

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ Jean, wanna hang out with one of the mainstay adventurers, just for once? I noticed this when we did our stint together, but you¡¯re out of tune. It¡¯d be another story if you¡¯re off-point because you¡¯re knowledgeable about the common stuff, but in any case, you seem to be different. ¡¹


    Dean gave some pointers to me. The adventurer he mentioned wasn¡¯t an outstanding, powerful guy, but he was a reliable one, so he said. I gratefully accepted his offer. He would introduce him at the same time tomorrow, if I returned.


    ¡¸ Be careful, you two, so you won¡¯t get caught in something crazy. They might think Ash is weird, so stop scowling like that.¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm? ¡¹


    Ash had a puzzled look, and she was furrowing her brows. It was not intentional, but she kept on doing that so I guess it was really her mannerism.


    ¡¸ Gotta agree about Ash¡¯s scowl, but I¡¯m not¡­¡¹


    ¡¸ You guys are wayyy good looking! You¡¯ll definitely get approached by weird guys! ¡¹


    I dunno why Dean seemed to be irritated while saying that, but well, even if somebody wanted to approach me, I would just refuse if I didn¡¯t like her. If she suited my taste, then why not.


    True, I was at the age where I also wanted to flirt, but enjoying my freedom to the fullest was still my priority. Anyway, let¡¯s just keep Dean¡¯s warning.


    Kaina-san was promoted so she¡¯s busy. She advanced from being a teller to being part of the management, so we haven¡¯t seen her at all today. What a pity.


    Ash and the others would go to the guild¡¯s private room to get her refund from that rip-off incident and also an apology, so it was time to say goodbye. Well, our range of activities overlapped in this city, so we would see each other from time to time.


    So, Ash and Butler were also considering renting a house, huh. The kitchen and bathroom were common properties, so they would still have to deal with other people, even if they didn¡¯t have meddlesome landlords with families. It would also cost them money, on top of that. Well, it¡¯s not for me to say anything, though.


    I checked the guild¡¯s request board then went hunting. The demand for bear fur increased in light of the typical winter season. Meat was the same, too. Rabbits were still active even during winters. Animals that were possessed with cold-resistant spirits could still move around, regardless of their former lifestyle and characteristics.


    I should confirm first whether waterfowls visited the lake, then catch a fox, if possible. I wanted to dismantle the humongous fox I caught in the forest depths, so I needed a model first.


    I went out of the gates, walked for a bit till I reached a deserted spot, then¡¾Teleport¡¿


    . The shallow, stagnant waters near the lakeshore had started to thinly freeze over. The sun will hit those parts in a bit so the ice will melt, but it really has become so cold.


    A few waterfowls were floating in a spot a bit far from the bank. Maybe a full-scale migration to this place would happen soon? Only a thin layer of snow blanketed the place where my house was, but I heard that snow in Canum was usually knee deep. I was hoping it would happen before the snow piles up.


    Alright, I gave up on the birds for today and set out to search for a fox. Dunno how to do that though. Dean showed me how to track footprints, traces of gnawing, and how to chase animals, but what kind of traces do foxes make?


    Activated ¡¾Search¡¿ ¡ª whoa, I could sense a lot of animals, but there was no telling which one belonged to a fox. Even if I ignored bears, wolves and rabbits, which I was already familiar with because of hunting, there were still plenty of others I couldn¡¯t identify. I tried following the nearest hint of presence ¡ª a dormouse preparing for hibernation in a hollow stared back at me.


    There was no choice but to memorize all the presence and tracks of animals one by one, huh. I walked through the forest, familiarizing myself with all of those. Small birds, flying squirrels, copper pheasants; oh, there¡¯s a beaver building a magnificent dam.


    In the end, I managed to hunt a horned bear and two species of pheasants, the copper and green.


    ***


    ¡¸ Please. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, thank you very much. ¡¹


    I sold everything to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild this time around. The bear horns fetched a higher price here, though the flashy-colored copper pheasant males sold higher at the Commerce Guild. Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s offer for green pheasants was higher though, since they use the feathers for arrows.


    Plus, no matter what it was, there was a disassembly fee if you¡¯re not selling it whole, so it was better not to sell each part separately unless it¡¯s bad. Both the Commerce Guild and Adventurer¡¯s Guild here were upright folks since they would verify first whether you wanted to sell it whole or not after they disassembled it. Most of the time, people tell them that if there are magic stones then they¡¯ll only keep those.


    This time, I ended up leaving the feathers back where I disassembled the bird back at the forest. Dear ¡¾Appraisal ¡¿ told me that the green pheasant should be gutted right away at the place where it was hunted or else the stinky smell will transfer to the meat, so¡­¡­


    My ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ prioritizes showing me eating-related stuff, so tips like how feathers can be used as material for making arrows only appeared later on, so I ended up completely ignoring them.


    I decided to sell the horn and eat the meat deliciously. Alright, should I stuff it with veggies and roast it, or slice it thinly and do a shabu shabu hotpot? Anyway, let it rest first so that it will mature.


    ¡ª If it¡¯s shabu shabu, a table top stove would be nice, huh. I¡¯ll roast it this time since I already have an oven.


    Table top stove might be impossible, but maybe a brazier will work? I¡¯ll need a tripod as a stand and an earthen pot, huh. There¡¯s a tripod-ish looking thing at the fireplace, so maybe I can have a smaller one made? Let¡¯s request it at the workshop.


    Getting into blacksmithing might be a good idea.


    I opened the door of the rented house and entered inside, then kindled the fire in the hearth for a while just to make that homey appeal before teleporting back to my house.


    Riche came running towards me, so I patted and brushed him. Did he grow bigger? His legs are chunky, so maybe he¡¯ll grow into a big dog, I guess.


    It might be foul play when I touch Riche the Spirit, but fluffing is still the main thing to do, right.


    A puppy¡¯s fur is soft and fuzzy, so I have to make the most of it.


    Tonight¡¯s dinner was turnips, bacon and cheese risotto, plus cold water.


    The fire¡¯s crackling sound could be heard from time to time from the fireplace. Windows separated the room from the terrace, but they were double glazed, and a thick curtain covered them, so the room was toasty warm.


    Nobody (cough, Sis) could disturb me here, so it was me-time. Well, it was another story if I was in a mystery novel, though.

 CH 28

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    The sight of overgrown grass at the yard greeted me when I teleported back to the rented house. It was still normal yesterday, but it¡¯s like they¡¯re on growth steroids for some reason. I had a sickle since the yard was also like this when I first came into this house. The cut grass could be used in kindling fire when dried, so there was a stack in the corner. I piled some freshly cut grass on top of that.


    Ugh, having to clean two houses was soooooo tiresome!!!


    Today¡¯s plan was to sell some potions to the Commerce Guild then go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild afterward.


    One bottle of potion would be sold to the Commerce Guild for around one gold coin and one small gold coin. Maybe it was easier to think of the price as three small gold coins? A small gold coin was worth half of a gold coin. The weight of the gold corresponded to its value, so even the size was halved.


    So then, the market price for selling potions to the public was three gold coins, apparently.


    Water must be bought at ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡» but it could get pretty expensive over there. Plus, there was a limit on how much you could buy in a day.


    ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡»existed in all cities and towns, and the structure design varied. Monsters frequently attacked this borderland city, so the one here wasn¡¯t as flashy as the one in the capital, but the size was huge.


    ¡º Blessed Water ¡»depended on the spirits, so it was not something easily obtainable, apparently. Well, I kinda felt it was simple though, since you just had to put some water in a dish and if the spirits drank from it or bathed in it then it¡¯s considered as¡º Blessed Water ¡» already.


    Spirits preferred flowing water, so they didn¡¯t use the water dish that much. The water in my home was blessed since it was originally built by powerful spirits, and there were a lot of spirits drinking and bathing there.


    Eh? The water that Az used¡­ Well, whatever.


    I was curious about this, so I tried looking it up. It seemed that water that flowed out of the fief would turn into normal water. The water from ¡º Fae¡¯s bough ¡» would return back to normal after half a day.


    It¡¯s just that the duration of time before it reverts back would also depend on the power of the spirit who bathed in, er, blessed it, so the water was more powerful the closer it was to my house.


    I could make potions in large quantities, and only the medicinal herbs need funding. Didn¡¯t wanna stand out too much, so I could only sell two bottles at a time though.


    A dozen silver coins was equivalent to one gold coin, twelve pieces of copper coins was equivalent to one silver coin. Gold, silver and copper coins ¡ª all the countries use them, but it¡¯s inconvenient with just those three, so they also have denominations such as small gold coin, small silver coin and small copper coin which are equal to half of the coin value. Plus, quarter gold coin and quarter silver coin for one-fourth value. The monetary value was kinda the same between countries though, thanks to both Adventurer¡¯s and Commerce Guild.


    They were stamped with the images of the king of that particular country, or else their names differ, though the size was the same, so not sure if it was a last-ditch effort to be different despite being the same gold coin.


    The smallest money was called mon, and 12 pieces of mon was equivalent to one copper coin. The gold and silver coins used whole, half and quarter monetary value, but the copper coins were different. Small copper coin was half, mon was 1/12.


    The whole roast pig cost around 2 silver coins. Ah, but I never, ever bought them in this city since the day I learned that they were being let loose in the sewers.


    The sewers were made from tunnels. Thick areas were irrigation channels, and there were passages on both sides where people could walk. The sewage that flows from the houses were stocked inside hollows, and when the water was full, it just overflowed, leaving behind left-over foods and spoils. And that¡¯s where the pigs enter, tentenenen.


    Yeah, I get that pigs were omnivorous, and yup, cleaning the sewage was rea~lly important. But who, tell me, who came up with such an absurd method! Why didn¡¯t they use some kind of fantasy slime to clean that up!? So that was why the pigs of farming families were more expensive by one small silver coin, huh. Yep, totally understandable.


    I memorized the goods I saw for sale and their price on my way to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    ¡¸ The price of a relatively huge Horned Bear is one gold coin for wholesale. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Jean-dono? ¡¹


    Ash was there when I entered. There was a demand for fur and pelts during this season, and since bears ate a lot during autumn and nourished their stomachs and hearts. These were ingredients for making medicines, so bears fetched quite a hefty sum. The price would drop by spring, though.


    Plus, the normal sized ones were only worth one small gold coin each. Huge bears had higher value since they could sell the huge, flawless pelts to rich guys, so that was why it was one gold coin each. So, Ash aimed for the big ones, huh.


    ¡¸ Jean-dono, can you spare me a moment after this? I just want to properly settle the charge for the potion. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I didn¡¯t give it so you¡¯ll compensate me ¡ª it¡¯s okay after you settled on a house, and your life¡¯s stable. ¡¹


    I was about to refuse that payment, but she seemed to feel down so I added a few more words.


    ¡¸Mm¡­.Sorry. ¡¹


    Did Ash somehow get a sense of economy? She seemed reluctant, but she agreed. Noth bowed his head behind her. His fluid movement was so elegant.


    Basically, people that did not have affiliations in towns and cities couldn¡¯t do credit, and they had to do prepayments. That¡¯s applicable to renting a house, too. Well, it¡¯s tough for non-residents to buy a house, but renting one was also 50% tougher.


    Even if she was refunded by that rip-off inn, she still needed to buy a lot of things after deciding on the house.


    ¡¸ Hey, there you are. ¡¹


    Dean waved his hand from a table in the pub. A long-haired guy sat on the same seat with him. Medium built, medium height ¡ª you could say that he¡¯s a bit lanky, I guess? That was the vibes I got from this uncle.


    He¡¯s probably around 30 years old or so? Ah, but he might be younger than he looked, judging from his skin? Maybe he looked older because of that beard, hunched back and those half-lidded eyes that made him look so tired?


    Seems like he is the¡¸Reliable Adventurer¡¹Dean was talking about.

 CH 29

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸This is Retze. Retze, Jean.¡¹


    Dean introduced Beardy.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m Jean, please take care of me. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ahh, me too. You okay with being casual? Not a fan of being overly formal and all. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    We shook hands while greeting each other, but Retze seemed nervous? Kinda uncomfortable?


    ¡¸ Oy, Dean. You sure I¡¯m gonna be okay for this? Gals and some of those lads are staring straight here, man. Sure you¡¯re not up for this? Didn¡¯t hear anything about him being a stunner. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I already got into a mess once, so not gonna leave anything to chance now. And I¡¯m not as meticulous as you. ¡¹


    Whispering, huh. I could hear you guys loud and clear, you know. Besides, I couldn¡¯t do anything about this, the deities were stunners, you know, and I got the average of their looks.


    ¡¸ Retze-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸ My bad, gotcha, let¡¯s go. I just have ta do your request like normal, right? ¡¹


    Oops, my voice came out a bit deeper.


    Finally, time to fulfill my request, then.


    ¡¸ Your main target¡¯s the first thing on the list, alright. People perk up when they get some fur and meat during this season, so I¡¯m hunting for rabbits. Bears are only good if they¡¯re huge ¡®coz they can fetch a nice sum from the cash-rich guys, but you won¡¯t get such luck with small ones. Better off staying chill and hunting plenty of them rabbits than ta sweat it out trying ta get those small bears. So, you gotta check the prices on the bulletin board first. If they¡¯re cheap then just get the hide, and get more of them. ¡¹


    Monsterfied rabbits get white coats during the winter, so they¡¯re worth a lot. It¡¯s not really about selling strong monsters, but selling what people want. The meat of hornless is tastier than the horned ones, so they¡¯re worth much more. Horned monsters have tougher meat, but they got prettier hides.


    ¡¸ Hmm. Yeah, the price for hunting bears dropped, huh. ¡¹


    Ahh, sorry about that. Guess it was because of Ash and me.


    We checked the buying price for medicinal plants and the cost of mushrooms and other stuff growing in the forest before setting out. We refilled the canteens with ale, then bought some meat sandwiches wrapped in leaves. The water downtown wasn¡¯t safe to drink, so we would just get it from the forest river. Yup, there¡¯s a lot of stuff flowing from the sewage. But I guess that was better than that stuff being thrown out of the window.


    This strange feeling I got while thinking about that was kinda familiar. It¡¯s something similar to how I felt when I learned that capes and silk hats became fashionable because folks were trying to avoid the muck thrown out of windows.Still a kid back then, but that made me lose all interest in those capes.


    Anyway, we¡¯re gonna bring some nuts, cheese and other stuff that keep well just in case we get injured and won¡¯t be able to move; plus some salve, spare knife and a cape or robe that can be used as a raincoat. The capes here are great ¡ª they repel rainwater, keep you warm in the cold, and can be used as blankets too when sleeping.


    ¡ª I can¡¾ Teleport ¡¿when it rains, and there¡¯s ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ to keep food reserves, but should I keep preserved foods in my bag aside from the seasonings normally? Just a plan in case there¡¯s too many people around.


    He also told me to pop in the guild now and then, and try to get along with people so that I¡¯ll have a higher chance of being saved when things get out of hand. Retze is super detailed, huh.


    ¡¸ Look closely at how the grass was bent and the way they¡¯re parted. That¡¯ll be your clue. Just follow that way when you go chasin¡¯ your prey. ¡¹


    Sorry for leaving it to ¡¾ Search ¡¿ all this time.


    Reading and analyzing the tracks made by animals ¡ª monsters, in this case ¡ª might seem simple, but it¡¯s awesome. I picked up a stick, this is so exciting ¡ª I¡¯m like a kid, huh.


    Also got a sword at my waist, but a stick is different, yup.


    Maybe I¡¯m acting too suspicious in the eyes of other people. Tried to recall whether I did weird stuff in front of Dean.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. I was standing at Dean¡¯s blind spot, so guess it¡¯s fine, but pretty sure the cat¡¯s outta bag with Ash.


    From hunting wolves, to meeting up with the carriers ¡ª ahh, thinking about it now, I guess that¡¯s true. Well, Ash is the type who doesn¡¯t blabber about unnecessary stuff, thankfully.


    ¡¸ When rabbits run, their hind feet stick together, but the tracks of their front feet are disconnected. The hind legs leave bigger prints than their front legs. ¡¹


    Retze explained the paw prints left on the thin layer of snow.


    ¡¸ Hey, aren¡¯t these a bit different? ¡¹


    ¡¸Paw prints that look like they¡¯re walking on a straight line are left by foxes. ¡¹


    Ohh?


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a bit tricky guessing if this fox monsterfied, but the rabbit is horned for sure. There¡¯s claw marks on the snow. The fox¡¯s probably a monster if it¡¯s chasing that for its prey. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I want to watch you hunt a fox. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s a skilled hunter ¡ª er, adventurer. His sack is already half full from the rabbits he caught and it¡¯s not even noon, yet.


    Usually, if he sees a prey, he would drop his stuff and hunt it, but since I¡¯m carrying the baggage this time, Retze was a bit more agile.


    A short bow is plenty for ordinary rabbits and foxes, and they¡¯re easy targets, too, but arrows won¡¯t work against monsterfied ones.


    ¡¸ They¡¯ll charge at you instead of running away, so it¡¯s pretty easy, as far as easy goes. ¡¹


    ¡¸ True, it¡¯s a pain in the neck chasing after them and dealing the blow with a sword. ¡¹


    If monster-san is nearby rustling around, it will come to you. Or should I say attack, huh. Pretty useless unless they¡¯re near enough, though.


    A lot of things happened, but I think I¡¯m done with ordinary hunting. Yup, will absolutely go solo from now on.


    Caught the fox, and also watched how to dismantle it. I¡¯m kinda jealous of his light-hearted chatting with the clerk, and how he can communicate well with Dean.


    Don¡¯t like being tied down, but I also wanted to try having friends; Sis had always blocked my attempts to do that before.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re one strange bloke, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Strange? ¡¹


    I¡¯m treating Retze to a drink at the pub. Dean already took care of the retainer fee. He already told me the location of the Kinca grass but he said it¡¯s extra.


    ¡¸ People usually like flashy moves, don¡¯t they? Lively, carefree guys like Dean. ¡¹


    I¡¯m also good at that. He might think that it¡¯s not as much as Dean though.


    ¡¸ Well, I reckon you¡¯re better off with how I do things, seeing you have such puny arms, but don¡¯t go pushing yourself too much. It¡¯s a bit fresh for a young lad like you. ¡¹


    He then chugged the wooden tankard of beer.


    Not a drinker so it¡¯s not really for me to say this, but isn¡¯t it better to drink liquids like sake and ale in glass or ceramics? Metals are also fine, I guess. Not applicable for ales with a lot of oat dregs, though.


    Anyway, I¡¯ll just let that ¡®puny arm¡¯ remark slide with a polite smile. You¡¯ll see! Protein diet and muscle training starts today!

 CH 30

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ Riche. He¡¯s known as the Wolf of Destruction, and he was formerly arrogant and egocentric, acting like he¡¯s the boss. ¡¹


    Riche already remembered ¡®sit¡¯, so I was teaching him ¡®shake¡¯ after our morning stroll, when Ludere suddenly appeared and said that comment.


    ¡¸ What are you scheming? ¡¹


    Khadar strode in, then he struck the floor with his cane.


    ¡¸ Fufufu. Riche didn¡¯t associate with us before, but he was cute. But he¡¯s a bit suspicious, sorry. ¡¹


    Mischt flipped her soft, loose golden hair then she cutely shrugged her shoulders.


    Riche was still little, so he couldn¡¯t hold ¡®sit¡¯ for a long time, and his hind legs were sloppy.


    ¡¸ Hm? Why? ¡¹


    ¡¸ This one was a Feral Deity before losing his powers; he shook the heavens and destroyed the earth. He just fulfilled his desires, stubbornly refused to listen to advice, and he would bite to death anyone who stood in his way. ¡¹


    ¡¸ So you were an Alpha dog, huh. ¡¹


    I squeezed and rolled Riche¡¯s face with both hands.


    ¡¸ Alpha¡­? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Alpha ¡ª the No. 1 Leader. Dogs are animals that follow their pack leader, and if there are disobedient dogs, that would be stressful for the leader, and he might become aggressive. People should establish themselves as the leader if the dog¡¯s gonna live with them, else it¡¯ll be a disaster for both. ¡¹


    Not holding them above shoulder-level, humans must eat first during meal times, stuff like that. There are times when you want to eat or sleep together, but you have to endure. If dogs are going to live according to human rules, then humans should definitely act as the leader.


    ¡¸ Riche is a wolf, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Riche is a spirit, though¡­ ¡¹


    Mischt and Khadar¡¯s voices overlapped.


    ¡¸ Same thing goes for wolves. Is it different for spirits? ¡¹


    I jostled Riche while asking. He rolled over, twisting his whole body ¡ª so, wanted me to scratch here, huh, does it feel good here, huh?


    Ludere had a complicated expression on his face, but just ignored it.


    ¡¸ There are people whose dispositions are drawn towards appearances, and there are others who are not. I recalled that Riche could speak, and he was highly intelligent. Beware. ¡¹


    That¡¯s what Khadar said, but intelligence and instinct are two different things, so nobody can really tell. Anyway, Riche is adorable.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll think about it when he starts speaking. ¡¹


    I patted Riche¡¯s flank before standing up. A puppy¡¯s tummy is full and round.


    ¡¸ Thanks a lot for worrying about me and coming here to warn me. ¡¹


    Khadar might have been bashful; he disappeared when I thanked them.


    ¡¸ Take care! You¡¯re my precious person~ ¡¹


    Mischt giggled before vanishing. What a tease! Well, she¡¯s probably referring to me being a powerbank, though.


    ¡¸ The high and mighty aloof wolf¡­ ¡¹


    Ludere mumbled before disappearing in thin air.


    Ah, Ludere, it might be better for you to just let it go. Riche was frolicking with his ankle. If you¡¯re just acting then that¡¯ll be a huge shock, Mr. Aloof Wolf.


    Alright, time to prepare the meal.


    Take out the mountain-shaped white loaf from¡¾ Storage ¡¿ then cut it into thin slices. It is still warm, but gonna toast it ¡®till it¡¯s golden brown. Now that it¡¯s crispy enough, smear some butter then heap up lots of the sweet and sour plum jam.


    Slicing the bread thickly is also good, but this is also nice. Get some half-cooked, sunny side up egg, bacon and cheese, salad with dry-cured ham, plus warm soup.


    Last, brew some coffee. I used a nel drip, but there¡¯s no coffee oil floating up. It¡¯s a bit mysterious so I checked with ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿; tuned out that the nel here is made from 100% cotton, so the cloth absorbed the oil. No wonder it had that same mild flavor I get from the paper drip coffee.


    Hey, keep it a secret that I didn¡¯t know the difference in taste until I noticed that there¡¯s no oil and did ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ . It¡¯s in the mood, mood, d¡¯ya hear me.


    Haah, it¡¯s nice to relax at home, staring at the snow falling gently outside the window. I planted some trees and flowers in the garden these past few days, so the scenery had changed quite a bit, but they were all blanketed in thin snow, so the boundary between the garden and the mountains seemed a bit fuzzy to me.


    There¡¯s still a lot of that plant-growing powder I received, but yup, don¡¯t wanna go out and work in that snow-piled yard, after all. I¡¯ll just plant some more when it becomes warmer.


    Alright, today¡¯s the scheduled date to claim the bathtub. And so, I made my way towards the pottery with a spring on my step, humming a tune.


    ¡¸ Good day, is it ready? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. Yup, finished it, safe and sound. ¡¹


    The enamel bathtubs were finished with no problems. The feet were encased and gilded. This side was my clawfoot bathtub, and on the other side stood the other one that had feet shaped as shells.


    They were going to show the shell-feet bathtubs to the aristocrats who placed their orders. The clawfoot style was plain, and I just randomly chose the shell for it¡¯s connection with water, but it turned out pretty well.


    ¡¸ Here you go, these are the things you requested. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Whoa, thank you very much! ¡¹


    He handed me a sugar jar and a salt jar. Sugar lumps when dry so the jar was made from glazed ceramic. Salt, on the other hand, lumps when moist so the jar was made from bisque that had a better airflow. I asked them to paint the glaze inside the jar, so even if the color changed for a bit, they still looked the same.


    Thanks Master, my kitchen wares are complete now.


    I already got almost all the stuff needed to complete the bathroom, too, so I¡¯m pretty much hyped up ¡ª wait a sec, how on earth will I bring the bathtub home? Horse cart? Ehhh, that¡¯s too far, er, it¡¯s actually in a different country though.


    Anyway, they wrapped the bathtub sample they¡¯re gonna show to the nobles, so I also had mine wrapped. I just pretended that I already arranged a delivery cart, and requested them to take it out to the roadside. Then I posed as if waiting for someone.


    I tipped the workers who carried it here, thanked them, and made them return back. I know you guys are busy, so you don¡¯t have to wait with me for the horse cart ¡ª just like that.


    ¡¾ Storage¡¿ is convenient, but bringing home huge things from the city is a pain in the neck.

 CH 31

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Currently in the first floor of the rented house. Yeah, I know it¡¯s a waste to destroy these tiles, but had to tear them off so I could put up new ones.


    I also dug up the inner yard, then connected the drainage stone pipe there to the one in the kitchen. I already revamped the kitchen to stop the stinky smell from the sewage from floating up, so I already knew the layout of the whole place. Plus, it didn¡¯t really matter even if it took a lot of time since I¡¯m not using the water in the rented house.


    Put the tiles in, and the bathroom floor¡¯s all done. The walls were made from brick sized stones. The place is a bit narrow, and it¡¯s near the fireplace so it¡¯d be super scary if I used wood. Maybe I could make a stone oven in the gap between the wall and fireplace, then pour some water on the bathroom walls so that it¡¯ll be a steam bath?


    Steam baths are big time in this place, it seems.


    The deities don¡¯t benefit much from remodelling the rented house, but it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m actually using¡¾ Manufacturing Ability ¡¿ all the time and raising my skill, so they¡¯ll just have to forgive me on this.


    I should make the down duvet soon. The feathers and downs were already washed and they¡¯re spread out to dry in the shed. Have to buy cloth with great texture and sew them soon.


    ¡¸ Hm? ¡¹


    Somebody¡¯s knocking on the door.


    Ah, I don¡¯t know anybody around here, so who might it be? The people living on both sides of the alley, or a person from the Commerce Guild.. Or maybe Ash?


    ¡¸ Sorry for bothering you while you¡¯re busy. Here. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What happened? ¡¹


    I took the present from Ash and invited her in. Ah, I was in the middle of work, so the chairs and table¡­ let¡¯s see, I know they¡¯re somewhere here.


    ¡¸ Wait for a bit. ¡¹


    I got the table back, and offered her the chair, then I went to the kitchen to get the tea set.


    It¡¯s cold, so there¡¯s fire in the hearth, and I also have some warm water. I boiled the soft water from the other house for myself, but I left it by the fire, so there¡¯s more than enough to go around.


    Hard water¡¯s the norm in this place, right. Drinking mineral rich water is fine, I guess, but soft water is really good for cooking and bathing, I think.


    A kettle would be so nice ~ I scooped the water from the pot into the cups and warmed them while thinking so. Er, this is hot, not warm. Tried to cool it down by bringing the teapot higher and pouring the water from there. Yeah, I don¡¯t know any manners! Just bringing it to moderate temp is already plenty!


    ¡¸ Here, it¡¯s cold outside, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you, I¡¯ll drink this right now.¡¹


    This present looks like snacks, so I unwrapped the paper packaging. Simple tarts peeked out. I returned to the kitchen to get some plates and a knife.


    ¡¸ Your tea set is rare, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. Silver sets are the most popular here, are they? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mmm. We also had a silver set back home. Troops use wooden ones during expeditions, and the majority of the commoners also use wooden cups. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Silver is pretty, but maintaining it seems troublesome. Why did it become popular? ¡¹


    Because it won¡¯t break? I plated the snacks on the plates then handed one to Ash. I imagine the silverwares turning black soon enough.


    ¡¸ Silverwares are good as a countermeasure against poisons, and they¡¯re used for flaunting status, plus they¡¯re nice for discerning excellent, conscientious servants. That about sums it up. ¡¹


    Ah, did silver change color when reacting to arsenic and potassium cyanide? Amazing, it¡¯s a jumble of usefulness and pretentiousness of nobles!


    Eh, so did that mean we should do poison testing first? Hey, Duke¡¯s son, er, young lady. Well, too late for that, I guess.


    Oh, these tarts have figs soaked in wine and sugar, and the sauce seeped through the dough ¡ª so tasty. The taste gets better as it crumbles in your mouth. I¡¯m gonna make some later.


    ¡¸ This is the most delicious snack I tasted in this city. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s Noth¡¯s reco. ¡¹


    You¡¯re so capable, Butler.


    ¡¸ So, what¡¯s up today? ¡¹


    ¡¸ We came to greet you, since we already moved.¡¹


    ¡¸ Whoa, so you decided on the house! Where? ¡¹


    ¡¸ The right side of this alley. ¡¹


    Wha, we¡¯re super duper close neighbors!?


    ¡¸ I thought there were people living there, did they move out? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It seems that the couple¡¯s going to live with their daughter. ¡¹


    What an amazing coincidence, but maybe they already agreed a long time ago? We¡¯re just on the level of exchanging nods and hellos, never talked about them before, so I don¡¯t know.


    ¡¸ Ahm, sorry. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Why? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Noth was the one who found this. I don¡¯t think I told him the location of Jean-dono¡¯s house, though ¡ª ¡¹


    Bffff! *splutter, cough*


    Is this what they call doing monkey business!?


    ¡¸ Come again? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, it seems that I¡¯m in a great mood when talking with Jean-dono, so. ¡¹


    ¡­ Good mood? Where, where!? I can already tell when she doesn¡¯t mean to scare people off, or if she didn¡¯t have any bad intentions even if she had that terrifying face on, but how on earth did he see that she¡¯s in a good mood?


    ¡¸ Ah, well, it¡¯s fine, though. Isn¡¯t the rental fee too expensive? ¡¹


    When I was looking for rental houses, I also asked a similar empty house for the price, but isn¡¯t 6 gold coins per month too severe¡­?


    ¡¸It¡¯s a lot better than that rip-off inn, and there¡¯s no price for safety. In the worst case scenario that assassins came for me, I¡¯ll be causing too much trouble to the inn or rented room. ¡¹


    ¡¸ By the way, what are you making? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Bathroom. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Bathroom? ¡¹


    Ash is making another dreadful face, but that must be her puzzled look.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s not a bucket tub, you know? Well, it¡¯s faster to just show it to you. ¡¹


    I invited Ash to the newly made wall.


    ¡¸ This is¡­A bathroom? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, the wall¡¯s still wet, and there¡¯s no door, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I have never seen anything like this before. Beautiful. ¡¹


    When I told her she could touch anything except for the walls, Ash started to stroke the clawfoot tub. Super smooth, right?


    ¡¸ I¡¯m also thinking of making it into a steam bath, so I plan to make a stone oven in the gap between this wall and the fireplace, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸ The window in the bathroom is also luxurious, but this one¡­ I want to use it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ You can try it when it¡¯s done, okay. ¡¹


    I made these, so I wanted to boast for a bit.

 CH 32

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    It seems that the previous owner already moved out, so they were inspecting the house¡¯s condition just now. They already checked it out before, but maybe they wanted to see it again for negotiations?


    ¡¸ Is it okay if I also look around? This house was newly built, so it¡¯s empty before, and I have never entered a normal single house before. ¡¹


    I wanted to see what¡¯s normal and turn it into reference. Az jumped on my shoulder, and I stroked with a finger while asking Ash.


    ¡¸ Yeah, sure. We don¡¯t have any furniture, though. ¡¹


    And so, it¡¯s decided that I¡¯ll go visit, then.


    There¡¯s a back gate in the middle of the alley, so I thought we¡¯d go through that, but she especially brought me to the front.


    ¡¸ Oh, hello there, please come in. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please excuse me. ¡¹


    I felt someone¡¯s presence when the door opened ¡ª Noth came to welcome us.


    ¡¸ Please pardon us, the house is in this state, so we couldn¡¯t even offer you tea. ¡¹


    ¡¸ No, I¡¯m sorry for bothering you even though you are so busy. Thank you very much for the snacks. ¡¹


    Noth toured me through the house. The windows on the first floor were small except for those facing the courtyard, and they were built high. Also, they were raising livestock like horses, pigs and others here not so long ago. Based on the remaining traces, I guess they didn¡¯t use the first floor as a living space, huh. Maybe that¡¯s why the windows were small? Maybe it¡¯s related to public order?


    The houses facing the main street also had the first floors converted into shops, so maybe it¡¯s normal for the living rooms and bedrooms to be on the second and upper floors.


    The width is different from mine, but the general structure is mostly similar, huh. My rented house is sandwiched between two houses, so I don¡¯t have windows on the sides. I have the inner yard with the well on the first floor, a kitchen in the furthermost part, second and third floors, plus an underground cellar.


    The staircase was opposite the wall with the window, and part of the fireplace blocked the window looking out into the yard. My rented house was built just recently, so there¡¯s a fireplace on the first floor on the get go. Since this floor was used as a shed for the livestock, then it probably didn¡¯t have any fireplace right from the start? It must¡¯ve been difficult to connect the chimney, or should I say vents, way up to the third floor, so they just made it so the smoke would go out into the yard.


    And there are a lot of shelves on the wall.


    ¡¸ They were weavers, apparently, so they put the materials, dyes and tools on these before starting to spin. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I see. ¡¹


    Yeah, not sure if it¡¯s from a dye, but the stain spread out on part of the floor.


    Wait a sec, I just stared at the shelf and yet he already knew what I was thinking? Really can¡¯t treat Butler lightly.


    ¡¸ Ugh. ¡¹


    Yeah, yeah, I get that it¡¯s logical to just drop it to the sewage, but I CAN¡¯T accept it. If this is the norm in this world, then sorry, I¡¯ll never compromise.


    ¡¸ Oh, now that I think about it, Jean-dono¡¯s toilet is partitioned by a wall, and the sewage didn¡¯t stink. ¡¹


    I made the kitchen¡¯s drainage pipes into an S-shape, so it¡¯ll stock water and prevent the odor from rising up, and I also connected the drainage to the sewage via the toilet. I also remodelled the toilet since it was just a straight hole leading to the sewage. I attached a lid, then placed a bucket nearby just in case it¡¯ll get blocked, then splash everytime¡­..


    I won¡¯t use it, but if I make some friends later on, then they¡¯ll probably call on that rented house, so I prepared it so they can use it.


    Moreover, in the Duke¡¯s house, they use a wooden box as a seat, and there¡¯s a drawer-like thing under it. Everytime they¡¯re done with their business, a maid would call a servant to replace it¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    Even if there are no slaves, the jobs of the servants seem to be divided by rank? If they become ladies-in-waiting, then they don¡¯t do scullery jobs and other stuff. The ladies-in-waiting in the Duke House were also nobilities working as apprentices to learn proper conduct, so maybe that¡¯s only natural?


    The servants¡¯ toilet was, of course, located at the corner of the servants¡¯ kitchen. Not to mention Ash, even Noth rarely went to that place, apparently. And the rest of them would do it outside¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. What an extremely spacious toilet, right!


    ¡¸ Is it okay if I look at it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Eh? Yeah, sure. ¡¹


    I can¡¯t say no, since he showed me their place.


    ***


    ¡¸ This is¡­.? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a bathtub. ¡¹


    People usually use wooden tubs, and it must be rare for a private home to have a bathroom in the house because of drainage. This enamel bathtub already went way beyond rare, for sure


    ¡¸ He promised that he¡¯ll let me use this when it¡¯s finished. ¡¹


    When Ash said that to Noth, one of his eyebrows shot up.


    Ah.


    Shocks, what the, she¡¯s a woman!! Aside from her appearance, she had been under my care in the past days, so that fact totally, COMPLETELY slipped out of my mind.


    ¡¸ Butler-san is also welcome to try it after it¡¯s finished. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t have any ulterior motive, so please relax.


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. I know I should restrain myself because of my status as a servant, however, I am truly interested in it, so please pardon me. ¡¹


    He bowed gracefully. That was close, too close.


    Next, the kitchen.


    ¡¸ Ohhh. Indeed, it doesn¡¯t smell.¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. It¡¯s a wonder.¡¹


    He peeked inside the toilet, then sniffed at the sink.


    Ah, the sink here had two adjoined places to stock water. It takes too much effort to draw water from the well, so apparently, they use it by stocking water on one side and washing the things in it, then the other side is for rinsing.


    ¡¸ With this, I am thinking of postponing our move to another day. May I ask which workshop did you commission to do this? If it is alright with you, can you please introduce us. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Me. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes. ¡¹


    Noth was expectantly staring at me, but as I said, it¡¯s me.


    ¡¸ Noth, Jean-dono did all the work here himself. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh my! ¡ª Have you registered this technology to the Guild and did an exhibit? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Not yet. I¡¯ll do that from now on. ¡¹


    Following these lines means I¡¯ll probably be requested to remodel that house. Renovating is fun, but sorry, I¡¯ll never touch a toilet that¡¯s already been used!


    Well, it¡¯ll be good if the city becomes more sanitary. Honestly, whenever I enter a restaurant, the image of the kitchen pops up to my mind and I lose my appetite.


    And so, my pseudo-patents increased because of this.

 CH 33

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Feathers. Waterfowls. It¡¯s so cold here!


    This is bad, with things looking like this, I should get a down jacket first before that blanket. It¡¯s a nice idea to send a feather quilt as a housewarming gift to Ash, so I went to the lake again. But it¡¯s waaayyy too cold!


    Down feathers¡¯ price will surely skyrocket the colder it gets ¡ª meh, I¡¯m just trying to fool myself here. Just like dogs and cats that get winter fur, birds are also fluffier the colder it is, right? Probably, huh.


    Target spotted ¡ª grab the bow ¡ª shoot!


    The arrow was tied to a string, whizzing as it zipped towards one of the waterfowls floating on the lake. Actually, there¡¯s no sound coz I casted ¡º Silence ¡».


    It was terrible at first, I didn¡¯t even hit a single thing.¡¾ Martial Arts Ability ¡¿ ¡®s so amazing, it¡¯s not even half a day yet, and yet I can already shoot them down. The difficulty leveled up, though, because now that the arrow is flying properly, it¡¯s also making that woosh sound.


    The bow was tightly drawn so the trajectory won¡¯t be affected by the string on the arrow, but I didn¡¯t feel the slightest discomfort.¡¾ Martial Arts Ability ¡¿boosted the level of my physical abilities.


    I was supposed to use magic to shoot them so I practiced earlier, but I forgot to come-up with a way to retrieve the shot birds from the lake. So, I changed to a bow, ¡®coz if I didn¡¯t get the carcass soon enough, it would turn into a bone model in the blink of an eye. Dunno if it¡¯s because of the smell of blood that they go berserk, but the other birds would become cannibalistic¡­¡­..As expected of monsters, huh.


    Maybe it would have been easier if I just threw a net over the spot where they are clustered together.


    It¡¯s just that they seemed vigilant ¡ª they won¡¯t go near the bank, and they gathered considerably far away.


    Be it monsters or their ordinary predecessors, those birds would happily flock together. That peaceful scenery was drastically ruined by the blood thirsty cannibalism ¡ª I¡¯m the reason for it, though.


    I hurriedly hauled the thin string in while thinking back about it. A bird that sprouted horns is still chasing the bird I shot even now, drawn to the smell of blood. Some of them didn¡¯t have horns, but those that are difficult to see with a naked eye are probably hornless, while those with a small bump like mounds must be horned ¡ª you can see their small horns when you peel their skin.


    It might have been great if the bird continued chasing till it reached the bank, unfortunately, it pulled back when it reached a certain distance. Well, thin ice already covered the part near the bank, so it can¡¯t be helped. How nice it would be if I got a magical string that can pull monsters in, or if there¡¯s a spell so I can fly or walk on water.


    Unfortunately, there¡¯s no magic like that in the games I played before. It might be possible for me to do it, but unless I saw it once, or performed the spell after learning the ropes, it will be difficult to reenact the spell.


    My ingredient appraiser and ¡¾ Complete Cookery ¡¿ isn¡¯t ¡¾ Complete Magic¡¿, but


    I already have¡¾ Magical Ability ¡¿ and the boosting power of the spirits. I could get close enough to¡¾ Complete Magic ¡¿by studying properly, but finding magic related books is already difficult as it is.


    Although ¡¾ Complete Magic ¡¿ is different from my ingredient appraisal and ¡¾ Complete Cookery¡¿ , people who had this ability could conjure the spells just by thinking ¡°I want to come up with this¡±, even if they hadn¡¯t read the magical spells related to their goals recorded in the various books and lithographs of this world.


    ¡ª Because only a few recipe books with procedures were written, my ¡¾ Complete Cookery ¡¿ actually resembles ¡¸Ability¡¹with regards to this world¡¯s cuisine. No problem, I have plenty of opportunities to look at the dishes available here. Even if I didn¡¯t see how they cooked the dishes, just looking at the final product is enough for me to recreate it, so that¡¯s more convenient than an¡¸ Ability ¡¹ .


    Some of the spirits offered to catch the prey for me, but I refused. Setting aside normal animals, monsters are in conflict with spirits, so it¡¯s too dangerous. There are those who proactively eat them, too.


    That¡¯s why I repeatedly¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ back to the house and warmed up before the fireplace, then returned to the lake to bring the waterfowls down with my bow and arrow.


    The waterfowls were white wild geese called snow geese. Only their beaks and the tips of their wings are black, the rest of their bodies are pure white. Well, they¡¯re monsters, so the area around their eyes are bald with small warts growing on the black skin ¡ª it¡¯s not feathers, so whatever.


    I dropped the heads on that spot as feed for the monsters, then plunged the bodies into the ice cold river. Birds have high temperatures, so they start to rot relatively fast when they die because of the remaining warmth in their bodies. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to chill them as soon as possible. I wanted to drain the blood too if possible, so I submerged them in running water. Yeah, maybe it¡¯s better to extract the innards and wash it by hand, but don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s too cold. Ugh, this is a lot more difficult than hunting.


    That¡¯s the reason why I chose to hunt in this spot ¡ª the river is flowing into the lake. Well, I can chuck them into¡¾ Storage ¡¿ , but I don¡¯t want to do this job back at home, and it¡¯s better if the temperature is low.


    Even if I take a break, I can¡¯t think clearly now, so let¡¯s call it a day. Anyway, this is more than enough, I guess. Keep them in the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ first, then slowly work on them later, shall we?


    I prepared the bath when I got home. Took advantage of the infinite supply of firewood, so the house¡¯s fireplace was constantly burning. The room was warm, but I¡¯m frozen to the core, and it¡¯d take too much time to warm this body, so I hastily entered the bath.


    The hem of my robe was already frozen solid! It was probably dipped in the water without me noticing. I couldn¡¯t wait anymore so I entered the bathtub even if it wasn¡¯t full yet. The warmth of the hot bath made the tips of my hands and feet a bit painful, and they heated up like getting burned. And they¡¯re itchy.


    It¡¯s because the blood circulation suddenly improved, absolutely NOT because I have athlete¡¯s foot.


    Ah, but it might have turned into chilblains. Well, I¡¯ve got ¡¾ Heal ¡¿ so it¡¯ll be fine, I guess.


    Got all warmed up in the bath, and I wind down beside the fireplace where the vapors wafted up from the iron pot I placed on the hearth. The house is really nice! Riche, who had been so close to the fireplace before, now lay by my feet, all curled up.


    I read a book while enjoying a cup of coffee. It¡¯s something I bought when I went to the royal capital to buy some cloth for the down quilt I¡¯m making. The topic is waterwheels.


    The water wheel in my house had wooden blades sticking horizontally on it, and was structured to rotate when water pours from above it. There were also waterwheels here that looked like those in Japan, attached beside a building.


    Softening the threads, fulling cloths, and even in leather production uses energy from the water wheel. I finally understood my water wheel¡¯s other mechanisms aside from grinding flour.


    Fulling was done as the last step to make the woolen materials denser. Producing felt-like cloth is also possible, so I wanted to make a warm coat. Ah, but it¡¯ll probably be spring by the time I¡¯m done, so just save it for later.


    By the way, depending on the place, waterwheels and even the ovens for baking bread were considered as property of the feudal lord. Aside from charging a fee to use them, people who make their own bread in their houses are also punished ¡ª a warning was written here so I backed off for a bit.


    The feathers of the snow geese I hunted earlier were already made into cushions, and the down was turned into a blanket. I also spread one out in Riche¡¯s sleeping basket.


    I also wanted a kettle and a lamp, plus chinaware ©` er, porcelain tableware. A leather sofa is also nice. It¡¯s actually fun when you tweak something and it turns out to be more comfortable, right.

 CH 34

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Money came pouring in like crazy. It¡¯s from the bathtub and the wet area, but the deposits are still coming in multi-levels, so it was amazing. I supervised the renovation at Ash¡¯s house. Well, that¡¯s the pretext; I¡¯m just in charge of the materials. Some of the Commerce Guild staff came to observe at that time.


    After a while, an influential person also sent his underlings to Ash¡¯s house, and they took turns with the Commerce Guild personnel to do observation, so there were a lot of people. Ash was worried at first since they couldn¡¯t readily move, but the Commerce Guild and the Mason Guild under it gave them a hefty compensation, so it was cleanly settled.


    I was a bit worried, since Ash has potential pursuers her house layout will be exposed. Well, looking at these houses all lined up with similar floor plans made me think it¡¯s useless to worry about it.


    Other places were also finished and the observers transferred over there, so it finally calmed down over here.


    If you¡¯re really that bothered about the smell, then do something about it ¡ª I can¡¯t help but think that way. It seems like they¡¯re just covering the smell by spraying perfume. If they want it cheap, they just chew on garlic, or smear them all over the place.


    Just stop already.


    I got the feeling that the adventurers are more concerned with the smell affecting the game they hunted. Well, even if you splash them with water they won¡¯t catch a cold, that¡¯s how healthy they are.


    There were guys among them who say they wear furs so that they¡¯ll smell like beasts, or else, those who don¡¯t take a bath, saying ¡®carnivorous monsters will come near us!¡¯, though.


    Because their move had been prolonged, I managed to finish the down blanket just in time.


    ¡¸ Finally, time to move, huh. Sorry for the trouble. ¡¹


    ¡¸ No, I also profited from the result. I even got change after paying the inn. ¡¹


    Ash and Noth were on standby, waiting to receive the the big furniture such as the beds and the clothing boxes underneath to arrive


    ¡¸ This is the housewarming gift that I told you about before. ¡¹


    I handed the sack to Ash and Noth. It¡¯d be troublesome if it got ripped while rubbing the stairs and the contents spilled, so I put it inside the sack. Their stairs are too narrow, after all.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s quite light for a blanket. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I made it with the down feathers of Horned Snow Geese. ¡¹


    Silence.


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t this a luxury item! ¡¹


    It¡¯s rare for Noth to raise his voice.


    ¡¸ Snow Geese, are you talking about those extremely wary animals that are very difficult to hunt¡­.? ¡¹


    The feather blanket¡¯s price didn¡¯t seem to ring a bell for Ash, but she¡¯s familiar with snow geese, it seems.


    ¡¸ Yep. ¡¹


    Actually, I didn¡¯t know that, either. I just thought it must be expensive.


    In the end, I had to spend a whole week to get enough feathers, then I sold the horns to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the meat to the Commerce Guild as an alibi and for my track record too. I was shocked after that.


    In order to get the feathers, they would wait for spring when the water is tepid, and they would search for the nests left behind by the migrating geese. Easy, it seemed. It¡¯s just that monsters rarely pair up, so they don¡¯t build nests, and that¡¯s the reason why the horned geese¡¯s feathers were worth a fortune, and that didn¡¯t change.


    The down blanket was already worth more than 200 gold coins, enough to build an ordinary house inside the castle walls. Amazing, right!


    The meat was also sold for a steep price. One time, I brought too much, so I ended up hearing things like ¡®This is difficult to preserve, so you can try selling this much to others¡¯, or ¡®if it¡¯s just one per week, then it would¡¯ve fetched a hefty price!¡¯ and so on.


    In that case, I can also sell feather pillows. I pretended to sell the stuff left over from the feathers, but there were a lot more inside ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ , so it was an awful lot when combined with the portion I used for myself.


    I thought it¡¯d be a pity to waste them, so I turned them all into pillows and cushions. That¡¯s where I fell short ¡ª I should¡¯ve sold them to other countries, instead. Ah, yeah, I can also sell the cushions later, huh. Alright, I¡¯m going to sell them.


    ¡¸ This is too much for a housewarming gift¡­.. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, it¡¯s the privilege of an adventurer. Oh, right, here, apology gift for extending your move. ¡¹


    ¡¸ This is¡­.? ¡¹


    ¡¸ What might this be? ¡¹


    Both of them didn¡¯t know what to make out of this.


    Even though it had been profitable, I still troubled them a bit, so as a compensation, I gave them a new commodity. It¡¯s a toilet seat made from ceramics.


    ¡ª It¡¯s a bit funny that their move might be extended again because of the toilet seat. I just told them about the guild in the country that handled this, that¡¯s it. Given the time difference, money might come pouring in again, I think.


    There¡¯s no porcelain yet, so in return, I requested them to make more enamel products aside from the bathtub.


    The only flaw was its weakness against temperature differences, but it¡¯s strong against heat, and it¡¯s fine even if placed in direct fire, plus it¡¯s also okay with acids, good for stewing jams.


    The bathroom at the rented house was also finished. I already used it twice. I used well water the first time I tried it, but I used water from my house the second time around. The soft water from my house won hands down. Not sure if it¡¯s because of being boiled at the fireplace, but the bath¡¯s hot water was softer than the one in my house. It doesn¡¯t stand a chance against the convenience of turning a faucet to get hot water, though.


    ***


    ¡¸ Jean-dono¡¯s house is like a different world. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It is peculiar, but not unpleasant ¡ª in fact, I certainly want to adopt this style. ¡¹


    Ash and Noth already got furniture and some firewood to ward off the cold, but they still couldn¡¯t cook there so I invited them over for dinner.


    I told them that they¡¯re free to explore the first floor while I bring in the food. Well, the second and third floors are locked, though.


    There are leather-covered wingback chairs in front of the fireplace on the first floor, and there is also a dining set. I also installed a few shelves on the wall, and lined it with different ceramics.


    Ash curiously stroked the wingback chair. This chair, or should I say a single sofa, has a beautiful silhouette, looking like it sprouted wings on its back.


    I initially considered the antique sofa I wanted in my previous life, but it all made sense when I placed them before the fireplace. This wing-like feature prevented me from drawing too close to the fire and warming only my face.


    Aside from that, most of the chairs in this world are commonly bench seats, and chairs with back rest are pretty rare. I also registered this chair, haha.


    I helped a furniture maker previously, so I also assisted a leather craftsman and learned a lot from him. I used a normal cow¡¯s hide for this sofa, but if I see a cow or horse monster then I¡¯ll remake it again.


    The butler seemed to be interested in the table and chairs. I made several chairs while paying attention to comfort, so I¡¯d be glad if you praise it. The seat is made from stacking several wool felts, covered with leather, but look at that back angle and that curve! I¡¯m unbelievably proud of that, you know.

 CH 35

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ Here, help yourselves. ¡¹


    We had assorted hams and cheese piled together, turnip potage, sliced bread with the butter, olive oil and plum jam in small saucers. There¡¯s the roasted snow white geese and grilled veggies, and for dessert, we have a fig crumble tart.


    I served everything on the table, and the preps were completed. Everything except the bread and plum jam was made with the stuff that I can get around here. They¡¯re a lot more expensive, and yet they¡¯re so bland compared to the things in my house, but that can¡¯t be helped.


    Ash already ate the bread made from the wheat back home, so I decided not to mind it.


    ¡¸ Please allow me. ¡¹


    Butler offered to take over when I was about to cut the snow goose roast.


    At first, he only intended to see Ash out, but I also invited him too, and Ash was the one who made him sit with us despite his hesitancy. Seems like he can¡¯t calm down if he¡¯s eating together with his master.


    I offered a short prayer to the spirits.


    ¡¸Tasty¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Cheese with honey, I will take note of this. The turnip soup is also superb. ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s face was terrifyingly grim after that first word. Maybe she¡¯s happy? I don¡¯t have enough background and practice on reading expressions, so I¡¯m not really sure about this, but her hand didn¡¯t stop, so she probably liked it, right.


    Butler was earnestly tasting them ¡ª probably driven by his desire to make the same thing. He made a complicated expression with every bite.


    Thank goodness I made them with the stuff here. Whew, that was close. Ah, but I was a bit nervous because turnip¡¯s top part was a bit purplish.


    The snow goose was really delicious, worthy of it¡¯s exorbitant price. I brushed it with the oil oozing from it while roasting it whole. I sauteed several types of mushrooms and herbs and used that as stuffing. The skin was crispy and fragrant, the meat tender and juicy.


    The mushrooms were those I gathered during autumn and preserved in oil. The Dinosso family taught me three preservation techniques ¡ª oil pickling, salt pickling and drying. The kitchen shelves in this house are lined with preserved goodies. Those tall glass bottles are just for my amusement.


    There were chestnuts that I boiled then dried, various nuts, dried fruits and pickles. Maybe I can go later to the sea and buy some fish to make sardines or anchovies in oil.


    I served the whole, round, fig crumble tart as is on the table. It¡¯s the improved version of the tarts I got from them earlier. ¡¸ Crumble ¡¹ is made by mixing wheat flour, sugar and cold butter all together into a minced paste, and it¡¯s crunchy and crumbly when baked.


    I can cool the ingredients all I want, thanks to the current season, so I wanted to make a lot of food. But I had to make a blazing fire in the fireplace or else it would be too cold with ice. Ahhh, I really want a refrigerator. Ah, maybe I can store huge amounts of ice in ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ during the winter season?


    ¡¸ You look like you¡¯re in a good mood. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, I¡¯m happy when the dishes taste great. ¡¹


    Az was taking a bath in the water dish I placed beside the wall. Normally, I use this small table, this pitcher and that basin to wash my face and hands, but now, they¡¯re used as the spirits¡¯ food dish and bird bath at the same time.


    The spirits that help me usually aren¡¯t allowed to be in the same room with my guests, so I also prepared the same stuff on the second floor. There were also spirits who didn¡¯t like water ¡ª fire spirits being an example ¡ª so I also had the fireplace going.


    Everyone¡¯s generally covered as long as there¡¯s water, fire and plants. But their preferences are also diverse it seems; some prefer candles over the fireplace, and some like carbonated water instead of just plain water, and so on.


    Alright. How about the tart? Butler stood up to cut the tart. Not sure, but he seemed to have guessed what I wanted when I turned my eyes to it. He inserted the knife to the whole tart ¡ª


    ¡¸ Whoa!? ¡¹


    ¡¸ What!? ¡¹


    Colorful things slammed down at the tart. A red one, yellow one, and a blue one with a color so deep it¡¯s almost black.


    It was the spirits who fell down. Spirits usually play pranks on things that caught their fancy, but they normally won¡¯t touch things they¡¯re not interested in. There were also those who can¡¯t pass through glass and particular metals, but most of them can pass through, so I mostly ignored those spirits.


    But when they¡¯re excited, they unintentionally touch the things, or else they would do mini power explosions and that would break the things.


    Just like what happened now.


    ¡¸ What was that? Maybe the temperature difference, or something? ¡¹


    I pretended to examine the tart by extending my hand towards it, and grabbed the spirit that was the source of it all by its head.


    There¡¯s no problem with the plate because it was made from wood, but because they collided right on top, the tart was crushed and bits and pieces were scattered all around.


    These red and yellow spirits were the ones I asked to help me prevent the other spirits, aside from Az, from coming near me, and they were the ones who guided those spirits back to my house. This unfamiliar blackish one must be the culprit.


    Butler was dumbfounded, while Ash looked like she wanted to say something.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll go get another one and a wet towel, too.¡¹


    I grinned and said that while gripping the spirit¡¯s head tighter.


    This black one is huge compared to the spirits that cooperated with me before. Those two were the size of my palm, while this one looked like a doll, and it¡¯s head was more or less half of my hand. There were those who had great power despite being tiny, but the power of spirits is usually proportionate to their size.


    This red doll-like spirit is Rose, and the yellow fox-like one is Corn, I think. Looks like they really did their best, so I¡¯ll prepare something they¡¯ll like later on.


    So, let¡¯s ¡®pickle¡¯ this boisterous one as punishment.


    I crammed it inside one of the cylindrical bottles that I planned to use for pickling later. It was on the bed of salted rice bran allotted for it, but I haven¡¯t put any vegetables in it, yet.


    The spirit instantly became meek when I pushed it in. I closed the lid then winded a string around it.


    The bottle started to rattle again halfway through, but I put a weight on top so it couldn¡¯t move. The spirit couldn¡¯t escape because the container was made from enamel, which was casted with metal and coated by glassy stuff.


    I washed my hands, took the dish towel, and prepared the spare tart.


    ¡¸ Oh, thanks. ¡¹


    Butler ¡ª it probably wasn¡¯t Ash ¡ª already cleaned the table while I was away.


    The messy tart he reassembled onto the plate looked really pitiful.


    ¡¸ We can¡¯t have the fig tart anymore, so in exchange, here¡¯s a tart I made from honey-pickled walnuts and cranberries. ¡¹


    So, what should I do with that spirit, huh.

 CH 36

    The tart was packed to the brim with the honey-pickled walnuts and cranberries, and it was delicious. Ash and Noth also favored it, so that¡¯s great.


    Still, for what reason did that spirit come here? Spirits usually become prouder the stronger they become, so they don¡¯t like serving a master. That¡¯s why the spirits who wanted to be named were the size of the ones who assisted me, or else a bit smaller than that. ¡ª The vast numbers make up for it, though.


    The answer came soon enough.


    ¡¸ I deeply apologize. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hm? What happened? ¡¹


    Noth brought the dishes to the kitchen, then he suddenly bowed towards me.


    ¡¸ The spirit who ruined the tart is my subordinate. ¡¹


    He glanced at the pickle bottle.


    The bottle trembled slightly. I had a feeling something was screaming, but I¡¯m not hearing the voices of the spirits. If I turn that ability on, it will be too noisy, and I won¡¯t be able to sleep in my house.


    I tuned it so that I can hear Riche¡¯s voice, but he¡¯s really meek, never even heard him bark before. Wolves are supposed to howl, but he doesn¡¯t do that, either.


    ¡¸ This one¡¯s? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s name is Quinn, and it¡¯s the Spirit of the Snowy Eve. Usually, it keeps its distance so that people will not notice it.¡¹


    So you¡¯re the pet owner!!!


    Still, why didn¡¯t they say anything back then?


    ¡¸¡­Perhaps, Ash doesn¡¯t know about this spirit¡¯s existence? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Indeed. ¡¹


    If Ash already knew about Quinn, then she probably kept quiet to hide Butler¡¯s ability. If she didn¡¯t know, then she must¡¯ve kept mum to hide my spirit-related abilities from Butler.


    ¡ª Butler spoke when Ash wasn¡¯t around, so his timing must mean it¡¯s the latter.


    What¡¯s up with these ¡®Lord and Retainer¡¯ guys?


    I unwittingly stared fixedly at Butler¡¯s face. Noth Poudill, the former butler of Ash¡¯s home, the House of Adelheid ¡ª white, cool face, ashen hair and amber eyes.


    ¡¸ The Poudills are the Adelheid¡¯s branch family, and it is unforgivable for a branch family to surpass the main house. Ash-sama knew that I have the ability to see spirits, but that is all. ¡¹


    Butler bowed his head while I was gazing at him.


    Oh, the color of his hair really resembles Ash¡¯s. Er, I just noticed, but he probably thought I already did so maybe that¡¯s why he did an explanation beforehand.


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t have any intention to pry. If you¡¯re gonna bring something else, just make it come through the main door from the start. ¡¹


    I unwinded the string from the rice bran pickle bottle and opened the lid. The spirit sprang out and hurriedly flew away.


    The bran bed had been cleared pretty well. Well, I¡¯m just glad that it wasn¡¯t scattered all over.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s quite a unique aroma you have in here, too. Is it another type of salted pickles? ¡¹


    Butler looked like he¡¯s really perplexed.


    ¡¸ Yeah, something like that, but the necessary ingredients aren¡¯t there, yet. ¡¹


    Let¡¯s pickle some turnips later.


    ¡¸ Jean-sama¡¯s house is really splendid and comfortable. ¡¹


    ¡¸ There are still some things I wanted to make, but I plan to take my time doing them once I¡¯m free later on. ¡¹


    Butler washed the dishes and I dried them and returned them to the shelves.


    I used a ton of plaster all over the kitchen, bathroom and cellar to prevent molds from growing. Scrubbing the old plaster off the stone gaps to mend the walls had been a great idea, but I don¡¯t want to repeat that again.


    The beams supporting the upper floors were thin and they seemed unreliable so I changed them to thicker ones. Yeah, the interior turned into a new place.


    Ash and Butler went home. She was taking care of Az.


    Butler took the ruined fig tart home. There are folks living outside the city walls because they don¡¯t have any money, and he said he will be giving it to the poorest among them.


    I really didn¡¯t want to give the pieces on the table, but still, I conceded. Letting them have the pieces from the floor really bothered my Japanese conscience, though. Shouldn¡¯t eating off the floor be a common hygiene concept ¡ª ah, no, food was extremely precious in this world, after all.


    True, it was also normal that there were people who worry about how they¡¯re gonna get their next meal. Sweets are expensive, and I was told that ¡¸ They¡¯ll resent you if you give this to the pigs ¡¹, so I changed my mind. I crushed the tart to even it out, then reshaped them into cookies and sprinkled caramel on top before baking them lightly.


    After they were gone, I extinguished the fire on the first floor and went to the third floor to check it.


    A candle that can burn for three hours will cost you 3 copper coins, or maybe one quarter silver coin. It is equivalent to an entire day¡¯s worth of bread for an adult, so using a candle everyday is considered as a luxury. That¡¯s why most households only use the light from the fireplace at night.


    The flooring of the second floor was made from wood, but the third floor was tiled, and I also widened the fireplace¡¯s hearth as a measure to prevent fire. I made it with the assumption that nobody would tend to the fire until the firewood¡¯s all used up. Well, it¡¯s weird if no smoke came out of the chimney after a while, right.


    The country by the sea uses soft rush as a wick, and they place it on a small saucer filled with oil and use it as light. Cheap oils were usually from fish oils from sardines, but it¡¯s stinky and smoky. The next type would be whale oil, and the smell was tolerable. There¡¯s no vegetable oil, it seems? Cats would lick the whale oil in paper lanterns, right! I don¡¯t have a lantern, though.


    The day here is long, so people typically work while it¡¯s still bright and they turn in early at night to save money. I should also hurry up and ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ back home to sleep.


    That master-and-servant pair ¡ª they¡¯re no longer at the Duke¡¯s Household so they could just ¡®fess it up. My ability to touch spirits was already exposed to Butler, but I guess we¡¯re just even. If this turns into something troublesome then I have no choice but to dump this house. I went through a lot of trouble remodelling it, but it¡¯s probably fine.


    That master-servant pair probably doesn¡¯t want to stand out too much and catch the fancy of the state, too. Besides, I¡¯m fine, as long as I don¡¯t get acquainted with the person, no one can sustain his or her interest in my affairs, thanks to the deities.


    Still, it¡¯s convenient for me because of my Free Knight status and my fief is officially recognized. Well, these circumstances might be the worst scenario ever if I wanted to build my reputation and become someone famous, though.


    Comfort first.

 CH 37

    I rubbed Riche down after our morning stroll, all while being deep in thought.


    I didn¡¯t have a lot of friends back when I was in Japan, just those guys from my school when I was a kid. It was largely due to my Sis who constantly brewed trouble. I wasn¡¯t ignored, but nobody played with me after school and during vacations.


    High school was a bit better, but Sis used my parents to block me, so naturally, I only had a few friends because of that. Under the influence of my sis, some of them distanced themselves from me, and others felt she was too bothersome so they stopped hanging out with me.


    I guess the number of friends I had was really pitifully small, huh. They don¡¯t even reach a handful, mind you. Well, they¡¯d come running to save me if I wished for it, but they¡¯re also the type of dry guys who wouldn¡¯t chase after people, so even if I wasn¡¯t there, they probably won¡¯t worry about me.


    My life has pretty much settled down here, so now I¡¯m yearning for some friends. The closest to me right now was the uncle from the Dinosso family. He¡¯s a family guy, and it¡¯s impossible for me to invite him over to this rented house, so I¡¯m the one who visits them. I¡¯m super popular with his kids and wife thanks to the presents I bring to them.


    The folks I know here in Canum are Dean, Ash and Retze. Plus Diana-san, the receptionist from the Commerce Guild ¡ª I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be friends with Diana-san though. She¡¯s actually scary, and I feel like I¡¯m gonna be scolded if I¡¯m careless. Retze is a lot older than me.


    Dean is too attached to his sister.


    Ash has that family feud going on, and she¡¯s also attached to her butler.


    My small world is filled with misanthropes, you know? I¡¯m not qualified to say that about others, though. Well, friendship ain¡¯t something that would happen just because I thought it would. Anyway, let¡¯s just continue this casual acquaintance for now. Plus, they both handled the sword pretty well.


    Will my acquaintances increase if I properly mingled with folks while doing my shopping? I¡¯m a homebody so I don¡¯t frequently go to town to shop ¡ª maybe that¡¯s the reason why my world was small.


    My social circle is small, but the scope of shopping is wide.


    And so, it¡¯s gonna be the sea, then ¡ª port city, fresh seafood.


    ***


    Sis¡¯ kingdom lies just beyond this country¡¯s coastline, so I should also gather information just a bit. According to the deities, Sis was firing magic here and there without regard, so I¡¯m a bit concerned whether rumors have leaked over here. If there are no rumors, then that means this country isn¡¯t affected yet, so that would be a relief.


    Spirits cannot interfere with a hero that is under a different spirit, and Light Ball already lectured her, but it was just a waste of time, apparently.


    If she is still recklessly releasing magic all she wanted, then the Magical Woods¡¯ probably affected already, I guess.


    This entire city spread out from this island to the other side of the mainland and they¡¯re connected with a bridge. The main part of the city is on this island, and it has a harbour where huge sailing ships enter. They also do trade with other countries.


    A lot of fishing boats were moored on the mainland¡¯s pier, but there was no place where the huge sailing ships could moor. A sand bar extended up to the island, so the ships can¡¯t physically enter.


    The island¡¯s security was strict, whereas you can freely enter the mainland as long as you pay money. It was mostly merchants and seamen who came and went.


    The morning market is really bustling, and lively voices rang around. The buyers wanted to purchase good items for cheap, while the vendors wanted to sell them for a high price while they¡¯re still fresh. The cats and seagulls target the left-overs. Cods were being salt-pickled in barrels.


    Wait, that¡¯s too soon! You¡¯re already pickling it in salt!?


    Anchovies, pilchards and oysters, prawns and lobsters are sold fresh. It seems that they instantly pickle the fish in salt, or else they boil it in saltwater here. It seems that they already process and preserve the seafood while still fresh, and they¡¯re sold in the market, of course. They were also transported to several places.


    The vendors were mostly the fishermen¡¯s wives, and there were also some children helping around. So, how do I start gossiping with them? ¡¸ How¡¯s the neighboring kingdom doing nowadays? ¡¹¡ª is this fine?


    Wait a sec, most of the folks here are only interested in their own city, not to mention their own country. Merchants who do trade across the country are very few, plus most of them handle top caliber goods that are luxurious enough for aristocrats to take pride in.


    Only pickled cods and salt are sent all over the country from the city outside the island, I guess?


    ¡¸ Did those Shurm guys break into this place¡¯s fishing grounds again? ¡¹


    Ohh, somebody asked while I¡¯m still troubled about it. A portly auntie from one of the street stalls was talking to a tanned guy; it seemed like they knew each other. Shurm ¡ª Shurmtus, it¡¯s the country where Sis is currently at.


    ¡¸ Yeah, my man also got in a ¡®lil skirmish with them, he got wounds all over when he came home. They got this Hero or Saintess or whatever it was, sure so cocky, alright. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hero, or Saintess whatsit, she doesn¡¯t favor us at all. Hey, she¡¯s the source of trouble instead, mind you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ She¡¯s kind to the folks in her own country, they said. Well, the Demon King might pop out soon, so maybe we¡¯re going to be taken under their wing when that happens. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ouch ouch ouch ouch! ¡¹


    I was listening intently while pretending to scrutinize the fish, when a pickpocket¡­.


    Dean and Retze can observe their surroundings vigilantly and search for signs, but I can¡¯t do that, so I¡¯m practicing 24/7¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿mode on. When I activate a skill, I tend to neglect my surroundings, so it¡¯s difficult.


    I don¡¯t know how to twist an arm, so I just forcefully grabbed his wrist with all I got, but I could feel his bones creaking.


    Pickpockets abound here, so much that the palace guards and soldiers no longer bother with seriously dealing with them, and they don¡¯t cause an uproar, either. The residents were so used to them that they would even blame the victim for being absent minded.


    The residents usually gang up on muggers and pilferers and beat them to a pulp, but pickpockets were so good at their craft of stealing things unnoticed that when they get caught, they¡¯re just released again after a single punch most of the time.


    So, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. The pickpocket dropped my wallet, unable to stand the pain, so I sent him flying with a kick and that¡¯s it. The pickpocket tried to cover his face as he hastily got up and dashed away. He didn¡¯t even have the time to curse, it¡¯d be bad for him if his face got exposed in his workplace, er, this marketplace.


    That long-awaited piece of gossip already ended, so time for me to go. Seems like Sis still didn¡¯t stop from her careless, selfish use of magic, and looks like she¡¯s using the spirits within an inch of their lives.


    Much like the kings in this world, demon kings weren¡¯t limited to just a single entity. In order for a monster to qualify as a demon king, it should manifest the color of the spirit, and it must be horned. Once they became powerful enough, the black color around their eyes would spread to every part of their body and finally, they would transform. They would be wrapped in the color of the spirit, and their appearance would also change. It was unknown whether their appearance would be closer to that of the spirit, or whether it would be closer to the thing that possessed them.


    They loathed humans to the high heavens, and it was obvious..


    Well, if a spirit that Sis thoroughly used managed to escape and possessed an animal, that animal will probably monsterfy. Either a single powerful spirit or perhaps tons of spirits are used to cast strong magic, so she might have mass produced demon kings and monsters like a fool.


    There were a lot more monsters than divine beasts because the spirits don¡¯t just possess animals on a whim; they would turn the animals into their vessels in order to prevent a weakened spirit from losing its powers.


    Yup, the deities¡¯ info should be on point.


    Several months have already passed since I started living in this world. It was plenty enough time for the spirits from all four corners of this world to go to the borderland where their comrades, er, the monsters are.


    It¡¯s cold so I won¡¯t go to the forest now, though!

 CH 38

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Alrighty, it¡¯s time for the oysters. I chose the ones that didn¡¯t have norovirus*. I won¡¯t eat them raw here, so there¡¯s probably no problem, BUT I really wanted to eat them raw.


    I also got a bit of those sardines that were small but fatty, and also a little bit of anchovies for processing. I also have them in my¡º Food Storehouse ¡», but I can¡¯t help but want to buy a product if it is in season.


    I washed the shells with a brush to remove the dirt. This is making me wish for some gloves.


    There¡¯s no oyster knife here, so I just inserted a short knife through the crack and pried the shell open. This requires a bit of strength, but the current me didn¡¯t have any problems with this. Of course they weren¡¯t aquacultured, and it¡¯d be nasty if clam worms peeped out, so I washed them with salt water to remove the gunk and rubbish.


    I squeezed some lemon on it; it was slippery and tasty. The ponzu* and grated radish were also yummy.


    I mixed some light brown miso, mirin and mayonnaise with the sea urchins. Grilled oysters, oh grilled oysters ~ oh, wait a sec, what should I use to grill these?


    (¡­.)


    I put the oysters in a line, piled up some stones and put a net on top, then placed a few pieces of glowing coals on it. A mouthwatering scent wafted from the sea urchins as they grilled. I also wanted to grill some oysters in miso, but they¡¯re best eaten raw. Let¡¯s settle for half-cooked, alright.


    I smoked and pickled the rest in oil. I¡¯ll burn the shells later and pound them into powder and scatter them on the ground where I plan to plant my spinach.


    It¡¯s still early in the morning but I already gorged myself with oysters, and I¡¯m also done shucking and pickling them in oil. Only the sardines were left for me to process, but since they¡¯re inside ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ , I decided to take advantage of that. Riche and I relaxed as we watched the snow fall in the yard, blanketing the ground. Should I make a lounge sofa or a couch for whenever I want to laze around?


    I teleported to the rented house.


    I always reappear on the third floor, but it was super cold going down to the first floor!!! Well, it¡¯s only natural since there¡¯s no remaining warmth from a fire, but this is way too cold.


    And so, I hurriedly kindled the stove, lit the fire at the workshop and boiled some water, then I started processing the sardines. I should do this by the well since it¡¯s difficult to get water to wash this, but since it¡¯s super cold out there, I put some water inside the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ and brought it here. I took just enough whenever I needed it. It¡¯s like I¡¯m using a faucet cheat. Maybe it¡¯s better to swap the sink with an enamel one.


    The good thing about renting a house is that one can chuck the food scraps into the toilet hole to throw them out. I plan to dig a hole in the yard so I can bury the biodegradable waste, but will just do that when the weather¡¯s warmer. Hey, piggy that¡¯s gonna be eaten by some other guy, go ahead and eat up.


    Now, on to the anchovies and sardines in oil. To make the sardines more delicious, I first soaked them in brine and let them rest for one to two hours before pickling them in olive oil. Put some thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, and add some chili to taste.


    The anchovies were soaked in brine for the meantime. It¡¯s a fermented food, so it¡¯s still got a long way to go before it¡¯s ready.


    My hands stink, so I washed them thoroughly to remove the fishy smell, then cleaned up the kitchen too. I opened the window. It¡¯s too cold, so I¡¯ll go to the workshop ¡ªnope, let¡¯s retreat to the house.


    Riche came dashing to welcome me, but he threw a disapproving glance at me as he sniffed my fingertips. He drew back a step as he looked up at me, so I turned him over and we played together. My frozen fingertips were tingling from the warmth of the room.


    My lunch was the simmered food I prepared before I went out. I¡¯ll use the remaining broth to make some udon for dinner later. I brewed some coffee and relaxed to kill some time before my appointment. I¡¯m going to the pottery and metal casting shop this afternoon to get the items I requested.


    Cast metals need moulds. They are made by putting some sand mixed with clay into frames. The metal is then poured into the hollow part of the mould and cooled. It will solidify into the metal product that has the shape you wanted.


    Well, it¡¯s important to fix the shape from there, but that¡¯s it, basically.


    I also wanted to do smithing, but I¡¯ll do that after I make another windmill. I don¡¯t want to strike and shave metals right beside where I¡¯m grinding the flour (where the food is).


    Right now, I¡¯m doing my best to gather the materials. Got my hands on some brass, so it might be a good idea to use them to make lanterns and lamps. It¡¯s an alloy of copper and zinc, so the most familiar thing closest to it should be a 5 yen coin, I guess.


    The snow geese cushions also fetched a hefty price, plus my commission from the building structures that I registered before was more than I imagined. Thanks to that, there¡¯s no need for me to go hunting during the winter season, and I don¡¯t have to suffer from the cold.


    Maybe I¡¯ll pass the time by making some baskets out of olive branches and reeds beside the fireplace? I can also sew underwear or knit some socks, I guess.


    ***


    They told me the bathtubs and toilet seats were doing quite well when I visited the workshop. The first workshop I inquired at were not the only ones who benefitted from this ¡ª the whole town actually prospered. This happened because the workshop also passed the job to other studio¡¯s in order to meet the deadline of demanding aristocrats, apparently.


    Now that they¡¯re jumping on this bandwagon and expanding too much, I was a bit scared. What will happen when the craze is over? The bosses of the pottery and metal casting workshops assured me that everything¡¯s fine, though. Not only the enamels, but their pottery was also getting famous, so they¡¯re now establishing their brand.


    The metal casting shop and the first pottery workshop that I inquired at eventually collaborated with each other to create the products. Well, a bathtub sized enamel pottery won¡¯t fit in the metal casting shop¡¯s furnace, after all.


    ¡¸ Ah, I want to make a sink made of enamel. Plus a wash bowl, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸ See, it¡¯s gonna be fine! ¡¹


    He pounded my back while laughing out loud.


    ¡¸ Ohh, you look so skinny, but you¡¯re unexpectedly well-built, huh ¡¹


    The burly metal cast boss had been pounding my back with his meaty hand, but I didn¡¯t even tremble, so the pottery shop¡¯s boss was in awe.


    That hurts, plus I¡¯m not skinny, you know. Metal Casting Boss is a great, brawny guy, while Pottery Boss¡¯ got that potbelly, that¡¯s all.


    ¡­¡­¡­I should drink more milk as soon as I get home. Maybe I should drink it aside from mornings and evenings, too?


    After all this, I finally got a kettle, a small teapot and a pot I can put in the fireplace, so I set out for home in high spirits. I¡¯ve been brewing green tea in the teapot all this time, so I can settle down now that I have these. The teacups are also okay, too.


    Alright, let¡¯s go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for a bit since I¡¯m already out shopping. I¡¯ll just take a peek at the Commission Board so I¡¯ll have an idea about requests during this season. It¡¯s the spot where I can grasp the general gist without having to talk to people.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I absolutely didn¡¯t come here to search for handy body-building exercises, got it. I know I¡¯ve been repeating this countless times, but I¡¯m normal, you know. Based on Japanese standards, I¡¯m considered as the slender but macho type. It¡¯s not my fault that the people in this world are muscular, husky, brawny, beefy and huge.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s imperative that we go to the depths of the forest once again to investigate! ¡¹


    When I entered the guild, a blonde guy was giving some kind of fervent speech at the pub. He¡¯s an adventurer, yet he¡¯s wearing clothes trimmed with frills, and his shoulder-length, golden hair was tied into a low pony with a ribbon ¡ª and look at that cleft chin. Frills, ribbon, square face and cleft chin¡­that¡¯s so mismatched.


    Alright, I didn¡¯t see anything. I feel like I saw Dean at the same table, but I¡¯m probably imagining things.


    ¡ª


    T/N: norovirus ¨C common cause of viral gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines), causes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea :D.


    Ponzu sauce ¨C a a citrus-and-soy-based Japanese condiment


    Udon ¨C thick noodles, often cooked in broths with various condiments

 CH 39

    ¡¸ Indeed, I didn¡¯t see a Tri-Horn during my investigation at that time, but chaos brewed in the depths of the Magical Woods! ¡¹


    Blonde enthusiastically continued on with his declamation, while Dean averted his eyes as he drank his beer.


    It was only a brief glimpse, but it gave the impression that he¡¯ll excitedly ask you a lot of things if you got involved with him. Plus, if you don¡¯t agree, there will be no end to it, but if you do, it will be tiresome.


    Even the few adventurers, who were standing by the request counter or scattered around the pub in two¡¯s and three¡¯s, seemed exasperated as they threw furtive glances towards Blonde and Dean.


    Their table is situated right at the boundary between the pub and the guild reception room where the request board is located. Not sure if they were there because Blonde wanted everyone to hear him, or maybe that¡¯s where he captured Dean, who probably came to do something here, and he made him sit right there and there to listen.


    ¡¸ Chris, research teams are dispatched to the inner woods once every two years. It¡¯s not bad if you managed to find Tri-Horns, but it¡¯s not like there¡¯s a request for that, and I won¡¯t risk my neck just to go there.¡¹


    Dean sounded like all this stuff was tiresome. Maybe he¡®s trying to make it clear to everyone that he already refused, but his voice was louder than usual despite not being into it.


    Hm? Tri-Horns? Are they referring to monsters?


    (¡­¡­..)


    I think something like that is ¡®staying¡¯ inside my ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ .


    ¡¸ Tri-Horns are formidable enemies as they are, but they are the harbingers of Black Monsters¡¯ appearance! They will get stronger with time and it will be too late then! ¡¹


    Blonde slammed his fist on the table.


    Wait a sec, is this Blonde the one Dean mentioned the first time I came to this guild? It seemed that he had been away on a mission and was just about to return back then. In that case, then Blonde¡¯s claims are correct.


    I¡¯ve spent a lot of time trying to survive on that island, then receiving instructions from the deities, and loafing around my home afterward. There¡¯s a considerable gap from the time Sis started to become active.


    And then there¡¯s the Tri-Horns that I encountered during my magic practice session. I¡¯m not sure how far into the woods they would have to go during their investigations, but I had been going there as frequently as I could.


    Setting that aside, that means the monster was a super tough guy, huh. Thank goodness I didn¡¯t sell it or have it processed. I considered making that lizard¡¯s hide into an armour. My past self did a good job for not acting recklessly!


    Well, simply put, I just shifted my focus on making DIY leather goods projects, though. The fox fur was already on the floor as my carpet, and it¡¯s dyed so I doubt I¡¯d get discovered, but the pants I¡¯m wearing now are made from that lizard¡¯s leather.


    The texture of the monitor lizard¡¯s hide was closer to the skin of cows and pigs rather than the scaled hides of the other reptiles. I can easily bend and stretch my knees while wearing the pants, and the leather was relatively easy to handle, too. The Bicorned¡¯s hide wasn¡¯t as flexible, so I made them into boots.


    Wish I got some zippers instead of drawstrings, then maybe I could just zip along ¡ª er, anyway, now that I think about it, Bicorned and Tri-Horns Monitor Lizards mingled with each other, if my memory serves me right.


    ¡¸ Jean-dono. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh. You just came back? ¡¹


    Ash was carrying a bear when she called out to me. Butler bowed behind her.


    As expected, it¡¯s better not to hire a carrier, right? It¡¯s troublesome, after all.


    ¡¸ Ohh! Bear Hunter-dono! ¡¹


    Blonde noticed Ash, so he called out to her. Hey, what¡¯s with that Bear Hunt¡­ er, yeah, she probably hunted bears all the time.


    I should be more careful, too. Will hunting all types do the trick in this case? They¡¯ll probably call me ¡®Wolf Hunter¡¯ if I hunted a lot of wolves, huh. That sounds a lot better than bears and rabbits.


    ¡¸ You still look like an atrabilious hit man as always, but if it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure that you will understand the gravity of this situation and the impact of investigation on it! ¡¹


    Blondie briskly strode towards Ash, then he started to urge her to agree with more drama and exaggerated gesticulations.


    I unconsciously trained my eyes on Butler.


    Does Ash know this Blonde?


    Butler probably grasped my tacit question, because he slowly shook his head.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m just a novice here, and there is not enough information for me to decide on this. I will follow the Guild¡¯s decision. ¡¹


    Ash answered.


    Decision, what a pain¡­ Ah, no, her reply was a perfect retort to a troublesome guy trying to hound her, but I don¡¯t really trust the decision-making skills of this guild.


    Apparently, Blonde was also Silver-ranked, the same as Dean. Ash diligently hunted bears everyday, but even if her ranking rose, it¡¯s still probably Copper Her actual strength is most likely Iron, though. If it¡¯s a one-on-one battle without factoring their hunting skills in, then her real ability shouldn¡¯t be that far off from Dean.


    So this Blonde isn¡¯t just doing his investigation campaign randomly. Apparently, he¡¯s calling out people who seemed to have the ability to join that investigation to the depths of the woods..


    ¡¸ Saying such words that only a stickler would say¡­¡­¡­..Oh, pardon me, you who seem to be the embodiment of twilight, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Twilight¡­.? ¡¹


    I almost wanted to roll my eyes at him. Who¡¯s that?


    ¡¸ Mmm, that¡¯s true, Jean-dono really resembles twilight. ¡¹


    Ash nodded in awe.


    You¡¯re talking about ME!?


    ¡¸ It¡¯s merely the hair and eye color, right. ¡¹


    Don¡¯t go jazzing me up as you please.


    Dean was shaking, trying to stifle his laughter on their table in the pub ¡ª mark my words, I¡¯m gonna make you pay for that!!


    ¡¸ Jean-dono, is it? I am Chris Eades, a Silver with three stars. ¡¹


    He then extended his frills, er, hand, I mean. I couldn¡¯t help glancing at his sleeves.


    ¡¸ Jean. Bronze, zero stars, registered but not active. ¡¹


    Not active, yet you¡¯re hunting bears ¡ª I could feel gazes from all over the place boring on me.


    ¡¸ Indeed! It will be a great loss to this world should you get so much as a scratch on your gorgeous face, so if you find yourself in a hard spot, be it against mere rabbits, just call on me and I, Chris, will be at your service! ¡¹


    This Blonde, or should I say Chris-san ¡ª he isn¡¯t a bad guy, but he¡¯s way off the mark, and he really seems to be a major pain in the neck.


    Ash was squirming; it seemed like she wanted to say something. Butler was smiling silently.


    ¡¸ Yeah. If I¡¯m in a hard spot, then please take care of me? ¡¹


    I averted my gaze, then said that lifelessly.


    What should I do with Dean? He¡¯s all over the table now, laughing his head off.


    The living conditions in this world are so harsh, yet why are the residents so strange? Is it just my imagination, or aren¡¯t their personalities too strong?


    The Dinosso family and the craftsmen are normal, so the adventurers are the weird guys?


    ______


    ED note: I love how the translators are always working hard to expand ¡°our¡±(the readers) vocabulary! Great Job Haruchin!


    TL note: Aww thanks Marky! Did Chris sound highfalutin enough? XD

 CH 40

    ¡¸ It¡¯s my, Chris Eades, sixth sense! ¡¹


    Chris was persuading the guild staff now. I already retreated under the pretence of helping Ash.


    ¡¸ Sixth sense, huh. ¡­.Please wait for a moment. ¡¹


    Not sure if the staff was already exasperated so he agreed, or if it was because of that ¡®sixth sense¡¯ phrase that he did.


    ¡¸ Oy. Are you sure it¡¯s your intuition? ¡¹


    Dean had been looking the other way and oozing with disinterest just a while ago, but now, his expression was grim as he strode towards the counter where Chris was standing by.


    ¡¸ I swear that it¡¯s my intuition. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Argh, then stop stalling already and spit it out! What the heck, is it right now? Will we make it in time if we go in spring? ¡¹


    Dean scratched his head vigorously as he asked Chris, who had his chest puffed out.


    ¡¸ We will make it in time if we go in spring, I think¡­ ¡¹


    Chris¡¯s reply was a bit quieter compared earlier when he was brimming with self-confidence.


    Why did they suddenly change their tune and agreed with Chris? Is it because they respect that so-called ¡®sixth sense¡¯?


    ¡¸ A light spirit is attached to Chris-sama, and apparently, it is a type that bestows ¡ºDivine Oracle¡». He cannot see the spirits himself, apparently, but that ¡®intuition¡¯ has brought him great achievements. ]


    Butler softly whispered in my ear.


    Oh, so he has a light spirit, huh.


    Although the people who are blessed by the spirits can¡¯t be considered many, there is a certain number who are. The spirits¡¯ powers are divergent, and they even bestow questionable graces such as skin that doesn¡¯t tan, or hair that turns red, so there are also people who continued living their life without noticing those blessings.


    The people who can see spirits aren¡¯t few. It¡¯s just that the spirits¡¯ presence is already a wide spread knowledge, so if a person is well endowed with abilities, or if they are like Chris whose hunches are almost always spot on, it¡¯ll be chalked up as the work of spirits, and they¡¯re not treated coldly because of that.


    Apparently, it¡¯s hard for people to pretend as if they can¡¯t see them when in fact they do, so I turn off this ability by default whenever I¡¯m not in the rented house. I also do that when I¡¯m at my home unless I have to name the spirits. The scene is quite terrifying, after all.


    ¡¸ Actually, we¡¯re not going there to investigate, but to fight those Tri-Horns, right? If this goes on, then I¡¯ll be summoned for sure. I have to eat my dinner here in the pub, if that happens. ¡¹


    Dean muttered, seemingly resigned.


    If a battle is already certain, then they¡¯ll probably require those two Silver ranked guys, I guess?


    ¡¸ Hmm hmm, you seem to owe the guild, huh. ¡¹


    Chris happily commented.


    Ahh, so he can¡¯t refuse the guild because of Pink Head, huh. Good luck ~.


    The food in the pub and cafeteria are geared towards the employees. They¡¯re mostly focused on the amount rather than the taste, so I avoid them. Well, not having to worry about food is a luxury, though. The reason meat is abundant here compared to the other cities is all thanks to the bounteous forest.


    Rabbits are not only great as salt-cured meat, their tendons are also important ingredients for making glue, and their hides also sell well. This city buys wheat and ore in exchange. There are fields outside the city walls, but the probability of the monsters destroying the crops is high, so it seems like the people here are caught between a rock and a hard place.


    They have the culture of eating liver and other innards from animals raw, probably to compensate for the vitamins and nutrients they lack because they can¡¯t readily buy vegetables. When I think about the environment ¡ª urk, parasites¡­¡­ They don¡¯t even eat veggies raw, let alone fish, so why meat, of all things¡­¡­


    ¡¸ If a battle is already set in stone, then we have to recruit Irons who are experienced in slaying Bicorns, then? ¡¹


    I¡¯m worried about germs and whatnot, but it¡¯s not a big deal for the residents here, I guess. Oh, now that I think about it, hay fever and e.coli usually affect developed countries, maybe because they¡¯re too concerned with hygiene that they¡¯ve become weak against germs. Then, what about my body, is it okay, too¡­. I won¡¯t test it out, though.


    ¡¸ No, it¡¯d be good if they already defeated at least one Tri-Horned. I don¡¯t have any plans to stay in the forest depths for too long. I want not only our guild, but the ones from the other cities, and also the Golds, to act. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Gold ranks, huh. ¡¹


    Dean scowled bitterly.


    Oh, the topic turned to Gold while I was busy thinking about germs.


    ¡¸ The aura of the entire forest was abnormal. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Overflowing? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s it. ¡¹


    Both of them looked really serious now. Blonde is talking in hushed tones, and it seems Ash is the one who posed the question. I thought Blonde is a guy who recklessly spouted whatever is on his mind, but it seems that he also has a considerate side, huh. My impression of Chris changed.


    I took a sidelong glance at Ash ¡ª she is deep in thought, and that face is mega scary. It¡¯s a secret that I almost wet my pants, just a little bit.


    When I glanced back at Dean and Chris, both of them were frozen solid as they gaped at Ash.


    A moment later, Ash¡¯s bear and Butler¡¯s rabbits and fox assessment was finished and Chris and Dean were called by the staff, so we went our separate ways.


    A few days passed by after that. Dean stopped me one day.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s hard asking for a favor when I already owe you one, but can you come with us to the Inner Forest in Spring? ¡¹


    He took me to a restaurant, and he then invited me when the food was served.


    ¡¸ Pass. ¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s too fast! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Your front is just a porter, and it¡¯s fine even if you run away and leave fighting monsters to me. I just want you to check the spirits¡¯ situation in the forest depths. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Eh~ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, you don¡¯t have to reply right away. Ash already agreed to join us, so I won¡¯t force you. I just thought it would be better if there were two of you to check things out. ¡¹


    If Ash is there then Butler will surely go, too, so you already got two peeps to check it out for you. But I¡¯m not gonna say anything, though.


    According to Dean, they need Silver-ranked guys, so it¡¯s already decided that he and Chris will go. They are allowed to decide who will go with them up to a certain extent, and they¡¯ll send out the requests via the guild.


    Chris wants to speed things up so he plans to slay the monsters himself to a certain degree, and he¡¯s looking for guys who are strong enough to bring a lot of things. Dean agreed, though he wanted to bring his own baggage so that I could secretly check the spirits.


    I knew Ash and I were singled out from all the iron ranks of the guild. Well, not many people can carry bears as if it¡¯s nothing, notwithstanding their rich experiences after all.


    Expeditions were usually carried out during autumn, when the forest is abundantly filled with goodies, but it¡¯s decided that it¡¯ll be done in spring; although they wanted to set out as early as possible, it¡¯d be inefficient to go inside the forest blanketed in snow.


    The monetary compensation for the expedition isn¡¯t that huge, but the Silver ranked guys would get a star, while Coppers and below rise one rank.


    The compensation isn¡¯t that low ¡ª is what he said, but I¡¯m not tempted at all from either of them. The only thing that drew me in is ¡®knowledge¡¯; I can¡¯t judge whether the forest depths are normal or not, plus I wanted to know how much of the raw ingredients I can sell.


    But I don¡¯t like long-term camping, though.


    Dean, Chris, Ash, Butler Noth, and Retze will form the team. Chris is like that so I¡¯m not sure about him, but staying with the other members for a long time doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad idea after all.


    Camping, huh ~.

 CH 41

    A tent is too heavy to lug around while walking on foot. Well, that¡¯s not a problem with my current body, but pile it up with other people¡¯s tents ¡ªit will be bulky for sure. Alrighty, let¡¯s get some light leather and sew them together to make a sheet. I can put a rope on one corner, tie it to a tree and pull it up, then nail the other three corners on the ground to make a simple makeshift shelter.


    I¡¯ll need a light yet durable leather that¡¯s waterproof and windproof, too.


    Yeah, I agreed with Dean in the end. It¡¯ll take 5 days for the one way trip, so add two more days as spare and it¡¯ll take us 12 days back and forth. Let¡¯s try gauging the distance based on my previous life ¡ª if I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯ll take 12-15 days from Edo Nihonbashi to Kyoto¡¯s Sanjoo Bridge, I think? Then, the distance must be comparable to when you reach the place where you can see a glimpse of Suruga Bay after leaving Edo, I guess. We¡¯re not going through the towns during this expedition, so it¡¯s probably shorter.*


    When it rains, both the beasts and the monsters would hide away, so although there¡¯s no need to worry about water, we should also consider that when doing preps.


    Ash and I were assigned to carry the food during the expedition, and bring back the raw materials. We also have to protect ourselves. Apparently, there are some guys who leave everything to other people, but Chris and Dean are going to mind their own selves, it seems. They¡¯re gonna prepare or hunt their own food, so our main role was to carry the luggage and raw materials on our way home.


    As Dean said, ¡®If you can¡¯t even do anything yourself, what are you gonna do if you get separated¡¯, just like that.


    And so, I plan to bring lots of ingredients and other stuff that will make my life comfortable ¡ª a leather bag for drinking water, a cooking pot, a knife, a hooded cloak, bark cups, plates, flints, firelighter, resin and shovel. There¡¯s a river so I also brought a fish hook and a yarn. Oh, I¡¯ll also bring a needle and thread for repairs.


    Rope and sack and¡­..


    The lightweight leather sheet, overcoat ¡ª a durable pair of gloves also sounds great. I¡¯ll also make some insect repellent and preserved foods.


    It¡¯s cold, but I¡¯ll go to the forest and practice magic while hunting for monitor lizards, and get some provisions, too.


    Alright!


    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t feel that I¡¯m getting my priorities backwards ¡ª that¡¯s my thought as I proactively hunted for monitor lizards. There were many Bicorns, but as expected, Tri-Horns were also present. I¡¯m not sure which part of the forest I¡¯m currently hunting in, though. The map scaling seems off to me.


    Tri-Horns also lived in the depths of the forest that are outside the scope of our expedition, and they apparently settled there, so they don¡¯t go to the human settlements. Does that mean they¡¯re the type to avoid the things they don¡¯t like?


    There are more Bicorns here, so it isn¡¯t that further in, but I¡¯m not really sure about that, either.


    It¡¯s way too cold so I stopped practicing magic.


    I just searched for their tracks, then I slay Horned ones whenever I meet them, that¡¯s my job, alright. But the cold beat me! The ground was also the worst ¡ª now I totally understood why Chris decided to let winter pass despite being so passionate about it.


    In addition to that, he had requested to embark on an expedition back to the forest as soon as he returned, but the Guild rejected it. Well, to be more precise, he was thoroughly deferred while he was working for the noble who commissioned him. It was supposedly a two-day coaching, but he was even made to escort the noble to the neighboring town ¡ª how horrible of you, sir aristocrat.


    The guild must have been in chaos at that time due to the spirit that possessed Pink Head. Oh right, I¡¯ll take a peek at the spirits here.


    I closed my eyes, then opened them once again.


    The world transformed in an instant. A lot of spirits filled my surroundings, from translucent ones down to those who aren¡¯t different from their essence.


    Most of them were similar to the ones who came to my house, but there were also red-eyed ones, and some had shadows and bags under their eyes.


    So monsterfy happens when possessed by these guys? Almost all of those spirits have translucent body parts, such as the tips of their hands and feet and part of their faces, and they look as if they¡¯re fading away, while some of them turned into small balls, unable to keep their original figures.


    The spirits that had defects were trying to take over the bodies of the other spirits, particularly aiming for the body parts that they lost. There were differences in the method, like some tried to dissolve the other party, and some tried to bite and tear it off, but their target was their missing parts.


    I heard that even if they still have memories when they lost their powers, the only thing that will be left is a burning emotion that would consume and control them.


    I don¡¯t like this scene. If they¡¯re like Riche, then ¡¾ Heal ¡¿ won¡¯t work, but the healing method should be the same ¡ª form a contract and pour energy.


    I had been cutting our naming sessions off ¡ª I limited the number of spirits, and they were more than willing to receive a name, so I didn¡¯t really do anything, but ¡º Naming ¡»normally takes a lot of willpower, apparently, especially if the spirit is strong and doesn¡¯t like being dominated.


    Mana is also needed to nurture those spirits afterward. I¡¯m not aware whether they¡¯ve been consuming my mana, but maybe that¡¯s because my physical ability is way over the top.


    Also, it seems that recovery and stacking mana will be faster once you get used to expending magical power, so maybe my ability improved proportional to my efforts? I¡¯ve been diligently trying to use it more frequently.


    I already renamed the spirits that I¡¯ve numbered before, and they had become bigger, from palm-sized to as big as a tissue-box. I¡¯m transferring a different kind of magic into them whenever I borrow their powers, apparently.


    Everyone was faring well, so there¡¯s no need for me to pour lots of mana, but maybe that¡¯s the reason my magic doesn¡¯t decrease that much. Many spirits also participate like rascals playing pranks and secretly observing my reaction.


    I also pour magic on Riche every time I fluff and rub him, so he¡¯s supposed to be the one who got the most mana, but he¡¯s still so small, albeit healthy and happy, though.


    Well, I can¡¯t do this the usual way, though, seeing that these spirits are brimming with hostility. Hmm, I¡¯ll just do what I can, then. I already slayed more than enough monitor lizards for today, so my business is already done.


    ¡¸ Alright. ¡¹


    Although I decided that I would name them, I didn¡¯t have the slightest idea how to do it. The spirits have been the ones to approach first all this time, after all.


    Anyway, I just grabbed one of the spirits near me.


    ¡¸ Your name is Black 1 ¡¹


    I stared at it intently as I said its name. That ended pretty quickly huh, although it had been resisting, or should I say squirming all the while until I finished naming it. Maybe this is the way to go?


    ¡¸ Black 2 ¡¹


    ¡¸ Black 3 ¡¹


    I chased them all around, grabbing and naming each of them from 1 onwards. They had all sorts of reactions; some got mad, while others were dumbfounded.


    There were still lots of them. Time to retreat. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll become hypothermic, so stopped here. I also named the normal ones who came to me, but I already forgot the number so I just put ¡®forest¡¯ and started from one again. I got more raw materials from lizards and foxes. I think I can also ¡¸ Name ¡¹ monsters if I do my best, but if they¡¯re attacking me then I have to slay them.


    I¡¯m doing this for my self-satisfaction, and I totally don¡¯t feel like doing anything about that. My intention is to do things according to my mood and preferences.


    That¡¯s why, those guys who escaped, be prepared!! I¡¯m going back tomorrow, alright!!


    ¡ª I collapsed to the floor when I got home, and Riche worriedly circled around me. I should restrain myself a bit.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Edo is the former name of Tokyo. The Nihonbashi (lit. Japan Bridge) is 284 miles away from Sanjoo Bridge of Kyoto, but there¡¯s a historical hiking trail called Nakasendo that is a popular tourist attraction for avid hikers; it¡¯s 331.8 miles, and there are 11-12 day tours available for that place. This trail connected Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto during the days of shoguns and samurai  Here¡¯s a map of the trail


    Suruga Bay, on the other hand, is 89 miles away from Tokyo.


    E/N: I think considering the game trails they will be traveling on about 60 mi or 100KM sounds about right for the one way in 5 days.

 CH 42

    I tanned the monitor lizard¡¯s leather, then dyed it afterward. Cattle and horse hides are difficult to dye, while deers easily stain, but it looks like for lizards, the pigmentation depends on the types of dyes? Ah, black¡¯s the only color that easily dyes it, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a lizard or because it¡¯s a monster.


    I dyed it with indigo first, then I layered it with black ink made from burnt pine soot and glue. What I got in the end was a midnight-blue leather.


    ¡ª Hey, it¡¯s not that I failed to make it blue. I now totally understand why black coats are the standard wear for light novel protagonists. If you deepen the color so that the splotches won¡¯t be noticeable, it will be almost the same as black.


    Bicorn leather doesn¡¯t stretch that much compared to Tri-Horn, but it¡¯s lighter, so I¡¯m going to use it to make the cloak and sheet. I should oil it first to make it water-resistant, so I softened it by repeatedly stretching and dehydrating it. It¡¯ll take a long while before it¡¯s ready.


    I should also make the stuff I¡¯ll need for cooking now or else I won¡¯t make it in time. I should prepare the dried tomatoes, dried shiitake mushrooms and other vegetables and fruits, plus the apricot sugar preserves, dried scallops, smoked bacon and cheese.


    Sweets are also on my wishlist, so I¡¯m going to make brandy cakes and caramel nut bars. I¡¯ll make them right before we set out, so it¡¯s just a plan for now.


    My preparations continued on. I also took early morning strolls with Riche, then playing tag with the forest spirits all the while. I found a huge spirit in the woods once ¡ª that made me tired so I just lazed around until noon after that. I made things during my vacant period, then I continued naming the spirits in my house at night.


    Whenever I lost interest in doing that, I would visit the workshop, and I also dropped by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and Commerce Guild from time to time to sell things and talk to people ¡ª this lifestyle continued on.


    ¡¸ Dinosso, are you free? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh, good to see you here. ¡¹


    I visited Dinosso¡¯s house today to have a good time. The folks in his house greet and hug me unlike other people, so I also hug them back.


    Dinosso¡¯s family consisted of his raven-haired beautiful wife, their cute daughter and twin sons. It¡¯s actually normal here to have six to seven kids, but the Dinosso family only had three. The three kids kissed me on the cheek.


    ¡¸ Here, present for you guys. ¡¹


    They would serve me a lot of things whenever I drop by to play, but they¡¯re a farming family, so that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re rich.


    That¡¯s why I help them out during the autumn season by doing manual labor like chopping firewood or harvesting the crops, but it¡¯s not possible during winter, though. Anyway, I settled on returning the favor in kind, so I didn¡¯t forget to bring them food.


    Five snow geese, one leather pouch filled with wine, fruit cake ¡ª I also bring them salt and sugar from time to time, but now it¡¯s rabbit fur. There¡¯s no problem with consumable goods, but it will be scary if I give them some high quality goods and the tax collector discovers that.


    We¡¯re also using a lot of firewood, but Dinosso and I competed chopping it during the beginning of fall, so it should be alright.


    ¡¸Thanks as always ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. ¡¹


    Dinosso was about to take the leather pouch from me while grinning ear to ear, but Madam took it in an instant. She¡¯s sharp and well-guarded against alcohol.


    ¡¸ Ohh, how ephemeral ¡®twas¡­¡¹


    Dinosso acted as if he¡¯s in a play, a miserable look plastered on his face as he shook his head.


    Madam completely ignored him. The children surrounded her in an attempt to get their hands on the cake, happily kicking a fuss, so they were also completely ignored.


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What are you doing? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m peeling the beans. ¡¹


    The beans were dried while still in the pods until they rattle and then she would peel them together with the children. It was cold outside, so he was either fixing the farming tools, or doing jobs that can be done beside the fireplace.


    I borrowed one of the children¡¯s chairs and started peeling the beans too, while chatting idly. While we were doing that, Madam came, bringing with her plates of fruitcake while slipping past the children¡¯s eager hands.


    ¡¸ Here, thanks for the hard work, dear. Thank you, Jean. ¡¹


    She slovenly started to serve various things to Dinosso first.


    A harmonious husband and wife, an intimate family. I visit them from time to time to learn about agriculture, and also to bask in the warm ambience of a normal family. My own family was totally abnormal no matter how you look at it, so consider this as a trajectory change.


    ¡¸ Thanks~, Jean. ¡¹


    Tina, Dinosso¡¯s eight year-old eldest daughter, wrapped her arms around me while I¡¯m sitting.


    ¡¸ The cake is so tasty! ¡¹


    ¡¸ So yu~mmy! ¡¹


    The twins and Madam were also smiling.


    ¡¸ Ahhhh!! Father won¡¯t allow you, you know!! ¡¹


    Dinosso was flustered, but that¡¯s because Tina proposed to become my bride the previous time I visited them.


    ¡¸ Eh, isn¡¯t it fine. He¡¯s capable, so she¡¯ll be happy ~ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Tina told me that she will marry me when she grows up¡­.she said that¡­.! ¡¹


    ¡¸ You¡¯re being a bad loser now, dear.¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, I don¡¯t have any plans of getting married soon, though. ¡¹


    And no matter how you see it, she¡¯s totally not suited to my taste.


    ¡¸ ¡®Not yet¡¯, you say!? What¡¯s your problem with my daughter!! ¡¹


    Dinosso started picking a fight when I proactively warned Madam of her impropriety.


    ¡¸ Didn¡¯t you tell me to keep my hands off your daughter. Don¡¯t go making things complicated!! ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m going to Jean¡¯s house to become a bride, too ~ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Then me too~ ¡¹


    Both the twins, obviously lured by the snacks, joined the competition and started hugging me. Urk, what¡¯s with this restraint?


    ¡¸ Then I¡¯m also going!! ¡¹


    It was quite chaotic; Madam was laughing all the while.


    .


    They gave me dried cornmeal when it was time for me to go. The corn here only has 8 columns, so they look weird, but how about the taste?


    Let¡¯s sample it.


    I minced the onions and sauteed them, then I also threw some minced garlic and mushroom in. I added some chicken broth and let it boil, after which the cornmeal was added into it then stirred with a wooden spatula before lowering the fire. The sticky mixture started to absorb the broth, and the spatula became harder to stir.


    I added butter and cheese, plus salt and pepper then mixed it all in, then I poured the batter into a tray and cooled it. I then sliced it into perfect sizes and baked them.


    I tried a piece while it was still hot. The corn was not that sweet compared to the ones in Japan; it gave off the realization that corn is a cereal, something like that. It had a simple taste, so it¡¯ll be heavenly if I put some tomato, raw ham and basil.


    Yup, I¡¯m gonna bring this.


    _____


    T/N: Dinosso¡¯s Family!


    The names of Dinosso¡¯s family members hadn¡¯t been disclosed yet (except for Tina the little lass, and Dinosso himself) as of this chap, so didn¡¯t translate this illustration  Then we have Jean, Ludere, Ash and Riche on the right side. Is it just me, but Ash and Jean look great together  Not sure if this novel has a romantic subplot, though. XD

 CH 43

    I started making the leather sheet and cloak. The sewing needle was made from the horn of the Tri-Horned using ¡º Zanzenken ¡». It was easy to whittle the body until it¡¯s slender, despite failing at it a few times. I got stuck on drilling the eye with another thin stick that I made, though, and that took a lot of time. It also breaks easily if I put too much force because of impatience.


    Normal needles didn¡¯t stand a chance against the monitor lizard¡¯s hide. Even the leather crafting tools were also useless, so mine was quite nifty, albeit time-consuming and needing a lot of effort to make.


    Spider webs and silkworm threads seemed promising, so I planned to go look for them, but the spun thread from a Bicorn Rabbit fur seemed to work fine. The thread spun from normal rabbit fur frayed or broke easily compared to sheep threads so they were weak, but my monster thread was quite durable. The thread from the Tri-Horn was soft and fluffy. It was more like yarn than a thread.


    It¡¯d be better if the leather sheet was also a camouflage, so I dyed it to mossgreen. I left the white thread as is. Anyway, I cut the leather into rectangles and just sewed them together to make the sheet.


    Yup, it looks great.


    Next stop, my cloak ¡ª it¡¯s just a normal hooded robe-type. With the normal ones, you could just pull the front lapels, put them on top of each other and secure the robe with a sash if it¡¯s super cold. It can be left open if the weather¡¯s hot, just secure it with a brooch on the chest so it won¡¯t slip off during battles.


    Brooches won¡¯t pierce the leather at this rate, though. I should put a clasp right from the start or else it¡¯ll be useless.


    I tried experimenting with the leather that turned almost black after my failed dyeing attempt to make a prototype. I made folds so the hem could open up, and I also put a rectangular piece at the chest and on the back. It¡¯s still made of leather even if it¡¯s soft, so I ended up with a coat-looking thing.


    Well, a coat is fine, I guess. I don¡¯t really have aesthetic sense, but this world is magical so maybe I could just copy the designs from fantasy anime. Ah, but the practicality¡­.


    I made a hooded coat, in the end. I put the hem together to make a huge box pleat, then fastened it with clasps so it won¡¯t open up too much.


    The clasps were made from oxidised silver, and I added a lot of metal embellishments to make the coat more fantasy-like. I made two leather belts and added a pouch so that it¡¯ll be a waist bag. Alright, my midnight-blue coat is finally done.


    Oops, I should also add fasteners to the sleeves so I could tighten them. I wanted to turn them up so they won¡¯t get in the way when I¡¯m working, and it¡¯ll be troublesome if insects come creeping in while I¡¯m sleeping. Oh, I should also make the hem adjustable.


    Setting those details aside, what¡¯s important is that I could hide my butt. The coat seems just the right size when spread, but it¡¯ll be a hassle if it gets drug on the ground, or if it rubs on me while I¡¯m doing my ¡®business¡¯. Well, I¡¯m determined to use the ¡®call of nature¡¯ excuse to get away from them and teleport back to my house, though.


    One of my conditions in joining was having my private time during the early morning, so I can also do that during that time.


    Well, I get that lavatories aren¡¯t sophisticated in this world, but it¡¯s more so in the rural areas. The cities and aristocratic mansions that don¡¯t have drainages usually have those chair-like things that accumulate their waste ¡ª well, basically those are chamber pots, I think. Noble ladies also have those puffed-up skirts so they can do their business anywhere; I was disappointed when I heard that, but it¡¯s something new.


    You normally won¡¯t think that the fashionably-crafted jars in the workshop would be used for something like this, right? Like, it¡¯s unthinkable that the ladies are hiding those under their skirts to do their business, right? That¡¯s why they should just stop creating chamber pots that are more beautiful than soup pots! I got laughed at when I misunderstood!!


    ¡­..


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    Maybe I should ask Ash if she wants a coat.


    I got too many monitor lizard hides because of playing tag with the spirits that fell into darkness, but the usable portion was only small because the treating process was troublesome. Well, I also got raw materials from Bicorn and TriHorn foxes, spiders, great snow geese, owls, jays, and wolves. So I already gathered a lot before I noticed it, huh.


    Spring already came while I was considering whether I should make a coat that can be used in the forest, lined inside with fox fur.


    And so, a lot of things happened, and the day of our departure finally arrived.


    ¡¸ Oh, you¡¯re matchy-matchy? ¡¹


    Dean asked me when I got to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, which was our meeting place. Dean, Retze and Chris were already there waiting in the corner of the pub.


    ¡¸ Probably? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Why is that a question, huh. ¡¹


    Ash, Butler and I lived near each other, so the three of us arrived at the guild together. Ash replied that she wanted the coat when I asked her, so I hastily processed the leather and made a pale indigo coat.


    I dyed it repeatedly in an attempt to make it blue, but it turned into a light, bluish, pale indigo tinged with gray. I used gold for the metal embellishments, and the shape was a bit different, but if we compared it to the normal ones you see around town, then ours are so similar that we can be considered as matching, I guess?


    I also put the same metal embellishments I used on Ash¡¯s coat on the prototype black robe, then I handed it to Butler. He replied with¡¸ I¡¯ll borrow this. ¡¹ , it seems that he¡¯ll return it after our expedition.


    ¡¸ Hey, it¡¯s been a while. ¡¹


    Retze shook hands with me. I see him at the Guild from time to time, but it¡¯s been a while since we talked like this. Well, I was busy with my craft, I guess.


    ¡¸ Twilight, I can¡¯t believe my ears when they said that you will be joining us to camp outside and that you will be our porter. If it is too much of a burden to you, then just say a word, let me relieve you of the luggage, at the very least. ¡¹


    Chris shook my hand as he tapped my back with his left hand.


    ¡¸ Yeah, thanks? ¡¹


    I learned how to let it pass, now! Not to mention camping, I¡¯m fine with the baggage, so it¡¯d be weird even if he switched with me.


    I also activated my spirit-seeing mode. A light spirit, probably the one attached to Chris, was caressing his chin all the while. It was merrily tracing the cleft, thoroughly enjoying itself. I¡¯m not sure how to react, though.


    No, I need to hide my ability, so I shouldn¡¯t react, right? Ash and Butler probably knew about it, right? They can see it, right? What kind of face muscles do they have, being able to stay poker faced all this time.

 CH 44

    ¡¸Oh, You who are as wondrous as the moon! It is a pity that you are hiding behind the clouds today. ¡¹


    Chris was shaking Ash¡¯s hand this time around.


    Moon¡­.? Ah, I get it, somehow. If she didn¡¯t have that furrow between her brows, or should I say if Ash didn¡¯t glare too much, then she¡¯d be the cool beauty type ¡ª but I still can¡¯t see her as a woman, though.


    So Chris also saw her without that furrow, huh. According to Dean, Chris was just like this whenever he encountered beauty, with no regards to gender or whether it¡¯s a thing or a person he¡¯s talking about.


    Anyway, my eyes kept going back to that spirit stroking his chin. Ugh, I¡¯ll look like I¡¯m obsessed with cleft chins, at this rate!


    ¡¸ Everyone, thank you very much for accepting the request for this time. ¡¹


    It¡¯s been a while, Kaina-san.


    She came to check if everyone¡¯s here.


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, we have bothered you previously, so thank you very much for helping us despite that incident. ¡¹


    She said a few words to each of us.


    An expedition to the forest depths is fraught with danger, although I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not that serious, and I can ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿, too. Maybe it¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s talking to the members individually and not just lumping them together as ¡¸ Expedition Team ¡¹ , especially since this job has the possibility of ¡®no return¡¯ should we encounter the worst case scenario? Plus, she¡¯s a beauty, too.


    ¡¸Oh, You who are as wondrous as the moon! It is a pity that you are hiding behind the clouds today. ¡¹


    Chris was shaking Ash¡¯s hand this time around.


    Moon¡­.? Ah, I get it, somehow. If she didn¡¯t have that furrow between her brows, or should I say if Ash didn¡¯t glare too much, then she¡¯d be the cool beauty type ¡ª but I still can¡¯t see her as a woman, though.


    So Chris also saw her without that furrow, huh. According to Dean, Chris was just like this whenever he encountered beauty, with no regards to gender or whether it¡¯s a thing or a person he¡¯s talking about.


    Anyway, my eyes kept going back to that spirit stroking his chin. Ugh, I¡¯ll look like I¡¯m obsessed with cleft chins, at this rate!


    ¡¸ Everyone, thank you very much for accepting the request for this time. ¡¹


    It¡¯s been a while, Kaina-san.


    She came to check if everyone¡¯s here.


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, we have bothered you previously, so thank you very much for helping us despite that incident. ¡¹


    She said a few words to each of us.


    An expedition to the forest depths is fraught with danger, although I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not that serious, and I can ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿, too. Maybe it¡¯s a good thing that she¡¯s talking to the members individually and not just lumping them together as ¡¸ Expedition Team ¡¹ , especially since this job has the possibility of ¡®no return¡¯ should we encounter the worst case scenario? Plus, she¡¯s a beauty, too.


    Chris was enthusiastically praising Kaina-san this time, and in the meantime, I was thinking about what¡¯s going to happen from now on while listening to him. I took a lot of things with me, thinking I might need them, so my baggage was screaming ¡®I¡¯m going camping in the middle of the mountain!¡¯ with it¡¯s bulging condition.


    It¡¯s more like a rucksack than a backpack, plus I made it myself, and I also got a sleeping bag rolled inside the sheet on top of it. Is the food I brought along enough?


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, please do give us the specification document for that bag after you return. ¡¹


    ¡¸ This is from the Guild. Please be safe. ¡¹


    She gave each of us a bottle of potion, and now it¡¯s time to go.


    ¡¸ Jean, you got an amazing bag, huh. Is that leather? ¡¹


    ¡¸ What¡¯s the rolled thing on the top? ¡¹


    Dean and Retze asked me as we walked. They seemed really interested in it.


    ¡¸ Yeah, I made this bag from leather. The one on top is a blanket. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Blanket¡­¡­.. ¡¹


    The exterior of the sleeping bag was made from Tri-Horn leather; it may be heavier than Bicorn, but it¡¯s stretchable. The interior was lined with the fine-textured cloth I used to make the down-filled quilt. It was just a plain square, and I planned to just fold it in half when I¡¯m going to use it, plus I could easily keep it away if a monster appeared.


    Everyone else had a shoulder bag and a sack. Sack¡­..


    Well, I get that they brought it to put the hunted monsters inside, but does it have to be a sack? They¡¯re fine with a sack for their essential stuff for this journey? Isn¡¯t it too difficult to carry around? Retze and Butler had something like a pack frame, though. I find the monster sack inconvenient, so I also attached belts and cords on it so I could carry it on my back, though.


    ¡¸ Won¡¯t it be a bother to you when a monster appears? ¡¹


    Ash was also extremely interested ¡ª that furrow is mega scary though ¡ª as she asked me.


    ¡¸ I do not think so, even if you move around, the things inside would also shake, and it¡¯ll also serve as cover, I guess? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s heavy right from the get go, so you can¡¯t throw it away easily, right. ¡¹


    Chris and Dean were talking about what would happen during the battle.


    It¡¯ll easily come off if I push the metal buckle on the strap, though. It¡¯s like the bag buckles we used in Japan, the ones you push the sides so it¡¯d come off. Mine is made from metal instead of plastic, so it needs a bit more force, but it¡¯s not a big deal with my current strength.


    I also added adjusters to the side and bottom straps so it won¡¯t spread out, but I can make it wide enough to put a bear in. It¡¯s currently stuffed with food since we¡¯re still on our way to go there, so a bear won¡¯t fit even if I spread it, but when the food¡¯s already inside our tummies, then that¡¯s totally possible.


    ¡¸ Even if it¡¯s like that, it isn¡¯t a bother. Actually, it seemed that our luggage would get in his way, instead. ¡¹


    Chris was concerned with the bag so he darted a glance at me, but I¡¯m actually concerned about the spirit that was currently mesmerized with the way his cleft chin shifted when he spoke.


    ¡¸ Dean and Chris are in charge of the battles, so there¡¯s no problem, right? This ability is actually desirable for a porter, you know. ¡¹


    Retze seemed acquainted not only with Dean, but with Chris, too. When I asked him, he said that he had accompanied them a few times as a porter when they hunted for monsters.


    ¡¸ Twilight, I won¡¯t let you face something as dangerous as a battle, of course. ¡¹


    Chris declared sonorously.


    Hey, a sword is dangling on my waist, too, can¡¯t you see it?


    ¡¸ Actually, I was also worried when Dean told me he¡¯d bring you too, Pale Guy, but it seems that you also have some skills that I don¡¯t know. Still, you have to be careful. Even if Chris and Dean are in charge of fighting, they still might miss some of the monsters. ¡¹


    Retze said.


    ¡¸ Retze, this guy hunts bears, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mmm. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Eh? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    Why is Ash the only one agreeing with Dean¡¯s words? Butler was still smiling, so I can¡¯t grasp what he¡¯s thinking.


    ¡¸ Oh, right, you didn¡¯t come to the guild recently, huh. ¡¹


    Retze was with Chris during his first expedition, so he wasn¡¯t around during the time when I was the topic of rumors, it seems. Chris wasn¡¯t in town because of the noble¡¯s commission.


    ¡¸ So the famous greenhorn that carried the bear on his back was you, Ash-kun? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It might be so recently, but it was Jean-dono in the beginning. ¡¹


    ¡¸ The Guild won¡¯t accept you unless you¡¯re quite capable after all, right? ¡¹


    Chris was full of doubts as he probingly asked, so Ash and Dean answered.


    ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­¡¹


    Stop staring at me as if it¡¯s a miracle!! Especially you, Chris! I¡¯ll burst out laughing at that spirit of yours that is stroking your chin without a care in the world!

 CH 45

    We walked alongside the river towards the depths of the forest. There¡¯s no sharp inclines, so it was a relatively smooth journey. Even if the previous expeditions were only conducted twice a year, there were tracks of humans passing through, so it was easier to walk than I thought.


    ¡¸ Okay, time for lunch. ¡¹


    ¡¸ We¡¯ve covered a lot of ground, huh. It¡¯s great that the weather is nice. ¡¹


    Dean and Retze commented.


    We take a break by the riverside, and we have our own bento that we brought for lunch. Well, even if it¡¯s bento, most of them just eat meat sandwiched in ordinary bread.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll go for a bathroom break and will gather some firewood on the way. ¡¹


    I took my baggage.


    It¡¯ll only be a burden if a monster attacks us here and we get scattered around. Well, the others are wearing shoulder bags, so they¡¯ll probably leave this mountain of a bag behind.


    Chris and Retze were left behind, keeping an eye on the belongings and clearing up the place so they could make a campfire, and they also picked up firewood within the vicinity.


    Bears venture around this place, but the other monsters don¡¯t come around this area, so everyone is minding his or her own business; but once we go to the forest depths, we¡¯ll be moving with either Chris or Dean.


    ¡¸ Riche. ¡¹


    I did request to have free time during the early morning, but it¡¯ll be troublesome if they¡¯re going to treat that as if it is nothing and insist on sticking with me. I finished with the toilet business and diligently picked up the firewood.


    Oh? I found some wild asparagus. The purplish, slender sprouts stretched out from the ground. They¡¯re growing pretty well, even if they¡¯re only as thick as half of my pinky finger. Butler lamented that we could have picked those Asperge sauvage if we had come a little later. I asked him about the characteristics, and apparently, it¡¯s a different type from the normal asparagus, so now I wonder what kind of taste it has. They¡¯re in season around April, so that¡¯s still a long way off. I think I¡¯m gonna look for it then.


    I also found some butterburs. They use the leaves of this plant to wrap butter when selling them. It¡¯s also effective for migraine, nasal congestion, hay fever, and irritated bladder, but they also have some side effects like acute hepatitis and liver failure, according to good ol¡¯ Appraisal.


    Whoa, that was dangerous, and here I was thinking about tempura made from butterbur stalks. Retreat, retreat ¡ª I should be satisfied with asparagus this time around.


    A campfire was already set up when I returned to the place earlier, and Butler was boiling water. I was the last one to arrive. Our firewood will be enough, excluding nighttime, if everyone gathered a little bit at a time, considering the number of people currently here.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m back. ¡¹


    I put the wood I gathered at the spot where they piled the firewood, then I took out my bento bundle.


    Although it¡¯s a bit better thanks to the coat, and moving around helped, it was still way too cold. I want some soup and tea to warm up my body. Well, that¡¯s the reason why Butler is boiling water, I guess.


    ¡¸ Is this for tea? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡¹


    I also brought my pot out and boiled some water, then added some of the dried chicken and onion, tossed some shiitake mushrooms, then salt and pepper to taste.


    I already dried and diced the mushrooms and onions, so there¡¯s no need to cut it up, and I can also easily shred the chicken with my bare hands. I left it as it is, and opened my bento.


    The different sandwiches with cutlets, eggs, cheese and ham, saut¨¦ed mushroom and beef and were wrapped in oil paper. I also have deep-fried chicken, which is still good even if it¡¯s cold.


    ¡¸Your lunch seems excessively delicious¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸You can have some. I made a bit too much, and it won¡¯t keep, too.¡¹


    I used an entire loaf of bread so there are two of each type, so I can¡¯t finish everything on my own. I thought I can still eat it at dinner, but I already took some asparagus.


    ¡¸¡­Wait a sec, all of you!?¡¹


    Hands stretched towards me from all directions, and each of them took a piece. This won¡¯t be enough for me at this rate! Well, I can just eat my fried chicken.


    ¡¸How inexplicably soft!¡¹


    Chris shouted ¡ª he got the egg sandwich. The bread here is either hard or dry, right. Not sure if it¡¯s because you¡¯re supposed to eat it while putting a lot of olive oil in it¡­or, maybe because they assume it¡¯ll be easier to store.


    Plus, it also depends on the variety and quality of wheat, right? Well, their priority here was to get their calories from food without wasting any bit of it,.


    ¡¸ I like my bread hard, but this meat is really good, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I agree that it¡¯s tasty. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What is this stuff that¡¯s covering it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Breadcrumbs. ¡¹


    Dean and Ash are eating the cutlet sandwich. They have breadcrumbs here, too. To be more precise, they would dry the hard bread under the sun to make it harder, then they would pulverize it coarsely and then boil it to cook some of the dishes. I¡¯ve never seen them do something else other than that method, though.


    ¡¸ Breadcrumbs, is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Actually, you dip the pork in a batter made by mixing egg and flour. After that, you cover it with breadcrumbs, then you fry it. ¡¹


    I replied to Butler, who seemed like he wanted to make it.


    People usually cook on the stoves here, so fried foods aren¡¯t rare. There are also thinly sliced pork, similar to the cutlets you fry in a pan, so it doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re totally unfamiliar with it.


    Thick pork roast, coarse breadcrumbs ¡ª it¡¯s crunchy after frying, and the meat is juicy. You can set the cutlet aside for a day, then sandwich it between bread. Pour the sauce over so that both bread and pork are moistened. The pork is crunchy when you sink your teeth in it, you can hear the crackling when you bite it off.


    It¡¯s probably harder to make oyster sauce, I thought to myself. I¡¾ Teleport ¡¿to buy oysters, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s something they could get their hands on in this place. Rather than that, they probably didn¡¯t even know oysters existed, huh.


    It¡¯s not easy to travel around this world, and raw cuisine is unheard of. Plus, you need money to move ©` when you enter a territory governed by a different lord, when you pass through the gates, when you cross a bridge ¡ª all of them require a toll.


    Those adventurers ranked silver and above, as well as merchants, are generally exempt from toll fees aside from those paid to enter a city, but it still depends on who the ruler is at that place, it seems. The adventurers are also taxed if they hunted monsters and kept their numbers in check, and there are also cases when the price would still vary even if it¡¯s the same feudal lord.


    In other words, most of the lords exploited the commoners within an inch of their lives. They¡¯re probably worried that breadwinners, who are their precious tax payers, would move to another city, so they tied the peasants and farmers to the field.


    I drank the soup while eating my fried chicken.


    ¡¸ This is also tasty. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Is this chicken? ¡¹


    ¡¸ This is also fried in oil, huh.¡¹


    Dean and Ash were the ones who kept on commenting about the food. Butler also kept on asking about the recipe. Chris and Retze stayed silent halfway through, busy with stuffing their cheeks and chewing. It was a bit scary how their eyes seemed unfocused.


    I anticipated that we have a long journey ahead of us, so I packed the food and also brought a lot of seasonings like salt and pepper, garlic and ginger, fish sauce and a bit of brandy. The fish sauce was a byproduct from the anchovies.


    I got a cheat called¡¾ Teleport ¡¿; still, I only brought the food made from ingredients that I see around here for the time being. Plus, I decided not to mind the quality too much ¡ª after all, the corn was different, so even if I tried to mimic my¡º Food Storage ¡», it was a far cry from the real deal. I could keenly feel the difference.


    Anyway, yup, this dish won¡¯t stand a chance against freshly fried food, but it¡¯s still delicious.

 CH 46

    I have been trying to imitate Butler¡¯s gait since a while ago.


    Butler is clad in a suit underneath the hooded robe I lent him, and he is wearing leather ankle boots ¡ª a simplified version of riding boots, it seems. He is dressed like that, and yet his hems are dirt-free as he walks through the woods. Well, his boots are dirty ¡ª that¡¯s to be expected ¡ª but it¡¯s not as much as mine.


    By the way, Butler, Chris, Ash, Retze, Dean and I all have our boots dirtied, but that¡¯s the order of severity, starting from the cleanest.


    Dean is also wearing rugged boots as he firmly stepped on the ground, so they might have differences in their gait based on what¡¯s important to them, but there¡¯s no mistaking that I¡¯m walking clumsily.


    Butler¡¯s weapon is a slender sword that¡¯s kinda geared towards aesthetics. He¡¯s wielding it so elegantly like a rapier, but the sharp, hard blade didn¡¯t even bend when it pierced the game.


    Dean and Chris are the main guys who slew the monsters, just like what they said earlier, but a weasel jumped towards us while they were preoccupied, probably frightened from the noise of the fight. Butler displayed his skills, piercing the weasel from its eye straight to its throat.


    That¡¯s quite harsh.


    My fighting method is closer to Dean, so I should probably learn from him, but I¡¯m envious of Butler¡¯s clean hems! And so, Butler¡¯s manner of walking it is.


    ¡¸ There are many wolves just ahead of us. They are weaker than bears individually, but they move in packs! Do not rely on us, you can flee or fight, but you have to protect yourself. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ye~s. ¡¹


    I replied to Chris¡¯s warning.


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    Ash, too.


    Chris has that slightly stifling personality and he might seem to be brimming with nonsense, but he¡¯s not bad when it comes to looking after people, and he¡¯s caring, too. Still, Ash and I carried Chris and Dean¡¯s sacks because there¡¯s a high probability of a bear appearing.


    Yeah, it¡¯s really a sack. Feeling like Santa? There¡¯s nothing more uncomfortable to hold than this, although it¡¯s not heavy. It¡¯s troublesome, so I made a net from strings so that I can hang it on my shoulder. It¡¯s fine, nobody in this world knows about tortoise shell binding, after all.


    ¡¸ ¡ª Can you teach me that method of knot-tying? ¡¹


    Butler, who had a constant thirst for new knowledge, asked me once again.


    ¡¸ Me too, please! ¡¹


    Retze said.


    In the end, everyone tied their stuff in tortoise shell bindings ¡ª how surreal. I¡¯m not a bad influence, not at all.


    ¡¸ Oh, it¡¯s a pack! ¡¹


    Dean was staring straight ahead at a pack of six wolves.


    They were eyeing us warily while slowly closing the distance between us.


    I thought it¡¯ll be a one vs one match as I stared at them, when the wolf who seemed to be their leader suddenly kicked the ground, and all the other wolves attacked their targets.


    So why did it have to be three of them against me? Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m riddled with openings, or maybe I looked too weak, huh. In any case, it¡¯s like the carnivorous hunters targeting the children of the herbivores, so that¡¯s understandable.


    ¡¸ Jean! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, yes. ¡¹


    I replied to Retze¡¯s tense shout, then started to deal with the wolves. I stepped down, then struck from the ground upwards, slashing the throat of the wolf while it was still in mid-pounce. I immediately whirled around and slew the wolf who landed on the spot right beside me. The last one leaped towards me, and I cut it down with the right timing.


    I¡¯m not using ¡º Zanzenken ¡» so I¡¯m worried about the nicks on the blade. I¡¯m cutting them by relying on power and speed, after all. Although I aimed for the neck, all I managed to cut was the bones on their backside. Maybe it¡¯s better to wait for them to pounce at me and aim for the soft windpipe?


    ¡¸ ¡­.Wait a sec, you¡¯re really strong!?¡¹


    ¡¸ Twilight¡­.So the reason you¡¯re full of openings was because there¡¯s no need for you to be vigilant! ¡¹


    Chris praised me excessively, but that¡¯s wrong.


    I¡¯m not used to being wary, it¡¯s as simple as that.


    ¡¸ You look like you¡¯re not used to fighting, and that display of sword strength, really, I feel swindled by that impression of yours. ¡¹


    Dean looked astounded. He¡¯s right about me not being used to it.


    I rely on my physical speed as a coping mechanism¡ª just kidding, I just try to cope with what I see so I can make it in the nick of time. But I keenly feel the need to study a lot of things, like anticipating the movements of enemies that are faster than me even before they appear.


    My life in Japan was void of any danger, so it¡¯s hard to stay vigilant while moving around.


    Chris and Dean slew the remaining half of the wolf pack.


    ¡¸ Chris is also using a beautiful sword, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hm, are you praising it? I thank you for that! ¡¹


    I thought Chris would wield a flashy sword, but it was unexpectedly delicate, or should I say his style was a no-frills swordsmanship.


    ¡¸ Be it Ash or Jean, you¡¯re all greenhorn adventurers and yet you¡¯re like this. I¡¯m going to lose confidence, you know. ¡¹


    Retze agilely gathered the horns as he muttered.


    The fact that he can readily do his job despite being shocked is amazing, I think. Not only the two silver rank guys, the senior adventurers are really awesome.


    ¡¸ Wolf monsters are drawn to the smell of blood, so we should get going. ¡¹


    Butler said as he put the horns he collected inside his sack.


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    Ash picked up the sack thrown off earlier, and she hung it on her shoulder as she nodded.


    It was different from the time Ash and I hunted wolves; there are many of them living in this place. Actually, ¡¾ Search ¡¿detected a lot of the same presence. We must hurry up and leave this place, just like what Butler said, or else we won¡¯t have a choice but to keep on fighting.

 CH 47

    ¡¸ Yuka is still shutting herself up with Jin? ¡¹


    The girl asked, as she directed her inky eyes towards the closed door.


    She has gorgeous jet-black hair, a white face with traces of innocence that could invoke one¡¯s desire to protect, and a calm ¡ª but not subdued ¡ª voice that could gain people¡¯s confidence.


    ¡¸ Yeah. No need to fret, my princess. My sister is just being carried away with her first love, and it so happens that it is your brother. You have me, don¡¯t you? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh my, that¡¯s not what I meant. Besides, I have Hisatsugu and Fatin, after all¡­. It¡¯s just that, Jin doesn¡¯t trust women, you know? I¡¯m worried about Yuka. ¡¹


    The girl ¡ª Haruka averted her eyes, then she heaved a small sigh.


    ¡¸ Yeah, you were the only woman beside Jin-kun, after all. But, that Jin-kun is an existence that my sister wished for as her power, so there¡¯s no helping that she¡¯s sticking to him like glue ¡ª and please don¡¯t mention the name of another guy here. ¡¹


    Hisatsugu took a few strands of Haruka¡¯s hair and brought them to his lips.


    ¡¸ Besides, that thing might be Yuka¡¯s power, but it is a doll that could read our memories and act accordingly, you know. Your brother is still in Japan. ¡¹


    Only those who had a short lifespan remaining in the other world were summoned to maintain the stability of the world. That was the reason why Haruka and the rest of them were teleported to this world.


    ¡¸ Well, we are healthy after all, so the reason for our short lifespan is that traffic accident, right? Maybe we should have waited for Jin and crossed the street with him¡­He must be lonely now. ¡¹


    ¡¸ In that case, Jin-kun will become the older brother, is that it? Haruka is currently younger than Jin-kun, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh my, a younger brother is still a younger brother, no matter what happens. ¡¹


    In order to live in this world, the summoned people¡¯s desired abilities will be granted unto them.


    Haruka chose ¡¾ Complete Magic ¡¿ ¡¾ Domination ¡¿ ¡¾ Youth ¡¿ ¡¾ Beauty¡¿and ¡¾Language ¡¿.


    Hisatsugu chose ¡¾ Complete Swordsmanship ¡¿ ¡¾ Ability Reinforcement ¡¿ ¡¾Youth ¡¿ ¡¾ Beauty ¡¿ and ¡¾ Language ¡¿.


    Yuka chose ¡¾ Doll ¡¿ ¡¾ Youth ¡¿ ¡¾ Beauty ¡¿and ¡¾ Language ¡¿.


    ¡¾ Language ¡¿was automatically bestowed so that they would be able to understand the language of this world, and strengthened physical abilities were also granted to them without the need for them to request those.


    ¡¾ Youth ¡¿ and ¡¾ Beauty ¡¿ were just like what their names implied. Haruka¡¯s appearance became younger than that of her brother, although she was the older one. They retained their basic features, but these were also enhanced to become more beautiful, just as they desired.


    With¡¾ Complete Magic ¡¿ and ¡¾ Complete Swordsmanship ¡¿, there was no need for them to study all the related things that are recorded in this world, because they could use all of them right from the start.


    Setting ¡¾ Complete Magic ¡¿aside , ¡¾ Complete Swordsmanship ¡¿was composed of skills and moves commonly appearing in legends and lore, so it was important to have a foundation and experience in swordsmanship. One look was enough for him to be able to grasp all the moves and make the ability his own; however, that bare minimum requirement was still considered as troublesome by Hisatsugi. Tus, the deity suggested that he compensate it with ¡¾Ability Reinforcement ¡¿, which would raise the high-level fundamental abilities that he currently had.


    ¡¾ Ability Reinforcement ¡¿, ¡¾ Domination ¡¿ and ¡¾ Doll ¡¿ were abilities that would improve along with the natures and behaviours of the people possessing them, so their effects were not limited.


    ¡¸ Jin, did you become stronger again? ¡¹


    Yuka stroked Jin¡¯s slightly raised abs. He was a lot more toned than Yuka¡¯s memory of him when they were in Japan.


    ¡¸ Yeah. It¡¯s what Yuka wished for, and it¡¯s fun getting stronger. ¡¹


    Jin would only leave Yuka¡¯s side when it was time for him to train. Yuka would frequently watch him wield his sword as he mingled with the knights.


    ¡¸ Aren¡¯t you having fun because Haruka isn¡¯t here? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Is that it? ¡¹


    ¡®I should not let him meet Haruka. If I let him go to her side, he will be drawn into Haruka¡¯s memories. Jin is different from what Haruka thinks. She was really confident that he would cave in to whatever she desired even if he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with it¡ª she¡¯s absolutely mistaken. Haruka¡¯s memories are all mistakes.¡¯


    ¡¸ I will free you. ¡¹


    ¡®I am the only one who can see Jin for he who is.¡¯


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    Jin answered as he embraced Yuka.


    A¡¾ Doll ¡¿ would take on the appearance that Yuka wanted it to have. The deity granted her wish to strengthen it no matter what, so it added the abilities Yuka did not use for herself onto it.


    Apparently, this thing would gradually get stronger by taking in something, but Yuka failed to ask more about it in her excitement when she saw the finished ¡¾ Doll ¡¿.


    Unfortunately, Yuka did not know a lot of things, and she borrowed the memories of her brother and Haruka to create this doll; however, as long as it was stable then she would no longer need that stuff.


    Yuka had planned to confess to Jin on the day of the fireworks festival despite being discouraged by Haruka. She was devastated when she learned that she could no longer return to Japan, and that even if she could, she would die. However, as long as Jin was here and would stay beside her, then that was already enough.


    She was absolutely positive that Haruka¡¯s perception of Jin was a mistake; however, she did not consider that she herself was also mistaken.


    An existence that loved a¡¾ Doll ¡¿¡ª Yuka did not realize that that is what she is in reality.

 CH 48

    ¡¸ I thought you didn¡¯t like camping outdoors? You seem used to it, though? ¡¹


    I took out the sheet and quickly tied its corner to a tree, then secured the other three corners to the ground with stakes. Dean talked to me as I arranged my sleeping place.


    ¡¸ I see, you can make a simple roof and wall with a waterproof sheet, huh ¡ª what is this sheet made of? ¡¹


    Retze touched the sheet in awe.


    ¡¸ Oh, it¡¯s a lot warmer just by blocking the wind? It is truly wonderful, Twilight! ¡¹


    Chris said exaggeratedly. Hey, don¡¯t ask for a hug from me!


    ¡¸This is really convenient. You don¡¯t have to carry a tent when walking on foot. How on earth did you manage to make it this light? ¡¹


    Butler also scrutinized the sheet.


    Well, cow and horse hides are heavy, after all. Good job, Lizard-kun.


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t like camping, but I never said I¡¯m not used to it. ¡¹


    I broke the cedar branches that we gathered along with the firewood, and laid them all underneath the tent, then I plucked some moss and covered them. Just have to put the blanket on it, but it¡¯ll be fine to do that later.


    There was time to prepare, so this was just a normal camp compared to my experience on the island, which took me by surprise. It¡¯s hard to say that my camp equipment was complete, though.


    It¡¯s normal to walk and cover a lot of ground while it¡¯s still bright, but the previous expeditioners already walked this trail, and the general spots for camping were already set.


    Take this place, for example. The previous guys already flattened the area, and they piled stones to block the river breeze. There was also a pile of stones in a circle for keeping the fire.


    There was still some time before the sun set, but we also had to prepare for our dinner and sleeping place. Well, I¡¯m the only one preparing my place, though! Everyone else was thinking of just wrapping their robes or coats tightly and lying on the ground as is. The stones had been cleared up little by little, so it was more comfortable here compared to the other places.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m going to mimic your moss.¡¹


    Ash went to get some moss.


    ¡¸ Well, it¡¯s more preferable if they grew here. ¡¹


    ¡¸ They will be trodden, so maybe it will be useless? ¡¹


    Chris and Butler followed right behind her.


    Everybody plucked moss in the end. We¡¯d be frowned on if we were in Japan¡¯s mountains, but people here are living by taking various things from the forest, so they don¡¯t have the luxury of caring for their forests in this world.


    We arrived at the camping spot earlier than expected, so we decided to fish ¡ª well, we only have some thread and hook, so some used branches as a make-shift fishing rod, and there were others who used the spool as is.


    Everyone then picked a spot and settled down to fish. I wasn¡¯t confident in my fishing skills, so I went to Dean, who was sitting nearest the camping site, and tied the end of my string to the branch of the tree beside him. The other end was tied to the hook with a bait, and I just threw that end into the river.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll make enough soup for everyone, so please look at it as if I caught something. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Got it. Nice, thanks for that soup, it¡¯s going to be chilly, after all. ¡¹


    I left it to Dean, then returned to the campfire. I would also keep an eye on our belongings. Although we were beside the river, the camping site was located a bit far from the river bank, probably in anticipation of a possible water level rise if it rained.


    I tossed some vegetables, chickpeas, and a bit of jerky into the pot then placed it on the fire. I put in a lot of tomatoes, so it¡¯ll be tomato flavored soup.


    Next, prepare the leaven for tomorrow morning, and make some dough for today¡¯s pizza. I mixed strong flour, weak flour and some salt with lukewarm water ¡ª I didn¡¯t have a bowl so the pot would have to do. Added some olive oil. I then pound it when it¡¯s sticky enough.


    ¡¸ Hey, what are you doing? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m making pizza. Sorry for the noise, but just ignore it. ¡¹


    There was a flat stone on the campfire, probably for frying things. I went there and started pounding the dough. Dean was a bit worried so he came to check on me. Ash was also behind him.


    ¡¸ Well, he¡¯s just like that. Weird. ¡¹


    Dean returned to fish after leaving those rude words behind. I¡¯m normal, normal, you hear that!? I started pounding the dough again, still dissatisfied at him. Finally, the dry dough became smooth and it¡¯s done.


    I should let the dough rest after I cut the ingredients while waiting until the fishing team returns, and it¡¯ll be fine. Next, I¡¯ll toss the dough into a leather bag after the yeast step. Let¡¯s put some jam on it tomorrow and fry some sausages.


    Maybe it¡¯s because people didn¡¯t come here often, but my perfunctory set-up also caught a fish, it seems. Dean brought it for me.


    Everyone salted the small fishes that each of them caught, while I prepared the big ones so I could grill them with herbs.


    All of them brought a frying-pan thingy and a pot for boiling water, but Butler and I were the ones who grilled the fish. There¡¯s not enough space around the campfire, after all.


    Dean and Chris had their frying pans, but they directly heated their metal cups to boil water. Maybe it¡¯s their strategy to lessen their baggage.


    Retze also usually brought a cup, but since he¡¯s a porter this time around, he also brought a pot with him.


    ¡¸ This pot is heavy, so I¡¯m afraid we cannot imitate this. ¡¹


    Butler said regrettably..


    ¡¸ I used my shield as a pot once, but there¡¯s no cover, though. ¡¹


    That¡¯s Dean.


    Hey, that¡¯s some icky pot. What I had were dutch oven imitations in three different sizes. Yeah, it was quite heavy, but I¡¯m fine. This enhanced physical strength is a real lifesaver.


    The big one was deep and used for soups, and I asked the foundry to make it so that the other two would fit inside. I placed some charcoal over the lid of the other one to bake the pizza, while the third one was used for the herb-grilled fish.


    ¡¸ Hand me your plates, these are already done. You can also get some soup. ¡¹


    ¡¸ These are also ready. ¡¹


    Butler was also done, it seems.


    I placed the herb-grilled fishes on top of the wooden plates and thin metal plates.


    ¡¸ Oh, you¡¯re using a frying pan, Dean? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t it fine, plain and simple. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I can also use my plate as a lid. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s really hard for adventurers who have to go to the forest depths since it¡¯ll take several days. ¡¹


    If it¡¯s just Dean, then he¡¯ll get by without caring too much for the details, but as far as Chris is concerned, he¡¯ll strategize so that they can bring the least amount of things with them.


    Everyone took out dry-looking flat bread from their pack, while I removed the coals and opened the lid from my pseudo-dutch oven.


    ¡¸ What¡¯s that, Jean? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Wild asparagus and bacon pizza. ¡¹


    Ash asked, so I answered.


    ¡¸ So it¡¯s that ritual thingy you were doing earlier, huh. ¡¹


    Dean, what do you mean by ¡®ritual¡¯, huh?


    ¡¸ I¡¯ve never heard of that dish before. ¡¹


    Chris was extremely curious about it as he tried to peek.


    I cut it up inside the pot, and took out one slice. Nice, look at how that cheese stretches.


    ¡¸ Oy, you guys. Why are you putting away your bread? ¡¹


    Aren¡¯t we supposed to be responsible for our own meals ?

 CH 49

    ¡¸ Have this jerky. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Dried plums. ¡¹


    ¡¸ How about wine? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Smoked trout. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Would you like some cheese? ¡¹


    Everyone offered various foods.


    ¡¸ Nah, I can¡¯t finish all that. ¡¹


    I refused.


    ¡¸ There¡¯s still grilled salted fish, so you can get one each. ¡¹


    Our job was to carry the food on our trip to the forest, and to bring the materials on our way back. Even though they said to each his own, Retze, Ash, Butler and I agreed to share Dean and Chris¡¯s portions, and I also brought extra, too, plus my own portion, of course.


    We were supposed to do the miscellaneous chores, but Silver-ranked Dean and Chris were also doing work, and they didn¡¯t have many requests, let alone complaints, so it¡¯s been easy for us.


    ¡¸ You can just hunt as usual later, too. ¡¹


    I raised the salted fish that had been grilled nicely and showed it to them.


    I only managed to catch one, but the others got three to four each, and they also shared theirs with me so I could sample both herb and salt grilled fish. They gave it to me, so I won¡¯t say it¡¯s bad.


    ¡¸ Yeah, we¡¯ll fish and hunt, too. ¡¹


    Dean happily took a piece, and the others followed.


    I brought a lot of smoked foods, dried vegetables, flour-based foods, and flavorings. I¡¾ Teleport¡¿to the forest beforehand and checked the things growing here, plus Dean and the others said they¡¯ll hunt for meat, so let¡¯s have them do their best.


    ¡¸ So delish. ¡¹


    ¡¸ How scrumptious! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Tasty. ¡¹


    Alright, go guys, if you think that¡¯s yummy then cultivate your palates and show me stuff that are really delicious. People would definitely look for more delicious foods once they were captivated by delectable foods.


    ¡¸ ¡­. Delicious. ¡¹


    Ash only commented after she was done, probably because she was so well-mannered.


    ¡¸ The saltiness is really good. It seems it will still be flavorsome even if the ingredients change. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, it goes well with tomato sauce too, you know. ¡¹


    I munched the grilled salted trout while replying to Butler.


    ¡¸ Tomato sauce, is it? ¡¹


    The gut was cleaned properly, and it was roasted from its back. It¡¯s a light and delicate fish, so I roasted it from a distance and upside down to prevent the oil from dripping out of its belly. The back part was crunchy and the body was soft thanks to that.


    ¡¸ Tsk! Even the river fish that Jean roasted seems more delicious. ¡¹


    Dean was gripping the grilled fish skewer tightly, but I won¡¯t exchange mine, you know.


    ¡¸ You could¡¯ve been a great bride¡­.it is truly unfortunate, Twilight. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Stop getting frustrated over somebody else¡¯s gender. ¡¹


    Chris makes it sound like he¡¯s serious, so of course I hate that.


    ¡¸ Oh right, Jean, what¡¯s your type? You don¡¯t like my lil sis, right? As I thought, is it the chest? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Stop lifting your chest like that! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm¡­Dean-dono¡¯s chest is superb. ¡¹


    Ash looked at her own chest after blurting that out.


    ¡¸ Ash¡­¡­ ¡¹


    I don¡¯t know how to answer that!! Girls aren¡¯t supposed to get envious of that kind of chest! It¡¯ll be troubling if yours is like that!


    Butler looked complicated, but I probably had the same expression on my face.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s not that I¡¯m being a snob, but you see, I¡¯m still repairing my relationships with people so I don¡¯t really know. Anyway, love will have to come after. ¡¹


    Yeah, I¡¯m serious.


    ¡¸ What, you don¡¯t trust people? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, you could say that. Plus, I¡¯ve been confessed to ¡ª as a prank. ¡¹


    I affirmed what Dean said. Actually, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust people, it¡¯s just that only untrustworthy folks surrounded me, and I felt like it¡¯d be a disaster if I trusted them.


    ¡¸ Oh, so you¡¯ve been told after, that she didn¡¯t mean it? ¡¹


    Retze looked at me with pity. He¡¯s right, though.


    ¡¸ I can¡¯t imagine Twilight being played like that. ¡¹


    ¡¸ The confession was all good, but it must¡¯ve been really embarrassing when they mocked you? ¡¹


    Chris and Dean were discomfited.


    Ash and Butler were silent. Well, they probably couldn¡¯t join in, considering the gender and the age gap.


    ¡¸ The first time was when I was six. Second time, 10 years old. Third time, I was 14. Different people every time. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Bft! Three times, huh. Aren¡¯t you cursed? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Three in a row, what an unusual case. Not all women in the world are like that, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, I get that. I¡¯m aware that it¡¯s a special case, so I¡¯m trying to change my ways. ¡¹


    Retze looked really worried, but then, it¡¯s all my sister¡¯s fault.


    Sis setup the first one. She didn¡¯t show up during the second time, but the girl was the younger sister of Sis¡¯ friend. I was only ten and Sis was 15. I knew it was her doing right away, because the people who could get involved were only a handful. Sis didn¡¯t seem to have any influence on the third, but I¡¯m positive she had a hand in it.


    Since I knew that the first time was Sis¡¯s prank, I only pretended to fall for her tricks during the second and the third time. I was actually baffled why Sis assumed that I didn¡¯t remember anything when I was a kindergarten. Well, my parents were like that, too. If I didn¡¯t remember, then I probably got caught for real.


    Oh, now that I think about it, Sis¡¯s friends who came with us during that fireworks festival were the girl who confessed the first time and her brother, huh. They¡¯ve been friends forever with Sis, so I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re dense, or just besties. Since I encountered them from time to time, it was probably the latter; so I absolutely won¡¯t go near them.


    Anyway, I was healed by Dinosso¡¯s daughter¡¯s ¡®like¡¯, which was pure.


    ¡¸ How to say this, do cheer up, alright. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks, Chris. ¡¹


    I¡¯m actually perfectly fine. It¡¯s the old me who was pitiful, and besides, do something about that


    jaw-rubbing spirit before you make that grim face, will you?


    I am already used to its presence, but that mismatch is wayyy too funny, I can¡¯t keep this poker face any longer!

 CH 50

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Chapter 50 Theory About Spirit Fetishes


    It¡¯s nighttime.


    The sun was still shining around 9pm in summer, but because it¡¯s currently early spring, everything is dark by 6 o¡¯clock. It turned dark while we were still eating our dinner around the campfire.


    There were two types of clock in this world. One was a sundial, and the other one was a long incense stick kept at the ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡». The bell rang every two hours in the towns, but it was impossible to know the time if the sound didn¡¯t reach the place you were in.


    Well, it¡¯s not as if there¡¯s a train schedule, and meet-ups were basically done in town. You¡¯ll be fine outdoors as long as you know the schedule of sunrise and sunset.


    I would wake up naturally every morning, probably because of my strolls with Riche, and I also sleep early. My lifestyle has become healthier ever since I came here. The books are limited, there are no games, and I finished all I had to do during the day, so there¡¯s nothing left to do at night.


    They seemed to sleep with their shoes on so that if an emergency occurs, they could readily deal with it, but now they¡¯re removing their boots. I also copied them and removed my boots, but the spirit¡­Won¡¯t it stop sniffing them?


    I requested my spirit helpers to relay that I¡¯m taking a break from naming spirits,so this one probably came here out of curiosity. That¡¯s what I think, but then, it was only interested in the smell of boots.


    The spirit briefly went around sniffing the boots, then he settled on Dean¡¯s feet. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to sleep there tonight?


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    Dean is a lot stronger compared to ordinary folks, right? Perhaps, that spirit with a stinky fetish is yours? Does it live inside your boots?


    It¡¯s curling it¡¯s lips up like a cat¡¯s flehmen response*¡­are you that happy? Spirits are fickle creatures, and it¡¯s rare for them to bestow power constantly unless you name them, but if it¡¯s sticking to a person for a long time until his physical ability rises, then maybe it has some kind of fetish?


    I unconsciously turned to look at Butler. What kind of fetish does Butler¡¯s spirit have?


    ¡¸ There are also others who are drawn to blood. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Would you like to use this insect repellant? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, I brought one. Thanks. ¡¹


    Butler continued on with a totally unrelated topic. He probably didn¡¯t want the others to think we¡¯re talking about something weird, so he¡¯s referring to the possibility of insects feeding on blood.


    Az, who was perched on Ash¡¯s shoulder, was normal and adorable, so I was relieved. Butler and Ash are awesome for staying calm. Ah, maybe Ash¡¯s scary face was because she was trying to endure her laughter¡­.


    Alright, time to sleep, even though it¡¯s still early. I scrupulously smeared plenty of insect repellant on my exposed skin.


    Monsters generally didn¡¯t come near this area if there was a campfire, but it would be a different story if they were famished, so there should be someone to keep watch while tending to the fire.


    Everyone except Dean and Chris would have to take turns doing that, so each person would have a two-hour shift. Retze was first, followed by Butler, then me, and Ash was the last. Butler was used to having interrupted sleep, and he said he was fine since his sleeping time was short.


    I lay down first to secure my sleep time. I plan to take Riche for his morning stroll after my shift is over, under the pretense of free time that I requested.


    I placed my sleeping bag on top of the thin layer of moss, then I wore my boots again and placed the water bottle beside my pillow. The exterior was made of sheepskin, while the interior was made out of stomach, so the shape was as is. I was a bit surprised because no matter how much time had passed, the water temperature was still the same.


    Hmmm, I really want to remove my shoes and socks.


    ¡¸ I can really feel the difference with this. ¡¹


    I already pulled the blanket over my head, so I ignored Dean.


    ¡¸ Twilight, I could really feel the gap between our civilizations, as expected! ¡¹


    Chris always spoke with exaggeration, so the people around him usually reacted with ¡¸ He¡¯s at it again ¡¹, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a wild guess, or if it¡¯s because of his jaw spirit, but he was amazingly sharp.


    ¡¸ This leather is really handy, huh. What leather is it? Is it really leather in the first place? ¡¹


    I also used the same leather as my sheet for the exterior of my sleeping bag. The inner lining was made from fine textured cloth that I filled with a thin layer of snow geese feathers to make something like an ultralight down blanket. It was not cushiony, but I could roll it up, and it was warm.


    Retze¡¯s manner of speaking was similar to Dean, but he¡¯s more attentive to details. It¡¯s like he was looking at the world and things from a different angle.


    Hmm, seems like social skills were the secret to success in life, huh. Dean¡¯s overfamiliarity, like that of a big dog, is impossible for me, but I want to learn from Retze.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s a great material. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm, the coat is also light and comfortable. ¡¹


    Butler and Ash said.


    Monitor lizards don¡¯t have scales and their hide is smooth, so it didn¡¯t look like a reptile hide. Bicorn hides, in particular, lend well to dyeing and waterproofing. Once you dye and oil the hide, it becomes so super soft that you can¡¯t distinguish it from cloth. It is a marvelous material.


    Tri-Horned were closer to leather, probably because they¡¯re thicker.They stretch well, and they¡¯re more durable than the Bicorns, so the rest of the clothes aside from the coat, plus the shoes and gloves were all made from Tri-Horned.


    I didn¡¯t answer a thing and just curled up and slept. It had been a while since I slept outdoors, but there were other people now, and I was prepared, so I didn¡¯t feel the anxiety that had lulled me to sleep back on the island. It was an incredible feeling.


    Still, should I tell Dean about that spirit with the stinky feet fetish later?

 CH 51

    ¡¸ It¡¯s my turn. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. I have prepared tea, so please do help yourself to it. ¡¹


    I checked the stars to check whether I woke up at the right time for my shift.


    The starry sky is different from Japan¡¯s, but there is a star in the north celestial pole and it remains stationary. It is brighter than the one in my memory, but there are stars called ¡®time stars¡¯ beside it. Just as the name implies, you can tell the general time based on the position of these time stars when you look up at the night sky.


    ¡¸ I won¡¯t go back to sleep after, so you can use my blanket. ¡¹


    ¡¸ That is very tempting, however, I cannot disregard Ash-sama. ¡¹


    Butler politely refused, then he pulled the hood over his face and lied down under that tree that was a little further from the bonfire. He might be the guy most unsuitable for camping. Ah, but he does seem to suit the night?


    Some of the guys lied down while wrapping their coats around them tightly, while some removed their coats and used that as a blanket. There were also some who liked to curl like a ball.


    I poured some of the tea that Butler prepared into a cup and warmed myself with it. The night was still very cold, even if it was not as cold as winter.


    Back on the island, I would gaze at the stars while anxiety seeped through me, so I couldn¡¯t help but roll around, but now, I even had the leeway to remember the stars. I might have noticed that this was not Japan if I had been calm, because even though it was cold, Cassiopeia and Orion were nowhere to be found.


    The stars are beautiful, be it on the island, or now.


    I gazed at the night sky while listening to everyone¡¯s breathing as they slept and the occasional crackling of the fire.


    Az flew to me, then he tried to slip into my fingers that were holding the cup. He finally stopped when it looked like I was gripping him, probably satisfied in this position.


    I heard that sparrows and other birds that were sensitive to cold loved being clutched once they became familiar with the person. But for spirits to be sensitive to cold ¡ª oh, depending on the type, I guess. Riche and other ice spirits are probably not bothered by it. Ah, but he had been lying on his back before the fireplace right. What?


    Well, he¡¯s cute, so it doesn¡¯t really matter. I stopped thinking about it deeply, then switched the cup to my other hand. Butler¡¯s spirit was fluttering around in the bowers. It might be sneakily spying on me, I guess. I put down my cup then poured water in a dish. It¡¯s water from my house, but maybe the blessing dissipates if it¡¯s inside the canteen? When I placed the dish on a spot a bit further away, the spirit bathed, so it¡¯s probably okay.


    ¡¸ Morning, I¡¯m switching with you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Morning, here, some snacks. ¡¹


    I had a lot of time on my hands, so I started sorting out the names of the spirits*, and now it¡¯s time to switch shifts, huh. Time really flies when you¡¯re doing something, I guess.


    ¡¸Thank you. Not only for the snacks. I¡¯ve been in your care for a lot of things already. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯m just free. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I received a lot. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I got the potion fee back, plus I just made that stuff as part of my hobby¡­ ¡¹


    She had a strong sense of duty, since she repaid me for the potion after the issue with the scammer inn was solved.


    By the way, Ash¡¯s face is steadily becoming more terrifying, but what¡¯s the reason? She¡¯s not angry most of the time, so unless there¡¯s a prelude or something, like when she saw something cute, or when she ate something delicious, then I can¡¯t guess the reason.


    She still hasn¡¯t touched the Florentine biscuits I gave her, right? It¡¯s a snack baked from crispy sable dough with caramel-dipped sliced almonds, but it keeps well, so I thought it was great. I brought this and dried squids as snacks.


    ¡¸ Jean is a great guy, so I know you¡¯ll be happy. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. Those confessions were just lumped with pranks. ¡¹


    Eh, so this is a continuation of our earlier convo during dinner? Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re comforting me? But a lot of time has already passed, though.


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯ve also had some good encounters and met a lot of great guys since then, so I¡¯m currently trying to improve my mistrust of people. ¡¹


    The ¡¾ Cut Ties ¡¿ skill also contributed a lot to my peace of mind.


    ¡¸ Mm, really. I¡¯ll be happy if your encounter with me is part of that. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Of course, you¡¯re right on the mark. Alright, I¡¯ll go now. ¡¹


    I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, so I retreat. Ash is taciturn, but she is honestly frank.


    ¡¸ Take care. ¡¹


    That¡¯s what she said, but I was going home to take a stroll, though.


    ¡¸ You too. ¡¹


    I also called out to her. I watched Az as he flew towards Ash and perched on her shoulder, then I entered the forest. Since when did I think that moonlight was bright enough for me?


    And so, I went home and endured the urge to grab and eat some white rice. I came here to walk Riche and for toilet breaks, plus, I already decided that I wouldn¡¯t bring something new from here.


    If I didn¡¯t draw the line, then I wouldn¡¯t know when to be content, plus, there wouldn¡¯t be an end to choosing stuff. I¡¯d also feel guilty since I was supposed to be in the same situation as the others.


    ¡¸ Riche, let¡¯s go. ¡¹


    He probably sensed that I was here. He came rushing towards me from the bedroom, and I called out to him as I went outside.


    I had been walking through the forest since yesterday, but this place was familiar, so it made me at ease. Riche came bounding and he overtook me, then he stopped to sniff the ground. He ran again when I caught up to him. He then stopped again, probably because he saw something, and we repeated this for a while.


    Riche is adorable. Yup, it¡¯s fine even if he does have some kind of weird fetish.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    E/N: *We believe this is talking about Jean sorting through the re-named spirits(like Olive that he uses to help him control the other spirits) and the generic named spirits(like green 1, green 2, etc). Although it only implied he had a notebook for the original naming session, he might also be adding/sorting through the names he¡¯s added since to that implied notebook.

 CH 52

    ¡¸ I feel like I¡¯m eating much better here than when I¡¯m in town. ¡¹


    Retze had a faraway look as he gnawed on the woodcock.


    ¡¸ Nah, you¡¯re not imagining stuff, and man, beer sounds awesome now. ¡¹


    Dean looked like he was going to drool even though he was already stuffing himself.


    ¡¸ Aine¡¯s Red. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Matured grapes, laced with the taste of black pepper, its sweetness tinged with spiciness ¡ª indeed, it seems to be well suited with the taste of this black woodcock. ¡¹


    Butler replied to Ash. Is it the name of an alcoholic drink? Red wine? He was elegantly holding his food with his bare hands, or should I say it¡¯s amazing how he could do that.


    I just grilled them the traditional way and brushed them with a sauce made from the innards and bones, but it turned out really delicious. Might be because of campfire magic, or maybe because the ingredients were topnotch.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s really astounding. Well, I never imagined that one could bake bread in a pot in the first place..The blow I received that morning, on our second day, is forever etched in my mind. ¡¹


    I spread the liver paste on the bread and baked it to go with our meal, and Chris savored it.


    I didn¡¯t bring a mortar and pestle with me, so I chopped the liver finely, then crushed it with the back of my knife. The black woodcock¡¯s innards are apparently prized here, but even if that¡¯s the case, our diet would be leaning more towards meat and fish on this trip, so I wanted to supplement it with liver, since it¡¯s rich in iron and vitamins A and B.


    It would have been great if I had some milk for getting rid of the stinky odor, but saltwater was enough for bird liver, apparently . Plus, I was the only one concerned about getting balanced nutrition, only me, hear that!!


    We¡¯re currently eating our fourth day dinner.


    Dean, Chris, Ash and Butler caught black woodcocks. They fly in zig zags, so they are supposed to be difficult to catch, but everyone¡¯s amazing. I dunno, but it feels like they¡¯re all fired up recently when it comes to getting ingredients.


    Retze and I looked after our things while they were hunting, and we also prepared the camp while at it. I didn¡¯t have to worry about water and food so I did a lot of things in a spot a bit far from the river. This place was not really familiar, but I got the feeling that we¡¯re entering the monitor lizard zone. I might even see that steep rock from the treetop.


    Gigantic spider monsters, and strong monsters that could be dicey such as black wolves and red bears appeared. Actually, I can¡¯t really tell a normal wolf or bear from the monster ones. Well, that¡¯s why I basically moved in pairs with everyone except for Dean and Chris.


    ¡¸ You won¡¯t put your sheet up? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Do you need a hand, Twilight? ¡¹


    Dean and Chris asked me.


    ¡¸ Then, can you please help me. ¡¹


    ¡¸ My pleasure, let me become yours! ¡¹


    I¡¯m already used to Chris¡¯ exaggerations.


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t this too far? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Even if it¡¯s dark, I don¡¯t want it to be too close. ¡¹


    I bought my canteen and a burning piece of firewood as I walked away from the campfire.


    ¡¸ What are those sticks? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I made it while taking care of the camp. ¡¹


    I could still see Retze at the campsite while the sun was up, but right now, everything else beyond the campfire already blended into the darkness. I couldn¡¯t make out anyone¡¯s silhouettes now.


    I drove the pliable branches to all four corners and tied them to make a dome-shape frame. There was a small stone structure for the fire right at its center. I thrusted the burning wood into it to build a fire. I already prepared firewood and everything else, but I had to adjust it so that it wouldn¡¯t flare up too much.


    ¡¸ Push that part down. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Next, here.¡¹


    ¡¸ I got this. ¡¹


    I covered the branch dome with the sheet. It was a bit misshapen, but there should be no problems, I guess.


    ¡¸ Thanks. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Was it too cold even with the blanket? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, I thought I¡¯d make a steam bath. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Bath¡­ ¡¹


    I turned the edge of the sheet over, and tested it by sprinkling some water on the flat rock that I placed half-way above the fire. The steam rose right away with a hiss, and it spread through the narrow space covered with the sheet.


    Sweating it out inside this make-shift sauna then plunging into the river ¡ª now that would hit the spot. The earth here seemed like it would collapse as soon as I dug the dirt, so it¡¯d be difficult to do the improvised bathtub I made back when I was on the island. Well, this is a lot easier, so yeah.


    ¡¸ Twilight, you are peerless when it comes to things concerning comfort! ¡¹


    He subtly praised me!


    Afterward, those who wanted to enter took turns. Well, everyone did, though. It would take a lot of time for everyone to finish, but yeah, it can¡¯t be helped. Dean and Chris had to gather firewood in the pitch black forest, but yup, there¡¯s no helping it.


    The weather was great, so I decided to sleep in the open air without a roof over my head.


    We resumed our journey the next day after my morning stroll and breakfast. Everyone strode on briskly, despite staying up so late. Well, maybe it¡¯s the result of taking a bath, huh.


    ¡ª Dean¡¯s spirit was nowhere to be found today, probably displeased. That, or..maybe Dean shouldn¡¯t wash up for him to be strong? What¡¯s up with that?!


    Plenty of spirits hang around the forest, and many of them loved to gather at the riverbank. It was peaceful thanks to my little helper spirits who flew around me so the other spirits wouldn¡¯t come near. Black spirits that looked like they were dunked in ink fleeted in and out of my peripheral vision, though.


    I wanted to capture and name them, but I shouldn¡¯t act rashly during this subjugation commission. They really looked pitiful and it tugged on my heartstrings when I looked at them, so my sense of duty kept on whispering that I need to catch those guys. I so wanted to grab them if they came near me!


    ¡¸ Oy, monitor lizard. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Tri-Horn! ¡¹


    Chris continued Dean¡¯s tense words with a suppressed shout.


    Ah, as I thought, they were nearby, huh. Or maybe their habitat was really huge? Which one is it?


    ¡¸ So Tri-Horn Monitor Lizards stay at this depth, huh~ is this for real? ¡¹


    Retze raised his head to the sky while grumbling.


    Most of the monsters who appeared at the shallow parts of the forest had one horn, or else they were Hornless with tinsy tiny horns. That was considered normal if the scope was the land that they could force their way through in a week. Just how wide are these woods, huh? Yeah, it¡¯s given that it¡¯s a huge, dense forest.


    But, well, I was already so used to seeing Bicorns and Tri-Horns that I didn¡¯t have a shred of emotion while standing here.

 CH 53

    ¡¸ Skip the Bicorn and go straight to Tri-horn, huh. ¡¹


    Dean grumbled with disgust.


    ¡¸ Tri-Horn Monitor Lizards have great vitality. You need to lop its head off or crush its heart in order to defeat it. It would still move even after doing this, so don¡¯t go near it until Dean or Chris gave us the go signal, alright. ¡¹


    Retze explained, and he warned us.


    Yeah, even if this lizard could no longer move, it would if you poked it. The body would writhe with large movements, especially that tail, and that¡¯s dangerous.


    This lizard is considered huge, even among the Tri-Horns. Mature males have swollen cheeks. They turn an ashen color after they die, but the one before us was green with tawny speckles.


    ¡¸ Before that, the hide at its back is really durable, and it¡¯s harder than bone, so it¡¯d be difficult to attack it from above and at its flank. ¡¹


    Chris silently drew his sword.


    ¡¸ If it looks up and exposes that throat, then that¡¯s our chance, huh. ¡¹


    Dean shifted his grip on his sword.


    Hmm. I had been slashing it with¡ºZanzenken¡»without caring if it¡¯s from above or from the side so I had no idea how to deal with it with a normal sword. It looked like the sword would break once it hit the hide. I should¡¯ve thought about it more during our fight.


    So, show me what you¡¯ve got now.


    The two separated, and Dean went towards the tail of the monitor lizard. He didn¡¯t go right behind it, just a little to the right. Chris faced it, and he was positioned a little to the left. Both of them noted the wind¡¯s direction, and they took care to hide their presence.


    They nodded to each other once they reached their positions.


    Dean slashed its tail ¡ª no, he just struck it.


    The shocked lizard twisted its body in an attempt to snap at Dean, and Chris thrusted his sword at its arched neck.


    He immediately rushed beside it before the lizard could struggle.


    The lizard had stretched its body and raised its head, bending its neck greatly so it could look at the enemy that attacked from its rear. Chris attacked, aiming at the thin stretched skin under its throat, which was softer than the hide on its back, and pierced it.


    He should pull the sword that had cut the bone immediately. The muscles would contract and he might not be able to pull it out or else the sword would break.


    Chris was incredible, doing all of that in just a split second. They were perfectly in sync even though they didn¡¯t practice beforehand. They even divided the role according to their swords, and they moved in harmony.


    ¡¸ Splendid. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Indeed, it was magnificent. ¡¹


    Ash and Butler were both in awe.


    ¡¸ Sigh, my heart was pounding crazily even though I knew it¡¯d be alright. I¡¯m timid, after all. ¡¹


    Retze released the breath that he had been holding.


    ¡¸ Amazing. ¡¹


    It¡¯s awesome, but this method is impossible unless two people do it, and I don¡¯t want that. I can¡¯t use this as a guide!


    The lizard¡¯s movements were weakening, and it eventually stopped.


    ¡¸Alright, please, do help us with the disassembly. ¡¹


    Chris turned to us and said.


    Yes, yes. I¡¯m great at disassembling. I used ¡¸ Zanzenken ¡¹ when I did this before, too, but I also used a knife so that I¡¯d know the hide¡¯s characteristics when I made the coats.


    And so, a knife is much more efficient for this than the ordinary sword that I normally bring with me for show.


    Dean and the rest started to argue about getting the horn and pulling the nails, but I ignored them. I started to remove the bump that was on the way.


    There were stone-hard, wart-looking bumps on its head to its neck, and there were also some on the inner side of its hind legs. They contained stinky pus inside, so they¡¯re not really scales.


    After that, I inserted the knife inside the anus that was under its belly, in between the hindlegs, then cut through the hide and opened it up. A sharper knife would have been better, huh.


    ¡¸ No, wait a sec. Aren¡¯t you used to this? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t it the same with lizards? ¡¹


    Dean pointed me out! So disassembling monitor lizards isn¡¯t common, huh. But, how about monitor lizards that aren¡¯t monsterfied?


    Then, from the holes that were left after removing the bumps, parallel to the scent glands ¡ª


    ¡¸ Indeed, he¡¯s used to it. ¡¹


    Butler declared.


    ¡¸ This hide seems like¡­ ¡¹


    Retze commented with uncertainty.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re imagining things. ¡¹


    I cut him off.


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. Let¡¯s go hunt some lizards for a bit. ¡¹


    ¡¸ The ones with one horn, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Can you please tell us how many we need to hunt for all of us? ¡¹


    !?


    They found out!? Ah, but it¡¯s not a single horned, but a Bicorn. I never saw a single horned monitor lizard before.


    ¡¸ Jean, have you tried tagging along with Gold ranks into the forest before? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Secret. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t know a single Gold-ranked person, though. I could probably tell the truth in that setting.


    Retze and I did the disassembling beside the river, and also prepared our meal. The other four went off to hunt lizards. Single horned ones frequently appeared around here, so Ash and Butler would hunt those. Dean and Chris would be the ones to hunt if they saw bicorns and tri-horns, it seems.


    Ash and Butler could probably tackle the bicorns and tri-horns on their own, though. They could use Dean and Chris¡¯s method, too, weapon-wise.


    ¡¸ Ah, there are bumps inside the hindlegs, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Here, too, huh. ¡¹


    I was showing Retze how to disassemble it. It¡¯s just my self-taught method, though.


    We were in the breeding grounds of the monitor lizards, apparently, so there were many normal ones, and there were also a lot of monster lizards in proportion to that. The strong ones would move towards the depths of the forest, scattering around.


    There were tri-horns here, so we couldn¡¯t relax our guard, but since there were plenty of monitor lizards here, other monsters and animals were few, so this place was well suited for hunting lizards.


    Many inky black spirits who looked like they would dissolve also came here. A lot of them were smaller than the ones I see in my training area, but there were also huge ones. We can¡¯t relax our guard since the animals would monsterfy once these spirits possessed them. Will the number of horns increase if huge ones possess them? There¡¯s a lot of mysteries, too.


    ¡¸ Anyway, Retze, how much lard do we have? ¡¹


    Monitor lizards taste like chicken, apparently, so I¡¯m thinking of deep-frying it.

 CH 54

    We found the Tri-Horn faster than we expected, so we could already return. It was decided that we would go a little further in consideration of the camp location, even though we could go home now. We¡¯re going to spend the night there, hunt monitor lizards tomorrow for a while, then we will set off on our way home by noon.


    However, it would take us a maximum of two days to the next campsite originally, so they also talked about whether we should hunt enough for all the team members since the plan was supposedly to check out the surroundings. It seemed that the two Silver-rank guys would certainly have to stay for an extended period of time in this forest to decrease the monster population.


    Thanks for your hard work in protecting the city, you guys. Retze and Ash seemed like they would also participate in the next expedition, so it would be good to prepare their equipment. I won¡¯t join them though, I¡¯ll be going on day trips to the deepest part to hunt while they do that.


    We carried the lizard¡¯s raw hides, horns and claws on our back as we travelled. The number of days was still within the scope of the contract duration, so I couldn¡¯t complain. But then, I¡¯m not sure whether they¡¯re being considerate to me, ¡®coz it seems like they¡¯re going to give me some claws and horns, except for the parts they had to submit to the guild. Alright, it¡¯s my chance to sell the ones in my house! I probably won¡¯t get discovered if I added a bit to what they¡¯re going to give me, right.


    Retze and I were currently guarding our base again.


    ¡¸ Why are you so fixated on arranging the campsite? Ah, well, comfort is very much welcome, of course, but it¡¯s actually cool that you can think of it. ¡¹


    Retze was washing the odor of blood by the riverside while dissecting the monitor lizards. He was situated a little further from the campsite.


    Retze volunteered to do the job saying that he wanted to get used to it. And so, I was busy rearranging our campsite while he was doing that. My job was an easy one, I just had to cut the timber with the hatchet, and insert it between two sets of poles, with a total of four poles staked in the ground.


    ¡®Hmm, I got a hatchet, my arms are strong, and I¡¯ve got stamina. Ahh, I¡¯m so moved now that I feel like crying.¡¯


    I found some fuyuhira ¡ª mushrooms that were the remaining vestiges of winter; asparagus, dandelions, nettles, garlic mustards that were part of the mustard family.


    Nettles are thorny. I had to be careful when picking them, ¡®coz getting pricked would really hurt, kinda like getting scalded, but I was in my element once they were boiled. I would mix them with garlic mustard, pine nuts and olive oil to make a paste, and make some pasta, too.


    They had formed two teams to hunt in different directions, but no monsters would appear even if they followed the path alongside the river. Our campsite was somewhat guaranteed, so I moved a bit further, just far enough so I could still hear Retze¡¯s voice. ¡¾ Search ¡¿ never caught anything, either.


    Wait a sec, I just thought that, and now there¡¯s a fox. It seems like it¡¯s a bicorn? We¡¯re far apart, but these guys have a very keen sense of smell. They don¡¯t avoid fire, too, and I got the feeling that this one was checking out our prey because it knew it was here. I should return back to Retze.


    ¡¸ Jean, we caught three trout. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Whoa, we¡¯re doing good. ¡¹


    Retze and I used some poles to make an enclosure in a corner of the river, and three fishes were swimming in there right now. It was an easy, V-shaped trap that tapers off, but it was quite effective, especially after we put some bait and added some wood branches to make it a bit darker.


    ¡¸ Retze, there¡¯s a fox monster nearby. Do clean up the stinky stuff. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡®Right. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I might have done too much. ¡¹


    Retze stared at the hide. He had covered it with cedar leaves to hide the odor.


    We crushed some cedar leaves to mask our smell, then we entered the forest by following the downwind route, hiding beside the roots of a huge tree. We already agreed on doing this beforehand in case of emergency.


    ¡¸ Smear this. ¡¹


    Retze handed me some deodorant cream.


    Oh, body odor, huh¡­We took baths in the river, but we didn¡¯t have any clothes beside the ones we¡¯re wearing. I didn¡¯t think I stink, though, but we just finished disassembling, so that was it. Alright, I have to learn from this, I would prepare an apron next time.


    It was a bit tense, but when I thought about it carefully, I guess I could defeat it. Or, maybe I should have slain it right away before it discovered us. It¡¯s my fault for being caught up with checking the monster¡¯s movements when we met it.


    The fox drew nearer to us. Fox monsters are faster and bigger than monitor lizards. It was about the same height as me, at any rate. It could probably catch up to Retze even if we tried to escape.


    ¡¸ Well, it¡¯s a fox, so it¡¯s softer than the lizards, right. ¡¹


    I already decided I would fight, so I shouldn¡¯t be in an unfavorable spot. I moved towards a wider place where I could swing my sword freely.


    The fox lunged at me just when I thought I saw it. I already expected it, so I smoothly stepped behind and avoided it¡¯s attack, then pierced it through the throat even before its hind legs landed.


    Monsters followed the fighting styles of the body they possessed, even though they were fast. Well, it¡¯s a different story for the strong monsters who could speak, though.


    ¡¸ Spurt! ¡¹


    I didn¡¯t manage to pull out my sword and jump out of the way on time. The blood sprayed my entire body.


    The monster fell to its side while spurting blood.


    Its hide was tough since it was a monster, too; though it was nothing compared to the monitor lizard. I also pierced through the bone. I assumed that the sword wouldn¡¯t break even if it¡¯s blunt as long as I stab it directly, but not being able to pull it off was outside my expectations.


    ¡¸ What a blunder¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Whoa, amazing! That¡¯s a bicorn! And you did it solo! ¡¹


    Retze was in awe as he praised me, but it wasn¡¯t like that.


    ¡¸ Wait a sec, how about the poison!? ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s tone abruptly changed with worry.


    Normal animals didn¡¯t have poison, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for monsters, depending on the spirits that possessed them.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s just sticky and warm, really disgusting. ¡¹


    There was no poison according to¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿results.


    It¡¯s important to slay monsters cleanly without getting covered in blood and bodily fluids, but I failed big time. I should get used to fighting with a normal sword, I guess.

 CH 55

    I bathed in the river stark naked. It was shallow, so I squatted down and washed my head. The water¡¯s freezing, but it¡¯s a lot better than staying drenched with blood.


    I washed my clothes too. Fortunately, my pants were waterproof, so just wiping them was fine. I didn¡¯t have any change for that, after all. Retze brought my stuff for me, and he also lit the fire.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re so perfunctory with those things, huh. Give them to me, I¡¯ll wash them. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks. ¡¹


    I gratefully handed him everything except my underwear, of course.


    I wasn¡¯t too keen on doing cleaning and laundry. I¡¯d rather remake everything again. Well, Riche was staying at home, so I did clean my house, but he¡¯s smart, and he wasn¡¯t naughty, either.


    Retze lent me a robe, so I sat on top of my sheet, wearing nothing except my underwear underneath. The clothes were hung to dry by the campfire.


    If there would be a next time, then I would slay the monster cleanly, returning normally in an easy-going manner. I¡¯d also bring a change of pants.


    Retze was systematic, huh. Nah, it¡¯s a bit different than just being systematic, I guess.


    I stared at the man disassembling the fox.


    He would frequently use unraveled hemp rope to start the fire, but he preferred to consume alternatives that he could get within the forest. He wouldn¡¯t touch the supplies he brought with him without a good reason as much as possible. He was also meticulous in laundry, and even disassembling. He wasn¡¯t a stifling guy, despite all that.


    Dean had introduced him to me so he could be my model. I had addressed him politely, being the eldest guy around here, but he stopped me since he didn¡¯t like that.


    My clothes finally dried while I was grinding the nettle beside the campfire. Thank goodness they hadn¡¯t returned yet. ¡ª Still, I didn¡¯t expect that making this paste would take a lot of work. I would bring a mortar and pestle next time since I could also grind some medicinal herbs.


    ¡¸ What¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Fox. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, I get that, but still. ¡¹


    Dean was the first one to return. He dragged a tri-horned monitor lizard, and a copper pheasant hung from his waist.


    ¡¸ Heyo, I¡¯m back! ¡ª What¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Fox. ¡¹


    Chris returned almost right after Dean, and he asked the same thing. He hunted a bicorn and a copper pheasant.


    ¡¸ Ah, no, I can see that, but ¡ª ¡¹


    ¡¸ We have returned ¡ª What happened here? ¡¹


    Chris hadn¡¯t finished his sentence yet when Ash and Butler returned ¡ª single horn, bicorn and two green pheasants.


    Everyone seemed to have returned almost at the same time, but I got the feeling that they did it just in time for dinner.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s a bicorn fox, and Jean had hunted it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s truly a relief that you are safe¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Were you injured, Twilight? What an amazing guy you are, even though you¡¯re bronze-rank! That¡¯s truly a magnificent victory! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, he can wield the sword at par with me. But he¡¯s not that used to exploring, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    Dean and Ash said. They¡¯re the guys who fought together with me before. Well, both of them were my models when it came to swordsmanship, though.


    ¡¸ Setting aside Jean¡¯s awesomeness, I thought it¡¯s only the monitor lizard we had to watch out for, but this is bad, right. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah¡­. ¡¹


    Dean and Chris fell silent at Retze¡¯s words. The two people who had been in Canum for less than a year like me also didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡¸ Monitor lizards rarely travel far, but it¡¯s a different story for foxes. If there are tri-horn foxes and wolves, they¡¯ll go to the city in an instant. ¡¹


    ¡¸ And since it was spotted in the area of tri-horns, there¡¯s a high chance that foxes will also become tri-horns. This one¡¯s already a bicorn, after all. ¡¹


    Dean and Chris¡¯ expressions were complicated as they explained.


    ¡¸ We can¡¯t take our sweet time hunting them, huh. Let¡¯s return first thing in the morning. ¡¹


    Everyone nodded at Dean¡¯s words.


    So, it¡¯s dinner time.


    Each of them handed the birds they caught to me. Yup, it¡¯s probably because I said that our karaage lunch was usually made from birds, huh? I¡¯m glad that you guys liked it, but still, two meals in a row!?


    I didn¡¯t have eggs to make a proper batter, and I added a lot of garlic as flavoring, so the finished product was crunchy, deep-fried birds. It¡¯s still a karaage, alright? I wouldn¡¯t be able to make bread without wheat flour back at home, so I didn¡¯t want to use any more than this.


    ¡ª When you say cutlet, you usually think of it as flat, right?


    I made them do prep work for their own birds. Yeah, they already drained the blood, but it was still way too much!


    I dropped the coated meat into the hot oil, and a loud bubbling noise resounded as the surface was rapidly covered with froth. The sound gradually weakened, and when it changed to crackling, it meant the karaage was done. Both sounds were great.


    We had the nettle pasta as our staple food as planned. I made rusks using the remaining bread from making the breadcrumbs. I sliced them thinly, sprinkled some sugar, then fried them.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s truly astounding how you can make this place more like a home in such a short time. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I just started building the walls. ¡¹


    Butler was looking all around the campsite.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re not used to exploring, and yet this is way beyond being used to staying outdoors. It¡¯s a whole new level altogether. ¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s so true. I always participated in expeditions aside from this one, but this is the first time I experienced this, Twilight.¡¹


    Dean stared at me with narrowed eyes, while Chris agreed with him.


    ¡¸ I feel like I¡¯m eating a lot better here than when I was in town¡­¡¹


    I used garlic, ginger, and a bit of wine and fish sauce. I tried my best not to use the soy sauce, and I didn¡¯t have any Japanese sake or brandy, so I used the wine offered by Chris. It was fast becoming a karaage enigma.


    ¡¸ Indeed, I could say the same. This pasta is also excellent. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. I like fried bird more. ¡¹


    I agreed with Ash.


    Birds were really better than lizards, maybe because I was used to it. Moreso if it was chicken. Ahh, white rice would have been nice.


    We made our way home safely, without any sort of incident.


    I went with them to the guild just to show my face and let the folks there know that we¡¯ve returned, but I pushed all the reporting to them. Well, Dean and Chris were the stars in this expedition, after all.


    If the report was submitted through documents or by an intermediary, those bigwigs might quickly forget about it, but if they did it face-to-face then those guys won¡¯t be able to use¡¸ Did not notice ¡¹ as an excuse. Kaina-san guided them directly to the guild¡¯s higher-ups, so I escaped and went home, but not before promising Dean that we¡¯ll meet again tomorrow to talk.


    I wanted to go take a bath immediately and sleep on my bed more than anything else!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Karaage (ka-ra-a-ge) ¨C Japanese deep-fried foods, typically made from boneless chicken, but can be any kind of meat.


    E/N: I listened to a y-tube video of how to say this and it is basically the same in both Japanese and English with the main difference being the way we English speakers pronounce our short ¡°a¡± also taking into account that it is NOT an English word. So short a, double short a and the e at the end is our ey, you know like hey with a g¡­ (que PSA music) The more you know. (TLer: Actually, it¡¯s pronounced ¡®e¡¯, as in get¡¯.. :D)


    OK, I get it for the blood and bodily fluids but!!! WTF dude no cleaning or laundry and you are going to remake everything? NO F-ing way! If you don¡¯t want to clean/laundry you are NOT going to want to tan hides or make cloth and clothes! WAY MORE WORK TO MAKE NEW!! (TLer: LOL!!!!)

 CH 56

    I returned to the rented house and lit the fireplace.


    The fire was my pretense that I was home, but I also used it so that the spirit living inside the fireplace could tell me if there was a guest. The fireplace spirit was usually sleeping and hiding between the brick cracks or underneath the soot, but it would wake up and circle around once there was a fire.


    The small spirits involved in my everyday life were weak, but there were some of them that could communicate with their fellow spirits even if they were apart. It was especially common among the spirits that were fixed in their places, and the fireplace spirit also had that power.


    I requested the fireplace spirit to tell me if I had a visitor in the rented house when I was in my own home. I was expecting visitors today, though. As for why, well, I did escape from the guild halfway through the reporting, so Ash and Butler would bring my reward with them after they¡¯re done at the guild. In return, I promised to let them take a bath here.


    I requested it in front of Kaina-san, and I also asked her to hand the reward to them.


    And so, I filled half of the rented house¡¯s bathtub with hot water. It was to warm the bathroom, and also as a pretense that I already used. I couldn¡¯t muster myself to use the soap here, so I planned to use the bathroom in my own house.


    There is soap in this world, but they¡¯re made from tallows, so it¡¯s the soft kind. Shall I make some soap?


    Oops, I should also kindle the stove.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m home, Riche. ¡¹


    I ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ back to my house, and Riche came running towards me, so patted his head, before kindling the fireplace here.


    I relaxed in the bath, and washed my body. It was too dirty so it didn¡¯t foam¡­ I ended up washing myself three times. So refreshing.


    Riche and I then played afterward, when the fireplace spirit started to make a racket. Well, I did say ¡®make a racket¡¯ but there¡¯s no way it would talk in human speech, so the fire burned up higher, and it crackled louder than normal.


    ¡¸ Oh, guests, thanks. ¡¹


    The fire calmed down and went back to its original size when I called out.


    ¡¸ Please wait for a bit. ¡¹


    I¡¾ Teleport ¡¿back to my rented house, faced the door and called out, then headed towards the bathroom. I drained the lukewarm water then replaced it with fresh hot water from inside my ¡¾ Storage ¡¿.


    Puffs of warm air rose as I filled the tub with water that was a bit hotter than normal. A bucket for water temperature adjustment ¡ª okay. Towels ¡ª okay.


    ¡¸ Come in. ¡¹


    I opened the door and invited the two people in.


    ¡¸ Sorry to disturb you. Here you go. ¡¹


    Ash said as soon as she stepped through the door, and Butler placed the money sack on the table.


    ¡¸ Thanks. I already prepared the bath, it¡¯s a bit hotter than usual, and the towels are also the ones you used before. ¡¹


    Butler took a towel and a basket from the shelf on the bathroom wall, then he entered the bath. A splash resounded, so it was probably too hot for Ash¡¯s liking.


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama, the bath is prepared. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    I was also busy with the other preps while listening to their convo. Hmm, maybe I should really install a dressing room even if it¡¯s a bit narrow, huh. I got the feeling that the towel and clothes might get damp when soaking for a long time.


    ¡¸ Pardon me. ¡¹


    I was about to draw water from the well, when Butler switched with me, and he pulled the bucket rope. We put a huge pot on the fireplace and on the stove, and hot water for Butler was also done.


    ¡¸ Please. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much.¡¹


    We took a breather, and I offered Butler some tea with walnut pound cake.


    ¡¸ If it is alright with you, could you please tell me where to order the bathtub that you have here? ¡¹


    It seemed that they wanted to make one using the commission they got from requests and selling raw materials.


    ¡¸They make this in a city called Edy, Kingdom of Pasteul.¡¹


    ¡¸ Pastel¡­I see, it would take us six months in order to get it, so we will just make do with fashioning one out of wood.¡¹


    That would be three months for placing the order, and another three months for delivery. Moreover, bandits frequently appeared around the road, and it would also have to cross a number of countries along the way, so there was also a risk that it would be confiscated by some fief lord. In short, it¡¯s safe delivery wasn¡¯t guaranteed. There was also a chance that they wouldn¡¯t be able to place an order right away, because of the line of aristocrats who heard the rumors and wanted one for themselves.


    He probably misunderstood that it was my hometown, deducing from the potteries displayed in my house. It¡¯d be weird if I went out of my way just to correct that, so just let it be.


    ¡¸ As for the robe that you have lent to me, may I ask if you are willing to sell it to me? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, it¡¯s okay, I decided to make it from the start. ¡¹


    ¡¸ No, I wouldn¡¯t be able to accept it, then. ¡¹


    It was decided that they would join the monster subjugation based on the results of our expedition, so he wanted to have it for that reason, apparently. So they would go camping again, huh¡­moreover, it seemed that they would be staying on location for several days.


    The butler was fussy, so I decided to base the price on the monitor lizard skin. The cost for lizard hide would probably drop since there were many hunters this time around, so I didn¡¯t add the manufacturing cost.


    Halfway through our conversation, we transferred the hot water from the pots into a washbasin, then heated more water.


    ¡¸ Noth, I¡¯m done. ¡¹


    Ash emerged from the bathroom, looking toasty warm.


    ¡¸ Drink some tea, Ash. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Let me help. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ojou-sama, please rest ¡¹


    Ash had tried to help, but she returned back to her seat after being told off by Butler. He probably wouldn¡¯t allow his master to prepare the bath of a servant.


    I washed the tub a bit, then poured the hot water once a bit of water had accumulated.


    ¡¸ Then please excuse me. ¡¹


    Butler carried the basket with his change of clothes and towel in it and he entered the bathroom.


    ¡¸ Take your time. ¡¹


    I called out after shutting the door, then I returned to the table where Ash was.

 CH 57

    I was alone in the room with a woman who just came out of the bath.


    It¡¯s just, said woman had her elbows on the desk and leaning her head on her arm, hiding half of her face. There was a sharp glint in her half-lidded eyes, reminiscent of a hitman. Moreover, we were only separated by a ten-inch thick wall from a stark naked grandpa bathing on the other side.


    She looked so warm and cozy, but with the aura of an assassin, plus, Az was on top of her head ¡ª what a surreal scene.


    ¡¸ What¡¯s up? ¡¹


    What was the reason for that furrow between your brows? Were you worried or distressed? She¡¯s a total sucker for sweet stuff, and yet she hadn¡¯t touched the pound cake nor the tea.


    Az was being Az, circling on top of Ash¡¯s head and changing directions every now and then. He seemed unable to find that perfect comfortable spot. He was usually on top of her shoulder, and if he would play with me when I was with them, but¡­ Stop it already, see, a fake whorl of hair is starting to form on Ash¡¯s head.


    ¡¸ Oh, sorry. Jean, did you see the spirits in the forest? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    The spirit fetish theory had already taken root inside my head thanks to that jaw spirit and the stinky spirit.


    ¡¸ That kind of pitiful condition¡­ I only saw that back when the Imperial Wizard behaved recklessly. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­. ¡¹


    You were talking about the black spirits, huh!


    I had been desperately trying to refrain from grabbing them whenever I spotted them, too.


    ¡¸ ¡ª I haven¡¯t seen people use magic that often. How is it normally? ¡¹


    Usually, I only ask those spirits who could help me with whatever I needed, and it was just a simple request. They would then gradually pour power into me, but I also feel that they¡¯re giving me too much, though.


    ¡¸ Spirits provide magic either because they like you, or because you bind them with a magical spell, which is also a form of contract. It was said that spirits would give 20% of their power. There are two ways to get more than that. You could use the contract and get it against their will, or else destroy them using magic and force it out of them. The spirits are made up of their power, so they would vanish if you use all of it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ So those spirits that seem like they¡¯re disintegrating ¡ª they were destroyed? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. And being dyed in black is proof that they abhor humans. Nothing good would come out of it, either for the magician, or for surroundings. ¡¹


    So the end point would be their monsterification, huh?


    Seemed like Sis would turn into the Demon King instead of a Hero at this rate. Nah, did she get the ¡¾ Spirit Resistance ¡¿? Well, she got a will of steel in the first place, so she would probably ignore it even if she didn¡¯t have that skill. How about Friend Number 1 and 2? Would they raise the grand, heroic flag of killing each other?


    ¡¸ Hmm, then maybe it¡¯s better not to use magic based on your story, I guess. ¡¹


    So the only reason why the spirits would lend their powers to humans was because they¡¯re the friendly bunch? The deities told me that if I used magic, the deity with the linked attribute would also get stronger, if I was not mistaken.


    ¡¸ No, spirits would gain a little more power than what they gave so they¡¯ll recover and also grow. Besides, magic will help stabilize the existence of spirits, apparently. Spirits are attracted to the same attribute that they have. Fire spirits to fire, water spirits to water, and they are devoted creatures. They even find magic fascinating, since it has the ability to combine things that are normally scattered around. As long as you don¡¯t force them when asking for help, they¡¯ll be happy to oblige. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Heh.¡¹


    Ahh, now I know why she had that face from hell. She was depressed thinking about the spirits that became black because of humans. So hard to understand!


    ¡¸ Wait a bit. ¡¹


    I retreated back to the kitchen for a while, took out different things from ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ and plated them. I arranged them gorgeously, maybe this could lift her mood.


    ¡¸ Thanks for waiting. Keep this a secret to Butler, okay. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Secret? This is ¡ª ¡¹


    Apple cinnamon tarts, shortcakes, chocolate cream puffs and macarons.


    I planned to make an afternoon tea set, so everything was a bit small.


    ¡¸ They¡¯re pastries. Here you go. ¡¹


    I poured black tea in a new cup.


    The tea around here was a bit earthy, or should I say it seemed like it had been left on the shelves for far too long, so I avoided it.


    ¡¸ I have never seen these before, though. ¡¹


    I wasn¡¯t good at comforting people, so I tried to cover it up by offering her sweet stuff.


    ¡¸ Sorry, did I make you gloomy? Thanks.¡¹


    She took the bite-sized cream puff and put it in her mouth. The furrow smoothened, and it seemed like she was surrounded with flowers as she radiated bliss. She¡¯s cute.


    ¡¸ Jean-dono, you¡¯re not eating? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I just finished my meal. You can have them all, if you want. ¡¹


    I already had a furofuki daikon radish with yuzu miso, yellowtail sashimi, white rice and miso soup, plus rakyou. It had been a while since I last ate a Japanese meal, so I enjoyed it to the fullest. I even ate another helping of rice because of the salted squid.


    Ash and the rest of the guys probably ate at the pub, or maybe they had a simple dinner in a restaurant nearby. Everybody else aside from these two were probably merrily drinking somewhere.


    I gazed at Ash as she ate the pastries. She ate wordlessly most of the time, and she seemed to savor it. She spent a lot of time on the shortcake, more than the others, so she must have loved it the most.


    ¡¸ This tea is also very fragrant. I had eaten an apple tart before, but this is different. Everything is really delicious, especially the one with the white cream. What is that red fruit? ¡¹


    Ash finally spoke after she finished everything.


    ¡¸ They are strawberries. ¡¹


    Hey, young ducal lady, was it really fine? You were eating everything without knowing what it was. Yeah, I was the one who served it, still, I couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    ¡¸ Oh no, I feel like I¡¯m in heaven now. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯m such a simple person. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re not allowed to be happy, right. See, even Az is so jolly now. ¡¹


    Az was in his usual spot on her shoulder, and he was fluffing himself.


    ¡¸ Really? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Really. ¡¹


    I was really glad that her spirits were lifted up, and that¡¯s all that mattered.


    ¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Aww. My heart¡¯s melting for these two :3


    furofuki daikon radish with yuzu miso ¨C simmered radish dish served in its broth and orange miso sauce. (ctto: tasteofculture..com)


    Yellowtail sashimi (ctto: Izzy cooking)


    Rakyou ¨C Japanese leeks (ctto: Okinawa Tosuba Shimajikan restaurant)

 CH 58

    I headed to the guild after I walked Riche to bring the rucksack ¡ª or is it a backpack ¡ª they requested, plus some prototypes I made from cloth before using the hide. They were going to take them apart anyway to check how the backpack was made, so there wouldn¡¯t be any problems with this.


    I was already registered in the Commerce Guild, but the Adventurer¡¯s guild would also register products in the Commerce Guild for the sake of other adventurers whose extent of trade was limited because they weren¡¯t registered. The conditions were as follows: the product must be convenient for adventurers, and they would receive a lower percentage if they filed via the Adventurer¡¯s guild. The good thing about it was the longer duration; it was 5 years instead of just 3.


    This backpack was handy no matter how you look at it, and it was for long-term, no mistake about that. I decided to register this product via the Adventurer¡¯s Guild since it might become more widespread among the adventurers, and it was also harder to trace the developer who received the payment.


    I submitted the ¡®product specification¡¯ documents and the actual product and left everything to them, so no sweat.


    I glanced at the pub, intending to apologize for my escape stint earlier, but Dean and the others weren¡¯t there. No idea where they lived, too. Dean requested me to check the spirits and we already talked about that multiple times during our investigation, so it was fine even if we didn¡¯t meet now, I guess.


    Alright, time to make some soap.


    People around this area used tallows to make soap, the fetid stench during the manufacturing process was really something. The final product was probably not that refined, so it was still stinky. By the way, they also sold glycerin, a byproduct from making soap. Both of them were quite expensive, but they were slightly cheaper here in Canum compared to the other cities, probably because they could hunt plenty of beasts here.


    The basic ingredients for making soap were tallows, ashes from burning plants, oils and alkali agents, huh. The soaps here were soft because the ash and alkali agents they used were not strong enough. The sodium from seawater should be alkaline, so I should head to the sea first.


    I spent three days doing trial and error, like boiling it in seawater, or burning seaweeds to ashes, and finally, I finished making a rectangular soap with a pale olive hue. I just noticed the existence of soapberry after finishing this experiment, but well, maybe I was just imagining things.


    ¡­Well, it was another option, I guess.


    The soapberry seeds were black, and they were also used as feathers for the shuttlecocks. The pericarp also foamed like soap, and they also function as surfactants, so they could be soap-substitutes as they were. The fruit of the Japanese honey locust tree was also similar, but I didn¡¯t see that tree around here.


    I also bought some sheets, and there were silk ones among them. The alkali of soaps would damage silks, so using soapberry and honey locust was better, huh. What a slip on my part. Ah but then, using soaps were easier, though making them was another story. I already got the recipe for making soap, so I would be able to work smarter next time.


    I went to the nearby mountain beside my home, found a suitable place and started digging a hole so I could transplant soapberries. Riche probably wanted to help, so he also dug the earth. He made an adorable little hole.


    My home really was the best, huh.


    Despite the comfortable feeling, I still ran around the forest, chasing the spirits for a few hours, and I also named them back at my house. I also wanted to use magic, but they looked like they would collapse before they were named, so it seemed like an impossible feat until the situation of the destroyed spirits was stabilized.


    I gathered the fresh verdure of wild asparagus and dandelions that grew in my hometown mountain to make some salad. Dandelions were frequently eaten around here during this season. The ones with bent sepals were western dandelions, while Japanese dandelions were the ones that looked like their sepals were supporting the flower. The ones here were bent, so they must be western dandelions or something similar. The leaves were a bit different, though.


    The flora of this world closely resembled the ones in my previous world, but it also felt a tad different. The names were also almost the same ¡ª wait a sec, was I simply replacing them based on my knowledge? I didn¡¯t really understand this ¡¾ Language ¡¿ skill that I received.


    Just to give an example, when I teleported to a distant place, the folks there were speaking in dialects. Or maybe they seemed like they had an accent, at least for me? It was a bit the same, though, but when I tried asking the other people, they couldn¡¯t understand the other languages at all. As for me, I could speak without any accent, and we could talk normally, so I didn¡¯t really understand. Well, I felt like I was thinking and speaking in Japanese, and they would also reply in Japanese, though. Well, it was quite convenient, so all good, I guess.


    According to the map I got, The land resembled the upper half of a dragon looking down as it spewed fire with its wings spread wide open. The east side corresponded to the lower half of the dragon, and it was engulfed by the Magical Woods, so it was a bit of a mystery.


    My house was located in the place called Dragon¡¯s Lower Maw, while the region where heroes like Sis wandered around was called the Dragon¡¯s Eye. Mountain ranges stretched in the Dragon¡¯s Lower Maw, and although there were also ships for trade, the land route was quite isolated.


    Ash¡¯s country was beside mine. Canum was in the country called Azirh, and this nation was far more closer to the east where the Magical Woods were compared to Ash¡¯s country.


    I didn¡¯t have the faintest idea about the scale, since I was moving around via ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ or on foot, but there were many small and large nations in this continent. Well, they even considered the mountain where my house was as a country, so it felt like they were naming cities ¡ª not even prefectures, mind you ¡ª as countries.


    There were way too many countries, and the territorial lord would change in an instant after a victory or defeat, so it was impossible to remember them all. The map that was given to me was like a super amazing cheat help, since it would reflect the change in borders whenever the territories were changed. I avoided the areas where the borderlines were moving bit by bit, since that meant they were in a war.


    Would they have a country similar to Japan if I crossed over the Magical Woods to the East? No idea what kind of monsters were lurking there, so I wouldn¡¯t just¡¾Teleport¡¿and waltz right in then and there. It would be better if I steadily and gradually made my way further through the Magical Woods.


    I did say ¡®gradually¡¯ but well, it was through ¡¾Teleport¡¿, though. Right now, the issue about the spirits was more pressing and we had to do something about this. I guess I would try moving around after the capturing session was done.


    Yeah, I should check Ash and Dean¡¯s subjugation sched and plans so I wouldn¡¯t clash with them.

 CH 59

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    I delivered my restorative potions to the Commerce Guild.


    Dropped by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and got held back by Retze.


    ¡¸ So, you¡¯re leaving a month from now? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, it depends on Amadeo, but that¡¯s the plan. ¡¹


    Amadeo was the Gold-ranked Adventurer summoned by the Guild for the upcoming expedition. It was a stroke of luck that he was free, since he just finished a different mission. Well, he did request that he took a break first, so they still had a month.


    That¡¯s the end of spring, huh. They would set off in early summer, and they would go further into the forest, deeper than the place we went to. They would observe the monster population while trying to thin it out, so they had to stay there for a while.


    The guild decided to push through this expedition with the assumption that even if the numbers were many, they weren¡¯t that strong yet. They also thought that even if there were powerful monsters lurking there, they would probably be few, like one to two only, so if Amadeo was there then they could handle it.


    This city¡¯s Silvers were obligated to participate, and the Irons were also summoned. The Coppers could also join as long as they had recommendations from Irons with three stars and above. Normal Copper-ranks who wanted to gain stars wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity pass if they had the chance, based on these conditions.


    Dean and Chris endorsed Ash and Butler, so they would also participate. Butler joined because of Ash. She, on the other hand, didn¡¯t join because of the promise of stars, but because it was only natural that she would protect the commoners against the threat of danger as part of her duty as an aristocrat.


    The Adventurer¡¯s Guild seemed to understand that the possession of black spirits was the reason for the increase in monsters. There were people who could see the spirits among them aside from me, so that was a given.


    However, the various countries in the Central Plains were currently involved in repeated skirmishes, so the theory was that it was the work of the magicians or shamans around those parts. Opinions were divided regarding those magical techniques that had given birth to the black spirits. Some said it should be evaded, and there were others who approved of it.


    Well, they shouldn¡¯t really be glossing it over during the war. I couldn¡¯t really blame them, since most of the wounded spirits would flee into places that were out of reach so they could recuperate, and although there was no guarantee that those places wouldn¡¯t be in danger right then and there, the chance was still pretty low, plus the majority of the people couldn¡¯t see the spirits, anyway.


    The Central Plains, where the warring states were, was around the Dragon¡¯s Neck. Azirh ¡ª the country where Canum was located ¡ª was treated as safety padding against the monsters by the other countries, so it rarely experienced war. In return for that, those countries would repeatedly pester Azirh whenever more and more monsters popped up as a result of the war.


    Ash¡¯s country was also involved in territory wars from time to time. Heroes frequently stayed in Sis¡¯ country, so it was considered a powerful nation. Actually, it was called an empire, and it ruled over several countries.


    My home¡¯s country was peaceful thanks to the mountain ranges that isolated it. A series of high altitude, rugged mountains rose from the base of the Maw, and even the peninsula in the Lower Maw were also divided, so setting aside the country that faced the sea, many of the countries around here were quite detached from the international situation.


    ¡¸By the way, sorry for going back on my word, but can you make me a bag out of cloth? I¡¯m gonna pay you, of course. ¡¹


    ¡¸ With cloth? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, cloth. I heard the guild is in a rush to commercialize it before the expedition takes off. ¡¹


    I already declared that I wouldn¡¯t participate in the subjugation expedition right from the get go, when they were still recruiting. I felt a bit guilty afterward, so I offered to make bags ¡ª they didn¡¯t have items called rucksacks and backpacks here ¡ª but he refused at that time.


    According to Retze, even rogue adventurers would still get stars, as long as they joined in this subjugation and managed to hunt a few monsters, though the ranking was unknown. There was a high chance that his stuff would be snatched away if he brought something conspicuous.


    ¡¸ So, I¡¯ll measure your backhere? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, please. ¡¹


    Dean and Chris were Silvers, so it¡¯s quite impossible that people would pick fights against them. That was why they left the hides they hunted to me, and I promised to make them bags. As for the sheets, they planned to waterproof some cloth with wax.


    I already lazed around for four to five days, so it was time to work, I guess. So, inconspicuous would be better, huh.


    I promised to meet him again after 20 days, then I returned back to the rented house. Mornings and evenings were now dedicated to needlework.


    It was purported that the Gold-rank Amadeo would become rich soon, and that he was in cahoots with the rumored magicians, so I was curious about his fighting style. But then, I didn¡¯t want to be acquainted with a globe-trotter adventurer.


    So, first would be the preliminary work. The leathers were to be tanned and dyed, of course, and I should pick a nice cloth for Retze, too. It should be durable, light, and waterproof. Well, they did waterproofing here by smearing wax, or soaking canvas in oil, right.


    ¡­Rubber trees thrived in places where it was hot and humid all year round, right. Raincoats were made by applying melted natural rubber between thin fabrics, then lighting them on fire after crimping, if I wasn¡¯t mistaken. But it was the type to easily deteriorate, and the contents would probably spill all at once if it ripped from being stretched when he put his things in. Hmm, Lizard-kun¡¯s hide was still handy, I guess.


    And so, I tried making the exterior with the common tarpaulin, and I used lizard hide for the lining. I added a cushion to the inner back part by packing it with a bit of felt. The color of the bag was moss green as per Retze¡¯s request.


    I didn¡¯t have to be too meticulous with Dean and Chris¡¯ bags, so theirs were black.


    I diligently worked on the bags, and I also played tag with the black spirits in the forest. I switched locations and went to the campsite ground beside the river, ignored the monsters, and did my best to capture and name the spirits around here. The contracted black spirits had increased.


    In particular, the spirits residing in the water droplets of foliages and branches also had the same long-distance communication ability as the fireplace spirits. They would reflect the scenery on the water dish.


    I wanted to see people actually using magic. I had to name all the spirits around here, from end to end, so that I wouldn¡¯t miss anything.


    Guess I should also ask help for Ash and the others while at it. Just a little bit of aid ¡ª just so those guys can have a little more luck, and just enough to wipe a bit of their fatigue. I also warned the spirits not to swarm together so that they wouldn¡¯t stand out.


    Gold ranked Amadeo-san could see spirits, so he was pretty famous.

 CH 60

    I processed the sea bream and cut it up into fillet, then sprinkled some salt and coarsely ground pepper before covering them lightly with wheat flour. I dropped them into the hot olive oil, and the skin turned out perfectly crunchy since it was the side fried first.


    Afterward, I sauteed a large amount of finely chopped garlic and red pepper in olive oil over low heat. I added some manila clams and rape blossoms once the fragrance of the garlic started to spread.


    Stir-fried them so that they would mix together, then I sprinkled some wine, added some water then covered it with a pan as it simmered. I also added some lemon, olive oil and soy sauce to taste when the lid started to move from the steam. I removed it from the fire, and then drizzled the mixture all over the sea bream while still piping hot, and it was all done.


    Sea breams, manila clams and rape blossoms were all in season during spring, although I just took out the blossoms from my storage room.


    The fish was soft and fluffy, and the garlic blended perfectly well with the clams. It would go well with white wine, so I¡¯d probably try that once I¡¯m older.


    Hmm, let¡¯s have some curry for dinner? My days passed by with me chasing around spirits in the forest, then collapsing in a heap when I ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿back home. Riche would sniff me anxiously. My evening menu was starting to look like it¡¯s from a soup shop, judging from the frequency. It was easy, since I just had to serve it as is.


    Well, I also did other things aside from that. I decided to visit a foreign country I¡¯d never been to before in search of a nice, fluffy carpet so that I could collapse on something more comfortable whenever I returned from my ¡¾Teleport¡¿trips..


    The silk carpet I got was weaved with double knots, which is a kind of two-fold tying technique, so it was durable. The patterns and colors were very vivid. It was also very detailed, to the point that it looked like the one who made it could only weave young ladies with slender fingers, which could rouse the wild dreams of every man.


    When I first started using ¡¾Teleport¡¿, I would appear on the terrace, open the window, go right in and just flop down right there and then, but nowadays, I already confirmed that I could teleport anywhere ¡ª even if its a place surrounded by objects ¡ª as long as I could conjure the image of where things are from my memory.


    If the setup was different from my memory and something else was there, it would take me to a completely different place. I already experienced being in a fluster while teleporting after being sent somewhere foggy. I timidly tried to ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ again, then checked the spot I was supposed to go ¡ª there was a kid crying there so I took him to town. It was a fond memory.


    Ash and the rest of the guys would meet me this afternoon, so I was currently taking a break from the forest. My plan was to hand them their bags and accompany them to buy things they¡¯ll need for the subjugation expedition. I thought it was a bit too early, but then, the other participants would probably flock around the shops before they depart, and there¡¯d be a price hike, and there was also a chance that the things they wanted would be out of stock, apparently.


    ¡¸ Hey bro, what a pretty face you got there. Come on, hang with us for a bit. ¡¹


    People surrounded me when I arrived at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s alright, isn¡¯t it? Why don¡¯t you pour us some beer? ¡¹


    He wrapped his arm on my shoulder when I ignored him.


    So, I kicked him in the stomach, then swung my heel down his head when he doubled over in pain.


    You¡¯re not dealing with a woman, so shouldn¡¯t you say ¡®hand over the money¡¯ or ¡®go treat me¡¯ right?


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, please, any more than that and he would end up severely injured¡­. ¡¹


    The guild staff tried to stop me.


    If you¡¯re gonna stop us, then shouldn¡¯t you stop him right from the get go when he tried to get involved with me? I was probably the only one who thought that, huh.


    ¡¸ Recovery meds are for sale, so isn¡¯t it fine. ¡¹


    You also sell some at the Adventurer Guild¡¯s counter, right?


    I thoroughly wanted to crush his head so I was pushing him harder than necessary with my foot. Still, I took my foot off. Heh, I wonder if the medicine would still have an effect if I smashed his head.


    ¡¸ Jean-dono, are you alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh dear, picking a fight with Twilight, of all things! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hey, stop trying to settle everything without a word. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Jean, we¡¯d better back away and move to a different spot. ¡¹


    Everyone appeared from the pub and took me out.


    The latter half were Dean and Retze comments. Weren¡¯t you worried about me, huh!


    ¡¸ Wow, that guy sure had the guts for trying to pick on the merciless Black Bear¡­.¡±


    ¡¸ He¡¯s an outsider, so he doesn¡¯t have any idea ¡®bout this. ¡¹


    ¡¸ He moves without warning, after all. ¡¹


    ¡¸ If he did say a word then the staff would stop him, right? ¡¹


    I could hear people whispering, but did they just call me Black Bear? If you guys were going to give me an alias then you could¡¯ve used Wolf or something, right. Well, too late for that, I guess.


    ¡¸ Noon has already passed, so would you like to go to Hanon? ¡¹


    We went to a nearby restaurant proposed by Butler. There were a lot of pubs where you drink while standing, but this one had tables and chairs, and it was a bit expensive because of that too. People would promptly leave the moment lunch time passed since it was also the time when they offered stew that was a bit cheaper.


    ¡¸ Please get some alcohol and cheese for each of us. ¡¹


    So it was a pub except for lunch time, huh.


    The waiter confirmed Butler¡¯s order. The wine was served soon enough. I was still a minor back in Japan, so I couldn¡¯t drink, but kids around here already drank wine. Well, they wouldn¡¯t give hard liquor to them, though, as expected.


    When in Rome, do as the Romans do, so I did drink accordingly. I¡¯d wait for another year before I opened the wine in my cellar, though. I just decided that arbitrarily.


    ¡¸ Hey, everyone is here, so let¡¯s have a toast in commemoration of our reunion. ¡¹


    Everybody raised their cup¡ª well, it was just a cup made from hollowed wood ¡ª at eye level when Chris said that.


    The jaw spirit was shocked at the cup at first so it withdrew for a bit, but it returned after a while and settled down on his chin. You¡¯re so loved, Chris, it wouldn¡¯t settle for any other chin, right?


    ¡¸ What did you guys do after our expedition? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I attended the briefing session, since Dean ditched us! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Chris¡¯s assistant. ¡¹


    So Dean ran away, huh¡­¡­ It felt like he had a falling out with Retze.


    Well, I didn¡¯t have any right to comment, since I also escaped immediately, but then, I was only a carrier, totally different from the main star, right?


    ¡¸ House-hunting. ¡¹


    ¡¸ New home? You¡¯re moving out of the house you rented? ¡¹


    Chris asked when Dean said that.


    ¡¸ My sis started to live with me again, but I¡¯ll end up spoiling her, so I left my house. I¡¯m currently living in an inn. ¡¹


    He called his strict mom to stay in that house in his stead, apparently. Pink Head was currently being trained in different household chores, it seemed.


    ¡¸ I hunted bears. ¡¹


    No change, huh, Ash¡­¡­..

 CH 61

    We could choose all we wanted from the huge platter of assorted cheese. We still had to pay for whatever we got, of course, but it was fun.


    There were a bunch of sooty looking cheese that were actually white and snowy inside. I curiously asked them about it, and they told me that folks smear powdered charcoal to off-set the characteristic sourness of cheese made from goat milk. Seems like goat cheese is quite common here.


    They also have bloomy rind cheese, blue cheese, etcetera, etcetera. They were a bit peculiar in general compared to the ones I tasted in Japan, but I was getting used to them. Well, they were probably available in luxury restaurants back in Japan, too, but well, I was only familiar with processed cheese and the ones you put on pizza, after all.


    Alright, let¡¯s make a four cheese pizza sprinkled with honey later on. I could also make a mentai-mochi pizza, too huh.


    Thinly sliced baguettes came with the cheese, so I tried eating one with some cheese on top. Hmm, nice, the pungent smell of cheese that lingered in my nose was washed away when I paired it with wine. Wow, Isekai made me a cultured man, huh.


    When the conversation calmed down after a while, I took out all the bags from my own.


    ¡¸ Here you go, Chris and Dean. Here¡¯s yours, Retze.¡¹


    I told Ash and Butler about Retze¡¯s request for a bag and asked them if they¡¯re interested too. They wanted one, so I also made some for them.


    My¡¾ Manufacturing Ability ¡¿ is really handy. I no longer needed a pattern once I finished making something for the fourth or fifth time. This time, I also ditched the pattern for the bags, and just cut the material directly.


    Ash was worried when she heard that I would make five bags, since I only had a short time remaining until delivery day, but I still had some leeway.


    ¡¸ Whoa, thanks. ¡¹


    I first handed Dean his black bag, then passed the rest of the bags to their respective owners.


    ¡¸ Please do check if it¡¯s the right amount. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, yes. ¡¹


    Oh, my bag became heavier than when the bags were in there.


    ¡¸ Eh, this interior¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ I made it more durable. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hey, it¡¯s worth more than I gave you. ¡¹


    Retze was stunned.


    ¡¸ Mine, too¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    Butler and Ash also peered inside their own bags.


    ¡¸ Just treat me when you return safely, alright. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Got it, I¡¯ll treat you to a cask when we¡¯re back.¡¹


    Hey hey, I¡¯m still a minor, you know? Well, I¡¯m a full fledged adult here, though. Besides, even if I did as the Romans do, I haven¡¯t experienced drinking that much.


    ¡¸ Then please let me prepare the dishes. Are you alright with this place? I will prepare a whole cow. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    Ash agreed with what Butler said.


    Wow, a cow! Pork and chicken were commonly used here, but cows needed more investment in stock-farming, so beef was expensive. By the way, folks here believe that the best meat of all came from chicken, all because they could fly. What¡¯s up with that, huh. Was it because spirits fly?


    A kilo of beef cost two copper coins, was it? How much would a cow cost, then? Wouldn¡¯t it be around 10 gold coins?


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll also provide some food, so let me join, okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Me too, me too. ¡¹


    So, it was decided that we would have a post-subjugation party, huh. Even though I wouldn¡¯t join them in the expedition, I was the only one who wouldn¡¯t pay a cent for my food.


    Afterward, we went shopping for the things they would need. Ash and Dean were assigned to carry the heavy dutch oven-style pot, while Butler and Retze copied recipes down. We also bought some sweets and ate them on the spot.


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t force yourselves and come back safe, alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸ We¡¯re still gonna see each other, though. ¡¹


    Dean shrugged when I said that.


    ¡¸ Nah, I¡¯m going to avoid the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for a while. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, a bunch of rascals gathered over there. ¡¹


    Retze said.


    Ah, I just thought that I might spill the beans in case I met somebody who could also see the spirits, but yeah, whatever.


    ¡¸Did they also pick a fight with you, Ash? ¡¹


    ¡¸ They told me to hand over the money¡­but they immediately went away, though. ¡¹


    Ah, so they got intimidated by that scowl of yours? No, wait a sec. They extorted Ash for money? Isn¡¯t that weird?


    ¡¸ A lot of people already saw him carrying bears on his shoulder, so they won¡¯t recklessly pick on him. Well, just call me if you¡¯re in trouble. ¡¹


    The two Silver guys presented themselves.


    ¡¸ I will also deal with them, so¡­¡¹


    Butler also commented.


    This Butler guy was always smiling gently like that, but I bet he¡¯s hiding one or two weapons, too. He¡¯s got a larger than normal (and stronger) spirit, after all.


    Ash, Butler and I rose from Bronze to Copper and we also got a star thanks to the expedition last time, especially since we brought some tri-horns home.


    We could advance to Iron by relying on sheer strength, but we wouldn¡¯t be able to go beyond that unless we got the complete set of stars. They were proof that you did some great, meritorious deeds for the citizens and the city, or something else that was also highly respectable.


    As a result, there were many Irons who were actually Silver level but with questionable behavior. Most of them would join subjugations because they would be able to get stars for sure.


    The citizens didn¡¯t have a choice but to look the other way when various troubles arose just before the expeditions, since they would be in trouble if the monsters ran rampant. Well, it¡¯d be a different story after the subjugation was done. The citizens were also a stubborn and calculating bunch of people, after all, so they wouldn¡¯t tolerate those behaviors afterward.


    ¡¸ Oh, so we¡¯re going the same way, huh. ¡¹


    Chris and Dean said they were going to drink more, so the four of us walked along the alley after parting with them.


    We did say goodbye already, but Retze was headed in the same direction as us.


    ¡¸ So you are neighbors with Ash and Butler, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m renting a room near the Magical Woods, near the gate. It¡¯s cheap, after all. ¡¹


    It was actually an inconvenient place for adventurers, aside from being generally avoided due to its proximity to the forest where monsters live. The gates would only be opened during events, and it was also quite far from the Guild, where the commissions were given.


    ¡¸ You know, the landlady is joining that toilet fad, it seems, so she told me she¡¯s going to raise the rent to cover the cost of renovation.¡¹


    Ash and Butler turned to me when Retze aired his idle complaints.


    ¡¸ It¡¯ll be more comfortable once the sewage and the toilet are finished. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Actually, I wonder how we managed to endure the stench, now that I think about it. ¡¹


    We had been exchanging recos and opinions about food and things to bring and whatnot, but it seemed like the title of the ¡®most recommended product¡¯ would fall on the toilet, huh.


    It might actually be close to something like proselytizing, spreading the love for toilets, and that¡¯s pretty good.


    ¡¸ Hmmm. ¡¹


    We parted with Retze, who was still seriously contemplating it, and we entered our respective homes.


    I lit the fireplace before teleporting back home. Riche dashed to me, so I gave him a good rubbing before drinking some milk. My plan was to eat the curry, but I already felt full from all the sweets we ate.


    Mm, speaking of, I wonder how Ash¡¯s bathtub turned out?


    _______


    T/N: Mentaiko Mochi style pizza! Yum~


    Mentaiko, shortened to mentai, is made from pollock¡¯s roe, and they are frequently spicy. Mochi is the glutinous rice cake that is oh so yummy  Fun fact, Japanese love experimenting with pizza toppings using ingredients that are native to their country. <3


    Ctto: Liangyu, taken from https://www.facebook.com/Liangyu-

 CH 62

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    I decided to go deeper into the forest today. The expedition team would stick beside the river, so it was better for me to teleport somewhere further, especially since the black-spirit naming spot I frequented was somewhat close there. I had to avoid them after all.


    The obscure eastern side looked cut off from the rest of the map because of the forest that covered it. The deities said their power wouldn¡¯t reach that place, and it also seemed that known spirits didn¡¯t reside there.


    I hurriedly chased the black spirits while going further into the forest. Weasel and civet monsters popped out, but they scampered away when things didn¡¯t look good, and they weren¡¯t a nuisance so I thought I didn¡¯t have to kill them. Well, they would dive into burrows when I did try slaying them, so that point was quite bothersome, I guess.


    Wolf and bear tri-horns also appeared, but they moved similarly to their single horn counterparts, so I was complacent. I was stronger and faster, after all.


    Wild boar and wild pig ¡ª uh, the ¡®wild pigs¡¯ were probably domesticated ones that escaped, probably? They were delicious, so people hunted them all the time, so they didn¡¯t venture towards the shallow parts of the forest. Well, they normally ran away when they encountered stronger monsters.


    The wild boar charged towards me. It was a bit reckless, but unexpectedly good at maneuvering and adapting, as well. It¡¯s force was exactly how they said it was. It was taller than me, but it bowed its head all the time, keeping its throat hidden.


    Because I was too caught up in staring, I only dodged at the last minute, then poked it in the eye with my sword ¡ª was using ¡º Zanzenken ¡» but still tried to aim for its soft spot for once. I hurriedly stowed the pig into my ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ . Great, hot pot with boar meat later, oh yeah.


    The wild pig grew its tusk, probably because it was living in the wild, and it also had some horns. Quite dangerous, yep. Still, the meat was tantalizing, but more than that, I wanted to make a brush for Riche, so I also hunted this one, too.


    I ended up going too far from chasing the spirits and also going after the wild pig, so I didn¡¯t make much progress even though I was trying to go deeper into the woods. The forest depths were undisturbed, so I picked all the medicinal herbs I could on the way.


    Oh, there was wild asparagus, too, the ones I wanted to taste before. It was completely yellow, with a wheat-ear looking thing on the tip of its slender stalks.


    The subjugation expedition hadn¡¯t started yet, so there was no need for me to hurry, so I could take my sweet time.


    Well, I wanted to disassemble the wild boar and pig as soon as possible. Not in my house, though, since it¡¯d be troublesome to do that at home, plus it was a stinky job. I should go find a spot to settle down so I could at least drain the blood while still in the woods, and it should be a bit far from the river.


    I passed through the gates with ¡®I just gathered medicinal herbs~¡¯ written all over my face.


    I didn¡¯t want to go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, so I only had my crossbody bag with me when I departed, and now it was crammed full with herbs. Actually, since there was high demand for recovery potions from the subjugation team, and folks already sounded me out if I could sell it in bulk so this was perfect.


    I lit the fireplace upon returning to my rented house. Usually I would teleport back to my home from here, but this place¡¯s kitchen should also be used from time to time. I properly passed through the gates this time without going on a detour, so it was still early compared to usual.


    I boiled some water in the meantime ¡ª I should buy more firewood, huh.


    I tried blanching some of the wild asparagus, then tasted it. It was crispy, a little bit slimy, and quite sweet, with no odor whatsoever ¡ª hmm, yeah, it was delicious, but the texture was a bit¡­


    If it was going to be slimy, then it should be as slimy as butterscotch mushrooms, at least for me. I should just impose on Butler for this.


    The kitchen window¡¯s slatted shutters in Ash¡¯s house were open when I went out. Butler was probably making dinner, huh? I knocked on the back door.


    ¡¸ Oh, hello Jean-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Goodeve. I picked these while gathering some medicinal herbs. Do you want it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Aren¡¯t these wild asparagus? They fetch a good sum if you sell them in the Commerce Guild. It¡¯s popular as a seasonal spring delicacy since the plant can only be harvested for a short period of time. ¡¹


    I only lived around here recently, so I wasn¡¯t allowed to sell it to individual customers. I could still deliver it to the Commerce Guild, though it would be cheaper compared to being sold to other shops or to private customers, but that couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡¸ Nah, it¡¯s too troublesome to go there now. Besides, I picked it for myself, but I don¡¯t like the mouthfeel. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh my, even though it¡¯s delicious¡­Please wait for a moment. ¡¹


    I thought he declined when he withdrew, but he returned soon after with some normal asparagus and sausage in a draining basket.


    ¡¸ Please have these in exchange. ¡¹


    I unconsciously scanned it with ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ while on my way back to the rented house. The asparagus seemed different from the ones I picked in the wild during the expedition. They must be cultivated ones, and they were fat and awesome.


    I sprinkled some finely chopped parsley and boiled egg on top, then smeared it with scorched butter. I used ingredients available here just in case he asked for my thoughts. He gave me a lot, so the rest was for tomorrow. I¡¯d pair it with mayonnaise and soy sauce.


    Main course was curry, so maybe that was enough, huh. I had placed it inside the¡¾ Storage ¡¿so it had been preserved as is, really convenient, right. Well, I wasn¡¯t confident that I could preserve the taste if I reheated it, and the quality would also change once cooled because of the potatoes in it.


    Ah, nope, that wouldn¡¯t do. My goal was to cook in this place, after all.


    I cut some veggies into suitable sizes, then tossed them with some chicken inside a cooking pot and placed it on the stove. It¡¯d be perfect after an hour or so, I guess. Well, I should keep it a secret that it was so troublesome in the end.


    I should probably take a bath while waiting. I also used the bath here, but I was feeling too lazy to boil water, so hot water came from the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿, though.


    I¡¯d go bake some thin bread on the stove and cook the asparagus after my bath, and grill the sausages in the fireplace and savor them.

 CH 63

    ¡¸Er, what¡¯s a snow leopard doing here¡­. ¡¹


    And why was it holding its own tail in its mouth?


    A large snow leopard is in front of me¡­ it¡¯s a snow leopard, probably.


    Well, this guy had chubby paws and its fur was white as snow, but its body resembled that of a black leopard. Its ears are round, and the tip of his fat tail was ebony. A beautiful, faintly luminous, spiral, pearly horn stuck out of its forehead.


    ¡¸¡­.tss ¡¹


    The snow leopard purred with its tail still in its mouth.


    ¡¸ What is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ He¡¯s asking if the Deer can appear before you.¡¹


    A huge white buck stands beside the leopard. Magnificent white antlers spread like branches from its head, and for some unknown reason, a few pieces of slightly glowing bells adorned the tips.


    Three, round, red horns protruded from its forehead, too.


    It¡¯s interpreting!?


    ¡¸ Deer came here on the premise that I¡¯m in the forest, after all. ¡¹


    The deer continued ¡®interpreting¡¯ Snow Leopard¡¯s tss.


    Eh, wait a sec, I thought snow leopards live in cold, mountainous areas?


    ¡¸ ¡­.tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, I normally stay in a place further north. ¡¹


    They don¡¯t have black panda eyes so, these two are probably the so-called divine beasts, huh.


    I returned to the depths of the forest to continue where I left off, when the two of them suddenly approached me from the other side. So, based on what it said, they were normally much, much deeper in the forest, but they went out of their way just to come here, huh.


    ¡¸¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ I have a request. ¡¹


    The snow leopard is unexpectedly expressive, but this Deer maintains a poker face, with nary a single quiver, as it stares right at me. Only its mouth moved. Hey, are you a professional interpreter?


    ¡¸ What is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­.tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please form a contract with Magir and save him. ¡¹


    Is Magir another divine beast, too?


    ¡¸ Who is Magir? ¡¹


    Hey, don¡¯t tell me all the divine beasts are like these, huh? I am actually more bothered about that than our convo.


    ¡¸¡­ tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ He¡¯s my best friend. ¡¹


    ¡­¡­Er, only the overzealous protagonists of shounen manga would come up with that line, I guess.


    So, a friend of a divine beast , huh ¡ª it is still in spirit form? Then the contract referred to naming, I guess. Magir is probably one of the spirits who are starting to dissolve, then.


    ¡¸ Is that something I can control? And what will I gain in return? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ Let¡¯s build a sanctuary in this forest, and you can choose the place. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Sanctuary? ¡¹


    ¡¸ A place that would draw monsters, black spirits, and those who bear grudges. ¡¹


    In short, I could make a base within the forest, huh. That would be convenient if I could also use that to name the normal ones over here.


    ¡¸ Where should I go? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­tss. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ride on the Deer. ¡¹


    This deer is standing bolt upright, so is it really fine riding him? I hesitate, but he doesn¡¯t even move a single muscle, so I jump aboard.


    ¡¸ Whoa!! ¡¹


    It dashes off the moment my butt touches its back. It is really fast, mind you. I didn¡¯t even have a moment to prepare myself, so my upper half ended up bending backwards due to its momentum.


    I didn¡¯t fall off, fortunately. I grabbed his antlers and righted myself. The bells¡¯ tinkles overlapped and the sounds faded into the forest as we sped through it. The snow leopard silently ran beside us, the tail still in its mouth. Wouldn¡¯t it choke?


    Flashes of monsters and spirits entered my peripheral vision, but they all disappeared right away. Even the trees were fading into the background as we galloped on like we¡¯re flying.


    ¡¸ Halt! ¡¹


    We had been dashing at top speed, then we suddenly made a full stop without any warning. It was a miracle that I didn¡¯t slip ¡ª what kind of physics did they have in here? Well, even if I didn¡¯t bang myself into anything, my innards were churning, so I wished they didn¡¯t do that.


    ¡¸¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ Magir, Mau is here. ¡¹


    The deer turns to a place nestled closely in between trees and a huge boulder. Is it because the leopard can¡¯t let go of his tail? Is it similar to the snake part of an ouroboros, or something like that?


    And ¡®Mau¡¯ referred to the snow leopard, huh.


    A gigantic black horse sluggishly appeared from the shadows of the rock. Its body is see-through, and its shoulder has disappeared.


    Oh right, they did say that unicorns and pegasus reside deep in the forest. Still, this horse is not a monster, nor is it a divine beast. It is still a spirit. It doesn¡¯t possess anything yet, so it is a horse-shaped, gigantic spirit.


    ¡¸ ¡­Why did you bring a human here! ¡¹


    A deep, groaning voice resounded.


    ¡¸ Please excuse me. ¡¹


    I alighted from the Deer, then dashed towards the horse, encircled my arms around his neck, and pulled him to the ground then and there.


    Good thing it isn¡¯t an animal, I don¡¯t have to worry about breaking its bones..


    ¡¸Wha¡­! ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes. Your name? ¡¹


    I tilted my head and peered into his face.


    During naming sessions, I would let the spirit introduce itself first before forming a contract with it. I could also use a new name, but that would strengthen our bond, so its original name was enough if my purpose was just to heal its body.


    ¡¸¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ How terrible. ¡¹


    The interpreter deer didn¡¯t have a single ripple in his expression, but the snow leopard¡¯s ears were flat against its head..


    Oy, I already experienced how impossible it was to persuade a black spirit! This was already peaceful compared to submitting after being half-killed right!?


    ¡¸ It¡¯s not scary, it¡¯s not scary, okay~? ¡¹


    ¡¸ You bastard¡­! ¡¹


    I continued putting my weight against the struggling horse while coaxing it. Getting kicked seemed really painful, so of course I didn¡¯t want that.


    It took me around an hour of pushing while transferring mana. The floundering horse kept on pawing on the ground, so a hole was gouged out and it was really messy.


    ¡¸ Ugh¡­.Magir¡­.. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Alright, Magir, let¡¯s form a contract. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Blast it, human! ¡¹


    The horse¡¯s eyes burned red.


    ¡¸ Let¡¯s form a contract. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­¡­.Let¡¯s form a contract. ¡¹


    I ignored him and said the same thing, and the horse finally submitted and repeated what I said.


    The response of the spirits varied when we formed the contract, but once they responded with the right words, I would feel huge amounts of mana flowing from me towards them, and that would be my cue that the contract was a success.


    Oh, he thoroughly depleted my stocks, huh. I somehow managed, since I didn¡¯t chase after the black ones today, as well as yesterday, too.


    ¡¸ Huff, we did it somehow, huh.¡¹


    Yep, I sweated a bit with all the effort.


    ¡¸ ¡­tss. ¡¹


    ¡¸ How terrible. ¡¹


    Ah, you said the same thing twice!


    ¡¸ Blast it!! I thought you would use a magic circle or a cage with an amulet, so you caught me unprepared¡­.! ¡¹


    The horse bitterly snorted.


    (¡­¡­)


    Eh, don¡¯t tell me¡­ capturing spirits isn¡¯t done by physical force, but by using those things, huh¡­¡­..


    I unwittingly avert my eyes.

 CH 64

    Alright, I granted the wish of the snow leopard, so now it would make my sanctuary, for sure.


    ¡¸ Do you know of any place with great scenery, and where the spirits can readily go? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­ tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ride on the Deer. ¡¹


    I suddenly recalled the ordeal that I just went through on our way here, so I wanted to ride on the horse instead. Unfortunately, it was wounded, so yeah.


    ¡¸ A human riding on Kanulle¡­what a lucky fellow you are. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    Kanulle huh, did the horse just mention the deer¡¯s name? I want a comfortable ride.


    I gave up and straddled the deer.


    My innards were pulled again because of the gravitational acceleration that was happening right now. Well, I was bending forward properly and grabbing his antlers right on the get go this time around, so I probably wouldn¡¯t fall off now.


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ How about this place ¡¹


    And yep, we stopped again without warning.


    ¡¸ Ah sorry, but this is a bit too dreary for me. ¡¹


    Please don¡¯t take me to a sheer precipice again.


    ¡¸ Somewhere with a huge tree, some undergrowth, and if there¡¯s a spring then that would be perfect. ¡¹


    It seems that the phrase ¡°beauty (and comfort) is in the eye of the beholder¡± was thoroughly applicable to these guys, so I rephrased my request to clearly express what I really wanted.


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ So that¡¯s the preference of humans, huh. ¡¹


    Thank you so much for being so understanding. Just when the horse finally caught up with us after doing its best, we set off again. The horse did all it could to chase after us.


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ How about this? ¡¹


    I resisted the urge to throw up, and looked around me, and the scene took my breath away. It was a bit mystical, like those you see in fantasy. There was a huge tree and a spring just as I requested. The surroundings seemed a bit damp from all the moss growing, but we were standing in a clearing, so the sun reached the ground, too. Soft, yellow-green grass highlighted the sunny place.


    I checked my map ¡ª yes, it is a great place, indeed.


    ¡¸ Thank you. It is more beautiful than what I hoped for. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ Alright, we will place the barrier now. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, will the horse be okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s just a trivial matter, he¡¯s a spirit and your contract partner, after all. ¡¹


    The snow leopard started to growl deeply, and the sound intertwined with the tinkling of the deer¡¯s bells, and they echoed on like a concerto. The whiteness of the snow leopard¡¯s entire body glowed until it turned into light, and it spread and spread until it formed a barrier around us.


    The horse finally reached us.


    ¡¸ Thanks for the hard work. ¡¹


    I unwittingly called out to him. It really did its best, see, it managed to catch up to that deer within this period of time.


    ¡¸ ¡­ tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­.!!! ¡¹


    The snow leopard dashed without a sound together with the deer, and the horse tried its best to follow them. Still, that horse seemed like a pessimistic one, would he really be alright?


    (Well, no use worrying about it, I guess.)


    The snow leopard called him his friend, so I decided to stop worrying.


    I checked my map again. New forests and cliffs appeared in the area that had been blank when I looked at it earlier. Wait, so even if the deities¡¯ power didn¡¯t extend to a certain place, it would be added to the map if I went there?


    No, it was spreading towards the places that I didn¡¯t pass through, too. Maybe it was the contracted horse¡¯s part? Mmm, not really the area of the horse¡¯s activity, but territory, perhaps?


    In that case, then I could only complete this map, huh. Yes, there might be a Japan-like place out there¡­! I finally had something to look forward to aside from making things.


    Alright, so what should I do with this? I need a roof for protection against the rain, walls that the wind could still pass through, and maybe a table, at the very least. I could do the handling outside the barrier, at the spot where the spring flows on. The monsters would take care of the parts I do not need, for sure.


    Thinking about creating stuff was really exciting.


    I stayed here, in the place that was given to me, for some time. I just let my thoughts drift away while grinning all the while, so it was already evening before I noticed it.


    I returned to my home via the rented house, then rubbed Riche all over when he came running towards me. Alright, today was curry time, finally!


    Onions, carrots, potatoes, pork belly ¡ª it was just like a normal Japanese family¡¯s curry, although the pork belly was in saggy blocks of meat. I drizzled some sesame dressing on my pea sprouts and tofu salad. I also have some rakuchou on the side, plus carbonated water.


    I plopped a huge dollop of curry on the freshly cooked rice, and preparations were complete. Alright, I¡¯m digging in!!


    Hmmmm~ the pork belly was firm and super tasty. Ahh, as expected, this is pure bliss. I¡¯m really grateful that I requested a lifestyle where I could still enjoy Japanese cuisine.


    A world with no concrete or asphalt in sight, plus I can also enjoy eating delicious meals. It is a healthy lifestyle thanks to Riche. I can also relax in the bath at the end of the day, and my clean, comfortable bed awaits me after.


    Some of my classmates thought they would never survive without an internet connection, but this kind of life actually suited me. In the first place, I already had my hands full with trying to use the net to research for the things I would need for when I disappear, since it was laden with restrictions. Really, why on earth did they have to put all those limitations, huh.


    Hurray for a life of freedommmm!!!! Alright, let¡¯s get another serving, and have dessert afterward.


    I was in a great mood, so I polished off another plate of curry, then I had some yogurt-flavored gelato and chocolate cake for dessert.


    The yogurt gelato¡¯s mild flavor eased the spiciness of the curry, and it refreshed my palate. I savored the rich chocolate cake¡¯s stickiness on my tongue as it slowly melted in my mouth.


    The furniture was just like how I wanted it to be and the climate also suited my taste. I could do the things I wanted to do tomorrow and I have Riche right here, just beneath my feet. Ahhh, pure bliss.

 CH 65

    Today, I visited Nalluadhid, the country famous for its flourishing trade and commerce. I considered building a Japanese house or something like that in the forest for an instant, but I decided against it in the end. Even if the tatami mats were created, maintaining them was a different challenge altogether. Wooden floors were also nice, but then, I would use some tables and chairs over there for writing, so still not sure.


    I had two minds over what to do with the house, so I decided to visit this country, which was rumored to have some cutting-edge stuff. Yeah, many houses had huge windows and they also exuded refinement.


    There was a window with a lot of round glass bottles all lined up, covering most of it. They made it by blowing the glass just like when making flasks, then they would join it with the bottom that had already been flattened. The transparency of the resulting piece of glass was far superior among all that I¡¯ve seen before.


    Most of the bottles found in Canum were tinged with a pale emerald hue, and they were filled with trapped air bubbles. They had a similar color with the glass floats being sold in the beaches of Japan. Plus, they¡¯re considerably thick.


    This country was situated in the small island between the Lower Jaw Peninsula ¡ª officially known as the Tarya Peninsula ¡ª and Gavil Peninsula. It declared itself as a neutral territory, and people from all over the world were welcomed here as long as they were merchants. Well, frankly speaking, kings and feudal lords didn¡¯t have any power here, and the various bigwigs of the commerce industry were engaged in disputes about rights while managing their businesses.


    It didn¡¯t have its own military force, but the battles between the merchants backed with various great nations was, as expected, quite harsh, too.


    There were some glasses made of colored glass that I never saw in Canum before. I also spotted a ring with a huge stone, and some fine silk. A lot of products and items were carried to the ships, where they were priced then dispatched.


    There were travelling merchants and peddlers, too, but most of the businessmen had established stores in this country. Some people came to purchase stuff, but most of them came to deliver letters from sales agents or branch offices, so literacy was almost indispensable for merchants in this country.


    The merchants were more secure if they were to procure the items themselves onsite, and do the selling too, if there were no trusted third-party organization. However, because the Commerce Guild was established, the merchants relied on the money orders that they issued. Well, the states also release their own money orders, but it was frequently used in gambling, depending on the country.


    I saw a finely crafted, engraved letter box, and there was a vibrant dress, too. Well, I wasn¡¯t that familiar with dresses, but it wasn¡¯t like those puffy dresses frequently worn by french dolls. It was tightly fitted in the waist down to the buttocks, reminding me of mermaids.


    No idea about its purpose, but the form was somewhat retro, and it actually looked stylish. It was charming, but I was looking for wool, or clothes made from wool, dyes, threads, silk, hemp, and other stuff like that.


    Most of the shops were those who wouldn¡¯t offer anything really good unless the negotiations pushed through, shops whose samples were the only good ones they had, or those who wouldn¡¯t entertain me unless I would buy a particular amount. It¡¯s quite hard to relax.


    A red, opaque glass painted with gold patterns caught my eye, and I thought it was really cool so I bought it. The price was expensive enough for my eyes to pop out, though.


    I sauntered on the stone paving.


    Buildings looked like they were jostling against each other on this mountain-like island, probably because the ground was more dirt than pavement, I guess.


    I randomly picked a restaurant and chose freshwater prawn spaghetti for lunch. They gave me white wine even though I didn¡¯t ask for it. Do they serve wine instead of water here?


    The seats at the terrace were popular among the guests despite the cold since it provided an unbroken view of the harbor¡¯s scenery, apparently. I tried asking whether a seat was available, but was told that all of them had been reserved already. Reservations were equated to business negotiations, so merchants would reserve these seats. Thus, they were still fully booked no matter which day you drop by.


    They partly opened the shrimp before grilling it over charcoal fire. The fragrant aroma aroused my appetite, and its meat was sweet. Alright, let¡¯s copy this next time.


    People around me were dipping a biscuit-like thing inside their cups before eating it. Oh, maybe those were hard biscotti and they¡¯re soaking it in coffee?


    (Wait a sec, they have coffee here!?)


    ¡­¡­¡­.That¡¯s what I thought, so I tried asking, but their cups just contained sweet wine.


    After lunch, I also went around looking at the medicine varieties to see how advanced their medical technology was. Yep, there¡¯s cacao. It¡¯s being touted as meds for longevity, and people drink it after crushing and mixing it with various spices and flavorings.


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t this super bitter without sugar? Do they do that because bitter meds are effective? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, part of the nobility enjoyed this as a special drink behind closed doors, apparently. They add sugar, milk and vanilla. That¡¯s why they say that the price will shoot up even more. ¡¹


    The shopkeeper amicabilly explained, but isn¡¯t she saying that I should buy it now since it¡¯ll become more expensive, huh.


    1 bean was 1 gram, and it cost around 2 mon ¡ª even if you get a silver coin¡¯s worth, it was only around 75 beans. An ordinary sailor¡¯s wage was one copper a day. Plus, this was Nalluadhid, so the further you go from here, the more expensive it would be.


    Hmm, should I just buy them at the manufacturing place? But according to the ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ results, it would take a lot of time and labor in consideration of the fermentation and dehydration processes. Alright, let¡¯s just buy them now.


    And so, I bought some, along with vanilla beans, yellow mustard, brown mustard and turmeric. I also got them in my food storage, but it would be good if I knew the difference between them.


    ¡¸ Excuse me, dark-haired mister over there. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    A gentleman exuding refinement stood there when I turned around.


    ¡¸ Oh my, what a beautiful person. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­What? ¡¹


    Was he asking for a punch in the pit of his stomach? Or maybe he was trying to do some sales talk?


    ¡¸ Ah, please pardon my rudeness. If it¡¯s alright with you, may I ask where you bought that bag? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. This is a new merchandise that the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Azirh just registered recently. It¡¯s handy, you know. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I see. Azirh is a bit far from here, isn¡¯t it. ¡¹


    The distance itself was short, but there were a handful of impassable mountains that were perpetually coated with snow, even in summer.


    ¡¸ Rather than purchasing the bag, wouldn¡¯t it be faster if you order a copy of the specification document, and reproduce it here? ¡¹


    Actually this was already the tenth time I was approached and had a conversation like this. Only one or two among them had the guts to go to Azirh, was it?


    If a merchant went there, then my toilet would also spread here¡­¡­..


    I purposely stayed in an inn so I could check the furnishings and architecture style, but the toilet was still a vase.


    Hurry up and spread it far and wide!!


    ¡ª¡ª-


    T/N: Jean will go down in history as the Father of Toilet in this world XD


    Glass floats, or Ukidama (lit. floating balls) ¨C popular collectors¡¯ items that were used by fishermen before.


    https://jmty.jp/hokkaido/sale-fur/article-copf3

 CH 66

    I absolutely didn¡¯t come here to do stealth marketing, okay. I also had a proper reason for coming to this commercial city, and that was to look for a book or document about methods to capture spirits.


    I also asked Ash and Butler about it, but they told me that those kinds of books were generally treasured and seldom lent to others. They told me that if there was a place who had them, then it would probably be here in Nalluadhid.


    Very few people formed contracts with spirits. Usually, it¡¯s just a temporary contract because a huge amount of mana is taken away from the contractor. If the contract isn¡¯t fulfilled by the time the mana runs out, the spirit ¡ª angry for the attempt to bind them ¡ª would kill the contractor.


    The magical power used in temporary contracts, or what folks here call as magical arts and sorcery, could be curtailed, but that would only end in failure. They would secure safety for the meantime, but there were also times when the summoned spirits were vicious and the caster would receive damage in return.


    However, the benefits of successful contracts were really great, based on the guys who were liked by spirits, as well as those who had spirits lingering around them. That was why a lot of people would still take on the challenge, and some were lucky enough to have permanent effects after doing a temporary contract.


    The Book of Spirits clearly explained the origins and efficacy of spirits, and they were frequently sold to filthy rich nobles through stealth marketing or else put up in auctions. And so, I looked for suspicious looking general stores and antique shops.


    Because of that, I caught pickpockets and hoodlums a whole lot more than yesterday. Plus, I got carried away seeing a bunch of curious things, so I ended up buying a lot of junk, like old clothes, a knife, candle stand, mismatched tableware and tiles, and a few things with unknown purpose.


    ¡¸Laddie, what are you looking for? ¡¹


    ¡¸ A book about spirits. ¡¹


    It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a secret, so I just said it frankly. If I managed to find it then it would be unbelievable good luck.


    ¡¸ Why don¡¯t you try going to the bookshop? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, I¡¯m hunting for bargains.¡¹


    I was prowling around here precisely because they¡¯re not sold legally.


    ¡¸Ain¡¯t gonna find those around here, then, they¡¯re rare. You see, nobles love to buy books just to put on a show. Shady bookstores handle those with hard to understand stuff. Even merchants recently build their own libraries just to put on airs, you know.¡¹


    So, I still ended up in a bookstore to get the books, huh.


    I bought two candles from the general store aunty and paid a large sum, and she told me about two ¡®shady bookstores¡¯.


    ¡¸ Do you have any books for display? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, we have. Do you want something with substance, or not? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please give me those with contents. ¡¹


    The ¡®blank¡¯ books were just small boxes with the book spine and covers plastered around them. Heh, so they¡¯re really just for display, or maybe they¡¯re being used as a small box?


    ¡¸ There are plain white papers, while these are manuscripts rendered illegible by spirit pranks. ¡¹


    ¡¸ So, the white papers are more expensive.¡¹


    ¡¸ Indeed, that¡¯s because anyone who knows the proper protocol can fill it up and turn it into a book, after all. ¡¹


    I switched my spirit-seeing mode on, and yep, there¡¯s one spirit frolicking around the books. Is it rewriting the book in the present progessive tense? I reached out, took the book and opened it.


    Yeah, I could read it.


    ¡¸ Oh, that one is written in a unique set of characters, and only the person who wrote it can read it. Sometimes, there are people who want to keep their own secrets no matter what, especially the magicians and sorcerers, right? ¡¹


    The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders.


    I could understand vocab and made-up letters thanks to my¡¾ Languages ¡¿, but I had a hard time reading anagrams and rearrangements of preexisting characters and words, though.


    Well, I got the feeling that I could decipher something akin to Holmes¡¯ ¡¸ Dancing Men Code ¡¹if I tried harder to read the original characters. Ah, no, it wouldn¡¯t work if I didn¡¯t know the language normally used by the person who made the code. I didn¡¯t have an inkling about their most frequently used words and letters, after all.


    Wait a sec, there¡¯s another volume for this one, I¡¯m positive about it. It¡¯s written here to combine the magical circles and other diagrams drawn in a separate book with the numbers in this book.


    ¡¸ Is there a book with the same spine label as this one? ¡¹


    ¡¸ There is, but let me tell you, since it has illustrations and diagrams, it¡¯s still expensive even if you don¡¯t understand it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, of course. ¡¹


    Bingo.


    There was a spirit coiled around it, not to do mischief, but because this was probably an original manuscript.


    ¡¸ Can I also get some books written about history, medicinal herbs and spirits, if there are any. ¡¹


    My chest pocket was bulging with cash more than usual, thanks to all the potions I sold for the subjugation.


    ¡­.Still, these books were crazy expensive; maybe I shouldn¡¯t have bought that red glass.


    The spirits told me bits and pieces about the history of this continent, but their stories were too abstract so I couldn¡¯t really understand it. Plus, humans have been fabricating history and flaunting it as the truth over the span of many years. The conquerors ¡ªparticularly those who used underhanded means to win in battles ¡ª had the tendency to tamper with history..


    There was a bit of discrepancy with the story I heard from Ash and Butler, so I would use them for comparison and to fill the gaps in what I know.


    I already spent all of my money, so I decided to go home. Even if something caught my eye, I wouldn¡¯t be able to buy it, after all. I immediately settled beside the fireplace and started reading the books.


    The first topic written was all about the risks and benefits of forming contracts with the spirits. The risks were mostly manageable and could be cleared through compatibility of attributes and the amount of mana. The benefits depended on the contracted spirits, but they had one thing in common ¡ª they would all come to you when you summoned them.


    Usually, magicians and sorcerers could borrow the power of the spirits around them, but the efficacy was quite low. There was no guarantee that they were always surrounded by spirits who had affinity for them, after all. Having contracts with spirits would solve that, since they could summon them in most places.


    I previously thought that spirits were all the same no matter where they were, given that there were a lot of them here and there, plus you could find fire spirits and water spirits everywhere. I knew that was wrong when I observed the spirits who helped me after I named them and compared them to the others with the same attributes.


    Mischt and Halfalfa are considerably different from each other even if they had the same light attribute. The light ball sticking to Sis is out of the question.


    Well, even spirits wouldn¡¯t want to listen to the request of intruders who break into their dwellings and territories, right.


    And then, I also discovered some things that I forgot to buy. Ugh, I won¡¯t be able to draw the magic circle without a compass and a triangle!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    E/N: This chapter is related to Chap 63 where the spirit scolds Jean about his method of forming a contract. (Spirit: Blast it!! I thought you would use a magic circle or a cage with an amulet, so you caught me unprepared¡­.!)

 CH 67

    I¡¯d been loitering around, whiling away my time, and finally, the subjugation team¡¯s departure day came.


    ¡¸ Mm¡­.. ¡¹


    Ash chewed with relish.


    ¡¸ Having warm food for breakfast is . Moreover, every single one of these dishes are so delicious. ¡¹


    Butler praised me with a french bread toast on one hand.


    I coincidentally met Ash and Butler near the alleyway entrance on their way back from dining out. They told me that they already consumed all the perishable foods in their house, since they would be leaving it empty for a considerably long time after they left.


    So, I invited them over for breakfast, and here we are now.


    The breakfast menu around here was usually more on staple foods, like bread coupled with more bread. They also had dried fruits, and meat too if there¡¯s a bit of a leeway. The vegetable soups were normally eaten while still cold. Folks would hurry to work as soon as the sun came out, so they didn¡¯t light the fire most of the time. Well, they¡¯re saving up their firewood, after all.


    They brew tea in Ash¡¯s house, but they didn¡¯t cook breakfast that often. The one with cold foods as the main theme, what was it called again? Continental Breakfast?


    Well, actually, they can just buy freshly baked foods and there are lots of varieties to choose from, so there¡¯s no need to cook so early in the morning, I guess.


    I prepared french toast and croissant, and a baguette with butter and marmalade placed in saucers.


    There¡¯s also smallish omelettes that were so soft they jiggled, plus ham, three kinds of sausages, grilled onions and turnips, and veggie soup, too. I wanted some orange juice, but endured it and opted for tea, instead.


    Potatoes and tomatoes would have been nice as garnish, huh. Well, I got a feeling that I already served something like that to Ash before, though. Hmm, it¡¯s all in the mind, I¡¯m just imagining stuff.


    Actually, they also have tomatoes and potatoes in this world. The catch is, those potatoes were small, just three inches, so they¡¯re treating them as bulbs for flowers back in Nalluadhid. As for the tomatoes, they¡¯re also smallish, plus they¡¯re poisonous, so they¡¯re just good for admiring.


    The corn was also different somehow. Maybe it was because selective breeding hadn¡¯t happened yet.


    ¡¸ Here¡¯s your lunch. Take care.¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks, we¡¯re going. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. ¡¹


    I sent them off after I handed their lunches, including Dean and the other guys¡¯ portion. It was pretty bulky, but they just had to bear with it.


    Alright, time for me to go get some building materials!


    I bought a lot of things from all over the place with the excuse of renovating my house, and my shopping haul included plaster, stones, lumber, and some bricks for the fireplace. As for those that wouldn¡¯t look good if they¡¯re not matchy-matchy, I bought a little bit at a time from the different stores carrying them within the same city.


    The entire day passed by while doing that, and now, I was enjoying some coffee that I brewed.


    Oh right, I nearly forgot that making something similar to siphon had been on my to-do list.


    My plan was to build a small, two-storey house, with each floor made up of one room. The first floor should be made so I could drink tea without having to remove my muddy shoes, and the second floor was for idling and relaxing whenever I felt my mana was exhausted. The sanctuary wasn¡¯t that wide, so that would be the end result if I wanted to make the garden as spacious.


    ¡¸ Riche, I¡¯ll bring you with me once I¡¯m done with our haven. ¡¹


    Riche wagged his tail at my feet when I called his name.


    We could be together during my spirit naming sessions and throughout the day, too. I wanted to make Riche¡¯s play area, where he could run all he wanted, to be as big as possible.


    I ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ to the forest sanctuary.


    The spirits I named could freely enter and leave the sanctuary, but they looked like they got the fright of their lives when I appeared with Riche. They flew in all directions ¡ª imagine the doves taking flight all at the same time; that¡¯s the scenery right now.


    ¡¸ Riche, see that faint, glowing white line, it¡¯s safe until there. You can play all you want. ¡¹


    Riche was such an obedient kiddo, he understood what I said, and he would properly obey that.


    Alright, I needed to clear the space for the construction site. Earthquakes very rarely, almost never occur here, so people didn¡¯t give much thought on making the buildings earthquake proof. Still, I wanted to make a solid foundation, being the Japanese guy that I was. Plus, the four columns at the corners would also continue on to the second floor, too.


    Ahh, being strong is really cool, man. I already finished digging the holes and the first part of construction by lunchtime.


    Riche¡¯s meals were basically meat in the morning and evening, but I made sure he could drink water anytime he wanted. He already drank from the spring here, but I still poured some water from my house into his water dish.


    Riche probably sensed me since he dashed towards me. After drinking some water, he rolled over on his back, held the branch that had fallen on the ground between his paws and started mouthing and playing with it while changing the angle every now and then.


    I had a bagel sandwich with smoked salmon, cream cheese and coral lettuce for lunch, and black tea for drinks. I gazed at the white clouds in the sky, peeping through the gaps of the leaves in the tree top.


    The days passed oh so peacefully.


    ¡­That¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡¸ ¡­¡­tss. ¡¹


    The snow leopard was still holding its tail in its maw.


    ¡¸ Why is Riche-sama here? ¡¹


    The deer was staring straight ahead past me.


    ¡¸ ¡­¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s been five years since you disappeared. ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­.tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ The sparrows said that you failed the hero summoning, so you vanished. ¡¹


    Mr. Snow Leopard was thoroughly moved. Ah, his expression didn¡¯t change, he seemed to be? I glanced at Riche ¡ª he was acting as if it had nothing to do with him; he just kept on gnawing the branch.


    ¡¸ Hey, Riche, is this snow leopard your subordinate? ¡¹


    Riche just looked up at me and tilted his head.


    Did you forget, or you just didn¡¯t want to recall stuff right from the get go, so you forgot? Or is it troublesome so you¡¯re just letting it slide? Which one is it?


    ¡¸ ¡­¡­.! ¡¹


    Horsey galloped towards us, out of breath. He froze on his tracks when he saw Riche.


    ¡¸ Riche, maybe this forest was your home before, huh. ¡¹


    Dog? Wolf? Well, no matter which one it was, the forest far more suited him than a place filled with humans.

 CH 68

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    The walls here were basically made of stones, except for buildings in the city where I bought my lumber. They supported the building so it could stand on its own.


    ¡¸ ¡­.tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ He was more powerful than any other spirit. ¡¹


    There were no pillars or beams, and the roof was made of wood and placed on top of the stone walls. The roof itself was already heavy enough, so it seemed like the whole structure was being held in place from the force on top?


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ No other spirit was more unbridled than him. ¡¹


    The arch structure was probably strong enough to bear heavy loads above it, but there was nothing more dangerous than this when an earthquake hit it, since the pressure would be coming from below.


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ His roar can reach the ends of the world. ¡¹


    Well, it would be a different story if we¡¯re talking about castles and fortresses which used ginormous stones, but I¡¯m just a Japanese living in a normal house, so of course I would be uneasy.


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    Still, there were some pros too, such as stone and plaster being fire resistant. Wood easily burned, while reinforced concrete would deteriorate over time. Lime plasters that would return back to being limestones again were actually more durable than I thought.


    ¡¸ ¡­.tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ He protected this forest. ¡¹


    And so, I decided to use posts and beams, and to make the walls using stonework and plaster.


    Maybe it would be better if the stones were uneven to prevent resonance, I guess.


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ And yet, look at what you have become¡­ ¡¹


    Eh, wait a sec, wasn¡¯t it said that it was better if the stones weren¡¯t stacked so tightly so they could still move up somehow, up to a certain extent, because that would help absorb the shaking even more?


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ One year ago, even the faintest trace of your aura had vanished from this world. ¡¹


    Hey, isn¡¯t that because Riche came to my house. Plus, what¡¯s up with those ¡®Acolytes of the Wind¡¯? Did they have something to do about the barren prairies and bald mountains that stretched in the eastern part of this continent?


    The snow leopard had been going on and on, gushing over Riche one moment then lamenting his current appearance the next, so I had been ignoring his one-sided rave review episode, but now, he started talking about this continent, huh.


    Riche kept on playing with the branch and gnawing it without a care in the world.


    ¡¸ What do you mean by Acolytes of the Wind? ¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ They are the minions of the person claiming to be the previous generation¡¯s hero. ¡¹


    What a good-for-nothing hero!!!!


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ He was stripped of the power of Khadar, the one who governs Verdure.¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ He created a thing that could run across the water. ¡¹


    Run across the water¡­ A ship? The scenery of Nalluadhid¡¯s port came across my mind.


    Ah, sorry, the previous gen¡¯s hero. Yep, I also received blessings thanks to you.


    ¡¸ Sorry, but I¡¯m probably using that vehicle for convenience, too. ¡¹


    I unconsciously rubbed Riche¡¯s chest and tummy with both hands. I wouldn¡¯t know what to do if Riche hated me for it.


    ¡¸ ¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ The problem lies with the extent. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­tss ¡¹


    ¡¸ The forests didn¡¯t return to how it was in the western land, even until now. ¡¹


    Yeah, grasslands stretched beyond the current Central Plains. I wondered why the old houses there were built from lumber, given the situation over there, but that place was also a forest in the past, it seemed.


    ¡¸ I heard that a light spirit was the master responsible for the summoning for this generation, but it seemed like peace is just a pipe dream now. Did you know, I just went there to take a peek, but the current hero used magic to forcely suck my mana from me right then and there, so I ended up looking like this.¡¹


    The horse snorted, sounding like he¡¯s mocking himself.


    ¡¸ ¡­Thanks. You know, thanks to you, I didn¡¯t end up devouring my fellow spirits. ¡¹


    Horsey averted his eyes as soon as they met mine.


    ¡¸ Say that to these two, I just got this place. ¡¹


    Well, it seemed that it was Riche¡¯s territory originally, though.


    ¡¸ Something¡¯s fishy, and there¡¯s a nasty ¡®thing¡¯ over there. It¡¯s cannibalistic, even though it shouldn¡¯t be lacking anything, considering that it¡¯s a high-ranking spirit. Well, it¡¯s weak right now, but the hero is protecting it. Don¡¯t go poking your nose there. That hero is a lot stronger than you, you know. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I absolutely won¡¯t go near that so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. ¡¹


    Horsey and I seemed to be on the same page, but I still didn¡¯t get more info on Riche. Snow leopard kept on praising Riche to the skies while on the verge of tears, and the deer was still as poker faced as ever.


    Horsey¡¯s shoulder had seemed like it vanished before, but it was already filled up a bit. Thank goodness he was recovering. By the way, Horsey was pure white before he was dyed in black.


    ¡¸ Hey you, did you lose your memory when you lost most of your powers? ¡¹


    I didn¡¯t really understand the map¡¯s mechanism, but I didn¡¯t have an inkling about how much Riche remembered, either.


    I was dragged into Lightball¡¯s summoning, but that must be after Riche became small. I¡¯ll be super lonely if he runs away from home after suddenly getting his memories back.


    I hurriedly finished my afternoon tasks and returned home. Hey, it¡¯s totally not because I was exasperated from the snow leopard¡¯s story that had been going in circles. Horsey stopped him before that happened, you know.


    I discovered a relatively flat place in the mountain, so I turned it into a field. Plan was to plant some of the potatoes of this world. The planting season was spring and autumn, and I chose and bought relatively big seed potatoes for this. Their color was similar to sweet potatoes, so it bothered me a bit.


    I halved the seed potatoes and smeared ash on them before burying them into the ridges. I still have some growth powder left, but I¡¯m going to let them grow naturally. It¡¯s been almost a year since I came to this world, so I was starting to understand what things were here, and what weren¡¯t.


    There was a lot of inedible stuff even among the things that could be found here. I could check with¡¾Appraisal¡¿whether it was a true-breeding plant, if I knew what vegetable it was. The stuff in my food cellars would only grow on this site, so I decided to try doing my best to gather true-breeding plants from all over the place and cultivate them so that they would be edible.


    I was all fired up when it came to the spirits¡¯ existence. According to the book, I could get good crops and even have never-before seen flowers by getting along with and training the earth and water spirits in that lot.


    I didn¡¯t know anything about GMO¡¯s and selective breeding, but it sounds good, right?


    It would be nice if I could enhance the dining experience of the folks in this world.

 CH 69

    I prepared my field while doing my construction work in the forest, but I realized later on that it¡¯d be better if I worked on the field in the morning, and in the forest for the rest of the afternoon. I didn¡¯t have any system, so if I enjoyed working on the house then I¡¯d do that for the entire day.


    Actually, it really didn¡¯t matter whether the house construction was in the morning or in the afternoon, but that timing was more convenient when I did my spirit naming sessions. Well, there¡¯s no problem with the normal spirits since they would draw near on their own accord, but the black spirits usually came at dusk.


    Well, it¡¯s right to say that they were taking advantage of the dark to attack since they¡¯re almost invisible, but actually it was super convenient to me because they¡¯re going to me on their own free will. I would grab them one by one and name them. I was still doing everything by force, though.


    Once the field was ready, there would be nothing else to do but wait, so I decided to try my hand on drawing magical circles. Alright, let¡¯s clean the field asap.


    I could also plant some basil, fennel and lettuce here.I was also familiar with the black cabbage they frequently use in stews and soups together with beans¡­.well, I¡¯m bluffing, I don¡¯t know a single thing about the two other herbs aside from basil. The lettuce was not the curly variety, either.


    The wild arugulas growing by the wayside were a bit similar to the ones I know, but the flavor was deeper, and they were more bitter and tough. There was also wild chicory, which would probably grow later on into something similar to small bok choy used in Italian cuisine.


    Yeah, I would dare to plant some zucchini and tomatoes, too. Here¡¯s to hoping that they¡¯d become delicious!


    Some of the veggies were quite hardy, like potatoes, for example, but some weren¡¯t. I also wanted to cultivate some of the plants so that they¡¯ll be tender, and the key to be able to do that was the soil ¡ª it must be soft, fertile and rich in nutrients. I also had to consider whether the plant had good water retention capacity, or prone to root rot if the drainage system was bad. Add acidity or alkalinity to the mix ¡ª I just used ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ to solve it all, but I also had to do whatever must be done by myself.


    Ahhh, having endurance and strength is so sweet, man. I didn¡¯t have any tools back when they blasted me into the island, and I felt exhausted soon enough due to lack of food. It was terrible, really. I actually never imagined back then that I would be digging soil now for my pastime.


    I also made a place where I could leave the bran and dead leaves in the soil. I already collected humus from the forest and went to the lake to gather some moss, which I dried so that it would turn into peat moss. There were plenty of ashes from the fireplace, and the water was free-flowing.


    Ah, thank goodness, ¡¾ Teleportation ¡¿ ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ were lifesavers!


    Alright, I should also plant tomatoes, basil and arugula in pots and bring them back to the rented house. The tomatoes would grow in clusters of teeny, tiny red fruits the size of the tip of my pinky, so they were considered as ornamental plants here. I do hope the other two will grow to be tasty.


    Well, I haven¡¯t planted them yet, though.


    I had curry udon for lunch, made with bonito stock, strong spices and springy noodles, then topped with fried tofu, scallions and soft boiled pork that I prepared separately.


    I¡¯ve been eating bland dishes stewed by the fireplace most of the time, so maybe that¡¯s the reason why I ended up going for curry. Also had some carrot rappe, rakkyou, and tofu for my sides.


    I also wanted to make some ice cream, but I wasn¡¯t sure whether I should ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ to the Snowy Mountains to get ice and make it from that, or to just bury the metal pot in snow to freeze it.


    Eating piping hot curry inside the room that had been warmed by the fire in the hearth, then topping it off with ice cream afterward¡­what a luxury. Well, it was already too late for me to make it now, but there¡¯s still next time, definitely.


    It had become a lot warmer lately, and it was sunny most days. Well, my house was in a lowland, still, it was on the mountainside, so there were still cold days, just like today.


    I played with Riche during my lunch break. I cut a piece of mooring line used to secure boats to the banks, and tied the ends. Riche and I played tug of war and fetch with it.


    Ahh, a frisbee would be nice, huh. Maybe a wooden one would do? Oh, maybe I could just buy a round tray? Alright, I¡¯d go peek into the store later.


    Hmm, maybe it would be faster if I asked Dinosso to make one for me¡­ I should¡¯ve asked that during winter, when he had been doing most of his various work indoors.


    Riche chased after the rope that I threw, then he trotted back to me while clutching it in his mouth. He was doing all he could so that it wouldn¡¯t touch the ground as he ran, but it was too big so he looked really funny.


    My house was peaceful, but the city of Kanum had been restless ever since the subjugation team departed.


    Based on my previous experience, people were filled with anxiety when adventurers gather, most especially when it was not the season for highly prized monsters to appear. Folks were filled with dread and anticipation that something happened in the forest.


    The guild didn¡¯t do anything to hide the information, either. They even released it, but with words of assurance, of course. They said that there was no need to worry, because it had been detected in the early stages.


    The forest covered a wide expanse of land, so there was more than one city, or should I say country, that faced the Magical Woods. Each of those nations must have gathered their adventurers, and they started to send the teams to do subjugation. As for the other three sides, they would probably start with investigation, too? Well, It was also possible that they hadn¡¯t received any word from Kanum yet.


    This depended on the place, but there were countries, adventurer¡¯s guilds and commerce guilds that kept messenger pigeons, so they were faster, if we¡¯re just talking about speed. However, it was not a stable way of communication, because the birds might be eaten by the monsters, or else hunted by peasants while they were on their way to deliver letters.


    Another method was passing down important info through several routes, such as peddlers and tradesmen, or riding a fast horse. Most of the information that wasn¡¯t classified was passed down this way.


    Actually, going the route of spirits would be fastest, but then, users of this method were quite rare.


    Heh, maybe I could use ¡¾ Teleportation ¡¿ and ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ to build my own express forwarding company, huh. I could rake in a fortune with that, too. Well, sorry but I¡¯ll pass.

 CH 70

    Mm, maybe the spirits could use it as an example, so I also planted veggies from my food storage. Alright, that¡¯s the end of it.


    Alright, time for drawing up some magic circles! I removed some of the potion-making apparatus on my desk to clear up some space. Okay, first step: make some ink.


    I poured my mana while crushing the medicinal herbs and minerals as directed and then mixing them with water that the spirits played in.


    Let¡¯s start from the small ones, first. I poured some of the freshly made ink into the ruling pen attached to the compass.


    This ruling pen was a drawing tool used to draw uniform lines. In order to refill it, a thin brush filled with ink was brushed lightly on the inner side of the ruling pen¡¯s blade, instead of just pouring it directly into the inkwell or plate. Yeah, it¡¯s a bit troublesome, but the lines it made were beautiful.


    The tools used for spirit summoning were usually available in specialty stores. They were not geared towards the commoners, of course, especially since they were pricey and only a handful of stores carried them.


    They also had tools for writing on the ground. It was basically two sticks attached together with a string, but it was crazy expensive and they were decorated. Hmm, frankly speaking, any stick would probably do, as long as it was straight, though. Yep, it wasn¡¯t based on the spirits¡¯ preferences, but on the user¡¯s, huh. Well, it would still take a while before I¡¯ll be able to progress to the large ones, though, so whatever.


    I sketched while reading the book and matching the info with the diagram written in the other book. Moreover, I had talked to myself while working, so I muttered the instructions and what I wanted to do under my breath, but it ended up sounding like I was chanting and begging ¡ª ¡®Oh Spirits, I¡¯m calling you, I¡¯m summoning you¡¯, see.


    Hmm, what type of spirit should I summon now?


    ¡¸ Earth ¡¹


    A spirit clad in brown with tiny flowers growing from the clothes appeared suddenly on the magical circle I drew.


    ¡¸ Water ¡¹


    The brown spirit changed into a translucent, aquamarine, blob spirit and it posed.


    ¡¸ Fire ¡¹


    A small salamander that looked as if it was a gas fuse burning in a blazing fire ran on top of the magic circle.


    ¡¸ Oy, you guys, stop going through the table and appearing like that. I¡¯m still not yet done with my drawing. ¡¹


    I was already done halfway through. It¡¯d be a pain in the neck if the paper was damaged, so I drove out the spirits who were waiting for their turn under the table.


    ¡¸ Hmm. ¡®Ice¡¯ should be here, I guess? ¡¹


    Riche suddenly poked his head out between my knees while I sat on my chair.


    ¡¸ Oh, right, Riche is Ice and Darkness, huh. ¡¹


    I grabbed Riche¡¯s face with both hands and started rubbing it fast.


    ¡¸ Can you freeze the pot for me later? ¡¹


    Riche wagged his tail energetically when I said that. Only the tip of his waving tail peeped out under the chair.


    Alright, I¡¯m going to request him to freeze the pot so I can make the ice cream. Can he do it?


    ¡¸ I made a field, so ¡®Abundant Harvest¡¯, too, huh.¡¹


    I drew the last symbol on the magic circle. There¡¯s an appropriate single symbol for wishing an abundant harvest because folks in this world frequently wished for it, given that food security was easily dependent on the weather, and they were prone to experiencing crop failures here.


    I poured my mana after I finished drawing. The ink hadn¡¯t dried yet, and just when I thought that it glowed with a faint light ¡ª Pal sat on her knees right on top of the table.


    ¡¸I am Pal. I govern Earth and Harvest.¡¹


    ¡¸ Uh, I already knew that, though¡­ ¡¹


    Hey, are you also pranking me? Or is it a success? Which one is it!? I¡¯m troubled about your response, though.


    ¡¸ Maybe the ink is bad? ¡¹


    A hand stretched forward and pulled out the magic circle under Pal.


    My eyes trailed up the hand ¡ª it was Van. He still had that healthy tan that looked like leather, manly through and through. How I wished he also gave me those muscles and height.


    ¡¸ I made that by following the instructions step-by-step, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Then the book is probably wrong. ¡¹


    Ludere said. I didn¡¯t sense him at all!


    ¡¸ Hmm, it¡¯s just enough to summon the spirits you already have contracts with. ¡¹


    Khadar also appeared out of nowhere. He took the inkwell and peered inside, examining the contents.


    Ludere governed Earth, Silence and Magic. Khadar was responsible for Verdure, Magic and Order. Alright, we have a final answer ¡ª the ink was a failure. I felt like I was being graded.


    ¡¸ Hehe. Jean looks like he¡¯s enjoying himself, and I¡¯m also having fun just by looking at you. ¡¹


    Mischt¡¯s tinkling laugh resounded as she also peered.


    ¡¸ You could¡¯ve just asked us if it¡¯s about Spirits. ¡¹


    Ish said. He still had that poker face on.


    ¡¸ Eh, will you teach me? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ooh, there¡¯s a lot of teeny spirits. It¡¯s lovely being here. ¡¹


    Halfalfa smiled bewitchingly.


    She was referring to the pin dot spirits that were glowing faintly, and they were smaller than even the light of the fireflies. They were easily extinguished. Their existence was fleeting; they were born in the morning and would disappear at nightfall.


    They could lump together to become a bigger spirit, but they would usually stick to the spirits that were already big, disappearing after that. They didn¡¯t have consciousness, just floating around to be consumed by someone else.


    ¡¸ Alright, let¡¯s have a match. You¡¯re already bored from sitting all the time, right? ¡¹ .


    That¡¯s not true, Van. I¡¯m the type who will become fired up when I¡¯m starting to do something ¡ª as if I could say something like that, so I could only obediently follow.


    Hey, why do you look like you¡¯re having fun while hauling me up by the scruff of my neck, huh? I can walk by myself, thank you. It would have been enough to just say that we¡¯re going to the garden, like a normal person, you know? I¡¯m also grateful to you since you¡¯re going to teach me swordsmanship again, after all.


    I turned to look at Khadar and the other guys while being towed away. They were checking the books I bought, or else looking around the house that is different from the one they gave me. Pal was already out in the garden before I knew it, and she was admiring the stuff I planted.


    Spirits are creatures that really do whatever they want, huh.


    I pat Riche on the head while still being dragged away.

 CH 71

    ¡¸ Your movements are awful now. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Eh? ¡¹


    What was that? Yeah, I can¡¯t hold a candle against Van, but I¡¯ve been imitating Dean, Ash and Butler¡¯s actions in order to become stronger, you know.


    My mind was spinning because of what he said, moreso after a few matches with him. Van knocked me down everytime I attacked. Ha, even though it was supposedly a ¡®match¡¯, the difference between our strength was like night and day; he didn¡¯t even move an inch from where he stood.


    ¡¸ Your movement control is poor, and you¡¯re quite a mess. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ugh¡­¡¹


    I averted my gaze.


    Yeah, that struck home. I just used my physician ability and copied the moves that I thought were cool, but I didn¡¯t turn it into a cohesive style that I could call my own. My upper body moves didn¡¯t match my lower half stances, apparently. Cheap tricks didn¡¯t work on Van, to boot.


    ¡¸ How do you imagine your sword? The first one was a lot better than this. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Imagine¡­ ¡¹


    Yep, I took inspiration from fantasy and period dramas, alright. I came from a peaceful place, after all. Back when I still lived there, I would humor Sis by accompanying her to watch movies with the former theme, while I watched the latter with my Grandma as a kid, back when she was still alive.


    My eyes drop down on¡º Zanzenken ¡»that I¡¯m still gripping. The swords used in period dramas left a deep impression on me, but this one was fashioned after the swords of RPG heroes.


    ¡¸ I get it now, the sword is different, huh. Let me see. ¡¹


    ¡º Zanzenken ¡» transformed right on cue when Van said that. Yeah, from ¡º Zanzenken ¡» it turned into ¡º Zantetsuken ¡» . Wait, wait a sec, you could¡¯ve just made it into a normal Japanese katana ¡ª no, no, you could¡¯ve added some fantasy vibes to it!


    Zantetsuken is usually a byword for swords with sharp blades, but it¡¯d be so uncool if both the handle and the scabbard were made from plain old wood. Well, it probably won¡¯t have any issues in this world, I guess.


    In the end,¡º Zanzenken ¡»turned into a Japanese katana with a touch of fantasy style on the design. It was longer than those used in period drama, but it had a jet-black, lacquered ornate mountings, and a silver chain replaced the sword strap.


    The sword was designed so that the colors of the cross-guard, hilt, kougai, kozuka, the ornamental tip of the scabbard, and other parts were quite subdued, but the overall effect was brilliant.


    It was absolutely awesome, man.


    Thoughts like ¡®I don¡¯t want the heroes to see this¡¯ and ¡®maybe I should prepare a plain wooden scabbard ¡®coz this katana is too breathtaking¡¯ ran through my mind, but well, cool things are cool, no denying it.


    ¡¸ What a strange shape. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, it¡¯s a sword from my hometown. ¡¹


    Alright, time to fix my stance. I should point my toes forward if I want to move fast.


    My priority was speed, so I stretched a leg backward.


    I pulled the sword to my waist, gripped the area between the guard and the scabbard with my left hand, then pushed the guard away with my thumb. Japanese swordsmen use this to check whether the sword would readily come out, and it was also a prep step for smooth unsheathing.


    I bent my other knee, twisted the hilt a bit with my left hand, then pulled the sword out. I had to get used to this, or else I might shave part of the scabbard or end up nicking the sword.


    Attack! I slashed at Van without any hesitation whatsoever. Oh, no worries, he would definitely survive this. The name¡º Zanzenken ¡»literally meant ¡®it could cut all things¡¯, but it wouldn¡¯t be able to surpass the power of it¡¯s maker, of course. It could cut almost anything in the human world, no doubt about that, but not Van¡¯s sword.


    Yup, that would probably hold true for Van himself, too.


    The sword drew an arc in the air, and I imprinted it¡¯s length on my mind.


    It cut through the air, and I memorized the feeling of its weight.


    Whoa, this is a lot more fun. I should reset the way I imagine how fantasy swords would work. Actually, the moves in that certain RPG movie ¡ª take a step forward, then slash down ¡ª probably left a long lasting impression on me, so that¡¯s why I tend to use that as inspiration. Either that, or maybe I was drawing on those flashy moves in shows, the ones that you don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s going on.


    It¡¯s no wonder that I couldn¡¯t come up with the proper movement.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s better compared to earlier. ¡¹


    Van praised me, so I¡¯m a bit pleased.


    I was panting for breath by this time, so I thanked Van, and that marked the end of our training session. Riche trotted towards me, so I rubbed him all over before going inside the house.


    The grapevine trellis caught my eye, and I was surprised to find a sprout when I peered closer. The season is still chilly, though. Ahh, but it feels so hot right now, like the feeling you get when you haven¡¯t exercised for a long time. Eh¡­Wait a sec, don¡¯t tell me I won¡¯t get muscles unless I exercise excessively?


    My chest suddenly felt stifled, but I tried to press my uneasiness while washing my face. Okay, where¡¯s the milk? I¡¯m going to drink more milk.


    ¡¸ You¡¯ve worked hard. ¡¹


    ¡¸ And Van is your opponent, to boot. ¡¹


    Mischt and Halfalfa said, and I felt like I was being rewarded with considerate comments from a gorgeous woman and a pretty girl.


    ¡¸ This book¡¯s interpretation is wrong, as expected. ¡¹


    Khadar pointed to the book in question.


    ¡¸ Go to the Temple in Telmist after 7 days. I¡¯ll arrange it so that you can get the book you wanted. ¡¹


    Ludure mentioned Telmist, the name of an island further south of Cavil Peninsula


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. ¡¹


    Uwah, I feel like I need to earn more money before the seventh day ends!


    ¡¸ I will also help you, so maybe you can pick the crops of your field and cook a dish for me, alright. ¡¹


    Pal grinned while staring at me.


    ¡¸ Me too. ¡¹


    Ish said that without a single muscle twitching; he reminds me yet again of those porcelain figurines.


    ¡¸ I thought you can¡¯t taste it? ¡¹


    I¡¯m pretty sure they said that they couldn¡¯t taste anything except for some particular foods.


    ¡¸ We can taste the things we are attached to and interested in. The things here are interesting enough. ¡¹


    Whoa! Bread and salt finally evolved to salad!!


    _______


    T/N: Zantetsuken ©` lit. iron cutting sword. There are various Anime with this sword (Final Fantasy, Lupin III, Soul Blazer, and others). Yasuhiro Kobayashi, a real-life swordsmith, also forged swords that could literally cut iron (hence the name). In this case, Jean is referring to the one that Goemon from Lupin III used, based on the description. See how the scabbard and handle matched? XD FF zantetsuken is a lot more ostentatious.


    Uh, I¡¯m not really a sword enthusiast, so here¡¯s an illustration for some of the terms used in the text


    Parts of a Katana

 CH 72

    Back to Nalluadhid it is. My current identity is a guy selling stuff he bought from adventurers. I am using that pretense to sell fox hides to a huge store that handles pelts. Anyone, even folks who are not native here, can sell goods in Nalludadhid, being the trade nation that it is.


    Many of the other places require proof of residence in the city where you want to trade, or else you could only go through the Commerce Guild and the like.


    ¡¸ Wow, this is gorgeous. Both the adventurer¡¯s skill and the craftsmanship are superb, so I¡¯m going to give you a good sum for this. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. ¡¹


    I did both of that, so thanks for the praise.


    There are adventurers who can hunt fox monsters, but there are not many, and only a handful among them could slay them without inflicting unnecessary damage on the fur. Those few adventurers mentioned also preferred to hunt stronger monsters and leave out the horns and other parts, rather than wasting time on a prey that they had to be meticulous with. If there were no commissions for foxes, they would hunt monsters that would fetch a high price, ones that are not too bulky to carry home.


    Well, there are also others who will hunt fox monsters if their pelts will sell well, but slaying oak silk moths is the current craze, apparently. Technically, the trend is gathering cocoons, but since these moths live long lives when they reach adulthood, unlike the other normal insects, the adventurers would have to fight them if they went to their nests.


    Cocoons that are still intact, meaning to say the moth still hasn¡¯t come out yet, are the most prized. Well, even if the cocoon had a hole, because the moth already emerged, it is still much more expensive than pelts. The adventurers would only move here during the cocoon season before it became a fad, apparently.


    The light green thread harvested from the cocoons are used to make the finest silk, so the hero wanted them, and it is also popular among the ladies¡­I don¡¯t really have the right to judge, given that I¡¯m also using high quality cloth for my underwear.


    Now back to the fur. It is also being sold in Canum, but the price is cheap, considering the supply is readily available. Of course, by virtue of supply and demand, furs will sell for more money if you offer them in places where they¡¯re considered rare. I actually considered going to the colder lands, but this nation is considered to be the leader in terms of fashion, and besides, the monetary value of rare clothing materials is quite high here.


    ¡¸ Do you want the payment to be in gold coins? Or do you prefer large gold coins? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll take the large gold coins, please. ¡¹


    Twelve gold coins is equivalent to a large gold coin, but it actually looks more like a golden ingot than a coin.


    The size and quality of fur would determine the price, of course, but generally, a fox is worth around 180 gold coins. The gowns of aristocrats currently in vogue ¡ª those outerwear that either reached to the knees or were floor length ¡ª were approximately 50 gold coins each.


    This made me wonder how much the finished product would cost, considering that the fur would be used to make clothes. For example, this fox was huge compared to the normal ones, so just this one was probably enough for one dress, I think. But then, it would still probably undergo screening like the ordinary furs, so you can imagine how expensive it must be.


    I also sold some wolf pelts before, but fox is considered the creme dela creme, so it is by far the most expensive. Just to give you a rough idea, the cost of building materials varies depending on whether it is easily obtainable or not, but a single fox pelt is already enough to build a humble house for commoners.


    Be that as it may, it still didn¡¯t mean that I could just relax and think that it would be enough for the books. Grimoire and original books are more expensive than that. I already used up most of the funds the deities gave me in the beginning, so I really should diligently earn money.


    I got totally carried away ¡ª just imagine, I had money I could freely spend on whatever caught my fancy when I first came into this world ¡ª so of course I was excited, who wouldn¡¯t be? But, yeah, regrets, regrets. I would still buy them, though!


    The trading rate for today is approximately 233 large coins. By the way, I entered this shop after I sold two pelts in the first shop that I went to today. That¡¯s because the shop didn¡¯t have enough capital to buy the rest!


    Okay, I think I have enough money for the book now. Well, at the very least, it is enough for the deposit fee for the book, right? I am actually nervous since I don¡¯t know what kind of book it will be.


    After my selling stint, I had my lunch at a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the sea. It is of a higher caliber than the one I went to previously. I am eating at the seat that the restaurant reserved for business negotiations!


    I have some wine, a canape with ham, salami and chicken liver paste on top, a broad pasta dish with lots of cheese entwined with the noodles and topped with truffles, and beefsteak.


    The wine is clear, and the liver isn¡¯t stinky. The pasta is simple, and the steak is cut from high quality lean beef, seasoned with salt and pepper and infused with the smokey flavor after being grilled over a charcoal fire. Quite simple.


    The amount of ingredients they used may be few, but they were carefully selected. The wheat noodles are delectable, and although the beef¡¯s tenderness and marbling are different from those you can find in Japan, the lean meat is still scrumptious. The wheat and cattle are probably especially cultivated.


    I enjoy fine food with fine scenery. The view from the terrace of the restaurant is breathtakingly stunning. The continent and the peninsula surrounded the sea so it is calm, and it is dotted with wooden boats, too, aside from the commonplace ships that are going to and fro in the harbor. Because of the high vantage point, I can see the roofs of the buildings on the island, and although the color intensity varies, the orange hue is still subdued.


    Houses here are mostly made from materials that can be found within the vicinity, so the parts that use a lot of the same materials, like roofs and walls, will naturally match in color. It is quite difficult to carry the materials, after all.


    The houses that scream luxury with all those windows in them, and those that are more subdued follow the same color palette so it is very beautiful to me.


    That beauty is best enjoyed from afar, given that the environment of the port area is far from ideal. You can find all sorts of people there, and colorful swear words also fly here and there, plus there are sanitation issues, too, so yep.


    Afterward, I also took the time to look for a sword that resembled ¡º Zanzenken ¡» since its appearance changed, but I didn¡¯t find any. Well, there¡¯s a scimitar? But that would be stretching it. I gave up on my search and decided to look for a blade that had a similar length, so I ended up getting a sword that is bigger than normal to be my everyday sword.


    I discovered that Spirit Weapons also exist while I was in an arms-dealer shop in Nalluadhid. They told me that the Spirit Weapons had three kinds ¡ª a weapon that spirits possess because they feel attracted to it, enough to live in it, a weapon made by a spirit, and a spirit that had transformed itself into a weapon.


    The strength and power of the weapon depended on the spirit, so the variations are endless. There is no need for any maintenance or repairs, but they should be kept in a place that the spirit prefers. Adventurers who possess Spirit Swords will leave them in the care of shrines or in the ¡º Fae¡¯s Bough ¡» . The frequency of entrusting their weapons depends on the usage and circumstances, apparently.


    My ¡º Zanzenken ¡» was made by a spirit. Well, I just chuck it inside the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ whenever I don¡¯t use it. Maybe I should take it out from time to time¡­? I didn¡¯t receive any care instructions for it, though.

 CH 73

    I poured water into a huge black basin.


    ¡¸ Alright, can you show it to me? ¡¹


    Even though there was not a trace of wind in the air, the water surface suddenly rippled as soon as my voice fell. After it calmed down, a scenery was reflected on the surface, and it wasn¡¯t the interior of my room.


    The reflection was very clear and unbroken, even though all I did was entrust everything to the spirits. The spirits fleeting in and out of the picture was unexpected, and it¡¯s hard to see properly every time a spirit crossed the scene. Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped; there are more spirits in the forest than in the city, after all.


    When I tried tuning out the spirits, the image reflected on the water basin also disappeared. Maybe I could fine tune this ability further once I get used to it with more practice.


    I poured water into a huge black basin.


    ¡¸ Alright, can you show it to me? ¡¹


    The reflection was very clear and unbroken, even though all I did was entrust everything to the spirits. The spirits fleeting in and out of the picture was unexpected, and it¡¯s hard to see properly every time a spirit crossed the scene. Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped; there are more spirits in the forest than in the city, after all.


    When I tried tuning out the spirits, the image reflected on the water basin also disappeared. Maybe I could fine tune this ability further once I get used to it with more practice.


    The black spirits were also captured in the reflection, but the ones in this area are small, similar to the normal spirits, so even if they did something, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Az and the jaw spirit displayed different behavior which were the effects of being made to do the same thing for a long period of time.


    An adventurer I never saw before is scowling over the burner. He is clicking his tongue, probably in frustration because he couldn¡¯t get the fire going the way he wanted.


    It is probably because the normal spirits are hiding whenever the black spirits appear. It should be okay even if the spirits aren¡¯t right beside him as long as they had a tiny bit of connection, but their traces also disappeared, maybe so they won¡¯t be discovered.


    .


    If fire spirits aren¡¯t there, then it¡¯d be hard to light a fire, and if the wind spirits also disappear, the air will be stagnant. When I went there, the black spirits had been scared so they didn¡¯t come near me ¡ª but it seems difficult staying there with this situation.


    I expected that they would have already crossed the breeding grounds, and had reached a new place, but their progress seems slow, since they are still in the lizard breeding grounds campsite that even I know.


    Unfamiliar people ate meat around the campsite that we had fixed before. A burly man sat cross-legged, while a woman clad in a robe leaned on him with a hand on his knee. Another woman sat on his other side, holding something in her hands and grinning as she ate.


    The three of them looked like they also had spirits. They are probably the Gold ranked adventurers. Yeah, and they look like winners in life, right? Their spirits are the largest that I¡¯d seen so far among the spirits who possessed people. Their presence is probably the reason why folks are safe from the influence of the black spirits as long as they are near the Gold ranks.


    Ash¡¯s group and the others chose to sit together by the same campfire. Az, the jaw-lover spirit and the stinky fetish spirit are also gathered together. Butler¡¯s spirit must be somewhere nearby, too. One of the spirits I requested to be a lookout was stroking Retze¡¯s beard¡­¡­


    Don¡¯t make my spirit have some weird fetish, for goodness sake. It¡¯s actually hard that I can¡¯t say that to Retze.


    I peeked again at noontime. Ash and the other four are walking together as a group. Why did the five of them have to move together, when pairing up was already enough? Did something happen?


    On the other side, the three Gold ranks were tackling a lizard. The guy slashed it into half with just a single stroke. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a Spirit Sword, or if his strength has been enhanced thanks to his spirit. I wonder which one it is.


    This world is so hard to live in, strangely enough, and yet the fantasy elements would pop out here and there, catching me off guard when I encountered them. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised now if orichalcum and scarletite existed here. I¡¯m not sure if the reason why his attack had been so strong was because he had been using either of the two, or if it was because the spirit was holding his hand on the hilt as they swung the sword together.


    The robed woman is shooting off magic spells. Her spirit looked so serious as it held the staff with her, the effect was comical.


    The woman¡¯s spirit looked like a little girl with golden hair, and she started to glow while the woman was chanting. She probably belongs to the family of light spirits. The other spirits ¡ª mostly light spirits with some fire spirits participating, too¡ª began to lend their powers to her halfway through the incantation. Most of the fire spirits are war freaks, it seems.


    I can¡¯t see the other woman ¡ª oh, there she is, she¡¯s an archer, huh. She aimed for the lizard¡¯s eye from a short distance away. Since she is far from the others, won¡¯t another lizard attack her then?


    Hers is probably a spirit of wind and verdure. The tree branch spirit wrapped itself on her bow. Judging from this, she is probably a user of a Spirit Weapon rather than being a Spirit Possessor. They seem to share great affinity with each other, since the tree branch also extended itself towards the woman.


    Then we had the burly man¡¯s spirit. It is a prairie dog, no matter how you look at it. What continent did it come from? Does it live in this land? The prairie dog¡¯s butt is so cute.


    I could no longer use his sword style as reference. I had wanted to imitate his style just a while ago, but¡­well, memorizing his moves still had its own merits, I guess. It might come in handy if there came a time that I needed to wield a huge, broadsword.


    Well, I¡¯m living peacefully now, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have opportunities to fight seriously, even if I get entangled in some kind of discord.


    Alright, let¡¯s get some snacks first ¡ª I prepared some smoked walnuts coated in maple syrup, cookies and coffee before returning to the water basin and continuing my scrying. A bubble-like water spirit bobbed up and down in the water from time to time.


    I continued watching them slay the lizards, when a person suddenly acted abnormally. He bolted towards the archer and attempted to slash her down ¡ª the woman acted as if she already expected it. She twisted around and decisively stabbed him in the flank with a dagger.


    Whoa, Gold ranks are scary! She used her left hand to swiftly unsheath the dagger on her waist, and she didn¡¯t even hesitate one bit as she skillfully tackled him.


    Did something trigger that possession? Or did that woman do something?


    I¡¯m positive Ash and Butler ¡ª and that archer woman, too ¡ª can see the black spirits. That¡¯s probably why Ash¡¯s group are moving together.

 CH 74

    I peered into the water basin with a cup of coffee on one hand.


    The archer jumped out of the tree shade, putting some distance between her and the man as he clutched his stomach while rolling on the ground. The black spirit returned to the man, who was barely alive but suffering in extreme pain as he tumbled after being stabbed by the archer. It needed to return inside him, because a spirit that had obtained a vessel (body) once would no longer be able to hold on to its power outside it.


    Hmm, so how do we beat up a black spirit? I¡¯ve been forming a contract with them since the beginning ¡®till now, so now that I think about it, I don¡¯t know any other method aside from this.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, we can defeat them by using Spirit Weapons, but what¡¯s the plan if they¡¯re already possessing a human?


    (¡­..)


    Archer pulled the bowstring taut as she aimed towards the man. Wait a sec, are you planning to kill that guy that had become the vessel for the spirit? Well, I also slay the monsters possessed by black spirits, and they can also be defeated using ordinary weapons, so I¡¯m pretty sure Dean and the rest of the guys can bring it down.


    Hmm? Will she aim at the spirit when it escapes into a nearby monster because it felt threatened and ¡ª Whoa, she SHOT HIM!


    It¡¯s the first time I saw a person die in front of my eyes. The lives of the people are almost worth nothing in this world, so I already knew that violence is part of the folks¡¯ daily life here, and that their living circumstances are extremely precarious with high chances of dying.


    Knowing is one thing, witnessing it is another. My heart was pounding and ringing loudly in my ears as my temples throb. I can¡¯t tear my eyes off the water basin but I still tried my best to calm down.


    People normally can¡¯t see or touch spirits, but it¡¯s a different story altogether once they possessed another living thing. If you inflict a wound on the vessel, you also injure the spirit itself. It¡¯s possible to defeat spirits that haven¡¯t possessed anything yet, then blast them off to oblivion using magic.


    Hey, Archer! You have that Spirit Weapon, right! Why didn¡¯t you attack the spirit when it was outside that man!?


    I¡¯m fuming with indignation, when another man suddenly came into view, probably drawn by the noise. He rushed towards the fallen man as soon as he laid his eyes on him. It looks like they knew each other, maybe comrade adventurers who joined the expedition together, even? He¡¯s shouting something while clutching the other guy.


    The black spirit entered the newcomer guy. It actually looked weakened, but the new vessel didn¡¯t repel it, so the transfer was smooth.


    Archer lowered her bow. The possessed guy¡¯s body started to gesture with huge movements, seemingly agitated as he spoke to her. Archer calmly responds, staring straight at the man that¡¯s censuring her all the while.


    Oh, so she can¡¯t see the spirits, huh. It¡¯s easy to tell if something or someone has been possessed completely by the tell-tale black marks around the eyes, but if the possession is incomplete, then it¡¯ll be difficult to discern, just like in this situation. In the case of the guy who died, he had been almost completely possessed, but the newcomer guy now was different. Half of the spirit is sticking out of his chest.


    Moreover, the ability to see spirits varies. There are some who can see the colored auras, some who can only see spirits with a specific attribute, and some who can only see spirits that are deeply attached to them. There are others who can see spirits when they¡¯re relatively strong, and there are some who are the opposite, seeing only the weak ones. I wonder which of the other two Gold-ranks can see the spirits? Ah, but the difficulty level of perceiving a spirit already within its human vessel must be high¡­.well, they should have isolated the possessed person right off the bat if they could see, right. How about this half-in half-out situation of the spirit, can they see it?


    Hmmm. I don¡¯t have any plans of bearing the responsibility of solving everything, I¡¯m not a saint, after all, but I¡¯m aware that it¡¯s a situation that I can easily solve.


    Alright, time for disguise.


    I prepared a robe with a huge hood, cowboy boots with high heels, that¡¯s all.


    ¡¸Shadow spirits and light spirits, I guess? Can you guys darken the shadow falling on my face, so that other people can¡¯t see it? ¡¹


    I donned the robe and pulled the hood low over my eyes before calling out to the spirits. My reflection in the mirror showed a guy with indiscernible face, as if a strong light deepened the shadow casted by the hood¡­actually, it¡¯s not ¡®as if¡®, there¡¯s really a bright light overhead and it looked like I¡¯m under a spotlight, so I adjusted it for a bit.


    The robe¡¯s hem touched the floor despite me wearing these high-heeled boots. Okay, great, it must look like I¡¯m four inches taller than Ash now. Ah, no, I want to look a little bit taller than this.


    ¡¸Can you guys carry me so I¡¯m around 10cm above the ground? ¡¹


    My body gently floated up, but I¡¯m still stable. Yeah, no need to tell me, I know I don¡¯t need these boots anymore.


    ¡¸Ah, please help me secure my hood so it won¡¯t fall back, and the robe too so that they can¡¯t see my feet underneath the robe ¡ª ah, hey, don¡¯t hang on the hood, please, anything but that. ¡¹


    I adjusted the minute details, since I already achieved the look I¡¯ve been aiming for.


    Alright, now I¡¯m a tall guy covered in a black robe with this. Well, taking all things into consideration, I don¡¯t look like anything more than a suspicious guy, but maybe that¡¯s just my imagination, so let¡¯s ignore it.


    I ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ to an open place near the camping site. Shall I try to go there unnoticed? Nah, I guess it¡¯s fine even if they spot me right away.


    I can hear the uproar at the site as I draw closer.


    ¡¸ Excuse me. You all seem to be busy, so sorry for the intrusion. ¡¹


    ¡¸ !? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Who are you!? ¡¹


    Hm, even if I say I¡¯m Jean, nobody will understand aside from Ash and the other guys. If I introduced myself by my rank, then ¡®I¡¯m a Copper ranked Adventurer¡¯ is it?


    Still, why are you all guys wearing the same color of clothes, how can I differentiate you? Why don¡¯t you all learn from Chris! Ah, no, it¡¯s fine, I already found my target.


    ¡¸ No need to bother, I have business with the thing inside this man¡¯s body. ¡¹


    I finally spotted the guy, so I grabbed the head of the spirit sticking out of his chest, and forcibly pulled it out.


    Eh, why did it feel like my fingers slipped through inside the man¡¯s chest just now¡­? He doesn¡¯t seem wounded, so I guess it¡¯s fine. It must be me imagining things.


    ¡¸ Dark Spirit!? ¡¹


    The prairie dog pointed its sword towards me ¡ª oh, I mean, the Gold-ranked giant did.


    ¡¸ Is he possessed? But this guy here is the one acting abnormally¡­. ¡¹


    The robed woman glanced underneath her feet, and the guy slain by the archer is there.


    Ah, he¡¯s alive.


    ¡¸ ¡¾ Heal ¡¿ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ugh¡­. ¡¹


    The guy recovered, so he¡¯s conscious now.


    ¡¸ What!? ¡¹


    Everyone was dumbstruck as they stared at the guy lying by the woman¡¯s feet.


    ¡¸ He managed to heal him from that state¡­What on earth are you? And those spirits ¡ª ¡¹


    The Gold ranked beauty asked me amidst the roars of shock.


    Ahh, as I thought, she can see the spirits, huh. I usually ask the spirits in my destatination to maintain some distance away from me whenever I teleport, but I¡¯m enlisting their help now so I¡¯m letting them freely move. They ended up bustling around me, though! Hah, but the spirits that are helping me fix my robe are still underneath it, you know!


    ¡¸ That guy over there is the first one to be possessed, but I¡¯m not sure where he picked it up. Be careful. ¡¹


    I can sense the agitation among the people surrounding us, so I escaped with ¡¾ Teleport ¡¿ after leaving those words behind.


    Ash and the other guys were staring so hard that they almost bore a hole in me, but I requested the spirits to lower my pitch and tone, so I¡¯m pretty sure no one would have been any wiser! Everything¡¯s fine ©` probably!


    Ah, I¡¯m still gripping the black eagle spirit now.

 CH 75

    I formed a contract with the black spirit that was still in my hand, then released it deeper into the forest. Now that I think about it, Horsey is the biggest black spirit that I have formed a contract with so far, but Horsey still retained his self-control despite being blackened. Well, either way, both of them had been invigorated after forming our contract.


    Black spirits eat their own kind, be it normal spirits or their fellow blackened ones. They do this in order to compensate for their missing body parts and for the energy that had been taken away from them. It¡¯s a vicious cycle of eating and being eaten, because the pain will continue even after trying to compensate for it, so they will continue being cannibalistic.


    According to Horsey, there are two ways to lessen their weakening; either form a contract, or find a vessel. They will continue to crave for power, so contracts are preferred. The pain will be suppressed and it can be controlled once their reasoning returns. There are also black spirits who lose themselves after being severely injured, and among them, there are still those who want to escape from the pain, so they let themselves be eaten by their fellow black spirits. Of course, my contracted spirits are prevented from doing that to each other.


    I thanked the spirits who helped me, and gave them a bit of mana to take home, before changing into more comfortable clothes. I return to the water basin to continue watching the situation.


    The guy who was on the verge of death and the guy that I had just peeled the spirit from were facing the three Gold ranks, and they were surrounded by the other folks. The two guys were naked above the waist, providing an unnecessary view of their bodies. Ah, the guy on the brink of death is starting to prostrate himself before Archer. Wait a sec, shouldn¡¯t she be the one to apologize, given that she almost killed him¡­Well, they did say that he behaved abnormally, and even Ash and the guys were sticking together closely as they moved around, so maybe he did something. And now that I think about it carefully, he did slash at her first, and being possessed might not be an excuse for doing that.


    I¡¯m going to ask Ash and the rest about this when they return. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re going to talk about the commotion due to the spirit possession when I ask¡¸ How¡¯s the subjugation? ¡¹, so I¡¯m going to follow that up with ¡¸ Where was he when the spirit possessed him? That¡¯s scary ¡¹ . Yep, act naturally.


    Horsey told me that he was possessed when he went to check the country where Sis is. The small country right between between Canum and Sis¡¯s empire was always involved in war year after year, being unified and then scattered again, rinse and repeat, so I thought that it¡¯s difficult to go back and forth between the two adjacent countries, but I still need to put up my guard just in case adventurers from that country come here.


    There¡¯s another thing that I need to consider. If people become unable to repel the spirits, it will turn into the earlier situation. Does the book that Ludere prepared tackle this subject? I plan to retrieve that book before the expedition team returns, so I¡¯m going to read it first before thinking about it.


    Okay, watching, doing and thinking about all these things made me hungry, so let¡¯s have some soba for today! Time to prepare the ingredients ¡ª I made everything from scratch earlier and placed them inside ¡¾ Storage ¡¿, so I just have to take out the ¡®freshly¡¯ ground, kneaded and boiled soba noodles, and fry the tempura, too. I prefer cold soba noodles over hot ones, so I¡¯m going to eat the tempura separately, but I modified the batter coating so that it¡¯ll be delicious when I place it on top of the soba and the sauce seeps in.


    I peeled the shells off the shrimp, made a shallow, diagonal cut on the belly where the vertical and horizontal fibers converged, and then stretched it and placed a weight on top as the last step to prevent the shrimp from curling up during frying. I coated them lightly with flour before dipping them into the batter and frying them. I use this technique of dusting flour on most of my seafood dishes. I pour a lot of oil, wait until it¡¯s hot, and drop the shrimp into the pan. Look at how it sizzles! Did you know, scrimping on oil isn¡¯t good since the temperature will go down, and it¡¯ll be difficult to return it to ideal, and the moisture won¡¯t evaporate.


    The shrimp started to froth, and the sizzles calmed down, so I picked them up with the tongs, slanted them, and dipped the tail into the hot oil for a few seconds. I did this to drain the excess oil, and to make the tail crunchier. I fried all the shrimp continuously until everything was done.


    I bit into the fragrant shrimp heads that had been fried to a crisp separately, and slurped the soba noodles. I didn¡¯t dissolve the wasabi in the sauce and just placed it properly on the noodles. There are also some tempura fava beans and huge scallops that had been cooked medium rare, some meaty shiitake mushrooms served with citrus and salt, and sea urchins wrapped in green perilla with a dipping tempura sauce to complement it. The mixed veggie tempuras were bite-sized pieces, and I dipped them into the soba sauce before gobbling them with the noodles. The soft-boiled egg tempura¡¯s sauce is plain soy sauce, but I enjoy the melt-in-my-mouth goodness of the yolk.


    Wow, this seems like I did my own tempura convention solo. Yep, I was right in choosing the house, ¡¾ Food Storage ¡¿ ¡¾ Complete Cookery ¡¿ skills. No matter what kind of world it is, I¡¯m sure I can survive in it just by having these.


    One more year and I can drink the sake of my previous world. I¡¯m conscientious about the drinking age, after all, so I¡¯m looking forward to it. I stopped using cooking wine in my dishes, and just went with the Japanese sake varieties that I heard were tasty. That¡¯s also true for wine and other alcohol, and there¡¯s plenty of them for when I want to make western sweets. The beer is more or less okay, but it¡¯s expensive so I only have one type. Well, maybe I can make my own later on. I already have delicious water, so maybe I should grow grapes for now. As expected, there are no grape varieties that are specifically cultivated for making wine inside my ¡¾ Food Storage ¡¿, just the huge, sweet ones perfect for snacking on as is.


    Alright, I can turn the slope into a vineyard now, especially since Pal, the spirit governing the Earth and Harvest, and Ish, the spirit governing Water and Healing, told me they¡¯ll help.


    Oh, speaking of grapes, I also need to peel the bark off the branches growing in my grapevine trellis. But then, maybe I don¡¯t have to do that, since I had already requested my house to be pest proof, meaning to say those pesky insects can¡¯t enter the garden, right? Bark peeling is only done to prevent the pests from entering under the bark. Afterward, the branches are trimmed to make the trellis neat and tidy.


    There are still a lot of things on my to-do list, and I want to make more progress on my forest house, too. Daily maintenance of the field might be impossible, after all. Besides, I don¡¯t even have any helpers. Pal and the rest probably won¡¯t send over some ¡®physical¡¯ thing as help, right? Ah, but maybe I can ask the spirits for help, I guess. Spirits basically pass through objects without touching them. Well, even if they ¡®touch¡¯ it, they can¡¯t cause any change in that object or person ¡ª and that includes the feeling of being touched. That¡¯s because power is needed for change to occur. They will use up their power and vanish if I make them do something as trivial as pulling the weeds daily. Well, some mischievous spirits use their power to play pranks, and some also mess up when they release all their power in an instant of fright.


    Actually, the spirits¡¯ forte is their calm influence in things that can¡¯t be seen by the naked eye. All they have to do is stay in one place, and they already have an impact there. Take a fire spirit for example. The presence of even the smallest of them, the ones who don¡¯t have any consciousness, can already help make lighting fires easier. It is said that those smallest spirits are born from the mana released by the larger spirits as they move around. Hmm, so in other words, a spirit is a lump of attribute particles? Well, I¡¯m not sure about this either.


    At any rate, since the spirits can¡¯t physically remove the weeds, I think it¡¯s fine if I just ask them to make it harder for the weeds to grow right from the get-go, by suppressing the growth of any other plant aside from the ones I planted.


    Alright, let¡¯s do it that way.

 CH 76

    I went to the carpenter and stonemason to study under them so I can build my forest villa. Unfortunately, the information I gleaned was about remodeling and reconstruction, and some useless stuff that I didn¡¯t want to know. It wasn¡¯t on the level of the house that I wanted to build.


    One of the lessons that struck me was about the reason for elevating the house entrance ¨C filth and muck litter the roadside, so the entrance must be raised to prevent dirty flood water from coming in. Like, what the¡­ man, you should just clean the horse dung and whatnot, for crying out loud! You can use it for compost or fuel or whatever, right? And exterminate those fleas and lice, for goodness sake!!


    Ugh, that was a mess. How should I put this? There¡¯s a gap between the civilization levels of the poor and the wealthy. Take the bed for example. Affluent families use quilted down blankets, and the townhouses have bedspreads made from pelts and felt made from wool. Dinosso¡¯s family makes their bed by spreading some straw before covering it with a cloth. Other farming families slept in the barn, crawling underneath the straw to keep them warm. That¡¯s how huge the discrepancy is. And if we consider that gap, then it¡¯s only natural to think that there is also a limit to how far a love between two people of different status can go. No matter how good-natured a person is, his or her way of thinking and doing things differ. Moreso in this world, where people had to work hard just to survive ¡ª their decisions often focused on the immediate future, which is understandable, given that they don¡¯t even know if they¡¯ll still be alive by the following year.


    Well, even if I¡¯m aware about how difficult living in this world is, I have no intention of standing up and doing some kind of meritorious deed in the name of saving the world. I¡¯m no saint after all, it¡¯s not my personality. But then, even if I can¡¯t be a public servant, I still want my friends and acquaintances to lead a hygienic life.


    And speaking of friends¡­


    ¡¸ Stop it! What are you doing! Don¡¯t take it off! ¡¹


    Argh! ©` yep, that¡¯s Dinosso. Actually, I decided to clean up Dinosso¡¯s house on a whim, even though his family doesn¡¯t really have anything to do with this urge. Their house is clean compared to the other farming families, after all. Well, to tell you the truth, I actually came to this farming village in the past, hoping that I¡¯d learn something from the other farming families while helping out, but I couldn¡¯t stand the environment, so I settled for Dinosso¡¯s house.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m going to do the laundry, so can you please change your clothes? ¡¹


    I said while handing the clothes for each of them along with pairs of shoes.


    ¡¸ You! What do you think you¡¯re doing so early in the morning! And why is it only me you¡¯re targeting! ¡¹


    The kids were lively as they energetically helped me while I stripped Dinosso, and he ended up stark naked for the meantime. This is a lesson for me regarding how unruly kids can be ¡ª they don¡¯t know when enough is enough..


    ¡¸ Oh my, what wonderful clothes these are. The kids will tend to the animals as they graze, and this guy and I will work on the field after this. Are you sure it¡¯s okay? These clothes will be dirtied, after all. ¡¹


    Madam is already aware of why I¡¯m here, because I explained it all after greeting her, and she also gave the greenlight to me.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m giving them to all of you, so please attend to Dinosso¡¯s whole body bath for now. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll make him change into these clothes after he takes a bath beside the well. ¡¹


    ¡®Don¡¯t you dare ignore me!¡¯ ¡ª Dinosso was yelling at the top of his lungs while being dragged along towards the well, still buck naked. I then turned around to start my cleaning duty. Dinosso, the wife has the final say in the home, don¡¯t you know that.


    Alright, time for me to clean, and this is how I do it.


    I started by cramming everything that can be stored into my ¡¾ Storage¡¿ then, blocking the chimney and gaps in the house. Afterward, I burned some medicinal herbs to fumigate the entire house. I took the laundry out and washed them while the entire house was filled with smoke, and I also took out all the unnecessary stuff ¡ª bodies of dead insects, trash ¡ª that I chucked into the ¡¾ Storage ¡¿earlier and threw them all away.


    I did another round of rummaging for garbage and various dead things inside the house and tossed them all into ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ before throwing them away outside. Afterward, I brought the lunch to the field and we all had a picnic together. The kids clung to me, much to Dinosso¡¯s envy, as they talked about peaceful, trivial things, like the weather this year and the things they sowed.


    The smell of the smoke from the medicinal herbs had already dissipated a lot, but there was still some lingering odor when I returned to the house after our lunch, so I started to scrub and clean the entire area. It didn¡¯t take too much time because the rooms were quite empty. I return the cleaning tools after I¡¯m done, before fetching some fresh straw to make the bed. My work here is done; all that is left is to wait for the laundry to dry.


    Dinosso and the rest of his family came back just as I was repairing the louver windows.


    ¡¸ We¡¯re home~ ¡¹


    ¡¸ We¡¯re back. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Here we are.¡¹


    ¡¸ Welcome back.¡¹


    The twins and Tina would usually hug and cling to me at this point, but because I was still holding the tools, they just satisfied themselves by circling around me while grinning ear to ear. This scene looked like a funny ritual of some sort.


    ¡¸ Oh my goodness, it¡¯s really clean now. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oy, are you some clean freak genius¡­? ¡¹


    The two adults were dumbstrucked at the situation of the house.


    ¡¸ Just did my best. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, hey, just leave that window to me, I¡¯ll do it tomorrow. Come here and have some tea. ¡¹


    Dinosso pulled me and seated me on a chair after pushing the window that I was still in the middle of repairing back to its place.


    ¡¸ Heyo, kids, go skin the quail. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please do the chicken eggs, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Okay! ¡¹


    The three lively kids jumped to their feet and rushed out after being instructed by their mom and dad.


    Madam brewed some tea while Dinosso and I played a card game. The pattern was different, but it was still playing cards. I felt a bit embarrassed sitting here while the kids watched the quail roast over the hearth as they helped their mom.


    They removed the quail from the fire after it was cooked well, because Madam would make it into her specialty dish, a stew with an alcohol called pot liquor as its sauce, and she would add a lot of leeks, too. By the way, that pot liquor is made by stopping the fermentation process while there is still sugar remaining, so it¡¯s a sweet variety of liquor. According to Dinosso, the quail tastes heavenly, but the leeks that had soaked in the sauce were to die for. The season for leeks is over, huh ~ ¡ª Dinosso said with deep emotions while wearing a profound expression on his face.


    Dinosso¡¯s family is my ideal family. Well, it might be impossible for me to have such, though. I still want to explore a lot of places and wander about, and there were plenty of times when I just wanted to seclude myself.


    ¡¸By the way, Jean, do you love cleaning this much?¡¹


    ¡¸ No? ¡¹


    Actually, I hate it.


    ¡¸ Then why? ¡¹


    ¡¸ There¡¯s a place so dirty I can¡¯t stand it, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about that, so in a fit of pique, I went to a place where I can clean. ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean loves being clean, after all. Here, it¡¯s done ~. Please carry this! ¡¹


    Dinosso was staring at me dubiously when his wife called out to us from behind him. The kids brought the plates with a clatter.


    ¡­Whoa! Great, this world¡¯s recipe for quail and leek pot liquor stew ¡ª gotcha!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: How should I put this¡­ Jean is slowly turning into the ideal househusband, me likey lol XD

 CH 77

    Alright, I¡¯m finally here in the Telmist Peninsula. Even though it isn¡¯t the typical island with a sandy shore, the clear, deep blue waters of the ocean form a great contrast with the white limestone beach, and the resulting scenery is breathtaking. A single mountain rises in the south, while a narrow mountain range runs towards the north, and a valley stretches on in between them. A castle stands in the southern mountain, while a citadel is built on the eastern beach. The king¡¯s mausoleum and shrine stands in the west. A circular fortress city stands at the dead center of the valley, and it is emptier than all the other cities that I have visited so far. Tall trees are sparse, too, probably because the rain doesn¡¯t fall that often in this place. There are some of those towering trees inside the city proper too, but they were probably planted by the inhabitants dwelling there.


    The island is divided into three countries¡ª one huge nation and two smaller countries that are vassals of the larger nation. Peace had already reigned in this place for a long time. However, they built the citadel at the coast to ward off the intruders from the Mainland that were trying to invade them from time to time.


    Aside from beautiful sceneries, this island also boasts of different specialties, including two famous products, namely the lace produced by the town of Kalar¨¦ and the silverwork of Hash¡¯luna. I also thought it¡¯d be nice if I could check the lace and silverworks, but I need to go to the temple first. I have to secure the essential books before I splurge.


    When I reach the temple that Ludere instructed me to go to, I honestly feel some misgivings whether I¡¯m in the right place. It is in a state of decay. A bald, bearded old man wearing a flaxen cloth that was so long he was dragging the hem on the ground came out.


    ¡¸ State your purpose. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I was told that a certain book was left in this place, so I came here. Is it possible for me to take a glimpse? ¡¹


    My misgivings increased.


    Still, it was the only building that fit the description of the place that had been pointed out to me.


    ¡¸ Oh, raven hair and lilac eyes, yes, indeed, that appearance ¡ª you might be the person that Ludere-sama¡¯s oracle referred to. ¡¹


    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s proper to call what transpired as an ¡®oracle¡¯, but it is a fact that I was told to go to this place.


    ¡¸ This way. ¡¹


    The wall made from stacked up stones is crumbling in a lot of places, and I could see some fissures running through it. The stones on the pathway aren¡¯t placed flat, so it is easy to stumble if you¡¯re careless.


    Nevertheless, the room that has an altar and a statue of Ludere is in a better state. It had been maintained quite well. A ray of sunshine shone on the statue from the skylight window.


    ¡¸ Pledge the vow of silence that you will not tell a soul about the things that you will witness from here on. ¡¹


    ¡¸I make the oath. ¡¹


    The old man did something, and the valance on the wall behind the statue suddenly opened, revealing a yawning passageway. An androgynous child ¡ª a spirit ¡ª holding a candlestick, had already appeared in the passage before I noticed.


    I¡¯m not in my ¡®seeing¡¯ mode yet I could still see that child, so that means the person is probably quite a powerful spirit. Blue hair, blue eyes, skin as white as porcelain; he looks like Ludere even if his overall color scheme is different.


    I turn my seeing mode on. There is no candle on the candlestick; it is just a small light spirit playing around.


    The child looked at me once before walking, as if telling me to follow him. The old man is apparently only up to this point. He remains at the entrance and just bows his head slightly towards the child.


    I follow the child spirit. We only have the faint light from the spirit. And the secret passageway makes me feel excited!


    We walk along the dark passageway until we reach another door. It opens into a magnificent library with a domed ceiling and mosaic floor. Light spirits are fluttering around. The area near the ceiling is bright like the sun¡¯s rays, but the light that falls on the books is very faint. I get it now, candles aren¡¯t used because of fear of fire, and direct sunlight will damage the books.


    We walk out into a wide, straight corridor ¡ª it could be described as a hall, even ¡ª and both sides are flanked by huge bookshelves that are way taller than me.


    The shelves that are two and three stories high have walkways before them. The first storey shelves also have aisles and doors, and all the shelves that I can see are brimming with books.


    It is probably an underground room, but because of the high ceiling, the entire space doesn¡¯t feel cramped. Even the corridor before me seems like it stretches on to infinity, after all. Wind spirits are also here, so even though the scent of books permeates here, the air isn¡¯t stagnant.


    ¡¸You¡¯re looking for a book about magic, summoning and spirits, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. But I¡¯m also curious about how this structure came to be. ¡¹


    The child went to the dais that stands in the middle of the wide hallway, and he (or she) took the single book lying on there. He handed it to me in silence.


    When I receive the book, he walks away once more. He then prompts me to open the door between the bookshelves. I do so, and a small room with a table, chair and a couch enter my view. He then closes the door ¡ª this is the end of the guide, apparently.


    The book I was given contains the overview about this library, as well as instructions on how to use it. Apparently, this place was originally built because of a book-crazed emperor. His thirst for knowledge urged him to collect all these books regardless of the expense. His empire wasn¡¯t on this island but on the continent further south, currently known as the land of the flying dragons.


    Not only did he disregard the cost, he gathered the books found within his empire and in the several countries that were under his rule. He even took the books from passing merchants and boats that were anchored at the harbor. He made copies of those books, and instead of the original, he would return those ¡®copies¡¯ to the owners. He really did use force in order to obtain and increase his book collection.


    Unfortunately, that empire was gobbled up by the monsters and the dragons.


    Afterward, the book collection was left to rot or to burn, but Ludere decided to transfer them to this place. And so, the spirits of books were born and they combined together to form that child, who then became the spirit of the library. That child is Ludere¡¯s retainer, it seems.


    The book collection of this library is still expanding even now, with more books added into it. It is said that when the naughty spirits play tricks and erase the characters and letters in the books, those letters would appear on a plain book set on the transcription rack, and it would become a copy of that book.


    ¡­Wait a sec, don¡¯t tell me they erase those letters not because they¡¯re playing a prank, but to copy them, or else to fill the original book with a different set of letters and symbols?


    Anyway, there is a rule in this library ¡ª  if there is only one copy then taking it out of the library is forbidden; it doesn¡¯t matter whether the book is precious or crude. If there are more copies, then I have to obtain permission first before I can take it out. Fair enough.


    If the person who borrows the book dies, the book will automatically return to the library, so there is the possibility of being killed by the spirits if one were to take the book out without permission.


    One can go to the librarian ¡ª the child spirit earlier ¡ª to ask for permission or help if he can¡¯t find the book on his own. Be discreet when making a sound. Food and drinks are forbidden inside the library, but drinks are okay inside the small room.


    Okay, so it seems like there are only the spirits and me inside this library now. Usually it would be super noisy even without talking, with all these spirits fluttering here, but strangely enough, there is only silence here. The spirits here are not simply light and wind, they also possess the attributes of silence, stillness, and quietude. Some spirits also have attributes such as gentle breeze, calmness, soft light and serenity, so that¡¯s the situation here.


    Ludere said this was a temple, and it did give off those isolated, tranquil vibes that you get from shrines.


    Ludere governs over Earth, Silence and Magic, right. I wonder now, how long has that spirit existed now? I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s older than the librarian here ¡ª wait a sec, is Riche way older than him? What?

 CH 78

    I finally finished the book about this library. The letters were big and it wasn¡¯t that thick, so it was an easy read, but each chapter had beautiful gold-leaf decorations that captivated me. Some of the patterns looked like they were embossed because they were raised using glue. The golden leaves made it look like a big chunk of gold, and the azurite and lapis lazuli¡¯s shade of blue were so beautiful.


    No, no, I should look for books about spirits. The general classification of this library is pretty much written inside the library overview book. The wide corridors divide the shelves according to the general topics, and the narrow aisles in between the bookshelves divide them according to more specific categories.


    The majority of the books have spirits dwelling within them, but most of the spirits ¡ª including those that live inside the books from the get go and those who possess the book later on ¡ª don¡¯t move that much and they prefer silence, although for some, it is not just a matter of preference. It¡¯s just that time moves slower than normal for them. Regardless, it is basically quiet here.


    ¡®Noisy¡¯ books, on the other hand, are isolated in a separate room. Adventure stories and some magic books are possessed by energetic spirits brimming with lively motivation. They love to chatter away, and some also restlessly move around with thuds and bangs. Categorization was thoroughly ignored for these books and they are lumped all together inside a different room.


    Thus, the only sound echoing through the silent space came from my footsteps.


    Capturing spirits not by force but by some other method ¡ª that¡¯s what I want to look for, but then, maybe it¡¯ll be a good idea to start with books about spirits? If I don¡¯t know anything about them, I won¡¯t be able to distinguish whether the method is right or wrong, just like what happened the previous time I tried to do it.


    I chose a relatively old book and one that looked quite new. I also took one of the books with several copies, as well as a book that was one-of-its-kind..


    Maybe the old book contains information that is close to the essence of the spirits. There is a possibility that the new one contains a plethora of information that will make the thought process of the researchers from the past easier to understand. Those with several copies might mean that the things written in them are common knowledge, while the one-of-its-kind could contain either heresy or precious information.


    If something I read bothers me, I can look that up by choosing other books related to that particular book. And so, I returned to the small room with four books in my arms.


    Drinks are allowed here, so let¡¯s have some coffee. Hmm, I only have a cup meant for camping outdoors that is pretty much useless for other things. This is really unlucky, but it can¡¯t be helped. Aright, let¡¯s bring an elegant teacup next time.


    The small room is filled with the scent of coffee.


    Here we go. The first book is bound beautifully in dark brown and gold, with uniformly shaved parchment leaves. The tawny ink is faded, and the white undercoat is slightly peeling off ¡ª I¡¯m quietly getting excited over this.


    Among the spirits, the light and darkness spirits have the highest probability of being born These two attributes also easily fuse with the other attributes. The purity of the spirit increases if it doesn¡¯t fuse with other attributes, but then, the longer they exist, the higher the chances they have of merging. Thus, the powerful spirits are mostly those with mixed attributes, in the end.


    Earth, Water, Fire and Wind are called the Four Elements, but there seems to be a slight distinction between Light and Darkness. These two attributes are always born in pairs, apparently, but their difference also lies in the amount of spirits per attribute that are available in this world. That¡¯s because on top of their ability to easily mix with other attributes, humans can also consume them unwittingly.


    Light, Fire and Earth are the ones who respond the easiest to the summons of humans ¡ª blah, blah, blah. There is a lot of complicated stuff written here, but then, the info properly entered my mind, as expected of a book possessed by a spirit.


    The parchment also varies depending on its use. The ones gilded with gold are smooth, while those with a lot of pictures are a little rough, maybe so it would be easier to apply the paint, and it would stick on to the paper. There is also a book with a velvety feel, so one could enjoy the contents together with the texture.


    By the way, the term ¡®Ruf¡¯s people¡¯ occasionally popped up in the ancient-looking book, and it was also mentioned once in the new book. According to the old book, they were people connected to the spirits, while the new book said that they were descendants of the spirits. But then, how is that even possible when the spirits are still active to this day?


    Well, that wasn¡¯t what bothered me, but the phrase ¡°the Heroes possessed abilities that are equal to Ruf¡¯s.¡± I had a feeling that I should research more about this Ruf.


    I returned the book that I finished, then borrowed a new one. There is no distinction between day and night inside this room, and no outside noise shattered the silence here. Being able to read the books while forgetting the time is actually a luxury, and I¡¯m enjoying that now.


    ¡­ It was already morning when I went out. Apparently, I didn¡¯t even notice hunger, thoroughly absorbed in the books that I was reading. Oh dear! Riche¡¯s walking time!


    I greeted the old man who helped me in the beginning, and I handed him a few pieces of gold. Seems like I don¡¯t really need all that money that I saved up to buy books.


    ¡¸ Thank you very much, I will purchase some flowers and water with this. ¡¹


    Apparently, he wanted to prepare some good water for the spirits, because most of the water on this island is slightly salty.


    ¡¸ I will bring water next time. ¡¹


    Yep, I¡¯m definitely returning here.


    I ¡¾Teleport¡¿back to my home.


    ¡¸ Sorry Riche, I¡¯m late. ¡¹


    Riche flew out of the room and ran towards me when I called him.


    The weather has warmed a lot recently, but it is still cold during the early mornings. My house is located in a place that is warm even if it¡¯s winter, though not on the level of Telmist. It¡¯s just that snow still falls because we¡¯re on top of the mountain. But then, Canum is a lot colder than here.


    Riche is still lively as ever despite the cold, as expected of an ice spirit. He ran helter-skelter and sniffed the ground before returning to the mountain path that I frequent. Well, I know that it¡¯s important for him to check his territory after all; besides, exercising is not the same as a simple stroll, I guess.


    I haven¡¯t toured Telmist yet, and I also want to see their silverwork. Maybe lace handkerchiefs are enough as souvenirs for Dinosso¡¯s wife and daughter? Ah, but it¡¯ll be bad if the tax collector saw them.


    Consumable goodies such as food are safe, but it¡¯s boring bringing the same stuff all the time.


    I gathered some willow twigs while strolling because I remembered that Dinosso¡¯s family uses them to weave baskets. They decorate them with thinly shaved chestnut bark, skillfully turning something so simple into a work of art. You can put some fruits in it and it could be a tabletop display. Madam is really good at detailed handiwork.


    Let¡¯s add some sweets to these and give it to them.


    We returned to the house. I brushed Riche while petting him; his fur is soft and fluffy probably because he was still a puppy. I don¡¯t really need to brush him since his fur doesn¡¯t matte even without it, but then, this is also our bonding time.


    Alright, my stomach is rumbling now.


    I shucked some smallish oysters then washed them with salt water and set that aside. I make some rice porridge with water, kombu, sake and a dash of salt. Once it¡¯s ready, I take out the kombu, then add the oysters and spinach, put the lid back on and turn off the fire.


    Oysters can be eaten raw, so it¡¯s enough even if it¡¯s just warmed. I removed the kombu earlier, but I can just preserve it by boiling it in soy sauce.


    Today¡¯s breakfast is oyster congee. The saltiness is just right, and the taste is mild. I also enjoyed red turnip pickles and some tea after breakfast.


    I wonder, did Ash and the others return by now?


    ¡ª¡ª


    T/N: ¡®Uniformly shaved parchment¡¯ sounded odd, so I searched the term, and this is the info that I found from Bookbinding and the Conservation of Book, A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (https://cool.culturalheritage.org/don/dt/dt2487.html)


    ¡°Finally, the parchment is finished while still in a taut condition; the surface is smoothed by shaving it with a semi-circular (often semi-lunar) knife, and rubbing it with pumice. Despite this treatment, the flesh side can usually be distinguished from the grain side of an unsplit skin by its rougher texture and often darker color. In books the pages are usually arranged grain- to grain-side and flesh- to flesh-side in order to provide a more uniform appearance.¡±


    Hmm. So that¡¯s how it is. XD Nice to know.


    MC lowkey missing Ash (and the others lol).

 CH 79

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    It was only after two days that Ash and the others returned.


    They¡¯ll be back anytime now ¡ª that¡¯s what I thought as I read a book in the rented house, when somebody knocked on the door. I¡¯m not expecting any deliveries, and there isn¡¯t anyone else who would visit me at this time, so it is probably Ash and Butler.


    ¡¸ Welcome back, you¡¯ve worked hard. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm, we returned safely. ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s hair is still wet. She probably entered the bath, er, the tub in her house.


    Az was perched on her shoulder as usual, but since he hates wet hair, he flew towards me right away.


    ¡¸ You could¡¯ve told me so I could heat the bath for you. ¡¹


    I nudged Az and he pressed himself on my finger.


    ¡¸ Here, souvenirs for you¡­ This is quite rude, but I want to request that. ¡¹


    She handed a bundle to me; probably some souvenirs from their recent expedition.


    Huh? This is quite small for a monitor lizard hide, and it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s from a Horned one.


    Anyway, let¡¯s set that aside for now.


    ¡¸ Didn¡¯t you just take a bath? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I thought it¡¯s somewhat better now, but¡­It¡¯s bad enough that I want to borrow your bath, although it¡¯s embarrassing. ] A furrow formed again between her brows. That¡¯s a scary face you got there. Yeah, it¡¯s really scary.


    ¡¸ Ahh¡­. ¡¹


    I also remembered it pretty well; it had been terrible when I entered the bath in my house for the first time in a while back then.


    The duration of their expedition this time was longer, and based on the number of people involved, she probably couldn¡¯t take a swim in the river, nor have a steam bath, I guess?


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll prepare hot water right away. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Sorry, I know it¡¯s troublesome, but I really can¡¯t stand it anymore. Sorry. ¡¹


    I lit the kamado, then put the water that Ash drew from the well into the pot. We just have to wait for the water to boil after putting the pots in the kamado and the fireplace. Yup, maybe I could switch the water here with the hot water from my house while pretending to pour it into the bathtub.


    ¡¸ I guess a thinner pot is better if it¡¯s just boiling water. ¡¹


    All the pots I have right now are quite thick. They¡¯re great for stewing things for a long time, as well as keeping the warmth for a longer time after turning off the heat. Still, it took quite a while for the water to boil.


    ¡¸ Really, is that how it is? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yup. ¡¹


    I brewed some tea using water from the kettle that I hung in front of the pot in the fireplace. So, what should I serve with the tea? Well, they could eat nuts during the expedition, so let¡¯s settle for cookies for now.


    I took the cookies ¡ª checkerboard icebox cookies and round, thick diamant cookies ¡ª out of the tin can.


    ¡¸ Here, have some. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks. Ah, sorry, but can you please not get too close? I think I still stink.¡¹


    ¡¸ No, that¡¯s not true, but¡­if you¡¯re bothered about it, then I¡¯ll do that. ¡¹


    So, how close is too close?


    ¡¸Magic ore?¡¹


    A few pieces of rugged black lumps that looked like lava rocks spilled out when I opened the packaging of the souvenir.


    ¡¸ Jean¡¯s sword is made of plain iron, right? Its tenacity and strength will increase if you fuse it with some magic ore. It¡¯ll be good if you bring it to the blacksmith. ¡¹


    Magic ore is usually found in the belly of the monsters living near swamps and riverbanks that have iron. She apparently got these lumps from a lizard that was in a swamp a short distance away from their campsite.


    Maybe the monsters also gulped down iron sand along with their prey when they swallow it, and the iron would clump inside their stomach? I had a hunch that magic ore didn¡¯t come cheap, but since she went out of her way to bring them here, I won¡¯t refuse.


    ¡¸ Thanks. How¡¯s the forest? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah¡­ Jean, do you have an older brother? ] Ash answered me with another question after she drank a mouthful of tea. She no longer uses -dono; she probably got used to dropping the honorifics.


    ¡¸ None? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I see. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What¡¯s up? ¡¹


    ¡¸ We met someone who looked like Jean in the forest. ¡¹


    Bfft!


    ¡¸ How was he? ¡¹


    I was inwardly flustered. Was my face seen under that robe?


    ¡¸ He was accompanied by spirits, he could grab the spirits, and he was kind. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hm? ¡¹


    Kind?


    ¡¸This part isn¡¯t similar to you, but that guy gave off a strange aura. It¡¯s as if the attributes kept on shifting. ¡¹


    Ah, that¡¯s because a lot of spirits were doing their best underneath that robe. Yup, her description perfectly fits me.


    ¡¸ One of the guys that took part in the expedition was possessed by a dark spirit, and the deeper we went into the forest, the more abnormal he became. He attacked Nina, the Gold-ranked Archer, but she fought back. From then, the spirit apparently switched to another person, but ¡ª ¡¹


    So, the Gold-rank trio were Amadeo the guy, Nina the archer, and Roza the robed girl who was also a master of recovery. As for the spirits, I call them black spirits, but they were apparently called dark spirits here. Well, whichever, it¡¯s basically the same, though.


    Apparently, even Ash and Butler wouldn¡¯t be able to see the spirits if they hid inside the body, because the owner of the body¡¯s aura and mana were in the way.


    ¡¸ Where did that guy pick-up that dark spirit? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Did you know that there¡¯s a war among the smaller nations ongoing in the Central Plains? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It seems that Haldea ¡ª one of the countries ¡ª used a large-scale magical attack. It has been a long war so the spirits mostly kept their distance on top of there being only a few of them left, so that attack gave birth to a huge mass of dark spirits. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Is that a stupid country? ¡¹


    Hey, even if they can¡¯t see the spirits, as long as they know how it works, they¡¯ll be cautious, right? And since they live in this world, they probably already experienced themselves how damaging black spirits could be, in all likelihood. Then in that case, they¡¯re far worse than Sis, who didn¡¯t have an inkling because she never experienced that damage herself.


    So, it seems like that bunch of heroes didn¡¯t have anything to do with this, huh. Wait a sec, in that case, the Guild¡¯s opinion that ¡®the black spirits are the effects of wars¡¯ must be correct, then? But then, I don¡¯t think the deities were mistaken with what they told me either, so I guess both scenarios are correct.


    Oh, now I¡¯m getting fired up somehow; I want to double my efforts in naming those spirits.


    ¡¸ Normally, an injured spirit¡¯s instinct is to run away. Very rarely do they attack right then and there to get revenge. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Either way, it¡¯s still stupid.¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah¡­Haldea probably can¡¯t expect to have a good harvest this year. ¡¹


    The hero¡¯s contracted wind spirit pledged to do two things. First was to convince the dragon so that it wouldn¡¯t attack the people on sea. The second was that it would nurture the small spirits with his power even without being in the forest. Because of the second oath, the wind spirit lost its power after losing the source due to the hero¡¯s death. Based on the Snow Leopard¡¯s story, Riche gobbled that spirit, apparently.


    To this day, the underlings of that wind spirit carry the small spirits as they blow through the Central Plains. As part of the resulting natural phenomena, lands that were once barren were nurtured to become fertile black soil, and arid lands enjoyed the damp air that spread far and wide.


    Thanks to that, people could, albeit barely, cultivate crops like barley; unfortunately, it would be impossible now that the number of spirits decreased. The black soil wouldn¡¯t receive nutrients any longer, and water won¡¯t reach the lands anymore.


    ¡¸ Come to think of it, Roza-dono speculated that maybe that robed guy was a descendant of the people of Ruf. Well, Ruf¡¯s people are shrouded in mystery, though. ¡¹


    Ash lifted the cup to her lips, but she stopped midway to say those words.


    ¡ª Wow, I just studied this topic very recently.

 CH 80

    ¡¸ Soap¡­¡¹


    Ash returned to her house to get a change of clothes and some firewood when the hot water was ready. I refilled the hot water in the meantime. She¡¯s so conscientious; she even brought firewood when she returned.


    Approximately 6 kilos of firewood is needed to boil water enough for a bath. If the family isn¡¯t affluent enough, taking a bath inside their own home could be considered a luxury, so people usually go to the public baths, instead.


    I¡¯m scared of being infected by disease, and I don¡¯t care for any erotica service, so yeah, I avoid going there. I also want to do something about this hair of mine, but the barbershop is attached to the bathhouse, so nope.


    Ash probably didn¡¯t go to the public bathhouse either, considering gender barriers. Oh, wait, maybe she¡¯s concerned about hygiene too.


    ¡¸ Sorry, this one isn¡¯t new, but if it¡¯s okay with you, feel free to use it .¡¹


    The soap I placed there wasn¡¯t new because I already tested whether it would lather when I made it.


    By the way, there are also times when I enjoy a steam bath. There¡¯s a stove for baking bread in between the fireplace and the bathroom wall, so I splash hot water on that wall to create some steam. The steam bath in this area is adjacent to the bakery, so I drew inspiration from them.


    Oh, come to think of it, the place where you can take a hot water bath is called a bathhouse, while the steam bath is called a bath. I¡¯m not confident that they¡¯re used separately, though.


    ¡¸ This soap is solid, and it doesn¡¯t even reek of beast stink. Even the noble houses couldn¡¯t hold a candle against all the facilities and implements that can be found in Jean-sama¡¯s house. ¡¹


    Butler said while handing the towel to Ash while she was still staring baffedly at the soap.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s narrow, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s efficient. We have imitated some of them. ¡¹


    Nothing will come out of it even if you praise me to high heavens.


    ¡¸ Alright, it¡¯ll be a waste to put out the fire after drawing the water, so I¡¯ll bake a few sweets that you can enjoy after your bath. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What a delightful thing to look forward to. I will draw the water, so please go ahead with your preparations. ¡¹


    Well, it¡¯s just ¡°preparing¡± the water for Butler¡¯s bath.


    The cauldron is already hot, so boiling water shouldn¡¯t take that long the second time around. Nevertheless, even if I water it down later on, I still have to boil a potful each in the furnace and on the stove. Plus, I had to draw the water from the well, after all.


    Ash will probably take a long bath, so I still have plenty of time. They seem to have returned just now, so it¡¯s a mystery whether they still have some ingredients in their house. Anyway, let¡¯s just have the meat pies usually sold as souvenirs; they¡¯re still perfect even if they have gone cold.


    I should get something we can eat here when Butler enters the bath¡­ Cookies, and aside from meat pies, something fluffy and light can do the trick ¡ª alright, let¡¯s settle for some castella pancakes.


    And so, I started my preparations after deciding on that. I cheated a bit and took out my stash of pie sheets from ¡¾ Storage ¡¿ , then I minced the other ingredients ¡ª beef, onions, garlic, carrots and some mushrooms.


    Carrots are very colorful here, ranging from orange to dark purple and even white. They¡¯re narrow, and even their leaves are edible with a refreshing taste.


    I toss them inside the oven and I¡¯m done. The meringue for the castella pancakes must be done too, but I¡¯ll wait for a while before starting on it.


    ¡¸ Ash mentioned that you guys encountered someone who seemed to be related to Ruf. Did it turn into an uproar? ¡¹


    Butler was already done drawing the water, so I broach this topic while serving him tea.


    ¡¸ Roza-sama must be the one gushing about Ruf. See, the rumors about the Kingdom of Shrumtum summoning heroes had already reached here. Roza-sama has a bit of a history with that kingdom, so she must be searching for that person in order to aid her in opposing them. Well, it was said that Ruf¡¯s descendants were long-lived, but personally, I think it¡¯s just wishful thinking¡­Now I¡¯m not so sure, maybe it¡¯s true. ¡¹


    Wrong.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll avoid going to the Guild for a while. I feel like those Gold ranks can probably see spirits. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Indeed, Roza-sama certainly can. I assume that person can also summon spirits and form contracts with them. I don¡¯t want Ash-sama going anywhere near them, but I currently don¡¯t have any means to prevent it. ¡¹


    If she enthusiastically wants to oppose the kingdom that summoned the heroes because she wanted to settle some kind of score with them, then that person is nothing but a booby trap for me.


    ¡¸ If she¡¯s looking for Ruf so she can go against that kingdom, she¡¯ll probably zoom in on Ash, since she¡¯s a potential asset in battle because of her ability to see spirits. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Indeed. It seems they have plans to return to the forest depths, so she should be fine if she isn¡¯t involved in that expedition. ¡¹


    Butler sure has it hard~ with that thought in mind, I also considered disguising the flat construction site that I dug at the sanctuary in the middle of the woods. It is quite far, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be a problem, but then, they¡¯re going along the riverbank, so it won¡¯t hurt to be more careful.


    I should¡¯ve checked where the water from the spring in the sanctuary leads to. Maybe I should just show up and declare that I¡¯m not Ruf? Ugh, this is so troublesome.


    ¡¸ Yeah. Maybe it¡¯ll be fine if Ash and I have a prior commission that we have to do? ¡¹


    She¡¯ll certainly prioritize the first commission based on her personality.


    ¡¸ I see. Then please, let us go with that. ¡¹


    ¡¸ But then, what should we do with the contents of the request? ¡¹


    Butler and I had a confidential discussion for a while.


    Ash switched with Butler, so I got back on track and started making the castella pancakes.


    I separated the yolks and added some milk. For the meringue, I gradually mixed in some sugar to the whites. I don¡¯t have baking powder, so I just used the meringue to control the fluffiness and airiness. It took quite a lot of effort, since I had to stabilize the foam and be mindful of the timing whenever I added the sugar.


    No issues with the bread thanks to yeast. The problem is with the other dishes like cake sal¨¦ which doesn¡¯t use sugar, so I made do with this too by crushing the dried meringue and adding it to the fresh batch of meringue.


    I gently mixed the egg yolks with the meringue. poured the mixture into the skillet and placed it in the oven. Then halfway through baking it, I took it out to do a cross-shaped cut on it. Afterward, I turned the skillet around frequently so that it would bake into an even color.


    ¡¸ That looks like quite a lot of work, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Is it? ¡¹


    Ash just finished her bath and is now staring at me with deep interest as I work at the oven. Butler should be nearly done too by now.


    ¡¸ Sorry for the wait. It was a good bath, thank you so much. ¡¹


    Oh good, nice timing.


    ¡¸ Yeah, just in time, it¡¯s done. It¡¯s hot so be careful. ¡¹


    The castella sponge cake puffed up nicely into a dome on the skillet. The cut section was light yellow and the rest was golden brown. I added a generous heap of butter on top and poured maple syrup, too.


    The fluffy cake was soaked in the butter. Ahh, makes me want some coffee, but it can¡¯t be helped. Anyway, the taste is already pleasant enough even with only this.

 CH 81

    ¡¸ Except for the milk and sugar, everything else is common and yet¡­ ¡¹


    Yeah, the ingredients are different, so even if you collected the same things, it¡¯ll be difficult to replicate, you know.


    Sugar is expensive here. Apparently, they grow sugarcanes in a land that was further south than Telmist; still, it isn¡¯t something that the commoners can use as they please. Nobilites are said to use it as a status symbol; they would hold tea parties where they could boast about it by putting a lot of sugar into their cups ¡ª too much, in fact, that the spoons could stand upright when they placed them in the cups..


    On top of that, sugar is supposed to be stirred with the spoon, so the cup must be placed so that the handle is on the left side, according to the useless trivia from Butler.


    Milk isn¡¯t as rare, but the main source isn¡¯t cows but goats because they¡¯re raised downtown. Cow¡¯s milk is processed into butter and cheese first before being sold.


    On the other hand, there¡¯s an abundance of maple syrup here. Sugar maples are scarce, but there are a lot of other maples for sale. They also have walnut syrups made from walnuts, and there¡¯s also a type of syrup made from birch trees and others. The price rises the further it is from the forest, but it¡¯s relatively easy to obtain in this city.


    Apparently, there¡¯s more varieties sold in the northern fortress, so maybe I should make a trip there later.


    ¡¸ ¡­ ¡¹


    Ash quietly ate, but it looked like flowers would bloom anytime behind her.


    ¡¸ Ash, there¡¯s something I want to ask help with. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Name it, Jean, anything if it¡¯s you. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I want to make medicine out of the Kinka grass, but it¡¯s a lot of work. The actual process is easy enough, but doing it alone is a bit¡­ ¡¹


    It¡¯s really troublesome making it, but actually, I don¡¯t really have a reason to mass produce it.


    ¡¸ I would like to proceed with the construction of the bathroom while Ash-sama is busy with this work. ¡¹


    The concept of a steam bath that can be easily done without the need to boil water really appealed to him, it seems. They decided to build a stove next to the fireplace just like what I have in my house, but it will certainly take several days. He was worried about letting the contractor work by themselves while he was away, so this event seemed godsent, too.


    We decided on the daily wage as well as the period of work, and the commission request was completed. They just returned from the expedition, so they will relax for four to five days, then she¡¯ll start helping me after that.


    I myself have ¡¾ Cut Ties ¡¿ just in case, but I¡¯m not sure how to handle it if someone close to me got involved in a troublesome situation. Direct rejection and refusal would probably do, as well as keeping my distance, but then, I also considered Ash¡¯s personality; she seems to be the type who will accept reasonable requests, even if they¡¯re troublesome.


    I already declined Chris¡¯s request, so he¡¯s probably looking for somebody else. They withdrew this time around because of an incident, but then, there were more powerful monsters than they expected, apparently. If he were to say that they want to conduct another subjugation expedition to lessen the number of monsters, she probably won¡¯t refuse even if that reason is only for show.


    ¡¸ Macular disease starts to spread during the season when the luehdorfia butterfly¡¯s yellow color becomes more vivid in its summer form. They want to gather the people before then, just in case. ¡¹


    The luehdorfia butterfly changes its pattern during spring, summer and autumn even though it¡¯s the same butterfly species. Its spring form is black and pale yellowish cream color, the summer form retains the black coloring but its yellow color would deepen, and two specks of orange would also appear. The autumn form¡¯s coloring was cream with flecks of black.


    ¡¸ There is limited information regarding this luehdorfia butterfly, so it is not known whether they are the harbingers of macular disease; however, considering the extent of the monitor lizards¡¯ monsterification, it¡¯s possible that a large-scale breeding might occur in the near future. ¡¹


    Mr. Monitor Lizard is quite small compared to its monsterfied self, but it was still quite huge. It¡¯s huge but its energy consumption is quite efficient because it doesn¡¯t move around that much. Its main diet is veggies, but it also eats insects and butterflies as snacks from time to time. Once they monsterfy, they¡¯ll turn into carnivores preying on bigger animals, so they will no longer eat insects that much.


    It doesn¡¯t mean that the lizards are the only natural predators of butterflies, but Butler seemed agitated. Plus, the butterfly is only a vector, so it¡¯s not like macular disease will automatically spread even if they multiplied.


    Anyway, I¡¯ve already found a cluster of Kinka grass growing in the depths of the forest, so I¡¯ll just gather the other ingredients in the next four days. Actually, I have a feeling that Kinka grass will be more valuable if it¡¯s sold as is; but thank goodness it can be preserved.


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, it¡¯s about the party we promised, but will you be available the day after tomorrow, around evening time?¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s fine with me, I¡¯m looking forward to it. Ah, here, have this for dinner if you want. ¡¹


    I handed the basket lined with a tea towel and filled with meat pies.


    ¡¸ Thanks. They look tasty, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. ¡¹


    Alright, I have to plan our lunch menu during the commissioned period. It¡¯s decided that I¡¯ll take care of Ash and Butler¡¯s lunch. Okay, I have to gather ingredients that aren¡¯t being camouflaged in the cellar of this place. I racked my brains over this after Ash and Butler left.


    What to do, aside from the root crops, veggies aren¡¯t that mainstream over here¡­At any rate, I can start with alcohol; I should transfer those beverages from the glass bottles into the porcelain jars, and stock more of it. Maybe I should also buy more of the alcohol types found in this world.


    As for the wheat flour, legumes and the rest, I can just prepare them right before they¡¯re needed. Ah, right, I should go to the forest and pick some morels and fairy ring mushrooms. The omelet with woody chanterelles served at Dinosso¡¯s home was tasty. Spring onions aren¡¯t really in season, but they¡¯re delicious so I¡¯m going to buy some.


    It¡¯s not that urgent that we had to go all out till we¡¯re dog- tired, so the work is from morning till noon only. So, my plan is to walk Riche, eat my breakfast afterward, work, then eat lunch. The afternoon is for freetime, so maybe I can go to the library or do something else ¡ª I guess that¡¯s the gist?


    Actually, I can leave all the work to Ash, but I plan to stick around for the time being.

 CH 82

    I gathered the Kinka grass while thinking of how sad it is that I won¡¯t be able to work at the sanctuary for a while. This plant is crazy expensive so it¡¯s been overplucked, making it hard to find in the forest¡¯s shallow area where there¡¯s a lot of people passing through. That¡¯s not the case though if you went deeper into the forest, up to where I¡¯m currently at.


    They propagate through rhizomes and seeds. Their fertility as plants is quite high in the first place, so there¡¯s a lot of clusters growing here. I gathered a lot while moving around and chucked them inside my usual bag that could house half a bear.


    It should be the whole plant, so I shake the mud off the roots. It¡¯s a hassle drawing water from the well, so I just put them inside a colander and washed them at my house. By ¡®wash¡¯, I mean dipping the colander in the stream that¡¯s flowing around my house; that¡¯s enough to clean it.


    I tossed them inside ¡¾ Storage ¡¿. Ingredient preparation is now complete. I went back to the rented house and installed a workbench and a copper distillation apparatus on the third floor. It was quite bulky, much to my distress. I imagined it would look something like Sherlock Holmes¡¯ experiment equipment, but that wouldn¡¯t do, apparently. First of all, the glass flasks¡­er, almost everything is made from either copper or porcelain.


    Wait, is it really fine not putting water or something that can be used for cooling in this distiller? The distillation bottle was shaped like a flask, and that¡¯s where I¡¯m putting the stuff to be distilled. It¡¯s covered with a dome-shaped lid-looking thing with a tubing attached to it.


    There are grooves inside that lid. Apparently, the system works by collecting stuff in those grooves which will then flow through the tubing. We¡¯re supposed to heat the distillation bottle, but aren¡¯t we supposed to cool the lid, too, so that it will turn back into liquid? Isn¡¯t this the same process that you do in improvised saltwater conversion ¡ª the one you do by placing a cup in the middle of a pot filled with seawater and putting a wok on top of it? You put seawater inside the wok too so that it¡¯ll cool, right?


    So, did the time come for me to use that smithing room and light a fire in the stove over there? Anyway, I¡¯ll just do the remodeling of the apparatus later. Besides, it¡¯ll be better if it takes a long time before we complete this project. Anyway, I just hope that the Gold team will hurry up and leave for their second expedition before we¡¯re done making the medicine.


    It feels like there¡¯s a ton of activities I want to do and stuff to create¡­Well, I¡¯m glad that I¡¯m free to choose what to do and the sequence and process of doing it.


    When I asked the librarian where the books about Ruf¡¯s people were kept, he took a lighted incense burner ¡ª the light was a spirit, too ¡ª with a chain handle and led me there. There was a faint scent wafting with the smoke of the incense burner, but it easily dispersed in air and vanished soon after between the rows of books.


    The brightly lit pathway turned dimmer as I followed him. Books that contained things not really remembered by people, things that they wanted to forget, and things forgotten were apparently placed in a dark place.


    Now back to Ruf ¡ª Ruf¡¯s people are classified into two types, apparently.


    First would be people of Ruf who established the Pasa Kingdom during the era of the ancient kingdoms and it was said that they received protection from the spirits regardless of who it was. They were able to build numerous powerful kingdoms. Their civilizations were relatively advanced to the point that it is said to surpass the current era. They perished due to the power struggles for the throne and the invasion of barbarians who outnumbered them.


    Several kingdoms rose afterward, but because of poor governance, those succeeding dynasties didn¡¯t last long. Stability was finally achieved after they discovered a relatively long-lived Ruf woman in the frontier and crowned her queen. The kingdom was then named Ruf, and the residents became known as Ruf¡¯s people.


    ¡¸So, when the Ruf Kingdom fell into ruins, the entire royal family was annihilated, huh.¡¹


    Naturally, Ruf¡¯s people that were said to be part of the pedigree of spirits, referred to the guys who established the Kingdom of Pasa. The other type of people claiming to be Ruf¡¯s descendants in this era were mostly descendants of folks that weren¡¯t related to them. It¡¯s just that there were a lot of spirits in the kingdom thanks to their affinity with the royal family, and their people get a lot of magical energy from the surroundings. Nevertheless, there were more spirits in the Ancient Kingdoms than there are now, and besides, it was rumored that people possessed more magical energy back then compared to now.


    The people who named themselves Ruf B afterward weren¡¯t as strong as the original Ruf A people, said to be part of the lineage of spirits. Even so, they were infinitely stronger than the people now. Actually, it¡¯s more accurate to say that they were adept at handling the spirits, rather than say that they had an affinity. Thus, there¡¯s no way to resolve the misunderstanding, it seems.


    The people who took the name Ruf (B) weren¡¯t as strong as the original Ruf A folks ¡ª the people said to be part of the lineage of the spirits. Because they were infinitely stronger than the people of the current age and they were adept at handling the spirits, there is no chance to clear up the misunderstanding.


    When Ruf A were under the protection of the spirits, they were able to perfectly wield the power of those spirits even without incantations. However, the protective spirit would no longer be visible. Perhaps, the protection that Ruf A received was something akin to divine beasts and monsters.


    I heaved a sigh while drinking coffee.


    I¡¯m not sure which Ruf it is, but the Ruf¡¯s name would pop up in the annals of the kingdom¡¯s rise and fall. Well, it can pass as legend, I suppose, but it¡¯s actually quite a complicated existence. Hah, makes me wanna look it up if they still have any traces remaining.


    ***


    ¡¸ Good work~!! ¡¹


    I raised my cup in toast.


    The bone-in rib roast that looked like it weighed a kilo was distributed to each of our plates. Ahm, not actually a plate but more like a cutting board. The meat is a bit tough; I chew with great gusto and it¡¯s making me excited!!


    ¡¸ The beef is also tasty! ¡¹


    Dean gulped the white wine in his cup as if it¡¯s beer, then he tore the meat off with his teeth.


    ¡¸ Ahhh, what a relief that beef¡¯s texture is fine ¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Freshly roasted beef is really awesome, you know!! ¡¹


    Retze and Chris seemed dissatisfied with the jerky they ate and the meat of the monsters they hunted on site during the expedition.


    They also served another dish at the same time; the lump of beef was seasoned with rock salt before grilling, and we had two options for sauces ¡ª one was a sauce made with oregano, onion and salt, and the other one was made from garlic, parsley and some wine.


    Let me correct, there¡¯s a ton of dishes spread all over the table, since they used a whole cow, after all.


    We had beef shank stewed in black pepper, white wine, rosemary and bay leaf inside a pot that was placed in the corner of a furnace used to bake bricks. It was spicy and packed with the rich flavor of white wine, a bit different from the stew I was familiar with but still very yummy.


    There¡¯s a fried, dumpling-like dish with meat and cheese inside. It would hit the spot if a bit more bouillon was added, I think?


    ¡¸ Mm. Won¡¯t they serve meat pies? ¡¹


    I¡¯m getting better at grasping Ash¡¯s mumblings.


    I sliced a bit of the beef fillet that had been stewed with root crops, milk, cheese and some sauce, placed it on top of my bread and ate. Okay, I¡¯ll make this later, I¡¯ll swap the milk with half and half fresh cream. Bet it¡¯ll surely taste better.


    ¡­er, I want to eat some veggies. Really, the amount of meat from one whole cow is a bit¡­.

 CH 83

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ There had been a lot of Bicorns and Tri-Horns, but man, when the Black Demons turned out to be wolves, I thought we¡¯re done for. Oopsie, boss, give me 5, 6 of those and bring them all here. ¡¹


    Dean gave off the impression that wine is water.


    Black Demons were the monsters that we usually hunted, the ones with the black part on the rim of their eyes spreading out. Actually, there¡¯s a lot of varieties; there were also ones whose dark rims didn¡¯t change but the number of their horns increased. It was said that those with many horns turned out that way because of their physical strength and appetite, while those with lots of black markings possessed strong power ¡ªmagic, primarily ¡ª and deep hatred against the people, but the distinction was kinda vague.


    Surprisingly, when their entire body became black, they would lose all warts and wrinkles and their entire body would become neat.


    You can gauge their strength based on the surface size covered in black and the number of horns. Oh, and by the color of horns, too. This observation couldn¡¯t be generalized for all since the receptacle¡¯s inherent abilities also had an influence on the majority of the monsters, but the smooth monsters were an exception.


    Lizards become more sluggish the stronger they become and it would be difficult for them to move for long distances. On the contrary, if the monsters were the agile type then it would spell disaster for the humans ¡ª not because they¡¯ll attack the city. There¡¯s a possibility that these nimble monsters, along with the weak ones that they were chasing, would run into the city.


    The wolves posed the greatest menace to that city, but they were already defeated, apparently. In short, I missed the highlight of the monster subjugation, but that¡¯s fine.


    ¡¸There should be more of them, no matter how I think about it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Both the Guild and I thought we still had a bit of a leeway when we heard about the progression of war in the Central Plains. No, the Guild must have predicted it.¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s because the three Gold-ranks also participated. ¡¹


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether Chris and Dean were grumbling or explaining while they drank.


    I was busy tearing off the rib roast from the bone with my teeth, so I was just listening to them talk. This whole biting the meat off business made me feel like ¡°Hey, I¡¯m really eating meat!¡±


    ¡¸¡­That doesn¡¯t really suit you, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ So you¡¯re a wild one, Twilight. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t mind me and just continue talking. ¡¹


    How I ate shouldn¡¯t matter, right?


    ¡¸ I got a hunch that aside from Haldea, there¡¯s another country wielding some kind of terrible magic. At any rate, I¡¯m glad we learned about this before things got outta hand. ¡¹


    Retze returned to the topic.


    Oh, yeah, it¡¯s the synergy of heroes and wars, huh. I¡¯ve been focusing on the heroes all this time, but it seems like the Guild is monitoring the war.


    Ugh¡­ I really want to eat vegetables.


    ¡¸Amadeo¡¯s going to be the face of the next party, and they¡¯re planning to gather everyone within the kingdom. How many participants will there be, I wonder? ¡¹Ash said.


    ¡¸ It¡¯ll probably turn into a large-scale expedition, and it¡¯s been a while since that happened! ¡¹Chris replied.


    A party with three Gold-ranks was tempting, it seemed, and apparently, there had been as many members as the large-scale guilds and clans in Japanese games. It was difficult to see who the members of the expedition team were based on the image reflected on the water basin.


    ¡¸ Did Amadeo-sama invite the two of you? ¡¹


    Butler asked with a smile while pouring wine for Dean and Chris.


    I already heard about a lot of things, so when Butler said that line, the word ¡®Amadeo¡¯ sounded like ¡®Roza¡¯ to me. She¡¯s thinking of gathering people to restore the country, apparently.


    ¡¸ He did invite me, but it doesn¡¯t suit my personality, so nah.¡±


    ¡¸ As a knight, I am not reluctant in granting a beauty¡¯s wish, but as expected, it¡¯s better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion! ¡¹


    Oh, so they also had that idiom here, huh. Ah, no, ¡¾ Language ¡¿ probably automatically rephrased it in my mind so I could understand it? Eh wait, Chris is a knight?


    ¡¸ You guys were invited too, right, Ash? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm, but I refused. ¡¹


    Ash replied while cutting her meat, while Butler just smiled.


    ¡¸ Nobody invited me. ¡¹


    Retze scowled a bit.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s because they don¡¯t know what¡¯s good. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ahahaha, thanks. ¡¹


    Yeah, pretty sure they¡¯re choosing based on whether there¡¯s a spirit or not.


    ¡¸There shouldn¡¯t be anyone possessed joining this time around, but it¡¯ll probably be a pain in the neck. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, what will happen when they discover that you turned down the invitation to become Amadeo¡¯s believer, er, party member. Good luck.¡¹


    Retze half-heartedly cheered a disgusted Dean.


    ¡¸ They don¡¯t look like they¡¯re giving up. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Really seems like a pain in the neck, good luck. ¡¹


    I also flippantly cheered for him.


    ¡¸Twilight, you will not join the next expedition also, I presume? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Of course. ¡¹


    I answered Chris¡¯ question without any hesitation. I don¡¯t like living outdoors, and no plans of hanging around a bunch of troublesome people, either.


    ¡¸ Jean¡¯s bag is famous now after the Guild gave them to the three Gold-ranks. The guild is being flooded with orders, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸ it¡¯s awesome raking money in without any risks. ¡¹


    The larger the scale of the expedition, the better it is for me! I¡¯m recommending all the members to use that bag. As for the production and whatnot, I¡¯m leaving all that to the Guild.


    ¡¸ Oh well, bottoms up! ¡¹


    Dean then drank the wine in one gulp.


    That liquor was quite strong, so would he be alright? I got ¡¾Healing¡¿ so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go beyond being tipsy.


    ¡¸ Yeah, it¡¯s been a while, so let¡¯s enjoy this beef to the fullest. ¡¹


    Chris scooped a mouthful of stew and brought it to his mouth.


    ¡¸ Deliciosa! Even so, Moonlight, you really do eat so gracefully, just like a noble.¡¹


    ¡¸ ¡­Really? ¡¹


    She was trying to conceal herself, so maybe it would be better not to act like a noble ¡ª Ash looked like she was contemplating so.


    We continued chatting about the mysterious guy who suddenly appeared and was suspected to be Ruf, news about the heroes, and trivial stuff like Dean¡¯s search for accommodations, until both Chris and Dean became wasted after having too much to drink.


    I was a bit flustered when they started talking about women and saying dirty jokes and erotic stuff even though Ash was there. Their drunken yammering had been way too loud, too!

 CH 84

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    Candied roses as antipyretics.


    You know, I have this feeling that the level of medicines they have in this world swings between being a fantasy recovery potion and being a superstition. Well, if the medicine works then maybe it IS effective, I guess¡­hmm, is the spirit essence the deciding factor?


    ¡¸Can you remove the stalks first, like this? Here, right at this white border.¡¹


    I showed how to cut it with my knife.


    The rhizomes and roots of Kinka grass are whitish. I had to separate them from the colored parts because the extraction method is different. It¡¯s a real pain in the neck, I tell you.


    I can take a shortcut by not separating them and still end up with a decent amount, but the quantity will be less than a quarter compared to when I separate them.


    ¡¸Got it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s quite a huge amount, I say¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm, it¡¯s really difficult if you¡¯re going to do it alone. ¡¹


    Butler reflexively took a step back ¡ª he probably knows the price and value of Kinka grass, but I just ignored him.


    ¡¸It¡¯s harder to cut if it¡¯s supple, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with being supple per se so don¡¯t mind it. Oh, by the way, the tin can of snacks is on the shelf over there, so help yourself, okay. ¡¹


    Two baskets stood beside the usual table on the first floor; one was empty while the other was filled with Kinka grass. I have knives, towels and tea ready on the table. The water was boiling beside the hearth.


    Ash and Butler silently began working. Oy Butler, wait a sec!! You¡¯re going way too fast!! Did you forget the original plan? He slowed down when I subconsciously glared at him.


    Cut, drop to the basket, repeat.


    My job is to cram the separated leaves into the distiller¡¯s still, which is heated from the bottom. The vapor carrying the essence with it will then be cooled from the top of the structure, turning into liquid that will drip down into the bottle. I just have to be careful not to let the fire go out.


    The floor is stone-paved, so I took advantage of that and got a thin slab of stone and laid it on the floor. I placed a small furnace ¡ª a makeshift one made by arranging some bricks ¡ª and that¡¯s where I worked. Well, it¡¯s too troublesome to go up to the third floor after all.


    I tried giving them a hand with the separating job, but they flatly refused, reasoning that it was the work they¡¯re tasked to do. And so, I decided to just make some snacks and prepare lunch while keeping an eye on the still. I can read a book, but my conscience is pricking me.


    We had beef yesterday, so let¡¯s have fish today. I knead the bread dough in the kitchen while thinking about the menu. I guess I still need to consider if the ingredients aren¡¯t sold here, so let¡¯s just go shopping while the dough is resting.


    Well, even if they¡¯re not sold here, I have something I prepared in advance, I still can do something about our lunch.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll just go buy some ingredients for lunch. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Have a safe trip. ¡¹


    I check the fire under the still before calling out to Ash and Butler.


    Ash doesn¡¯t take her eyes off her hands, intently focusing on her work. What a scary face¡­really scary face.


    ¡¸ Yeah. You two go take a break too, there¡¯s a lot left, if you keep at it you¡¯re gonna tire yourselves out, you know? ¡¹


    Looks like they¡¯re going to have stiff shoulders.


    ¡¸Let me brew some tea. ¡¹


    I see Butler standing up while wiping his hands on a hand towel as I step outside.


    There are more items available in the bazaar during early mornings, but it¡¯s not like the products will be sold-out by this time. That¡¯s because there are many stalls packing breakfast for people who don¡¯t cook their meals at home, and some also start selling their products by taking turns.


    For example, they¡¯ll go fishing after eating breakfast here, then they will display the fish they got, or for others it will be rabbit. So, for today¡¯s fish ¡ª


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll have three of these trouts. ¡¹


    There are black trouts and patterned rainbow trouts all lined up in a stall. There are smoked ones and brine-pickled ones being sold in other stalls, but I plan to cook these meuni¨¨re style. They¡¯re still alive, after all!


    Carp, eel, catfish and crayfish. The eels here are a bit different from the ones in Japan, but kabayaki also appeared in the¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ results, so maybe I can try making it? Ah, but won¡¯t it be too weird without white rice?


    So, how about the vegetables?


    We have the usual turnips, root crops and cabbage. They have the roundish cabbages, but they also have the curled, blackish variety that don¡¯t grow into balls. No matter which variety it is, they are usually eaten from the 11th month until around this time, so folks frequently use this vegetable during the winter season.


    So, two heads of cabbage. Ah, no, let¡¯s just buy 5 heads and make some sauerkraut. The season for these veggies is ending soon, so it has to be now.


    Trout meuni¨¨re, bacon and cabbage for soup. Pass on the black cabbage this time ¡®coz it turns the soup color bad. I can also make some cabbage rolls tomorrow ¡ª oh, it¡¯ll be redundant, so let¡¯s use some pre-made bean soup for soup instead.


    I randomly choose other veggies and mushrooms, and that¡¯s the end of my shopping spree.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m back. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Welcome home. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Welcome back. ¡¹


    Ash was still concentrating on the roots.


    ¡¸ You don¡¯t really have to be that meticulous over it. ¡¹


    C¡¯mon. It¡¯s fine even if there¡¯s a bit of white near the leaves, alright?


    ¡¸ Mm. ¡¹


    Ash half-heartedly replied.


    I carry the things I bought to the kitchen, then check the still before adding more firewood.


    The distilled liquid dripping from the distiller separates into water and oil, so I just have to divide them once we have collected enough, but from the looks of it, we still have a long way to go. Mmm, as I thought, maybe a structure that can cool it more might be better, huh¡­ And yeah, I want a liquid separator, that¡¯d be awesome.


    The firewood here is typically too big, so I get the hatchet and split it into smaller pieces the size of the distiller. I make twice as much as I consumed, and my work here is done.


    I return to the kitchen, wash my hands and start cooking. First, I add the bean soup to the pickled pork inside a pot, then place it on the stove.


    Fish for meuni¨¨re are usually set aside for some time after killing it, until just before cooking. If you try frying it right away while it¡¯s still fresh, the flesh will be too taut, so it might crumble during cooking. But in this case, the fish really has just been caught, so let¡¯s just take advantage of the freshness.


    I remove the gills and gut the fish before dunking them in milk to remove the stink. Set aside.


    The dough swelled nicely, so I divide it into smaller pieces, roll them up and put them inside the oven. I get some coals from the fireplace in the adjacent room, and transfer it to the stove. I add more firewood to the fireplace.


    I return to the kitchen, take the trout out, wipe off the milk properly before sprinkling salt and pepper. Dust with a thin layer of flour, add plenty of butter and tah-dah, it¡¯s meuni¨¨re. Just kidding, I also mix some olive oil in so it won¡¯t be too sticky. Squeeze lemons and adjust the flavor.


    By the way, lemons are considered luxury goods here. It¡¯s hard to get your hands on them unless you¡¯re in a place that has a warm climate like the country where my house is. Lemon and citrus fruits are status symbols, and they¡¯re being cultivated in private greenhouses of the wealthy and the nobility, apparently.


    It¡¯s so commonplace in Nalluadhid, you can see them by the wayside, and there¡¯s way more than you can eat over there. So it¡¯s true, the time it takes to distribute things and the climate both have a big impact on the food culture of a place, huh.


    I paired the meuniere with sauteed mushrooms and asparagus. Yeah, it did crumble a bit, so the plating kinda looks bad.


    ¡¸ Lunch¡¯s done. ¡¹


    Good timing, the bread is also baked.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    T/N: Trout meuni¨¨re ~ mmm, looks so delish, I wanna eat it now! XD

 CH 85

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸ Allow me to do the laundry. ¡¹


    Butler interjected with a smile, and before I knew it, he had already retrieved the bed sheets and towels, washed them, and hung them up to dry.


    Not to mention those towels, even these sheets are left here just because I don¡¯t sleep in this place! It¡¯s not like I never change my sheets!!!


    I¡¯m washing my bed sheets properly, properly, you know! Well, I admit that it¡¯s tempting to just buy new ones without washing those!


    It¡¯s not like I could just blurt out all the above, so Butler must¡¯ve thought I¡¯m a guy who lives on the same sheets forever. And so, sheets, towels and shirts flutter in the alley in front of my house.


    I wonder what kind of negotiation he did with the folks living on the other side of the street? Maybe it¡¯s a tacit agreement? Canum mostly have bad weather days and sunlight is poor, so people probably hang their clothes indoors to dry. At the very least, it¡¯s unusual seeing clothes hanging outside the house.


    Ah, but I see clotheslines hanging in between houses in warmer places, so I guess it¡¯s kinda normal?


    ¡¸ If it¡¯s too bothersome, you can also leave it to a laundry lady. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah. ¡¹


    Laundry lady, as the name implies, is a woman who washes dirty clothes and stuff for a living. In a lot of cases, they are widows or unmarried ladies with children in tow. Some do housecall service, but maybe that¡¯s for the big manors with lots of laundry.


    Hmm, maybe it¡¯s a good idea to ask somebody to do a bit of laundry except for my undies.


    ¡¸ Do you know anyone who isn¡¯t too demanding and troublesome? ¡¹


    ¡¸ You can settle the demanding ones with a good tip. As for the troublesome ones ¡ª Jean-sama is popular, so¡­ ¡¹


    Ugh, all I can look forward to are aunties pestering me with marriage proposals, huh! See, I just saw an aunty twice in a stall and she already pushed several candidates to me¡­!!


    ¡¸ If it¡¯s alright with you, I can bring yours along with our laundry. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh, please do. ¡¹


    Yes, I¡¯ll be freed from doing laundry! Er, the clothes will probably turn stiff after washing with hard water but¡­ yeah, no big deal. The lime that dissolves in the water will stick to the clothes, so I got the feeling that the whites will turn into gray, but that¡¯s fine. No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be fine¡­. I said I¡¯ll leave it to them, and yet here I am, worried about it.


    Okay, let¡¯s just leave it for the meantime and wait and see, yeah, let¡¯s do that.


    ¡¸ Should we request the neighbors to put up the clothesline? ¡¹


    I glanced at the laundry fluttering from between our second and third floors.


    ¡¸Yes, we do it for the first time. It¡¯s a mutual thing, after all. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Did they ever hang things up? ¡¹


    I don¡¯t remember seeing them. Ah, but I do see towels and other stuff that look like they¡¯re from Ash¡¯s house. Hm, so if you leave it to the laundry lady, you don¡¯t really get to hang it here, huh.


    ¡¸The house next door is currently unoccupied. They were extremely worried about the monsters¡¯ surplus and the matter of subjugation team, so¡­¡¹


    So they completely moved out!


    Yeah, even the house I rented was built because the monsters destroyed the city walls, so yeah, I get it, this place must¡¯ve been a scary place to live in. Rent¡¯s cheap thanks to that, though.


    And so, after some twists and turns and my discovery of complications due to not sleeping in this rented house, they finally finished my commission. The expedition team had also departed two days ago, thank goodness.


    ¡¸ Thanks for the hard work. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Mm, good work. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much for all the great work. ¡¹


    Around 300 porcelain bottles of medicine were all lined up inside the underground cellar. If I catch wind of illness somewhere, I¡¯ll just sell them there.


    ¡¸Congrats, the bath in your house has also been completed, Ash. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks. ¡¹


    They also built a kiln like the one I have in my house, and it¡¯s also fashioned so that they can enjoy steam baths, too. The structure of the wet area, including the bathroom, is almost the same as mine now. Their house is wider, so they got a more spacious bathroom, so enviable.


    ¡¸Here, your wages and bonus. It¡¯s a job that makes your shoulders stiff, so enjoy this in your bath. ¡¹


    I handed a bag of gold and three porcelain bottles.


    ¡¸ What¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Two of them are the medicine we just made, and the one with the tag is lavender scented oil. I just casually made it while experimenting with the still, so it¡¯s not really that great. ¡¹


    It¡¯s good that I can make scented oil, but I¡¯m not gonna use it so it¡¯s just extra. Plus, it¡¯s a shame that it¡¯s in the same bottle as the medicine.


    ¡¸ Isn¡¯t this expensive? ¡¹


    ¡¸ The cost isn¡¯t, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It is expensive. ¡¹


    Oh, so it¡¯s expensive.


    Maybe I can make different stuff and sell it, but I guess the rented house will become too stinky.


    ¡¸ Lavender oil is effective for burns, and I don¡¯t have any plans to sell it, so just accept it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thanks. ¡¹


    Ash looked a bit happy, while Butler quietly bowed his head to me.


    Alright, let¡¯s bring a few bottles to the Commerce Guild, and show them that we can also make medicine for macular disease. In the worst case scenario that the disease spreads, they¡¯ll definitely look for me so they could purchase these meds.


    ¡­I totally didn¡¯t expect that it would turn out into a huge commotion, with people rushing to the Commerce Guild saying ¡°So there¡¯s medicine for macular disease in the Commerce Guild!?¡± and the like.


    In the end, an old man said to be a disciple of a healer was summoned; he collapsed in tears, claiming ¡°this is definitely the medicine that Master created¡­!!¡±, and that also troubled me.


    And yeah, I¡¯m not the reincarnation of your master and whatnot, okay. Please have mercy on me.


    Folks call this as ¡®Kinka grass¡¯, but the method of making medicine out of it seems to have been completely forgotten, I guess. Still, I can¡¯t help but think that perhaps, the nobility¡¯s custom of soaking this grass in wine and drinking it might have begun with the intention of preventing macular disease.

 CH 86

    Translator: Haruchin   Editor: Marky


    ¡¸We no longer have to worry about macular disease whenever summer comes¡­ ¡¹


    We¡¯re still in the process of negotiating the sale of the medicine formula and haven¡¯t signed anything yet. Seems like it¡¯ll be difficult for the guild to buy it with purely cash, so we¡¯re also working out the conditions to see if they can offer anything else besides money.


    Is it really that hard to deal with folks who don¡¯t need special privileges, status and prestige? Well, it¡¯s okay with me if they happily pay me cash, but if they¡¯re gonna say that they don¡¯t have that much money to spare, then of course I¡¯ll be put on the spot.


    Apparently, they also want to keep some cash on hand so that they can purchase the materials for when the second expedition team returns. Most of the members who joined the expedition were just folks who tagged along because of the Gold-ranks, so once it ends, they¡¯re going to leave this city ¡ª and it¡¯ll be difficult to offer anything else aside from money as compensation to them.


    They had to pay a lot of money just to buy demon stones during the first subjugation expedition too. Well, I¡¯m fine waiting until they sold all their raw materials off elsewhere, or until after all the finished products were sold.


    ¡¸ By the way, is the house on ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡»for sale? ¡¹


    The alley leading to my house facing Ash¡¯s house is called ¡ºAsh¡¯s Fox¡¯s Back ¡»./


    It had a different name in the past, apparently, but they started calling it as such since the time of the demon¡¯s stampede led by the ash fox. By the way, the street that took the worst damage along the city wall became known as the ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Claw ¡».


    ¡¸Oh, Jean-sama is currently renting a house, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes, and I¡¯m curious as to what kind of people will buy it, since we¡¯ll be neighbors. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Please wait for a moment. ¡¹


    It¡¯s just a casual question meant to be a breather, but the staff went off somewhere else. He doesn¡¯t really have to be so serious about it. If my neighbor¡¯s a nuisance then I¡¯ll just move out.


    I stared at the documents while sipping the black tea they served. Their reception had gone up a notch since the last time I was here; if it were before, they would have served me with tea decocted from herbs, or beer with low alcohol content. Black tea is expensive.


    ¡¸ Sorry for the wait. ¡¹


    Ms. Staff returned with new documents after a while.


    ¡¸ Jean-sama, do you want to consider buying a house for good? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Ah, no, I¡¯ve lived in this city for only less than a year. ¡¹


    They have a rule in this city that you can only buy a house along a narrow alley after you have stayed here for five years without any mishaps. Only after ten years can you buy a place along the main street.


    Moreover, you need to have an endorsement from the designated people or organization if you want to live in an area where the rich live, or in places that are heavily guarded. Oftentimes, there are also places where the famous guilds gather, so urban residences aren¡¯t something you can just buy as long as you have the money.


    ¡¸The Commerce Guild and the Apothecary Guild can provide the endorsement. We are currently in the process of confirming whether you can directly purchase the house you are living in, but purchasing a house in a better street should be possible after some time. ¡¹


    Ms. Staff happily pushed the offer to me. She¡¯s quite a beauty with honey-colored hair and freckles dotting her face, and she moves briskly.


    So, these new documents here are the properties handled by the guild, huh.


    ¡¸As for the house on ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡», it is indeed for sale. It has just been consigned to the Commerce Guild, and since the timing isn¡¯t right, we plan to put it up for short-term lease until the subjugation is over and things have settled down. ¡¹


    An expedition team has been formed, so rumors of the possibility of another monster wave are now rampant. That¡¯s probably the reason why they think the timing is bad, same as the folks who moved out. It¡¯s either no one was willing to buy the place, or they wanted to beat the price down. Even if my house is supporting the wall, there shouldn¡¯t be a lot of people who want to buy a house on the side of a wall that had been previously destroyed.


    I¡¯ll probably be happy with how cheap I can get it if I did buy it.


    ¡¸Confidentially speaking, Amadeo-sama, one of the Gold-ranks, is searching for someone, so it¡¯s highly likely that he will settle here even after the Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s official subjugation expedition is over. So it¡¯s a given that those people will do short-term rentals, but we¡¯re also targeting the hangers-on. ¡¹


    Uwah, that¡¯s so depressing!


    ¡¸ If it¡¯s possible to buy the house I¡¯m currently renting then I would like to do so. ¡¹


    And remodel it like crazy then rent it all out to the townspeople!!


    She also briefed me about the real estate handled by the Commerce Guild just in case it might catch my interest, but I just said that I prefer the house I¡¯m living in now. The Guild is subtly urging me to choose a place that was more expensive and would give them more benefits for the referral, but if I moved to a place with a bigger yard and something happened,, I¡¯ll have more stuff to do again¡­


    It was confirmed that I can buy the house I¡¯m renting during our discussion, so it was decided that I¡¯ll purchase the two houses together. This is just a bonus, but I also got permission to install a door from the kitchen opening to ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Claw ¡»Street.


    It¡¯ll be directly under the arch attached to the city walls and the second and third floor, but having just one entrance is actually inconvenient for me. Setting Ash aside, Butler might discover that I¡¯m just faking my entry and exit and it¡¯s bothering me.


    And so, the compensation I received included the two houses ¡ª the one I¡¯m currently living in and the adjacent one I asked about earlier ¡ª along with the permission to build a rear entrance. I¡¯m not sure whether I really need that permission to create a new entrance, but I still asked just in case, given that my house is built to support the city wall, after all.


    Moreover, most of the houses share the rear, sides and walls of the building, so making a new entrance seems physically impossible, unless the side of the house is facing the street just like Ash¡¯s.


    If I create a hole in my wall, I might end up in somebody else¡¯s house or experience something like that. So don¡¯t even think about it unless it¡¯s a stand-alone (?) house like a nobles¡¯ manor or the houses built outside the city wall.


    I requested the Commerce Guild to rent the second house out on my behalf after I¡¯m done with remodelling it. But before that, I wanted to put a commission for sewage-related jobs first, but it seems that they¡¯re already packed so they won¡¯t be able to do it any time soon. Hey, that means the city¡¯s sanitation is improving so no complaints here.


    So, what kind of make-over shall we do, huh? It¡¯ll be structurally hard to add a bathroom and a kitchen in each room, and there¡¯s the problem with the well either way. So, all facilities that need water should be on the first floor, then. Let¡¯s look around the other rented houses and think about it first, shall we?


    Editor¡¯s Note: excerpt from the next chapter to better explain the above content; The city within the walls is very crowded. Just like in condominiums and flats, they sell the living spaces per floor, like, you can buy the second floor, and they call it rooms. I assume the author actually means rent instead of buy, though I guess it could be ¡°buy¡± like they do in big cities like New York USA.

 CH 87

    Riche and I played fetch in a spacious location during our morning stroll. He probably took a liking to that bough; he was still clutching it in his mouth while we walked on. He ran pitter-patter without taking a detour, probably keen on carrying it home.


    The fields seem to be doing okay, but I have to bring more straw for mulching the strawberries. Aside from the small size, the strawberries growing in this world have a lot of lumps on the surface. It¡¯s also used for medicine, apparently, and is said to be effective against depression. It bears fruit twice a year, and it¡¯s so shockingly sour.


    Breakfast is simple ¡ª I have rice, miso soup with tofu and wakame seaweed, grilled salmon and pickled radish, plus bakudan with natto, yam, okra, red tuna meat, egg yolk and chopped nori. I¡¯ll make a mousse with the egg white later.


    I answered a questionnaire about my favorite miso ingredients in the past, as well as those that I¡¯ll never touch, but really, all I can say is that it really depends on the type of miso you use. Like, nameko mushrooms are perfect for red-bean paste miso soup, stuff like that. I remember being a bit bothered while doing it, because there¡¯s a lot of different miso types, like refreshing ones and sweet ones, but they didn¡¯t include any information on which miso it was.


    Ahh, I really wanted to eat around in the other world. Ugh, not good, I¡¯m getting annoyed now. Okay, I¡¯ll just go around and have lots of fun in this world. I can freely go wherever I want, plus I also have a home I can settle in, after all.


    Back in Japan, my dream was to run away and live on my own, so I can¡¯t help but be excited with stuff like house plans, furniture and sites. I even bought a house this time around, too ¡ª yeah, maybe it¡¯s partly because I¡¯m bummed that I can¡¯t work on my forest house, but really, I guess I¡¯m too much of an impulsive buyer.


    I haven¡¯t found a craftsman that I like, so I can still hold back from buying furniture for now. At any rate, I should start with the rented house¡¯s entrance. ¡ª I still have to pay the rent for this month ¡ª Let¡¯s think about which door might be the best for it.


    ¡¸Eh? Retze? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, I just returned from reporting to the boss. ¡¹


    A familiar face greeted me when I dropped by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild after a long time.


    ¡¸You didn¡¯t join the subjugation? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Well, there¡¯s more outsider participants. I might end up dragging Chris and Dean down, so I¡¯m skipping out this time around. ¡¹


    Retze waved his hand in the air.


    ¡¸ Those Gold-ranks are nothing but trouble. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Hey, hey, they¡¯re highly regarded beings who can stop the monster wave, you know. ¡¹


    He bitterly smiled, chiding me half-heartedly.


    News flew around from Canum, and now that the first subjugation is over, folks from towns near the forest have also started recruiting participants for subjugation teams.


    In most cases, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and Commerce Guild¡¯s hold great power depending on their ability to gather information. Most of the branches keep talented people who can communicate with spirits, so they can respond promptly.


    Well, it isn¡¯t really that smooth-sailing all the time, given that spirits are too fickle, and they can¡¯t work for extended periods. Plus, there are also problems depending on the attributes, like you can¡¯t hear the sound if the spirit is a water attribute and you can only hear without seeing anything if it¡¯s wind.


    Temporarily, the guild¡¯s headquarters in that country will gather the information, and then they will disseminate it through their network system, apparently. For Canum, the headquarters in the royal capital and the branch in the largest fortress city facing the forest are both in charge of getting the info, and the four neighboring villages will be in charge of spreading it.


    As for where they¡¯re going to spread it, that will be case-to-case basis, but that¡¯s basically how it works.


    Amadeo(Roza)¡¯s party also has information personnel, so I plan to hang around the forest near the neighboring towns dressed in the costume that I wore when they mistook me for Ruf. My plan is to gradually spread rumors that Ruf is moving towards the north, then go beyond the Black Mountain, before pointing them out to the west.


    But before that, I have to go ask the spirits to gather info for me so that I can appear properly in front of the adventurers, er, people.


    By the way, there are roughly 5000 people living in the town of Canum, and the population of the fortress city in the forest is around twice that. There¡¯s more people the further you are from the forest. They can expand the fields because monsters and beasts don¡¯t appear, and they can also have a stable supply of food. Ah, but it will still depend on the weather, though.


    People treat the forest as a kind of spirit world, one that is filled with danger. Although they can get a lot of nature¡¯s blessings from it, they¡¯re already doing all they can just to get some from the shallow parts of the forest. There¡¯s no way it can be enough to support a large population. That¡¯s why Canum also buys most of its flour and the like from the western towns.


    A lot of merchants come and go here compared to the rest of the population because of the raw materials they get from the monsters. This place doesn¡¯t have any outstanding specialty products, nor do they monopolize the monsters in the forest, so the scale of the economy was just so-so. Ah, but maybe Canum can turn the tables around? It¡¯s the first to charge in and do the subjugation this time around, so they¡¯re going to obtain rare materials, after all.


    ¡¸ So Chris and Dean joined the subjugation, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸ You say. As if adventurer¡¯s in this town can refuse on the basis of being high-class folks right. I thought Dean will skip it too, you know how he is, but seems like he owes the guild. ¡¹


    It¡¯s not as if the adventurers work here like company employees, so they¡¯re actually free to do whatever they want. It¡¯s just that there are adventurers who stick to the guild out of loyalty, but there are also others who are in there to work for nobles or bigwig merchants. And there are also folks like Dean, who work because they are in debt to organizations and people like the guild.


    But then, the guild won¡¯t retract their adventurer status just because they failed to follow the guild¡¯s policies, as long as they meet their quota. Adventurers, no matter who they are, have to deliver materials regularly, and they also have to complete commissions.


    Ah, but if they always defy the guild then of course their rank will be lowered down!


    ¡¸I¡¯m on my way to escort a merchant, Ash just left to hunt bears. ¡¹


    ¡¸Neighbors, huh. Oh, right, if you come across a house or a room with a good deal, let me know. ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re moving? ¡¹


    The city within the walls is very crowded. Just like in condominiums and flats, they sell the living spaces per floor, like, you can buy the second floor, and they call it rooms.


    The second floors are the most popular, because of the waterwork system. The higher you go, the more unpopular it will be. Ah, but the manors of affluent guys who can afford to have servants is a different matter altogether. Most of them have shops on the first floor.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m inspired by Dean, but yeah, I climbed to the Silver Rank and can finally buy a house now. I waited so long for this, so of course I¡¯m considering it carefully. ¡¹


    Retze, who steadily cleared all those conditions for buying a house legitimately, step by step, is so dazzlingly amazing!!!!

 CH 88

    ¡¸Ready? ¡¹


    I then kicked the center of the after confirming that it was good to go.


    ¡¸Oopsie! ¡¹


    The wall slipped with a thud, and the man on the other side shouted.


    ¡¸Whoa, you did a great job clearing this out. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I did my best grinding it yesterday, after all. ¡¹


    I already finished doing the boring job of scraping the mortar yesterday. I have the strength, and the tools are made out of the monitor lizard¡¯s horn, so it felt like scraping honeycomb toffee.


    Even if people don¡¯t often pass here, the work is still pretty exposed and visible from the road. I wanted to finish this as soon as possible, so Retze was helping me.


    I drove several wedges on the wall earlier while using the marks I left on the wall as a guide, then we took turns repeatedly pounding the stone to break it. If we simply smash a wedge and drive it deep, the wall will just break in a weird way, so we had to be cautious and do it slowly, bit by bit.


    ¡¸ Please. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    I hand a piece of broken stone to Retze, and he skillfully slathers mortar on it before sticking it back to the wall.


    The edges were rough after taking out that portion of the wall since the stones had been piled up alternately when they built it. I smashed the stones, while Retze put them back to the wall after checking them against the boards to make sure they¡¯re straight. We now have a rectangular hole in the wall, one round bigger than a door.


    ¡¸Help me support this for a bit. ¡¹


    Retze held the wooden frame for the door up while I filled the gap between the frame and the rectangular hole with mortar. All I have to do now is wait for it to dry and harden, fix the door hardware to the frame and stone, then attach the door and it¡¯s done.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s amazing how you and Ash got single houses. Consider renting out your rooms? ¡¹


    Folks who come to the city usually rent attic rooms or some narrow room on the third floor. Those rooms were usually so tiny that they can only be used for sleeping in, while the wells and other facilities are shared. They rely on the food stalls to get their meals.


    We wash our hands by the well by drawing water in turns and pouring on each other. Doing this the first and second time might be fun, but it¡¯s really troublesome if you had to do this every time you¡¯re gonna take a bath and whatnot.


    ¡¸I¡¯m making medicine. I want to avoid sharing the well. ¡¹


    If there are people living here, I probably can¡¯t help but lend a hand and take care of them. I want to be free, but this personality of mine is getting in the way.


    ¡¸ If I¡¯m going to buy a house, it¡¯ll be a three-floor shop, and I¡¯ll rent out the attic and the third floor. ¡¹


    ¡¸ What do you plan to do with the shop? ¡¹


    I lit the fireplace and boiled some water. Can¡¯t leave the kitchen with the gaping hole there, obviously, so I can only bear with it until the door is fixed. Retze is also in the kitchen. Well, it¡¯s more accurate to say that he took a chair and put it in the corridor near the entrance of the kitchen.


    ¡¸That¡¯s up to my wife. ¡¹


    Retze said while drinking wine.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re married? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Nah, don¡¯t even have a partner yet. Oh, this wine¡¯s delish. ¡¹


    Most of the folks in this world marry only after they get their own house. That¡¯s because they simply can¡¯t afford to raise children without a house if the adults can¡¯t stand on their own yet. Never mind money since they can still do something about it; food will be the problem, frankly speaking.


    And so, wealthy folks marry early, while the capital men usually marry in their 30¡¯s to 40¡¯s. The girls become brides when they turn 15-22 years old. As for peasants, it¡¯s fortunate if they can even marry in their entire life. Life¡¯s really tough here.


    Although what I¡¯m going to say doesn¡¯t apply to the serf¡¯s peasants who already gave up on getting hitched, when it comes to marriage, most of the folks prioritize laying the groundwork for a stable life over falling in love.


    On the other hand, if you have a house then you can choose a wife to your heart¡¯s content. Lots of men choose to marry young brides, hence the gap in marriageable age.


    Actually, women also have a wider range of choices if they have a job, and if they don¡¯t mind getting married later in life then they can also buy a house first, then they¡¯re free to choose whoever they want to marry.


    It¡¯s just that they have to give birth while they¡¯re still strong enough. They¡¯re literally risking their lives, given that the medical system here isn¡¯t reliable.


    Being a girl is so hard~ is what I thought. Ah, I just imagined something weird. I¡¯d hate it if they do something like¡¸Aztec¡¯s method for the relief of labor pains ¡¹.


    The water is boiling now so I put the pasta into the pot and add some salt. While the pasta is cooking, I saute the garlic and chili in olive oil; wait until the aroma becomes stronger before adding the anchovies and smashing it while sauteing. Add olive slices, bottled tomato sauce, dry oregano. Toss the pasta, add salt to taste and it¡¯s all done.


    ¡¸Your dishes are still as tasty as ever. What¡¯s this sour taste? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Tomato, caper, and olive, I guess? ¡¹


    There¡¯s no table so we can only eat while forgoing manners as we hold our plates. I¡¯m still standing.


    ¡¸ Dunno what that tomato thing is, but it¡¯s perfectly spicy and sour. ¡¹


    ¡­. So they don¡¯t have tomatoes here, huh. I totally forgot about that. And here I was, thinking of bluffing it with ¡®it¡¯s not fresh, I used the preserved ones!¡¯. That¡¯s not even the problem, it¡¯s more like an existential question.


    ¡¸Retze, stop eating things you don¡¯t know without even checking it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ You¡¯re the one who made it, Jean, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem. ¡¹


    His lighthearted reply made me a bit happy.


    ¡¸ Is there anything else bothering you, Jean? Aside from holding that door up. ¡¹


    He shot a glance at the door leaning on the wall ¡ª it¡¯s for the back entrance ¡ª while asking me.


    ¡¸Me? I¡¯m thinking that those Gold ranks and their cronies are a nuisance. That¡¯s it, I guess? ¡¹


    ¡¸ If you don¡¯t want to join a party, then it¡¯ll be a pain in the neck if they find out you can see the spirits. ¡¹


    Hm?


    Why do you know that I can see them?


    ¡¸ All the folks that Chris doesn¡¯t call by name can see them spirits, even though he himself doesn¡¯t realize it, nor do the people around him, for that matter. ¡¹


    Retze shrugged his shoulders with a smile when I stared at him.


    ¡¸Seriously¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t be annoyed, just ask Chris to call you by name. His appearance and behavior might be like that, but he¡¯s a good guy, you know. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah, I understand that he¡¯s kinda nice, but¡­ ¡¹


    I also know that he voluntarily gets involved with the nobles, and that¡¯s because Dean doesn¡¯t like those aristocrats, so Chris switches places with him.


    He¡¯s just a tad too noisy, so I tend to avoid him for a bit.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll watch out for the Gold bunch. Well, rely on other people from time to time, okay. Thanks for the meal. ¡¹


    After that, he helped me install the door and that¡¯s the end of it. He accepted the payment saying it¡¯s because it¡¯s the first time, but he told me that next time, he wouldn¡¯t need any compensation if the work is just within the city.


    The door I chose was a thick, sturdy one made of oak, with decorations like black, decorative, iron hinges and stuff. I also planned to install iron grills, but I guess this is already enough.


    Still, it just hit me that I¡¯m just a kid compared to Retze. There¡¯s a lot of things that I don¡¯t know, much less realize.


    ¡ª¨C


    T/N: Aztec women yanked the balls of their husbands hard every time they have a contraction during labor. This is so they can share the childbirth experience. Oof.. Want to learn more? Here you go: https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/what-sympathy-pregnancy-looks-like-in-other-cultures/

 CH 89

    For the time being, I urged Ash to tell Chris to call us by name without telling her the reason.


    Chris, the guy with the wild intuition, huh. It¡¯s really terrible that he can be air-headed at times. If I just flat-out request him to stop me calling me by name and tell him the reason, it¡¯s tantamount to me revealing that I can see spirits. Even so, if I¡¯m the only one who knows all the secrets¡­


    Ah, maybe it¡¯s not a secret if the person himself isn¡¯t aware of it? Hey, Retze, what should I do!? ¡ª Ugh, why do I feel like he¡¯s smirking at me and egging me on, like ¡®go ahead, worry, worry, worry all you can¡¯, huh.


    Folks Chris don¡¯t address by name can see spirits ¡ª tsk, he did seem to have that tendency, so I fell for Retze¡¯s trick, huh. I ended up implying that Chris did have that ability, so I got laughed at. Ahh, I totally got played by Retze. Maybe it¡¯s because of the gap in our life experiences? So he¡¯s not just growing that beard for show, huh.


    There¡¯s still time before Chris returns, so let¡¯s just forget about this problem for now.


    I worked on the fields, named the spirits that I encountered on route from the forest to the fortress city, idled the time away in the library, and played with Riche.


    There¡¯s still time before Chris returns, so let¡¯s just forget about this problem for now.


    I worked on the fields, named the spirits that I encountered on route from the forest to the fortress city, idled the time away in the library, and played with Riche.


    The house along the¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡» street officially became mine during that period, although it was a bit more expensive than the one I¡¯m renting now. I also booked a slot for the sewage works through my connections ¡ª er, actually, I just went to the first store I explained the sewage structure to, and urged them to speed things up. I have to think about how I¡¯m going to renovate it.


    First, I have to consider whether I¡¯ll rent it out or not. This city is so jam-packed that any vacant place sticks out like a sore-thumb, so if people can rent it out, then they better do it. Alright, this can work, I just have to ask the Commerce Guild to introduce me to a real estate agent, and make it so that people can¡¯t trace me as the owner, then there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.


    So, who will I rent it out to? It¡¯ll be troublesome if they¡¯re going to work from home, so I should close the workshop on the first floor, huh. I can go through the back door so there¡¯s no need for me to pass through the alleyway, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be careful ¡ª it¡¯s a location that¡¯s really great for adventurers, after all.


    At any rate, I can just take my time until Roza and the other Gold Guys move on.


    ***


    The adventurers who came from the fortress city had already started hunting deep in the forest. Canum¡¯s guild already contacted them, apparently, so they totally skipped doing the investigation and directly went out to gather the subjugation team. Even the castle guards formed a squad to participate, so they split into two groups.


    The fortress city is actually more advanced than Canum, but the feudal lords had a greater influence over there, and they have a lot of soldiers, so being the suspicious guy that I am, it¡¯s not a place I want to stay for long. Plus, if I entered the city as a free knight ¡ª the status given by the deities for me to use ¡ª I have to greet the feudal lord and go through a lot of troublesome things.


    Oh, right, I¡¯m a lord with a castle and a territory of my own, huh. I don¡¯t have any people in the fief, though. Maybe I can consider the spirits loitering around over there as my people¡­ wait a sec, is it just me or are they getting bigger?¡­ Ah, but why is Riche still a puppy?


    I mused over this while activating¡¾Search¡¿ to look for the subjugation team. A wide river runs from the citadel to the forest, and it¡¯s the main stream channel from where the river in Canum branches off. I thought they are going up in the opposite direction of the river flow, but then, there are no trees around the river.


    Yeah, they must¡¯ve lumbered those trees down since they can transport it by boat after all. Perhaps, that citadel must have been on the front lines before they started chopping off the trees in this forest, but that place is far from the forest now. It was probably in the middle of the forest in the past.


    I relied on the hints of presence as I made my way through the forest. A huge owl swooped down and attacked me, so I slashed it. Actually, I know which way to go but couldn¡¯t take a shortcut because of the dense trees and uneven ground. I had to do detours as I ran.


    ¡¾Teleport¡¿is tempting, but the monsters have started to crowd together. Instead of hunting, I¡¯ll be the one hunted, obviously.


    A sense of urgency gnawed at me; it¡¯s hard to go forward more than I imagined. The tree roots, crumbling rocks and slippery grass were in the way.


    Few bicorn ash wolves, 5 tri-horned badgers, owls, bats ¡ª wait, won¡¯t they cause a stampede? Those monsters didn¡¯t even spare me a glance even if their comrades were killed. They were all headed in the same direction.


    What¡¯s happening at the top?


    I sensed a pure black bear and the presence of six people ¡ª indistinct yelling, metallic clanks,  and there you go, the angry roar of a bear standing on its hind legs while brandishing its arms.


    I slashed the bear in half as if I¡¯m splitting bamboo. Excuse me for attacking from behind you.


    The bear that had been split in half from its head to its bottom fell to the ground with a thud. A group of people were supporting each other, their armor dented and gouged out. They were all wearing matching clothes, so they¡¯re obviously part of a squad.


    When the bear collapsed, whoever they were that had been charging straight toward us suddenly lost their momentum, apparently scattered. There were a few who were still headed towards us, but it¡¯s clear that they already lost that single-minded urge to move in one direction.


    I suddenly remembered what Kaina-san, the one from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, had been worried about. The fortress city had more soldiers and adventurers than Canum, but they sent out investigation teams less frequently than our city.


    Normally, the fortress city should be the first to notify Canum of a possible monster wave. Not sure if it¡¯s because they¡¯re protected by strong, thick walls and soldiers, but they¡¯re lax in their vigilance towards the forest monsters. Maybe their distance from the forest has something to do with it too; they¡¯re far, after all.


    ¡¸ Don¡¯t get conceited. ¡¹


    I put my sword away and casted ¡¾ Heal ¡¿ on the two guys who seemed badly wounded. One of them was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, and the other had his armor torn off his chest. Ooh, bears are scary, treating armor like it¡¯s made of paper like this.


    ¡¸Ah¡­.Ah¡­¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Who¡­no, we offer our thanks ¡¹


    ¡¸ Squad leaderrr! Hold on!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ugggghhhhh!!! Squad leaderrrrrrr!!!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸I, I, I¡­.! I¡¯m a failure, and yeeetttttt!!!!! ¡¹


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I¡¾Teleport¡¿home.


    I thanked the spirits who did their best to help me keep my hood on and prevent my cuffs from turning up while I¡¯m running around, and treated them with all the things they loved. Mission accomplished for today.

 CH 90

    Towering mountains rise beyond the northern side of the sea. People inhabited the land at the border of the north, and half of that land is a world filled with black rocks and white snow. Many of the other places are also desolate, and only a sparse amount of grass grows there. The noonday sun is weak, and there are also white nights.


    This country is located beside the north¡¯s Black Mountain, and it is a land of seafarers who have more faith on the light of the stars than on the sun. They also do trade with other countries, but they are not like Nalluahdid that imports rare goods that can fetch a high price because their marine transportation isn¡¯t developed.


    They specialized in hunting, instead. They hunt whales and walruses on their fast, narrow boats and sell the meat, tusks, bones and the like. That¡¯s the main source of livelihood in this country ¡ª well, technically they operate on a familial level, with each unit composed of family members, but for the sake of convenience it is referred to as a country.


    There¡¯s an island inhabited by a single family specializing in trade, and most of the foreigners do their transactions over there. If those outsiders attempt to pass through routes not previously agreed upon, those northern people would promptly turn into pirates, so it¡¯s important to be cautious. Well, it¡¯s not like only the northern merchants and navy would turn into pirates, though.


    There are a lot of unusual things around here and I also want to look around, but let¡¯s do that later. There¡¯s no point trying to leave an impression on the folks here with the black-robed figure in the first place if I¡¯m also in the same town at the same time. Ah, but maybe there¡¯s no need for me to make a fuss by engaging in combat; I can just shop around in my black robe to achieve that goal?


    The folks here embroider thick cloths and hides with distinctive patterns, and those of the affluent class wear furs. In short, I really stick out like a sore-thumb with this get-up of mine. Since I¡¯ve been trying to be as conspicuous as possible while showing this get-up for all to see before coming here, even if I just did some shopping now, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll crop up in conversations if an interested party tried to gather info about me.


    The monsters living in the northern Black Mountain are separated by the sea, so folks here just leave them alone. Strong ones appear from time to time, but the northern people think that the Black Mountain is such a place and that they shouldn¡¯t mess with it.


    In light of the monsters being monsters of the sea, it¡¯ll be difficult for me to do something given that I don¡¯t have a boat. Ah, but it¡¯ll still be hard to do anything even if I have one, huh.


    And look at these people, they¡¯re truly a fighting tribe; they¡¯re screaming their heads off in glee if the sea is brimming with monsters, yelling things like ¡°it¡¯s prey!¡± and ¡°what a good haul!¡± while scrambling to hunt them. I can¡¯t even show-off!


    Okay then, change of plans, let¡¯s go shopping.


    Walrus tusks, whale oil and whiskers are expensive. Not sure if it¡¯s because there are a lot of excellent metal artisans here; but the goldsmith¡¯s silverwork like hair clips, sash clips, cloak brooches and other stuff are superb. Some of the silver bangles are also treated as currency, apparently.


    And just look at all the seafood here, seafood, you hear me? Salmon, mussels, shrimps, crabs, and cods. They also have a lot of those dried, salted cod, too.


    I don¡¯t have any plans of buying a lot of stuff while wearing this robe ¡ª okay, just one salmon. And a jar of lingonberry jam and two loaves of black bread that I have never seen before.


    The fragrant aroma of burnt butter wafted in the air, luring me towards a small, round, baked thing which I then bought. ¡¾ Appraisal ¡¿ results say it¡¯s a dish made with white cod meat as its base. The texture is similar to that of a pounded fish-cake that had been hardened for a bit. It¡¯s a bit strange.


    They also have a lot of iron goods, too.


    I strolled through the marketplace and found a corner where swords, shields, chain mails and other stuff are being sold. Oh, right, I have to find a good blacksmith who can handle the magical iron that Ash gave me.


    Alright, let¡¯s buy a set of cloak and shoes here so I can use them to blend in next time I return here to shop. My body shape is different from my current appearance, and if anything, my skull shape is also different, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll see me as the same person even if I just changed my clothes; they¡¯ll probably think that I¡¯m just a guy who came from who knows where and lives nearby. I happen to see several folks like that, too.


    Men here grew beards and they have an overly muscular, short and stout physique. It¡¯s pretty obvious that even the women here have more muscle than me¡­It¡¯s amazing how one can easily tell even if they¡¯re dressed in thick clothes.


    I can¡¯t help but feel grateful that I have¡¾Language¡¿as I finished shopping.


    Dragons fly around in the south, so there¡¯s no need for humans to be involved. As for the west, the three heroes are there, so they can probably do something about the monsters from the Land of Desolation.


    The northern spirits also begged me to name them, so I diligently set to work. It is said that deep underneath the Black Mountain where the ore deposits lie, there are many places with stockpiles of jewels and gems carried in by the spirits and fiends. Because of this, there are one or two young people who sail to obtain that great fortune in one fell swoop. It¡¯s a bit ambitious and romantic isn¡¯t it?


    There¡¯s a possibility that magical beasts that can use magic and fiends might appear; I¡¯m a bit scared to fight with them, so I plan to increase the number of spirits who can help me before I go there.


    The term fiend is actually quite vague. People use this term for the offspring of monsters and beasts possessed by weak spirits, a type of monster, or spirits that proactively play pranks on humans ¡ª basically, any being that uses magic to inconvenience people were all lumped up as fiend.


    I went home and took a bath. I could feel the chill of the northern land to my bones, so I returned home once without a second thought to prepare the bath before I started naming the spirits. The numbing sensation spread through my body as I soaked in the warm water, and it felt like my body was falling apart.


    Let¡¯s go to the Northern Kingdom in summer. Summer, alright.


    I¡¯ve already done my part in leading Roza and her comrades away. All I have to do now is to wait for them to return and pick-up the rumors.


    Oh, if the Gold ranks went away too soon, will it hinder the subjugation? Ah, no, it¡¯s probably fine since I already captured most of the black spirits around this area.


    By the way, I really want to cut my hair, but I don¡¯t want to go to the barbershop that¡¯s also doing the bathhouse. What about Ash?¡­Butler probably cut it.


    I took a long, leisurely bath then drank milk after I¡¯m done.


    I rubbed and stroked Riche, then had some coffee while reading. It¡¯s so nice that I don¡¯t have to worry about running out of books to read. Novels were few, but it¡¯s also fun learning about new stuff. You can say that anything printed is fine with me.


    Right now, I¡¯m reading about the things that spirits like. If two or more spirits possess the same person, most of the time, they stay beside that person for the same reasons ¡ª yeah, stuff like that.


    Then, does the fire lizard darting around Dean¡¯s shoulders have an armpit smell fetish, huh¡­?

 CH 91

    ¡¸Please do it with a clean stroke. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ I¡¯m afraid I cannot. ¡¹


    I asked Butler to cut my hair, but he refused!


    ¡¸If you¡¯re going to sell your hair, want me to lend you some money instead? ¡¹


    Retze said.


    ¡¸ I have money. And why did it turn to selling hair?¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, I just thought you¡¯re following that pattern ¡ªyou know, not enough money then sell your hair that you¡¯re so proud of. ¡¹


    Retze shrugged.


    ¡¸Jean¡¯s hair is beautiful. ¡¹


    Ash commented.


    I was about to retort that it¡¯s normal, but stopped myself from doing so. I don¡¯t do anything special to my hair, but the water I¡¯m using is different. It¡¯ll definitely turn stiff if washed with the hard water here. Yeah, it¡¯s really more glossy and voluminous than the residents around here.


    ¡¸I¡¯m getting tired of washing it, simple as that.¡¹


    If I cut enough to make a wig then I¡¯ll be bald then, in the first place.


    ¡¸Those aristocrats grow ¡®em long, so why not try it, too? ¡¹


    ¡¸Too troublesome. ¡¹


    Retze suggested that, but an annoying thing is annoying, period. Maybe I should just cut it on my own.


    ¡¸Then I¡¯m going to cut it for you later, so don¡¯t cut it yourself and don¡¯t shave your head, okay? ¡¹


    Retze seemed to read my mind and what I¡¯m planning to do, but¡­We¡¯ve only been acquainted for a short time, right? Am I really that shallow?


    ¡¸Why not take this opportunity to employ a servant¡­¡¹


    Really? Just for washing and drying my hair, huh, Butler?


    The subjugation team finally returned, and they¡¯re at the Guild reporting. I was invited for a drink to celebrate Dean and Chris¡¯s safe return. Right now, the four of us are gathered here at the beef party resto, chatting while we wait for the two protagonists to arrive.


    Anyway, never mind Retze, it¡¯s only been a short while since Ash and I hang around with those two, but¡­Not sure with Chris, but it¡¯s actually a mystery in Dean¡¯s case, since he¡¯s a popular guy with many friends.


    Maybe he lost them because of his relationship with his sister¡­?


    ¡¸There you are. ¡¹


    Dean strode towards us with firm steps.


    ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s been a while, my dear friends! ¡¹


    Dean and Chris might be different in the way they are boisterous, but they are both so lively.


    ¡¸Missy, one cask of wine! ¡¹


    Dean¡¯s bum hadn¡¯t even touched the seat yet there he was already ordering liquor from the waitress.


    Welcome back, thanks for the hard work, cheers for your safe return~ and we toast. This wooden cup doesn¡¯t really suit the wine, but there¡¯s no other choice, I guess.


    ¡¸How are Amadeo-sama and the others? ¡¹


    Butler broached the topic.


    ¡¸Those three really ooze with the Gold-rank vibes. Amadeo¡¯s physical strength is awesome, but he frequently bickers with the other two. ¡¹


    ¡¸Honestly, having a spirit weapon is so enviable. I also want to be loved someday! ¡¹


    ¡¸Uwah, what a lonesome declaration¡­¡¹


    ¡¸ That¡¯s because even if you get your hands on a spirit weapon, it¡¯s just a dull thing if it doesn¡¯t like you. They say ¡®you¡¯re loved by the spirit weapon¡¯ if you can exhibit its real ability properly. ¡¹


    My expression is weird, so Retze explains it to me.


    ¡­Alright, let¡¯s tend to ¡ºZanzenken ¡» later at home.


    ¡¸Those lackeys are useless as usual. Just blindly following around. ¡¹


    ¡¸There are also some who want to raise their status within the party, right? ¡¹


    Thank goodness I didn¡¯t go.


    ¡¸As for the result we got this time ¡ª there¡¯s the information that there are four heroes, and the empire¡¯s letting them do whatever they want. Don¡¯t underestimate that lackey¡¯s info-gathering ability, it¡¯s nothing to scoff at. ¡¹


    ¡¸Four people?] ¡¹


    They increased outta blue! Did somebody else aside from me get dragged into this? Well, based on that lifespan thingy, that person probably crossed the street first and met an accident afterward. In that case, then it¡¯s not really something surprising that he or she is here, I guess.


    The deities didn¡¯t mention anything about this, though. It¡¯s just that they seemed like they¡¯re not really allowed to say anything about the spirit and her contract, as well as the heroes that she summoned. I couldn¡¯t get any info from them regarding Sis¡¯ abilities, except for the ones that Lightball already said in a slip of tongue.


    ¡¸Normally, no matter how much the heroes project their magic, they usually start with the weak magic spells, or tranquil abilities such as offering prayers and the like, to gather the spirits. In this case, those four guys apparently just do as they please, apparently. ¡¹


    Dean looked disgusted as he waved his hand.


    ¡¸I heard that the number of people who can see spirits in the west has lessened¡­Did nobody warn them? ¡¹


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, I heard them say that the people who can see spirits over here are quite rare¡­then there are even fewer than that now?


    ¡¸ They didn¡¯t say anything ¡®bout that. ¡¹


    Dean noticed that his cup was empty when he raised his cup for a drink, so he took the pitcher-looking jug of wine.


    ¡¸The last time was 300 years ago, was it? There are a lot of inexplicable matters regarding the heroes and their surroundings. ¡¹


    Butler snatched the pitcher from Dean and poured him a cup.


    ¡¸At any rate, it¡¯s thanks to them that the threat of overabundance is years earlier than the Guild¡¯s projection. ¡¹


    Dean drank the wine in one gulp.


    ¡¸Last year¡¯s large-scale use of magic in the war was also outside prediction. I heard that they didn¡¯t get a single hint that it will occur during the previous investigations. It¡¯s as if it just came pouring all out once; oh, ¡®twas so dangerous. ¡¹


    Chris closed his eyes and placed his hand over his heart as if he¡¯s lamenting.


    ¡¸ Anyway, let¡¯s just drink for today! Jean, drinking contest! ¡¹


    ¡¸Why me? ¡¹


    Dean suddenly pointed at me.


    ¡¸If you win I¡¯ll take you to ¡ºMoon Pleasure House ¡»! If I win then tell me one of your most embarrassing secrets! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ohhh! So you have secrets, huh, Twilight! Then let me join you. If I lose then I will introduce you to ¡ºSupreme Bliss of Heavens¡». ¡¹


    ¡¸You guys, aren¡¯t those high-class brothels? ¡¹


    Retze dejectedly retorted.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t care what you wanna bet, but Chris, call me by my name, for goodness sake. ¡¹


    Both Dean and Chris bet an introduction to high-class brothels, apparently. So it¡¯s probably one of those luxurious ones that you can¡¯t enter without an intro, huh.


    ¡¸Then please call me by name, too. By the way, wouldn¡¯t it be considered boorish if you go back and forth between two brothels of that class? ¡¹


    Ash asked, perplexed.


    Oy, wait a sec. Is that what you should be bothered with, huh, Ojou-sama?


    ***


    Three guys collapsed on their chairs three hours later ¡ª Dean and Chris, and for some reason, Retze also got dragged into this. Butler didn¡¯t join the bet, while Ash just drank at her own pace.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s just leave them here and go home? ¡¹


    I will never get past tipsy thanks to ¡¾Heal¡¿, hahaha.


    ¡¸Indeed. ¡ª I will settle this, so can I entrust Ash-sama to you? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll send her home. ¡¹


    I turned to look at Ash ¡ª she¡¯s looking straight ahead, and only her hand is moving, steadily bringing the cup to her lips without a slightest quiver.


    ¡¸¡­Hey, don¡¯t tell me Ash is also drunk? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Yes. It is very unusual for her. ¡¹


    Butler smiled before turning his back on me.


    Wait, shouldn¡¯t it be better for me to do the cleaning-up? Hey, Butler?

 CH 92

    Most of the taverns in this world double as inns.


    Generally, stand-alone inns are quite rare, but since there are many people entering and leaving this town, they also have the so-called ¡®proper inns¡¯ that have facilities such as rooms for guests, bakery, a stable, a warehouse, and a courtyard for parking carriages. If it¡¯s located outside town, it will also have a slaughterhouse and brewery.


    The rich guys who want to be comfortable during their stay will inform the inn prior to their arrival. In some cases, they will also bring their own carpet and sleeping paraphernalia.


    As for the unreliable inns, they only have a single bed for the guest and pretty much nothing else. Inns that are trying to promote themselves as being ¡®proper¡¯ even if they¡¯re not will usually cram two or more people on the bed and get as many people as they can to sleep on the floor.


    Inns usually have fleas, lice and bedbugs, and those are the things I hate about them. And yet here we are, going to cram three guys inside a room of such an inn. The subjugation team has returned, so all the inns are crowded, but somebody ¡ª either Butler or Retze ¡ª already reserved a room prior to our drinking episode.


    When it was decided that a subjugation team would be dispatched, folks who ran away took refuge in the towns and villages in the west. Those who were willing to take the risk to do lucrative trade despite the danger also came. When the second subjugation team was dispatched, a lot of people returned, and there were also a lot of newcomers other than adventurers.


    It has become boisterous, and the security has become poor, but it has also become a good opportunity for promoting wet area renovations and bags.


    The only time Ash and I were left alone was when Butler stuffed the trio inside their rooms, so nothing happened ¡ª it felt like I was teased by Butler.


    He has that calm smile plastered on his face, but then, Butler is usually expressionless, or else fanning the flames by adding some side comments and expressions so that the information can be properly conveyed. He¡¯s smiling from beginning to end, though.


    ¡¸Ash, can you walk? ¡¹


    ¡¸No problem. ¡¹


    She¡¯s expressionless, and her answers are clear and short, but she¡¯s obviously drunk. Hey, stop walking just because I asked you if you can. And what are you doing, stopping in front of the wall?


    I guided Ash, who was standing in rapt attention in front of the wall, and we left the pub. Hey, Butler, thanks for opening the door and waiting for us, but don¡¯t you have any plans of switching places with me?


    There are a few people walking here and there on the main street, but those who saw Ash¡¯s face hurriedly moved away¡­Her eyes are completely glassy and her gaze uncannily steady.


    Ash looks like she¡¯ll just continue walking in a straight line towards who knows where, so I hold her by the elbow as I guide her along until we reach the ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡»street. She had been walking in a straight line before, but she started leaning on me midway through, so she¡¯s probably super drunk by now.


    Butler is behind us, acting like air.


    ¡¸Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸What is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    Don¡¯t just say ¡®mm¡¯, it¡¯s not ¡®mm¡¯, right!?


    ¡¸Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Brothel ¡¹


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm ¡¹


    You really can¡¯t hold a convo with a drunk, huh.


    ¡¸Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Hair ¡¹


    ¡¸Hair? ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s face is closer than usual as I glanced at her. Our eyes met.


    ¡¸Mm ¡¹


    No, wait, Ash¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t focused anymore. Not sure if the wine climbed to her head, but her eyes that had been staring straight ahead earlier are now misty. The reddish rims of her eyes nicely set off her white skin, and I find it a bit seductive¡­ Her features seem a bit softer now. Even her shoulders seem delicate? And stop with the ¡®mm¡¯.


    ¡¸Ash. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s dangerous getting drunk in front of people so stop it. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm ¡¹


    I watched Ash and Butler enter their home, then I also returned to mine. Let¡¯s eat some ochazuke, ochazuke it is. Oh, let¡¯s make a tai ochazuke.


    I fillet the seabream into three pieces, sear the fatty side of the skin, toss them into ice water, then take them out and drain them well. I put half of the fish into storage. I¡¯ll make an arajiru ¡ª miso made soup from fish bones ¡ª or maybe have it as sashimi later. Actually, I want to make dashi, but I don¡¯t want to take too much time now.


    I use kombu and lots of katsuobushi to make the dashi, then take the white rice out from ¡¾Storage¡¿. A black bowl suits ochazuke well.


    I arranged the pink sea bream onto the white rice, and sprinkled a lot of sesame seeds and some minced perilla. Pour lots of golden dashi, and itadakimasu~


    Ahh, bliss.


    Yeah, let¡¯s make some salted salmon, pickled plums, and roe stock next time. I should also prepare dashi for ochazuke. And ramen, too.


    ***


    The next day, Ash came to my house with an extremely terrifying expression to apologize for being dead drunk yesterday..


    ¡¸Did you eat? If you can eat, I can bake some bread for you. ¡¹


    She seems like she has a hangover; I feel bad for not being able to give her some mussel miso soup, or ochazuke.


    What else works, hm? Ginger and lemon might do the trick. Yeah, then that¡¯ll do.


    I take a small bottle and pour its contents into a cup. It¡¯s a syrup made from stewing peeled and chopped fresh ginger, lime, lemon and some sugar. I pour hot water into the cup to dissolve the syrup. Actually, my initial plan is to make some ginger ale later by adding carbonated water.


    [No, my stomach is a bit¡­¡¹


    I asked her if want some bread while handing the cup, but she refused.


    ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s hard to ¡ª sweet? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s syrup made from ginger and citrus. It¡¯ll help your stomach, so just drink lots of water and rest, okay. ¡¹


    Ash didn¡¯t look good, so I took her back to her house. She could have visited me once she¡¯s feeling better. So how about the trio in the inn? I wonder how they¡¯re feeling now. They¡¯re probably used to hangovers, and besides, men are responsible for themselves.


    ____


    T/N: Drunk Ash with Jean is so cute ~ Jean seemed pretty unsettled! (///^.^///) Well, ochazuke is a Japanese comfort food, and it¡¯s also a popular hangover remedy. Anyway, is it just me? But there¡¯s a lot of subtle hints here¡­Black bowl ©` Jean¡¯s hair/ color¡­And the color combo of his meal!!  perhaps he subconsciously thought of Ash¡¯s white skin and pink-rimmed golden eyes


    (?>?<?)


    T/N to self: You¡­aren¡¯t you thinking too much? ?(¨@?¨A*)? ? Here, sea bream ochazuke


    Ctto: Tsunagu Japan

 CH 93

    The twigs I pruned during winter had dried up, so I lit a campfire using those while working on the fields. There are sweet potatoes on standby; I¡¯ll chuck them in when the blazing fire dies down into glowing embers.


    The fields are also in great condition. The pea flowers are blooming. I have pod peas ¡ª you eat the shells while they¡¯re young then enjoy green peas when they¡¯re more mature. There are a few snap peas, and I also grow some red peas for making mitsumame, a tasty delicacy made with mixed beans, agar cubes, and bits of fruit with syrup.


    The peas are both from the pantry and locally sourced. The local ones grow bushier and their growth is amazing. The ones from the pantry have more flowers, and the vitality is superb.


    Peas are self-pollinating so they don¡¯t really need flowers from the other plants, but since the pea spirits seem very interested in fluttering among the flowers, I just let them be. I don¡¯t have the patience to cut the stamens one by one and do artificial pollination; that¡¯s way too meticulous a job for me¡­!


    The spirits that appear here in the field have peculiarities that make it easy to associate them with a particular plant. We have one wearing cabbage-looking trousers, another wearing a dress that resembles a pea flower¡­and a round-bodied spirit pretending to wear an italian parsley leaf, since it doesn¡¯t have legs ¡ª maybe that¡¯s its entire body, I guess.


    Human prayers and fears are usually used as magical energy by the spirits, and those with humanoid figures or resemble familiar menace ¡ª think about wolves and dragons ¡ª tend to gain power more easily. Those who are strong enough to become deities usually have that appearance, but the tiny spirits come in all kinds of shapes, so it¡¯s quite chaotic.


    Also, the vegetables from the pantry don¡¯t produce spirits, probably because they¡¯re created by the deities¡¯ power in the first place. Apparently, their powers could undergo differentiation if there¡¯s a strong attachment to something, but I¡¯m fine with anything as long as I can happily enjoy my food so I probably won¡¯t have the chance to see that.


    Maybe it¡¯s just me, but the veggies inhabited by spirits seem darker in color. There are fresh, vivid green plants with leaves that stretch beautifully to their tips.


    Eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, spring onions, chili peppers¡­ I grew a few veggies that can be planted during the beginning of spring, and even harvested some shallots, cabbage, rape blossoms, onions ¡ª all is well, all is well.


    Riche sniffed the onions that I dug up.


    ¡¸Riche, dogs get sick when they eat onions, so ¡ª ¡¹


    ¡¸Riche is not a dog. ¡¹


    Ludere appeared!!


    He did say that Riche is his master before, but¡­I guess you still love Riche until now, right? He probably has his own thoughts about this puppy appearance, though.


    ¡¸Oh goodness me, what great vegetables you have here. ¡¹


    Pal also appeared abruptly and is now circling the center of the field while looking at the vegetables, which then seem to bounce with life in her wake.


    Ish is also there, watering the plants. Thanks for coming right away!


    Even though I see glimpses of spirits every now and then, my field has never been this surreal as it is now. It has become completely fantasy-like the moment those two appeared. The strawberries that weren¡¯t supposed to have fruits yet suddenly bloomed with white flowers, and just when I thought that was it, red fruits started popping out, all puffed up.


    Riche played with the soft dirt that was dug out when harvesting the onions. Ludere just stood there ¡ª what is he doing? Eh, maybe he¡¯s just like a retainer obediently waiting at the side?


    I stopped my work midway to prepare the salad ¡ª tossed some shallots, white wine vinegar dressing, lettuce, thinned baby leaves. Grilled onions, and then strawberries for dessert.


    Some of the strawberries here lost their bumpy face, and the shape has become similar to the ones in Japan. Let¡¯s leave some to ripen and get the seeds. Next year, I¡¯ll do my best to have more strawberries that are more like the ones I¡¯m familiar with!


    ¡¸Have some salad, please. It is in the trial phase so I didn¡¯t make too much.¡¹


    They won¡¯t taste it unless they¡¯re obsessed or interested in it, after all.


    I served the wine, bread and salt that has been proven to be okay for them, and plated a bit of salad and a piece of strawberry each.


    Thank goodness, Pal and Ish look like they can taste the salad and the strawberry. Alright, vegetable dishes are no longer banned (it seems)!


    ¡ª Ludure seems to have tasted the onion¡­.


    ***


    The sewage construction work on the house at ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡»had ended. And so, I decided to fix the walls, floor and roof for the meantime.


    ¡¸Yeah, I know that I¡¯m the one who offered to help you for free if it¡¯s within the city, but¡­ ¡¹


    Retze grumbled while smearing plaster on the wall that had been replaced with the stones that I shaved off and broken.


    ¡¸Hahaha! I¡¯m already tired of grinding away on my own. ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡­¡¹


    Retze skillfully and beautifully plastered the wall while muttering.


    ¡¸Sorry for troubling you. ¡¹


    ¡¸We apologize, Retze-sama ¡¹


    I dumped the role of landlady to Ash, or maybe it¡¯s more accurate to say ¡®to Butler¡¯. It¡¯ll take way too much time to drop by the Commerce Guild every single time, and that¡¯s a hassle. If it¡¯s Butler, he will definitely screen all the people who¡¯ll enter, for Ash¡¯s sake.


    For the compensation, I¡¯m giving them a tenth of the rental fee, and the right to use it as a secret path in case of emergency, just in case Ash¡¯s brother still hasn¡¯t given up wanting her dead after usurping their House.


    It¡¯s unsure whether he hired a group of people to ¡®do the job¡¯ across countries, but Ash had been frequently targeted by several groups back when she was still in her home country. Butler apparently stopped them back when they were there, and they haven¡¯t been targeted once ever since they left their kingdom.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to pay you properly based on the market price. It¡¯s heavy labor, after all. ¡¹


    Never mind walls, plastering the ceiling is already quite hard.


    ¡¸Retze-sama, would you like to live here? Considering its facilities, I do believe this is an unprecedented bargain. ¡¹


    Butler¡¯s number one invitation target is Retze. As expected, Butler.


    ¡¸Retze¡¯s going to buy a house and search for his bride, it seems? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh my, that¡¯s great. ¡¹


    ¡¸ No, I¡¯m not in a hurry for a bride, though¡­ ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s averting his eyes, letting it wander around.


    ¡¸ So once you bought a house, it¡¯s time to find a wife, huh¡­¡­ ¡¹


    Ash, that¡¯s a huge misunderstanding, okay.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Mitsumame ¨C Japanese dessert made of small cubes of jelly, black sugar syrup, red peas, and assorted fruits, usually eaten in summer.


    ctto: Yamada Akira

 CH 94

    I left the walls to them and climbed up to the roof ¡ª several orange-ish tiles had been broken.


    The tile colors are almost the same for all the houses. That¡¯s because they¡¯re from the same soil~ well, that¡¯s partly true, but it¡¯s mostly because they¡¯re still unglazed. The vermillion color comes from the iron oxide in the soil, and the red bengara pigment remains after oxidation firing, which uses less wood for fuel. The colors range from red to orange, and some are even brown ¡ª it differs depending on the town, but yeah, most of them are unglazed.


    It¡¯s great that we don¡¯t have that much rainfall here compared to Japan, but it still leaks even if they¡¯re not broken¡­Unglazed pottery soaks up water!


    I wonder if these tiles were broken when they climbed the roof to clean the chimneys? Chimney sweeps were mostly children, so they¡¯re supposedly light. But then, it would still crack under the weight, I guess. Unglazed pottery is brittle, after all.


    Reduction firing is done in an airtight kiln, so it results in a blackish tile. It has a low water absorption rate, so these tiles don¡¯t leak. Glazed tiles are unusual here, so wealthy folks usually have black roofs.


    I don¡¯t wanna stand out, so let¡¯s just leave it as vermillion. So far, there were only two instances when the roofs soaked the rain but didn¡¯t start dripping, so I guess it¡¯s fine.


    I removed the broken tiles and replaced them with new ones. I wanted to turn the window at the courtyard into a glass one if it isn¡¯t visible from the outside, but standing here, I realized that the chimney sweeps can totally see it so, yeah, giving up on that idea. Indoors is fine, but I don¡¯t want to have an eye-catching exterior., so not going to tamper with that.


    Never mind the stone floor of the first floor, both the second and third floors have worn-out wooden floors, so my next project is to have some spots refinished. I¡¯m using materials and stuff that can be found in Canum because this house will be rented out.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s have lunch. ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright! ¡¹


    ¡¸Looking forward to it. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Indeed, Jean-sama¡¯s dishes are really delicious. ¡¹


    The trio seemed happy when I called out to them, so that put me in a good mood. I prepared lunch while Butler brewed the tea.


    Today¡¯s main dish is mushroom and macaroni gratin. I already prepared it yesterday, all I have to do is to add a lot of cheese on top, then put it inside the oven, adjust the coals and bake it for that nice toasted brown finish. I also cut the french bread into suitable size and slather butter generously, sprinkle some garlic and pour a bit of olive oil before toasting it.


    Both of them are done while I¡¯m dishing the pot-au-feu that has been simmering over the fireplace onto the plates. Our menu for today is macaroni and mushroom gratin, garlic toast, pot-au-feu, and chiffon cake for dessert.


    We offered thanks to the spirits, kinda like ¡®itadakimasu¡¯ before digging in. Alright, tell me, how is it?


    ¡¸Yum ¡¹


    ¡¸How wondrous yet again¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Tasty ¡¹


    I¡¯m usually just cutting, stewing, toasting, baking or grilling, so whenever they say it¡¯s delicious, I can¡¯t help feeling nervous thinking whether they¡¯re saying that because it tastes good, or they just say that because the taste is actually bad but it¡¯s something novel that they haven¡¯t tried yet. Oh my galloping heart¡­


    Salt, cheese and herbs are commonly used here, so I feel a bit at ease for now.


    I watched their reactions for a bit before taking a bite myself. Yup, it¡¯s delicious, but I shouldn¡¯t have made steaming dishes to this extent, since we¡¯re already hot from all that work. Yup, it¡¯s a blunder on my part.


    ¡¸I like this top part. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s this creaminess inside for me¡­ ¡¹


    Hey, praise the pot-au-feu, I put in a lot of effort in making the consomm¨¦ for that. It had been an infinity hell trying to remove that never-ending scum while clarifying it. Well, that¡¯s the result of thinking ¡®let¡¯s make a lot of this since it¡¯s a base soup¡¯.


    Ah, but the cabbage cut into eight parts then simmered tastes really nice; it¡¯s soft and sweet. It¡¯s not the dark green ones I¡¯m used to seeing around here, but the cabbage that resembles the ones from Japan that I¡¯m familiar with. Actually, this cabbage is harvested from my field, but nobody seems to suspect a thing.


    ¡¸I want some wine. ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re in the middle of work, so rejected. ¡¹


    Retze muttered while munching on the garlic toast. There¡¯s wine with low alcoholic content on the table, but it¡¯s too mild so he¡¯s treating it like water.


    ¡¸Oh right, what happened after that drinking party? Were you alright? ¡¹


    ¡ª after being tossed to the floor even though it was so cold.


    Ash fidgeted, but let¡¯s just ignore her. She was drunk back then, but it wasn¡¯t like she kicked up a fuss, nor did she bother me. She seems to mind it, though.


    Just, don¡¯t get dead drunk outside ¡®coz it¡¯s dangerous, okay?


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯m already used to huddling with those guys after getting wasted. The trick is to get drunk before your opponent. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t need that kind of trick.


    The Gold-rank part was a huge group. Never mind those higher ranking dudes, the low-ranking folks probably wanted to earn money, so there are a lot of people frequenting the forest to hunt, and they are getting into quarrels with the resident adventurers because of that, so Retze and Ash avoided going there.


    There¡¯s a limit to the number of hunting grounds that¡¯s only a day trip away from the city, so it¡¯s not really about the Gold-rank party, but the sheer number of people going there.


    Well, not complaining ¡®coz here they are helping me with the renovation thanks to that.


    ¡¸Mm¡­¡¹


    Ash seemed delighted while eating the chiffon cake.


    I smeared a lot of lightly beaten fresh cream on the maple syrup chiffon cake.


    ¡¸This is another fascinating texture. It¡¯s soft and gently melts in the mouth¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it might seem rare since they usually make sweets that are hard, prolly ¡®coz it keeps well that way. The ingredients are common, though. ¡¹


    Actually, ¡®pastries¡¯ in itself are considered quite rare here, but they are mostly heavy and bulky.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped that they lacked variation, after all, just only a while ago, they followed the official notice that artisans could only make pastries during special holidays. Instead of making luxury goodies, they were told to use the valuable ingredients to make bread. Thus, they could only make dishes other than bread that required flour can only be made at their home.


    Folks couldn¡¯t enjoy sweets unless they were capable of making them, or if they were rich guys who could afford to have their own cooks. Eventually, putting cheese and bacon on bread was allowed, then sweet breads ¡ª places like Nalhualdid already have confectioners.


    In the first place, only a few houses have their own ovens; it was mostly stoves for fireplaces. Let alone sweets, even bread had to be bought from stalls or from the confectioner apprentice peddling their goods on the streets.


    Sugar is valuable, so most of those pastries are salty ones or cheese flavored, but here in Canum, the commoners can look forward to sweets and pastries that are maple syrup flavored.


    ¡¸Want to put on some more? ¡¹


    This chiffon cake tastes sweet enough for me, but I also prepared a small jar of maple syrup for those who have a sweet tooth.


    ¡¸I¡¯m already satisfied as it is. ¡¹


    Retze looks like he prefers sour things. That¡¯s only my guess, being the wine-lover that he is.


    ¡¸Me too. ¡¹


    Butler apparently doesn¡¯t like deep-flavored food, not only sweets. And he favors thin broth ones, like, pot-au-feu instead of gratins?


    ¡¸Please. ¡¹


    Ash, you¡¯re putting too much, I think.


    ¡ª¡ª-


    T/N: Let¡¯s drool at these together~


    Macaroni and mushroom gratin and pot-au-feu

 CH 95

    I¡¯m showing Retze around~


    It¡¯s decided that Retze will be our renter number one. The price of the houses fluctuated ever since the first subjugation. Even though the houses here are cheaper, that¡¯s the opposite for the other areas. He already predicted this, but he prioritized being promoted.


    Another option is to buy a cheap place, renovate it to raise its value, sell it for a higher place and move on to the next, but Retze¡¯s buying his food from outside, and he doesn¡¯t have the confidence that he can renovate it. So, his plan is to buy a house that¡¯ll be his permanent residence, apparently.


    And so, it seems like he wants to wait until the price has stabilized.


    ¡¸Private toilet stalls, bathroom and storehouse, huh. ¡¹


    The toilet and the bathroom are a given, but it seems that he also wants a personal storeroom aside from the pantry, a place where he can store his weapons and other stuff he buys.


    I think about the floorplan while listening to Retze and Butler¡¯s wishes. So they prefer a layout geared towards adventurers, I guess?


    ¡¸Maybe I can add a door to this side so you can access the well without going through the kitchen, huh. And maybe make the washing place a bit more spacious. ¡¹


    Livestock and monsters are disassembled at a place dedicated for that work, either inside or outside the city. It¡¯s stinky, after all¡­


    But then, small animals like birds and rabbits are dismantled inside the house, and the adventurers also bring their monster spoils so the washing area must be spacious enough. There¡¯s a washing area around the well, too, but the drainage is poor, so it¡¯s scary to clean those things over there. There¡¯s a danger of contaminating the drinking water, after all.


    The waterways are connected, and I don¡¯t think changing one or two houses will make a difference. Still, I figure doing something about it is much better than doing nothing, so I made sure unclean stuff won¡¯t seep into the well or the ground At Ash¡¯s and my house. Well, I suspect that the sewage underground is already leaking, though!


    Firewood is stored under the stairs. Folks usually consume around a small busload of firewood during the winter, and it has to be easily accessible since it¡¯s a daily necessity. The cellar has an area to store the remaining firewood and a pantry, so I won¡¯t change this, too.


    And so, the days pass with me doing a lot of work. They held the third subjugation expedition during this time, apparently. While the subjugation was ongoing, Ash and Retze returned to bear hunting and other work, and I also delivered the recovery medicine to both guilds.


    Finally, I¡¯m done. Time to show it off.


    ¡¸It¡¯s done already? That¡¯s quite fast. ¡¹


    ¡¸Did my best. ¡¹


    Not to brag, but I made full use of this physical ability, you know! By the way, I also asked the spirits¡¯ help for stuff like drying that would take time.


    I guided Retze, Ash and Butler around the house.


    ¡¸You¡¯ll find the living room, bathroom, and kitchen on the first floor. Oh, and there¡¯s a place where you can put your luggage temporarily. ¡¹


    The houses in this area are mostly occupied by the craftsman¡¯s family, and they will also be the landlords. The first floor is dedicated to a workshop, the living room and kitchen, while you can find the family¡¯s rooms on the second floor. If they have apprentices, they will live on the third floor, otherwise they¡¯ll also rent it out. The attic is used as a storage room or a rented room.


    This house won¡¯t be rented out to a huge family, but in case it¡¯ll be sold to an artisan in the future,I didn¡¯t alter most of the places too drastically except for the bathroom.


    ¡¸Ahh, it has become a lot more comfortable now. ¡¹


    Retze said, but I just spread a rag and put a table, though.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go to the cellar first? ¡¹


    The staircase going down the basement isn¡¯t really wide, but it¡¯s spacious enough to carry a normal-sized wine barrel going down.


    ¡¸The area in front is for common use, and if you go further in, you¡¯ll see that I divided the place into a few rooms. The key is the same as the one for your room. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Oh, so you put a lattice gate, huh. ¡¹


    Retze opened one of the unlocked gates and entered.


    ¡¸So the expensive wines and the spare weapons go here, huh. ¡¹


    He¡¯s already planning where to place his stuff.


    We then went up. The second floor is divided into three ¡ª the first is above the kitchen, the second above the entrance hallway. I added something like a cross between a closet and a backroom inside the room.


    ¡¸Is this a bed?¡­ Darn, this is way too awesome.¡¹


    ¡¸What might this be? ¡¹


    Butler continued checking the place while ignoring Retze as he happily rolled on the bed


    ¡¸It¡¯s a closet. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ash, it won¡¯t open no matter how you push it. ¡¹


    It¡¯s a sliding door.


    I demonstrated how to open it and was met with dropped jaws. Sliding doors are usually used as partitions in castles. Plus, they can be easily removed so it¡¯s only natural that they aren¡¯t really used in this world where public safety is a concern.


    ¡¸Hoh, so you can open it from both sides to see inside. ¡¹


    He kept on shutting and opening it, relishing the novelty.


    ¡¸I just thought that it¡¯d be troublesome entering this place with a candle. Just smear some wax on the groove under the doors if it¡¯s getting harder to open, alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸Those lumps on the walls are for shelves, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I already placed two, you can arrange it as you please, and you can also add more shelves if you want. ¡¹


    I replied to Ash.


    So, the rooms come equipped with a bed, a fireplace and a closet. The room is narrow, but there¡¯s a vacant space beside the closet that they could use to put a cabinet or a chair they can use to warm themselves in front of the fireplace ¡ª they can buy or do whatever they want with it.


    ¡¸We also have a storage area for silverware inside the stewards¡¯ room, but this is a lot more private and comfortable than those rooms. I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s not only the adventurers who hoard whale oil inside their room. This is pretty convenient. ¡¹


    I got Butler¡¯s approval. Seems like folks here hoard or make things while they are still available. Most of the stuff is stored for around 6 months to 1 year, so no matter how much storage they have, it seems like it will never be enough.


    Generally, the cellars are filled with salted meat and wine ¡ª with low alcoholic content ones that they drink like water ¡ª while the attic is used to store dried meat and straws. Normal houses use straw beds as mattresses, after all. By the way, if they¡¯re keeping chickens and goats, their food is also stored inside the house.


    The third floor also has the same layout. These rooms are quite spacious and can be considered as quite luxurious, but since I don¡¯t want too many people living here, I plan to just make it expensive to narrow down the number of people. Well, it¡¯s not like I have to rent it out, after all.


    Retze seems like he wants to buy blankets immediately, eager to move in tomorrow.

 CH 96

    ¡¸Don¡¯t touch my brother! ¡¹


    Tina stood in front of her brother in an attempt to protect him. Two ugly-looking guys loomed before them. Not their appearance, but their expressions.


    ¡¸Shut yer mouth!! ¡¹


    What a baddie. No, they¡¯re scoundrels.


    And so, I punched those two scoundrels from behind and it¡¯s over. Gave their heads a good beating as hard as I could, but not so sure if it¡¯s safe now.


    ¡¸Are you alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean Nii-chan! ¡¹


    I caught the two of them as they rushed and clung to me while on the verge of tears. I patted their heads.


    I¡¯ve been working hard the past few days, so I decided to take a break and visit Dinosso¡¯s house, but met trouble when I ¡¾Teleport¡¿ with the presents I¡¯ve prepared.


    Why are there people here without a horse ¡ª of course, I exempted myself while thinking that.


    Maybe there are others, and they¡¯re with the horses?


    Still, she¡¯s an older sister who sticks up for her brother, huh. I¡¯m fully aware that families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes with different kinds of people, but it still made me feel complicated.


    ¡¸What happened? ¡¹


    ¡¸ A lot of people suddenly came, and Mom and Dad told us to run away¡­ ¡¹


    So, the house is the primary crime scene, huh. The kids were in the barn, so Madam let them escape while Dinosso dealt with those guys. That¡¯s when Vak got separated and captured, apparently.


    The twins¡¯ names are En and Vak. It¡¯s a bit easier to tell who¡¯s who when they¡¯re together, but it¡¯s hard if there¡¯s only one. Based on Tina¡¯s story, she¡¯s with En right now.


    ¡¸How dangerous. ¡¹


    Let¡¯s take those two guys as hostages for now.


    ¡¸At any rate, let¡¯s return to where your mom and dad are. Just remember not to say a word no matter what happens, alright? ¡¹


    I¡¯m slightly confident that I can take them on, but not sure about Dinsso¡¯s situation now, so I want to check it first.


    It¡¯d be best if I can leave the kids somewhere safe, but the places you can hide over here are way too few, and it¡¯ll be a pain if there are other scoundrels loitering around. We¡¯ll escape with¡¾Teleport ¡¿ if needed.


    We arrive at the scene of a guy stepping on Dinosso in front of their house, and another guy is pushing Madam¡¯s shoulder behind her while holding a sword against her neck. The separated twin Vak is a bit ¡ª no, he¡¯s quite far from the two, held hostage by another guy.


    Two more guys, so that makes it a total of five, huh. Vak is too far from the other two, so it¡¯ll be difficult to annihilate the bastards all at once. Vak¡¯s closer to where I am right now, though.


    ¡¸Dammit¡­.urk¡¹


    ¡¸Yer should¡¯ve just spilled ¡®em beans. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hmpf, that Wolf King Valmour will be rotten at this rate. Resist, and we¡¯ll kill yer kids, ye hear? ¡¹


    The man kicked the fallen Dinosso.


    ¡¸Daddy!! ¡¹


    Ugh! Ugh!


    I heard Tina scream, so I hastily knocked the two guys who captured Vak since they¡¯re the closest to me. Yeah, no matter how much you warn kids, everything will fly out the window if they see something gut-wrenching. It¡¯s my fault.


    ¡¸Oh, goodness me.¡¹


    I was about to rush towards the other four, but Madam¡¯s bright voice that was totally out of place suddenly rang.


    My feet stopped.


    Madam, who was supposedly being held back by the sword, had elbowed the man¡¯s sword arm out of the way and firmly stepped on his foot, then she used her other arm to elbow strike him once again. She grabbed the man¡¯s sword with that same fluid motion, and then she hit the man who kicked Dinosso in a flash ¡ª well, actually, she knocked him with the sword then skewered the other two in an instant.


    Er¡­What?


    ¡¸Daddy, Mommy!! ¡¹


    The three kids happily rushed over.


    Me, rooted on the spot, thoroughly dumbfounded. Dinosso, still lying on the ground.


    This is the second time I witnessed somebody being killed, but is this really Madam¡¯s handiwork? Yeah, she really did it, huh. Not sure if they¡¯re carried away from joy that their parents are safe, but those trio ignored the corpses while happily hugging each other.


    ***


    We¡¯re back at the house, and I¡¯m tending to Dinosso¡¯s wounds. Madam is busy packing their things for their escape.


    ¡¸Looks painful. ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, I did evade them unnoticed, so it¡¯s not as bad as it seems. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    There¡¯s a lot to take in, so I quietly smeared medicine before bandaging him.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­. You probably wanna say something, right. ¡¹


    Dinosso bitterly smiled while asking.


    ¡¸Yeah¡­Is it okay to say it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    ¡¸I have medicine. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ugh! Ouch! ¡¹


    I suddenly remembered about it after rolling the bandages over Dinosso.


    ¡¸Sorry for dragging you into this. ¡¹


    ¡¸I was shocked. ¡¹


    Ah, but I don¡¯t hold any ill will against her; it¡¯s like, yeah I understand that it was necessary based on how things were back then. More like the genuine shock you get when somebody died. Her resolve was different from mine ¡ª I just knocked people down while thinking that maybe they¡¯ll die from it before leaving them to their fate.


    ¡ª So, the guys who captured Vak were so far away, probably because they thought they might be killed before they could do anything to the hostage. Me too, I totally can¡¯t imagine myself winning against Madam.


    ¡¸En has ¡¾Storage ¡¿ ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­.has ¡¾Storage¡¿ ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm. ¡¹


    Dinosso repeated his words twice.


    ¡¸¡­.Er ¡¹


    ¡¸En¡¯s ¡¾Storage ¡¿ is so amazing, you can even put a huge desk in it, even though there¡¯s nothing there but air!!! It can even hold ten sacks of wheat, you know!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean, people with ¡¾Storage¡¿ are super rare, enough for people from the palace to come and drag them away! ¡¹


    Dinosso faltered, so Tina and Vak explained in his stead while carrying things.


    Yeah, having¡¾Storage ¡¿is really convenient, after all. It¡¯s a bit peaceful if they¡¯re used for doing business, but then, folks can also smuggle all they want, bring all the weapons they want, and they can also reduce the horse load during war.


    Still, I can understand where they¡¯re coming from, given that I too have my own ¡¾Storage ¡¿, but Vak¡¯s explanation sounded like it¡¯s a childish mystery. Oh, my ¡¾Storage ¡¿ can store things that are bigger than a desk, you know.

 CH 97

    ¡¸En was blessed by the spirit with storage when he was in the temple, so it was exposed right there and then. We¡¯ve been targeted ever since. ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s so hard on you. So, you¡¯re gonna flee from this place? ¡¹


    It¡¯ll be lonely then~


    ¡¸We¡¯ll go to Canum. I¡¯m tired of running away. ¡¹


    ¡¸What? Why Canum? ¡¹


    My place?


    ¡¸Shiva and I are adventurers, and we¡¯re quite famous, you know~? ¡¹


    Dinosso goofily winked at me.


    The deities had also recommended the borderland city of Canum to me. Folks here aren¡¯t that clan-oriented like the people of the Northern Kingdom. In fact, it¡¯s also considered as the city with the least interference from troublesome aristocrats and the temples.


    Dinosso and Shiva are highly-skilled adventures, apparently ¡ª oh, wait, Madam was a former young noble miss, and she became an adventurer when she met Dinosso. Uh, I seriously don¡¯t get her.


    Alright, back to the story ¡ª they were skilled adventurers, but four years ago, En obtained¡¾Storage¡¿. He decided that it would be too dangerous if he¡¯s going to leave the children to Madam, so he opted to stop being an adventurer because they could easily pinpoint his whereabouts with that occupation. They then concealed themselves.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been four years, but they¡¯re so stubborn, even venturing to a remote place like this. Before Shiva and I become weaker, we want to teach the children so they can protect and fend for themselves. ¡¹


    ¡¸So, you¡¯re going back to being an adventurer, then? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, yup. At any rate, I¡¯m well trained with handling animals and hunting them. En and Vak are almost 8, so it¡¯s time to expand their world. ¡¹


    They weren¡¯t the peaceful farming family that I initially thought, but hey, he¡¯s a good father, huh.


    ¡¸So, about the restorative potions fee¡­ ¡¹


    Dinosso took a jar on top of a tall shelf, then he poured the contents onto the table. Gold coins spread out.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the current market price for restorative potions? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, no, you don¡¯t have to. ¡¹


    ¡¸If you have the means to pay then pay, that¡¯s my principle! ¡¹


    Dinosso was about to tear off his bandages.


    After paying me, he gathered the rest and divided them into bags. That¡¯s quite the stash he has there, probably enough to last them for a few years in Canum.


    ¡¸You¡¯re dividing them? That seems to be a lot. ¡¹


    ¡¸Canum¡¯s far, after all. It¡¯ll be good if we¡¯re still together by the time we reach that place, but in case we get separated, I¡¯ll give enough money to each of the children so they can hire an adventurer. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see ¡ª Want me to escort you? ¡¹


    ¡¸Dear, if your wound is fine then ¡ª Oh? The restorative potion isn¡¯t expired yet? ¡¹


    I took the plunge and asked them, but Madam returned right on cue. Restorative potions turn brown once they expire and they¡¯ll lose their effect. No matter how you think about it, there¡¯s no way they could still use the restorative potions from during their adventurer days, right?.


    ¡¸I got this from Jean. Let¡¯s have a meal first. I¡¯ll leave that to you, if it¡¯s okay? I¡¯ll throw those things outside first while you¡¯re preparing. ¡¹


    Dinosso stood up. Things ¡ª ah, you¡¯re referring to those scoundrels outside, right? Well, even if they¡¯re going to abandon this house, there might be somebody trailing them so it¡¯s better not to leave any evidence.


    ¡¸Sorry, Jean. You must have been shocked. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll cook dinner, so go ahead with your preparations for moving out. Ah, please take the ingredients you¡¯re going to bring with you before that. ¡¹


    Madam divided the pickled meat, wine, dried vegetables and other stuff into five big and five small bundles ¡ª probably for the ¡¾Storage¡¿ and the portions each of them will carry.


    I took a sidelong glance before preparing the meal from what¡¯s left of the ingredients. The soup is already at the fireplace, so what¡¯s next?


    Okay, wash the salted meat first before tossing blocks of them into the bean and cabbage soup. Add turnips and onions and adjust the saltiness.


    Shred the carrots into thin slices, mix some olive oil, wine, vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Oh, this sugar must be the one I brought before. I should¡¯ve brought some pepper too back then.


    ¡­.I secretly took out just a tinsy bit of pepper from ¡¾Storage¡¿, then slowly poured the liquid mixture onto the carrots and tossed it a few times ¡ª and voila, my carrot rap¨¦es


    is done.


    I¡¯m already familiar with this place as if it¡¯s my own, so I helped myself to the shed, picked some eggs and placed them into the basket. Since it seemed like they wouldn¡¯t bring the mushrooms pickled in oil, I also got some salted meat and sauteed them together in butter to make some sauce.


    The main dish is omelette. Actually, I want to use another pan for the eggs since the smell easily clings, but¡­Anyway, I just cleaned the pan I used to saute the mushrooms in the meantime before putting it back on the stove, heating it, then dropping the butter.


    I added the scrambled eggs. The edges tend to be the first part to harden, so I raked them towards the center while shaking the pan and stirring the eggs to make it fluffier. Then, I added some cheese, stopped shaking the pan and stirring. When the egg mixture started to stick to the pan, I pulled the omelet to the side of the pan and shaped it.


    Pour an ample amount of mushroom sauce and it¡¯s done. Ahh, ketchup, ketchup would be nice~.


    ¡¸I¡¯m done.¡¹


    ¡¸Jean¡¯s dishes have pretty colors~ ¡¹


    The children washed their hands, and Shiva also made Dinosso wash his when he tried to take a seat as is.


    ¡¸Looks great as always. ¡¹


    Said Dinosso, the guy who tried to skip handwashing.


    ¡¸It¡¯s the jiggly one! ¡¹


    Vak seemed to recall the one time I made it for them, and he excitedly shook his plate.


    ¡¸Mmm, Tina will also be good at cooking! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, your hubby-san will be better than you at this rate! ¡¹


    ¡¸En, my cute Tina will not become a bride!¡¹


    Dinosso makes a parent fuss while Tina and En have a pleasant chit-chat.


    Will I hear them talk like this in Canum?


    ¡¸How far is it from here to Canum? ¡¹


    ¡¸A month and a half if all is well. We got the horses those bunch left, and we also have En¡¯s ¡¾Storage¡¿after all. ¡¹


    Just like Dinosso said, the journey will be remarkably smooth if they have¡¾Storage¡¿. After all, they had to camp outdoors most of the time, and even if the villagers agreed to share some food, they might not have enough considering winter had just barely passed.


    Well, the peace of mind that a guaranteed food supply brings is amazing; I also felt this when I joined the expedition back then.


    ¡¸We¡¯ll no longer see Jean? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, we¡¯ll definitely meet. ¡¹


    Tina stopped eating and her eyes turned misty, so I patted her head.


    ¡¸Ah, me too! ¡¹


    ¡¸Unfair! Me too! ¡¹


    The twins clamoured, so I also patted them.


    Still, won¡¯t it be easier for us to meet once they¡¯re at Canum?


    ¡¸We¡¯ll move to Canum for a few years, get used to it, then it¡¯s the labyrinth. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s words shocked me.


    Eh, you¡¯re not gonna live in Canum permanently!? Labyrinth? Oh, yeah, the deities mentioned the labyrinth during the initial explanation¡­ I completely forgot.


    ______


    T/N: Well, it wasn¡¯t mentioned to the readers, so yeah, it¡¯s alright, Jean XD.

 CH 98

    ¡¸ Jean, take anything you want from what¡¯s left, okay? ¡¹


    I turned on my ¡®sight¡¯. Spirits are fluttering around everyone. That sight makes me wonder if Dinosso and Madam ¡ª Shiva ¡ª and En formed contracts.


    Those spirits wandering around seem like they¡¯re part of the pedigree of Dinosso and Shiva¡¯s spirits.


    Dinosso¡¯s spirit is a dragon-shaped fire spirit that looks like it can carry people, while Shiva¡¯s is an ice spirit with the figure of a pale woman. Meanwhile, En, who was said to have been possessed when they were at the temple, had a squirrel spirit on his shoulder, and it seemed like it¡¯s from a different lineage.


    So, why is En¡¯s spirit a squirrel? He is supposedly using his¡¾ Storage ¡¿, but all I see is a spirit stuffing its cheeks with the bags that Shiva prepared. Whenever it bit the edge of the luggage, they look like they¡¯re being sucked into its cheek pouches ¡ª honestly, this scene is quite surreal.


    It¡¯s not certain what kind of system my own ¡¾Storage¡¿is, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not a squirrel or a hamster¡­


    ¡¸It¡¯s full! ¡¹


    The tiny squirrel¡¯s cheeks were bulging, so En¡¯s ¡¾Storage ¡¿ must¡¯ve reached its limit.


    Lil Squirrel, what¡¯s up with those cheek pouches, huh? So, will the amount of things he can store double if there are two of them? My heart melted after imagining En with a squirrel on each of his shoulders.


    The remaining packs and the divided bags can be stuffed in the saddle. By the way, the horses are the ones the assassins rode. They¡¯re going to take the remaining horses with them, probably to sell them in towns or use as spares. Wait a sec, can an eight year old even ride a horse?


    ¡¸Alright, we¡¯re just going to feed the animals and open the corral then we¡¯re off. ¡¹


    ¡¸Want me to bring you to Canum? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, thanks but it¡¯s a good chance to travel as a family. ¡¹


    Rejected.


    They have a few pigs, chickens, sheep and goats, and these livestock can probably survive around here even if there¡¯s no one to feed them. They were left to graze whenever the weather¡¯s great before, after all.


    Yeah, if it¡¯s alright to get them then should I just get them all?¡ª I muse over this thought while watching the animals that ignored the open gate, so preoccupied they were in eating.


    The kids took turns to hug me before they climbed on the horses. The trio¡¯s eyes were starting to pool tears, so I patted their shoulders and rubbed their heads while covertly requesting the spirits that were fluttering around to inform me if something happened.


    ¡¸You¡¯re going to Canum, too, right? I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re gonna know where we are through the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Ruf-dono. ¡¹


    Dinosso said while hoisting the kids who can control the horses but can¡¯t climb on their own up their rides.


    ¡¸Ruf? ¡¹


    ¡¸Coming to this place that¡¯s in the middle of nowhere without even bothering riding a horse is nothing short of suspicious. You better be careful, alright?¡¹


    Dinosso told me while exchanging glances with the horse.


    Neigghhhh, was what it said.


    ¡¸¡­¡­.When you reach Canum, go to the alley of¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡»then visit house B with the blank number. And nope, I¡¯m not Ruf. But yeah, I¡¯m someone suspicious, I guess. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, I got it wrong, huh. ¡¹


    Dinosso chuckled.


    ¡¸The journey will be pretty harsh on the kids, but we still have some leeway. Yeah, my gut feeling told me that you¡¯re a powerful guy, but I don¡¯t want to rely on that power while we still can handle it ourselves. ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re our friend, after all. ¡¹


    Madam smiled at me.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, see you at Canum, alright! ¡¹


    Dinosso said his piece, so he turned his back, and the other four waved at me before following after him.


    And now, I¡¯m all that¡¯s left standing here, feeling a bit awkward.


    Yeah, he has a point. It¡¯ll feel a bit different to when I bring food or help around with work if they were to rely on this cheat ability .


    Alright, let¡¯s reward the Dinosso family with a bath and food once they reach Canum. Hmmm, was I too hasty in renting out that house?


    Oopsie, let¡¯s set that aside for now and ¡¾Teleport ¡¿the livestock first back to my house. They will escape from the corral once they¡¯re full so I have to hurry.


    I started with the pigs who will likely run off somewhere far and¡¾Teleport¡¿them to the shed back home. Next, I ¡¾Teleport ¡¿ the sheep, goat and the chickens that I placed inside a cage. Didn¡¯t forget to bring their feed and the straw for them to sleep on, of course.


    ***


    Alright, let¡¯s make an enclosure for grazing. I don¡¯t have the time to bring them to different spots everyday just like what Dinosso used to do. Ah, but I want to release those pigs to the woods when acorn season comes.


    Not sure if those chickens are trained or not, but they always return to their roosting spot come nightfall, even if they¡¯re left alone. Oh, but it¡¯d be useless if they don¡¯t remember where the shed is, huh.


    I¡¯m in a great mood while building the fence when Riche came charging towards me. He probably sensed my presence. As for the fence ¡ª it¡¯s just a series of evenly-spaced stakes that have ropes stretched on 3 places ¡ª top, middle and bottom ¡ª in between them.


    Riche started to gnaw on the left-over rope, playing while I¡¯m working, but he then switched to gnawing his tail halfway through. He ran round and round chasing it before falling down, then getting up and repeating this scene several times. Ahh, so cute.


    I have seen a lot of different spirits, but yeah, my Riche is still the cutest of all.

 CH 99

    The day after I was done fixing the corral for the livestock, Butler announced that Dean and Chris were interested in moving into the house. I already anticipated it, and since Ash and the others were fine with that, the three rooms on the second floor were filled just like that.


    Dean and Chris were really happy with the beds and the pseudo-closet space. Chris, in particular, was apparently glad that he now had a place to store his plate armor since he normally didn¡¯t wear it.


    It¡¯s understandable that he¡¯s going to use it if it¡¯s a battle against some bigshot, but it¡¯s easy to see how difficult that get-up is just by imagining him moving around the forest in that plate armour. Frankly speaking, that kind of get-up probably doesn¡¯t suit the adventurers¡¯ activities.


    Chris is probably a true knight, judging from the carefully maintained silver armour with gold patterns on it that he showed us.


    The two guys who just moved in are currently having tea with Retze and Ash on the first floor of the rented house.


    ¡¸So, when will we go to the brothel? ¡¹


    Dean grinned.


    ¡¸And why the heck do we have to go out of our way to that far-flung fortress just to have a drink, so troublesome. ¡¹


    Plus we had to be on horses.


    ¡¸Treating Anoma Citadel as some kind of far-flung place¡­!!! ¡¹


    Chris looked as if what I said was blasphemy, what with that tragic expression on his face.


    ¡¸Brothel, troublesome!? ¡¹


    ¡¸The courtesans might be shocked if they were visited by a guest that possessed a face that far surpasses their beauties. ¡¹


    Butler cut Dean off before he could say anything else.


    He probably wanted to change the topic before it got too graphic since Ash was here. Courtesans refer to a high-class prostitutes, but it¡¯s kind of a sophisticated term used since it also included the significance that they are also appreciated for their talents.


    ¡¸Do you even know where¡ºMoon Pleasure House¡»and ¡ºSupreme Bliss of Heavens¡»are¡­¡¹


    Retze mumbled.


    Stop turning back to that topic!!


    ¡¸Setting aside those courtesans, Jean, do you have anything you want? We also enjoyed that cow, so it¡¯s probably not considered as thanks, huh. ¡¹


    Retze changed course, probably because he noticed how Butler and I were staring at him.


    Sooner or later, Retze will probably discover that Ash is a girl. Dean was mumbling stuff like ¡®when I was Jean¡¯s age, I¡¯ve been riding throughout the night¡¯, so ignore.


    ¡¸Ah, yeah. My friend¡¯s family will arrive at Canum around one month and a half from now, so I¡¯ll be happy if you take care of them for a bit. ¡¹


    ¡¸Friend? ¡¹


    ¡¸What?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, I thought you¡¯re a misanthrope. Never did I imagine that I¡¯ll hear the word ¡®friend¡¯ from you instead of ¡®acquaintance¡¯. ¡¹


    Actually, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m a misanthrope, it¡¯s just that I hated the people around Sis ¡ª Oh, majority of the people in my tiny circle of acquaintances were Sis¡¯ friends, huh.


    I knew in my head that there were other people, but yeah, the distrust towards humans already ran too deep, I guess.


    ¡¸Jean is a good guy. If a person can¡¯t be his friend then that person is blind, that¡¯s it. ¡¹


    Wait a sec¡­!! Ash, stop spouting embarrassing things all of a sudden after keeping mum the whole time! And that face is scary!!


    Ugh, my tears are pooling now¡­


    ¡¸Yeah! Twi¡­Jean, you¡¯re a great guy! Just let me know if that family is here. I, Chris, will tour them in this city! ¡¹


    My heart instantly calmed down when the ridiculous guy who always acted embarrassingly comforted me.


    ¡¸What shall we do with the third floor of this house? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, don¡¯t mind it. They have kids, so they might settle in a place where there are other kids who can play with them. If needed, I can always rent my second floor to them. ¡¹


    ¡¸If it¡¯s after one month and a half, the area around here might have vacancies, but it might not be the case in the Central, you know? The Guild¡¯s official subjugation already ended, but since Amadeo¡¯s cronies are still sneaking around, majority of the folks think that it¡¯s still dangerous. ¡¹


    Dean took the cup by its rim and sipped tea.


    ¡¸The Gold-ranked trio had already moved towards the fortress city, though¡­ At any rate, there must be a lot of people who wish to transfer residences into the Central. ¡¹


    The ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡»is located at the Central, after all, and it¡¯s one of the places they could possibly take refuge in. Above all, being in the center of Canum is safer, because the other houses could act as shields, after all.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it when I heard that the Central people who were renting vacant rooms while living in the same house increased the number of people who could fit inside the room. You¡¯re sharing the room with strangers, you know, plus it¡¯s one heck of a narrow space, yet you¡¯re cramming them in.


    In contrast, this area where we live is still unpopular as ever, probably because the memories of its destruction are still fresh. The value of the house probably depreciated when I bought it, compared to when I first rented it.


    ¡¸Just in case, they are also welcome to stay in our third floor. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks. Mine is vacant so it¡¯s okay. ¡¹


    It¡¯s okay, Ash, so please stop suggesting such dangerous things that might expose your gender, alright. If they need a house then I can just leave the entire thing vacant.


    ¡¸Then let¡¯s vacate the house behind¡­No, let¡¯s buy it. ¡¹


    Oy, Butler. What are you planning to do with the house behind, huh? You just said ¡®vacate¡¯ now, right?


    Everyone except Ash were speechless for an instant while staring at Butler¡¯s smiling face, then we simultaneously averted our eyes.


    ¡¸Eh, isn¡¯t there a rule that folks can only purchase two houses within the city walls? ¡¹


    Moreover, they are not allowed to buy two houses in the same place, and it¡¯s also prohibited to buy two houses favorably situated near important places such as the gates and the towers.


    ¡¸Indeed. Jean-sama has already purchased his house and this rental house, so I will be the one to do so now. It¡¯s just that I have a request to make, but¡­Let¡¯s leave it for later. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    ¡ª Later, he did consult me, and he wanted advice on how to connect Ash¡¯s house with the one behind them using the attic. He apparently came up with the idea when he saw that I opened a back door to my house. Is it because he wanted to secure multiple escape routes just in case?


    What would he do with the house he bought if Dinosso didn¡¯t choose to live there? Upon asking, it seemed that he would leave the attic vacant without renting it out, focusing instead on renting the first to third floor to one or two families who must be as ordinary as possible.


    Dinosso will probably be happy if he has an added escape route because of En¡¯s matters. Well, let¡¯s just leave the choice to the person himself.


    Eh? Ain¡¯t I being surrounded by people who are being targeted? Only two are normal?

 CH 100

    I sold the rental house to Butler, then bought the house beside it.


    It¡¯s better if the proprietor is different if it¡¯s going to serve as an escape route, so we decided to do this. If the assaulters are meticulous, they¡¯ll definitely check the owners and residents of the surrounding houses, right?


    Butler sweetened the deal by taking all the beds along with the house, so I made a bit of profit. Well, it¡¯s actually Retze, Dean and Chris who bought their beds. They¡¯re totally thinking of bringing those with them when they move out, apparently. I brought the materials inside the house and assembled the beds inside the rooms, so it¡¯ll probably be a hassle to bring them out, though.


    Butler got a recommendation from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild because he participated in the expedition and subjugation as a Silver ranked adventurer ¡ª I thought he registered at the same time as Ash, but it turned out that he¡¯s a Silver all along. The person in question just waved it off by saying it¡¯s part of his youthful follies.


    Nobody objected during the Commerce Guild¡¯s deliberation since they discovered that Ash also helped make the medicines for macular disease. Plus, the outflow of people in that particular district was quite bad, so they also wanted to fill it with more people.


    The Gold-ranks¡¯ hangers-on already left, save for a few. The Commerce Guild were probably troubled too since they won¡¯t be able to fill the rooms up for a time even if they rent them out temporarily.


    I¡¯m always doing renovation stuff, huh. Well, I guess it¡¯s fine since I like doing it, after all.


    They requested me to do the wet area, so here I am doing a bit of grinding to fix the walls. We have shared walls so I can¡¯t do a total overhaul, but all those crevices are so¡­ Well, I guess they hang tapestries to prevent drafts.


    The wall on my side of the house has traces that a window had been previously installed¡­Er, actually, they just covered the entire window frame with plaster. It¡¯s really sketchy, kinda like something straight from a horror movie or some crime scene. Ugh, wish they stopped doing things like this.


    I scraped away where the window was then installed a shelf on it. Seems like this house was also built on this street later on ¡ª probably forced into place, too ¡ª leaving traces on the neighboring houses on both sides.


    I sold all the remaining furniture here and left the house completely empty, then redid the windows to match the louver style I have in my house. I¡¯m also doing the same construction job I did back when I renovated my rented house. The difference is that I removed the stone wall in the attic using¡ºZanzenken¡»(yeah, cheated for a bit), but because the hole was too smooth, I had to chip it here and there to cover up what I did and make it look more natural.


    A meter-square hole opened up. I installed the cabinet with a lower shelf that can be opened in front of it.


    If Dinosso¡¯s family won¡¯t live here, then the plan is to make it so that it can only be opened from Ash¡¯s side.


    I tested the jib door while carrying the materials for making an identical cabinet to the other side. Then I went down and entered Ash¡¯s house through the front door.


    ¡¸Sorry for the intrusion. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, come inside. ¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯ll be troubling you. ¡¹


    Butler and Ash guided me to the loft.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a jib door so we can¡¯t put a lock on it, so are you going to lock the room¡¯s door instead? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t really like locking rooms¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Why? ¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s the feeling that I¡¯m going to be locked up. ¡¹


    It¡¯s very rare for Ash to speak about things she doesn¡¯t like. When I asked her about it, she told me that it¡¯s because she had been locked in her room at night when she was a child. It turns out children of this world already sleep in their own rooms, even if they are still infants, and once they reach a certain age they won¡¯t be allowed out of their rooms at night. Well, it¡¯s the norm for families with huge houses, or should I say nobilities, apparently.


    ¡¸How about the toilet? ¡¹


    ¡¸I had my wetnurse or the nanny at the antechamber¡­¡¹


    Then what about those families who didn¡¯t have houses that huge?¡­ Eh, wait, yeah, they have their chamber pots inside their own rooms.


    Ladders are the norm to access the attic. That¡¯s also the case here in the rented house, so I want to do something about it. It¡¯s dangerous when carrying things up, after all.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re already done with the other side? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. I just have to assemble this one here. ¡¹


    This might sound pretty obvious, but the width and the sizes of the cabinets are the same since they¡¯re placed back-to-back.


    I explained the structure while they helped me assemble the cabinet. The shelves are heavy and the back panels are thick so that they wouldn¡¯t slip into the hole in the wall.


    ¡¸Whoa, it¡¯s really well-made. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s pretty great for a cabinet. ¡¹


    ¡¸I kept it simple because it¡¯s supposed to be placed here. The back panel slides along the wall, so maybe you should put your stuff around three inches away from the wall on this side of the shelf. It might be hard to decide on what you¡¯re going to put on the bottom shelf, I guess.¡±


    They would want to hide their escape from their neighbor, so it wouldn¡¯t be good for them to just hurl their baggage over there.


    ¡¸Perhaps I might put an old blanket inside a basket. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. ¡¹


    Let¡¯s just leave this matter to them.


    Still, both houses share a wall, and even the house behind them is sticking right next to each other, so windows were only installed facing the street side and also the courtyard. Ash¡¯s first house and Retze¡¯s rented house have an alley between them, so those houses have windows on one side, too.


    Should I put a rooftop window in my house and in the rented house? What do you call this ¡ª is it a dormer window or something, the type of window that¡¯s jutting out from a sloping roof? It¡¯s just for the sake of having a window.


    Will Tina and the kids be happy once I change the stairs to the attic and turn the place into a garret bedroom, kinda like a secret base? Nah, maybe I find it fascinating because I¡¯m Japanese. Anyway, I want to make it, so make it I will.


    Maybe I can make the stairs narrower, and you can enter by lifting a trapdoor in the ceiling ¡ª yup, it¡¯s fun making it myself. Ahh, but then it might get too hot in summer and too cold in winter.


    Never mind the cold, they didn¡¯t have air conditioning here, so it might be too hot. But then, I got a feeling that Madam¡¯s spirit might be able to do something about it¡­


    Whatever, I should renovate my house¡¯s attic first.


    _____


    T/N: The terms I¡¯m using to distinguish Jean¡¯s houses XD remember, a person can only own up to two houses, so he had to sell the rental house so he could buy the other one.


    My house ¨C house given by deities


    Rented house ¨C smokescreen house, first one he rented, renovated and then bought


    Rental house ¨C he rented this out to the Retze, Dean and Chris, but ultimately sold it to Butler


    Newest house ¨C the house beside the rental house that has a shared wall with the rented house

 CH 101

    My daily routine starts with Riche¡¯s morning stroll, then taking care of the livestock and tending to the fields just before noon. After lunch, I renovate the house at Canum, catch some of the black spirits deep in the forest at dusk, then name them in my house in the evening. I hole up at the library whenever it¡¯s raining.


    I have tea with Ash once every three days, and a drink with Dean and Retze once every two weeks.


    The sanctuary in the forest is still untouched, but Roza and the chief members of the Gold-rank party already went to the citadel city, so I resumed my activities in the forest.


    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m busy or not, but the days passed by in a blur, and Dinosso¡¯s family finally arrived. The spirits never contacted me, so I guess they were more or less safe, but nothing beats seeing them in person to feel reassured.


    ¡¸ Hey. ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait¡­ You! ¡¹


    I greeted Dinosso¡¯s fam with a smile when they visited, but he covered my mouth and dragged me into the house. The three kids were looking at me dumbfounded.


    ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it! Shiva! ¡¹


    So he made a mistake, huh. I did question why he had to attack me.


    ¡¸Yes, dear. ¡ª Children, hush, okay? Now, Jean, let us bother you for a bit, alright? ¡¹


    Shiva said while shifting her gaze from us to the children.


    Hmpf, so he made a mistake with whose mouth to cover, huh. Is it because the kids wanted to say something?


    ¡¸Haaa¡­¡­¡¹


    The entire family entered the house, and after Shiva closed the door, Dinosso let go of me before collapsing and sighing deeply.


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean! Why?¡¹


    ¡¸Jean! How did you get here!? ¡¹


    The kids came swarming towards me when Shiva released their shoulders.


    ¡¸You, just try to hide a bit, will you¡­¡¹


    Dinosso looked tired.


    ¡¸Nah, I think they¡¯re already aware that I moved out. Besides, if they ask around here it¡¯ll definitely be exposed that I¡¯m here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Argh!¡­Is this your house? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, in a sense? ¡¹


    I patted the trio¡¯s head as they nuzzled their heads on me as they beamed..


    It¡¯s been a while since I felt somebody¡¯s body warmth. Well, maybe it¡¯s more accurate to say that I barely have memories of being hugged, much less hugging somebody else. I have a faint memory of clinging to my Grandma way back before, but that¡¯s it. Most of them are made with this family. Oh, that drunkard Dean isn¡¯t counted, though!


    ¡¸In a sense, huh¡­ You¡­ Even though I told you to hide. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be a pain in the neck trying to hide from my friends, no? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah~¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Now, now. Jean, since when did you come to this place? Is it okay with you if we say that we met you a few years ago? ¡¹


    ¡¸Erm, lemme see, I think it was last year, around autumn? Wait, was it summer? ¡¹


    I have been teleporting here and there since I came to this world, so my sense of seasons has been quite a mess¡­


    It was early winter when I came to the island, but if I remember correctly, the seasons have changed since I was teleported to my house.


    ¡¸Then, let¡¯s just say we first met more than a year ago. Tina, En, Vak, if somebody asks when was the first time you met Jean, just say that ¡®it was long ago¡¯, or ¡®back then¡¯, alright? You can¡¯t say the exact date, okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸Okay! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! ¡¹


    Shiva warned the kids, and they enthusiastically agreed¡­.Sorry for the trouble.


    ¡¸Alright. How about a meal? ¡¹


    ¡¸Done. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh dear. If I knew Jean would be here, we wouldn¡¯t have eaten. ¡¹


    Dinosso answered me curtly, while Shiva held her cheek with one hand and said with regret.


    Well, people don¡¯t visit other people¡¯s houses on an empty stomach, I guess.


    ¡¸I¡¯m gonna eat! ¡¹


    ¡¸If it¡¯s Jean¡¯s cooking then of course I can! ¡¹


    ¡¸I also want a spoonful! ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, then count me in. ¡¹


    Hey Dinosso, what are you doing, joining the kids like that?


    ¡¸Okay, then I¡¯ll make it in bite-size pieces. How about your luggage? ¡¹


    ¡¸They¡¯re at the inn along with the horse. ¡¹


    It¡¯s great that the horse seems healthy, too ¡ª oh, what if it turned out to be a different horse, huh.


    ¡¸Do you plan to stay at the inn throughout your stay? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, it¡¯s just a one year contract, then we¡¯re considering renting a house. We got kids, after all. ¡¹


    Dinosso and I had talked after leaving the happily giggling kids to Shiva.


    ¡¸Then, how about checking the one next door? ¡¹


    ¡¸Next door? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. It¡¯s a conditional rental house. It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s just until you find the rental house you wanted, but won¡¯t it be more comfortable staying there? I¡¯m going to cook, so you can check it out for a while. ¡¹


    I then led him to the back door in the kitchen. We went out to the alley and I led him there.


    ¡¸Neighbor! ¡¹


    ¡¸Neighbor~ ¡¹


    ¡¸If we¡¯re neighbors, then we could still be together even if you get married! ¡¹


    Dinosso followed behind me, with the kids behind him, and Madam beaming behind them.


    ¡¸Here¡¯s the key. ¡¹


    It was a huge, old fashioned key. It¡¯s totally different from the thin ones of Japan, being bulky as it is, but I still quite like it for the romantic vibes it gives.


    ¡¸So you had the key, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s my house, after all. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, are you a landlord!? ¡¹


    Hohoho!


    ¡¸This place is quite near the Magic Forest, and the wall had been destroyed once, apparently. There are no families with kids around here. Consider those things as well. ¡¹


    ¡¸Gotcha. ¡¹


    I returned to the kitchen to whip-up something light. They could probably energetically discuss the pros and cons if I left them on their own.


    Alright, what to make now?

 CH 102

    There is not enough time, so I¡¯ll just keep it simple.


    Alright, let¡¯s go with a few kinds of small pies for starters. I cut the left-over dough into squares. The rest is just a simple matter of choosing whether to put the left-over ingredients on top, or just wrap everything up, then put them in the oven and voila, they¡¯re good to go.


    All that¡¯s left for me is to take out the other left-overs and make some pinchos. No one will be any wiser if I claim they¡¯re pinchos after skewering them, right.


    I skewer tomatoes and mozzarella alternately, then season it with a pinch of salt and some olive oil. Take the bottle of marinated stuff and bell pepper out and skewer them, too. We now have two kinds, one with marinated octopus and paprika, and one with marinated oysters.


    Dinosso¡¯s family returned while I was hastily skewering the food.


    ¡¸Oi, what¡¯s up with the house next door, it¡¯s kinda amazing. ¡¹


    ¡¸Is that so?¡¹


    ¡¸The houses and the furniture have become quite good while we were holed up in the countryside, so it was such a surprise.¡¹


    Shiva commented while beaming.


    ¡¸No, compared to an inn, that is¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸My room is cute! ¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s a double deck bed! ¡¹


    ¡¸The one on top is mine! ¡¹


    I laid a pink-based patchwork quilt on top of Tina¡¯s bed and it seems she liked it. The twins might get lonely if they were suddenly separated, so I installed a double decker in their room. The beds can be disassembled into two separate beds, so it¡¯ll be fine if they decided to have a room each later on.


    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯m done. You can take the bed and the covers even if you decide against living next door. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yay!! Jean¡¯s food!! ¡¹


    ¡¸It looks delish as ever. ¡¹


    ¡¸Dinosso, if you go down there it¡¯s a cellar, so go pick a wine you like. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh! ¡¹


    Dinosso looked quite dissatisfied, but his expression immediately brightened up when wine was mentioned.


    There¡¯s a 90 cm2 trapdoor that can be opened by the round ring on the floor at the edge of the pile of firewood. You can see the staircase if you lift that trapdoor, and you can keep it open by hooking the ring to the railing that prevents the pile of firewood from tumbling down.


    ¡¸Here, a candle for you. Alright, the other four, go choose your cups over there, ¡¹


    Dinosso hummed as he went down the stairs.


    Shiva took the cups that the children pointed out down from the shelf, showed it to them, then returned it afterward ¡ª rinse and repeat many times over.


    I also chose some suitable plates from the shelf, then plated the pies that I took out of the oven. This room is situated right after entering through the entrance, and the upper shelves that lined the wall were filled with utensils, while the bottom shelves were for tools.


    The hearth and the stove were also here, so it¡¯s kinda like a semi-kitchen, I guess. I ended up finishing the preparations for tea while they were still happily engrossed in choosing.


    ¡¸Alright, alright, come here and bring your cups for tea. ¡¹


    ¡¸Then I choose this! ¡¹


    ¡¸This is mine! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hmm! Pink! ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, thank you, you prepared all of these for us, right? ¡¹


    En chose a pale blue one, while Vak¡¯s cup was blue. They¡¯re the same shade as their hair. Tina chose the cup with the same shape and pattern with those of the twins, but hers is pink. Shiva¡¯s cup was bigger, but it has the same shape and pattern with the kids, too.


    I might have pulled a few strings, but yeah, they did choose the cups just like how I anticipated them to.


    ¡¸Dinosso¡¯s cup is a bit too large, don¡¯t you think? I can¡¯t let him drink wine in this. ¡¹


    Shiva also brought Dinosso¡¯s, but she looked a bit worried.


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine to choose another one as his wine cup, you know. ¡¹


    I said while pouring the tea. Can¡¯t go against Dinosso¡¯s madam when it comes to Dinosso¡¯s alcohol!


    ¡¸What a nice smell~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Something smells sweet, too! ¡¹


    ¡¸Papa, come here! ¡¹


    The kids were sneaking glances at the freshly-baked pies.


    ¡¸Yeah, sorry for making you guys wait. ¡¹


    Dinosso was hugging a jar of red wine when he returned.


    ¡¸Alright, then let¡¯s eat. ¡¹


    Dinosso told the family after a short prayer, and everyone started eating.


    ¡¸Sweet~ ¡¹


    Tina grinned from ear to ear after taking a bite of the pie with apple compote on top.


    ¡¸Hot! It¡¯s spilling! So tasty! ¡¹


    Vak bit into the shrimp gratin pie. The white sauce spilled from the pie just as he said.


    ¡¸Yummy! It¡¯s stretchy! ¡¹


    En¡¯s pie was the one with sausage and cheese. I see, the kids started with the warm food first, huh. Kinda expected it.


    Dinosso and Shiva happily drank the wine together while munching on the pinchos.


    ¡¸They look nice, and they¡¯re easy to eat. ¡¹


    ¡¸Delish! It¡¯s so good, but cover it at least, you! ¡¹


    Ahh, yeah. I should do that with the tomato, mozzarella and eggplant, huh.


    ¡¸Madam¡¯s dishes are tasty, so I can only compete with rare ingredients and sweet things. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my, thank you. I also love Jean¡¯s dishes very much. ¡¹


    No, really, it¡¯s amazing how Shiva¡¯s dishes are so tasty, with their mellow taste and warmth.


    ¡¸By the way, so that house comes with conditions attached, and that will be the attic, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. Good job picking up on that. ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufun~ ¡¹Dinosso happily snorted, proud of himself. The palace dungeon that I crawled in back when I was young was filled with a lot of those, you know. ¡¹


    He winked while smiling knowingly.


    ¡¸Mom discovered that. ¡¹


    Tina exposed him.


    ¡­My intuition is telling me strongly that it¡¯s Madam who was the better adventurer.

 CH 103

    ¡¸So? What¡¯s up with that secret passage? ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s started on it again.


    ¡¸Ah. The people living in the house behind also have their own reasons, so they asked if they can use that as an escape route in case of emergency. But then, it seems they¡¯ll be discovered right away, so I want to improve it. ¡¹


    I want to buy them more time before they get discovered.


    ¡¸Nah, I think it¡¯s well-made. ¡¹


    ¡¸The house behind, so you must be referring to the house beside this one, right? Are they your friends, Jean? ¡¹


    Shiva wiped Vak¡¯s messy mouth while asking.


    ¡¸They¡¯re probably inside. Wait a sec. ¡¹


    It¡¯s just my hunch, but Ash and Butler probably went out to hunt bears first thing in the morning.


    It¡¯s easy to kill the bear, but searching for the places they appear takes a long time. The time Ash and Butler return depends on whether they found the bear quickly or not. If they¡¯re lucky, they should be home around this time.


    I knocked on the backdoor of Ash¡¯s house.


    ¡¸Jean-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry, but are you free right now? The family I was talking about finally arrived, and they¡¯re here. ¡¹


    ¡¸I will call Ash-sama and we¡¯ll be there. ¡¹


    Luckily, they just arrived, so they agreed to come right away when I asked them to go to my house to meet Dinosso¡¯s family.


    ¡¸Ugh! Shadow Wolf! ¡¹


    Dinosso shouted, taken aback the moment Butler entered the room.


    ¡¸Oh my, it¡¯s been so long since I heard that name. ¡¹


    This Butler-guy smiling here is super fishy.


    ¡¸Noth, do you know him? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it was around the time when Ash-sama was born¡­¡¹


    Butler placed his right hand on his shoulder and made a slight bow towards Ash.


    Er, isn¡¯t Dinosso around 30 years old or so? Noth is approximately 70 years old, so when did they meet? Didn¡¯t he supposedly become an adventurer when he was young, then worked as a butler ever since?


    ¡¸During the period of temporary instability with the neighboring kingdom, my predecessor ordered me to return back to being an adventurer temporarily. That had been my code name back then. I believe we met once, when Dinosso-sama was just starting out. ¡¹


    ¡¸I thought you were a steward all throughout the time before my exclusive butler changed. ¡¹


    Yup, just like Ash said, Butler really seemed like a butler through and through.


    See, he totally looks like one.


    ¡¸My father had been quite advanced in age, but he was still actively serving at that time. When I was away, he raised my son to be quite worthless¡­ ¡¹


    Somehow, it sounded like Butler was throwing his son out there, or should I say there¡¯s a subtle feeling that he doesn¡¯t care about whatever happened to him. Like, Ash is more like a daughter to him compared to that guy?


    ¡¸The memories of you working us hard like horses is far more vivid than you being a steward of the Duke! ¡¹


    Dinosso was scowling.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for your help at that time. The matters outside the country had been hard to obtain, you see. ¡¹


    Butler beamed as he thanked Dinosso.


    I could keenly feel that it wouldn¡¯t simply end with this. Sounds like Butler has some dirt on Dinosso while he was still a novice? Also, is it normal for the duke¡¯s butler ¡ª steward ¡ª to do things outside the country?


    Shiva was just letting everything slide, so she wasn¡¯t a nobility from Ash¡¯s kingdom, then? Besides, Butler probably has all the faces of the nobles of their country thoroughly memorized, right. Well, it might be just my own arbitrary prejudice.


    So, how on earth did you meet a noble young lady, huh, Dinosso? Ah, no ¡ª come to think of it, there had been an instance of a young lady from the ducal house sitting by the well (T/N: ehem, Ash).


    ¡¸Ash-sama, this is the Wolf King Valmour. It seems that he went missing for a while, but he is a very famous adventurer, and his rank is Gold. ¡¹


    Never mind that he¡¯s Gold, but what¡¯s up with that name? Wolf King Valmour, Wolf King, he said. Were wolves all the things you hunted back then?


    I did my best hunting wolves instead of bear, but they only told me that ¡®Wolf¡¯ belonged to the northern adventurers¡­So you guys are the reason why my nickname never changed from bear, huh!?


    ¡¸Ah~. This guy is sticking to you, so you must be that Ojou-chan, huh. Ah, that Duke really did it, huh. ¡¹


    Urk. Dinosso, you also knew Ash¡¯s secret, huh. And even the fact that her father stuck that spirit on her to make her manly. You should¡¯ve stopped him!


    ¡¸¡­Jean, you look like you want to ask something? Go ahead, spill it out. ¡¹


    I was boring holes in him with my eyes, so Dinosso sighed and said that.


    ¡¸Dinosso and Valmour, which one is the surname and which one is your name? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s what you¡¯re curious about? ¡¹


    Eh, that¡¯s because the order of names change depending on the country you¡¯re from. There are super long names that include the parents¡¯ names, and there are also those who hide their true names by using common names. It¡¯s just one big land but it¡¯s a mess.


    ¡¸Valmour is the name I gave myself, don¡¯t remember the one my parents gave me. Shiva gave me ¡®Dinosso¡¯, so I¡¯m using that as my name. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. ¡¹


    Well, I guess I get it, since I¡¯m ¡®Jean¡¯ right now, too.


    The deities arbitrarily named me with a free knight¡¯s name fashioned after this place, but I don¡¯t use it, or I already forgot, to be precise.


    ¡¸So? What¡¯s your plan? Gonna live here? ¡¹


    ¡¸The neighbors behind us are quite a pain in the neck, but after seeing the interior, of course we¡¯ll live there, right? ¡¹


    Dinosso glanced at Shiva before answering.


    Thanks to Butler being here, Dinosso and Shiva grasped the reason why an escape route is needed, it seems. Well, it¡¯s nice that things were moving fast and easy.


    ¡¸Please take care of us. ¡¹


    ¡¸Same here. ¡¹


    Ash and Dinosso shook hands and it was settled.


    ¡¸Yey! Jean is our neighbor! ¡¹


    ¡¸Neighbor-san! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nice to meet you~ ¡¹


    The kids that had been well-behaved up to this point started to frolic around.


    They greeted and introduced themselves in turns to Ash and Butler. Ash looked baffled, and she was making a scary face, but the kids didn¡¯t seem to mind it. How strong.


    Perhaps it¡¯s a good thing that there¡¯s more people who¡¯re in the loop regarding Ash¡¯s gender? The number of people with which she can let her guard down increased, after all. Ah, no, she¡¯s still almost the same in front of Retze and me, though¡­Core, is it in her core to be manly!?


    ***


    ¡¸So, how did you notice that this is a jib door? ¡¹


    We left the children behind and are currently here in the attic room. I need to know how she discovered it first so that I can fix the jib door properly, so interrogation time.


    ¡¸Based on the wind flow, and sound, too. Hollow spaces give off a different sound, after all. ¡¹Shiva said.


    ¡¸Other houses have a lot of crevices so you shouldn¡¯t notice it, but there¡¯s nothing like that in this house. Why is that? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ahh. Is it because I installed a window? ¡¹


    I installed a window on this roof, as well as on my house. The best way to let the light in is to open the window grills, since they don¡¯t have any glass fitted.


    Even now, the wind blows in through the window left open for light, and it is slightly rattling the boards behind shelves.


    ¡¸There shouldn¡¯t be any problems if we were to cover the crevices in this house. ¡¹


    Butler commented.


    I made the bathroom of Ash¡¯s house, but the rest was done by the contractor, so the attic was probably still full of holes like when we first bought it. Well, if the wind didn¡¯t have any other place to pass through, then it would go to the neighboring space, huh.


    ¡¸Then what¡¯s left is sound, huh. ¡¹


    I opened the jib door and the gaping hole greeted me. If I cover it out, they won¡¯t be able to get in or out, and even if I use thicker wooden boards, it won¡¯t solve the problem.


    I squatted in front of the hole and tried to rack my brains over it.


    ¡¸Hmmm~. I wish that you make it seem like an ordinary wall except when passing through. ¡¹


    Couldn¡¯t come up with an awesome solution, so I decided to just rely on the spirits that dwell in the stone and those who hang around the house.


    The hole started to close-up in front of our eyes. Eh, it didn¡¯t just block the sound, even the outward appearance totally looked like a stone wall. Was the way I made the request wrong ¡ª no, was it good?


    ¡¸Oy, wait a sec¡­! You¡¯re doing things like that in front of others again!!! Noth!!! How did you train this guy, huh!? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­He is beyond my purview. ¡¹


    Noth froze, shocked by Dinosso¡¯s yell, then he came to his senses and did a slight bow in front of him.

 CH 104

    ¡¸So? Do you still want to hide, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, yes. ¡¹


    Dinosso flumped to the ground and started on me, so I answered him.


    I had been crouching while checking looking at the gaping hole, so I just adjusted my posture to sit cross-legged on the floor, facing him.


    ¡¸Your actions are not in line with your words. ¡¹


    Butler remained standing as he chided me.


    ¡¸Dear, I¡¯m worried about the children so I¡¯ll go back first. Just let me know how it goes later, okay. ¡¹


    Shiva placed her hand on Dinosso¡¯s shoulder then she went out after smiling at me.


    Yeah, it¡¯s worrying to leave three children in a strange house to house sit for a long time.


    ¡¸Jean, what are you hiding, and from whom, Jean? ¡¹


    Ash had that terrifying gaze as she looked at me.


    She then sat cross-legged on the floor, copying Dinosso and me. Hey, no need to sneak glances at us while adjusting how you sit, you know. Ugh, just sit comfortably, will you!


    ¡¸My abilities that might catch the attention of someone troublesome. ¡¹


    Hiding my existence from that peerless sis of mine.


    My appearance is different, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll think of me if we happen to meet a bit by chance, and she is probably unaware that I¡¯m here, in the first place. The deities did tell the details to that ball, but I already cut our ties right away back then.


    I can¡¯t trust that ball to break off the contract without putting up a fight. ¡¾Cut Ties¡¿should be effective as long as the deities¡¯ power is stronger than the power of the three heroes ¡ª or was it four? ¡ª given to Ball. It¡¯s four versus one, so I have to do my best.


    ¡¸Hmm, so you¡¯re saying you already think that it¡¯s fine even if we discovered your abilities, huh. Thanks for the trust, but won¡¯t the information leak easier the more people are in the know? ¡¹


    Ash¡¯s face is getting scarier by the minute.


    Are you happy or mad, or you can¡¯t balance yourself on crossed legs ¡ª which is it?


    ¡¸Rumors are easily forgotten. I have this great, convenient, forgettable body ¡ª they won¡¯t remember me if we don¡¯t talk to each other, much less just seeing me. ¡¹


    To be precise, it¡¯s not about being unmemorable, but that people find it difficult to sustain interest and obsession on me, I guess. But then, documents are still valid, so I¡¯m not sure.


    ¡¸I get it now. So that¡¯s why you just wordlessly knock them down when they pick a fight with you. ¡¹


    Er, that¡¯s because talking is way more troublesome. I can¡¯t correct Ash now since she seemed really convinced about it.


    ¡¸No, just what kind of constitution is that, huh? ¡¹


    Dinosso stared at me dubiously.


    ¡¸That must be the reason why there has been no mention of Jean-sama in the Commerce Guild. I found it quite strange that only Ash-sama and I are being talked about, even though we were just mere helpers in the production of the medicine. ¡¹


    Butler also understood.


    ¡¸I do think it¡¯s convenient, but then, that means Jean won¡¯t get the prestige that you deserve, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t really care, it¡¯s fine as long as I get the income according to the documents. ¡¹


    ¡¸But I feel uncomfortable that we¡¯re the ones getting credit, instead. ¡¹


    It seemed like Ash corrected them every time they thanked her.


    ¡¸Sorry for giving you trouble. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, no, that¡¯s not what i mean¡­¡¹


    I don¡¯t need anyone fawning over me, or getting special treatment from the bigwigs. Well, I¡¯m pretty happy that the counter tellers have become more sincere.


    ¡¸I¡¯m pretty much aware that I¡¯m still lacking in many ways, so I decided to avoid participating in group activities right from the start. ¡¹


    ¡¸So you can see them, Dinosso? ¡¹


    ¡¸Everyone here can, right? ¡¹


    Butler apparently told Ash that he can see too, so I guess it¡¯s fine being open about it? And Madam seems like she can see them, too. How about En? If he can, then he has been keeping a straight face while using that squirrel as storage huh¡­


    ¡¸Aren¡¯t there too many people who can see around me? ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait, that¡¯s what caught your attention? Ugh, it¡¯s not about the ability to see or not, Daddy here wants to know why the Shadow Wolf is here¡­ ¡¹


    I had a feeling that Butler was laughing at the crestfallen Dinosso.


    ¡¸Seems like there¡¯s a lot of fugitives with special circumstances here in Canum, huh¡­ Uh, I didn¡¯t run away, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸I have a feeling that you¡¯re the most dangerous one. ¡¹Dinosso said.


    ¡¸Jean, aren¡¯t you the one being targeted the most? ¡¹Ash.


    ¡¸I believe you should be the most careful, Jean-sama. ¡¹Butler.


    The trio commented at the same time.


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯m pretty sure he can get right away, though. If you have a contractual spirit, or even a spirit you¡¯re fond of, make sure you have at least one stick with you, alright? I already said this before, but it¡¯s weird that you don¡¯t have any sticking at you with your abilities. ¡¹


    Dinosso was apparently aware about my peculiar teleportation ability, so it seemed he wasn¡¯t worried about me regarding that.


    ¡¸There are many among the adventurers who can ¡®see¡¯. ¡¹


    Just as Butler said, spirits seem to favor how free the adventurers were, so many of them acquired the ability to see under the influence of the spirits hanging around them.


    There are also many who chose to become adventurers because they can already see, or were possessed, even before they become one.


    On the other hand, there are also adventurers who lose their ¡°sight¡± after settling down. Spirits that tend to lend their power to humans were mostly capricious wind spirits, fire spirits that symbolize power and destruction and favored human¡¯s ambitions, light spirits who loved situations where people overcome their tribulations and have the desire to improve. They would leave once the people settled down in one place, apparently.


    ¡¸Hmmm. I don¡¯t want him influencing me in a weird way, and I don¡¯t really like taking him with me to messed-up places. He is cute, so I don¡¯t want him getting kidnapped by people, and I don¡¯t want him getting involved with strange spirits, too. ¡¹


    If I need a spirit to stay with me then Riche would be the best choice, but I¡¯m worried about a lot of things.


    ¡¸Just how much of a weakling is that spirit, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Az doesn¡¯t have any problems living with me¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean-sama, normal people can¡¯t even touch spirits¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Erm.¡¹


    Let¡¯s just ask Riche what he thinks about it later. I probably won¡¯t get an answer, but he might manifest his intent for all we know.

 CH 105

    It¡¯s been settled that Dinosso¡¯s family will move in here, so we went to the inn to get their things. The horse was sold, and they also bought necessities. The beds are ready, so if they can arrange for the firewood they can move in within today.


    We decided to split up for now, with Butler accompanying them to the stores as their guide and me going back to the house to prepare some bread and soup for both houses.


    Alright, what to do now? It¡¯s still a bit early for preparing dinner, but kinda late to do anything else. The weather¡¯s bad so I can¡¯t go to the forest. Alright, the number of people has increased, so I guess I¡¯ll just do pre-cooking prep.


    So, it¡¯ll be leavening, pie sheets and soup base, huh. Fish cured with kelp ¡ª uh, I guess it¡¯s a bit early to take those out. They might be against eating raw foods, after all. Alright, let¡¯s just pickle some meat.


    It¡¯ll be easy to stew the soup since the fire is always lit in the hearth, but I still have to keep on removing the lye from the consomme soup for ages. Besides, I can make the onion soup and vegetable soup now and use them later for other soups.


    I use different kinds of leavening agents for the bread dough and leave them to ferment. Fold the croissant dough and the pie dough, roll them out, let them rest ¡ª rinse and repeat until I have several layers of dough.


    The kitchen is too small, so I work in a room with a fireplace.


    ¡¸Hey, what are you making? ¡¹


    ¡¸Is that bread? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, base for breads and pastries. Did you just return? ¡¹


    Dean and Retze called out to me, so I answered back.


    The door is wide open to let in more light, so I am totally visible from the outside while working. Well, even if it¡¯s outside, this house is already at the end of the alley, and only Ash and the tenants of the rental house come here.


    ¡¸How about Chris? Wait a sec, why are you full of scratches? ¡¹


    Dean¡¯s bare face and arms are full of wounds.


    ¡¸I met Retze at the guild, so we just went home together. There¡¯s no commission requests for three people, you know. Scratches are from pru. ¡¹


    Dean holds out a bag.


    ¡¸Pio are also growing now, so I also picked some on the way. ¡¹


    Retze also holds out a bag.


    I open the bag while trying to guess what they are ¡ª oh, both of them are mushrooms. Retze¡¯s pio have brown heads and thin bodies, while Dean¡¯s bunch are white with a strong smell.


    ¡¾Appraisal ¡¿ results say pio grows on willows and poplars, and they have a crispy texture. Pru grows under blackthorn bushes, and they smell nice. Dean¡¯s scratches came from the blackthorns, apparently.


    ¡¸So pru must be eaten within today or else it¡¯ll lose its aroma, huh. I¡¯m going to make something for dinner, so come, okay. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hooray! ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll look for lille next time. ¡¹


    Don¡¯t forget to invite Chris, too, I said as they left.


    Is lille a mushroom too? If it was in Japan, there¡¯s a season for enjoying picking wild vegetables, but folks here pick mushrooms everytime the season changes. They are not particularly tasty, but maybe they just enjoy the aroma and the crunchy texture? Or, maybe they are just enjoying the season?


    The mushrooms are more than enough for three people. I guess they also picked these with Ash, Butler and Chris in mind.


    I take the salted ham that had been cured overnight, rub it with sugar and coarsely ground black pepper, add salt and rosemary and rub some more.


    Put the green beans and chopped salted pork into the vegetable broth, add some garlic, white wine, bay leaves, then let it simmer before adding cabbage halfway through. These cabbages aren¡¯t the dark green cabbage found here, but the yellow-green ones that I¡¯m familiar with. Let¡¯s train them to get used to different ingredients bit by bit.


    Make two pots and leave it to fireplace-san to turn this dish into a delicious one. I¡¯m done with the different preparations, and there is still some time left before dinner, so let¡¯s return to my house to ask Riche.


    So, time to¡¾Teleport¡¿to my house.


    ***


    Riche came running towards me when I entered my house. He sniffed at my feet, as if checking what I have been up to, then he sat down with a thump, satisfied, and looked up at me.


    I always wait until Riche is satisfied, and pet him when he sits down. It¡¯s our usual routine, and he¡¯s adorable, be it in the morning or in the evening.


    ¡¸Riche, wanna come with me somewhere different from the woods? There¡¯s a lot of people there, though. ¡¹


    Riche tilted his head.


    It¡¯s not like I understand, but what am I going to do? ¡ª it¡¯s as if he was telling me that. He didn¡¯t seem to be fond of humans and his fellow spirits, even though he¡¯s a divine beast.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s troublesome, you can choose not to go next time, so wanna try? ¡¹


    He stuck his face between my feet, so I took that as a ¡®yes¡¯ and we ¡¾Teleporte¡¿again.


    Riche started to sniff around the house the moment we arrived at the Canum house. He carefully sniffed near the door, so he was probably checking out the different scents of people. I let him be until he was satisfied.


    I prepared a water dish for Riche and started preparing dinner.


    He is smart, so it¡¯s a relief that the fireplace won¡¯t be a danger to him. His leg fur is a bit long and silky, and the fur on his chest and tummy are fluffy. His eyes are wide open now, and his chubby paws are super cute.


    Yeah, I¡¯m really glad to have him beside me. Ah, but if Riche doesn¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force him.


    ¡¸Whoa! There¡¯s a dog. ¡¹That¡¯s Dean.


    ¡¸Dog¡­? ¡¹Retze.


    ¡¸Oh my goodness, how adorable is this! ¡¹and Chris.


    The three of them were the first ones to arrive.


    ¡¸That¡¯s Riche. Touching is forbidden. ¡¹


    Dean stretched his hand to touch him, but Riche promptly jumped out of the way, so I warned him.


    ¡¸That¡¯s sad. ¡¹


    Dean drew back his hand, and Riche returned and continued sniffing him as if he understood that he wouldn¡¯t touch him.


    ¡¸Tsk¡­. Oh how unfortunate for us, being unable to touch such a lovely creature¡­! ¡¹


    ¡¸Dog¡­? ¡¹


    Chris shrieked in agony while Retze tilted his head with a dubious look on his face.

 CH 106

    I chopped the prus and sauted them in garlic and olive oil. The color is quite plain, so I sprinkled a bit of chopped italian parsley. Garlics are usually still small during this time, but I got one from my field and used that here.


    I used a lot of olive oil, almost enough to soak them, but I went easy on the garlic. I¡¯m still not used to eating this, or maybe it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t really like the aroma. I finished all the preps before they came.


    The main ingredient for tonight is mushroom, but the main dish is meat. Meat should be at room temp when grilling ¡ª well, not that I had to bring it back to that temp, since the pantry is always at room temperature. I trimmed the excess fat and sinews ¡ª meat was 4cm thick ¡ªand rubbed the surface with coarsely ground rock salt. I pierced it with four metal skewers so that it would flatten into a fan shape, then made a spot at the fireplace with red-hot coals and started grilling, turning them every now and then.


    I set-it up beside the fireplace¡¯s wall, so that the fire would be weak. The consomme soup made with the cabbages (that had been cut into eight parts) should be done by now, too.


    Butler is supposed to pick up the bread, so I asked Retze and the guys to call Ash over.


    Riche earnestly sniffed Ash too while she stood frozen with a terrible expression until he was satisfied. Does she like dogs or not ¡ª I can¡¯t tell by her face!


    The fire crackled, making smoke as salt and fat dripped from the meat which had been browned and a bit charred here and there. I let the smoke permeate the meat so the aroma would cling to it. Turning the metal skewers smoothly would cook the inner part nicely, too.


    I made the garnish by halving some turnips, sprinkling salt on them then grilling them too. I already did all of this, so I thought I might as well saute the pio that Retze harvested in butter.


    ¡¸Just put as much as you want on top and eat it. ¡¹


    I piled some thinly-sliced bread in a basket and served it with the bowl of pru.


    I considered using pru for pasta or risotto, but it won¡¯t taste as good once it cooled down. Butler and Dinosso¡¯s family might be late, so I scrapped that idea.


    The few bottles of high-grade wine brought by the trio were all lined up on the table.


    ¡¸ Let¡¯s dig in! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! Thanks for the food! ¡¹


    ¡¸Now I partake! ¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you for the food. ¡¹


    I also prepared some sliced raw mushrooms for our excited locals. So, there are a lot of mushrooms that can be eaten raw aside from truffles, huh.


    ¡¸Haa~ what a splendid aroma! This is it, the scent of spring! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s nice that we can eat it this year too. ¡¹


    Chris and Retze piled a lot of mushrooms on the bread and sank their teeth on it with relish.


    ¡¸Mm, the fragrance is wonderful. ¡¹


    Ash didn¡¯t take a huge bite, but she did start with the pru.


    ¡¸Meat!! Ugh, this is so tasty! ¡¹


    Dean went through all that trouble getting all scratched up because of the pru, but there he was gobbling the meat.


    The inner part was also cooked well when I sliced the meat with a knife. The umami flavor spread in my mouth as I took a huge chunk of meat and bit into it. The aroma filling my nostrils was also amazing.


    I drank some wine to wash down the grease of the meat, then took a mouthful of the bread heavily laden with pru. It tasted like a king trumpet mushroom, and the scent was quite heavy. Based on how Chris and Retze were faring, you¡¯re going to love it once you get used to it.


    I also gave some unsalted meat to Riche, cooked rare. It would get burned without salt, after all.


    ¡¸You have a visitor, it seems? ¡¹


    It was just as Chris said, somebody was knocking on the back door.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s Butler and our neighbors. ¡¹


    ¡¸The family you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸They arrived today. ¡¹


    I answered Dean¡¯s question while making my way through the kitchen with a candlestick on hand.


    ¡¸Come in. ¡¹


    ¡¸Please excuse us. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Yeah, just as expected, the two of them came.


    Madam and the kids already went home. Firewood, tables, carpets and other stuff that Dinosso seemed to have ordered to be delivered arrived one after the other next door.


    ¡¸You have guests? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, no, wait. Wait a sec, alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s up? ¡¹


    Dinosso suddenly cut me off in a fluster.


    ¡¸He is beyond my purview. ¡¹


    Butler said with a smile.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t answer me first! Is it my fault? Is it because of what I said!? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m afraid I am as guilty as you are ¡ª however, he is beyond my purview. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    ¡¸You! Hey, don¡¯t tell me you showed this to others, huh!? ¡¹


    Dinosso pointed below him.


    ¡¸Ah, I just introduced Riche to Ash and the others. ¡¹


    Riche had followed me and was now sniffing Dinosso¡¯s feet.


    ¡¸Youuu, aaarghhh! ¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s up? Didn¡¯t you tell me to bring a spirit? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ehh!! This puppy is a spirit!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, Dean. There¡¯s no such thing as a puppy that doesn¡¯t make a sound when walking. ¡¹Chris.


    ¡¸So he¡¯s at the level where he¡¯s visible to me, a non-seeing guy? ¡¹Retze.


    ¡¸Mm¡­It seems so. ¡¹


    Four people left the table and came to us because Dinosso yelled.


    Hm?


    ¡¸Oh, so that¡¯s how it is, huh. Spirits who are visible to those who can¡¯t ¡®see¡¯ are strong, huh. ¡¹


    Riche was in ¡®always visible¡¯ mode for me, so I totally didn¡¯t notice.


    Eh, Riche is super weak on top of being a puppy, and yet he¡¯s that strong!?


    ¡¸Now!? You just noticed that NOW? ¡¹


    Dinosso was about to cry.

 CH 107

    ¡¸Then, it¡¯ll be bad to take Riche along, huh. ] ¡¸Indeed, you will stand out all the more. ¡¹


    Butler remarked with a smile.


    ¡¸Riche doesn¡¯t seem to like crowded places too, so I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ¡¹


    Riche approached my feet, so I took his cheeks and rubbed them vigorously.


    ¡¸You¡­ ¡¹


    Dinosso looked like he had a headache oncoming.


    ¡¸How nice~ I wanna rub him too~ ¡¹


    Dean is definitely a dog lover, and he seemed really envious.


    ¡¸Dean, maybe it¡¯s better for you to do something about that trait of yours, huh? You seem to stop thinking when it comes to things you like¡­ ¡¹


    Retze looked like he was tired of something. Dean is probably the reason.


    ¡¸Is it alright for me to be here? ¡¹


    What a rare sight, Chris was fidgeting while he anxiously asked that.


    ¡¸I¡¯m the one who called you here. ¡¹


    I looked up at Chris from below him.


    Uh, it couldn¡¯t be helped that this angle drew my eye to his chin.


    ¡¸Thank you. I, Chris, will be worthy of your trust! ¡¹


    I already know that Chris is a nice guy, but those gestures of his that make me think of sparkles and flowers blooming behind him sparks unease in me.


    ¡¸Still, just what kind of spirit would be good, huh? ¡¹


    If it¡¯s based on size, then Riche is quite small, too.


    ¡¸¡­Maybe it¡¯s better for me to return Az? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, I¡¯m more at ease if he¡¯s with you. ¡¹


    He would perch on my shoulders from time to time, but his favorite spot seems to be on top of Ash¡¯s head. The contrast between him and Ash¡¯s scary face had been quite odd at first, but I came to see it as adorable recently.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard that fire spirits are common among adventurers. Can you introduce us? ¡¹


    Retze said in his usual tone.


    I see, so I can make Dean¡¯s spirit as the model, huh. But then, it¡¯s hard to determine just by size¡­ How about by presence impact or something else? Just how do you categorize that?


    ¡¸Ah, sorry. This old guy here is Dinosso, this is Retze. ¡¹


    ¡¸Stop calling me old guy! ¡¹


    Dinosso grumbled while shaking hands with Retze.


    ¡¸Nice to meet yah¡­Wait. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s hand was still in the air even after the handshake was over.


    ¡¸¡­Please forgive me if I made a mistake. ¡­Valmour? ] ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Dinosso answered nonchalantly.


    ¡¸Ehhh!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a moment, are you referring to the Wolf King Valmour who went missing in the Labyrinth? ¡¹


    Dean and Chris let out something close to a shriek as they approached us.


    It was quite dark with just a single candlestick, so they probably couldn¡¯t confirm it without getting closer.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going back to being an adventurer starting tomorrow, so I¡¯ll be in your care. ¡¹


    ¡¸M-me, too, a handshake¡­ ¡¹


    Dean wiped his hand on his trousers then extended it. It¡¯s a pain in the neck introducing you, so do it yourself.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Dean, my name is Dean. ¡¹


    ¡¸Chris Eades, it is such an honor to meet a legend! ¡¹


    Not sure if they read my mind, but they introduced themselves while shaking hands.


    ¡¸Dean, your way of talking is weird. ¡¹


    ¡¸Shuddap, you¡¯re Valmour, that Valmour!! ¡¹


    Not that I know who that is.


    ¡¸He is a legend. He¡¯s so famous that only those who grew up in severely prejudiced families don¡¯t know him. Those who know how he looks are limited to those his own age or older, though. ¡¹


    Retze explained.


    Well, he¡¯s just plain ol¡¯ Dinosso for me, a nice dad and guy who is weak against his wife and children. Well, that dragon spirit is really cool, though.


    Alright, let¡¯s go look for a dragon spirit. They are probably up in the north where dragons fly around. Maybe¡­.


    ¡¸At any rate, don¡¯t take that spirit to town if you don¡¯t want to stand out. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s. ¡¹I drawled in reply.


    Dinosso wiltingly waved his hand as he languidly left through the backdoor.


    ¡¸So even the Wolf King Valmour would carry bread like that, huh. ¡¹


    Dean was mumbling about some weird impression he got.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s continue eating. Noth, the main dish is meat, want me to grill it for you? Or do you wanna do it yourself? ¡¹


    ¡¸Allow me. ¡¹


    We moved towards the dining table while Butler started roasting meat in the fireplace after using a poker to move the firewood.


    ¡¸It feels like my brain¡¯s breaking from info overload. ¡¹


    Retze sighed while drinking the wine they brought.


    ¡¸I can see Valmour if I go to the guild tomorrow, huh~ ¡¹


    Dean continued on, and it was gross.


    ¡¸Jean, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to touch spirits as if it¡¯s a natural thing to do, but¡­No, it seems not only are strong spirits visible, they can also be touched, huh. At any rate, be careful. ¡¹


    Chris elegantly tilted his glass. He usually moves exaggeratedly, but his table manners are quite refined.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, the guild will probably be in an uproar again. Well, someone at Valmour¡¯s level usually goes to the Labyrinth, right? Is he here because of Jean? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, he said he wants to train his children. ¡¹


    I answered Retze¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Eh, Valmour has kids!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Dean, you¡¯re acting like a head-over-heels maiden chasing someone and it¡¯s gross. ¡¹


    ¡¸He¡¯s just a bit older than us and yet he¡¯s a legend, so can¡¯t help it, okay? It¡¯s only natural for men to admire him! ¡¹


    ¡¸He has an adorable, pretty lassie and twin brothers. Will he train the twins? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, he said it¡¯ll be the three of them. ¡¹


    Ash looked scary, and she seemed to be thinking of something.


    ¡¸Is his wife the Ice Queen Shiva? ¡¹


    ¡¸Not sure if she¡¯s the Ice Queen, but yeah, it¡¯s Shiva. ¡¹


    So Shiva also had a nickname, huh.


    They seemed to be referring to the spirit that possessed her, but then, perhaps she could also use ice magic. If so, maybe I can ask her to teach me how to use magic.


    ¡¸Ugh! Strong and beautiful wife! How nice~ ¡¹


    ¡¸I agree with you. ¡¹


    A beauty who is great at cooking ¡ª yeah, Dinosso got it good.


    ¡¸Is that your type¡­? ¡¹


    ¡¸Rather than type, his family is enviable, including Dinosso the hubby himself. ¡¹


    They might not be the typical peaceful peasant family I had in mind, but they have a great family, in my opinion. Not only his wife, but even the children¡¯s relationship was enviable.


    ¡¸If Valmour and Shiva are there, then I guess it¡¯s fine, but I think it¡¯s still best if we look out for the kids just in case, so that there won¡¯t be anyone who would mess with them. ¡¹


    Retze remarked, and Dean and Chris exchanged glances and nods.


    ¡¸Please. ¡¹


    I bowed my head to these trio who seemed destined to do good things in the future.

 CH 108

    So, Spirit-san.


    When I rename them and increase the chances of us being together, the bigger they get, so what should I do about that? Well, I guess I can think about it later. I need to capture one first, or else nothing will come out of it.


    Oh yeah, so where can I find draco, I mean dragons? If they exist then..should they be in the east?


    ¡¸Jean, you¡¯re thinking of something strange aren¡¯t yah? ] ¡¸You¡¯re imagining things. ¡¹


    Retze was taking me around blacksmiths.


    Was it Laura? Roze? Oh, Roza. Everyone mostly mentions Amadeo, so the others¡¯ names were quite fuzzy.


    The troublesome underlings of the Gold ranks finally left the city, so I was looking for a place that could process the magic ore that I got from Ash. To be precise, I requested Chris, Dean and Retze to take me to the smithies they frequented respectively.


    The other two giddily went to the guild early in the morning, while Dinosso and his family avoided the early morning crowd, and had a leisurely breakfast first before heading out. I knew, because I delivered the eggs I forgot to give them yesterday.


    ¡¸Actually, there are more craftsmen in the fortress city¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸That place is teeming with Roza¡¯s underlings for sure. ¡¹


    In fact, Dean and Chris would also expressly go to the fortress city for the overall maintenance of their main weapons.


    The fortress city (and) town are actually situated in the neighboring country, so essentially, people can¡¯t easily enter or leave that place. So, it is considered to be far even though it is near, although that doesn¡¯t matter to the adventurers. They may be treated harshly in the royal capital, and the farther they are from lands that are infested with monsters. However, they are relatively free the nearer they are to such places.


    The blacksmiths over here mainly accept maintenance care that normal, day-to-day DIY can¡¯t do, as well as dismantling knives and other sub weapons.


    The craftsmen in the fortress city apparently don¡¯t meet people without an introduction, so the two guys told me that they¡¯ll show me around if I go there. Then they came up with talks of brothels again.


    ¡¸You¡¯re totally treating her like she¡¯s a villainess, aren¡¯t you? She¡¯s famous for being a compassionate healer, you know. ¡¹


    ¡¸I can only see her as a pain in the neck. She could¡¯ve just gathered the people of the country instead of gathering haunted guys. Just what kind of country does she want to revive, huh? ¡¹


    Retze and I engaged in small talk while walking.


    ¡¸Most people would come rushing for a chance to be part of a strong group, right.¡¹


    Just as Retze said, folks, be it peasants or city guys, would prefer to be affiliated to strong people. He had an expression as if he had been rooting for her from the start.


    ¡¸So, what now? Do you have a craftsman you like? ¡¹


    ¡¸Are magic ores processed the same way as iron? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hmm. Sorry for bothering you to show me around, but I guess I¡¯ll just do it myself. ¡¹


    I did check them out, but they didn¡¯t impress me.


    The blacksmiths of the northern region that I saw before had been so superb that I couldn¡¯t help but compare them.


    ¡¸I know you¡¯re skilled, but do you have the facilities? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, yup. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Not gonna ask where they are. ¡¹


    We bought stewed offal sandwiches at one of the stands, then moved to the side as we munched on them. There¡¯s a meat disassembly place just outside the bulwark, and this meat was also processed there, but the butcher shop is separate from the entrails shop. Seems like they subdivided handling to a tee, and they drew the line between those divisions quite intensely.


    Canum¡¯s dishes are relatively more delicious than other places, probably because of the abundance of meat, and the cuisine isn¡¯t overly salty. Not sure if it is because the main ingredient is salt-cured meat, but there are a lot of cities with salty dishes.


    ¡¸Cough, this is a bit stinky, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it does stink, now that you mentioned it. ¡¹


    The carpenters and stonemasons from cold places also invited me to eat hotpot with them, but the meat didn¡¯t stink that much back then,


    ¡¸I want some seven spice blend, at the very least. ¡¹


    ¡¸Seven spice blend ? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a spicy seasoning made with seven different spices mixed together, with red pepper as base. ¡¹


    ¡¸Heh? ¡¹


    Well, that thing doesn¡¯t exist here, I guess.


    ¡¸It¡¯s kinda scary how the things I can eat outside gets lesser and lesser the more I get used to your cooking, Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸You can just memorize how to cook it, right? ¡¹


    Butler did memorize a lot, he even sent me some asparagus pizza he made the other day.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not to the point that you can call them decent dishes, but I grill some meat at home now, when I usually ate everything outside until now. ¡¹


    And so, I ended up smithing.


    The materials are already gathered. The bellows are ready, the anvil, too, and I also have long handle pincers for grasping the hot metal. Hammers for hitting and bending, check. I have different kinds ¡ª a round-headed one and a flat-headed one, a large, heavy, two-handed hammer for fusing two metals together. Hammers and more hammers, that¡¯s a lot of them.


    Water, check. Charcoal, check. Borax, check. Straw ashes and other stuff, check. Apron made from Monitor Lizard-kun¡¯s hide, check,. Fire spirit¡¯s help, check!


    First, I beat the steel into a shape that looks like a square plate with a stick. Iron is fine for the pole part. I add another layer of steel on top ¡ª


    The tiny spirits darted around the furnace, while the orange butterfly spirits danced in the wind that the bellows made.


    To level the carbon content, I had to stretch the steel and fold it and stretch it again, and fold it again ¡ª rinse and repeat ¡ª to make it more tenacious and stronger, and to beat out the impurities, too. I watched the orange-tempered steel and adjusted my strength.


    The fire salamander flicked its long tongue and licked the orange heated mass.


    I think it¡¯s a job for two people, but the spirits are there to help me.


    Successfully finish¡­ tomorrow. I forgot the whetstone for sharpening the blade!!

 CH 109

    Swords here are just like the ones in Japan in the sense that they don¡¯t make clanging sounds ¡ª I refer to those that do as clang swords. They are made by pouring them into a mold. The sword molds are placed into a tube, then they put sand to fill the gaps between the tube and the mold before pouring the molten iron into the mold. Clang swords, on the other hand, are mostly done by the smithers that specialize in making horseshoes.


    I learned both methods by helping out with the menial tasks. It¡¯s a huge help that I had my ¡¾Manufacturing Ability ¡¿since I could memorize the process even just by sneaking glances. It also helps me understand why the process is necessary, and it also clarifies and corrects the vague knowledge I had from watching TV and reading books in my previous life.


    It¡¯s not like my cooking skill where I know something I absolutely didn¡¯t have an inkling before, nor can I come up with the manufacturing process just by looking at the finished product, but still, it was a pretty awesome cheat as it is.


    As for cooking, that skill is way beyond just being awesome enough to be illegal. The stuff from my previous world is my trump card, and anything written about the cuisine here is considered knowledge. I can also use ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ to check the finished products or even the raw ingredients to know how to cook them.


    At any rate, I diligently studied all kinds of production aside from cooking. I¡¯m stocking on knowledge, and I¡¯m mainly getting it from the library. According to info found there, there is a tribe up north that was good at blacksmithing and making clang swords.


    Not sure whether it¡¯s because they didn¡¯t have a written record of their skills, but the only thing I could find about them was some kind of order form for goods. It was another tribe who recorded that clang swords came from them.


    Perhaps, they are just a mysterious kind of tribe, or maybe even dwarves? I plan to look for them later. I¡¯m so glad I have the skills and time to solve mysteries, since they are a lot of fun.


    The sword I made was a western-type one because Japanese-style swords would stand out too much around here. I¡¯m not aiming to be like White Shroud*, but I wanted a clang sword, even as a Japanese. And so, the clang sword I made should be stronger than normal steel swords, thanks to the tenacity resulting from the manufacturing process and the addition of magic ore. Yup, if I didn¡¯t fail, that is. I¡¯m a bit worried because the color turned out a bit different from what I expected.


    ¡¸Riche, move aside, it¡¯ll be dangerous if I hit you. ¡¹


    I headed out of the blacksmith shed with the finished sword in hand. It¡¯s a lot lighter than normal swords, and the blade end is tinged with the colors of dawn for some reason. It¡¯s beautiful.


    First slash, to the side ¡ª


    Flames burst out from the sword, leaving a path.


    Second slash, slash up from below, reverse, slash down. Flames left a trail while sparks flew in the air.


    Whoa!! Cool!! I get it, I totally get it! I¡¯m gonna be scolded for this one!!


    I subconsciously glanced at Riche, who was sitting obediently in front of the smith shed. He tilted his head when our eyes met. Yup, so adorable.


    No, wait a sec, what am I supposed to do with this? Ash gave that magic ore to me, and yet I turned it into a sword I can¡¯t use¡­


    Yokan¡ª sweet azuki-bean jelly, a japanese confectionery ¡ª from Toraya is usually given as an apology gift in Japan, but what about this world? Ugh, no, I don¡¯t have any idea.


    Will wine and snacks be okay? I¡¯m not really versed with wines, yet, so I just picked a wine said to be delicious in Japan and transferred it into a bottle.


    As for the snack ¡ª pastry, chocolate eclairs sound good. Custard, fresh cream and strawberries might appeal to Ash¡¯s tastes, I guess. I¡¯ll make the chocolate dough slightly bittersweet, then spread those on top as usual.


    And so, I started making eclairs.


    I piped the slightly hardened kneaded dough, baked them and cut them into halves, then piped the custard made from more vanilla beans than usual on top, then garnished it with whipped cream. I gently placed three strawberries, then put the chocolate-smeared half as cover, and it¡¯s done.


    Alright, let¡¯s go get scolded. Ah, no, Ash probably won¡¯t get mad at me.


    ¡¸Welcome, Jean-sama. ¡¹


    Butler opened the door for me soon enough when I knocked on their backdoor.


    ¡¸Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hello. ¡¹


    Not sure if it¡¯s because she¡¯s a noble, but normally, she doesn¡¯t go to the kitchen, apparently. Butler had a complicated expression at first, but he doesn¡¯t do that nowadays. I could probably go through the main entrance, but I¡¯m carrying ingredients most of the time, so, yeah.


    ¡¸Here, wine and snacks. I came here today to apologize. ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you have to apologize for, Jean, but¡­what¡¯s up? ¡¹


    Ash seemed perplexed.


    ¡¸I made a blunder and turned that magic ore into a useless sword. You especially gave it to me and yet¡­ Sorry. ¡¹


    I bowed my head and said it one go the moment my hands were free after handing the wine and eclairs to Butler.


    ¡¸You don¡¯t have to say sorry. I gave that magic ore to Jean, so you¡¯re free to use it as you want. ¡¹


    Ash didn¡¯t seem to mind it. She went through all that trouble to get that¡­I feel so guilty.


    ¡¸Jean-sama also does smithing, it seems. How about melting it once again and remaking it? ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. I didn¡¯t think about that. Can I still melt it down? ¡¹


    Both steel and magic ore melted down in the first place. Will it work?


    ¡¸¡­Jean-sama. How about calling Valmour ¡ª Dinosso-sama and showing your failed sword to us first? ¡¹


    Ugh, I feel like Butler¡¯s donning that smile as a mask!


    T/N:


    *White Shroud from Tokyo Xanadu, a mysterious character who wears all white and belongs to a group that aims to seal the Other World ¡ª gematsu.com


    Toraya no Yokan ¡ª Toraya is a well known brand for Japanese confectioneries, while yokan is sweet bean paste jelly.

 CH 110

    ¡¸Ash, did you get thinner? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. I also stopped the chest binding. ¡¹


    Tea time with Ash at my house.


    Butler was the one who brewed the tea, but he went to Dinosso right after serving it. Ash opened the box of eclairs that we brought back again, and the two of us ate them in the end.


    ¡¸Then won¡¯t they know that you¡¯re a girl? ¡¹


    Her shirt seems a bit loose, and her waist has gotten thinner to the point that suspicious eyes can tell that she¡¯s a woman. And her chest ¡ª


    ¡¸Shiva and Tina are here, after all. This pastry is super delicious. ¡¹


    She still has that scary expression on her face, but I¡¯m already used to reading her mood to the point that I can see flowers blooming in her background.


    So, what about Shiva and Tina? Even if female adventurers were not non-existent thanks to the abilities bestowed by spirits, there are still only a handful of them, and most of those minority are part of the comrades I can trust.


    ¡¸Are you gonna work with Dinosso and the others? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s better if there are more women. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why it¡¯s for Shiva and Tina, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Besides, ever since I¡¯m released from Az, it¡¯s getting harder to bind my chest. ¡¹


    ¡¸Bring your clothes later. I¡¯ll fix them for you. ¡¹


    Ash seemed very happy, probably because she liked the eclair more than I expected. Just when I added more eclairs for Dinosso, somebody knocked on the door.


    ¡¸It¡¯s open. ¡¹


    I called out to the kitchen. They probably already know it¡¯s open, it¡¯s my house, after all.


    ¡¸Come in. ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯m prepared. Show it. ¡¹


    He sat heavily on the chair, with his legs open and his fists on his knees ¡ª the very picture of firmness.


    ¡¸Here. ¡¹


    He told me to ¡®show it¡¯, so I thought of teasing him by taking my shirt off, but Ash is here, so I restrained myself and obediently took my sword out.


    ¡¸No, wait a sec. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    ¡¸Where the heck did you pull that out? ¡¹


    ¡¸From ¡¾Storage¡¿. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Dinosso looked like he¡¯s about to pop a vein.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Butler stood frozen beside the table, a smile still plastered on his face.


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    Ash was nibbling the eclair.


    I took a leaf out of Ash¡¯s book and came out clean that I have the same ability as En. I¡¯m not sure whether they¡¯ll reveal En¡¯s ability, but I was thinking it would be a comfort to them knowing that there was someone who has the same skill as him.


    ¡¸Haaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh¡­ You, keep that a secret. ¡¹


    Dinosso let out all the breath he had been holding in a sigh.


    ¡¸Yes yes. ¡¹


    ¡¸So nonchalant! Noth? ¡¹


    ¡¸I think it is fine, since he has been hiding it until now. Instead, the bag that he made stood out, so he made great use of the guild here. ¡¹


    Yep, he¡¯s right, I did hide it properly.


    ¡¸So, is this the sword in question? ¡¹


    He took out the sword from the scabbard.


    ¡¸Whoa¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Please do not melt it down. ¡¹


    Not sure if it reacted to Dinosso¡¯s fire dragon, but flames ran down the sword blade.


    ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s beautiful. ¡¹


    ¡¸If you like it, then wanna have it? ¡¹


    Ash praised it, so I asked her.


    ¡¸Ah, no, I don¡¯t have any fire spirits beside me unfortunately, so I won¡¯t be able to use it. ¡¹


    Az, the spirit sticking to Ash, is the spirit of Wind and Verdure.


    ¡¸What about you, Dinosso? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, you, stop easily giving away a sword that can¡¯t be used in front of others. How much is this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Er¡­? ¡¹


    Aren¡¯t arrowheads made of iron more expensive than hiring mercenaries? Ah, but I made the steel from the pig iron used to make cheap farming tools, so I guess it isn¡¯t much?


    Pig iron is hard but brittle, so I mixed the magic ore to make it more tenacious. I made the steel in a crucible with flux made from pine resin, so just how much is this steel worth?


    ¡¸No, wait a sec. Noth, can I ask, what is it made of? ¡¹


    ¡¸I was thinking that it resembles the blades forged by a certain tribe from the northern island. I heard that they apparently cut off any contact with the humans in this continent. ¡¹


    ¡¸I did my best to forge a clang sword~. ¡¹


    The spirits helped me out a bit during the process, so it turned out to be quite a terrible thing.


    ¡¸I guess it can¡¯t be helped that it turned into a spirit sword. Well, you decided that it can¡¯t be shown in public so it¡¯s good, but that was close. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    I did try to hide it, you know.


    ¡¸Still, it¡¯s totally out of the question, I tell you! It¡¯s out! Even if it¡¯s not a spirit sword, it¡¯s out! ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean-sama, please lower your standards for ignoring things. ¡¹


    Dinosso kept on yelling ¡®out¡¯, while Butler looked worried.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t want a blade that can easily break. ¡¹


    In addition to this, I also made a knife currently in the kitchen next door. I didn¡¯t ask the help of spirits when making that, so it¡¯s just a normal steel knife.


    ¡¸Noth? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡ª He¡¯s beyond my purview. ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t really care about battles, but life¡¯s comfort is non-negotiable. ¡¹


    Yup. I hope this world will steadily become more comfortable to live in, instead.


    ¡¸Jean-sama is far more cultured than us. ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean¡¯s ¡®normal¡¯ is already absurd by our standards. ¡¹


    Ash suddenly spoke out after keeping quiet all this time.


    And, silence descended.


    ¡¸Jean, are you home? ¡¹


    ¡ª Broken by Dean¡¯s carefree voice.


    ¡¸Come in, it¡¯s open. ¡¹


    ¡¸Whoa! Hello, Valmour. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey. ¡¹


    Dinosso replied curtly while still clutching his head.


    ¡¸Did something happen? ¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re trying to figure out what¡¯s negotiable and not. ¡¹


    Dean lowered his voice, so I answered his question.


    ¡¸Not sure what¡¯s happening, but I guess you shouldn¡¯t probe into it too much. Just take it easy, okay? ¡ª Oh, smells heavenly! Can I have one? ¡¹


    It was probably on purpose, but Dean replied very cheerfully, to the point that it seemed exaggerated, as he looked at the eclairs on the table while grinning ear to ear.


    ¡¸Help yourself. I made a lot. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, thanks. Here, a friend gave me these asparagus. ¡¹


    The basket was filled with asparagus, half of them were the normal, thick ones, while the other half were white and thick.


    It seems they weren¡¯t picked from the forest, but cultivated. So they have white asparagus here, huh. I could only imagine them canned in thick sauce, but these seemed quite delicious.


    Dean handed the basket to me, and reached out to the eclairs with his freed hand. He took a huge bite. It¡¯s the first time he saw an eclair, and yet he wasn¡¯t even wary of it.


    ¡¸You can probably buy a private house with that snack. ¡¹


    ¡¸Choke, cough! ¡¹


    Butler chose the perfect timing to drop a bomb, and Dean choked on the eclair.


    ¡¸Noth? ¡¹


    ¡¸Vanilla beans, cacao, just how much of those are in there? And this sweet fruit pretending to be a strawberry is unimaginable. ¡¹


    Pretend¡­ Hey, that¡¯s a real strawberry! Doesn¡¯t it look quite similar to the ones you have here, at the very least!?

 CH 111

    Dinosso and Butler placed an order for chairs with backrests.


    The chairs in this world are mostly benches, or logs that had been cut to a suitable size. Folks in the royal capital and the wealthy guys do have chairs with backrests, but they aren¡¯t widely distributed among the masses, yet. By the way, did you know that the backrest here is set at a 90 degree angle to the seat? Well, what can you expect when the bed here is¡­


    Ah, I started smithing, so might as well make some coils for a spring bed. Yeah, I have to make lamps, too. It suddenly feels like I¡¯m quite busy, huh.


    They warned me I can eat the food I make with ingredients that I bought outside, but all other ingredients had to be kept inside the house. The same thing applies for furniture and whatnot, but the wooden chairs are safe even if they had that shape.


    Since swords are used to protect oneself, I got the approval to make something good as my weapon. And so, it¡¯s decided that I¡¯m going to forge a new one.


    Dinosso agreed to keep the first sword I made, and I¡¯ll forge new swords for Ash and Shiva, too. Dinosso¡¯s gonna pay for those. We decided to make a story about how Dinosso picked the sword somewhere and have that story circulated around. He¡¯s a legend after all, so that¡¯s one thing.


    Dean didn¡¯t have enough money so he refused, but it looked like he¡¯s gonna cry a river of bloody tears with the expression he was making. He¡¯s a member of a prestigious brothel, so he¡¯s broke. Well, steadfast folks like Retze are pretty rare among the adventurers, apparently.


    I¡¯m going to ask Retze and Chris, too, but I have a feeling Retze will refuse. I asked Dinosso if there is anyone else he¡¯s willing to give the sword to, but he told me it¡¯s been a long time since he stopped from adventurer¡¯s work, so he didn¡¯t have anyone like that as of now.


    Moreover, Butler¡¯s sword is already a spirit sword, it seems. That pickle spirit is the type to bestow power, apparently. It¡¯s a secret from Ash, so he doesn¡¯t use it, though.


    At any rate, Ash and Dinosso decided to gather magic ores for the meantime, so that it wouldn¡¯t be odd if they were to have spirit swords all of a sudden. They¡¯re planning to do that while doing commissions for the guild. I also plan to join them from time to time.


    And so, I will make my own spirit sword once again. Which attribute shall I choose? Ah, I have to find a spirit I¡¯m going to take with me before that, so that the attributes will match. And there¡¯s also the problem of how I¡¯m gonna raise it.


    ¡ª Anyway, let¡¯s go dragon sight-seeing, dragon it is. But work first before that, I guess.


    ***


    ¡¸Is this¡­potato? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    I¡¯m in a bright room with a few glass windows installed in it. The wall was white with golden borders, and the curtains are made from some kind of bulky fabric, and there are also close-grained carpets.


    It might have looked impressive with a sofa, but nope, they¡¯re using cloth-covered wooden chairs. This cloth-covered chair might be a state-of-the-art thing here, but it¡¯s just odd for me. They could¡¯ve made the backrest a little more rounded! It¡¯s not back-friendly at all.


    A guy in the prime of his life was sitting across from me ¡ª he¡¯s the head clerk of the large trading house that mainly deals with maritime food. We¡¯re currently in the middle of a business negotiation in Nalluadhid. At first, they received me at a somewhat chaotic place and they just went through the motions like a robot, then I was taken to this room afterward.


    This room was probably meant to showcase the wealth of the trading house, and to emphasize the difference in rank, but it was quite tacky in my opinion. It doesn¡¯t look cheap, but it¡¯s like a handmade item that uses very expensive materials. I¡¯m not sure what kind of design this is, or something like that.


    Well, handmade things are expensive by default! There aren¡¯t machines for making finished products here, after all.


    Anyway, leaving that aside, I came here to sell potatoes first. My premise is if I can¡¯t bring out food made with rare ingredients that you can¡¯t easily get your hands on, then why not make it widely available, instead.


    These potatoes aren¡¯t comparable to the ones grown in Japan, but they look close enough to a proper potato. They¡¯re a bit reddish, kinda like sweet potatoes, but the spirits did their best. Frankly speaking, the taste is quite questionable, but they¡¯re a lot bigger than the ones grown here for the enjoyment of their flowers.


    When I showed these to them back when we were still in the first room, they immediately pounced on me and escorted me to this room. That¡¯s how charming these potatoes are.


    ¡¸Potatoes can be stored for a long time, and they are also hardy plants. Wheat is usually destroyed in war because it is trampled on, but since these grow underground, they aren¡¯t susceptible to such destruction. We can start planting these as prized items. ¡¹


    The merchant assessed the potato on his hand while giving a lengthy explanation.


    ¡¸Oh my, is that so? ¡¹


    I smiled as if I didn¡¯t know all of that but ended up knowing because of him.


    So, there¡¯s already talks of growing potatoes as food, huh? It¡¯s understandable if they are doing it because of the fickle weather, but I don¡¯t like the thought of growing these because of the war. Well, at least fewer people will be starving.


    ¡¸They will be very happy with this size ¡ª however, there is just one concern that we have. ¡¹


    ¡¸What might it be? ¡¹


    ¡¸Some people claim that it is poison. ¡¹


    The sprouts and the parts that turn green when exposed to sunlight are poisonous! I had a terrible experience back then, when Sis insisted that only the sprouts are poisonous.


    ¡¸Food preparation¡­? Perhaps, Soleil-sama has an idea as to what the cause might be? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. ¡¹


    You didn¡¯t know!?


    ¡®Soleil¡¯ is my alias here at Nalluadhid. I also registered at the Commerce Guild here using that name. It¡¯s easy preparing documents for that fake identity, since I¡¯m the one issuing them!


    Soleil is supposedly a free knight and what not, the lord of something-something, blah-blah. Well, that free knight is me, though.


    Even though the country is recognized on paper, the territory is inaccessible without my permission ¡ª not unless you¡¯re stronger than the deities-sama, at least. That¡¯s why Mr. Free Knight¡¯s protection is ironclad.


    If they get their eyes on ¡°Soleil¡±, I can just throw that name away, so it¡¯s fine even if I do conspicuous stuff with this identity. I can also throw ¡°Jean¡± away if needed, but I grew fond of this name so I want to protect it as much as I can.


    ¡°Jean¡± also has his own set of identification papers as a free knight, and the name on his ID card is an abbreviation of the name given by the deities, so ¡°Jean¡± is just a plain ol¡¯ name.


    Actually, it has turned into a bizarre thing ¡ª I¡¯m supposedly serving as a free knight under another free knight with a fief. That¡¯s because I issued the documents while having no idea back then that I could just use something like crests in place of identification papers!


    I did think it was weird that I was issuing documents for myself. The situation turned into something like, ¡°I haven¡¯t abandoned my status as free knight as of this moment, but I am still in the process of gauging whether this person is worthy of being my lord¡± in my identification papers, apparently. Well, it turned out fine eventually, but¡­


    Knights are people who are basically servants of somebody else, and they have no choice but to obey orders issued by the king and nobles of the country they are living in.


    Free knights are equal to kings in terms of status, but the actual treatment they receive depends on their strength and fame. That¡¯s how it goes according to the system here.


    It doesn¡¯t matter to knights whether they have squires or fief lords or not. Free knights don¡¯t even fuss over their status because they don¡¯t have to serve in social hierarchies. No man above, and no man below ¡ª that¡¯s what being a free knight means.


    If they were to serve another, then that would mean they were abandoning their status as a free knight. ¡®I finally found the lord that I have to serve!¡¯ is usually what they say, but it¡¯s mostly just that they can no longer feed themselves on their own.


    ¡®I¡¯m so captivating, enough that he even threw his identity away!¡¯ is the usual response of royalty and nobility, flattering their vanity, so free knights are in great demand for employment.


    Ah, but that¡¯s beside the point, we¡¯re here to discuss potatoes, potatoes, you know. So, potatoes are also eaten by the importers, right? I wonder if they do it like Peru, drying and dehydrating them first before eating? Toxins can be removed along with the water if they do that.


    ¡¸If you know, then please tell us¡­ ¡¹


    I was mulling over a lot of things, when my negotiation partner cut through my thoughts impatiently.


    ¡®I can tell you, but it depends on the conditions!¡¯ ¡ª let¡¯s try saying that, then.

 CH 112

    ¡¸I can tell you, but it depends on the conditions. ¡¹


    This island was really small, so the houses here are packed like sardines in a can. There are trading headquarters built here, naturally, but there are also branches owned by large-scale merchants from the various countries on the continent, as well as inns and lodgings for the businessmen who visit this place seasonally.


    Even if you want to buy a house or a room, it is normal that there won¡¯t be any vacancies, but if it¡¯s the Allaway family who built a fortune doing maritime transportation. It has been quite the hassle, but that¡¯s the reason why I tried to negotiate with a large-scale merchant, in the first place.


    Well, I don¡¯t really want to live in such a far-flung place as this. It¡¯s just a method of lowering the bar for the negotiations by mentioning such an exaggerated demand.


    ¡¸That¡¯s difficult ¡ª even if you don¡¯t understand the reason, if you try to pursue the method to accomplish that, then you will understand. ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait, please, can you give us some more time? I will relay this matter to the boss. ¡¹


    Yep, setting aside that toxin removal method, these potato babies that I have are charming, right? So charming that you don¡¯t want to hand it over to other merchants, I¡¯m sure.


    ¡¸May I have the actual item in order to discuss this further? ¡¹


    ¡¸Then please have this one. It¡¯s alright even if you eat this. ¡¹


    I hand the potato that I boiled as is, peel and all.


    He looked quite depressed. You think I¡¯m gonna hand a seed potato over, huh, as if, BWAHAHA! They¡¯re really easy to cultivate, after all. I¡¯m a bit hesitant since cold potatoes aren¡¯t delicious, but then, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s a partner I have to curry favor with, so I guess it¡¯s fine.


    As a result, I got the rights for residence at several, far smaller uncharted islands nearby. They don¡¯t have ports that can harbor large ships, so I have to ride a small boat to cross the sea if I want to trade, but thanks to that, I can also buy a house with a garden.


    Well, I don¡¯t really care about my transportation, though. Even if I¡¯m going to ride that small boat, I won¡¯t be doing business that often. I just want an address under the name ¡°Soleil¡±.


    ¡¸We have not been able to fulfill your conditions, so in exchange, please feel free to contact us should you encounter any problems with your business negotiations. It appears that they also allowed you the use of the Allaway family name depending on the circumstances. ¡¹


    The negotiations ended without me having a glimpse of the present head of the family.


    The Nalluadhid merchants are folks who guard their written contracts with their lives. But then, there are also some contracts that become invalid after a certain period because of the spirits¡¯ mischief. On the other hand, there are also those who come bound with curses from the spirits.


    ¡¸Then, allow me to explain the conditions that cause the toxins to increase. First, the concentration of toxins is higher in immature potatoes. Another factor to consider is light ¡ª they increase with exposure to it. Next, the sprouts and the green portions are practically oozing with it, and there are also some in the skin. Peeling them is the safest way to go ¡ª if you taste any bitterness or acridity, it will be best to spit it out because that is poison. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. You are quite knowledgeable about them. ¡¹


    I cheated by spouting half of them from the¡¾Appraisal ¡¿, though. Inconsistency might become a problem later on if I just rely on my memory to explain.


    I hand the small amount of potatoes I brought as a sample before leaving the trading house.


    The plan is to give three barrels of potatoes to them once I get the confirmation of money from the Commercial Guild as well as the land¡¯s deed of sale in a few days. I¡¯m setting aside two barrels of potatoes for the deities to munch on, and for when I cultivate hybrid seed potatoes with Japanese potatoes.


    It will only be three barrels of potatoes, but considering it will spread to a huge scale, they are still worth a lot.


    Repeated cultivation damage is also possible, but I¡¯ll just tell them that later, at least after we maintained the relationship like this. The only thing I agreed to were the seed potatoes, and the information regarding the toxins that affect the human body. I¡¯m pretty sure the yield will gradually decrease, but it won¡¯t be right away ¡ª there won¡¯t be any huge changes even if they continue cultivating them in the same place for, let¡¯s say, two to three years.


    Alright. I¡¯m gonna look around here after buying some fabric for making clothes. The northern side is closer to the continent. The land is also visible from the south when the sky and air is clear, so I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about the waves? The sea isn¡¯t wide enough for the waves to be huge. Oh, so that¡¯s probably why they are allowed to build buildings so close to the sea, as if they are growing right out of it.


    The southern continent is also visible, but it¡¯ll be difficult to cross over there since it¡¯s the land where the dragons live. The contract of not attacking humans is, as expected, invalid in the territory of the dragons. I plan to check out a spot on the island where you can watch dragons flying overhead. Spirits apparently take on the shape and appearance of things familiar to them, so I¡¯m going to use that principle to look for my spirit.


    .


    This place is really close to Telmist, the island where the library is, but that place is too far away for trade. I don¡¯t have any plans standing in the spotlight, so Nalluadhid is good for me. It¡¯s far easier to do trade here thanks to several large-scale merchants with markets all over the entire continent.


    I won¡¯t be in the forefront selling and handling things, I¡¯ll stay in the shadows while doing trade. If I find a person I can trust, I¡¯m going to open a shop and appoint them as shop manager, I guess.


    And so, my first condition was to have a land facing the ocean. Pass for those mountainous islands! They bring bad memories back, so those are a major no. In the first place, an island with no houses to begin with is way too far to conduct trade. The closer to Nalluadhid, the more houses there are, naturally. I wonder, are there no grounds on the neighboring island?


    Ah, that island looks nice. There is a smattering of greenery on that island that looks like a steep boulder, and there are also five to six huts that look like they belong to fishermen.


    Ugh, this itch to make a house is probably the result from the survival lifestyle I had back at that island! I do have¡¾Storage¡¿, but I still ended up stocking ingredients at the house in Canum.


    At any rate, I¡¯ll try calling out to the islanders.


    There were only fifteen or so islanders here when I charged in. There are also empty houses, and there were fewer people than I imagined. There are also plenty of hidden reefs around the island, so a small boat that could carry around two people can barely pass through, let alone a large ship. Apparently, the smaller the boat, the less fish you can catch, so the number of people steadily dwindled as a result.


    It seemed that during the period of time when strife abounded, the place had been effective in blocking the enemy from the great continent from landing. However, there has been a longstanding peace in this place, contrary to the Central Plains so most of the families moved to the other island.


    They told me that the ferryman will help me move as needed if I live on the island. Have to pay, though.

 CH 113

    ¡¸Feeling great? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Retze was drinking coffee at my place.


    I offered it to everyone as tea, but only Retze liked it. The others would drink this with sugar and milk, but they don¡¯t like the bitter taste. Or should I say the preferences are wine for Dean and Dinosso, black tea for the rest.


    Retze had been helping me earlier with the mattress. I managed to twist the steel into springs, but attaching the felt and cotton cover is difficult for a single person.


    There had been a lot of thuds and bangs as we tried to push the springs to shrink them. Two people are barely enough, it¡¯s simply too huge and hard to handle.


    I¡¯d like to work on the shaping of steels a bit more and adjust the hardness, but the ones I have here turn out pretty good. I¡¯m in a great mood ¡®coz I can finally change my mattress if my current one flattens.


    ¡¸I wanna give you something as thanks for helping me. ¡¹


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    ¡¸Lamp. ¡¹


    I finally got the smithy up and running, so I also did some work using brass. Well, smithing didn¡¯t really have anything to do with it, since I just hammered it and stretched it until I made the shape I wanted. The glassblowing was done in the furnace.


    The lamps I made were all lined up on the table.


    Handheld oil lamps you can carry around, table lamps you leave inside the room ¡ª all of them have a winding mechanism like carcel lamps. Light from rapeseed oil is darker than fuel alcohol, so I added a reflector made of polished brass to make it brighter.


    ¡¸Glass. ¡¹


    Wine glass, champagne glass and beer mugs. There are transparent ones, colored ones, and even faceted ones. If I¡¯m gonna blow glass, then might as well do it with great gusto ¡ª hence the collection.


    ¡¸This is more fragile, so I recommend this other one if you¡¯re going to use it every day. No hot liquids. ¡¹


    This one is a lead glass, also known as crystal glass. It¡¯s sparkling really well thanks to the high refractive index and transparency. Oh, by the way, I made it in a way that there won¡¯t be enough lead to cause lead leaching problems.


    Soda glass ¡ª as far as I know, it¡¯s just an ordinary glass, made by mixing silica sand with soda ash and lime. It¡¯s lightweight and sturdy, a better choice for everyday use.


    The color of lapis lazuli is cobalt, copper oxide is sky blue, copper is dark red, and gold is bright red. I don¡¯t have any materials for purple and green, yet.


    Retze was frozen in a strange posture, his body bending back with his legs lifted from the floor.


    ¡¸Which one do you want? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, got it. I¡¯ll call Noth. ¡¹


    ¡¸Why!? ¡¹


    How cruel! And they¡¯re probably not home, yet!


    ¡¸I have never seen glass with colors like this before!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, they exist. I bought the red glass. Besides, Noth and Dinosso already accepted that the items in my house are not counted as hazards. ¡¹


    I faced Retze¡¯s suspicious gaze head on. It¡¯s the truth, you know?


    ¡¸ ¡ª That glass is kinda dull after looking here. ¡¹


    ¡¸You, isn¡¯t it better for you to move your living room to the second floor? Even the third floor is fine. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s gaze wandered from my door, firewood, shelves, and finally returned to the things on the table.


    I order firewood and have it delivered to my place regularly, but I just ask the delivery guy to stack them outside. I carry them to the space under the stairs myself. But yeah, I really can¡¯t say that I won¡¯t have any unexpected guests, so I guess it might be a good idea to turn the first floor into a workshop and move the living room upstairs.


    Ah, but the second floor is a furnished guest room just in case I have guests sleeping over ¡ª well, I¡¯m not expecting anyone, though. The third floor is where I¡¯m working on the bed mattress.


    ¡¸Hm, I¡¯ll think about it. Ah, but won¡¯t it be a pain in the neck having to go upstairs to the second floor? ¡¹


    ¡¸There are houses with stores on the first floor. Besides, isn¡¯t it just normal? ¡¹


    I see. I guess many houses in Japan also had their living rooms upstairs. Hmm, but then, it¡¯s going to be a pain in the neck climbing up and down if you consider the kitchen and the cellar. Alright, I¡¯ll just place a sliding door to hide part of the shelves. Let¡¯s install a partition, too, so that folks won¡¯t see everything inside the room when the door is open.


    ¡¸Seems like the remaining folks targeting Valmour had already calmed down by this time, so how about going together? If news spreads too far, Amadeo and the others might return here. ¡¹


    By ¡®remaining folks¡¯, Retze was referring to Roza¡¯s hangers-on, of course.


    The remaining people wanted to recruit Dinosso and his family, so they had been sticking around the guild like glue for a while. I even lured Roza¡¯s main team to the north, but I feel like they¡¯ll return here, attracted to Dinosso ¡ª Valmour¡¯s name.


    ¡¸Do Dinosso and the others have plans going into the forest depths? ¡¹


    Might be nice to go rabbit-hunting with focus on Tina, En and Vac..


    ¡¸They¡¯ll have that plan if you said you¡¯ll go, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸How about you, Retze? ¡¹


    ¡¸Depends on where we¡¯re going, but there¡¯s no meaning for me to go if I¡¯m just going to pull you guys down. ¡¹


    Retze looked unenthusiastic about the whole thing.


    ¡¸You can go as a role model, my role model. ¡¹


    ¡¸I might be the only one who¡¯s risking my life, so I¡¯m anxious, oh so anxious. ¡¹


    Retze might seem exasperated, but that couple has made some Spartan plans to go to the Labyrinth in two to three years, you know? They even crossed the mountain of perpetual snow to get to Canum, after all.


    They didn¡¯t go through the summit, but they trudged on even in the places horses couldn¡¯t pass through because there were no feeds. Apparently, they pushed through by force, relying on ¡¾Storage¡¿ and the warmth from Dinosso¡¯s fire spirit, you know?


    I do want to see for myself how a legendary adventurer moves around, but I think I¡¯ll learn a lot from Retze¡¯s behavior, too.


    ¡¸Never mind strength, those kids are probably tougher than me if I¡¯m not careful. ¡¹


    ¡¸Actually, I¡¯m shocked that you¡¯re far more childish than I thought, and you¡¯re prone to making more blunders when we¡¯re around. Dinosso that guy will prolly wish for a lot of digestive medicine because of you, won¡¯t he? ¡¹


    Ugh, how harsh of you. Retze!!


    _______________


    T/N Trivia Corner:


    cto: https://mokkoudaisuki.naturum.ne.jp/e2229876.html


    Carcel lamps ¨C A lamp that used an Argand burner, as well as a clockwork mechanism that controlled a spring-driven pump which forced oil to the top of the burner. In other words, it was wound like a clock to keep the supply of oil steady. Such lamps were fitted with chimneys and ball-shaped shades that were etched or cut.

 CH 114

    ¡¸Jean!


    ¡¸Hello. ¡¹


    ¡¸Come in. Thanks for your help, it cuts really well~ ¡¹


    The children jumped at me and I caught them in turns, and then hugged Madam for last. If we were back at the farm house, I could have whirled the kids around and stuff, but I can¡¯t do that inside the house, nor can I do that on the road outside.


    ¡¸Wait. What¡¯s that about cutting really well? ¡¹


    ¡¸You heard it wrong, you heard it wrong. ¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu. ¡¹


    Dinosso appeared last with distrust written on his face, and we hugged each other casually as if patting each other¡¯s back. I wonder, just whose influence is it that this family loves hugs, Dinosso or Shiva?


    I gave the knives I made to Madam and Butler. Ah, no it¡¯s not me, you know? Butler was the one who started the deal, so the first one to spill the beans from my house is Butler, it¡¯s his fault!


    Well, I gave Madam hers when I paid her a visit like normal.


    ¡¸Do you want to have dinner with us? Well, it¡¯s just deer that Dinosso hunted, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, please. ¡¹


    It¡¯s been a while since I ate Madam¡¯s cooking.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a deer! ¡¹


    ¡¸We can eat it finally~ ¡¹


    The twins charged at Dinosso for some reason.


    The deer was soaked for half a day in a mixture of juniper berries and a distilled liquor called naps made from herbs before it was grilled, apparently. She showed me some juniper berries that had been dried and preserved. Was its original color similar to that of blueberries?


    ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ showed me that it is an ingredient used for adding fragrance to gin. Shiva also uses these to make tea.


    Juniper berries have a very peculiar taste. They have ¡®berry¡¯ in their name, but they have a different taste from strawberries and blueberries, they don¡¯t have the slightest sweetness in them. Strong scent, moderately bitter and somewhat spicy ¡ª never drank gin before, but maybe it tastes like this?


    ¡¸My dear wife¡¯s cooking is brilliant, after all~ ¡¹


    Dinosso is in charge of grilling the meat.


    The fireplace here is bigger than the one in my house since they have a bigger family. DInosso uses the fire poker to spread the red-hot charcoal that falls from the firewood grate, and he sets the meat on that thing that turns in circles¡ª I¡¯m not sure what it¡¯s called here.


    When making steak, the usual set-up is putting a mesh grill on top of a tripod or a kettle stand, but if it¡¯s a bigger piece of meat, then they use a huge skewer and turn it round and round!


    Dinosso sits in front of the fireplace, talking to the kids while grilling the meat. Shiva is preparing other stuff while I carry the plates.


    Shiva then takes out the iron tray that catches the roast¡¯s drippings. She mixed those drippings with cream to make the sauce. I think she¡¯s done with the preps? The meat looks nicely grilled, too.


    ¡¸Here. ¡¹


    She handed the knife to Dinosso ¡ª seems like in this world, distributing the meat is the family head¡¯s job.


    ¡¸Hey. Wait a sec, this¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Dear, the kids can¡¯t wait ~ ¡¹


    Shiva cut him off with a smile.


    Never mind emergency situations, the madam has the authority when it comes to running a household, so just give up.


    Dinosso hands me my portion, so let¡¯s dig in. The faint taste of naps and juniper berries lingered, and it¡¯s so delish.


    ¡¸Yum. ¡¹


    The meat fibers seem to be coming apart, and the venison pairs well with the cream sauce. Is this side dish fava beans with cheese? She boiled fava beans then sauteed the bunch in garlic and olive oil, seasoned with salt and topped with goat cheese.


    ¡¸ It¡¯s not yet the season for fava beans, but these are the first produce. ¡¹


    Shiva explains. The fava beans do look a bit small, probably because it is too cold for their growth. Still, what a beautiful jade green color.


    Cheese is basically made from winter milk, apparently. Summertime milk has less fat and more bacteria so it¡¯s not suitable for making cheese. This season¡¯s cheeses are still fresh, so they are still the soft variety.


    I don¡¯t really like goat cheese, but this is delicious. Perhaps it¡¯ll taste great with a bit of spicy flavor, maybe with red pepper or balck pepper¡­ Alright, let¡¯s send different condiments to Shiva.


    The food made by other people is delicious.


    ¡¸Being here makes me itch for a family of my own. ¡¹


    ¡¸Tina will be your bride~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Me, too, I¡¯ll be the bride~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Then I¡¯ll be the groom~! ¡¹


    ¡¸No! No! NooOO! Daddy doesn¡¯t say no!! ¡¹


    Dinosso immediately opposed.


    ¡¸Eh ¡ª! ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh ¡ª¡ª! ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh ¡ª¡ª¡ª! ¡¹


    ¡¸Why~? ¡¹


    ¡¸Why, why~? ¡¹


    ¡¸Why, why, why~? ¡¹


    Dinosso and the kids¡¯ bargaining squabble started again like usual. I guess I¡¯m enjoying this convo with Daddy Dinosso more than I do. The twins don¡¯t seem like they know what they¡¯re talking about, either.


    ¡¸Oh dear, oh dear. ¡¹


    The three children have finished eating and are now happily babbling on while clinging to Dinosso, who is still in the middle of eating meat and drinking the wine I brought.


    ¡¸Oh, come to think of it, so, Ash is a girl, hm~ Are her clothes Jean¡¯s? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    For Ash¡¯s clothes, I adjusted the size of her pants, and made the hem of her open-neck shirt a bit longer at the hem and narrower at the waist. Well, Ash likes tucking her shirt in her pants, so I also made her a vest.


    She doesn¡¯t look like a woman cross-dressing like a man from behind. From the front, she somehow looks like a guy with a thin waist, so what should I do about that? I feel like I need to do something about either her scary face or her chest.


    Will she become more feminine as the days go by? On top of that personality of hers, she is also gallant¡­ It¡¯s making me uneasy.


    ______


    T/N: Jean prolly talking about spits, round and round thingy.


    Tina and the twins are so cute ~ so, En and Vak, who is the bride, and who is the groom?XD And Jean, low-key considering


    Ash, even though her face and chest are none of his business XD

 CH 115

    I asked Dinosso if I could tag along when he hunted monsters. He told me to prepare a bit and we would go to the depths of the forest. If the weather is nice, we can depart 5 days from now.


    There¡¯s a problem, though.


    ¡¸He said we¡¯re going to ride horses. Ash and Butler can definitely ride, Dean and Chris said they go to the fortress city on horseback. ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s three kids can also ride, so it seems the idea that I can¡¯t ride a horse never crossed his mind¡­


    ¡¸Eh, you can¡¯t? ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait, Retze, you can? ¡¹


    Is it just me, is it just me who can¡¯t ride?


    I asked Retze with the expectation that he can¡¯t ride a horse. Ah, no, he seems to get along well with Dinosso, so I thought it might be possible that he can.


    ¡¸Adventurers have to be agile, after all. We have to work as escorts, and even the guild of this city keeps on summoning adventurers at the first sign of a monster flood. Early birds catch the early worms, so those who move quickly can snag lucrative deals in some cases. Well, there are also folks like me who prefer to stay in one place, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸What the, is it a mandatory lesson or something!? ¡¹


    Lack of money to buy a horse and a place to keep them isn¡¯t an issue here, because there are stables that rent out horses. Folks can even rent a docile donkey, apparently.


    Is it similar to how cars are necessary in Japan provinces that are too far for the train? I have my license, but¡­cars don¡¯t exist here.


    ¡¸I also went around neighboring towns, villages and major places while gathering info and building contacts before settling here. So, you never rode one, not even once? ¡¹


    I thought he was very knowledgeable about international affairs ¡ª so he had been laying the groundwork since a long time ago, huh.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s a deer, then I rode before. ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s abnormal!! ¡¹


    I answered him seriously, but he retorted.


    ¡¸¡­Well, if you can ride a deer then a horse is probably okay. I never rode that before, so I don¡¯t really know, but there¡¯s no way riding a deer is easier than riding a horse, right. Just choose a docile one from the horse rental stable and you¡¯ll be fine. If there¡¯s a problem then just ride with either En or Vac. ¡¹


    So I have to choose so that I won¡¯t burden the horse with my weight, huh.


    ¡¸That¡¯s so lame, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Then, how to ride ¡ª ah. ¡¹


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    ¡¸If it¡¯s a horse, then I have an idea. ¡¹


    ¡¸What kind of idea is that, huh? Is it a horse that will agree to you riding it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. If Horse rejects me then I¡¯ll just have to ask Snow Leopard. ¡¹


    Actually, I¡¯m going to ask Snow Leopard if I can ride on Deer.


    ¡¸Wait. I can¡¯t keep up with you, you know? ¡¹


    Retze uncrossed his legs and sat down properly.


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, Dinosso said we¡¯re going deep inside the forest. I¡¯ll be able to keep up. Thanks, problem solved. ¡¹


    ¡¸No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh! You¡¯re here, huh. ¡¹


    Dean went down from the second floor.


    A bag was dangling from his hand. It looked light, so it¡¯s probably laundry. The three guys living in this house also go to the laundry woman recommended by Butler.


    ¡¸I have to segregate the laundry, too. ¡¹


    Tomorrow is the day the laundry woman will come, and she will collect any laundry that needs washing. I have to yank the sheets and stuff them inside the bags.


    The laundry woman Butler introduced also has a spirit clinging to her. She charges a bit more than the usual price, but she can make the sheets fluffy and really white.


    ¡¸Ah, I think Dinosso will invite you for a job tomorrow, so if Dean and Chris are free then I hope you can go. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll go anywhere. ¡¹


    Dean hurriedly left the bag of laundry beside the door, then he grabbed a cup and sat on the chair.


    ¡¸Retze, you too. ¡¹


    He already rejected me once, but I got nothing to lose so yeah.


    ¡¸¡­Riding a horse in the forest, huh. Then you¡¯ll probably go to an abandoned mine. ¡¹


    Oh?


    ¡¸Are you interested? If you agree now then you can have this wine for free! ¡¹


    I spread my hands and pointed them towards the jar of wine that I brought earlier as a bribe.


    It is the same wine as the one I brought to Dinosso¡¯s house. I did say it¡¯s free, but I already gave it to Retze and he¡¯s currently drinking it.


    ¡¸What kind of sales talk is that, huh? Alright, I¡¯ll tag along since I can only see a future where you¡¯ll make a mess. Ah, but you have to practice riding before that. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll join too. But hey, Jean, you can¡¯t ride? What a shock. ¡¹


    Dean quipped while pouring wine from the jar.


    ¡¸If the date is already set then you better reserve a tame horse from the rental stable. ¡¹


    I thought he¡¯s gonna laugh at me, but he unexpectedly gave me some sound advice instead.


    ¡¸If they really invite me tomorrow, then let¡¯s book everyone¡¯s horses then. You can practice riding one starting tomorrow and try to control it. Things will be easier for you once you get used to it. Just ride the same one. ¡¹


    Retze said.


    ¡¸Urk. I¡¯ll do my best. ¡¹


    ¡¸If you don¡¯t get used to it then you¡¯ll get your butt shaved off. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ehhh! ¡¹


    Dean smirked.


    How to say this¡­ Isn¡¯t riding a horse harder than subjugating monsters? What sort of tribulation do I have to suffer, huh?


    Seems like I have to put horseback riding as my top priority now, huh, even though I¡¯m itching to choose and set-up my base in Nalluadhid.


    A crumbling building that looked like a cross between a mansion and a fortress stood in the place that had the best vantage point. It is said to be a remnant of the warring years. Fortunately it has been long abandoned and the island itself is depopulated, so it was quite cheap. I plan to remodel it later.


    I don¡¯t intend to work hard and be hands-on with the renovation this time around; the plan is to hire craftsmen to work on it. I¡¯ll just hand the blueprint to them, but in segments so that no one will know the entire plan.


    It¡¯ll also be an experiment to see how the rumors will turn out when the craftsmen work on a house that will turn out way beyond their expectations. Well, I got the feeling that it will be similar to the case with the medicinal potions, when people raved about the effects of the potion, but nobody paid attention to its creator.


    It¡¯s like a product that is super popular, but most of the people don¡¯t even know who the manufacturer is. Kinda like Umaibou.


    I want to minimize the chances that they will attribute my work to me by adding one more person in between to throw them off my trail. Ah, but let¡¯s pour everything we got in making the design specs, of course.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    T/N: Umaibou, lit. delicious stick, popular cheap snack in Japan with insanely huge array of flavors

 CH 116

    Wake up in the morning then take Riche on a stroll.


    Prepare breakfast.


    Play with Riche.


    Do some fieldwork, and take care of the livestock.


    Play with Riche.


    Gather all sorts of materials and ingredients until noon ¡ª Go to the training grounds in the forest and practice magic by destroying stone pillars and gathering silica.


    It¡¯s way too troublesome gathering soda ash, limestone, tin, all sorts of iron minerals, lumber, etc etc. one by one, so I just order them locally. It might take some time to gather the amount I wanted, but that¡¯s totally fine since I¡¯m not in a hurry.


    Then, name the forest spirits from time to time.


    I meet up with Retze, Ash and the others come noon. Retze volunteered to teach me, but Ash and Butler also decided to be my instructors. They met at the adventurer¡¯s guild in the morning, apparently.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s check for compatibility first. What kind of horse do you want? ¡¹


    ¡¸Er¡­ ¡¹


    And so, here we are now at the rental stable.


    There are all sorts of horses, like those who draw carriages, those who specialize in carrying luggage, and those who run fast. Since there are a lot of adventurers in Canum, there are also a few warhorses that aren¡¯t sensitive to noise.


    Even I, the guy who can count on one hand how many times he saw a horse in real life, can easily distinguish the difference in body types. Not sure if Ash loves horses, but she explained a lot of things like, ¡®this horse was tamed from a wild breed for somewhere¡¯, or ¡®this one has a splendid coat¡¯ and so on.


    The rental stable¡¯s uncle said that she knew more than him and decided to just walk behind us.


    ¡¸A warhorse might be the better choice considering our destination, but they can be quite ill-tempered, so I recommend that you choose a docile and submissive horse for this time. ¡¹


    Just as Butler said, it¡¯ll all be useless if I can¡¯t ride it.


    Besides, warhorses don¡¯t come cheap.


    Blue coat, chestnut coat, white coat¡­ a horse that looked big from afar, a horse that stared at us inquisitively, another horse that ignored us. I listened to the rental stable¡¯s uncle and Ash¡¯s advices and was about to choose one when ¡ª


    ¡¸Free-range!? ¡¹


    The horse trotted towards me, though.


    ¡¸Whoa, sorry. This guy is a wild one with a bad habit of escaping, and he had been turned over to me, since they can¡¯t take care of him anymore. ¡¹


    Uncle tried to soothe the horse, and two other staff approached us when they noticed how he escaped.


    The horse looked like he was about to kick someone, with his ears flattened to the back of his head and the snout pointed forward with the teeth bared.


    ¡¸He looked cheerful when he was headed here. ¡¹


    Retze pulled me.


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    I didn¡¯t get why Retze did that, so I stared at him.


    ¡¸It¡¯s looking. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s looking. ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, it is looking. ¡¹


    The trio didn¡¯t answer me; they just stared right ahead. I turned my gaze to where they were looking at ¡ª the horse¡¯s eyes met mine. He then shook off the staff that had been trying to soothe him and approached me.


    ¡¸Just as I thought. ¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t do it with a runaway horse. ¡¹


    Even if you nuzzle me, it¡¯s still no.


    ¡¸Please stop, I¡¯ll become bald. ¡¹


    He¡¯s munching on my hair now.


    Ash and the rest chose their own horses, and we went out to the horse-riding ground. The wild horse kept tailing me so I couldn¡¯t choose.


    ¡¸How about riding him once? ¡¹


    Retze handed me a towel, so I gratefully wiped my hair with it.


    ¡¸This horse has never been saddled¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be impossible if I don¡¯t have anything to hold on to. ¡¹


    The staff nervously put the harness on it. I also help a bit as they teach me.


    ¡¸What about the stirrup? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll need it. ¡¹


    Stirrups are meant as a foothold for when climbing up the horse. I thought they come as a set with the harness, but some people think it¡¯ll be shameful to have them on, apparently. Urk, it¡¯s treated like a bicycle¡¯s training wheels¡­.!


    ¡¸ Stirrups are useful. They help stabilize you when you swing your sword and draw your bow while on horseback. Besides, sticking to conventions won¡¯t save your life. ¡¹


    Ash, who returned from a lap, commented from on top of her horse. Well, if it¡¯s not a long-distance ride and not in war, not putting the stirrups is the clique, it seems.


    ¡¸Hey, Wild Horse. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s Ruta. ¡¹


    The staff told me its name when I called the horse.


    ¡¸Ruta, I don¡¯t ride a horse, nor can I control it. Please read my mind and just decide for yourself. Ah, please make the ride as smooth as possible so I won¡¯t sway. ¡¹


    ¡¸Stop spouting nonsense. ¡¹


    Retze jabbed at me when I tried asking Ruta nicely.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll hold on to the reins, so please ride him. ¡¹


    Butler said with a smile after a brief explanation on how to handle horses.


    I¡¯m capable of riding, physical ability-wise. Aren¡¯t you going to teach me while riding together?


    ¡¸Now, please walk slowly. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ruta, please. ¡¹


    Ruta walked at a snail pace.


    ¡¸¡­Gallop. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ruta, please. ¡¹


    Ruta galloped nimbly. The view up here is so nice with nothing blocking me.


    ¡¸Halt. You won¡¯t be able to ride other horses at this rate. Please remember it properly. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹


    I memorize Grinning Butler¡¯s pressure on the reins, and we start all over.


    ¡¸Lightly squeeze the horse¡¯s stomach with your legs, loosen the reins according to the horse¡¯s movements. ¡¹


    I did my best. They made me ride another horse at the end as a test.


    Ruta went berserk.


    ¡¸It seems like your memory is good. ¡¹


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it because the horse is docile? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Everyone trained their gazes at Ruta¡¯s stall.


    ¡¸Maybe you stink of something that horses like¡­ ¡¹


    Retze muttered, looking like he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡¸Jean, let¡¯s have a long ride tomorrow. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Ash invited me, so it¡¯s decided that we¡¯ll go out. I have to prepare a bento box, then.


    ¡¸Ugh, my thighs hurt more than my butt. ¡¹


    Dean told me that we also have a dominant butt cheek much like how we have a dominant hand, and that cheek¡¯s skin will be peeled off.


    ¡¸Put this. ¡¹


    I caught the salve-like thing that Retze threw at me. I have¡¾Heal¡¿so I¡¯ll be fine. This pain is more like muscle pain, if you ask me.


    ¡¾Heal¡¿ can also be used on muscle pain, but it will hurt for an hour or so until I ¡®think¡¯ about healing it. When I asked Van about this, he explained that it¡¯s because it¡¯s about growth, and not just healing in a sense that I¡¯m returning my body to its original state. Well, true enough, no pain, no gain, it¡¯ll be worrying if you don¡¯t gain muscle after exercising.


    Anyway, Retze and Butler brought a bunch of things, huh. Yeah, especially Butler, even though he looked like he didn¡¯t seem to bring a lot of luggage when he¡¯s out and about.

 CH 117

    We are headed to the west opposite the forest. Ash and I ride side by side with the sun behind our backs, the clopping sounds resounding as we canter. Butler was a little farther behind us. It¡¯s a relief that the weather is great.


    I gave Ruta free rein while we galloped, so I¡¯m enjoying the scenery. Fields of wheat and beans spread, and there are sheep and goats here and there. We pass by some trees growing here from time to time. Only the bare minimum number of trees were probably left for getting firewood.


    The gently sloping hills stretched on, and the mountain ridges that were visible on the horizon divided the land and sky.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s race up to that point, then let¡¯s have a rest. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s nearly lunch so that¡¯ll be great. ¡¹


    Ash pointed to the sparsely growing trees on top of the hill.


    The way Ash handled the reins is amazing ¡ª I think. I don¡¯t have the skills to control a horse, so dunno, but the way she rides the horse is breathtaking. She¡¯s fast enough that her long, tied hair flows through the wind.


    It¡¯s so different from me, the guy who just left everything to Ruta! Well, this is easier compared to that time with Deer, so no complaints about that.


    ¡¸Thanks. ¡¹


    I alighted from Ruta and thanked him first for his hard work. It¡¯s also thanks to Ruta that I can ride side to side with Ash¡¯s horse.


    We put our bags down first, then pour some water from the canteen into the bucket for the horses. I checked Ruta¡¯s hooves first just in case something caught in his hooves while he¡¯s busy drinking water. I wet the towel and wiped her sweat before brushing him lightly.


    ¡¸Please take care of me as well when we return. ¡¹


    And you¡¯re free to do whatever you please now.


    He softly snorted before heading to the spot where delicious-looking ¡ª probably ¡ª grass grows.


    Ash and Butler tied their horses to a nearby tree and are still brushing them. It hit me for a moment that it¡¯ll probably be a better idea to tie Ruta too, but I just brush that idea off the next second.


    Not sure why he¡¯s taken to me, but he does come to me when I call him. He¡¯s quite notorious for tearing off the tethers and kicking her stall fence if things don¡¯t go well.


    I spread the picnic blanket on the ground where it seems comfortable to sit on before opening the basket. Butler is preparing a fire for boiling water.


    I removed the leaves that I placed to prevent the goodies inside from drying out, and sandwiches and some side dishes came into view.


    ¡¸Jean¡¯s handmade dishes are really pretty. ¡¹


    Ack, Ash¡¯s face is too close when she peers into the basket.


    ¡¸Here. Have as much as you want. ¡¹


    We have the ever popular cutlet sandwiches, and egg sandwiches. I spread anchovy butter on hard bread and stuffed it with lots of eggs and some kind of cheese that¡¯s kinda similar to Camembert cheese. The baguettes are stuffed with roast beef, onions and watercress.


    Ash¡¯s first pick is an egg sandwich.


    ¡¸Noth too. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you, please allow me to take you up on your offer. ¡¹


    He took a roast beef sandwich.


    ¡¸I brought some spicy white wine, but there¡¯s also beer here in case you like that. ¡¹


    I modeled this beer from the ones available here.


    We¡¯re drinking this in lieu of water, so I toned the alcohol content down. I used barley instead of wheat mixed with raspberries.


    Mixing pine needles, bread crumbs, sage, lavender, chamomile, laurel, wax myrtle and whale stones seemed to be the popular way to go, but I don¡¯t really have the courage to do that for various reasons, so I went with the safe choice of using raspberries, instead.


    ¡¸Wine. ¡¹


    I also chose an egg sandwich. The saltiness of the anchovy butter on the bread went well with the little honey I added as a secret twist to the taste. The mayonnaise and eggs are fluffy, and the cheese is creamy. Maybe it might have been better if I sprinkled ground black pepper for a more mature taste?


    It will go well with the refreshing white wine ¡ª is what I feel. I bought the white wine in Nalluadhid. One more year to go and I can have a taste of the wine collection in my cellar. I¡¯ll be a full fledged adult (by Japanese standards) by then.


    ¡¸This is also tasty. Is it shrimp? So fragrant. ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, this one, too. We might have a bit of trouble getting rid of the oil, but we can try these fried foods in our home, too. ¡¹


    He¡¯s talking about the fried chicken, the fried onion rings that are still crispy even when they went cold, and the river shrimp that have been grounded with shells on then wrapped in the spring roll wrappings and fried until crispy.


    In lieu of salads, we have corn flour tortillas rolled with chicken, onions, cheese combo, or with carrot rap¨¦, shredded cabbage and ham.


    The onions are sliced and salted, but the rest are made to be a ¡®raw food challenge¡¯ to Ash and Butler. They seem to eat dandelion shoots raw, so I guess they¡¯ll be accepting of these, too.


    ¡¸I properly made them using ingredients found in the city, just so you know. ¡¹


    Ah, excluding anchovies, that is. I did check to make sure the onions, wheat and the other stuff are being sold here, but the ingredients themselves are all from my house.


    Actually, I also wanted to make meat-wrapped onigiri and use the tomatoes as food coloring, but


    I held back from using a lot of different ingredients, you know. Oh well, maybe I should just wait and see first, including rice? It¡¯ll be hard if I served something they won¡¯t eat as a main dish, right?


    There¡¯s something similar to paella near Nalluadhid, but I never saw it on this side of the continent that was beyond the mountains.


    ¡¸I think Jean should just make whatever you want. ¡¹


    Ash suddenly said with a scary face. I can somehow see dark clouds hovering behind her, and the effect is a bit¡­ She¡¯s gripping the skewer of fried food tightly.


    ¡¸I¡¯m still lacking in power, but I¡¯ll definitely gain enough to protect you from a lot of things so that you can make whatever you want to. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ojou-sama¡­ ¡¹


    Noth quietly muttered.


    Ash, that declaration of yours is way too manly. Also, I got a lot of things going on that¡¯s making me like this, alright? I think I¡¯m pretty strong. Probably, though. I¡¯m strong, right? Ugh, I¡¯m not so sure now!


    T/N: Jean and Ash ~

 CH 118

    Dinosso, Retze and Noth gathered together the evening after we returned from our excursion to talk about the upcoming journey.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the declaration. So, am I weak? What are the world¡¯s standards, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Take that lover¡¯s talk somewhere else. ¡¹


    Retze stared at the cards on his hand with all seriousness.


    ¡¸Just what¡¯s the basis in this world, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ojou-sama spent most of her life as a knight, so¡­ ¡¹


    Dinosso and Butler were looking at their cards with glazed eyes.


    ¡¸I can probably flatten this entire city with my current strength, I guess. ¡¹says I.


    ¡¸What a nasty bomb you dropped just now! ¡¹That¡¯s Retze.


    ¡¸Noth? ¡¹Dinosso.


    ¡¸¡ª He is beyond my purview. ¡¹


    Dinosso, Retze and Noth are sitting around the table while playing a card game similar to poker.


    Should I make a game room on the second floor? I think card games are played around a round table instead of a square one, right?


    ¡¸Rather than weak, you seem like you don¡¯t fight a lot, or should I say you don¡¯t look like someone who can take a life. ¡¹


    Retze scowled for a moment when he changed his card.


    ¡¸You look like someone who fits the scene of chopping chickens in the kitchen or beside a well to a tee. ¡¹Dinosso said.


    ¡¸I do imagine you as someone who maintains cleanliness in his home. ¡¹ That¡¯s Butler.


    Urk, can¡¯t refute that.


    ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t do things that aren¡¯t necessary, but I also mass kill birds to make blankets like normal folks do, you know. Bet. ¡¹


    I pulled a card and tossed another coin.


    ¡¸What a lovely, fluffy reason for killing¡­ Oopsie, check. ¡¹


    Retze didn¡¯t add any coins.


    ¡¸Raise. Well, just consult us first before you snap and turn this place into a wasteland, hear me? ¡¹


    Dinosso doubled the bet.


    ¡¸The sense of impending danger from his declaration of mass destruction seems to be lacking¡­I wonder if it¡¯s because of his natural virtue. Call. ¡¹


    Butler also placed the same amount in the middle of the table.


    Well, I¡¯m a Japanese ¡ª folks famous for being a harmless bunch.


    ¡¸Four-of-a-kind. ¡¹


    ¡¸Whoa Retze. Is that timid check a bluff? ¡¹


    ¡¸You did quite well. ¡¹


    Butler also got a full house and better cards than Dinosso.


    Me? Two pair.


    ¡¸Sorry for bringing this up suddenly, but can we move the date of departure to the day after tomorrow? I already talked about this to Dean and Chris. ¡¹


    Loser Dinosso reshuffles the cards.


    ¡¸It is possible, but did something happen, perhaps? ¡¹


    ¡¸A person named Nina came from the Roza gang that Jean mentioned before. ¡¹


    ¡¸Roza gang, then¡­ ¡¹


    Retze mumbled.


    ¡¸That¡¯s quite early. ¡¹Butler commented.


    ¡¸The fastest one among the bunch received magic from a gale spirit, apparently. Roza¡¯s gang should be here in a couple of days. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ahh, So that¡¯s why we¡¯re leaving. ¡¹


    I agreed.


    ¡¸Did you hear about the rumors that the heroes have been summoned? ¡¹


    ¡¸Four heroes have been summoned, but apparently, one of them is a changeling. ¡¹


    Dinosso continued on after the other two nodded.


    ¡¸Changeling? Is that a kid that had been swapped? ¡¹


    A baby and a fae, for example.


    ¡¸Usually, spirits swap divine beasts that have incomplete bodies with human children. Once the divine beast is grown enough that it can defend itself, it will disappear somewhere else. But that¡¯s not the case with the heroes¡¯ changeling. ¡¹


    Dinosso laid the cards face down and reached for a glass of brandy.


    ¡¸So, is it a replica of a beloved person that had been left behind in their previous world? However, based on how fleeting human memory is, it will be impossible to continuously rely on that memory to draw its appearance. That thing is still incomplete and it has been devouring spirits in order to achieve stability ¡ª is what I heard, but is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸There had been folks who actually saw it devour spirits, apparently. Based on Nina¡¯s story, they had been dealt with immediately so nobody knows whether it¡¯s a changeling for sure. ¡¹


    So that¡¯s how it is, huh. I¡¯ve been wondering why four. It¡¯s easy to know who¡¯s fake by process of elimination, though.


    ¡¸Won¡¯t rumors spread that the heroes are the ones dealing with them? I heard that they have been using magic recklessly and are being a bunch of nuisance. ¡¹


    The nice aroma of coffee wafted in the room.


    ¡¸That won¡¯t happen, I wager. Heroes are beneficial to the kingdom, and they¡¯re probably thinking that the spirits who morphed into monsters were living far away from the humans. They¡¯re even considered a source of food here in the frontiers. ¡¹


    ¡¸Heroes are said to nurture deities, and the mighty Wind Spirit Deity¡¯s influence in this world is actually pretty strong even now. The countries and even the citizens will not easily let go of them for a trifling matter. ¡¹


    Butler added.


    ¡¸Nina seriously wants to do something about that changeling, but if you combine this info with the rumors floating outside, Roza and her gang would probably barge into the royal city to drag the royal family down under the guise of extermination. ¡¹


    Dean looked unamused while shaking the brandy, as if being involved is too troublesome.


    ¡¸It¡¯s better to deal with that changeling as soon as possible, but the kingdom is also reaping what it sowed. I want to avoid En being entangled with this as much as possible. ¡¹


    Dinosso declared that his family is his priority. They are probably far more important than the people, the country and everything else to him.


    It¡¯s a far cry from me, who only thinks that they just have to deal with the entire bunch of heroes if they aren¡¯t sure about the changeling.


    ¡¸It¡¯s supposedly somebody they love, so won¡¯t they know after observing and flirting? ¡¹


    Retze looked at Dinosso while resting his chin on his clasped hands.


    ¡¸ We can¡¯t tell whether the relationship is exactly as it was in the heroes¡¯ previous world, or whether it has been altered to suit their whims. This is just based on an outsider¡¯s point of view. So, there are two sets of couples, and two sets of siblings, an older brother with a younger sister, and an older sister with a younger brother. ¡¹


    Dinosso looked annoyed.


    ¡¸Ah, the younger brother is fake. ¡¹

 CH 119

    ¡¸But then, it¡¯s also possible to change the personality, much less the appearance. I guess I won¡¯t really know without seeing for myself. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll do a weird set-up or something, but then, I don¡¯t really know Sis¡¯s two friends that well.


    Sis loves herself too much, so I don¡¯t think she will change that much, but she¡¯ll probably have ¡¾Beauty¡¿or ¡¾Youth¡¿ casted on her. The guy was oozing with self confidence so he wouldn¡¯t become a little girl all of a sudden, right? As for the other girl, she¡¯s the type to refrain from attempting to say a lot of things, so I don¡¯t really know.


    ¡¸Forget it. I won¡¯t go near them so I will never know. It¡¯s pointless. ¡¹


    I turned back to the cards I¡¯m dealing with.


    ¡¸Names are Haruka, Hisatsugu, Yuka and Jin, apparently. ¡¹


    Retze changed his cards.


    ¡¸Yeah, affirmative, affirmative. ¡¹


    A slapdash remark from me while I threw two cards and drew another two.


    Will it be fun to start a trend of Texas Holdem? Five cards from the start, kinda like the poker I use to play as a grade schooler? It¡¯s easy to understand, but you have to be lucky or be particularly great at psychological warfare.


    Let¡¯s stop. I can only foresee myself losing if it¡¯s strategy-based.


    Still, I don¡¯t believe Sis loves me. Oh well, she¡¯s kinda obsessive and possessive about her things.


    ¡­Seems like Sis really wanted to transform me into a docile and obedient younger, and it¡¯s disgusting.


    ¡¸¡ª Four heroes have been summoned, is this true? ¡¹


    ¡¸Three of them are heroes, I¡¯m just someone dragged here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Then the abilities should be equal, I presume? ¡¹


    Butler exchanged one card.


    ¡¸Who knows? I just poured everything in making things, and the deities that bestowed the blessings are different, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸A deity named Riche lived in the Magical Forest before, right¡­¡¹


    Retze stared at me with suspicion.


    Riche wasn¡¯t the only one to bestow blessings on me, and the former conditions were also different, you know!


    ¡¸If they got battle skills then they¡¯d be stronger than you, huh¡­Won¡¯t it be terrible news if they aren¡¯t defeated before they get used to fighting, and before the deity they¡¯re nurturing becomes stronger? I heard that unless something bad really happens, the heroes will continue protecting that changeling, you know? ¡¹


    Dinosso.


    ¡¸Jean-sama, are you fine with just leaving those heroes alone? ¡¹


    Butler.


    Is there a rule that we can¡¯t speak if it¡¯s not our turn?


    ¡¸In the first place, this world is made in a way that it¡¯ll still be fine regardless of whether the heroes self-destruct or become stronger. ¡¹


    I¡¯m reading the mood and responding when it¡¯s my turn, see.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯ll be worrying if three or four people changed the world. Full house. ¡¹


    ¡¸Everytime we hear about heroes being summoned to stabilize the world, legends about what happens are bound to be handed down. Four-of-a-kind.¡¹


    It¡¯s just as Dinosso said. For example, the library in Telmast was originally the collection of a ruler who was also a book collector maniac, but his country was destroyed the same year the heroes* appeared.


    The reason why this world¡¯s civilization didn¡¯t progress was because of the periodic destruction that occurred, destroying the civilization. It¡¯s only because the spirits were long-lived that tales of yore survived.


    ¡¸It is said that the Wind God Landauro, the Great Deity, vanished. Straight for me. ¡¹


    Butler spread his cards with a smile.


    Ugh, just why is every single one of these guys so strong!


    ¡¸So, that ¡®stability¡¯ ain¡¯t anything about politics and livelihood, huh. It¡¯s more for the spirits, then. Well, biases of spirits also have an effect on people¡¯s lives, so I guess it¡¯s the same thing. If the number of spirits increases too much, or if the attributes become unbalanced, then the unipolarity will continue on as it is. Those heroes who make the spirits stronger or else wipe them out probably act as ¡®ventilation¡¯ before the unipolarity becomes suffocating. Royal flush. ¡¹


    Yeah, my win this time around.


    ¡¸Ugh! You, stop timing your strongest lineup now! And don¡¯t mention ventilation, don¡¯t say that. ¡¹


    ¡¸But according to what I heard, the air inside the room will turn into something bad for the body if the chimney is blocked¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Noth, don¡¯t you dare start thinking about that seriously now. ¡¹


    Dinosso seemed to be struggling on his own.


    ¡¸Just compare it to something familiar, and you¡¯ll suddenly find that your big deal of an issue will be less of a hurdle now. If you want to be seen as someone strong then you better do something about that. ¡¹


    ¡¸In short, you¡¯re telling me to be tortuous about it, huh. ¡¹


    Alright, let¡¯s take oxygen toxicity as an example. Inhaling very high levels of oxygen at high pressure, or exposure to above-normal oxygen pressure over a long period of time can cause a lot of problems to the body, and it can also cause death in the worst cases. The pressure can be an issue, but regulation to low levels shouldn¡¯t pose any problem.


    If we take the world as air, oxygen as the unbalanced spirits, and the pressure as the matter, then¡­


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s something like this. If the increase of attribute spirits is made to happen across the board, and things and stuff also increases, then there shouldn¡¯t be any problem, right? ¡¹


    I gave up on giving a tortuous example.


    I did mention balancing matter and the spirits, but I don¡¯t see this world achieving that balance as of now. There are more wind and light spirits, and there are far more people who can ¡®See¡¯ compared to what I heard.


    In order to achieve balance, either the spirits decrease, or the matter increases. The heroes are doing the former, me the latter.


    I¡¯m not sure whether what I¡¯m doing is enough for increasing matter, but an empire with buildings shooting up one after another left a long, proud record in history, so I thought that maybe it is.


    By the way, a spirit materializes when it becomes exceptionally strong after receiving the power of a hero. The Great Deity of the Wind is no longer in this world, but I found a record that his power had solidified into stone and it was used as a tool for summoning heroes.


    In order to prevent the petrification of a spirit, it must be affected by another spirit with a different attribute. However, even if they know that, it¡¯s the spirit¡¯s instinct to absorb power and increase its underlings, so it¡¯s not something it can stop on its own.


    As a result of secluding myself in the library and doing a lot of research, I decided to earnestly create things, form contracts with small spirits, and leave the heroes be, and that has been the way it is up to this day.


    If matter increases, there¡¯s no need to summon heroes anymore. I just go around doing my own business and trades while ignoring the other (Sis) party with that thought in mind nowadays.


    I¡¯ve been making contracts with a lot of small spirits to disperse power, and I¡¯ve been earnestly doing it to prevent polarization of attributes, but I also need to pay attention so that Riche won¡¯t petrify. Well, we¡¯ve been frequently interacting with the different attribute deities in my house, so I guess he¡¯ll be fine.


    Three people¡¯s worth of power flows into Lightball, but I wonder if she would eventually be petrified too? Records of what would happen to heroes after the disappearance of the deities that bestowed blessings on them were few and far between, but I can already imagine just what kind of treatment they received from the country. It¡¯s normal for the deeds of the heroes who healed the people and protected them from disasters to be recorded for the rest of their lives, after all!


    ¡¸Why the long face? ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re imagining things. ¡¹


    Retze still had his eyes fixed on me.


    ¡¸They¡¯re a nuisance to the locality, but I guess it¡¯s better to just let them be, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Then, based on what we heard so far, it will be best not to be involved with them, as long as no direct harm occurs, is that it? ¡¹


    Dinosso sighed, Butler looked discomfited.


    ¡¸We just went full circle back to Dinosso¡¯s topic earlier. ¡¹


    As for me, I¡¯m fine as long as it¡¯s peaceful around me.


    ¡¸Yeah, we did return to that topic, but did you know that because of you we got to learn a lot of things that we¡¯re better off not knowing? Take this tidbit about the info about the ¡®stray hero¡¯ that had been dragged here for example ¡ª we might have to buy stomach medicine to swallow this story, you know? Don¡¯t act so nonchalant by yourself! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ouch ouch ouch ouch ¡¹


    Retze pinched my cheeks,but isn¡¯t this too cruel? And don¡¯t you dare call me ¡®stray hero¡¯!


    ________


    T/N: It wasn¡¯t specified, but they were probably a different batch of heroes from Jean¡¯s Sis and her gang. Wind God Landauro is finally named in this chap; it¡¯s the spirit who formed a contract with the hero before he died, the one with underlings who continued nurturing the earth even after he (deity) disappeared :). And the cat is out of the bag, just like that XD stray hero Jean, nonchalant to the max XD

 CH 120

    ¡¸I thought I was mistaken, but it turns out you¡¯re not Ruf but an Isekai person, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s the feeling that we¡¯re being bombarded with an awful lot of info. ¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s your relationship with the heroes? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a secret. ¡¹


    My relationship with Sis still irritates me to no end.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t keep up with the info overload, and can¡¯t even take a jab at you. ¡¹


    Retze and the other guys grumbled while going back to their homes.


    I also cleaned up the fire then¡¾Teleport¡¿to my home. Riche dashed towards me so I pet him before lighting the fireplace. The firewood that has been reduced to coals smolders into ashes. The new piece of thin firewood I placed burned easily after I stirred it a bit with the poker to let air in.


    You can create novel stuff, can even see spirits, and strong to boot, yet for all of those, if you¡¯re emotionally stunted then it¡¯s probable that you¡¯ll be taken advantage of ¡ª


    They listed all the things that might make me a target, and they repeatedly nagged me to become more self-aware. I had braced myself, anticipating just how dumbfounded they would be before I opened up, but it seemed they were far more worried about me rather than shocked.


    There are three heroes already, and there are a lot of other people who can see spirits aside from me. I plan to continue making novel things, but I don¡¯t have any intention of revealing myself as Jean. Well, it¡¯s too late to say that about the restorative medicines, I guess.


    Retze said that it was a bunch of awful info, but for me the most awful info of all was that people can place their contracted spirits into another human. They might recklessly make an army of possessed folks, after all.


    Ash didn¡¯t elaborate about Az¡¯s matter to Butler too, it seems. Well, there had been various embarrassing blunders at the start, so¡­Or maybe it¡¯s because Az has become attached to Ash. At any rate, I¡¯ll just keep my mouth shut for now.


    I played tug of war with Riche for a while, then took a bath before turning in.


    Originally, Riche had been fighting against the Great Wind Deity while waiting for it to petrify. That battle hastened the Great Wind Deity¡¯s petrification, and Riche became powerful, and it was decided that he would be the next deity to summon the heroes.


    Riche failed to connect the worlds, and he lost a huge portion of his power as a result. Was it intentional? I have a feeling that he did that on purpose. My baby is clever, after all.


    I stretched my hand to Riche¡¯s sleeping basket beside my bed and patted him goodnight.


    My routine is still the same the following morning. When I went to the fields where Pal and Ish planted fruit trees, Khadar was there.


    ¡¸Are there any signs before a spirit turns into stone? ¡¹


    ¡¸The speech and movement will become strange, and they won¡¯t be able to conceal their appearance. ¡¹


    Khadar answered me without a change in his expression.


    ¡¸Are Mischt and Halalfa alright? ¡¹


    Those girls aren¡¯t simple light spirits, but I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll petrify faster than Lightball who lost all of her powers.


    ¡¸Oh my, so you¡¯re worried about us. How adorable. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ack! ¡¹


    Halalfa suddenly appeared behind me and blew in my ear.


    I jumped away from her. She was wearing clothes that emphasized her cleavage, thin waist, round butt and toned thighs. Her narrowed eyes gazed at me with amusement, her lips curved into a smile.


    ¡¸Now, now, don¡¯t tease him. ¡¹


    So, the safety zone is behind Khadar, huh. Ah, but what the heck am I doing as a man, hiding from a beauty like this?


    ¡¸Our retainers increased thanks to you forming contracts with more spirits than we anticipated. ¡¹


    ¡¸The more dependents we have, the more our vessel of power expands. Those two won¡¯t turn to stone before Namina does, at the very least. ¡¹


    I see, so basically, the spirits I form contracts with will become part of the lineage of the strong spirits they share attributes with?


    ¡¸What about matter and spirit? ¡¹


    ¡¸There are far too many spirits as of now, so it¡¯s fine if you just continue increasing matter. But I can¡¯t say you¡¯re doing a good job with the building¡¯s ¡®link¡¯. It might be better if you mix in ash that spirits dwelled in, or maybe use honey and wheat flour instead. ¡¹


    Khadar disappeared after spouting a bunch of things that didn¡¯t make any sense.


    They give me answers when I ask them, but deities won¡¯t proactively say anything that would breach their policy of not restricting the heroes they protect. The only time mine did should be when they requested me to form contracts with the spirits that ran away. Khadar seemed cautious back then, too.


    I also keep my questions to the bare minimum, since I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to be tied down if I ask everything. It¡¯s more fun researching on my own, after all.


    ¡¸Hoho, that prude is being shy now. What a rare sight you¡¯ve shown me. ¡¹


    Halalfa appeared behind me again while I was staring at the spot where Khadar just vanished.


    ¡¸I have to prepare for tomorrow! ¡¹


    I ran away in a fluster.


    And so, I returned even before noon to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s departure.


    Recovery medicine, check! Sheets and sleeping bag sunned and aired, check! Checking¡¾Storage ¡¿contents, check! Stocking up feed for the livestock, check! Contents of backpack (aside from bento), che~ck!


    I don¡¯t have anything particular to buy, so I easily finished my preps just like that. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to enjoy Japanese dishes for a while, so let¡¯s have fish for lunch.


    Sushi, osushi. Your turn now, fishies I set aside on the shelf. Ginger, check! Wasabi, check! Momiji oroshi, check! Spring onion shoots, che~ck!


    There are two batches of fish ¡ª fresh ones and kombujime ones (I sandwich them between sheets of kelp). The former tastes light, the latter sticky sweet.


    Young sea breams are also in season now. Golden cuttlefish, spear squids, and more cuttlefish all lined up, ready for eating. The squids are almost transparent, really pretty. It¡¯s amazing how I can deal with the parasites in them thanks to¡¾Search¡¿.


    I put some ginger on top of the halfbeak. The fish¡¯s skin had been peeled and fried to a crisp and the aroma was great. I enjoyed munching on it between servings of sushi.


    There¡¯s also some pinna shells and scallops. I had a fickle change of heart, sauteing the scallops in butter! Butter and soy sauce have their way of whetting your appetite, right?


    I ate some gari and washed it down with green tea before starting on sushi again.


    For the tuna, I varied the thickness based on the fat of the meat. I put them on the board, and fluffy sushi rice shrinked from the weight of the ingredients on top of it.


    I also made some kappa-maki with tasty nori seaweed and thinly sliced fresh cucumber sprinkled with sesame.


    And for the soup, we have clam broth.


    I enjoyed the sushi on my own, but I bet it would taste the best if somebody else molded them for me. I¡¯m already full, so I¡¯ll just use the salmon roe to make ikura-don later. I didn¡¯t finish everything on the shelf, so let¡¯s just put the sushi set meal inside ¡¾Storage¡¿on standby.


    Alright, let¡¯s have ramen for dinner. I rested for a bit before teleporting to the library.


    What did he mean by ¡®building¡¯s link¡¯?


    ¡ª


    T/N: Momiji Oroshi ¨C grated carrots and daikon radish, might be spicy, can be bought ready made


    Kappa maki (cucumber sushi roll) with gari (pickled ginger) and wasabi~


    Source: Noob Cook


    Osushi~ what a feast (o ¦ê o )


    Source: Live Japan


    Ikura-don.. Nom nom (o¡ä¦Ø`o)


    Source: Serious Eats

 CH 121

    Finally got the answer after shutting myself inside the library for a few hours ¡ª it¡¯s about the material that should be used for filling crevices.


    I used mortar and plaster as glue when I piled the stones together, but apparently it¡¯s supposed to be honey and wheat flour, instead.


    Yup, rejected!


    No matter how attractive that sort of filling is to spirits, I don¡¯t want to constantly be on the edge thinking whether the building will hold up for a long time! For a Japanese¡¯s mentality, that¡¯s¡­ ugh.


    Well, let¡¯s say they¡¯re right, I¡¯m also willing to compromise and test it out on the small house I¡¯m planning to build in the woods. There are more spirits over there than in the city too.


    Using ash is also effective, that¡¯s confirmed now. Ash from the volcano called Mt. Zora should be mixed with lime, volcanic rock and seawater. The crystal formed after the seawater dissolves the ash from that volcano is resilient, apparently.


    Mt. Zora is said to be the place where the previous Great Deity ¡ª the spirit before the Great Wind Deity ¡ª lived. Apparently, many of his underlings still exist, and the tiny, rubbish-like ones blended among the ashes.


    This is definitely the way to go, I¡¯m positive about it. Maybe there would be a difference in the method, kinda like having the genie inside the bottle from the get go versus chucking said genie inside later on, but anyway, all I can see from using honey and wheat flour is having a place crawling with ants.


    Alright, let¡¯s start gathering volcanic ash after we return from the abandoned mine. It¡¯ll be great if the sea-facing buildings are also resilient against salty water.


    Maybe Khadar wanted to tell me that the balance between objects and spirits is important? Maybe I have to make an allowance or leeway in the things I make for the spirits that will be born and those who will creep into them.


    I used what I know about Japanese techniques to color the glass, but maybe there¡¯s a way to involve the spirits, or perhaps there are materials I can use while considering them. Alright, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for places and things that might fit that requirement from now on.


    Places that don¡¯t cost a cent, like libraries for example, were my refuge even when I was still in Japan. Still, this place has its own charm that really calms me down. I wanted to stay for a while longer, but I have to go home and prepare the bento for tomorrow.


    I greeted Mr. Librarian on my way out of the library. Initially, this crumbling, worn-down temple sent my heart into a frenzy of anxiety, but when I took a closer look, all the important walls and pillars that shouldn¡¯t crumble were all intact despite having chips and cracks. It seems like this dilapidated look was intentional.


    Maybe it¡¯s because I gained a lot of knowledge about construction that I knew this. Well, I do get that it¡¯s deliberate, but I¡¯m going to properly give offerings nonetheless.


    I went home, played with Riche then had my dinner. It¡¯s ramen just as planned!


    The broth was made after endlessly removing the off-flavor from the pork and chicken, then mixing it with soy sauce and seafood dashi infused with dried bonito. I used medium thick straight noodles, put char siu pork, bamboo shoots, nori, and added a half-cooked egg to top it off.


    I took out the crispy fried gyoza with waves on top ¡ª left over from when I made a lot of them before.


    Next, some cabbage for the veggie dish. I tossed the blanched cabbage with minced garlic, ground sesame seeds, a dash of salt, a pinch of sugar, and drizzle with sesame oil, skipping a lot of the other steps. Add a bit of chili pepper to taste.


    Ahh, heaven.


    Ah, maybe I can bring some stewed pork cubes tomorrow, huh. But then, I used soy sauce so they¡¯re probably gonna scold me for bringing it outside. Ugh, it¡¯s so troublesome having to be picky with the ingredients. I need to hurry and spread different types of vegetables to the market as soon as possible.


    I finished preparing the food and getting everything set, so I took a bath. It¡¯ll be a while before I¡¯ll be able to do this again, so I was about to take it slow and enjoy my bath when a rare thing happened. Riche came in, then he stood on his hindlegs, put his paws on the tub and peered at me, as if asking what I was up to.


    He¡¯s tiny, so he couldn¡¯t see what¡¯s in the tub. I scooped a bit of water and brought it closer to his nose. Not sure whether he¡¯s satisfied after sniffing it, or if he lost interest, but he went out of the bathroom in search of a new game to do.


    Riche can pass through the doors, so he¡¯s a free kid, be it inside the house or outdoors.


    I woke up early the next morning, pulled the sheets off the bed and stuffed it inside the laundry bag along with the clothes I just took off.


    We did our routine stroll before going straight to the fields to do my daily rounds. I grabbed some things here and there and stuffed them into a few bags. My house has a waterway, or perhaps creek is more accurate in this case, and it¡¯s running in all directions so there¡¯s no problem in growing things. However, it doesn¡¯t rain during summer in the country where my house is, so the season for green vegetables is from fall to spring.


    I gathered lemons and oranges from the area where fruit trees are growing. Initially, I thought they¡¯d be growing during spring and summer, but apparently, they¡¯re in season in the winter, just like the mikan tangerine. These fruits that have colors named after them seem to be rare and expensive around here. I also harvested some mikan while at it.


    I fed the livestock, then barged into the coop for some eggs.


    My stomach is rumbling, so I have my breakfast. Riche had water and pork roast. Mine is miso soup, grilled salmon, scrambled eggs, tofu sprinkled with a lot of spring onion shoots, and some pickled vegetables. Just where can you find such an honorable breakfast as this, huh.


    Alright, it¡¯s almost time for the meet-up, so let¡¯s get moving.


    I put my coat on and ¡¾Teleport¡¿. We¡¯re meeting up at Retze and the others¡¯ rented house, but I¡¯ll wait for DInosso¡¯s family since they¡¯ll pass by my house first.


    Somebody knocked on the backdoor while I was drinking some coffee and reading the book I borrowed from the library. Dinosso was clutching a laundry bag just like me when I opened the door.


    ¡¸Morning. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, how are you? ¡¹


    ¡¸Extremely normal. ¡¹


    ¡¸Good morning, Jean! ¡¹


    Tina raised her hands, posed for a hug, so I obliged.


    ¡¸Good morning! ¡¹


    ¡¸Good morning~! ¡¹


    Hugged Vak and En after Tina in that same fluid motion.


    ¡¸Good morning, please take care of us. ¡¹


    Last hug for Shiva, then I closed the door.


    Soon after, everyone¡¯s complete; everyone looking like Santa with their huge laundry sacks, too.


    We will pass by the laundry shop on our way to the rental stable, so that¡¯s why we have these bags. It¡¯s not like ¡®we¡¯re embarking on a journey to seek adventure!¡¯, not at all, but nobody wants to come home to mushrooms growing on their laundry, so it can¡¯t be helped that we¡¯re bringing these sacks.

 CH 122

    ¡¸Morning. Whatta group we have here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t do anything about it, you know that. ¡¹


    Dean quipped.


    We¡¯re in a ¡°You¡¯re Santa, I¡¯m Santa¡± situation with all the sacks we¡¯re carrying. We won¡¯t be stopping at the fortress city, so we have a lot of luggage for the journey aside from the laundry we have.


    We won¡¯t drop by the Guild either so that we won¡¯t cross paths with Roza¡¯s group. This trip isn¡¯t a job from the Guild, and we¡¯ll be filing the report at the place where we¡¯ll leave the horses.


    It¡¯s not like the report was mandatory, but just in case we didn¡¯t return within twice the itinerary period, they would be able to inform the other adventurers entering the tunnel that somebody was missing.


    ¡¸Good morning, Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸Morning. ¡¹


    Ash was wearing the coat I made her. Well, Butler too.


    She looked like a woman dressed in guy¡¯s clothes without that furrow between her brows. She didn¡¯t have a chest, but she got that rounded figure from her hips to her butt. Is it because of Az? Az, are you doing your best? I know it¡¯s rude, but I can¡¯t help but check her out.


    Everyone¡¯s here, so we cheerfully made our way to the rental stables and took out the horses we requested.


    ¡¸Take care of me, Ruta. ¡¹


    I also borrowed books about horses from the library. Ruta, your food is inside the bags, so please take care of those too, okay.


    Horses are herbivores, and they normally munch on grass for 6 hours or so in the wild, apparently. Their stomachs are small, so they can¡¯t eat a lot in one sitting.


    I fed Ruta some sugar as he happily nuzzled my cheeks ¡ª horses love sweet stuff.


    ¡¸Whoa, bribe! ¡¹


    Dean snickered, but who cares about him. Ruta, Tina and the twins¡¯ view of me depends on you!


    I magnificently climbed onto Ruta¡¯s back and we¡¯re off. We already have too many horses between the adults, so the kids were assigned to ride with Shiva, Chris and Retze. Dean and Dinosso are too heavy. They rode alone so that it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a burden to the horses.


    I was almost assigned to share a ride with Ash or Butler; thank goodness I evaded that. The only reason I¡¯m also exempted was because I already told them I can¡¯t ride like that. Besides, we already went on a long ride together before.


    The others already went on subjugation trips with Dinosso too so the kids are already familiar with them.


    ¡¸Whoaaa ¡¹


    ¡¸Hehe. ¡¹


    Vak, in particular, has become quite attached to Chris, and he is vigorously rubbing the latter¡¯s cleft chin. What are you chuckling for Chris, it¡¯s turning really red now, see?


    I unwittingly checked how the chin spirit was faring ¡ª it¡¯s competitively rubbing, too¡­ Ugh, just how on earth do the others who can See like me keep their calm and ignore this, huh?


    ¡¸Hey, I already hauled Vak off and warned him, you know? But then, he told me that Chris calms down for some reason if his chin was rubbed, so¡­ ¡¹


    Dinosso averted his eyes sheepishly during that second half of his explanation.


    Isn¡¯t that because the spirit massages his chin every single day? Ah no, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not like I thought you¡¯re being lax with child discipline, Dinosso.


    ¡¸Jean, you¡¯re so cool! Let me ride with you later, okay~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh goodness. ¡¹


    Tina shouted in Shiva¡¯s arms, praising me.


    ¡¸No way! Papa will never allow you to ride with any other guy aside from me! ¡¹


    Dinosso wedged his horse between Shiva and me.


    ¡¸Papa¡¯s a tyrant~! ¡¹


    ¡¸Tyrant~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Ty~rant~! ¡¹


    It¡¯s the usual Dinoss dad and child bickering.


    ¡¸Wolf King¡¯s whole family let loose with Jean around¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? ¡¹


    Isn¡¯t this normal?


    I couldn¡¯t help but question that.


    ¡¸Mm, it seems they¡¯re relaxed when they¡¯re with him. Jean¡¯s company does make one feel at ease. ¡¹


    Oh? Maybe ¡¾Liberation¡¿-san is doing its job?


    I wonder if my ability might have influenced Ash¡¯s words? Doubt started rearing its head.


    ¡¸The things I worry about have increased, it seems. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s words put my doubts to rest.


    ¡¸Vak¡¯s also like that, right? ¡¹


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of me.


    We went on our way like this, heading straight to our destination at a snail pace while periodically stopping by rivers and ponds to let the horses drink.


    After some time, we reached the area where weak monsters appeared, but they didn¡¯t attack us, because Dinosso and Shiva¡¯s spirits took turns to intimidate them.


    ¡¸Small monkey-type monsters appear around here. Retze checked out how many there are in a troop, and that¡¯s around 14 to 15 monkeys at most. It¡¯d be dangerous if they¡¯re more than 20, but we don¡¯t have to worry about them attacking us with how many we are, and there¡¯s no monkey that is as big as a horse around here. It¡¯s just that we have to stick together, since they¡¯re going to attack us the moment we scatter. ¡¹


    Heeding Dinosso¡¯s warning, we moved as a group as we took a break by the riverbank. Well, guessing from the reaction of everyone else, his warning was probably meant for the kids and me.


    I asked Ruta not to stray away from the other horses before going off to prepare tea by the riverside. The creek runs through a forest that didn¡¯t have any major elevation differences, so it¡¯s shallow and the water flows gently. Apparently, this little creek sometimes dries up during summer when there is little to no rain.


    I feel so refreshed after washing my face and hands in the creek. Retze and Butler had already prepared the fire before I noticed. I can¡¯t hold a candle to their speed of handling preparations.


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, do you eat fruits? ¡¹


    I caught Tina when she pounced on me for a hug.


    ¡¸I also eat them~ ¡¹


    ¡¸I also eat them~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Eat, eat~ ¡¹


    En and Vak answered, and Dinosso also chimed in, so I pried Tina away from me.


    ¡¸Well then, everyone, have a taste¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Ack! You brought that kind of pricey thing again! ¡¹


    Retze scolded me when I took the oranges out. Chill, they¡¯re oranges from this world. They stupidly cost an arm and leg, but I know rich guys eat this, so it¡¯s safe.


    ¡¸Jean-sama. This isn¡¯t limited to adventurers. Unless it¡¯s served as part of entertaining the guests, folks don¡¯t normally eat expensive things that cost more than their daily allowance during a job. ¡¹


    Butler taught me with a smile.


    Sorry, I brought one for each of us, so please do eat it.

 CH 123

    I took Butler¡¯s educational lecture to heart as we continued our march along the edge of the forest as we headed northeast.


    I can¡¯t help it, you know? I have clusters of oranges growing back in my house, and I still have the memory of Japan¡¯s supermarkets ingrained in my mind. It¡¯s hard to just forget all about Japan¡¯s pricing of goods. Right, Canum¡¯s climate might be too cold to grow oranges, but maybe mikan oranges will be fine?


    Anyway, the fortress city cuts through the forest, and it¡¯s located in the eastern most part of this area. The abandoned mine, our destination, was farther east from the fortress city, and it¡¯s in the depths of the forest. We don¡¯t plan to go to the citadel, but the horses won¡¯t be able to go further into the forest, so this route along the edge was the fastest, if we considered time.


    It¡¯s not as if the route is straight given that there are bodies of water and there are no well-maintained roads, so we had to rely on the terrain¡¯s layout as well as our memory to navigate our way. It¡¯s impressive how they remembered the location of ponds within the woods, not to mention the general direction, despite that.


    Normally, it¡¯s also possible to take the longer route via the city roads, but for stronger folks who are good at hunting, the route nearer to the forest is more advantageous since they don¡¯t have to worry about food and water. Inns along the main road are often rip-offs and they had to squeeze into the rooms like a can of sardines.


    Well, for me it¡¯s still nice that there¡¯s a roof overhead and walls around. It¡¯s already much better compared to how I lived back when I was still on the island.


    We encountered a group of relatively huge monkeys, but they didn¡¯t appear again after we slayed the first few ones.


    ¡¸Take care not to kill one from the group of black monkeys. The entire troop¡¯s gonna chase you stubbornly to the ends of the earth if you do. ¡¹


    Dinosso was teaching the kids, and of course I¡¯m listening carefully too.


    Okay, let¡¯s avoid black monkeys as much as we can, shall we?


    ¡¸All hell breaks loose when you slay the one with the lightest shade among the pink monkeys that live further South! ¡¹


    Chris is popular among the kids, not because they find his exaggerated gestures comical, but because his behavior is the same regardless of whether he¡¯s dealing with a kid or an adult.


    When Retze and Butler realized that the three kids were watching, they worked more slowly than usual while interjecting explanations from time to time so that the young ones could easily understand the process.


    Dean also treats them like a good-natured big brother. Ash is trying her best not to look scary, but she still ends up looking scary. Even so, the kids seemed like they have gotten used to that, and they¡¯ve been gradually interacting with each other more.


    And here I am, taking advantage of that and learning as much as I can.


    ¡¸Listen carefully, okay, here¡¯s the thing, you have to be prepared to accept that you won¡¯t be able to go back to being normal if you make Jean your role model, okay. ¡¹


    Dinosso warned the three kids with all seriousness.


    ¡¸How nasty. ¡¹


    ¡¸I am also of the same opinion. ¡¹


    Grinning Butler, are you agreeing with Dinosso? Or with me?


    Hey, I just tried putting a hammock up, you know. The sky looks suspiciously dark, and I¡¯m kinda nervous being on the ground like this. Besides, we¡¯re in the middle of the forest, so there¡¯s no shortage of branches we could use.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I believe that regarding this matter, it is fine even if we do not return to being normal. ¡¹


    I threaded the rope through the eyelets on the edges of the monitor lizard sheet, tied both ends, then secured the rope to the tree.


    Butler deftly copied me as he set up another hammock. He also copied me as I stretched the rope and made a tent above the hammock.


    Each person got one small and one big lizard sheet from me, and they also kindly patronized the rucksack from yours truly.


    ¡¸We¡¯re back. ¡¹


    ¡¸We got a lot of fish~ ¡¹


    ¡¸I got a feeling I made a mess of this again¡­ ¡¹


    Ash, Shiva and Retze.


    Today¡¯s hunter-gatherers were these three plus Dean and Chris. Retze didn¡¯t have to worry that much since there¡¯s enough for everyone, although nothing beats being able to eat to your heart¡¯s content.


    ¡¸We prepared the cots while we¡¯re free. ¡¹


    ¡¸Even if you tell me it¡¯s a cot, it¡¯s kinda hard picturing it since It¡¯s something I¡¯ve never even seen before. ¡¹


    Well, I agree that we made a small paradise for kids in this forest.


    ¡¸We¡¯re back! Black deer! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a huge one, I tell you! ¡¹


    Butler and I took the game, Shiva and Retze handled the fish.


    ¡¸So, why here? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s pretty unique! ¡¹


    Dean stared at me with dubious eyes, while Chris looked around grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡¸Swaying is fun! ¡¹


    ¡¸Bed! ¡¹


    ¡¸Cot! ¡¹


    The kids happily tossed around.


    ¡¸Hey! We¡¯re camping out in the dangerous outdoors! Having a bit of fun is fine and all, but you need to do the things you need to do! ¡¹


    The daddy scolded the kiddos.


    Even if monsters won¡¯t approach us because we¡¯re many, letting our guard down even just for a bit might possibly lead to danger.


    ¡¸Ye~s. ¡¹


    The trio answered before running off to help with the other chores.


    ¡¸Oh goodness me, Jean must be the culprit behind this, right? ¡¹


    Urk!


    ¡¸I mean no harm. ¡¹


    I¡¯m the one averting my eyes now, and yes, I¡¯m also the one happily watching the trio frolicking around earlier.


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, those look quite comfortable, too. Besides, it¡¯s more terrifying if you¡¯re already perfectly sensible right off the bat. It¡¯s just that, Jean, you¡¯re just like our kids in a sense that you¡¯re lacking in wariness, so ¡ª ¡¹


    Shiva smiled and advised me while being considerate of my feelings.


    ¡¸You seem like the type who gets so engrossed in your work that you won¡¯t even notice if a monster appeared, after all. ¡¹


    Dinosso also drove his point home.


    Dean and Chris were also happily horsing around, but they could immediately respond since they are both well attuned to the presence of monsters.


    It isn¡¯t easy curing this lack of vigilance that I cultivated over the past eighteen years of my life in Japan. Well, I can ask the spirits to warn me of dangerous things and I also have the option of leaving ¡¾Search¡¿ on 24/7 but since we¡¯re already here, I have to learn as much as I can while there are people around.

 CH 124

    We ate our dinner sitting around the campfire.


    Shiva stuffed the fish with herbs and grilled it on the campfire along with skewered bacon and cheese.


    There was also a bit of deer meat. I stored most of the game meat to let it rest. Dean and Dinosso were okay with the meat being tough as rock, but there¡¯s fish tonight, so that¡¯s what I did.


    To be honest, I secretly brought koji ¡ª stuff made by mixing mold with rice, soya or other food to make soy sauce, sake, miso and other fermented goodies. I rubbed the deer meat heavily with koji. I also brought konbu for fish!


    We have horses so it¡¯s fine even if the luggage is a bit bulky. I also covered the horses¡¯ place with a sheet. I wanted to make something like a horse cover that we can throw on their backs to protect them from the cold, but depending on the species, doing so might be too hot for them. I settled on a makeshift shelter against the wind and rain for them instead.


    I tied the open sack of oats on the tree, so Ruta and the other horses are probably enjoying munching by now.


    The orange fire casted shadows all around and its crackling resounded softly in the pitch black night.


    ¡¸Cheese and ham~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Bacon! Cheese! ¡¹


    ¡¸Cheese and bacon and deer! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s good to see you all so lively, but be more vigilant, more vigilant, get it? ¡¹


    I won¡¯t repeat the same mistake, I assure you. I¡¯m vigilant now. And eat your vegetables, will you.


    My problem is that I totally can¡¯t sense their presence on my own without the help of ¡¾Search¡¿.


    I carefully melted the cheese, taking care not to accidentally drop it, then pulled the skewer end and placed the food on top of the bread before taking a huge bite.


    The cheese is raclette, of course. This is the cheese they melt in the fireplace in Switzerland. It stinks when raw, but the stench dissipates while being toasted, and the combo of the melted and crispy parts is very tasty.


    It¡¯s great on grilled onions, great on turnips, great on bacon ¡ª it¡¯s great on everything you put it on.


    ¡¸This is very different from the camping that I know. ¡¹


    ¡¸Things have become quite convenient. It¡¯s been a long while since we had been adventurers, so I wonder, did anything else change? ¡¹


    Dinosso and Shiva were stumped.


    ¡¸You can say it¡¯s a recent camping trend. ¡¹


    Grinning Butler said.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a fad!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mainly on this side. ¡¹


    Retze reached out for the fish.


    ¡¸Is it because of you!? ¡¹


    Dinosso whirled around at me; I whirled around to avoid his scorching gaze.


    Stop treating me like a criminal, will you?


    ¡¸The hammock is made from the hide of a Horned Monitor Lizard, and I thought it might be safer to wrap it around yourself when dealing with the monsters around here. ¡¹


    I explained its efficiency while still averting my gaze.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not absolutely safe since imps also use fire, but I guess it does buy you time to fight back or run away. And stop spouting ¡®monitor lizard¡¯ and stuff like that so blatantly. ¡¹


    I suddenly imagined aluminum foil wrapped food being grilled when Retze added that. By imps, he meant the monkey monsters.


    ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s a bit too late for that.¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, this is¡­ ¡¹


    Ash held a marshmallow over the fire without a care in the world.


    ¡¸I have some raspberry jam here. ¡¹


    I also want to offer chocolate and banana, but they¡¯re probably gonna scold me again so I held back.


    Ash loves sweets, but I think it¡¯s better if there¡¯s a bit of sourness. I strongly recommend the strawberries and fresh cream combo.


    ¡¸There¡¯s a guy here who keeps on dropping bombs but won¡¯t look you in the eye. ¡¹


    Dunno what Retze is talking about. No siree, you¡¯re probably just imagining things.


    We gobbled the food all clean while talking.


    Dinosso, the kids and I took and washed away the stinky stuff in the river so that it wouldn¡¯t attract monsters, predators and of course, rats.


    Walking through the pitch-black forest hand in hand with the kids somehow reminded me of doing a test of courage¡­ or not. The kids are used to the dark, and with Daddy Dinosso around, there¡¯s the sense of absolute safety even with the dark and being in the forest.


    When we returned, Retze was tossing green cedar-like leaves onto the fire to get rid of the smell of food and keeping the bugs at bay.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll probably rain so this might be useless, but put this under as insect repellent. ¡¹


    He handed a branch giving off white smoke to each of us, and everyone placed theirs under the hammock.


    I originally set the hammocks at knee level to make it easier to go down, but since it really looks like it¡¯ll rain, I raised it to hip level, instead.


    It might be tiring for those who aren¡¯t used to hammocks if they try to tense up as an attempt to keep their balance. It¡¯s much more comfortable if you just let it go and relax. I wrapped myself as is with this sleeping bag ¡ª well, technically it isn¡¯t, but you get the point. Alright, goodnight, sweet dreams.


    My shift is third to the last in the morning. I won¡¯t be going back to bed after my shift since I plan to head to my home right after, so I have to get some shut eye now.


    Early to bed, early to rise! Well, it¡¯s too early to say it¡¯s morning when I wake up tomorrow, though. Tiny drops of rain fell on the sheets just as I was about to fall asleep.


    It¡¯s going to be a cold night for the lookouts, but tiny pitter-patters sound pretty soothing for the sleepy me.

 CH 125

    We ate our dinner sitting around the campfire.


    There was also a bit of deer meat. I stored most of the game meat to let it rest. Dean and Dinosso were okay with the meat being tough as rock, but there¡¯s fish tonight, so that¡¯s what I did.


    To be honest, I secretly brought koji ¡ª stuff made by mixing mold with rice, soya or other food to make soy sauce, sake, miso and other fermented goodies. I rubbed the deer meat heavily with koji. I also brought konbu for fish!


    We have horses so it¡¯s fine even if the luggage is a bit bulky. I also covered the horses¡¯ place with a sheet. I wanted to make something like a horse cover that we can throw on their backs to protect them from the cold, but depending on the species, doing so might be too hot for them. I settled on a makeshift shelter against the wind and rain for them instead.


    I tied the open sack of oats on the tree, so Ruta and the other horses are probably enjoying munching by now.


    The orange fire casted shadows all around and its crackling resounded softly in the pitch black night.


    ¡¸Cheese and ham~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Bacon! Cheese! ¡¹


    ¡¸Cheese and bacon and deer! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s good to see you all so lively, but be more vigilant, more vigilant, get it? ¡¹


    My problem is that I totally can¡¯t sense their presence on my own without the help of ¡¾Search¡¿.


    I carefully melted the cheese, taking care not to accidentally drop it, then pulled the skewer end and placed the food on top of the bread before taking a huge bite.


    The cheese is raclette, of course. This is the cheese they melt in the fireplace in Switzerland. It stinks when raw, but the stench dissipates while being toasted, and the combo of the melted and crispy parts is very tasty.


    It¡¯s great on grilled onions, great on turnips, great on bacon ¡ª it¡¯s great on everything you put it on.


    ¡¸This is very different from the camping that I know. ¡¹


    ¡¸Things have become quite convenient. It¡¯s been a long while since we had been adventurers, so I wonder, did anything else change? ¡¹


    Dinosso and Shiva were stumped.


    ¡¸You can say it¡¯s a recent camping trend. ¡¹


    Grinning Butler said.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a fad!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mainly on this side. ¡¹


    Retze reached out for the fish.


    ¡¸Is it because of you!? ¡¹


    Dinosso whirled around at me; I whirled around to avoid his scorching gaze.


    Stop treating me like a criminal, will you?


    ¡¸The hammock is made from the hide of a Horned Monitor Lizard, and I thought it might be safer to wrap it around yourself when dealing with the monsters around here. ¡¹


    I explained its efficiency while still averting my gaze.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not absolutely safe since imps also use fire, but I guess it does buy you time to fight back or run away. And stop spouting ¡®monitor lizard¡¯ and stuff like that so blatantly. ¡¹


    I suddenly imagined aluminum foil wrapped food being grilled when Retze added that. By imps, he meant the monkey monsters.


    ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s a bit too late for that.¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, this is¡­ ¡¹


    Ash held a marshmallow over the fire without a care in the world.


    ¡¸I have some raspberry jam here. ¡¹


    I also want to offer chocolate and banana, but they¡¯re probably gonna scold me again so I held back.


    Ash loves sweets, but I think it¡¯s better if there¡¯s a bit of sourness. I strongly recommend the strawberries and fresh cream combo.


    ¡¸There¡¯s a guy here who keeps on dropping bombs but won¡¯t look you in the eye. ¡¹


    Dunno what Retze is talking about. No siree, you¡¯re probably just imagining things.


    We gobbled the food all clean while talking.


    Dinosso, the kids and I took and washed away the stinky stuff in the river so that it wouldn¡¯t attract monsters, predators and of course, rats.


    Walking through the pitch-black forest hand in hand with the kids somehow reminded me of doing a test of courage¡­ or not. The kids are used to the dark, and with Daddy Dinosso around, there¡¯s the sense of absolute safety even with the dark and being in the forest.


    When we returned, Retze was tossing green cedar-like leaves onto the fire to get rid of the smell of food and keeping the bugs at bay.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll probably rain so this might be useless, but put this under as insect repellent. ¡¹


    He handed a branch giving off white smoke to each of us, and everyone placed theirs under the hammock.


    I originally set the hammocks at knee level to make it easier to go down, but since it really looks like it¡¯ll rain, I raised it to hip level, instead.


    It might be tiring for those who aren¡¯t used to hammocks if they try to tense up as an attempt to keep their balance. It¡¯s much more comfortable if you just let it go and relax. I wrapped myself as is with this sleeping bag ¡ª well, technically it isn¡¯t, but you get the point. Alright, goodnight, sweet dreams.


    My shift is third to the last in the morning. I won¡¯t be going back to bed after my shift since I plan to head to my home right after, so I have to get some shut eye now.


    Early to bed, early to rise! Well, it¡¯s too early to say it¡¯s morning when I wake up tomorrow, though. Tiny drops of rain fell on the sheets just as I was about to fall asleep.


    It¡¯s going to be a cold night for the lookouts, but tiny pitter-patters sound pretty soothing for the sleepy me.

 CH 126

    The tunnel¡¯s entrance had been fixed and the walls were reinforced with wood so they wouldn¡¯t crumble.


    ¡¸It¡¯s mostly the earthworms, beetle larvae and rats that appear here. The big ones are the so-called horned monster type ¡®Yrads¡¯ ¡ª they look like a crossover between a cow and a deer. Be careful, those guys eat their surroundings away so the ground might be in a terrible state. And Jean, why are you carrying that stick? ¡¹


    Dinosso briefed us with the precautions we needed to take note of before we went in.


    ¡¸I got it from the torch supplier guy. ¡¹


    The monsters here eat both dirt and stones, keeping the magic ores in their bellies. Our target is to get those ores. I first thought we¡¯re going to dig and break up rocks but I was mistaken. Good thing I didn¡¯t prepare a pickaxe.


    ¡¸What are you gonna do with that stick you asked for? ¡¹


    ¡¸Gonna use it inside, obviously? I can tap the ground with this too. ¡¹


    It¡¯s also useful when taking the lantern down.


    Dean stared at me half-exasperatingly when I answered his question. He has seen me nonsensically swinging a branch around during our hunts, so he probably thought it¡¯s going to be the same this time. Just you wait!


    We lit the torches and went down the tunnel. It was a not-so-gentle slope at first. The interior was made out of warm gray rocks speckled with the color of rust from time to time. The further we went in the darker it was, and since the torch is our only light source, I can¡¯t tell the color anymore.


    Retze and Tina were the ones holding the torches. The three kids took turns whenever they got tired, and Retze took turns with me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s really humid in here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s different from outside. ¡¹


    Ash was looking around; I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s also her first time in a tunnel.


    ¡¸That¡¯s because it rained, it¡¯s pretty bad timing. There might be passages submerged in water too. ¡¹


    Retze.


    Whenever it rains, the water that seeped underground would pool inside the tunnels. Plus, underground and hot spring water would also get stuck in some places. Since water doesn¡¯t recede easily, people usually use the slaves to bail it out.


    The slaves sent to the mines were mostly criminals and were kind of throwaways, apparently, since minerals dissolved in water were often toxic and there were also times when poisonous gases were generated.


    Carbon monoxide, in particular, is light, colorless, tasteless and odorless. Well, I guess no miner would be foolish enough to do anything that could start a fire, so I guess we¡¯re fine?


    Do they also bring little canaries to detect toxic gas in this world? Nah, humans are the direct guinea pigs, I guess. No more poor little birdies.


    Dinosso and Butler were throwing stones over there. Do normal ores fall too? Can I just cheat and use ¡¾Appraisal ¡¿ to scan these ordinary looking stones?


    After going down the slope, the tunnel floor was flat but wet and slippery, making walking a bit tricky. The dug out spots were rugged, but the well trodden paths had been smoothed out so it¡¯s very slippery. They probably placed boards here in the past, since there are rotting broken pieces of wood scattered here and there.


    ¡¸Whoa. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oopsie. ¡¹


    Dinosso picked the small stone he threw earlier.


    Gii!


    A nasty squeak echoed from the place where the torch¡¯s light can¡¯t reach. Eh, is that pebble a weapon against rats!? But it¡¯s almost impossible to hit those guys!


    Rats tend to come and attack in droves and gnaw on you if you¡¯re injured or sleeping. On the other hand, they¡¯re easily scared away if you encounter them. They¡¯re pretty quick, so they seem pretty difficult to kill.


    Tina shone the torch to the place where the squeak came from. A rat about 40cm long excluding the tail lay on the ground in a pool of blood.


    Must be a hornless monster based on the tiny bump on its forehead.


    ¡¸Seems like we got a bait. ¡¹


    ¡¸Shall we go rat hunting to lessen them? ¡¹


    Dinosso and Butler¡¯s convo.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s check the horn and the innards first, at any rate. ¡¹


    Retze would start taking it apart, so I switched torch duty with him.


    ¡¸Yeah, look carefully. This brother here is good, you know. ¡¹


    Dinosso told the kids.


    Rather than tearing it apart, it¡¯s more like he¡¯s dissecting it? He removed the horn then he checked whether there¡¯s a magic ore in the heart and in the gut. His movements were efficient as usual with no unnecessary moves, and he was neat.


    The kids seemed really interested and they¡¯re memorizing his moves properly, as expected of a farming family¡¯s children who take care of their own cattle and chickens.


    I also got used to it by now, but I¡¯m still uncomfortable killing animals if they weren¡¯t food sources like rabbits and deers or fantasy animals like the monster lizards.


    We then went further in for a bit. The guys settled on the plan to lure the other rats with the dead rat as bait, apparently. The carcass was left aside. You could say we¡¯re taking a break, too.


    ¡¸Is that wind? ¡¹


    ¡¸If air enters then that must be from the shafts around the place. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh. ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s words made me feel a bit relieved.


    I want to have a sip of warm tea, but we don¡¯t have any firewood here. The adventurers who came here before us probably used most of the rotting boards; there¡¯s only a few of them left.


    And so, for today, the choices are low alcohol wine, or wine diluted with water.


    ¡¸Here you go, some snacks. ¡¹


    It¡¯s baked cheese cake.


    ¡¸Yehey! ¡¹


    I wrapped the cream cheese and baked it. The snacks were square-shaped, and you can eat one in two bites.


    ¡¸Oh deary, such deep flavor, is it cheese? ¡¹


    ¡¸So tasty. ¡¹


    Shiva and Dinosso were grinning.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice that it melts in your mouth. I like the sourness of the cheese, too. ¡¹


    Retze liked it, apparently.


    ¡ª It¡¯s just so-so for Ash, I guess? She¡¯s eating it happily, but not as happily as the cream puffs. Maybe she¡¯ll like it better if I use sweet and sour strawberry sauce?

 CH 127

    Seven, eight rats gathered, and the kids dealt with them. The ones who managed to escape were stabbed by Butler¡¯s rapier, or magnificently hit by Chris with one slash, or killed by Shiva¡¯s cooking knife.


    ¡¸Oh, Shiva? What¡¯s that? ¡¹


    Dinosso asked with a smile, obviously put off.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t use this for cooking. ¡¹


    Shiva smiled brightly.


    Please stop looking at me, Dinosso. Blame me after you won against your wife, okay?


    Shiva¡¯s original weapons are short twin swords, and a spirit weapon powered by the ice spirit possessing her. Our current place is too cramped and crowded and cold, so she can¡¯t use them, apparently.


    The temperature would drop if she swung it, and then it would be too cold, she said.


    The person herself was fine even if the snow raged around her, apparently.


    ¡¸Hmm, only a handful of rats around here have magic stones. The guys at the fort said Amadeo and his lackeys had been in here a few times, so maybe the ones here in the shallow part are young¡­ I guess. ¡¹


    Retze looked grim.


    It takes a certain period of time for the monsters to accumulate magic ores within their bodies. So Retze already gathered intel without us noticing?


    ¡¸Let¡¯s move, we¡¯re going a bit further in. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s! ¡¹


    Chris is also a lot more enthusiastic than usual, but his flowery rhetorics had been toned down. Seems like they really admire Dinosso.


    Retze¡¯s acting like his usual self, but he also said Dinosso¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s just that looking at Dean and Chris acting like that probably made him restrain his buoyant mood. I get where he¡¯s coming from.


    We went down the shaft to the lower level, deeper into the tunnel. It was even more damp down here, with water seeping in. The wood supporting the ceiling and walls to prevent them from caving in and to keep rocks from falling had started to rot because of the moisture. The stones had also crumbled.


    Will we really be alright?


    ¡¸It¡¯s probably the aftermath of a piece falling off, kinda like peeled off. Can¡¯t assure you it absolutely won¡¯t collapse, but the bedrock here is pretty hard, so I don¡¯t think this place will crumble in one go. ¡¹


    Retze explained while rummaging inside his bag, probably because he caught me staring at the pieces of shattered rock.


    ¡¸You¡¯ll find worms and larvae in this layer, so be more careful. The dry places have a higher probability of collapsing than the wet spots. ¡¹


    Dinosso.


    The earthworms and larvae bored holes and water flowed there, apparently.


    ¡¸Where, let¡¯s try it out? ¡¹


    The lantern lit up.


    ¡¸Ah, what the heck is that? ¡¹


    Dean asked Retze.


    There¡¯s an upside down cone shaped reflector attached to the top of the lantern, so the light is scattered in proportion to the size of the fire.


    I tried to make methanol using distilled wood vinegar as an attempt to do away with the rapeseed oil, but it was a flop. Lamps that used methanol and ethanol were actually for heating, not light¡­ Well, I guess it works out if I use it for the vacuum coffee maker. Ahh, I want kerosine.


    ¡¸As expected, it¡¯s darker than a torch, but it¡¯s easier to carry around. Heh, this is really good. ¡¹


    Retze shook the lantern. Well, it IS lighter and smaller than a torch.


    ¡¸Hoh? It doesn¡¯t have a candle inside? ¡¹


    Butler stared at the lantern with deep interest.


    ¡¸It¡¯s beautiful! ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    Chris and Ash.


    The kids were also very curious since it¡¯s something they haven¡¯t seen before.


    ¡¸Unlike candles, its light won¡¯t easily get extinguished, so it¡¯s great outdoors. It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t use it to roast monsters or scare them away¡­Here, let¡¯s swap for a while so gimme the torch. ¡¹


    Retze exchanged the lantern with En¡¯s torch.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t drop it. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll hold it next! ¡¹


    ¡¸No, follow the turns! I¡¯m next! ¡¹


    I also have lanterns in ¡¾Storage¡¿, but I got the feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea taking one out for each of us here. Besides, I learned that torches have other uses from what Retze said.


    Dinosso was pinching his brows, though. Hey, Retze didn¡¯t even mention me, so why do you keep on glancing at me and shaking your head, huh?


    Yeah, I know, I know, I¡¯ve been quite indulgent of Butler¡¯s fascination in cooking, Shiva¡¯s delight in knives, and Retze¡¯s interest in bags and devices.


    The kids held the lantern, so the stick¡¯s role was demoted to tapping suspicious spots.


    ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s dry. There¡¯s a hole here. ¡¹


    I poked the hole with the stick, and when I took it out, something white stuck on it.


    It¡¯s a squiggly, orange-headed larva. It¡¯s probably a rhinoceros beetle¡¯s larva, but it¡¯s as big as a two liter plastic bottle. It has one horn, and when it creakily raised its chin, the super-sharp looking fangs came into view. It looked quite strong.


    ¡¸I see, so the longer, the better, huh. ¡¹


    Dinosso was moved.


    ¡¸Good job tearing the skin! ¡¹


    ¡¸On top of being pretty tough, the body tends to wriggle, avoiding impact, so it¡¯s hard to tear. ¡¹


    ¡¸So it¡¯s a problem of thickness and speed. ¡¹


    Chris, Dean and Ash were also awed, but it¡¯s not like I purposely aimed for it and defeated this thing. I just poked the hole and this monster was in there coincidentally.


    The rapier team¡¯s in charge of dealing with the monsters lurking inside the holes. However, the big ones also got big heads, so the only thing they could aim at is the hard head. The huge sword team ¡ª Dinosso and Dean ¡ª took the lead then.


    They¡¯re monsters, so they won¡¯t just meekly stay shut in inside the holes, obviously. They also attack, but they tend to wait for their prey to come closer before they poke their heads out to spit acid at them. And so, I was assigned to work on them and make them spit by poking the stick near their holes while standing away from them.


    The kids learned from their dad. They threw stones to make them spit.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Like this?


    Poke, poke, once the head is out, then crush before it spit acid.


    ¡¸Amazing. It¡¯s amazing, but let them spit first, it¡¯s gonna be tough work dismantling those guys. And don¡¯t just rely on that stick for everything. ¡¹


    Retze was also impressed but he didn¡¯t forget to teach me.


    ¡¸Jean-sama¡¯s new weapon is a stick¡­ Oh, no, please don¡¯t mind me. ¡¹


    ¡¸A stick made from magic ore¡­ ¡¹


    That¡¯s terrible of you, Butler and Dean.

 CH 128

    ¡¸Ah ¡¹


    The stick broke.


    ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t make a face like that as if it¡¯s doomsday just because your stick broke. ¡¹


    ¡¸But I liked it¡­ ¡¹


    Dean looked appalled, but you know, I did my best to put the force straight down so it won¡¯t break.


    ¡¸It¡¯s actually amazing that it didn¡¯t break until now, or should I say I¡¯m impressed with that pointless capability of yours¡­ ¡¹


    Dinosso said it¡¯s pointless, he said it¡¯s pointless, ugh.


    ¡¸Use your sword. Your sword, got it? ¡¹


    Retze told me, so I¡¯m going to throw this stick¡­


    ¡¸Maybe we can use it as firewood? ¡¹


    ¡¸Just let go of that stick for goodness sake. And help out with the disassembly, will you. ¡¹


    ¡¸I believe you did go overboard. ¡¹


    I peered at the stick, but Retze just replied to me rudely, and even Butler told me off.


    Butler was smiling in front of a mountain pile of larvae and earthworms. When I looked around, the children, Retze and even Ash were doing the disassembly.


    ¡¸Uwah, sorry! ¡¹


    Yeah, I did go overboard.


    ¡¸Oh dear me, I¡¯m so sorry, fufufu. ¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not out of malice! ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, well¡­ Sorry. ¡¹


    The culprits were these five people, including me. Shiva, Dean, Chris and Dinosso apologized, and they also helped out.


    It had turned into a competition halfway through, and this was the result. I didn¡¯t know the dear children were the ones dismantling the corpses¡­ I should¡¯ve helped them midway.


    Retze was staring at us as if he¡¯s looking at a group of five worthless adults while we did the job in all seriousness.


    The minerals mainly harvested are copper, iron, and iron sulfide. Next are gold and silver. Other than that, it¡¯s also possible to get a little bit of sulfur and chromium.


    Sulfur is pretty famous since it¡¯s a raw material used to make black gunpowder. Do they have gunpowder in this world? If I¡¯m not mistaken, if you mix a certain percentage of sulfur to gum, its elasticity will increase and if you add more, the hardness also increases, I think? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen either product in the market before.


    ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ says sulfur is part of the bleaching agent used for dried persimmons and dried figs. It also appears as sulfur dioxide in wines¡¯ antioxidants.


    Chromium is used in chrome plating and stainless steel, I think?


    We found minerals that transformed into magic ores along with the normal ones inside these grubs. We sorted them roughly as we hurriedly dismantled these guys. They¡¯re not that big of a monster, so even if there were a lot of them, we could only get so much.


    Fortunately, it was mostly iron. If we combine the magic ores and iron together, there¡¯s enough to make normal swords for everyone. Oh, but it won¡¯t be enough if we consider Dinosso and Dean¡¯s huge swords.


    ¡¸Fuu, finally done. Let¡¯s rest. ¡¹


    ¡¸I heard these larvae can have a peculiar tastiness if you grill them. ¡¹


    Stop it. Delicate city kids can¡¯t handle bug delicacies, you know. Oh, I just noticed that they¡¯re starting to associate breaktime with either meals or snacks.


    ¡¸Yeah, you can¡¯t eat rhinoceros beetles¡¯ larvae, but stag beetles are fine. ¡¹


    Hey, Retze. Stop going with Dean¡¯s flow, will you.


    ¡¸Wait, so does that mean you have eaten that before!? ¡¹


    ¡¸I heard you can eat it. I¡¯m making it a point to try eating non-poisonous monsters even once when I get the chance. ¡¹


    Retze answered nonchalantly.


    I don¡¯t think I need to learn about that, folks. Oh, maybe it¡¯s stock knowledge for when food runs out for some reason, I guess. But what if it¡¯s just plain interesting, huh?


    ¡¸So, how about we go down two layers at once, hunt some giant rats while looking for the yrads? ¡¹


    The conversation was over while I was brooding about the misgivings that sprouted within me. And so, we ended our breaktime and went down the shaft.


    ¡¸Eh? Why are these piled up here? ¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe because they¡¯re too heavy so they¡¯re left behind? Folks came to hunt for magic ores if they went all the way down here, right? ¡¹


    We found a small pile of iron, copper and a little bit of others near the wall beside where we landed. Like what Retze said, the other hunters probably sorted their spoils and took what they needed when they returned to the surface. It would be too hard to climb up the shaft if the load was too heavy.


    ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s bring them. ¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s do that on our way back. ¡¹


    Butler stopped me in a flash.


    ¡¸Kyah! ¡¹


    Tina let out a tiny scream.


    ¡¸So big! ¡¹


    ¡¸So huge! ¡¹


    The twins also shouted in shock.


    The rats who appeared here can¡¯t compare to the ones we defeated in the beginning. Like a small car ¡ª that¡¯s how huge they were.


    ¡¸The rats here are bigger than bears, huh¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Idiot! They don¡¯t usually get this big here! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a Tri-Horn, Twilight!¡­Jean! ¡¹


    I was impressed, but Dinosso and Chris were flustered. By the way, Chris has been doing his best to call me by my name ever since I asked him to.


    Dean and Ash ¡ª ah, actually everyone aside from the kids and me ¡ª were already in battle mode. Shiva slowly backed away with the kids behind her. Everyone¡¯s too fast!


    ¡¸I heard about this before, but really, more strong monsters are popping out, huh. ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s blade was engulfed in flames.


    He took a step, then he dodged the tail and claws of the rat with so small a movement that it looked like the Giant Rat made a mistake in gauging its attack. With a single slash that wasn¡¯t even that powerful, the Giant Rat¡¯s head flew off to the ground.


    In just an instant, the Giant Rat had been slayed amidst the high tension.


    ¡¸As expected of Wolf King-dono. ¡¹


    Ash praised Dinosso as she put her sword away.


    ¡¸Of course. Can¡¯t lose to youngsters, right? ¡¹


    Dinosso laughed with a clap and a wink.


    He was his usual easy-going, buffoon self without an ounce of tension in his body.

 CH 129

    ¡¸Papa? Mama? ¡¹


    Tina suddenly cried out aloud, so I whirled around to see where she was.


    ¡¸Eh? ¡¹


    The two of them disappeared while we¡¯re dealing with the Huge Rat. Bathroom? Nah, Butler isn¡¯t here, either.


    ¡¸They went with Butler to check below. ¡¹


    ¡¸Below? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re going up. ¡¹


    ¡¸Why? ¡¹


    I questioned Retze¡¯s replies, and got stepped on.


    ¡¸¡­When Papa and Mama turn quiet, it means it¡¯s dangerous. ¡¹


    Tina looked like she¡¯s about to cry while holding her sleeve.


    ¡¸Eh¡¹


    What is he planning to do that¡¯s dangerous even for a Gold rank?


    ¡¸Monsters will attack us if you cry and make a fuss. Bear with it so that they won¡¯t worry. ¡¹


    Ash told Tina.


    Curt, blunt, scary face. An expression that seemed like she didn¡¯t know what to say. The reason why Retze stepped on me was probably to stop me from spouting unnecessary stuff to the kids.


    Tina¡¯s sharp, so she already saw through it.


    The Huge Tri-Horn Rat.


    They would investigate the surroundings when tri-horns appear.


    Monsters were born out of hatred. The spirits that had been wounded after getting their power forcibly stolen from them would harbor hatred against the humans. They would turn black, then they would possess animals.


    Black spirits prioritize possession over cannibalism if there is a suitable ¡®receptacle¡¯ nearby. That¡¯s the reason why there are many horned ¡ªmostly bicorn and below ¡ª monsters generated.


    Black monsters are usually the result of black spirits becoming stronger after eating each other, or if the black spirit happened to possess a creature that is already strong. Another possibility is the monster itself becoming a more powerful existence.


    They don¡¯t become stronger right off the bat after possessing the creature¡¯s body. Not only that, the probability that they could possess a powerful creature was pretty low, considering that the spirit had turned black because it had been deprived of its original power.


    Wars rampantly use magic. The spirits wounded in the process become too many that they will resort to cannibalism before they even reach the forest, and this in turn will produce many powerful black spirits, but they almost always end up as bicorns at most, probably because of the distance.


    Trii-horns appear when even more spirits get consumed by the nonstop use of large-scale magic spells and the like. There were instances of overpopulation of tri-horns, but since coherence is lacking, it quickly subsides, too.


    However, if a monster that had blackened further ¡ª the Black Monster ¡ª appears, the other monsters also steadily increase, probably attracted to that powerful individual¡¯s existence. Once a certain number of monsters have been reached, they will work themselves into a frenzy, and they will attack people. They won¡¯t stop until either they themselves or that Black Monster dies.


    Tri-horns are the prelude to the emergence of that Black Monster. If there¡¯s only one trihorn, then it¡¯s still fine, but if they exist in droves then it¡¯s only natural to suspect that the Black Monster appeared.


    Maybe those three had gone down to investigate that. And, they probably kept it a secret from me. Come to think of it, Retze¡¯s lantern is gone. He probably gave it to them.


    The tri-horns probably don¡¯t pose any threats to the two gold ranks and that one Butler, but the walls and the dark will probably be a hindrance to them.


    Moreover, the spirit hanging around Dinosso uses fire. He won¡¯t be able to create a huge fire without putting the other two at risk, so his movements are limited.


    Well, ¡®using fire¡¯ is just my own theory, though; maybe his spirit is the type to boost the body.


    They also left Dean and the others behind. Is it because they¡¯re confident they can handle it, or because the rest of us will just drag them down? Which is it? They didn¡¯t say anything, so it¡¯s probably the latter, then?


    I stood at the edge of the shaft that Dinosso and the others probably used to descend and peered down. The torch illuminated the nearby area, and I could see the wooden planks that acted as scaffoldings to reinforce the wall, but the rest of the place had been swallowed by the darkness. I couldn¡¯t see beyond that.


    I extended the range of ¡¾Search¡¿. I could sense a few tiny creatures, the Dinosso trio¡¯s presence, and a huge existence right in front of them.


    ¡¸Papa¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Mama¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Papa and Mama are both strong. ¡¹


    Tina comforted the twins who were about to cry, while being on the verge of tears herself.


    Yeah, I thought so, kind sisters really do exist in the world.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯ll be alright. Papa, Mama and Older Brother are all strong. I¡¯ll be back soon. ¡¹


    I said that to Tina, before jumping behind her.


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    ¡¸You dolt!! ¡¹


    I was already standing by the edge of the shaft, so I jumped towards the hole. I heard Ash call my name and someone yelling, but can¡¯t hear the rest because of the wind whistling in my ears.


    It¡¯s pretty deep, but I named a tiny wind spirit midjump, and I have it push me up with the wind right before I hit the floor.


    I pulled¡ºZanzenken ¡»from ¡¾Storage ¡¿strapped it to my waist as I dashed towards where Dinosso¡¯s group were.


    I also named the teeny fire and light spirits ¡ª probably remnants from either the lantern or from when Dinosso¡¯s fire spirit used its power ¡ª while I sprinted


    Named them something along the lines of ¡®Tunnel 1¡¯, ¡®Tunnel 2¡¯. Yeah yeah, just turn a blind eye to my naming prowess, okay.


    ¡¸Use my mana! ¡ºLight Up¡»! ¡¹


    The area turned bright, but I didn¡¯t stop running.


    I can still use magic without naming the spirits around me, but there¡¯s only so much of the fire spirit and light spirit around here. I don¡¯t want to forcibly draw their power.


    Ugh, Dinosso¡¯s team will reach the monster herd soon. Oy, did Retze explain the anatomy and kept on bringing up analogies that made the kids happy just to stall for time so that I won¡¯t follow after them?


    I¡¯m strong!! Probably!


    ¡¸What!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Light? ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean-sama!? ¡¹


    The trio were in the middle of a battle at the end of the narrow tunnel. I charged in the midst of them and defeated the Giant Rat.


    ¡¸You¡¯re banned from leaving me behind! ¡¹


    A relatively huge area had been illuminated because I¡¯ve been naming the tiny things up to the last minute until I arrived. Well, it might also be because I¡¯ve been inwardly hoping that the light will cover as much area as possible even if it¡¯s faint.


    ¡¸Haha! Yeah, we¡¯re in our element if there¡¯s light. ¡¹


    ¡¸Goodness, it¡¯s been hard not being able to see underfoot, let alone the enemies. ¡¹


    The space was approximately 19m2 with passageways on all four sides, and according to ¡¾Search¡¿, they extended to several room-like spaces.


    There¡¯s a hole by my feet, probably the handiwork of an earthworm, but I didn¡¯t sense any other holes anywhere else. This was nothing compared to chasing the black spirits around the forest while slaying monsters.


    With speed in mind and my toes pointing forward, I stepped onward with force, cutting the rat down while using¡ºCrush¡»to get rid of the annoying larvae with the help of the pebble spirits.


    ¡¸What the heck! So you¡¯re not only strong like normal, you¡¯re really powerful, too!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh dear! ¡¹


    ¡¸Even though he¡¯s usually riddled with flaws¡­ ¡¹


    I slashed my opponent diagonally down it¡¯s shoulder, then continued that stroke to cut the enemy beside in half. More monsters were rushing in from the tunnels even after slaying them.


    Come to think of it, the only time I defeated a monster other than the usual one-horned rabbit and the wolf in public was when I slayed the fox in front of Retze, I guess? That had been quite a failure since I ended up getting drenched from the blood that splashed.


    Thanks to ¡¾Search¡¿, I can pinpoint where my enemies were, whether they¡¯re behind me or hiding and lurking. I can even tell where Dinosso¡¯s trio are.


    It¡¯s the result of endlessly practicing until I could finally grasp whatever info I needed without double-checking the results of ¡¾Search¡¿.


    I continued slaying the enemies while positioning myself so I won¡¯t get in the way of the trio¡¯s attack.


    Cramped? Nah, the trees in the forest were more cramped than this. Well, I did slashed the trees along with the monsters each time I wielded the sword before ¡ª it was quite the disaster for the woods.


    Besides, this kind of cramped space is precisely the size of the enemies¡¯ mansion they jump into in historical dramas!

 CH 130

    ¡¸Argh, S#!%! I¡¯m sleepy! ¡¹


    ¡¸Lack of sleep? ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re not sleepy, Jean? ¡¹


    ¡¸I slept plenty enough. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t stay up late now compared to when I was in Japan. Besides, not sure if it¡¯s because of the lifestyle I had after being thrown on the island, but I¡¯m fine sleeping outdoors.


    ¡¸I also feel slightly the same. Perhaps there¡¯s a sleep-related spirit nearby. ¡¹


    Is that it!?


    ¡¸Even the monsters that normally don¡¯t sleep that much are affected. ¡¹


    It¡¯s just as Shiva said. The monsters around us were swaying. We have to slay them right now, though.


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    Hmm, considering the situation, maybe ¡¾Mental Resistance¡¿is doing its job?


    I swung ¡ºZanzenken¡»while mulling that over. As time went by, more rats started crouching without the intent to attack, and nothing came out even if we went near the bug holes.


    ¡¸Oh, daifuku. ¡¹


    ¡¸Daifuku? ¡¹


    Everyone turned their gazes on the spot I was staring at.


    Two huge white things sat on the ground. They looked quite soft.


    ¡¸A human¡­ and a cat? ¡¹


    The cat¡¯s overcoat is white, but upon closer look, it¡¯s undercoat is ash. Maybe that¡¯s the reason why I saw it as a daifuku.


    ¡¸The cat appears to be a spirit. ¡¹


    ¡¸So this guy¡¯s the reason, huh. But why are they here? ¡¹


    ¡¸Want me to wake them up? ¡¹


    If I still had my stick with me then I could¡¯ve poked them.


    We decided to deal with the monsters first. They looked like they were sleeping, so we annihilated every single one of them. Not sure whether the task is too easy, but Dinosso looked really sleepy.


    We checked the Daifukus again after we secured our safety. I turned off ¡ºLight ¡»just as a precaution.


    ¡¸Hello~ Can you hear us? ¡¹


    Shiva raised her lantern and called out, but no response.


    I took out enough lanterns for each of us, and everyone was holding theirs up.


    ¡¸Ugh¡­ ¡¹Dinosso.


    ¡¸¡­The sleepiness has become more potent. ¡¹Butler.


    ¡¸Are we too loud? ¡¹Shiva.


    Dinosso softly approached, but he stopped before reaching the Daifukus.


    ¡¸Can¡¯t go any further. ¡¹


    He tapped on the air ¡ª looks like there¡¯s an invisible wall here. The cat opened its eye a slit to glance at Dinosso before yawning.


    I silently took a wooden box out, then peeked at the cat and roughly compared its size with the small box.


    It must¡¯ve piqued the cat¡¯s interest when I opened the lid and set it down. It sluggishly got up and entered the box. It perfectly fit inside, as if proving that cats do have fluid bodies.


    I gently covered the box.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    The trio stared at me.


    ¡¸What to do now? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, dunno, even if you ask me. ¡¹


    ¡¸Perhaps it must have been better if we came up with a plan first before capturing it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh dear. ¡¹


    Hey, that box isn¡¯t sealed or anything, so it¡¯s not like I captured it. Look at that tail hanging out of the box, that¡¯s proof, see.


    I just wanted to try putting the cat in.


    ¡¸Hmmm! ¡¹


    The other daifuku moved.


    The daifuku stretched wide after raising its body. Ah, the hood came off and blackish, purple hair spilled out.


    ¡¸Girl? ¡¹


    ¡¸Good morning. Are you the ones who got Whyle? ¡¹


    Goodness, I can¡¯t remove that daifuku impression from my mind. Let¡¯s make some later when we¡¯re home.


    ¡¸If you mean that white spirit cat, then it¡¯s inside this box. ¡¹


    Dinosso pointed to the box by my feet with his thumb.


    ¡¸Oh, what a surprise, even though he didn¡¯t want to get away from me before¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸May we know who you are, and what are you doing here? ¡¹


    Shiva asked.


    She might look cute, but she had been sleeping in the midst of swarming monsters suspected of overpopulation. None of us tried to approach this unidentified little girl.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Sara¡­. I wanted to sleep, but it¡¯s too noisy outside. I couldn¡¯t help it, I was way too sleepy, so Whyle took me here. Whyle put up protective barriers, so it was possible for someone like me to come here¡­. I was half-asleep, though. ¡¹


    ¡¸You said it was noisy outside. Isn¡¯t it noisy here? ¡¹


    ¡¸Whyle¡¯s barrier is almost totally soundproof. As for ¡®noisy¡¯, I¡¯m referring to a person named Roza-sama. She wanted to borrow Whyle¡¯s barrier. ¡¹


    So she even tried to scout around here, huh. And quite persistent at that.


    ¡¸I¡¯m perfectly happy if I have three meals a day, can sleep in until late in the morning, have naps, and sleep the whole night. Based on what she said, I won¡¯t get that, so I turned her down. ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re just sleeping most of the time, huh? ¡¹


    Dinosso quipped.


    ¡¸Indeed. I can only stay awake for about two hours a day, and even then I¡¯m still sleepy. I only felt truly awake now, when Whyle left me. ¡¹


    How should I put this ¡ª sounds like a lifestyle that¡¯s difficult for anyone except little princesses who don¡¯t have to lift a finger to do anything.


    ¡¸Fortunately, I¡¯m blessed with beauty and a great figure, and I¡¯m also confident in my skin. My goal is to work as a mistress or a lover who doesn¡¯t have to get out of bed. ¡¹


    Hm?


    ¡¸What a lass, spouting terrible things with that smile. ¡¹


    Dinosso.


    Oh, so I didn¡¯t mishear her, huh.


    ¡¸How about getting a job related to that protective barrier? ¡¹


    ¡¸When Whyle sleeps, nobody else can stay inside the barrier other than me. I also told Roza-sama that we¡¯re useless, but it seems I was too sleepy to relay it properly. ¡¹


    Sara replied to Butler¡¯s query.


    ¡¸Perhaps she wanted to use that ¡®sleepiness¡¯? ¡¹


    ¡¸No matter which one it is, I don¡¯t have any desire to go with her. Based on that person¡¯s proposal, she¡¯s planning to drag me around. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t want to get out of my bed ~ said Sara.


    ¡¸Oh, by the way, I apologize for my rudeness, but do you have anything to eat, perchance? ¡¹


    Sara furrowed her pretty eyebrows while asking us, looking troubled.


    _____


    T/N:


    Daifuku (pastry) yum ~ Shiva and Dinosso, Jean, Ash, Butler and Daifuku (Whyle).

 CH 131

    Dinosso and the others turned to me when Sara aid that, but I¡¯m empty-handed since I already packed away my stuff inside ¡¾Storage¡¿.


    ¡¸ Is bread and cheese alright with you? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Thank you very much. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of Whyle, but my physique and condition doesn¡¯t change, but I do get hungry. It¡¯s been a week. ¡¹


    So meaning to say, it¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t feel hungry because her body condition doesn¡¯t change, but that she¡¯s perpetually hungry. Seems tough.


    ¡¸ Jean, can you call the other guys upstairs while you¡¯re getting our stuff? There¡¯s still enough time, right? Let¡¯s disassemble this. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Will this child be alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It¡¯s calm, so it¡¯s probably fine. ¡¹


    Butler stared at the box while replying to Shiva.


    ¡¸ Yeah, then I¡¯ll be off for a bit. ¡¹


    Dinosso must be thinking of me, so he wanted me to stay away from this extremely suspicious Sara, so I stood up and moved away from the box.


    Ears poked out of the box, followed by a sniffing nose.


    ¡¸ I¡¯ll be back soon. ¡¹


    He seemed reluctant, but he seemed okay with me leaving.


    I ran while carrying the lantern. Once Dinosso¡¯s team was far enough that I couldn¡¯t see their light, I sprinted with all I had.


    Tok, tok, tok ¡ª I skipped over the shaft like a ninja as a challenge to myself, but ended up bonking the back of my head hard on the wall. Ugh, okay, I will use my hands and feet properly to climb now¡­


    ¡¸ That¡¯s quite a loud noise. ¡¹


    ¡¸ Tri-Horn!? ¡¹


    Nope, just the back of my head.


    ¡¸ Nah, I don¡¯t sense any monsters though. ¡¹


    Dean replied to Retze.


    ¡¸ Why are you still here? ¡¹


    For the last step, I jumped off and landed beautifully. No one would know my head banging mishap if I don¡¯t say a word, right.


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    The kids jumped on me and hugged me.


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    What a scary face you got there, Ash.


    ¡¸Wow, you¡¯re safe! ¡¹


    ¡¸Seems like you¡¯re unscathed. ¡¹


    ¡¸You didn¡¯t wreck the floor under us, did you? ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s the only one with a different response!


    Chris¡¯s ¡®gut feeling¡¯ wasn¡¯t activated, so they deemed this floor safe. They decided to wait here for a few minutes because of the kids.


    They decided that in case of emergency, Dean¡¯s gonna stop the monsters while the other three will grab the kids and take them outside, so they watched over the kids while the little ones stared at the shaft.


    ¡¸Everything¡¯s almost completely under our control downstairs, so they told us to disassemble the monster.. Oh, and there¡¯s a weird Daifu¡­. spirit and a possessed girl over there. No black monsters, no surge. ¡¹


    I explained the situation while patting the kids on the back.


    ¡¸Weird woman? ¡¹


    ¡¸A soft-looking perverted girl. ¡¹


    A point blank answer to Dean¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Hey, aren¡¯t you being too harsh on girls? ¡¹


    ¡¸Really? ¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s the effect of the three fake confessions you got. ¡¹


    Retze and the rest were preparing to go down while Dean and I chatted.


    The shaft was a little deep, so we tied the kids one by one.


    Retze ignored Dean and focused on tying the rope on En. I¡¯m not sure whether he¡¯s about to retort but instead held his tongue..


    He¡¯s probably thinking of the manpower we¡¯re gonna rely on in case of emergency.


    I went down first and illuminated the place with a torch from below. Retze¡¯s lantern was on his hip. Yeah, I probably should have given lanterns to everyone earlier.


    ¡¸Yeah. Tri-horned rats¡¯ nest, right. ¡¹


    ¡¸Did Shiva-dono slay more monsters than Valmour ¡ª Dinosso-dono? ¡¹


    The kids were also here, so we decided to gather them all first before disassembling. Everyone¡¯s walking on the path we came back from.


    Ash, Dean, Chris and Retze didn¡¯t stop, but they couldn¡¯t help but bring the lantern closer to check the monsters¡¯ wounds along the way.


    ¡¸Hey, this is quite surprising. Aren¡¯t there way too few monsters defeated by magic? ¡¹


    ¡¸Why are you looking at me? ¡¹


    ¡¸Uh, nope, you¡¯re not even carrying anything. ¡¹


    Retze subtly averted his gaze.


    ¡¸He was worried that you¡¯re going to demolish the tunnels, you know! We¡¯re all gonna die if we¡¯re buried alive, after all! ¡¹


    Chris grinned as he quipped.


    ¡¸What the heck!! ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re rough, after all, plus you have a spirit, too. ¡¹


    Dean said with a wry smile.


    Ah. So maybe that¡¯s what Dinosso meant when he said strong like [normal]?


    Right, if I didn¡¯t know that spirits will be consumed, then I would¡¯ve been firing spells nonstop, or even sticking the spirits directly onto my sword and body probably.


    I don¡¯t know any fighting techniques after all. This won¡¯t do, maybe I should watch their fighting styles more carefully.


    Ah, but aren¡¯t they treating me too harshly?


    ¡¸Mama! Papa! ¡¹


    The three kids sprinted the moment they saw Dinosso and Shiva.


    The two adult¡¯s lanterns they were holding brightened that place only. It was a really touching reunion scene. Nice, nice, great job.


    ¡¸Oh, yeah, come to think of it, the girl over there dreams of becoming a wife, apparently. It¡¯s just that she can¡¯t do a single chore to save her life, or so she confessed. Anyway, those who wish to have a bride, good luck~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Is she a beauty? ¡¹


    ¡¸I can do whatever chore it is if it¡¯s for my beloved! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Just who the heck will work to that point, huh. ¡¹


    Eh, is Chris also the type to wish for a bride? Retze¡¯s really stable, or should I say realistic? Logical? Head over heart?


    Ash and I followed behind the men who rushed towards Sara. The cat¡¯s tail is still poking out of the box, so he¡¯s probably still in there.


    ¡¸How about you, Jean? ¡¹


    ¡¸Pass. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. ¡¹


    Ash and I chatted while watching the family reunion, as well as Dean and the others boisterously arguing.


    Ahh, yeah, this really is nice, huh.


    ¡­ I was blissfully immersed in thinking about that, when I got pulled back to reality because of the mountain pile of disassembly work we had to do ¡ª it was huge, enough to make me sit down, cry (figuratively) and imagine good times with Riche at home and wishing this is over so I can get myself over there as soon as possible.

 CH 132

    ¡¸So, what to do now? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be leaving while Whyle is still docile. Thank you very much. ¡¹


    Sara bowed politely before heading towards the passageway.


    She talked to the three guys while helping out with the disassembling, but it seems that they couldn¡¯t come to an agreement on the conditions.


    I gave her a torch, a little bit of food, and a few pieces of magic ore as thanks for her help.


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    Are you leaving the box behind?


    ¡¸Oy, oy, you¡¯re gonna leave this spirit? ¡¹


    Dinosso also noticed, so he called out to her.


    ¡¸He¡¯s not contracted to me in the first place. Besides, it¡¯s not the first time Whyle left me after finding a nice place to sleep, so I have to eat three meals, take naps and sleep late until late in the morning while I can ¡ª might take 3 days, or even a year, who knows.¡¹


    She stopped on her tracks before smiling gently.


    ¡¸Can you even work? ¡¹


    Dean seemed dumbfounded when he asked.


    ¡¸I may look like this, but even so, I am a ¡ºFae¡¯s Bud¡». If Whyle didn¡¯t stick to me, I¡¯d probably be a ¡ºBlossom¡» by now. ¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t stop the eat-sleep cycle? ¡¹


    I wanted to ask what she meant by bud and blossom, but Retze cut me off.


    Eh, is that it, she works by doing *beep* or *beep*, stuff you can¡¯t ask in public? Like a divine harlot or something?


    ¡¸I love sleeping even before, and ever since I can¡¯t eat despite wanting to, I also came to love eating. ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Then, may the blessing of the spirits be with you. ¡¹


    Retze promptly agreed, probably thinking that anything goes as long as he can stop me from asking her anything.


    ¡¸Thank you very much. Please call upon me should you be able to support me. If there¡¯s a chance to meet again, please allow me to express my gratitude. ¡¹


    And so, Sara really disappeared into the passageway this time around.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­She¡¯s really gone? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, she went her own way. ¡¹


    All of us stared at the dark passageway.


    I did hand her a torch, but how will she climb the shaft in that state, and with only one hand? Her chest looked like it¡¯s going to get in the way of her arm¡­


    ¡¸Onee-chan¡¯s gone. ¡¹


    ¡¸Softie boobies ~ ¡¹


    The three kids who kept quiet because there was an outsider started talking all at the same time.


    ¡¸Alright, you guys kneel over there!! ¡¹


    Dinosso glared daggers at Dean¡¯s trio.


    Based on what En and Bak¡¯s said, the trio ¡ª wait, Retze¡¯s acting like it got nothing to do with him, so he¡¯s out of the picture? ¡ª anyway, they were being shameless, apparently.


    ¡°And why are you kneeling down too, Jean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    I was thinking about something ecchi earlier.


    Retze called me out, so I stood while ignoring the screams of ¡®But we were whispering!¡¯ and ¡®Gyaahh!¡®.


    ¡¸So? This ¡®Whyle¡¯ thing is inside this box, is that it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Fumu, he¡¯s quite cute. ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean-sama, I believe you should refrain from doing something without thinking of the consequences that might occur. ¡¹


    Butler was standing behind and rebuking me before I even noticed he was there.


    ¡¸I just put the box there, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸Where did you get that box, huh? ¡¹


    Retze, you can¡¯t even see the actual spot so why are you taking a jab at me?


    ¡¸Oh, by the way, ¡ºFae¡¯s Bud ¡»are healer mages working in¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» and temples. The most outstanding of them would become ¡ºFae¡¯s Blossom¡». They get the title because of their excellent abilities, and recommendations from one or more temples. It¡¯s common knowledge, so be careful. ¡¹


    In contrast to¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡», which does not worship any specific spirit, temples serve spirits that are considered deities. They are also pretty rich thanks to their many believers.


    Anyway, is it really fine that I didn¡¯t join those guys in prostrating myself? Ah, but that looks pretty painful. Dean and Chris were about to be iron clawed by Shiva right when I glanced at them.


    ¡¸Mm, I missed guiding you there on the tour when we first met. I¡¯ll take you to ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» next time. ¡¹


    I wonder what Ash thinks of me? Oh, come to think of it, it had been pretty obvious how ignorant I am about this world when we first met.


    The reason why Ash skipped ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» back then was probably because it is a place so infamous it¡¯s quite unbelievable that somebody hadn¡¯t even stepped foot in it, much less seen it.


    I went there once to check it out, but it¡¯s faster to get water from my house so I didn¡¯t get affiliated. People normally go there at least once a month without any particular reason, so not knowing what ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» is was actually an opening for people to suspect me.


    Maybe I should explore Canum seriously. If I¡¯m careless I might end up knowing Nalluahdid better at this rate.


    The scolding of Dean and Chris ended too, and we¡¯re also done picking up the ores we¡¯re gonna get. En chose the ores that looked suitable among the pile that were going to be left behind because each of us couldn¡¯t carry anymore, and he stuffed it in¡¾Storage¡¿.


    I secretly stash all that he couldn¡¯t cram anymore into my own ¡¾Storage¡¿ away from the lantern light.


    ¡¸Good, we got more magic ores than our target, so let¡¯s go back. ¡¹


    ¡¸What about the cat? ¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t do anything about it, right? ¡¹


    Dinosso seems not to mind leaving it behind.


    ¡¸Abandoned cat¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, it¡¯s a spirit, you know. Actually, it isn¡¯t just me, it¡¯s because the majority can¡¯t see it, okay? ¡¹


    Retze was warning me not to do anything foolish.


    ¡¸But we do want to see it, right! ¡¹


    If Chris can See, I wonder what his reaction would be when he sees that cleft chin spirit?


    ¡¸I wanna take care of it, but I already have a dog, so¡­ ¡¹


    Can¡¯t say I¡¯m going to keep a pet when it¡¯s already beyond my capacity, right. Plus, I¡¯m always away from home.


    ¡¸Why not keep it in your room, Retze? ¡¹


    ¡¸Won¡¯t keep it, can¡¯t even keep it, okay? ¡¹


    No particular spirits hang around Retze, so I suggested that, but got rejected.


    ¡¸If you get tired of this place and you got nowhere to go, just come to Canum¡¯s ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back ¡»Alley, 31-A, Room A on the second floor. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t that my room!! ¡¹

 CH 133

    ¡¸You heard it earlier, it¡¯s a powerful spirit, right? What a waste~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, he¡¯s not the size you can just bring with you without doing any preparation beforehand. Better not to mess with him. ¡¹


    ¡¸If he puts you to sleep then you¡¯ll be rat fodder. ¡¹


    Dean looked regretful, so that¡¯s Dinosso and Shiva talking to him.


    I didn¡¯t forget to take the ordinary ore left behind by Roza¡¯s group. When we add this up with the ores I bought before then I have plenty enough, allowing me to make a lot of stuff to my heart¡¯s content for a while.


    We got back to the citadel late at night, and we rented a room with nothing in it, not even a bed. We then huddled together like sardines and went to sleep. Shiva and Tina were surrounded by Dinosso, En and Vak, so they¡¯re fine, but what about Ash? Well, guess it¡¯s a bit too late for worrying about this.


    ¡¸I wonder, we should be grateful we got a roof overhead and walls around, but¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸No need to worry about monsters attacking us, so sleep tight. ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind the snoring, but please don¡¯t kick me again, alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸Chris, who¡¯s kicking, Dean or Retze? ¡¹


    Dean, Chris, Retze and I were lying on the ground in that order, so it¡¯ll be a huge problem if it¡¯s Retze.


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t drink so it¡¯ll be fine. ¡¹


    So it¡¯s you, Dean.


    We had our breakfast cold the following morning before heading out since we couldn¡¯t light a fire inside the room. Dean was straddling Chris when I woke up, but since his leg didn¡¯t harm me in any way, I just let it be.


    ¡¸Sorry for the wait, Ruta. ¡¹


    Brrrr ¡ª Ruta snorted as he trotted towards me. I patted him while putting his harness on.


    Pretty sure there wasn¡¯t any branch or stick that could be used as a bolt for the stall door to prevent the horses from escaping, but¡­ Maybe I should compensate for the damage? ¡®Coz Ruta absolutely kicked that door, I¡¯m positive of it.


    I gave a huge tip to the bedraggled-looking stable boy, then we¡¯re off. Nothing of note happened on the way home.


    We then reported that there was a surge in the numbers of Tri-horns while presenting the horns we gathered. Because of that, they would be checking the place regularly, apparently.


    We¡¯re lucky we got many magic ores sooner than expected without having to stay for the estimated number of days thanks to that surge, but it seems pretty tough for the people in the citadel.


    And so, we¡¯re on our way back to Canum.


    ¡¸Ruta, I¡¯m going to prepare the place where I can keep you, so behave ¡®till then, okay? ¡¹


    They allowed me to keep Ruta.


    Even so, I still have a lot of things to prepare such as the horse-riding ground, so I asked them to let him stay at the rental stable in the meantime.


    ¡¸You¡¯re really a softie when it comes to animals. ¡¹


    ¡¸They¡¯re sweet without being two-faced, after all. ¡¹


    Dean seemed astounded as he said that, but really, I want to repay goodwill with the like. Well, I couldn¡¯t help but put my guard up against people despite their goodwill; can¡¯t help but be suspicious if they have any ulterior motives.


    We peek at the food stall, and everyone munches on barbecue as we head to our homes. Yeah, a bath¡¯s more appealing than restaurants.


    ¡¸Ah, Daifuku. ¡¹


    The rental house¡¯s second floor is visible from ¡ºAsh Fox¡¯s Back¡» Alley, and I saw a white cat enter there.


    ¡¸¡­.That is quite fast, if I may say. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh dear. ¡¹


    ¡¸Seriously? ¡¹


    ¡¸Seems like he listened to Jean. ¡¹


    My words and gaze caught Butler, Shiva, Dinosso and Ash¡¯s attention.


    ¡¸Dayfuku? ¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s that? ¡¹


    ¡¸What happened? ¡¹


    The Sightless group ¡ª Retze, Dean and Chris.


    ¡¸Kitty! ¡¹


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    ¡¸Was there something~? ¡¹


    It¡¯s confirmed that En can really See. How about the other two? Did they miss Seeing it enter, or they really can¡¯t See? It¡¯s quite vague.


    ¡¸Wait a sec. Kitty, as in that thing? The one in the tunnel? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s in my room, huh? ¡¹


    Retze bombarded me with questions.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s him. I¡¯ll bring you a bed mattress and some blankets. ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡­! You¡¯re already assuming that it¡¯s gonna put me to sleep!! ¡¹


    Retze apparently gathered some info from Sara, so he was well-versed regarding Whyle¡¯s ability, apparently.


    ¡¸You keep him on your own second floor. It¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s the third floor! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s pitiful leaving him on his own, and I already have Riche in my house. It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s quite docile when you put him inside the box! ¡¹


    ¡¸Noth¡­? ¡¹


    ¡¸He went overboard. You should rebuke him. ¡¹


    Dinosso and Noth were talking about something while Retze and I bickered on.


    ¡¸Spirits can understand addresses¡­? ¡¹


    ¡¸This is a new addition to my pool of knowledge! ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    Dean didn¡¯t seem to get it, probably because he can¡¯t See, while Chris and Ash were still the same as ever.


    ¡¸How about we go home first and enjoy a nice, long bath before talking about this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes yes. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ack! Hey! Get it back! ¡¹


    I obediently listened to Shiva and tried to go down the alley leading to the house, but Retze stopped me by grabbing me by the scruff.


    ¡¸He¡¯s a powerful spirit, you know. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m not suited for this! I don¡¯t dabble with things that are beyond my control, that¡¯s my principle! ¡¹


    It can¡¯t be helped then. I transferred the cat to the bed in the room on the third floor that Retze helped me set up.


    The more I looked at Whyle as he curled up meekly on the bed, the more I saw it as a daifuku. Hey, can I knead him for a bit?

 CH 134

    Riche sniffed me when I returned home, so I went straight to the bath. Not sure if it¡¯s because of Daifuku¡¯s scent, or if I¡¯m too stinky.


    I left Daifuku at the Canum house. Actually it¡¯s not really leaving him behind; I did ask if he wanted to come along but he seemed totally uninterested as he promptly curled himself on the center of the bed and slept.


    I washed my head and body then soaked in the tub. Ahh, baths really are the best.


    After bathing, I drank milk, played with Riche, then drank coffee while reading a book. For a snack, I had a dense linzer torte with sweet-sour jam. It goes well with coffee.


    These slouchy pajamas felt oh-so-comfortable, and my feet were happy after being freed from those boots. Let¡¯s make some daifuku tomorrow.


    Ingredients are gyuhi ¡ª some kind of Japanese confectionery made with rice flour, and is kinda similar to Turkish delight ¡ª potato starch, and red bean paste.


    I don¡¯t have shiratamako huh. That¡¯s the kind of flour made by turning glutinous rice into fine powder, then getting the sediments after letting it settle in water. Folks in Japan also call it ¡®kanzarashi¡¯, literally ¡®exposing to cold¡¯, because it¡¯s usually processed during winter ¡ª they repeatedly precipitate then dry it during winter season.


    They do it during that season so that it won¡¯t get moldy, but I guess it¡¯ll be fine even if I do it now? I have to mill the flour, so let¡¯s leave that for tomorrow and soak the glutinous rice in water first.


    Oh no, I¡¯m sleepy.


    I crawled into bed and patted Riche, who was curled up in the basket beside me, before drifting off to dreamland.


    Because I slept early, I woke up while it was still dark, so I spent some time basking in pure bliss within the comfort of my bed.


    I then went through my daily routine as usual. I¡¯m going to bake bread today. Ash and the rest probably don¡¯t have anything they can eat right away in their pantries, given that it¡¯s right after our expedition, so I plan to bring them some bread, eggs and ham.


    Well, there are baker¡¯s apprentices and egg dealers walking around in the morning in town, so I can also just stop them and buy some, I guess.


    The nice aroma of the bread wafted as I ate my tamago kake gohan. It¡¯s fun dropping the raw egg on the freshly cooked white rice, and the soy sauce dripping and sliding down the orange yolk and soaking the rice looks really appetizing.


    The freshly made soy sauce also smells so good. The pantry soy sauce always smells and tastes like it¡¯s a straight release from the factory.


    I added some pickled cucumbers to the tofu and wakame miso soup. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and grilled nori on top of the tamago kake bowl, before breaking the yolk and stirring it. Ahh, bliss. The yellow yolk warmed by the piping hot rice tastes sweet.


    ***


    When I teleport back to Canum feeling sprightly, Daifuku isn¡¯t there. I know he came on a whim, so I¡¯m wondering now if he went back.


    I felt a bit dejected as I went around distributing the bread.


    Only Madam is awake at Dinosso¡¯s, and Butler at Ash¡¯s. Retze is on the first floor at Dean¡¯s.


    Along with Daifuku.


    ¡¸What¡¯s up? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, no, maybe I should really bring that bed here? ¡¹


    Daifuku had been curled into a ball on Retze¡¯s lap. He silently hopped down and started nuzzling my knee.


    You¡¯re huge, Daifuku. You¡¯d probably be way too heavy to carry if you were not a spirit; that would be tough.


    ¡¸Wait a sec, what¡¯s up with those gestures and that thing you just said? ¡¹


    It must¡¯ve looked uncanny, given that he couldn¡¯t see what I was petting.


    ¡¸Nah, it¡¯s just your imagination, just imagination, yes siree. Here you go, bread and eggs.¡¹


    Coffee can be quite addictive, yup.


    Retze immediately drop it, probably because he couldn¡¯t See. Well, Daifuku was quite harmless given that he doesn¡¯t bother anyone even if he¡¯s here, and he won¡¯t use his ¡ºSleep Ability¡» if requested. It¡¯s just that I look creepy from time to time.


    The resigned Retze started to fry the thickly sliced bacon over the hearth while I prepared the siphon and brewed the coffee.


    Daifuku seemed to like the water I poured for him in a saucer; he drank it. I wonder what other indulgences he might prefer?


    I happily pet Daifuku while Retze eats his breakfast. Daifuku seems to like being around people considering he can be quite fickle. It¡¯s just that he has rigidly high standards ¡ª the texture, temperature, brightness must all suit his tastes.


    He hastily vanished when Chris came down; he probably isn¡¯t good with loud bangs. He doesn¡¯t seem fond of the children¡¯s voices, either. Besides, Chris is pretty enthusiastic so early in the morning.


    It¡¯ll be nice if he comes again to play.


    Even if Daifuku is harmless, I¡¯m still aware that I kinda wrapped Retze around my finger, so I gave the siphon to him as a present. Let¡¯s bring the filter later.


    Alright, I already finished making the shiratamako flour, so I¡¯m going to make the daifuku tonight. I also have to make the horse-riding grounds¡­ Ah, no, maybe it¡¯s better if I hire someone to take care of Ruta in Nalluahdid. It¡¯ll be worrisome if I¡¯m away for a few days, just like our tiny expedition this time.


    ***


    I¡¯m on my way back home to ¡¾Teleport¡¿when I come across a suspicious figure ¡ª ah, no, it¡¯s Butler and someone with a similar air, and they are in the middle of quietly fighting it out in the alleyway. Butler looks like he¡¯s taking it easy.


    ¡¸Please excuse me for a bit. ¡¹


    It seems impossible to pass through without bothering them, so I called out before cutting across them.


    ¡¸What!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean-sama. ¡¹


    They both jump back away from each other, then they both stared at me.


    ¡¸Ah. I¡¯m going right away, so please don¡¯t mind me. ¡¹

 CH 135

    I entered the house, leaving Butler and the other guy behind, then closed the door. Getting attacked at breakfast ¡ª Butler sure does have it rough.


    Was about to ¡¾Teleport¡¿ when somebody knocked on my door.


    ¡¸Jean-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, is it fine now? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s finished. Pardon me for the ruckus earlier ¡ª but, I believe you could¡¯ve used some other way other than pass through that alley. ¡¹


    ¡¸I believe fighting in alleys is bad. ¡¹


    Ack, a sermon, it¡¯s a sermon.


    The guy who had been fighting against Butler with all he got earlier is now lying on the ground¡­ Is it really alright to leave him exposed like that?


    Butler¡¯s spirit, the one who looked like an upside down turnip, extended the hem of its leaf-shaped clothes then wrapped it around the fallen man on the alley ground. Well, it looked like clothes, but it was actually part of the spirit¡¯s main body.


    I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to sympathize with that guy, given that he came to kill one of my friends, nor do I pity him. Maybe the fact that his head wasn¡¯t facing this way also contributed to this feeling.


    The hem rustled and retracted back to its original size ¡ª and there was no trace of the man anywhere on the stone pavement, much less blood.


    Hoh, so Butler¡¯s spirit is for concealing stuff, huh.


    ¡¸Normal people would either avoid us once they noticed, or perhaps hide. ¡¹


    Butler trying to act like a man with common sense ¡ª but sorry to burst your bubble, normal folks don¡¯t fight in alleyways, either, Butler sir.


    ¡¸Nah, Butler seemed to be taking it easy, so yeah. ¡¹


    Plus I just wanted to hurry up and go home so I could make the daifuku.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Butler pressed his head and heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Oh, yeah, by the way, do you know someone who can negotiate with the merchants and craftsmen on my behalf? Someone tight-lipped, ¡®coz you know, I¡¯m just like the way I am. I appreciate it if you know someone in the same line of work who might be able to help me out.¡¹


    Preferably someone who can tend to the livestock and do some cleaning and stuff.


    I want someone who can work like a steward or something like that. You can even say it¡¯s ¡®someone I can throw all the troublesome stuff to¡¯ ¡ª although I¡¯m not really that aware about what butlers and stewards normally do in this world.


    ¡¸Someone who is good at communicating with people, a trustworthy person you can entrust your secrets to, and who could conceal himself at critical moments, is that correct? ¡¹


    Noth told me he would be on it, and we parted ways. I successfully ¡¾Teleport¡¿ this time around. Riche rushed at me, and we went to the watermill together to make some shiratamako.


    I do a quick check just in case there is rubble or trash that might damage the water wheel, then we open the sluice gate and let the water flow to the wheel. The water in my house is actually clean because of several factors even if it¡¯s flowing from the mountain so I think it¡¯s alright, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be careful.


    Normal water wheels have short planks floating in the short channels from the reservoirs. Large debris tends to get caught in those planks, and there are times when they also had to clean the mud that had hardened after getting swept there, apparently.


    What about the Japanese style watermills, I wonder? I don¡¯t remember any reservoirs there, more like fresh water vigorously flowing through the channel. Maybe flow is strong because of the abundant water and the difference in elevation? Or maybe it¡¯s just the excellent structure of the watermill.


    There was a program about adjusting the size and angle of the vanes according to the circumstances that I remember watching before. Let¡¯s study that for a bit.


    I drain the glutinous rice that I prepared yesterday, then add more water again before pouring the mixture into a stone mortar a little bit at a time. After that, I strain the rice through the cloth, squeeze out the remaining water, and spread it out on a plank to let it dry in the sun.


    Riche is frolicking among the flowering grass. Spring is quite a cheerful time, probably because of the blooms; many plants sprout buds during this season.


    Since I¡¯m already at the watermill, I decided to mill other types of flour and stock them in ¡¾Storage¡¿. Old school grinding using mortar and pestle is actually enough if all I¡¯m making is for one person, but since it can be stored in ¡¾Storage¡¿ then might as well make a lot.


    There¡¯s a certain feeling one can enjoy when making seasonal food from scratch during the time they are in season, but I can¡¯t deny that it can be quite troublesome. I still have tons of things I want to do on my bucket list, so I can just do that when the mood strikes.


    I prepare a small saucepan and heat some soy milk. The yuba forms on top, and I eat it right on the spot. This melt-in-mouth goodness is soft and sweet. The yuba I ate in Japan left a paper-like residue in my mouth back then, but this one turned out well.


    My condiments of choice for today are sesame, Japanese ginger, nori, and spring onion sprouts. When I take a bite of tofu, the soybean¡¯s gentle aroma spreads inside my mouth, and it tastes heavenly. The blanched edamame wrapped in yuba gave me the crunchy contrast to all that fluffy, soft goodness, and it¡¯s fun eating it.


    Freshly made is still the best ~ with that thought, I start boiling the adzuki beans for the daifuku. I stir the beans, careful not to burn them, before turning it into paste. The shiratamako has been dried nicely, and I grind them in the mortar to make them finer.


    Adzuki beans come from different places, and although they are all considered as adzuki beans, they differ in color based on where they come from. In general, the higher the quality of adzuki beans produced in Hokkaido, the more purple their color will be when made into bean paste. The larger variety you get from Tamba, Japan are red, while those from China are darker in color.


    I made a lot ¡ª mass produced, if you will ¡ª of bite-sized daifuku, and I added some ichigo (strawberry) daifuku with strawberries peeking out for Ash. These also have bean paste added in them, so maybe it¡¯s better to add strawberries that are slightly sour?


    ***


    ¡¸Daifuku¡­ I mean Whyle ¡ª why is Whyle here? ¡¹


    When I went to distribute the daifuku, Daifuku was sitting on Ash¡¯s lap.


    She has that scary face on, but it wasn¡¯t because she¡¯s scared. Rather, it seems she looked like that because she¡¯s kinda afraid of dropping him, so she¡¯s carefully adjusting the angle of her knees. Well, that¡¯s how I see it anyway. Still, I¡¯m quite jealous. I wanna knead that cat.


    Daifuku on her lap, Az on her head. The cat and bird seemed harmonious together, but it looked quite hard for Ash.


    ¡¸He was on the third floor of my house last night, then he went to Retze¡¯s place this morning. You don¡¯t feel sleepy? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m fine. ¡¹


    So what¡¯s different with Sara¡¯s case?


    ¡¸As for Sara-sama¡¯s situation, I don¡¯t think she was possessed, more like being controlled. ¡¹


    ¡¸So it¡¯s not because she named him and made a contract with him? ¡¹


    ¡¸Whyle is just a provisional name, I believe. If there had been a contract, then with the circumstances¡­ I cannot assert definitively that there had been none, given that spirits might gain power for some reason after the making the contract, or else they go berserk after the conditions of the contract weakened. ¡¹


    ¡¸Heh. ¡¹


    The phenomena occurring to a person is at the mercy of the whims of the spirit if it¡¯s just a possession, but for contracts, the phenomena that the human wants are the ones that occur, generally.


    ¡¸This is quite the rare occurrence, but perhaps, it might be a case of the spirit approaching the person because it wishes to form a contract. ¡¹


    ¡¸Then, his pick is either Retze or Ash? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. ¡¹


    And so, Daifuku earned a subtle glance from the ¡®Seeing¡¯ group.

 CH 136

    Several days passed while I was busy doing some stuff ¡ª buying fish in the fishing village, gathering materials, and spending a lot of time evading Roza¡¯s team.


    Right now, I¡¯m in a bar we don¡¯t normally go to, and Butler¡¯s with me. Everything tastes bad, so why did he choose this place?


    ¡¸I thought it is best to be in a location that we will no longer go to in case the negotiations fall through.¡¹


    Butler replied with a smile when our eyes met.


    Do we really have to be careful ¡®in case the negotiations fall through¡¯? We¡¯re meeting up today with the people I requested Butler to find.


    ¡¸I originally wanted the setting to be in a different town; unfortunately I cannot leave this place for too long. ¡¹


    Butler¡¯s reading my mind!!


    I push the things on the plate aside for a bit, then secretly take some cookies out and mix them with the other stuff. The wine here is bad too, but it¡¯s diluted, so maybe we can just treat it as a substitute for water¡­


    Butler is looking, but he didn¡¯t comment, so it¡¯s not because of my Japanese taste that the food sucks ¡ª seems like it¡¯s also well known to be unpleasant, even with the standards of this world.


    The ones I took out are cranberry cookies, but with strawberries mixed with the batter. Well, as long as I don¡¯t get caught, everything¡¯s fine. See, I¡¯m already holding back from taking out other dishes like meat or fish, so just let it go, alright.


    ¡¸Excuse me. ¡¹


    Somebody came while I munch on a cookie.


    ¡¸Welcome. ¡¹


    ¡¸Good evening. Pleased to meet you, I¡¯m in your care for today. ¡¹


    I wipe my hands on a handkerchief and stand up.


    Two butlers who looked like they came from a butler cafe came? Pointlessly handsome, identical faces, one with pale golden hair, the other with silver. Slight smile on one hand, expressionless ¡ª poker face ¡ª on the other.


    Are all butlers like this?


    ¡¸¡­Something smells. ¡¹


    ¡¸Smell? ¡¹


    I subconsciously sniff my hand.


    I handled fish for today¡¯s lunch. It doesn¡¯t smell fishy, but maybe my nose has already gone bad.


    ¡¸ ¡ª Pardon me. ¡¹


    Silver took a cookie with his hand still gloved.


    Wah, did I get caught!? Butler, are all butlers this sharp? The type you can¡¯t hide anything from?


    ¡¸¡­. There¡¯s a certain taste. ¡¹


    He looked shocked after a single bite.


    ¡¸You? ¡¹


    Gold seemed stunned too, and the smile was wiped off from his face. Something¡¯s going on between the two, but I don¡¯t have the slightest idea about a lot of things.


    ¡¸We have something we have to take care of. ¡¹


    ¡¸Pardon us, this negotiation is void. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Did my cookies taste that bad? ¡¹


    I stared at the closed door.


    ¡¸No, Jean-sama¡¯s confections are delicious. I apologize, this is the first time I experienced such a reaction. ¡¹


    Butler doesn¡¯t show it, but he seems just as stumped as me.


    ¡¸Anyway, destroy evidence first then let¡¯s go? ¡¹


    I stuff the cookies in my mouth.


    After I¡¯m done eating and was about to open the door, Butler beat me to it. He opened the door in my place.


    ¡¸Whoa! ¡¹


    Smiling Gold stood there with Silver behind him. That¡¯s scary.


    ¡¸Please excuse our rudeness earlier. ¡¹


    ¡¸We accept the job. In return, tell us where you got that snack. ¡¹


    Silver is rude, but Smiley Gold seems more suspicious.


    I¡¯m the type of master who wants my employees to hold affection for me.. Nah, not so much affection, but respect? No, not that either. I¡¯m fine with someone normal.


    ¡¸We cannot tell you, unfortunately. Please disregard this discussion. ¡¹


    Butler probably sensed my slight hesitation, so he rejected them.


    Tension¡¯s getting higher between Gold and Butler. No, why are you so bloodthirsty like this?


    ¡¸We cannot make a show in this place. We will give a written oath that we will not harm you and your master. ¡¹


    ¡¸You can include that man too. ¡¹


    Gold proposes with a sigh. Silver points at me with his jaw, as if he finds this a pain in the neck.


    This written oath stuff is like a promise that you make with a spirit. Like that cursed book, the moment you break your oath, you¡¯re gonna suffer from terrible consequences. Still, it¡¯s considered intensely binding apparently, given that the person who made the oath will be the one to suffer.


    Yeah, I know that, but what d¡¯ ya mean by harm, huh?


    ¡¸It is not available in a store. However, depending on the conditions, I will be requesting your help from time to time. ¡¹


    It seems better if I don¡¯t say anything, so I just kept mum and left it all to Butler. But then, there¡¯s a lot of things I wanna ask, so¡­


    ¡¸Why are you making such a fuss over that snack? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Silver averts his gaze.


    ¡¸It¡¯s because he cannot taste normal food. ¡¹


    Gold laughed, seemingly troubled.


    ¡¸Hmpf. They may be few, but there are other things that I can taste. Won¡¯t pose any major compromise.¡¹


    Silver dejectedly commented.


    Having no taste must be terrible.


    ¡¸So? Who are we gonna do in? ¡¹


    I just kept quiet for a bit, when Silver got annoyed and said that.


    ¡¸¡­Noth? ¡¹


    I called out to the stupefied Butler.


    ¡¸It seems there is a misunderstanding, but I¡¯m acting as an intermediary for a job requesting for a steward. ¡¹


    A steward is responsible for relaying the errands of the master to the servants and managing the general affairs of the household. The job description is quite similar to that of a butler but they¡¯re more proactive, or should I say they do miscellaneous routine tasks and duties. Moreover, they don¡¯t stay in the house for long; more like on-call for when things are busy, quite the carefree job it is.


    ¡¸¡­Then why the vigilance for just a mere steward? ¡¹


    Gold asks with a frozen smile plastered on his face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s just a habit of mine. ¡¹


    Butler answered with a superficial smile.


    Uh, there¡¯s a lot of things I wanna take a jab at, can I?


    _________


    T/N: Gold and Silver Ikemen Butlers:) *swoon*

 CH 137

    ¡¸Can¡¯t make light of you as usual. ¡¹


    ¡¸ I wanna see that slight smile wiped off from your face. ¡¹


    Silver is frowning slightly.


    ¡¸I have been reluctantly expressive these days. ¡¹


    Stop looking at me, Butler.


    ¡¸Please disregard this discussion¡­ ¡¹


    I refused with the ambiguous smile characteristic of a Japanese.


    ¡¸Is it here in Canum? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, Nalluahdid. ¡¹


    ¡¸The merchant and ship¡¯s town, huh. ¡¹


    Gold confirms the location, while Silver thought about it for a while. Ah, Butler froze.


    Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t tell him the job location, huh.


    ¡¸According to the job description, you are looking for a person who will be in charge of giving orders to the construction workers building the houses, as well as acting as an agent on your behalf for the trade negotiations for the merchandise, is that correct? Is it alright with you if the conditions are within the typical range? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, based on what happened today, isn¡¯t it weird you¡¯re asking about the hiring conditions? ¡¹


    I retorted to Gold, who was trying to push the discussion with a smile.


    I asked Butler beforehand, and he told me that stewards¡¯ salary is one small silver coin per day. It¡¯s way below a full-fledged butler, but the employers typically give a bonus every three months. They set a high amount for the bonus and expect their employees to work diligently until they release it. Apparently, they want to make sure that they¡¯re not cheated on the job for at least 3 months. The clothes and residence are also provided for.


    ¡¸They are eccentric people, but they are capable. It may take a lot of work for them to master the job, but as long as they are given explicit instructions, they will be able to accomplish that, so they are well-suited for short-term employment¡­ And they will be entering an oath, after all. ¡¹


    The oath is said to be far more binding and effective if the two parties have something they mutually wanted to protect. In the case of these two, it¡¯s probably the desire to keep their other ¡¸job¡¹ a secret.


    Eh? Did Butler purposely mislead them so that we can set tighter restrictions?


    Seems like Butler put a lot of thought in this, so I decided to go ahead with the contract. We¡¯re going to meet up at Nalluadhid three months from now, and that¡¯s when the job will start. I got the feeling that the Gold and Silver will move faster, but I don¡¯t mind.


    My plan is to prepare materials, blueprints as well as instructions during that time. Alright, time for the contract ¡ª just a simple one for the job, then we swore an oath not to tell anyone about each other other than the typical info.


    The paper for the oath has an intricate pattern on the back. A spirit will be summoned once signed. The strength of the spirit depends on the skill of the person who created the oath as well as the desired level of the person signing it.


    Well,  Khadar appeared when I signed but he vanished right after. Are oaths also part of Khadar¡¯s territory? Eh, why do I feel like I can talk about the two guy¡¯s sideline business without any restrictions now? What happened to the system?


    Gold and Silver froze while Butler looked like he had a headache.


    ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s done. See you in three months, I¡¯ll be in your care. ¡¹


    Wondering if this was a scam, but I didn¡¯t let that show in my face, of course.


    ¡¸I-Impossible. This is just a mere oath¡­ ¡¹


    Silver is fretting all over.


    ¡¸Deep green robes reminiscent of the forest, white beard, a budding cane ¡ª it¡¯s as if it¡¯s Khadar himself¡­! ¡¹


    Yep, that¡¯s the person himself, I think.


    ¡¸Jean-sama, you have been keeping a secret this great¡ª ¡¹


    Butler had a glazed look on his eyes.


    Ah, you don¡¯t have to be that anxious. An acquaintance of mine just popped out for a bit.


    ¡¸Alright, it¡¯s done. See you in three months, I¡¯ll be in your care. ¡¹


    I tried repeating those words again.


    ¡¸Jean-sama¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Anyway, those two still haven¡¯t snapped out of it, huh. ¡¹


    I ignored Butler when he worriedly called my name.


    ¡¸The oath¡¯s curse must be coursing within their bodies as of the moment. Well, it¡¯s inevitable given that such a personage appeared. Yes, I did think it was inevitable. ¡¹


    ¡®But why are you fine!?¡¯ ¡ª There¡¯s a sense of pressure from Butler¡¯s smile as if he¡¯s questioning me, but it¡¯s probably just my imagination.


    ¡¸Here¡¯s the allowance, and here¡¯s some snacks. ¡¹


    They¡¯re still out of it, so I decided to finish this business by leaving the two bags to these two, wide-eyed, stupefied guys still standing rooted on the spot.


    I¡¯m leaving the house and clothing preparations to them as well as the transportation, so that¡¯s what the allowance is for.


    Not sure if this room is designed for private talks since it can be locked, but Butler just locked it without a key. Since it can be closed like that, they can probably open it too, right?


    Butler gave those two an indescribable sort of glance while closing the door. He left the key on the table inside the room.


    I informed the pub owner that the other two are still using the room, and also paid more for the fee of their extended stay.


    ¡¸Jean-sama, are you planning to depart for Nalluadhid? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, once I¡¯m free? Well, I¡¯m basically leaving everything to those two. ¡¹


    Shiva and the kids already told me the swords they wanted, so I have to start making them.


    Chris and Ash will probably make up their minds by the time I finish smithing those, so it¡¯s quite busy. Though Dean doesn¡¯t look like he ¡¯s going to decide any time soon, he, Butler, and Retze told me that I can do them when I¡¯m free.


    I don¡¯t want the furnace to get cold, so I want to smith everyday.


    ¡¸I¡¯m relieved. So you will be staying in Canum, is that right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. I¡¯m staying here for the most part. ¡¹


    We walk through the hustle and bustle of Canum¡¯s town. The drunks walk shoulder to shoulder while making a big show without a care for who they were with. Both the people and the alleys around here are quite in a mess.


    In contrast, the area around the houses are pretty quiet, with the occasional sound of talking spilling out of the louver windows.


    ¡¸Noth, thanks for today. ¡¹


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t mention it, I am glad to be of help to you. ¡¹

 CH 138

    I¡¯m going to stay in the smithing shed for today, so I¡¯m making onigiri ¡ª rice balls. I made a lot of assorted fillings like crunchy plums, fried cod roe, shiso miso, manila clams, tuna with mayonnaise, rice balls wrapped in meat and also some toasted ones sprinkled with plenty of dried bonito flakes and sesame seeds.


    It¡¯s quite a pain in the neck preparing a lot of ingredients, so I made a huge batch each and stowed them away in ¡¾Storage¡¿. I¡¯ve been making rice balls a few times now, eating them when I¡¯m feeling lazy and don¡¯t want to cook.


    I wrapped three pieces each in the bamboo shoot peels, which I peeled from the big moso bamboo shoots, washed, then dried overnight.


    According to some article I read before, Japan has around 600 species of bamboo, but I only have moso bamboo, Japanese timber bamboo, sweet bamboo shoots to make menma ¡ª fermented bamboo shoots usually used in ramen ¡ª ack, I wanna have some ramen.


    Spirits float around as I am using the ingredients I harvested from the garden. They¡¯re not the big ones, just the teeny tiny ones with no consciousness of their own. There¡¯s a barrier blocking the entry of spirits in my house so these are from the vegetables and fruits that I brought in.


    They¡¯re plant-type spirits ¡ª the ones born in trees, flowers or fruits. Most of the tree spirits often stay in the trees where they are born for a long time, but the flower and fruit spirits often leave quickly, like moving on to another flower of the same type.


    Flower and fruit spirits can only retain their characteristic forms for a short while, then they will disintegrate into fine particles and merge into the seeds, roots, atmosphere and earth¡¯s surface. They seem very happy when they dissolve, unlike the other spirits who want to keep their forms.


    The first time I cut the vegetables, they suddenly dissolved and got sucked into the food right beside me. I didn¡¯t know what to do then, and it even made me feel a bit guilty.


    While I was watching them for a while, they dove into the pot and happily swirled around, seemingly satisfied with being deliciously cooked and that made me feel relieved. Some of the spirits don¡¯t disappear, just pouring their power into cooking even though they came from the same vegetables as the others and that¡¯s quite mysterious.


    After preparing lunch, I store plenty of hot water in ¡¾Storage¡¿, place a tub outside the shed, and wear my mask. Preps complete.


    First job for today is to make charcoal. I chose pine trees because they¡¯re easy to ignite and have excellent heat value. The mileage I can get out of it is pretty bad so I need to use a lot.


    I already have pine charcoal prepared beforehand, but I still have to cut the uneven pieces to 2-3 cm squares. It¡¯s actually pretty hard to check the grain of the wood and cut them to the size I want without getting a lot of dust. Not to mention the whole body, even the inside part of the nostrils will become pitch black!


    Smithing needs a lot of prep work. A teeny, fluffy, sparrow-like black bird the size of a fingernail flew around.


    Hey, can you stop doodling on me with charcoal dust for the meantime, alright.


    I finish up, pour hot water into the tub and wash my pitch-black body. The clothes I wore are probably hopeless¡­ Can the laundry lady make it clean again? I don¡¯t think charcoal and ink will come off, though.


    I feel refreshed, so I have my lunch outside with Riche. The taste of rice balls eaten outside is exceptional. There¡¯s no filling distinction, so it¡¯s gonna be onigiri russian roulette-style, but thanks to ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ that didn¡¯t happen. Well, everything¡¯s filled with my favorites, so I don¡¯t mind whichever I pick.


    Spring is in the air around my house. Several tiny clover-like plants spread.


    The grass is mostly of the same length, but there are some tall and thin ones sticking out. Riche seems curious about them as he frolics around munching them. It¡¯s great that he¡¯s enjoying himself.


    There are no bugs around here, so I lay down and take a nap. Riche returned and stayed beside me, still gnawing on the grass.


    The afternoon is spent melting the magic ore we gathered in the tunnels and turning it into steel, putting it in water to rapidly cool it, removing the impurities¡­


    We only use the finest grade of magical ore, but the price is fixed. If you get one now ¡ª the


    Don¡¯t put any spirits in the kids¡¯ blades! Say the guardians, so I continue doing ¡®clang clang¡¯ while keeping the spirits off limits. But what to do with the tiny ones that are being generated¡­?


    Never mind, it¡¯s not like the swords will get fire attributes, just making them a little bit sturdier, so it¡¯s better to not mind it.


    Vak¡¯s sword is a thick sword that carries power and can inflict damage; En¡¯s is a single- edged sword with a short curved blade.


    En requested to have something fancy and got scolded by Dinosso and Shiva. Yeah, I agree, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea right now, but once he nailed the foundation and he can follow the basics then it will probably be okay then. He¡¯s gonna be more excited about it, too.


    The kids¡¯ swords are finished, so my work for today is done.


    Shiva and Butler¡¯s requested swords have overlapping attributes, so I¡¯ll be making theirs tomorrow.


    They both wanted magical silver weapons. The ones effective against wraiths, ghost-type monsters, vampires and the like ¡ª wait a sec, do vampires really exist?


    Both of them already have their main blades, so these will be sub weapons.


    Shiva requested twin swords with different lengths built for slashing with speed, one ice, the other a different attribute. She said it¡¯s for when encountering monsters that¡¯s immune to ice. Oh yeah, come to think of it, I feel like I did hear about such monsters during my trip to the north.


    Butler wanted three knives that can fit inside his cuffs, with either dark or ice attributes.


    Apparently, he also has an ability that could store anything that can be stowed inside a pocket or in the cuffs, although it can¡¯t store anything big unlike En and my ¡¾Storage¡¿.


    Noth would take out towels and stuff like that sometimes and I did wonder from time to time where he got those things, but I just assumed that it¡¯s just an ability that is part of being a butler.


    By the way, it¡¯s an ability called ¡¾Dark Vessel¡¿. The name¡¯s reeking of danger; totally not for a butler¡¯s use.

 CH 139

    I¡¯ve been looking for Khadar in the orchard during my early morning strolls, but he was nowhere to be found.


    Today¡¯s another day of smithing. I have to make Tina¡¯s weapon before the spirits come swarming in.


    Tina wanted a hammer, not the squeaky toy hammer, but the real one. Don¡¯t have the slightest idea why, but since it¡¯s what she wants, can¡¯t do anything about it. Maybe I can make the form cuter¡­ Can I do that?


    I won¡¯t be smithing this one, but carving the shape out of wood and making a mold by mixing sand and clay. The head is just a simple cylinder with patterns ¡ª it looks pretty boring so I made a squirrel shape hugging the top of the cylinder.


    The model is En¡¯s squirrel spirit. Alright, it¡¯s cute! ¡­ or so I think. It¡¯s a blunt weapon, though.


    The wooden hammer is placed inside the rectangular mold, packed with sand, tamp it down, turn it over, put another wooden frame on top to secure the sprue and runner, fill it with more sand and tamp it down again.


    A fluid started coming out while I was pressing it down ¡ª if it¡¯s not my imagination, then it¡¯s probably a spirit. So they¡¯re also coming out when tamping? I just wanted to pack the sand.


    Anyway, I had my lunch break after. Bento for today ¡ª dried plums on top of rice, yellow scrambled eggs, wieners, bite-sized cutlets cut into halves, deep green rape stalks with yellow blossoms for some greenery, and rabbit-shaped apples for fruit.


    Bento lunch eaten outdoors is so yummy. Well, we just got back from camping and eating outdoors, but there¡¯s something special about bento.


    I lay on my back as I gaze at the sky. In contrast to the winter sky, it¡¯s now blue and cloudless as the season turns to spring.


    Riche is probably gonna take a nap today, too. He spun round and round beside me, probably checking his sleeping spot, before settling down and curling up.


    I heard you¡¯re prone to reflux if you lie down right after eating, so it¡¯s not good, but I can¡¯t help it. My belly¡¯s full, the weather¡¯s nice, so yeah. Let¡¯s just have ¡¾Heal¡¿-san do its best.


    I got back to work right after waking up. I removed the mold and poured the now molten ore. The moment orange molten iron flowed into the sprues, spirits were born, and they dispersed in all directions, before changing into tiny ones.


    My heart jumped thinking that the molten iron splattered, but it was quite beautiful when several sparkler-like things appeared around me.


    Next on the lineup is Dinosso¡¯s flaming broadsword, Ash¡¯s verdure, water and wind sword, Retze¡¯s earth and verdure sword ¡ª which he made me swear to make it plain and simple, Chris¡¯s sword of light, Dean¡¯s flaming broadsword. For the trio who won¡¯t use up much ore, I also included knives for dismantling.


    I want something like Dinosso! ¡ª Dean insisted in the end. I can¡¯t help but look at him with a disgusted gaze when he¡¯s in full throttle Wolf King fan mode.


    If Chris is careless, he also starts to get overly excited along with Dean. Exasperated, Retze just lets them be. How to put this, folks who don¡¯t admire Wolf King are quite rare in their social circle.


    Dinosso seems used to it, so he just ignores them. It¡¯s worse when the Legend goes to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, apparently. Wow, really looks like a pain in the neck.


    Alright, first stage is down with this.


    I usually take a bath after eating dinner, but I¡¯ve been taking a bath first these days. One bottle of milk after bath, then I prepare my meal.


    Steamed manila clams seasoned with sake and salt, tempura, rice and miso soup. The spring scenery made me crave for tempura made with wild mountain veggies ¡ª aralia sprouts, mountain asparagus, udo, ostrich ferns, butterbur sprouts, squids, tiger prawns, oriental clams, sandborer.


    To prevent the shrimps from curling up, I made little cuts and drained them well, particularly the tails. I peeled the skin of the squid before cutting it to the suitable size then wrap them with shiso. The clams are removed from the shells and drained, too. The butterfly cut sandborer¡¯s innards are also cleaned.


    Preparation is complete. Since I want to eat it freshly fried, I decided to have my meal while standing in the kitchen.


    The first dish is sake-steamed manila clams. They don¡¯t have their eggs yet, so they¡¯re at their prime during this time of the year. I know this is bad manners, but I can¡¯t resist picking the shell and just gobbling the soft body along with the dashi and parsley I sprinkled on it.


    The udo tasted weird, the butterbur sprouts were bittersweet. Crunchy fried prawns, check; enjoying the plump, slightly sweet shrimps, check.


    There are also some foods not related to spring mixed in the menu, but everything¡¯s chef¡¯s kiss. Ahh, this is pure bliss.


    After dinner, I watched Riche eat his meat while checking the important parts of the blueprints beside the fireplace. I¡¯m going to leave everything to the workers, but I still have to create the glass for the windows. Alright, let¡¯s go to the island before that and borrow Gold and Silver¡¯s house first.


    I should also ask for help from the island folks. That¡¯s a pretty inconvenient place, so cash income¡¯s going to be valuable, and it¡¯s not fun having only foreign builders working.


    I¡¯m going to deliver the swords tomorrow, but why do I have the feeling that I¡¯m going to get scolded? Wait, they requested spirit swords in the first place, so I guess it¡¯ll be fine? Yup, probably.

 CH 140

    The following day, I went to Nalluahdid before noon to visit the Commerce Guild. Since I¡¯m purchasing the land through the Allaway family, I have to negotiate the deal with the owner of the citadel ruins, or should I say the lord of the island.


    ¡¸How about a tax of 30,000 every year in exchange for managing the island? ¡¹


    ¡¸No need for the island. Oh, I¡¯m planning to make a lot of windows, so if it¡¯s a 100 I¡¯ll consider it. ¡¹


    The lord already knows just how much of a burden the high taxes are to the islanders who only make a living by fishing using small boats, and yet he¡¯s still trying to overcharge.


    The tax placed on the building itself is usually determined by the size of frontage and the number of windows it has.


    ¡¸How about 10, 000? ¡¹


    He probably was aware that he¡¯s blowing it up; he suddenly proposed less than half of the original price.


    ¡¸How about I¡¯ll lessen the windows, so 50. ¡¹


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    The lord froze.


    Merchants have a lot of power around Nalluahdid. Some of them are merchant families backed by powerful nobles, so feudal lords who only got a few islands only got an interminably measly amount of power and influence.


    Nalluahdid¡¯s main island generates market taxes and tax from using the harbor, so the feudal lord is rich without having to do anything. However, most of the large and small surrounding islands are uninhabited, so they don¡¯t generate any sort of income at all.


    ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t really mind whatever island it is, so it¡¯s alright even if it¡¯s not that one¡­. It¡¯s just a shame that the Allaway family went to the trouble to arrange this negotiation. ¡¹


    I smiled.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    The feudal lord shut up while being drenched in cold sweat.


    Why do you think I made the Alleyway family be the mediator? I repeat, merchants hold the real power around here.


    ¡¸Then, we will have the contract with these terms. ¡¹


    ¡¸Please. ¡¹


    ¡¸Umu. ¡¹


    Closed the deal at 200, but he requested Commercial Guild for a contract book with the tightest restrictions posed by the spirit¡¯s curse and there¡¯s no time-limit.


    By the way, the difference between a contract and an oath is how the curse of the spirit is activated. In the case of the contract, when the person commits a mistake, the curse is activated. As for the oath, it¡¯s activated when the person purposely tries to go against it.


    I agreed with managing the entire island in the end. The amount we agreed on included the taxes of the islanders. I was allowed to levy taxes and compulsory service freely as I pleased.


    I¡¯m also in charge of giving permission to the trade that will be done within the island. There were only 15 islanders, but it¡¯s practically me being the deputy feudal lord at this rate.


    Well, I think this is definitely a great deal compared to hiring someone else and sending a boat out to collect taxes considering that I won¡¯t be getting any huge money out of that. Besides, paying 200 per year is cheap, given that they won¡¯t be able to meddle in, much less block, whatever I do within the island. Just think of it as extraterritoriality.


    I commissioned the Commercial Guild for the most expensive contract and witness, so I also got their guarantee.


    Well, somebody also told me that I¡¯m unexpectedly nasty despite having a face like this. Hey, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m taking it out on the feudal lord because I¡¯ve got the feeling I¡¯ll be scolded tonight.


    We ate lunch, went to the island via boat and chatted with the islanders. Most of the folks were out in the sea fishing, but there were elderly, women and kids mending the fishing tackle.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re the proxy for the lord, is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s why I want you to work for me ¡ª ah, yes, I¡¯ll be paying you wages. ¡¹


    Most of the main workers are out, so the official discussions will be tomorrow, but I¡¯m doing a bit of introduction beforehand. Moreover, any vacant houses and lots with no owners are returned to the feudal lord, so they¡¯re automatically mine.


    For now, I should be careful not to forget to pay the feudal lord. It¡¯ll be through the Commercial Guild, so I¡¯m going to deposit several years worth of taxes once I have more than enough money.


    I looked around checking the vacant houses with the children¡¯s guidance. A house for Gold and Silver, me, and also a temporary one for the construction workers.


    I also chatted with the elderly about the abilities of the folks here while following the children.


    They can repair simple houses, build barns, and even dig wells, apparently. Maneuvering boats is a given. The sea around here is riddled with hidden reefs, but they¡¯re very skillful in navigating the waters, so I want them to work for me by receiving and fetching the workers.


    It¡¯s unexpected that I can use the entire island, but I¡¯m still following the original plan. There¡¯s not enough money to expand the scale of the project. The tax I¡¯m gonna pay the feudal lord is also above my budget. Oh yeah, I did save a bit of money thanks to the empty houses that I can use freely.


    I briefly had them guide me around, and that ended my visit for today.


    The elder who was said to be a great fisherman in the past transported me back to Nalluahdid.


    The boatman who brought me to the island had been very nervous, and he had gingerly maneuvered the boat, but this old man was different. The boat was steady, and there was no hesitation whatsoever in the way he steered the boat to its course.


    ¡¸Amazing. Can you teach me how to steer the boat later? ¡¹


    ¡¸Haha, I have years of experience under my belt, after all. If you¡¯re interested I can teach you the basics, but there¡¯s a lot of reefs around the island, so it¡¯s dangerous. ¡¹


    The sea is deep azure blue that changes to clear aquamarine in the shallow areas. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Both the shallow and deep areas are riddled with reefs, some of them hidden by the sea water.


    The waters are clear during daytime, so it¡¯s easier to spot the reefs as the boat approaches. But then, small boats can be easily swept away by the currents, which can capriciously change depending on the wind and the waves generated by the big ships stopping at the port.


    ¡¸But, the boatmen coming from Nalluahdid are way too timid, so yeah. ¡¹


    ¡¸Haha! Those guys usually just send people back and forth from the ship to land, and they¡¯re used to the safe shores. ¡¹


    Anyway, gotcha, Boatman Sensei!

 CH 141

    Today¡¯s free time was spent not in the forest, but in the attic of the house in Canum doing repairs. The inner part of the ceiling had been boarded up while leaving the beams in place. I also installed a divider so that the larger portion of the room that is just above the courtyard will be separated by a wall.


    I added some shelves and other stuff in the courtyard side of the room. Currently, I¡¯m stuffing a bed with diy springs into the inner part of the room ¡ª this is going to be the bedroom, you see. Going up the stairs will directly lead you into the courtyard side of the room, after all.


    I laid a rug in the inner bedroom, put a side table by the bed and added a lamp on top. I add a shelf and an empty box. I also placed a basket with a quilt inside on top of the shelf. Yup. It¡¯s Daifuku¡¯s room.


    After rummaging around for a bit and placing stuff here and there, I then prepared a light dinner. Dinosso and the others came just after I finished preparing the meal.


    ***


    ¡¸Alright, alright, shoes aren¡¯t allowed here, go change in these. ¡¹


    I took them to the third floor and gave them house slippers made of soft cloth sewn together. They look like the quilted ankle boots you use in winter.


    ¡¸¡­Noth? ¡¹


    Dinosso called out to Butler while still stupefied after looking around the third floor.


    ¡¸It is beyond my purview. The furniture set in a place that is out of sight are ¡ª ¡¹


    Yes, it¡¯s just like Butler said, it should be safe.


    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ve really confirmed it now, you and I don¡¯t belong to the same civilization. ¡¹


    Retze was the first one to remove his shoes, change into the slippers and enter the room.


    The shelves around the walls are filled with wine and glassware and the lamps hang from the ceiling at different heights. Instead of a fireplace, I stationed a cooking stove ¡ª although it¡¯s designed more like a fireplace thanks to the stone blocks that I added ¡ª and a kettle on top.


    There¡¯s a chair with cabriole legs and thick, woven fabric seat and back. It¡¯s stuffed, of course. I used wool since there¡¯s no cotton available. There¡¯s a heavy carpet, cushions perfect for lounging, and a sofa.


    ¡¸It¡¯s quite bright in here¡­ Face? ¡¹


    The lamp on the shelf also has a reflector, but instead of using brass mirrors, I used a real mirror.


    I had been experimenting on making glass panes, so I also tried making mirrors while at it, by attaching silver to glass. I ended up making silver fulminate, which then exploded ¡ª now that was quite the memorable experience. You can¡¯t take chemical experiments lightly. I ended up relying on ¡¾Heal¡¿-san.


    ¡¸¡­No, yeah. The things you can¡¯t take out just increased, I guess. ¡¹


    Retze seems to have internally come into terms with something.


    ¡¸Uwah, creepy! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, Dinosso, it¡¯s your face being reflected, you know. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m not talking about the face! ¡¹


    He retorted when I quipped after seeing him peer into the mirror with disgust.


    ¡¸Such clear reflection¡­ Please sell it to us. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t leak that thing¡¯s existence outside so easily! ¡¹


    I let the trio look around while I brew the coffee. Black tea for Dinosso and Butler.


    Aside from the round table for games, I also placed two tea tables between chairs.


    The snacks are already prepared beforehand ¡ª french fries, popcorn and jerky. I put the cups beside them. I¡¯ll be toasting the doria gratin over the cooking stove in a while, so I¡¯m also on standby beside the shelves.


    The plan is to expose those who can adapt easily to more ingredients.


    ¡¸Tea is ready. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much. ¡¹


    The trio seemed unable to tear their eyes off from their surroundings, but they still sat down.


    ¡¸Weapons ¡ª it¡¯s today, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    I replied honestly to Dinosso¡¯s validating question.


    ¡¸¡­You just averted your eyes, didn¡¯t you? ¡¹


    ¡¸I tried my best, but, uh, it didn¡¯t turn out the way I wanted them to, so, yeah. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, don¡¯t mind it. Yeah, we know how whimsical spirits are. ¡¹


    ¡¸I heard that even the makers of the legendary spirit swords found it difficult to create them according to what he wanted. ¡¹


    Retze didn¡¯t say anything, but I don¡¯t feel that he¡¯s going to scold me!


    ¡¸Just take them out for now. ¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, let us start with the little children series. ¡¹


    The table looked like it¡¯s gonna collapse when I tried placing it on, so I handed them to Guardian Dinosso instead.


    Tina¡¯s hammer, Vak¡¯s broadsword and En¡¯s single-handed saber.


    ¡¸The squirrel is quite adorable. ¡¹


    Butler praised me.


    ¡¸When mana is poured into Tina¡¯s hammer, it will expand the moment it¡¯ll strike something, and that is its feature. ¡¹


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Vak and En¡¯s swords elongate when mana is poured into them.. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oy. ¡¹


    ¡¸One of Madam¡¯s dual blades has an ice attribute, the other one is normal. ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a sec, it¡¯s way too cold to be normal! ¡¹


    ¡¸The other one ended up having ¡®Energy Drain¡¯ for some reason. ¡¹


    ¡¸Did a wraith possess it or something!? ¡¹


    I certainly thought about the damage that could be done to wraiths and vampires while smithing it, so I didn¡¯t refute what he said.


    ¡¸Ah, Noth¡¯s weapon has the same effect. Oh, and this one impairs vision, this one has poison. ¡¹


    ¡¸Even if you say these things so nonchalantly¡­ They are indeed effective against wraiths. Thank you very much. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, aren¡¯t they all a bunch of dangerous weapons!? ¡¹


    Eh, can¡¯t help it, you know! It¡¯s a given, since it¡¯s for the ¡¸Dark Vessel¡¹!


    ¡¸Dinosso¡¯s Great Sword is fire attribute, and it¡¯s gonna flame up properly. This one is normal. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nothing feels normal here!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Can I not take mine? ¡¹


    Retze pulled the chair out and was about to stand up.


    Please stop preparing to flee, will you.

 CH 142

    ¡¸I made yours plain and simple as agreed on, Retze. ¡¹


    ¡¸Really? ¡¹


    ¡¸Really, really. ¡¹


    His sword is a thick-walled machete. It has a dark gray blade, while the back part is tawny brown, almost black, setting off the deep green vine pattern ¡ª which is also almost black ¡ª nicely. Well, I don¡¯t remember engraving that design!


    ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s plain¡­ Eh, wait a sec. Aren¡¯t Dinosso and Noth drawing back? ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s tone changed when he took the sword.


    Those two can see spirits, so does that mean they are also sensitive to things that are possessed? Dunno, not really sure ¡®bout that.


    ¡¸This blade here is a sword that will be activated by sucking up your opponent¡¯s mana if you wish for it. You can wield it even if you¡¯re not a mana user yourself. ¡¹


    ¡¸Can I ask if being ¡®activated¡¯ is a good thing? Am I gonna be fine if I touch this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, rest assured that it is alright, it is not harmful to the body in any way. ¡¹


    It¡¯ll just release tentacles, much like those pervert villains. Oh, and it also comes with [Paralysis] and [Energy Drain].


    ¡¸You, you get all respectful every time you¡¯re guilty! ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t point it at me! Argh, point it to a female knight or lady you fancy, will you! ¡¹


    ¡¸Just what the heck did you put in here, huh!? Spit it out!! ¡¹


    Some people find it romantic, you know. Well, probably. Ack, don¡¯t point it at me, I said!


    ¡¸Ack, hey! Don¡¯t drag me into this! Don¡¯t use me as your shield! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hoho, let¡¯s have another cup of coffee. ¡¹


    Butler put the coffee in the siphon while the three of us were making ruckus. He¡¯s really pointlessly elegant.


    ¡¸I already said it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just a little vine that stretches out and sucks the life out of your target. ¡¹


    It¡¯s not something slippery, I tell you, it¡¯s just a vine, so it¡¯s safe. I was just kidding about the tentacles.


    ¡¸Plus, if you get along well, it will return some of the energy it sucked. ¡¹


    ¡¸Just what the heck do you mean by ¡®get along¡¯, huh!? ¡¹


    Retze yelled, and a thin tendril stretched out of the sword. The leaf touched his hand.


    ¡¸ck¡­!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t forget to give it sunlight from time to time, okay. Please water it too. ¡¹


    I taught the stupefied Retze how to take care of his blade.


    ¡¸So its maintenance isn¡¯t like those ordinary swords, huh. Well, good luck with that. ¡¹


    ¡¸Based on what has been said so far, I believe that it will come in handy for the hindrance of your enemies. ¡¹


    Dinosso casually threw that jab with a disgusted expression, while Butler also commented with the usual smile.


    ¡¸Last one will be Ash¡¯s sword. Here it is. ¡¹


    It¡¯s a bluish double-edged broadsword.


    Well, I did say broadsword, but it¡¯s not like Dinosso and Dean¡¯s thick and heavy ones that packed quite a punch; it¡¯s shapely and long. The guys¡¯ swords can cut, but Ash¡¯s sword is the type that can sever completely.


    The blade is constantly covered in a thin sheet of water, and if you pour mana into the sword while swinging it, that sheet of water will turn into a sharp blade blown by wind.


    ¡¸What a beautiful and pure sword it is. ¡¹


    Butler looked satisfied as he stared at the sword.


    ¡¸Here, there¡¯s paralyzing poison mixed in the water. ¡¹


    Oh, he froze.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t spout terrible stuff so brazenly! ¡¹


    Retze.


    ¡¸Goodness, what the heck happened for things to turn out like this? ¡¹


    Dinosso.


    ¡¸I already forbid the spirits from entering whilst creating the children¡¯s weapons; however, it was extremely difficult to do so for the spirits that are born on the spot. When I lifted the ban, the spirits seemed to be in high spirits¡­ Believe me, I never, in any way, sought to have this outcome, you know? ¡¹


    I already did my best, so I can only say I¡¯m innocent, you guys.


    ¡ª Dinosso landed a punch on the top of my head, then he grinded his knuckles on it. Stop, I¡¯ll go bald!


    ¡¸You¡¯re fine with me selling that first sword you made that I confiscated for you, right? That Amadeo guy¡¯s been sticking around for ages and he¡¯s a major pain in the neck, so I want to pass it to somebody else. ¡¹


    Dinosso has jerky on one hand while drinking beer with the other.


    ¡¸Why don¡¯t you just sell it to Amadeo? Demand for an exorbitant price. After that, if somebody pesters you for the spirit sword, you can just point Amadeo, say he got the extra and be done with it, right? ¡¹


    Got the guys some decent beer while I have some soda.


    ¡¸But isn¡¯t Amadeo¡¯s group the most persistently pesky ones already? ¡ª Whoa, this wine¡¯s amazing. Tastes great, makes me feel refreshed. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, I just think the heroes¡¯ lackeys might come waltzing in by then. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t think those guys will come in person since they probably don¡¯t like long trips.


    Back when the empire was still at its peak and not yet divided unlike today¡¯s current situation, the roads had been organized so that travelers could stay in inns every three days in the course of their trip. Unfortunately, many inns had gone out of business, so folks can¡¯t expect that anymore nowadays.


    Even if they gathered a huge number of people and had them carry tents and bathtubs, Sis would definitely give up in less than a week, at the very least. Well, I had a difficult time at first, but I¡¯m now used to it.


    ¡¸Will they come? ¡¹


    Butler asked.


    ¡¸Not sure, but there¡¯s someone over there who loves rare and unique, only-one-in-the-whole-wide-world stuff. ¡¹


    ¡¸So you¡¯re gonna throw the two pain-in-the-neck groups at each other. ¡¹


    Dinosso thought about it.


    ¡¸Anyway, you didn¡¯t show the other spirit swords to anyone else, right? ¡¹


    I asked Dinosso.


    ¡¸Mine and Shiva¡¯s spirit swords are the type powered by contracted spirits. The blades themselves may be sharp, but they¡¯re just ordinary swords. Well, we¡¯ve been using it for all those years, so they¡¯ve become attribute swords or so, I guess. ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll just leave that sword to you to handle. Oh, the doria is ready. ¡¹


    ¡¸Is it baked cheese? ¡¹


    I was thinking of making creamy oyster doria at first, but I just decided to put plenty of cheese with bacon and some spinach in it. I got the feeling that we might want some meat to go with this, so I added one huge weiner over it.


    They haven¡¯t tasted rice and oyster before, so I avoid letting them eat two new things at once. They probably don¡¯t have spinach here either, but it¡¯s not like spinach has deep flavor so they probably won¡¯t notice it.


    ¡¸Oh, yum. ¡¹Dinosso.


    ¡¸This one is delish too. Is this one the fried potato thing? The saltiness is on point. ¡¹Retze.


    ¡¸It goes well with this alcoholic beverage. ¡¹Butler.


    I scooped the melted cheese and charred crispy bits into my mouth. Yup, warm and delectable. The first bite is tasty, but the flavor is way too rich to eat continuously. That¡¯s where the rice shines, it softens the aftertaste.


    I also bit into the hard sausage and washed it down with soda to cool the warmth in my mouth.


    ¡¸Oh, right. For the folks who don¡¯t have several swords, or have the huge ones, I¡¯m also giving you a knife you can use during dismantling. ¡¹


    ¡¸They¡¯re not some kind of weird thing again, are they? ¡¹


    Dinosso looked at me suspiciously.


    They¡¯re normal, I say. Normal.


    _____


    T/N: Doria, the rice-based gratin of Japanese! They have lots of flavors ¨C curry, chicken, sea food, kimchi, fish & broccoli, you name it!

 CH 143

    ¡¸Anyway, it¡¯s the type that¡¯ll make your work easy, dismantling will be a breeze ¡ª woop! Like that.. ¡¹


    ¡¸Woop, huh. ¡¹


    Retze is staring at me dubiously, but if I mind it I¡¯ll lose.


    ¡¸Yup. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not sure why, but it¡¯s only effective during dismantling and it should be right after slaying. Otherwise it¡¯s just a dull blade. ¡¹


    ¡¸And why is it that you, the maker, don¡¯t know why? ¡¹


    Retze quipped exasperatedly.


    Well, this is just my guess, but the spirits prolly read my absentminded thoughts, and went all out with ¡®let¡¯s grant that!¡¯ and ¡®do away with the unnecessary features!¡¯, cooperated with that, and this is the result. No plans disclosing this, though.


    Well, when I was making the weapons for the kids, I¡¯d been thinking stuff like ¡®kids grow up quickly, so will they outgrow this size?¡¯, and the reason why there¡¯s a lot of paralysis features is because I¡¯ve been thinking of ¡®making them immovable¡¯ rather than ¡®kill¡¯, probably.


    Dinosso and Dean¡¯s fire and Chris¡¯s light was easy to imagine, so they¡¯re as is.


    Chris¡¯ light rapier shines when you put mana in it, so it must be convenient when going to the tunnels ¡ª ah, that¡¯s not what I meant ¡ª it¡¯ll make the enemies recoil and temporarily blind them. By the way, it¡¯s going to blind the allies too, but it can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯s a luminous object.


    By the way, Dinosso¡¯s downing that beer while standing, so won¡¯t the next course be a helping of Shiva¡¯s scolding?


    ¡¸I¡¯m gonna drink too. Do you have any strong ones here? ¡¹


    ¡¸I understand how you feel, but it is better not to over do it¡­. ¡¹


    There¡¯s something I believe in about alcohol and people. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the alcohol to blame if somebody acted appallingly ¡ª unless it¡¯s their first time drinking; for me, it¡¯s their true nature showing. That¡¯s why if I don¡¯t like hanging with somebody when they¡¯re drunk, then I definitely don¡¯t want to be associated with them when they¡¯re sober.


    Well, I guess it¡¯s probably just me thinking this since I have never been drunk before. Dinosso, Dean and Chris are fun when drunk, so I let them drink.


    ¡¸How about this? ¡¹


    Tequila and vodka are the first ones I think of when speaking of hard liquor, but they¡¯re not in my pantry unfortunately. Whiskey is probably the strongest one I have in my alcohol collection.


    I chose a glass from the shelf. According to ¡¾Appraisal¡¿-san, the thinner the rim of the glass, the better the mouthfeel. Not only that, even the body of the glass, the size of the opening, the angle and speed of drinking all affect the taste so one choose the type of glass carefully¡ª says ¡¾Appraisal¡¿-san while I peered at the whiskey.


    Oh well, just a random one will do, I guess. I did choose the ones with thin rims and poured whiskey into them.


    Retze becomes a bit slovenly when drunk, but he¡¯s easy compared to drunk Dean¡¯s team.


    ¡¸Here you go. ¡¹


    What a pretty amber color.


    ¡¸Oh, what a fragile looking glass. ¡¹


    I also handed a glass of whiskey to Butler since he seemed interested. I never saw Butler be drunk.


    ¡¸The wines in Jean-sama¡¯s place have an exquisite appearance, and they¡¯re splendid. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    The two of them accepted the glass with a smile.


    ¡¸Bfftt!! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    They looked like they¡¯re gonna throw up for a moment there, but they quickly gulped it down.


    ¡¸Is this Fire Wine!? ¡¹


    ¡¸This is such a harsh wine. ¡¹


    Butler seemed fine, but Retze was having a coughing fit.


    Fire wine is the northerners¡¯ favorite drink, and it¡¯s beer but way stronger than the ordinary ones. The alcohol strength is regulated in Japan, so they don¡¯t make beers with this percentage. They do have beers with high alcohol content overseas, though. Those with more than 60%, if I¡¯m not wrong?


    The reason why I have whiskey is because I want to try Irish coffee, so I¡¯m in the dark on how to drink this.


    But then, now that I think about it, people usually use one or two shot glasses when they¡¯re drinking it straight ¡ª I got the feeling that they only use a teeny tiny amount. And here I am, filling the glass to the brim! HAHAHA!


    ***


    I rolled Retze into Daifuku¡¯s room last night, and I peered inside to check on him, Daifuku was also there. He was cuddling close to Retze ¡ª Daifuku¡¯s butt, that is, and to Retze¡¯s face, no less. Not sure if I¡¯m envious of them cuddling, but I¡¯m a bit troubled.


    I opened the shutters to drive away the stagnant alcohol stench inside the room. I can sense Retze¡¯s sword happily basking in the sun ¡ª I placed it beside the window last night. Daifuku proudly swished his tail. Just when I was about to pet him, Retze woke up.


    ¡¸Morning. ¡¹


    ¡¸Morning, sorry. Uhh, hurts¡­ ¡¹


    Daifuku boredly glanced at Retze who just woke up, before using me as a stepping stone and leaping to the shelf. He immediately stuffed himself inside the box.


    Hmm, so he prefers boxes even when there¡¯s a basket around, huh. Oh, but won¡¯t he use it when it becomes warmer?


    ¡¸¡­Is something there? Is it the cat thing? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s amazing. Yeah, there¡¯s a bit of clues, but still, he managed to deduce that there¡¯s a spirit despite barely waking up.


    Ah, no, maybe I¡¯m just really easy to read? Butler and Ash ¡ª yeah, Butler smiles with squinted eyes, while Ash scrutinizes with a scary face. Oh, maybe they¡¯re doing that to prevent others from noticing the movement of their gaze, that¡¯s it!


    ¡¸You¡¯re thinking of weird stuff again, aren¡¯t you? Open your eyes, open it, I say. ¡¹


    He took a jab on me when I tried squinting.


    Ack, even though you¡¯re just a drunken wasted adult!


    ¡¸Wait, wait a sec. Argh, this is awful. ¡¹


    Retze said while staring at the sword that I placed beside the window.


    ¡¸Why the heck is it sticking out a pot, huh!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, no, it¡¯s a vine, right? I already watered it too? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­. ¡¹


    Retze clutched his head before falling back to bed, probably shocked by his own yelling.


    ¡¸Head hurts. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hangover. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Absolutely not because of that. ¡¹


    ____


    T/N: Lol, Retze¡¯s totally exasperated at Jean XD

 CH 144

    I saw Retze off, then went to Nalluahdid. The others were probably waiting for their swords, so Butler should¡¯ve handed them out during the night while giving them precautions about them.


    Once in Nalluahdid, I went to the market and bought some veggies and wheat before heading towards the boathouse. The owner of the island is on good terms with this boathouse. Moreover, the boathouse owner¡¯s predecessor came from the island and married into his bride¡¯s family, apparently. Only a handful of boatmen are willing to go through the troublesome waters of this reef-ridden sea, so I requested the retired predecessor to help me out.


    I could see people near the wharf, watching the boat I¡¯m in as it approached. Not sure if they called the others; by the time we arrived, there were around 15 people ¡ª wait, isn¡¯t that the entire village? ¡ª were there waiting for me.


    The fishermen who were in the prime of their lives didn¡¯t go out to sea, so they¡¯re also here. The vegetables and wheat I bought earlier serves as their allowance for today.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for gathering us all today. I am Soleil. ¡¹


    I wanted to say some kind of witty remark like ¡®may you be the Soleil (Sun) of everyone¡¯, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna work since this isn¡¯t some agricultural society that could get that pun. They¡¯re fishermen, after all.


    Anyway, I roughly explained my plans to them, then promptly told them the benefits they¡¯ll gain, and that there will be two people coming and staying here as my representatives.


    People are steadily leaving the island, so life here was anything but easy. Frankly speaking, it¡¯s not just about living from hand to mouth, but having enough to eat in the first place. Fish is abundant, so as long as the storms didn¡¯t continue for long, they won¡¯t starve, but selling fish isn¡¯t enough as a source of income.


    Well, the fish they can get here are also in Nalluahdid; plus, they can only use small boats, so it¡¯s understandable.


    When the topic of income was brought up, everyone, even the children, listened earnestly. They have been bribed pretty well with the candy I brought last time, and the food I also brought for the adults today seems to be working, too.


    The first task I request the islanders to do is dig up wells. To be precise, they¡¯re going to dig the unused and broken down wells in the fortress.


    They have to dig deeper or else the water will be too salty, so it¡¯s a relief that we have empty wells, even if it¡¯s filled with sand. It¡¯s easier to scrape the sand out rather than dig from scratch.


    There¡¯s only one working well for the entire village, so we need to secure water that we can use freely. There¡¯s two more we can work out ¡ª one in the fortress¡¯ public square, and one under the building.


    There¡¯s a bank in Kochi, Japan called ¡¯Ryoma Inemuri no Tsutsumi¡¯ (lit. Ryouma¡¯s Sleeping Dike), where a man called Ryoma took a nap under the pine trees while his workers worked diligently on making the dike. Apparently, the work didn¡¯t progress well because the folks kept on fighting and being idle, so he divided the work among them, and made them compete with each other and he also gave incentives, too. He then spent the rest of his time as a relaxed sleeping boss, just inspecting their work every now and then. I took a leaf out of his book; I¡¯ll be checking their work every 2nd and 4th day. Those who did the fastest work while doing a great job will be given a bonus. Injuries will result in deduction.


    I also repaired Gold and Silver¡¯s temporary residence. Since they only have wells on the island, even if I were to make a drainage system, there won¡¯t be any running water. And so, it¡¯ll have to be the old-fashioned manual manure pits for their toilet.


    ***


    The wells are completed 7 days later. By the way, Gold and Silver also arrived at the island.


    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you guys too early? ¡¹


    ¡¸Please speak for yourself. ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t get it. ¡¹


    They looked like they wanted to say something but they can¡¯t ¡ª they seem excited for some reason? They¡¯re trembling all over. Must be the oath¡¯s effect, huh.


    ¡¸Anyway, I prepared a temporary house for you, so you can use it until the house is built, or you can stay in Nalluahdid, your choice, do whatever you want. ¡¹


    The one I repaired was a spacious, vacant house at the outskirts of the village, and it¡¯s closest to the fortress. Maybe in the past, the nearer the house¡¯s location was to the fortress, the better choice they would seem, but since the sea side has easier access for the fisherman, the islanders prefer to live by the shore nowadays.


    ¡¸How did this happen? It¡¯s unimaginable that you are here earlier than us. ¡¹


    ¡¸Honestly, it¡¯s sus. ¡¹


    ¡¸Same goes for you guys! ¡¹


    They¡¯ve been quiet the entire time, but both of them fired questions right away the moment I closed the door. I opened the slatted window to let in some light. How on earth did they manage to get here with less than half of the scheduled travel time?


    Gold shut the windows right after I opened it.


    ¡¸We went through the Path of the Faeries. We are Changelings. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, is it really okay? ¡¹


    Silver asked, obviously taken aback when Gold suddenly confessed.


    This place was deserted, but he probably shut the windows so that our voices wouldn¡¯t leak out.


    ¡¸We¡¯re mutually bound by the contract, right? ¡¹


    Both parties are bound so that they won¡¯t be able to reveal the secrets of each other. However, if the person revealed his own secret in front of another person, that secret will be ¡®shared¡¯ with the person he revealed it to.Well, it¡¯s no longer a secret if you reveal it, right.


    ¡¸Changeling. ¡¹


    Dinosso told me that these changelings are spirits that have a body of flesh, and are considered to be partial divine beasts. He also said that they have been swapped with human children. Partial divine beasts, particularly those with human forms, are frequently called faeries.


    Partial divine beasts are different from spirits in a sense that ordinary folks can see and touch them. However, because their vessels are unstable, partial divine beasts will let themselves be taken care of by human parents. They would learn how to mimic the human form until their own forms become fixed.


    The Path of Faeries is a road where the Realm of the Spirits and this world intersect. It¡¯s said that if you go too far on the other side, you won¡¯t be able to return. Even the skilled magicians find it difficult to use despite spending a lot of time preparing. Oh, and you get nauseous when you go in there, apparently.


    ¡¸Yes. We¡¯ll leave it to you to guess which one of us is the faery. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, I¡¯m positive it¡¯s you. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­I¡¯m surprised that you know right away. ¡¹


    Well, faeries are a talkative bunch, after all. Ah, but spirits are reticent, not because they¡¯re quiet beings, but probably because we can¡¯t hear them. The topic of changelings has been brought up before when we were talking about the heroes, so I looked into that, but I never imagined that info would be useful here of all places.


    ¡¸Heh, so you¡¯re not twins, but one faery mirroring the other. ¡ª I¡¯m surprised that you survived. ¡¹


    I stared at Silver while saying that latter part.


    Ack, I need to remember their names for goodness sake. I saw them when they signed the oath, and already heard what they are for sure¡­ Oh, I didn¡¯t write my full name. Good job getting past that oath, me.


    ¡¸My parents noticed before I got taken away. It¡¯s just that they didn¡¯t know which one was their child. ¡¹


    ¡¸I do believe I did a great job mimicrying, don¡¯t you think? ¡¹


    Gold put a finger on his lips and chuckled.


    Oh dear, I hired a bunch of strange guys, didn¡¯t I?


    T/N: Ryoma Sakamoto is a famous person in Japan, the last samurai, and with his ability to connect with other people and superb negotiation skills, he helped usher a new era to Japan. The story [ýˆñR¾ÓÃߤêµÌ] Ryoma Inemuri no Tsutsumi, was usually used as an example of how a great leader knows how to handle the people below him. To learn more about him, here are helpful links


    By the way, the part explaining Ryoma¡¯s story in the main text isn¡¯t in the raws, but I thought you¡¯d get a better idea of what Jean is talking about if I added the background story directly instead of a footnote


    And also, inemuri refers to sleeping on the job, or ¡®being present while sleeping¡¯ which Japanese find admirable, because for them, it¡¯s proof that the person worked so diligently that he fell asleep while working  Alright, time for me to sleep while doing this translation

 CH 145

    ¡¸By the way, Gold-san, are you Khadar¡¯s subordinates, perhaps? ¡¹


    ¡¸Feel free to address us by name. ¡¹


    Gold seemed to be chuckling.


    ¡¸Didn¡¯t we sign the oath with our names, right? ¡¹


    Silver seemed to be mocking my memory.


    ¡¸Is it really alright for me to call your name? Never mind Silver, but even you, Gold? ¡¹


    Gold¡¯s name is Auro, Silver is Kiel, and no, it¡¯s not because I forgot your names that I¡¯m being obstinate about calling you Gold and Silver. Why you cheeky ¡ª I¡¯m going to drop the honorifics!


    Kiel didn¡¯t have the sense of taste probably because Auro mimicked him, and in doing so deprived that particular human trait from him. That missing part probably became spiritualized.


    It¡¯s true that I said Auro was the fairy because he¡¯s the talkative one, but that¡¯s not the only reason. Kiel should¡¯ve known what ¡®taste¡¯ was even in the past, since if he was a spirit he probably wouldn¡¯t care that he couldn¡¯t taste anything right from the start.


    Kiel seems aware that he had been swapped, so I wonder what kind of relationship they have? And just how spiritualized he is that he can¡¯t even taste anything?


    ¡¸¡­No way. ¡¹


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    Auro looked appalled, probably because a certain thought flashed in his mind, so Kiel frowned.


    ¡¸Khadar-sama appeared at that time, not because of the written oath, but¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Still want me to call you by name? ¡¹


    Auro seemed to arrive at the same conclusion as me, so I asked him.


    ¡¸No. Please feel free to address us as Gold and Silver from now on. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oy! ¡¹


    Kiel couldn¡¯t follow, it seems.


    ¡¸Oh, so you are Khadar¡¯s underlings. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    Gold answered me properly this time.


    ¡¸What the heck is going on? Stop talking about stuff that only the two of you understand, will you? ¡¹


    Kiel sulked!


    ¡¸Kiel, the reason why Khadar-sama appeared isn¡¯t because it¡¯s a written oath, but because I, no, we ¡ª who are spirits and his kin ¡ª will be entering into contract with Soleil-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸Using the things written in the oath as the basis, huh? So if I call you two by name, that probably means the contract will become completely valid. ¡¹


    Contracts vary depending on how the human and the spirit encountered each other, as well as the procedures that will be included, but the final step is always the same. You have to name the spirit, or if the spirit already has a name that will be difficult to discard, you have to call its true name. By doing that final step, you¡¯ll be establishing connection.


    ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m counting on you until the houses are built.


    ¡¹


    I ignored the two as they contemplated what just happened, and this time around, I opened the window to let the light in.


    We conducted a business meeting afterward. I informed them that the well project is almost complete, explained what the blueprints are and that the entire island is now under my jurisdiction. I also told them that I didn¡¯t make the islanders my slave, but am properly paying them wages.


    ¡¸Oh, right. Here you go, allowance so you can fix your place, plus some snacks. ¡¹


    When I pulled the money bag and snack pouch out, Kiel hurriedly took the cookie pouch from me.


    ¡¸So the person who knows the origin of the cookies isn¡¯t Shadow Wolf, but you. ¡¹


    I was taken aback for a moment. Auro took the money bag from me politely during that instance.


    I¡¯m the manufacturer. Well, not telling you, though.


    I then introduced them to the islanders, went around to check the wells as well as the entire island while at it, then returned to Nalluahdid¡¯s main island.


    Auro and Kiel will be visiting the mainland to hire carpenters and order building materials while fixing their house. And so, I decided to drop by the Commercial Guild to inform them about my proxies, and also arranged it so that they could use the deposit, before calling it a day.


    Still, the main bottleneck in this project would be the ships that would carry the materials. Huge ships won¡¯t be able to dock, so the transportation fees are relatively high. I think it¡¯d cost me more than my initial plan, so I have to work hard to make more money.


    In the meantime, I¡¯ll sell this lamp at Nalluahdid. Then, what¡¯s next? Maybe I can sell the enormous amount of white geese feather pillows and cushions I stored¡­ Nah, they¡¯ll come in handy once the house is done. I¡¯ll be using them a lot for the rooms.


    I went back home, then immersed myself in my thoughts while petting Riche. Is there a way to earn a huge amount of money fast?


    I won¡¯t be able to sell the other vegetables if we don¡¯t get the potatoes in the market. We have to wait for the potatoes to get a stable foothold before offering tomatoes and cucumbers.


    Strawberries should be ready to be released by now, I guess? Ah, but then, Ash loves them, so I often use them for making snacks.


    I fell asleep still worrying about the right timing for selling them as well as the time and effort it requires to make them.


    ***


    ¡¸Hey, I sold the sword to Amadeo that bastard!! ¡¹


    The next day, an insane amount of money rained on me. Is this how you wanna play, spirit sword? And how much did you accumulate, Gold ranks!


    ¡¸Roza¡¯s face turned blue, so he probably got his hands on the living allowance of the entire team! Served him right! Ahh!! I feel so refreshed!! ¡¹


    Just how annoyed were you, Dinosso, to have that radiant smile plastered on your face?


    Roza¡¯s group gave up on Dinosso, apparently, and they¡¯ll be honestly and diligently working as adventurers in the meantime to make up for the lost funds.


    They moved to a fortress city that is said to offer high rewards. Yes, finally, we¡¯re going to have peace!


    Dinosso and I celebrated the entire morning. My drink is soda and lime instead of alcohol, though.


    Two birds had been killed with one stone, so I feel so relieved!!

 CH 146

    Khadar stood under the pear tree. The sight of the white, fluffy petals reminded me of spring in Japan.


    Spring usually reminds me of cherry blossoms, rape blossoms ¡ª we have rape flowers, but I didn¡¯t plant any cherry blossoms. Oh, I do have a bonsai cherry blossom in my pantry, come to think of it. It¡¯s not like I like eating pickled cherry blossoms or leaves, but somehow, I still can¡¯t exclude sakura and plums from my collection.


    I also want maple, but I can¡¯t think of any dishes that use it as ingredients, aside from the usual garnish, so they¡¯re not in my pantry.


    Even when I¡¯ve become stronger, I still want to explore a lot of unknown places, so let¡¯s do our best.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Khadar. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, yes, it¡¯s been a while indeed, if we based it on the flow of your time. ¡¹


    Khadar seemed to realize it.


    Time flows differently for the spirits depending on what type they are. Did he feel as if we just met just a few moments ago because he¡¯s the spirit of trees and shrubs?


    ¡¸Thank you so much for the other day. Are you sure it¡¯s okay to enter a contract with those two? ¡¹


    ¡¸The teeny ones seem to be working fine, but it seems you still lack someone who can carry objects. ¡¹


    Yeah. I remember wishing that those two were with me back when I was smithing. Retze helped me stuff the coiled springs in the end, after all.


    ¡¸However, I¡¯m afraid it was unnecessary. ¡¹


    ¡¸No, you¡¯ve been a great help. Thank you so much for giving me security and postponement until I enter into a contract. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hoh, it appears that what you desire is the strongest contract? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    The contract depends on the strength of magical power as well as the preparation done prior to entering the contract. However, if you didn¡¯t consider those aspects, then the strongest contract would be the one formed because the spirit itself wishes to protect the other party, or else be employed by the contractor during the time of contract.


    Forming a contract with a spirit that was sent by a more powerful spirit would often depend on the power relationship between that powerful being and the spirit it sent. Spirits are capricious in nature, so the powerful spirit¡¯s order would often be lax, even if the other party is its subordinate.


    There¡¯s also another type of eternal contract that is the opposite of that one, and that is to forcefully bind the spirit. I doubt Khadar wanted to go that far and force those two in a contract. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s already enough for him if they were aware of it, through the written oath.


    It¡¯s tempting to use that kind of contract, but I don¡¯t like the idea of forcing someone to stay beside me. It¡¯s no different from what Sis did to me.


    Still, making the black spirits submit and forming a contract with them doesn¡¯t count, since I don¡¯t give orders to them.


    ¡¸By the way, how hard is the branch of the hardest tree growing in this world? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s so hard that you won¡¯t be able to cut it with the sword that you made. ¡¹


    Khadar stretched his hand, and a map flew out of my things, and it spread itself in front of me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s growing here. ¡¹


    A cross mark appeared at the spot he pointed.


    ¡¸Thank you very much. The fastest tree to grow among the trees planted here would be the plums, but the spirits love going back and forth to the cherry blossom trees. I¡¯ll give you some of the fruits once they¡¯re available. ¡¹


    I¡¯m aware that Ish and Pal can taste the vegetables and fruits that have been crossbred from the ones in my pantry.


    And just like what happens in fantasy, cross-pollination occurs because spirits fly to and from the plants from this world and from those in my pantry, much like bees. I haven¡¯t encountered any plum trees in this world, so they¡¯re not planted, and there¡¯s no plum spirit yet.


    Well, the pantry plants do transform directly, so it¡¯s not actually within the scope of what I knew.


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    Khadar seemed happy as he disappeared.


    The map left in my hand looked like a treasure map, and it¡¯s making me feel excited. But, aren¡¯t they too far into the northeast? Can I handle the monsters there?


    Ahh, I¡¯ll be getting the ultimate ¡®Clang Clang¡¯ Stick EX¡¯ so I should give it my all . Let¡¯s extend the place I¡¯m going to¡¾Teleport¡¿to bit by bit. Ahh, so excited.


    ***


    For lunch, I fried some croquettes and munched on them while shredding the spring cabbage.


    The crunchy coating crackled when I bit into it, and the fluffy potatoes tasted slightly sweet. The meat croquettes were also delicious, with the mild taste of beef modestly vying for attention.


    It wasn¡¯t that greasy but even so, I felt refreshed after eating a mouthful of the soft spring cabbage. Both the spring cabbage and the potatoes have a very different sweetness from each other.


    Dean also took a liking to the croquettes, while the potatoes in the pot-au-feu were popular with Ash and the others. French fries were also popular, so the potatoes from Nalluahdid will surely be a hit. I feel relieved thinking about that.


    Alright, since it¡¯s raining on and off today, let¡¯s focus on making glass diligently.


    I gently poured the molten glass into the pool of molten tin, and the glass floated to the surface spreading over the surface of the tin.


    The spirits seem to find it interesting for some reason because they keep on following the flow, or else trying to pull it. I thought they wouldn¡¯t like it because they won¡¯t be able to pass through it, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    The molten tin is naturally flat, so I can make clean sheets of glass out of it. The glass available here has rounded shapes as if they were made by fusing the bottoms of flasks together, and the sheets were slightly distorted.


    This finished glass looks like it¡¯ll fetch a high price but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be making more than necessary. I have to make it while enduring the sweltering heat, but more than that, the glass itself is super hot while being processed so you get the gist.*


    Today, I prepared a variety of colored gems before starting, because I already learnt from the previous colored glass that I made before. Just kidding, I prefer transparent glass, so I prepared crystals and diamonds. Is it really okay to put these in front of the spirits ¡ª was what I thought while placing the gems, but they just got absorbed easily into the glass.


    As for the result ¡ª glass mixed with crystals became a one-way like thing with only one side that is see-through. The ones mixed with diamonds turned into a strong tempered glass. As I thought, involving the spirits would have unexpected results that ignored a lot of stuff. Or did this happen because of what I imagined first?


    Moreover, in this world, colored gemstones are far more expensive and valued, while diamonds are dirt-cheap. Oh, is this a business opportunity of hoarding diamonds then popularizing diamond cuts?


    _____


    T/N: They do eat pickled cherry blossoms in Japan!  It¡¯s usually used as a garnish


    Ctto: cookpad


    *This part here is actually a pun that didn¡¯t translate well in English, so pardon the lengthy explanation


    Original Text: Ê¤È¤¤¤¦¤«Ÿá¤¤¤«¤é ©` lit: It¡¯s hot (Ê) or should I say it¡¯s hot (Ÿá¤¤) ¡ª there¡¯s a word play on the difference of Ê (hot as in what you feel in summer) vs Ÿá¤¤ (hot as in how hot coffee can be)

 CH 147

    Diamonds are made by burning carbon which would suddenly emit a bright red light once they go beyond a certain temperature before disappearing in a flash. It¡¯s kinda fun.


    This gem is known to be the hardest substance known in my previous world, and they¡¯re so hard that it¡¯s very resistant to scratches. However, they do have a weak side in their molecular structure, so it¡¯s easily broken by hitting that part.


    Apparently, glass breaks because of the multiple tiny scratches made on its surface during the cooling and hardening process, so I tried pushing for a diamond-like scratch-resistant quality so that the glass will be more durable.


    Glass windows go without saying, but I also want to build greenhouses too. I¡¯ll be needing a huge amount of glass if we consider that goal. Well, I wanna have some mangoes and bananas¡­ If it¡¯s not a stand-alone type, but more like a sunroom I can add to the house, then half of that initial estimated amount would probably do.


    And so, I diligently set to work. Thanks to Khadar¡¯s considerate help, I have somebody to help me, so the job¡¯s been easier. Yeah, that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s sell the technology for creating glass, then prioritize selling the finished products around.


    I gave up.


    ¡¸You¡¯re starting a weird project again, huh. ¡¹


    Van peered with great interest at the orange glass floating over the tin. These deities like to pop out around me without warning, making my heart jump.


    Oh, come to think of it, he¡¯s a fire type, isn¡¯t he? Unlike the other spirits, Halalfa and Van rarely drop by.


    He seemed quite taken by it, so I asked him to lend a hand. I didn¡¯t expect him to start pulling and stretching the glass that was still glowing orange with his bare hands, but he was a huge help.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re pretty rough on people, aren¡¯t you¡­ ¡¹


    Van liked the diamond that was on the verge of blazing. He ate it after throwing those words at me, then he disappeared.


    He seemed quite pleased because it¡¯s the first food (?) that he liked, but who knows what kind of taste it had. He told me he would come again, but that¡¯s the most expensive food taste ever! This won¡¯t do, I have to make sure diamonds stay cheap¡­


    Oh, wait a sec, maybe it¡¯s the type of world where you can make diamonds from pencil leads? Let¡¯s experiment. But then, Van wouldn¡¯t even put it inside the crucible; he would just burn it himself before popping it into his mouth, so it¡¯s quite effortless.


    The following day, I carried the finished glass stealthy to the empty house that I converted into a warehouse and with that, the job was done. There¡¯s more people on the island; it might be temporary, but at least the population doubled.


    The stonemasons and carpenters are organizing their own residences, and there¡¯s more craftsmen to come later on. They¡¯re fixing their own houses, so I also made them install their own toilets and sewage systems while at it. The islanders are also very busy; they took a break from fishing so that they could transport food, take care of the construction workers, and do other sub contractual work.


    ¡¸You¡¯re great at handling people. ¡¹


    ¡¸We have a role model, after all. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s probably their reaction because they feel liberated after feeling so cooped up without any end in sight. Besides, they¡¯re a tough bunch, very diligent. ¡¹


    Silver had on a poker face, exuding unfriendly vibes, but he was still carrying the paper bag of popcorn that I brought, and couldn¡¯t stop tossing it to his mouth, so I didn¡¯t mind.


    The carpenters and masons already saw the site, so Gold and Silver will be discussing how to bring the design to life so that it would be according to what I wanted to happen. They already circled the entire island to check the terrain, and the fundamental structures are basically the same as the old fortress, so there shouldn¡¯t be any major modification, or so I wished.


    I left the island after checking the progress and replenishing their funds. I try to avoid meeting the construction workers, not to mention the islanders, so I don¡¯t stay for long. Both Gold and Silver are also busy meeting up with the workers, buying materials and negotiating with merchants.


    I asked the duo to buy cheap diamonds while they¡¯re at it. And so, I pushed all the troublesome stuff to both of them before setting out for the northern east.


    ¡¾Teleport¡¿ to the woods, slay monsters and move on, stop and name spirits, rinse and repeat. Basically that¡¯s how it went.


    The woods changed from broadleaf trees to conifer ones. It¡¯s cold, but there¡¯s little snow fall, so the snow didn¡¯t pile up on the ground. I imagined the north to be deep in snow, but it seems that they don¡¯t have that 2 to 3 meters thick snow that doesn¡¯t melt.


    Oh, come to think of it, Japan is one of the world¡¯s heaviest snowfall areas. I wonder if the snow will pile up more than what it does in Japan?


    The lake I walked on was covered in thick ice, and the cracks that resulted from the expansion created pretty patterns on it. I didn¡¯t sense any life, just spirits fluttering about.


    Ice spirits, sleep spirits, cold spirits ¡ª their colors are the same as the ice lake, white and translucent black. The world is starting to become void of color the further I go.


    Even the monsters that I had been defeating a while ago didn¡¯t appear, and I was left shivering in the cold as I trudged on the ice. It¡¯s hard gauging the thickness of the ice because it¡¯s transparent and it blends with the lake¡¯s color, but as long as I could see the cracks, the thickness is more than my height, apparently.


    The lake was deep, and it¡¯s too dark to see the bottom. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if there¡¯s a monster lurking there ¡ª In this case, the vague possibility was far more terrifying than the actual presence of monsters in this world. Nature is beautiful, but it¡¯s also scary.


    It¡¯s getting too cold, so I ¡¾Teleport¡¿back home.


    ¡¸Riche~ ¡¹


    I rubbed Riche¡¯s chest, no, maybe rumple is the word? Ahh, nothing beats home.


    ¡¸Thanks. ¡¹


    The fire spirits under my winter coat jumped into the fireplace as soon as I took it off and shook the snow that piled up on my neck.


    I was cold, so the fire spirits were probably cold, too. Should I give them more mana, perhaps? Ah but too much and they¡¯ll burst into flames, so it¡¯s kinda hard.


    I removed my shoes beside the fireplace then warmed myself. Poured myself coffee, then took a breather.


    The monsters near the edge of the lake weren¡¯t that powerful, but they did use magic. I¡¯ve been using brute force against the monsters until now, but I guess it¡¯s time for me to learn a new style of fighting.


    Maybe I should cut some ice for summertime? Ah, but I have to check with ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ whether water from that lake is safe to drink.

 CH 148

    It¡¯s been five days since I refused drinking with the guys and had lunch with Ash and Butler.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Amidst the trees that stretched ice branches, I avoided an owl monster that looked like it had a collection of ice pillars on its head and back.


    With that momentum, I slashed a monster that looked like a seahorse that sprouted butterfly wings, then cut down two owls that attacked, before taking a breather.


    Both of them were small,only around 40cm, but they camouflaged well with their snow white feathers, so I would probably get hurt if I walked around without a care, putting my guard down.


    The seahorse monster was slower, but the foam spell it used was a pain in the neck, so I slay it first. The butterfly wings have a slightly metallic, or should I say kind crystalline texture, so it¡¯s a bit mesmerizing.


    I can keenly feel that ¡®fantasy¡¯ vibes since coming here, you know? The animals here must be really in the form of mythical creatures!


    The woods here are extremely brittle, and they easily crumble with tiny rustling sounds. Each tree has a tiny, round , furball looking spirit; I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the spirit of the tree itself, or if it is simply living inside that tree.


    When the tree crumbles, this furball spirit is left exposed, attracting monsters that would come to eat it.


    It¡¯s extremely hard fighting while making sure the surrounding ice and the trees that look like brittle sugar candy filling don¡¯t get destroyed. I¡¯ve been sorely tempted to just go all out and destroy everything ¡ª both monsters and woods ¡ª but it feels as if I¡¯m destroying their home, so I endure it, moving forward as carefully as I can.


    Crying would be far from enough if the house that the deities gifted me got destroyed, after all. It¡¯s just that more than just being a pain in the neck, walking so cautiously feels terrible because of the bitter cold.


    The first time I cut a tree, I tried to take responsibility by naming the spirit and bringing it with me, but it didn¡¯t work. I couldn¡¯t name it, but it still floated around me without leaving. I heard that there were spirits that would lend a hand on a whim, checking whether the contractor was a worthy one; is this one just like that, I wonder?


    Even if I ¡¾Teleport¡¿ with it to my house, it will only get lost. If we have the contract, then it¡¯ll be fine, but there are also spirits that promptly disintegrate as soon as the surroundings change. Just picture taking an ice spirit to a volcano ¡ª well, it probably won¡¯t affect them if they¡¯re strong enough.


    And so, I couldn¡¯t go back home, couldn¡¯t do anything drastic to tide the cold, so I just relied on Dan-chan, (Dan from danbou, Japanese for heater) to work hard. I¡¯m also doing my best regulating my mana, so the whole day was spent accomplishing little and just doing some delicate stuff.


    ***


    There¡¯s a blue fountain in the white forest.


    Ah! There¡¯s a unicorn, a unicorn!! I saw a mythical creature that I know!!


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s an extremely wary, woman-loving creature, and only a maiden with the purest of hearts can approach it. Quick, somebody get a maiden, bring a maiden here!!


    I observed it from a distance. I got this feeling that the horn of unicorns is a precious medicinal ingredient, but since no one is sick among the people around me and I¡¯m not that deprived of money, I decided to enjoy the scenery with the unicorn in it to my heart¡¯s content.


    After having my fill, I continued walking in the midst of lactescent fog for a while. Even the ground is white now, so everything looks the same; I will probably get lost at this rate.


    There¡¯s the map, but this is a wide field, so it¡¯s difficult to finely coordinate the directions. I brought the compass I bought in Nalluahdid, but it was totally useless ever since I¡¯ve stepped into that brittle forest.


    If I saw something, I would make that my target and walk towards it, but I can¡¯t see anything. There¡¯s no helping it, so I decided to use the tip of my sword to draw a line on the ground while I¡¯m walking, but when I looked back, only a meter or so was left, the rest disappeared¡­


    Just when I was worried about what to do, furball seemed to be guiding me? I¡¯m not sure if the destination is the place I wanted to go to, but since I¡¯m just going aimlessly, and there¡¯s not even a plan, I decided to follow it.


    Following furball led me to an ordinary forest. No, rather than ordinary, it¡¯s a forest of fresh verdure, reminiscent of early summer, brimming with life. The green leaves of the trees looked fresh, glossy and soft, and the branches were pliable.


    Furball happily floated forward as if infected with spring fever. It¡¯s starting to look like it¡¯s made of fuzzy down.


    After passing through the road lined with huge trees, there was a small lake, and in the middle of that lake stood a dead tree without a single leaf. It was about half the size of the surrounding trees.


    The moment furball crossed over the lake and entered the tree, the plant sprouted young branches and white blossoms with a tinge of gold bloomed. Water bubbled out of the flowers, and after the drops calmed down into a steady stream, creating countless ripples in the lake and making it shine.


    ¡¸You who have proven yourself worthy, what is it that you desire? ¡¹


    Something came out!


    A woman with flowing white hair longer than the roots of the tree and clad in clothes the color of milk came out the tree trunk. Her eyes and lips were closed, even so, her voice resounded from her beautiful figure. It¡¯s a spirit; wouldn¡¯t be strange if she turned out to be a deity too.


    Is this time for ¡®Clang Clang Stick EX¡¯?


    ¡¸Diameter 4cm, length 3 meters! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s super hard and not easily broken by default, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    She turned quiet when I stated my request, so I decided to meekly wait for a bit.


    ¡¸ ¡ª You have crossed the Lands of Illusion without any wounds, and you also reached this place without slaying any of the white spirits. I will grant you the bough, not according to your words, but your actions that you have shown. ¡¹


    Eh? But I¡¯ll be troubled with that.


    The supposedly withered tree was now glowing white. One of its branches broke off without a sound, then it floated in front of me before it transformed.


    It had turned into a stick that was shorter than I requested, and its length was similar to that of a wooden sword. There¡¯s a hard bud and a young leaf that looks like it just sprouted on one end.


    ¡¸Whoaaa!! ¡¹


    It turned longer when I gripped it!


    Then it shrunk!


    ¡¸Hey, my Master! Thanks for earlier! Hurry up and name me! ¡¹


    ¡®Earlier¡¯, it said ¡ª is it that furball spirit? The name¡¯s already decided.


    ¡¸Clang Clang Stick EX! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! I¡¯m Clang Clang Stick EX from now on, let¡¯s get along from now on! ¡¹


    This mischievous-looking sprite grinned.


    ¡¸You who have the potential to be the king, and the person who has the ability to select the king ¡ª Never let this bough wither as you go forth with your spirit. ¡¹


    I was so caught up in the excitement that I didn¡¯t hear what the true spirit mumbled before she disappeared. The entire landscape had become shrouded in mist.

 CH 149

    When I came to my senses, I was already in a landscape that¡¯s similar to the one I was in before I crossed that lake. It wasn¡¯t a forest reminiscent of early summer, no tree blooming with white flowers tinged with gold. But then, there was still the Pokey Stick EX on my hand.


    A monster that looks like a saber-toothed tiger pounces at me so I defeat it. I looked around me once more, and after confirming there was nothing, I ¡¾Teleport¡¿.


    ¡¸I¡¯m home, Riche. ¡¹


    Riche charges at me from in front of the fireplace, then he sniffs me. It¡¯s his habit to smell all over whenever I return from another place other than Canum.


    I let Riche do his thing while I removed my outer coat and released the fire spirits. Dan-chan jumped into the fireplace to warm up.


    Riche briefly sniffed me, then he sat on his bum looking up at me. He probably noticed Pokey Stick EX, which had become around 40cm long.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a good stick, right. ¡¹


    I squatted down to Riches level and let him sniff Pokey Stick EX.


    ¡¸Yo! I¡¯m Pokey Stick EX, let¡¯s get along! ¡¹


    ¡¸This is Riche. ¡¹


    He suspiciously sniffed at the stick.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t Pokey Stick EX too long of a name? How about a nickname? What do you want me to call you? ¡¹


    ¡¸The Great and Mighty Rod Branch Super Pokey Stick EX! ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go with X. ¡¹


    That¡¯s way too long! And ¡®stick¡¯ and ¡®rod¡¯ are already similar as it is.


    ¡¸Eh~ then just leave ¡®Stick¡¯! It¡¯s my identity! ¡¹


    ¡¸Okay, then X-Stick. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll take a bath. ¡¹


    The spirit¡¯s place had been warm, but it was so cold that I felt chilled to the bone, so it was still cold. I propped X-Stick on the chair and went to bathe.


    I didn¡¯t really wash up, just leisurely soaked my body in hot water. I was about to drink milk after finishing the bath, when I spotted Riche biting X-Stick.


    ¡¸Ah~ there, there. Ouch ouch ouch ouch! No, not that strong! Yeah, yeah, that hits the spot. ¡¹


    I panicked at first, but it seems they¡¯re fine. And so Riche was innocently biting X-Stick, and the latter was babbling a bit too loud, but I just left them be and went off to drink some milk before resting.


    I quickly made some ochazuke, and turned in for the night, albeit a bit early. Maybe I can make something and send it out, before inviting the others to the forest to brag about X-Stick.


    ***


    I woke up to the pattering drizzle the following day. We can¡¯t go to the forest as planned, so I can only invite them for a card game, huh. The weather is bad, so I can¡¯t do any clang clang smithing, either. I¡¯m also taking a break from field work for today, so might as well do something useful indoors.


    There are two ways to use the stone kiln. Either you bake your goodies by shoving the coals taken from the fireplace into the kiln, then adjusting the temperature after, or you can put the firewood inside, raising the temperature by letting it burn completely, then take turns shoving the food in depending on the temperature as it gradually cools down.


    Because I went to bed early last night, I ended up waking early today, so I chose to do the firewood method to make various dishes. Riche and I strolled first while waiting for the firewood to completely burn out.


    I wore my hood while we hiked in the mountains. Riche doesn¡¯t get wet, so we still go out if it¡¯s just a light rain shower. The woods look picturesque in the rain, but the ground is slippery so it¡¯s quite tricky.


    After checking the wood in the kiln and making sure it turned into coals nicely, I poked around the ashes to make room for the food. First up was some spareribs and potatoes. I named the spirits while waiting for them to cook.


    The next batch to cook were buns. I played with Riche while waiting for them to bake.


    Next was pizza ¡ª I kept an eye on it since it bakes quickly. Last was soup in a jar, with chickpeas, spring cabbage and shredded bacon.


    I plated the spareribs and bread and put them inside a basket, then covered it with a cloth. With X-Stick in hand, my preparations are now complete.


    ***


    ¡¸Good morning, these are for you. I¡¯m free today, so how about a card game? ¡¹


    The weather is bad, so rich adventurers are probably at home during this time, unless they have a commission to do. It¡¯s too early to hang around the pub, after all.


    By the way, it¡¯s early enough that Ash isn¡¯t awake yet; Butler and Dinosso¡¯s family are usually the ones up at this time. Dinosso recently oversleeps for a bit the day after he drinks, but he still gets up pretty early, since they had lived as farmers.


    Butler usually estimates the time when Dean¡¯s trio wakes up before he delivers the food.


    It¡¯s X-Stick¡¯s debut, so I hid him first. Dinosso also said okay, so it¡¯s decided that we¡¯re meeting up this afternoon.


    The rain is also falling around here in Canum, so it¡¯s a bit cold. I looked around the room after kindling the fireplace. I had been spending my time outdoors since yesterday, so I decided to just laze around in front of the fireplace for the whole morning.


    I also lit the fire in the attic room, then rolled into bed. Daifuku isn¡¯t here, so it¡¯s kinda lonely, so I cuddled the feather pillow while reading a book. The windows are shut and the lamp is the only source of light, and it¡¯s making me sleepy.


    I enjoyed sleeping until late in the morning, with the raindrops on my window as my background music.

 CH 150

    ¡¸So you¡¯re saying you finally decided on your weapon, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    Dinosso asked me as he climbed up the stairs. The three of them arrived almost at the same time.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t take it out here, alright? I don¡¯t want to fall from the stairs. ¡¹


    ¡¸Please do it once we¡¯re inside the room. ¡¹


    Retze and Butler, that¡¯s assuming you¡¯re gonna be surprised, you know¡­


    I climbed after them, and came face to face with the three of them. Butler still has that subtle smile plastered on his face, Dinosso crossed his arms with his lips tightly pursed, and Retze looked as if he¡¯s already resigned for some reason.


    ¡¸Well then. ¡¹


    With great airs, I took out X-Stick.


    ¡¸Bough? ¡¹


    ¡¸A stick, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Is it a stick, perhaps? ¡¹


    When the spirit¡¯s presence is removed, X-Stick will seem like it¡¯s a 40cm long stick, and it doesn¡¯t resemble a bough. It¡¯s emerald green ¡ª or should I say a bright ash color with muted green shades if referring to the bark of the tree ¡ª and it is a smooth bough, similar to the branches of an oak tree.


    Usually, it has a bud that looks like a bundle of leaves on its tip, so that¡¯s a tell-tale sign for me that it¡¯s anything but normal. That¡¯s a weird thing considering the form of the branch.


    ¡¸Did you pick it up somewhere? ¡¹


    Dinosso commented, looking like this whole thing was a let-down.


    ¡¸Care to introduce it? ¡¹


    The moment Retze¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, the gray parts turned white, and the thin branch at the tip of the stick suddenly sprouted leaves, which then wrapped themselves on to that tip like a flower bud.


    ¡¸Hey! I¡¯m Clang Clang Stick EX! Just call me X-Stick, okay! ¡¹


    The leaves popped open with such vigor that it¡¯s almost audible, and a grinning X-Stick appeared.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸I can see it, can even hear it¡­ ¡¹


    Retze squeezed those words out after a few seconds.


    ¡¸Yeah! That¡¯s because I¡¯m a high-ranking spirit, you know! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s so hard that all the swords I¡¯ve created won¡¯t be able to cut it. ¡¹


    ¡ºZanzenken¡»probably can, but I won¡¯t test it out; I got this from the Tree of Clang Clang Stick, after all.


    ¡¸I am Noth. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, X-Stick-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m Dinosso. It¡¯s quite strange, but no one in their right mind will probably risk their lives to get that. By the way, it can also be the cover-up ¡®reason¡¯ for Jean¡¯s ability. ¡¹


    ¡¸Spirits that possess powerful attributes but are not desired by the majority also exist, after all The most important thing is that Jean-sama seems pleased with it. I¡¯m glad for you, Jean-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸Our heart¡¯s peace lies on you, we¡¯re in your care for many more years to come! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! ¡¹


    X-Stick answered energetically and even striked a victory pose for some reason.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Retze. By the way, can I ask where you met? ¡¹


    Retze belatedly introduced himself.


    ¡¸In the Northern East, at the foot of a mountain with sharp pointed peaks across a frozen lake. Just beyond that fog thingy surrounding a white forest. ¡¹


    ¡¸Master, you¡¯re the only one who thinks that¡¯s an ordinary fog, you know? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    I was puzzled, so X-Stick gestured at me to lean my face closer to him.


    That foggy place was apparently teaming with monsters that were as countless as the spirits that were eaten. And if you do anything to that unicorn, either the ground beneath you will turn into a poisonous swap, or you get caught in a poisonous fog. Terrible.


    ¡¸Oy, Noth! ¡¹


    Dinosso was shocked when Noth suddenly collapsed on the ground.


    ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t tell me you got that Clang Clang Stick from a tree that glows white and grows in the middle of a lake? ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s face was twitching as he smiled at me.


    ¡¸Ou! The one blooming with gold flowers that shine with a white light, ah, no, white blossoms that glow gold. ¡¹


    ¡¸Arghh, what the heck, isn¡¯t that the Tree of the Spirits!? ¡¹


    Retze stared at the ceiling when I answered him. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.


    ¡¸¡­ The Bough of the King. ¡¹


    Noth mumbled while hugging his knees and pressing his forehead on them, still sitting on the floor.


    ¡¸Wait, wait. Calm down, it¡¯s a disaster if this is the King¡¯s Bough! ¡¹


    Dinosso was covering his face with one hand. His face is beat red for some reason.


    ¡¸King¡¯s Bough? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! I¡¯m the Bough that all the kings want!! It¡¯s only granted to those who pass the test! ¡¹


    Is that why his ¡®yeah!¡¯ is ¡®ou!¡¯ ¡ª it rhymes with ¡®King¡¯s Bough¡¯?


    ¡¸When the King¡¯s Bough is present, spirits are easily born in that place, and they¡¯re easy to gather. It¡¯s the reason why Shurmtus, the empire that summoned the heroes, is unshakeable. They have that. ¡¹


    Retze sat down beside Butler.


    ¡¸Oh~ So that¡¯s why the spirits won¡¯t move away despite the heroes apparently using magic recklessly. ¡¹


    I understood one thing.


    ¡¸Allow me to explain while we are on the subject. The number of¡ºFae¡¯s Bough ¡»might be few, but officially, they are the places where a twig bestowed from the King¡¯s Bough is enshrined. ¡¹


    ¡¸Twig? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou, I can stretch, you know! ¡¹


    The leaf stalk turned out to be a thin twig, and when X-Stick said that, it stretched right on cue.


    Eh, the shrinking feature is pretty handy, so I thought it¡¯s there because of my wish, but does this mean he already had that ability even before? Come to think of it, my wish wasn¡¯t explicitly granted, I guess.


    ¡¸ Legend says there¡¯s a question that will be asked for those who wish to become the king, or else want that bough for their own king. So, what did you say? ¡¹


    ¡¸Question? ¡¹


    ¡¸ It is said that the Spirit of the Tree will pose her query, and the aspiring individual will then have to utter their oath. The King¡¯s Bough will vanish if the pledge isn¡¯t kept¡­ ¡¹


    Butler followed up, his head still on his knees.


    ¡¸Er¡­ Diameter 4cm, length 3 meters¡­ Does that mean you¡¯ll disappear if I think it¡¯s better if you¡¯re shorter? ¡¹


    I became worried so I asked X-Stick.


    ¡¸I got that 4cm body, so isn¡¯t it fine? But let me stretch from time to time, alright? Aren¡¯t you doing good up till now, so don¡¯t you just need to continue doing that, no? ¡¹


    X-Stick grinned.


    It seems that keeping at least one of whatever you pledged is good enough. I got the feeling that he¡¯s insinuating that he¡¯s not satisfied about how I handled him, but yeah, let¡¯s just let that be. The grip is already perfect, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be changing that.


    ¡¸No, wait a sec, what the heck did you pledge, huh? ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s taking a jab at my convo with X-Stick, but is it something you can say so bluntly?

 CH 151

    ¡¸Noth looks awful¡­ ¡¹


    He didn¡¯t get up from the floor, so I moved him to a chair, but Butler just kept his elbows on the table, and continued clutching his head, his eyes downcast.


    ¡¸ That¡¯s because he¡¯s the closest thing we have to a royal family ¡ª or should I say he got one foot stuck deep in the kingdom¡¯s mucky business. ¡¹


    Dinosso looked at Butler with sympathy.


    ¡¸I have once sought after the King¡¯s Bough in the past ¡ª no, please forget I said anything. ¡¹


    Butler was still hanging his head, when he suddenly muttered before shutting up again.


    ¡¸As far as I know, the legend about the King¡¯s Bough is about a hero, troubled by the kingdom that was on the verge of collapse and the suffering of the impoverished people, who had sought the Lake of Mists with the guidance of a spirit. He passed the ordeal, pledged an oath to the Tree of the Spirit and wished for the bough ¡ª or so they said. So, how on earth did you get to that sort of place? ¡¹


    Retze asked me with a cup of coffee in his hand.


    Thank goodness the three guys here became used to drinking coffee. Ash also drinks if it¡¯s a cafe au lait or a latte.


    ¡¸I asked Khadar how hard this world¡¯s hardest tree branch is, and that¡¯s what he answered. ¡¹


    ¡¸You did experience the ¡®guidance of the spirit¡¯ part, but your goal is different, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t it weird that you passed that test with that goal of yours? ¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t help it, I just moved forward like normal, and arrived there like normal. ¡¹


    I gave some potato chips to X-Stick, who was propped on the desk.


    X-Stick is a spirit, yet he loves junk foods and munchies.


    ¡¸¡­In my youth, I also sought the King¡¯s Bough under the order of the previous king. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh ¡¹


    Butler suddenly confessed.


    ¡¸I escorted a young ambitious man who had the guidance of the spirits. ¡¹


    ¡¸Is he the king? ¡¹


    ¡¸No. He didn¡¯t have the means to go on a journey, nor did he have any knowledge regarding governing a country. The only thing he had was his ideals. He chose the king that would rule the kingdom according to the ideals that he had. ¡¹


    ¡¸As long as the king obeyed the oath pledge to the Tree of Spirit by the person who handed the bough to him, everything will be fine. If he didn¡¯t then the bough will simply vanish. ¡¹


    Retze explained.


    Well, it¡¯s true that people who can¡¯t stand the cold won¡¯t reach the Tree; besides, the king¡¯s qualifications will also depend on physical strength.


    ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why it was said that it¡¯s for someone who has the potential to be the king, and the person who has the ability to discover a king. ¡¹


    The last words of Clang Clang Stick¡¯s Tree flashed through my mind.


    ¡¸Oy, seems like you did get the message properly, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, she suddenly spouted something about kings and whatnot, so I was wondering what kind of king it is, like, maybe we hold a championship for the best guy who can poke a hole in the ground and then declare him the king? ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, I guess even if the king himself is mediocre, if he can use the people around him well, that¡¯s good enough. So, did you get the bough or not? But then, I didn¡¯t hear anything about it. ¡¹


    Retze urged Butler to continue his story.


    ¡¸No, the kingdom did not obtain the bough. Moreover, we didn¡¯t manage to go there a second time. First of all, the temperature is low all throughout the year. We have to consider the provisions such as food and firewood for warmth, and we deemed it would be necessary for us to travel with someone who possessed ¡¾Storage¡¿.


    ¡¸Yeah, so that¡¯s their goal for going after En since we came here, huh. Shrum¡¯s summoning of heroes also put the other kingdoms at the edge of their seats, pushing them to be more active. Maybe they¡¯re trying to get the King¡¯s Bough to oppose Shrum.


    Ugh, it¡¯ll be a disaster if they were to know about my ¡¾Teleport¡¿ and ¡¾Storage¡¿.


    ¡¸We did finally set foot in the White Forest, only for our path to be blocked once again, this time by a poisonous mist. We were forced to fight against powerful monsters in the midst of that fog. When we came to our senses, we were already in the ordinary, albeit frozen, forest. ¡¹


    ¡¸I can give you spoilers if you¡¯re not gonna look for the Tree of Spirits, you know? ¡¹


    X-Stick said while munching on potato chips.


    The trio answered that they wouldn¡¯t, so X-Stick gave his spoilers.


    ¡¸Basically, the White Forest will not appear if there¡¯s someone who knows about what I¡¯m gonna tell you, even if it¡¯s just one person, so keep that in mind. Alright. First, you¡¯re gonna be tested whether you can protect someone weaker, or something different from yourself. The more you cut the trees, the more extraordinary monsters will appear in the fog, you know. ¡¹


    X-Stick grinned while saying that.


    ¡¸Next, your greed will be tested ¡ª whether you¡¯re going to rob somebody else just to get something important, like medicine or food for example. The illusions in the misty landscape will reflect that. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, I don¡¯t think so? Even if you throw the weak ones, steal from them or annihilate them, that¡¯s totally fine. Spirits don¡¯t care about the life and death of humans, unless they took a liking to that human, you know! ¡¹


    Dinosso felt like he understood, but X-Stick immediately refuted him.


    Still, this world felt a bit too harsh.


    ¡¸The process of the ordeals depends on the state of the kingdom. The result will determine the attributes of the bough that will be bestowed, whether the bough will attract spirits, or will they be born just by being beside the bough, things like that. ¡¹


    ¡¸I understand now. We had destroyed too many of the white trees and had abandoned the spirits that lived there, and because of that, the number of monsters we had to defeat had also increased. Indeed, the more we curtail the administration of the kingdom, the more our enemies would increase.


    Butler seemed a little bit enlightened.


    ¡¸Well, I also think the difficulty level of avoiding the white trees is so high it¡¯s impossible to move forward without destroying them. Most people will definitely touch them just by avoiding the attacks. ¡¹


    X-Stick threw me a glance while saying that.


    ¡¸Oh, so that unicorn was there as a temptation to those who were exhausted from fighting against the monsters, since they¡¯d need medicine too, and if they¡¯re starving, it could be their food. So, they¡¯d be tested if they¡¯d be able to proceed should they choose properly ¡ª whether they¡¯re going to rob others, or force their allies to endure. ¡¹


    I didn¡¯t choose anything and just observed, though.


    ¡¸Yup. And that¡¯s where Jean shines ¡ª he didn¡¯t hurt any weaklings, plus he annihilated all the monsters of the forest, and he was so prepared he didn¡¯t even need any food or medicine! He¡¯s strong and his preps are perfectly on point! And he looked quite comfortable too! Atta boy, my Master! ¡¹


    ¡¸Quite comfortable¡­. So? Jean, what did you answer when the Spirit of the Tree asked you about your ideals? ¡¹


    ¡¸Diameter 4cm, length 3 meters, a stick so hard it won¡¯t break. ¡¹


    I trained my gaze on X-Stick and avoided looking at the trio¡¯s faces.


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    The three guys remained silent.


    ¡¸What are your plans regarding X-Stick-sama? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to poke around rabbit holes once the weather becomes better. ¡¹


    ¡¸Stop, just give it up. ¡¹


    Dinosso stopped me in a flash when I answered Butler¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Eh!! Holes are epic!! ¡¹


    X-Stick, on the other hand, was raring to go.


    ¡¸Oh man, it seems like my all-time hero king is about to go ¡®poke¡¯ ¡®poke¡¯ with a stick. ¡¹


    Retze muttered while clutching his forehead.

 CH 152

    ¡¸Okay, I got the gist of what happened now. ¡¹


    Dinosso sipped a mouthful of coffee, looking like he was ready to heave a huge sigh.


    ¡¸So you get it now? ¡¹


    ¡¸Just the gist!! The premise is weird, you know!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, isn¡¯t it that Jean just got what he wanted? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    Yes, Retze¡¯s right.


    ¡¸¡¯Why did you wish for that?¡¯ and ¡®Didn¡¯t it cross your mind that things are getting weird halfway through¡¯ ¡ª There¡¯s tons of things I want to take a jab at, you know? ¡¹


    Hey, stop agreeing with me before going against me, will you.


    ¡¸So, now that I got the gist, I have two things I wanna ask you. ¡¹


    Dinosso put two fingers up.


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    ¡¸Who¡¯s Khadar? ¡¹


    ¡¸My guardian spirit. ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s not the ordinary spirit¡­ I wanna ask, but I¡¯m scared so I can¡¯t¡­ ¡¹


    He¡¯s mumbling something.


    ¡¸You got that right about Khadar. ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t deal the final blow!! ¡¹


    Dinosso covered his face and yelled.


    ¡¸So, what¡¯s the second? ¡¹


    ¡¸Why the heck did you name it ¡®Pokey Stick EX!!! The ambience must¡¯ve been absolutely majestic and solemn, so why!? ¡¹


    Hey, you sound like you¡¯re jealous, ain¡¯t you?


    ¡¸Hey, I¡¯ve already been doing all I can to find a stick for poking stuff, you know. Thanks to certain folks, I obtained the stick of my dreams. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks to whom!? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s us? ¡¹


    ¡¸Oy, stop it, Noth won¡¯t be able to regain his senses at this rate. ¡¹


    Retze said, so I glanced at Butler. He was sprawled on the desk. What an unbecoming appearance for a butler.


    The King¡¯s Bough selects the spirit depending on the sworn oath or the ideals that had been wished for. If the desire was related to a powerful military, then more fire and mineral spirits would increase; if they longed for a kingdom blessed with bountiful harvests, then there would be more earth spirits. And all the folks wish that there wouldn¡¯t be any black spirits.


    Black spirits are born because of the transformation of ordinary spirits, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll become completely nonexistent, but most of them would flee away. By the way, even the smallest spirits scattered from the black spirits are purified by the Bough¡¯s effect, apparently.


    As a result, the rate at which the spirits would be monsterfied in cities where humans dwell would become exceptionally lower. Never mind the ones who go berserk, the monsters would prefer not to approach the humans themselves.


    The Spirit¡¯s Bough is the downgraded version of the King¡¯s Bough, and although no spirits can be born out of it, they can still be born if there are enough spirits gathered together in one place. If things go well, places with¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» can become more prosperous than the royal capital.


    ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡»that don¡¯t have the Spirit¡¯s Bough enshrined were usually operated by spirit-possessed people doing their best to produce a pseudo-effect. It usually depends on the ability of the person who is managing the place, and magic ores are also consumed, so the maintenance cost for such places could be sky high.


    By the way, the effect on monsters would be lackluster, so in order to cope with the shortcomings of such a set-up, walls would be built, or else soldiers would be deployed ¡ª and that basically needs a huge amount of manpower too. Well, walls aren¡¯t really that of an issue; bandits also target the border towns and villages so they already have them built everywhere.


    The kingdoms confirmed to have King¡¯s Bough are Shrumtus ¨C that¡¯s the kingdom where Sis is, and Pasteur, the kingdom where I commissioned my bathtubs and it¡¯s also the home of the carpenters that took care of me. Marina, the kingdom where Nalluahdid is, located in Cavil Peninsula, also has one.


    The land of the northerners, as well as the island kingdom of Iswale on the sea, which is sandwiched between Shrum and the kingdom of desolation, were also rumored to possess King¡¯s Boughs.


    ¡¸A lot of places have them, huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸After the kingdom in the Central Plains crumbled, the races fought against each other, so the effect¡¯s range had been narrowed down. The ideals differed from race to race, so even if the Spirit¡¯s Bough was handed down, it was only weakened as opposed to completely disappearing. ¡¹


    Oh, so only a few were the spirit boughs, huh.


    Yeah, if somebody also wanted a 4cm body, then they¡¯ll clear that ¡®ideal¡¯ requirement and the king¡¯s bough will likely last longer once they receive it.


    ¡¸Even if you say ¡®a lot¡¯, it doesn¡¯t even reach ten, you know? Just the Central Plains alone already have more than 300 countries and kingdoms, you know? ¡¹


    Dinosso reminded me.


    That¡¯s right, there are so many countries in this world ¡ª even places smaller than a town in Japan are already considered a country if a feudal lord insisted on it, so there are an absurd number of them. There are kingdoms possessing King¡¯s Boughs despite being the size of a prefecture, so it¡¯s understandable how divided this world is.


    Especially the Central Plains ¡ª as soon as a country is thought to flourish, it¡¯s promptly conquered and it¡¯ll end up obliterated, so I don¡¯t have the slightest inclination to remember their names.


    ¡¸I think I understand most of what you¡¯re pointing at, but really, I don¡¯t think I need that kind of ¡®result¡¯ in my life. ¡¹


    ¡¸My Master gets along well with the spirits and he doesn¡¯t have a problem dealing with monsters. As far as it goes, I can also summon spirits indiscriminately, but for now, I¡¯ll just do what Master wants ¡ª pokey pokey all the way! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah~ that¡¯s peaceful, so that¡¯s good, just don¡¯t slip up and reveal yourself, alright? ¡¹


    Retze half-heartedly replied with his chin on his hand.


    ¡¸Most of the King¡¯s Boughs are secured in the deepest part of the palace, and they are decorated with all various magical ores, and yet¡­ ¡¹


    Butler seemed to have recovered a bit.


    Oy, that description sounds like the jeweled branch from the mythical island of Horai from Princess Kaguya¡¯s tale, doesn¡¯t it? (1).


    ¡¸I prefer being outdoors! Ah, but won¡¯t say no to magical ores, they¡¯re most welcome! ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright then, I¡¯ll do my best to poke some monsters, then. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re thinking of poking monsters with that!? ¡¹


    Dinosso kicked a fuss for a while, but he finally calmed down.


    ¡¸Well then, the difficult conversation is over, so time for some snacks and alcohol. ¡¹


    I can also make some highball and rocks today since we have ice, but we¡¯re going to play cards, so let¡¯s start first with the wine they¡¯re used to.


    For the hors d¡¯oeuvre, I prepared pinchos with pickled herring and olives, kiln-roasted Brussels sprouts, cheese and dry-cured ham, smoked salmon and cheese, omelet eggs, smoked oysters pickled in oil with mini tomato and mozzarella cheese.


    We won¡¯t have to dirty our hands, and you can check what you want or not with a glance, so it¡¯s pretty convenient. I served a heap of foods that they¡¯re unfamiliar with, so I¡¯m kinda worried whether the food suited their tastes.


    ¡¸The kids will probably get envious if I eat a lot, and I¡¯ll probably get scolded. ¡¹


    Dinosso grumbled but he¡¯s the one who first stretched his hand.


    ¡¸Yeah, want me to pack some pound cake that you can take home? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, please! Whoa, this stings, huh. ¡¹


    He ate a pincho with pickled green pepper, anchovies and olives, apparently.


    Dinosso seems like he¡¯s gonna eat whatever I give him, huh. Retze picked the ones that seemed cooked, while trying the others very gingerly. Butler mostly samples the food chosen by the others.


    ¡¸Ah, dammit! Who¡¯s blocking 5, huh!? ¡¹Dinosso.


    ¡¸Hoho, I have achieved the ace, so it¡¯s going to be from King. ¡¹Butler.


    ¡¸Eh~ you learn too fast! ¡¹Me.


    ¡¸The rules are simple, after all. ¡¹Retze.


    We¡¯re playing sevens, but the rule is to start from either ace or king, not from seven, once a row reaches either of the two. Butler ended up getting an ace after stopping at 10.


    X-Stick declared he¡¯s going to sleep after gobbling all the potato chips, and now he¡¯s just an ordinary stick. Something gleamed on his top, so I wiped it with a towel ¡ª Butler gave me a heart wrenching look.

 CH 153

    Dinner was waiting, so our group dispersed without drinking too much. I insisted that they accept some snacks and munchies before sending them home, kind of like bribes so that they¡¯d keep mum about what happened during this gathering.


    It looks like it¡¯s gonna rain heavily tomorrow, so I gave them a lot, cleaned up the place, then I¡¾Teleport¡¿back home.


    I already ate a lot earlier, so for dinner, I decided to grill a fillet of mackerel for some grilled mackerel ochazuke. Well, it¡¯s ochazuke, but I used dashi as sauce and sprinkled plenty of sesame, japanese honeywort, and shredded nori. I broke the fish into small pieces as I ate.


    The mackerel didn¡¯t have any fishy smell since I bleed it right away and prepped it with salt and sake. The honeywort gave the fat mackerel a refreshing taste.


    It¡¯s nice if I have some ago-dashi, that¡¯s dashi made from flying fish. I wonder where I can get my hands on flying fish? Ah, but then, will those in this world be the same as the ones I know?


    Canum¡¯s water is hard, and it¡¯s almost impossible to prevent the umami flavor of kelp and other stuff from leaching out because of the minerals. Actually, the water here is actually more suitable for making bouillon, since it¡¯s made by slowly cooking meat, seafood and vegetables over fire.


    Yeah, local cuisines still taste better, I guess. My home has soft water, so maybe it¡¯s better if I get water from Canum when making Japanese dishes, as well as dishes that are meant to be stewed for a long time over a fireplace.


    I had wanted to go to the forest if the weather turned out nice tomorrow, but then, it rained heavily at Canum tonight. It already stopped raining over here at my fief, but then, the weather can be very different because it¡¯s on the other side of the mountain range.


    And so, I worked on naming the spirits, then enjoyed some quiet time reading. The past days had been very busy, so I got to slowly enjoy my day for today. Even though I already slept through the morning, I still felt sleepy when my usual bedtime came, so I curled myself inside the blankets.


    The following morning, Riche and I took a stroll, with the pup carrying X-Stick in his mouth. It¡¯s his turn now, since I already poked X-Stick a lot here and there yesterday.


    Wild plums bloomed with white flowers amidst long thorns. Daffodils spread over the fields near the stream, filling the air with their fragrance.


    ¡¸Riche, don¡¯t eat the daffodils, they¡¯re poisonous, okay? ¡¹


    I¡¯ve neglected the fields and forest the past few days, so I tended to them. Canum is still having heavy rains, so it¡¯s a no for the forests over there for now.


    I cleared the ivy wrapped around the trees and pruned the branches so that the sun could reach the ground. Also cut the trees that were in the way, and planted more trees to prevent the soil from being eroded, since it¡¯s a mountain, after all. The work might seem plain, but the spirits who loved sunlight flew out of the tree hollows and fluttered around, so it¡¯s fun.


    I chop the trees I cut into suitable sizes and dry them to make firewood. The ivy can be turned into baskets, so I chucked them inside ¡¾Storage¡¿. Let¡¯s use them later when I¡¯m free.


    The afternoon was spent in the fields.


    I plowed the fields to prepare them for planting potatoes. They love soft soil, so I worked carefully. Next, I prepared unglazed pots for the seedlings, since they won¡¯t be planted directly in the field beds.


    The season for broccoli is already over, but I still kept a few of them blooming so I can harvest some seeds. The yellowish blossoms similar to rape seed blooms fluttered in the wind. The rest of the leafy left-over parts are given to the livestock.


    I fed the chickens. Their butts looked cute.


    The livestock were also taken care of, the sheds cleaned, the straw changed. Manure is great fertilizer, but since these guys are free-range, the rest of manure other than those I collected from the barn are left for Mother Nature to handle. Plus, the stinky smell is proof that it¡¯s not yet fully fermented, so can¡¯t use that as fertilizer yet.


    I mixed the straw from the livestock¡¯s beds with some withered grass that I also collected. I already added some bran too, so the fertilizer will be nice and ready soon. It¡¯s hard labor all in all, but it¡¯s fine since I got various physical abilities.


    I already finished most of the work, so I gathered some red poppy and dandelion leaves that were growing over there. Now¡¯s the perfect time while they are still young shoots; once they bloom they¡¯ll be too hard then. I frequently use the tender leaves for cooking.


    Modding some chicory.. No, I mean, this vegetable is still in the process of being improved. The chicory I know has a light color similar to chinese cabbage, but the ones I have here are really green ¡ª teeming with chlorophyll, I guess ¡ª and it¡¯s only about the size of my palm. The leaves are also rolled up almost completely, making them look like green half-opened rosebuds scattered on the ground.


    The vegetables I took home would be prepared for tonight¡¯s dinner. I¡¯ll be adding some boiled eggs to the salad full of that wild flavor, and sprinkle plenty of cheese on top. Main course is 2 pieces of lamb chops. Plus soup and bread, and preps all done.


    The lambs who grew up munching on the delicious grass of this season were called spring lambs, and they¡¯re very delicious. The tiny ones had too little fat and were dry, while the bigger ones were too old, tasting more like the mature adult ones.


    And so, the lam stored in my food storage are the medium-sized ones.


    With the lamb chop in hand, I bit into the juicy goodness and chewed it off. Bone-in lamb loin doesn¡¯t stink and doesn¡¯t have the peculiar taste of mutton, so good! Biting meat off from the bone gives off that special feeling that I¡¯m really gobbling meat.


    Riche also had his share of meat on bone and water. For dessert, I enjoyed pudding with a slightly bitter caramel sauce.


    Alright, if tomorrow¡¯s weather is great, let¡¯s go to the forest and play with X-Stick. After that, I¡¯ll go to Nalluahdid and check their progress.


    The construction workers and the stone masons are probably gathered by now, and the building materials are probably arriving bit by bit. I also ordered a lot of materials for the sanctuary, so I have to check whether they arrived too.


    Buying construction stuff and furniture really makes me stick out like a sore thumb, but there¡¯s no helping it. I knew that, so the scheme is to make a lot of things and store them inside (( Storage)) for now.


    Well, I guess I can just stock them once the building on the island is finished. The land is wide enough that it won¡¯t be suspicious even if I were to buy a lot of things. They say there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t buy in Nalluahdid, so I¡¯m looking forward to my shopping spree.


    I¡¯m happy living without having to mind what others have to say, so I don¡¯t mind that the transportation takes a long time, honestly.

 CH 154

    I peeked once on the third floor looking for Daifuku. He wasn¡¯t there, so I decided to go to the Magical Woods.


    ¡¸Hey there, Bro Bear. It was raining cats and dogs so better not to go there for now, if it¡¯s not urgent. The road is in a really bad state right now. ¡¹


    ¡­Planning to go there, but got stopped by the gate-keeper.


    The weather here might be cloudy, but it rarely rains. The water that usually seeps into the ground right away formed a lot of puddles, apparently. Well, I guess we can¡¯t have our own way with Mother Nature all the time.


    I thanked him and returned. Out of the people shifting duty now and then, he¡¯s the one who always speaks a word or two to all those who pass through this gate, and also the reason why I¡¯m so careful whenever I¡¯m using this gate to get in and out of town. It might be inconvenient for me, but I guess his method is good for security.


    Alright, let¡¯s send him something later.


    ¡¸You¡¯re quite early, huh. Am I late greeting you? ¡¹


    I was about to enter from the back door when Dinosso poked his head out of the window next door.


    ¡¸You¡¯re gonna test X-Stick, right? How about we go with everyone the day after tomorrow? It¡¯ll be three days since all of the folks related to Roza moved out by then, so we¡¯re talking about testing the spirit swords on that day. ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll go. ¡¹


    According to Butler and Retze, Roza¡¯s party usually go to areas like Magical Woods that are known places of monster overflow and are near human settlements instead of the Labyrinth, but they would go to the Labyrinth to earn money, apparently. The dungeons have a high percentage of monsters with magic stones, after all.


    Not only that, they work near populated regions so that they can impress the people. They even went deep into the Labyrinth just to make a name for themselves, apparently. Hmm, so those who aim for the country¡¯s renaissance or something have different concerns, huh.


    ¡¸Jean! Have some tea~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Tea~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Snacks~ ¡¹


    The kids poked their heads out behind Dinosso and invited me. When he said snacks, I heard it as ¡®Oyatsu¡¯. Isn¡¯t that the Japanese word oyatsu, based on the Edo period¡¯s ¡®Yatsu¡¯ time, which is 2-4pm? So it¡¯s also oyatsu here? What¡¯s going on with ¡¾Language¡¿?


    Well, I guess there¡¯s no use thinking about it this late, so I accepted the kids¡¯ invitation.


    ¡¸Please excuse me for troubling you. ¡¹


    ¡¸Come in ¡ª Hmm, I guess it can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s bake it then. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yippee! ¡¹


    The children threw their hands in the air with glee. They seemed to be preparing snacks based on how happy the kids are. Shiva came out from the back, and her arms were covered with flour. Is she preparing the batter for now and is supposed to bake later?


    Dinosso chatted with me about trivial stuff while drinking tea. I also helped the kids as they studied their letters.


    This world has five languages as far as I know, but they all originated from one language ¡ª the one used by Ruf in the olden days, and is known currently as the Language of the Spirits, from which the regional languages were derived from.


    The priests, aristocrats and merchants all study this language; you can say it¡¯s also the lingua franca in a way. A more ancient language of Ruf¡¯s, known as the magic language, is used to formally invoke the help of the spirits.


    The spirits can actually understand and communicate using most of the languages, but Ruf¡¯s Archaic Language sounded the most pleasant for them, so they will often lend their help when it is used.


    That¡¯s what we¡¯re studying now ¡ª oh, the kids look like they¡¯re zoning out.


    ¡¸You¡­. ¡¹


    Dinosso looked at me helplessly.


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    ¡¸Stop talking about everything using the Ancient Language. Speak using words they can understand. ¡¹


    ¡­


    Ack! I have to consciously think about what language to use or else I won¡¯t know what I¡¯m blabbing! ¡¾Language¡¿-san is too convenient!!


    ¡¸Only a few fragmented words are left of the Archaic Language, you know? ¡¹


    I averted my eyes at Dinosso¡¯s reminder.


    ¡¸Alright, I¡¯m done baking. Please brew the tea, okay? ¡¹


    Shiva plated the freshly baked pie on a round, wooden plate and she came out of the kitchen carrying it.


    ¡¸Yippee! ¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s wipe your hands first, wipe, wipe. ¡¹


    Oh yeah, folks here don¡¯t wash their hands before eating. It¡¯s a pain in the neck getting water from the well, so I kinda understand their sentiment. Besides, even the water in the well is suspicious. And so, I recently started endorsing the wonders of warm wet towels.


    While I brew the tea, Shiva slices the pie on the plate and distributes a slice each to the plates the kids were carrying.


    ¡¸Thanks for the food. ¡¹


    The pie Shiva baked is made out of pumpkin, it seems.


    ¡¸This pumpkin is kinda strange, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    The pie has orange strings for its filling.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a string pumpkin. We harvested it after summer ended and I made it into jam. ¡¹


    Shiva explained.


    Oh, right, I remember reading somewhere that we also have something called soumen kabocha, or spaghetti squash, in Japan. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s used for refreshing recipes, and maybe the taste is quite similar to the pumpkins they have over here?


    This world¡¯s pumpkins are less sweet, more watery, sticky and fragrant, so I frequently use this variety whenever the dish I¡¯m making calls for some pumpkin to be mixed with other ingredients.


    Shiva¡¯s jam is exquisite, and the pumpkin looks like pretty, glossy golden threads. The crunchy mouthfeel is quite interesting. Ah, but if I¡¯m going to make sweets, I¡¯d definitely use the pumpkins and squash from Japan, I guess.


    It wasn¡¯t in the plan, but I got to play with the kids and it was soothing. How great it is to be so pure ~ well, that¡¯s what I thought while we played.


    I didn¡¯t get to test X-Stick for today, so I returned to my house and prepared a box with a lot of different things stuffed inside. I then pasted a sheet of paper on top in place of a lid.


    I called Riche, so I was wondering what he was doing ¡ª turns out he was staring at me doing my work.


    By the way, just a bit of info ¡ª ever since I created the attic room, the third floor of my Kanum house has been completely turned into a workshop. Anyway ¡ª


    ¡¸X-Stick! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes yo, Master! ¡¹


    X-Stick suddenly popped out of the wooden stick.


    ¡¸Sorry, the conditions aren¡¯t so good there today too, so we couldn¡¯t go. Let¡¯s just play a guessing game instead. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! ¡¹


    And so, today¡¯s game with X-stick involved him breaking through the paper lid and poking the objects to guess what they are.


    X-Stick became more interested in poking through the paper, so after pestering me for quite a while, I decided to make more boxes with papers for him to make a hole through.


    .


    In the end, even Riche joined in the fun, so we ended up tearing a lot of papers. Hmm, maybe I¡¯ll try pasting paper on the lattice later. Ah, it suddenly reminded me of cats tearing holes on shoji doors.

 CH 155

    ¡¸Yeah. They keep on coming. ¡¹


    The lumber and other materials are steadily being carried to the sheds on the island and piled on a heap.


    .


    ¡¸The rest of the materials that can be weatherbeaten are carried near to the actual building area. ¡¹


    I listened to Gold and Silver¡¯s report while looking around.


    They still had to do a lot of prep work on the stones and timber so it doesn¡¯t look like a lot of progress has been done, but in fact, the collapsed walls and other broken structures had already been removed and repairs have started on the fortress¡¯s port.


    The island¡¯s wharf has also been repaired, but work is easier if there¡¯s a point where they can directly unload heavy stuff. The plan is to repair the walls and floors that are still in good condition, so the time should be shorter compared to if we made everything from scratch. I lowered the daily wage and increased the completed work compensation. The construction workers will also benefit with profits if they work fast and faultless, so I wanted them to give their best.


    ¡¸The residents are doing stone masonry work in the appointed place. ¡¹


    The island is mostly made up of mountains and white limestone cliffs, covered by soil that is mostly volcanic ash that had accumulated. There are few flat areas, so we built stone walls to prevent the earth from collapsing. We also flattened the slopes to make more plains.


    Trees weren¡¯t that abundant here, so I can¡¯t expect we¡¯ll get humus, but at least we got fertilizer and plenty of water. No wonder they have many vineyards around this area. Still, I want them to be self-sufficient at the very least, so let¡¯s do our best to remodel this region.


    I also want huge trees for the scenic landscape you can see from the houses.


    ¡¸By the way, what are your plans for the huge amount of glass stored at House 10¡­? ¡¹


    ¡¸Unbelievable size and almost zero distortion ¡ª must¡¯ve cost an arm and a leg, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Just how much capital do you have, I wonder¡­ ¡¹


    Nah, it¡¯s just honest elbow grease.


    ¡¸Spending money is fine, but you do know how hellishly hot summers can be around here, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s fine. ¡¹


    Silver is right. Buildings here have small windows with shutters. They serve more as ventilation rather than letting the sunlight in. Well, I guess part of the reason is because they can¡¯t make huge panes of glass.


    Still, the finished glass I made is amazing because of the insulation effect. Not only that, thanks to Van helping out, it¡¯s more durable than a stone wall; it¡¯s so good it should be illegal. The glass covered in red cloth are Van¡¯s.


    I also considered making greenhouses, but it seems like it won¡¯t work. Ah, wait, maybe if I can leave a fireplace inside, it¡¯ll stay warm? Well, I¡¯m gonna think about that later. At any rate, the entire island has a warm climate, so there¡¯s no need for a greenhouse.


    ¡¸Everything¡¯s going smooth and we¡¯re ahead of schedule, and we got many construction workers to boot, huh. ¡¹Nice.


    ¡¸We will be designating work per section later so that there won¡¯t be any risk of the blueprint being passed on to bandits and other people. ¡¹Gold.


    ¡¸After the turn-over, we¡¯re gonna make sure to do the latticework and block the passageway. ¡¹Silver.


    Ah, no, you don¡¯t have to be so strict to that extent.


    ¡¸Thanks. Here, compensation. ¡¹


    As expected of guys with sneaky jobs, huh ~ with that thought, I gave them the money bag and the pouch of snacks.


    Silver didn¡¯t even glance at the money bag as usual; he hurriedly got the snack pouch from me. Today¡¯s snack is sesame cheese straws.


    ¡¸Will it be possible to double the amount of these snacks? ¡¹


    Gold awkwardly smiled.


    ¡¸Why? You¡¯re gonna get fat if you eat too much, you know? ¡¹


    I¡¯m opposed to you eating snacks instead of a proper meal.


    ¡¸I gave a piece to Auro, and he could taste it, it seems. ¡¹


    ¡¸I am not sure whether this is a good thing or not. However, the flavor is indeed deep. It would be alright for me if you lower my portion of compensation for a small amount. ¡¹


    ¡¸You can also lower mine by the same amount. ¡¹


    Oh, so it¡¯s for the two of them. Wait, I¡¯ve been handing snacks for both of them ever since, though? Well, I did know that Silver seemed to be monopolizing it.


    ¡¸Ah if that¡¯s the case then there¡¯s no need for that, it¡¯s not a big deal. ¡¹


    I slip off my shoulder bag, thrust my hand inside and got more snack pouches.


    ¡¸Here, there are two more pouches so share one with the island children. ¡¹


    It¡¯s great that everything¡¯s going according to plan, albeit a little fast.


    ¡¸What¡¯s your plan after this? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll go back to Nalluahdid and stroll around for a bit. I wanna buy some fabric. ¡¹


    I want to make some summer clothes.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll go with you. ¡¹


    Silver suddenly told me he¡¯ll tag along, so I arranged for our ferryman. Well, it¡¯s the same old man from the village.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t have the confidence to keep my gluttony in check. ¡¹


    Oy, you¡¯re an adult!


    Seems like he¡¯s going with me to overcome the temptation of snatching the snack pouch from the kids. Oy, Gold also has a subtle smile plastered on his face.


    I strolled around Nalluahdid with Silver. I¡¯m supposed to be helpless about it, but turns out he already mastered Nalluahdid¡¯s crooks and crannies like the back of his hand, so he didn¡¯t lack anything as a guide.


    How excellent. It¡¯s just that he might be easily bribed by a cookie made by a possessed person.


    Dress and shoe materials, jewelry and food seems to be in trend now. Some hero somewhere fancies them, apparently, so the nearby countries and kingdoms also good-naturedly ordered them.


    As a result, rare fabrics and lace are sold with sky-high prices, but normal fabrics are still quite affordable and they have a lot of choices.


    ¡¸This shade of blue is quite subdued, isn¡¯t it.¡¹


    ¡¸Vivid blues can only be produced by the dyers possessed by spirits. I believe it will be a great fortune if you have an inkling as to what bright dyes are. ¡¹


    Silver¡¯s way of speaking turns a 180 degree when we¡¯re in public, and he even courteously carried my stuff. What a change in attitude.


    ¡¸Really? ¡¹


    ¡¸The lapis lazuli that brings out the vivid blue in paintings are worth much more than gold, and most people wearing blue in paintings are nobles. They do desire clothes with bright hues of blue, but paintings are far more valuable for them, given that blue paint uses ores which cannot be used for fabrics. Not to mention the dyers who can do such techniques are very few, so I believe it can be quite otiose to use vivid blue for cloth, if I may say so. ¡¹


    This current dull shade of blue will turn into a vivid hue when dyed by a possessed dyer, just like the color found in paintings, and it will be extremely expensive.


    Moreover, these dyers are said to be under the protection of the church. Apparently, there is a color representative of each spirit, and they would stick to that particular color. In several cases, the dyer¡¯s services would be exclusive for the fabrics that are used to make the clothes of the upper echelons of the church. Such fabric increasingly became unavailable to the public, apparently.


    ¡¸Ah, no, I just saw someone selling indigo like normal. ¡¹


    Yup, it¡¯s certain now; folks here think solidified indigo is a kind of mineral, huh. Seems like it never crossed their mind to use it as fabric dye. Hey, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s solidified to become dry and hard so that it¡¯ll be easier to transport, no?


    ¡¸Will spreading indigo affect the dyers? ¡¹


    ¡¸No. If a possessed dyer used that indigo or whatnot, it will certainly benefit them. ¡¹


    Oh, so that¡¯s how it is.


    Ah, but then, it might be a pain in the neck since an organization like the church might become involved. Besides, adventurers and nobles are permitted to wear bright colors, so I guess it¡¯s fine? Well, I guess it¡¯s fair to assume that the official stance of not allowing commoners to buy them might also be because such fabrics are way too costly.


    Regardless, assumptions can be quite scary! Or should I say, you folks should find out first what the object is for before importing them. Take potatoes, for example, the impression that potatoes are ornamental flowers is still strong.

 CH 156

    ¡¸I¡¯m counting on you, Ruta. ¡¹


    Today¡¯s the day we¡¯re gonna test the spirit swords in the forest. We can¡¯t do it in a place that¡¯s too close to the city, nor can we test them in spots frequented by adventurers, so we decided to ride our horses to a more suitable place.


    The weather has been quite nice recently, so Ash and I meet to have long-distance horse-riding sessions with lunch together. I feel like I¡¯m getting better at riding horses, but yeah, Ruta still handles all the basics.


    ¡¸You¡¯re still the same as ever, Ruta! ¡¹


    It¡¯s just as Chris said; Ruta would always break through the stalls, or else jump over the fence everytime she senses my presence even before I finished greeting the receptionist.


    And so, I recently added more money to Ruta¡¯s deposit fees to cover the repair fees too.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a nice day. ¡¹


    Ash seems happy. Her expression might not change much, but it¡¯s quite obvious that she loves riding horses.


    We saw a beacon tower and a dovecote hidden among the trees. I was thinking the path was quite easy for horses to traverse, but it turned out that people had already been here before.


    Since we didn¡¯t decide on any particular destination, once we reached a suitable open area, we dismounted, took a short break, then started with the test.


    ¡¸Ruta, the monsters might seem few, but that doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t come out, so be careful, alright? ¡¹


    Ruta snorted and leaned her face against me.


    I wiped her down, gave her water and some rock salt to replenish her electrolytes.


    ¡¸You spoil her as always, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. I think he¡¯s gonna make some horseshoes too at this rate. ¡¹


    Ash even agreed with him.


    ¡¸This much is normal. ¡¹


    Ruta lifted her upper lips to her nose and bared her teeth; it looked like she¡¯s grinning.


    ¡¸Yeah. If it¡¯s a normal horse, I¡¯m gonna think something stinks, but in her case, she¡¯s probably laughing at us. ¡¹


    Dean rolled his eyes. Hey, this is normal, it¡¯s similar to cats¡¯ flehmen response.


    ¡¸It¡¯s good that it¡¯s mutual love. ¡¹


    Retze was already done with his own horse, and was picking stones for the campfire.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll pick some firewood. ¡¹


    Gotta work now.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll draw the water! ¡¹


    ¡¸Wee-wee! ¡¹


    ¡¸Wee¡­ Ouch! ¡¹


    Tina knocked the twins on the head. That¡¯s because ¡®toilet time¡¯ means they¡¯re gonna scatter around. The kids are naturally accompanied by Dinosso or Shiva, although the monsters around here weren¡¯t that strong.


    After finishing my own business too, I picked up some suitable withered branches, as well as dried grass that seemed great as fire fodder while clearing the grass and thorny shrubs with X-stick.


    They were about to start a fire by the time I returned. We¡¯ve gathered quite a lot of firewood, so we ignited them. Retze¡¯s amazing for being able to light it with just one stroke of the flint.


    We¡¯re here camping out, but Butler was still refined as usual; he even prepared an elegant tea set. The utensils were far from delicate since they¡¯re designed for outdoor use, but still, right?


    Folks here don¡¯t often drink water as is; they bring water gourds, but mostly filled with low-alcohol content wine.


    With fire, we can either drink plain hot water or tea. We already tried all sorts of tea; I remember drinking the tea prepared from who-knows-what kind of herb that Retze gathered on site while enduring its muddy taste. Ahh, memories. It¡¯s good for warming the body, apparently, but yep, nasty tasting things are nasty, period.


    ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do this. Can I go first? ¡¹


    After we hydrated ourselves and took a break, Dinosso stood up. Dean is kinda creepy with his eyes sparkling with anticipation, but I¡¯m gradually getting used to him being like this.


    The sword¡¯s entire body was black, while the tip of the sword and the decorated guard part of the hilt were orange, the shade of molten iron.


    Dinosso swung his sword lightly, and flames shot out of the blade as he cut through the air.


    ¡¸Ha! ¡¹


    Dinosso apparently infused it with his mana; flames blazed from his hand to the sword¡¯s blade then spread out in a circle around him.


    ¡¸Whoa! Amazing, dude! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s so flashy. ¡¹


    ¡¸Gorgeous! ¡¹


    Dean, Retze and Chris praised him with those words respectively.


    ¡¸Papa is so cool~ ¡¹


    ¡¸So cool~ ¡¹


    ¡¸So cool~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, your Papa is so cool~ ¡¹


    Dinosso slung his sword on his shoulder, winking happily at the shocked kids.


    ¡¸Oh dear, you look really happy. Mom¡¯s sword is like this. ¡¹


    Dinosso wielded his sword as if he¡¯s practicing by himself, but Shiva simply swung hers downward.


    Her sword drew a graceful arc, sparkling snow spilling out of the white blade. Hers was a very elegant yet sharp ice-attribute sword.


    She also infused her mana right there and then, so a chilling breeze blew out of the blade itself, and a thin ice appeared, which cracked immediately. The broken ice turned into thin, sharp ice blades.


    Shiva did all of this with a warm smile on her face, and the effect was amazing.


    She didn¡¯t reveal the other sword, just like Butler.


    ¡¸Noth¡¯s gonna pass too? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a secret weapon. I believe it will not be suitable for me to reveal its ability. ¡¹


    Butler glossed over Dean¡¯s question.


    Oh, right, secret weapons are meant to be hidden, abilities and all. If its presence and abilities are revealed, then the value is already reduced by half.


    Eh? So Shiva is treating the other sword as a secret weapon too¡­? Well, I guess Energy Drain also works on wraiths, so it probably doesn¡¯t suck vitality, but kinetic energy instead? Not really sure about this, but it¡¯s a sword that can inflict damage mentally.


    Shiva was watching Butler and Dean¡¯s exchange with a smile. Our eyes met, so I feigned ignorance.


    ¡¸Me next! ¡¹


    Tina moved to a wider space.


    ¡¸Ey! ¡¹


    She swung the hammer with both hands. It rapidly grew in size, and by the time it hit the ground, it was so huge, much bigger than Tina even though she had a small stature. It returned to its original size after the head part of the hammer touched the ground and made a crater.


    ¡¸Why did it get bigger? What the heck is the logic behind that? ¡¹


    ¡¸Dunno! ¡¹I shrugged at Retze¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Bfft! Hey, you maker!! ¡¹Dean bursted out.


    ¡¸I think it¡¯s cute. ¡¹


    ¡¸I agree! ¡¹


    Ash and Chris.


    ¡¸Your impression is off, way too off! ¡¹


    Noisy Dean.

 CH 157

    ¡¸So, why does it have to expand? ¡¹


    Dean saw En and Vak¡¯s weapons and asked again, looking dissatisfied.


    ¡¸I believe it will be better to give up on this. ¡¹


    Hey Butler! Understanding and giving up will give you very different impressions, you know!


    ¡¸My sword¡¯s not as effective as Wolf King¡¯s because I don¡¯t have enough mana, not because it¡¯s a lower quality version, right? ¡¹


    Dean is the type to just smash things instead of cutting, so his great sword is a lot thicker than Dinosso¡¯s and it gets that heavier feel when he swings it around.


    There¡¯s also the difference in size, but yeah, his fire did look a little inferior to the overpowering blazing flames of Dinosso¡¯s.


    ¡¸Fufu! Let me now demonstrate this magnificent sword of mine! ¡¹


    Chris waved his sword with flourish, scattering light while doing so.


    ¡¸ArrgggHHHH!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸WhoaaaaaAAAHHHH!!! ¡¹


    I already predicted this would happen, so I circled my arm around Ash and covered her eyes with my arm from behind her. We didn¡¯t get hurt because of that.


    Dean and Chris, the one who happily brandished the sword, tumbled on the ground. Dinosso and Shiva protected the kids properly.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a pity the direction of the attack cannot be controlled, unlike that of the fire. ¡¹


    Unruffled Butler commented nonchalantly.


    ¡¸Thanks. Mm, it¡¯s my turn now. ¡¹


    Ash ignored the two guys twitching on the ground.


    Well, the light just now wasn¡¯t as strong as the one I accidentally activated back in my house, so they¡¯re probably gonna be fine, I guess. Well, it doesn¡¯t hurt to be sure, so maybe I¡¯ll¡¾Heal¡¿ them later just in case.


    Ash stepped forward and swung her sword.


    She was still far from an hourglass figure, but she got that svelte, alright. I¡¯ll adjust everything in her wardrobe that she¡¯s been using until now after I give her some summer clothes.


    The water sheath on her blade flew and turned into sharp blades, cutting the branches of a tree nearby.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a little shaky. Looks like I need to practice.. ¡¹


    Scary-faced Ash put away her sword. Seems like she didn¡¯t like the trajectory of the water blades.


    ¡¸Long-range attacks, huh. How nice. Plus it doesn¡¯t even damage the material. ¡¹


    Oh, right, come to think of it, Dinosso¡¯s ¡ª and Dean, too ¡ª flames can potentially damage the materials.


    But then, it can inflict burns during a fight, so I guess fire is probably better.


    ¡¸Okay, me next, huh. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s sword seemed quite eager; green vines were already snaking out of it.


    ¡¸Oy, wait, don¡¯t suck on Dean and Chris. ¡¹


    The vines were about to reach out to the two guys who were squatting down while clutching their eyes and heads, so Retze stopped them.


    ¡¸Uh¡­So there¡¯s no need to swing the sword, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Seems like it. ¡¹


    Retze answered Ash when she dubiously asked him.


    ¡¸So these vines can stealthily creep on to someone without any presence. Very convenient. ¡¹


    ¡¸I control when they slither out, but they tend to do whatever they want after that. Well, I guess not being able to use mana myself might be a reason. ¡¹


    The vines returned back to Retze and twined around his arm.


    ¡¸Quite attached to you, aren¡¯t they? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, watered them properly, after all. ¡¹


    Retze gallantly cares for this sword, huh. The sword that is planted on a pot.


    ¡¸I¡¯m the last one. ¡¹


    Alright, what to do now that I stepped forward?


    ¡¸What¡¯s that? Did you make that too, Jean? ¡¹


    The recovered Dean asked.


    ¡¸It looks like a bough stick, did you hew it yourself, perchance? ¡¹


    Chris stared fixedly at X-Stick.


    ¡¸I thought it¡¯s quite well made, but¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s been whittled down. ¡¹


    Ash commented.


    ¡¸Fufufu. It¡¯s not just an ordinary stick, X-Stick! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! Master! I¡¯m Pokey Stick EX! Nicknamed X-Stick! I¡¯m fine being an ordinary stick, too! ¡¹


    Heh, you¡¯re fine being an ordinary stick ¡ª great sense of identity you got there.


    Some of the guys froze when X-Stick appeared at the tip of the stick. The trio who were already in the know either averted their eyes or else pressed their mouths and swallowed the sigh they¡¯re about to heave.


    ¡¸A possessed bough¡­ How unique. ¡¹


    Ash behaved like usual.


    ¡¸Uwa~ so cute! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a Spirit, a Spirit!! ¡¹


    ¡¸First time I see one so clearly! ¡¹


    The goggley-eyed kids were dumbfounded at first, but they happily gathered around me soon after.


    ¡¸Noth, I¡¯ll hold X-Stick, so can you cut him for me? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ X-Stick, is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹


    Butler stood transfixed with a smile plastered on his face.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll do it instead. It¡¯s rare to see Noth hesitating like this. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, eh? You¡¯re gonna do it? ¡¹


    Retze turned away.


    ¡¸Now come! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ey! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ahhhh¡­.! ¡¹


    Shiva didn¡¯t even mean to go all out; she just brought her sword down with a light shout. Somebody shrieked hoarsely.


    ¡¸¡­! I¡¯m tingling. ¡¹


    X-Stick was safe and sound, but the arm I used to support X-Stick felt numb up to my elbow.


    ¡¸Goodness! ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, this truly is bad for the heart. ¡¹


    Shiva was astounded, Butler pressed his heart, Dinosso slumped down, Retze looked aghast.


    ¡¸This ¡®sword¡¯ looks like the easiest one to cut down, and yet¡­ Oy, it¡¯s amazing! ¡¹Dean.


    ¡¸Yeah. Thank goodness it¡¯s not Dinosso¡¯s huge sword. ¡¹


    If Shiva¡¯s ¡®blow¡¯ had been any stronger then¡¾Heal¡¿ would have been activated. Gold-ranks are incredible, yeah, so awesome.


    ¡¸Ignorance is bliss¡­. ¡¹


    Retze was mumbling something.

 CH 158

    I grilled some sausages and inserted them into the hot dog buns with the ends peeking a bit; yep, that¡¯s the way to go!


    It¡¯s quite late for lunch.


    ¡¸Anyone here who doesn¡¯t like spicy~? ¡¹


    ¡¸Me! ¡¹


    En raised his hand.


    ¡¸Alright, wait a bit. ¡¹


    A little bit of mustard, more ketchup and spread with a spoon ¡ª might be better if we have the proper utensils for doing this.


    I also prepared some onions that had already been sliced back home, and cucumber and beet pickles, plus sauerkraut, easy melt cheese, and chili beans.


    ¡¸Here you go. You can add other ingredients if you want. Melt the cheese over the campfire and put it on top, it¡¯ll taste great. Grownups, help yourselves; be careful with this one, it¡¯s spicy. ¡¹


    This stuff might look like it¡¯s pickled cucumber slices, but no, it¡¯s jalape?o, so I warned them.


    Would be nice to have some cola, but we only have coffee. The bread crust is slightly crunchy outside and soft and fluffy inside. I piled the perfectly grilled sausage, ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles to the point of spilling, then took a huge bite.


    Ahhh, bliss.


    ¡¸This is nice, it¡¯s fun. ¡¹


    Dinosso quipped while watching the kids happily piling stuff on their own buns, still spilling some even while being careful.


    ¡¸It¡¯s easy to consume, and that¡¯s also pleasant. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s more scrumptious than anything I¡¯ve ever tasted! ¡¹


    Butler was finally revived, and Chris was exaggerated as usual with all those big gestures of his.


    ¡¸Amazing, it¡¯s the first time I saw a spirit having a solid body and eating, on top of that. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    Dean and Ash gaped at X-Stick.


    Hotdogs seem to fall into the junk food category that X-Stick loves so much, so I guess he can eat it. But what¡¯s up with that mouth? It¡¯s not sticking out of his chin? Is it similar to how whale sharks eat?


    Maybe it¡¯s just me, but that sight of him opening up and gobbling a hotdog bigger than his body diameter is kinda suspicious.


    ¡¸Hey, if we consider this calmly, I can See him and swords don¡¯t cut him, so he¡¯s probably one of the stronger spirits. At least that¡¯s what I think, but yeah.¡¹


    What you¡¯re thinking? What do you mean by that, Dean?


    ¡¸I¡¯m actually unsure how to react with Jean¡¯s spirits, be it that doggie or this stick. ¡¹


    ¡¸No need to bother about anything, you know. ¡¹


    Butler, on the other hand, was pressing his eyes for some reason.


    The plan was to hunt monsters nearby after lunch, but I stayed behind as the first batch went out to hunt, to tend to the horses.


    Brush Ruta then brush one of the other horses lightly, brush Ruta then brush one of the other horses lightly, brush Ruta¡­.


    ¡¸Dedicated, aren¡¯t you, Jean. ¡¹


    Beside me, Ash was brushing the horse she rode on.


    Well, can¡¯t be helped, everytime I finish one horse, Ruta comes to me thinking it¡¯s her turn next, so¡­


    ¡¸I thought you¡¯re a weird fellow the first time we met, but I didn¡¯t have any idea that you¡¯re such a gallant guy. You¡¯d been quite crabby back then ¡ª well, I guess I know now that it was because of my lil sis. ¡¹


    Dean was also brushing the horses. Yeah, he¡¯s really into animals, huh, just like that time with Riche.


    Chris and Retze were also with us. Butler told us, ¡¯I¡¯ll be off to vent on the monsters¡¯ with a pleasant grin on his face, then he joined the advance party.


    ¡¸Yeah, I didn¡¯t have any plans putting up with you guys immediately after she was released. Sorry ¡®bout that. I¡¯m actually glad that we met again in the forest that time. ¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t trust them because of my Sis, after all.


    ¡¸You¡­ Well, it¡¯s kinda weird hearing it from you with Ruta tousling you. So, now you¡¯re putting up with me? ¡¹


    ¡¸Not really? I¡¯m just living freely. ¡¹


    Ruta was still munching on my hair.


    ¡¸I¡¯m also glad that I saw you again in the forest. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks. ¡¹


    Ash is always straightforward, but it still made me blush a bit. Ah, but she has that Asura face on, so for an instant, I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡¸I¡¯m happy too, well, not counting that incident with that spirit thing. ¡¹


    Dean mumbled while staring at his hands.


    ¡¸Oh my, oh my, is this because of youth, the springtime of life!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, you should consider age when you say youth, right. ¡¹


    Chris¡¯s voice boomed as if to drown Dean¡¯s mumblings.


    Chris and Retze were gathering medicinal herbs nearby and were sorting them out.


    ¡¸Nope, I¡¯m just apologizing back when I acted exasperatingly. The advance party is back. ¡¹


    We could already see Dinosso and the others even before Dean finished speaking.


    ¡¸We¡¯re back~ ¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re back!


    ¡¸We¡¯re back! ¡¹


    The kids rushed towards us with Shiva behind them, followed by an exhausted looking Dinosso.


    ¡¸Ash-sama, I have returned. ¡¹


    And Butler was the last, a smile plastered on his face.


    ¡¸Do you feel refreshed? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. ¡¹


    ¡¸Great, then. ¡¹


    Ash and Butler were talking as master and servant candidly, but Dinosso was glaring at them, as if he wanted to say it¡¯s nothing great.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve worked hard, Dinosso. ¡¹


    ¡¸More than half of it is because of you, you know!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, I didn¡¯t even join you!? ¡¹


    Nonsense!

 CH 159

    With X-Stick in hand, I poked and rustled my way through the forest.


    ¡¸It¡¯s great that you¡¯re enjoying yourself, but tone down the noise, alright?¡¹


    Retze scolded me.


    ¡¸Ye~s! ¡¹


    Well, we¡¯re not here to traverse the forest but to look for monsters, so I guess he¡¯s got a point.


    The monsters living in this area of the forest aren¡¯t so powerful that they¡¯ll attack our group of five. Some of them are even smart enough to stay out of our way.


    The advance group caught a few monsterfied birds ¡ª great grouse and partridges. The great grouse looks like a cross between pheasants and turkey. I remember reading that Poirot failed to eat the red grouse in Agatha Christie¡¯s novel. I wonder if that red grouse also exists here?


    ¡¸¡­ How rare. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    Retze quietly said while gesturing for us to stop.


    ¡¸A fawn¡­ with horns. ¡¹


    Dean narrowed his eyes and stared at the object of Retze¡¯s line of sight.


    It¡¯s a fawn monster, apparently. Except for certain breeds, monsters very rarely give birth to young, so fawn monsters are considered rare. They also taste good, apparently.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a bit far away! ¡¹


    Chris¡¯s accent was still strong despite whispering.


    On top of the distance, it¡¯s also in a clearing, so it¡¯ll probably be difficult for us to approach it.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll miss it if it¡¯s this far. ¡¹


    I watched Ash practice shooting her blades earlier.The more mana she pours in the more the range increases, but the ice blades end up flying askew. She can only hit targets accurately if they¡¯re not more than 10 meters away.


    The fawn was around 30 meters away from us.


    ¡¸Will mine reach it? ¡¹


    Retze drew his sword.


    Out of the two, three vines that came out, only one stretched out and slithered. It could probably stretch more, but just one could work with the distance.


    ¡¸Ack, I can¡¯t. It¡¯ll be dangerous if it sucks more than this. ¡¹


    Seems like Retze¡¯s mana wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll lend you my mana! ¡¹


    I tried touching the sword, but the remaining vines retracted back.


    ¡¸¡­Seems like it won¡¯t work? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    I tried again, stretching my hand this time, and one of the ivy tendrils wrapped around it. The limp ivy suddenly became energetic, slithering towards the fawn and successfully entwined it.


    ¡¸Is it because you¡¯re the manufacturer? ¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe it just easily gets attached? ¡¹


    Ash and Dean stared at the ivy.


    It looked quite happy with its leaves rustling.


    ¡¸¡ª Can I water it later, too? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the problem. ¡¹


    Chris timidly asked. Retze¡¯s face was somewhat puckered.


    ¡¸Spirit swords usually work with affinity to spirits. I think it¡¯s a question of whether you¡¯re favored or not. ¡¹


    ¡¸Just give it up. ¡¹


    Ash said with a somber face. Dean grinned while patting Retze¡¯s back.


    Dean dealt the final blow to the fawn and cut the delicious meat.


    Afterward, horned great grouse also appeared, but Dean completely charred it black so we couldn¡¯t bring it back.


    ¡¸Hmm~ fire is nice and all because of the power, but then, the materials¡­ Alright, maybe I shouldn¡¯t put mana in it for normal use, just for emergencies. Maybe I should find a chance to fight against strong guys to practice, but ¡ª Wolf King, you looked really cool. ¡¹


    Heh, instead of sword practice, this guy will probably practice imitating Dinosso¡¯s way of wielding his sword. Kinda like little kids copying their heroes.


    ¡¸My sword is probably suited as a light source for caves and the labyrinth. It¡¯s quite difficult if I¡¯m going to blind my enemies with it, since I also have to close my eyes too. Not sure if it would work on wraiths and undead, but it sure is romantic! ¡¹


    Eh, I thought I gave you a troublesome sword, but it¡¯s romantic for you, huh.


    After every one took a turn defeating the monsters with their respective swords, I poked around to my heart¡¯s content.


    ¡¸Oh? ¡¹


    I discovered some mushrooms while rustling around and parting the dead leaves around the roots of the trees.


    ¡¸Lille, huh. Come to think of it, they¡¯re in season, right. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Is it the one you told me to look for when you gave me the mushrooms? ¡¹


    ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ said it¡¯s a relative of morels.


    ¡¸Yup yup. These guys are also tasty, but you can¡¯t eat them raw. ¡¹


    Dean explained, but no need to worry, I¡¯m not used to the culture of eating mushrooms raw.


    ¡¸There¡¯s a similar-looking mushroom called elp, but the fragrance is just so-so, so it¡¯s cheap. These can fetch a higher price. ¡¹


    I see, so with Retze¡¯s method, I should just poke around heaps that are taller than the surroundings, huh. I approve, so yep, rustle, rustle.


    Lille has a mesh, honeycomb-patterned hood that¡¯s hollow inside. The umbrella part appeared as if the exterior of the handle-like body simply stretched outward to form that hood. That made it look like they¡¯re attached to each other instead of the umbrella part protruding out from the center, like the case with elp.


    I no longer poked things with X-Stick but stuck to rummaging the leaves to look for lille. A toad monster suddenly jumped out, which I promptly stabbed with X-Stick, so it¡¯s quite the harvest.


    ¡¸Heh, X-Stick is convenient, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸I know, right? ¡¹


    I don¡¯t have to squat while rummaging, and I can even stab monsters that jump out!


    We carried loads of lille and the fawn back to the campsite.


    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s the season for lille, come to think of it. ¡¹


    Butler brewed the tea while waiting for us.


    ¡¸Oh goodness, what a bountiful harvest~ ¡¹


    It¡¯s decided that I¡¯m going to make lille cream pasta, and Shiva¡¯s gonna make partridge pie and she¡¯ll wrap it up for us..


    It¡¯d be nice if everyone could gather ¡®round the table and enjoy them together, but we don¡¯t have enough space, so they have to come over and get their food once it¡¯s done.


    Hmm, maybe I can just smash the second floor¡¯s guest room and convert it into a dining room? Nobody¡¯s gonna sleepover there, after all.

 CH 160

    Before I knew it, summer was already here while I spent the days hunting with Pokey Stick EX, making stuff that I lacked, planting trees on the island.


    ¡¸Riche, it¡¯ll be cooler over here once I open the sluice, so why don¡¯t you come here? ¡¹


    Riche was staying in the corner of a dark room where sunlight doesn¡¯t reach.


    Days with clear skies, bright sun and no humidity are perfectly great for me, but Riche finds them too hot for comfort. It wasn¡¯t to the point that he¡¯ll get weak, but he likes to lie down spread-eagled with his tummy flat on the floor, as if trying to enjoy the sensation of the cold floor to the fullest.


    I opened the sluice this morning after inspecting the water channel underneath the room. The stone slab was quite thick so it took me some time, but the room turned cooler than the rest of the house.


    Since we¡¯re avoiding the heat, stroll time with Riche has gotten earlier by the day. Well, it¡¯s okay because I take naps in the afternoon anyway.


    Alright, today¡¯s the day I¡¯ll be working on the second floor. I can just chuck all the furniture and stuff into ¡¾Storage¡¿so it wasn¡¯t that hard, but I guess there¡¯s no one else who excels in tearing down stuff, building walls then smashing them again than me, if I say so myself. It¡¯s like having ants in your pants; I can¡¯t even settle down.


    Anyway, the summer heat started on the island, then in my house, before spreading to Canum. The cold in Canum¡¯s house can be quite intense, so other than the area near and around the fireplace, everything else is made of wood. The third floor is tiled because of the fireplace, but it¡¯s easier to clean.


    The existing fireplace was remodeled so that it¡¯ll be suitable for cooking, so it¡¯s wider and deeper, and I can make it burn up to waist level. There¡¯s a workbench opposite the fireplace, and I used stone tiles in the area between them so that it¡¯s easier for me to clean.


    I left the small hearth that I installed after turning this room into the guestroom as it is, and added some tools and stuff so we can brew tea over it. The nearby spot might become the reserved seat for Butler, I guess.


    Bang ¡ª I heaved the wine barrel to its special stand, then another bang for the beer barrel on its own stand, too.


    I pushed the bench against the wall, put a table in front, and placed the chairs across. How nice it¡¯ll be if we got water service ¡ªthinking so, I also installed a gigantic water jug. I¡¯ll expand the firewood storehouse later and hoard wood when it¡¯s cheaper.


    I arranged the dishes I took from the first floor onto the shelves. My goal is to move the stuff that might be troublesome if somebody else sees them, but yeah, this room completely turned into a restaurant. What to do now with my dinner appointments with Ash? Honestly, I liked the atmosphere of the first floor before. The attic had completely turned into the game room, and it¡¯s also an extension of the bedroom, after all.


    Maybe I should give the bedroom above the courtyard, ah, no, the third floor above it, a little makeover? It¡¯s the season of less rainfall, so I should also work on the sanctuary in the forest. We have plenty of materials, after all!


    I already have a rough idea of how I want the forest house to turn out, so let¡¯s go to the island and get some materials.


    Oh, speaking of the island ¡ª


    Gold and Silver brought some wild news to me.


    ¡¸Buying the land and the people in it? ¡¹


    ¡¸You are currently renting it, no? ¡¹


    Well, I guess it wasn¡¯t clear?


    ¡¸You will inherit the land and the people here, and be independent. ¡¹


    ¡¸The son of the lord is getting married six months from now, and he also has four daughters after that son. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­so it¡¯s about money, huh. ¡¹


    Gold nodded.


    It¡¯s currently the end of the transition period of the country being a state. Most of the feudal lords had already been absorbed into the nobility.


    Because free commerce is the mainstay around Nalhuadid, the merchants have more power, so it¡¯s still considered a feudal unit. This place can be considered a commercial state in a sense, but feudal lords who aren¡¯t involved in trade are considered useless, something like that?


    Other than the feudal lords with good foresight who owned ports, or ships, the rest of the feudal lords who owned the islands were already cut off from the areas where ports can be established, as well as places facing the sea. They are also considered nuisances, commonly ignored.


    Well, since I¡¯m also a free knight, I guess I¡¯m also one of the rural feudal lords.


    ¡¸A trading company became bankrupt, so the ships are put up for sale. Seems like he wanted one no matter what. ¡¹Gold.


    ¡¸What, I thought he¡¯s going to use the money to fund the wedding. ¡¹


    I feel like that feudal lord isn¡¯t good at making a deal.


    ¡¸If he has a ship, it¡¯s enough as assets, and if he¡¯s lucky, he¡¯ll be able to pay off his loans while earning money. ¡¹Gold.


    ¡¸Not sure if that guy has business acumen or what, but for that family, it¡¯s their dearest wish to have their own ships. ¡¹Silver.


    Wait, we¡¯re having this conversation in such a dim room, it¡¯s as if we¡¯re doing some conspiracy of sorts, don¡¯t you think? Gold and Silver are also acting suspiciously.


    ¡¸At first, they were acting ridiculously by demanding the loan cost of the entire ship, but when we ignored them, they lowered the price, so low that it could barely cover the down payment for the ship. ¡¹Silver.


    ¡¸It might become a dispute if that guy got crushed and replaced by another feudal lord. I believe it would be in our best interest to become independent. ¡¹Gold.


    ¡¸Yeah. There¡¯s no strife around here, but if trade fails, I don¡¯t think that feudal lord guy will be able to stand his own ground. ¡¹


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t this idea better than spending money to aid them if that happens? ¡¹


    Yeah, Silver is right. It¡¯ll be a pain in the neck to negotiate with a new feudal lord, so I¡¯ll probably end up going through the hassle of funding the old feudal lord just to keep the contract going.


    The island will have changed a lot by the time a new feudal lord comes, and he might strike a hard bargain after seeing the worth of the island after all the improvements. Such a hassle.


    ¡¸Got it, then go ahead and pay him. ¡¹


    Ack, more expenses!!


    I was hoarding aquamarines bit by bit, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go in the red, but stop with the unplanned expenses, they¡¯re emphasizing just how haphazard I am in planning, you know.


    The house is already enough for having haphazard plans. Ah no, I guess this is also part of house expenses, huh.


    ¡¸Yes, Milord. ¡¹


    ¡¸As you command. ¡¹


    Gold and Silver bowed to me.


    ¡¸Eh? Am I the feudal lord now? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, it¡¯s the automatic outcome. ¡¹


    Gold broke into a huge grin with one hand still over his breast while stooping down.


    ¡¸Did you even listen to what we just talked about now? ¡¹


    Silver coldly replied.


    So harsh.

 CH 161

    ¡¸Soleil-sama, please stop moving that pastry bag for now. ¡¹


    Gold rebuked me.


    ¡¸You too, Kiel. ¡¹


    ¡¸Meal. ¡¹


    Gold also scolded Silver. Hey Gold, stop clearing your throat while chasing the pastry bag with your eyes.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll definitely find out who makes those sweets¡­ ¡¹


    Silver bitterly mumbled, staring pitifully at Gold and me.


    Either Gold already realized who the ¡®maker¡¯ is, or he just treats it as some sort of snack. He could taste it, but he doesn¡¯t seem particularly attached to the snacks, unlike Silver.


    ¡¸Alright, why don¡¯t we look for a feudal lord in the meantime? ¡¹


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    Both of them dubiously gazed at me.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not good at managing a territory, and in case something happens, I totally plan to abandon it all and flee. If I¡¯m the citizen, then I definitely won¡¯t want that sort of feudal lord, you know what I mean? ¡¹


    ¡¸You have already been welcomed. ¡¹Gold.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think something worse than the earlier situation will happen. ¡¹Silver.


    Oh, right, come to think of it, the islands are quite scattered and far from each other.


    ¡¸Perhaps you¡¯re envisioning the lawless areas of the Central Plains, but it¡¯s different here. Everything is fine as long as you don¡¯t fail in trade. If someone dares to attack without any justified cause, they¡¯ll be kicked out of the trade. ¡¹Gold.


    ¡¸Some people can survive falling out of the trade, no? ¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Well, even if worse comes to worst and you have to sell the fief, such an atrocity as the soldiers mass killing the people won¡¯t happen. ¡¹


    ¡¸We can¡¯t say it absolutely won¡¯t happen. ¡¹


    ¡¸But the target of assault will be those who reside in the mansion only; the commoners will be safe. ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright, got it, then let¡¯s look for someone who can do the job for me. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­So you¡¯re still searching in the end? ¡¹


    Ehh, being a feudal lord is a major pain in the neck, since I need to settle disputes among the citizens and stuff like that. And just what does ¡®important work¡¯ even mean? Well, when thinking about a country, it should be the three separate powers: legislative, executive and judicial, right? Is that it?


    I should just tweak the laws a bit based on what we have on this island so far. So, maybe the government can collect taxes, issue identification documents, and build public facilities? Circus and bread came from the Roman Empire, right?


    ¡­Ack, I got sidetracked.


    ¡¸Anyway, maybe I should start with learning about the laws on this island in the meantime? ¡¹


    Most countries have laws based on imperial law that had been implemented by the great empires of yore. Not only that, there are also trade laws, city laws, customary laws in rural areas, and above all, territorial laws set by the feudal lords.


    ¡¸According to the residents, they interpreted a law that was already in place 80 years ago in a way that¡¯s convenient for them and had been using it as such. It seems that nobody interfered for the longest time given that the land was no longer profitable after the fortress had been abandoned. ¡¹


    Gold, seemingly prepared, handed a note to me. ¡ª what a huge mess! There¡¯s also some kind of mysterious law!


    ¡¸What¡¯s this law about ¡®it¡¯s forbidden to consume tarts made from tree nuts during the summer solstice¡¯? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a law that suppresses faith in the Great Trees, it seems. ¡¹


    ¡¸The summer solstice is an important festival to the Great Tree religion, and people would eat confections made from tree nuts in their own homes during this time, apparently. ¡¹


    I just thought it was stupid; didn¡¯t expect that there¡¯s a proper reason behind it. I see, so it¡¯s an indirect way of banning a certain religion, huh.


    ¡¸Are you gonna leave this part as is? ¡¹


    Silver pointed to one part.


    ¡¸Which one? ¡®If the maiden is a beauty, bring her to the feudal lord the night before her wedding¡¯¡­ How stupid is this! ¡¹


    I unwittingly slammed the note on the table.


    The fire in the pot lamp flickered because of the wind pressure. On this island, lamps are made by attaching a plate to the middle of a jar, then inserting a light wick so that it¡¯ll absorb the oil in the jar. They usually use fish oil, which can be quite smelly and sooty.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll think about this. Do you know anyone who can act as a proxy for the feudal lord? ¡¹


    ¡¸Not sure about the guys, but if you¡¯re okay with women, we can try checking out the brothels. ¡¹


    ¡¸Why a brothel¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸It is common practice for nobles to sell their wives and daughters if they become short of money or if their family collapses. Most of them didn¡¯t want to work in their hometowns, and there¡¯s a lot of cases when they gather at Nalluahdid all at once. ¡¹ Gold.


    ¡¸Sometimes they¡¯re sold directly to famous brothels. ¡¹


    What a depraved topic!


    ¡¸ Do either of you wanna work for me as a proxy? Well, I don¡¯t mind if both of you do it. ¡¹


    ¡¸Pardon me for refusing your offer, it would be difficult for us to move. ¡¹


    ¡¸Our bodies don¡¯t match.¡¹


    Why you cheeky!!!


    ¡¸Ah, they may be few, but you can also check the sons of former nobles. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s just that they might misunderstand you if you show your face before them. ¡¹


    Argh, Gold and Silver, you brats! Stop snickering like that!!


    ¡¸Ah, not the snack pouch¡­! ¡¹


    Silver¡¯s eyes were narrowed like a cat who saw a kitty teaser, and seeing Gold worry like that made me feel all better.


    ¡¸If you don¡¯t want to go to the brothel, then it should be the slave dealer. ¡¹


    Gold straightened his posture.


    ¡¸Nalluahdid handles all sorts of things. ¡¹


    Gold recommended that I go to a slave dealer in Nalluahdid. I thought slave hunting and slave trade is banned in cities like Canum, but it seemed different here.


    Apparently, the slave trade here is miles better than the first trade I saw before. People were being sold per portion of their meat back then, after all. It was absolutely too much for me to handle.


    Anyway, I tried going to the place that Gold recommended. The slave trade here was better indeed, but I immediately left.


    As a Japanese person, it¡¯s a setting that¡¯s impossible for me to stomach!


    ***


    ¡¸This might seem sudden, but please teach me how to manage a territory. Also, can you kindly tell me where I can scout for feudal lords? I hope you¡¯ll accept my offer with this. Ah, this one¡¯s for you, Ash. ¡¹


    I offered the wine and pudding ala mode.


    ¡¸¡­Noth? ¡¹


    Dinosso called out to Butler, his finger pressing between his brows.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not privy to the circumstances. ¡¹


    Butler¡¯s evasive response, as usual.


    ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s too good to eat. ¡¹


    Great, Ash acknowledged it.


    If I receive instruction from the daughter of a duke, it¡¯ll definitely be a source of tremendous strength to me.


    ¡¸¡­Can I ask what this is all about? ¡¹


    ¡¸Secret. ¡¹


    Retze stared at me dubiously, and that¡¯s how I answered him.

 CH 162

    ¡¸¡­ This reminds me of the time when Ash-sama made a hideout in the garden. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm¡­? ¡¹


    Butler has a distant look in his eyes. Ash was about to scoop the pudding, but she stopped when she heard her name.


    ¡¸So Ash also did that? ¡¹


    I did hear about Ash being stuffed with swordsmanship training and lessons on battle tactics from a young age since they wanted her to become a knight when she grew up, but I didn¡¯t expect that even the way she played was so boyish.


    ¡¸Sorry, don¡¯t remember. ¡¹


    ¡¸You were just seven. ¡¹


    ¡­¡­


    ¡¸Yeah, our En and Vak are also like that. ¡¹


    ¡¸So it¡¯s a ¡®not-so-secret¡¯ secret base, huh. ¡¹


    Oy! Stop that ¡®lukewarm¡¯ gaze of yours while staring at me!!


    ¡¸Kids usually set those secret hideouts in the wrong place, so they get torn down by the adults, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸But I helped them, you know? ¡¹


    Dinosso rebutted when Retze said that with his chin propped on his hand.


    Come to think of it, there¡¯s a treehouse in the forest near Dinosso¡¯s house.


    It¡¯s a ¡®totally-not-a-secret¡¯ playground for the kids, and also a place to run away from home in case of emergency.


    ¡¸Got it. This conversation is null! It won¡¯t be a secret, so that won¡¯t do. ¡¹


    Eh, then by Retze¡¯s words, does that mean I was already an adult back when I was in Japan? Why doesn¡¯t that make me happy at all?


    ¡¸Setting that aside, I¡¯ll teach you what you want to know, Jean. I¡¯m glad that I can help you. ¡¹


    Ash turned to me.


    ¡¸Then, can you give me a bit of your time after our weekly dinner? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Can I chase Butler out during our study sessions? Butler had his usual smile on when I glanced at him.


    ¡¸If it has to be a secret then just keep it a secret, but if something happens, don¡¯t hesitate to tell us, alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing in who knows where, but you have to make sure you have an escape plan. ¡¹


    Dinosso and Retze were both concerned about me in their own way, huh.


    ¡¸Anyway, this place has turned into a dining hall, hasn¡¯t it? ¡¹Butler.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it too much renovation? ¡¹Dinosso.


    ¡¸It¡¯s previously a guest room, but I don¡¯t have any friends that live too far away that they have to stay the night over. ¡¹


    I made that room before, vaguely thinking it¡¯s for when I made friends, but didn¡¯t expect that the entire bunch would be gathered here.


    The table and chairs are simple. I wanted to do yakiniku and okonomiyaki, so there¡¯s a removable cover in the middle of the table, and you can put a charcoal stove in it for grilling stuff.


    Daifuku was currently sitting smack in the middle of the table. Can I pet you? No? Okay.


    He was snappily swishing his tail, so I retracted my outstretched hand.


    ¡¸The cat¡¯s here again? ¡¹


    ¡¸Not being able to ¡®see¡¯ is a drawback, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, this is normal. Maybe I¡¯d think the same if I was younger, but now there¡¯s nothing to complain about. ¡¹


    Retze refuted Dinosso¡¯s comment.


    ¡¸Somebody¡¯s here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Is that Chris¡¯s voice? ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s right, somebody¡¯s calling in front of the house.


    ¡¸Whoa, Ash and Noth-dono are here, what good timing. There¡¯s something I want to ask. ¡¹


    Yeah, he¡¯s right, it¡¯s Chris.


    I invited him to the second floor, then took out the mead. Chris likes it sweet with a slight taste of herbs.


    ¡¸Is something the matter? ¡¹


    Noth asked when things settled down.


    ¡¸For starters, I met my younger brother earlier at the Guild. He just returned. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, so you have a sibling? ¡¹


    Come to think of it, being an only child is quite rare in this world. Maybe the reason for that is because they don¡¯t know how many of the children can safely make it to adulthood, given that the sanitary conditions here aren¡¯t that good.


    ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s right. So, about this brother of mine, he¡¯s a very capable guy, but too capable so he¡¯s the skeptical type. When he gets involved in something, he won¡¯t rest until he gets to the bottom of things, or until he¡¯s satisfied. ¡¹


    ¡¸Uwa, so troublesome! ¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks to his personality, he helped a lot of people, but I don¡¯t want him anywhere near Jean. ¡¹


    ¡¸So you want to consult us regarding your younger brother¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸He wanted to rent a room for one month. He will definitely get suspicious if I reject him, so I wish Noth-dono to come-up with a way to refuse him. Maybe say you don¡¯t do short-term rent? ¡¹


    ¡¸Really, what a pain in the neck. ¡¹


    ¡¸Is it sure that he¡¯ll go back after one month? Why did he return in the first place? ¡¹


    Retze quipped.


    ¡¸Are you familiar with the Temple of Nassos? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s the temple that used to be in the northern swamps, right? I heard it was for worshiping the Fire God, but was abandoned just before the era of the Wind God . ¡¹


    Dinosso answered.


    ¡¸Is that the peat bog? ¡¹


    Wait, I got a feeling that I went there on a ¡®field trip¡¯ shortly after we got back from our investigation trip to the tunnels.


    I remember wondering why there¡¯s a Fire God temple in a swamp, so I went there to check it out of curiosity. Found the answer when I got there. Peat may be weaker than coal in terms of combustibility, but they do burn well when dried.


    ¡¸Right. So, my brother went to the ruins of the temple when he heard that the Spirit is still in good health. However, that Spirit told him that he already gave the Drop to somebody else, and it would take 2 years to make one again. ¡¹


    ¡¸So that means your brother is free for two years, huh. ¡¹


    Dinosso shot bluntly.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. ¡¹


    ¡­


    ¡¸Is that ¡®drop¡¯ thing special? ¡¹


    ¡¸Just carrying a Spirit¡¯s Drop from a God-tier spirit is already amazing in itself. ¡¹


    A spirit¡¯s drop is basically similar to manastones in that they¡¯re stones produced from the power of spirits.


    Unlike manastones¡¯ appearances, which can be hit or miss, spirit drops are highly transparent and gorgeous. Another difference is that spirit drops are treated as talismans and also used in jewelry because they don¡¯t harbor evil intent towards humans unlike manastones.


    Manastones are also highly valuable and expensive. They can also be used as amulets, but they¡¯re more suited for sorcery, since they exude more power if used for that purpose. If they look beautiful, they¡¯re called gems just like ordinary jewels, and if not, they¡¯re used as a source of mana to activate magic circles.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not something you can get by force, and for a knight looking for a master, it¡¯s something that increases his value if he has that. ¡¹


    Oh, right, Chris is also a knight looking for his own master¡­


    ¡¸I see, so your younger brother wishes to become a knight. Indeed, he¡¯ll be able to choose a good place if he can have a spirit¡¯s drop along with a relatively huge manastone. ¡¹


    The knights of this world are divided into two categories: those who serve their kingdom by heredity, and those who go on a quest of 3000 Leagues in search of a Master* ¡ª ehem I mean, knights who look for worthy masters they want to dedicate their service to. The latter would be busy subjugating monsters and joining military competitions in order to elevate their name.


    Only battlefields employ and pay no-name knights, so if they want to earn well with good conditions, they have to make a name for themselves.


    ¡­And yep, that¡¯s right, the spirit drop is needed for that ¡®making a name¡¯ business..


    ¡¸He¡¯s going to stay in different places for a month at a time to observe things here and there before returning to the swamp, so it¡¯s definitely one month. ¡¹


    He had to traverse through the conflict-ridden Central Plains when he returned, so it¡¯ll already take at least a year for the journey back.


    ¡¸Even if I do refuse his short-term stay, it will be inevitable that he will visit Chris-sama, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    Butler looked troubled.


    ¡¸Sorry. I already took him to an inn that resembles my room and claimed that the set-up is all the rage nowadays, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be suspicious if sees my room, though. ¡¹


    Chris¡¯s shoulders drooped.


    ¡¸Why don¡¯t you just rent the room? It¡¯s just a month, and Ash won¡¯t have any problems on her end, will she? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Are you sure? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. It¡¯s just a month, I¡¯ll be elsewhere. ¡¹


    Can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m the one who took that drop, after all.

 CH 163

    We won¡¯t be eating together for some time, so I also called Dean to the dining room.


    ¡¸Ahh, we can¡¯t eat Jean¡¯s bread for a while, huh¡­ ¡¹


    Dean was dejected.


    ¡¸Eh, I thought you¡¯re gonna miss the meat more than the bread. ¡¹


    ¡¸I also love meat, but ever since tasting Jean¡¯s bread, I like drinking while munching on bread and cheese. ¡¹


    I¡¯m a bit happy that he likes it more than I thought he would.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to sell medicines to the guild from time to time, so I¡¯ll just have Noth ¡ª ¡¹


    ¡¸Lil bro¡¯s not gonna leave even after one month is over if he gets a taste, you know. ¡¹


    Retze cut me off before I can say I¡¯ll leave it to Butler.


    ¡¸Allow me to bake the bread for the meantime ¡ª please bear with it for a month. ¡¹


    Noth can reproduce the dishes, but the inferior taste isn¡¯t because of his skills, but rather due to the ingredients being different in the first place.


    ¡¸Just eat a lot for now. ¡¹


    I heaped a huge pile of bread in the basket, put some olive oil and butter in saucers, and placed a jar of raspberry jam on the side.


    Butler poured the wine from the barrel into a decanter then placed it on top of the table while I removed the lid of the center.


    ¡¸What¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Preparing for teppan-yaki. ¡¹


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    They all stared puzzledly at me. Retze looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to figure out how the setup works.


    I placed a brazier inside just like in a yakiniku store, and put a good amount of burning coals from the fireplace, then placed the plate on top.


    ¡¸Okay, okay, you mix it like this, then grill it like this. ¡¹


    Once the iron plate was hot enough, I poured the contents of the bowl onto it in a circle, then handed them two more bowls with okonomiyaki stuff in them. It¡¯ll be too much if I gave them one bowl each.


    ¡¸Like this? ¡¹


    It¡¯s funny seeing them meekly following my instructions while mixing. Ash¡¯s brow furrow¡­


    You don¡¯t have to do it so seriously, you know?


    There¡¯s also Butler¡¯s resistance to letting Ash do the cooking. I didn¡¯t consider that.


    I¡¯m going to let them take over once they get used to it, but for now, I¡¯m busy sprinkling the ground pork and serving them in turns.


    While they¡¯re doing the okonomiyaki, I fry the asparagus on top of the stove, take it out, add some mayonnaise and crumbled boiled egg and serve it.


    ¡¸Ooh, I like this mayonnaise stuff. ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s in a good mood. Making it is easy, but yep, the eggs here have salmonella, so, yeah¡­.


    They¡¯ll have to use a lot of vinegar to kill those, so it won¡¯t taste the same as the mayo I made.


    I also use soft-boiled eggs like crazy, but I make sure to check it with ¡¾Appraisal ¡¿. Well, there¡¯s no bad germs around my house that can get to the chickens, in the first place.


    For soup, we have tripe simmered in tomato sauce. It¡¯s a bit troublesome preparing tripe since you have to remove the black skin on the surface of the beef reticulum, but if you do it right, the nasty odor will be gone and it¡¯ll taste delicious.


    ¡¸We also have meat. ¡¹


    I put the thick T-bone steak on the stove.


    I also prepared a barbecue grill for the table, but they prefer thick meat more than thin slices, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get to use that. Ah, no, maybe we can do barbecue shellfish instead. Butter and soy sauce will go perfectly with scallops.


    ¡¸Oh? This is tasty. ¡¹


    The taste of the carb-laden thick sauce suits Dinosso, apparently.


    ¡¸It¡¯s different from omelet and pancake, huh? The outside is crunchy, but it¡¯s fluffy inside. ¡¹


    Retze was a bit amazed. Yes, I cheated by adding Japanese yam.


    By the way, the omelets here resemble Spanish omelets. The ingredients are already mixed in with the eggs before they¡¯re fried and shaped into an omelet.


    ¡¸Ugh, just thinking about how I won¡¯t get to enjoy these weird dishes for a while, huhu. ¡¹


    Dean was also gobbling Ash¡¯s okonomiyaki portion and downing it with wine. Ash just finished eating sweets, so she only ate a bit.


    Other than Chris and Dean, we already enjoyed some snacks earlier, but I¡¯m glad that everyone here is a glutton and they¡¯re eating everything up.


    ¡¸Chris, does your lil bro look like you? ¡¹


    Like that cleft chin?


    ¡¸I resemble both my Father and Mother, but he takes more from Mother. ¡¹


    ¡¸You have the exact same upper body, right. ¡¹


    Dean said.


    Upper body? So that means the cleft chin is intact, too. Ah, well, not sure if it¡¯s because people here mostly eat rockhard food; many folks here have cleft chins, so it¡¯s not really a big deal. It¡¯s just that the cleft chin spirit¡­


    ¡¸So both of you are living independently now. What about the rest of the family? ¡¹


    ¡¸I have two more younger brothers after him, and the youngest brother will be the one to succeed my Father. He¡¯s quite sickly, but Father¡¯s still healthy, so that¡¯s alright. The second to the last brother¡¯s upper half resembles Father, while the lower half is from Mother. The youngest is the spitting image of Father. ¡¹


    Wait, wait, can genetics be inherited so clearly in halves like that? And you mean to say the one who got his father¡¯s face is feeble? Makes me wanna see Lil Bro for myself.


    ¡¸The brother who came this time has the most suitable physique for a knight. I guess it¡¯s good that he¡¯s serious and diligent, albeit with a one-track mind, but he can¡¯t even understand what a secret is; he doesn¡¯t have a single romantic bone in his body, you know. ¡¹


    When he said ¡®secret¡¯, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on me. Alright, alright, my whole body¡¯s completely packed with romance, okay.


    ¡¸He went to the Temple of Nassos, so that means he¡¯s not the type to take it easy. Maybe he¡¯s suited to serving in the Palace. ¡¹


    Dinosso said.


    ¡¸Is the Temple of Nassos such a difficult place? ¡¹


    Dean asked.


    ¡¸It¡¯s smack in the middle of a bog, after all. You can go there by boat, but you have to travel on foot for two days upwards. There¡¯s no place where you can sleep while lying down, and it¡¯s also like a floating island that sinks when you get on it. Fish monsters also jump out of the water along the way. ¡¹


    Dinosso explained with a wave of his hand.


    I averted my eyes in front of the admiration directed to Lil Bro. My bad for using¡¾Teleport¡¿to go home and sleep.


    Lil Bro, aka Reid, will be meeting with Butler tomorrow morning, so our group temporarily broke up. Dean wanted to drink a bit more, so Retze was left behind to accompany him.


    ¡¸Hey, won¡¯t it be bad for first impressions if you go there with a hangover? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine~. ¡¹


    Hey, you¡¯re going to meet Reid tomorrow, you know.


    Well, I guess it¡¯s worth feeding Dean, since he can be quite conscientious. He brings ingredients from time to time, and even leaves money too, and more than anything, he really enjoys everything I cook for them, so I guess it¡¯s fine to let him be.

 CH 164

    We won¡¯t be eating together for some time, so I also called Dean to the dining room.


    ¡¸Ahh, we can¡¯t eat Jean¡¯s bread for a while, huh¡­ ¡¹


    Dean was dejected.


    ¡¸Eh, I thought you¡¯re gonna miss the meat more than the bread. ¡¹


    ¡¸I also love meat, but ever since tasting Jean¡¯s bread, I like drinking while munching on bread and cheese. ¡¹


    I¡¯m a bit happy that he likes it more than I thought he would.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to sell medicines to the guild from time to time, so I¡¯ll just have Noth ¡ª ¡¹


    ¡¸Lil bro¡¯s not gonna leave even after one month is over if he gets a taste, you know. ¡¹


    Retze cut me off before I can say I¡¯ll leave it to Butler.


    ¡¸Allow me to bake the bread for the meantime ¡ª please bear with it for a month. ¡¹


    Noth can reproduce the dishes, but the inferior taste isn¡¯t because of his skills, but rather due to the ingredients being different in the first place.


    ¡¸Just eat a lot for now. ¡¹


    I heaped a huge pile of bread in the basket, put some olive oil and butter in saucers, and placed a jar of raspberry jam on the side.


    Butler poured the wine from the barrel into a decanter then placed it on top of the table while I removed the lid of the center.


    ¡¸What¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Preparing for teppan-yaki. ¡¹


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    They all stared puzzledly at me. Retze looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to figure out how the setup works.


    I placed a brazier inside just like in a yakiniku store, and put a good amount of burning coals from the fireplace, then placed the plate on top.


    ¡¸Okay, okay, you mix it like this, then grill it like this. ¡¹


    Once the iron plate was hot enough, I poured the contents of the bowl onto it in a circle, then handed them two more bowls with okonomiyaki stuff in them. It¡¯ll be too much if I gave them one bowl each.


    ¡¸Like this? ¡¹


    It¡¯s funny seeing them meekly following my instructions while mixing. Ash¡¯s brow furrow¡­


    You don¡¯t have to do it so seriously, you know?


    There¡¯s also Butler¡¯s resistance to letting Ash do the cooking. I didn¡¯t consider that.


    I¡¯m going to let them take over once they get used to it, but for now, I¡¯m busy sprinkling the ground pork and serving them in turns.


    While they¡¯re doing the okonomiyaki, I fry the asparagus on top of the stove, take it out, add some mayonnaise and crumbled boiled egg and serve it.


    ¡¸Ooh, I like this mayonnaise stuff. ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s in a good mood. Making it is easy, but yep, the eggs here have salmonella, so, yeah¡­.


    They¡¯ll have to use a lot of vinegar to kill those, so it won¡¯t taste the same as the mayo I made.


    I also use soft-boiled eggs like crazy, but I make sure to check it with ¡¾Appraisal ¡¿. Well, there¡¯s no bad germs around my house that can get to the chickens, in the first place.


    For soup, we have tripe simmered in tomato sauce. It¡¯s a bit troublesome preparing tripe since you have to remove the black skin on the surface of the beef reticulum, but if you do it right, the nasty odor will be gone and it¡¯ll taste delicious.


    ¡¸We also have meat. ¡¹


    I put the thick T-bone steak on the stove.


    I also prepared a barbecue grill for the table, but they prefer thick meat more than thin slices, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll get to use that. Ah, no, maybe we can do barbecue shellfish instead. Butter and soy sauce will go perfectly with scallops.


    ¡¸Oh? This is tasty. ¡¹


    The taste of the carb-laden thick sauce suits Dinosso, apparently.


    ¡¸It¡¯s different from omelet and pancake, huh? The outside is crunchy, but it¡¯s fluffy inside. ¡¹


    Retze was a bit amazed. Yes, I cheated by adding Japanese yam.


    By the way, the omelets here resemble Spanish omelets. The ingredients are already mixed in with the eggs before they¡¯re fried and shaped into an omelet.


    ¡¸Ugh, just thinking about how I won¡¯t get to enjoy these weird dishes for a while, huhu. ¡¹


    Dean was also gobbling Ash¡¯s okonomiyaki portion and downing it with wine. Ash just finished eating sweets, so she only ate a bit.


    Other than Chris and Dean, we already enjoyed some snacks earlier, but I¡¯m glad that everyone here is a glutton and they¡¯re eating everything up.


    ¡¸Chris, does your lil bro look like you? ¡¹


    Like that cleft chin?


    ¡¸I resemble both my Father and Mother, but he takes more from Mother. ¡¹


    ¡¸You have the exact same upper body, right. ¡¹


    Dean said.


    Upper body? So that means the cleft chin is intact, too. Ah, well, not sure if it¡¯s because people here mostly eat rockhard food; many folks here have cleft chins, so it¡¯s not really a big deal. It¡¯s just that the cleft chin spirit¡­


    ¡¸So both of you are living independently now. What about the rest of the family? ¡¹


    ¡¸I have two more younger brothers after him, and the youngest brother will be the one to succeed my Father. He¡¯s quite sickly, but Father¡¯s still healthy, so that¡¯s alright. The second to the last brother¡¯s upper half resembles Father, while the lower half is from Mother. The youngest is the spitting image of Father. ¡¹


    Wait, wait, can genetics be inherited so clearly in halves like that? And you mean to say the one who got his father¡¯s face is feeble? Makes me wanna see Lil Bro for myself.


    ¡¸The brother who came this time has the most suitable physique for a knight. I guess it¡¯s good that he¡¯s serious and diligent, albeit with a one-track mind, but he can¡¯t even understand what a secret is; he doesn¡¯t have a single romantic bone in his body, you know. ¡¹


    When he said ¡®secret¡¯, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on me. Alright, alright, my whole body¡¯s completely packed with romance, okay.


    ¡¸He went to the Temple of Nassos, so that means he¡¯s not the type to take it easy. Maybe he¡¯s suited to serving in the Palace. ¡¹


    Dinosso said.


    ¡¸Is the Temple of Nassos such a difficult place? ¡¹


    Dean asked.


    ¡¸It¡¯s smack in the middle of a bog, after all. You can go there by boat, but you have to travel on foot for two days upwards. There¡¯s no place where you can sleep while lying down, and it¡¯s also like a floating island that sinks when you get on it. Fish monsters also jump out of the water along the way. ¡¹


    Dinosso explained with a wave of his hand.


    I averted my eyes in front of the admiration directed to Lil Bro. My bad for using¡¾Teleport¡¿to go home and sleep.


    Lil Bro, aka Reid, will be meeting with Butler tomorrow morning, so our group temporarily broke up. Dean wanted to drink a bit more, so Retze was left behind to accompany him.


    ¡¸Hey, won¡¯t it be bad for first impressions if you go there with a hangover? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine~. ¡¹


    Hey, you¡¯re going to meet Reid tomorrow, you know.


    Well, I guess it¡¯s worth feeding Dean, since he can be quite conscientious. He brings ingredients from time to time, and even leaves money too, and more than anything, he really enjoys everything I cook for them, so I guess it¡¯s fine to let him be.

 CH 165

    Honey for Mischt, wine for Ludere.


    ¡¸How about Halalfa? ¡¹


    What might the spirit of light, beauty and love wish?


    ¡¸Fumu, I want pollen. ¡¹


    ¡¸Pollen¡­ ¡¹


    Hay fever time, huh. How about bee pollen? Ah, but I don¡¯t have that either.


    ¡¸It¡¯s all good. I like sucking the pollen directly from flowers in full bloom. ¡¹


    Eh? Does that mean you¡¯re in blossom-filled places because you¡¯re eating!?


    ¡¸I want fruits and vegetables harvested here. ¡¹


    Halalfa glamorously beamed.


    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s the same for the other two. Please wait for a moment. ¡¹


    I placed a glass of honey, wine and water in front of the trio respectively.


    ¡¸Wow, so beautiful! ¡¹


    ¡¸What a magnificent thing. ¡¹


    The faceted transparent glasses seem to be popular among the ladies here.


    ¡¸The aura of spirits runs deep, it¡¯s a good vessel. ¡¹


    Ludere picks up the glass.


    Van came while I was making those, after all.


    So, veggies and fruits, huh. How about orange salad?


    I prepared oranges, lettuce, sliced onions, and dressing with almond oil and orange juice as base.


    White sap seeped out from the lettuce when I cut it. It looks like milk, so some also call it milkweed, which is a different plant relative to lettuce. I tried crossbreeding this lettuce variety, but it didn¡¯t become round like an iceberg, but more similar to red-leaf instead.


    The orange color is gorgeous, the sourness just right. I wanted to add ham, but it won¡¯t suit the trio I¡¯m serving. Sprinkle some pink pepper ¡ª the red color added a bit of flair to the dish.


    ¡¸My, what a feast for the eyes. ¡¹


    ¡¸So pretty~ ¡¹


    Halalfa and Mischt chuckled. If Halalfa is a captivatingly flamboyant flower like a lily or a peony, then Mischt is like a shower of lilies-in-the-valley or hydrangea clusters with their delicate petals. They might be different from each other, but both of them are stunners.


    ¡¸Lettuce, is it, fufu. ¡¹


    ¡¸What is it? ¡¹


    Mischt giggled mischievously, so I feel a bit self-conscious.


    ¡¸Only the ancient physicians and mages remember this. Lettuce is an aphrodisiac. ¡¹


    ¡¸Bft! I-I don¡¯t have any ill intention! ¡¹


    Hey, lettuce ancestors, what the heck!


    The two women teased me, then we talked about what we¡¯re currently doing as we ate the salad. News about the heroes and monsters also came up.


    Ludere just quietly listened. He drank the wine and ate the salad without a word. He¡¯s basically giving off the impression of a cold, taciturn, unapproachable beauty. Sometimes I wonder if he got cursed so that will only come undone if he¡¯s doing something related to Riche.


    As for the Riche in question, he drank water then gnawed X-Stick without a care in the world.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a branch from the Spirit Tree, isn¡¯t it? Are you going to be the King?¡¹


    Mischt tilted her head while watching X-Stick.


    ¡¸Nah, too troublesome for me. I don¡¯t want to be responsible for other people¡¯s lives. ¡¹


    ¡¸Will you choose a King, then? What a pity, you could¡¯ve created an interesting kingdom if it¡¯s you. ¡¹


    ¡¸I originally received this for a totally different purpose, so I don¡¯t want to do either of those. Ah, rather than a kingdom, what I¡¯m currently managing is a city. ¡¹


    I think it¡¯s already an extravagant ambition to blend a cityscape into a wonderful scenery. I also want to improve sewage, sanitation, and convenience too. The plan is to have a wonderful view of the ocean with the retro ¡ª for me ¡ª cityscape and the occasional dragons flying overhead.


    ¡¸The water isn¡¯t as abundant as this palace, but I¡¯m doing my best to plant trees. ¡¹


    Spirits gather easily in places with water, flowers and thick vegetation.


    If that isn¡¯t available, then the wind, sand and incandescent spirits will come. But then, if there are only spirits of the same kind, the territorial range will become wider, and that might be counterproductive, since the number of spirits will dwindle without new ones generated or attracted to the place. It¡¯s a different story if the location is a glacier or a volcano, since those geographical terrains can easily generate spirits endemic to those places.


    ¡¸It¡¯s best to consult Ish or Pal about that. It was delicious. ¡¹


    Ludere vanished after leaving those words.


    ¡¸Oh my, he left after leaving something, see? Is it a thank you gift? ¡¹


    ¡¸He should¡¯ve just said he liked it if he liked it, what a brusque guy. ¡¹


    Halalfa chortled.


    Mischt was right, Ludere did leave a small jar on his seat. I picked it up; there¡¯s a bluish-black powder inside.


    ¡¸Spirit Powder? ¡¹


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it, so I checked with ¡¾Appraisal¡¿. It said ¡®powder with a trace of powerful mana¡¯.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t it ink that¡¯s used to draw magic circles? Jean, weren¡¯t you searching for a way to make it cooler for Riche¡¯s sake? ¡¹


    Mischt pressed her forefinger on her lips, her contemplating gaze directed towards the empty space beside her.


    ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Hoho¡­ ¡¹


    I felt a bit complicated, and Halalfa seemed to feel the same way. Riche was still his ¡® it got nothing to do with me¡¯ self.


    The two ladies gave me some powder before they left. It¡¯s nice of them to do that, so let¡¯s make ink.


    I took the jar of spirit gallnut from the shelf. It¡¯s something I diligently gathered during strolls with Riche then dried.


    Normal ink uses oak gallnut. When wasps lay eggs by poking tree twigs of oak, the tree secretes tannin in response to the foreign substance, forming a large, round lump. Even in Japan, chinese galls made by a certain species of aphids were used in making tooth-blackening dyes.


    Just as the name says, spirit galls aren¡¯t made by insects, but by mischievous spirits poking trees for fun. It¡¯s extremely rare, so they¡¯re only used to make the highest quality of ink for drawing magical circles. It costs an arm and leg if bought, so thank goodness my mountain has more spirit gallnuts than it has oak gallnuts.


    So, crush the gallnuts into fine powder while pouring mana in it, then extracting the essence by distillation. The source of water for boiling is the same as the one I used for making recovery potions. Normally you get this from ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡», but for me, it¡¯s my own house¡¯s water.


    As for the method ¡ª first, strain the boiled mixture, then let it cool. Pour wine as preservative. Toss in a heated iron knife, then set aside until the brown liquid turns into black. Actually, anything iron is fine, but traditionally, it¡¯s a knife, apparently.


    Various spirits came to take a peek, but for this project, I asked the spirit of the cool breeze to splash and play with the fluid.


    I plan to add Ludere¡¯s ink once it¡¯s black enough. Actually, powdered manastones suited to the nature of the magic circle are commonly used.


    Hm, maybe I should use an ice-attributed manastone powder for half of the portion? I have to test first whether the magic circle will work before trying it on Riche. It¡¯ll be too much of a waste to use Ludere¡¯s powder just for practice.


    Let¡¯s go buy some hardened mimosa sap while waiting for it to completely become black. Ah, I have peaches planted here so maybe I should check those first. If I¡¯m not mistaken, cherry and peach sap should also do the trick.


    The sap is added to adjust the viscosity. And yup, as I thought, the highest quality sap I can find are those that come out from the bark or young fruits damaged by spirits.


    I have to gather the highest quality materials and pour mana to make the highest quality of ink¡­ Yeah, it can get ridiculously expensive with all those so I should just get everything I need from the garden except the manastones.

 CH 166

    I tried making quills while waiting for it to turn black.


    By the way, quill pens are usually associated with elegance, right? But did you know, an overwhelming majority of folks here get really annoyed because the feather gets in the way while they write, so it can be quite tricky to use.


    Goose feathers are mainly used, but the rich folks opt for monster plumes. Monsters are bigger, so of course their rachis ¡ª that hard, spine thingy in the middle of the feather ¡ª are bigger. The feather shaft has beautiful nice patterns on it. It¡¯s also sturdy and wear-resistant, and although it¡¯s still a dip pen, it¡¯s definitely easier to use than ordinary quills.


    Anyway, quills made from monster feathers are indispensable for drawing magical circles. And so, thinking that I¡¯d be able to draw a powerful magic circle because, you know, with powerful monsters comes powerful left-over mana, so ta-dah, I hunted a strong monster bird! Quill pen, attack! Ack, the paper ripped! RIP, parchment!


    ¡­ehem, so that¡¯s why they say moderation is key, huh. But hey, I did smooth the nib point, and I didn¡¯t even put any strength on writing, but the paper went riiiiip just like that. Maybe I should make the parchment from the monster hide too? Nah, that¡¯ll be a pain in the neck.


    Wait, it¡¯s not even my plan to write on a parchment paper in the first place. Maybe ¡®that¡¯ will do?


    I experimented with the quill I made using regular ink first, with a marble tile for my canvas. Ack, it¡¯s getting shaved off! But I don¡¯t mind! It¡¯ll last longer if the magic circle was engraved.


    Alright, this quill pen will do as it is. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just have to pretend that this is my goal from the start, they won¡¯t know it¡¯s a flop ¡ª haha, that¡¯s a lie, I also made a normal one.


    Okay, with that, Riche¡¯s chilly chilly marble plate was finally successfully done. Since it¡¯s portable, I can just move it away if it gets too cold, and since it¡¯s constantly activated with a magic stone, it¡¯s cold even when Riche is sleeping.


    I installed one beside my bed, and one in the living room. I¡¯ll put the one I experimented on in the attic room of the Canum house. Is Daifuku the cold-loving type, or the hot-loving type? I imagine cats to be afraid of the cold, but we found him inside a tunnel, so I wonder which one is he?


    Well, it¡¯s just an ordinary marble plate if not activated.


    ¡¸Riche, try getting on it. ¡¹


    I tapped the plate with my forefinger and called Riche. He immediately trotted towards me, sniffed it, before getting on it.


    ¡¸How is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Just use it if it gets too hot, okay? Ah, and this one gets chilly if you put mana in it. Be careful, it can get colder than the plate one. ¡¹


    I showed him the scarlet bandana with a belt that I made. There are two charms attached on that belt, one was coin-shaped with a magic circle engraved on it, and the other was a spherical charm that can hold a magic stone. It looks like a bell.


    Riche¡¯s mana can activate it, but I made it so that the magic stone will supply mana after a fixed time. I don¡¯t want Riche to push himself.


    ¡¸Nice, looking good, it suits you. ¡¹


    He let me put it on him, not even resisting one bit. Ahhh, cuteness level up! I¡¯ll be washing it later when it gets dirty, so maybe I should make more in different colors?


    Riche must¡¯ve activated it right away; his fur was so cold when I patted him. Atta boy, smart boy.


    I still have some ice, snow, chilly breeze manastones. I got them back after defeating many monsters when I was making blankets and that time when I got X-Stick. Oh, and when I hunted monitor lizards, too. The ones I got from monitor lizards were jade, so I just carved a cabbage on one with a suitable green color.


    The prettier the color and the rounder the manastone is, the more expensive it is. Manastones are filled with the mana of the monsters, and those who harbor wholehearted hatred towards human produce near perfect spheres. If anger, fear and all sorts of other emotions get mixed in, it¡¯ll end up looking closer to an ore. Misshapen orbs are far more numerous than the perfect spheres.


    Spirits love gems, especially the sphere ones, like they do flowers and water. They frequently go into the gems, but they won¡¯t be able to get out until the mana from the manastone runs out. Maybe it has something to do with monsters, or should I say black spirits absorbing normal spirits?


    Well, they treat the gems as their sleeping places, so many of them don¡¯t mind getting trapped in them.


    They prefer those with the same attributes as they have, and the rounder the stone, the more comfortable it is to sleep in, apparently. With that, you get an even more powerful manastone. The huge ones are also called orbs.


    I recalled what I learned back at the library and from what I heard from Retze as I sketched a chilly chilly magic circle on my pillowcase. I also added some charms engraved with a magic circle for supplying mana to the hem of the pillowcase, and the job¡¯s done. If it gets too hot, I can set the manastones and enjoy a chilly chilly~ sleep.


    I¡¯m going to draw one on the sheets too if the heat becomes unbearable, but for now, I¡¯ll just enjoy the season.


    ¡­ The coolness is less with the cloth compared to the marble plate, huh. Alright, I¡¯ll sketch on the cloth lining of Riche¡¯s basket.


    By the way, the official name of the chilly chilly magic circle is actually¡ºIce House Circle¡», used to make ice rooms in the desert kingdom by drawing it on a special sort of stone and installing it on the floor, walls and even in the ceiling. It¡¯s a relic from an era before the wind and tree spirits ran rampant, when the fire was deemed supreme. It¡¯s said that it would be less effective if the special stone wasn¡¯t used.


    ¡¸Riche, don¡¯t get your belly too cold, okay. ¡¹


    Okay, time to wrap up today¡¯s work. Tonight¡¯s dinner is steak and veggie soup, then I¡¯ll bake some pastries for Gold and Silver.


    I¡¯ll check the price of manastones in Nalluahdid then check the progress on the island tomorrow. The house in the woods is currently in the drying stage, and I can continue working on it the day after tomorrow.


    I finished working on the walls, but it¡¯ll be a pain in the neck doing the second floor and roof by myself. Maybe I can just find a chance to grab Retze when he¡¯s alone and invite him over?


    Dinosso¡¯s with his family, and Butler¡¯s with Ash, plus it¡¯s work that doesn¡¯t suit that guy.


    Well, I¡¯ll definitely get scolded, so I won¡¯t do it.

 CH 167

    I went shopping in Nalluahdid. The goal was to check where the spices are getting transported from while buying some.


    Nalluahdid also does trade with the southern area where the dragons are, the misty western regions, and the eastern regions too, although the latter does it through the south. The main product of Nalluahdid is wool, and it trades it for spices, grains, rare textiles, flowers and others.


    The central continent is the most populated among its trade partners, but each region is also littered with their own sanctuaries and countries protected by spirits, dragons and other divine beasts, which are powerful beings that can communicate their intent. I haven¡¯t tried going there, so I¡¯m not sure if only the central people think they¡¯re the most populated place.


    Moving on, the merchants and nobles from various countries also bring their own trade commodities and specialties when they come here to shop, since it¡¯s a waste making the trip to Nalluahdid on an empty ship.


    Nalluahdid is overflowing with all sorts of goods.


    And so, here I was, staring at the strange items that I don¡¯t know what to make heads or tails of. What I thought was a ladle turned out to be a hair iron, and they also have wick cutters that have a place that catches the candle wick when cut


    Beeswax is expensive, tallow candles cheap but smelly and sooty. It doesn¡¯t completely combust, so it gives off a nasty smell, and it¡¯s necessary that you¡¯re good at cutting the wick. The simple, thread snips-looking scissors version that you grip for cutting wick is also available in Canum.


    It¡¯s the kids¡¯ job to cut the wick in households that use tallow candles, so the wick cutters are designed to suit small hands, but for public events like dinner parties, silver elegantly fashioned scissors with stylish decorations are in vogue.


    According to the uncle tending to this store, the demand for wick cutters was great in the Royal Capital¡¯s theaters. That¡¯s because they had to keep on cutting the wick so that the candles won¡¯t go out, apparently. That made me curious to see what the play here looks like.


    Makes me want to build some sort of entertainment facility on the island, too.


    ¡¸This looks cool. ¡¹


    ¡¸This grape scissor here is popular too, you know. ¡¹


    I thought the one the store uncle pointed to was a pruning shears or something, but they turned out to be for cutting grape bunches at the dinner table. Oh, by the way, this store carries silverware used by the rich. There were a lot of things new to me, but this store is also complete with ordinary stuff.


    The wick cutter looks cool, so I bought one.


    Bulk order was basically the norm in Nalluahdid. The overwhelming majority of shoppers usually purchase goods in bulk to sell back to their own countries or for their huge mansions.


    Although most transactions in Nalluahdid is large-scale level, this place is also known as a commercial city and a tourist destination, so there are also small shops, like the one I¡¯m in, that handle the incomplete sets from the bigger shops.


    Alright, time to go back to my island. I consulted Pal and Ish this morning, so there are some changes in the plan.


    And so, I head towards the boat house like usual, but it seems like there¡¯s something going on over there. Gramps seems to be quarreling with a scarlet-haired, hour-glass figured woman?


    ¡¸I¡¯m telling you, this ship is left in my charge. ¡¹


    Gramps was pointing to my ship with his pipe.


    All the small boats that can go to the island are currently out, or should I say being used to transport goods, so they¡¯re not here.


    The woman wasn¡¯t wearing any jewelry, but the simple dress she had on emphasized her curves as it hugged her body, and the fabric was obviously high quality. Oh, and she¡¯s barefoot.


    ¡¸Oh my, so it¡¯s a no despite anything I do, huh. Alright, I¡¯ll just swim, then. ¡¹


    Hey, the island¡¯s quite far, you know.


    ¡¸Do what you want. ¡¹


    Gramps said, and ¡ª she took her clothes off! Gramps didn¡¯t budge! What strong mental fortitude!


    ¡¸Why are you going to the island? ¡¹


    Doesoesn¡¯t matter if the woman is just bluffing, I¡¯m not that mentally tough. Is that what they call a a corset on her torso? Plus she¡¯s only wearing knickers.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to have the fief lord hire me. I was told to gather a few servants by the end of the year, but I¡¯m going to nominate myself. This might be just for a while, but they also owe me enough to support me for half a year ¡ª are you the owner of this boat? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. ¡¹


    Can¡¯t you wear your clothes first before saying all that?


    The only source of light in the boating area was the open door and the glittering sea¡¯s sunlight reflection, so it¡¯s quite dim. Even so, her bosom was in full view.


    ¡¸Won¡¯t they reject prospective employees with problematic backgrounds? ¡¹


    ¡¸If the problem is solved then it¡¯s fine. ¡¹


    The person who asked her was either Auro or Kiel, or an islander asked by those two. Whoever it is, owing a loan that could support someone for more than six months wasn¡¯t something to scoff at.


    But what did she mean by solving that problem right here, right now? I unconsciously glanced at Gramps.


    ¡¸That girl is Soleil, vice president of the Calva Trading Company and adopted daughter of its president, who is currently sick and falling in and out of consciousness. Recently, there¡¯s a rumor floating around that his debauched, idiot son came home and is going to marry Soleil. ¡¹


    Oh, her name is the same as my fake one. I¡¯m not sure what the case is here, but isn¡¯t Soleil a man¡¯s name?


    ¡¸That idiot son is doing whatever he wants now, but in a month, another company will absorb Calva Trade Company with the president¡¯s approval. When that time comes, the procedures for removing my name from the Calva family registration will be approved too, so I don¡¯t have to do whatever that idiot son wants to. I can¡¯t say anything more than this, but know that I just have to survive one month then I¡¯m free. ¡¹


    Many regions arrange marriages according to the head of the family¡¯s will, so did this idiot son pressured his bedridden dad to marry him to Soleil?


    ¡¸You don¡¯t have any lingering affection for the company? ¡¹


    Gramps asked Soleil.


    ¡¸Rather than letting that idiot son crush the company with his own hands, it¡¯ll be better for all the employees to have the company taken over by someone else. And I¡¯m in the way for that to happen. ¡¹


    ¡¸Heh, you¡¯ve got some guts, huh. ¡¹


    Gramps narrowed his eyes and smoked the pipe with great gusto. Looks like he took a liking to this woman.


    ¡¸Got it. I¡¯ll bring you to the island. Wear your clothes. ¡¹


    Hey, stop with that unnecessarily straight posture while in your underclothes, alright. And nah, it doesn¡¯t work even if you cover yourself with your hands.


    Seems like I got myself a glamorous but gutsy employee candidate.

 CH 168

    Gramps was our ferryman as usual as we headed toward the island.


    ¡¸Wash in seawater then hang ¡®em up. Don¡¯t fall off, alright ¡¹


    Gramps handed a hide canteen to Soleil.


    Maybe it¡¯s wine and he¡¯s telling her to disinfect. Soleil thanked him and obediently sat down on the boat side and washed her feet. I moved towards the other side for balance.


    ¡¸Wrap your feet with this. ¡¹


    I pretentiously put my hands in my pocket and grabbed a hand towel from ¡¾Storage¡¿, tore it in half before handing it to her.


    Handkerchief-sized napkins are nice for wiping hands and keeping in pocket, but hand towels have more uses than them.


    ¡¸Thanks. ¡¹


    Her feet didn¡¯t have cuts from walking on stone pavement in the city, but then, there¡¯s waaaay too many germs in this world, so just a tiny scratch can end up getting infected.


    I heard it¡¯s far more embarrassing for women from the west and central plains to show their feet than have their chests revealed. Doesn¡¯t seem to be the case in Canum and Nalluahdid, huh. Ah, but aren¡¯t you revealing too much of both¡­?


    If it¡¯s Dean and the other guys, they won¡¯t be able to tear their eyes off you at this rate! And here I am, awkwardly staring at the approaching island!!


    ¡¸Where should I moor this? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be in the way if we moor it by the fortress, I guess? To the wharf, then. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¯Kay. ¡¹


    The dock by the fortress is busy with the incoming and outgoing boats transporting the materials. Large ships can¡¯t go near, so they had to make do with transshipping the goods in small boats and going on round trips.


    The fortress is perched on the eastern side of a cliff. It¡¯s the highest point on the entire island, maybe so they could watch the incoming enemy fleet and fire attacks at them as they disembark.


    There¡¯s a valley between the fortress and the ruins of a town, with a stone bridge for crossing over. Both sides had long been abandoned, but I had the people work on it too.


    The fortress isn¡¯t a city but a plain citadel so it felt quite detached from the towns. Moreover, the villages are situated near the shore nowadays since it¡¯s more convenient after all.


    We reached the wharf. The kids were playing by the shore ¡ª actually, they¡¯re picking seashells and guarding their snacks ¡ª and when they saw us, they ran up to a certain distance and asked me if there¡¯s something I wanted. Running errands for me has been something they¡¯ve done everytime I come here.


    ¡¸Yeah, can you call Gold and Silver and tell them to go down? ¡¹


    ¡¸Gotcha! ¡¹


    ¡¸And bring some sandals for her. ¡¹


    ¡¸Gotcha! ¡¹


    Heh, I already won over the island kids, ah, but it¡¯s mostly because of the tips and the snacks.


    The town ruins¡¯ restoration were ongoing, so Gold and Silver are frequenting that area more, but we can¡¯t let a woman with injured feet walk all the way to that place, right?


    ¡®Down¡¯ refers to the shed by the shore, our first ever base on this island.


    ¡¸Young ¡®un, isn¡¯t now the time to carry her there? ¡¹


    Gramps teased me. Hey, please don¡¯t demand such a thing from a Japanese person, alright.


    ¡¸Oh my, if you want a solution, then go for manpower or do something with money, okay? It¡¯ll be a pain if you drop me halfway. ¡¹


    Hey, Soleil-san. What¡¯s up with that follow up, are you looking down on me? Then want me to carry you with the boat, huh?


    Ugh, I really should develop muscles like Dean and Dinosso¡­ I always drank milk, but I only grew taller by a bit.


    ¡¸We bought sandals from the shoemaker! Here¡¯s the change! ¡¹


    ¡¸Divide the change with everyone. ¡¹


    The first batch of kids returned after a while.


    I took the sandals and gave them a bag of candies in return. Broken shoes are common on construction sites, so the shoemaker must¡¯ve been peddling his goods there. Come to think of it, some people also set up food stalls, and there were also many quick-witted, hawker-like merchants riding on the trend, so it was like we¡¯re in a festival.


    We made our way to the shed. Gold and Silver were already waiting for us there, and they were with a maid.


    ¡¸Well, well. ¡¹


    ¡¸Auro, Kiel. I¡¯m here to collect your debt. ¡¹


    Auro was looking at me, questioning what¡¯s with this outcome with his eyes.


    ¡¸How did you know each other? ¡¹


    I wanted to know that first. And what¡¯s up with the maid behind you?


    ¡¸Soleil¡¯s family took care of us after we escaped from an attack. ¡¹


    ¡¸Actually, it was her father who made various arrangements for us, but it was Soleil who asked him to do that. ¡¹


    Silver and Gold said.


    Silver and Gold¡¯s house had been attacked, and only the two of them survived. They used the fairy path to flee at that time. Gold had to snatch a little bit of humanity from Silver so that they¡¯ll be able to enter the fairy path.


    The attackers were not some sort of bandits, but fully armored knights. The duo already exacted their revenge, apparently. It must¡¯ve been hard for these two to live out of sync with humans, but maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯ve remained in underworld society.


    ¡¸So, what will be the outcome of this matter? ¡¹


    ¡¸What happened to the company? ¡¹


    ¡¸Shutting down. ¡¹


    Silver raised his brow and asked; Soleil curtly replied.


    Perhaps for Soleil, business is an integral part of who she is. It may be somebody else¡¯s company, but it is still amazing that she can cut off ties just like that.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think you can be a maid or a lady-in-waiting¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸You won¡¯t know unless you try, right? ¡¹


    Soleil provocatively replied to Silver¡¯s doubt.


    ¡¸Ah. Okay, you¡¯ll be the deputy fief lord, and I¡¯ll leave the management to you. If there¡¯s no problems with your work then I¡¯ll entrust the trade to you too, so I¡¯m in your care. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ You threw the bait then pushed everything to her!! ¡¹


    ¡¸That was quick¡­ ¡¹


    Silver and Gold were muttering something, but I don¡¯t care!

 CH 169

    ¡¸Are you the fief lord here? ¡¹


    ¡¸Something like that? ¡¹


    ¡¸Why is that a question? ¡¹


    It¡¯s not really convincing, and I myself have mixed feelings over this, but yep, I¡¯m probably the fief lord of this island.


    The owner of the position of fief lord was still undecided, but I already paid for it and signed the deal using my name. I also went to the commerce guild¡¯s herald, paid the required fee, then registered the coat of arms after checking there¡¯s no duplicate.


    ¡¸Then, this person is the snack person¡­ ¡¹


    Snack person. The maid mumbled to herself, but the way she said it was as if the person was made out of snacks.


    ¡¸Pardon me for the late introduction. This is Marlou, she¡¯s applying to be a maid in the mansion, and until the mansion is completed, she¡¯ll be working on probationary period. For her wage, she is fine being paid with a bag of snacks per week, apparently. ¡¹


    I got a feeling that it would also depend on how big that bag of snacks is. Ah, but if I add some chocolates, then wouldn¡¯t that bag of snacks be worth more than the regular wage?


    ¡¸My name is Marlou, I will strive to do my work to the best of my ability, so please take care of me. ¡¹


    The brunette maid bowed. She was donned in a simple dress, and a folded cloth cap, the tell-tale symbol of a maid, was on her head. Seems like I have to prepare more uniforms for my employees. Well, it¡¯s not that much, though. Speaking of maid, navy or black dress with a frilly apron comes to my mind, and the association is quite strong.


    Wait, snacks, huh. Then that means ¡ª


    ¡¸It is as you imagined. ¡¹


    Gold affirmed without any hesitation.


    ¡¸We didn¡¯t talk about it. ¡¹


    That goofy smile plastered on her face seemed quite fake, but she¡¯s quite a beauty if you look closer, as expected of a changeling. It feels like she¡¯s deliberately trying to be inconspicuous with that outfit of hers. Oh, speaking of smiles, it¡¯s similar to Gold¡¯s signature fake smile.


    Is it a peculiar trait of fairies? Like, they¡¯re looking down on us humans? Well, I don¡¯t really plan delving into it, as long as she¡¯s capable then that¡¯s fine.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re good at cleaning, then you should also sign the maid¡¯s confidentiality contract or vow. ¡¹


    The four of them were dumbfounded for a moment.


    ¡¸¡­ Sorry if I¡¯m mistaken, but Marlou, you¡¯re a changeling, aren¡¯t you? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡¹


    Marlou retracted her smile when she heard Soleil¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Before we confirm things, can you tell us your name first? ¡¹


    Soleil half-smiled. Oh, right, I didn¡¯t introduce myself yet.


    ¡¸I¡¯m also Soleil. ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my¡­ Well then, Soleil-sama, you already noticed that Marlou is a changeling, didn¡¯t you? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    ¡¸Then why won¡¯t you entrust any work to her? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, she¡¯s going to clean up. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Speaking of dirty jobs, what¡¯s the progress with the poop scooping and the septic tank? ¡¹


    ¡¸The odor can be quite harsh right after scooping, but it seems the general public has taken to it quite well. However ¡ª ¡¹


    ¡¸Stop saying it as if we¡¯re the ones carrying the poop bucket ourselves. We properly pay somebody to do it. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, then dirty jobs, does that refer to feces and urine cleanup¡­ ? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yep, I¡¯ll have you clean the toilet, okay? ¡¹


    Housemaids only do kitchen work and laundry, but the maidservants also clean them, right?


    ¡¸So you¡¯re hiring her as a maidservant? ¡¹


    Soleil tried to confirm.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t she a maid? ¡¹


    What are you saying?


    ¡¸Assassination jobs¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Why the heck would I make her do something so dangerous? ¡¹


    ¡¸Commit arson in the pretense of natural fire breakout¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Stop it. I¡¯m building stuff right now so it¡¯ll be a huge problem if it burns down. ¡¹


    ¡¸Dazzling pleasure that no humans have tasted before¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t need it! ¡¹


    ¡¸We also hadn¡¯t done any other work aside from overseeing the construction of the houses and managing the island. ¡¹


    Gold smirked.


    Eh, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s common practice to use changelings for that sort of job?


    ¡¸If that¡¯s what you want, I can order you to steal the wig of the Commerce Guild¡¯s deputy chief, you know. ¡¹


    You know, there are assassins and thieves eager to prove their skills they¡¯re so proud of. Well, it¡¯s just a story.


    ¡¸No no no, I¡¯ll clean the toilet, I¡¯ll do it. ¡¹


    ¡¸But I¡¯ll be troubled if you only do the toilet. ¡¹


    Marlou¡¯s attitude did a complete 180, she¡¯s happily motivated to clean the toilet now.


    ¡¸It¡¯s normal, it¡¯s normal. ¡¹


    Marlou looked like she¡¯s about to dance for joy on the spot.


    ¡®Normal¡¯¡­ Is she that happy that she doesn¡¯t have to assassinate anyone? Ah, but if she¡¯s happy because she¡¯s going to clean the toilet then I¡¯m going to look away.


    ¡¸Ahm, can I also recommend someone? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    Soleil watched it all unfold, so now she was probingly asking me.


    ¡¸Her name is Faramir, and she¡¯s a black¡­she¡¯s also a changeling. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Gold sighed when he heard what I said.


    ¡¸Seems like you¡¯re unaware about this. Black changelings have spirits that harbor grudges towards humans blended in them. ¡¹


    Silver explained.


    Ahh, so they¡¯re referring to the black ones, huh. The spirits I made a pact with are mostly half-normal, half-black, and if I see the completely black ones, I immediately capture them. Still I wonder if this is going to be alright.


    ¡¸I also know Faramir personally. She¡¯s the human changeling just like Kiel, and she might seem cold at first glance, but she¡¯s not the type of person to willingly harm people. It¡¯s just that the other people might not look at her favorably. ¡¹


    That¡¯s a relief then, the spirit¡¯s influence must be weak. It¡¯ll be a problem if I suddenly grabbed a woman¡¯s head out of reflex.


    ¡¸If she won¡¯t cause discord among the residents then it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to hire the residents to care for the livestock and handle the farm, and besides, it¡¯s a small island, after all. ¡¹


    ¡¸I will assign her to handle the household affairs! ¡¹


    Soleil also beamed, and it seemed as if she¡¯s going to burst into a song any moment now.


    ¡¸Even though he¡¯s acquainted with Shadow Wolf¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Wait, don¡¯t tell me he pushed this guy to us since he can¡¯t handle him anymore¡­ ¡¹


    Gold and Silver were sighing with a complex expression on their faces.

 CH 170

    9-12 minutes


    Faeries are also considered as one type of spirits that humans can see. It doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re powerful, it¡¯s just there are a few among them who are deeply interested in humans, so interested, in fact, that they¡¯d even switch their own offspring with human babies.


    The swap would start with stealing the appearance. There¡¯s two ways to do that ¡ª either completely swap them, or blend the appearance of the two. Two outcomes can be expected from the latter too, either they¡¯ll become gorgeous or they¡¯ll end up hideous.


    The swap can be completed in one night if not seen by people, and the human child will be taken away by the faery. It would then depend on the whims of the fae whether that child would grow up among them, or be abandoned.


    For some reason, the process slows down when seen by a human. When that happens, it¡¯ll be difficult to distinguish which part of the child had been swapped. The faeries don¡¯t just slip their own child in; they often replace it with something else that would confuse people to think that it¡¯s a human.


    It may be voice, smile, or even tears, perhaps something that would easily draw sympathy. However, it¡¯s also said that when it¡¯s discovered that there are two of them, either both of them are killed, or they¡¯re thrown to the¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡».


    If somebody manages to tell which one is the fae, then the transformation will stop. But if they make a mistake, the human child will be completely swapped and spirited away, apparently.


    Since it¡¯s a spirit, it¡¯s pointless trying to figure them out according to human logic and reasoning, but still, that¡¯s what I got from Gold and Silver¡¯s story and the stuff I researched in the library.


    The faery that had been swapped with the human usually get bored by the time they reach adulthood so they return back to the fae. However, it¡¯s said that doing so would take a huge chunk of their power, almost reducing them to the small, fine spirits. Gold is quite the rare existence, considering all that.


    ¡¸Hmm. I was going to dedicate a residence for the employees working in the castle, but will it be better to build a separate one in the field too? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Can I request that? ¡¹


    Soleil was probably thinking about the black-haired woman she wanted to hire.


    It¡¯s not my intention to separate the citizens from the servants, but I¡¯m not comfortable having too many people entering and leaving the place.


    The fortress castle is a relic of the past, so it¡¯s not that huge, but it¡¯s wide enough to accommodate all the citizens in case of emergency. No, I mean, it¡¯s really huge for a single person to live in. A stone bridge interposes the major part of the field, so I think the inner citadel can stand on its own.


    ¡¸Kitchen, servants¡¯ quarters, barracks, smithy, stable, barn, outhouse, food storage ¡ª it seems the field has accommodated all of these, so further improvement is possible¡­ Soleil-sama only ordered the stable and barn to be repaired. ¡¹


    Eh, it¡¯s all for Ruta and the livestock, you know.


    Those buildings that Gold enumerated were integrated into the walls surrounding the fortress, so there are places that needed to be repaired, but the inner citadel wasn¡¯t affected. Wood had been extensively used when building the inner citadel though, so the roof and floor already collapsed.


    ¡¸For manpower, we¡¯ll have Ms. Maid, a stableboy, a cook, and a caretaker for the livestock, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Please hire guards for security given the size of this place. If I may express my desire, please hire one or two unaffiliated knights. ¡¹


    ¡¸Anti-theft, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s also for the image of this place, if you don¡¯t have those people will look down on us. ¡¹


    When I nodded to Gold¡¯s comment, Silver immediately supported it.


    ¡¸Even the large merchant families hire guards. For a feudal lord, knights and soldiers are also the symbol of your status, you know. ¡¹


    Come to think of it, isn¡¯t having an excellent knight pledge their allegiance to you a status symbol too? Especially if that guy is a free knight.


    ¡¸Why would you want horses but ignore the knights, huh? ¡¹Silver.


    ¡¸I already have a horse, I just want a place for her to stay. ¡¹


    Ruta is for me.


    ¡¸We would also need to hire a few people to do menial jobs, a chamberlain, and ladies-in-waiting. ¡¹


    Ladies-in-waiting and chamberlains are staff that originally work in the great bedrooms of the castle. In short, they¡¯re the ones who take care of the lord and lady¡¯s daily necessities. If the household is huge, it¡¯s also possible for them to have division in labor, like maids assigned to the walk-in closets and so on.


    By the way, the reason they call it ¡®great bedrooms¡¯ dates back from when even the royalty and nobility were mercilessly thrown to huddle together in a single room, one per family.


    ¡¸Auro and Kiel will be standing as the head of the household, but what about hiring a butler? ¡¹


    Heads manage the fief, the butler¡¯s main job is to manage the assets within the household, starting from the wine collection and so on.


    There are also instances when the butler manages the territory and the chamberlain is assigned to manage the household. It all depends on the household¡¯s structure and kingdom they are in. Many of them even hold two posts concurrently.


    ¡¸Oh, come to think of it, your contract is to supervise the contractors building the houses, and manage the deals and trade of goods, right ¡¹


    Once the buildings are finished, contract¡¯s over so they¡¯re good to go.


    ¡¸Oh? Yes, I¡¯ll monopolize the snacks~ ¡¹


    Marlou reacted. Ah, yep, you¡¯re right about the monopoly, but I¡¯ll be making less snacks then, so I don¡¯t think the portion will change since it¡¯s for a single person.


    ¡¸Oh my, Auro and Kiel will not work for you anymore? ¡¹


    Soleil seemed to be taken aback.


    ¡¸You¡¯re gonna work, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t have anything else to do, and the conditions are superb, so yes. ¡¹


    Silver confirmed with Soleil.


    ¡¸I see. ¡ª Call our name. ¡¹


    That last part was directed to me.


    ¡¸Wait, how did we end up talking about your contract? ¡¹


    Isn¡¯t this a bit too sudden?


    ¡¸We¡¯ll redo our contract and vow, and it¡¯ll be troublesome if that person will be the one to set the conditions again. ¡¹


    Gold shrugged, as if it can¡¯t be helped.


    ¡¸The wage is still the same, and of course, you have to reveal who makes the snacks. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? ¡¹


    You still didn¡¯t realize that I¡¯m the one making them?


    ¡¸Got any problem with that? I¡¯m going to be tied to you, you know. ¡¹


    Silver glared at me.


    ¡¸Contrary to his appearance, he¡¯s a muscle-brained fool. ¡¹


    I turned to Gold, who then averted his eyes.


    Muscle-brain, muscle-brain, huh. Then, it¡¯s understandable why he just decided to do this out of nowhere. Maybe half of it is because of Soleil working for me.


    ¡¸Eh? What? No way, are you going to do the Lord and Retainer Spirit Oath? Auro AND Kiel will? ¡¹


    ¡¸Shuddap. You too, hurry up and do your contract for work. ¡¹


    Silver was in a huff now, so prickly.


    ¡¸Auro, Kiel, once again, I¡¯m in your care. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Soleil-sama. ¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯ll hang out with you until you kick the bucket. ¡¹


    I called them by their name, but I didn¡¯t feel any changes in me, and it didn¡¯t look as if something happened to Auro and Kiel too, unlike that time with Horse.


    Maybe that¡¯s because Horsey went wild struggling to resist me.


    ¡¸Whoa, you really got bound! Unbelievable! ¡¹


    Wanting to be bound also depends on the changeling, apparently, since Marlou wasn¡¯t all too keen about it.


    ¡¸Please sign this, Soleil. ¡¹


    Totally ignoring Marlou, I wrote the terms of contract on the Commerce Guild¡¯s contract book that Auro handed over, then we both signed it.


    There¡¯s a lot going on in the island, so it seems Auro was making all the workers involved sign the most expensive contract. It¡¯ll be a problem if the blueprint for the castle got leaked, and even mortar and glass and¡­ Seems like somewhere down the line, Auro decided to buy a bunch of contract books with a huge smile plastered on his face, so we got loads of them.


    ¡¸The introduction and explanation can wait, let¡¯s get your feet patched up first. Give me a list of the things you need, I¡¯ll ask one of the women to buy them for you before the stores close. ¡¹


    Kiel escorted Soleil out of the shed.


    ¡¸Is it love? ¡¹


    Marlou snickered weirdly.


    ¡¸You too, please hurry up. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, yes~¡¹


    She was thoroughly checking the contract terms, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just a simple air-headed maid.


    ¡¸Eh, wait! Why!? ¡¹


    Ahh.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re from Van¡¯s pedigree, huh. ¡¹


    Van appeared after she signed. So, fire attribute ¡ª does that mean she¡¯s great at combat?


    ¡¸But it¡¯s not even a written oath¡­ ¡¹


    Auro picked the contract book ¡ª it had been scorched, and the first penalty for violation had been rewritten. Ah, no, the penalty is the same, but it¡¯s Van who¡¯ll be doing the punishment.


    ¡¸Hiii!!! Van? VAN? It¡¯ll be impossible for me to run away from that guy!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s the same with the two back then ¡ª perhaps he came here to suggest you do a proper contract with me? I¡¯m in your care, Marlou. ¡¹


    Looks like this is going to be a pain in the neck, so I just made a contract with her right away.


    ¡¸Ehhhhhhhh! W-Wait a sec, wait!! Ahhh!! Bracelet, the bracelet!!!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Bracelet? ¡¹


    ¡¸Did you not see it? Once the contract is formed, a pattern will appear around a changeling¡¯s wrist. ¡¹


    Auro pulled his sleeve and showed his left wrist to me.


    Oh, guess I have to turn on ¡®spirit-seeing¡¯ mode to see it, huh. I activated my Sight then checked his wrist again. Auro has a green foliage-patterned ring around his, while Marlou has a fire pattern on hers.


    ¡¸Khadar and Van. Just who are you? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m Jean who recently became the fief lord. ¡¹


    Auro asked, so I answered him.


    ¡¸So the name is different¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, by the way, I don¡¯t remember my original one. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹

 CH 171

    6-7 minutes


    Marlou was kicking up a fuss, and Soleil, Gold and Silver had tons of things to talk about, so we decided to settle the details the next day.


    ¡¸Inform the construction workers about the change, just this part. Please arrange some support for the waterway construction too. ¡¹


    ¡¸Waterway? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    ¡¸The bell tower will serve as the starting point, however¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s elevated so the conditions are quite good. Anyway, just follow that for now. Please make sure there are no leaks. Ah, and hand this out, please. ¡¹


    I gave the snack pouches to Auro and called it a day.


    He looked as if he had a lot of things to say, but he just accepted my instructions without a word. Butler will definitely try to get to the bottom of things if it was him, but Auro and I aren¡¯t that close yet for him to pry and ask me about it. Alright, let¡¯s take advantage of that and do things my way, strike while the iron is hot!


    Wells are usually located in the main building of castles, and this place isn¡¯t any different. People had to work hard drawing water from the well, carrying it up several floors to the top of the building, pouring the water into the tank then from there, letting it flow to the rooms where it¡¯s needed.


    Ish told me about the magic circle that can summon water when I asked him if there¡¯s a way to make a waterway connected to the well. I researched about it in the library, and decided to install it in the bell tower. It¡¯s just that it¡¯ll probably be pretty hard labor drawing a magic circle that can pump enough water.


    Aside from the employees working in the castle, I also plan to recruit doctors and establish a pharmacy on the island. Bakery too ¡ª hmm, there¡¯s a lot of places we¡¯ll need water, so maybe I should make a waterwheel. In that case, the place will be¡­


    With the house in the forest as my secret hideout, this island is turning into something akin to the secret base of an evil organization so it¡¯s quite fun. Heh, should I make this place impregnable then?


    I mulled over this as I headed to the wharf. A familiar missus was talking to Gramps when I arrived there. Apparently, she¡¯s the woman tasked by Kiel to buy Soleil¡¯s stuff, but there weren¡¯t any boats available.


    It¡¯ll probably be the same when she¡¯s going back, so I told her to hop on the boat and we went to Nalluahdid. I¡¯m already done for today, so I let her use the boat to go back to the island, and we parted ways at the boathouse.


    I was a bit put off, so the waiter chuckled and neatly sliced the fish and showed me the meat. The outer skin was completely charred, but the steaming flesh was soft and white.


    ¡¸Squeeze some lemon and enjoy. It¡¯s almost the end of the season for lemons. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks for the meal. ¡¹


    I did as the waiter said and squeezed the lemon before taking a bite. It tasted heavenly, completely different from its unappetizing appearance. They only used salt for seasoning?


    The saltiness drew out the faint sweetness of fish, and the lemon gave the relatively fat white meat a refreshing twist.


    The dish came with ravioli, but the fish was so delicious that I couldn¡¯t remember how the pasta tasted. Must be meh if I forgot all about it.


    Feeling chipper, I head towards the port for the large ships. I¡¯m gonna look for foreign spirits that might have gotten mixed in with the ship¡¯s cargo. Although I like traveling to places, I¡¯m not comfortable with the idea of going somewhere impromptu if it¡¯s not plotted on the map.I already got some information on people, so it¡¯s the spirits¡¯ turn.


    I watched the spirits as I roamed around. The spirits of the sea breeze are quite sprightly, but the other types don¡¯t seem like it? Let¡¯s see, this seems to be a warehouse of mass-produced carpets and textiles? Eh, do spirits wane if there¡¯s only the same type of goods lined up?


    Uh-oh, a spirit is circling a round one that seemed to have been carefully transported, looking totally smitten with it.


    Hm, must be a rug weaved by a possessed craftsman.


    Come to think of it, I remember there¡¯s a huge difference in the number of spirits loitering around the workshops back in the pottery town where I commissioned my bathtub. The workshops that paid respect to the spirits first before doing any production no matter how busy they are attracted more spirits than those who omitted doing so in favor of efficiency.


    Workshops that followed traditions were mostly meticulous with their craft. But then, there are more workshops that omit a lot of stuff in an attempt to make as many items as possible.


    Ah, found a spirit in a sack of sugar! Sugar spirits should be knowledgeable about faraway places. I waited for people to leave but it¡¯s always crowded since the super expensive sugar is way cheaper here!


    I¡¯ll look like a suspicious guy if I go straight up to the sack and talk to it. Telepathy won¡¯t do since I can¡¯t just stand there and stare at it like an idiot, right? Hmm, maybe they can just sell that sack to me? Okay, let¡¯s try striking a deal.


    ¡ª The shipowner ended up selling a different sack to me. Ack, no, this isn¡¯t what I wanted!


    I sneaked to a covert place and stuffed it in my ¡¾Storage ¡¿before setting off in search of other spirits. I pretended to admire a magnificent ship so I could chat with the ship spirit clinging onto it.


    I got some info about the ports the ship had stopped at, so I¡¯m going there first. The map I copied from the library had weird beasts drawn on it so I didn¡¯t really trust it that much, but it seems pretty on point.


    Well, if worse comes to worst and I end up in a place teeming with monsters, I can activate the magic barrier I learned and it¡¯ll probably work out somehow.


    I went home chuckling, mighty pleased with myself after getting the needed information. Alright, let¡¯s name the spirit then play with Riche and laze around.


    .

 CH 172

    7-9 minutes


    I¡¯m back on the island for a preparatory meeting with Soleil after listening to Gold and Silver¡¯s report. Soleil, Gold and Silver are here, Marlou is in Nalluahdid on an errand.


    ¡¸We confirmed that we have sufficient funds. However, the transportation of materials will be quite expensive. ¡¹


    I¡¯m told spirit swords cost as much as a castle, and might be more depending on the actual sword.


    The price of castles also varies a lot, so I¡¯m not really sure about the comparative value, but well, it¡¯s a lot of money. But, it¡¯s not unlimited.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll add later. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Soleil, Gold and Silver¡¯s stares are too intense.


    ¡¸May I ask how you plan to procure the funds? ¡¹


    ¡¸Sell the magic stones I have? Ah, if you see any diamonds please buy them for me. ¡¹


    For Van¡¯s popcorn.


    ¡¸If you have several of them, would you like to sell them to us? However, the deal will be in a month. ¡¹


    ¡¸Alright then, I¡¯ll leave it to you. The better the shape of the crooked magic stone, the higher it¡¯ll sell? ¡¹


    ¡¸But of course. Well, it also depends on the color and clarity. ¡¹


    ¡¸Will anti-back pain jade also sell?¡¹


    ¡¸If it¡¯s an excellent ornament, then yes. Besides, back pain relievers are something akin to lucky amulets. If you can give us a sample, we¡¯ll do our best to take orders for it. ¡¹


    Folks here have a superstitious belief that wearing jade on your waist relieves back pain. I still have a lot of monitor lizard magic stones even after using them for making the chilly chilly plate.


    ¡¸Master, are you considering blue textile as a source of livelihood for the island? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m buying indigo bit by bit for now, but once the cloth is out on the market, the materials will be exposed. Prices might go down. ¡¹


    ¡¸If we release high quality textiles first, we can establish our brand. We won¡¯t have to worry about being copied and prices going downhill. Our target consumers are nobles, and they¡¯re known for their obsession with source and manufacturer names. It¡¯s their pride, after all. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t really get that line of thinking, but I have a feeling that somebody told me the same thing before. Maybe that¡¯s just how the nobles here are.


    I also relayed that I¡¯m planning to let the other islanders grow new vegetables and fruits and sell them. Lanterns and mirrors are also options, but I¡¯m the only one making them for now so it¡¯s a bit of a stretch claiming those are part of the industry of the island.


    We also worked out other details like where to set up the dyeing factory, buying looms then renting them to the residents, wages of craftsmen ¡ª they¡¯ll have a pay per piece commission in addition to their base salary, and other stuff. They want to proceed to production once the first phase of the castle construction is done, apparently.


    Soleil decisively worked out all the details, as if crushing the vague parts of my plans one after the other. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s somehow implicitly rebuking me because of haphazard financial planning.


    ¡¸What about the ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡»? ¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, can¡¯t we just use the previous place where it¡¯s at? You know, right in the middle of the plaza just outside the castle gates. ¡¹


    I answered Auro¡¯s question.


    ¡¸I thought you¡¯re going to install the water basin in the belltower? ¡¹


    Kiel quipped.


    [Well, I guess it¡¯s okay putting it there, but I don¡¯t have any particular plans for now. ¡¹


    ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡»also has its own pumping station that distributes water to the entire site. The water level is low; when the water is touched by the spirits, it can be used as an ingredient for making medicines and this blessed water can fetch quite a hefty price.


    The ¡®water basin¡¯ that Kiel just mentioned refers to a plate with water for the spirits¡¯ enjoyment, and it can also refer to the entire water pumping station for ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough ¡».


    ¡¸Are you planning to draw water from the well and circulate that? That¡¯s totally unrealistic. ¡¹


    Kiel seemed disappointed.


    This island has freshwater thanks to the bedrock underneath despite being surrounded by the sea. As long as you properly waterproof the well while digging, folks won¡¯t have to drink saltwater. However, it¡¯s pretty hard labor breaking through the tough bedrock, and having to draw water from a deep well every day can also be quite a pain.


    Well, this island isn¡¯t the only one with this problem; countries that primarily use deepwells due to scarcity of rivers aren¡¯t few. There are many bodies of water within the Magical Woods ¡ª or should I say there¡¯s more water in less populated outlying areas like the temple in the bogs where Chris¡¯s brother is headed to, at least that¡¯s what I think.


    Hmm, I wonder if there¡¯s something going on with that place? I¡¯ll check the library later.


    ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t worry about the water. Just proceed on the assumption that water will flow to the waterways according to the blueprint I gave you. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, you were serious about that? But the water won¡¯t be enough to cover the water basin and the wells. ¡¹


    ¡¸Just do it! ¡¹


    Kiel was dubiously staring at me, so I cut him off.


    ¡¸¡­Well then, we¡¯ll proceed to the repair of the designated place in the plaza. ¡¹


    ¡¸I guess we can install the water basin later. ¡¹


    The plaza in front of the castle gate will have the ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» right in the center, and it¡¯ll be surrounded by pubs, inns, restaurants, and other buildings that are both residences and stores in one. I¡¯m not sure yet whether I¡¯ll use the houses alongside the highway from the plaza to the wharf as stores. This place isn¡¯t a tourist spot, so it¡¯ll be a problem if it¡¯s littered with stores.


    ¡¸What about the tax categories? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Per capita tax for those five and above, property tax for those who own houses, inheritance tax, liquor tax, and tax on the sales of merchants¡¯ business. Market tax for those who¡¯ll join the market, travel tax for non-residents and foreigners entering the island. Ah, and it¡¯s the rental fee if they¡¯re going to use the farm, waterwheel, press and other things that¡¯s mine, right? What else? ¡¹


    So I counted my fingers for every answer to Soleil¡¯s question that crossed my mind.


    We decided which taxes we¡¯ll use according to what they taught me about the general types, how to implement and collect them, plus verification of general laws and penalty fines. It is quite a pain in the neck, but I¡¯ll be tossing everything to Soleil after we decide everything so I guess I have to work hard now.


    At any rate, the residents will be exempted from any sort of taxes, except those related to sales, for one year after this. The original citizens of this island will get mad if they¡¯re suddenly required to pay taxes, so they¡¯re exempted until the new industries and the towns have settled down.


    Yeah, they told me I¡¯m too soft on the residents, but I hope you won¡¯t compare my method to the taxation system here that leaves people¡¯s lives barely hanging by a thread. In turn, I made the conditions for owning houses and living, unless temporary, in the island very strict.


    Residents other than the original citizens of this island have to live in the houses I¡¯m building, so I have to be picky to a certain extent, and I¡¯m also limiting the number of residents so that the island won¡¯t turn into another Nalluahdid were you can¡¯t even see the earth with all the houses and alleys cramped onto that island. I¡¯ll only accept as many as my houses can accommodate!


    Ah, well, will people even want to live here in the first place?

 CH 173

    I went to check how things were in the Canum house. Nothing changed, and Daifuku wasn¡¯t in the attic room. There¡¯s a high chance he¡¯ll be there if it¡¯s rainy, but today¡¯s sunny.


    Ash and I didn¡¯t set a travel appointment, but I guess it¡¯s also fine riding Ruta alone from time to time.


    ¡¸Morning, Ruta. ¡¹


    I greeted Ruta as he charged towards me as usual, then I put the saddle prepared beforehand from the uncle of the rental barn on him.


    ¡¸Oh, by the way, are there any horses who get along with Ruta? ¡¹


    I asked while handing the tip to the uncle. He might be lonely if he¡¯s alone, so I¡¯m planning to take another one with him once the horse field is finished.


    ¡¸There¡¯s one recently¡­ ¡¹


    A sudden crash drowned Uncle¡¯s words. A white horse came trotting towards Ruta.


    ¡¸He¡¯s always with this guy. ¡¹


    Erm, destruction buddies?


    I stared at the two ¡ª not sure if it¡¯s biting or play-biting they¡¯re doing. Do horses make friends by fighting? Uncle had a pained yet resigned look pasted on his face. Ugh, I apologize on behalf of my Ruta.


    ¡¸Hi there. Are you Ruta¡¯s owner? ¡¹


    ¡­¡­¡­


    The white horse cantered towards the newcomer and fawned on him.


    ¡¸Yeah. Hello. ¡¹


    Right! Come to think of it, when horses are left here, it means they have an owner who rides them. Then, a well-cared for horse with a similar body type as Ruta can only be a warhorse type, right?


    He¡¯s handsome, but his genetic features from his chin above are way too strong! He¡¯s obviously Chris¡¯s lil bro. I see, so the guild isn¡¯t the only danger zone for chance encounters, huh.


    ¡¸Orfevre is my favorite horse, and he gets along quite well with Ruta. ¡¹


    Ack, he¡¯s the typical shining knight.


    If you¡¯re asking me what¡¯s the problem now, I guess it¡¯s my intuition that Chris inherited his sparkly self from his parents. I remember getting put off the first time I encountered something like this, but I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m used to it now¡­!!


    So, why on earth did Chris¡¯s lil bro come with me for a ride? It¡¯s because of the pressure from our beloved horses.


    Ruta and Orfevre were competing with each other, so we didn¡¯t exchange any words along the way. It¡¯s better than that time with Deer, but please, Ruta, don¡¯t speed up thinking I¡¯m fine with this.


    ¡¸You¡¯re quite good at riding. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, no, I¡¯m leaving everything to Ruta. ¡¹


    But why don¡¯t you have a cleft chin? So, is Chris¡¯ cleft chin the work of the spirit?


    ¡¸Are you an adventurer? ¡¹


    ¡¸I did register, but I¡¯m not active. ¡¹


    I Peek with my ¡®vision¡¯ and there it isssss, there¡¯s a spirittttt!!!!!!!!


    ¡¸My older brother is also an adventurer, and I¡¯m assisting him for a bit while I¡¯m in Canum. ¡¹


    ¡¸Let me guess, it¡¯s Chris, right? ¡¹


    Will he have a cleft chin? Will Lil Bro¡¯s chin cleave too? Will his jaw muscles get all chiseled out?


    ¡¸They say I look a lot like him, you know. My Elder Brother seems to be quite famous, too. ¡¹


    ¡¸He also helps me out. ¡¹


    Ah, this spirit, it¡¯s not obsessed with cleft chins ¡ª it¡¯s enjoying the smooth lines of his jaw. Then, did he get a nice jaw contour because of that?


    Anyway, I managed to tide over breaktime with a little bit of trivial chit chat with him. If I¡¯m with Ash then we¡¯ll be having lunch by now, but it¡¯s too early plus I can¡¯t just whip out my lunchbox, right. So, I drank some mead from the leather bag and called it a day.


    Lil Bro officially introduced himself as Reid Eades, so I also told him my name properly, alright? We might see each other again in town or in the rental stable after all. I don¡¯t really care about humans, but not seeing Ruta is a bit¡­


    ¡¸Ruta gets along well with Orfevre so I considered taking him with me. Unfortunately, it seems like that won¡¯t work out. ¡¹


    Oh, he was thinking the same thing, apparently.


    With a sense of affinity, we went back to the rental stable and I groomed Ruta alongside him and his horse.


    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll see you around if we have the chance again. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, if there¡¯s a chance. ¡¹


    I parted ways with Reid at the stable.


    No matter how I see it, we¡¯ll probably go the same route if we¡¯re both homeward bound, so I dropped by the Merchant¡¯s Guild to deliver potions first. It¡¯ll probably be safe if I go through the back door.


    Alright, what to eat for lunch? Maybe boil or grill some huge shrimp, top them with mayonnaise and gobble them up?


    With a hum, I was about to touch the back gate when the neighbors suddenly whisked me away.


    ¡¸What¡¯s up? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a bit of an emergency. ¡¹


    Dinosso seemed relieved.


    ¡¸We¡¯re so glad we caught up with you. ¡¹


    Shiva smiled, seemingly troubled.


    ¡¸Jean! Somebody ¡®plighted his troth¡¯ to me! ¡¹


    Tina clung to me.


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    ¡¸Knight-sama proposed to Big Sis~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Chris¡¯s Lil Bro~ ¡¹


    The twins bombarded me with info while hugging me.


    ¡¸Huh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I told him properly that I like Jean and rejected him. ¡¹


    I unconsciously turned to Dinosso. Ehhh, was that refreshing handsome guy a pervert?


    ¡¸That¡¯s also an emergency, but not that. It¡¯s about Ash. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    No way, two-timing!?


    ¡¸Ash received a decree from the Royals and the Duke ordered her to return. Chris¡¯s brother brought it. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ehhh!? ¡¹


    I thought we can¡¯t do anything about their family squabble since they¡¯re too far away and Ash didn¡¯t say anything about wanting to return, so I assumed she¡¯d be staying here.


    Tsk, that ¡®fresh¡¯ pervert, what unnecessary news he brought ¡ª what will Ash do now?

 CH 174

    Anyway, I should ask the details from Ash and Butler ¡ª so we moved to a more suitable place so we can talk.


    We went to the second floor of my house. Dinosso just passed straight through my house to call Ash and Butler.


    While waiting, I lit the fireplace and started boiling water for tea. I finally succeeded in convincing them to use porcelain recently, so the plates and cups I took out are all pure white.


    I placed a yogurt cake on the simple white plate, scooped a huge spoonful of strawberry mousse and dolloped it. Added some raw strawberries ¡ª There¡¯s a ruckus outside.


    I went downstairs, and heard somebody arguing in front of the door. Butler and Dinosso¡¯s voices intertwined with Reid¡¯s.


    ¡¸Lilith-dono entrusted this task to me. She wishes me to stand witness in the event that you¡¯re going to meet somebody of unknown origins, regardless if it is your neighbor. ¡¹


    Whoa, Chris is right, Lil Bro¡¯s extreme nosiness is about to explode, huh.


    ¡¸He¡¯s not someone dangerous, and he isn¡¯t related to the kingdom in any way. The reason why we cannot disclose his origin is because he¡¯s an adventurer. ¡¹Butler.


    ¡¸My brother, he¡¯s someone dear to me as well. ¡¹


    Chris pacified him.


    ¡¸Then let me see his face even just once. ¡¹


    He¡¯s quite upright for an escort, but is he really an escort?


    I also wanna ask whether he can overpower DInosso and Butler¡¯s combo?


    But, maybe it¡¯s a relief for the client that he¡¯s like this.


    ¡¸He looks like this. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t want someone heatedly arguing in front of my house, so I peeked out. Great thing I cleaned up the first floor, even if I open the door they won¡¯t see anything but the stairs.


    ¡¸You¡¯re Ruta¡¯s ¡ª I see, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems if it¡¯s Ruta¡¯s owner. Pardon my rudeness. ¡¹


    Reid immediately backed down.


    Everyone wordlessly stared at his back as he strode back home. Chris followed behind, and he turned around, raising a hand in apology.


    Why is Ruta¡¯s trust worth that much? Ruta¡¯s adorable, but he¡¯s a wild, restive horse from everyone else¡¯s view, you know?


    ¡¸Did you meet him before? ¡¹


    We climbed to the second floor, then I served yogurt cake to everyone. Butler immediately started to prepare coffee.


    ¡¸Thank goodness. That guy¡¯s quite bullheaded. ¡¹


    ¡¸Even though he had been gentle-mannered before. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, but it seems he¡¯s only stubborn when he¡¯s keeping his promise to somebody. Lilith frequently relied on him. ¡¹


    Lilith must be that red-haired woman.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since I enjoyed Jean¡¯s snacks. Is it alright if we talk while we eat? ¡¹


    ¡¸Go ahead. ¡¹


    Butler served the coffee, so I also took a bite.


    Mm, tastes great.


    ¡¸Pour this if you want it sweeter. ¡¹


    I put the strawberry sauce in front of Ash. The taste¡¯s perfect for me, but it¡¯s not sweet enough for Ash, I¡¯m sure.


    ¡¸Thanks. It¡¯s delicious. ¡¹


    Ash happily ate.


    ¡¸Soft and fluffy ¡ª and it¡¯s cold. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s tasty, but it¡¯s probably one of those¡­ yeah, better not to ask how it¡¯s made, huh. ¡¹


    Alright, let¡¯s serve room temp milk pudding to the men from now on.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been keeping in touch with Lilith through Az. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    Az isn¡¯t a strong spirit, but since he¡¯s a bird, his specialty is moving fast.


    Both Merchant Guilds and Adventurer¡¯s Guilds use spirits for communication, so even though it takes a long time to transport people and things, information travels fast.


    ¡¸Things had become weird in our kingdom a short while after I left. Lilith wasn¡¯t specifically writing to me about such things, but there¡¯s a lot of things I felt uneasy about, and it¡¯s getting worse. ¡¹


    ¡¸Okay. ¡¹


    ¡¸The same thing happened here in Canum, right? I can¡¯t help but wonder if it¡¯s because of that that I¡¯ve been expelled and Father collapsed to illness. Father and I are the only ones who can see spirits without using magical circles in the entire kingdom, after all. ¡¹


    So she¡¯s considering the possibility that something was done to them using spirits. Dean¡¯s sister wasn¡¯t aware that she¡¯d been possessed, but this is different ¡ª it¡¯s a premeditated crime, huh.


    ¡¸And there¡¯s also the Torum Kingdom. They held a little bit more power across the small countries compared to our kingdom, and they took advantage of war in the Plains to absorb the surrounding small countries. Their method is to extend aid to countries exhausted by the war, making the citizens turn their back on the royal family reigning over them. Even the countries who didn¡¯t participate in the war have difficulty obtaining supplies, so there are a lot of poor countries. Well, there¡¯s nothing surprising about poor small countries not being able to support themselves anymore, so I didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, but seems I¡¯m mistaken. ¡¹


    ¡¸I also have my doubts regarding that matter. It seems they¡¯ve been aiming for the downfall of the surrounding countries long before. ¡¹


    Butler interjected with a bow.


    Those ¡®small countries¡¯ are small enough that even someone like me can become a feudal lord over it, so there are many town ¡ª no, village structures there. So, were they taking those regions down one by one in preparation for conquering Ash¡¯s relatively huge kingdom?


    ¡¸With her suggestions pointing to avoiding anything that could unravel the influence of spirits, I felt it highly likely that Lilith was also possessed. So, I requested Az to bring some holy water and pour it on Lilith. And I was right. After that, Lilith also moved secretly behind the scenes to bring the high-ranking officials back to their senses. ¡¹


    Ash added more strawberry sauce to the cake. Viscous scarlet liquid trickled down from the white milk pitcher.


    ¡¸The person claiming to be my younger brother got arrested and Father was rescued. He had been fed poison, apparently, and he¡¯s still unconscious, but he¡¯s recovering. ¡¹


    It might sound old-fashioned, but feeding someone basically meant just that ¡ª feeding the medicine or poison to a person.


    ¡¸That¡¯s great. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t know what kind of poison they used, but this world has recovery potions. Well, the medicines here have after-effects, though it¡¯s just my guess.


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t just receive a letter from Lilith this time; even the Royal Family sent a decree ordering me to return. The royals probably want my Sight. ¡¹


    I always looked her in the eye when we¡¯re chatting, but now, I¡¯m staring at the sauce spreading. One last scarlet drop trickled down.

 CH 175

    ¡¸Ash, what do you wanna do? ¡¹


    I asked the most crucial thing for now.


    ¡¸I will obey the orders of the Royal Family and return as a member of the Duke¡¯s family. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ash, they banished you from the duke¡¯s house, remember? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm¡­ ¡¹


    Ash fell silent with a scary face, the furrow between her brows deepening.


    When we first met, she was no longer part of the duke¡¯s family, so she couldn¡¯t even use recovery potion despite being severely wounded.


    ¡¸Ash, Jean wants to know what you want to do yourself and not just out of your sense of duty, right? It might be difficult to answer because of the way you¡¯ve been raised, but if you can do whatever you want, what do you wanna do? ¡¹


    Great followup from Dinosso.


    Not sure if it¡¯s just the way she had been raised, or if it¡¯s because of her personality, but she doesn¡¯t assert herself that much. She does what she¡¯s supposed to do detachedly, and even her expressions are quite scarce. Well, I can sense she¡¯s in a good mood when she¡¯s eating sweets, though.


    ¡¸What I wanted to do¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. What Ash wants to do herself. I¡¯d like to grant that, but I can¡¯t move without knowing what you want. ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean¡¯s snacks ¡ª I wanna eat them. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ojou-sama¡­ We¡¯re not in the knight¡¯s barracks, so¡­ ¡¹


    Butler gently warned her.


    ¡¸Mm. I think that¡¯s it generally, was it weird? ¡¹


    ¡¸It is quite improper as an example. ¡¹


    ¡¸Let me rephrase it. I want to stay beside Jean. ¡¹


    Eh, wait, did I just get a confession burning with passion? But then, I thought I won¡¯t be able to believe a true confession if I were to receive one given my past experiences.


    ¡¸I can guarantee the snacks and meals, and you can touch my hair from time to time, I¡¯m fine with that. Collarbones¡­ Well, the weather¡¯s getting hotter, so ¡ª¡±


    It¡¯s a bit of a problem doing the rest between an unmarried guy and girl¡­ Ack, it¡¯s kinda difficult to say that because she¡¯s making an expression similar to when I served the strawberry shortcake to her.


    ¡¸I¡¯m really enjoying being able to do all the things I want to do, so I can¡¯t give up this freedom. Honestly, it¡¯s far more important to me than love. Although I do think it¡¯s unfair if I don¡¯t make things clear now, but¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Ash, I also want you here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. I¡¯ll just show my face, check on Father, then return here. ¡¹


    Huh?


    ¡¸Hm? Can you come back? ¡¹


    Dinosso asked before I could.


    ¡¸Aside from those aristocrats who behaved strangely, many nobles were also in liaison with Torum Kingdom. They can no longer hide it from the citizens, and the incident has been publicized. Ah, but I heard they did try to block it from being known just before the scandal broke by pretending and exaggerating propaganda that all is well within the kingdom. They even spread an impressive tale about Father, my adopted brother, and me; one that brings down my brother while lifting me up so I¡¯m gonna use that. Besides, with the current situation in my kingdom, only a handful of people can stop me by brute force. ¡¹


    I don¡¯t know what I can do for her, so I just decide to give it my all to support her. Turns out she already has a plan to deal with it.


    ¡¸Erm, is there anything I can do to help you? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s definitely gonna be far more dangerous for Jean if you got discovered by the kingdom, right? ¡¹


    Ack!


    ¡¸Jean-sama, how about being betrothed to Ojou-sama? ¡¹


    ¡¸What? ¡¹


    Huh? What are you suddenly saying, Butler?


    ¡¸It¡¯s not a formal oath sworn in the ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡» and in temples, but a documented engagement ¡ª a contractual betrothal, if you will ¡ª among nobles. It can be voided should the interests between the two parties fall through and they wish to terminate their agreement. If Ojou-sama has that, she will be able to avoid any marriage-related surprise attacks such as an engagement with one of the Royal Family. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s going to be a huge help for sure but ¡ª Jean¡¯s not a noble, so that sort of thing must be disgusting for you. ¡¹


    Butler gave a suggestion, but Ash immediately turned it down.


    ¡¸I believe that Ojou-sama will certainly be married off to the Royal Family. Status isn¡¯t a problem at all. Matrimony is a matter of duty for the royalty and the high-ranking aristocrats, so they do not honor the wishes of the individuals involved. In fact, before she had been disowned, Ojou-sama¡¯s fiance was His Highness the Second Prince. ¡¹


    Oh, my apologies. I didn¡¯t associate a lot of things with Ash. I finally understood after Butler¡¯s explanation.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not absolutely necessary to prepare documents of engagement; however, it would be desirable for Ojou-sama to have a betrothal accessory that will serve as proof. Please allow us to use your name as the gifter of that accessory. ¡¹


    Betrothal accessory is what we call the engagement ring. It is customary here to give the woman a precious metal she can pawn off for a huge sum that¡¯s enough to last a minimum of three months if the engagement or marriage is broken. There are also cases when women from merchant families are usually the ones giving it to the men.


    Hmm, is it a tradition that came to be because of this world¡¯s harsh reality ¡ª the huge disparity of wealth and status among the people? Nobilities mostly send engagement rings during betrothal, and it¡¯s required to use a magic stone. It¡¯s just that Ash wields the sword, so a ring with a huge stone will get in her way. Maybe something other than a ring is better? By the way, they also exchange rings in weddings here.


    ¡¸Noth, it¡¯s not something you should force him to do. ¡¹


    ¡¸Actually, we will not be using your name per se; we will just tell them that we cannot reveal the identity of the person in Ojou-sama¡¯s heart¡­. When Ojou-sama informed Reid-sama that she will be returning here, she told him that ¡®I have someone I swore to protect¡¯. Reid-sama promised to help her flee when he heard that. ¡¹


    Butler whispered that second half so that Ash won¡¯t hear him. Not sure if it¡¯s an ability he has, but strange, it¡¯s as if Butler¡¯s voice is only audible to the person he is facing.


    ¡¸So manly. ¡¹


    Dinosso muttered beside me, half awed, half baffled.


    Ack, I won¡¯t have anything to do at this rate!


    ¡¸Gotcha. Okay, I¡¯ll not only lend my name, I¡¯ll prepare the accessory. What do you want? ¡¹


    Ash is bad at lying, so it¡¯s probably better for me to give it to her myself.


    ¡¸Jean, you don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t like. ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah, I also want to help. ¡¹


    It¡¯s not because I cave in to Butler¡¯s pressure.


    ¡¸¡­Bracelet. I¡¯ll give it back as soon as I return. ¡¹


    I felt a bit disappointed for some reason when Ash said that. And Dinosso, stop grinning!!

 CH 176

    ¡¸Jean, don¡¯t go making it too seriously, alright? Leave it for the real deal later. Anway, you¡¯ll be making it for sure instead of just buying it together, right? ¡¹


    I was thinking what to make when Dinosso warned me.


    Oh, right, it¡¯ll be a problem if it doesn¡¯t suit her tastes. I see, I see, so it¡¯s something you choose together, huh, I learned something new. Heh, as expected of a married guy.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know anything about jewelry. I¡¯ll be happier if Jean chooses it for me¡­ ¡¹


    Mm, seems like it also depends on the person, huh.


    ¡¸It¡¯s definitely gonna be outta this world if we leave it all to you. I¡¯ll prepare the stone from what I got now, so choose later. Anything you make will definitely stick out like a sore thumb, so you can¡¯t use anything except magic silver, got it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, I believe that¡¯s how it should be done. It¡¯ll be a problem if we can¡¯t return because it stands out too much, so¡­ ¡¹


    Tsk, I got restricted! Oh well, I guess it¡¯s fine, my goal is also to avoid the spotlight in Canum afterall. I¡¯m currently experimenting to what extent I can stand out on the island.


    Afterward, Ash and I chose magic stones among the ones Dinosso brought. Ash chose a fingernail-sized violet spinel. Spinel reacts to mana, so it¡¯s a stone that mages frequently wear. It has a wide array of colors, but red spinel are popular so they are expensive.


    ¡¸Are you sure about that? Isn¡¯t red better for spinel? ¡¹


    Red can easily draw out power, and it¡¯s famous as a fire prevention talisman.


    ¡¸Mm. I like this one. ¡¹


    Is violet her favorite color? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯ll be great if it¡¯s color-changing. ¡¹


    Dinosso quipped.


    ¡¸Color change? ¡¹


    ¡¸There are spinels that have a bright, grayish blue hue in the sun that changes to violet under the candlelight. It¡¯s rare so it can fetch a hefty price, though. Ah, but it¡¯ll probably be a brighter shade of violet than your eyes. ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s gaze was implying that mine is duller than dull.


    The grayish blue color represents Ash, and my pupils are the same shade of violet as the magic stone that Ash chose just now.


    But, they¡¯re more like the deep brown shade of Japanese!!! It¡¯s not as if mine are dull! Uh, I think?


    I didn¡¯t manage to hold on to them, so they¡¯re set to leave very soon. And so, I hurriedly went to hole up in the workshop and do some clang clang ¡ª ack, wait a sec, I haven¡¯t tried metal carving before!


    So for the meantime, I rushed to Nalluahdid, looked around different jewelry stores, and also checked out the workshops. I spent money to do this observation tour.


    I learned that spheres are considered special; most of the stones here have flat underside with only a few exceptions.


    ¡¸Yeah, novel, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not really that obvious under the sun, but the way it shines under the candlelight is amazing. The hero-smaa of Shrum came up with this type of cut, and it¡¯s popular for evening events. ¡¹


    Didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d find some traces from the heroes ¡ª from Sis and the other guys. Seems like she came up with the same idea as I did with my bags ¡ª register several types of jewelry cuts to the Commercial Guild. I feel a bit disgusted knowing money will enter their pockets every time I use these cuts, so let¡¯s just avoid using them in the future. Alright, let¡¯s spread hygiene culture, hygiene culture it is!


    With that thought in mind, I continued observing the engraver¡¯s work. I devoted an entire day to learning stuff.


    So, that¡¯s what happened yesterday, and for today, I arranged all the tools I needed and lined them up on the workbench along with the magic silver with varied colors and the spinel I received ¡ª I ended up staring a bit longer and harder at them than I meant to.


    Metals also have varied colors depending on the influence of the spirits and monsters. Gold changes color entirely, like the case with white gold and pink gold. With silver, the deeper shade separating the light and dark areas of the metal tends to get subtly infused with color.


    So, which color to use now? Spirits with different attributes were attracted to the varying colored silver. They tried to lift the metals, press their cheeks on them affectionately; basically doing whatever they wanted.


    Violet spinel should be more on the bluish side, right? Ash also has affinity with water attributes. I pulled the magic silver that turns blue under the light, ignoring the napping spirit that fell from on top of it, and checked its color compatibility with the spinel.


    What design will be best? Something that won¡¯t get in the way, and it shouldn¡¯t stand out. Ah, and don¡¯t forget that it should make it obvious that the owner has a partner.


    The color is naturally quite subdued, so maybe go with a fancy shape? Ash¡¯s first impression¡­ Nah, I¡¯ll definitely get scolded if I continue this so scrap. Ash gives off the impression of pure and clear water, but tranquil, huh. Maybe put a small flower on it and make it flexible like vines?


    I considered drawing a sketch while staring at the materials, but what to do now?


    I tapped the magic silver lightly with the chisel while mulling on how to shape it.


    Spurt!


    Ugh, it suddenly collapsed and flowed like water. Why? Oh, spirit, huh. Well, thanks, I¡¯m grateful that you can give shape to these vague thoughts of mine, but still, it took me by surprise.


    I dunno why, but when I tapped it more, a thread of greenish-hued magic silver also flowed and mixed with the bluish silver. They smoothly flowed together, creating a pattern of vines and water intertwined as it stretched and swallowed the spinel. The end product was a small leaf-shaped bracelet supporting the spinel.


    It¡¯s not obtrusive, it¡¯s delicate with an intricate pattern ¡ª wait, it¡¯s flowing¡­ Ack, this bracelet can change its form!!


    Two tiny spirits clinging to the magic silver happily played while going round and round.


    The bracelet can heal a finger cut in a day, and it can also detoxify, albeit weak. Plus it can also amplify mana. The first two can be attributed to the magic silver¡¯s properties, while the mana amplification must¡¯ve been the effect of spinel, I think?


    Well, nobody¡¯s gonna know about this unless something happened, so I guess this much is fine? Yep, should be fine.


    ¡¸You guys, can you possess this bracelet and protect the owner only during emergencies? ¡¹


    Since it has that mana amplifying effect, then it should be fine putting these two spirits in it.


    I tried asking the humanoid spirit that looked like a mouse flower because of its blue clothes and the pale green gooseberry-looking spirit sitting on my palm.


    The humanoid politely bowed, while the round one happily jumped, so they must¡¯ve understood. I held them, one per hand, and poured mana as thanks while naming them.


    Blue humanoid¡¯s name is Water Drop, while the round, pale green spirit is called Green Circle.


    Just accept my abysmal naming skills, alright?


    See, if I named it Mouse Flower going with my first impression, then what would I do if there¡¯s a real Mouse Flower Spirit somewhere else?


    I already regret naming a spirit Corn a long time ago just because it¡¯s yellow.


    Blue Drop¡¯s wearing a miniskirt or dress, dunno, while Green Circle has two of those. Eh? Is it 2-in-1? Spirits really are quite mysterious in a lot of ways.

 CH 177

    Ash, Butler, Dinosso, Retze and I are having lunch together after a long time. Reid had dragged off Chris and Dean to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.


    He¡¯s about to leave and yet ¡ª ah, no, maybe Lil Bro¡¯s working so hard precisely because he¡¯s leaving.


    Dean¡¯s been diligently accepting commissions left and right so he can pay me for his sword, apparently. Alright, maybe I can bring him some pork cutlets later, huh.


    ¡¸This is tasty. Can you cut the bread a tad thicker? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I can. ¡¹


    The thinly sliced cooked liver rillettes were sandwiched between crunchy bread slices. The liver came from the wigeon I hunted to make the quills. Dinosso¡¯s gonna completely gobble them all up at this rate.


    ¡¸Mine too. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm, I also want to eat it, but there is still more stuff other than this. ¡¹


    ¡¸The bread Jean-sama bakes is truly delectable. ¡¹


    Eh, you guys too!? Oh well, I guess I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying the food.


    ¡¸Everything¡¯s delish, but bread¡¯s the one thing I crave the most after not having it for a while. ¡¹


    ¡¸I like the bread too, but it¡¯s coffee for me. ¡¹


    So serving Retze coffee must¡¯ve been deliberate. They avoided brewing coffee while Reid is here, apparently.


    Retze¡¯s request is thick scrambled eggs and I paired it with dry cured ham and pickled sardines. For the salad, we had watercress sauteed with sea urchin and butter.


    ¡¸I also tried making scrambled eggs this way but the shape¡¯s all wonky and it tasted different. Did you put something else other than the eggs? ¡¹


    ¡¸It has some fish stock made from a fish called skyjack tuna and seaweed called kombu. ¡¹


    ¡¸This dish is so exquisite when paired with wine that it¡¯s almost too much for me. ¡¹


    Butler¡¯s request is oyster gratin.


    I also served some grilled sweet bread from a very young calf that hadn¡¯t eaten anything other than milk yet. Plus, one slab of herb-roasted lamb chop per Dinosso¡¯s request.


    ¡¸I wonder why rather than the scent of herbs, the meat itself is so fragrant, doesn¡¯t stink at all.¡¹


    That¡¯s because the ingredients in my food storage are superb.


    For the finale, I served black tea and shortcake topped with plenty of cream and strawberries. Still in moderate amounts, we don¡¯t want the cake crumbling down after all.


    Ash looked really happy, my eyes were drawn to her while I was drinking black tea. The rest of the men had coffee.


    ¡¸Coffee also tastes better when brewed here, huh. ¡¹


    Retze muttered. That¡¯s because I¡¯m using water from my house.


    ¡¸Alright, we enjoyed great food, so let¡¯s get down to business. You¡¯re leaving tomorrow, right? ¡¹


    Dinosso said after the plates were cleared and more coffee and tea were brewed.


    ¡¸I got a feeling that he probably did something outrageous again. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine, I placed restrictions this time around. ¡¹


    Retze¡¯s must¡¯ve heard from the others so he¡¯s worried, but Dinosso assured him.


    ¡¸Then, here you go. ¡¹


    I stealthily handed a silver flower with the spinel embedded in the center.


    ¡¸What¡¯s this? ¡¹


    ¡¸Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a bracelet? ¡¹


    Dinosso and Butler said suspiciously.


    And so, I demonstrated the art of unfurling the flower and transforming it into a bracelet by placing it on the wrist. The flower stretched and changed its shape.


    ¡¸What a lovely¡ª bracelet. ¡¹


    When I handed it over to Ash, the silver collapsed and flowed like melting ice turning to water before attaching itself to her wrist. At the same time, the two spirits showed themselves.


    ¡¸Breathtaking. ¡¹


    Ash muttered, completely smitten with it. Okay, so the design gets a passing mark, huh.


    ¡¸¡­.Waiwaiwaiwaiwait. ¡¹


    Frozen Dinosso¡¯s mouth was the only thing moving.


    ¡¸What? It¡¯s not mercury, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸I used the magic silver we picked up together back in the tunnel. ¡¹


    I answered Retze.


    ¡¸Dinosso-sama¡­? ¡¹


    Butler turned towards Dinosso at a snail¡¯s pace.


    ¡¸Me!? Is it my fault!? No, wait, is that really magic silver!? ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s breaking out in cold sweat for some reason.


    ¡¸Again, it¡¯s magic silver, I used magic silver, alright. ¡¹


    ¡¸You used? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    I turned away.


    Retze wasn¡¯t letting it go!!


    ¡¸Hey! ¡¹


    Dinosso jumped from his chair, prompting me to turn away more. Yes, I did use magic silver, but when I checked ¡¾Appraisal¡¿ it somehow transformed into spirit silver. The stats also rose; probably because the spirits possessed it, huh.


    But wait, it started flowing even before the spirits possessed it, right?


    ¡¸This bracelet is so small, and yet two spirits¡­ Is that the reason? ¡¹


    Butler seemed bewildered.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t they call magic silver that¡¯s strongly affected by spirits ¡®spirit silver¡¯? And since it got spirits inside, isn¡¯t it a spirit silver then? ¡¹


    Ugh, Retze, why do you always hit the bull¡¯s eye even though you can¡¯t See!? Wish you¡¯d stop doing that.


    ¡¸Ahh. Right, spirits had been swarming the box where I kept it! ¡¹


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    If the magic silver collected from the tunnel had different effects then there should be a whole lot more varied spirits words circulating the market by now, but that¡¯s not the case. I see, that makes sense.


    ¡¸But it¡¯s still highly unlikely that two spirits would reside in it. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, they seem quite free, so I asked them to protect the owner of the bracelet. The blue one is Blue Drop, the green one is Green Circle. ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t make requests! And don¡¯t put spirits in things so nonchalantly!! ¡¹


    Dinosso jumped to his feet again and yelled.


    ¡¸Is it really just¡­ a request and placing it inside? ¡¹


    Butler was mumbling.


    ¡¸Hey, Noth, your eyes are glazing over, are you alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸I am not alright. ¡¹


    Ack, he said he¡¯s not okay!


    ¡¸You really ¡ª I can¡¯t See so I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on, but won¡¯t it become a huge pain in the neck if somebody discovers that you can casually make the spirits reside in things? The bigwigs and adventurers, no, even other guys who aren¡¯t adventurers will definitely make you do their bidding, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Urk¡­ I¡¯ll keep it a secret. ¡¹


    I definitely don¡¯t want some other folks other than my homies approaching me.


    ¡¸Luckily, the more knowledgeable the nobles are about spirits, the less they can See, and most of the commoners can¡¯t See either. I think you¡¯re still fine, but if worse comes to worst and you get busted, do your best to gloss it over, like telling them that it¡¯s gonna take a hell lot of time, or maybe just make it exorbitantly pricey to deter them. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    I obediently listened to Retze¡¯s advice.


    Besides, I can only work in my house, and unless the person talked to me directly, he won¡¯t have anything to do with me so I think it¡¯ll be okay, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution. Alright, let¡¯s be more careful from now on.


    ¡¸Dinosso-dono and Noth haven¡¯t come to their senses yet. Are they gonna be alright? ¡¹


    Dinosso was groaning, Butler was still as a rock, so Ash was worried as she stared at them.

 CH 178

    The bracelet didn¡¯t come with any sort of letter or certificate, nor did I say any words of affection while giving it to her, so it ended up as a gift, nothing more and nothing less.


    Well, it¡¯s purpose is to make the people around Ash misunderstand, so I guess that¡¯s fine.


    ¡¸Okay, okay, come along now, hide, hide. ¡¹


    Blue Drop and Green Circle left the bracelet and hid in Ash¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡¸At any rate, they¡¯ll hide when you¡¯re in public by default, so if you wanna summon them, just touch the bracelet ¡ª oh, you¡¯re already touching it, huh. Just ask them to come out. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. Got it. ¡¹


    Az flew down from her shoulder and hopped around the desk while tilting her head and peering at Ash¡¯s cuffs.


    The two came out and they interacted with each other. It looked quite fun. Seems like they¡¯ll get along, so that¡¯s a relief.


    ¡¸Play with them from time to time. ¡¹


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    ¡¸Were spirits capable of completely leaving the items they possess so easily like that¡­? ¡¹


    Dinosso was dubious.


    Strong spirits can separate from their objects for a short time, but generally, spirits with this level of power had to leave a part of their body in the item.


    ¡¸It¡¯s just a request from me, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re completely possessing the item. ¡¹


    Kinda similar to Az and Ash.


    ¡¸Ugh, the things I knew!! ¡¹


    Dinosso was grumbling for some reason.


    ¡¸What type of spirits are they? ¡¹


    ¡¸A thumb sized female sprite clad in blue and a teeny tiny round yellow-green spirit. Both of them are really cute. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hmm. ¡¹


    Ash answered Retze¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Hoh, then it¡¯s possible that the yellow-green spirit is the type that increases in number instead of growing larger when it becomes more powerful. ¡¹


    Butler¡¯s recovered now.


    ¡¸Yeah, when the yellow-green one increases, one of them will go to my place. They can communicate with each other over long distances, apparently, so they¡¯ll let me know if it¡¯s dangerous. ¡¹


    It¡¯s just like the fire spark spirit which easily multiplies and just as easily burns out. They¡¯re not strong, but they¡¯re the type of spirits that can turn into quite the army.


    Humanoid spirits and those that resemble animals are strong individually. The simpler the form, the greater the tendency to multiply. In the spirit textbook dating from the era of Ruf¡¯s kingdom, spirits can be classified according to the attributes of the primordials, or the first generation of spirits.


    ¡¸Nice, that means it¡¯s convenient if you know the appearance since you can deduce its ability, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? ¡¹


    Wait a sec, ball of light?


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ ¡¹


    Silence descended.


    ¡¸Ash, you saw that flower sticking out of Dean¡¯s head, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, not sure if it¡¯s because they¡¯re far away from the main body, but the enduring traces of spirits are easier to See. It¡¯s just that even I have difficulty discerning them unless the spirits themselves allow people to See their true form. Besides, the more suspicious ones will even hide the traces of their power. ¡¹


    She¡¯s usually a girl of few words, yet she diligently answers me everytime I ask her something. I¡¯m hit with nostalgia when the memory of her touring me through the capital flashed through my mind.


    ¡¸The spirit possessing Dean¡¯s sister was the self-assertive type ¡ª We concluded that Dean¡¯s sister and the spirit possessing her weren¡¯t flaunting their power out of spite. ¡¹


    I see. Yeah, I know that she was under the influence of the spirit, but I still thought they went too easy on her. So they also considered that it wasn¡¯t done because of malice, huh. In that case, if the incident had been kept under wraps, it¡¯s possible that the judge would decide she was vicious and she¡¯d receive a harsher punishment, huh.


    ¡¸¡­Then, that means it¡¯s only me, huh. I was the only one who tasted that sort of suffering, ugh¡­!! ¡¹


    I plopped down on the table.


    Chris¡¯s chin spirit, Dean¡¯s stinky spirit, Reid¡¯s macho horsey spirit!! Yeah, makes sense that they don¡¯t mind them even if those spirits are nearby because they¡¯re only balls of light!!!!!!


    Picture Horseface from the Chinese myth and you¡¯ll know what Reid¡¯s spirit looks like, but since it¡¯s pure white, it¡¯s more like a spirit of light instead of an escort from hell. It¡¯s a male, but seems a bit camp. Plus, it also strikes a macho pose from time to time while stroking Reid¡¯s chin.


    I see. Only me, huh.


    ¡¸Oh well, guess Seeing also has its drawbacks, huh. Sorry for saying it¡¯s convenient. ¡¹


    Retze patted me on the head as I stayed glued face down on the table.


    ¡¸Mm. ¡¹


    Ash, you don¡¯t have to join him¡­ I feel like mochi being smashed from all the pon pon I¡¯m getting from both sides.


    Plus, it seems like they misunderstood too.


    ¡¸Oh, right. If you want, take this bundle with you. ¡¹


    ¡¸What might it be? ¡¹Butler asked.


    ¡¸Ash¡¯s clothes. ¡¹


    It¡¯s summer so her clothes might not fit her anymore. Still no chest, but she can pass as a beauty dressed like a man.


    ¡¸It¡¯s anti-wrinkle. ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s precious for travelling. ¡¹


    Butler is in charge of Ash¡¯s clothes.


    Canum¡¯s clothing stores mostly carry second-hand clothing sent from the citadel city. Underwear isn¡¯t included among those clothes, of course. They¡¯re usually handsewn in the home, but since many adventurers here are still bachelors, the stores also offer sewing services. They also have tailors, but the fabric isn¡¯t that good.


    With that said, I accept tailoring services ¡ª except for underwear ¡ª for a fee. Recently, I¡¯ve been making weird clothes even if the fabric is normal, so I mostly work in Canum. From time to time, Shiva and I sew clothes while chatting and Tina learning embroidery beside me. Such times let me enjoy the familial atmosphere to my heart¡¯s content.


    ¡¸That foo¡­ His Royal Highness, the Second Prince ¡ª I wonder how he will react when he sees Ojou-sama looking more like Madam, her mother, as the days pass. ¡¹


    Butler was smirking evilly.


    And yes, she¡¯s beautiful, but she doesn¡¯t have any chest. To tell the truth, I feel the girls are the ones who¡¯ll flock around her, right? Actually, doesn¡¯t it seem like Butler¡¯s judgment gets clouded when it comes to Ash?


    ¡¸Won¡¯t it be a pain in the neck if you can¡¯t go back because you stood out? ¡¹


    Retze slightly squirmed away before taking a jab at Butler.


    ¡¸¡­Indeed. My desire to recover their evaluation of Ojou-sama ¡ª Hm, what a difficult matter it is. ¡¹


    Butler lightly sighed.

 CH 179

    It¡¯s been three days since I saw Ash off without any incident.


    My days passed by making recovery potions in the Canum house then loafing afterward and processing magic stones then fluffing and petting Daifuku.


    Daifuku should rank above Dinosso¡¯s dragon if we base it on size. They¡¯re about the same size if Daifuku curled up. Ah, but I don¡¯t have any idea if he¡¯s powerful or not since he¡¯s not the combat type.


    I¡¯ll be happy if he makes a contract with one of my friends, but¡­I wonder if he¡¯ll do it. He¡¯s appearing frequently, and he also sits with his butt pointed to Retze ¡ª a sign of trust, apparently ¡ª but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s wholeheartedly willing.


    Anyway, Retze told me Butler¡¯s done with the prep work, so there¡¯s no need to worry about Ash. Butler apparently nonchalantly spilled the beans about something scary like the royal family not being able to go against the House of the Duke. He deliberately kept this info from Ash and me, it seemed. Argh, you!!


    Even so, I can¡¯t help but feel down. It kinda stirs my trauma that resulted from someone becoming closer to me only to leave because of circumstances caused by others. Sis wasn¡¯t involved this time, but back then, my friend had been thoroughly, completely ignored by everybody else except me, so it¡¯s no wonder his parents chose to move ¡ª sorry, it must¡¯ve been far more traumatic to him.


    No, this won¡¯t do, let¡¯s go outside and do some work. Don¡¯t wanna end up being a shut-in.


    With that, I returned to my home temporarily, then took Riche with me to the forest house. The outer walls are mostly finished. Plan is to do stonework up to waist level, then above that will be a combination of dark brown pillars and white plastered walls. Plastering the ceiling will come last.


    The roof will be made from slate tiles. IThe stone breaks easily when tapped from a certain direction, and those pieces will be used in lieu of tiles. It¡¯s a material frequently used in many regions.


    It¡¯s just that water can seep into natural stone, so it can only be used in places with less rainfall. I made the angle really steep so that rainwater will just flow down as soon as it falls onto the roof.


    It¡¯s a common sight to see the roof tiles beyond the wooden beams when you climb into the attic. They usually don¡¯t put anything that can be an obstruction so that even if water seeps in it¡¯ll dry fast. But then, snow also falls here, so I¡¯m planning to do some work on the attic area.


    Roof tiles are generally shingled with copper sheets since it¡¯s the easiest way to go, but goodness, the appearance!! I deliberately chose warped timber instead of perfectly straight ones and of course, one size thicker in consideration of the load and durability.


    I was once a resident of an earthquake prone country who cramps their stones in various places. I imitated the buildings there and dug until I hit the bedrock then built the walls from there, but it¡¯s still nerve-wracking! I also prepared a wide foundation just in case I didn¡¯t hit the bedrock so I used both methods together!


    Thoughts about the house filled my head while working on the house, effectively raising my mood. Yeah, I now have the power to fly to their aid immediately if needed, and I can even take them all with me and flee in case of emergency. Plus, if I think I can even crush the entire kingdom if I work hard enough.


    Alright, alright, think positive, positive.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s have lunch, Riche. ¡¹


    Riche was munching X-Stick after getting tired of running around chasing a butterfly within the barrier


    Riche had water and meat for lunch, while mine was a baguette sandwich and coffee. I prefer making fluffy egg sandwiches, loaves of bread and butter rolls, but for now, I enjoyed roasted beef, camembert cheese, and tomato, arugula and onion for veggies.


    Roast beef makes me feel luxurious. The arugula¡¯s slightly tangy bitter taste pairs well with the mouthfeel of onion. Shrimp and avocado baguette sandwiches are also nice, and mackerel sandwiches as well. I baked a lot of baguettes, so let¡¯s make different varieties.


    After lunch, I went deeper into the woods and did some fighting. The animals I knew were few and far in between. Creatures that attack in ways other than physical also exists


    Like beasts breathing out blue flames, and beasts that spit poisonous mists while roaring existed.


    Step, slash, evade, and ask for help from the spirits if needed ¡ª I¡¯ve become quite used to hunting now. Maybe it¡¯s okay now to take Riche with me? Ah, but it depends on whether he wants to, of course.


    I thought it¡¯d be a great learning experience for me to defeat monsters, but they¡¯ve warned me that they might suck me into their minds, making me go crazy, if I defeat too many of them. They¡¯re probably referring to monsters that had captured one too many black spirits.


    I have my¡¾Mental Resistance¡¿, and I don¡¯t think Riche doesn¡¯t have that, but I¡¯m not so sure.


    Alright, I think it¡¯s high time for me to seriously think about how to fight against monsters that aren¡¯t affected by physical attacks. The reason why I¡¯m having qualms pushing forward with that idea is because there are a lot of humanoid enemies both in the west and north. I have ¡¾Mental Resistance ¡¿, but will I really be alright against human-like figures?


    Even if I did have resistance, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll come out unscathed. Spirits and magic can¡¯t erode my mind and I won¡¯t break, but that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t hurt. Well, I guess maybe I¡¯m quickly breaking out of the memories from my past.


    5, 6 monsters in and I stopped and calmed myself down. I didn¡¯t sense any other monster trying to attack me from the surroundings.


    ¡¸X-Stick! ¡¹


    I whipped him out of ¡¾Storage¡¿.


    ¡¸Aye aye!! ¡¹


    I didn¡¯t mean anything when I called his name, but X-Stick went along and energetically shouted in response.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s search around here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou! ¡¹


    I poked and rustled the grass under the trees and measured the hollows with X-Stick. Areas with out of whack climate and strange environment increased the deeper we went into the forest. The place I¡¯m in right now is a summer forest with blueberries bearing fruit; the season¡¯s one to two months earlier than before.


    Picking wild blueberries is quite hard work as they only grow to about ankle-high to knee-low high. I searched for bushes with the most fruit with X-Stick, then bent down to pick them.


    Ugh, my waist is gonna get frozen at this rate¡­ I wonder why this is way harder than defeating the monsters. Add to the fact that X-Stick is snickering.


    I was about to take a break in a spot with good sunlight when I spotted more fruit ¡ª raspberries this time. They grow in forest clearings where the trees had fallen. I¡¯m gonna pick them, but after I catch my breath first.


    I poke one of the fallen trees to check whether it¡¯ll collapse before sitting on it. First, take out a tray, then put the tea and florentine on it. Florentine is a type of cookie that has nuts coated in caramel added to the dough before baking. I tried mixing almonds with pumpkin seeds this time.


    Exercise, check, work, check. Afternoon tea in the sunlit forest ¡ª ahh, sweet happiness.

 CH 180

    I realized the reason why the number of spirits abruptly increased in my workplace. Only spirits with names that aren¡¯t numbers and spirits that are born within the house while I¡¯m here such as fire spark spirits and other small ones can enter my house.


    That means the workshop I built later on for making medicine was considered outdoors, huh!


    It¡¯s dangerous doing stuff inside the house, since the small ones that normally disappear after a while are not only staying there; they¡¯ve also grown quite bigger somehow.


    There¡¯s no suitable place to do smithing and dyeing in Canum so I don¡¯t have a choice about that, but I¡¯m going to make the medicines there from now on. We don¡¯t want the drugs to have some weird effects after all, that¡¯d be scary. Will it be weird to turn the prescription dispensing counter I made into a workshop?


    ¡¸This is fine. ¡¹


    ¡¸What is? ¡¹


    Kiel caught me mumbling to myself on my way out.


    Just like what we talked about the other day, I¡¯m here with the magic stones that Soleil will sell for me.


    Majority of the ores are jades from monitor lizards. I didn¡¯t hole up in Canum just for show, these are the ones I diligently polished while kneading Daifuku. Scrap that, they¡¯re the ones I diligently polished, period. So no worries, they shouldn¡¯t have any sort of weird effect.


    Some of the jades were beautiful as they were, but most of them had dull brown surfaces, so they had to be polished to bring out that nice green color. Jades with high transparency and gorgeous green colors can cost an arm and leg while those that don¡¯t have beautiful hues are ground into powder and sold as medicine for kidneys.


    ¡¸Jade, hm. It¡¯s popular among the oldies because of the superstition that it can soothe back pain when placed on the lower back. ¡¹


    If the powder is really effective for kidneys, then that might be the source of that superstition, given that backache and waist pain can be caused by kidney problems. Add the fact that they might have a ¡®fairy tale-ish¡¯ effect because of the spirits¡­ At any rate, I can¡¯t easily dismiss it as an old wives¡¯ tale just because my Japanese common sense is telling me it won¡¯t work.


    ¡¸This is a cheat ite¡ª ehem, I mean, this is a romo sample. ¡¹


    I handed an intricately carved jade ornament with braids whose design I ripped-off from those ancient Chinese pendants that they hung from the waist.


    It was detailed work so I made it in the workshop in my house. The spirits came over, so it got back pain reducing effect. That got me flustered, so I escaped to Canum, but the tools I needed weren¡¯t there. I got fed up with all of that, so I just polished the rest.


    With all of those events happening, only one cheat item was made.


    ¡¸Oh my, what a fine craftsmanship. ¡¹


    ¡¸It really soothes back pain just a tiny bit, so you can lend it to those who suffer from aching backs as part of marketing the other goods. You can¡¯t sell it unless you really really need to compete, but there¡¯s only one of that, mind you. ¡¹


    I already teleported to Canum before it was completed so the effect is weak.


    ¡¸Actually, it¡¯s already worth a normal mansion depending on how it¡¯s sold¡­ ¡¹


    Soleil seemed a bit dubious based on her response. She¡¯ll probably test it on one of those involved in the repairs of the castle.


    ¡¸Here, pelt. ¡¹


    I took out the fur that I nonchalantly crammed inside the pouch.


    ¡¸It¡¯s warm here so pelt ¡ª Hey! This isn¡¯t something that you can just stuff inside a sack! Help me. ¡¹


    Furs might be exported from Nalluahdid to different places, but it is still a hot region. Trade of ordinary furs are more popular among the tribes of the northern islands, so they¡¯re usually dumped there. Rare pelts and furs that aren¡¯t used as daily items to block the cold are sold here.


    ¡¸Deposit the sales of these into my account. And don¡¯t forget to get your company¡¯s commission, alright. Ah, and here, spirit gold, congratulations on establishing your own company. ¡¹


    ¡¸Spirit Gold¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸You can use it as the company¡¯s showpiece, or you can also use it for your own wedding, either way is fine. ¡¹


    Only miniscule amounts of spirit gold can be obtained so it¡¯s ridiculously expensive.


    Spirit gold will probably make a pretty strong armor, but currently, it¡¯s treated as a special jewelry for the rich guys¡¯ engagements and weddings. It¡¯s most commonly used for constantly worn wedding rings and earrings. Very wealthy folks also make them into bracelets and necklaces, apparently.


    I just recently learned that engagements for noblemen with ranks of count and above


    might also be postponed if gold or white gold with spirit stones hadn¡¯t been prepared, since their face is at stake.


    ¡ª There are also stories such as a man who became super rich after discovering a vein of gold that had transformed into spirit gold for the most part long ago, and a king who made a golden armor with spirit gold. Legend says the armor had sunk in the ocean facing the Kingdom of Desolation.


    I sensibly gave Soleil a gold piece that was only the size of the tip of the thumb. The magic ores we gathered from the tunnel weren¡¯t that many, after all. Ah, but what an extremely efficient money-making scheme it¡¯ll be if magic gold and magic silver turns to spirit ores just by leaving them as is wherever they are. But then, spirits will probably get bored easily if the metals didn¡¯t transform.


    ¡¸Master, just who are you¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸I just have connections with a retired Gold-rank. ¡¹


    ¡¸Gold-ranked adventurer? Just how ¡ª ¡¹


    ¡¸Kiel, it¡¯s not good practice to pry about personal trades. It¡¯s very valuable, so I¡¯ll have it appraised at the Commerce Guild. That¡¯ll be good for publicity and trust ¡ª thanks. ¡¹


    Kiel was about to press me for answers but Soleil stopped him and thanked me.


    Afterward, they took me to check the state of the palace renovation while explaining stuff to me.


    ¡¸We¡¯re almost finished with the restoration of the buildings surrounding the inner courtyard. All that¡¯s left is to install the fixtures including the doors as well as facilities. We wish to have the smithy running first for the repairs. ¡¹


    They¡¯re using a temporary shed for simple smithing, apparently.


    ¡¸Can you scout for skilled smiths? ¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯ll see what we can do with our connections. ¡¹


    Auro¡¯s connections¡­ I feel a bit uneasy about that; is it just me? I wanna ask him about it, but there¡¯s the matter earlier so I can¡¯t¡­tsk.


    ¡¸We wish to interview a few people, including Soleil¡¯s friend, next month. Is the plan alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸As long as they can keep the first conditions and Soleil approves then that¡¯s fine by me. ¡¹


    ¡¸We will be conducting interviews here too, of course. Also, I believe it would be in our best interest to have those incharge around the back of the main building sign a direct contract with us. ¡¹


    ¡¸Got it. ¡¹


    We discussed our plans while moving around.


    Our next stop was the atrium inside the main building.


    ¡¸A window¡¯s suitable for that place that¡¯s all cut out rather nicely, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. ¡¹


    Kiel was pointing to the place that I opened by hacking the stone walls night after night with¡ºZanzenken¡».


    ¡¸The stonemason wanted to put a tracery there, what do you think? ¡¹


    Wait, what¡¯s a tracery? Don¡¯t randomly blurt out things, will you.


    ¡¸What kind? ¡¹


    When I asked, Kiel showed me the stonemason¡¯s drawing that he had with him. Ahh, I see, kinda like those in the churches in Europe, huh. Stonework houses have arches above the huge windows because of the construction process. Stone framework and vertical lattice work are then fitted on the arches.


    Moreover, since I didn¡¯t know how important arches are and just went on hacking without a care, the wall that had been originally alright was starting to crumble in some places. Sorry, sorry. Yeah, it¡¯s not a big deal if the stone above is just a single slab of stone, but it¡¯ll definitely crumble if individual pieces are joined together, right?


    The net-like partitions and latticework made out of stone and iron are called tracery, apparently.


    ¡¸Wow, what a knowledgeable guy you are, Kiel. ¡¹


    ¡¸Hmpf. ¡¹


    ¡¸He just heard it from the stone masons. ¡¹


    ¡­Auro, are you on good terms with Kiel or not? I don¡¯t get their relationship.

 CH 181

    I had the stone mason show me several drafts of his design.


    ¡¸Can you engrave something as detailed as this? ¡¹


    Won¡¯t it take too much time? And can the window be opened?


    ¡¸Yes, of course. Certainly, without fail! ¡¹


    The mason answered.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the expected delivery date? ¡¹


    ¡¸If you can extend the delivery date for another month, no, half-month after the entire wall is finished, I can guarantee its completion by then. ¡¹


    So two weeks after the original delivery date, huh. Are they planning to pull all nighters throughout that time frame?


    The mason told me that back when he was a kid, he saw a window like these ones a little further north. He thought he¡¯d be able to make a better version of that window so he drew several sketches of his ideas on how to do that, and eventually he also became a stonemason himself.


    ¡¸Then, I found out that the windows here are designed with slatted shutters after becoming a mason in this place. ¡¹


    This region is hot, so windows are generally built to be small. The rays of the sun raise the temperature even more, so folks here shut the louver windows during noontime and open them at nightfall.


    ¡¸I see¡­ ¡¹


    Louver windows and the iron railings around the windows are elaborately designed with flowers and stuff but the window itself is usually designed quite simply. I have never seen an intricately detailed window before in this world.


    ¡¸I¡¯m fine extending the deadline, so can you do this too? ¡¹


    Since we¡¯re at this point then might as well have a rose window, so a rose window we¡¯ll have.


    ¡¸You¡¯re burning money again¡­ ¡¹


    Blah, blah, what¡¯s that, can¡¯t hear anything, can¡¯t hear anything~


    The stone mason and I discussed the design while ignoring Kiel¡¯s muttering. I decided to go along with this mason¡¯s design for the windows, then add a commission a rose window for the atrium. It reminds me of the churches that stood in some regions of my previous world, but I won¡¯t be putting color ¨¤ la stained windows on mine. There won¡¯t be any statues of saints either.


    To get to this hall, you must first cross the stone bridge and enter the courtyard through the gate flanked by gatehouses with towering spires ¡ª they refer to the grounds after you enter the castle gate as the courtyard, apparently.


    Separate buildings dedicated for lady workers and male employees can be found on each side of the courtyard. The current trend here is to have the maids and knights live in different buildings, it seems. I also gave specific instructions on the things that I don¡¯t want and things I¡¯m not interested in. I¡¯ll be the one doing the reviews, but the rest will be left to Gold, Silver, Soleil and the workers. Actually, if the renovation is done just for me living solo then I can handle it on my own, but since it¡¯ll be the living quarters for a large number of people, it¡¯ll be better to leave it to the experts. I don¡¯t have any idea about what¡¯s needed for that many people, after all.


    The places I mentioned will be good to go once the windows and doors are installed in the smithy and kitchen attached to the courtyard¡¯s walls, as well as the areas where soldiers and servants live. In fact, the soup kitchen for the kitchen workers is already up and running.


    I instructed them to use glass abundantly in the main building, but not the buildings that are part of the castle walls. We¡¯re using thermal glass, so it will be fine even if it¡¯s a little bit hotter outside. The main building will probably turn into a sunny, well-lit place.


    Ahh, I¡¯ll probably get a warning about robbers breaking in, foes attacking us and whatnot. Unlike in Japan, burglars here are more on the wilder side and they¡¯re used to being rough. Even the windows here that I thought were too narrow turned out to be arrow slits; they also have holes on top of the castle gates made for dropping stones, apparently. Even though this region is in the middle of the sea, there are vestiges that say things were a lot wilder and rougher in the past.


    Van¡¯s influence made the glass insanely durable on top of the glass¡¯s boosted thermal insulation. I currently have more than what we¡¯re going to use, so maybe I can have the surplus installed in Soleil¡¯s office? You know, for security, since she¡¯ll be acting as the lord of the castle in my stead?


    The foundation for the place that I¡¯ll be using is also ready it seems, so I¡¯ll be doing a lot of work on it from now on. The construction of the forest house is also at its peak, so things have been pretty hectic.


    ¡¸Are you really alright with this tower? ¡¹Auro asked me again.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t this place a bit too much on the far end? I mean, isn¡¯t this place the station for the soldiers assigned on lookout duty? ¡¹Kiel.


    The spot I chose is a tower that looks like it¡¯s attached to a cliff on the southeastern side.


    This place gives me a full view of the ocean since it¡¯s on the edge of the island. It¡¯s originally constructed for a lookout base against enemies incoming from the sea. Yeah, I think it¡¯s the perfect spot for me to do some dragon watching.


    ¡¸If there¡¯s a secret path then it can be a sort of a hideaway with the main building as the decoy¡­ ¡¹


    Ack.


    Several towers rose here, but I decided on this place after discovering a road that seemed like a hidden pathway. It leads directly to this particular tower from the harbor below the cliff where the citadel is. A narrow, dark pathway of bare, rugged crags that even an adult can fit in? Yeah, that gets me all pumped up!


    I went ahead and really turned it into a hidden passage, camouflaging the place before letting the craftsmen in. Maybe the islanders know about this path, but yup, it¡¯s a secret path. Silver¡¯s about to find out, but yeah, it is a secret path alright.


    My plan is to install glass windows all around the lowest floor nearest to the sea. Normal glass will probably break even with a frame, but Van¡¯s glass is anything but normal; it¡¯s extremely durable. It can definitely withstand the stonework of the tower; in fact, it¡¯s even stronger than stone.


    The glass I made isn¡¯t that wide, but it sure is long(tall). Just picture this ¡ª a room with window walls all around ¡ª I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be quite a spectacle so I¡¯m looking forward to it.


    ¡¸The unbreakable glass will have some leftovers, so install them in Soleil¡¯s office and in the gatehouse. ¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much. ¡¹


    Auro and Soleil¡¯s tastes are good, plus Auro and Kiel are highly conscious about security. I feel a bit complicated whenI think that both of them had been attacked in the past.


    Anyway, back to the room ¡ª this window room downstairs isn¡¯t for dragon watching, but a place for me to enjoy the scenic view. The land of the dragons is slightly visible from here when the skies are clear and there¡¯s no fog or mist. The waves are pretty calm too since the sea is inland. It¡¯s said that on stormy days, monsters living below the sea would surge, making the waves billow and crash, but I¡¯ve never seen that happen before.


    There¡¯s another glass window room in the centera little on the upper side of the tower. This is the dragon view deck and my sleeping quarters. I¡¯ll be chilling here, rolling on the bed while waiting for a dragon to fly by.


    Although I¡¯ll probably go to the dragon continent first before I see one flying by, I guess. Well, that¡¯s that, and this is this, two different matters, okay.


    Hmm, maybe I can also set up a drawing room for receiving guests near the entrance connected to the main building? And maybe a dining room and a kitchen too while at it?


    I happily made plans in my head while looking around the tower. I saw the protruding room in the tower that is the toilet, designed to let your poo free fall to the sea while you¡¯re doing your business, and decided to pretend that I didn¡¯t notice it. Won¡¯t the sea breeze dampen your butt while you go?


    Oh no, I should check the comfort rooms on the blueprint again. And also the wet areas. Hmmm, what should I do with the screen doors? Even if we did say this place is brimming with water, it doesn¡¯t rain much, so puddles are rarely seen here. Larvae can¡¯t survive, so there are almost no mosquitoes in the city, but I should still consider them given that I¡¯m planning to make a lot of canals.

 CH 182

    Wells are usually installed near or inside the main tower because of how important they are. They say that in the olden times, the castle¡¯s lord resided in the main tower given its high defense security, but later on, most of the lords eventually built a separate mansion for themselves. The main tower was then converted into a jail for imprisoning criminals.


    This castle also has its own well inside the main tower, albeit buried under rubble from fallen floors and debris. It would cost an arm and leg to excavate a well, almost as expensive as the constructions of the other buildings within the castle, apparently.


    Some of the construction workers¡¯ assistants are busy as bees drawing water and carrying it back and forth even now, straight to the bell tower attached to the pavilion. That tower also doubled as a spirit hall in the past. Spirit halls were simplified versions of ¡ºFae¡¯s Bough¡», or maybe it¡¯s more accurate to call it a place of worship. The lords of this castle, or the entire island, rather, worships the spirit of the ocean as their deity.


    The belltower has a belfry on the very top. The bell basically functions as a clock; it¡¯s rung to let the islanders know it¡¯s lunch time or something similar. Ah, but it¡¯s now in ruins, all broken and crumbling. Actually, the main tower and the rest of the places that had been built after the wall was completed are already in ruins and it¡¯s quite eye-catching. The old buildings might be difficult to live in, but they¡¯re way more durable than the ones built later on.


    Anyway, that aside, let¡¯s go to the spot I requested for drawing water.


    ¡¸Why are you doing this again when there¡¯s already a well in here? You¡¯ll be uselessly spending a fortune again. ¡¹


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t ask you to bust through that bedrock, but didn¡¯t say I¡¯ll be making one, alright. ¡¹


    I commissioned the workers to dig until they hit the bedrock then make a structure similar to a well. However, the actual stonework for the well was done near the top of the tower.


    ¡¸The purpose of this is something that eludes my understanding, still, may I guess if it¡¯s a restroom? ¡¹


    ¡¸And why would it be? ¡¹


    Squat toilets, Edo style? Right, I remember the saying that the toilet of nobility lasted eternities, and that they ordered rea~lly deep holes to be dug out for their exclusive use. Do they have that sort of thing here too?


    Anyway, back to the empty well I commissioned. The surface part of the well is actually on a platform, kinda like a viewing deck, on top of the tower. If you climb up the narrow stairs, you¡¯ll get to the place where you can ring the bell, but I hadn¡¯t installed the bell yet.


    Yeah, I was a bit torn at first since the bell is ridiculously expensive and clocks can be an alternative. But then, after computing it, the wage of a bell-ringer for a hundred years is still far cheaper than buying a clock. Now, I¡¯m torn whether I¡¯ll have a pair of bells that will ring out a melody, or have a few with different pitches installed.


    Perhaps I¡¯m hit with nostalgia and just tempted to imitate the king~kong~kang~kong melody of school bells in Japan, but I shouldn¡¯t; might attract the heroes to this place.


    ¡¸You¡¯re done with the work here, right? ¡¹


    Both of them agreed, albeit looking dubiously at me, so I handed the sweets pouch to them and called it a day. Later on, I¡¯ll sneak in and secretly draw magic circles for summoning water. Maybe it¡¯s better to let them see water flowing as early as possible, huh.


    I also have to prepare a place for dyeing indigo and proceed on schedule. Apparently, cochineal is an ingredient for red dye, but since the Dye Guild¡¯s keeping it hush, it¡¯ll be better if I stayed out of it. Well, I do remember feeling repulsed when I first found out that the natural dyes used scale insects¡­ natural, indeed.


    Ah, right, purple too. They also use scale insects here, but those dyed with shellfish called murex snails tend to be more expensive, apparently, because it¡¯s the color of nobles with extensive family histories with pureblood dating from way way back.


    People born in high ranking aristocratic families are said to be ¡¸born surrounded in purple ¡¹¡ª that¡¯s just how much this color is favored by the bigwigs in power. By the way, the process of producing this color is also a trade secret kept by the Dye Guild, but it had to be stopped because of overharvesting the murex snails.


    When I looked into it, I found out that you can only get two to three drops of secretion from one shell. You¡¯ll need ten thousand pieces to dye a single shirt, how insane is that. No wonder such an ordinary mollusk is on the verge of extinction now. Apparently, there¡¯s a very slim chance, kinda like once in a blue moon, that you¡¯ll find a murex snail that turned into a monster, and if you find a trihorn murex snail, you¡¯ll be making a fortune by a single stroke.


    I teleported back to Canum while thinking of ways to help the island folks make money. I grabbed a basket and put some white wine and blueberry cheesecake in it. With room to spare I decided to add some eggs, bacon and other stuff before setting off to the neighbors. Today¡¯s the day I¡¯ll enjoy Shiva¡¯s handmade dishes.


    ¡¸Sorry for troubling you. ¡¹


    ¡¸Ou, you¡¯re here. ¡¹


    ¡¸Jean! ¡¹


    Tina jumped at me the moment I shut the door, followed by the twins.


    ¡¸Wait, wait, the eggs in the basket are in danger! ¡¹


    ¡¸Come in, Jean, sorry I have my hands full. ¡¹


    Shiva¡¯s voice resounded from the kitchen.


    I set the basket aside and hugged the kids again before moving towards the fireplace. Dinosso¡¯s brushing something on a whole bird that was roasting on the fire. He¡¯s using a feather-duster looking brush he fashioned out of twigs.


    ¡¸Did you tie sage to rosemary twigs? ¡¹


    ¡¸Righto. And this here is olive oil mixed with chicken dripping, I brush it on. It¡¯ll be done in a minute or so, so look forward to it. ¡¹


    He continued brushing the chicken while turning it from time to time.


    Eh, so you¡¯ve been doing this for two hours already!?


    ¡¸I helped! ¡¹


    ¡¸We took turns~! ¡¹


    The twins happily shouted while I was still in shock; Vak was the first one to declare that followed by En.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m excited. ¡¹


    ¡¸I also helped Mama! ¡¹


    ¡¸And what did you make? ¡¹


    They¡¯re too adorable while flocking around me, so I patted the trio on the head while chuckling.


    ¡¸Food is ready now.¡¹


    ¡¸Ou, then let¡¯s transfer this to a plate too. ¡¹


    Shiva came out of the kitchen and started setting the table while Dinosso removed the bird from the huge roasting spit and transferred it to the wooden board he was referring to as ¡®plate¡¯.


    Short pasta tossed in green sauce, roasted chicken, soup, white wine.


    ¡¸Thanks for the food. ¡¹


    Shiva¡¯s dishes are tasty so I¡¯m really looking forward to eating it.


    The pasta sauce was made from basil, grated pine nuts, olive oil, cheese and salt ¡ª Genovese? The noodles are also made by hand. I like my spaghetti noodles firm, but this springy textured pasta is so tasty and it goes perfectly with the sauce.


    Next is the cabbage soup.


    ¡¸Oh, sour. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s sauerkraut soup, is it your first time? ¡¹


    Shiva asked with a smile.


    ¡¸Yup, I was a bit startled. ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a regional cuisine from a little up north. I¡¯m not good with sour stuff. ¡¹


    Dinosso said that, but he scooped a spoonful, stared at it for a while then ate it in a gulp.


    Shiva stewed different meats with sauerkraut for three days. Dinosso also got an extra sausage for some reason, probably to ease the sourness.


    ¡¸Here you go, chicken. ¡¹


    Dinosso sliced me some.


    ¡¸Thanks. ¡¹


    The moment I took a bite, the fragrance of the meat filled my mouth. The skin was crispy, the meat juicy and soft with a hint of lemon¡¯s refreshing zest.


    Dinosso pulled some sort of stuffing before he cut it; was that lemon?


    ¡¸Oh, yeah, Reid¡¯s coming back, did you hear about it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ahh, he¡¯s bringing Ash back here, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s also part of it but¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸He wanted to be my groom, he said. ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh. What a criminal. ¡¹


    I unwittingly blurted when Tina said that.


    ¡¸He¡¯ll be captured? ¡¹


    ¡¸Arrest him! ¡¹


    The twins happily laughed.


    ¡¸My Tina, that bastard! ¡¹


    Dinosso¡¯s gnashing his teeth.


    So it wasn¡¯t a joke? But I thought he¡¯s such a gallant knight outside his job!


    ¡¸According to Chris, Reid is possessed by a unicorn spirit, apparently. Maybe it¡¯s because of that? ¡¹


    Shiva titled her neck.


    ¡¸U-Uni-Unicorn? ¡¹


    Wait a sec, wait, that macho horse is a unicorn? Yeah, yeah, I do know unicorns love maidens, but you¡¯re telling me that that thing is a unicorn!?


    ¡¸Just who the heck decided that huh? ¡¹


    Ahh, it¡¯s not my fault that my hand stopped scooping and I ended up retorting that.

 CH 183

    ¡¸Huh, what¡¯s that? ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think the spirit possessing Reid is a unicorn. ¡¹


    Ah, but can¡¯t do anything about it if that sort of thing is known as a unicorn in this world.


    ¡¸Is it not? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s something horse-ish. It¡¯s personal information so¡­ ¡¹


    He¡¯s not an enemy, but not an ally either. I don¡¯t feel comfortable talking about the spirit possessing someone if they aren¡¯t involved in an incident.


    Actually, I also asked Dinosso and Shiva after I confirmed the shocking truth that folks don¡¯t actually See how the spirits actually look. They told me they can See En¡¯s squirrel.


    Spirits who favor humans would let their target and the folks close to that person See their appearance as a way of showing approval, apparently.


    That¡¯s a given for powerful spirits, but for the normal ones you find everywhere, people must have the ability to See first or else that condition isn¡¯t applicable. So, even if En can See spirits, Dinosso and Shiva¡¯s spirits are the prideful sort so they probably won¡¯t appear to him.


    ¡­ Then what about me huh, I can totally See all of them.


    ¡¸Hmm if somebody did See then maybe it¡¯s the temple? Not by a person who can See per se, but someone using a magic circle, that¡¯s my guess. If the spirit resisted then that sort of folks usually run out of mana before they can even See clearly. Well, they can be quite the fawner if paid handsomely. ¡¹


    ¡¸So you¡¯re saying they only get a very brief ¡®view¡¯ of the spirit, kinda like a sneak peek, but they exaggerated what they Saw and made it out to be something else, just to impress? ¡¹


    ¡¸If it¡¯s not because of the spirit, then is he really a pervert? ¡¹


    ¡¸Tina is cute, but this is worrying. ¡¹


    ¡¸Reid looks like a prince, but he¡¯s a bit creepy~ ¡¹


    That¡¯s the parents¡¯ opinion and the child in question¡¯s true thoughts¡­


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like he¡¯s doing this to flatter the Gold Ranked me. ¡¹


    ¡¸He could¡¯ve proposed this five years later. ¡¹


    Dinosso was baffled, and Shiva also looked troubled.


    ¡¸How about the son of the baker? ¡¹


    I saw Tina receiving flowers in front of the bakery a while back.


    ¡¸John uses his sleeves to wipe his snot so no no ~ ¡¹


    ¡¸The flowers got snot ~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Won¡¯t buy bread there ~ ¡¹


    ¡­John, was it a cold or allergy? You could¡¯ve used a handkerchief at the very least you know.


    Ah, but I do see them running around together from time to time, so he is probably her friend.


    Dinosso family is quite hygiene conscious for someone living in this world, huh. It¡¯s one of the reasons why I can no longer go to the other farming families and just stick with Dinosso¡¯s family.


    Is it because Shiva was formerly a noble? Shiva¡¯s background is kinda vague, but if she had been possessed ever she was born, it might be stormy and full of angst and drama so I¡¯m hesitant to pry and ask her about her past. She also gives off this aura of someone who already threw her status and her past away.


    ¡­Aren¡¯t there too many folks with special circumstances around me?


    ¡¸Doesn¡¯t matter which, both of them are no-no! Tina, you got me! You said ¡®I¡¯ll be Daddy¡¯s bride~¡¯ before! ¡¹


    ¡¸No way~ Tina is Jean¡¯s bride now~ ¡¹


    Tina laughed while sticking her arm out to her dad for some reason.


    ¡¸Bride~ ¡¹


    ¡¸Bride~ ¡¹


    Vak and En followed up.


    The usual bickering started again, and things only calmed down after I told them everyone is my bride. They probably aren¡¯t serious about marrying me; they¡¯re just really fond of me and are clingy because they want to be together.


    It¡¯s already evening by the time I left Dinosso¡¯s house.


    ¡¸I¡¯m back, Riche. ¡¹


    I teleport back to my house from the house in Canum. Riche came running to meet me, and I tousled him all over.


    Afterward, I prepare tea for me, meat for Riche. He can drink water wherever, and he doesn¡¯t really need meat, but I still served it on the plate that¡¯s exclusively his.


    We play together for a bit after that, then I brush him. Riche doesn¡¯t change into a summer coat and his chest fur is super fluffy. Seems a bit hot, but it¡¯s cute.


    Let¡¯s go to Chris tomorrow ¡ª ah, no, Retze. I¡¯ll ask him to help me make the bed mattresses. It¡¯ll be quite a number since I had to make them for the rooms in the island and the forest. I¡¯ll ask his help for assembling the lamps while at it. Let¡¯s just ask him to work part time in my house during rainy days.


    Is there an alternative to polyurethane I can use for the sofa? I also want some bamboo to make ear picks. Okay, I¡¯ll wander around after I¡¯m done drawing the magic circle for the island¡¯s water source.


    I finish my bath while mulling over these things then I go to bed. I still drink milk ¡ª I wonder if I¡¯m taller now? Riche is splayed all over the chilly plate, so I watch him for a while before turning the lamp off.


    The following day, I visit Retze with snacks and wine around dusk; it¡¯s quite improper to go there so early in the morning after all. By the way, when you open the door to this rental house, the stairs will be right in front and a door to the kitchen and living room to the right.


    This door is usually left open when somebody¡¯s inside. It¡¯s open today too so I took a peek, but I didn¡¯t see anyone, or it felt as if somebody¡¯s taking a bath by the well.


    Today has been quite hot, so whoever it is, he¡¯s probably refreshing himself after work. It¡¯s not that hot for me, but a lot of people here are quite sensitive to heat. Dean usually wears short sleeves and sleeveless tops all year round, after all.


    Anyway, I decided to go to Retze¡¯s room, so I climbed up the stairs. Retze¡¯s room is at the very end of the second floor. The door to the hallway doesn¡¯t have a lock, but all the doors of the rooms have them, of course.


    ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s up? ¡¹


    He came out when I knocked. So Dean must be the one bathing by the well?


    ¡¸Here, bribes first. ¡¹


    I push the basket of wine and snacks to him.


    ¡¸Hey you, stop making it hard to turn you down, will you? ¡¹


    Retze seems fed up yet he still accepts it.


    ¡¸Ich yum yum. ¡¹


    ¡¸Heh, stop that baby talk. Come in now. ¡¹


    ¡¸Pardon the intrusion. ¡¹


    Actually we can also talk downstairs where everybody usually gathers, but somebody¡¯s taking a bath. Retze¡¯s room is also full of interesting stuff, so I shamelessly went in.

 CH 184

    ¡¸I don¡¯t have fire so no tea. What¡¯s up? ¡¹


    The climate is getting hotter so he doesn¡¯t use the fireplace in his room. He probably uses the shared fireplace or the stove if he needs fire, like brewing tea or something. Retze¡¯s fireplace is clean.


    ¡¸There¡¯s something I wanna ask. Reid, that guy, is he weird? ¡¹


    I asked what I wanted to know while thinking I should clean mine too.


    ¡¸Ahh¡­. So you were at Dinosso¡¯s place yesterday, huh. He¡¯s strange, sure is, but Chris told me that it¡¯s the influence of a unicorn spirit. I can¡¯t See, so I¡¯m not really sure whether that¡¯s true or not, but other than that, Reid¡¯s a pretty decent guy. ¡¹


    Eh, but that¡¯s also weird for a horse, isn¡¯t it?


    The spirit¡¯s form and appearance influences its nature. Uh, or maybe it¡¯s the other way around, like, the nature of the spirit shows in its appearance? I don¡¯t really get it, but rose spirits normally wear rose dresses, while spirits that don¡¯t really have a physical form like light, darkness and wind, will usually take on whatever image they are interested in.


    It¡¯s a mystery whether their nature is influenced precisely because they¡¯re projecting the object they¡¯re interested in, or whether the influence is already there so they¡¯re keen to take on that particular form. Anyhow, it¡¯s also one of the reasons why many spirits take on a human appearance when appearing before people.Flower spirits in particular take the appearance of the humans they admire, or so I was told.


    So, if it¡¯s really a unicorn spirit WITH a unicorn appearance then it¡¯s understandable that his nature is kinda drawn towards that sort of preference, but no, it¡¯s a horse head reverse centaur, for crying out loud. Besides, if it really does have a unicorn appearance, then it¡¯d prefer hanging out with other unicorns or horses for sure.


    Well, I can¡¯t really say for sure, we also have Dinosso¡¯s ¡®dragon¡¯ ¡ª fire spirit after all. Riche? Oh, Riche is my watchdog.


    Spirits that have mixed bodies tend to meddle and play pranks on humans, though usually not out of malice. That¡¯s what I read from the books in the library. Then what about that one with a horse head and human body?


    ¡¸Back when Reid interacted with Tina ¡ª how does he compare to Dean just before meeting me? ¡¹


    I only met Reid once, and Tina hadn¡¯t been brought up at all during our conversations.


    ¡¸¡­ It did feel something similar to that time with his sister, but it¡¯s just a hunch. I was also one of the affected guys, so I can¡¯t really say. ¡¹


    Retze frowned, looking annoyed.


    ¡¸¡­. ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­. ¡¹


    We sink in silence for a while.


    ¡¸$#!t, that¡¯s creepy. ¡¹


    Retze vigorously scratched his head and spat those words out.


    I was hesitant to ask Dean about it for fear of bringing that issue up and riling him, so I decided on Retze since they¡¯ve been long-time pals. Right, they¡¯ve been friends and both are adventurers, so it¡¯s a given that he also met Dean¡¯s sister, huh.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been avoiding Reid so I haven¡¯t seen him in action. Anyway, I should just wait for him to come back for now, huh. ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t go overboard on your own, alright. Tina¡¯s parents are both Gold ranks, Chris is also a Silver. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. ¡¹


    Oh, right, come to think of it.


    Let¡¯s consult them while waiting for Reid¡¯s return. Will it be alright to just leave everything to them after talking about it? But how do I bring up the topic first?


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go drinking downstairs, shall we? They¡¯re gonna hold a grudge if I ate by myself, and if I¡¯m not mistaken Dean also got his hands on some good wine. ¡¹


    Retze took the basket I brought.


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine with me, but someone¡¯s taking a bath downstairs. Ah, and I also wanna search this room for porn stuff. ¡¹


    It¡¯s something you do in your friends¡¯ house, or so I read from a manga before.


    ¡¸Save the trouble. ¡¹


    Retze mumbles something like ¡®naked and door¡¯s unlocked ¡ª he must be talking about Dean, before pulling a book from under his pillow.


    ¡¸Erotica? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nah. You seem to like this kind of stuff. ¡¹


    I flipped through the pages and found out it contains information like types of grasses that can repel insects, the opposite type that can attract them instead, plus some warnings on how to mix, prepare and handle those plants.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s insect repellent so I get why you said I might be interested, but why give it to me? ¡¹


    ¡¸There are a lot of times when the plants mentioned can be useful for luring monsters that feed on those insects. You can say the opposite; if the insects got shooed away then the monsters won¡¯t appear either. So insect repellents aren¡¯t just for the sake of avoiding being stung, got it! ¡¹


    Many monsters, particularly the small ones, tend to camouflage themselves when hiding, although I can easily spot them with ¡¾Search¡¿. Among those monsters, some can be used as ingredients for making medicine. The Healer¡¯s Guild commissions the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to collect them.


    I got a feeling that he¡¯s diverting me from the erotica¡¯s existence, but yeah, he¡¯s right, I am interested in stuff like this. It¡¯s just that I never thought of collecting mosquitoes, gnats and leeches after what I suffered from them right after being teleported to this world.


    ¡¸Is it alright if we go hunting somewhere together again? Ah, and can you help me assemble some furniture together, we can do that when it rains. ¡¹


    ¡¸You already know how simple my hunting style is. I¡¯m fine helping you, but it probably won¡¯t rain this season. ¡¹


    Ahh, come to think of it, this place doesn¡¯t have rainy seasons unlike in Japan. Canum has more frequent rains than Nalluahdid or the place where my house is, but it won¡¯t be raining that much from now until winter comes.


    It¡¯s cooler in the woods than at home, so he¡¯ll probably hunt more actively. Seems like the plan to get some help is at an impasse.


    ¡¸No plans for expedition this year, and only a few commissions during summer, so I¡¯ll help you once every three days as usual. With wine and snacks, of course. ¡¹


    Not sure if it¡¯s written all over my face again, but yeah, laborer, gotcha!